Nitzavim נצבים
Deuteronomy 29:10 – 30:20 דברים כט:י – ל:כ
This portion of the TORAH opens with the awesomeness of standing before the LORD, the G-d of Israel. Each person is reduced to a position of equality when standing in the fearful presence of His might and His glory. Social standing, ranks, and titles, and functions are irrelevant. Everyone becomes equal. There is no boasting or respect of persons in the presence of the Shechinah. שכינה This becomes evident by the list of types of people that are mentioned here. The hewers of wood are the men because they were stronger. The drawers of water were the women. These are listed with the elders, the officers, and all the men of Israel. This indicates the whole spectrum of people. Yet the holders of positions are named in an order so that HaShem can frame for us an understanding.
You are all standing this day before the Lord, your God the leaders of your tribes, your elders and your officers, every man of Israel,
your young children, your women, and the stranger who is within your camp, both your woodcutters and your water drawers
אַתֶּם נִצָּבִים –שני הַיּוֹם כֻּלְּכֶם לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם
רָאשֵׁיכֶם שִׁבְטֵיכֶם זִקְנֵיכֶם וְשֹׁטְרֵיכֶם כֹּל אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל
טַפְּכֶם נְשֵׁיכֶם וְגֵרְךָ אֲשֶׁר בְּקֶרֶב מַחֲנֶיךָ מֵחֹטֵב עֵצֶיךָ עַד שֹׁאֵב מֵימֶיךָ
The children are mentioned before the wives, showing that HaShem has a premium on the children, the future, before the wives. Also the children are sandwiched between the husbands and the wives, showing that HaShem emphasizes the family. All are STANDING before HaShem.
The entering in of the Covenant and the oath is a solemn event. It becomes the solidification of the people as a NATION. There is EQUALITY – DEMOCRACY. They are all standing EQUAL before HaShem in the Covenant, regardless of their social position, male or female, family background, the job that one holds, rich or poor, EACH PERSON has ONE VOTE.
that you may enter the covenant of the Lord, your God, and His oath,
which the Lord, your God, is making with you this day,
in order to establish you this day as His people,
and that He will be your God, as He spoke to you,
and as He swore to your forefathers to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
לְעָבְרְךָ בִּבְרִית יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ וּבְאָלָתוֹ אֲשֶׁר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ כֹּרֵת עִמְּךָ הַיּוֹם
לְמַעַן הָקִים אֹתְךָ הַיּוֹם | לוֹ לְעָם וְהוּא יִהְיֶה לְּךָ לֵאלֹהִים כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לָךְ
וְכַאֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְיַעֲקֹב
This Covenant also encompasses their future generations.
But not only with you am I making this covenant and this oath,
but with those standing here with us today before the Lord, our God,
and [also] with those who are not here with us, this day.
וְלֹא אִתְּכֶם לְבַדְּכֶם אָנֹכִי כֹּרֵת אֶת הַבְּרִית הַזֹּאת וְאֶת הָאָלָה הַזֹּאת
כִּי אֶת אֲשֶׁר יֶשְׁנוֹ פֹּה עִמָּנוּ עֹמֵד הַיּוֹם לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ
וְאֵת אֲשֶׁר אֵינֶנּוּ פֹּה עִמָּנוּ הַיּוֹם
The word oath or allah הָאָלָה in Hebrew can also mean the full curse of the law.
It is declared here that not only an individual person, but also a whole family, or even a tribe can turn after other gods, and turn away from HaShem. Turning away from HaShem and serving other gods causes a root to grow, and the fruit of this root is GALL AND WORMWOOD.
פֶּן יֵשׁ בָּכֶם שֹׁרֶשׁ פֹּרֶה רֹאשׁ וְלַעֲנָה:
These fruits are mentioned at the apostasy of the Gentiles in the book of Revelation. The word poreh פֹּרֶה can mean to produce something that is wild, unruly, self willed, and unable to be tamed.
The word allah אָלָה when it refers to the package of all the curses of the law can represent a panoply of demonic religious and evil spirits. It is the name of the muslim god, and when the Gentiles swear allegiance to it (the oath), they doom themselves to certain horrible and terrible destruction and eternal damnation.
The Lord will not be willing to forgive him; rather, then, the Lord’s fury and His zeal will fume against that man, and the entire curse written in this book will rest upon him, and the Lord will obliterate his name from beneath the heavens.
לֹא יֹאבֶה יְהֹוָה סְלֹחַ לוֹ כִּי אָז יֶעְשַׁן אַף יְהֹוָה וְקִנְאָתוֹ בָּאִישׁ הַהוּא
וְרָבְצָה בּוֹ כָּל הָאָלָה הַכְּתוּבָה בַּסֵּפֶר הַזֶּה
וּמָחָה יְהֹוָה אֶת שְׁמוֹ מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם
This worship of other gods will also bring sickness and plagues upon the land.
They will see with astonishment the plagues of that land
and the diseases with which the Lord has made it sick.
וְרָאוּ אֶת מַכּוֹת הָאָרֶץ הַהִוא וְאֶת תַּחֲלֻאֶיהָ אֲשֶׁר חִלָּה יְהֹוָה בָּהּ:
The end result will be sodomy, men going after men and marrying them, and women going after women and marrying them, commiting abominations before the face of HaShem. The result will be the overthrow of the land. Elokim overthrew the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Sulfur and salt have burned up its entire land! It cannot be sown, nor can it grow [anything], not [even] any grass will sprout upon it. It is like the overturning of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the Lord overturned in His fury and in His rage
גָּפְרִית וָמֶלַח שְׂרֵפָה כָל אַרְצָהּ לֹא תִזָּרַע וְלֹא תַצְמִחַ וְלֹא יַעֲלֶה בָהּ כָּל עֵשֶׂב
כְּמַהְפֵּכַת סְדֹם וַעֲמֹרָה אַדְמָה וּצְבוֹיִם
אֲשֶׁר הָפַךְ יְהֹוָה בְּאַפּוֹ וּבַחֲמָתוֹ:
This portion ends with the phrase “AS IT IS TODAY.” כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה The prophecy is talking about what is mentioned in the prophecy as though it is already happening today, even though it has not yet occurred.
These warnings are given to us from HaShem out of His great heart of LOVE.
He sees ALL things.
The hidden things belong to the Lord, our God,
but the revealed things apply to us and to our children forever: that we must fulfill all the words of this Torah.
הַנִּסְתָּרֹת לַיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ
וְהַנִּגְלֹת לָֹנוֹּ
וֹּלְֹבָֹנֵֹיֹנֹוּ עַד עוֹלָם לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת כָּל דִּבְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת:
Things that ARE SECRET הַנִּסְתָּרֹת belong to HaShem, but the REVEALED הַנִּגְלֹת are for the benefit of us and of our children. Like the light spectrum that we see with our eyes is very small compared with the FULL spectrum of all the light waves that are out there. All the reasons for the wrath of Elokim in the spiritual realm and the ramifications of His wrath are not known to us. The spiritual realm is much larger than the physical realm even though it is not seen. It is a VAST UNIVERSE and HaShem has protected us with His law and with His Word, and with the blood of the Messiah, and with His covenant. This is so that we can share in His holiness.
In the next verse in HaDevarim הַדְּבָרִים it is written about returning to HaShem with ALL OUR HEART. בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ The heart is immensely important. For it is written “With the HEART man believes unto salvation.” The heart is much more powerful than the soul. It directs the soul. This moves HaShem and He moves with compassion.
you will return to the Lord, your God, with all your heart and with all your soul, and you will listen to His voice according to all that I am commanding you this day you and your children,
then the Lord, your God, will bring back your exiles, and He will have compassion upon you.
וְשַׁבְתָּ עַד יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְשָׁמַעְתָּ בְקֹלוֹ כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם אַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשֶׁךָ
וְשָׁב יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת שְׁבוּתְךָ וְרִחֲמֶך
HaShem moves by compassion.
So there are three steps in this Scripture:
1. We repent וְשַׁבְתָּ עַד יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ
2. HaShem has compassion upon us
וְשָׁב יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת שְׁבוּתְךָ וְרִחֲמֶךָ
3. HaSehm regathers us to Himself and to the Land.
וֶהֱבִיאֲךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יָרְשׁוּ אֲבֹתֶיךָ
The following events will occur when we return to HaShem through the Messiah Yeshua המשיח ישוע
- HaShem will circumcise our hearts.
And the Lord, your God, will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, [so that you may] love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, for the sake of your life.
וּמָל יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת לְבָבְךָ וְאֶת לְבַב זַרְעֶךָ
לְאַהֲבָה אֶת יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ לְמַעַן חַיֶּיךָ:
- HaShem puts the curses on our enemies.
And the Lord, your God, will place all these curses upon your enemies and upon your adversaries, who pursue you.
וְנָתַן יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֵת כָּל הָאָלוֹת הָאֵלֶּה עַל אֹיְבֶיךָ וְעַל שׂנְאֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר רְדָפוּךָ
- HaShem rejoices over us when He causes us to prosper.
And the Lord, your God, will make you abundant for good in all the work of your hands, in the fruit of your womb, in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your soil. For the Lord will once again rejoice over you for good, as He rejoiced over your forefathers.
וְהוֹתִירְךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכֹל | מַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶךָ בִּפְרִי בִטְנְךָ וּבִפְרִי בְהֶמְתְּךָ וּבִפְרִי אַדְמָתְךָ
לְטֹבָה כִּי | יָשׁוּב יְהֹוָה לָשׂוּשׂ עָלֶיךָ לְטוֹב
כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׂשׂ עַל אֲבֹתֶיךָ
:
- HaShem puts the Word of faith in our mouth.
For this commandment which I command you this day, is not concealed from you, nor is it far away.
It is not in heaven, that you should say, “Who will go up to heaven for us and fetch it for us, to tell [it] to us, so that we can fulfill it?”
Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us and fetch it for us, to tell [it] to us, so that we can fulfill it?”
Rather,[this] thing is very close to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can fulfill it.
כִּי הַמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם לֹא נִפְלֵאת הִוא מִמְּךָ וְלֹא רְחֹקָה הִוא
לֹא בַשָּׁמַיִם הִוא לֵאמֹר מִי יַעֲלֶה לָּנוּ הַשָּׁמַיְמָה וְיִקָּחֶהָ לָּנוּ וְיַשְׁמִעֵנוּ אֹתָהּ וְנַעֲשֶׂנָּה
וְלֹא מֵעֵבֶר לַיָּם הִוא לֵאמֹר מִי יַעֲבָר לָנוּ אֶל עֵבֶר הַיָּם וְיִקָּחֶהָ לָּנוּ וְיַשְׁמִעֵנוּ אֹתָהּ וְנַעֲשֶׂנָּה
כִּי קָרוֹב אֵלֶיךָ הַדָּבָר מְאֹד בְּפִיךָ וּבִלְבָבְךָ לַעֲשׂתוֹ:
HaShem then gives us the purpose of our life.
- To love the LORD your G-d לְאַהֲבָה אֶת יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ
- To listen to His voice לִשְׁמֹעַ בְּקֹלוֹ
- To cleave to Him וּלְדָבְקָה בוֹ
This is the death to self in the Messiah. המשיח
When you cling to Him, you REST in Him.
For that is your life and the length of your days, to dwell on the land which the Lord swore to your forefathers to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob to give to them.
כִּי הוּא חַיֶּיךָ וְאֹרֶךְ יָמֶיךָ לָשֶׁבֶת עַל הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע יְהֹוָה לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְיַעֲקֹב לָתֵת לָהֶם: