Parashat Nitzavim
Parashat Nitzavim is taken from Deuteronomy 29:9–30:20. Moses continues his final address to the people of Israel. Moses goes all guns blazing to the new generation of Israel standing before him. He was giving them only two options. Life or death, blessings or curses. Its very apt to read this portion on the week of Rosh Hashanah(Yom Teruah or the Feast of Trumpets). The Jews believe that on Rosh Hashanah , God judges everyone . On Rosh Hashanah , God decides the life of an individual and on Yom Kippur the decision is sealed. The day of creation of man is also the day of judgement. The Book of Job when Satan stands before God is also Rosh Hashanah and when Abraham sacrificed Isaac is also believed to be taken place on Rosh Hashanah.
Life or death, blessing or curse-its upto a person to determine. The Torah is available to everyone.
“For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.”(Deut 30:11–14)
St Paul uses this argument to convince the believers at Rome to receive the Lord who came in flesh .
“But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”(Rom 10:6–9)
Moses sees through his prophetic eyes how the people of Israel would be taken into captivity and when they would love the Lord with all their heart, the Lord would bring them back into their land.
Its the 5708th verse of Torah. 5708th Jewish year is 1948. Torah has secrets embedded and those secret things belong to God.Every prayer, every thought, every breath-all are secrets.(Deut 29:29)
All then that will matter is the circumcision God would do in their heart. “And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.”(Deut 30:6–7)
Nitzavim means standing together united for a purpose, to hear the word-and this is how we need to be when we stand before God.(Deut 29:10)
So on Rosh Hashanah we tremble at His judgement but rejoice that He is our Father. This is what would have been in Paul’s mind as he wrote philippians. Jesus is the enthroned King and He has given us salvation(Phil 2:10–12)
