“the actions of the fathers
are a sign to the children” (Sotah 34a).
History is His Story recounted
for our benefit.
1Co 10:11 And all these came upon them as examples, and
they were written as a warning to us, on whom the ends of the ages have come,
1Co 10:12 so that he who thinks he stands, let him take
heed lest he fall.
The sages believe the
words of this parashah were spoken on the last day of Moshe’s life.
Parashat Nitzavim.
Deu 29:10 “All of you are standing(nitzavim – (niphal
participle) today before יהוה your Elohim:
your leaders, your tribes, your elders and your officers, all the men of
Yisra’ĕl,
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ט אַתֶּם
נִצָּבִים הַיּוֹם כֻּלְּכֶם, לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם: רָאשֵׁיכֶם
שִׁבְטֵיכֶם, זִקְנֵיכֶם וְשֹׁטְרֵיכֶם, כֹּל, אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל.
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9
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nâtsab BDB
Definition: 1)
to stand, take one’s stand, stand upright, be set (over), establish
1a)
(Niphal) 1a1) to station oneself, take one’s stand
1a2)
to stand, be stationed
1a3)
to stand, take an upright position
1a4)
to be stationed, be appointed
1a5)
deputy, prefect, appointed, deputed (substantive)
In
other words in our parashah we are to understand that those standing have been
made to stand for a reason. The reason been that those standing may be given an
opportunity to renew their covenant with YHVH.
Those
who are alive now have this unique privilege even though their ignorance
towards Torah is tolerated. However this parashah seems to be pointing to a
time where ignorance and rebellion towards Torah will not be tolerated.
It
will serve us well to remind ourselves that entering into a covenant with YHVH
is not simply saying a sinners prayer. This may be the beginning of such a
covenant. The only way we can enter into a covenant with the Almighty is
through His Son Yahshua. The authenticity of this covenant is demonstrated by a
life that desires to be embrace and obey all the requirements of this covenant
as found in the Torah and explained in the prophets and the second writings or
Apostolic scriptures.
Ps
119:89
פט לְעוֹלָם יְהוָה-- דְּבָרְךָ, נִצָּב
בַּשָּׁמָיִם.-
Psa 119:89 Forever, O יהוה, Your word
stands firm in the heavens.
These are standing “today” in Hebrew “ha yom” which means
a specific day. It is not just by chance that parashat Netzavim is always read
on the shabbat a week before Yom Teruah (Rosh ha shannah for the Jews).
We know that Yom Teruah points to the time when Yahshua
will meet His bride to be, just before the great marriage supper of the Lamb.
This is a time when the righteous dead will be raised.
They will stand before Yahshua (Netzavim) together with those who were caught
up in the air to meet the Messiah. The same image we see when a young Hebrew
couple are lifted into the air on their wedding day by the guests.
Today this is a word to those
who feel too weak to carry on – He says “Netzavim” you can stand because I will
help you stand and stay standing. In fact we will not only stand but we will
move forward. (The title and theme of our next parasha – “Vayelech” to
go, walk, come) We will stand and then proceed to move to a higher level
towards becoming one with the very essence of YHVH.
Let us however not forget that this day “ha
yom” is also a day of judgment. This is why the month of Elul precedes “the
day” – a time of searching ourselves and preparing to be with Yahshua forever.
(yamim noraim – days of awe)
Why are the rest of our fellow human beings
not standing? Maybe because there are not many left to stand..
Is 13:12 I will make men so small in
number, that a man will be harder to get than gold, even the best gold of
Ophir. - Basic English
Bible
Isa 24:3 the earth is completely emptied and utterly
plundered, for יהוה has spoken this word.
Once again this Torah portion gives us
critical eschatological insight concerning those who will stand and those who
will fall before the Messiah of YHVH in the end days.
Deu 29:11 your
little ones, your wives, and your sojourner who is in the midst of your camp,
from the one who cuts your wood to the one who draws your water,
Deu 29:12 so that
you should enter into covenant with יהוה your Elohim,
and into His oath, which יהוה your Elohim
makes with you today,
Why are a small remnant standing before YHVH.
Jer 31:31 “See, the days are coming,” declares יהוה, “when I shall
make a new covenant(renew the covenant) with the house of Yisra’ĕl and with the
house of Yehuḏah1, Footnote: 1See Heb. 8:8-12,
Heb. 10:16-17. Note- not with the church.
Jer 31:32 not like
the covenant I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand
to bring them out of the land of Mitsrayim, My covenant which they broke,
though I was a husband to them,” declares יהוה.
Jer 31:33 “For this
is the covenant I shall make with the house of Yisra’ĕl after those days,
declares יהוה: I shall put My Torah in their inward
parts, and write it on their hearts. And I shall be their Elohim, and they
shall be My people.
Jer 31:34 “And no
longer shall they teach, each one his neighbour, and each one his brother,
saying, ‘Know יהוה,’ for they
shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares יהוה. “For I shall forgive their crookedness,
and remember their sin no more.”
Deu 29:13 in order
to establish you today as a people for Himself, and He Himself be your Elohim,
as He has spoken to you, and as He has sworn to your fathers, to Aḇraham,
to Yitsḥaq, and to Yaʽaqoḇ.
Deu 29:14 “And not
with you alone I am making this covenant and this oath,
Deu 29:15 but with
him who stands here with us today before יהוה our Elohim, as
well as with him who is not here with us today.
To a future end time generation.
Deu 29:16 “For you
know how we dwelt in the land of Mitsrayim and how we passed through the
nations which you passed through,
Deu 29:17 and you
saw their abominations and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which
were with them,
Deu 29:18 lest
there should be among you a man or woman or clan or tribe, whose heart turns
away today from יהוה our Elohim, to
go and serve the mighty ones of these nations, lest there should be among you a
root bearing bitterness or wormwood.
What is Wormwood?
“Heb. la'anah,(to curse) the Artemisia absinthium of botanists,
is known as Wilde-als by the Afrikaans community. Wilde-als brandy is a popular
folk medicine still made and sold today.
It is noted for its intense bitterness. In the symbolical language of
the Apocalypse (Rev_8:10, Rev_8:11) a star is represented as falling on the
waters of the earth, causing the third part of the water to turn wormwood.
Wormwood,
Artemisia absinthium, has been used for centuries as a moth repellent, general
pesticide and as a tea/spray to repel slugs and snails. Before its toxicity was
known it was used as the name implies: a worming medicine for people and
animals.
You may have
heard of the alcoholic drink "absinthe" a green coloured beverage
that is illegal in some countries. Absinthe has a history in Eastern Europe and
France; it was used as a stimulant mainly by artists, for example painter
Vincent van Gogh. The story goes that he was imbibing of absinthe when he
lopped off his ear.
History
The name of
this plant occurs in many old writings; Egyptian, Roman and Christian. It's
sometimes called a poison, sometimes a medicinal herb of value. Its Latin name,
Artemisa absinthium, tells us that it was named after the goddess Artemis, who
was the goddess of the hunt in Greek mythology.
The
intensely bitter, tonic and stimulant qualities have caused wormwood not only
to be an ingredient in traditional medicinal preparations, but also to be used
in various liqueurs, of which absinthe is the chief. The basis of absinthe
being absinthol, extracted from wormwood. Wormwood, as employed in making this
liqueur, bears also the name 'Wermuth' - preserver of the mind - from its
medicinal virtues as a nervine and mental restorative. It was about twice the
strength of any other spirit (more than two-thirds alcohol). And the wormwood
in it not only provided part of its green colour and a characteristic bitter
taste, but also thujone, an hallucinogen that is a relative of the active
ingredients in cannabis. No wonder there was being told that it drove people
mad and it was banned in many countries early this century. Inferior absinthe
is generally adulterated with copper, which produces the characteristic green
colour.
Chemistry
The
extracted essential oil, ranging from 0.5 to 1% of the fresh weight of the
plant material, appears to be strongly influenced by environmental conditions.
Some volatile oil constituents include: thujone, phellandrene, thujyl alcohol,
cadinene, and azulene. The bitter principle in wormwood comes from absinthin
and anabsinthin. Thujone has also been shown to have a very similiar molecular
structure to THC.
Effects
Wormwood is
a psychic stimulant. The effect of wormwood is narcotic, lightly anaesthetic,
giving a peaceful and relaxing feeling. In combination with alcohol or in
larger dosages hallucinations might occur. Wormwood is suitable for making tea,
which has a positive effect during post-flu or post-infectious periods. It also
increases the appetite.
Medical use
Wormwood has
also been used to improve blood circulation, as a cardiac stimulant, as a pain
reliever for women during labour, and as an agent against tumours and cancers.
Folk remedies call for the employment of wormwood against colds, rheumatism,
fevers, jaundice, diabetes, and arthritis. Furthermore its a nervine tonic,
particularly helpful against the falling sickness and for flatulence. It is a
good remedy for enfeebled digestion and debility.
Wormwood usage
A wormwood
tea can be made by adding 1/2 to 1 teaspoon (2.5 to 5 grams) of the herb to 1
cup (250 ml) of boiling water, then steeping for ten to fifteen minutes. Drink
three times a day. You can mix it with peppermint leaves or anise. However
sweet can't be combined with bitter, so don't mix your tea with sugar.
Tincture, 10
- 20 drops in water, can be taken ten to fifteen minutes before each meal.
Either preparation should not be used consecutively for more than four weeks.
Warnings
Wormwood is
poisonous. Long and intensive use can lead to addiction, corporal and psychical
decline and it can lead to nervosity, restlessness and cramps. High doses can
cause headaches and dizziness. Higher doses are psycho-activating and have a
paralysing effect. Intoxication effects due to overdose are arbitrary stools,
unconsciousness, coma and death. After making absinthe, try one small glass at
first and wait about an hour for the effect. Try it again at another opportunity.
Better to dose too less with no effects than too much, risking poisoning
yourself or making yourself sick. Do not drive motorized vehicles under the
influence of wormwood.
Contraindications
Regular use
of wormwood can become addicting. The plant contains glycoside, known to be
poisonous, and the volatile oil is a central nervous system depressant.
Longer-term use (over four weeks) or intake of amounts higher than those
recommended can cause nausea, vomiting, insomnia, restlessness, vertigo,
tremors, and seizures. Overuse of wormwood can initiate nervousness, stupor,
convulsions, and death. Wormwood is known to be allergenic and can cause
contact dermatitis.
Short-term
use (two to four weeks) of a wormwood tea or tincture has not resulted in any
reports of significant side effects.
Adverse Reactions
Thujone produces a state of excitement and is a powerful convulsant. Ingestion of wormwood may result in absinthism, a syndrome characterized by digestive disorders, thirst, restlessness, vertigo, trembling of the limbs, numbness of the extremities, loss of intellect, delirium, paralysis, and death.
http://azarius.net/encyclopedia/19/Wormwood/
The
effects of addiction to wormwood describe the condition of many living in our
days. People have become addicted to lawlessness, the more they are lawless
(Torahless) the more intoxicated they become. Intoxicated people have continual
hangovers accompanied by thirst. To quench the thirst (for more lawlessness)
they consume more of the “drug” and so the vicious circle continues.
Deu 29:19 “And it
shall be, when he hears the words of this curse, that he should bless himself
in his heart, saying, ‘I have peace though I walk in the stubbornness of my
heart,’ in order to add drunkenness to thirst.
He is adding more intoxicating deception to his pitiful
position. THIS IS THE TRAGIC MANIFESTATION OF A RELIGIOUS SPIRIT.
Many Christians Jews and Moslems and others – maybe even
Messianics have deadened their senses to the Truth to such a degree that it is
impossible for them to ever come to the sense of YHVH’s Truth in Messiah.
Midrash on how one can come to this intoxicated deceptive
state:
The religious ideas of religious men has to be one of the
most powerful forms of deceptive intoxication.
a)
The deceptive notion that certain “New Testament”
doctrines and teachings have replaced the instructions of the Torah – causing
one to misrepresent YHVH His Messiah and His Covenant with mankind. This
included “replacement theology” and the demonic deception of “law verses grace”
teaching.
b)
The deceptive notion that any law or instruction can be
disregarded or taken lightly or even slightly altered in the Torah.
Deu 4:30 “In
your distress, when all these words shall come upon you in the latter days,
then you shall return to יהוה your Elohim and shall obey His
voice.
Deu 29:20 “יהוה would not forgive him, but rather, the
displeasure of יהוה and His
jealousy shall burn against that man, and every curse that is written in this
book shall settle on him, and יהוה shall blot out
his name from under the heavens.
Deu 29:21 “And יהוה shall separate him for evil, out of all
the tribes of Yisra’ĕl, according to all the curses of the covenant that are
written in this Book of the Torah.
Deu 29:22 “And the
generation to come of your children who rise up after you, and the foreigner
who comes from a far land, shall say when they see the plagues of that land and
the sicknesses which יהוה has sent into
it:
Deu 29:23 ‘All its
land is sulphur, salt, and burning; it is not sown, nor does it bear, nor does
any grass grow there, like the overthrow of Seḏom and
Amorah, Aḏmah and Tseḇoyim,
which יהוה overthrew in His displeasure and His
wrath.’
Deu 29:24 “And all
nations shall say, ‘Why has יהוה done so to
this land? What does the heat of this great displeasure mean?’
Deu 29:25 “And it
shall be said, ‘Because they have forsaken the covenant of יהוה Elohim of their fathers, which He made
with them when He brought them out of the land of Mitsrayim.
Deu 29:26 ‘And
they went and served other mighty ones and bowed themselves to them, mighty
ones that they did not know and that He had not given to them,
Deu 29:27
therefore the displeasure of יהוה burned against
this land, to bring on it every curse that is written in this book.
Deu 29:28 ‘And יהוה uprooted them from their land in
displeasure, and in wrath, and in great rage, and cast them into another land,
as it is today.’
Deu 29:29 “The
secret matters belong to יהוה our Elohim,
but what is revealed belongs to us and to our children forever, to do all the
Words of this Torah.
The context of vs 29 speaks to the consequences of
disregarding the Torah of YHVH.
Deu 30:1 “And it shall be, when all these words come
upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you shall
bring them back to your heart among all the gentiles where יהוה your Elohim
drives you,
Deu 30:2 and shall
turn back to יהוה your Elohim
and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, with all your
heart and with all your being, you and your children,
Deu 30:3 then יהוה your Elohim shall turn back your
captivity, and shall have compassion on you, and He shall turn back and gather
you from all the peoples where יהוה your Elohim
has scattered you.
“The Hebrew word used
here for "he will turn back”" is not veheishiv -- which means
"he will bring back" -- but veshav, which literally means
"he will come back." (This
implies that he has already been here.)
Deu 30:4 “If any
of you are driven out to the farthest parts under the heavens, from there יהוה your Elohim does gather you, and from
there He does take you.
Deu 30:5 “And יהוה your Elohim shall bring you to the land
which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. And He shall do good to
you, and increase you more than your fathers.
Deu 30:6 “And יהוה your Elohim shall circumcise your heart
and the heart of your seed, to love יהוה your Elohim
with all your heart and with all your being, so that you might live,
the "circumcision of the heart" is the removal of any desire to want to
disobey Torah.
Deu 30:7 and יהוה your Elohim shall put all these curses on
your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you.
Deu 30:8 “And you
shall turn back and obey the voice of יהוה and do all His
commands which I command you today.
Deu 30:9 “And יהוה your Elohim shall make you have excess in
all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, and in the fruit of your
livestock, and in the fruit of your ground for good. For יהוה turns back to rejoice over you for good as
He rejoiced over your fathers,
Deu 30:10 if you
obey the voice of יהוה your Elohim,
to guard His commands and His laws which are written in this Book of the Torah,
if you turn back to יהוה your Elohim
with all your heart and with all your being.
Deu 30:11 “For
this command which I am commanding you today, it is not too hard for you, nor
is it far off.
Deu 30:12 “It is
not in the heavens, to say, ‘Who shall ascend into the heavens for us, and
bring it to us, and cause us to hear it, so that we do it?’
Deu 30:13 “Nor is
it beyond the sea, to say, ‘Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it to
us, and cause us to hear it, so that we do it?’
Deu 30:14 “For the
Word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart – to do it.
These very same words are repeated by Shaul – who did not
change their meaning or applicaton – Shaul like Yahshua came to elevate the
true meaning of Torah.
Rom 10:4 For Messiah is the goal1 of the
‘Torah unto righteousness’to everyone who believes. Footnote: 1Or
end purpose; not termination.
Rom 10:5 For Mosheh writes about the righteousness
which is of the Torah, “The man who does these shall live by them.”
Rom 10:6 But the righteousness of belief speaks in
this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who shall ascend into the heavens?’ ” –
that is, to bring Messiah down; or,
Rom 10:7 “ ‘Who shall descend into the abyss?’ ” –
that is, to bring Messiah up from the dead.
Rom 10:8 But what does it say? “The word is near you,
in your mouth and in your heart” – that is, the word of belief which we are
proclaiming:
Rom 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth the
Master יהושע and believe in
your heart that Elohim has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.
Rom 10:10 For with
the heart one believes unto righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth,
and so is saved.
Rom 10:11 Because
the Scripture says, “Whoever puts his trust in Him shall not be put to shame.”
Rom 10:12 Because
there is no distinction between Yehuḏite
and Greek, for the same Master of all is rich to all those calling upon Him.
Deu 30:15 “See, I
have set before you today life and good, and death and evil,
Deu 30:16 in that
I am commanding you today to love יהוה your Elohim,
to walk in His ways, and to guard His commands, and His laws, and His
right-rulings. And you shall live and increase, and יהוה your Elohim shall bless you in the land
which you go to possess.
Deu 30:17 “But if
your heart turns away, and you do not obey, and shall be drawn away, and shall
bow down to other mighty ones and serve them,
Deu 30:18 “I have
declared to you today that you shall certainly perish, you shall not prolong
your days in the land which you are passing over the Yardĕn to enter and
possess.
Deu 30:19 “I have
called the heavens and the earth as witnesses today against you: I have set
before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Therefore you shall
choose life, so that you live, both you and your seed,
Deu 30:20 to love יהוה your Elohim, to obey His voice, and to
cling to Him – for He is your life and the length of your days – to dwell in
the land which יהוה swore to your
fathers, to Aḇraham, to Yitsḥaq,
and to Yaʽaqoḇ, to give them.”
Please
note these notes are under construction and are subject to correction and are
in no way a final authority on any subject