5/31/2025

Parashat 50 Portion 170 ‘’Netzavim or Standing’’ Deut 29:9-30:10 Josh 24:1-8, 12-13 Is 40:1-26

Blessed are You, YHVH our Elohim, King of the universe, who has made us set apart through His commandments and commanded us to engross ourselves in the words of the Torah. Blessed are You, YHVH, Giver of the Torah – Amein

Last week in Parashat ‘’Ki Tavo’’ Moshe warned the Israelites that blessings would come through obedience and curses would come through disobedience. In this week’s parasha ‘’Netzavim’’ Moshe formally gathers the family of Israel to deliver them a final solemn warning appealing to them (and all those grafted into Isreal) to guard the Covenant - the 10 sayings - these constitute the ‘’Ketubah’’ or marriage contract between YHVH and Israel – written by the ‘’finger’’ of YHVH- Ex 31:18 – and as such these ‘’10 sayings’’ are central to all other covenants – see Deut 29:1  ‘’These are the words of the covenant which יהוה commanded Mosheh to make with the children of Yisra’ěl in the land of Mo’a, besides the covenant which He made with them in orě.’’  These ‘’10 sayings’’ were designed to be internalized in our hearts – Jer 31:31- and would form the foundation of all other covenants YHVH would make with His people to enter into an eternal relationship with them -these 10 sayings (if believed and internalized) would enable man to keep all the terms and conditions of the ‘’eternal marriage’’ covenant – The Torah.

Php 2:13  for it is Elohim who is working in you both to desire and to work for His good pleasure.

We haven’t been able to keep the Torah because the only way we can keep the Torah is if we are in a covenant relationship with YHVH; that YHVH Himself initiates and the only way we can be in this covenant relationship with YHVH is through His Messiah – Jn 14:6.

Joh 6:37  “All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I shall by no means cast out. Joh 6:44  “No one is able to come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him. And I shall raise him up in the last day. 

Anyone who rejects the terms and conditions of His covenant, will not only be rejected by YHVH but their names will be ‘blotted out’.  So, while ‘we’ are still standing, His favour or grace to be established in this covenant remains.

Rev 3:5  “He who overcomes shall be dressed in white robes, and I shall by no means blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I shall confess his name before My Father and before His messengers. (our names can be blotted out)

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. 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. (Blasphemy against the Spirit – Mt 12:31-32. – robbing or deceiving others with falsehoods, thus preventing them from entering into the covenant with YHVH – Deut 29:19

אתם נצבים – ‘’you (plural) are standing’’ this covenant is a one time offer and only applies to those who are alive ‘’standing’’. There is no repentance in Sheol – only regret.

 Joh 3:36  “He who believes in the Son possesses everlasting life, but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of Elohim remains on him.” 

Psa 40:7  Then I said, “See, I have come; In the scroll of the Book it is prescribed for me. 

Psa 40:8  I have delighted to do Your pleasure, O my Elohim, And Your Torah is within my heart.”[b] Footnote: b Psa_37:31, Psa_119:11, Isa_51:7, Heb_10:7-9

Deu 29:9  “Therefore you shall guard the words of this covenant, and do them, so that you prosper in all that you do.

Deu 29:10  “All of you are standing today before יהוה your Elohim: your leaders, your tribes, your elders and your officers, all the men of Yisra’ěl, 

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 (‘’brit’’) with יהוה your Elohim, and into His oath, which יהוה your Elohim makes with you today, 

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 Araham, to Yitsaq, and to Ya‛aqo

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. (For those that will be ‘’standing’’ in future generations)

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. 

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. 

A striking image of the destructive fruit borne by idolatry - Heb 12:15  See to it that no one falls short of the favour of Elohim, that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, by which many become defiled, Heb 12:16  lest there be anyone who whores, or profane one, like Ěsaw, who for a single meal sold his birthright.[b] Footnote: b Gen_25:32-33. Selling your birthright for religious lies.

Heb 12:17  For you know that afterward, when he wished to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it with tears. 

‘’ ’ in order to add drunkenness to thirst’’ ‘’Absinthe, a bitter alcholic beverage containing wormwood (Artemisia absinthium L.), was banned at the beginning of the 20th century as consequence of its supposed unique adverse effects. ‘’Absinthism’’ causes visual and auditory hallucinations accompanied by alterations in consciousness after consumption of absinthe -  patients were treated for alcoholic intoxication - 70.3% of all patients were diagnosed as "chronic alcoholics,"’’ (idolatry causes intoxication and subsequent addiction to deception)

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1475830/

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’ěl, according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this Book of the Torah.  Gal 1:8,9 2Cor 11:4

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 Seom and Amorah, Amah and Tseoyim, 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?’ (Israel used to be a land of milk and honey - Num 14:8  “If יהוה has delighted in us, then He shall bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which is flowing with milk and honey.’ Disobedience and rebellion have turned Israel into a desert)

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. 

 

Gods which God had not assigned them” (vid., Deu_4:19). “All the curses,” etc., are the curses contained in Deut 28:15-68; Lev 26:14-38. - Those who give the answer close their address in Deu_29:29 with an expression of pious submission and solemn admonition. “That which is hidden belongs to the Lord our God (is His affair), and that which is revealed belongs to us and our children for ever, to do (that we may do) all the words of this law.” That which is revealed includes the law with its promises and threats; consequently that which is hidden can only refer to the mode in which God will carry out in the future His counsel and will, which He has revealed in the law, and complete His work of salvation notwithstanding the apostasy of the people.’’ KD

YHVH has not assigned to us the gods of Easter and Christmas and Sunday worship and the gods of human religion. These are not just ‘’innocent’’ traditions – they are demonically inspired  doctrines of demons –

AI Overview

"Doctrines of demons" in 1 Timothy 4:1 refers to teachings contrary to God's Word, often spread by false teachers and deceitful spirits. These doctrines mislead individuals away from the truth and the faith, potentially leading them to reject God's promises and the power of the Holy Spirit. They often involve distorting or denying fundamental truths about God, Jesus, and salvation. 

1Ti 4:1  But the Spirit distinctly says that in latter times some shall fall away from the belief, paying attention to misleading spirits, and teachings of demons, 

Repentance and Forgiveness and Restoration

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 nations 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. 

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, 

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 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 4:31  “For יהוה your Elohim is a compassionate Ěl, He does not forsake you, nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them. 

Conclusion:

When we consider the severity of these Torah portions – the same sincere question arises which was also asked by Yahshua’s disciples; when Yahshua told them how difficult it would be to enter the Kingdom of heaven: Mat 19:24  “And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the reign of Elohim.” Footnote: Aramaic “gamla”, which is camel or rope. Mat 19:25  And when His taught ones heard it, they were very astonished, saying, “Who then is able to be saved?” Mat 19:26  And looking intently יהושע said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with Elohim all is possible.” 

What does it mean to be saved according to the scriptures? – Jn 8:38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

Believers will say ‘’I am saved because I believe in God, in fact I believe there is only one God’’

Jas 2:19  You believe that Elohim is one. Deu_6:4 You do well. The demons also believe – and shudder! Jas 2:20  But do you wish to know, O foolish man, that the belief without the works is dead? Jas 2:21  Was not Araham our father declared right by works when he offered Yitsaq his son on the slaughter-place? Jas 2:22  Do you see that the belief was working with his works, and by the works the belief was perfected? (‘’works’’ include all the instructions of the Torah)

Joh 3:36  “He who believes in the Son possesses everlasting life, but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of Elohim remains on him.” 

So, how does this work?

First of all our salvation is NOT INITIATED by ourselves -  Rom 10:14  How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without one proclaiming? 

Rom 10:15  And how shall they proclaim if they are not sent? As it has been written, “How pleasant are the feet of those who bring the Good News of peace, who bring the Good News of the good!” Isa_52:7

Joh 15:16  “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in My Name He might give you. 

Joh 6:65  And He said, “Because of this I have said to you that no one is able to come to Me unless it has been given to him by My Father.” Joh 6:37  “All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I shall by no means cast out. 

Many believers are leaving churches – why? They are not declaring YHVH’s entire counsel)

Act 20:27  “For I kept not back from declaring to you all the counsel of Elohim. 

So, how does this salvation act begin?

Joh 3:3  יהושע answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born from above, he is unable to see[a] the reign of Elohim.” Footnote: aOr perceive. 

Joh 3:4  Nadimon said to Him, “How is a man able to be born when he is old? Is he able to enter into his mother’s womb a second time and be born?” (when one is set in his religious ways)

Joh 3:5  יהושע answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, (severing demonic strongholds) he is unable to enter into the reign of Elohim.  Deut 32:52

Joh 3:6  “That which has been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which has been born of the Spirit is spirit. 

Joh 3:7  “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You have to be born from above.’ 

Joh 3:8  “The wind[b] blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who has been born of the Spirit.” Footnote: bWind and Spirit have the same underlying Hebrew and Greek words. 

Joh 3:9  Nadimon answered and said to Him, “How is it possible for this to take place?” 

Eph 2:8  For by favour you have been saved, through belief, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of Elohim, Eph 2:9  it is not by works, so that no one should boast. 

Eph 2:10  For we are His workmanship, created in Messiah יהושע unto good works, which Elohim prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Messianic journey of Torah obedience)

 

1Pe 3:15  But set apart יהוה Elohim in your hearts, and always be ready to give an answer to everyone asking you a reason concerning the expectation that is in you, with meekness and fear.

Blessed are you YHVH, our Elohim, King of the Universe, you have given us your Torah of truth and have planted everlasting life within our midst. Blessed are you, YHVH giver of the Torah – Amein.