Sermon Tone Analysis

Nitzavim

Introduction

Torah Portion

This Torah Portion goes from Deuteronomy 29:10-30:20

In our previous Torah portion we talked about Re’eh (beholding: a blessing, and a curse)

We talked about having two choices related to obedience / disobedience = blessing / cursing

Obedience to blessing

We talked about judging

John took us through the Torah portion Tika Vo - when you enter - did a good job explaining the blessing and cursing and how the Lord can heal

Prior to that Torah portion I spoke about what it means to stand against God

We taught on the Steps of a Hebrew Covenant:

10 STEPS TO THE HEBREW BLOOD COVENANT – An ancient Hebrew Ritual

1

Take off Coat or Robe

After removing coat, give to partner

Giving all of yourself to partner

2

Take off belt

Belt held weapons showing strength – give to partner

To defend, protect, and fight for each other

3

Cut the covenants

An animal is cut down middle.

Standing between the halves, back to back, each partner walks through pieces making an 8 figure, coming back to middle facing each other and say an oath

Giving up rights to self to walk with partner until death.

Give oath facing partner

4

Raise the Right Arm and Mix with Blood

Raise right arms and cut palms and bring together

Blood is mixing with partner’s blood to become one

5

Exchange Names

As blood is intermingling, names were exchanged

Take each other’s last name to become part of their own name

6

Make a Scar

Rub blood together and make a scar

Scar was seal of permanent testimony to the blood covenant

7

Give Covenant Terms

Standing before witnesses give the terms of covenant

Share all that you own with each other

8

Eat memorial Meal

Take a loaf of bread and feed to each other and share cup of wine

Wine represents blood and bread represents body.

Sharing bread and wine together as being One is a new nature

9

Plant a Memorial

Plant a tree

This will be a testimony of the blood covenant between each other

10

First Born

Give first born to die for the other partner to test commitment

I am committed in this covenant until next generation – first fruit

In today’s Torah portion we will continue to develop the idea of this covenant of God

What it means to stand in front of God instead of against God - as we discussed last week

We will talk about the concept of the “Renewal of the Covenant”

We will talk about 7 characteristics of God’s covenant with us.

We will uncover the mystery of that covenant with Israel and its meaning both the Biblical perspective and the Jewish perspective

Presentation

How many of you know that God knows everything

Moses is on the last day of his life

Gathers all Jewish people - the lowest to high ranking - old and young - men and women

Initiates them into the covenant of God

Introduces a new concept - responsibility (for one another) - not just the leaders

Officers - scribes

Every person responsible / obligated to help others observe TORAH - restrain transgressing, keeping it, following

Responsible for your circle of influence

In order to bring unity

To enter covenant together

Not to be apathetic to one another

Despite their sins/ flaws/ Israel, in process, continues to STAND before the Lord as He entered the covenant with Israel

Point One

1- Israel must stand before God

This is the Renewal of the covenant

Standing before God emphasized people are renewing the purpose of the covenant: to bind them to God’s Torah

Ramban Sforno - standing before the Ark of God who cannot be deceived

But they would not/ could not be bound by the Torah - wilderness experience.

And God knew this

Two ways to interpret this verse:

First - God knows the future (revealed to us in prophecy - we will come back to this in our next Torah portion, next week) and we only know the present that which we can see (has been revealed to us) - including the sins in our community

Second: that God knows our sins (even secret sins)

And consequently He knew the secret sins of Israel and the he (Israel) would not be able to keep the covenant

Point Two

2- The Covenant is with Israel united/ established

Deuteronomy 29:10–11 (NKJV)

“All of you stand today before the Lord your God: your leaders and your tribes and your elders and your officers, all the men of Israel,

your little ones and your wives—also the stranger who is in your camp, from the one who cuts your wood to the one who draws your water—

Your little ones

As minors cannot accept covenant

Able to have conscience of responsibility

But they are there to share in the privilege of being part

Ramban - God wanted to indicate that the elders were responsible to assure that the children would be raised in the Torah -

Accept responsibility for the children even before building a synagogue

Take a community to raise a righteous man

Deuteronomy 29:12–13 (NKJV)

that you may enter into covenant with the Lord your God, and into His oath, which the Lord your God makes with you today,

that He may establish you today as a people for Himself, and that He may be God to you, just as He has spoken to you, and just as He has sworn to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The same covenant God made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob made to all Israel

Again the promise to establish Israel as a people to God Himself

Covenant with Israel

Marriage covenant - where the bridegroom says I am going to marry you- regardless (Hosea)

Consider the same verse in Young’s Literal Translation:

Deuteronomy 29:12 (YLT)

for thy passing over into the covenant of Jehovah thy God, and into His oath which Jehovah thy God is making with thee to-day;

Original Verse

that you enter/passing over

Original Language Picture

לצבון

Rashi: