9.24.24 ~ If you don't stand for something...

 Good morning!

It's been said, 'if you don't stand for something you will fall for everything'. The million dollar question is: what do we, as a community, from the 'captain' all the way down to the lowliest wood cutter and water bearer, stand for (Deut. 29:10,11)? It's supposed to be the painful process of entering/avar into a covenant and choosing life (Deut. 29:12,13). And for each person, today, it's not just a historical event, it's a reality for everyone (Deut. 29:15). Let's begin to look at this process in the Torah portion Netzavim/to stand (Deut. 29:9-30:20).

We are familiar with the concept for those who are in Christ, they are officially Abraham's seed (Gal. 3:28,29), part of God's engrafted people (Rom. 11) and no longer strangers and foreigners to the covenants of Israel (Eph. 2:11-22). With Yom HaKippurim/day of atonement(s) a few days away, I want to encourage you to take a  nice swim in living water and enjoy resting against the Tree of Life to start off your 4th day of the week.

When Jesus Christ/Messiah Yeshua was on the earth, He would go to the synagogue each Sabbath where a portion of Scripture was read and discussed from the Torah, the Prophets and the general writings (Lk. 4:16). This coming Shabbat He would have been reading Netzavim/you are standing.

There is a powerful intimation with the name of the Torah portion, Netzavim?  'You are standing!'  These last Torah portions in the book of Deuteronomy/Devarim are strong, imparting a sense of our place in the annals of time, and especially where we locate ourselves relative to the Land of Israel and its spiritual mate, the Garden of Eden. It's no wonder that the last four Torah portions give us an action plan: When you go out ... When you come in ... You are standing ... And went walking ...

Vayelech/and went or and walked, which we will look at next week, Lord willing, is even stronger in its connotation. In the Garden of Eden were four rivers (Gen. 2:10). The outer two rivers "circled" the Garden. The inner one, the Tigris, walked/halak. It walked/halak the tightest path around the Tree of Life.  Adam and his newly formed bride, could hear the voice of Elohim walking/halak in the Garden before they fell out of it (Gen. 3:8).  What we learn in Netzavim/standing, is necessary preparation for walking around the Tree of Life.

So what we hear as we stand in Netzavim is related to the covenant sworn to Abraham (Deut. 29:13).  Not so coincidentally, the First Mention of the verb netzavim is found in Genesis, where the Lord appears to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, causing him to lift his eyes and see three men standing/netzavim opposite of him, shortly after he has been circumcised into the covenant; while he's still in the natural pain of circumcision (Gen. 18:1-4).

So yes, circumcision guarantees that we will experience pain in this world.  However, when one voluntarily enters the Covenant, he begins to 'lift his eyes,' and is able to see into the spiritual realm, a realm concealed to the natural eye.  Once we fell in the Garden, our vision clouded over with spiritual cataracts.  As one surrenders to life in the Word, he begins to experience a Divine kiss. When his natural, painful body catches a glimpse of the Garden and the Tree of Life that hovers in the Garden above the two realms meet (Gen. 2:10; Isa. 14; Eze. 28). No wonder, Yeshua taught us in His prayer to ask for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matt. 6:10).

Ironically, when Abraham says to his 3 guests, 'rest yourselves/sha'an,' he is encouraging them to lean on/sha'an The Tree (Gen. 18:4) as we would in Proverbs 3:5,6, he is connecting us back to the Garden of Eden.

In ancient times, a king made public appearances leaning upon his closest supporters. It was a display of trust in them and them in him.  Instead of inviting the travelers into his tent,  Abraham urges them to lean on THE tree (Gen. 18:4). Later, he stands and serves them 'under the tree' (Gen. 18:8). Leaning is an equivalent expression to TRUSTING/faith in someone or something.  This is the kind of faith that the children of Abraham need, the ability to lean on and serve under the Tree of Life.

Put all four Torah portions together and we learn in order to be apart and see the resurrection of the dead (Phil. 3:6-11) and restoration to the Garden, to be a people who go out, come in, stand, walk, and hear the voice of their Creator in the Garden.

More tomorrow.

Shalom

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