Dr Clifford Denton.
Ha’azinu: Deuteronomy 32:1-52.
5th October 2024/3 Tishrei.
Then He inaugurated Joshua the son of Nun, and said, “Be strong and of good courage; for you shall bring the children of Israel into the land of which I swore to them, and I will be with you.” (Deuteronomy 31:23)
Picture by Helen McNeill.
We have come to the end of our Torah readings for this year – or is it a new beginning?
We have also come to the month of Tishrei. The word Tishrei itself means new beginning. The month of Nissan, in the spring, includes Pesach and was designated the first month in the Bible, but Tishrei is also considered to be the beginning of the year in a different sense. It is a month loaded with prophetic meaning.
Rosh Hashanah is celebrated on the 1st of Tishrei (3rd October this year), heralded by the blowing of the shofar. Then follows Yom Kippur, the most awesome day on the calendar of biblical feasts on 10th Tishrei (12th October). This is a day of searching one’s conscience, making right what is wrong with one’s neighbour and in repentance before God. The Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles) follows from 15th to 22nd Tishrei (17th to 23rd October). It is the time to remember when the Israelites lived in temporary shelters on their wilderness pilgrimage to the Promised Land.
This is also the month where we read the last chapters of Deuteronomy ready to begin the Torah cycle afresh as the new year begins. The portion for this Sabbath is the 32nd Chapter of Deuteronomy. Then on the 23rd Tishrei is a special service in the synagogues to give thanks for the Torah. This is called Simchat Torah, rejoicing over the Torah, remembering God’s gift of the Torah beginning at Mount Sinai. At Simchat Torah, the final two chapters of Deuteronomy are read.
Christian tradition has replaced the feasts in the month of Tishrei with normal Sunday services which may include Harvest Festival at this time of year. The Christian yearly cycle does usually contain elements of the biblical feasts which are still celebrated by Jews. Passover has been renamed Easter and Shavuot is now called Pentecost. The emphasis in these two Christian festivals is rightly on the sacrifice of Jesus (Yeshua) and the giving of the Holy Spirit, but much of the biblical emphasis in continuity of our shared heritage with Israel, is missing. This is especially so for the Autumn Feasts in the month of Tishrei.
The Autumn Feasts are a reflection on the pilgrimage of God’s covenant family through this fallen world. Simultaneously they build expectancy for the return of Yeshua. Pesach pointed to Yeshua’s redeeming sacrifice, Shavuot, originally the time of the giving of the Torah at Sinai, pointed to the giving of the Holy Spirit to rightly interpret Torah. These two have been fulfilled in the deepest of ways. Yom Kippur is the time when the High Priest would come from the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle to pronounce forgiveness on repentant Israel. This will be fulfilled on the return of Yeshua from the High Heavens, when He comes to gather His people for eternity. Sukkot symbolises His tabernacling with us. The fulfilment of these final feast will be no less deep and dramatic for the entire world than the fulfilment of the other two main feasts. The Book of Revelation describes these end time happenings in dramatic ways.
All of the Feasts were intended to be celebrated in our families. The next few weeks afford us a great opportunity to prayerfully study together what God has prophesied in the Bible for the gathering of all His people, both Jew and Gentile who are living in faithful anticipation for Yeshua’s return. This will be in harmony with the time of the Jewish celebration of the Autumn Feasts in this month of Tishrei.
What more could be appropriate for the end of our year of Torah studies?
In these final chapters of Deuteronomy, a new era is about to begin. Joshua is set apart to lead the Children of Israel into the Promised Land. The name Joshua has the same linguistic background as the name Yeshua, with the connotation of saviour and salvation. Just as Joshua would lead the covenant people of God into the Promised Land, so Yeshua will return to lead His people to their life in the eternal Kingdom of God. Just as Moses prepared Israel for the crossing over the Jordan, so the Holy Spirit is preparing us for eternal life. Everything that we have read concerning Moses, and now Joshua, is raised to the higher place in Yeshua.
Moses prophesied over Israel concerning what would befall them in the Promised Land, completing his ministry but knowing that another Prophet would follow him with a higher calling. Figuratively this was Joshua. We now know that Moses, in giving the Law, which would be broken, also prepared the way for the One who would help us in our weakness to be overcomers – Yeshua Himself.
Moses finished his ministry with a song, called the song of Moses, and brought further words of encouragement and warning. Yeshua did likewise at His first coming before He left the earth to go to His Father. It would be good to read John Chapters 15 to 17 in parallel with our Torah portion this week to recall what Yeshua said to His disciples prior to His crucifixion, as we also go on to finish Deuteronomy in our family reading over the next few days.
The Song of Moses is our focus this week, but one day we will hear not just the Song of Moses, whose ministry was necessarily limited, but the Song of Moses and the Lamb, when all is completed on this earth (Revelation 15). That is the day for which we are preparing.
All of our studies this year have contributed to our preparation for the days ahead. But there is so much more to uncover. Having finished this year’s Torah cycle, why not start all over again and search out new themes with your family, looking back on what God has done as we look forward to the greatly significant and awesome days ahead.
We need not be tied to any particular system for reading the Torah or the Bible as a whole, but if you want to keep in step with the weekly readings in the synagogues around the world then a calendar of the prescribed readings can be found on a number of Jewish web sites.
We shall be glad to hear from anyone in this regard through the contact facilities of our website.
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