HaAzinu VeZot HaBracha Slides (pdf)
HaAzinu Notes (pdf)
Overview of Ha Azinu (“Listen”) Deuteronomy 32:1-52
Last week’s Portion was the introduction to the song that Moses composed in this week’s Portion. It is interesting that the Exodus began with a Song of Moses (Ex 15:1-18), and here it ends with a Song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32:1-43). All of these events (last week’s, this week’s, and next week’s Portions) are believed to have happened on the day that Moses died.
Yehovah gave this song to Moses to teach to all Israel as “a witness against the Children of Israel” (Deut 31:19), so she would remember, even in the midst of her disobedience, that Yehovah will restore her back to Himself!
Chapter 32 – The Song of Moses
A note about Hebrew songs: songs are basically poetry set to music; and there is a difference between Hebrew poetry and Western poetry. Western poetry is identified by its rhyming and its meter; Hebrew poetry, on the other hand, is identified by its positioning of contrasting ideas. See if you can identify those contrasts as you read the Portion.
Who is Yehovah (verses 1-4)
Notice that Moses called down Heaven and Earth as witnesses to this song…just as he did when he introduced the Book of the Law last week. He describes Yehovah as: Greatness; the Rock; Perfect; Just; Truth; Righteousness; and Upright.
Who is Israel (verses 5-6) (and notice the contrast with the previous section)
Moses describes Israel as corrupt; not His children; perverse and crooked; foolish and unwise.
Israel’s History (verses 7-14)
Here Moses recalls selected parts of history: the Tower of Babel (actually before Israel existed), and The Exodus. And we are given tremendous insight as to the reason for the Tower of Babel event. Moses says:
“Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations. Ask your father, and he will show you; your elders, and they will tell you: when the Most High divided their inheritance to the nations, when He separated the sons of Adam, He set the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the children of Israel. For the LORD’s portion is His people; Jacob is the place of His inheritance.”
This text is referring to the confounding of the languages and the separating of the people at the Tower of Babel. This reference to “setting the boundaries of the nations according to the number of the children of Israel” is very confusing because the children of Israel didn’t exist yet – in fact, neither did Israel nor his father Isaac exist at that point in time…only Abram (according to historical sources, Nimrod and Abram were contemporary; and Abram was challenging Nimrod’s authority – that’s why Yehovah called him out of that land into “a land that I will show you” to preserve him from Nimrod’s attempts to kill him.)
If you are using a study Bible, you may see a note on verse 8 that directs you to the LXX (Septuagint) and the DSS (Dead Sea Scrolls), which have the alternate translation of “children of Israel” as “Sons of God”. This is a huge difference and now this verse begins to make sense! When Yehovah separated the people at the Tower of Babel, He assigned all the Nations to the “Sons of God” (the angels and other created Heavenly Beings who were part of Yehovah’s Heavenly Council…one third of whom fell with Satan), and He chose Israel for Himself. We see references throughout Torah that Yehovah is greater than all other gods (“Who is like You, O LORD among the gods?”); and the Egyptian Plagues were designed to show Yehovah’s superiority over specific Egyptian gods. Yehovah delegated the administration of the other Nations to His other Lesser Created Beings…but He kept Israel as His own, to lead and guide as a Father!! Now…back to the Song of Moses.
Israel’s Rebellion (verses 15-18) (notice the contrast to Israel’s history)
Here Moses refers to Jeshrun (meaning “upright”), another name for Israel. Ideally, Israel would walk upright and in obedience to Yehovah…but instead, she followed other gods (the ones who were assigned to The Nations at the Tower of Babel); she worshipped their idols and offered sacrifices to them…just like The Nations around her did.
Yehovah will Forget Israel (verses 19-27)
Not only will Israel seek after other gods, she will embrace “no gods”…as evidenced today by the “popularity” of evolution versus creationism. Yehovah will use “no people” (godless people) to provoke them; …but He will change them to “sons of the Living God” (Hosea 1:9-10). Throughout history He used Egypt, Assyria, Persia and the Medes, Babylon, Greece, and Rome; and today He is still using Islam.
Israel Will Realize God is Her Refuge (verses 28-38)
But Yehovah would not (could not) allow Israel to remain in this permanent state of separation from Him…not for Israel’s sake, but for His Own Name’s sake! Yehovah will judge His People and He will have compassion on them.
And God Will Restore Israel! (verses 39-43)
“I will render vengeance to My enemies and repay those who hate Me.” Israel’s Enemies are God’s Enemies (Psalm 83). Yehovah will judge His People; He will have compassion on them; He will ultimately judge those nations that He used to judge Israel; “and (He) will provide atonement for His Land and His People.”
This ends the Song of Moses, and we finish this chapter with some final instructions to the People of Israel.
Moses’ Final Instructions (verses 44-47)
Moses taught this song to all Israel, and said to them, “Set your hearts on all the words which I testify among you today, which you shall command your children to be careful to observe—all the words of this law. For it is not a futile thing for you, because it is your life, and by this word you shall prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess.” It is by remembering and obeying the words of this song that will enable Israel to possess The Land that Yehovah has given to them.
Preparation for Moses’ Death (verses 48-52)
After teaching this song to the children of Israel, Moses ascended Mt. Nebo, which is on the east side of the Jordan River, directly across from Jericho. There he would see all of The Land that Yehovah promised to Israel before he died. But, because he did not obey Yehovah at Meribah Kadesh when he struck the Rock instead of speaking to it, he would not enter The Land.
Next week’s Portion ends the Book of Deuteronomy – and the Torah; in this final Portion Moses, before his death, will make his final prophecies over the Sons of Israel.
Haftarah Reading (II Samuel 22:1-51)
In the Haftarah King David, in his old age, composed a song just as Moses did – only David’s song was not of future events but rather expressing his gratitude for God’s Blessing on his life. And like Moses’ song, it is very long; we will read here from II Samuel 22 the beginning and the end of the song; but you may read the entire chapter to get the complete message. We start with verses 2-7:
“The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; the God of my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; my Savior, You save me from violence. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies. When the waves of death surrounded me, the floods of ungodliness made me afraid. The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried out to my God; he heard my voice from His temple, and my cry entered His ears…
And we read the song’s conclusion, starting with verse 47:
…The LORD lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let God be exalted, the Rock of my salvation! It is God who avenges me, and subdues the peoples under me; He delivers me from my enemies. You also lift me up above those who rise against me; You have delivered me from the violent man. Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the Gentiles, and sing praises to Your name. He is the tower of salvation to His king, and shows mercy to His anointed, to David and his descendants forevermore.”
Brit Chadashah (Revelation 15:1-4)
Moses also wrote an earlier song immediately after crossing the Red Sea – we see that song in Exodus 15. And we see in the Brit Chadashah a similar song, also attributed to Moses that is sung by the Overcomers of the Tribulation. We read from Revelation 15:1-4:
“Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete. And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God. They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying:
“Great and marvelous are Your works,
LORD God Almighty!
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints!
Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy.
For all nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested.”