Ha'azinu - September 18, 2021

Torah Portion:
Ha’azinu - September 18, 2021
Torah: Deuteronomy 32:1-52
Haftarah: 2 Samuel 22:1-51

Portion Summary:
—Moses’ Poem:
1. Listen
 2. Praise of the Rock
 3. Curse of enemies
 4. Vindication
 5. Call to praise
—Moses is told to ascend Mt. Nebo for his death.

Devotional by Janet Cothrell:

“On the mountain that you are ascending, there be gathered to your people—as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people—because you both broke faith with Me among B’nei Yisrael….For you will see the land from afar, but you will not enter there, into the land that I am giving to B’nei Yisrael.” Deuteronomy 32:50-52 (TLV)

Moses had the sad and wistful task of climbing the mountain where he would die, able to see his lifetime goal of entering the Land promised to his people but unable to enter. God made it clear why this was happening but it didn’t make the process any easier.

I understand this because I worked in a cancer care facility for more than thirty years. Some of the people who came through would end up not seeing their hopes fulfilled. There were young children who would never grow up, young adults who would never have a career or children, and parents that would never see their children’s milestones. Conversely, there were also many patients who would survive; these were buoyed by their hope for a future filled with brighter prospects than those they were experiencing while undergoing treatment.  

This makes me think of a woman who had attended Restoration and my Torah Connect group who recently died of cancer. It was the desire of her heart to see her family turn to the Lord. Although she never saw her desire come to fruition, it doesn’t mean that her hope was in vain. God’s faithfulness isn’t limited by the span of our lives or whatever physical condition we are in.

Moses’ life shows us this. He would have surely taken comfort in the fact that the many he had led through the wilderness reached the goal of his lifetime. Even though Moses failed at Meribah (as we all fail at times in our lives), by the grace of God the important goal was met.        

Lord,
You are the Lord of all life! I know that my life is finite, and when You call, I must go. I pray that even if I do not see the desire of my heart met in my lifetime, that others will continue to work toward it, and You will make it so. You are so good!
In Yeshua’s name, amen.