Listen to His Ways

This week's Torah Portion, Ha'Azinu הַאֲזִינוּ ( Give Ears), based on Deuteronomy 32:1-52, we study and contemplate on Moses' final words to Israel before entering the promised land. Moses, in the form of a poem or song, warns Israel about the consequences of abandoning Adonai. The consequences of idolatry, the worship of foreign "gods" and demons. In a sense, this song is prophetic because Adonai gives Moses a glimpse into the future and what will happen to the people as time progresses. It is human nature to go astray when things become comfortable and distress is but a memory. I often think that our struggles are ways to keep us close to our God. They are reminders that we need Him and should seek Him daily. The purpose of going through trials is to keep us walking the path and helping others to do the same. It is our way to "give ears" and help us walk daily in Jesus' presence and to be empowered by the Spirit.

Adonai is wise and knows what will happen in the future, so He uses prophets to warn us of the consequences of being neglectful. When we slowly, and often unintentionally, substitute God with anything else, we commit spiritual adultery. This doesn't always happen to those who connect themselves to God every day, but to those who live in isolation. Those who live disconnected from the body of Christ begin to focus on their problems instead of focusing on Adonai. Then they begin to change their habits, by either giving up and stopping fighting, or by trying to solve the issue by living differently from what they do now. Either way, they stop "giving ears" to God's way of doing things and begin to take autonomy over their lives by doing something their own way. It could be something benign and isolated, and in our human understanding, it could be something that sounds good and reasonable. For instance, a person may be struggling financially and resolves to fix it alone by acquiring a second job. That, on the surface, may sound like a reasonable thing to do. It even sounds like the right thing to do. However, over time, that person may become too exhausted to go to church, or to take time to pray, or to take time to read the Word. Before they know it, they will be so far away that they are incapable of "giving ear" to God's instructions and will instead begin to listen to another entity, a foreign "god". These entities have been around a long time, and they don't seek your devotion. They seek your destruction by any means possible. Even if you listen to your own heart and let that become your idol, they don't care as long as you are not listening to your Creator. I'm not sure why I'm using this example; maybe someone who will read this blog needs to understand this. A legitimate reason and a legitimate and sensible example of a struggle that may guide them away from Adonai over time. To that person, I say, place your trust in Him and seek Him for a solution. God doesn't want us to be slaves to this system and wants you to understand that He is still above the system. His ways are higher than ours, and He is still in charge of this world.

"'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the Lord. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.'" Isaiah 55:8-9

Returning to Ha'Azinu, similarly to how He warns Moses, He gives John a vision of what is to come in our future before the return of the Messiah. The words in the book of Revelation. The picture is dreadful and will come to pass, perhaps in our lifetime. So focus on Adonai because hard times may be ahead. It isn't for us to question if these things will happen, but a question of when they will happen. To those who are paying attention, the world is quickly progressing in that direction. But be of good cheer, because He has a plan and will spare those who faithfully obey. He has a way for those who serve Him to survive and even thrive in the most dire of circumstances. Trust in Him. Follow Him. Obey Him and you will see His deliverance from a world that is lost and those who are doing things their own way. I love you all. Shavuah Tov Ve'Shalom!

"Take to heart all the words by which I am warning you today, that you may command them to your children, that they may be careful to do all the words of this law. For it is no empty word for you, but your very life, and by this word you shall live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess." Deuteronomy 33:46-47