In Deuteronomy 29:9-30:20, Nitzavim, Moses affirms the covenant with Israel with a reminder that every person, great and small, is standing before ADONAI. He said, “Today you are standing, all of you, before ADONAI your God…But I am not making this covenant and this oath only with you. Rather, I am making it both with him standing here with us today before ADONAI your God and also with him who is not here with us today.” In other words, this covenant was not limited to those physically present, but extended to every generation. This underscores God’s timeless faithfulness and the responsibility of His people across the ages to walk in His ways, no matter the era or the nation where they reside. This includes us today.
Nitzavim is read each year before Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, a time of repentance before Yom Kippur. It is a prophetic call to stand before God, examining our lives, as Israel was commanded to do. Moses warns that disobedience would lead to exile, but promises that after repentance, the LORD would gather His people and circumcise their hearts. Deuteronomy 30:2 speaks of returning to God: the Hebrew word teshuvah means to turn back, to return from the wrong place. Yeshua’s (Jesus’s) parable of the prodigal son illustrates this: the son left his father’s house and lived in sin but eventually returned. The father’s joyful embrace is a picture of God’s mercy. Deuteronomy 30:4 promises that when His people return, He Himself will gather them. Today we see glimpses of this in the worldwide return of the Jewish people to both their faith and their land.
In Deuteronomy 30:11, Moses also reminds Israel that God’s covenant is not out of reach: “It is not too hard for you, it is not beyond your reach.” Just as Moses brought the Torah down from Sinai so the people could obey, so Yeshua has brought salvation down from heaven. Deuteronomy 30:14 declares, “The word is very close to you—in your mouth and in your heart; therefore, you can do it!” God does not ask the impossible. Through His Word and His Spirit, He empowers us to live in obedience. In Yeshua, we see the Torah fulfilled and salvation made personal. This is not a distant truth. It is meant to dwell within us, shaping our hearts, our words, and our actions as we walk in His covenant promises.
Deuteronomy 30:19-20 closes with a stirring challenge: “I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose life.” Life comes through loving God, obeying His voice, and holding fast to Him. Yeshua echoed this when He said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments (John 14:15).” Choosing life is more than a one-time decision. We decide each day our faithfulness, empowered by the Holy Spirit, who helps us endure and remain true. Just as Israel was not abandoned in exile, we are not left alone in our struggles. God calls us to stand, to repent, to return, and to live. The covenant still speaks today: stand before Him, choose life, and walk in His blessing.
