This week's scriptures: Deuteronomy 31:1-30; Isaiah 55:6-56:8; Romans 10:14-18.

This is a very special week. Last Sunday (2 October) at sundown was the start of the new year 5777 in the Jewish civil calendar - Rosh Hashanah (the Head of the Year), the first day of the month of Tishri. It begins ten Days of Repentance (known as the Days of Awe, Yomim noraim) in which God invites His people to seek His face - not just for knowledge or revelation, but for a cleansed relationship with their holy God.

Come to an Awesome God, to Enter His Service

It is accompanied by the sounding of a ram's horn, the shofar, for this day is called Yom Teru'ah – the Day of Blowing. In modern Hebrew, the word ha-tra'ah means 'the warning or alert', and is based on the same root as teru'ah. For observers of Rosh Hashanah, it is an urgent call to repent, to get right relationships with God and with our fellow man. Moses and Isaiah exhorted ancient Israel to forsake their evil ways and thoughts, and turn to God in repentance, as these days lead to atonement on Yom Kippur. He would then have mercy on them and freely pardon their sins (Isa 55:6-7).

It is an opportunity we also should not miss, to repent and turn from going our own way. Free pardon of sin, however, was and is only available through the suffering Servant, whom Isaiah revealed as the promised Messiah (Isa 53:2-12).

God is Awesome in His Actions

Often the Lord would bring His people to a place or time when He would have them move into a new area for Him, but would complete this work only if they heard His call and acted in faith. Our extended Torah portion this week describes how Moses brought God's people Israel to the River Jordan (in full flood at the time) and summoned all Israel to hear again the instructions (Torah) that God had given them. He told them, and Joshua who was to be their new leader, Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of the nations, for the Lord your God goes with you (Deut 31:6).

Moses then gave the Torah to the priests and the elders, and commanded them to read it at the end of every seventh (Sh'mittah) year, so they would learn to fear the Lord and obey His words. The priests carrying the Ark of the covenant were to walk in faith into the river. When they did this, the Lord stopped the flow of the Jordan and the people crossed over on dry ground (a reminder of the Red Sea crossing on dry ground during the Exodus from Egypt). What an awesome God we serve!

Do we also act in faith, and expect amazing things, when He calls us to move out into a new area of witness for our awesome Lord? This present time after the Brexit vote is one such call especially to repentance before Him. But God says to us: Be strong and courageous. He tells us (as He told Joshua), Do not be terrified or discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you (Josh 1:9). 365 times in Scripture, God says, "Do not fear" (one for each day!). God always keeps His promises - Psalm 107 is worth reading to see God's mercy and faithfulness.

Yet God also warned Moses of Israel's future idolatry and their breaking of His covenant. There would be disasters and difficulties because they would reject the Lord (Deut 31:16). This is as true for Britain today as for Israel.

God is Awesome in His Love for Mankind

Isaiah also looked forward to the future glory of Zion and the salvation offered to all people through their Messiah. Again, he encouraged the people concerning God's tender mercy and pardon for those who seek Him while He may be found and call on Him while He is near (Isa 55:7). Even in their wicked ways and broken covenant, His love and faithfulness is shown by His promise that His word will achieve His purpose (Isa 55:11), and again God presents a challenge to choose what pleases the Lord, expressed as keeping Shabbat (a sign of the covenant).

Indeed His love for all people is proclaimed by His word to include the Gentiles: "My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations" (Isa 56:7), including the Gentiles; and to His covenant people Israel, "I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring My salvation to the ends of the earth" (Isa 49:6). In spite of their breaking His covenant, His love will bring them into a renewed covenant in the Blood of Messiah: "I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols...and I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees" (Ezek 36:25-27).

In the face of rejection and idolatry from those He calls 'My people', whom He had rescued and redeemed from slavery in Egypt, God would simply pardon their sin, and make a new covenant with them. But at such immeasurable cost - for He would give His only Son to bear their sin and die for them, and also for Gentiles, who were at that time His enemies (Rom 5:10, Col. 1:21), that they also might receive salvation through the Jew's Messiah. This is our awesome God. Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders (Ex 15:11)?

God is Awesome in His Call to Active Service

To us also in these days of turmoil, He says, Be strong and courageous, for your God goes with you.

Can we grasp the assurance that this gives us? And be hungry for His word, and get to know His Son, Messiah Jesus, for He has promised never to leave us or forsake us (Heb 13:5). Vayelech is derived from the word Lech - Go! It's a call to be proactive. If we respond to His call in faith – put our feet into the flooding river – He will complete His work through us, for we can do nothing of ourselves (John 15:5). He has brought us to this place and time.

We need to hear, and act. Let us step out to proclaim the message of salvation to both Jew and Gentile. Paul shares four active steps: be the messenger (Isa 6:8), preach the message (2 Tim 4:2), so they hear and so believe (Rom 10:14-18). He recognises that not all will receive the good news, but faith comes by hearing the gospel (Rom 10:17). So this is our call – Lech! Go! and make disciples of all nations. For "I am with you always" (Matt 28:19).

Approaching Our Awesome God

The reading of Torah every seven years was to engender a reverent awe and fear of Almighty God. If God is for us who can be against us (Rom 8:31)? In these days of shaking (and it is God who is doing the shaking) we too need to know that we are receiving a Kingdom that cannot be shaken.

So let us be thankful, and worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire (Heb 12:28-29). Jesus Himself said, Repent, for the Kingdom of God is near (Matt 4:17). His return is near. Approaching this awesome holy God must be by repentance of any sin that separates us from His Presence. Each of us needs to recognise the many ways we have hurt others, and been hurt ourselves. Many live in unforgiveness, so let us at this time forgive, so we might be forgiven (Matt 6:14-15).

This week of Yomim noraim is God's chosen way of bringing us into His Presence to receive His call. We must work while it is day, for night is coming when no-one can work (John 9:4). Repentance is the key. Let us listen, take time to re-evaluate our relationship with the Lord, and then consecrate ourselves, seek His face, and be prepared to see His amazing work, as we respond in faith. His grace is sufficient for us. For He is an amazing and awesome God.

Shanah tovah – A good year to you!

Author: Greg Stevenson