Ha’Azinu “Give ear”
It is customary for religiously practicing Jews to read from an annual cycle of weekly Old Testament readings called Torah Portions. This is said to be the same reading schedule that was taught every Sabbath in the Synagogues during the times of Jesus in the first century.
As Christians exploring the Torah portion cycle we must maintain a balance of including the Old Testament, the prophets, and the gospels in our weekly bible study.
Torah Portion Name and Readings-
Ha’Azinu is the Hebrew words for “give ear”, this is the name for the weekly Torah Portion reading for the Book of Deuteronomy starting in chapter 32 verse 1 and going through verse 52.
Prophets and New Testament-
It is also important to point out that along with the Torah portion readings and teachings, there are what are called Haftarah portions which are readings from the Bible in the books of the prophets. This week’s haftarah readings come from the book of Hosea in chapter 14 verse 1 through verse 9 and Joel in chapter 2 verse 15 through verse 27.
The gospel readings incorporated with the weekly Torah portion readings come from the book of Matthew in chapter 18 with verses 21 through 35.
Torah Portion Overview-
In this Torah portion Moses gives a great speech and we are introduced to a people that Yahweh has disinherited, “they are no longer His sons”.
Deuteronomy 32:5-9 (ESV)
“They have dealt corruptly with him; they are no longer his children because they are blemished; they are a crooked and twisted generation. Do you thus repay the LORD, you foolish and senseless people? Is not he your father, who created you, who made you and established you? 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 gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God. But the LORD’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage.”
Who are these that are disinherited? Here we can see that Yahweh divided the nations in some connection to the sons of God. Depending what translation you use it may say “sons of God” or “sons of Israel”. Duane L. Christensen in his Deuteronomy 21:10–34:12, vol. 6B of Word Biblical Commentary explains,
“According to MT, God divided the nations in relation to Israel’s numbers; though Zimmermann suggested translating the word מספר (usually “number”) as “boundary” (JQR 29 [1938–39] 242), to make better sense of the present text, I emend the text here following the reading בני אלהים, “sons of God,” found in 4QDeut and LXX ἀγγέλων [or ὑιῶν] θεοῦ, “angels [or sons] of God,” to read “according to the number of the sons of God.” The Tg. adds “seventy” after “the number,” connecting the text with the seventy nations of the Table of Nations in Gen 10 and the song of Jacob in Gen 46:27 (cf. 10:22).”
Either way we come to a similar answer. For the children of Israel, that is, the children of Jacob, were seventy.
Genesis 46:27 (ESV)
“And the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two. All the persons of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt were seventy.”
Compare to the seventy of the table of nations in Genesis 10 and we get the same number. Therefore it is not important which way we translate this, in my opinion, as we still come to the same number. We can see then that the nations, that is, the Gentile nations, were divided and allotted to the sons of God. Does this then mean that there are seventy of them? Or at least that seventy of them rebelled?
But who are these sons of God that the nations were handed over to? Job tells us that they are subordinate to Yahweh and answer to Him.
Job 1:6 (ESV) (see also Job 2:1)
“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.”
These sons of God are also called the morning stars and were present at the creation of the earth.
Job 38:4-7 (ESV)
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements--surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?”
It is important to clarify here that these sons of God are created beings. Being present at the creation of the earth means that they were created beforehand but that does not mean that they were not created. It simply means that they were created at some previous time. It is also important to note that the sons of God do not compare to THE Son of God, Yeshua/Jesus Christ. He is the only begotten son whereas they are created beings. Just as we are also called His sons, but we are not Yahweh, so too these sons of God can be called such without being the same or equal to Yahweh.
So what happened to these sons of God? They rebelled against the Most High, Yahweh and tried to pervert His creation.
Genesis 6:2, 4 (ESV)
“the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose… The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.”
Mixing with humans these sons of God were able to create creatures of unusual size, giants (not to be confused with Rodents Of Unusual Size). As punishment for their rebellion and the abominations of their creations these rebellious ones were chained and cast into Tartarus.
2 Peter 2:4-5 (ESV) (see also Jude 1:6)
“For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;”
However, not all rebelled at this time (Genesis 6) because we can see that when the nations were divided (Genesis 11) Yahweh set the nations under these other sons of God. However these other sons of God soon rebelled also and chose to be worshipped by man. We can see these prince of Persia and Greece, sons of God, rebelled now, fighting against Michael the prince.
Daniel 10:13, 20-21 (ESV)
“The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia… ”Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? But now I will return to fight against the prince of Persia; and when I go out, behold, the prince of Greece will come. But I will tell you what is inscribed in the book of truth: there is none who contends by my side against these except Michael, your prince.”
Because of this He decreed that they would die like mortal men.
Psalms 82:1-8 (ESV)
“A Psalm of Asaph. God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment: “How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. I said, “You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you; nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince.” Arise, O God, judge the earth; for you shall inherit all the nations!”
This was the purpose for hell, it was created to destroy immortal beings, sons of God that rebelled against His name and authority.
Matthew 25:41 (ESV)
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”
Thus all His adopted sons who rebelled will be judged. Notice that Deuteronomy says that Yahweh’s portion is Jacob, but Psalm 82 says that Yahweh will inherit all nations! This is because He has disinherited the rebellious ones. Remember that there were perhaps seventy that were set over the nations? I believe this is why Christ sent out the seventy-two disciples, to represent that humanity, his human adopted sons, we’re going to replace the rebellious sons of God.
Luke 10:1 (ESV)
“After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go.”
This is why it says we will judge the angels.
1 Corinthians 6:3 (ESV)
“Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!”
We will judge them because He stripped them of all their authority!
Luke 10:19 (ESV)
“Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions [demons and demonic powers], and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.”
Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)
“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
We should then walk, act, and speak as those with a holy calling to represent the Glory of God to the nations. Let us seek His Glory and magnify His name!!
Torah Portion Scriptural Highlights-
Deuteronomy 32:1 Moses praises God in a speech to Israel
Deuteronomy 32:5 Yahweh’s children rebelled after He appointed them over the nations
Deuteronomy 32:9 Yahweh’s portion is Jacob
Deuteronomy 32:15 Jeshurun (Jacob/Israel) rebelled and committed idolatry
Deuteronomy 32:19 Yahweh punished Israel
Deuteronomy 32:48 Moses commanded to go on the mountain and see the land and die
Haftarah (Prophets) Scriptural Highlights-
Hosea 14:1 Israel should return and will be restored
Joel 2:15 The judgement of Yahweh is coming and the people should call out for mercy
Joel 2:18 The Lord will restore the land and His people
Brit (Gospel) Scriptural Highlights-
Matthew 18:21 A parable about forgiveness
Bibliography
Duane L. Christensen, Deuteronomy 21:10–34:12, vol. 6B of Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 2002), 796–797.
Further Reading
The Unseen Realm by Michael S. Heiser
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