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Hazinu
Deuteronomy 32:1-52

     This week’s Torah portion is about accountability.  God had commanded Moses to write a song as a witness against Israel . God told Moses that when the people would live in the land of Canaan they would eventually turn away from God and  turn to other gods and serve them, and spurn god and break his covenant. As a result “evils and troubles” would come upon them.  The purpose of the song was to remind the Jewish people that these troubles have come because of disobedience to the covenant. However, lest the people conclude that the difficulties meant that God had abandoned them, the song also contains words of encouragement, reminding them that the day would come when they would  be vindicated and their enemies judged.

     Israel is a people chosen by God to serve Him as a testimony of the faithfulness of God to His promises and to provide the Messiah for the salvation of humanity. The good news about this is that with the calling  come blessings. However, those blessings cannot be appropriated unless the people fulfill the calling. Not only are blessings unavailable but there is chastisement when the people break the covenant by worshipping other gods and “spurning” the God of Israel. To this very day, the Jewish people are accountable to God for their actions. For thousands of years, the Jewish people have suffered persecution at the hands of others . Whether we like it or not, the Torah is clear that exile and persecution have happened primarily because of disobedience. The Jewish people are accountable to God – regardless of the personal beliefs of individual Jewish people. In other words, for thousands of years, God has maintained the covenant relationship despite the rejection of Yeshua and other breakages in the covenant. This song of Moses is a reminder to us that the persecutions do not mean that the people are abandoned. On the contrary, they prove that the covenant is still in force!  In addition, the song provides hope that the day will come when God will vindicate the people.

     This song not only describes the history of the Jewish people, but in addition it is the description of mankind. God created man in his image and likeness. God provided the perfect place for man to live – the Garden of Eden.  However, Adam and Eve broke their covenant relationship with God. The result was the forfeit of covenant blessings.  However, God promised that the day would come when a deliverer would come and bring restoration.  When the Messiah came, he suffered for the sins of mankind.  As the Scriptures say in john 3:16 God so loved the world that He sent his only begotten son that whosoever believers in him should not perish but have eternal life.  God has been faithful to His Word. The whole world (whosoever) is accountable to God. Each person will one day stand before God and give account. If they have not received the atonement that the Messiah provides, they will be eternally separated from God.  However, even those who have come to faith in the Messiah will face a judgment.   This is a judgment for eternal rewards. (See 1Cor.3:10-15 for details). In addition the Bible is clear that our accountability to God has ramifications not only for Eternity but also in our world today. While we may not know if every calamity is a result of sin, we do know that our actions have consequences.  We know from the Bible that if we disobey God, we will lose the blessing of fellowship with God and experiencing the fruit of the Spirit.

     Part of the role of a congregation is to hold each other accountable for our actions. Accountability serves several important functions. It serves as a spiritual check-up. If we do not go to the doctor for a long period of time we may not know if we have a serious disease. Only with a check-up do we find out.  Without a regular check-up we also may not be following our doctor’s advice.  After all, if I do not go to the doctor, I will not be held accountable for the advice that I have been given.  The check up allows me to know if I am healthy. Accountability in a congregation serves these same functions. Accountability helps us to know if there are areas in our lives that need adjustment. In addition, accountability also serves as a deterrent to sin – it is a preventative measure.

     No matter who we are, we are all in some type of covenant relationship with God. Therefore we are all accountable to God. Deuteronomy 32 is a reminder to us of our covenant relationship; of the calling that we have, of the consequences of disobedience; and the promise of restoration. As we come to a close of the High Holy Day season, may the accountability that we experienced on Yom Kippur remain with us throughout the year. Shabbat Shalom!