FROM ADVERSITY TO VICTORY

Deuteronomy 32:3-4: “For I proclaim the name of the LORD: Ascribe greatness to our God. 4 He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.”

 

Why does Moses say “For I proclaim the name of the LORD”? Why not “For I proclaim the L-rd”?

By proclaiming “the name of the LORD”, Moses is proclaiming His character and reveals another name of Almighty G-d showing His character as revealed in His dealings with Israel.

He is ‘HaTzur shel Yisrael’ (The Rock of Israel) whose work is perfect; His ways are justice; He is the G-d of truth (‘Elohei HaEmet’); He is the L-rd G-d who is the First and the Last, without beginning or end; He is G-d without injustice, prejudice or unfairness; He is righteous and upright.

 

By proclaiming His name ‘HaTzur’ (the Rock), Moses is proclaiming G-d as the “Lord God, Rock of Israel who is the Defender, Protector, Guard, Escort, Minder and Attender of Israel”.  

So Deuteronomy 32:4 correctly translated should read: “He is the “Lord God, Rock of Israel who is the Defender, Protector, Guard, Escort, Minder and Attender of Israel. His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.”

However, as a people grafted in to the inheritance that comes through Abraham, G-d is also the Rock, Defender, Protector, Guard, Escort, Minder and Attender of the church.

The Rock of Israel also denotes G-d who is Divine and unchangeable and who is a refuge for Israel and mankind: Malachi 3:6: “For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.”

 

Deuteronomy 32:9 declares: “For the LORD’S portion is His people; Jacob is the place of His inheritance.” 

This denotes that Israel, the people, belong to G-d in a more intimate sense than any other ethnic group.

By Moses proclaiming the name of the L-rd (as opposed to proclaiming the L-rd), he is proclaiming the Name Above All Names, Yeshua who is revealed to Israel in Deuteronomy 18:15: “The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear”.

 

In Deuteronomy 32:21, G-d reveals His mandate for the church to take the gospel to the Jewish people: “They have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not God; They have moved Me to anger by their foolish idols. But I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation; I will move them to anger by a foolish nation.” 

This is reiterated in Romans 10:19 which declares: “But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says: “I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation, I will move you to anger by a foolish nation.””

 

The Hebrew wording used for “a foolish nation” is ‘beg’vei nevel’ which translates as a vile or a wicked nation. It also translates as a nation without understanding.

Here, G-d is speaking about how, due to the Israelites’ idolatry and unfaithfulness, He will use the Gentiles to provoke the Israelites to emulation and anger.

This is further explained in Romans 10:19, where the Apostle Paul quotes Deuteronomy 32:21 in reference to the Gentiles receiving salvation, thus provoking the Jewish people to emulation – which means to imitate and model oneself after someone, who in this case, is ‘HaTzur Shel Yisrael’, Yeshua, our Victory.

 

In Isaiah 1:1-27, Isaiah relays to the Jewish people a G-dly vision he experienced chastising the residents of Judah and Jerusalem for having rebelled against G-d and criticizing them for repeating their errors and not abandoning their sinful ways even after having been reprimanded and punished by G-d.

Isaiah uses harsh words comparing the Jewish leaders to the rulers of Sodom and Gomorrah. G-d states his distaste for their sacrifices and offerings which were ‘flavoured with pagan customs’. 

 

Isaiah then speaks gentler words encouraging the people to repent sincerely and to perform acts of justice and kindness towards the needy, orphans and widows, promising them the best of the land in return for their obedience.

Isaiah concludes with a promise that G d will eventually re-establish Israel’s judges and leaders when “Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and her penitents with righteousness.” (Isaiah 1:27).

The Hebrew wording of Isaiah 1:27 is: “Tzion b’mishpat tipadeh v’shaveha bitz’dakah” which correctly translates as: “Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and they that return to her with righteousness.”

 

Isaiah 1:27 is saying that those who come back from exile to Zion (Jerusalem) will turn to G-d, and that both Zion and her children would repent and be redeemed to become a righteous remnant that would become the seed of a holy, indestructible, eternal people. 

This correlates with Romans 11:25-27 which declares: “For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; 27 For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.”” 

And this will usher in the return of the Jewish ‘Moshiach’ (Messiah), Yeshua, to Zion.

 

Deuteronomy 32:3-4 declares: “For I proclaim the name of the LORD: Ascribe greatness to our God. He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.” 

These verses are a magnificent tribute to Almighty G-d in which Moses describes G-d as the ‘Tzur Yisrael’ (Rock of Israel) who is perfect, a G-d of truth, justice and righteousness.

This awesome and majestic G-d is the G-d of the Universe, and Moses declares that he will proclaim the name of the L-rd and ascribe greatness to our G-d, ‘Tzur Ysrael’.

 

My question is: What name are you proclaiming?

Are you proclaiming the name of fear and anxiety?

Are you proclaiming the name of worry?

Are you proclaiming the name of sickness, lack and defeat?

Are you proclaiming death or are you proclaiming life?

 

A Kingdom key to living a life of absolute victory and contentment, despite the current circumstances in your life and in a world that is in chaos, is to only proclaim the name of the L-rd G-d of Israel and the Universe; The name of the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, ‘Adonai Elohim’, the Father, Son, Holy Spirit.

 

So, whatever adversity you face, know that your loving Heavenly Father will not only fight for you, but He will tenderly carry you through your adversity to victory.