“Let my teaching fall like rain
    and my words descend like dew,
like showers on new grass,
    like abundant rain on tender plants.”

— Deuteronomy 32:2

Each week in synagogue, Jews read through the Torah from Genesis to Deuteronomy. The Torah portion for this week is Ha’azinu, which means “listen,” from Deuteronomy 32:1–52.

Do you like rainy days? Many studies show that people are gloomier and more easily fatigued when it’s raining. But here in Israel, rain actually perks people up. Israel depends on abundant rainwater for much of our stores of drinking water, agriculture, and the beauty of our natural surroundings in the nature reserves and national parks throughout our tiny country.

It’s no joke! In Israel, rain puts people in a good mood. The more rain we get, the happier people are.

Spiritually speaking, the Bible tells us that rain is a sign of God’s blessing on the land, and a reward from Him for Israel’s obedience to His will: “So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the LORD your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul—then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil” (Deuteronomy 11:13-14).

God’s Word Blesses Us Like Rain

In this week’s Torah portion, rain is used as a metaphor for the Word of God. From a Western mindset this may seem depressing, but that’s not at all what the Bible means. God’s Word is “like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants.” God’s Word blesses us like rain, bringing life and freshness to our lives and our world.

God’s Word is also compared to dew. Dew appears in the early morning, bringing moisture and vitality to a brand new day. When God speaks to us, like dew in the morning, we are renewed, refreshed, and ready to begin again.

What a beautiful image! God’s Word is not merely the imposed commands of a higher authority. When God speaks to us, He generously gives us what we need to grow and flourish. We thirstily drink in the Word of God, and we become stronger and healthier, like new grass in the dew and the rain.

Your turn: Take a moment to worship God and to thank Him for His Word.