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This week’s Torah portion is entitled Va’Etchanan, meaning “And I Pleaded.” It covers Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11. This Parasha is a rich and powerful reading. In addition to the preparations and warnings for crossing over the Jordan and possessing the inheritance God has promised His people, it contains the reiteration of the Ten Commandments, the Shema, instructions regarding knowing and living out God’s Word within the home, and other counsel from Moses to the young generation preparing to enter the Holy Land.
As the Parasha opens, Moses pleads with the Lord to reconsider allowing him to cross over into the Promised Land, but God refuses this request with a definitive “no.” The Lord’s refusal is based on the actions of Moses in Numbers, Chapter 20. It is in this chapter that Moses was instructed to speak to the rock at Meribah to bring forth the water. Instead, Moses struck the rock twice after telling the people, “…must we bring you water out of this rock?” suggesting that in some way he, Moses, had something to do with the miraculous provision of water. Now we may ask ourselves, why would Moses do such a thing? It is an easy thing to ask, but it can also serve as a powerful reminder of how many times we have also taken credit for doing something that God orchestrated. Whatever you accomplish in life, even in your failures, give praise and honor to the Lord Most High for His great plan in it all. He is most deserving of our praise. Now though the Lord forbids Moses from entering the land, He does show him grace by allowing him to see the land from a distance. Since Moses will not be entering the land, God also directs him to commission Joshua as his successor.
Now more than anything, Moses wanted to finish the journey, cross the Jordan and stand on the soil of the Promised Land. It was so close. Ordinarily Moses got what he asked for. Whether he asked God for miraculous provision, amazing signs and wonders, direct answers from heaven or divine assistance, God heard the prayers of Moses and answered them. But as we see, not even Moses got everything he wanted. Did this denial make Moses resentful or envious toward Joshua or the people who would enter the land? No. Instead Moses wisely listens to God and, in Chapter 4, continues to instruct the people to follow God’s decrees and laws so that they may take possession of the land the Lord was giving them. They are reminded of the consequences of worshipping false idols at Baal Peor and urged to walk according to God’s commandments, not only for their sake, but also to be a beacon of light for all nations to see, following the Word of God, passing those teachings onto their children and their children’s children, and bringing ultimate glory to God. Through Moses, God declares in Chapter 4, Verse 6:
“…for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’”
It is obvious that God desired the people of all the nations to worship Him and come to the understanding that He is the one God of all. This is further established in Isaiah 56, Verses 6-7, which state, “And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be His servants, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant, these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for ALL nations.”
God very much intended for the Jewish people to witness to all the nations, bringing Gentiles to the Word of God. Today, it is the work of Messianic Jews and kosher-hearted Christians to fix our eyes upon Yeshua and aim to be that “lampstand” that gives light to all who are around us. Brothers and sisters, it is our God-given responsibility to follow and live in the Word of God and to always be that light to others, regardless of any persecution or the possibility of being deemed an outcast.
In Chapter 5, Moses repeats the Ten Commandments. He makes the powerful statement that God did not make this covenant with the previous generation but with this one, and how important their role would be in enforcing God’s decrees to future generations. He also reminds the people that they asked him to stand between them and God because they were afraid of the fire and did not wish to go up the mountain. They had a healthy fear of God’s fiery presence and mighty voice and God looked favorably upon their request for Moses to be their mediator. Do you have a healthy fear of God? You should. And just as that generation needed Moses as their intermediary, we also need one. God sent His Son, Yeshua, Jesus Christ, and taught us that the only way to the Father is through Him, the greatest Mediator God could give us. Unfortunately, many have rejected the great Redeemer, despite Jesus fulfilling the words of the Prophets. Many believe that they can get to Heaven on their own merit, but as we know, no one will survive who would presume to draw near to God on their own goodness. Only through Messiah Yeshua may we enter the Kingdom of God.
Chapter 6 contains the Shema, the statement of our faith in the one true God, declaring God’s uniqueness, and that we should love Him with everything in us. Moses states that the commandments of God should be pressed upon the hearts of His people and passed down from generation to generation. The Shema was the basis for much of Yeshua’s teaching. The Shema prayer was so important that Jesus used it as the basis of His answer when questioned as to the greatest commandment of all. When Yeshua began His answer with the Shema prayer, He acknowledged that loving God and being completely devoted to Him is the most vital commandment. The words of the Shema are a wonderful expression that the Lord is the one true God, and as we acknowledge Him, our response should always be to love Him with all our heart, soul and strength, to obey Him and, as Yeshua went on to say, to love our neighbor as ourselves. These words contained within the Shema should saturate our lives.
The Parasha ends with Moses instructing the Jewish people that when God brings them into the land, they are to drive out the many nations living there and destroy their altars and sacred stones, totally—making no treaty with them, and showing them no mercy. He also tells them that they must not intermarry with them or their children will surely turn away from following God to serve false idols.
The danger of turning away from God and His Word and the consequences that follow are the main themes of this Parasha. This message of warning given by Moses was meant, not only for the people of that generation, but stands as a powerful warning for us today. We must hold strong to the Word of God, not turning to the right or to the left of it. Returning to the ways of God not only allows us to be blessed in this life, but also assures us the blessings of eternal life with Him. In John, Chapter 5, Yeshua stated, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears My Word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” Once we make that weighty decision, we no longer belong to the realm where death reigns supreme, but to the realm of life with our Lord.
If as of today you have not yet made God the focus of your life; if you have hardened your heart to His commands, such as the Ten Commandments and the Shema; if you have squandered the hours of your days with idols such as money, television, pornography and selfish ambition; and most importantly, if you have not yet received His Son, the Lord Yeshua as your Savior, Great Redeemer and Mediator, then pay attention to this Torah portion and the consequences it means for your life and the life of your family. Take heed to the words of Moses, the Prophets and our great Messiah, and on this day, return to the Lord and you will find yourself singing a new song.