Podcast: Play in new window | Download (4.9MB)
This week’s Parasha is entitled V’Zot HaBerachah, meaning (this is the Blessing). It is taken from the book of Deuteronomy 33:1- 34:12.
Here we have the record of the final words of Moses; the man of God to the Israelis. These words also take the form of a song. Often, Moses set before the people curses and blessings, but here His last words were of blessing only. Moses begins his blessing looking first at Him who blesses and who blessed the Israelis with His Law. The Law is either a blessing or a curse, depending on how it is observed. What begins in GOD will end in GOD.
When Adonai came down upon Mount Sinai, He came in fire and the people in the valley heard the thunder and saw the lightning on the mountain. They saw the thick black smoke rising from the mountain as from a furnace and they felt the shaking of the earth as they were moved by the loud sound of the trumpet. The reflection of His glory also shone upon Mount Seir and Mount Paran. The people were very afraid and shook with paralyzing fear. They stood away from the mountain and watched and heard as the tremendous voice of Adonai read the commandments, and that was it. No more words. After that, the Lord would write on tablets of stone.
The first giving of the Law was accompanied with glorious glory and awesome splendor, and with 10,000 holy angels: Gal 3:19, says, “the law was ordained by angels”. The book of Jude says that when Yeshua returns He will be accompanied with “many thousands of his holy warriors.”
The Law is called a fiery law, because, it was given out of the midst of the fire of Mount Sinai. Just as under the Gospel, when it is brought home to the sinner’s heart, in a way of fiery conviction, by the Spirit of Judgment, Isa 4:4, says “the Lord will use the Spirit of burning.”
Consider the Law as the gift of God to those that he loves. And remember, Scripture says that “Moses wrote of Messiah.”
After praising the God of deliverance and covenant, Moses began to bless the tribes. It was customary for a father to impart a blessing just before his death. Moses, leader of the Exodus and the mediator of the Sinai Covenant was, in a sense, Israel’s father.
Because time is of the essence, we will only look at some of these tribal blessings, but I urge you to study these blessings for yourselves, they will bless your heart. It is remarkable that Moses begins with Israel’s eldest son by birthright, Reuben. Reuben failed morally and lost his birthright as a result. But here mercy prevails and Moses’ speaks the blessing. “May Reuben live and not die, and may his people multiply.”
Of Judah . . . Remember the Divine Prince part of Reuben’s birthright would go to Judah, which meant that from Judah would come the Messiah. Moses speaks the blessing “Bring him unto his people” which speaks of the Messiah. Of Levi, which is Moses’ tribe, he said, “Lord, bless everything Levi has. Accept what he does. Destroy those who attack him! Defeat his enemies, so that they will never attack again.”
About Joseph: Joseph is the magnificent one. His performance was by far the best of any of the sons of Jacob, Joseph is given much blessing. More is said of Joseph than of any of the others.
Moses said this about Joseph: “May the Lord bless Joseph’s land with rain from the skies above and water from the ground below. Let the sun give them good fruit. Let each month bring its best fruit.”
“In majesty Joseph is like a firstborn bull; his sons Ephraim; and Manasseh are the horns of a wild ox. With them he will gore the nations, even those at the ends of the earth”.
Moses said this about Naphtali: “Naphtali, you will get all you want. The Lord will really bless you. You will get the land by Lake Galilee.”
For us today to receive all that we would want would mean the Father’s love, The Redeemer’s grace, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. May it be our portion to have this fullness, and we would then possess Naphtali’s portion.
And did you know that Capernaum, of which we hear so much about in our LORD’S days, belonged to Naphtali.
Moses basically says to Israel in his last words: Let your soul dwell in the timeless, changeless and tireless, 3 in one God. There is none like Him.
He will ride through the heavens to help you, He will thrust out the enemies that resist your progress, He will be your fountain and dew, your corn and wine, and will place beneath you arms as loving as they are strong. However low you fall; they will always be underneath.
In chapter 34, Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, adjacent from Jericho. This location was made famous by the fact of it being where Moses viewed the land. There Adonai showed him the whole land from Gilead to Dan, and there he also died.
Moses was being disciplined for his act of unbelief by not being allowed to enter the Promised Land, but we need to know that Moses died in faith and as an honored servant of Adonai. Moses was so special that his last moments on earth were spent in intimate fellowship with God. Also, an additional honor was given to Moses; the LORD Himself buried him. God could have had an angel bury him, but The Lord did it Himself.
“No man knows where Moses was buried even unto this day.” It is significant that God did not bury Yeshua, but that He did bury Moses. Moses, who represents the Law was buried by God. But Messiah who represents Grace was raised by God. The Scripture says, that the children of Israel wept for Moses 30 days. (F. B. Meyer) wrote, ”It was not until Moses died that the people began to realize what he had done for them and how great of a man he was.
We often underrate the living, and have to wait until they are removed from us to estimate them truly.” Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So, the Israelis listened to him and did what the Lord had commanded Moses.
In conclusion, Moses was unique among all the prophets for his intimacy with Adonai, for his miraculous signs and wonders and his mighty power and awesome deeds. He introduced a new era into the history of God’s people, the Age of the Law. The Israelis waited long for God to raise up another Prophet like Moses. That day finally arrived when Yeshua, our Messiah, came as a Servant, but also as the very Son of God, surpassing even Moses. Messiah offers “NOW” to take us into a new era, the Age of His Grace, eternal life and the kingdom of His Heavenly Father. The lesson we learn from Moses and Israel is that only unbelief will keep us out.