Vayelech (And He Went) D’Varim (Deut.) 31
HafTorah: Hosea 14:1-10, Micah 7:18-20, Joel 2:15-27
1.In Deut. 31:19 we read the final commandment Moshe gave the people as they stood at the door of entering the Promised Land. This verse reads, “Now then write down for yourselves this song and teach it to the people of Israel. Put it in their mouths, that this song may be my witness against the people of Israel.” Why was Moshe giving the people this command? What is it telling us about our walk with G-d?
In this one verse we see what may be one of the most important verses for all of us as we navigate our way through life.
Moshe seems to be saying don’t rely on tradition or what you think. It is important for us to make G-d’s word our own.
His word must be the song that sustains us through our life. It is what takes us through difficult times. It is our guide for every day. We cannot rely on feelings or opinions.
The word used by Moshe that is translated as song is used five times in this chapter.
This word in Hebrew is shir.
It can also be translated as poem.
A song or poem can touch us deeply.
A song or poem can stay in our mind for years.
Have you ever heard someone singing a song from years past and hearing it again caused the words or melody to stay with you for days? When we meditate on G-d’s word it is like that. We can recall the scripture when it is needed. So Moshe is saying to these people, remember, remember.
This verse says the word of G-d will be a witness against us in our life. That is a difficult idea but absolutely the truth.
G-d says we have no excuse for saying we didn’t know. The word and the spirit have always been available to us.
If we don’t know then the problem is ours.
These days should be days of self-examination of our lives.
Where did we miss G-d?
Where did we hurt another
What sin have we let slide?
Have we moved from what the Bible says to a more popular easier stand?
I believe that will not stand before the Father.
I urge each of you to begin to read what the word says.
It is our responsibility.
Take a few minutes each day to read G-d’s love letter to you.
2.Deut. 34:5-6, “ 5 And Moses the servant of the L-rd died there in Moab, as the L-rd had said. 6 He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is.” Why would G-d not allow anyone to know where Moshe was buried?
It is a special thing that G-d Himself buried Moses.
However, G-d’s special relationship with Moses is not why He did that
I believe the reason He buried Moses has more to do with the children of Israel.
The Israelites had lived more than 400 years in Egypt
The Egyptians worshiped other gods.
They had a fascination with death and the afterlife.
Theirs was a society that focused much on death and on the dead.
They built pyramids and decorated tombs for their dead.
The Israelites lived in that culture and were affected by it.
While Moses was receiving the ten commandments, the children of Israel created a golden idol and were committing sinful acts of worship to it.
It did not take long for them to turn from the G-d who had delivered them.
So, what would they do if they knew where Moses’ body was buried?
Possibly they would erect an elaborate tomb for the body of Moses.
They might have enshrined his body
They might have started to worship the remains of Moses rather than G-d.
And Deut.4:24 says, “For the L-rd your G-d is a consuming fire, a jealous G-d.”
G-d would not have allowed it.
It might have been difficult for them to leave the place of his death and enter the Land G-d was calling them to.
G-d hid the body of Moses to protect the nation of Israel from falling into sin
G-d did not want them worshiping the remains of a man rather than the G-d who made than man.
Heathen culture had made an impression on Israel
G-d was working to get it out of them.
Do we allow the culture around us to affect our worship of the One True G-d?
Have messages from the pulpit changed because of culture?
Messages have moved from messages calling for accountability to feel good messages.
Has our picture of G-d changed because of culture?
He is no longer a G-d of judgement but sometimes seen as a loving Santa Claus that doesn’t get upset over little sins.
As believers in the Messiah, we can embrace whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, and excellent about the culture we live in today (Phil. 4:8) while also asking the L-rd to show us any aspects of our culture that we may be involved in that is not of Him.
3.Deut 31:6-8, “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the L-rd your G-d, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the L-rd has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it. And the L-rd said, He is the One who goes before you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”
Moses tells the people in verse 6 to be strong (chazak) and courageous (Ametz). How do these words differ in meaning? Also “do not fear, (Irah in Hebrew), nor be afraid of them (in Hebrew it reads, do not tremble as you face them.) What messages are in this verse for us? What truth/scripture can we hold on to that helps us not fear or tremble when we face challenges in our life? If you have a testimony of a difficult time in your life that G-d brought you through and you are comfortable sharing it with the group please come ready to share your testimony, especially if G-d gave you a verse or truth to stand on.
In Hebrew the words for strong is Chazak The word for courage is Ametz
Chazak means physical strength.
We are to stand up for what is right. We are to take a stand.
Ametz means more of a continuing standing, enduring until the battle is won.
We all are called to these same two qualities.
We sometimes must take a stand and to continue in that until the battle is won.
How do we do that? We are able because the L-rd will not fail us or forsake us.
As long as we stand with the L-rd and not on our own desires He will not fail us or forsake us. He goes before us and is with us.
There are two other words in verse 6. G-d told the people that they were not to fear (irah in Hebrew) the people in the Land. The second phrase, be afraid of them, (Ahratz in Hebrew.) Ahratz means to tremble as they confront the people in the Land.
How are they not to fear or tremble at such a huge undertaking? How are we also not to fear or tremble before the challenges we face in our lives? The answer lies in the next few words in verse 6. The word is Irpha, translated in English as not fail or not leave you. G-d will not fail you or He will not let you fall or be taken out of His Hand.
Our trust must be in Him. No power on this earth or of the devil can overpower Him. He is above all.
The last word of this verse is the Hebrew word yazvah. In English it is forsake you. It has a stronger meaning in Hebrew. It means He will not let you go. He will hold you tightly in His Hand.
As we read these promises of G-d to Israel we can apply them also to our lives. As G-d’s children we can hold on to these words. G-d will never leave us. He will always hold us in His Hand. It does require that we walk faithfully before Him, We must follow His will for our lives.
Romans 8:31, “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If G-d is for us, who can be against us?”
In the Messianic Scriptures we see the Messiah expressing some of these same thoughts. In Mark 16:7, “Go tell His disciples and Peter that He is going before you to Galilee.” He is still going before us to be our guide and light on our journey of faith. The Father goes with us and before us as we face life’s struggles. We are never alone. He sent the Messiah as our example, as our guide. These verses form the foundation of the Messianic Scriptures. They give us a deeper understanding of what G-d is saying to us.
A good example is Hebrews 13:5-6, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. The L-rd is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me.” Does this sound familiar? Be encouraged you are held in the strong Hand of G-d Almighty.
4. Next Wednesday evening, October 1st, begins Yom Kippur, when according to scripture, we fast and afflict our souls and repent of past sins. How do you think repentance was looked at in Yeshua’s time? What is true repentance?
Let us look at repentance through the eyes of Judaism at the time of Yeshua. In Joel 2:12-13, the L-rd calls to Israel, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.”
In the Torah, people expressed grief by tearing their clothes. G-d did not care about the proper “signs” of being upset about their sin. G-d cared that they actually grieved over them in their hearts. Grieved to the point of weeping and mourning.
David says in Psalms 51:16-17, You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O G-d, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, G-d, will not despise.
We’re not talking about the shame and condemnation the enemy wants to heap on us, but a G-dly grief.
It’s easy to just go through the motions of repenting. We might soothe our spirit by saying, “That is just who I am.” These passages show that the most important thing is the condition of our heart. Does your repentance look like a heart that has been rent like a garment, broken and contrite as it beats before G-d? Sometimes this attitude is missing from our repentance. It’s the very thing G-d is trying to teach us.
When we sin it is not just a failure to do the right thing. If it was, the only grief we would experience would be -we didn’t do the right thing. But it is much deeper than that. When we sin we sin against the living G-d.
David said in Psalm 51:1-4, “Have mercy on me, O G-d, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight;
David saw his sin in terms of his relationship with the Father, As a result his heart was grieved. We should grieve when we sin against the One Who loves us so much. The more we see the holiness of G-d the more we will see sin as something to weep over. In the end, God’s plan for us is that we will be holy as he is holy.
I Peter 1:14-16, “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”