VaYalech Slides (pdf)
VaYalech Notes (pdf)
Overview of Va Yalech (“And He Went”) Deuteronomy 31:1-30
Two weeks ago, Moses told all of Israel the blessings that would come to them if they obeyed Yehovah’s commandments; and he also told them the horrible curses that would plague them if they didn’t. Last week he promised them, even though they would disobey, that Yehovah would still ultimately restore them to Himself. In this week’s Portion, the people solemnly return to their tents to ponder all of Moses’ words; and Moses then travels throughout the camp to speak to them individually…and then he died.
This Portion is also a short portion (just one chapter) so, like last week, this will be a short commentary.
Chapter 31 – Joshua Succeeds Moses
Moses spoke to all Israel: “I am one hundred and twenty years old today. I can no longer go out and come in.” Moses was not too old to lead the Children of Israel into The land; rather he had accomplished what Yehovah had tasked him to do, and it was time to transition leadership from Moses to Joshua. He encouraged the people to “be strong and of good courage”, from which we get: “Chazak, chazak, ve-nitchazek!” Be strong, be strong, and let us be strengthened!”.…which we recite as we finish each Book of Torah. These are the same words that Yeshua spoke at the very end of Matthew’s Gospel (Matt 28:19-20). Then Moses publicly installed Joshua as Israel’s new leader.
The Law Read Every 7 Years
Before we proceed, we must clarify the difference between “The Law” and the Covenant conditions. When Israel stood before Yehovah at Sinai and said: “All that You have said, we will do!” they were agreeing to the conditions of the Covenant that Yehovah had made with them (Exodus 19:5-6). The Covenant conditions were conveniently written down for us in Exodus chapters 20 (the Ten Commandments) and chapters 21-23 (the practical application of those Ten Commandments). When Israel broke the Covenant conditions by worshipping the Golden Calf, Yehovah impose additional “Laws” (See Galatians 3:19); these were not-so-conveniently written down for us throughout the Books of Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. It is these additional “Laws” that are referred to here.
Moses wrote this “Law” and gave it to the Priests; and commanded them to read it (as a reminder) to all the people of Israel every seventh year – the Shmitah, the Year of Release, at the Feast of Tabernacles. Remember from back in Deuteronomy 17:18-20: the king was to do this very same thing….write his own copy of “The Law” from the Book of the Law held by the Priests….which is what Moses just gave the Priests here in chapter 31. Israel’s very existence depended upon them keeping these “laws” so that Yehovah could “cover” them until the next year when they would have to do it all over again.
The Prediction of Israel’s Rebellion
Yehovah spoke to Moses and Joshua – alone – in the Tabernacle, and told them of Israel’s future rebellion; that He would turn His Face (panim) from them; and He would ultimately restore them unto Himself!
The Book of The Law
Yehovah instructs Moses to “take this Book of the Law, and put it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there as a witness against you.” The Exodus 20-23 Covenant conditions were inside the ark; and now the additional Laws given to covenant-breaking Israel were presented to the Priests to be placed on the outside of the ark. This is huge!! As Believers in a covenant relationship with Yehovah, we are not “under the Law” (that has been placed on the outside of the ark)…we are above it!!! We have Yehovah’s Covenant conditions written upon our hearts and minds (Jeremiah 31). When Paul says that we are not under the law, he is referring to the Book of the Law that was given to covenant breakers. Believers are now once again operating in a Covenant relationship with Yehovah.
The chapter (and Portion) concludes with Moses writing His Song (the Song of Moses). Just like the Book of the Law, the Song of Moses was to be a “witness against them” to remind them of the consequences of disobedience. We will hear this Song of Moses in next week’s Portion (this week’s is the only Torah Portion that ends with a semi-colon and not a period).
Haftarah Reading (Hosea 14:2-10 & Micah 7:18-20)
This coming Shabbat is Shabbat Shuva, the Shabbat of Return (or Repentance), the Shabbat that immediately precedes Yom Kippur. The opening words of this week’s double Haftarah reading from the Prophet Hosea remind us that we are in the Days of Awe – the time of repentance between Yom Teruah & Yom Kippur. The Prophet pleads with Israel to trust not in man but to trust in the LORD, and to return to Him – a plea that is just as relevant to us today. We read first from Hosea 14:1-3:
“O Israel, return to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity; take words with you, and return to the Lord. Say to Him, ‘Take away all iniquity; receive us graciously, for we will offer the sacrifices of our lips. Assyria shall not save us, we will not ride on horses, nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands, ‘You are our gods.’ For in You the fatherless finds mercy.”
And now we read the final verses of the second Haftarah reading, from the Prophet Micah, where we get another glimpse of God’s character as He reveals His mercy & forgiveness toward us. We read from Micah 7:18-20:
“Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. You will give truth to Jacob and mercy to Abraham, which You have sworn to our fathers from days of old.
Brit Chadashah (Luke 24:25-27)
In the Torah Portion, we read that the Priests were to teach Torah to all the people at the beginning of every Shmitah cycle. In the Brit Chadashah we see Yeshua also teaching Torah. He had just arisen from the grave and was walking on the Road to Emmaus when He encountered some of His Disciples; but they didn’t recognize Him as they were speaking of all the events concerning His crucifixion. We read Yeshua’s response to them from Luke 24:25-27:
“Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Messiah to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.”
And the only Scriptures He had available to quote from were the words of the Tanach, the Old Testament!