Parashas Vayeilech
Deuteronomy 31:1 – 31:30
Please pray this prayer
Before reading
Prayer
In the name of Yahushua
Our Messiyah,
I pray for the Spirit of
Understanding
The Spirit of Knowledge and
The Spirit of Wisdom
As I read through this
Parasha
That the Truth of Torah may
Come forth. Amen
Vayelech is the fifty-second Torah Portion. In this
portion, we can almost hear the sorrow in the prophetic voice of this great
leader as he comes to the end of his leadership. He reminder the people “And I shall bring them to the land
flowing with milk and honey, of which I swore to their fathers, and they shall
eat and be satisfied and be fat, then they shall turn to other mighty ones, and
they shall serve them, and scorn Me and break My covenant, And it shall be, when many evils and distresses come upon them, that this
song shall answer before them as a witness. For it is not to be forgotten in
the mouths of their seed, for I know their Thoughts which they are forming
today, even before I bring them to the land of which I swore to give them.”
In this portion called Vayelech we see
that Moses himself prophecy little hope for Yisrael, much the same way the
sages after the destruction of the Temple
70 ad they despaired at the spiritual future of mankind. But in the face of all
this darkness, Rabbi Shimon BarYochai revealed the Zohar. He himself stood up
against doubt and fear, reminding those who remind that their truth would not
be forgotten.
As we experience the Sabbath of Vayelech, we see
that one of its greatest lessons is to appreciate the gift of the Soul of
Messiyah Yahushua and Moses. The Sabbath of Vayelech reminds us that when we
connect to the Torah, we are not just reading it as the Constitution of the Heavenly Kingdom, but that is also a Legacy of
Moses.
As we come to the end of another Torah Cycle where
we strengthen our bond with the Messiyah and ABBA YAHWEH, then all our spiritual
works will not be forgotten, nor will our prayer fall on deaf ears.
In
this chapter Moses, having finished his sermon,
I.
Encourages both
the people who were now to enter Canaan verses
1-6), and Joshua who was to lead them verses 7, 8, 23.
II.
He takes care
for the keeping of these things always in their remembrance after his
decease,
1.
By the book of the law which was, written.
(1.) Delivered into the custody of the priests
verses 9, and 24-27.
(2.) Ordered to be publicly read every seventh year
verse 10–13.
2.
By a song which ABBA YAHWEH orders Moses to prepare for their instruction and
admonition.
(1.) He calls Moses and Joshua to the door of the
tabernacle verses 14, 15.
(2.) He foretells the apostasy of Yisrael in process
of time, and the judgments they would thereby bring upon themselves verse
16–18.
(1.)
He prescribes
the following song to be a witness against them verse 19–21.
(2.) Moses wrote
it verse 22. And delivered it to Yisrael, with an intimation of the design of
it, as he had received it from YAHWEH verse 28, etc.
Deu 31:1 And Mosheh went and spoke these words to all Yisra’ĕl, - Every true
spiritual leader, should speak all of the Words of EL YAHWEH to the people. There are some churches who only
preach some of the Word, example righteousness by belief. Or just enough to
keep the people captivated.
Deu 31:2 and he said to them, “I am one hundred and twenty years old
today. I am no longer able to go out and come in. And יהוה has said to me, ‘You do not pass over this
Yardĕn.’ – I have
experience 120 cycle, or the years of my pilgrimage is 120. Moses does so to the children of Yisrael: not
because he was ask to go to Father יהוה, but
because he was asked to leave them, fearing that when he had left them they
would leave YAHWEH. Gen 47:9 And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, the days of the
years of my pilgrimage are an
hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life
been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the of my fathers in
the days of their pilgrimage.
He had finished what he
had to say to them by way of counsel and exhortation: here he calls them
together to give them a word of encouragement, especially with reference to the
wars of Canaan, in which they were now to
engage.
It was a discouragement
to them that Moses was to be removed at a time when it seems like he could not
be spared: Though Joshua was continued to fight for them in the valley, they
would want Moses to intercede for them on the hill, as he did, Ex. 17:10.
But there is no remedy: Moses can no more go and come. Not
that he was disabled by any decay either of body or mind; for his natural force was not abated, ch.
24:7.
But he cannot any longer
discharge his office; for. He is 120 years
old, and it is time for him to think of resigning his honor and
returning to his rest. He had fulfilled his role, he had achieved Spiritual
Maturity, and it was time for him to go and for someone else to develop his
leadership skills.
He that had arrived at so
great an age then, when seventy or eighty was the ordinary stint, as appears by
the prayer of Moses (Ps. 90:10), might well think that he had accomplished as a
hireling his day. He is under a divine sentence: You shall not go over Jordan.
Moses was a leader who manage by objective.
Deu 31:3 יהוה your Elohim Himself is passing over before
you. He shall destroy these nations from before you and you possess them.
Yehoshua himself is passing over before you, as יהוה has spoken. - He encourages
the people; and never could any general animate his soldiers upon such good
grounds as those on which Moses encourages Yisrael in this verse.
He assures them of the
constant presence of יהוה with them: YAHWEH thy יהוה. That has led thee and kept thee hitherto will go over before thee; and those
might follow boldly who were sure that they had יהוה for their leader. He repeats it again verse 6
with an emphasis.
YAHWEH
our EL, the great Elohim, who is your
in covenant, HE it is, HE and
no less, HE and no other, that goes
before thee; not only who by his promise has assured thee that he will go before thee; but by his ark,
the visible token of his presence, shows thee that he does actually go before
thee.’’ And he repeats it with enlargement.
"Not only HE goes over before us in-order
to bring us in our fulness, but HE will continue with us all until we complete
our journey; HE will not fail us nor
forsake us; He will not disappoint our expectations in any situation,
nor will HE ever desert our interest; we must be faithful to HIM, and HE will
be so to thee.’’
This is applied by the
apostle to all off YAHWEH’S spiritual Yisrael, for their encouragement of their
faith and hope; unto us is this gospel preached, as well as to them in the past,
HE will never fail thee, nor forsake
thee, Heb. 13:5. 2. He commends Joshua to led them: Joshua, he shall go over before thee.
A leader conduct,
courage, and sincere affection are essential for our spiritual interest, this
they had long experience; and one whom YAHWEH had ordained and appointed to be
their leader, and therefore, no doubt, he would own and bless them. See Num.
27:18. It is a great encouragement to a people when, instead of some useful
instruments that are removed, YAHWEH raises up others to carry on his work.
Deu 31:4 “And יהוה
shall do to them as He did to Siḥon and to Oḡ, the sovereigns of the Amorites
and their land, when He destroyed them. - Two
things might encourage our hopes of this: The victories that we have already
obtained over Sihon and Og, from which we might infer both the power and the
glory of יהוה , that HE could do what HE had
done, and the purpose ofיהוה , that He would finish what He
had begun to do.
Deu 31:5 “And יהוה shall give them over to you, and you shall do
to them according to all the command which I have commanded you. – Every word of Torah must improve our spiritual experience.
The commandיהוה had given them to destroy the Canaanites (ch.
7:2; 12:2), to which HE refers here in this verse, that you may do unto them according to all which I
have commanded you), and from which they might infer that, ifיהוה had commanded us to destroy the Canaanites, no
doubt He would put it into the power of our hands to do so today.
Deu 31:6 “Be
strong and courageous, do not fear nor be afraid of them. For it is יהוה your EL who is going with you. HE will not
fail you nor forsake you.” - What יהוה has made
our duty we have reason to expect opportunity and assistance from him for the
doing of. So that from all this he had reason enough to bid them be strong and of a good courage.
While they had the power of יהוה engaged for them they had no reason to fear
all the powers of Canaan engaged against them.
Deu 31:7 And Mosheh called Yehoshua and said to him before the eyes of all Yisra’ĕl,
“Be strong and courageous, for you are going with this people to the land which
יהוה has sworn to their fathers to give them, and
you are to let them inherit it. - He encourages Joshua. Though
Joshua was an experienced general, and a man of approved gallantry and
resolution, who had already signalized himself in many brave actions, yet Moses
saw cause to ask him to be of good
courage, now that he was entering upon a new frontier.
Yehoshua was far from
taking it as an offense, or as a tacit questioning of his courage, to be
charged, as sometimes we find proud and peevish spirits invidiously taking
exhortations and admonitions for reproaches and reflections.
Yehoshua himself is very
well pleased to be admonished by Moses to be strong and of good courage. He
gives him this charge in the sight of
all Yisrael, that they might be a
witness to him at his inauguration, that he might set himself to be the
ultimate example of courage to the people who were witnesses to this charge
given to him as well as to themselves.
Deu 31:8 “And it
is יהוה who is going before you, HE HIMSELF is with
you. HE does not fail you nor forsake you. Do not fear nor be discouraged.” - He gives him the same assurances
of the continuous Divine presence, and consequently of a glorious success, that
he had given the people. YAHWEH would be with him, would not forsake him, and
therefore he should certainly accomplish the glorious enterprise to which he
was called and commissioned.
You
shall cause them to inherit the land of
promise. Those that have YAHWEH with them shall do well and therefore they
ought to be of good courage.
Through YAHWEH let us do valiantly, for through HIM we shall do victoriously;
if we resist the devil, he shall flee, and YAHWEH shall shortly tread him under our feet.
Deu 31:9 And
Mosheh wrote this Torah and gave it to the priests, the sons of Lĕwi, who bore
the Ark of the Covenant of יהוה,
and to all the elders of Yisra’ĕl. - The
Torah was given by Moses; so it is said, Jn. 1:17. He was not only entrusted to
deliver it to that generation, but to transmit it to the generations to come;
and here it appears that he was faithful to that trust.
Moses
wrote this Torah, under the inspiration
of the Holy Spirit. This is the fifth books of Moses, which are often called
the law; Though Moses had
written most of the Pentateuch before, yet he did not finish it till now; now
he put his last inscription to that sacred volume. Many think that the law here
(especially since it is called this
law, this grand abridgment of the law) is to be understood of this book
of Deuteronomy; all those discourses to the people which have taken up this
whole book, he, being divinely inspired, wrote them as the word of YAHWEH.
He wrote this law. That
those who have or who will hear it might review it for themselves, and put it
to practice. That it might be safely handed down from generation to generation.
The Messiyanic Assembly to has received abundance of advantage from the
writing, as well as from the preaching, of the divine things; faith comes not
only by hearing, but by reading.
The same care that was
taken of the law, thanks be to YAHWEH, is also taken of the renewed Covennt;
soon after it was preached it was written, that it might reach to those unwilling
witness the end of the world. The Hebrew word for Gospel is Besorah or the good
new. The good new is that Yahushua came and fulfilled all of the laws,
perfectly, and he has become our mediator.
Since He has fulfilled
Torah, it should give us the assurance that we too can fulfilled it in our
lives also. The law is the personification of perfection, the difference
between Yahushua and ourselves is that He did it perfect because He was under
the Law. We can do it under Grace, because we have all sinned and fall short of
the requirement of the law. The Hebrew word Messiyah means anointed of YAHWEH,
meaning to reach spiritual maturity. We too can become Messiyah or the Order of
Melchesideck. These are they who have being describe in Revelation 3:21 To him that overcometh will
I grant to sit with me in My Throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down
with My Father in HIS throne. These are who Job 1:6 Now there was a day when the Sons of YAHWEH
came to present themselves before YAHWEH, and Satan came also among them. These Son or of the Order of Melchesideck part of the ruling counsel in
the Heavens.
Deu 31:10 And
Mosheh commanded them, saying, “At the end of seven years, at the appointed
time, the year of release, at the Festival of Booths, - He appointed the public reading of the law that was
place on the outside of the Ark to be read to the general assembly of all
Yisrael every seventh year. This law was not to be internalizing, as the one
that was place inside of the Ark.
The Law that was place on the inside of the Ark was read in the synagogue every Sabbath day, Acts 15:21.
In that year the land
rested, was a good time for the people to read the Law that was place on the
outside of the Ark.
In the Seven year, the people would have more time on their hands. Servants to
sin who were then discharged, and poor debtors who were acquitted from their
debts, must know that, having their sins forgiven was there most important
thing in the world. As the first six year is to free us from our bondage to the
flesh, the seventh year we should remind ourselves from what we were freed. It
was justly expected they should yield obedience it, and therefore give up
themselves to be YAH’s servants, because he had loosed their bonds.
The year of release was typical of Messiyah
grace, which is called the acceptable
year of YAHWEH; for our remission and liberty by Yahushua engage us to
keep His commandments, Lu. 1:74, 75.
At the Feast of Tabernacles
in that year. In that feast they were particularly required to rejoice before YAHWEH, Lev. 23:40.
Therefore, then they must read the law, both to qualify their mirth and keep it
in due bounds, and to sanctify their mirth, that they might make the law of YAHWEH
the matter of their rejoicing.
Deu 31:11 when all
Yisra’ĕl comes to appear before יהוה your EL in the place which HE chooses, read
this Torah before all Yisra’ĕl in their hearing. - To whom it must be read: To all Yisrael, men,
women, and children, and the strangers, verse 12.
The women and children
were not obliged to go up to the other feasts, but to this one in which the law
that was place outside of the Ark
was read. It is the will ofיהוה that all people should acquaint themselves
with His word.
It is a rule to all, and
therefore should be read to all. It is supposed that, since all Yisrael could
not possibly meet in one place, nor could one man’s voice reach them all, as
many as the courts of YAHWEH’s house would hold met there, and the rest at the
same time in their synagogues.
The hearers were bound to
prepare their hearts, and to
hear with fear and reverence, and with
joy and trembling, as in the day when
the law was given on Mount Sinai. Though
there were great and wise men who knew
the whole law very well, yet they were bound to hear with great attention; for he that reads is the messenger of the congregation to cause the words of YAHWEH
to be heard.
I wish those that hear
the gospel read and preached would consider this. By whom it must be read: You shall read it verse 11, "You,
O Yisrael,’’ by a proper person appointed for that purpose.
"You, O Joshua,’’
their chief ruler; accordingly we find that he did read the law himself, Jos.
8:34, 35. So did Josiah, 2 Chr. 34:30, and Ezra, Neh. 8:3. And the Jews say
that the king himself (when they had one) was the person that read in the
courts of the temple, that a pulpit was set up for that purpose in the midst of
the court, in which the king stood.
This Book of the law that
was place on the outside of the Ark, was delivered to him by the high priest,
that he stood up to receive it, uttered a prayer (as everyone did that was to
read the law in public) before he read; and then, if he pleased, he might sit
down and read.
But if he read standing it was Thought the
more commendable, as (they say) King Agrippa did. Here let me offer it as a
conjecture that Solomon is called the preacher,
in his Ecclesiastes, because he delivered the substance of that book in a
discourse to the people, after his public reading of the law in the feast of
tabernacles, according to this appointment here.
Deu 31:12 “Assemble
the people, the men and the women and the little ones, and your sojourner who
is within your gates, so that they hear, and so that they learn to fear יהוה your EL and guard to do all the Words
of this Torah. - For what reason it must be
read. That the present generation might keep up their acquaintance with the law
of YAHWEH. They must hear, that they may learn, and fear יהוה , and observe to do their duty. See here what we are to aim at in hearing the word; we must hear, that
we may learn and grow in knowledge; and every time we read the scriptures we
shall find that there is still more and more to be learned out of them.
We must learn, that we
may fear YAHWEH, that is, that we may be duly affected with divine things; and
must fear YAHWEH, that we may observe
and do the words of his law; for in vain do we pretend to fear him if we
do not obey him.
WE must Fear YAHWEH for
HE promise to send Deut 28:15 – 68 upon or against us if we move away from HIS
Commandments.
Deu 31:13 “And
their children, who have not known it, should hear and learn to fear יהוה your EL as long as you live in the land you
are passing over the Yardĕn to possess.” - That the next
generation might be leavened with the leaven of the pure religion; not only
those who know something may know more, but that the children who have not known anything may also know this, how
much it is their interest as well as duty to fear YAHWEH. Also important that
when a people reach maturity, as entering into the Land represent, should by
then learn to Fear EL YAHWEH. One of the Fruit of the Spirit is the Spirit of
Knowledge and the Fear of EL YAHWEH, Isaiah 11:2.
In building our Menorah,
the Last Spirit to be developed is the Spirit of the Fear of EL YAHWEH, that is
why on the Seventh year the year we become mature, we are warned to read this
Law to the people.
Deu 31:14 And יהוה said to Mosheh, “See, the days have drawn near
for you to die. Call Yehoshua, and present yourselves in the Tent of Meeting,
so that I command him.” And Mosheh and Yehoshua went and presented themselves
in the Tent of Meeting.
- Moses and Yehushua are summoned to
attend the Divine Majesty at the door of the tabernacle. Moses is told again
that he must shortly die; even those that are most ready and willing to die
have need to be often reminded of the approach of death. It is only those who
knew the purpose of life and have attain it, they have no fear of dying.
In consideration of this,
he must come himself to meet YAHWEH; for whatever improves our communion with YAHWEH
furthers our preparation for death. He must also bring Yehoshua with him to be
presented to YAHWEH for a successor, and to receive his commission and charge.
Moses readily obeys the
summons, for he was not one of those that look with an evil eye upon their
successors, but, on the contrary, rejoiced in him. Evil men like Saul look with
distaste on their successor, righteous men like Moses look at them with pleasure.
Deu 31:15 And יהוה appeared at the Tent in a column of a
cloud, and the column of a cloud stood above the door of the Tent. - YAHWEH graciously gives them the meeting: He appeared in the tabernacle (as the
Shekinah used to appear) in a pillar
of a cloud.
This is the only time in
all this book that we read of the glory of יהוה appearing,
whereas we often read of it in the three former books, which perhaps signifies
that in the latter days, under the evangelical law, such visible appearances as
these of the Divine Glory are not to be expected, but we must take heed to the
more sure word of prophecy. It is our Seventh year that the Glory of EL YAHWEH
will come and rest upon us. When we become the Ark of the Covenant, HE will
speak to us with an Audible Voice.
Deu 31:16 And יהוה said to Mosheh, “See, you are about to sleep
with your fathers. And this people shall rise and whore after the mighty ones
of the strangers of the land into the midst of which they shall enter, and
forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them. - He tells Moses that,
after his death, the covenant which he had taken so much pains to make between
Yisrael and their יהוה would certainly be broken. - That Yisrael would forsake יהוה and we may be sure that if the covenant
between יהוה and man will be broken the blame must lie on
man alone, it is man that breaks it; we have often observed it, that יהוה never
leaves any till they first leave him. Worshipping the gods of the Canaanites
(who had been the natives, but henceforward were to be looked upon as the
strangers of that land) would undoubtedly be counted a deserting of יהוה, and, like adultery, a violation of the covenant.
Our Father only desire us
to leave this world when we become mature like Moses, Father YAHWEH do not
require us to die like men, but to live like a god. Moses most certainly lives
like a god, for he was a god to Pharaoh.
Gentlemen and Ladies we
are gods having a fleshly experience. When we live like gods, it will not be
difficult for us to walk towards our final resting place. We will do it without
hesitation
Deu 31:17 “Then My
displeasure shall burn against them in that day, and I shall forsake them and
hide MY face from them, and they shall be consumed. And many evils and
distresses shall come upon them, and it shall be said in that day, ‘Is it not
because our Elohim is not in our midst that these evils have come upon us?’ - Thus still those are revolt from Messiyah, and will
be so adjudged, who either make a god of their money by reigning covetousness
or a god of their belly by reigning sensuality.
Deu 31:18 “And I
shall certainly hide My face in that day, because of all the evil which they
have done, for they shall turn to other mighty ones. - Those that turn
to other gods forsake their own mercies. This apostasy of theirs is
foretold to be the effect of their prosperity verse 20): They shall have eaten and filled themselves;
this is all they will aim at in eating, to gratify their own appetites, and
then they will wax fat, grow secure and sensual.
Their security will take
off their dread of YAHWEH and his judgments; and their sensuality will incline
them to the idolatries of the heathen, which made provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts of it.
YAHWEH has a clear and
infallible foresight of all the wickedness of the wicked, and has often
covenanted with those who he knew
would deal very treacherously (Isa. 48:8), and conferred many favors on
those who he knew would deal very ungratefully.
That there EL would
forsake Yisrael; and justly does he cast those off who had so unjustly cast HIM
off: My anger shall be kindled against
them, and I will forsake them.
His providence would
forsake them, no longer to protect and prosper them, and then they would become
a prey to all their neighbors. His spirit and grace would forsake them, no
longer to teach and guide them, and then they would be more and more bigoted,
besotted, and hardened in their idolatresses.
Therefore much evils and troubles would befall them.
Verse 17, 21), which would be such manifest indications of YAH’S displeasure
against them that they themselves would be constrained to own it.
