Vayelech – “And He Went”

The name of this week’s parasha is Vayelech, which means “and he went” and covers Deuteronomy 31:1-30.  Moses told the Jewish people that when they entered the Promised Land, Joshua would be their leader, and Adonai would go before them to deliver the nations there into their hands.  Those nations would suffer the fate of the Amorite kings Sihon and Og, who were defeated by the Jewish people in Numbers 21.  Moses then encouraged the Israelis and Joshua to be strong and courageous, because Adonai would always be with them.

Moses wrote this Law and gave it to the priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant, and all the Israeli elders.  He told them this Law was to be read at the end of every 7 years, the Sabbatical Year, which was the year for cancelling debts, during the feast of Sukkot.  Everyone, both native Israelis and Gentile sojourners among them, was to listen and obey this Law.

Adonai told Moses to summon Joshua to the Tent of Meeting for his commission as Israel’s leader, because Moses’ death was coming soon.  Upon their arrival, Adonai appeared in a cloud over the Tent’s entrance.  He forewarned Moses that the Jewish people would serve other gods after entering the Promised Land, which would anger Him, and they would suffer the consequences. Moses was to write a song and teach it to the Israelis, which would act as a witness against them when they sinned, and he obeyed Adonai’s instructions.

Adonai then repeated His earlier encouragement to Joshua, and Moses commanded the Levites who carried the Ark to place the Book of the Law beside the Ark, which would serve as a witness against the Israelis when they sinned.  The parasha ends with Moses teaching the Jewish people the song Adonai told him to write.

Although this parasha is comparatively brief, it has some valuable lessons from which we can learn.  First, there were to be no double-standards; God’s laws applied equally to the native Israeli and to the Gentile sojourner.  No one is above His commandments – those who obey Adonai will be blessed, and those who disobey Him will suffer the consequences.

We see this truth in Isaiah 56, which is part of the haftarah portion for this parasha.  Adonai will bless righteous Gentiles who worship Him, and His house will be a house of prayer for all nations.  Sadly, the Jewish leaders during Yeshua’s earthly ministry showed disrespect to Adonai by allowing the Court of the Gentiles in the Temple to be used as a marketplace. This angered Yeshua, and He quoted from this passage when He drove out the moneychangers from this area. Adonai calls both Jews and Gentiles to Him through faith in Yeshua, so let’s obey His commands to tell everyone this Good News!

Second, what God decrees will always come true.  Sadly, the Jewish people forgot Adonai’s warnings here, and what He told them occurred just as He said; after entering the Promised Land, Israel worshipped other gods and suffered the consequences for this sin. However, their punishment did not last forever, and those who oppressed them were later defeated according to Adonai’s decrees.  But the greatest promise God gave was that He would provide a Redeemer, through whom He would reconcile people to Himself, and His promise has come true. This Redeemer is Messiah Yeshua!

Do you wish to obey God and be in a right relationship with Him?  Then you need to loyally follow Yeshua as your Lord and Messiah and Savior.  It won’t be easy, and you’ll face persecution and temptations during your walk with Him. But take comfort in the knowledge that Yeshua has overcome the world, and He will never leave or forsake you.  So seek Him with all your heart, because His love is everlasting, and you’ll find yourself singing a new kind of song.