Parashat V’Zot HaBerachah (And This is the Blessing)
D’varim (Deuteronomy) 33:1–34:12
This coming weekend, a special parasha (Scripture portion) will be read at the Synagogues, and on Monday, the portion on which I am writing today will be read. Monday is the holiday of "Shmini Atzeret" which is also known as "Simchat Torah" (the Rejoicing of the Torah).
Two verses in the portion caught my attention, as they remind me of God’s perfect timing:
Torah (teaching, instruction or law) Moses charged us with (or commanded us with), an heritage for the assembly of Jacob. And He was king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people were gathered, the tribes of Israel together.
Deuteronomy 33:4–5
As the Jewish people from around the world will be rejoicing over the giving of the Torah (God’s instructions), we can see a direct fulfillment of these verses since the Torah was given to Israel through Moses as a special heritage. This is something that we see until today!
These verses also refer to the "King of Jeshurun"; while the King of Jeshurun means the King of Israel, I find it interesting that in the verses above, the King's role in uniting the Children of Israel is something that only the Messiah can (and will) do. Furthermore, as I was digging a little deeper into this verse, I found that the Jerusalem Targum translates this verse this way: “And a king shall arise from the house of Jacob, when the heads of the people are gathered together: unto Him shall the tribes of Israel be obedient.” This translation reminds me of Genesis 49:10:
The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
What is interesting here is that "Shiloh" is one of the names of the Messiah. As we can see in both verses, Deuteronomy 33:5 and Genesis 49:10, the King will not only gather (unite) the people but also the obedience of the people will be unto Him alone! This is yet another instance of Messiah appearing in the Torah, and it amazes me again and again how faithful God Almighty is to fulfill His promises.
My dear brothers and sisters, as we are closing another year of studying through the Scripture from Genesis to Deuteronomy, we can indeed rejoice and celebrate the giving of the Torah, as it points to Yeshua our true Messiah. My hope is that you have a greater assurance of His amazing capacity to redeem on a personal level, and for the future work of redemption of the entire house of Israel!
Shabbat Shalom,
Moran
Parashat V’Zot HaBerachah (And This is the Blessing)
D’varim (Deuteronomy) 33:1–34:12
This coming weekend, a special parasha (Scripture portion) will be read at the Synagogues, and on Monday, the portion on which I am writing today will be read. Monday is the holiday of "Shmini Atzeret" which is also known as "Simchat Torah" (the Rejoicing of the Torah).
Two verses in the portion caught my attention, as they remind me of God’s perfect timing:
Torah (teaching, instruction or law) Moses charged us with (or commanded us with), an heritage for the assembly of Jacob. And He was king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people were gathered, the tribes of Israel together.
Deuteronomy 33:4–5
As the Jewish people from around the world will be rejoicing over the giving of the Torah (God’s instructions), we can see a direct fulfillment of these verses since the Torah was given to Israel through Moses as a special heritage. This is something that we see until today!
These verses also refer to the "King of Jeshurun"; while the King of Jeshurun means the King of Israel, I find it interesting that in the verses above, the King's role in uniting the Children of Israel is something that only the Messiah can (and will) do. Furthermore, as I was digging a little deeper into this verse, I found that the Jerusalem Targum translates this verse this way: “And a king shall arise from the house of Jacob, when the heads of the people are gathered together: unto Him shall the tribes of Israel be obedient.” This translation reminds me of Genesis 49:10:
The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
What is interesting here is that "Shiloh" is one of the names of the Messiah. As we can see in both verses, Deuteronomy 33:5 and Genesis 49:10, the King will not only gather (unite) the people but also the obedience of the people will be unto Him alone! This is yet another instance of Messiah appearing in the Torah, and it amazes me again and again how faithful God Almighty is to fulfill His promises.
My dear brothers and sisters, as we are closing another year of studying through the Scripture from Genesis to Deuteronomy, we can indeed rejoice and celebrate the giving of the Torah, as it points to Yeshua our true Messiah. My hope is that you have a greater assurance of His amazing capacity to redeem on a personal level, and for the future work of redemption of the entire house of Israel!
Shabbat Shalom,
Moran