Since then there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses … in all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt, before Pharaoh, before all his servants, and in all his land, and by all that mighty power and all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel. (Deuteronomy 34:10-12)
These are the final words of the Torah, and more importantly, the final statements regarding the era of Moses as the leader of God’s people. These last words are meant to convey an end of sorts, but at the same time, a beginning — i.e. one season’s end marks the beginning of the next. As we suggested in the previous devotion, not only do these last words record the end of an era but convey a certain message from the Almighty to every generation, specifically in regard to the Messiah. So before we conclude our journey through the Torah, I wish to explore this notion further.
When it comes to the Torah, nothing about it is considered superfluous or random — every word is there for a reason, and consequently, the same is true for each letter, or so say the rabbis. If that is so, then let’s consider, once again, the first and last letters in the Torah. As mentioned previously, the first Hebrew letter of the Torah is the ב beit of בראשית b’reshiyt — “in the beginning.” The very last Hebrew letter in the Torah is the ל lamed of ישראל Yisrael (Israel). Placing these two letters together, and then reading them as we would a Hebrew word — that is, from right to left, lamed-beit — the result is the Hebrew word לב lev or “heart.” From beginning to end, the Torah is an instruction to God’s people about the condition of the heart — but there is more than that.
As I have also said previously, Moses may have been the prototype for what God looks for in those who lead His people but Messiah is the fulfillment of it. In acknowledgement of this, Paul said that the Messiah is “the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Romans 10:14). That does not mean that the Law of Moses was ended, as in done away with when Messiah came. To the contrary, Paul’s statement reveals that Messiah is the goal of the Torah, meaning that everything in the Torah points us to Him.
Messiah is the goal of everything Moses was told to write down because He is the essence of the Torah; He is the heart of everything the Torah teaches from beginning to end. And so, just as the Torah concludes with the end of Moses’ life — a life spent in service to God and His people — we are reminded of God’s heart and what He wished to convey to all who call upon His name. Because He has a heart to save all who are lost, Messiah laid down His life that we might be redeemed and brought into God’s House. In return, He is looking for those who have a heart to love Him with all of their being. This is the heart of the Law, from beginning to end, personified in Messiah.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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