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)
With these verses we come to the end of the Torah, otherwise known as the Five Books of Moses, and so, what is the message we were meant to take away from this ending? In other devotions, we have touched on the message Moses wished to convey with his last words as he neared the end of his life — but what about the Almighty? What was the message He wished to convey to all generations with the words that conclude His Torah?
Perhaps, we should first consider the message given in the beginning. The first word in the Torah is בראשית b’reshyit which means “in the beginning.” The first Hebrew letter of that word is the letter called ב beit which, pictographically and phonetically is a “house.” It is understood that, in the beginning, God’s purpose was to build a house, or better yet a family. The evidence of that purpose was the nation He called Israel. It just so happens that the very last word in the Torah is ישראל Yisrael (Israel); the very last Hebrew letter being the ל lamed. Pictographically, lamed is regarded as a goad or shepherd’s staff; phonetically, the word means to “learn.” So what can we glean from this?
God’s people have already required a shepherd to lead them so that they might learn the ways of the Almighty. When God called Moses, he was shepherding the flocks of his father-in-law. When David was anointed king, he was called in from the fields where he had been watching over the flocks of his father. Again, God’s people have always required a shepherd — someone who would goad them into the right path when necessary and lovingly teach them the ways of God. Moses was such a person — he led them when others wouldn’t until his dying day. When others would have left them to die at God’s Hand, Moses interceded for them, thus revealing his shepherd’s heart. But his service reveals much more.
What we see in and through Moses was just the beginning of what God would do for Israel; the end, or better yet, the goal is revealed in Messiah. Without a doubt, Moses was a dedicated servant and a caring shepherd but the Torah he wrote points to the One who was to be the ultimate servant and the only Good Shepherd. Through Messiah, all who call upon the Name of the LORD are given access to God’s House and invited to become part of His family. Because of Him, we who were once lost sheep are lost no more but are regarded as the sheep of His pasture.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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