Moses commanded a law for us, a heritage of the congregation of Jacob. (Deuteronomy 33:4)
In these few words much can be understood about the devotion our Jewish friends have for the Torah. First of all, the words delivered to Moses by the mouth of God were not a passing fad — they were and are eternal. Furthermore, as Moses indicated here, the Torah (Law) was entrusted to Israel to keep and honor for all time. That is what is meant by the word “heritage,” or in Hebrew מורשה morashah. While an inheritance may be spent or sold off by the heir at their discretion — even if it is unwise to do so as we see in the Parable of the Prodigal son — it is not so with a heritage.
The distinction between the two is this: a heritage is an estate that must be preserved for future generations. In other words, a heritage must always remain in the family it was entrusted to. Seeing that Moses referred to the Torah as “a heritage of the congregation of Jacob,” the Law of God was to be treasured by all the tribes of Israel. The people of God were duty bound to be true to it and, though this is often overlooked by Jew and Gentile, to disseminate its teachings to all the families of the earth. In short, the Word of God is to be regarded as something precious given by Him to His family and is to be passed down from generation to generation.
Underscoring the sanctity of this heritage, consider that the word morashah is related to the Hebrew term m’orasah or “married.” In the eyes of most Jews, Israel is married to the Almighty with the Law serving as the Marriage Contract — a concept that is not far-fetched actually. I say that because, according to John, the Messiah is the Word mad flesh, which is to say, the Living Torah. As His followers, we are betrothed to Him — He is the Bridegroom and we are the Bride. When we received Him into our lives, He came as an Incorruptible Seed that impregnated our hearts. We are thus duty bound to produce fruit (spiritual offspring) that serves to propagate the Seed — the Word — from generation to generation. So then, let us be a people who are completely devoted to Him, the Living Word, and committed to cherishing the precious heritage we have received from the LORD.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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