Make Disciples of All Nations
In this week’s Parashah Point on the Torah Portion, Vayelech, we see in Deuteronomy 31:12-13 how the Torah is for all nations. Israel was charged by the Creator to make disciples of all nations.
Transcript
Welcome to another episode of Parashah Points—short thoughts from the weekly Torah Portion.
This week’s Parashah Point comes from Vayelech, which is Hebrew for “He went,” and it goes from Deuteronomy 31:1 to Deuteronomy 31:30.
In this Torah portion, Moses encourages Israel to be “strong and courageous” and reminds them that God will be with them as they enter the Promised Land. Moses also instructs Israel to read the Torah to
all the people every seven years. The Torah Portion concludes with God telling Moses that he would soon die, so God instructs Moses to write a song as a witness against the people of Israel.
There’s a lot we can talk about in this Torah Portion. Today we’re going to talk about the command to teach God’s Torah to the nations.
Every seven years on the shemitah, during the Feast of Sukkot, all Israel is commanded to gather together to hear the reading of the Torah. Interestingly, Moses makes note of all the different types of
people who should be gathered together for this occasion:
Deuteronomy 31:12-13
Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the Lord [YHWH] your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law, and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the Lord [YHWH] your God, as long as you live in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.
You’ll notice that it’s not only the native-born Israelites who are to come hear the reading of the Torah but also the sojourner! It’s never been God’s will for Israel to keep the Torah just to themselves. The Torah is a gift that is meant to be shared with all the nations.
Over and over again in the Scriptures, God goes out of His way to mention that the same law applies both to the native-born Israelite and the sojourner.
Consider the fourth commandment, the Sabbath. God gives a Sabbath rest not only to Israel but also to the sojourner (Exodus 20:10). In addition, both native-born Israelites and sojourners are specifically commanded to keep Passover (Numbers 9:14), Unleavened Bread (Exodus 12:19), Yom Kippur (Leviticus 16:29), and Sukkot (Deuteronomy 16:14).
The people of Israel were to teach the Torah to the nations so that they may “learn to fear YHWH and be careful to do all the words of this law.” This shouldn’t be surprising. It’s always been God’s plan to reach the nations through Israel. This has been clear ever since the calling of Abraham:
Genesis 12:2-3
And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
When Yeshua the Messiah came on the scene, the fulfillment of this promise to Abraham had begun. Just prior to His ascension, Yeshua commanded His disciples:
Matthew 28:19-20
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Once again, Yeshua’s disciples were instructed to teach the Torah to the nations. How do we know that? Because Yeshua’s instructions included teaching the nations to observe all that He commanded. And Yeshua very clearly affirmed the ongoing authority of the Torah throughout His earthly ministry, in particular in Matthew 5:17-20 when He declared that members of the kingdom of heaven would do and teach even the least of the commandments.
So let us take this imperative from both Moses and Yeshua seriously. Let us “assemble the people,” of all nations, to hear the Torah so that they may learn to fear YHWH our God and be careful to do all the words of His law.
Thank you for joining us for another Parashah Point!
About David Wilber
David is first and foremost a passionate follower of Yeshua the Messiah. He is also a writer, speaker, and teacher.
David’s heart is to minister to God’s people by helping them rediscover the validity and blessing of God’s Torah and help prepare them to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope within them (1 Peter 3:15)…