Torah VaYelekh, And He Went
D’varim (Deuteronomy) 31:1-30
Hosea 14:1-9; Joel 2:15-27; Miykah (Micah) 7:18-20
Romans 1:1-18
For millennia, Torah keepers have called the man Moses the greatest leader of Israel – `Rabbeinu’ – `our Great One.’ But were men of God called anything like `the great ones’ in their eulogies? What were Moses and Joshua characterized by in the Scriptures?
At the end of their lives, the title we find is not ‘great one’ for either Moses or Joshua, but – ‘servant of YHWH’ (Deuteronomy 34:5 and Judges 2:8). In the end, victorious saints will sing the song of Moses, who is called ‘the servant of Elohim.’ (Revelation 15:3).
Like Moses, in the last action of His life, Yeshua climbed a mount to the place He would die. Believers know Him to be the Messiah, the Suffering Servant, yet our greatest Leader.
The lives of the men and women of faith (Hebrews 11) inspire us to serve and to love YHWH with all their hearts and souls right up to the very last breaths here on earth. That’s my goal. There’s no retirement in the Kingdom, to relax and sit around talking about the good old days in the golden years of life. There’s no Scriptural precedence for that kind of lifestyle for a faithful servant of YHWH.
Servant Prophets and Servant Angels
On the last walk of his life, Eliyahu (Elijah) struck the waters and crossed over the Jordan River on dry ground before going up in a chariot of fire. After his departure, Eliyahu was also called “ebed,” the servant of YHWH (II Kings 9:36 and 10:10).
Eliyahu prophetically pictures for us what will happen before the rapture of the Bride of Messiah. Israel will miraculously cross over the Jordan, “the Descender,” that is to cross over to the Promised Land with humility and with submission as servants of their Master.
Through His servant, the prophet Isaiah, YHWH called Israel ‘My servant.’ (Isaiah 41:8; 44:1,21; 45:4; 49:3) Everyone in the house of Israel is to be called ‘ebed YHWH.’
Even angels are called ‘servants.’ Yeshua will come down from heaven riding a white horse (Rev 19:11) to rescue and rapture His servant, His bride. Just before John saw a vision of Yeshua coming down on a white horse, he attempts to worship an angel who calls John and his brothers – fellow-servants:
“Behold! Stop! I am a fellow servant of yours, and of your brothers, having the testimony of Yeshua.” Revelation 19:19.
Now wouldn’t ‘the testimony of Yeshua’ (Yah saves) be the Gospel message that the Messiah rescued and saved him out of by His great love? Testimonies of how Yeshua saves by His grace motivates believers to serve.
The Apostles Called Themselves ‘Servants’
Like the Torah identifying Moses as the servant of YHWH (Deut 34:5), did the disciples of Yeshua identify themselves that way? Let’s see what Paul and other disciples called themselves, starting with the first verse of our Brit Chadashah portion:
Sha’ul (Paul), a servant of Yeshua the Messiah, called to be an apostle, separated unto the Gospel of Elohim… Romans 1:1
Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Messiah, greets you… Colossians 4:12
Ya’aqov (Jacob), a servant of God and the Master Yeshua the Messiah James 1:1
Shimon Kefa (Simon Peter), a servant and emissary of Messiah Yeshua, to those who have received a faith equal to ours through the righteousness of our Elohim and Savior, Messiah Yeshua: 2 Peter 1:1
Yehudah (Judah), a servant of Yeshua the Messiah and brother of Ya’aqov (Jacob), to those who are called, who are loved in Elohim (God) the Father, and preserved in Yeshua the Messiah: Jude 1:1
The disciples served the same Elohim that Moshe and Eliyahu served, right down to their last breath here on earth. Yeshua is the same Elohim we serve; the Messiah is the Strong Controller, the Mighty Authority to Whom we submit (meanings of the Hebrew word `Elohim.’) After all, all power and authority were given unto the Messiah. (Matt. 28:18)
Who are we to serve? Whom should we declare to others Whom we serve? My identity as a servant of Yah is in the Divine Messiah Yeshua, Who is YHWH Who came in the flesh.
A parallel verse that reveals the identity of Yeshua as Elohim is in Deuteronomy 31:3:
YHWH your Elohim will cross over before you*; He shall destroy these nations from before you, and you shall possess them. Yehoshua (Joshua) is the one who shall cross over before you*, as YHWH has spoken.
*Note that YHWH crosses over and Yehoshua crosses over in the same, parallel construction of this verse. Yehoshua has the same meaning as Yeshua – Yah saves. Yeshua is YHWH Who came in the flesh to save us from our sins and from our enemies. We believe in and serve the same God, the same Messiah, as Moses and the apostles did.
How Do We Title Our Leaders?
When is the last time you heard a Hebrew Roots brother introduce himself as “a servant of Yeshua the Messiah?” Do we live our lives as dedicated servants of the Messiah, or not? Are we just converts to a different intellectual ‘understanding,’ as many refer to the Hebrew Roots faith? Or are we true disciples and servants of Yeshua ha Mashiach?
Hear our Master’s words on who His leaders would be:
He sat down, and called the twelve; and He said to them, “If any man wants to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all.” Mark 9:35
Servant of All His House:
What service do we remember about Moses and the service of our Messiah?
Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were afterward to be spoken, but Christ is faithful as a Son over His house; whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the glorying of our hope firm to the end. Hebrews 3:5-6
Their service was ‘in all his house.’ Was ‘his house’ just the Tabernacle in which Moses served? Let’s be clear on what ‘His house’ really is – it is the house of the Messiah.
As you come to Him, a living stone rejected by men but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house – a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Messiah Yeshua. 1 Pet 2:4-5
Today in the House of Yah, priests serve to draw others near to YHWH our Elohim through our great High Priest, Yeshua the Anointed One. Disciples of Yeshua serve to bring others into a covenant relationship with our God.
How do we understand serving in His house as priests? Is it only when we have an opportunity to share our testimonies with others who don’t believe as we do? Or is there more involved in serving in His house?
So let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have an opportunity, let us do good toward all – especially those who belong to the household of faith. Galatians 6:9-10
Doing good whenever to everyone can only come from a servant’s heart, a servant who wants to serve with every opportunity. A true servant never gives up on serving others. Selfishness from a self-centered, entitled attitude disqualifies true leadership. Yeshua has always looked for selfless leaders with servant’s hearts being faithful in all His house.
What leaders do we look to when we need help or guidance to follow? In my view, we should follow only leaders who are willing to serve with every opportunity that the Father presents to them. Should we go by leaders who are not known to faithfully serve in all His house? Is it good enough for a would-be leader to just attend services every Shabbat?
My advice would be to follow leaders who have faithfully proven themselves to selflessly serve in the household of faith. Generally speaking, I would not follow leaders who do not faithfully serve with every opportunity. Please go with leaders who are known to serve, and not just in their own households, but in all His house, especially the household of faith.
In service of the King, our Lord, and Master.
BaShem Yeshua HaMashiyach,
David Klug
Ebed Yeshua