For the week of September 27, 2025 / 5 Tishri 5786

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Vayeilech (Shabbat Shuva)
Torah: D’varim/Deuteronomy 31:1-30
Haftarah: Hosea 14:2-10 (English: 14:1-9); Micah 7:18-20; Joel 2:15-17
Originally posted the week of September 22, 2012 / 6 Tishri 5773 (updated)

And I will surely hide my face in that day because of all the evil that they have done, because they have turned to other gods. (D’varim / Deuteronomy 31:18)

I was once sharing the story of how I came to believe in Yeshua with a relative. At one point, he mentioned a common criticism of the New Covenant Writings—that it was antisemitic. I then explained how the critical statements of the Jewish people found in the New Covenant Writings are similar to those contained in the Hebrew Bible. And just like the Hebrew Bible, much of the conflict found therein should be regarded as a family dispute—Jewish people confronting other Jewish people over what’s right and what’s wrong. It’s tragic how Jewish people have been embittered towards Christianity due to the way non-Jews have often used our own self-criticism against us. There is a big difference between my criticizing my own family and when an outsider does it (especially when they use my words!).

I mentioned to my relative that some of the harsh words against our own people in the Hebrew Bible are actually stronger than those contained in the New Covenant Writings. Moses himself, before he died, was directed by God to ensure the people understood that in the future they would suffer bitterly for turning away from God. This week’s Torah portion uses very strong language to describe this. Throughout the Hebrew Bible are similar criticisms, dire warnings, and harsh judgments against Israel.

That non-Jews, especially Christians, would use such negative words from the Bible against us is one of the greatest hypocrisies of all time. Doing this exposes a profound lack of self-awareness and Bible knowledge. One of the purposes of God’s choosing Israel was to demonstrate to all nations the whole world’s failure before God. As Paul writes in his letter to the Romans:

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. (Romans 3:19)

God used Israel’s failure to keep the Torah to reveal to the whole world the sin problem which oppresses us all, Jew and non-Jew alike.

God chose the people of Israel to be an object lesson to the world. Israel’s failure to live up to God’s standards is an example of what any nation would do in that same situation. Whoever we are, if we don’t see ourselves in the life of ancient Israel as reported in the pages of Scripture, we don’t realize that we have been looking in a mirror. For anyone to claim that they are any better is to be languishing in the worst kind of denial.

Thankfully, Israel’s tragic role as being the nation picked by God to demonstrate common human sinfulness is not what being the Chosen People is all about. God’s directing Moses to ensure the people knew about their destined failure was not to discourage them, but to help them recognize their need.

The coming of the Messiah marks the culmination of Israel’s long prophetic history, which began with the words of Moses. Israel, like all people, required a clear confrontation of its sin. The high holidays, which are currently upon us again, are designed for the kind of self-reflection necessary to come to grips with our need for God. Once we honestly acknowledge the depths of our sinfulness, we will be in a place where we can receive God’s provision of forgiveness and restoration in the Messiah.

Scriptures taken from English Standard Version