Parashah va'Etchanan
Deuteronomy 3:23 – 7:11
Yehovah as the Supreme Authority in the Universe, establishes a Constitution by which His creatures are to live in His Kingdom and by which He will govern them. The Commandments, decrees, statutes, ordinances, memorials, instructions, testimonies, and all else given by Yehovah are eternally valid, for they express His unchanging character. Therefore, they cannot lose their validity. This is why Yeshua said that He had NOT come to abolish the Torah but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17).
Now therefore, O Israel, listen to the statutes and judgments which I teach you, that you may live and go in and take possession of the land which Yehovah, the God of your fathers, gives you.
Deuteronomy 4:1
Let us make a distinction between statutes and decrees. Statutes come before decrees, and the latter are derived from the former. Thus we can see that the statutes given by Yehovah were the Ten Words (Commandments); they are the Constitution of His Kingdom and contain within themselves everything that is to be regulated as needs arise. Let us remember the words of Yeshua to the scribe in Matthew 22:40 when he explains that the basis of these commandments is love. Love for the Father and for one’s neighbor. Love was the root from which Yehovah generated the Torah, which was given in summary form on Mount Sinai to the ears of all the people.
Now, Moses declares to the people the advisability of observing, that is, carefully obeying such statutes and decrees in order that they may live; and this is not a reference to not dying physically, but to the quality of life that a person acquires when he decides to submit his life to the Torah: A life of freedom, growth, healthy relationships, and prosperity in every sense.
Refresh your memory and set an example for your children
…be careful not to forget Yehovah, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall fear Yehovah your God, serve Him, and take oaths in His name.” Deuteronomy 6:12–13
When our lives stabilize and our anxieties pass, our faith and attention toward Yehovah tend to dissipate. This is a call to remain conscious of our Father’s presence by developing a heart of gratitude for every detail He brings into our lives. Now, since we have to deal with various commitments and conversations on a daily basis, we are urged to swear by Yehovah if necessary to give credibility to our words. See Matthew 5:33-37 and compare; is Yeshua “changing” this commandment?
Throughout this portion, Moshe does not cease to reiterate the importance of both fearing Yehovah and obeying His commandments and statutes, “doing what is right and good in the sight of Yehovah, so that it may go well with you…”
Notice that we are warned of the importance of answering our children correctly when they ask questions. This implies that parents, that is, elders, will be performing a series of practices and rituals which will cause children to ask, “Why do we do this?” It is time to answer them by telling them who Yehovah is and the great works He has done for us. But if we obey “dragging our feet” and reluctantly, how can we respond to our children? The answers will probably be like those given to some of us: “That’s our custom,” “Don’t ask, just obey,” “That’s how it’s always been done,” etc. It is not surprising that the younger generations hate religion. At least we must acknowledge that they are authentic.
