D33-1: Moses’ Role As The Stern Lawgiver Comes To An End

I should also note that Deuteronomy Chapter 33 presents a happy and loving side of Moses the Israelites may likely had never witnessed before.

Moses spent the last 40 years trying to teach and lead a people who seemed to resist his leadership every inch of the way.

Remember, Moses was the Lawgiver and as a result had to use the stick far more often than he used the carrot during his leadership simply because that’s what the nature of his divine assignment from Hashem required.

On countless occasions, Moses’ instructions to the Hebrews were often accompanied by harsh rebukes.

He often had to play the role of a prosecutor like what exists in our modern day criminal law system today.

This reminds me of this verse from the New Testament.

“For the law was given through Moses;
grace and truth came through Messiah Yeshua.”
-John 1:17

Again, this is another one of those verses the gentile church completely mangles the understanding of by thinking it’s saying Yeshua’s sacrifice replaced or did away with the Law of Moses.

That verse is talking about two different things because as I’ve already told you like 20 billion freakin’ times already, the Law of Moses was NOT designed for salvation.

Got it.

Let me say that again.

The Law of Moses was NOT designed for salvation, it is a guide for how to live after one is saved.

It doesn’t even make sense to accuse me of teaching the idea that one has to obey the law to be saved when that wasn’t even the purpose of the law in the first place.

Again, the Law was NOT designed for salvation.

John 1:17 is simply stating an objective truth that Moses was indeed the Lawgiver and Yeshua’s sacrifice was for eternal redemption of the soul.

I don’t know how else to explain it.

We’re talking about TWO. DIFFERENT. THINGS. HERE.

John isn’t presenting an either/or proposition in that verse in the sense that you have to choose either the Law of Moses or Yeshua’s sacrifice on the cross among a choice of different salvation vehicles so to speak.

His slant or emphasis is that to think you can gain eternal life by keeping the Law you’re wrong because apparently there were some misguided religious zealots who felt that way.

There is no way God’s Holy Law can be an evil thing.

It’s total theological insanity to come to such a conclusion.

The pattern established in Torah is God saves FIRST and then He gives us His commands as a guide to live a holy life after salvation.

Anyway, those who are mature enough and ready for the meat of the Word will understand and those who won’t, well I guess the Lord will just keep feeding them milk until their eyes are opened.

May understanding come to those who have ears to hear.

Onward or I should say backwards to my original point before I got on that little rant about how the Mosaic Law and Yeshua’s sacrifice are two totally different things and NOT to be compared to each other in an either/or fashion.

As I was saying, throughout most of the history of Israel, it was the Lord who handed out the blessings and Moses was the stern Lawgiver who handed down the consequences when the Israelites went hog wild and misbehaved.

Hashem created the Laws and it was Moses’ job to enforce them.

Honestly, I can really sympathize and understand why Moses lost his cool and in a rage struck that rock to bring forth water instead of speaking to it as Hashem had commanded him.

I mean think about it.

Day in and day out, Moses was constantly bombarded with complaints and grumbling that just never seemed to let up.

Moses wanted at least one kind word of gratitude for all he had done for the people.

Being the bearer of Hashem’s divine warnings and the agent by which God would deliver His curses must have taken its toll on Moses.

However, his role as the stern Lawgiver was about to come to an end.

In this farewell address, Moses is finally given the chance to let down his guard and relax so he can speak of the glorious hope, joy and blessings that await Israel.

For a good 40 years, Moses was in a very real sense the father of Israel.

Remember in Hebraic thought, the Father and His chosen mediator are considered to be one and the same.

And when I say one and the same, I mean in the sense of being one in the same in mission and purpose…not literally (this idea of some hypostatic union is pure fiction that has its origins in Greek inflexible black-and-white thinking).

I betcha Moses’ cheerful and warm demeanor caused the people to do a double-take and wonder…

…is this really the same man who led us in the desert wilderness for 40 years?

Since Joshua was about to assume the role of being Israel’s strict and demanding father figure, Moses could now kick back in the remaining hours of his life and be Israel’s warm and loving grandfather.