1

Vaetchanan: & I
Pleaded
The root word in this weeks
parasha is Strongs# 2603 or
khaw-nan', and it means properly to bend or stoop in kindness to an
inferior; to favor, bestow; causatively to implore.
Practice with Dad
Moshe has now successfully lead Israel back to the Jordan River
where they are poised to cross over into the Land of Promise. All of the
tumult, all of the struggle without and within has culminated to this
moment. if I may use a baseball metaphor, picture the following; Etched in
time, a father proudly watches his son pitch a remarkable, no-hitter game,
vividly recalling the countless hours patiently poured into his life. Every
invested wild pitch, every short bounce, every bruised knee, every stinging
2

palm, every word of counsel given in response to a sons immature
emotional tone has built up to this moment.
Settled confidently into that most sacred orbit and eternal rhythm
called trust, where each coordinated movement is attached to a well-oiled
and long repeated rehearsal with his father, the son prepares and builds for
the next. The glove tucks into his chest, the
knee cocks up, his weight shifts forward, the
leg explodes, and the hammer swings down;
and what a royal thing of beauty to see,
especially by the ones who sacrificed so much
to get there observe the fruit of it with their
own God-given eye. Like some confederate
cannonball hissing along its intended
trajectory, this blurry red-threaded bullet
violently collides into a mink-oiled cowhide
pocket, loudly declaring its arrival with a
riveting Pop, rippling with bone-crushing
force into a thick-laced Catchers mitt,
stationing itself perfectly in that Good Hill-Country & Land of Promise we
call The Strike Zone. Strike 3!
What took innumerable years of
training, patience and repetition had finally
given birth not only to this long-awaited
desired-result on the diamond, but also
cultivated a heart of trust through obedience,
walking perfectly in step with their Fathers
instruction, much in the same way as Israels
Game-changing moment in history loomed
large upon their own horizon.

Now Israel has been circling for 40
years because rather than TRUST the WORD
of YHVH, they had put their trust in a spirit of fear, as explained in last
3

weeks Torah study. Now,
HaShem has finally instructed
Israel, Okay boys, mount up,
& point em North. Now, you
will see YHVHs Hand
beautifully at work here,
which once again powerfully
testifies of The Father being very
much in the details of your life
every single day. Ready?

Onward and Northward
They had to go North because that was not only the intended
trajectory of Israels path into the Land of Promise, but it was part of His
Divine design. This next explanation is critical because it ties in to the name
and beginning of this weeks parasha. When we study the word in Hebrew
for North, is Strongs# 6828 meaning north, watch, and watchtower. But it
alludes to other meanings as well that are just as important. For one, it
specifically refers to the North Star, which is used as a guide to help
travelers navigate to their intended destination. Its rooted in Strongs
#6845, or tsaw-fan', and it curiously means to hide (by covering over), to
hoard or reserve; figuratively to
deny; specifically (favorably) to
protect, or (unfavorably) to lurk.
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4












1




In the Paleo it means to Hide, a Treasure, a storing up or
hiding of something to prevent discovery [from: - as something watched
or covered]. Just like God lays out our path, His Word is well-purposed as
we have continually discovered.

In the course of their journey, YHVH guides them northward. By the
way, what was placed on the north side of the tabernacle? Thats right, the
Table of Shewbread
2
, and it was purposed among other things to be
symbolic of the 12 tribes joined together in unityEchad, with all of their
provisions met by YHVH who provides them with their daily bread to
sustain them
3
. We also read in Scripture when referring to the north that,

Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, Is Mount Zion in the far
north, The city of the great King
4
. & again, "Out of the north comes
golden splendor; Around God is awesome majesty
5
.

Possess to Inherit

YHVH is taking them to HIS awesome and majestic city of our great
KingYeshua Messiah! However, there is a hidden test awaiting them

1
Pro 2:1-5 NAS
2
Exo.40:22-24
3
Mt.4:4
4
Psa 48:2 NAS
5
Job 37:22 NAS
5

along the way, but if they are being faithful then they will be watching and
ready when the test comes. The test comes in the way of two pagan kings
seeking to thwart Israels triumphant destiny with Canaan by joining forces.
The first was Sihon, in Hebrew meaning warrior, king of Heshbon
meaning stronghold
6
where they battled east of the Dead Sea at a place
called Yahats, which means trodden down. In my personal opinion, this
was a test designed to strengthen their trust in YHVHs proven word and
also a subtle reminder of when Israel was sent to destroy the Midianites
after their daughters used lust to lure Israel to waver in their devotion to
God
7
.

Ever have one of those days where you make up your
mind to rejoice in The LORD and all hell comes
against youits a test; its a battle in
a place in your mind called
Trodden Downbut YHVH has
already told you, And the LORD
said unto me, Behold, I have begun
to give Sihon and his land before
thee: begin to possess, that thou mayest inherit his land
8
. YHVH tells us
to possess the landin this case it was the physical land of Canaan, but He
gives us many things to take possession ofour souls
9
(the seat of our
emotions, thoughts and choices), our habits, words, and actions
10
, which
may seem small but these are the raw materials that either build
strongholds
11
legacies that last far longer than any tombstone inscription.
The root word found within yaw-raysh' is Resh, the Resh-Shin
combination spells Resh for Head. Israel was to move into the Land of
Promise and be over it like the father is the Head of the family or as a
tribal leader is responsible for the land and his people. The beauty in all this
however is that there is a Yud in front of this word. Yud means hand, but it
is also representative of the Right Hand of YHVH, symbolizing Messiah
who gives us power and authority over those things HaShem has
commanded us to go in and possess, Ahmein!

The last battle before camping east of the Jordan is with Og, king of

6
Deut.2:30-31
7
Num.31:15-17
8
Deu 2:31 KJV
9
Lk.21:19, Phil.4:8
10
1Cor.10:31
11
2Cor.10:4-5
6

Bashan. Og, meaning Long neck, was the remaining remnant of a race of
giants included within the Amorite people. We read his bed was 9 cubits
long by 4 cubits wide. The standard cubit was approximately 18 inches,
which was a measurement taken from the elbow to the fingertip. That
comes to 13 feet Long by 6 feet Widebig fella. Reminds me of another
time when a group of 12 spies went in to Canaan about 40 years earlier to
spy out the land, and they returned with fertile (Bashan means fertility)
fruit, but uttered a negative report, instilling fear in the hearts of the
Israelites while describing the people as giants and themselves as
grasshoppersNot today!

Just Like Moses Just Like Noah

Having come right off the heels of two very significant victories Moses
charges Joshua, reminding him of his responsibility to carry Israel over the
Jordan into the The Promised Land, but not to allow fear a foothold
because just like with Sihon and OgYHVH will fight for you. This comes
from a man who when no one else would, he pushed through the thick
darkness where God was
12
. This comes from a man who with a self admitted
speech impediment faithfully lifted his staff and hand over the Red sea,
exclaiming to all of Israel to not fear (again with the stop being afraid)
and separated the waters so they could cross over on dry land
13
.
This comes from a man who after spending 40 days atop Mount Sinai
in the intimate presence of The Creator descended back into camp with the
Ten Commandments inscribed upon stone, and YHVHs mysteries upon his
heartand his face shone with the glory of The LORD, so much so that the
people were afraid
14
. Moses was a man who had relationship with YHVH
like none other, unveiled with a faith to believe having abandoned fear and
pushing through thick darkness rewarded him with the bright shining
Shekinah Kabod of YHVHUnveiled. But he was also the same man who in
a fit of tormented rage struck the rock which The Father had explicitly
instructed him to speak to.

12
Exo.20:21
13
Exo. 14:13-16
14
Exo.34:29-35
7

Does the punishment fit the crime some say? We all hurt for Moses,
but if I may be so simple, the easy answer is yesbecause HaShem valued
the lesson so muchand Moses possessed so much more understanding of
The Fathers heart than many of us could ever comprehend, YHVH held
him to a much higher standard
15
. That is the short answer. The long answer
I leave to the scholars.
But he pleads, or prays for YHVHs favorfor him to be pardoned
and allowed to enter into the Promised Land. Much discourse is upon the
subject. What do you think? Heres what we know. Why would a man who
had repeatedly experienced Gods favor ask for it now? Yes, he desires to go
into the landbut why? One commentator suggests Moses wanted to cross
over to destroy the inhabitants of the land lest they
cause the Israelites to misbehave and be exiled
from the land
16
.
Moses pleaded for favorbut he already
had itbut he wanted to be there to protect Israel.





What we know about favor in Hebrew is the word khaw-naw' from
Strongs# H2583, and it means to incline, to pitch a tent; generally to
encamp, to dwell, and to rest in a tent

15
Lk.12:47-48
16
The Irwin Jonas Onkelos On The Torah Understanding the Bible Text Deuteronomy: Sforno commentary, p.35
8

In the Paleo we discover a two-letter root word Chen. It
means to camp, or beauty. The pictograph is a picture of a wall. The
is a picture of a seed meaning "to continue". Combined these mean
"wall continues". A nomads camp consisted
of many family tents, which make up the clan
camp. ( HhN): The pictograph camp
can have as many as fifty tents or more in it.
The tents are placed in a circular configuration, forming one continuous
wall surrounding the camp. This was a picture of Israel, having entered in
and settled in The Land of Promise. We
find another person who found favor in
the eyes of The LORDNoah, or Noach. As
pointed out, Noachs name is comprised of
a Nun and a Chet, which are the exact two
letters found in the word for favor, only
reversed. Noachs name means REST. And
so what we find is YHVH was leading them
on a journey to deliver them to a place of
rest. As defined by Noah Webster, Rest can
be defined as A place of quiet; permanent
habitation; To cease from war; to be at
peace; To be quiet or tranquil, as the mind; not to be agitated by fear,
anxiety or other passion
17
. Isnt this what Abba is guiding us into here on
our personal journey with Him and with the larger body of Mashiach? The
question is, are we allowing YHVH to lead us to His place of rest?
Therefore, let us do our best to enter that rest; so that no one will fall short
because of the same kind of disobedience
18
.
In this parasha we have the beloved Shema. A crucial prayer prayed
by every Israelite upon arising, and upon preparing for sleep. In this
parasha we repeatedly hear Moses remind Israel to hear, give heed, as
one version in The Etz Hayim commentary translates in Devarim chapter 4

17
Websters 1828 Dictionary
18
Heb 4:11 CJB
9

verse 9, But take utmost care and watch yourselves scrupulously, so that
you do not forget the things that you saw with your own eyes and so that
they do not fade from your mind as long as you live.
So Close at Hand
So much more can be expounded upon in this beautiful portion of
The Torahmost of which is Moses heart-driven contention for Israel to
REMEMBER YHVHbecause He loves them. We read throughout
Scripture of consequences for everything from incorrect worship to outright
rebellion, and sometimes it may be a little disconcerting as we all desire to
follow YHVH knowing He has a soft place in His heart for us, and He does.
He does beloved. God has such a soft place in His heart for us and we
struggle because we are in this thing called life, and life involves cycling
around the mountain, and sometimes theres snakes, and sometimes there
are time-outs, and sometimes we see loved ones leave camp and they dont
look back, and sometimes we see things that test our own heart-
commitment but beloved through it all YHVH wants us to remember to not
forget YHVH. He says,
See, I have imparted to you laws and rules, as the LORD my God has
commanded me, for you to abide by in the land that you are about to enter
and occupy. Observe (Shema) them faithfully, for that will be proof of your
wisdom and discernment to other peoples, who on hearing of all these laws
will say, "Surely, that great nation is a wise and discerning people. For what
great nation is there that has a god so close at hand as is the LORD our God
whenever we call upon Him? Or what great nation has laws and rules as
perfect as all this Teaching that I set
before you this day
19
?




19
Deu 4:5-8 TNK
10

Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. You shall love the
LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your might. Take to heart these
instructions with which I charge you this day.
Impress them upon your children. Recite them
when you stay at home and when you are away,
when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them
as a sign on your hand and let them serve as a symbol
on your forehead; inscribe them on the doorposts of your
house and on your gates. (Deu 6:4-9 TNK)
For you are a people set apart as holy for ADONAI your God.
ADONAI your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the
earth to be his own unique treasure. (Deu 7:6 CJB) Much like I believe
Moses suffered in his heart for Joshua, for the children of Israel, we too
should daily recognize that YHVH feels deeply for you. Through all the
circling, God does have a planalbeit sometimes hidden. Hes taking us
northto that beautiful Golden city, to that good Hill country, just over the
Jordan. But we cannot do it apart from walking obediently in His Word.
His Word should be treasured, guarded in our heart, and walked out, much
like a man who once bought a field,
The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. A man found
it, hid it again, then in great joy went and sold everything he owned, and
bought that field
20
.
Yeshua came to lead us like sheep gone astray back into His Land of
Promise. Many of our ancestors He spoke with then were physically already
in The Landbut they had lost touch with what YHVH, like Moses did, has
been pleading with His people every day,
'Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me, and keep
all My commandments always, that it may be well with them and with
their sons forever! (Deu 5:29 NAS)

20
Mat 13:44 CJB
11

"Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble
in heart; and you shall find Rest for your souls. (Mat 11:29 NAS)