Biblical Missions In Torah Context

The concept of "mission" in the Torah, though not always explicitly termed as such, is deeply embedded in the narratives of divine calling, sending, and purpose for individuals and the Israelite nation. The Hebrew word salah means "mission" or "sending" ^[1], and this action is frequently attributed to God.

From the earliest narratives, God's interaction with humanity involves a sense of divine purpose and sending. The promise to Abraham, that "in whom all the nations of the earth are to be blessed," is understood as a foundational mission for Israel, foreshadowing God's broader redemptive plan ^[3]. The redemption of the Hebrews from Egypt is presented as a pledge of God's faithfulness to this promise and establishes their obligation to acknowledge Yahweh ^[3].

Moses's call at the burning bush exemplifies a clear divine mission. God assures Moses, "Certainly I will be with thee," and provides a token of his sending: "when thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain" ^[4]. This demonstrates that God's presence and a specific task are integral to the concept of being sent. The Midrash Rabbah notes that while some passages attribute the sending to Israel, others attribute it to Moses, indicating a close identification between the leader and the people in their collective mission ^[2]. Maimonides further elaborates on the nature of prophecy, stating that a prophet might be sent to nations, cities, or kingdoms to guide them or prevent evil ^[8]. The entire nation of Israel, Maimonides argues, witnessed Moses's appointment as a prophet at Sinai, serving as mutual witnesses to his divine mission ^[10].

The mission of leaders like Joshua is also clearly articulated. Joshua's call to "arise, go over this Jordan" is presented as a military leadership mission, directly repeating promises made to Moses ^[6]. Even in moments of despair, such as Elijah's flight, God renews his prophet's commission, directing him to retrace his steps and continue his assigned tasks, which included anointing Hazael, Jehu, and Elisha ^{[11, 12]}. The destruction of Moab, for instance, is described by Rashi as "the Lord's work," which is "the mission of the Omnipresent" ^[9].

The idea of "sending" extends beyond specific individuals to the nation of Israel as a whole. The journeyings of the Israelites in the wilderness, as recorded in Numbers, are interpreted by Ramban (Nachmanides) as a means to inform future generations of God's loving-kindness ^[7]. This historical record itself serves a purpose, a mission to convey divine providence.

While the New Testament explicitly uses the term "apostle" (meaning "one sent") for Christ's disciples, the Old Testament lays the groundwork for this concept through numerous instances of divine commissioning and sending for specific purposes ^[5]. The consistent theme is that God initiates and empowers these missions, whether for individuals like Moses and Elijah or for the entire nation of Israel, to fulfill His divine will and purposes on earth.

Sources

Hitchcock's Bible Names “Hitchcock's Bible Names: Salah — mission; sending”
Midrash Rabbah (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Midrash Rabbah, Bamidbar Rabbah 19:28: “Israel sent” – all matters of Torah require one another, as perhaps this one is cryptic and that one is expansive. Here it is stated: “Israel sent,” but elsewhere it attributed the mission to Moses, as it is stated: “I sent messengers from the wilderness of Kedemot” (Deuteronomy 2:26). And it is written: “Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom” (Judges 11:17), and it is written: “Moses sent messengers from Kadesh [to the king of Edom].… Let us pass” (Numbers 20:14,17). These verses require one another, as Moses is Israel and Israel is Moses, to teach”
CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 41: of Abraham, in whom all the nations of the earth are to be blessed. And as in this passage the redemption of the Hebrews from their bondage in Egypt is referred to as the pledge of God’s fidelity to his promise to Abraham, and the special ground of the obligation of the Hebrews to acknowledge Jehovah as their God; so the mission of the Eternal Son for the redemption of the world is at once the pledge of God’s fidelity to the promise made to our first parents after their fall, and the special ground of our allegiance to our covenant God an”
Exodus (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Exodus 3:12: And he said, certainly I will be with thee,.... To encourage and strengthen him; to protect, defend, and preserve him, and to succeed and prosper him; to give him credit and respect with the people of Israel, and influence over Pharaoh to prevail upon him at length to let Israel go: and this shall be a token unto thee that I have sent thee; not the promise now made, nor the vision he had seen, but what follows: when thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain: Mount Horeb or Sinai, as they did at the time of the giving of”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 3: Tertullian — CHAP. XXIV.--ON THE MISSION OF THE SEVENTY DISCIPLES, AND CHRIST'S CHARGE TO THEM. PRECEDENTS DRAWN FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT. ABSURDITY OF SUPPOSING THAT MARCION'S CHRIST COULD HAVE GIVEN THE POWER OF T (part 1): He chose also seventy other missionaries(4) besides the twelve. Now why, if the twelve followed the number of the twelve fountains of Elim,(5) should not the seventy correspond to the like number of the palms of that place?(6) Whatever be the Antitheses of the comparison, it is a diversity in the causes, not in the powers, which has mainly produced them. But if o”
Joshua (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Joshua 1:2: now therefore arise, go over this Jordan--Joshua's mission was that of a military leader. This passage records his call to begin the work, and the address contains a literal repetition of the promise made to Moses (Deu 11:24-25; Deu 31:6-8, Deu 31:23).”
Sefaria (Jewish (Kabbalistic/Philosophical)) “Ramban (Nachmanides) on Numbers 33:1: THESE ARE THE JOURNEYS. After the vengeance [executed] upon Midian, concerning which the Holy One, blessed be He, told Moses, afterwards shalt thou be gathered unto thy people , 1 Above, 31:2. and after Moses had apportioned the land of Sihon and Og [to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Menasheh] and they had built the [previously] mentioned cities, 2 Ibid. , 32:34-38. he set his mind to write down [the various stages of] the journeyings [in the desert]. His intention in so doing was to inform [future generations] of the loving kindnesses”
Mishneh Torah (Maimonides) (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Mishneh Torah (Maimonides), Mishneh Torah%2C Foundations of the Torah 7:7: There is the possibility that a prophet will experience prophecy for his own sake alone - i.e., to expand his mental capacities and to increase his knowledge - [allowing him] to know more about the lofty concepts than he knew before. It is also possible that he will be sent to one of the nations of the world, or to the inhabitants of a particular city or kingdom, to prepare them and to inform them what they should do or to prevent them [from continuing] the evil which they are doing. When he is sent [on such a mission],”
Sefaria (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki) on Jeremiah 48:10: the Lord’s work The work of the destruction of Moab, which is the mission of the Omnipresent.”
Mishneh Torah (Maimonides) (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Mishneh Torah (Maimonides), Mishneh Torah%2C Foundations of the Torah 8:2: Thus, those to whom [Moses] was sent witnessed [his appointment] as a prophet, and it was not necessary to perform another wonder for them. He and they were witnesses, like two witnesses who observed the same event together. Each one serves as a witness to his colleague that he is telling the truth, and neither has to bring any other proof to his collegue. Similarly, all Israel were witnesses to [the appointment of] Moses, our teacher, at the [revelation] at Mount Sinai, and it was unnecessary for him to perform any fur”
1 Kings (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 Kings 19:15: 19:15-17 Go back . . . and travel: In loving patience, God renewed his prophet’s commission (cp. John 21:15-19). God directed Elijah to retrace his steps back to the place where he had strayed from God’s mission; from there he could move forward. • Hazael and Jehu both became instruments of God’s judgment (2 Kgs 8:7-15; 9:14-37). • Elisha, Elijah’s successor, would bring spiritual discernment and the Lord’s further judgment to Israel (2 Kgs 3:10-19; 8:7-15; 9:1–10:31; 13:3, 15-19). • Abel-meholah was located south of Beth-shan, where the valley of Jezreel and th”
1 Kings (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Kings 19:4: HE IS COMFORTED BY AN ANGEL. (Kg1 19:4-18) went a day's journey into the wilderness--on the way from Beer-sheba to Horeb--a wide expanse of sand hills, covered with the retem (not juniper, but broom shrubs), whose tall and spreading branches, with their white leaves, afford a very cheering and refreshing shade. His gracious God did not lose sight of His fugitive servant, but watched over him, and, miraculously ministering to his wants, enabled him, in a better but not wholly right frame of mind, by virtue of that supernatural supply, to complete his ”

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