Israel-The Birth of a Nation Through Tribulation-STAR-46

This is Israel: The Birth of a Nation Through Tribulation. It is a study of the 46th Parshah of our 3-year Torah Reading Cycle.

This week’s reading is found in Exodus/Shemot 1:1-2:25.

Introduction to the Reading

The historical record transitions from that of a focus on the lives of the individual patriarchs, to that of the nation that descended directly from the patriarchs. Yisra’el. The Hebrew nation. Not a Jewish nation as modern Judaism loves to tout, mind you. A nation composed of the 12-tribes that descended from the loins of Ya’achov, who was renamed Yisra’el back in Genesis/Beresheit 32:28.

Bridging Genesis/Beresheit to Exodus/Shemot

The chasm that would otherwise exist between Genesis/Beresheit is effectively bridged by way of Moshe providing a detailed accounting of those Hebrews that immigrated to Egypt (aka Mitsrayim) from  the Land of Canaan (aka Kena’an), as well as a repeating of the fact that hyosef, the presumptive patrirarch of Isra’el (aka Yisra’el) after the death of his father Jacob (aka Ya’achov, had died. And thus, the birth of a nation-Yisra’el–commences in haste.

The Sons of Israel

The sons of Ya’achov, in Hebrew “bene Yisra’el, over the course of some 400-years will have grown into a true nation of peoples (reference Exodus 1:7).

In verse 1, Moshe writes: “And these are the names of the sons of Israel (i.e., bene Yisra’el) who came to Egypt with Jacob.” This is a direct continuation of the Genesis/Beresheit record that translators ended with Joseph’s (aka Yosef’s) death (1:1-5).

The Hebrew title for this Torah reading is “Shemot” which means “names.” When we talk about Torah Readings or Torah Portions, the first significant word is used by the rabbis as that reading’s title.

The Hebrew term “bene” (aka children or sons) as used in our text specifically denotes only the male descendants of Yisra’el that made up the count of the 70 souls that emmigrated to and took up residence in Mitsrayim along with their father Ya’achov (reference Beresheit 46).

The Biblical Relevance for the Number 70

The number “70” is used throughout the Tanach and rabbinic writings. Therefore, 70 as a number denoting the number of Yah’s people associated with a certain event or structure or regarding years on Yah’s historical calendar is believed to carry special meaning to Yah’s set-apart people. It is derived from the  number “7”, which represents natural order of things. That is, Yah completed His creation in 7-days. When we take the number 7 and multiply it be a factor of 10 (which is treated as a full number) we get 70. Thus, 70 will carry a meaning of “completeness” in scripture.

Numbers as expressed in Torah and throughout the Tanach are often “symbolic-approximations” (Rober Alter-The 5 Books of Moses). The numbers 7, 10, 40, are generally units of time and counts of individuals. 

Our text notes that 70-persons–specifically 70 male descendants of Ya’achov relocated to Mitsrayim with the patriarch Ya’achov. The text is specific that these 70 “sprung from the loins (aka “yarekh” or thigh of Ya’achov, representing a euphemism or metonymy for the male reproductive organ) of Ya’achov (Genesis/Beresheit 24:2). 

Thus, these 70-descendants or sons of Ya’achov represent in biblical parlance a complete grouping of Ya’achov’s descendants. These 70 formed the foundation of the nascent Hebrew nation. Yisra’el at this time had become “a grand family” and “the nucleus of a nation” (Robert Alter-The 5 Books of Moses). 

Robert Alter notes in his commentary on this passage that the number 70 as used here represents a “substantial clan” or “the nucleus” of a nation people. Alter asserts that such numbers are not to be understood as “arithmetically precise measures.” And to some extent, I would agree with Alter’s position on this. However, I believe if we are true “people of the Book” we must err on the side of taking what the Word says at face value supported by a “Spirit and Truth” appreciation of the content of that text.

J.H. Hertz (Torah-Haftarah) notes that if one were to add to these–that being add to Ya’achov’s direct-male descendants, wives and daughters and servants, the total, actual number that entered and took up residence in Goshen of Mitsrayim would have numbered in the several hundreds. Why is this information important to us today? It is important beloved, because it serves as an affirmation that the covenant promise and prophecy made by Yah to Avraham can be taken to the “spiritual bank” by us. I’m talking about the promise and prophecy that through Avraham, Yisra’el would become a great and mighty nation through which all the nations of the earth would be blessed (Genesis/Beresheit 18:18; 22:18). In other words, the covenant promises would include all the nation peoples of the earth who would choose to enter into a covenant relationship with the Creator of the Universe. Praise Yah!

The Dying Out of a Generation

This verse denotes the dying out of a generation, according to J. H. Hertz (Torah Haftarah), that included both Yisra’elites and Mitsri. This is important to understand given that both sets of people’s existence will directly impact one another in the years ahead.

Yisra’el Swarms Mitsrayim

Bene Yisra’el were fruitful and multiplied (or rather, Yisra’el swarmed) and filled Mitsrayim. These sons were the descendnats of Ya’achov and their families and servants and such to whom the name Yisra’el belonged or was attached. (Note: We, the redeemed of Yah, are to lay claim to the name Yisra’el as our heritage and culture.) Yisra’el! The descendants of Yisra’el became a manifestation of Yah’s instruction back in the Garden of Eden (aka Gan Eden) for His people to be “fruitful and multiply-swarm (Hebrew of “sharats”) the earth (Genesis/Beresheit 1:28). To be fruitful here means to increase abundantly; to multiply; to wax exceedingly mighty.

The 70 that entered Mitsrayim under Yosef’s oversight incorporated or included extensive households unto themselves (reference Genesis/Beresheit 27:12, 27).

J. H. Hertz (Torah Haftarah) asserts that Yisra’el’s growth spread its presence beyond Goshen, even to the terriroties beyond Mitsrayim’s territorial boundaries (1:12). 

A New Pharaoh Takes the Throne Over Mitsrayim

A New king arose over Mitsrayim. J. H. Hertz (Torah Haftarah) contends that a new “nationalistic” dynasty or monarch replaced the previously reigning Hyksos kings that were so accommodating to 70 Hebrews who entered Mitsrayim. 

It is presumed that the Hyksos were driven out of Mitsrayim by descendants of the native dynasty. This recocnstituted native dynastic monarch claimed to not have any knowledge of the Yisra’elites and their history in Mitsrayim prior to his ascension to the throne.

As with the passing of the last inner-core disciple turned apostle, Yochanan, with the passing of Yosef came a major falling away and shifting away from the true Hebrew Faith of Yisra’el (Joshua/Yahoshua 24:14). The succeeding generations of Yisra’elites adopted the Mitsri ways and their idolatrous, Babylonian-based worship (e.g., the Golden Calf worship).

None of this is to saay that there did not remain among the Yisra’elites a remnant who kept and walked in the True Faith of Yisra’el with the hope of a promised deliverance in their lifetime.

Mitsrayim Seeks to Address the Hebrew Problem

This new king/pharaoh saw the numbers of Yisra’elites in Mistrayim as potentially problematic for the Mitsri state. No doubt recalling the previous dynasty, the Hyksos, and how their presence in Mitrayim led to the loss of the natural dynasty’s leadership over the land. No doubt this new king’s/pharaoh’s nationalistic bend was the fuel that drove his insistence that something be done about the perceived Hebrew threat to Mistrayim’s existence.

I disagree with Midrashic thinking that the ensuing bondage of Yisra’el was wholly driven by a pervasive distain for Hebrew by the Mitsrim. Certainly hasatan’s distain for the sacred concerns of Yehovah, that being His people and the covenant that Yah had with Yisra’el that would lead to the coming of Mashiyach, would have been one of the influential factors that drove this Mitsri nationalistic king/pharaoh to see and treat Yisra’el as an enemy and existential threat to Mitsrayim.

This pharaoh, who I believe was an agent of hastan, leads a drawstic xenophobic action against bene Yisra’el. This agent of hasatan was more than capable of inciting his advisors to work with him to take decisive action against Yisra’el. The text records no dissenting concern among the cadre of counselors that this pharaoh no doubt consulted in formulating his plans to eliminate the Yisra’elite perceived threat. No doubt the people of Mitsrayim had established over the years, a close, abiding relationship with the Hebrews inhabiting their country. I believe there’d have to be a true and powerful charisma behind this pharaoh’s bold and decisive plans to strip the Hebrews of their citizenship and ultimately of their lives. Not just charisma mind you, but hasatan-inspired driven charisma and influence (verse 10).

Despite the pharaoh’s contrived, hasatan inspired xenophobia towards Yisra’el, he still saw undeniable value in Yisra’el’s presence in Mitsrayim. He states:

“…join themselves (i.e., Yisra’el) unto our enemies and fight aginst us, and get them up out of the land.”

For one could safely reason that the solution to the perceived Yisra’elite problem would be to either drive them out of Mitrayim entirely, or simply eradicate and destroy them altogether. But these weren’t the courses taken by this pharaoh. You see, Mitsrayim would need Yisra’el’s manual labor to help fortify Mitsrayim’s structural defenses from its outside enemies.

The Hebrew Solution of Enslavement

The solution as the record bears out was to enslave the Hebrews, which would serve to provide the state free labor in which to build the nation’s structural fortresses and infrastructure, and at the same time, break the will of the Hebrew in their nation.

The Miracle that Emerged in the Midst of National Tribulation

Despite the hasatan-derived plan that was no doubt  intended to destroy Yah’s covenant people in the end, the Hebrews under abject Mitsri oppression threived and their numbers continued to grow.

This antithetical situation served only to cause the Mitsri-overseers/taskmasters to loathe the Hebrews even more. It seemed that the more the Mitsri threw at the Hyisra’elites, the more their numbers and presence both within and outside Mitsrayim swelled/grew. 

This reality is rarely mentioned among scripture-philes, but this spreading, thriving, flourishing in the midsts of potential existential trials and tribulations is nothing short of a miracle. Whic is to say to us who are in Yah’s Will, regardless what the enemy throws at us, the more we must flourish and prevail. For Yah is in control and He will work on our behalf to stymie the plans and efforts of the enemy. 

This miracle should have given the Mitsri cause to pause. History bears out how Yah has protected and preserved His chosen ones against her enemies. This is beared out in the Genesis/Bereshit record, as well as in recent world history (i.e., Jewish persecutions).

But this miracle only incited the Mitsrim to double-down on the forced labor which the text describes as “breaking and rushing labor,” which was intended to utterly break the Hebrew’s spirit and ultimately destroy the Hebrew nation from the outside going inward.

The damning efforts of the Mitsrim overlords/taskmasters proved no match, however, for Yah’s miraculous propering of the Hebrew slave, even in the midst of their forced, crushing/break loabors. 

The Hasatan Inspired War Against Children

So, the solution to the Hebrew problem that hasatan inspired Pharaoh to come up with was infanticide (i.e, thehe b murder of infants). The beauty of the miracle that infuriated the Mitsrim and their frustrated their plans to eliminate the Hebrew nation was Yisra’el’s fertility. The thinking behind this hasatan inspiried plan of infanticide was to destroy the product of the Hebrew’s miracle, which was her Yah-empowered fertility. Destroy the product of the miracle, destroy the people the thinking became.

The monarch’s title shifts here in our text from that of “king” to “pharaoh.” But pharaoh instructs two-midwives to murder all new-born Hebrew males. The two-cited midwives would most likely have been two-prominent leaders of a contingent of Hebrew midwives, given the number of Hebrew pregnancies during this time. Two midwives could not have possibly serviced so many Hebrew births at that time. 

This would serve, in the mind of hasatan and Pharaoh, as a final solution to the Hebrew problem. But Yah always has a counter to the enemy’s devious moves. Yah is always the smartest Person in the room, contrary to conventional human thinking. 

Yah’s Moral Laws Remain Even in the Midst of Tribulation and the Promise of Earthly Riches

Despite the general spiritual decline of the Hebrew nation from the True Faith of her Patriarchs, the midwives’ refusal to carry out Pharaoh’s infanticidal order is indicative that many of the Yisra’elites had at least retained some level of moral fortitude and presence. That not even hasatan could entice these moral, Yah fearing women, to violate Yah’s moral Torah code, even with the promise of earthly rewards. 

The midwives, instead of convicting themselves in front of Pharaoh, contrived the story that the Hebrew mothers were not in need of their midwife services because they were inherently “hardy,” and they delivered their babies on their own without them being present.

In a sense these midwives classified the Hebrew women before Pharaoh as animals of sorts who were not in need of midwives like the more civilized and dainty Mitsri women.

Yehovah’s Will Prevails Always

This text suggests that Yah rewarded, as opposed to Pharaoh’s promised reward, these obedient midwives with increased social standing in the Hebrew nation and with families of their own. Consequently, the beleagured Yisra’elites continued to multiply in Mitsrayim. You see, you can’t out nor circumnavigate Yah’s Plans and eternal, holy will. Yah’s will and plan will always prevail.

A Seek and Destroy Solution to the Hebrew Problem in Mitsrayim

Since Pharaoh struck out with the use of the Hebrew midwives as a tool to destroy the Yisra’elite nation, he turned to the Mitsri-people to enact an enhanced scheme of eliminating all Hebrew newborn boys. Pharaoh puts forth the edict that every newborn Hebrew boy was to be flung into the Nile River. This was no longer a cheme to destroy the nation from the inside out (i.e., the use of Hebrew midwives, which failed miserably), but now it became a nation “search and destroy” operation (Rober Alter, The Five Books of Moses).

Now, betrayal, spying, informing, and pervasive acts of violence became the tools to enact a final solution against Yisra’el. 

The Birth of Moshe

We are quickly introduced to the liberator and law giver of our people–our heritage–Moshe, who goes unnamed for several verses. He is not named by his Hebrew parents, but rather, he is named by his adopted Mitsri mother. But as great a person and name as he will ultimately become, he is born of a humble Levite couple, into a savage world filled with tribulation and violence and injustice and hatred: The very things that he will confront and adress through the giving of Yah’s Torah many years hence.

Moshe a Type of Mashiyach

Moshe was the 3rd child born unto this Levite couple. Miriam (who would ultimately be known as a Prophetess and leader of the Hebrew nation) was the oldest sibling. Next was Aaron (aka Aharon, who would ultimately become the first high-priest of the Hebrew nation), and lastly was Moshe. 

Moshe came into this world with the threat of death hanging over his person. 

Moshe’s mother would not surrender her son to the Mitsrim for execution, but instead, she hid him for 3-months, until such time that it had become too dangerous to hide him any longer from the Mitsri executioners. 

So, Moshe’s mother (Yocheved) constructed a waterproof ark in which to sned her son off to safety, ironically to safety on the very waters that were supposed to be the medium for his death, which was the Nile River. 

The parallels that exists between the story of Moach and Moshe here cannot be denied. Noach and his family were protected from the Great Flood by means of an ark, which provided the family the only hope for survival and ultimately survival of the human race. 

Here, Moshe is protected from the ravages of the Great Nile River by the ark that was constructed by Yocheved his mother. Moshe would ultimately be the only hope for the survival of the human race as he would lead the Hebrew nation out of Mitsri abject bondage. Yah chose the Hebrew nation to be the nation people that would birth the Messiah (aka Mashiyach). The Messiah would be the Lamb of Yehovah that would take away the sin of the world (John/Yochanan 1:29).

In so many respects beloved, Moshe would become a type of Mashiyach.

Yah’s Salvation Enacted Through a Member of the Enemy’s Organization

Yocheved, Moshe’s mother, places Moshe into the ark and places the ark and Moshe into the waters of the Nile, amongst the reeds. Miriam, Moshe’s sister, stays nearby to see the outcome of this desperate act, serving as a guardian over her little brother.

Pharaoh’s daughter, who some extra-Biblical sources identify as Bathia (Jasher/Yasher) and Thurmuth (Jubilees/Yovehim), came down to bathe in the portion of the portion of the Nile where the ark rested. Seeing the ark, Pharaoh’s daughter instructs one of her attendants to fetch it and bring it to her. 

She opens the ark, sees the boy Moshe crying within it, and has immediate, motherly compassion for him. She realizes right away that this was a hebrew infant.

Miriam ameks herself known to Pharaoh’s daughter at this juncture of the story, and offers to find a suitable nurse to provide care for Moshe. 

Even though Pharaoh’s daughter was of the Mistri establishment, her compassion for Moshe and his situation, overrode her loyatlies to her father and his murderous edicts. This once again is Yah’s salvation and will at work. The iming and persons involved, brought Yah’s chosen one to saafety, despite the enemy’s plans to the contrary. 

Turns out that Moshe’s biological mother, Yocheved, was hired to nurse him until such time that Pharaoh’s daughter could properly adopt and rear him as her won son.

Pharaoh’s daughter names the boy Moshe, which is an abvious Mitsri name meaning to “draw one or something out” (such as out of the water in this sense). 

Moshe Identifies with his People

Our text reveals that Moshee grew up to be a respected man. But nothing of his Mitsri upbringing is mentioned here. There are elusions of his Mitsri-upbringing in extra-biblical texts such as the Books of Yasher and Yovelim, but we will not give the details of those texts mention here.

Movies have depicted Moshe as being educated in the Mitsri-court in the areas of science, math, literature, architecture, and warfare. Some have gone so far as to brand Moshe a superior Mitsri-general who could claim many successful military campaigns. But the text does not bear any of this out. And to be fair, neither does the text exclude such notions. But religiosity has chosen to take flights of fantasy on this story and paint for themselves the image of a superman who was the most gifted leader on the planet at that time to lead Yisra’el out of Mitsri-bondage and on to the Promised Land (aka Canaan).

I say, we would be wise to stick with the text, adding nothing to, or taking anything away from it. Suffice to say, however, Yah chose Moshe to complete of the most important task in human history, and Yah was the One with Moshe every step of the Way to ensure His Will would be done at this juncture of His Great Plan of Redemption, Salvation, and Restoration. In other words, as great a man as Moshe was, Moshe did not accomplish this world changing task on his own: It was Yah Who made it all happen.

But sometime in his life as a member of Pharaoh’s family, he is drawn to see for himself the plight of his people. He was obviously aware that he was Hebrew, contrary to what the movies have protrayed: That somehow his heritage and biology were hidden from him by a doting Mitsri-royal princess. For his Hebrew heritage was known not only to him, but also by members of Pharaoh’s house, and many by many of his Hebrew kinsmen.

And it is during this fact-finding mission that Moshe witnesses an overserr/taskmaster physically abusing one of his kinsmen. Moshe intervenes, and in the process, he slays the abuser. So as to not be arrested and executed for the crime of murdering a Mitsri, Moshe buries the body of the abuser in the sand. He covered up his crime.

Moshe-A Social Justic Warrior

The next day, Moshe witnesses two Hebrew men engaged in a tussle or brawl. Moshe scolds the one who was in the wrong for inciting the tussle. The one charged by Moshe rebuts Moshe, demanding Moseh tell him who set him as “a prince and judge” over the Hebrew people. And the charged one throws in a statement, suggesting Moshe would kill him like he killed the Egypitan taskmaster the previous day. (Oh Snap!)

Moshe immediately recognizes that he’s been found out and that his secret was not at all a secret. But of course, it would not have been a secret. For word of the slaying quickly reached the ears of Pharaoh. 

It is interesting to see from these three events: (1) Moshe goes out to see the plight of his people; (2) Moshe intervenes in the assault of one his kinsmen; and (3) Moshe intervenes to stop a brawl between two of his kinsmen, that Moshe was in every sense a social justic warrior. Not in the politicized sense of the western SJW we hear and read about today. But rather, from the perspective of one who was morally upright and set himself against social injustices of any form that would arise among Yah’s set-apart people. 

Moshe Becomes a Wanted Man

Interestingly, when word of Moshe’s deadly assault of the Mitsri taskmaster reached Pharaoh’s ears, the text gives no attention to any affection that one would expect the father of his adopted mother would have for him. One would think that Pharaoh would look upon Moshe as a adopted father would and have compassion on him and seek to figure out how to get Moshe out of the hole (no pun intended) he’d dug himself into. But rather, the text suggests that Pharaoh immediately presumed Moshe guilty of the crime he’d commited, and he seeks to have him executed. 

Hearing that he was a wanted man, Moshe flees Mitsrayim proper and settles down in Midian.

Moshe Takes up Residence in Midian

While resting near a well in Midian, 7-daughters of the Priest (aka Cohen) of Midian, Re’u’el (aka Jethro as revealed in later passages), came to water their flocks at this well. However, a band of bully shepherds set themselves to overtake and deny the Cohen’s daughters the opportunity to water their flocks. 

Moshe stands against the bully shepherds, restores the daughters of Re’u’el place at the well, and even waters the women’s flocks. 

Indeed, we see that social justice warrior mentality at work here in Moshe, as we saw demonstrated in Mistrayim. 

So, when the women returned home, this time earlier than normal–seems the conflict with those bullying shepherds was a regular occurence–Re’u’el is curious and inquires as to why they were home so early that day. The daughters tell their father the story of the events that transpired at the well. They feature in their telling of the story, their rescuer, Moshe, whom they describe as an Egyptian: no doubt by virtue of his speech and clothing.

A consummate host as many ANE were, Re’u’el takes his daughters to task for not inviting their champion to a meal. Thus he instructs his daughters to find the Egyptian–i.e., Moshe–and invite him to a meal. 

The women do as their fagther instructed. Moshe graciously accepts the invitation to dine with the Cohen’s family. As a result of these events, Moshe decides to make Midian his home. In the interim, Re’u’el offers one of his daughter, Zipporah, to Moshe to wife.

Well, Moshe and Zipporah marry. And from this union comes a son whom they name Gershom. Gershoom in Hebrew means “sojourner I have been;” a testimony of Moshe’s life up to this point.

Yah Remembered His Covenant With Abraham, With Yischaq, and with Ya’achov

In those ensuring years, according to rabbinic tradition, 40-years, the pharaoh that sought to kill Moshe and destroy the Hebrew nation, died. It was no doubt the hope of the Hebrew nation that the succeeding pharoah would reduce or outright remove the oppression that the nation had endured for all those many years. But it was not to be so. The oppression would continue unabated even under the successor. 

Nevertheless, the cry of the Hebrew nation reached the ears and heart of Yehovah. And the text declares that yah remembered the covenant He’d made with Avraham, Yischaq, and Ya’achov. Not that Yisra’el’s plight had escaped Yah’s mind. For Yah is incapable of forgetting or letting even the smallest events that take place in the human experience escape his attention.:

29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. (Mat 10:29-30 KJV)

Yah was very much in control of this whole situation, from start to finish. What is meant by Yah remembering the covenant He’d made with the patriarchs simply that the time had come for Yah to honor the covenant promises He’d made with Avraham, Yischaq, and Ya’achov.

As we walk out this covenant jorney in Yahoshua Messiah, we, like our ancient cousins, will have to endure from time-to-times many trials and tribulations. And if by chance, we’ve not already been tried and tribulated, if we make it in this life to the end times, we will most certainly have to endure tribulation. 

Many brethren are currently undergoing intense and seemingly unrelenting trials and tribulations. Some of you may also be in the midst of trials and tribulations. 

But the messages to be gained from our Torah Reading here is today is one of “trust” and “hope.” We are called to trust in the wisdom and righteous sovereignty of Yehovah, espeically when having to endure trials and tribulations. Furthermore, we are called to look to a blessed hope: A hope of being counted a citizen of Yah’s holy and eternal Kingdom when all these trials and tribulations come to an end.

Peter-Kefa-wrote:

12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
(1Pe 4:12-13 KJV)

As set-apart members of Yah’s family, our walk-in Messiah is set to be in alignment with Ancient Yisra’el’s story. Her story is one of trials, tribulations, testings, provings, corrections, salvation, redemption, covenant, and redemption.

Let us look upon their story, not just from a hertitage and cultural perspective, but from the perspective of “spiritual life lessons” that we are wise to take heed of, and walk out this Faith of ours in hear and trembling. 

Faithfully

Rod