by Rod Thomas | Nov 26, 2022 | Blog
Shabbat Shalom Saints of the Most High. Welcome to the second post of our The Messianic Torah Observer Journal.
Today is a special day of sorts. It’s not only the Sabbath, but it is also the start of the 9th Biblical Month. Rosh Chodesh.
There are no mandated Feasts of the LORD in this 9th Biblical Month (Leviticus/Vayikra 23). However, the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah begins on the 25th day of this month (which is 12/20/2022). And Hanukkah goes on for 8 days, concluding this year on 12/27/2022.
Hanukkah is born, not of Torah (which explains why it is not a mandated feast of the LORD). But rather, it is born of the successful Maccabean Revolt against the forces of Antiochus Epiphanes (a Seleucid king) in the 2nd century B.C.E.
The holiday memorializes the rededication of the Jerusalem altar after its desecration by Antiochus Epiphanes.
There are significant spiritual lessons to be gained from the background story of this holiday that we may tackle in a future post.
But for today, our focus will be on this week’s Torah Reading, which is contained in Exodus/Shemot 18:1-20:26. It is the 59th reading of our 3-year Torah Reading cycle.
Jethro: A Portrait of Paternal Wisdom Yah Used to Help Steer Mosheh
Jethro, Priest of Midian (i.e., Moshe’s father-in-law) brought unto Moshe his wife Zipporah and his two sons in the wilderness after hearing of what Yah had done for Moshe and the nation (18:1-6). It would appear that this may have been an insertion into the exodus timeline, as it mentions this meeting taking place at the Mount of Elohim (18:5). It talks about Jethro speaking to Moses in verse 18:6, then it talks about Moses going out to meet Jethro in verse 18:7.
Verse 18:10–Jethro rejoices: Blessed be Yehovah who has (1) delivered you out of the hand of the Mitsriyim; and (2) out of the hand of Pharaoh; and (3) who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Mitsriym. The deliverance of Moshe and Yisra’el convinced Jethro that Yehovah was “greater than all elohiym” (18:11). Which tells me that Jethro was a polytheist who probably worshiped a number of regional elohim. And it was after Jethro’s and Moshe’s talk that Jethro offered unto Yah an ascending smoke offering and sacrifices, which were followed by a celebratory meal with the leaders of Yisra’el (18:12).
The next day Jethro observed Moshe judging the people from morning to night (18:13-14). Moshe clarified to Jethro that the people came to him and that he might serve in the capacity of a court system. Ruling on various legal matters involving their personal situations (18:15). And the people did this because Moshe was the one who possessed knowledge of Yah’s statutes and Torah (18:17). And thus Moshe taught the people Yah’s ways, which strongly suggests that Yah had taught Moshe His ways–His Torah.
It would seem that Yah used Jethro to counsel Moshe as it relates to the proper godly governing of Yah’s people (18:16-26). And despite the common misconceptions of many in our Faith community, Yah does require His people to operate under proper human governance that is exclusively Torah-based.
True Messianic assemblies are supposed to operate in a similar manner. Whereby, Yah chooses that assembly’s leader (in the case of our reading it was Moshe). That leader is tasked with teaching the assembly Yah’s ordinances and Torah and the way in which the people must live and operate as individuals and as a community and nation. As I’ve stated in previous posts, we are not meant to operate in isolated, individual vacuums in this Faith community of ours. For whatever reason, many brethren have chosen to go it alone in their Faith walk. They’ve abandoned the assembling of themselves together with like-minded brethren. They ultimately become a government unto themselves. Many despise Yah’s assemblies for various and sundry reasons, which is a problem in and of itself.
Yah’s assembly member is also tasked with training up and employing “able men” who fear Elohim; men of Truth who hate covetousness, to be leaders over the congregation according to the number of people that make up the congregation. These would be tasked with assisting Yah’s chosen leader with governing the body. And only those matters of great importance will the leader be obliged to deal with.
And so it was, that Moshe took the counsel of Jethro to heart and established a working government over the people (18:24-26).
In 19:1-2, the narrative brings us back to the sequential chronology of the Exodus as the nation, having departed Rephiydiym, had at this point finally arrived in the “wilderness of Ciynai” in the 3rd month of Yah’s calendar year; 3 months after the nation’s departure from Mitsriym. And in terms of Yah’s reckoning of time and His set-apart days, we know that Shavu’ot always falls within the 3rd month of the calendar year. The nation established its camp at the base of the Mountain of Elohim.
It is here that Moshe was led up into the Mountain where Yah instructs Him to pitch a marriage proposal to the nation, whereby He would be her Elohim and she would be a “peculiar treasure unto Him” above all the nation peoples of the earth; a kingdom of priests unto Him; a holy people. For all the earth belongs to Him. In return, Yah was asking the nation to obey His voice and shama (i.e., guard; keep) His covenant. Which covenant? The covenant He was proposing unto them. The terms of the marriage proposal (i.e., the ketubah) (19:3-6). And Moshe was to deliver this proposal precisely as Yah articulated it to him.
Respecting the government that he’d previously installed over the nation, Moshe pitched the marriage proposal Yah had given to him on the Mount (19:7). Thus, he put forth the proposal to the nation’s elders, whom no doubt went back to their assigned people and pitched the exact same proposal to their constituents. And the nation resoundingly consented to the marriage proposal saying: “All that Yehovah has spoken we will do” (19:8).
And Moshe, serving as the intermediary between the nation and Yah, returned to Yah with the people’s consent to be His set-apart people.
Thus, Abba lays out before Moshe the sequence of events that will officially bring about this marriage: (1) He would come specifically and primarily to Moshe and declare unto Him His Word, manifested in a thick cloud. This would serve to certify that Moshe was the de-facto intercessor and leader for the nation. This would solidify in the people’s minds that He was in fact chosen by Yah to be the nation’s leader (19:9). (2) The people needed to be sanctified over the course of those next two days, primarily symbolized by them washing their clothes in anticipation of them meeting Yah on the 3rd day (19:10). This means that there would have had to have been a significant water source in order to make such a thing happen. But the text does not provide any such information on such a water source. (3) The nation was to be present in body, mind, heart, and soul to receive Yah on the 3rd day when He would descend from the Mountain and manifest in their sight (19:11). (4) When the nation hears the shofar blasts, that would be her signal to assemble at the designated place before the Mountain. In so doing, the nation was to be trained regarding boundaries. Yah instructed Moshe to establish and enforce strict boundaries about the mountain. Obviously, this was to teach the people about respecting the sacred things of Yah. The holy things of Yah. That they were never to overstep the established boundaries between the holy and the mundane, under the fear of summary execution (19:12-13).
And thus, Moshe relayed these 4 key marriage events that the people would experience and the text says that he “sanctified the people and they washed their clothes” and not engage in intimate relations with their spouses (19:14-15). What does it mean that Moshe sanctified the people? This is certainly reminiscent of Yochanan the Immerser’s call to the nation to repent and be baptized for the remission of their sins in preparation to receive their Messiah and the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 3:1-12). For Yah requires that His would-be people be made ritually pure to receive His presence. For Yah does not dwell in the midst of impurity. Our intercessor, Yeshua Messiah, sanctifies us to be in Yah’s presence by cleaning us up and purifying us with His blood. This is spiritual sanctification. But in terms of personal responsibilities, we are required to prepare ourselves physically, mentally, and emotionally to receive Yah’s presence each day. We need to clean our spiritual garments by ridding ourselves of the filth of the carnal world and enter into His presence with fear and reverence.
Yah’s presence was manifested so as to impress upon every physical human sense with exception of taste: sight (cloud, lightning), hearing (thunderings and the blasts of the sofar), feeling (fear, quaking of the mount before them, and overwhelming loudness of the shofar and thunder), smell (no doubt smelling the burning fire on the mount) (19:16-18).
And when the sound of the heaven shofar had sounded long and grown ever so loud, Moshe called out to Yehovah who answered Him (19:19). Yah calls Moshe up to meet him on His Mountain (19:20). And it is here that Yah admonishes Moshe to warn the people not to cross the established boundaries separating Him/His mountain and them (19:21-22). And Moshe reminds Yah that he’d already warned the people not to violate any established boundaries lest they suffer immediate death. But for a 3rd time, Yah admonishes Moshe to tell the people not to violate the established boundaries between He and them.
Why would (1) Yah instruct Moshe 3-times to admonish the people to not violate the established borders between Him and them knowing the people were essentially terrorized by that which they were witnessing? (2) Didn’t Yah know beforehand that the people would be too afraid to violate those established boundaries in the first place?
Jethro (aka Yitro; Raguel (1), and Reuel(2)) is referred to as “administrator” or “kho’heyn” of Mid’yahn (aka Priest of Mid’yahn/Midian), father-in-law to Mosheh, who hears of the awesome wonders that Yehovah did on behalf of Mosheh and his people, Yisra’el. And so, he leaves his home in Midian with Mosheh’s wife, Zipporah/Tsiporah, and Mosheh’s two sons in tow, and journeys out to meet Mosheh in the Sinai Wilderness.
Yitro/Jethro is referred to in the Book of Jasher (aka Yashar) as Re’u’el the Midian, who had heard of the great exploits of Yah on behalf of Mosheh and Yisra’el. One may be led to wonder if Yitro/Jethro, curious about the stories he’d heard about Yehovah and Yisra’el second-hand, could not resist coming to hear of these wonders directly from the horse’s mouth so-to-speak.
You know, it’s always more powerful to hear a testimony of Yah’s awesome power operating in a person’s life directly from the affected individual than to read or hear of it from a 3rd party.
The most poignant thing that I drew from my reading of this event in Jasher is that the author makes the point that it is through this fortuitous meeting between Mosheh and Re’u’el/Jethro, and Re’u’el/Jethro hearing of the awesome exploits of Yehovah on Yisra’el’s and Mosheh’s behalf, that Re’u’el/Jethro came to personally know and worship Yehovah.
Josephus refers to Jethro/Yitro as Raguel.
Josephus writes that Raguel advised Mosheh (described as the arbitrator over the people) to devote himself to Godly matters and to looking or searching out ways to preserve the wellbeing of the nation. To leaving the arbitration of “common causes to others”. And it is here that Raguel suggests to Mosheh that he appoint rulers over 10,000s, over 1,000’s, and divide those up into 500’s, and those into 100’s, and still those into ’50s, ’30s, 20’s, and 10’s.
The leaders that were to rule over these groupings, were to be selected by members of their own communities, based upon their righteous reputations. These would serve in the place of Mosheh to arbitrate over the causes of the people. The more complex and difficult the cause to arbitrate, the higher up the ruler-ladder or chain it would go. And only the most difficult causes would be brought to Mosheh to arbitrate.
The governmental set-up that Raguel suggested to Mosheh, according to Josephus, would serve to advance and promote justice throughout the nation, and free up Mosheh “to attend constantly on God, and procure Him (Him being Yah) to be more favorable to the people” (Antiquities of the Jews 4.1.72).
This of course serves as a shadow of the government that the Jerusalem/Yerushalayim Church put into place by the apostles, who appointed seven qualified men to attend to the daily ministrations of the assembly, while the apostles were freed up to devote themselves to prayer and the work of the critical work of the Gospel.
Later on in the Brit Hadashah, under the leadership of the Apostle Paul/Shaul, the various assemblies strewn throughout the Roman Empire of his day, began to implement government systems therein. This system was composed of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, that some today refer to as the five-fold ministry of the Church. Unfortunately, these offices or ministry roles have been compromised and improperly administered by denominationalism and even our Messianic Community. But Yah’s Ruach HaQodesh placed these offices or roles into the Body of Mashiyach for, as Shaul described, “the perfecting (I.e., “katartismos” or equipping) of the saints; for the work of the ministry, for the edifying (I.e., “oikodome” or the building up) of the Body of Mashiyach till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of Elohim, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Messiah/Mashiyach (Ephesians 4:11-13; KJV).
Therefore, that which became the governing body of the Body of Messiah had its humble beginning with this fortuitous meeting and suggestion by Mosheh’s father-in-law.
Sometimes Yah places individuals in lives to help us transition and work through challenging situations that would, if not properly addressed, hinder our faith walk.
In the reading that lays before us we have Yitro/Jethro, who the text titles as Mosheh’s in-law. We know him previously as Zipporah’s/Tsiporah’s father. Zipporah/Tsiporah of course married Mosheh during his sojourn in Midian.
I think it is not too much of a stretch to surmise that during his sojourn in Jethro’s/Yitro’s house that Mosheh got somewhat, if not very, attached to his father-in-law.
May I go even further to suggest that Mosheh, not having a true biological father in his life to steer his upbringing and development as a man, may have attached himself all the more closer Yitro/Jethro than he would have otherwise?
Amram, Mosheh’s biological father, apparently was not present in much of Mosheh’s life for obvious reasons (Exodus/Shemot 6:18,20). But rather, Mosheh was raised in Pharaoh’s house. Now, to what extent Pharaoh played a father role in Mosheh’s life is speculative at best.
But given the warm welcome Mosheh extends to Yitro/Jethro upon his arrival at Yisra’el’s camp, it would seem that maybe Mosheh saw Yitro/Jethro as the father that Egyptian/Mitsrayim slavery deprived him of.
Throughout the 18th chapter, Yitro/Jethro is referred to simply as Mosheh’s in-law (aka Moshe’s father-in-law), which I found to be quite interesting. I could not fathom fully the reason Mosheh chose to refer to Jethro/Yitro as his father-in-law, rather than by his name. It’s possible that he did not want to confuse the record by citing variations of his name. The other possibility is that Mosheh, whom we presume to be the author, sought to frame Yitro/Jethro from the perspective of a close relative, such as an in-law. And this goes back to what I just mentioned regarding the absence of Amram, Mosheh’s biological father, from much of Mosheh’s life. Clearly, the amount of parchment that Mosheh gives to Yitro/Jethro (more than is ever given to Amram) and his influence over his life is very telling.
When many of us come into this beloved Faith-community of ours, especially us men, the close paternal relationship we may have once shared with our biological fathers either fades or disappears for obvious reasons. And few of us ever find suitable spiritual fathers to step in and fill that void.
But just because we transition into the true Faith once delivered doesn’t mean we are no longer to have any human paternal influence over our lives. This is despite the erroneous belief by some that Yah is the only parent one is to have once one comes to faith. But the reality is that Yah established human families as a means by which each individual is to receive wisdom, identity, and a purpose in life.
Thus, those of us who are or were bereft of human paternal and maternal influence in our lives because of our faith and life situations, are often deprived of the Yah-ordained benefits that family is supposed to provide every individual. That’s why, in part, Yah had such a heart for the orphan/fatherless, and demands His chosen ones to look after the fatherless (Exodus/Shemot 22:22, 24; Deuteronomy/Devarim 10:18; 14:29; 16:11, 14, 17, 19, 20-21; 26:12-13; 27:19). Consequently, we generally tend to focus our attention on children as it relates to Yah’s instructions that we care for the fatherless. But what about the fatherless adults in our Faith-community? How many in our Faith-community have come and gone from our community because they lacked sage, paternal influence in their faith walk?
Just a thought beloved.
Why has/is the enemy so bent on attacking the family? Among a great many reasons is that if there is no sage father present in one’s life, there is often no flow of Godly wisdom from parent to child. In this case, no flow of Godly wisdom from a mature, Godly father figure to an immature soul coming into the Faith.
This is why it is important that each of us has a human spiritual father, and even mother, in his/her faith walk.
Thus, we who are chosen of Yah must learn to distinguish the value (e.g. wisdom) that certain individuals bring to our faith walk. We must learn to not dismiss or overlook those potential paternal and maternal figures that Yah may place in our lives as we journey through the wilderness of our faith walk. For Yah can and will (from time to time) use virtually certain sage individuals to enlighten, encourage, correct, lead, guide, and blessings us as Yah sees fit.
And so, after exchanging affectionate greetings with one another and inquiring as to each other’s wellbeing (I.e., le’ sha’ lom), the pair proceeded to Mosheh’s tent, where Mosheh recounts for Yitro/Jethro all that he and the people witnessed and experience throughout their wilderness journey.
Yitro/Jethro is said to have exalted Yehovah for delivering His people. And then he declares: “Now I know” (I.e., Ya’da’ti) that Yehovah is greater (I.e., gadol Yehovah) than all the Elohim because those elohim treated Yisra’el so terribly.
Yitro/Jethro, no doubt prior to this visitation, was a polytheist (I.e., he was the priest of Midian), clearly saw the utter injustice that was common to the elohim of this world (I.e., the demigods of this world). And thus, he came to recognize that Yehovah was the only just Elohim. That Yehovah reigned supreme over all the elohim.
The Onkelos records: “…For by the thing by which the Mizraee had thought to punish (I.e., to judge) Yisra’el, they themselves are punished.” This can be interpreted in a couple of ways: (1) The Mitsri/Egyptians, influenced by their many elohim, once drown Hebrew newborns in the Nile, and thus, Yah drowned the Mitsri/Egyptian army in the Yam Suph/The Red Sea. Or (2), as some believe Pharaoh intended to slaughter the Hebrews in the Yam Suph/Red Sea, Yah instead destroys the Mitsri/Egyptian forces in the Yam Suph/Red Sea.
Jewish tradition holds that Jethro hereby gave up polytheism and that he became a Jewish proselyte.
The next day Yitro/Jethro observes the people coming before Mosheh to seek of him the will of Elohim. Mosheh at this time was not a simple arbitrator as some text may suggest by their wording. But rather, Mosheh served as the nation’s mediator or intercessor before Yehovah. And so, when a matter (I.e., a da’var) was brought to Mosheh to arbitrate, Mosheh would teach the parties involved “the customs or ways and teachings of Elohim” (18:16). Thus, Mosheh served also as a teacher of the Ways of Yehovah to the nation.
This was apparently a sight to behold and it obviously troubled Jethro/Yitro to see such inefficient governance taking place within the nation. And so, at an opportune moment, Jethro/Yitro pulls Mosheh off to the side and says to him: “fade you will fade” (I.e., na’volti’bol). That both you and the people will wear out through this inefficient system of governance. He noted that the process (I.e., ha’da’var) that Mosheh employed to govern the people was excessively burdensome (I.e., kha’veyd). And that it was too much for one man to handle.
Thus, Jethro/Yitro advised “if you listen (I.e., shema) to my advice, Elohim will be with you (I.e., Yah will bless and guide you) and you will intercede to Elohim on behalf of the people as you bring their matters (I.e., ha’de’va’rim) before Elohim. And you will make known unto the people the customs/statutes (I.e., ha’chu’qim), the teachings (I.e., ha’to’rot/torah), and the path or way they are to walk (I.e., ha’de’rekh yeyl’khu) and the work (I.e., ha’ma’a’seh) that is expected of them (18:18-20).
“So then, it will be that you will select and distinguish leaders of the nation: Men of force who fear Elohim. Men of truth that despise bribery” to arbitrate and govern the people as it would relate to general matters (18:21). However, the great matters the leaders were to bring to Moshe’s attention and he would arbitrate them by interceding on the people’s behalf before Yehovah.
And so, Mosheh took his father-in-law’s advice and it befell the selected leaders of the nations to lessen the governing burden that Mosheh alone had taken on.
We’re Getting Married in the Morning
The nation arrived at the wilderness of Sinai in the 3rd month after departing Mitsrayim/Egypt. They set up camp near the foot of the Mountain of Yah/Mount Sinai.
And so, Mosheh ascends the mountain, at which point Yehovah directs Mosheh to put forth a proposal to the nation. And that proposal is like that of a marriage proposal. And the proposed marriage would be between Yehovah and Yisra’el. Yah would become Yisra’el’s Elohim and Yisra’el would be Yah’s chosen people.
Yehovah framed the proposal in a manner that the people would fully understand and afford them the opportunity to think through whether or not they wanted to move forward with being Yehovah’s bride.
Yah’s proposal went something like this:
“Look Yisra’el, based on what you witnessed and experienced me do on your behalf against Egypt/Mitsrayim (I.e., I’ve courted you and I’ve shown you that I love you and that I am more than capable of taking care of you), I’m proposing that if you would hear (I.e., sha’mo’a) My voice and safeguard my covenant (I.e., ush’mar’tem et be’ri’ti), you will be to Me a “jewel” (I.e., se’gu’lah) from all the peoples of the earth. This is to say that all the earth belongs to Me and yet I’m choosing you to be my beloved out of all the people nations of the world. I find you special.
“And so, if you will adhere to the terms of this proposal (I.e., that you will hear My voice and safeguard My covenant with you), then you will become a kingdom of administrator/priests (I.e., mam’le’khet ko’ha’nim) and a unique/holy/set-apart nation (I.e., we’goy qa’dosh)” (19:3-6).
A simple marriage proposal that He has extended to each and every one of us on an individual basis. And like our ancient cousins, we have the opportunity to accept or decline the proposal.
After receiving these instructions, Mosheh comes down from the mountain and extends the proposal to the nation’s leaders (I.e., the very ones that were selected to help Mosheh govern the nation). And it turns out that the leaders all agreed to Yehovah’s proposal. Thus, Mosheh went back up the mountain to report to Yah the consent of the people to His marriage proposal.
Why do you think it was necessary for Mosheh to go back and forth in setting up this marriage arrangement between Yah and Yisra’el? Isn’t Yah omniscient?
Well, of course, Yah is omniscient. He most certainly knew the outcome of Mosheh’s interaction with the nation’s leaders before Mosheh delivered the proposal to them. But Yah, instead of making of effecting the marriage proposal (I.e., the ketubah) between He and Yisra’el unilaterally (I.e., without Yisra’el’s consent), He instead chose to bring about this agreement/marriage proposal using a recognizable courting paradigm that no doubt the whole nation would be able to identify with. Thus, Yah chose Mosheh to be the “go-between” of the two-parties and to make sure all the t’s were crossed and all the I’s were dotted for this forthcoming marriage. This thing was going to transpire decently and in order.
Yah then lays out before Mosheh how the marriage ceremony was to transpire. The people (I.e., the bride to be) were to sanctify themselves in order that they be presentable to Him (I.e., the groom to be) and to formerly receive the marriage contract (I.e., the ketubah) (19:9-25). Indeed, Yisra’el was getting married in the morning.
In establishing the protocol for the marriage ceremony, Yah also established clear lines of separation between His bride to be and Him. For He was holy. The people were not holy. And they, like us, were not holy because of sin. So, they would in time be made holy once they adhered to Yah’s covenant provisions. But for the time being, there’d have to be a separation between His bride-to-be and Him. Eventually, if Yisra’el would hearken to Yah’s voice and keep His covenant, she would become holy and the marriage between Yah and Yisra’el would be fully consummated.
This beloved was a foreshadowing of Yah’s Plan of Salvation. And there is no better illustration of Yah’s Plan of Salvation than that which is to be found in His Feasts. Yah’s moedim. His set-apart days (Leviticus/Vayikra 23). For out of all the nation peoples of this world (now totaling some 8 billion people), He chose us to be His beloved. And He chose Yeshua to be the go-between: The mediator of our marriage to Yehovah. It is the Person and Ministries of Yeshua Messiah that bring us into a covenant relationship (I.e., a marriage if you will) with Yehovah, the Creator of the Universe (1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 8:6; 9:15; 12:24).
Getting back to our reading: The line that Yah established around His Mountain, promising death to any who would dare broach or cross it, would serve as a critical learning lesson, not only to our ancient Hebrew cousins but to us today in the 21st century west.
When one seeks to come into Yah’s presence, he or she must always bear in mind that Yah is holy. Any place that His presence touches becomes holy. Therefore, it is incumbent upon those who are His chosen ones to know and respect Yah’s holiness. He or she must know how to approach and treat Yah at all times. They must also be in a position spiritually to distinguish the difference between the holy things of Yah and the things that are of this world or that are profane. That’s why Yah has provided His chosen ones with His Holy Spirit to aid in our ability to distinguish between the holy and the profane (1 Thessalonians 4:7-8). And one must learn to respect Yah’s holiness at all times and not presume that he or she is Yah’s equal in any way.
We as Yah’s chosen ones are being made holy each day by virtue of our sanctification journey. And at the time of our Master’s return and at the time of our resurrection (if we’ve died) or translation (if we’re still alive), the work of the Ruach HaQodesh/the Holy Spirit in the life of the chosen one will be completed. And we will be changed and made holy and ushered into the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9).
Like in the example of our ancient Hebrew cousins at the base of Mount Sinai, we may boldly enter into Yah’s presence because we have a mediator/an administrator/a high priest that can identify with our infirmities (Hebrews 4:15-16). The major difference between us and our ancient cousins is that our mediator/administrator/high priest’s blood has cleansed and continues to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:7).
At the base of the Mountain, Yah was teaching our ancient cousins this critical lesson. Because He was holy and they were not, there had to be boundaries drawn between Him and them, despite the pending marriage ceremony. Our ancient cousins had to be taught the essential distinction between the holy and the profane. This would have been new to them.
The understanding of Yah’s holiness must become a hardwired reality to Yah’s chosen ones. That reality will influence how they conduct themselves before both humanity and Yehovah. Fear of Yehovah that is garnered through a healthy understanding of Yah’s holiness and irresistible power will lead to one’s obedience to the ways and instructions of Yehovah Elohim. And this becomes, according to Solomon, the whole duty of humanity: That he/she fear Yehovah and that he/she keep his commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
The line of demarcation between our ancient cousins and Yah, coupled with the awesome display of Yah’s glory and power, served to strike fear into their hearts, minds, and souls. For without true fear of Elohim, there will be no true obedience. This leads us to the third part of our reading:
Yisra’el’s receiving of the Ten Words which is the Foundation of our Covenant Relationship with Yehovah.
In 20:1-2, Yah audibly identifies Himself to the nation as Yehovah, their Elohim. (Remember, the nation has agreed to marry Yehovah, which would mean that they had agreed to have Yah be their Elohim/their God.) He further identified Himself as the One Who brought the nation from Mitsrayim/Egypt and out of the “land of slaves”.
Now, the nation was free to serve Him having been freed from serving the elohim of Mitsrayim/Egypt. (This is certainly a shadow of us being freed from serving the gods of this world, and upon our coming to Faith, being free to serve Yehovah and His glorious Kingdom.)
But unlike Yisra’el’s previous overlords, Yah had redeemed them into a loving covenant relationship with Him. And that loving covenant relationship would rest upon Yisra’el’s faithful, loving obedience to Yah’s instructions in righteousness.
Yah says to our ancient cousins: “You saw what I did (on your behalf) to the Mitsri/Egyptian forces and how I bore you on eagles’ wings from your place of enslavement unto Myself. So, now you will be My true love and I will be yours.”
Then Yah presents to the nation the terms of the marriage covenant agreement, which has famously become known as the Ten Commandments.
In 20:3-17, Yah stipulates:
1. We are to have no other god (I.e., demigods; false gods) before Him (I.e., before His face).
2. We are to make no grave images (I.e., no idols), nor are we to bow ourselves down to worship any idol or demigod.
3. We are not to misuse Yah’s holy Name.
4. We are to remember to keep the Shabbat holy (I.e., set-apart; sacred).
5. We are to honor our mother and father.
6. We are not to commit murder.
7. We are not to commit adultery.
8. We are not to steal.
9. We are not to provide false testimony against another.
10. We are not to covet.
In verses 20:18-19, we receive a powerful understanding that all of the physical senses of the mixed multitude standing at the base of the Mountain were tremendously impacted by the awesome manifestations of Yah’s presence. So awesome were the manifestations that the people trembled in fear of Yah and that fear kept them from getting any closer to the cloud.
The fear that the people experienced at that event led to them demanding Mosheh that he alone communicate with Yehovah. To the end that they would not suffer death.
You see, there was an ancient near east (ANE) belief that if a human were to see or experience a manifestation of God, they would die right there on the spot. Which we know, in hindsight, was not necessarily the case. Only in cases when Elohim came to mete out wrath and punishment.
Then, in verse 20:2 we see Mosheh, desperately desiring that the people settle into the covenant relationship with Yah by trusting that He indeed had their best interest at heart, not shy away from His awesome presence. And that the fearsome wonders they were presently witnessing and experiencing were tests. They were tests put forth to them by Yah to confirm that they truly would fear Him, which was a requirement for establishing the covenant relationship with Him (Ecclesiastes 12:13; fear and obey). That through their fear, they would be swayed to not violate/transgress Yah’s Torah. For to violate or transgress Yah’s Torah is sin (1 John 3:4).
And so, Mosheh, a type of Messiah/Yeshua Ha Mashiyach, provided the example behavior to the people by Him drawing near unto Yehovah (I.e., the thick cloud a physical manifestation of Yehovah before the people). The people, conversely, withdrew out of fear of Yah. But Yah nonetheless continued to convey the terms of the marriage agreement to the nation.
Consequently, the nation, like us as individuals, will have to come to terms with their fear of Yehovah, and whether that fear leads to obedience. Whether that fear leads to a loving, obedient covenant relationship with the Creator of the Universe. Whether that fear leads to them ultimately becoming Yah’s unique possession and them entering the promised land (for us, the Kingdom of Yah).
Does our fear of Yah lead us to become true Children of Elohim? This is the question each of us must come to terms with and answer, not by words, but by the way, we conduct our lives and how we relate to Yehovah and to one another (Matthew 22:37-40).
Shabbat Shalom and Sameach Rosh Chodesh fellow saints in Training.
by Rod Thomas | Nov 19, 2022 | Blog
Shabbat shalom beloved. We pray that you, your families, and your fellowships are well and blessed during these perilous times.
Despite these being perilous times, beloved, we who are the redeemed of Yah through Yeshua Messiah, can find refuge and shalom in our Elohim. And we will find illustrated in the reading that is here before us today that Yah will indeed be that refuge—that strong tower-for those who are His.
Welcome beloved to a discussion on this week’s Torah Parashah, which is the 58th reading in our 3-year Torah Reading Cycle.
Today’s reading is contained in Exodus (Shemot) 16:25-17:16, with a Haftarah found in Isaiah (Yeshayahu) 58:13-14.
I would humbly encourage you to take the time to read this rather small portion.
General Outline of Parashah 58-Manna, the Sabbath, Water from a Rock, and Fighting the Enemy
Rules Surrounding the Consumption of Manna
In 16:29 Yah commanded that our ancient cousins stay within the confines of their sukkahs on every Sabbath. Specifically, Abba instructed that no one goes out of his/her place on the seventh day.
Why would Abba enact such a stringent prohibition around the Shabbat so early in our wilderness sojourn?
Well, we learn from last week’s reading that when Yah put forth to the people regulations for gathering the manna for the first six days of the week, which included a double-portion gathering on the 6th day, with the caveat that no manna be left over for the next day and that no one was to go out in search of manna on the 7th-day (I.e., the Shabbat), the people disobeyed these instructions. Not only did they test Yah by holding over and saving the manna they had collected the previous day (which “was full of worms and began to stink”), they foolishly ventured out in search of the heavenly food on that first Sabbath morning (16:20, 27). These blatant transgressions and displays of a lack of trust in Yehovah angered Yehovah, who nonetheless held back His righteous wrath against the offenders.
Interestingly, the first mention by name of the Sabbath Day is found in last week’s Torah Reading (16:23), which may cause one to wonder whether the Sabbath was observed by God’s people as a mandated day of rest and worship prior to its first mention in Reading 57 (Exodus/Shemot 15:19-16:24).
First Mention of the Sabbath
The first mention of the 7th Day being a day of rest is found at the time of the Creation (Gen. 2:2-3). There, the text states that He “ended His work which He had made and He rested on the 7th day from all His work which He had made. And Yah blessed the 7th day and sanctified it: Because that in it He had rested from all His work which Yah created and made.”
We then do not come upon any further mention of the 7th Day until Genesis 8:4. And that mention of the 7th Day has to do with the day of the week in which Noah’s/Noach’s Ark came to rest upon the mountains of Ararat.
And from there we have no further mention of the 7th Day or Sabbath until Exodus 16:26-30 where Yah links the day to His provision of the manna for the people’s sustenance.
God’s People Keeping the Sabbath Even When the Sabbath is not Mentioned
So, does this mean that the patriarchs did not keep the Sabbath?
Well, contrary to the seeming evidence, I believe they most certainly did. Yah affirmed with Isaac/Yitshaq that his father Avraham had “obeyed His voice, and kept His charge, and His commandments, and statutes, and His laws” (Gen. 26:5). And when contemplating whether to reveal His plans to deal with Sodom to Avraham, Yah is recorded to have reasoned that “He knew Avraham and that He would command his children and his household after him to keep Yah’s way” (Gen. 18:19).
Furthermore, I think we can safely conclude that Yah instructed Adam to keep the Sabbath during Adam’s time in Gan Eden. And certainly, it would have fallen to Adam to pass on and teach his children, Cain, Abel, and Seth Yah’s ways, which would have most likely included the keeping of the Shabbat. And we can most assuredly say the same as it relates to Noah/Noach whom Moshe described as “a just man and perfect in his generations, and that Noach walked with Yah” (Gen. 6:9), that he kept the Sabbath and taught his household to do so as well.
Yes, it is odd that the keeping of the Sabbath or the 7th Day by Yah’s chosen ones is absent in the Torah all the way up to our sojourn in the wilderness. But we must remember, Torah is clear that Yah’s elect ones, even the Patriarchs, kept His commandments, statutes, and His laws. And since our Torah is very clear about this fundamental reality, it becomes a foregone conclusion that they kept the Shabbat in some form or another. No doubt they kept the weekly Shabbat close to the way that Abba gave to us at Sinai:
Remember the Sabbath (Exo. 20:8a) …if the people didn’t know anything about the Sabbath Day, how were they to remember (i.e., Zakhar) it? This speaks to the likelihood that during their time in Mitsrayim, they at the very least recalled what they’d been taught about Yah and His laws, including the Shabbat. It’s unlikely, given their slave status in the land that they were able to keep the Sabbath Day as they’d been taught. However, now that they’d been redeemed out of Mitsrayim servitude, Yah is instructing them to remember the Sabbath. The giving of this mitzvah regarding the Sabbath clearly wasn’t something new to our ancient Hebrew cousins at the time of the Exodus. Yah was reintroducing to and reminding the people that the Sabbath was a statute and ordinance that He had brought into existence and that it was a day that they would be required to keep (I.e., shamar) and remember (I.e., Zakhar) and keep sacred; holy; set apart (Exodus/Shemot 20:8; 31:14, 16; Deuteronomy/Devarim 5:12, 15).
Abba goes on to expound on this day. And we find that it is this mitzvah about the weekly Sabbath Day that Abba spends the most time clarifying its relevance and how it is to be treated:
Keep the day holy. And that six days are to be our time of laboring. But the 7th Day, the Sabbath, belonged to Yah. It was a day that we are to honor Yah and not do that which we desire to do. Thus, we are not to do any work in commemoration of Him resting or ceasing from His creation labor on the 7th Day (Exo. 20:11).
The Manna and its Relevance to Yah’s People
In 16:33 we find that Aharon is commanded to place an omer of manna in a jar to be kept as a remembrance unto YHVH and His miraculous sustaining of our nation. It was to be placed before the Testimony for safekeeping, which is a reference to a later instruction that would be given for the jar of manna to be placed in the Ark of the Covenant in perpetuity.
And it is here at this juncture of our history as Yah’s set-apart people that Yah ties our sustenance to our keeping of the weekly Sabbath. In this amazing instruction, Yah clearly sought to show us that it was He and He alone that provided for our sustenance and existence. That it was not through any strength or wherewithal of our own that we exist. And so, in alignment with this reality, Yah requires us to respect, honor, and keep His house rules. And the first official house rule He chose to give us is the keeping of the Sabbath Day and the trusting faith required for us to properly keep His Sabbath.
Yah Responds to our Murmurings for Water by Giving us Water from a Most Unlikely Source
In every incidence of our murmuring against Moshe, which was our murmuring against Yehovah, Yah answered the murmurings by miraculously providing that which we cried out for.
We find in 17:2 of our reading that our murmurings against Moshe were seen by Yah and Moshe as testing the faithfulness, might, provision, and patience of Yehovah. Again, reminiscent of our murmuring on the shores of the Yam Suph/the Red Sea, whereby we believed in both incidents that we were facing extinction, we questioned the competence and goodwill of Yehovah (17:3). In a mockery of Yehovah’s leadership through Moshe, we questioned the wisdom of our being led out of Egypt only to be slaughtered by the Egyptians, starved, and dehydrated to death in the wilderness.
So, in a similar stance to that which He took on the shore of the Yam Suph when He stood in between us and the Egyptian army, in 17:6, Yah stood before the Rock in Horeb. Yah instructed Moshe to strike the rock with his staff. In so doing, water flowed from the rock, and the nation miraculously received the water she cried out for.
Another Enemy to Contend With
Then we come to 17:9-16 where we find Yah’s reaction to the brazen, unforgivable attack on the nation by the Amalekites.
The Amalekites took advantage of our weakened state in the wilderness of Rephidim. And because the Amalekites committed such a heinous act against us, they found themselves on Yah’s “kill list”. Yah aimed to eliminate the Amalekites from generation to generation.
Thus, we went to battle against the Amalekites. Moshe, acting as our intermediary with Yehovah, stood on a hill overlooking the battlefield. And as long as Moshe held up his staff amid the battle, we prevailed against the enemy. However, as Moshe would tire and his staff lowered, we would begin to lose against the enemy. Thus, it fell to Aaron/Aharon and Hur to help prop us Moshe’s hand holding the staff of Yah such that we ultimately prevailed against the enemy.
In remembrance of this miraculous deliverance, Moshe built an altar unto Yehovah that he named Yehovah is my Banner (i.e., Yehovah-nissi).
How are we today to hold up the staff/banner/emblem/ensign of Yah? Through steadfast prayer. By declaring Yah’s immutable character and Name to the world. Through our trusting faith in Him. In addition, our Master Yahoshua HaMashiyach, operating out of the Heavenly Mishkan (I.e., the Heavenly Sanctuary), intercedes on our behalf before Yehovah day and night. We have the victory and provision of Yehovah through Yeshua our Master.
The Three Lesson Learning Opportunities of Parashah 58
The Torah Reading that is before us today consists of three relevant, what I would refer to as, “lesson learning” opportunities. Each of the three lesson-learning opportunities reveals a little more to us about the nature and Person of Yehovah, as well as reveals to us more information about the things that Yehovah expects from His set-apart people. And so, if we are careful to “shama” (I.e., hearken to; to hear, listen, and obey) these lessons, our covenant relationship with Yah will most certainly be enhanced.
Let’s examine each of these lesson-learning opportunities and see what Yah has in store for us.
Lesson Learning Opportunity #1: The gift of the weekly Sabbath and what we need to do as God’s set-apart people to properly prepare to receive it and keep it.
Yah gave us manna as our primary survival food source. It was not only unique from the perspective of it being unlike any food ever known to humanity, but it was also unique from the perspective that it served to teach essential spiritual lessons to us as Yah’s set-apart people.
It would teach us the essential element of trusting Faith; the critical realities of the weekly Sabbath; and the faithful, sustaining, and provisional wherewithal of Yehovah.
The manna that came from Yah would always prove to be, not only sufficient in amount to sustain the lives of every person that made up the mixed multitude coming out of Egypt/Mitsrayim, but also sufficient in its nutritional value. Sufficient to sustain us along and throughout our wilderness sojourn of 40 years (16:35).
Yah’s manna-Yah’s bread from heaven-would prove to guarantee our yeshuah-our salvation from the ravages of the hunger and physical deprivation that the harsh wilderness environment sojourned in would induce.
It would also serve to teach us valuable lessons about trusting faith and obedience, both principles being tied to the weekly Sabbath. For it was Father’s reintroduction of the weekly Sabbath to His people that required us to trust that the double portion of manna we’d collect on Preparation Day (I.e., the 6th day) would remain edible on over through the Shabbat, and that first thing on the first day of the week He would be faithful to provide us with a next day’s supply of manna. Our trusting faith in Yah’s provision then would require us to act on that faith. To not test Yah by going out to hunt for manna on the Sabbath or to worry and entertain any doubts that Yah would deliver on His promise to provide for our nutritional needs.
However, as we saw demonstrated by our ancient cousins, their lack of trusting faith in the provision of Yah naturally led to their murmuring against Moshe and Yah. And the sinful act of murmuring, against Yah and Yah’s anointed one, will invariably lead to problems for all concerned in the long run.
Trusting that Yah will do as He has promised exercises the threshold of Faith that leads to our obeying Yah’s instructions regarding the keeping of His Sabbath. For Yah as revealed to us through the pen of the author of the Cepher/Book of Hebrews, that “without faith it is impossible to please” Yehovah. Such that “the one that would draw near unto Yah is required to believe that He exists; that He is who He has said He is; and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (11:6).
Indeed, what Yah was endeavoring to incite within our ancient Hebrew cousins was Faith. A way of life that was built upon a symbiotic relationship with the Creator of the Universe. Such that they would trust Yah to do that which He has promised He would do. And in direct response to that trusting faith, they would engage in heartfelt obedience to His instructions. This translates into what the Apostle Paul called “An Obedience of Faith” (Romans 1:5). And in our trusting and obeying Yah, we become His special possession. We become a kingdom of priests unto Him (Exodus 19:6).
Lesson Learning Opportunity #2: Yehovah is the only Sustainer of Life.
It was at Meribah that Abba miraculously caused water to flow from a rock. And the ancients’ mediator at the time, Moshe (I.e., a type of Mashiyach) petitioned Elohim to provide them with lifesaving and preserving water, even in the midst of their murmuring against him and Yehovah.
Lesson Learning Opportunity #3: Yehovah, Through Yeshua’s Intercession, is key to us overcoming our enemies.
Whereas Yah once stood between our ancient cousins and their former taskmaster, the Egyptians and their demigods near the shores of the Yam Suph/the Red Sea and the Migdol of Ba’al Zephon, ultimately drowning the Egyptian/Mitsri forces in the waters of the Red Sea, in our reading today, Yah employed His people to physically confront and war against their Amalekites enemy as He concurrently assured their victory through the intercession of their mediator Moshe. For as long as Moshe was able to keep the hand bearing his staff raised up towards Yah, the nation prevailed against the Amalekites. But when Moshe’s hands lowered due to fatigue, their enemy prevailed against them. Moshe did not physically participate in the battle, but instead, interceded on behalf of the nation.
We see here in this Lesson Learning Opportunity a transition from Yah unilaterally destroying our enemy (I.e., without our doing anything but following His lead such as was seen when Yah alone drowned the Egyptian/Mitsri forces in the Yam Suph/the Red Sea), now here, to that of us being directly and personally participatory in a battle that would ultimately lead to victory over our enemies through the intercessory work of Moshe and the Mighty Arm of Yehovah-Nissi.
Indeed, in this latest model of Yah fighting on our behalf, there are three involved parties: (1) Yehovah our Elohim. (2) Moshe, our intercessor before Yah. And (3), we who engaged in physical fighting against the Amalekites.
And so, as long as our intercessor was able to stand for us and intercede on our behalf, Yehovah aided us in physically overcoming the enemy.
This, my friends, is a clear foreshadowing of the spiritual warfare that we, the redeemed of Mashiyach, are having to face throughout our day-to-day life-wilderness journey. The enemy pops up from time to time and threatens us; hurts and harms us; seeks to deter us from the path that Yah has us on. And so, we are forced to deal with the wiles of the enemy through steadfast prayer and petitions to Yehovah through the intercessions of Yeshua our Master (Hebrews 7:25).
It is Yeshua’s ongoing intercessory work in the Heavenly Mishkan/Heavenly Tabernacle that prompts Yehovah to fight on our behalf and provide us the wherewithal to overcome the enemy. When there is no intercession, we are left to battle the enemy on our own. And one can rationalize that when we’re dealing with an enemy that is flesh and blood, we might physically and personally stand a chance of overcoming and prevailing against them. But the Apostle Paul, Shaul, enlightened us to the reality that, generally speaking, “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens” (Ephesians 6:12).
Yes, we’re talking spiritual warfare. Not a popular topic in our Faith Community, is it?
But the truth of the matter is beloved (and we’re learning this from our Torah Reading here today), that we must deal with the enemy throughout our wilderness journey (I.e., our life’s journey in this faith of ours). And we must realize that we cannot defeat and overcome the true enemy on our own. We can only prevail against him through the intercession of our Master and the power and might of Yehovah our Heavenly Father. Thus, it is Yah who wins the battle that all too often befalls us. And He helps us overcome the enemy through our trusting reliance on the Person and Ministry of Yeshua Messiah, the author and finisher of our Faith (Hebrews 12:2).
But overcoming the enemy requires trusting faith that Yah can and will deliver us. And that faith is made evident through the force of our prayers and the strength of our faith and our unwavering obedience of Faith.
It must become evident to each of us, however, that Yehovah may not always unilaterally destroy the enemy on our behalf. He may, for reasons that only He will know, require our direct participation in the warfare. This means that we’re going to have to grow some calluses on our knees and learn to engage the enemy in spiritual warfare. We must learn to treat the hostile environment that we find ourselves in from time to time as though we are Yehovah’s trained and fearless soldiers and face the enemy head-on through faithful prayer and supplication; fasting when warranted; disciplined obedience to Yah’s instructions. And if our hearts are in the right place, Yeshua will petition the Father to fight on our behalf and we will inevitably overcome and prevail against the enemy.
This is the model that Yehovah has revealed to us and expects us to follow.
This is Yeshua-focused Torah Living at its greatest level.
Learning to Lean
It is through these lesson-learning opportunities that we learn the role that faith plays in our covenant relationship with Yehovah through the experiences of our ancient Hebrew cousins. And despite Moshe not mentioning faith whatsoever in his narrative here, when we read between the lines of the text, faith subtly emerges as an irresistible staple and element in the lives of Yah’s set-apart people. For we cannot escape the obvious reality that it is impossible to please Yah without faith (Hebrews 11:6). And we see nestled within the storyline of our reading here today that Yah was invariably showing our ancient Hebrew cousins that faith in Him was required for their very survival. Faith was essential for their yeshuah/salvation.
Within the paradigm of Yah’s manna provision, it became clearly apparent that Yah is no respecter of person (Deuteronomy 10:17; Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11; 1 Peter 1:17). Every Hebrew soul would receive enough manna to satisfy his or her nutritional needs, regardless his or her station in life. All would have to learn to trust in Yah’s provision and that He would indeed be faithful to His promises.
The Apostle Paul/Shaul taught: first the natural then the spiritual (1 Corinthians 15:46). Thus, as our text clearly reveals, the manna that Yah provided us amid our lack and dire need as we wandered about in the Sinai Wilderness (I.e., the natural), the life-sustaining bread that Abba provides us today consists of His Son Yahoshua Messiah (I.e., the spiritual). He is all we need to spiritually nourish and sustain us as we sojourn and wander about this barren wilderness, we call 21st-century western life.
Our Master boldly described and proclaimed Himself to be the source of His disciple’s nourishment:
Our father did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ (32) Then Yahoshua said unto them, ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moshe gave you not that bread from heaven; but My father giveth you the true bread from heaven. (33) For the bread of Yah is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world’ (John 6:31-33; KJV).
In other words, just as Yehovah, our Creator, and our Elohim, provided for and sustained our ancient Hebrew cousins with manna for 40 years through His unfathomable power and wisdom, so too He has provided us the substance for our natural and eternal existence. Yahoshua Messiah. Indeed, our Torah Reading that is here before us today is “a shadow [picture] of good things [that were] to come” (Hebrews 10:1). For it foreshadowed the life-giving and life-sustaining Person and Ministry of Yahoshua Messiah (Learning Lesson #2).
Knowing and living and walking in the Faith of our Master Yahoshua HaMashiyach leads us to a place of eternal rest which is illustrated in the weekly Sabbath (Learning Lesson #1).
Father wants us, His beloved, to dwell in peace. A peace that only He can provide. And the weekly day of rest we refer to as the Sabbath or the Shabbat serves to teach us a lesson regarding living a faithful, wholesome, and peaceful life. And as we can see illustrated in our reading, that place of faithful, wholesome, and peaceful rest comes through trusting faith and obedience. We trust Yah to protect, provide, and sustain us and then act on our trusting faith by obeying His instructions in righteousness, He grants us His rest. His shalom translates into rest and peace of soul, mind, body, and spirit.
Our Master beckoned unto those who would be His to:
Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (29) Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me (I.e., hearken-shama unto and obey My voice and My instructions; feast on my life-giving and life-saving teachings; receive My love and provisions); for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (30) For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30; KJV).
However, the peace that Yah and His Son Yahoshua promise us does not come without dedicated, trusting effort on our part.
As we see illustrated in our reading here today, for us to truly receive and appreciate and enjoy the Sabbath rest He gifted us, we had to prepare for it. And one of the great “Learning Lessons” that one can draw from this miraculous moment in time is that of unwavering obedience to Yah’s instructions that must be inextricably linked/tied to our trusting Faith in Yah. He instructed us to gather twice as much manna on the 6th day. And upon gathering the double portion of manna on the 6th day, He instructed us to prepare the manna before sundown. For once sundown came upon us, we were to cease all manner of work, just as our Creator ceased all His creative work on the 7th day. All the while we were to rest assured that Yah would replenish our manna allotment first thing in the morning on the first day of the week, and then repeat the daily cycle without fail.
Indeed, not doing some form of work for an entire 24-hour period takes a great amount of discipline for many of us. If it’s not working a paid job on the Sabbath, it’s tinkering with stuff in the garage; mowing the grass; planting a garden; doing laundry; cleaning the house, or running errands. All of these are undeniable forms of “work”. But Yah has unequivocally commanded us to not engage in any form of work. For the Sabbath is reserved exclusively for our Creator. It’s a day we are to devote entirely to Him. In fact, it’s a day that we are not to do our own pleasure as beautifully worded in this week’s Haftarah reading:
Isaiah/Yesha’Yahu 58:13-14. You must observe the Sabbath rather than doing anything you please on My holy day. You must look forward to the Sabbath and treat Yehovah’s holy day with respect. You must treat it with respect by refraining from your normal activities, and by refraining from your selfish pursuits and from making business deals. (14) Then you will find joy in your relationship to Yehovah, and I will give you great prosperity, and cause crops to grow on the land I gave to your ancestor Ya’achov.” Know for certain that Yehovah has spoken (NET).
The Beauty of the Weekly Sabbath (All too Often Unappreciated by Humanity)
Isn’t it ironic that Yah must insist that we not engage in any form of labor or work on the Shabbat? Wouldn’t it seem intuitive that humanity would appreciate a day of not having to do anything but sit at our Master’s feet and learn of Him and His Ways and the ways of the Kingdom? But truth be told, keeping the Sabbath as Yah originally intended for us to do, is often one of the hardest things that even we His people are obliged/obligated to do.
But we’re not supposed to look upon keeping the Sabbath as an obligation. But rather, look upon the Sabbath as a delight (Isaiah 58:13).
Do we truly live for each week’s Sabbath and all that it entails? Or do we despise the Sabbath as many of our ancient Hebrew cousins have done throughout their nation’s history?
Nevertheless, the preparation day, although not a biblically stipulated or ordained, set-apart day as such, is critical for our properly entering into Abba’s Sabbath Day Rest.
And the preparation day also has tremendous spiritual applications attached to it. One that readily comes to mind is the need for us to put in the faithful, obedient work along our Faith walk journey so that we may enter Yah’s eternal rest when our Master returns, so that we may enter Yah’s eternal Kingdom His rest.
Mashiyach is the Rock that Provides us Life-giving Water (Learning Lesson #2)
It was from the rock at Meribah that we were given water to sustain us and satisfy our thirst. In response to Moshe’s petition, Yah instructed him to strike the rock. And water issued from the rock, satisfying our thirst.
Yeshua boldly proclaimed that He was indeed “the Bread of Yah that had come down from heaven and that gives life unto the world. For he that comes to Him shall never hunger nor thirst again” (John 6:33-35, 47-51).
It was during one Sukkot (I.e., a Feast of Tabernacles) that occurred during our Master’s earthly ministry that He disrupted the festivities of the Water Libation Ceremony by declaring to the throngs in attendance:
“…If any man or woman thirst, let him come unto Me and drink. For He that believes on Me, as the scripture has said, out of his or her belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37-38).
Master promised those disciples who sat at His feet during His delivering of the Beatitudes that “happy are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6).
Indeed beloved, our Master is all we need to sustain us along our spiritual journey through this 21st-century wilderness we call modern life. That is if we are willing to learn of Him and obey His teachings and instructions in righteousness. And His instructions and teachings came exclusively from His Father, who happens to also be our Father (John 5:19,30). Praise Yah!
Shaul, by inspiration of the Ruach HaQodesh, viewed this historic miracle as yet another Yahoshua HaMashiyach life lesson.
He wrote to the Messianic Assembly in Corinth:
For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, (recall that we looked at this amazing passage in Part 1 of our True Biblical Baptism series) 3 and all ate the same spiritual food (Yeshua being our bread—the Word made flesh—that leads to abundant life that is eternal), 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they were all drinking from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. (1Co 10:1-4 NET)
Clearly, the miracle that took place at Meribah was a Messianic shadow picture of Yeshua Messiah who would bring us His Father’s Words and His atoning sacrifice, followed by the indwelling of His Father’s Ruach HaQodesh.
And Shaul explained his Midrashic treatment of the miracles of the manna and the Rock at Meribah as being “examples for us so that we will not crave evil things” as our ancient Hebrew cousins did (10:6). Which means that we “not be idolaters” and not be “immoral”. That we did not put Mashiyach to the test. Not complain or murmur (10:7-11).
The apostle further warned that we learn from the ancients’ mistakes and foolish ways. And in so doing, we resist the temptation to think that we’ve somehow “arrived in Messiah”. That it is below us to falter and repeat, in one form or another, the same mistakes and missteps that our ancient cousins had (10:12). And know that Yah is faithful to continue and bring to completion the work that He has begun in each of us (Philippians 1:6). Know that every testing and trial is a means to our being perfected for the Father’s special purpose. He will be faithful to take us successfully through every trial and test. And neither trial nor test will overtake us. For Yah will make a pathway for each of us out of every trial and testing (10:13).
Faith and Submission to Yah are Key to our Salvation
Let us never overlook or forget the goal and purpose that we are in pursuit of. That goal is to make it into the Kingdom and to glorify our Heavenly Father in the process (Matthew 6:33). And for us to make it into the Kingdom and glorify Yah by imaging Him in the world, we must learn the lessons that Yah has laid out before us in His Torah. In the case of today’s reading, it is incumbent upon us to submit ourselves in every way to Yah’s leadership and guidance. Such an act—the act of submitting that is—requires that we trust Yehovah implicitly.
We must resist the urge, tendency, or habit to murmur. Murmuring is simply another form of complaining or grumbling. So, when things don’t go the way we think they should and we utter out into the ether our displeasure or frustrations, we are displaying a terrible lack of trusting faith in the Person and Promises of Yehovah our Elohim.
How so? When we fully submit to Yah and His Ways and His guidance and leading, we trust that He knows what He’s doing and that He has only our best interest at heart.
Our ancient Hebrew cousins never took trials and tests from Yah very well. They would invariably murmur against Moshe, which was them murmuring against the very one they were called to trust: Yehovah Elohayka.
But contrary to the foolish, ungrateful, unfaithful, and sinful thoughts of our ancient cousins amid their Babylonian Captivity that Yah declared through the Prophet Isaiah/Yermi’Yahu:
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. (Jer 29:11-13 KJV)
If there is any lesson to be learned from our Torah Reading here today beloved, it is the necessity for us to trust Yah and to submit to His leading, guidance, provision, testing, chastening, protection, salvation, all of which is delivered in accordance with His holy and righteous Plan, Will, and Sovereignty. In other words, all that we expect of and from Yah may not come about in accordance with our perceptions and personal preferences. Yah is going to do things His way or He’s going to do things His way. For our way is irrelevant to Yah. In fact, when we faithfully submit to Yah, our way simply does not exist.
We Have a Secret Weapon That is Effective Against the Enemy
The good thing in all this is that like our ancient Hebrew cousins, we have an intercessor Who can identify with our human issues.
It was the writer of the Book/Cepher of Hebrews who affirmed this foundational understanding of our Faith:
15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Heb 4:15-16 KJV)
In other words, beloved, when we are feeling less than victorious in our walk with Mashiyach such that we begin to have doubts as to whether we can weather the storms of testing and trials that come our way, like our ancient cousins, we do have an effective and sanctioned intercessor and mediator, who will intercede on our behalf before our Father. Yahoshua knows what it’s like to be human. He knows all of that which goes along with being human. So, when we start to lose it and we start to doubt, we have it at our disposal Yahoshua. This means that we take our concerns and fears and doubts to Yehovah in fervent prayer. And Yeshua is the One, in His capacity as our High Priest operating out of the heavenly Mishkan, who will intercede on our behalf.
Again, it was the writer of the Book/Cepher of Hebrews who penned the following:
24 but he holds his priesthood permanently since he lives forever. 25 So he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. 26 For it is indeed fitting for us to have such a high priest: holy, innocent, undefiled, separate from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27 He has no need to do every day what those priests do, to offer sacrifices first for their own sins and then for the sins of the people, since he did this in offering himself once for all. (Heb 7:24-27 NET)
Yeshua thus serves as our relief valve. His intercession, along with the overcoming capacity of the Ruach HaQodesh to aid us in steadfast obedience to Yah’s instructions in righteousness, through our trusting faith, will take us through any trial that we may find ourselves subjected to.
by Rod Thomas | Aug 21, 2022 | Blog
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.
aThese are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household:
2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
5 All the descendants of Jacob were aseventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. (Exo 1:1-5 ESV)
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!
6 Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. (Exo 1:6 ESV)
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.
But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them. (Exo 1:7 ESV)
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).
8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. (Exo 1:8 ESV)
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.
9 And he said to his people, “Behold, athe people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us.
10 Come, blet us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.”
(Exo 1:9-10 ESV)
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.
11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them ato afflict them with heavy bburdens. They built for Pharaoh cstore cities, Pithom and Raamses. (Exo 1:11 ESV)
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.
12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel.
13 So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel awork as slaves
14 and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves. (Exo 1:12-14 ESV)
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.
15 Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah,
16 “When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.” (Exo 1:15-16 ESV)
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.
17 But the midwives afeared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live.
18 So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the male children live?”
19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.”
20 So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong.
(Exo 1:17-20 ESV)
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.
21 And because the midwives feared God, ahe gave them families (Exo 1:21 ESV)
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.
22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.” (Exo 1:22 ESV)
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.
Now a aman from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. (Exo 2:1 ESV)
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.
2 The woman conceived and bore a son, and awhen she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months.
3 When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes1 and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the areeds by the river bank.
(Exo 2:2-3 ESV)
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.
4 And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him.
5 Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it.
6 When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”
7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?”
8 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother.
9 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him.
10 When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became aher son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.” (Exo 2:4-10 ESV)
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).
11 One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people.
12 He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. (Exo 2:11-12 ESV)
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.
13 When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, “Why do you strike your companion?”
14 He answered, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, and thought, “Surely the thing is known.”
(Exo 2:13-14 ESV)
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.
15 When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well. (Exo 2:15 ESV)
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.
16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.
17 The shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and saved them, and awatered their flock.
18 When they came home to their father Reuel, he said, “How is it that you have come home so soon today?”
19 They said, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds and even drew water for us and awatered the flock.”
20 He said to his daughters, “Then where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may aeat bread.”
21 And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah. (Exo 2:16-21 ESV)
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.
22 She gave birth to a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.” (Exo 2:22 ESV)
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.
23 During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God.
24 And aGod heard their groaning, and God bremembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
25 God saw the people of Israel– and God knew.
(Exo 2:23-3:1 ESV)
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
by Rod Thomas | Jun 18, 2022 | Blog
This week’s portion is the 37th-Reading of the 3-year Torah Reading Cycle (STAR-37). And it is a familiar passage. For it is the story of Yosef interpreting the dreams of the cupbearer and baker in the Egyptian prison.
If we recall STAR-36, Yosef was cast into prison on trumped-up charges because he stood firm and remained true to Yah’s moral standards of righteousness. As the story in our reading unfolds before us, we have no clue as to how much time has passed since Yosef was first cast in the “pit.” But it is a fair bet that we’re talking about a significant amount of time.
But I brought up the issue of the unknown amount of time that had passed since last reading and today’s reading only to set the stage for the theme that I have selected for this post. And that has to do with Yah’s people experiencing Yah’s wisdom even in the midst of despair. For Yah’s wisdom has no shelf-life. It has no prescribed period of time in which it will operate in one’s time of despair. Yah’s wisdom works according to His perfect timing. And it works in the manner that Yah prescribes it to work so as to fulfill His perfect will and plan.
So, let’s look at some of the highlights of this reading and see where it takes us from a practical, Messianic halachic perspective:
40.1-3. The cupbearer (aka butler) and baker were both noted officials in ancient courts. The cupbearer/butler was tasked with seeing that the king/pharaoh received drink whenever called for by him. Consequently, the butler/cupbearer wielded a great amount of political influence in the court, having in many cases, the ear of the king. Thus, this official would be viewed as a confidant of the king. Nehemiah held this position during his enslavement in Persia.
The baker on the other hand prepared meals for the king. These two positions were positions of trust in the king’s court; similar to the trust Yosef enjoyed with Potiphar prior to his imprisonment. This trust extended to each in their respective roles protecting the king from any enemy efforts to poison him.
Some scholars have surmised that the offense–with some translation translating the Hebrew verb as “sin”–that landed the cupbearer and the baker in prison was their roles in plotting to kill or poison the king. Both officials had access to the king. And both would have had adequate means by which to carry out such a plot. But whatever these two officials did, according to the text, outraged the king (vs. 2).
Now, there is indeed a notable contrast, whether intentional or not, between the “sin” of Yosef and these court officials. The court officials’ sin–whatever it truly was–was truly an offense worthy of imprisonment and even death. While Yosef’s alleged sin was in every sense of the word, undeserved. Yosef vehemently sought to avoid “sinning” against his Elohim. His refusal to sin against his Elohim landed him in prison alongside those who were guilty of various offenses against the state and the king. Criminals. And thus, the righteous one of Yah, is named among criminals and workers of evil.
What does this say about us today? As obedient, covenant-keeping people of Father Yah, just as common as it is to find favor with folks of the world by walking in covenant with Yah, it is equally common to fall out of favor with these same folks, and even face some form of punishment from them, simply by remaining obedient to Yah and His righteous ways.
Simply look at how many brethren, just recently, have had to endure tremendous trials and tribulations because Yah’s elect refused to bow their knees to the Ba’al’s of this world. Brethren’s livelihoods and freedoms forever ruined because they stood firm and refused to have poison injected into their “temples” (i.e., their bodies), or because they stood firm against the hellish efforts of the LGBTQ crowd and woke America. Unfortunately, this is the dichotomous life consequences that we as Yah’s set-apart people are forced to contend with. So, Yosef’s story should hold tremendous meaning for us all who are the redeemed of the Most High. For it was our Master Yeshua HaMashiyach who encouraged us accordingly:
“(11) Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake. (12) Rejoice and be exceeding glad: For great is your reward in heaven: For so persecuted they the prophets which were before you” (Matthew 5:11-12; KJV).
Of this, Kefa (aka Peter) wrote:
“If ye be reproached for the Name of Messiah, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of Yah resteth upon you: On their part He is evil spoken of, but on your part He is glorified” (1 Peter 4:14).
40:3-4. The high chamberlain assigns Yosef to attend to the imprisoned cupbearer and baker. This suggests that by this time in the Yosef chronology, Yosef had been imprisoned long enough to earn or warrant him being given such a trust position and assignment (39:21-23).
Recall Yosef had gained favor in the eyes of the prison warden–house warden (Robert Alter’s interpretative terminology, Hebrew of “sar beyt hasohar as written in chapter 39, compared to high chamberlain or “sar hatobahim” as mentioned in chapter 40), as he experienced with Potiphar, his former master. Why? Because Yah was with him. And this is an important Netzari-Messianic principle to be drawn from these grand stories of the patriarchs: The relevance of Yah’s presence and wisdom operating in a Netzer’s/Messianic’s life, even in times of despair.
Interestingly, this high chamberlain would most likely have been his former house Master, Potiphar (chapter 39). So then, is there a discrepancy between the two titles or persons? No. Because it is likely that Potiphar, the “high chamberlain,” held administrative oversight of the prison along with his other honored positions in the Egyptian high court, while the warden, a separate, lower official held operational oversight of the prison. And this seems to jive with 39:22-23, where Moshe informs us that the warden did not have to see to any operational matters in his prison because Yosef saw to its smooth operation.
But it is also interesting that it was the high chamberlain, presumably Potiphar, who placed the former court officials, i.e., the cupbearer and his sidekick the baker, under Yosef direct care. These two would have been “high profile prisoners” requiring special oversight. And seeing that it was likely Potiphar directing Yosef be assigned to these two former courts officials, one has to wonder why Potiphar didn’t either have Yosef executed for the alleged, trumped-up crime he was accused of committing against his wife. Or at the very least, throw Yosef entirely “under the prison” so to speak so that he would never be heard from again. But rather, Potiphar signs off on Yosef’s privileged position and responsibilities in the prison. Hmm. Makes me wonder if maybe Potiphar suspected Yosef’s innocence all along, as well as suspected that his wife orchestrated the events that forced Potiphar to throw Yosef in prison.
Did Potiphar know that his wife was a flaming adulterer? Did she possibly have a rabid history of flirting and possible sexual misconduct with the other male servants of Potiphar’s house? Because she says to Yosef that none of his fellow servants were as physically put together as he was. So, it stands to reason that Potiphar’s hand was forced, such that he had to act in his wife’s favor, despite knowing the type of woman she was, in order to maintain some integrity and peace in his home. But then, seeming to be a reasonable, albeit pagan man, he made the best of an impossible situation and saw to it that Yosef was taken care of even in an Egyptian prison.
But we can give too much credit to Potiphar or even the prison warden. For what we obviously see happening here is Yah’s divine wisdom at work. Orchestrating events in real time that would ultimately lead to Yosef’s exaltation and Yisra’el’s salvation.
40:5. Both the baker and butler/cupbearer dream dreams in the same night. Each one’s dream was unique and had distinct meanings that would ultimately lead to Yosef’s exaltation and Yisra’el’s salvation.
Clearly the dream that each one had troubled them as evinced by their facial expressions and downcast demeanors that Yosef quickly picked up on (40:6).
40:8. When Yosef queries the pair about their downcast dispositions, the two explain that they’d each had a perplexing dream that they could not make heads nor tails of (i.e., neither of them could not get an interpretation of their dream). Seems that Egyptian officials had the luxury of having their dreams interpreted or deciphered by professional dream interpreters or soothsaying. But being in prison and having lost their social status meant such benefits were no longer accessible to them.
Most translations use the term “interpret”/ “interpretations” as it relates to the pair seeking to understand the meaning of their respective dream. Robert Alter, author of the “Five Books of Moses,” chose to settle on the term “solution” or “solutions” instead of interpretation or interpretations. And he uses solution instead of interpretation back in verse five as well.
At question here, at least in Alter’s mind, is the Hebrew term or verb “patar” and its cognate noun that he believes means to “decipher.” And thus, Alter conjures up this sense of the mysterious and a “cloak and dagger” paradigm to address the issue of dream interpretations. Such that dreams required “decoding” as opposed to simple “interpretation.” For every dream, according to Alter, has a specific code that has to be unlocked if it is to be truly, and accurately understood. And Father yah has in place in this world whom He has “granted insight to break those codes” (pg. 227).
Thus, Yah is the ultimate holder of the meaning of dreams that He keeps locked up unto Himself. And He employs certain of His people to decode or unlock the meaning of certain dreams in accordance with His Will and Plan.
Therefore, we who are Yah’s people, should never discount dreams as being a facet or form of Yah’s wisdom at work. Whether those dreams be dreams that we dream, or dreams that brethren dream and share with the Body. And we should seek to understand the meaning of those dreams as Yah provides so that we may seek Yah’s Will. For Yah will provide the meaning to those dreams in accordance with His perfect will and plan, if we are diligent to seek His help in having those dreams decoded.
Yosef, likely through Holy Spirit (aka Ruach HaKodesh) wisdom, knew that he was a chosen vessel of Yah that possessed the spiritual “chops” to decipher dreams as Yah permitted.
Let us not forget beloved of Yah, that Yosef himself was an avid dreamer of dreams. And it was his dreams and his explanation or revealed meaning of those dreams that got him into the hot mess he found himself in at this time of his young life.
As it relates to the importance of dreams in the life of Yah’s chosen ones, we find that the Prophet Joel wrote of a coming time in human ecclesiastical history when the dreams of Yah’s set-apart people will bear great importance and influence over and within the Congregation of Yisra’el (2:28). It was Yah who revealed to us that the prophetic comes to the one He has chosen to give it to by way of dreams (Numbers/Bemidbar 12:6).
Regarding dreams and the prophetic, Maimonides (Guide of the Perplexed, 3.36-38), dreams allow one’s imagination to be awakened so that Yah may speak of glorious things to the would-be prophet.
The rabbis, however, were not all that united on the relevance or applicability of the dreams of Yah’s people. Many of them discounted dreams as nothing more than a reenactment of that which a person thinks throughout their day. But our Torah reading suggests otherwise.
Other rabbinic sources such as the “Resposa of Solomon Ibn Adret” go so far as to provide procedures for the Jew to follow in order for him to interpret both their good and bad dreams.
Our modern, progressive mindset and worldview has all be relegated the decoding or interpretation and significance of dreams to the realm of “fortune telling.” But as evinced by what we see in Torah and in the Book of Joel, dreams and the decoding of them remains an important element of the true Body of Mashiyach that should not be overlooked or marginalized.
40:8. When the butler and baker tell Yosef their dilemma, such that they had no one to interpret, or as Alter writes it, solve or decode or decipher their dreams, Yosef, without missing a beat, and seemingly having a matter-of-fact attitude attached to his reply, sort of re-orients the two’s pagan understanding of dreams and their interpretations by stating to them that “solutions come from Yah.” For these two no longer had privileged access to the court’s professional interpreters or soothsayers. So, it’s quite conceivable that they believed any interpretation or solving of their dreams was impossible.
In other words, this idea that humans solve or decipher dreams is inaccurate. Yah is the only solver or decoder or interpreter of dreams.
And so, by Yosef reaching out to the butler and baker and urging them to tell him their dreams, Yosef naturally concluded that the one Elohim who is the source of many dreams would possibly solve or decipher their dreams through him. For Yosef knew, however, that on his own, he did not possess the Godly wisdom to solve these men’s dreams. So, he put that job of solving in Yah’s hands.
The Chizkuni reads: “Pray, tell me the dream, perhaps He (Yah) will favor me with wisdom to explain its import.”
Yosef indeed knew which side his spiritual bread was buttered.
40:9-15. The butler of course tells Yosef his dream. Yosef’s decipherment of it was that the cupbearer would be restored to his former office three-days hence. and all Yosef asked in return or in compensation for rendering unto him the positive meaning or solution to the butler’s dream was that he remember him once he was reinstated to his former office. That he put in a good word for him with the king.
As an aside, Yosef made it a point to let the two know that he did not belong there in prison and that he was a victim of terrible mistreatment by others.
40:16-19. Jazzed by his partner’s positive resolution to his dream, the baker wasted no time putting forth his dream to Yosef. Unfortunately, Yosef’s solution was a negative one, such that the baker, three-days hence, would be executed and his body impaled on a stake for the birds to consume.
40:20-23. And true to Yosef’s solutions or interpretations, three days later the butler was restored to his former office while the baker was executed. Unfortunately, the butler for an unstated reason did not remember Yosef. Many have speculated as to why the butler did not throw Yosef a bone. But the reason why really doesn’t matter in the long run. Because, whether intentional or unintentional, Yah’s wisdom was at work and was the reason behind the butler not remembering Yosef.
And thus, Yosef would continue to be worked on Yah’s pottery-wheel for another two-years (41:1).
Practical Halachic Nuggets
Our covenant relationship with Yah does not in an any way guarantee that we will enjoy a life of comfort and pleasure. In fact, Yah takes some of us through trials and tribulation to equip us for the work that He has planned for us to do, as well as to fashion us into the image of His Son and our Master Yahoshua Messiah. Thus, Yah’s wisdom at work.
So, regardless how gloomy our situation may appear at times, Abba intends only good towards us as revealed to us in the Book of Jeremiah/Yermi’Yahu:
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you…thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” (29:11; KJV).
You see beloved, we are as clay in the hands of a skilled potter molding us on his pottery wheel. As clay, we have no clue of the potential we have or what will be achieved through and in us by the wisdom and working hands of our glorious and sovereign Potter.
As we the case with the patriarchs, we are subject to the Eternal’s providence–His sovereignty. Yah orders our steps, and He controls the affairs of His human creation. So, even in the darkest of situations (e.g., Yosef’s enslavement and imprisonment), Yah is orchestrating circumstances and situations in and around us in order to ultimately bring about our salvation, conform us to the image of our Master Yahoshua Messiah, and glorify and image Him in the earth.
We may not realize it during those darkened, gloomy, trying hours, but we can rest assured that Yah is about a good work in our lives. And the length of time we are going to have to endure Yah’s molding and refining is uncertain. Could be just a day or two. Could be a few days even. Maybe some weeks. Even years of fashioning as was the case with Yosef.
Yosef describes his situation to the butler/cupbearer as that of being in a pit. Recall back in chapter 37, Yosef was cast into a cistern, which is a pit in the desert, its purpose to capture water for the landowner. Well, Yosef was cast into one of those cisterns just prior to him being sold into slavery. And now, in our reading here, Yosef describes his prison surroundings as that of a “pit” in the house of the Egyptian chamberlain. Two pits used to work out Yah’s wisdom and plan.
Yosef is a type of Mashiyach/Messiah on so many levels. His brothers–his kinsmen–sorely mistreated him and they cast him into sort of a grave. Our Master, Yeshua, was sorely mistreated by His earthly brethren/kinsmen and ultimately His body was put into a grave. Yosef before he would be exalted to the number two-position of leadership over Egypt would have to endure a season of hardships and fashioning by the Eternal. Likewise, our Master Yahoshua, before He would be exalted to the number two position in heaven, would endure much sorrow and grief and troubles:
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isa 53:4-5 KJV)
Despite the pressures each experienced during their lives, both held their peace and endure their trials and sorrows. Indeed, during the greatest times of their respective testings, these two were the loneliest men in all the earth. But we know that Yah was with them both throughout their times of testings, just as Yah promises to be with each of us as we endure His molding and refining fire. For Father Yah’s wisdom will not only rule the day ultimately, but it will also carry us through.
Shabbat Shalom.
Faithfully.
by Rod Thomas | Jun 11, 2022 | Blog
Our Torah Reading for this Shabbat of 6/11/2022 is found in Genesis 39:1-23. It is The Story of Yosef and Potiphar’s Wife.
We find in this reading, themes of righteousness; trust; loyalty; prosperity; sexual immorality; favor-favor with man and favor with God; and God’s presence in the life of His covenant people.
Let’s look at key highlights of this reading along with its practical halachah applicability’s.
39: 1. As the story goes, Potiphar was a high-official of Pharaoh’s court. He purchased Yosef from Ishmaelite merchants (Gen. 37:25-28). Interestingly, the LXX describes Potiphar as a “eunuch of Pharoa”. Often when a high official of a southern nation is mentioned in scripture, they are referred to as eunuchs. Chances are that these individuals were not eunuchs in the sense that we recognize the term eunuch to mean–one who has been castrated. The likelihood he was a eunuch as we know the term eunuch today is because he was married, and eunuch tended to not have wives for obvious reasons.
39:2. Moshe tells us that “YHVH was with Yosef” (cf. Act. 7:9). Interestingly, the Onkelos (a 2nd century C.E. Greek and Ancient translation of Torah produced by Roman convert to Judaism) describes “The Word of YHVH being the helper of Joseph”.
At least one commentary I consulted noted the phrase “YHVH was with Yosef” described Yah’s presence with Yosef, which in a sense agrees with the LXX translation of the “Word of YHVH being the helper of Yosef.” And we will find in 50:20 that Yosef was aware of Yah’s presence in his life during his time in Mitsraim (aka Egypt).
So, why would Yah’s presence be with Yosef? Was he anyone special? We don’t read of Yosef being particularly close to Yah as Yosef having a personal relationship with Yah as did his forefathers. So, why would Yah’s Word-His Spirit abide with Yosef during this tense time in Yosef’s life?
I guess it would be safe to conclude that Yah had a distinct purpose and calling over Yosef’s life. For we will find as the story continues, that Yosef would be Yah’s instrument to bring the nation Yisra’el out of devastating global (what would be known as global in that day) famine and keep them (although during most of the nation’s stay, in bondage) safe and together until Yah’s perfect timing. For Yah always knows what He’s doing, and He will protect and guide those whom He chooses as instruments of His Will and Plan. In this case, Yosef was the man of the hour. But Yosef, despite being in Yah’s providence and keeping power, would have to go through some stuff in order to bring Yah’s plan and will to its fullest fruition.
When Yah’s presence is with His chosen ones, as we see here with Yosef in our Reading, things take place that may not be explainable to human reasoning such as Yosef going into slavery in Potiphar’s house and he being successful. Not in the sense of becoming wealthy because slaves had no means of obtaining and retaining wealth during their time of enslavement. Success, as we will see, came to Yosef in the form of favor and privilege in whatever place or station he found himself. Favor not just with Yah or in the sight of Yah, but also favor and privilege with his captors.
One cannot be effective in the work of the Kingdom unless they are given some modicum of favor with those who are not of like-mind and station in life. Finding favor and privilege with others is essential for success in the calling Yah places over our live.
So many of us who are in this Faith go to great lengths to separate ourselves from the rest of the world, which is something we’re called to do in terms of conforming to the ways of this world:
“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith Yah (ref. Isaiah 52:11), and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith Yah Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6:17).
But for the time being, we are forced to exist among the heathen and unconverted. And although the heathen and unconverted may not agree with our way of life, Yah’s presence in our lives will often lead to us currying favor with them: Opportunities; peace; privilege; protection; promotion; etc. Such unlikely favor and privilege do not come about as a result of anything we’ve done, but rather because of Yah’s presence and providence in our lives. That which we involve ourselves prospers and others recognize our successes, and they will in response bless us with opportunities and privilege and materials and goods.
Potiphar recognized that something was different with Yosef. the text describes Potiphar as “observing that Yah was with him and that everything Yosef engaged in was successful” (39:3). And recognizing that Yah was indeed with Yosef, Potiphar promoted him in his house, making him his personal attendant (depending on which translation you’re using (39:4); overseer of this powerful official’s household. In essence, Potiphar placed Yosef into a position of utmost trust. He had control over everything in the man’s house. (I’m reminded of Avraham’s trust attendant, Eliezer, who at one point the Avraham thought would be his heir. That’s how trusted and close such individuals become in a household.)
This is all due to Yah’s presence in his life. It certainly had nothing to do with his annoying personality: That personality that got him into this position. Somehow, some way, Yah was in complete control here. And may, just may (we don’t have any proof), Yosef may have been brought down a few pegs after being sold to the Ishma’elites. And so now, the favor and promotion and prestige Yosef is enjoying is coming solely as a result of Yah’s presence over His life.
The Psalmist wrote:
“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. (2) But his delight is in the law (i.e., the Torah) of YHVH; and in His Torah doth he meditate day and night. (3) And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper” (1:1-3; KJV modified).
When Yah’s presence (or His Word) is with us, as hinted in this Psalm passage, Yah’s presence is as rivers of water. And we as if a tree planted near that water, draw nutrients from that water source (i.e., the source being Yah). And so, that which we do (i.e., our fruit) will prosper. And so, it behooves us to remain close to our “source” which is YHVH. Another Psalm notes:
“…but Yah is the strength of my heart, and my portion (“cheleq”-award from Yah) for ever” (Psalm 73:26; KJV modified).
May Yah’s presence be firmly established with us as we walk out our faith with fear and trembling.
39:5-6. We see something quite interesting here in this verse whereby Potiphar (henceforth referred to as the Egyptian) realizes prosperity and good fortune because Yah blessed him on account of Yosef. It can truly be said in this case that Yah’s blessings certainly rub-off on those with whom His people find favor. Which clearly says to us that when Yah’s presence is over our lives and He chooses to prosper us by our currying favor with those outside of covenant, those individuals may just as well realize blessings over their lives.
And this is truly an amazing reality.
Why would Yah do such a thing for a heathen as this Egyptian no doubt was?
It’s impossible to be sure. But we do know that Yah is sovereign. He will do what He chooses to do. Secondly, our Elohim desires to show the world that when one has a relationship with Him or when Yah is present in one’s life, He will bless him or her. Yah is not hesitant to promote Himself to humanity when it is beneficial to His divine will and plan.
In every sense, the “Yah Culture” is hands down the only culture worth being part of. It brings joy, life, trust, hope, peace, prosperity and so many other things to a person’s existence. And here, in the midst of a heathenistic culture, this heathen experienced the benefits and beauty of the Yah Culture. I’m certain he didn’t plan for this experience, nor did he expect it. We don’t know how much time had transpired up to this point in the storyline. But time concerns aside, we know that Yah’s presence moved positively in that Egyptian’s house.
In this verse we also get a sense that Yosef had received his mother Rachel’s good looks (29:17). And this is a fact which Moshe inserts here into the narrative to prepare the reader for the life-altering events to follow.
39:7-9. The Egyptian’s wife (unnamed) finds Yosef attractive–no doubt in his comely form, but maybe also in his confident and extremely intelligent manner–those things that brought him favor in his master’s house. She makes an overt pass at him, which is shocking in and of itself. For it would seem that if found out by her husband, she would stand to lose all of the niceties and privilege she enjoyed as the wife of this high-Egyptian official. One has to wonder what was going on in her mind and life that would lead her to do such a thing. What family dynamics were in operation? Had she made a past practice of making passes at the other servants of her house? Apart from the obvious, what did think would ultimately come out of such a relationship if by chance Yosef consented to her indecent proposals?
Whatever the reason, Yosef resisted the woman’s passes and informed her that he abided quite favorably in the Egyptian’s house in a place of complete and utter trust. And he sums up for her the elements associated with his trusted position in the house.
The apocryphal book of Jubilees, interestingly enough, inserts into the story line that Yosef remembered his father’s teachings against fornication. And that to commit such a transgression would place him at odds before His Elohim (Jubilees 39).
The apocryphal book of Jasher actually gives the Egyptian’s wife a name: Zelicah (Jasher 44: 16). Anyway, the Jasher text goes so far as to explain this woman’s motivations towards Yosef. For the writer notes that she was enamored by his beauty, stating to him:
“How goodly are thy appearance and form. Truly I have looked at all the slaves and have not seen so beautiful a slave as thou art” (vs. 17). (Obviously, the veracity of this information is certainly up for debate. But it does, at the very least, give us some insight into what the ancient Jews thought and understood about this story.)
I do appreciate Robert Alter’s Commentary of this passage of the reading that he describes as “contrastive dialogue” that, in certain ancient literature, was designed to show contrasts and distinctions between characters (The Five Books of Moses; pg. 222). I appreciate the concept that he introduces here. I do take exception to how he treats patriarchs and their various situations as though the story being told of them is fictitious. Yosef, as annoying an individual as he may have been, was indeed a real Hebrew who Yah used to save His chosen people. The dialogue that he engaged in with the Egyptian’s wife, as contrastive as it certainly was, goes beyond the concerns of it being an ancient literary style of writing. What we witness in our reading is Yah putting forth to His chosen ones, what Godly behavior looks like in contrast to what UnGodly behavior looks like.
And so, Yosef defends why he refuses her advancements, which again, had more to do with trust; the trust that his Egyptian master placed in him to oversee all his affairs. To give into her overt advances would be a blatant betrayal of that extraordinary trust. And in Yosef’s eyes, to betray his master in such a way would be to “sin against Yah.” What the Egyptian’s wife was proposing was indeed wrong. And it plays into that moral constitution that is embedded in all rational peoples of the earth. Yosef did not need to be told that what the woman was proposal was sinful, although he no doubt had been taught in the ways of Elohim by his father Ya’achov.
If Yosef were to have given into the Egyptian wife’s advances, would he have gotten away with it? Possibly yes, as far as his master’s wife was concerned. Absolutely no, as far as Yah was concerned.
Godliness is doing the right thing every time, even when no one is watching. For even though people might not notice the wrong we do, Yah certainly does. And we are thus held accountable for that wrong that we do, whether we are Yah’s chosen or not.
On the subject of this type of thing, Yah stated:
“And you knew in your heart that as a man chastises his son YHVH your Elohim chastises you” (Deuteronomy 8:5; Alter).
The writer of Hebrews echoes this same sentiment:
“If ye endure chastening, Yah dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not” (Hebrews 12:7; KJV).
39:10. And so, the Egyptian master’s wife’s advancements continued for some time afterwards, but Yosef would not give in. Indeed, Yosef remained faithful and steadfast in his convictions and in his duties and loyalties to his master. It’s conceivable that her strategy was to wear Yosef’s resolve down. Clearly, her lust for Yosef overrode her sense of loyalty to her husband and any and all sense of morality she would have. She knew what she was doing was wrong, but she did not relent. Such people override or ignore that embedded moral constitution that resides in them because to them, their loyalties are focused on what they desire. And this is the contrast that exists in humanity. Yah’s people remain loyal to Him and His ways, while the world remain loyal to themselves. There’s is an inward focus as opposed to the outward focus of Yah’s elect.
The Book of Yasher takes this story in a dark and strange direction that I won’t repeat here. But suffice to say, the Egyptian’s wife went to great lengths to sway and force Yosef compliance to her advances. Yasher treats Yosef’s attractiveness as though it was something that caused women to swoon and be captivated, such that this woman, Zelicah, became so consumed by Yosef ‘s person that she fell into a malaise/illness that persisted for many days.
39:11-23. Well, as the story goes, the Egyptian’s woman’s advances finally came to a terrible head whereby she forces herself on Yosef. Yosef in response was spry and strong enough to fend off her advance and fled the scene. The Egyptian’s wife, in the process of her struggles with Yosef, tore off a portion of Yosef’s garments, which she ultimately used to get Yosef thrown in prison by the hand of her husband.
Many have sought to interpret which article of clothes the woman tore from Yosef’s person. But the scriptures do not provide that detail. But what the scriptures do reveal is the level of Godly steadfastness our Patriarch possessed and exercised. For Yosef was in a seemingly impossible situation. At issue here was not so much that Yosef would have given in to the woman’s advances. But rather, at issue here, was that he was dealing with crazy and evil. And crazy and evil have the tendency of causing much trouble, even when the other side is being Godly. In other words, Yosef was destined for problems with this woman. And Yosef, being a slave, had no viable options to escape the situation.
So, Yosef did the only thing he could do. Stay the course of righteousness. And despite the fact that 39:19-20 tells us that the Egyptian’s wife used Yosef’s left-behind article of clothing to indict Yosef, resulting in Yosef being imprisoned, Yosef maintained his covenant relationship with the Almighty. Yosef did not break covenant with Yah. He stayed true to His Elohim, despite facing possible death, which is a lesson in and of itself for any Netzari with eyes to see and ears to hear.
Yosef could have taken the path of least resistance and likely have gone along in the life he had in the Egyptian’s home for the rest of His natural life. But Yosef chose to take the path of non-compromise, knowing that his wellbeing rested not with his Egyptian master, but with Yah, his Elohim.
Yosef did not allow His situations–both his servant life, and the troubles he had with the Egyptian’s wife–rule him. He knew which side his spiritual bread was buttered, and he remained true to His Elohim and His Elohim’s ways. Which is a tremendous example for us to keep in mind today. We cannot allow any of life’s situations to rule over us. And we must not take the path of least resistance–which often is a pathway to spiritual destruction–in order to make our life a little easier. For the path that Yah has laid out for us is often very narrow and difficult to navigate. And we must decide who will serve and remain loyal to. In this case, Yosef chose not the path of least resistance, which would have likely earned him worldly–carnal–benefits. But instead, Yosef chose the path that would lead to the fulfillment of Yah’s covenant promises for His chosen ones. And today, the world lays out before us a similar pathway that may bring us worldly pleasures and benefits and comforts. But those paths are not sanctioned of Yah and often defy Yah’s ways. Instead, Yah’s path is exclusive and is narrow, which our Master describes as less traveled and few ever finding it (Matthew 7:13-14). And the righteous remnant that ends up taking that path, and sticking to it, regardless the pressures from the world to abandon that narrow path, may have a challenging time navigating that arduous, narrow pathway in this life. But the rewards to be received in the world tomorrow for the one who stays the course of righteous–the one who stays true to that exclusive, holy, righteous path–makes the temporal rewards that this life has to offer those who follow their pathway and way of life (i.e., the world’s way of life), ridiculously insignificant in comparison.
Despite Yosef’s subsequent sufferings in prison for the false allegations leveled against him by the Egyptian’s wife, Yah still remained mightily with Yosef (39:21). And it was that same favor of Yah that followed him in Potiphars house. For the text tells us that even in the midst of certain doom, being stuck in an Egyptian jail, Yosef’s favor with Yah extended over into Yosef finding favor with the keepers of the prison. Yosef, similar to that which happened to him in Potiphar’s home, was given extraordinary responsibilities in prison. The unnamed “keeper of the prison” entrusted Yosef with the affairs of the prison. Again, Yosef’s trust in Yah is translated in a pagan man trusting Yosef. And that’s how the Kingdom economy works. When we least expect it, Yah’s favor results in His elect finding favor among unredeemed men and His people prospering in ways that the world cannot understand.
Faithfully submitted for your edification.
