Becoming and Existing as Priests of God-Thoughts and Reflections on Torah Reading 91

by | Jul 8, 2023 | Blog, Podcasts

Greetings beloved of Yehovah on this steamy, but beautiful Sabbath here in the DFW.

This week’s Torah Reading is the 91st Reading of the 3-year reading cycle. It is contained in the 21st Chapter of the Book of Leviticus and entails the exclusive and exceeding righteous requirements for becoming and existing as a Levitical Priest of Yehovah.

As we did last Shabbat, we dug into our archives and are bringing to you this week a teaching I did on this reading about 3 years ago entitled “Living the Life of a Priest of God.”

I think the content of this teaching and of this reading, despite there being no actively operating Levitical Priesthood, is very much relevant and applicable today. This so-called woke and inclusive society zeitgeist that seems to have captured the hearts and imaginations of both liberal and conservative souls alike, has served to erase from the minds and hearts of society the cruciality of holiness, righteousness, and obedience to a moral people.

The inception of the Levitical Priesthood was that it would be an exceedingly righteous intermediary/intercessory entity between the Creator of the Universe and His set-apart people. Consequently, in order for this entity to properly fulfill its intermediary/intercessory role, the order had to be holy in every facet of its being, just as Yehovah is holy. There was to be no compromise.

As is the case with almost every aspect of Torah, the Levitical Priesthood serves as an example of the exceeding righteousness that our Master Yahoshua Messiah is requiring of His disciples in order for them to serve Him and His coming Kingdom. Being Kingdom-minded and bound, we as Yah’s chosen ones are destined to be a Kingdom of Priests (Revelation 1:6; 5:10). Contrary to the thinking of most, however, our training to fill that role in Yah’s coming Kingdom begins NOW! And what better time than in the here and now to study and learn of the exacting and exceeding righteous requirements of being a set-apart priest of the Holy One of Yisra’el?

So, I pray that this replay of my teaching on this Torah Portion will not only bless you but equip us all to assume our destiny in the Malchut Elohim.

Until next time beloved, may you be most blessed fellow saints in training. Shabbat Shalom!

Remaining Set-Apart in the Midst of this Evil and Adulterous Generation-Rebooting my Thoughts and Reflections of Torah Reading 90

by | Jul 1, 2023 | Blog, Podcasts

Shabbat Shalom

Greetings beloved, on this glorious set-apart day from the DFW. My sincerest hope, trust, and prayer is that this reboot of Torah Reading 90 will be a tremendous blessing to you in these troublesome times were living.

This Week’s Reading as a Reboot

This week’s reading is contained in Leviticus/Vayiqra 19:1-20:27.

I posted a teaching on this reading back in 2019. I entitled it “Being Holy in the Midst of an Evil and Adulterous Generation.” And as I considered whether I should write and post a fresh blog on this reading, I felt led to go ahead and repurpose this discussion.

Are We Living in the End Times?

I fervently believe that as we progress into what I believe to be the End Times, these Readings are indeed for such a time as these.

This reading is extremely pertinent to any with a heart, mind, and soul that is even remotely interested in walking in the Creator’s instructions in righteousness. Why?

Picking-up Where the Church Dropped the Ball

The Church Triumphant has miserably failed in her Messiah-given mandate to make disciples of every nation and people on this planet. In so doing, she was commanded to teach the nations what Yahoshua taught them through His set-apart apostles. To be a perpetual resource and reference for righteous living and to herald the coming Malchut Elohim (Matthew 28:19-20).

The Scourge of Woke Ideology

Today, the moral compass by which most of the Bible-influenced nations of the world once lived has been replaced by today’s abominable “woke” ideology. Sadly, that which Yah established as good is overwhelmingly accepted as bad or evil. And that which Yah established as bad or evil is now accepted by many as good (Isaiah 5:20). Thus, I fear that the Western world has irreversibly crossed the Rubicon, leaving behind true “wokeness” that comes only through Yehovah’s eternal words of truth and righteousness.

Yeshua’s Mandate to His Disciples

Master proclaimed that we, His disciples, are intended to be salt and light to this sick and dying world (Matthew 5:13-16). And so, as we learn of Yah and His ways each week through our reading and study of His instructions in righteousness and walk out these instructions in Spirit and in Truth as He modeled and taught us, we actively do that which the Church has so miserably failed to do.

Beloved, we don’t have to become renowned expositors and preachers of Yah’s Word in order to fulfill the Master’s Gospel mandate for His set-apart ones unless Yah has selected us to do so. For most of us, we are simply called to live/walk in the Faith that He has called us to (Habakkuk 2:4) and reflect the love of the Creator and His Son to all who come into our sphere of influence. More so, we are to remain set apart in the midst of this evil and adulterous generation.

Let’s Us Who are Called by Yah’s Name Persist in Being Set-Apart

My intent in rebooting this post for you on this Shabbat is not so much to inform you as I’m certain that those who are drawn to this ministry website are already very much aware of the instructions contained in this reading. Moreover, my reason for this reboot is to encourage us all to, as the world doubles down in walking in their perverse ways, double down in the righteousness that Yah has called His elect ones to walk in. In a nutshell: Be holy as He is holy (Leviticus/Vayiqra 20:7; 1 Peter 1:14-15).

And with that, here is “Being Holy in the Midst of an Evil and Adulterous Generation.”

Shabbat Shalom Beloved.

Thoughts and Reflections on Torah Reading 80

by | Apr 24, 2023 | Podcasts

Shalom!

We pray that you had a restful and meaningful Sabbath this past week.

This past Sabbath’s Torah Portion was the 81st parshah of the 3-year Torah Reading Cycle. (If you are so led to participate in reading and studying the weekly Torah Readings, we have put the assigned portions for each upcoming Sabbath on our “home” page for your convenience.)

We haven’t posted any Torah Reading studies for well over a month. Unfortunately, we have been hard at work on several ministry projects over the last month or so. However, as Yah allows, we will do our best to post teachings on the readings going forward.

May you be blessed by the following thoughts and reflections on Reading 81.

The Torah Reading was contained in Leviticus/Vayiqra 6:12-7:38, with a Haftarah Reading contained in Malachi 3:4-12 and an Apostolic Reading contained in Luke 6:39-49.

Torah Reading 81

Terminology:

Sacrifice-Korban–Unfortunate translation; loss, giving up something, conjures up negative images.  Korban (aka Offering), the root word means “to draw close to.” These sacrifices were put into place by Yehovah so that His chosen ones would be able to have a “personal connection to Him” if he/she desired to become close to Him. The Apostle James (aka, James the Just, the half-brother of Master Yahoshua) wrote: “Subject yourselves therefore to Elohim; and stand firm against the accuser and he will flee from you. Draw near to Elohim, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners: sanctify your hearts, you who are divided in mind (i.e., you indecisive ones)” (4:7-8; AENT). Yah said the following through the Prophet Zechariah: “Turn to Me…and I will turn to you…”(1:3). Korban when it was done properly (physically and spiritually by the offerer), facilitated a “heart-felt relationship” and “intimacy” with the Creator of the Universe. These offerings were meant to “unite the worshiper with Yehovah.” These offerings provided the worshiper with the means of properly expressing their thanks to OR forgiveness from Yehovah. At its very core, Korban was an “expression of faith” when conducted properly by the worshiper (i.e., he/she with a pure and circumcised heart obediently comes into the presence of Yehovah).

  • “Not all offerings were for forgiveness of sins:
    • 3 were voluntary expressions of worship, and they included (a) Burnt or Whole Offerings; (b) Grain Offerings whereby there was no application of blood to the brazen altar; and (c) Peace or Fellowship Offerings.
    • 2 were mandatory expressions of remorse for one’s sins, and they included: (a) Sin Offerings; and (b) Guilt Offerings” (“Tabernacle of Moses: Leviticus 2 Grain or Meal Offering by Dr. Terry Harman“).

(6:12-13) The fire of the brazen altar was never to be extinguished or allowed to go out. Abba repeats this twice. The Levitical Priest burned wood on it each morning–I guess this means he was to attend to the flames each morning as his co-Levite would tend to the menorah each morning (aka, boker). And it was this same priest’s duty to lay the burnt offering on the altar in its prescribed order: burning the fat and the shalom offerings.

At this time in humanity’s history, the only means by which people could approach Yehovah was through His prescribed sacrificial system. There were no other true means of drawing nigh or communing with Yehovah. Yehovah accepted the substitutionary/volitional offerings of those who obeyed His instructions for presenting their sacrifices and who possessed a properly circumcised heart.

All prescribed items that were to be rendered unto Yehovah had to be of the highest quality, such as fine flour and animals without blemish. The fine flour that would be mixed with oil and incense, when baked, produced a light texture bread. It was a favored bread in ancient times. Such flour was expensive and not as readily accessible as the coarser flour that was common to the commoner of ancient times.

(6:14-18; 7:9-10) The Grain/Meal Offering–a handful of the offered flour, the oil, and the frankincense would be burnt upon the altar unto Yehovah as a sweet fragrance. The remainder of it was to be consumed by Aharon and his sons in the court of the holy Tabernacle. These were to eat this portion of the grain offering with unleavened bread. This Yah-given portion of the burnt offering that was consumed by the Aharonic was considered and treated as “most holy,” just as the sin and guilt offerings.

This offering, according to Dr. Terry Harman, the Tabernacle Man, served as a voluntary expression of worship. In rendering unto Yehovah a Grain Offering, the worshiper was “recognizing Yehovah’s faithfulness and His provisions.“

In fact, it was required that every male Levitical Priest was required to partake of this most holy apportioned meal. This was a perpetual ordinance. Any who would touch this portion would become set apart.  (What does this mean?) According to Tim Hegg of Torah Resources, one could interpret this as being an obligatory statement such that any who would come into direct contact with this portion of the grain offering “ought to be holy.” Or it could be an injunctive statement such that any that would come into direct contact with this portion of the offering “must be holy.” Or lastly, it could be taken as a declarative statement, such that any who would come into direct contact with this portion of the offering “will be made holy.” Hegg indicates in his commentary on this parashah that he leans towards the declarative understanding: that the one coming into direct contact with this portion of the offering will be made holy or consecrated.

Bear in mind that that portion of this grain offering that was offered unto Yah was the raw elements of fine flour, oil, and incense. However, that portion that would be consumed by the cohenim had to be baked and then consumed in a “holy place.” This was done to illustrate the fellowship and communion that was to exist between the cohenim and Yehovah. Yehovah shares the offering that was provided by a worshiper with His intermediaries, the cohenim. This was a true form of fellowship and or communion between the Creator of the Universe and His human creation. Thus, the limitations placed on when and where this meal could be consumed: that being within the confines of the Tabernacle grounds.

This of course foreshadows the sacrifice that our Master, Yahoshua HaMashiyach, made on our behalf. His atoning sacrifice makes the one who takes in that sacrifice holy. In fact, it is only through this established sacrificial system that one is made whole; today, it is only through our Master’s Passion that one is made truly whole, righteous, and holy. In this vane, Hegg inserts into this discussion the example of the woman who suffered from the “issue of blood.” Ordinarily, any individual who would come into contact with this woman would be rendered ritually unclean. However, when the woman came into direct contact with the Mashiyach (simply by grabbing hold of His tzitzit), it was she who was made whole (i.e., healed of her uncleanness). Master Yahoshua’s holiness consecrated the soul that came into direct contact with Him. Praise Yehovah from Whom all blessings and provisions flow!!!!!

The Grain Offering expresses that all I have belongs to Yehovah!

(6:19-23) The Prescribed Offering to be Rendered unto Yah on the day Aharon and his sons were to be anointed. A grain (aka Meat Offering according to KJV and other received-text-based translations) offering split into 2: one of the halves was to be offered in the morning and the other half in the evening. The entire offering was to be burnt; none of it was to be eaten. Certainly, this can be understood from the perspective that the anointed Cohen’s service was first and foremost dedicated to the service of Yehovah. Thus, this specific grain offering was to be wholly rendered unto Yehovah by burning it upon the brazen altar.

Meat Offerings were rendered on the brazen altar (not the altar of incense) (Exo. 40:29):

  • Most holy unto Yehovah (Lev. 6:17)
  • They consisted of:
    • Fine flour (“soleth”) with oil and frankincense poured upon it (Lev. 2:1) Always wheat.
    • Unleavened cakes or wafers baked in an oven with oil poured upon it (Lev. 2:4)
    • Fine flour (unleavened) baked in a pan with oil poured upon it (Lev. 2:5)
    • Fine flour fried in a pan with oil poured upon it (Lev. 2:7)
    • Early ripened grains were to be parched/roasted on a fire (Lev. 2:14)
    • Barley offered as a reminder of iniquity–jealousy offering by a member of the community: no oil nor frankincense was to be poured upon it (Num. 5:15)
    • Every grain offering was to be seasoned with salt as a reminder of Abba Yah’s covenant with His people. The salt served as a reminder of the covenant between the worshiper and Yehovah.
    • No grain offering was to ever be rendered with leavening or honey.
    • When looked at from a closer perspective, we find that there were four different types of Meal/Grain Offerings:
      • Fine Flour
      • Baked (Breads)
      • Cooked (Breads)
      • Fried (Breads)–similar to falafel.

(6:24-30) The Sin Offering was to be without blemish and vicariously slaughtered on the northward side of the altar before Yehovah, its blood sprinkled round about the altar (Lev. 1:11; 4:24). It was considered to be most holy unto Yehovah. A portion of that sin offering was to be consumed by the priests in the courtyard of the Tabernacle. Because this specific offering was connected with the sin of the worshiper, the earthen/clay vessels in which the meat was prepared had to be broken and never used again. (The exception to this was when the meat was cooked in bronze vessels: these vessels could be reused only after they were thoroughly washed. Beyond the preparation aspect of this offering, anything (more so, people) that would come into contact with that sin offering was henceforth considered to be holy unto Yehovah.  The same principle of one being made whole or holy upon coming into direct contact with that which was sacrificed applied here as it did with the Grain Offering. However, Yah was very clear on the parameters that had to be followed in order for these two types of sacrifices to be valid. The holiness that would ensure from the priestly consumption of these offerings were meant to foreshadow the holiness and wholeness that the would-be child of the Most High would enjoy when they partook of the sacrifice that Master Yahoshua Messiah made on his/her behalf. (Note: This, however, did not apply to the sin sacrifices offered on Yom Kippur, for the blood of that sin offering was brought into the Holy Place, and the entire animal burned upon the brazen altar. Reference also 4:1-21; 16:27; Heb. 23.)

Furthermore, the priestly consumption of portions of these sacrifices (i.e., the Grain and Sin Offering) aligns with Yeshua’s instructions to His disciples that they were to “eat of His flesh” (John 6:54). Hegg suggests that this aspect of the sacrificial system demonstrated “a personal participation in the benefits of the sacrifice.” For not only were the cohenim physically nourished and even clothed as a direct benefit of the sacrificial system, but they were also sanctified and directly connected to Yehovah. Consequently, only through their physical labors were the cohenim fed, clothed, and made whole by a holy and righteous God.

(7:1-8) The Guilt (aka Restitution/Trespass/Reparation/Compensation) Offering was to be treated as a burnt offering with the blood of the sacrifice dashed round about the brazen altar. The animal was to be slaughtered at the designated area (Lev. 1:11; 4:24). Portions of the animal were to be offered unto Yehovah, including the “fat thereof” (cf. Exo. 29:13; Lev. 3:9; 4:8). Those choice pieces of animal fat were to be burned upon the brazen altar. (7:23-26) The fat of animals that either suffered natural deaths or were killed by another animal could be used for household purposes, but it was prohibited for anyone to eat of it. Nor was the worshiper nor the cohenim permitted to eat of the fat of the sacrificed animal. From there, every male among the priest/cohenim was to eat of the meat of the trespass offering. It was considered by Yehovah to be Most Holy. The skin of the burnt offering also belonged to the cohenim. Consumption of blood was expressly prohibited as life is in the blood of all living creatures (7:26-27; Gen. 9:4; Lev. 3:17; 17:10; Act. 15:20). The one guilty of consuming blood would be “cut off from his/her people.”

It should be noticed that Yah made provision for the cohenim, as they were not to possess real property of their own:

(8) At that time, Yehovah set apart the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of the covenant of Yehovah, to stand before Yehovah to minister unto Him, and to bless in His Name, unto this day. (9) Wherefore, Levi hath no portion nor inheritance with his brethren; Yehovah is his inheritance, according as Yehovah thy Elohim spake unto him (Deu. 10; ASV).

For the wave-breast and the heave-thigh have I taken of the children of Yisra’el out of the sacrifices of their peace-offerings and have given them unto Aharon the Cohen and unto his sons as their portion forever from the children of Yisra’el (Lev. 7:34).

Every Cohen who was anointed was privileged to partake in these provisions (7:35).

(7:11-21, 29) The Peace/Fellowship/Communion Offering: (1) Thanksgiving Offering was to consist of unleavened cakes mingled with oil, unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mingled with oil of fine flour.  It was to be offered alongside an animal sacrifice. The cohenim was to consume a portion of these offerings. Nothing of the flesh of the peace-offering that was consumed by the cohenim was to remain beyond the day it was eaten. The fat belonged exclusively to Yehovah, while the breast and right thigh of the sacrificed offering was to be waved before Yehovah and consumed exclusively by the cohenim. Symbolically, this was emblematic of worship being the exclusive purview of the Creator. Hegg so aptly points out that the prohibitions against the consumption of the offered fat and of the animals’ blood stood in stark contrast to the practices of the pagan nations who consumed the blood of slaughtered animals for ritualistic purposes, as well as consumed the fat of slaughtered animals because it was the choicest portions of the meat. (2) A portion of a Vow sacrifice or a Freewill offering was to be consumed by the worshiper, and any that was not consumed on the day it was offered could be finished off the next day. Any that remained after the 2nd day had to be burned and discarded. Certainly, decomposition was a major concern as it relates to foods. For one to continue consuming meats beyond a couple of days in such harsh arid climates as the ancients were living in subjected them to consuming spoiled meats and thus nullifying the sacredness of the original offering. Meat that comes into contact with any impure/unclean thing must be burned up. Any worshipper who will partake of the offering must be ceremonially/ritually clean/pure. A worshiper who partakes in the Peace Offering and who is ritually/ceremonially impure would be cut off from his/her people.

The Haftarah portion of our reading is familiar (i.e., Malachi 3:4-12). The Temple operations had fallen into utter disrepair. The people had abandoned giving tithes and offerings. And thus, Yehovah, through the prophet, admonishes the nation to Teshuvah and resume their proper giving of tithes and offerings. In so doing, they would be abundantly blessed above all the nation peoples of the world.

Along a similar vein, Yehovah said to the people through the prophet Yeshiyahu/Isaiah:

(11) Of what value to Me is the abundance of your sacrifices? saith Yehovah. I am full of (i.e., I have had enough of your) whole-burnt-offerings of rams; and I delight not in the fat of lambs, and the blood of bulls and goats: (12) neither shall ye come with these to appear before Me; for who has required these things at your hands? Ye shall no more tread My court. (13) Though ye bring fine flour, it is vain; incense is an abomination to Me; I cannot bear your new moons, and your sabbaths, and the great day; (14) your fasting, and rest from work, your new moons also, and your feasts My soul hates: ye have become loathsome to Me; I will no more pardon your sins. (15) When ye stretch forth your hands, I will turn away mine eyes from you: and though ye make many supplications, I will not hearken to you; for your hands are full of blood. (15) Wash you, be clean; remove your iniquities from your souls before mine eyes; cease from your iniquities; (16) learn to do well; diligently seek judgment, deliver him that is suffering wrong, plead for the orphan, and obtain justice for the widow. (18) And come, let us reason together, saith Yehovah: and though your sins be as purple, I will make them white as snow; and though they are as scarlet, I will make them white as wool” (Isaiah 1; LXX).

You see, beloved, “sacrifices were never considered a means of removing guilt, forgiving sin, or expressing thankfulness IF THE WOULD-BE WORSHIPER WAS NOT SINCERE” (Dr. Terry Harman, The Tabernacle Man; “Leviticus 2 Grain or Meal Offering”). The efficacy and validity of the sacrifice came only when the worshiper’s heart was right before Yehovah and before His fellow man. Recall what Abba Yah said to Cain after He rejected His sacrifice: “If you do well will you not be accepted? And if you do not well, sin crouches at the door: and its desire is to have you, but you must rule over it” (Genesis/Beresheit 4:7; QBE).

We find from the writer of Psalm 24 that the one who is truly qualified to worship at the Malchut Elohim is he/she who possesses clean hands and a pure heart and who does not lie nor make promises with no intention of keeping them. Yehovah validates such individuals, and it is such individuals who enjoy a true and substantive relationship with the Almighty (verses 3-5).

You see, Yah demands of His chosen ones that they possess pure, clean, transparent hearts. All healthy and strong human relationships are built upon good intentions, transparency, and a love for the other person. Why should relationships between humans and Yehovah be any different? But the relationship that Yehovah is interested in goes beyond these stated elements, especially as it relates to the efficacy of one’s worship of Him: Yehovah requires a broken/humble/contrite spirit and a humble and repentant heart. And if this criterion is met, then Yehovah will most happily accept their worship (Psalm 51:17 (19)).

The Apostolic portion of our reading is also familiar (i.e., Luke 6:39-49). Here, Master Yahoshua instructs His disciples not to adopt unto themselves judgmental mindset. The disciple must always inspect him/herself first before they venture to inspect the fruits of their brethren. The disciple who incorporates the Master’s teachings builds his/her spiritual house on a firm foundation that can withstand anything that life throws at it. However, the one who ignores the Master’s teachings will invariably be susceptible to the slings and arrows of the enemy and the hardships of life.

Until next time, our hope, trust, and prayer is that you be most blessed, fellow saint in training. Blessings!

We were Baptized into Moses in the Red Sea

by | Nov 12, 2022 | Podcasts

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer's Sabbath Thoughts and Reflections

Our Baptism in the Red Sea Was Illustrative of our Transformation into the People of God

So, in our departure from Mitsrayim/Egypt, which was representative of a would-be child of Yah coming into a covenant relationship with Yah through the Person and Ministry of Yahoshua Messiah, guided and led by the Presence of Yah as representative of the pillar of cloud, we crossed the Yam Suph/the Red Sea. Our backs to Mitsrayim/Egypt and Ba’al Zephon, representative of the world and its gods, we began our new existence as a people of Yehovah. Separated, set apart from the nation peoples of this world. And Yah celebrated our transition and transformation from that of being slaves and servants to this world to that of being the chosen ones of Yehovah, serving Him, by cleaving the waters of the Yam Suph and gloriously leading us through the Red Sea on dry ground. We entered/went down into the Yam Suph as if we were dead to our former way of life, having left the things and ways of this world. But we came up out of the Yam Suph on the other side as new people. As servants and children of Yehovah Elohim.  

We Were Baptized into Moses in the Cloud and the Red Sea

And thus, we were, in a great spiritual sense, baptized into Moshe (i.e., a type of Yahoshua Messiah) in Yah’s cloud (i.e., Yah’s presence; His Ruach HaQodesh) by way of the Yam Suph/the Red Sea. 

This beloved is just one example of the beauty, mystery, and efficacy of Torah to Yah’s set-apart people when they learn of Yah and walk steadfastly in His ways, with our Master Yahoshua as their focus.

 The Miracle of the Red Sea Crossing is Illustrative of Great Spiritual Truths Regarding our Redemption

The Apostle Shaul wrote:

“But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual” (1 Corinthians 15:46; ESV).

The transformation that we are called to in Messiah consists of two parts: 

  1. Being made dead to our former lives. 
  1. Being made alive to Kingdom living—transforming into the image of Yahoshua.

True Biblical Baptism is About the Netsari’s Transformation from Death to the Newness of Life

The act of baptism symbolically encapsulates both parts of the redeemed one’s transformation. The chosen one to be submerged in the waters of the mikveh spiritually and symbolically aligns him or her with Yahoshua’s death and burial. As our Master was once dead to this world in every way, so too we are to be dead to this world in every way as symbolized in the simple, but powerful act of baptism.  

But the act of baptism also illustrates to the Netsari that there’s more than being dead to the ways of the world. For our Master Yahoshua did not remain physically dead. By the power of Father Yah’s Ruach HaQodesh/Holy Spirit, our Master arose from the dead, having been transformed into a glorious being.  

The Apostle Paul/Shaul described this glorious transformation that our Master experienced in 1 Corinthians 15 where he wrote:

20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept. 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. (1Co 15:20-23 KJV)

Our Master’s transformation, in a sense, serves as an earnest. A promise if you will of what’s in store for those who are His at His return. In fact, it was the Apostle John/Yochanan who described this glorious future event in his first epistle:

2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (1Jo 3:2 KJV)

Our Glorious Transformation Begins at Baptism

But in the interim, Father requires that we begin that transformation by …no longer conforming to this world and renewing our minds to conform to the things of the Kingdom (Romans 12:2). And water immersion/baptism is where the Netsari begins his or her transformation.

And so, for the Netsari, water immersion/baptism is not just a ritual that born-again folks go through in order to be admitted to a church roll. In fact, it is far from that. But rather, water immersion/baptism is one of the great mysteries of our Faith that embodies both a state of mind and of being.

And over the course of the next couple installments of this series within a series, we will explore this mystery of true biblical baptism that I pray you will be a part of.

The Realities of Yom Teruah 2022

by | Sep 24, 2022

  Introduction to our Discussion   Welcome to the Day of the Blowing of Trumpets, or better, the Blowing of Shofars 2022. And with that, we pray that you are earnestly preparing and eagerly awaiting the arrival of Yom Teruah 2022.   The title of our...

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Death-the Grave-the Resurrection-Part 2

by | Aug 19, 2022

  Introduction   This is part 2 of our discussion on death, the grave, and the resurrection. And we will be picking up where we left off in part 1, which if you haven’t had the opportunity to either read or listen to that post on any of the platforms in which...

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The 9th of Av–You Are Called by Name–STAR-44

by | Aug 6, 2022

Tisha B'Av--The 9th of Av--"The Saddest Day of the Jewish Calendar Year."   According to Hillel’s Calendar, which I frequently refer to as the Jewish Calculated Calendar, as I am recording and posting this installment of TMTO Sabbath Thoughts and...

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Walking in God’s Divine Guidance and Protection

by | Nov 5, 2022 | Podcasts

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer

Introduction

 

This week’s Torah Portion/Parshah/Reading is the 56th Reading in our 3-year Torah Reading Cycle. And it is contained in the Cepher of Exodus/Shemot 13:21-15:18.

 

It is a continuation of last week’s reading which I entitled “The Key to Knowing God is Remembering and Obeying”.

 

Now, one of the critically important things that we will see rising to the surface as we journey through these readings, especially as it relates to the Exodus story, is the realities associated with Yah’s intense desire to dwell with His people. And those realities that are associated with Yah’s intense desire to dwell with His people are extremely beneficial to the would-be Child of Yah.

 

Those beneficial realities are essential to our covenant walk. They are extremely beneficial and dare I say, indispensable to our goal as Netzarim which is making it into the Kingdom of Yah. For without those beneficial realities or elements, which essentially constitute Yah’s help—His direct assistance, we cannot make it into the Kingdom. We cannot maintain a true and substantive covenant relationship with Him. We cannot keep His Torah and maintain His Way of life as He requires us to do. We cannot love Him and love others as He requires us to do.

 

Without these beneficial elements or realities, we will falter in our Faith walk. And the perfect illustrative examples of this can be seen throughout our years of sojourning in the Sinai Wilderness. For when we were faithful in our Faith walk with Yehovah, Yah kept us; provided for us; protected us; guided us; blessed us; He taught us. But when we were unfaithful in our walk, Yah would for a time withdraw His protection; His provision; His blessings; His guidance; His favor; and so forth.

 

Last week’s reading revealed to us that when we remember all that Yah has, is, and will do for us, and we act on those memories by obeying Him, He reveals more and more of Himself to us, which is key to the health of our covenant relationship with Him. For if we fail to know Yah, we fail to know and understand the things that He likes and dislikes; the things that please Him or the things that displease Him; what He expects of us, and what He prohibits us from doing, our chances of making it to the promised land is hindered and in doubt.

 

You know, it’s one thing to know of Yah versus knowing Yah. For a great many souls on this planet know of Yah (yea, I’ve heard of Him they’ll say). But how many truly know (I.e., “yada”) Yah? We can safely conclude that only a precious few, indeed only a remnant of souls on this planet truly knows Yah.

 

And how did this precious remnant of souls get to truly know Yah? Through their steadfast remembrance of Him and His Ways and then their faithful obedience to His instructions.

 

Yah told us in last week’s reading that He expects us to remember all that we were to experience and witness in our Exodus from Mitsrayim/Egypt and our journey to Canaan. And that we recall, recite, and explain to our little ones those things that we experienced and witnessed. That we demonstrate to them and to one another the principles and statutes that He conveyed to us in our journey.

 

In our reading today beloved, we will see the crucial element and realities of Yah’s guidance and protection that He provides to His chosen ones. We will see that He is more than capable and willing to guide and protect those that are His. That He will lead us to His promised land (I.e., His glorious Kingdom) and fight for us along the way. And we learn that without His guidance and protection, we will not make it to the promised land. We will succumb to the enemy. We will die, not just physically but spiritually.

 

You see beloved, Yah didn’t preserve this amazing story of our Exodus from Egyptian/Mitsri servitude as just a historical marker for us to reference. He preserved this story to teach us eternal life and spiritual lessons. And most importantly, He preserved this story to reveal Himself to us and to show us just how desirous He is to dwell with us. But that dwelling comes about only on His exacting terms. He calls the shots. He establishes the course of our walk. And in the process, He requires that we give over to Him every aspect of our lives. That we trust Him. That we call out to Him. That we follow His instructions. That we earnestly seek to know and understand Him.

 

And if we do all these things, Yah promises to take care of us forever.

 

Our Master admonished us to first and foremost seek Yah’s Kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). And if we successfully do that, He will take care of us.

 

Yah’s way is the only way to freedom and eternal life. And so, it is incumbent upon us to choose life and not death (Deuteronomy 30:19). And we do so by loving Yah, obeying His voice, and cleaving to Him as He guides us to the Promised Land and protects us from our enemies.

 

Beloved, we’re going to need Yah’s guidance and protection more than we’ve ever needed it in the past as we enter the dark days ahead. The world has seemingly gone past the point of redemption and is prime for Yah’s judgment and wrath to come. The enemy, seeing he has but a short time remaining, is rallying his forces and is ramping up for major assaults against us. And we cannot make the journey that is laid out before us on our own accord. We need Yah today. We need Him now.

 

I’ve elected to entitle today’s discussion: “Walking in God’s Divine Guidance and Protection”.

 

Because this week’s reading is so meaty in terms of its content and length, for the sake of time I invite you to read the text on your own and I will focus exclusively on the commentary.

 

 

 

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Yehovah Walks Before and With His People

 

(13:21) In this verse we read how Yah walked (I.e., ho’ leykh) before and with us during the day. Yah physically and visually manifested Himself in a cloud pillar by day to guide us (I.e., lan’ hho’ tam) along our route out of Mitsrayim/Egypt. And at night Yah manifested Himself in a fire pillar to illuminate (I.e., le’ ha’ ir) our way so that we would not stumble in the dark as we journeyed during night hours.

 

Indeed, as we come out from Mitsrayim/Egypt/Babylon/the world, our walk does not have off-hours. We have an appointment with destiny, the kingdom, to keep. And the enemy is right on our heels. So, we must keep going, knowing that Yah is with us and before us, guiding us and illuminating our way, even in the darkest times.

 

In these two physical and visual manifestations (i.e., the pillars of cloud and fire), Yah was continuing to reveal Himself to us. In this case, Yah reveals Himself as the One who “guides” His people as well as provides “illumination” to His people as they journey to their destination.

 

 

Recall from our discussion of STAR-55—The Key to Knowing God is Remembering and Obeying—we reflected on the key to knowing (I.e., “yada”) Yah is to (1) remember (I.e., “Zakhar) His exploits and deeds and all that He’s done for us, and (2) that we commemorate (I.e., “shama”) those exploits and deeds through our obedience to His commands/His mitzvot.

 

 

The physical and visual manifestations of the pillars of cloud and fire are clearly representative of Yah’s enduring and mighty presence along our journey—our Faith walk.

 

When Yah truly leads us, His guidance and illumination are clear and unambiguous (NET).

 

 

These visual and physical manifestations remind us also of the realities of the Apostle Paul’s description of the warfare that we, the redeemed of Yah, go through on a recurring and frequent basis.

 

Shaul wrote:

 

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12; KJV).

 

 

So, the manifestations of Yah’s presence and power clearly reveal to Yah’s people that the real war and ongoing battles we often experience take place in the spirit realm and against the gods of this world.

 

Yah revealed to Moshe in preparation for the 10th and final plague that would hit Egypt/Mitsrayim:

 

“For I (I.e., Yehovah) will pass through the Land of Egypt/Mitsrayim…Against all the gods of Egypt/Mitsrayim, I will execute judgment” (Exodus/Shemot 12:12; KJV; cf. Isaiah/Yesha’Yahu 19:1; Psalms 82:1; Zephaniah 2:11).

 

 

 

Both the pillars of cloud and of fire led us or guided us along our journey out of Egypt.

 

So, from a Hebraic standpoint, this leading that Yah is doing for us can be likened to that of a loving parent who lovingly takes their little ones by their hands and leads and guides them throughout their early development (Psalms 139:10). Teaching them. Protecting them. Providing for them. Correcting them. Helping them. Loving them. Being with them.

 

The writer of the Book of Hebrews echoed this analogy when he wrote:

 

(8) For finding fault with them, He saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: (9) not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to led them out of the Land of Egypt; because they continued not in My covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord (8:8-9; KJV).

 

The pillar of fire by night provided us light so that we would not stumble in the dark and that we can always see and feel His presence even during the darkest hours of our journey (I.e., “leha ‘ ir) (Psalms 43:3; 119:105; 119:130; Isaiah 42:16; 51:4; 60:19; Micah 7:8).

 

Our Master Yahoshua is the Light of the World. This means that He illuminates for the world the only path one can take to a covenant relationship with the Almighty and to the Kingdom—our Promised Land so to speak (John 8:12; 12:35; Acts 13:47; 26;23; 2 Corinthians 4:4; 1 John 1:5; 2 John 2:8).

 

 

Yah Never Leaves Us Alone—His Presence Steadfastly Remains with His Us

 

 

(13:22) We see in this verse that Yah maintained His presence before us 24/7 as we exited Egypt and journeyed to our destination at Mount Sinai—the Mountain of Yah.

 

The text describes Yah’s presence as being constant and that it did not move (I.e., “lo’ ya’ mish”) from before us (cf. Numbers/Bemidbar 33:5-8).

 

Our Master Yahoshua told His disciples that He would not “leave them comfortless”. That is, He would not leave them fatherless or as orphans (John 14:18-31).

 

This idea of Yah’s presence remaining with His chosen people is indicative of Yah’s intense desire to dwell with His beloved (1 Kings 6:13).

 

A writer of one of the Psalms passages echoed this very sentiment when he wrote:

 

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil. Thy rod and staff, they comfort me” (23:4; KJV).

 

The Prophet Isaiah/Yesha’Yahu wrote that Yah will not forsake His people (41:17). The question that must be answered here, however, is who the ones are that Yah considers His people. Clearly, those that walk in a covenant relationship with Him and who believe in Him and who love Him with their entire being, and who love one another as they love themselves (John 13:34).

 

As Yah’s chosen ones through the Person and Ministries of Yeshua Messiah, Yeshua sent us the “Comforter”. Yah’s Ruach Ha Qodesh/Yah’s Holy Spirit. And Master made it clear that Yah’s presence through His Holy Spirit would abide with us forever (John 14:16).

 

 

Yah Leads us to Establish Camp in Plain View and Access to the Enemy

 

 

Getting back to our reading, Josephus informs us that the Egyptian/Mitsri army consisted of 600 elite chariots; 50,000 horsemen; and 200,000 footmen. Indeed, a formidable force that would be impossible for us to resist and overcome without Yah’s help. Not to mention the spiritual enemy—Ba’al Zephon—that most certainly influenced Pharaoh and His forces to pursue after us and that stood against us.

 

 

Yah led us to turn back or reverse our course, ultimately leading us to settle before (or to the east of) of Pi-hahiroth”; between the Migdol and the sea (I.e., the Yam Suph/Suf or the Red/Reed Sea); and Ba’al-Zephon.

 

Given that Yah positioned us just across from or within clear view of Ba’al Zephon and the Migdol (I.e., an Egyptian military fortress), what message did this send the enemy? Clearly, this sent a deceiving and erroneous message to both the gods of Egypt and Pharaoh and his forces that we were confused and lost and that our God, Yehovah, was an incompetent Elohim.

 

But the truth of the matter was that Yah was about to do a mighty work in plain view of the gods and military elite of Egypt. He was about to show all creation that He was Yah and beside Him, there is no other that could do what He was about to do. For He was about to make a fool out of His and His people’s enemies. And He will do the same thing even for us today beloved.

 

It is spiritually significant that Yah instructed us as a nation to position ourselves at this interim campsite with our forward face looking towards the Red Sea/Yam Suph—that being in the direction towards the Mountain of Yah–and our backs to the enemy: Ba’al Zephon and the Egyptian forces.

 

Doubts Exist

 

 

There is great speculation among secular, Jewish, and Christian scholars as to the precise locations of Pi-hahiroth, the Migdol, and Ba’al-Zephon. The lack of any verifiable archaeological remnants of these places has led some of these scholars to doubt that the Exodus even took place. That the parting of the Yam Suph was some form of natural event and not the magnificent miraculous event that Cecil B. DeMille so brilliantly portrayed in his legendary film “The Ten Commandments” back in the day.

 

Many of these naysayers contend that the sea or body of water in this story is not the “Red Sea” as recorded in the Latin Vulgate and KJV. But rather, the Reed Sea.

 

The Reed Sea as known to us today is little more than a swampy marsh that happens to be festooned with reeds. That being the case, the great parting of the sea by Yah, according to the naysayers would have been nowhere as spectacular as the scriptures or the movie portrays. In fact, there’d be no real parting of the waters of the Reed Sea because there is more reed than water.

 

These refuse to even acknowledge that the presence of Yah, manifested in a pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night, led the nation to this place and orchestrated the miracles that would follow.

 

We must, however, resist being offended by those who seek to challenge the legitimacy of the Red Sea/Yam Suph miracle. The natural bodies and the courses and the precise locations of these landmarks most certainly have been altered or even removed by time. And despite there no longer being physical evidence of these recorded elements doesn’t mean the Exodus and its accompanying miracles did not take place.

 

You see, Yah demands that His people live by their Faith (Habakkuk 2:4).

 

The Ba’al Zephon Factor

 

Ba’al Zephon could have been a pagan sanctuary, again, the exact location to date is unknown. And I personally believe Yah may have hidden its location (assuming a sanctuary existed there at the time) as a final put down of this demigod in Egypt.

 

I would ask why Yah would not leave the enemy’s stronghold location markers for posterity’s sake. Well, I would say that for Yah to do so would only provide this fallen one legitimacy. For Yah admonished us to not even inquire after pagan gods (Deuteronomy/Devarim 12:30). It’s best that the location of this demigod’s strongholds is forgotten and lost to time. For Yah has declared that “He is Yehovah and His glory He will not give to another; neither His praise to graven images” (Isaiah/Yesha’Yahu 42:8; cf. 48:11; KJV).

 

 

 

But what we have before us here in this reading is not so much a chronological set of miraculous events leading to the destruction of the Egyptian army (which in a great sense was). But more so, it is about Yah’s redemption—His redemptive work in action for all of creation to witness. It is about a showdown between Yah and the forces of evil in this world. And I’m talking this being about spiritual warfare, which is a topic not spoken a whole lot about in our Faith Community.

 

Remember beloved, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness. So, this event was in every sense a grand confrontation between two entities: The Almighty and the demigod Ba’al Zephon or the demigods of Mitsrayim.

 

You see, Ba’al Zephon was not so much about a place as much as it was about a fallen entity that Yah would judge and put in its place.

 

Yah orchestrated this confrontation down to the very place, time, and circumstances so that all creation would know once and for all Who is the one True Elohim.

 

You know, this hearkens to the showdown between Elijah/Eliyahu and the priest of Ba’al (1 Kings 18). You might recall that in that showdown, as in our present reading, the confrontation was not so much between Elijah/Eliyahu and the Ba’al priests, as much as it was a repeat match between Ba’al and Yah. In both matches, Yah won spectacularly.

 

But this present battle was one of several spiritual battles that Yah waged against His and Yisra’el’s enemies leading up to this juncture of our story. All of which is to say that despite Yisra’el being described by Moshe as an army, Yisra’el would not be participatory in this battle. For Yah would fight for Yisra’el (14:14). And in so doing, Yah purposed to receive all the glory and honor for redeeming and delivering His people from Egyptian and Ba’al servitude.

 

I should mention that Ba’al Zephon was the Chief god/elohim of that region of Egypt/Mitsrayim. And it appears evident from archaeological findings that Ba’al Zephon was “master or lord over the sea”. And this understanding certainly plays well with the Rabbinic story that Pharaoh had counted on Ba’al Zephon to aid and give him victory over the boxed-in Hebrews encamped between the Migdol, the Ba’al Zephon sanctuary (assuming one existed), and the Yam Suph/Red Sea.

 

Dr. David Rohl, in his excellent textbook, entitled “The Exodus-Truth or Myth,” notes that “Ba’al Zephon is associated with “Seth”, the “god of chaos” or the “storm god” during the 13th Egyptian Dynasty (pg., 166).

 

 

Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance identifies Ba’al Zephon as the “lord of the North” (Strong’s Number 1189).

 

We see from our text that Yah not only took the fight to Ba’al Zephon’ s own house (I.e., his front yard) but also to his domain (I.e., the whole of Egypt/Mitsrayim), whereby he takes the Hebrews through the very sea that this demigod was supposed to have undisputed power and authority over.

 

 

 

The Guidance and Protection Yah Gives to His Children are Often Misunderstood and Misinterpreted by the Enemy

 

Pharaoh rationalized that we had become entangled in or shut in or closed in/blocked in/lost in (I.e., “sa’gar) the land.

 

One could imagine the land that Pharaoh believed had shut us in is representative of the world we live in.

 

The world does at times seem to have the tendency of shutting us in and entangling us such that at various times in our walk with Messiah we may appear as being without hope and prime for complete and utter defeat by the enemy. But if we are fully led by Yah, appearances, at least to the world, will be deceiving.

 

For Yah wants us to recognize that despite all appearances, He’s got us. He is in control over the lives of those He is in covenant with.

 

And when all is said and done, there will be no doubt that Yah has successfully guided us through our sojourn in this world, and when necessary, He fought for us. That Yah redeemed and delivered us from the servitude and entanglements of this world and the enemy.

 

Yah is forever walking with and before us. He neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psalms 121:4).

 

 

Yah Reveals Himself to Those Who Seek to Know Him and Seek His Protection and Guidance

 

 

When it erroneously appears that Yah has put us in harm’s way, Yah explains to Moshe His strategy and purpose. And that is to cause Pharaoh and his forces to move past their desire to let us go and for them to return to their high-handed arrogance towards us, especially upon hearing reports that we had turned back from our original path out from Mitsrayim/Egypt and had encamped on the shore of the Yam Suph. For Yah knows human nature and He reads and understands/discerns the hearts of men:

 

“Before destruction the heart of a person is proud, but humility comes before honor” (Proverbs 18:2; NET).

 

“I Yah search the heart, I try the reins (I.e., the inner workings of a person that is believed to control his/her emotions and affections or “kilyah”), even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doing” (Jeremiah/Yermi’Yahu; 17:10; KJV).

 

“But, O Yah Sabaoth, that triest the righteous, and seest the reins and the heart (I.e., “leb” or the mind and will of a person) … (Jeremiah/Yermi’Yahu 20:12:KJV).

 

“But, O Yah Sabaoth, who judgest righteously, who triest the heart and the mind…” (Jeremiah/Yermi’Yahu 11:20; ASV).

 

 

And in so doing, Yah knowing the heart of His enemies, He shields the righteous and overthrows the wicked and manifests His justice and might (J.H. Hertz; Torah and Haftarah). Thus, Yah purposed that through Pharaoh and the Mitsri/Egyptian army, all creation will honor Him, especially Mitsrayim/Egypt, who venerated a multitude of gods.

 

 

The Enemy is Ruthless Requiring that we Always Have Yah’s Protection and Guidance

 

 

We find Pharaoh’s and Mitrayim’s/Egypt’s attitudes officially changed towards us, despite the nation previously being anxious to see us leave their country.

 

Recall previously, at his thrusting us from His country, Pharaoh asked Moshe to intercede on his behalf to Yah. But we see here that Pharaoh has assembled his best charioteers and all his fighting forces and has set them out to confront us on the shores of the Yam Suph. So, Yah’s humbling of Pharaoh proved short-lived it seems.

 

 

English texts suggest that Yah somehow, someway changed Pharaoh’s “leb”, his heart, causing him to change his mind and attitude towards us. Thus, it would erroneously appear that Yah was setting Pharaoh up for a great fall. But the truth of the matter is that Pharaoh’s heart was already evil towards us. It was Yah’s actions, that of having us circle back around and settle by the Yam Suph, giving the enemy the false appearance that Yah had either abandoned His people or that Yah didn’t know what He was doing, that brought to the surface Pharaoh’s and his court’s true evil dispositions. The righteousness of Yah exposes the evil of the unrighteous of this world. Yah in effect becomes a weight—a driving occupation—upon the minds and hearts of the unrighteous.

 

 

And so, Pharaoh acted upon his evil heart:

 

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt or wicked…” (Jeremiah/Yermi’Yahu 17:9; ASV).

 

And he leads his army in pursuit of Yah’s people, not fully realizing that he was leading his army into a fight against the Creator of the Universe:

 

  1. Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing? 2. The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against Yehovah and against His anointed…” (Psalms 2:1-2; KJV).

 

 

Yah is Responsive to our Cries for Help

 

 

Then in verses (14:10-14) we find that upon seeing the Mitsri/Egyptian forces approaching, the people with great fear (1) cry out to Yah, and (2) openly criticize Moshe for His seeming incompetence.

 

The naysayers complained to Moshe:

 

“Was it for lack of graves in Mitsrayim/Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the desert” (14:11)?

 

 

Indeed, this sentiment was just the second of numerous murmurings that would punctuate or manifest throughout our sojourn in the wilderness. The first such dissension against Moshe was back in Mitsrayim when we were forced to make brick without the provision of straw from our taskmasters (5:21-23).

 

 

I guess it’s human nature to turn against Yah when life appears to get difficult. But rather, Abba wants us to call out to Him and seek His “yeshuah”—His salvation—His deliverance—during those difficult times. And then for us to “stand firm and witness His yeshuah” (14:13).

 

Yah intends to fight for his chosen ones. To deliver them. He’s already redeemed us from the enemy and the world with the blood of His Pesach Yeshua Messiah (John 1:29, 36). And yes, the enemy will rail against us and the redemption that Yah has wrought on our behalf. But if we are obedient and faithful, Yah will fight on our behalf against our enemies, both the physical ones and the spiritual ones (14:14).

 

And as much as it becomes our nature to doubt and wish we were back in Mitsrayim/Egypt where life seemed better to us, at least when compared to the challenges we were going through at the time, it falls upon us to hold our peace and allow Yah to do what He does. Deliver. Yeshuah. And in the process, we grow and learn to trust Him.

 

Mitsrayim/Egypt holds only death for us (I.e., the world). We latched on to Yah because we recognized this reality. So, regardless of how difficult things may get in our redeemed lives, it behooves us to obediently trust Yah and steadfastly anticipate His “yeshuah”. His relief.

 

He goes before us to lead us through life and illuminate our way in the darkness of this world. And when the enemy rallies and assembles itself against us, if we but call upon Him, Yah will come between us and the enemy and protect us as He did when the Mitsri/Egyptian forces stood against us at the choke point of the Yam Suph (14:19).

 

None of this is to say that in every challenge that we, the redeemed of Mashiyach will experience, Yah will eliminate the threat. Some challenges come by permission and will of Yah to either (1) try or test or grow us. Others are meant to chasten or correct our behavior.

 

Granted, enduring such challenges are usually not going to be pleasant. But ultimately, if we are faithful and obedient and our heart is in the right place, Yah will always bring us out on the other side of those challenges (I.e., our Red Sea) in a better state than when we first entered the challenge.

 

 

If it’s testing or proving, Yah will cause us to endure the difficulty so that we may become better instruments—better servants—for His purpose. If it’s chastening or correcting, Yah intends for us to repent, seek His face, and alter our behavior such that we do not repeat the sin.

 

In all, Yah will always be with us if we remain faithful to Him and to the covenant relationship we have with Him. In every case, however, yah desires for us to look to Him for our “yeshuah”.

 

 

Often Yah’s Ways are Counterintuitive to Us, But We Must Trust that He Knows What He’s Doing

 

 

In verses (14:15-18) we find Yah instructs Moshe to urge us forward towards the sea and that he extends his staff over the sea such that the waters will “cleave open” (I.e., “uv’ qa’ ey’ hu”) and provide us a safe path across in the midst of the cleaved waters on dry ground.

 

This bold, unprecedented move, prompted and orchestrated by Yah, will play upon the arrogance—the heart—of Pharaoh, who will foolishly lead his forces into the Yam Suph after us. And after Pharaoh gives into his “strengthened heart” (I.e., “me’ hha’ zeyq et leyv”; some translations render this as hardened heart) , Yah would “be heavy with Pharaoh” (I.e., “YHVH be’ hi’ kav’ di be’ phar’ oh”). That is, Yah will unleash His power-His wrath upon Mitsrayim/Egypt and show forth His strength, wisdom, and glory.

 

Yah is always playing 3-D chess, while the world, even the enemy, is ignorantly playing checkers; foolishly believing they know better than Yah. That their arms are long enough to successfully box with Elohim.

 

In the end beloved, Yah is going to always win the war and every battle and in the process get the glory He so justly deserves.

 

 

Yah’s Protection is Glorious and Complete

 

 

Verses (14:19-31) detail how Yah dispatched His angel—His “mal’ akh”—to stand before the Mitsri/Egyptian forces. Between Mitsrayim and us, Yisra’el.

 

This mighty one manifested himself in that pillar of cloud and fire as we journeyed with Yah out of Mitsrayim/Egypt. This mal’ akh/angel prevented the Mitsri/Egyptian army from attacking us that night while the waters of the Yam Suph were being parted and we journeyed across on dry ground.

 

The camp of the Mitsrayim/Egyptians stood in utter confusion and darkness, while we, of the Yisra’el camp, upon the Yam Suph being cleaved by Yah, in order, and in peace, crossed the cleaved Yam Suph on dry ground in the early hours of the morning.

 

And of course, the enemy, once the mal’ akh released them, pursued us through the cleaved Yam Suph. And as they pursued us, their vehicles began to break down and they began to realize they’d picked a fight with the wrong God. That their fight really was not against us, Yisra’el, but rather, it was against Yehovah Sabaoth (14:25).

 

 

Shaul wrote to the Messianic Assembly in Rome:

 

“If Yah be for us, who can stand against us” (8:31)?

 

A psalmist wrote:

 

“YHVH is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do unto me” (118:6).

 

 

Ultimately, once we were safely on the other side of the Yam Suph, Moshe again extended his rod over the cleaved waters, and the waters returned to its original state, in the process drowning the entire Mitsri/Egyptian army (14:28).

 

And we witnessed this awesome sight as we stood on the opposite shore of the Yam Suph (14:30).

 

This terrible sight should have cemented in the psyche of every Hebrew (1) Who it was that delivered them. His power. His greatness. His genius and wisdom. And His mercies. (2) Who Yah’s chosen leader for the nation was: Moshe (14:31).

 

 

As we exit Mitsrayim/Egypt, even the world, the enemy, not willing to let us go, will embark on a relentless pursuit to destroy us and or attempt to reclaim us as his servant. But in such cases, Yah tells us to stand firm, be quiet, and witness His “yeshuah”.

 

 

We Must Always Celebrate Yah’s Guidance and Protection with Praises and Rejoicing

 

 

Lastly, in verses 15:1-18 we rejoiced in song regarding that which Yah did for us.

 

 

When Yah rescues us from the wiles of the enemy and the muck and mire of this world, it is incumbent upon us to rejoice. To render unto Yah the praise, thanks, honor, and glory He so justly and richly deserves.

 

In so doing, we openly acknowledge that our redemption and deliverance did not come about by our own abilities. For we are incapable on our own accord of overcoming the world and the enemy. We desperately require Yah’s “yeshuah”.

 

Our Master was sensitive to this reality, and He told his troubled disciples:

 

“I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering but take courage. I have conquered the world” (John 16:33).

 

One of the many reasons our Master Yahoshua came was that we might have life and that that life would be more abundant (John 10:10).

 

 

Yah Intensely Desires to Dwell with Us

 

Central to any thoughts and or reflections on the Torah reading that is before us is for us to recognize the crucial reality that Yah intensely desires to dwell with His people.

 

As we journey each week into our readings, this reality of Yah desiring to dwell with us takes on several facets. And each of these facets has direct implications and applications to our respective walks with Mashiyach/Messiah.

 

 

The Spiritual Ramifications of Yah’s Steadfast Protection

 

 

Although Yah had us turn back from our set path out of Mitsrayim, our faces were toward the Yam Suph and our backs to Ba’al Zephon and Mitsrayim. This is certainly indicative or illustrative of how our lives should be as we walk in Faith and live in covenant with Yah our Elohim. Our faces must always be toward Yah and His coming Kingdom, while our backs are continually to the enemy and this world.

 

The enemy, as in the example of our reading, often sees us as lost; incompetent; weak and without hope. And certainly, without Yah walking with us and leading and guiding us and illuminating our understanding of Him and His ways, we are all these things.

 

 

The Apostle Shaul in his first letter to the Messianic Assembly in Corinth applied the lesson of the Red Sea crossing to the mandate of baptism or water immersion. Our crossing the Yam Suph was representative of our redemption and our affiliation and our Kingdom Status (1 Corinthians 10:2).

 

Redeemed from the perspective that our ownership has changed hands: From that of the enemy (I.e., Mitsrayim and the gods of Mitsrayim) to that of Yah exclusively. Yah has claimed rightful and legal ownership of us as a people and as individuals whom He has selected from all the nation peoples of the earth. We are redeemed from the world and the enemy.

 

Affiliated as a redeemed people, we henceforth would be exclusively identified and linked to Yehovah.

 

New status in that we were once dead. But in our coming out from the world, we have now been made alive and made servants of Yah through Yahoshua Messiah.

 

 

Baptism/Water immersion symbolizes these things and so much more.

 

 

Yah’s salvation—His yeshuah—is rendered unto His people via:

 

His outstretched arm (Exodus/Shemot 6:6; Deuteronomy/Devarim 4:34; 5:15; 7:19; 9:29; 11:2; 26:8).

 

Yahoshua HaMashiyach is often referred to by Jewish sages as Yah’s Right Arm (Isaiah 53:1).

 

A Mighty Hand (Exodus/Shemot 13:9; 32:11; Numbers/Bemidbar 20:20; Deuteronomy/Devarim 4:34; 5:15; 6:21; 7:8; 9:26; 26:8).

 

We were boxed in by the mountains; the Mitsri forces; and the Sea. We were seemingly facing impossible odds against us. But Yah miraculously rescued us from that impossible situation.

 

The enemy translates today into people and fallen spiritual beings that come against us as we journey toward the Kingdom. Nevertheless, Yah is more than able to defeat every foe and deliver us safely to our destination.

 

The land and sea are representative of the cares and challenges of life. We need Yah to help untangle us from this world. Only Yah holds the key to our overcoming this world.

 

The fears and insecurities of the mixed multitude are representative of ourselves. Such that we rationalize that we were better off in Egypt/Mitsrayim than we are as redeemed souls heading for the Kingdom. But the truth of the matter is that the world offers only death and no relationship with the Creator of the Universe. We then choose life, not death. We choose a relationship with the Creator of the Universe, not one with the world and the god of this world. For eye has not seen nor ear has heard, nor has entered into the imagination of humankind the things that our Elohim has in store for His chosen ones.

 

 

It behooves us as the redeemed of the Most High to look towards the author and finisher of our Faith as the only means for our “yeshuah” (I.e., our salvation). (Hebrews 12:2).

 

 

In many situations, such as the situation outlined in our text, it appears to the natural eye that the only thing that will come out of many difficult life situations is certain death and destruction. Even Moshe cried out to Yah for help.

 

But Yah, as He did with Moshe in his moment of despair, disappointingly asks us: “Why do you cry out to me? Move forward. Use the instruments I’ve given you (I.e., His staff) and I will make a way for you out of your impossible situation…” (14:15-16).

 

 

Psalms 23:4—Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: For thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” (KJV).

 

 

Our rod or staff is Yah’s Torah and the teachings and example of Yahoshua HaMashiyach. Yah’s Ruach Ha Qodesh operating within us guides us and illuminates our way through the darkness of this world. And thus, we don “The Whole Armor of Yah” so that we may withstand the wiles of the enemy in those evil days. Truth. Righteousness. Understanding and Possession of the Gospel. And faith above all else. The Ruach Ha Qodesh/Holy Spirit. Prayer. Perseverance. And Salvation (Ephesians 6:12-18). All these things make up Yah’s protective spiritual clothing that when properly worn, will help us in overcoming the world and the enemy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

El Shaddai-The Mothering Side of our God-STAR 14

by | Dec 31, 2021

Seems we have been indoctrinated to view God exclusively from a “Fathering” perspective. But could one of God’s revealed names be indicative of a “Mothering” side to the Creator of the Universe? In this installment of TMTO we explore and discuss the power and meaning of El Shaddai.

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Yehovah-The God Who Sees-STAR 13

by | Dec 24, 2021

In our reading today, we’re led to think and reflect on the themes of:

● Trusting Faith
● Respect
● Patience & Perseverance
● Responsibility
● Honor
● The Spirit Realm Intersecting with the Physical Realm
● Promise
● Sonship

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Our Example of Abraham Being a Friend of God-STAR-11

by | Dec 10, 2021

The circumcised heart of an individual—contrite and broken and humble in spirit—is the one thing that captures Yah’s attention and places him or her in contention for being chosen as His friend and ultimately His child. If our heart ain’t right, we ain’t going to be chosen to enter into an obedient covenant relationship with Yehovah, much less a friend or child of His.

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