TORAH and GLORY SCHOOL
Torah and Glory School Parsha Commentary Course
An education ministry of Bless the Land
Written by Dr. Hutch Church
December, 2010
Enroll. Invest one year of your life in spiritual transformation. The Torah and Glory School offers two levels of association: 1. Reader level. The lessons are available for use to everyone. 2. Student [talmidim] level. Here, people enroll in the school and commit to working the program. For information concerning the Torah and Glory School vision, and the process, requirements, and advantages of enrollment, click HERE. Our Introduction Page will appear where the program is explained.
Parsha Lesson Thirteen: Sh'mot ("Names")
Torah: Exodus [Shemoth] 1:1-6:1
Torah Note # 13: The second book of the Torah is Exodus, or Sh'mot, which means "Names." Names are important to YHVH, Who considers Israel His family and thus remembers every person. "For lo, I will command and I will sift the house of Israel among the nations, like corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall [and become forgotten] upon the earth" (Amos 9:9). [He knows your name also, loves you, and will not let you fall unnoticed (left without hope) to the ground.] Sh'mot has also been interpreted as "the going out" or "departure." It is the book of redemption. It covers 215 years, from the settlement of Jacob's family in Egypt to the giving of the Torah and the Mosaic Covenant at Mount Sinai, and the erection of the Tabernacle. It shows the beginning of the fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant: "And I will make of thee a great nation..." (B'resheet 12:2). In Exodus, Yeshua, the Living Torah, is seen as: Deliverer (Acts 5:31); Mediator (Heb. 8:6); Lawgiver-Moses (Heb. 8:10); High Priest-Aaron (Heb. 2:17); Passover Lamb (Ezek. 12; 1 Cor. 5:7); Tabernacle of God with men (Ex. 25-40; Jn. 1:14).
Haftorah: Isaiah [Yeshayahu] 27:6-28:13; 29:22-23
Brit Chadashah: Acts [Maaseh Shlichim] 7:17-29
Section: 1. Weekly Commentary 2. Parsha Study 3. Prayer and Blessing 4. Living the Parsha
Welcome: "Make me to understand the way of your precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works" (Psalm 119:27). The psalmist longed for an ever-improving knowledge of the breadth and width, height and depth of YHVH's Law. He desired greater understanding so he could proclaim the richness of YHVH's revelation and reveal His goodness to Israel. Make this verse your prayer this week, and trust Him to open your spiritual eyes to His precepts.
Section 1: Weekly Commentary
Last week: "And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his father's house: and Joseph lived an hundred and ten years" (Gen. 50:22).
Toward the end of the previous parsha, Jacob died. At that time Joseph's brethren, who still suspected him of harboring feelings of revenge, began to fear retribution for their past offenses. Even though the brothers had already been forgiven by Joseph, he gives them generous assurances that he will not punish them for a sin that the Almighty One had obviously turned around for their good. Joseph continued to live as viceroy over Egypt, and enjoyed watching his children and grandchildren become knit into Jacob's family and be brought up on Torah truth. As death approached him, he made arrangements for his body to be carried to Canaan when Israel returned to the land. He died peacefully at one hundred ten years of age, looking forward to the resurrection.
Joseph received honor and many possessions during his life. But among the most important possessions which he accrued during his long pilgrimage, were: (1) a forgiving, merciful spirit, (2) singleness of heart, (3) kindness, (4) a guarded watchfulness over Elohim's abiding presence, (5) spiritual endurance, (6) the love of his family, and (7) faith. He was, in that sense, to be envied. "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God" (Matt. 5:9).
This week: "Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt; every man and his household came with Jacob" (Exodus 1:1).
Exodus means going out, or departure. In it we read about the tribes/descendants of the Patriarchs (1) being transformed into a nation in Egypt, (2) receiving the Mosaic Covenant, the Torah, their national constitution, and (3) raising up the Tabernacle, which was Elohim's earthly resting place. The name of the parsha is Shemot, meaning "names". As the second Torah book opens, the names of the sons of Jacob/Israel who went with their father and households from Canaan to Egypt, are listed. They were: "Re'uben, Shim'on, Levi, and Yehudah; Yissasker, Zebulun, and Binyamin; Dan and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. And all those who were descendants of Ya'akov were seventy beings, as Yoseph was already in Mitsrayim" (verses 2-5). This small group comprised the embryo of the nation that would arise in the earth to bring YHVH's Messiah and redemption to the world!
It's amazing that such a sublime and noble purpose would be wrought from a group of disagreeable kidnappers and cover-up schemers as were Jacob's sons. All the truculent [aggressive, belligerent] brothers participated in the conspiracy to kidnap and sell Joseph into Egypt, and to cover up the truth of his disappearance with falsehood, all of which caused and prolonged for years their father Jacob's resultant melancholy. Yet, from these angry, stubborn-hearted tribal patriarchs, who began with such a dysfunctional background, came forth the Commonwealth of Israel, YHVH's covenant nation.
This remarkable development gives us (Believers) great hope today. We are reminded that our Elohim is a faithful Redeemer and Restorer of people, Who makes the unfit fit, the weak strong, the incompetent able, the despised favored, and the foolish wise. From Genesis to Revelation we observe that there is nothing too hard for our promise-keeping Abba, Who "has chosen...the base things of the world, and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that [by them] He may nullify [make of no value or consequence] the things that are, so that no man may boast before God" (1 Cor. 2:27-29). Consequently, all Believers who are returning to their Israelite identity and Hebraic roots may be assured of His faithfulness and intention to see us through to the successful completion of our journeys. "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).
The list of names with which Shemot opens does not seem necessary for the narrative, since it had been provided previously in Genesis. But there is a reason for this arrangement. Later, at the time of Israel's deliverance, the family names would be presented with greater detail. After four hundred years, the truth is made apparent that the Hebrews' names had not been changed, and this announces that the Hebrew people had not been assimilated into Egyptian culture and did not identify with it, but remained unique. The new generation was as Israelite as were their forefathers and foremothers, and the promise of return was still in their corporate heart. In the furnace of tribulation and pressure, twelve individuals with distinctly differing temperaments had become a nation of tribes with a common identity.
[Note: 1 Twelve is the number [3X4] symbolizing the presence of God with the human family; the divine presence upon/among men. Three is the number of divinity. Four is the number of the world. Hence, twelve tribes, twelve showbreads, twelve apostles, twelve gates, and so on. 2. Heredity occurs in both natural/physical and spiritual descents. The temperament (make-up, constitution, complexion, essence, personality) characteristics of the 12 patriarchs were distinctly impressed upon their tribal descendants. Reuben's instability, Judah's ability to rule wisely, Levis' zeal, Benjamin's fierceness, Dan's agility, Ephraim's and Manasseh's tendency to adventurism and spiritual mixture, and Zebulun's seafaring merchandizing are examples of this truth. The appearance of ancestral characteristics is common and can be only partly explained as coming through family customs, ideas, traditions, and inherited habits, values, and organization. Biology plays a part in the generational transfer of traits as well. With this in mind, a question arises. Will Ten-Tribe believers who return to their ancient Hebraic heritage--the apostolic faith, practices, and values of the early Ecclesia--exhibit some temperament characteristics of their tribal origins?]
Exodus is the story of Israel's miraculous deliverance from Egypt, the house of bondage, and the peoples' journey to Sinai to receive the Mosaic Covenant under the leadership of Moses. We will learn in Exodus, among many other things, that Elohim earnestly desires to dwell in the midst of His redeemed people, but on His terms.
Torah
1. "Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt..." (Sh'mot 1:1).
The Book of Exodus (Sh'mot) is woven into, or connected to, B'resheet by its concise summary of (a) the names of Jacob's children, (b) the number of his descendants who went to Egypt, and (c) the death of Joseph. The recapitulation might seem uninteresting at first glance, but, "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable..." (2 Tim. 3:16). Each of the Hebrew names has meaning, and thus the list contains a wealth of information concerning the history, rivalries, conflicts, potential, purposes and prospects of Jacob's family. "But the sons of Israel were fruitful and increased...became mighty..." (verse 7). The family's prosperity in Egypt was real, progressive, and abiding. It was not a fluke or merely a passing good fortune. YHVH brought them into the land, gave them a comfortable settlement, material possessions, and miraculous fullness of life. As Israel became "mighty," Pharaoh became more fearful and abusive. It seems that, as the life and blessing of YHVH increases upon us, the more we can expect the work of "spiritual forces of wickedness" (Eph. 6:12) to be stirred up against us, but to no lasting avail. "For YHVH is thy confidence and shall keep thy foot from being taken" (Prov. 3:26).
2. "And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi. And the woman conceived and bare a son..." (Sh'mot 2:1-2).
Amram, from the tribe of Levi, was the father of Moses, and Jochebed, his kinswoman (Sh'mot 6:20) was his wife. The couple had Miriam first, and twelve years later, Aaron was born. Shortly after Pharaoh had issued the edict to destroy the Hebrew male children, Jochebed gave birth to Moses, "a goodly child." She hid him three months. By his faithful mother's love and care, and his sister's conspiracy, the child was preserved and raised in Pharaoh's house. Learn: YHVH rules over the affairs of men, and uses wicked and ignorant men to work for His purposes. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose" (Rom. 8:28). Jochebed is an example of true, undaunted faith. She discerned in baby Moses the intimation of greatness and that the Almighty did not want him to perish in the Nile, and obeyed the prompting of the Spirit. After doing all she could for His preservation, she looked unto YHVH and was not disappointed. Moses means "drawn from water." Behind the wondrous name of Yeshua, some say his name is the greatest in history.
3. "And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren..." (Sh'mot 2:11).
Moses identified with the Hebrew people. When he was grown, he slew an Egyptian who was abusing a fellow Hebrew. The would-be deliverer fled Egypt and became a fugitive in Midian, where he helped seven maids water their flock at a well, and later became a husband and father. Moses remained in the Midian for region forty years, and attended flocks.
4. "...the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage" (Sh'mot 2:23).
The Pharaoh, from whom Moses had fled, died and another was raised up in his place. Yet Israel's oppression continued, and because of their bondage the people groaned, looking up and crying out to the God of their fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from YHVH..." (Ps 121:1-2). Their voices were heard. Sometimes groaning, though it is not articulate, is the most effective means of prayer. Paul wrote: "...the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered ['to deep for words']" (Rom. 8:26). Also, consider our Messiah: "Yeshua therefore again groaning in Himself ['being deeply moved within' or 'deeply moved in spirit' (v. 33)] came to the grave [of Lazarus]..." John 11:38). "It implies a continuity of grand, holy indignation against the anomaly of death [life's grotesque deviation from the Creator's original intent], from which the human family and He as its Representative were suffering." 1
5. "Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro...and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of the bush..." (Sh'mot 3:1-2).
The experience and revelation came to Moses unexpectedly, while he was performing his shepherding duties at the foot of the mountain. He turned aside to view the spectacle. "Moses, Moses." YHVH spoke out of the fire in the bush, identified Himself, and the revelation became personal. Moses removed his sandals, a middle-eastern custom observed by servants before the masters, and reverently surrendered himself to YHVH. [Note: The manifest presence of the Holy One of Israel is nearer than we think. Jacob, as well as Moses, were surprised by His visitation. "Surely God is in this place, and I knew it not" (B'resheet 28:16).He may manifest to you also, at any time, while you are going about your business. Be ready!]
"...I have seen the affliction of My people...So I have come down [from my dwelling place above the earth] to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up [most of Israel is at a higher altitude than Egypt] from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite...(Exodus 3:7-8).
Moses was informed that he would be YHVH's instrument of deliverance for the children of Israel. The land to which YHVH would lead Moses and His people was fertile, with the soil east of the Jordan being particularly rich and productive. There were large tracts of woodlands in Canaan, and grass-covered fields on which herds could graze. In the western areas there were terraces waiting to be cultivated. Brass, iron, and other metals could be found in the mountain earth. Canaan was waiting. Its inhabitants were thoroughly corrupted and weakened by centuries of idolatry and debauchery. They were demonized and beyond the hope of redemption, having been given over to their wickedness. Judgment was determined. Israel would be the means. The time had come, and the Almighty was preparing to deliver the Children of Israel from Egypt and bring them to the land that had been set apart for them from eternity.
6. "And Moses said unto God, Who am I that I should go unto Pharaoh..." (Sh'mot 3:11).
Moses possessed the necessary character qualities to be best qualified and used as a deliverer for israel. He had already demonstrated the needed temperament, was morally fit, bold, zealous, and familiar with the court of Pharaoh. He had been refined for such a purpose.
"...they shall ask me, What is thy name? what shall I say unto them? And Elohim said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you...thus shalt thou say...the YHVH Elohim of your fathers, the Elohim of Abraham, the Elohim of Isaac, and the Elohim of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name forever..." (Exo. 3:13-15).
As assurance to Moses, Elohim revealed His Name to him as "I AM THAT I AM." The closest translations are, "I Will BE THAT I WILL BE" or "I AM BECAUSE I AM". The abbreviated form is, "I AM". In Revelation 1:4-8 and 16:5 the Eternal One is referenced as, "He that is, and was, and is to come." [Readers can do their own research.] The words were (are) an assertion that the Holy One of Israel, Who had come to bring the multitudinous descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to the better land long since promised, was well able to accomplish the task of deliverance. By way of His Name He had proclaimed Himself to be (1) eternal, (2) infinite, (3) uncaused, (4) self-sufficient, (5) omniscient, (6) omnipotent, (7) omnipresent, (8) ready to act to and fulfill His promise, and (9) worthy to be trusted!
Before this, Elohim had been known to the Semites (descendants of Shem) by many names, such as El, Eliun, or Elohim, all of which basically mean, "Lofty, Exalted One". He was also known as El Shaddai, meaning "Strong, Powerful', implying that He was/is "More Than Enough" to meet every need of man. The other name the Elohim of Israel was known as, but one that was not commonly used or fully understood, was YHVH, which means "Existent". There is controversy over how and when the Set-apart Name should be uttered [YHVH is spoken and written as Adonai/Lord in the Bible], but the vocalization of YHVH has been lost and remains uncertain, and its exact pronunciation is thus unsettled.
Moses was instructed to speak of Elohim as YHVH, Who by His own authority had chosen this Name from among those others by which He was known, to be His proper Name. There would be no change. One reason for the use of the Name was that it would act as a deterrent against polytheism, the bane/curse of the surrounding nations and the reason Israel would be raised up in the first place. When Yeshua returns, the entire world will turn back to monotheism, from which it fell before the flood, and to the worship of the One True Elohim, YHVH. Since YHVH means "Alone Existent", Creator, not created, He thereby declared Himself to be the one true Elohim. He placed a great distance--one that no one could cross or bridge--between Himself and every other being. He proclaims in His Name that no other Creator exists, and that all other "gods" were false, demonically inspired lies, shadows and vapors. He alone was divine, real, a living and loving Personality, powerful, faithful, and worthy to be trusted.
Moses was told by YHVH to go to the elders of Israel in Egypt, and promise them two things: (1) that they would be brought out of the land of affliction, and (2) they would be settled in a good land, one "flowing with milk and honey." It would seem YHVH was as eager to get to the "Land of milk and honey", and there to settle in His tent, the Tabernacle, as were His children!
7. "And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice..." (Sh'mot 34:1). --cover verses 1-17
Moses was reluctant to become the leader. His remark shows a lack of faith that would not be unnatural or inexcusable for someone in his place. YHVH, Who is ever compassionate and long-suffering, showed His servant how He would persuade the people of the genuineness of his call. It would be through the credentials of a miraculous ministry of marvels, signs, and portents, and more. But Moses offered yet another excuse, claiming that he was not an eloquent man. Aaron, as a spokesman, was thus added to Moses' as an aide.
8. "And YHVH said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return to Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life" (read Sh'mot 4:19-23).
Moses lingered in Midian, apparently, until the (rather mild) command came again, "Go!" He tarried no longer and began His journey, and thereby benefited with fresh instructions and revelations. Along the way he was blessed by Jethro, was delivered from fear (v. 19) and went forward with a sense of empowerment--"he took the rod of God in his hand"--and was more confident of victory in his mission.
9. "And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel" (read Sh'mot 4: 24-31).
There were several meetings. First, God met with Moses over the issue of circumcision for his son, Eleazer. Moses had been guilty of neglect. His son had been left uncircumcised, un-instructed in revelation and truth, and therefore remained outside the Almighty's covenant of righteousness and life. Moses, possibly influenced by the pressure and customs of his Midianitish wife, had become an unfaithful watchman, disobedient, and guilty of another person's (his son's) blood (Ezek. 33:7-9). Life would be required for life. Moses was solemnly warned. Further, he could not be anointed and used as YHVH's deliverer unless this matter was resolved. Thus, Eleazer was circumcised, and the journey to Egypt continued. Secondly, Moses went forward alone (Ex. 18:2), but received comfort and company in the desert (Mt. 19:27-29) when he met with his brother Aaron, and shared the marvels of YHVH in the bond of faith and mutual love. Thirdly, Moses and Aaron met with the elders of Israel, and they enjoyed acceptance and success, not failure as Moses had once feared.
10. "And Aaron and Moses went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith YHVH, Let my people go..." (Sh'mot 5:1).
Moses and Aaron were reprimanded and refused a respectful hearing by Pharaoh, who sneered, "Who is YHVH?" The Egyptian king rejected truth and justice, and magnified the oppression of the Hebrews. Egypt's tyrant was cunning, cruel, and unmerciful, inspired by hell. No doubt, his throne was surrounded by unseen spirits, demon advisors who whispered unholy ideas constantly into his agitated and troubled mind.
11. "And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spoke...Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw" (from Sh'mot 5:10-14).
The Egyptian taskmasters obeyed their king, and carried out his orders to the fullest measure, probably relishing their work by "hasting [harrassing] them" day by day. Compare these harsh overseers with the midwives of Sh'mot 1 who refused to obey an earlier Pharaoh's cruel order to drown Hebrew children. Of these brave and compassionate women we are told, "...that He made them houses" (Sh'mot 1:20). Their reward was the divine provision of full and happy households, blessed by the Almighty. We do reap what we sow. "No good thing does He withhold from them that walk uprightly" (Psalm 84:11).
12. "And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in trouble...and they met Moses and Aaron..." (from Sh'mot 5:15-20).
Israelite officers pleaded with Pharaoh over the hardships, but he did not listen, and clung to preposterous reasoning: "You are idle...go...work." Again he resorted to his power and unchallenged authority. Might was right as far as he was concerned. By his repeated refusal, he deprived himself of any appeal of fresh grace, strengthened his destructive pride, hardened further his calloused soul, and consigned himself and his nation over to harsher divine judgment. The Hebrew leaders took their complaint to Moses and Aaron. Moses, who became bewildered by the mounting tension and difficulty, turned to YHVH. "Why is it that thou sent me?"
13. "Then the Lord said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land" (Exo. 6:1).
Moses had received encouragements from His Elohim concerning his mission, but his core temperament was exposed (again) and he impulsively spoke out of turn and challenged YHVH's management of Israel's deliverance. "...wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou has sent me? For since I have come to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he has done evil to this people..." (Exodus 5:22-23). In contrast, Abraham, when commanded to sacrifice his offspring of promise, Isaac, never railed or even hesitated, but remained faithful and patient, and thus saw YHVH's salvation. Moses would learn faith and patience as had his forefather, Abraham. Israel's deliverance was just behind the "birth pangs" that had discouraged the Hebrews and confused Moses. But he would soon see the Eternal One's salvation. "Now shalt thou see..." However, because of another, later exhibition of unrestrained temper and careless words [See Numbers 20:11-12] Moses would end up not witnessing YHVH's later salvation, when He would lead the Israelites out of the Wilderness to conquer the Canaan and establish them in Eretz Israel.
Moses was about to see: First, that all power on earth and in heaven belongs to Elohim. [Note: His power is exhibited regularly through redemption blessings, regeneration, restoration, renewal, healing, deliverance, provision, anointing, goodness, victory, and more, that divinely manifest in our lives day by day! Keep in mind that YHVH truly loves His people Israel and has made an all-encompassing provision for our welfare. Believe.] Secondly, that Pharaoh was not invincible nor to be feared. Thirdly, the terror of YHVH's anger as it burned against the abusers of His chosen ones. Fourthly, the end of Israel's poverty and suffering. Fifthly, a mighty redemption, complete with signs and wonders, that would inspire people throughout history. This is how Moses was alerted the Exodus was about to commence.
Haftorah
1. "He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit" (Isa 27:6).
The haftorah parallels the Torah reading in its mention of the redemption of Israel. "...and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt" (Sh'mot 3:10). The reading speaks of the deliverance of Israel, Ephraim's captivity, warnings to Judah and Jerusalem, and the ultimate redemption for the house of Jacob. "But when he sees his children, the work of My hands, in his midst, they will sanctify My name...and will stand in awe of the God of Israel" (Isaiah 29:23).
Yeshua: The Living Torah "I did not come to abolish but fulfill" (Mt. 5:17).
1. Philip encountered Nathaniel and told him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets wrote--Yeshua of Nazareth, the son of Joseph" (John 1:45). Stephen the martyr, when speaking to the mob, declared of the Messiah, "This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brethren. Him you shall hear.' " (Acts 7:37-38).
Yeshua is the "Prophet like unto me [Moses]." He is the great Deliverer of whom Moses is a type. There are thirty ways in which Yeshua was similar to Moses. We will list only a few of them. Both: (a) were sent from God (Ex. 3:1-10; Jn. 8:42), (b) were born under foreign rule (Ex. 2:2; Heb. 11:23; Mt. 2:13-14), (c) were threatened by wicked kings (Ex. 1:15-16; Mt. 2:16), (d) spent their early years in Egypt (Ex. 2:10; Mt. 2:14-15), (e) were teachers, revealed YHVH's name, and were faithful servants (De. 3:13-14; 4:1-5; Mt. 22:16; Jn. 17:6,11-12; Nu. 12:5-7; Heb. 3:1-2), (f) were shepherds of Israel (Ex. 3:1; Jn. 10:10-11; Mt. 9:36), (g) fasted for forty days and nights in the wilderness (Ex. 34:28; Mt. 4:1), (h) of their faces shone with the glory of heaven (Ex. 34:34-35; Mt. 17:2), (i) As Moses lifted up the brazen serpent in the wilderness to heal his people, so Yeshua was lifted up on the cross to heal all who would come to Him from their sin (Nu. 21:8-9; John 3:14-15; 12:32), (j) As Moses conquered the great enemy of Israel, Amalekites, with upraised arms, so Messiah Yeshua conquered our ultimate enemy of sin and death by His upraised arms on the cross (John 19:18), (k) sent out their twelve: Moses sent twelve spies to Canaan ( Num. 13) and Yeshua sent twelve apostles into the world Mt. 10:1). Moses appointed seventy rulers over Israel (Nu. 11:6-7) and Yeshua anointed seventy disciples to teach the nations (Luke 10:1), and (l) both were mediators between YHVH and man, leaders, and lawgivers. [Source of info: Hebrew4christians/Article/Like_Moses/like_moses.html ]
"For if you had believed [paid attention to] Moses, you would have [perceived who I am and] believed Me: for he wrote of Me" (John 5:46). Moses himself "had set forth in the Decalogue [the Ten Commandments] the portrait-sketch of the perfect Man, of the divine life which the Lord Yeshua proceeded to fill out, to fulfill. He [Moses] awakened by the Law that sense of sin and sinfulness which Messiah had come to soothe and obliterate." 2 Thus, Yeshua implied that (a) Moses wrote the Torah, the Pentateuch, and (b) the whole religious system of the Law--the sacrifices, the types, promises, institutions of the Tabernacle priesthood and patterns, feasts, and Sabbath--had their true fulfillment in Him. Therefore, disbelief in Moses was extended to disbelief in Messiah. If the people could not comprehend the words of Moses and of whom they bore witness, how much less could they understand the deeper truths of Messiah's words.
The Living Torah has made provision for us, and has sent a Helper to assist our understanding. What a privilege! "Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and show you things to come. He shall glorify Me..." (John 16:13-14).
The Holy Spirit "...but you shall receive power..." (Acts 1:8).
The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament: Part 5
1. "And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of the bush: and he looked, and behold, the bushed burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed" (Exodus. 3:2).
In the verse, the term angel of the Lord means "angel of YHVH". By looking at the whole passage/narrative we can positively affirm the appearance of the angel of the Covenant was that of the pre-incarnate Yeshua. He "appeared unto him in a flame of fire...", not simply in/out of a dry, acacia shrub or thorny bush of some sort. The encounter was an objective miraculous reality, not a vision.
Throughout history, fire has been seen as representative of divinity. The Vedic Indians made Agni (fire) their god, and sang hymns to it. The Persians maintained perpetual fires on their religious altars. Vulcan, of Roman theology, was a fire god. Baal, Chemosh, Moloch, and Orotal et al represented deities associated with fire. Fire is pure, and purifying, and its effects can be destructive or life-giving. It provides light, and is glorious, illuminative, bright, and cheers the soul. In the Old covenant YHVH revealed Himself in fire, not just at the bush with Moses, but later to all Israel at Sinai (Ex. 19:18; 24:17), to Manoah (Jud. 13:20), to Solomon (2 Chr. 7:1-3), to Ezekiel (Ezek. 1:4-28), and to Daniel (Dan. 7:9-10). In the New Covenant, Elohim is declared to be "a consuming fire" (Heb. 12:29), "the light of the world" (John7:12), "the true light" (John 1:9), and the Sun of righteousness" (Mal. 4:2). Could it be that He uses fire to represent Himself in creation because it is so pure, bright, comforting and fearful, all at the same time?
Bear in mind, fire is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, and we mentioned this several weeks ago. Of course, not all references to fire in the Old Testament refer to the Holy Spirit. But some mentioning of fire does symbolize the Holy Spirit and His illuminating, purifying, and judging work. For example, in Zechariah 13:9 we read of the purifying work of the Spirit. "And I will bring the third part through the fire, and refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, it is my people: and they shall say, the Lord is my God." Also, in Malachi the Spirit's work/ministry of the inner purification of Israel is spoken of again. "But who may abide the day of His coming? And who shall stand when he appeareth? for He is like a refiner's fire, like fullers soap: And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering of righteousness" (Mal. 3:2-3).
The sacred work of the Messiah must be seen in this context as being moral, an internal function, and not physical. With regard to this, the Scriptures affirm at least four things: First, Yeshua's very presence exposes and reveals evil. Place a clean thing next to what is unclean, and the unclean thing stands out. He is our Righteousness. Secondly, "All judgment is committed unto the Son." Messiah's ministry includes judging and punishing wickedness. He is our Judge. Thirdly, Messiah Yeshua delivers us from evil. He is our Refiner. Fourthly, Messiah Yeshua cleanses us from the work of evil in us. Only the harsh process of the fuller, by pounding, can reach it and expel what is in the fabric. He is our Fullers Soap. Sounds rough, but it's good. Be glad!
This future work of the Holy Spirit was spoken of in the Old Testament by prophets, who themselves were under the weight and inspiration of the Spirit when they wrote and spoke. The ongoing, cyclical pattern of Israel's backsliding, secularism, and spiritual hypocrisy showed that only a divine intervention from YHVH on behalf of His people would establish His eternal purposes for them. The prophets saw for the future, visions of a coming revitalizing outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit would come upon His people for Israel's (1) restoration. "...the palaces shall be forsaken; multitudes of the city shall be left; the forts and towers shall be for dens forever, a joy for asses, a pasture of flocks; until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field..." (Isaiah 32:14-15). The first result of the outpouring of the Spirit would bring restoration and fruitfulness. The stony heart of Israel would be changed into a fertile garden capable of bearing good spiritual fruit. Then, when individuals have been changed, purged of old carnal works and ideals [Read Malachi 3:2-3 again], justice and righteousness would flourish and dwell in the land.
He would pour out His Spirit for Israel's (2) transfiguration. "I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground. I will pour My Spirit upon your children, and my blessing upon our offspring" (Isa. 44:3). Water is also a symbol of the Holy Spirit, and points to His work in regeneration, refreshing, new birth, and renewal. Sometimes words like rain, dew, streams, rivers, and floods are also used to describe this functioning of the Spirit. The verse speaks of a coming, and needed outpouring of divine grace--unmerited divine assistance of the Spirit given to spiritually thirsty man for his repentance, regeneration, sanctification, and empowerment--upon the Israel of God.
"And it shall come to pass afterwards, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit" (Joel 2:28-29). The Spirit was promised to come (3) to indwell all Believers for regeneration and supernatural spiritual power . The Old Testament prophesies concerning the coming of the Spirit must be read with an eye to the New Testament. [We will begin to discuss the words of John the Baptist and Yeshua concerning the Spirit next week.] Peter quotes the prophet Joel and applies his words to, "in the last days" (Acts 2:17).
The word "pour out" is shaphak, which does not refer to bestowing the Spirit lightly, by drops or sprinkling. Shaphak means to pour out in great abundance! The Spirit was not poured out over all men in the Old Testament times [Law]. However, since the manifestation of the Son of Elohim, the Spirit has been poured out copiously. As we have discussed, the Spirit's ministry was obviously present and vital before the Messianic era, but His outpouring "on all flesh", prophesied in the Old Covenant period, is a New Covenant phenomena. The Holy Spirit's strength-of-visitation, and the number of recipients in the O.T. times, was varied and restricted to greater and lesser extents. But this prophesy from Joel speaks about a great, abundant, unprecedented shower (monsoon season) of the Spirit to come on all people without regard to race, age, sex, nationality, or social status. A result would be that prophecy, dreams, and visions would be commonplace. The requirement for receiving the gift of the Spirit and regeneration would be: Repent and believe on Messiah Yeshua.
The wonderful effects of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit will be examined at another time. Next week we want to look at the Gospels and learn what John the Baptist (Yochanan the Immerser) and Yeshua taught about the Spirit of Elohim.
Lesson: The bush was noticed and significant only because of the divine glory [holy fire] that rested upon it. Elohim spoke out of the fire, not from within the bush itself. The image is obvious. Without the Spirit [Holy Fire], the Ecclesia [you/me/us] is only a (somewhat) dry, sparsely-fruited "bush", a religion heavy in form, teaching and liturgy but without the demonstration and benefit of divine supernatural power confirming the Word,. Hence, it is functioning below its potential. Our lives and service and words must be daily born anew and come forth from His Holy Fire within us. The true glory of Israel is YHVH's dynamic Shechinah presence in her midst!
Knowing His Voice/Being Led by the Spirit
2. "When YHVH saw that he [Moses] turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses! And he said, here I am. Then He [YHVH] said, Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground" (Exodus 3:4-5).
The voice of YHVH proceeded out from the burning bush and calls, "Moses, Moses". The double address suggests both affection and urgency. Moses was summoned to remove his shoes, as the ground on which he was standing was rendered holy by the manifest presence of Elohim. Moses was receiving a supernatural, divine call to service, and by coming near, taking off his shoes, and answering "Here I am", (which can be interpreted as I am available), placed himself at YHVH's disposal as a servant. [Note: Do not tarry and postpone your dedication to Yeshua for another, "more convenient" time or place. Instead, consecrate yourself immediately, as did Moses, in the place on which you now stand. Take off your shoes. The Elohim of Israel is approachable today! "Seeing then we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God...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. 4:14-16).]
Elohim does not (as far as we know) speak to His people from burning bushes today, but He bears witness by His Spirit which is in communion (unity) with the Believer's inner man, his re-born, regenerated human spirit. The un-regenerate spirit of man is like a dry shrub, void of the internal life flow of YHVH. The recreated Believer's spirit ("...he is a new creature") has within it His divine fire, the Spirit of YHVH--and from that sanctified place (Holy of Holies) of holy communion He speaks to us. [See: Numbers 7:89; 2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15.] Hence, the Apostle Paul includes the blessing of the communion of the Spirit in his great apostolic benediction to the Corinthians. "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all" (2 Cor. 13:14).
The Holy Spirit comes to bring conviction to the world, it is true, but the communication of truth to believers is a primary function of His office.
Last week we had intended to include comments on John 16:13-14 in this section. We will now proceed, and glean important insights from the verses concerning the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit.
"Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He will not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that will He speak: and He will show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for He shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you" (John 16:13-14).
Yeshua was compassionate, and considered the capacity of his disciples to understand His words when He said, "I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot hear [understand] them now" (Jn. 16:12). He had told them things during His ministry that were difficult for them to readily grasp. Other truths would be imparted, but by the Spirit, and at a time when His disciples were experienced and spiritually mature enough to comprehend them. Greater illumination would be placed upon such truths as: His incarnation, atonement, grace and law, the Gentiles entry into the kingdom of God, and the destiny of the Ecclesia, the Congregation of Israel. Today the Spirit is still illuminating the Word of Elohim and imparting greater understanding about the return of the Ecclesia to her Hebrew roots, Israelite/Hebraic identity, and Judah's and Ephraim's roles in the latter days. Yeshua, by the Holy Spirit, adjusts His lessons in proportion to the capacity and maturity of His followers. It is a sign of His love and wisdom. It also explains why not everyone is on the same spiritual page of restoration experience and truth. We have exciting things--such as revelation, insight, wisdom, illumination of the Word, new experiences with His presence, and more--to which we can look forward.
Again, it is to our great advantage to develop an ear to hear what the Spirit says, and teaches. [See: Revelation 1-3.]
A. The Holy Spirit provides personal, individualized guidance for each Saint. He is the divine Guide for travelers to Zion, and not merely an influence or energy force. His guidance is true. His teaching is not self-oriented or self-originated (like the devil's), "but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak..." His teaching elevates inspiration above the typical spiritual illumination of Scripture enjoyed by most Believers, and includes things not yet revealed, perceived, understood, or known on earth. At this level, illumination of Scripture becomes revelation. Consider the four Hebraic levels of progressive interpretation of Holy Writ: P'Shat (literal; inspiration), Remez (hint; insight), Drash (homiletic, verse interpreting verse; illumination), and Sod (divine revelation). While the Holy Spirit works at all levels of interpretation, the sod level understanding of truth is the most sublime [lofty, exalted] fulfillment of John 16:13-14 [quoted above] concerning Him. All levels of interpretation will compliment, not contradict, one another. The Spirit also teaches about things to come, and opens the curtain on the destiny of the Whole House of Israel.
B. Remember, the Holy Spirit, in His function of manifesting truth, will always glorify Yeshua Ha Mashiach. "He shall glorify me: for he shall take of what is mine, and shall show it unto you."
C. According to the Prophet Joel, it appears the last days will be a time particularly noted for the operation for the gift of prophesy. "And it shall come afterwards [in the last days], that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy..." (Joel 2:28).
Looking back, what was significant about that bush? There was a divine fire on it, that did not consume it. And Elohim spoke to Moses out of the fire, not the bush. In these last days, the Holy Spirit wants to speak to you, and through you. Accordingly, cultivate a spirit of holy inquiry and reverence as you study through the Exodus phase of our commentary course. To the sincere seeker He reveals Himself, and may give a dramatic, fiery call to service.
Glory Note # 13: "Glory and honor are in His presence; strength and gladness are in his place" (1 Chron. 16:27). YHVH's glory and power accompany His presence, and stir the hearts and minds of believers with feelings of awe and reverence. Our Creator and Redeemer is entitled to our worship. To honor Him and pay Him homage is right and just, and does not diminish, but lifts up and blesses the one who honors Him. With the manifestation of His glory there is divinely amplified power for healing, revelation, deliverance, comfort, the appointment and empowerment ministries, and spiritual transformation (John 15:26; Rom. 8:1,10, 13; Acts 9:31; 13:14; 20:28; 1 Cor. 2:10-12; 3:17). Gather with others and seek His face during the Sh'mot season.
Parsha Summary
1. "But when the time of promise drew nigh, which God has sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, till another king arose, which knew not Joseph" (Acts 7:17-18).
In this passage, Stephen is making his defense before his persecutors who had brought him forth to stone him. He told them that the children of Israel did not recognize Moses as their sent deliverer, and rejected him at first in spite of his miraculous works. He declared in the face of the angry mob that they, in like manner, had rejected the miracle worker Yeshua, Who also had been sent as their Deliverer, and had been crucified recently before them. Just as the words of Moses had in the beginning been ignored, so had these unbelieving men turned away the words of the Living Torah. There are many who do the same thing in this hour.
Yeshua said, regarding the days before His return, "You will hear of wars and rumors of wars...famines and earthquakes, but all these are merely the beginning of birth pangs" (Mt. 24:6-8). In Israel's history we see that it was usually following a period of intensified suffering and darkness that the light of redemption would arise. The oppression of the people of Israel increased while they awaited their deliverance from Egypt, and even Moses became alarmed. Yeshua forewarns and prepares the people of our day not to be discouraged by the hardships that will intensify upon the earth, for they (a) declare the nearness and (b) prepare the way for the advent of the Messiah and His Kingdom.
2. "And these are the names of the children of Israel...Reuben, Simeon, Levi..." (Sh'mot 1:1-2).
"Although God had already counted them in their lifetime, He again counted them at the time of their death, to express His love for them. For they are like the stars, which He takes out and brings in by number and name; as it is written (Isaiah 40:26): 'He takes out their host by number, He calls them each by name.' " 3
In America today, He is again remembering and removing [taking out] the people of Israel from Egypt--the world system and unbiblical religions--by imparting revelation to the Ecclesia. One-by-one, name-by-name, He is bringing the people of Judah to Messiah, the people of Ephraim to the Torah and their Hebrew roots, and He is bringing both houses to the fullness of the Spirit.
Section 2: Vision and Parsha Study
"Out from the throne came flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder, and in front of the throne seven blazing torches burned, which are the seven Spirits of God [seven-fold ministry of the Holy Spirit]" (Rev. 4:5).
The heritage of Israel are the Torah and the Glory of YHVH. The two are the foremost revelations of His love, holiness, and perfection. For now we will define the glory of Elohim as the totality of the goodness and righteousness of His character as revealed in the Scriptures, in creation, and supernaturally expressed, even visibly and tangibly, by His weighty manifest Shechinah ("settling") presence that Moses experienced at the bush incident, on Mount Sinai, and when the Tabernacle was first erected (Ex. 3:3; 33:17; 40:34-35). "It came about when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of stone were in Moses' hand as he was coming down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him" (Ex. 34:29). Both the essence of YHVH's Torah [Ten Commandments/Words written on the tablets] and YHVH's glory that were carried down the mountain by Moses are divinely birthed into the spirits/hearts of believers by the Holy Spirit and regeneration through faith in Messiah Yeshua (Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 11:14-21; Joel 2:27-28; John 3:1-16; Acts 1,2,10; 1 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15). Therefore we believe it is YHVH's will for all Israel to experience His manifest goodness and His manifest glory increasingly as our blessed individual and corporate habitation; as our tangible mantle and divine supernatural covering. (1 Pet. 4:14). Our hope is based upon His Word: "I will cause My Shechinah [His glorious, radiant presence; the supernatural brilliance which is the outward expression of His character and goodness; See Matthew 17:1-8] to dwell [to settle] in the midst of [within, upon] thee" (Zech. 2:10).
Messianic Israel is called to make--by faith and obedience to His Truth--His anointing, His tangible presence, and His discernable, manifest glory, dominant internal and external realities in our lives. With this intent in mind, we have provided an explanation for your examination. Please read it and follow the study instructions. They explain the pathway of progress toward this pursuit of regaining the fullest possible measure of our spiritual heritage, the knowledge and experience of the Spirit and Truth of the Holy One of Israel. May the time we spend in prayer and study become times of divine encounters also.
Weekly Parsha Commentary Study
Torah and Glory School Vision: "...search for Me..." (Jeremiah 29:13). This section is provided to help the student read beyond the basic commentary that we have presented, and study carefully all the Scriptures in the week's parsha for themselves. As each reader presses more deeply into the Word and learns to depend more consistently on the Spirit in his/her search for greater knowledge and intimacy with Yeshua, increased personal enrichment and spiritual transformation will be experienced and enjoyed. Section 2 contains a review of the weekly parsha's Scriptures, their topical content, and our questions. Working with each week's Scriptures and Questions are both very important to our purpose. They are designed to assist the student to (1) develop a vision for the restoration and reconciliation of the whole house of Israel, (2) grow in foundational knowledge of the Torah, (3) recover the principles, practice, and Holy Spirit power of the early, first-century Nazarene believers, and (4) experience and enjoy greater dimensions of the kingdom, power, and glory of Yeshua.
The assigned Scriptures and Questions, along with Section Three's prayer and blessing activities, comprise (5) the heart of the Torah and Glory School's study program by which the student can be most edified and advanced spiritually. By them the student learns on his/her own while depending on, and thereby coming to know more personally, the Holy Spirit. We strongly encourage each student to rely upon the Spirit/Ruach--for understanding, revelation, insight, illumination of the Word, edification, and divine fellowship--during prayer, worship, and study. He is the close-at-hand primary Teacher of the course, not this author. [Note: Learning the Almighty's voice and experiencing His manifest glory, not just acquiring more information, are central goals of the Torah and Glory School.] In this way, the Scriptures--reading them while listening for the Holy Spirit, and the Questions--writing answers while under the Spirit's unction and receiving divine input, work together to comprise (6) the student's chief means of personal practice/exercise/training in seeking, waiting on, listening for, and promptly responding to the voice/word of Elohim. And by such seeking, faith-motivated students position themselves spiritually, mentally, and emotionally prepare themselves for experiencing a visitation of Yeshua's presence and glory through the Spirit. In this way the Scriptures and Questions also become
(7) the channels through which the Spirit of Messiah will directly communicate personal instruction, direction, wisdom, and comfort to each engaged person. The students who faithfully follow the "game plan" and remain committed to do so for the year, will be transformed, and enjoying much closer fellowship with the Father, and Yeshua, His Son, and hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit, by the end of Deuteronomy.
Scriptures and Questions
Prayer: "Open my eyes that I may behold wonderful things from your law" (Psalm 119:18).
Exodus 1:1-6:1: Joseph is forgotten/ Israel grows/ New Pharaoh/ Birth of Moses/ Moses drawn from Nile/ He identifies with Hebrews/ Flees Egypt/ YHVH hears Israel's groans/ Burning bush/ Call of Moses/ Name of Elohim/ Moses given power/ Aaron/ Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh/ Israel's labors and hardships/ YHVH promises deliverance.
Isaiah 27:6-28:13; 29:22-23: Degradation to come upon Israel, and later will come deliverance from her enemies/ Both houses of Israel, Judah and Ephraim, rebuked for unbelief, idolatry, humanism, and secularism.
Acts 7:17-29: Stephen makes his defense against false accusers.
Study Questions: "...be ready always to give an answer..." (1 Peter 3:15). Trace the theme, the main idea, through each question.
1. In your opinion, what is the main theme or teaching of each of the listed readings individually: the Torah, the Haftorah, and the Brit Chadashah?
2. What is the common, central idea, or subject, that runs through and unites all the individual readings, as you see it?
3. Find in the Gospels where and how Yeshua declares, demonstrates, exemplifies, or exhibits the parsha's central truth, and explain. Give chapter and verse. [Ask: Where is Yeshua in this?]
4. In what way was the glory of YHVH [manifestations of His goodness] revealed in the parsha lesson? [Pray: Let me see your glory in the reading.]
5. What does the parsha teach you/show you about your Hebrew roots ; your identity, your destiny, your duty? [Ask: What are You teaching me about my heritage and calling?]
6. In what way did the Holy Spirit/Ruach HaKodesh personally speak to you during prayer and study this week? Did He impress you about how to apply the parsha lesson directly to your life? Explain. [Ask: Let me hear Your voice.]
7. "...because of practice [by reason of use] have their senses trained [exercised] to discern..." You and I are called to return to hearing the voice of Elohim and to functioning in the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Progressing in these vital areas will require spiritual hunger, faith, and practice. He is waiting for us to approach Him. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak into your spirit/heart as you pray each day. Look for opportunities to lay hands on the sick, or to be used in prophesy. Faithfully record the prophetic words and experiences you receive, and be sure to share them with your brethren.
It is helpful to share your answers, insights, and revelations with your study group (table class). We recommend meeting regularly in a small group. This allows for healthy interaction and exchange, and militates against stagnation. Practice operating with your spiritual gifts under the anointing of the Holy Spirit while among your friendly, supportive peers. Allow for open participation in leading praise and worship. Give altar calls at your table for healing, refreshing, and prophetic words. These are effective ways for all present to mature in their calling and gifting. The non-threatening small group provides a favorable and encouraging environment in which to learn the ministry of the Spirit.
Section 3: Prayer, Declaration, and Blessing
[Note: The prayer and declaration Scriptures are changed with each book of the Torah. For instance, in Exodus we will have new Scriptures on which to focus. And more in Leviticus, and so on. However, the Song of the Lord/Prophetic Worship teaching section is progressive and new each week. So, be sure to use this section. Shalom.]
"On this wise shall ye bless the children of Israel, saying unto [over] them, the Lord bless thee...keep thee..." (Num. 6:23-24).
Important: Participate each week in the Bless the Land prayer, benediction, and singing exercises/activities, both individually and with your group. This is important for yourself and others. Your joining in with vocal participation--blessing and strengthening Israel with your spoken words, prophetic utterances, sung psalms, and intercessions--will also help develop and enlarge your prophetic anointing and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. Daniel, who daily faced Jerusalem and Israel from his house in exile to pray, is an example of what we can do weekly from our homes today. "...Daniel...entered his house(now his roof chamber had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling...praying and giving thanks before his Elohim" (Daniel 10).
Bless the Land: "On this wise shall ye bless the children of Israel, saying unto them [declaring the Word to and over them], the Lord bless thee...keep thee..." (Num. 6:23). YHVH wanted to bless, keep, and shine His glory on His people. So He had his priests stand in His place [stand in for Him] and proclaim the blessings, which He in turn would perform for the believing recipients. Believers have a similar role today, as did Aaron and the priests in ancient Israel. "But you are...a royal priesthood..." (1 Pet. 2:9). When we take our place as a responsible priesthood and begin to declare the written and prophetic word and will of YHVH, even spontaneous songs, over His people, He will rise up and perform that which has been declared. He works in partnership with his set-apart royal priesthood. Therefore, "...bless, for to this you were called, that you may receive a blessing" (1 Pet. 3:9).
[Note: "The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life" (Prov. 10:11). Believers' mouths are connected to the spiritual power that created the universe. Our words possess/carry both constructive power (building up) and destructive (tearing down) power. Job 22:28; Luke 4:18-19; Mt. 21:21; 28: 18-20; Acts 1:8; 2:4; Rom. 12:6-8; 1 Cor. 12: 1-11; Eph. 6:17-19; Rev. 8:3). "Death and life are in the power of the tongue" (Prov. 18:2). Therefore, let us fulfill our priestly role and declare with confidence His Word over Jerusalem, Israel, and the nation this week.]
"And I will bless them that bless thee" (Genesis 12:3).
1. Pray for Israel.
"The Lord appeared to Israel saying, Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, with loving-kindness have I drawn you and continued My faithfulness to You" Jer. 31:3. Bless Israel with your words.
2. Pray for Jerusalem.
"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions' sake, I will now say, Peace be within thee" (Psalm 122:6-8). Bless Jerusalem
3. Pray for America/Pray for your nation.
"...the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth was upon them. And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all the strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers" (Neh. 9:1-2).
Pray for a spirit of repentance to come upon the Ecclesia/Church in the land, and for a spiritual awakening among the people through faith in Yeshua Messiah.
4. Sing the Song of the Lord/Prophetic songs. [Teaching/Exhortation/Activity]
"Then Ezekiel gave the order to offer the burnt offering on the altar. When the burnt offering began, the song of the Lord also began with trumpets, accompanied by the instrument of David, king of Israel. While the whole assembly worshipped, the singers also sang and the trumpets sounded; all this continued until the burnt offering was finished. And when they had made an end of offering, the king and all that were present with him bowed themselves, and worshiped" (2 Chron. 29:27-28).
After sixteen years of corrupt rule by King Ahaz, twenty five year-old King Hezekiah of Judah [Hezekiah means The might of YHVH] moved quickly to bring reformation to the nation. He had the Priests and Levites cleanse themselves, the Temple, and all its utensils. He then led the Israelites in repentance and return to the Torah, offered up an atoning blood sacrifice, a burnt offering, and arranged the fullest possible celebration [singers, musicians, choirs] to accompany the sincere and sacred proceedings.
The song of the Lord, one of inspired, exuberant praise and thanksgiving with music, began with the burnt offering being placed upon the brazen altar, and continued until the offering was consumed. By that time, the anointing upon the song of the Lord was so powerful that those present "bowed themselves, and worshiped." The verb "bow" in Hebrew carries with it a sense of force, or forcibleness, the idea of which can be surmised by reading: Gen. 49:9; Num.24:9; Jud. 5:27 and 7:6; 1 Kings 19:18. [Please take time to look over these verses.] Further, the particular Hebrew word "worship" in this verse conveys the idea of a weight, a force not only (external) affecting body posture, but a force or impression (internal) bearing strongly upon the mind and heart as well. Thus, the phrase, "bowed and worshiped", speaks of a visitation of the Spirit so profound and heavy that it caused: (1) deepening, inspired worship (2) profound adoration and reverence, (3) rising degrees of revelation, (4) greater respect and allegiance, (5) heart-felt thanksgiving to be offered up to YHVH, (6) holy awe, and (7) the bowing and prostration of the congregation.
The outcome of this great repentance/rededication effort on the part of Hezekiah and the people was: "So the service of the house of the Lord was set in order. And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that God had prepared the people: for the thing was done suddenly" (1 Chron. 29:35-36). Powerful visitation, revival, rejoicing, and spiritual order were Israel's measure.
Hezekiah's father was evil, "For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel" (1 Chron. 28:2). But Hezekiah did not succumb to hereditary curses or corruption. YHVH raised him up and empowered him to cope with the demands of his era, and to usher in a much needed renewal and reprieve for Judah. We learn from Hezekiah's reformation success that the highest, most propitious virtue to be found in man, one that leads him to walk in truth and righteousness, is faith in YHVH.
The Song of the Lord intensifies and engages His presence, inspires and strengthens individual and corporate worship, produces repentance, and facilitates revival. This week: Sing Psalm 144:9-11. Listen for His response.
Section 4: Living the Parsha
Conclusion
1. Personal application: "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (1 Cor. 10:13).
The Corinthians had heard from Paul about the trials and temptations endured by their forefathers and foremothers, and some began to despair whether they could endure such difficulties also. The apostle reminds the Believers that early Israel's struggles and temptations were not superhuman, but were the type that had been resisted before, and could be resisted and overcome again, by them. He assures the Corinthians that God knew then "how to deliver the godly out of temptations" (2 Pet. 2:9), and that He would deliver [special means of escape for each temptation/trial], establish, and fulfill His covenant with them as well.
When considering Sh'mot, even the whole book of Exodus, we learn four helpful truths concerning temptations to sin and despair that encourage us to endure and emerge victorious in mundane, day-to-day life. They are: (1) Temptation is allowed by Elohim. It is a fact of life on earth. No one escapes it. (2) Temptation is endured/withstood through the faithfulness of the Eternal One. He has undertaken to be your Shield and Deliverer. "No weapon formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord" (Isa. 54:17). (3) Temptation is regulated, or tempered by the Almighty, Who shall never allow it to exceed our individual power or ability to endure and resist it. (4) Temptation, as far as true believers are concerned, is always accompanied by a "way to escape." The same Elohim who delivered Joseph from prison, Jacob from famine, and Israel from Egypt, makes a way for deliverance and escape for all who trust in Him. Keep His commandments. Walk in the Spirit. And be glad!
2. Corporate application: "You shall no more give the people straw to make bricks, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves. And the tale of bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish aught thereof." (Exo. 5:7-8).
Pharaoh was convinced the people were attempting to shirk their duties, being drawn away from their daily responsibilities by the distractions of Moses and Aaron. He therefore decided the best way to stop the two intruders' rabble-rousing was to force the Israelites into such strenuous and difficult labors that they would have no time, interest, or energy for Moses' fantastic claims and incitements. Life for the children of Israel grew more and more harsh as Moses and Aaron continued to confront Pharaoh.
[Note: There were two levels of authority over the Hebrews. They were: (1) the Egyptian taskmasters, who set the work quotas, and (2) the Hebrew foremen, who were responsible to enforce the Hebrew laborers to fulfill their quotas. If the Hebrews' work assignments went unfulfilled, the taskmasters beat the foremen, often brutally. It was a tactic, used by other nations later in history, to pit Israelite against Israelite, and force them to mistreat one another, and thereby cause the attrition of unity. In Egypt the foremen accepted the beatings from the taskmasters and did not retaliate against their overworked and exhausted fellow Hebrews. "Because of their devotion to their brethren, the foremen were chosen to be the elders in the Wilderness" [Chumash/Rashi]. Scripture teaches us that leadership comes forth from unselfish devotion to people, and dedication to their well-being, not from self-aggrandizement. Remember Judah. He exemplified this by his promise to Jacob, and his intercessory plea before Joseph. Because of these virtues, He was the one who arose preeminent among the ten brethren.]
The increase of Believers' difficulties and the enlargement of their trials does not mean the Almighty's plans and purposes for them are failing. When the Word of Elohim is rejected and the Spirit is grieved, the carnal soul becomes inflamed, increasingly excited into heated rebellion, obstinacy, and intensified resistance to Elohim's will. The unregenerate spirit has blasphemed and resisted YHVH throughout history. This describes Pharaoh. Israel's deepening troubles were the temporary result of YHVH arising to fight for them. But Pharaoh's mounting resistance signaled the advent of his demise and the nearness of Israel's exodus.
The pathway to maturity, a promise, or even the next spiritual season often runs straight through the enemy's staunchest resistance. Israel went through Egypt's Pharaoh. Joshua went through Jericho's walls. David went through the Philistine's Goliath. And we, who are returning to our Hebraic heritage and righteousness must go through religious tradition and considerable ridicule before we arrive at Jeremiah 3:14-18.
Pray: "Let me see thy glory." His glory is in you by the Holy Spirit. Pray and believe for His presence to rise up and envelope your soul with His goodness, and the revelation of His heart. You are a child of the Most High and He desires you to experience intimate spiritual communion with Him.
Next week: Parsha Va'era ("And I appeared")
Remember: Growth takes "lifting." Be sure to complete your answers and exercises. They are the "weights" that the Ruach HaKodesh will use to develop you with a strong, well-proportioned, balanced, spiritual physique in Spirit and Word.
References: 1. Pulpit Commentary, Gospel According to John, H. Reynolds, pg. 94. 2. Pulpit Commentary, John, pg.225. 3. Chassidic masters, Prashah in Depth, pg. 2.
