Tag Archives: Exodus

At the Edge of the Red Sea: Fear Versus Faith

Posted on by
1

Exodus 14:13–15, And Moses said. The first four statements that Moses makes in these two verses presupposes the four fear responses the Israelites would naturally have had when pinned between the Egyptian army and the Red Sea.

  • To those who wanted to commit suicide by fleeing, and since there was nowhere to go, fleeing meant certain death either by drowning in the sea or by Pharaoh’s army, Moses said, “Do not be afraid. Stand still and see the salvation [Heb. Yeshua] of YHVH.”
  • To those who wanted to go back to Egypt, Moses said, “The Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see no more.”
  • To those who wanted to fight, Moses said, “YHVH will fight for you.”
  • To those who wanted to just complain, or even to pray about their plight, Moses said, “Hold your peace.”

When faced with similar impossible situations, we typically have the same responses as that of the children of Israel, when all we have to do is to stand still in faith and wait on YHVH to supernaturally deliver us. But there’s more. Faith isn’t passive. It’s active. This is where the fifth statement—this one made by YHVH—comes in to play.

YHVH command the Israelites to “Go forward” in faith! YHVH expected Moses, the leader, to lead the way. YHVH told the Israelites to confront their fears including the fear of death and to step into the Red Sea. Only when the people’s leader stepped forward in faith and placed his foot into the Red Sea did the sea part and the deliverance of YHVH became evident.

Note what Moses told Israelites in this first statement: “Stand still and see the salvation [Heb. Yeshua] of YHVH.” As already noted previously, the pre-incarnate Yeshua the Messiah was the Messenger of YHVH who was with the children of Israel in the fire cloud positioned between the Israelites and the Egyptians. When Yeshua the Messiah is in your camp, there is nothing to fear! This was a lesson in faith that the Israelites had to learn—and one we have to learn as well. Let’s not forget the words of the apostle:

I can do all things through Messiah which strengthens me. (Phil 4:13)

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through [Messiah] that loved us. (Rom 8:37)

What shall we then say to these things? If Elohim be for us, who can be against us? (Rom 8:31)

 

Exodus 13:17—17:16 Parashat Beshalach

Posted on by
Reply

This is a gospel-oriented Torah study. Our goal is to connect the good news of Yeshua the Messiah (the gospel message) to its Hebraic, pro-Torah roots or foundations. The information given here is more than head knowledge. Understanding and wisdom (the right application of knowledge that is based on truth) is taught thus making biblical truth practical, relevant and applicable to your daily life. The truths of the Bible not only have the power to transform your life here and now for the better, but eventually to take you past the veil of death and into eternity.

This Torah study is subdivided in sections by topic in a magazine format thus making it easy to watch at several sittings.

May you be blessed as you watch this video.

For a free, printable adult and youth Torah study guide on this Torah portion (parashah), please go to http://www.hoshanarabbah.org/parshiot.html

 

Nuggets from Exodus 12 and 13

Posted on by
Reply

Exodus 12:23, Pass over. Heb. pasach/Jxp meaning “to skip over, limp, to be lame,” and hence, the Hebrew name for Passover, which is Pesach. The word pesach refers to both the lamb that was sacrificed on Passover day, and to the day itself.

Exodus 12:23, 27 cp. 6:6 (also Deut 5:15; 7:19), The destroyer…who passed over…he smote the Egyptians cp. Will redeem you with an outstretched arm. Who is the outstretched arm or YHVH? It is Yeshua (Isa 53:1 cp. Isa 52:10; 40:10; Ezek 20:34–35) who is at the right hand of Elohim (e.g. Rom 8:34; Col 3:1; etc.). We know that the preincarnate Yeshua, the Malak (mistranslated in most Bibles as Angel) or Messenger of YHVH led Israel through the wilderness. Likely, the preincarate Yeshua was the arm of YHVH’s judgment against Egypt’s firstborn, even as he will be the hand of Elohim’s judgment against the wicked in last days and at his second coming (Rev 19:15, 21).

Exodus 12:31, 33, Rise up, get you forth. YHVH was leading Israel out of Egypt, while Egypt was, at the same time, thrusting Israel out of that nation.

This verse marks the beginning of Israel’s exodus from Egypt. The later biblical prophets speak about end times Israel being scattered and enslaved in the nations of the world (i.e. Babylon the Great). However, as a result of a series of miraculous events and YHVH’s judgments against their captor nations, end times Israel is finally set free. Released, they will return to the Promised Land of Israel where Yeshua the Messiah will rule and reign over them. Many biblical prophets predict this glorious event happening, and the Jewish sages have tenaciously clung to this hope for two millennia. This event (actually, a series of events) has euphemistically been referred to as “the second exodus.” Many scriptures (e.g. Isa 11:10; 12:6; Jer 16:14–15; 23:7) refer to this when they prophesy of another exodus of Elohim’s people to occur in the last days which will be much larger in scope and will involve many more nations than the first exodus from Egypt.

Exodus 12:38, The mixed multitude. In the end times, the wheat and chaff or tares will be separated from each other in the wilderness of the peoples (Ezek 20:35–38). Yeshua discusses this purging process in his parable by the same name (Matt 13:24–30).

Exodus 13:3, Went out of Egypt…no leavened bread. What is the spiritual connection between coming out of Egypt and the memorial (v. 9) of eating unleavened flat bread? The keeping of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the command to eat flat bread was to be an object lesson for successive generations Israelites as a sign and a memorial of what YHVH did against Egypt and of Israel’s deliverance (vv. 8–9). As the strong right arm of YHVH’s judgments (v. 3) pressed down upon proud and exalted Egypt until it was flattened as a nation, even so, YHVH’s judgment against the sin and idolatry in our lives demands that we become flattened, deleavened and contrite before him. He desires to squeeze or press out of us all the leaven of sin and pride that we have inherited from spiritual Egypt. In the Scriptures, since leavening puffs up and sours bread, it is a biblical metaphor for sin, which does the same to the human heart and mind. It causes bitterness, pride, insincerity, hypocrisy and giving rise to false teachings and doctrines of men. We must put out the leaven of sin from our lives and from our spiritual assemblies, as Paul admonishes. The Feast of Unleavened Bread pictures this process. The saints are to keep the feast not with the old leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (i.e. the Torah, 1 Cor 5:8, read vv. 1–11 for context).

Exodus 13:18, 21, But Elohim led the people…and YHVH went before them…to lead the way. What are some other ways by which YHVH leads or speaks to his people?

  • Through his Word (Ps 119:105)
  • By his Set-Apart Spirit who leads us to into all truth (John 16:12)
  • Through his divinely appointed leaders (Eph 4:11–16)
  • By directing the steps (through life’s circumstances) of a righteous man (Ps 37:23–24; Prov 16:9)
  • By directing the hearts of men (Prov 21:1)
  • Through prophetic words (Num 12:6)
  • Through dreams and visions (Num 12:6)
  • Through wise counselors (Prov 24:6)
  • Through Divine Messengers from heaven (e.g. Judg 6:11–14; 13:3)
 

Dealing With the “Leavening” in Our Lives—Overcoming Sin!

Posted on by
Reply

Exodus 12:15, Remove leaven from your houses. Leaven is a biblical metaphor for sin. How do we remove sin from our spiritual lives?

Throughout Scripture, leavening is a spiritual metaphor for sin, pride, hypocrisy, malice, bitterness and false religious doctrine (Pss 71:4; 73:21; Hos 7:4; Matt 16:6; Mark 8:15; Luke 12:1; 1 Cor 5:8–6; Gal 5:9). Even as a small amount of leavening agents in bread (e.g. yeast and various chemical agents) will quickly permeate bread dough causing it to rise, so a little sin can rapidly infect our lives (or like a quick spread cancer disease) and take us away from Elohim’s path of righteous-living.

The Scripture teaches us to be overcomers (Rom 12:21; 1 John 2:13–14; 5:4) eradicating the leavening of sin from our lives. We must overcome the world, the flesh and the devil (Jas 3:15). Yeshua admonished each of the seven Messianic assemblies to be overcomers (Rev 2:7,11,17,26; 3:5,12,21; see also Matt 24:13). For those who overcome, there will be great rewards—a spiritual inheritance; they will be sons of Elohim (Rev 21:7).

The Greek word for overcome is nikao meaning “to conquer, to get the victory, prevail” and Continue reading →

 

Submit Willingly Now or Else…

Posted on by
Reply

All false gods and idols will come down including the god of self! We can willingly submit to YHVH Elohim now, or be forced to so later under his hand of judgment.

Exodus 10:3, How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? The sovereign Creator ultimately demands that everyone submits to his will and purposes. Those who refuse to do so imperil themselves. The Scriptures record that YHVH held other leaders accountable for exalting themselves against him in addition to Pharaoh—for refusing to humble themselves: Nebuchanezzar (Dan 4:19ff), Belshazzar (Dan 5:22), Zedekiah (2 Chron 36:12), Lucifer (Isa 14:13ff) and Herod (Acts 12:21–23).

Furthermore, those who put their trust in false gods will come under the judgment of the one supreme and true Elohim or Mighty One of the Bible. Elohim uses men’s false gods or idols as a judgment against sinners to help them to see the futility of their idolatrous delusions and to bring them to repentance (e.g. Isa 66:4–5; Prov 10:24). As Elohim judged the false gods of Egypt one by one and brought that arrogant nation down, he will do the same in the end days with Babylon the Great and the gods or idols of this world. We see a striking parallel between the plagues YHVH brought upon Egypt and those he will bring upon the rebellious inhabitants of earth just prior to Yeshua’s second coming. For example, the seventh plague of the seventh vial is an ultimate expression of the fierceness of Elohim’s wrath upon a rebellious and still blaspheming world (Rev 16:17–21). Seventy five pound hailstones will fall from heaven and the earth will quake beneath. There will be no hiding place from Elohim’s wrath. Additional end-time plages that replicate those of Egypt include grievous sores to come upon men (Rev 16:2), the seawater and fresh water turning to blood (Rev 16:3–4), and darkness upon the earth (Rev 16:10). After this, Babylon the Great will fall (Rev 18:2), even as ancient Egypt fell under the mighty blows of YHVH’s judgment.

Psalm chapter two summarizes the rebellious arrogance of men, and their conspiracy against the Creator to keep control of their earthly kingdoms. Elohim will laugh at them from heaven and will send his Son to judge them and to break their kingdoms in pieces with a rod of iron. Kiss Messiah the Son now and worship him if you expect to escape these judgments (v. 12)!

What gods or idols do we have in our lives that we are holding on to? Each of the plagues against Egypt was a direct strike against one of the many gods of Egypt (Exod 12:12; Num 33:4). Elohim will destroy all pretenders and imposters who dare to challenge his sovereignty. The god of self is the most powerful god we will ever face!

 

Exodus 10:1–13:16 Parashat Bo

Posted on by
Reply

This is a gospel-oriented Torah study. Our goal is to connect the good news of Yeshua the Messiah (the gospel message) to its Hebraic, pro-Torah roots or foundations. The information given here is more than head knowledge. Understanding and wisdom (the right application of knowledge that is based on truth) is taught thus making biblical truth practical, relevant and applicable to your daily life. The truths of the Bible not only have the power to transform your life here and now for the better, but eventually to take you past the veil of death and into eternity.

This Torah study is subdivided in sections by topic in a magazine format thus making it easy to watch at several sittings.

May you be blessed as you watch this video.

For a free, printable adult and youth Torah study guide on this Torah portion (parashah), please go to http://www.hoshanarabbah.org/parshiot.html

 

Nuggets from Parashat Va’eira

Posted on by
Reply

The Word of Elohim is like apples of gold in a picture from of silver. (Proverbs 25:11)

YHVH’s People to Be Spared From His Wrath—Not Tribulation

Exodus 8:22; 9:4, 26, Set apart the land of Goshen. YHVH separated the children of Israel from the Egyptians in that he spared them from the last seven plagues. What does this teach us about the judgments of Elohim? The Israelites were made to go through the first three plagues only. Do YHVH’s people ever experience trials and tribulations? (Read Deut 8:2–5; 2 Tim 3:12; Heb 11, the entire chapter; Rev 7:9–14.) Do the saints need spiritual refinement in order to help them become the chaste bride of Yeshua who is without the spot and wrinkle of sin? (Read Eph 5:27; 1 Cor 3:9–17.) The saints may go through tribulation, but they will not have to experience Elohim’s wrathful judgments unto death upon a wicked world (1 Thess 1:10; 5:9 cp. Rev 6:17; 7:2–3). Other examples of the saints going through tribulation, but then being delivered before Elohim poured out his final wrath upon the wicked include Lot in Sodom, and Noah at the flood.

Exodus 8:23, I will make a difference. As YHVH intensifies his judgments on a nation to get that nation’s attention, he, at the same time, will highlight his true servants by affording them special protection from the judgments. He delivered both Noah and Lot from his severe judgments upon the surrounding heathen rebels. This will occur in the end times when YHVH will allow some of his servants to escape his judgments (Ezek 9:4; Luke 21:36; Rev 7:4; 9:4).

Exodus 10:23, But all the children of Israel. YHVH protected the children of Israel from the most severe plagues that fell upon Egypt (Exod 8:22; 9:4, 6; 10:23; 11:7; 12:13). Similarly, YHVH spared Noah and Lot from the utter destruction that fell in their days. In the last days, YHVH will protect his Continue reading →