{"id":23342,"date":"2026-01-13T13:43:30","date_gmt":"2026-01-13T21:43:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hoshanarabbah.org\/blog\/?p=23342"},"modified":"2026-01-18T06:52:51","modified_gmt":"2026-01-18T14:52:51","slug":"nathans-commentary-on-parashat-vaeira-exodus-62-935","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hoshanarabbah.org\/blog\/2026\/01\/13\/nathans-commentary-on-parashat-vaeira-exodus-62-935\/","title":{"rendered":"Nathan’s Commentary on Parashat Va\u2019eira Exodus 6:2\u20139:35"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Exodus 6<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exodus 6:1\u20138,<\/strong> YHVH redeems Israel. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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YHVH took Moses’ weaknesses and turned them into strengths!<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Of Frail Men and a Faithful Elohim\u2014The Roots of the New Covenant Revealed<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How many times have you started off on a new venture<\/strong> full with enthusiasm and alacrity only to have it fail immediately out of the starting gate? We all have our stories to tell. The difference between one who is successful and one who is not is that the former does not give despite initial failure. Though Moses was one the Bible\u2019s greatest heros of faith, he experienced apparent failure in his initial efforts to free his people from Egyptian tyranny. However, thanks to overcoming faith in YHVH, he \u201clet go and let God\u201d and became the great liberator of the Israelite people and victor over that era\u2019s most powerful nation\u2014a biblical metaphor for the world, the flesh and devil. There is an inspiring lesson and an encouraging message in this story for each of us to this day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Moses\u2019 first brushes with defeat began the moment he exited the womb, for he was born with a death sentence on his head as he narrowly escaped being aborted. At the last moment, he was adopted into an alien, heathen family and was raised as a prince in the king of Egypt\u2019s household estranged from his Israelite heritage. We can now look back with perfect 20-20 hindsight and see how YHVH orchestrated circumstances in Moses\u2019 life to accomplish a divine destiny, but at the time both Moses and his Israelite family were totally oblivious to higher purpose. For them, it was a day-by-day struggle for survival much less a faith walk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite an auspicious and promising future as a member of the Egyptian royal family in the region\u2019s most power nation, Moses suddenly found himself fleeing for his life as a wanted criminal\u2014a murderer. From riches and fame, he escapes to the backside of the desert out of the legal jurisdiction of the Egyptian authorities where he becomes a lowly peasant tending sheep for forty years. As a shepherd leading quiet, bucolic life, he end up marrying the sheep rancher\u2019s daughter, but his life struggles do not end there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Two sons are born to him. And they all live life happily ever after. Right? Well, not exactly. While leading a rather mundane life for decades tending sheep in the desert, he unexpectedly has a divine encounter. While tending sheep, YHVH suddenly drops into his life through the spectacle of bush that is engulfed in flames but is not consumed. At that moment Moses\u2019 life is suddenly turned upside down. Then and there, YHVH commissions him to return to Egypt and demand that Pharaoh set the children of Israel free. This is when Moses\u2019 troubles really begin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A happy marriage, the father of two, a peaceful life as a shepherd\u2014what could go wrong? Moses\u2019 wife wanted nothing to do with Moses\u2019 new ministry. She likely thought that he was out of his mind. Consequently, she abandons him and Moses\u2019 marriage likely ends in divorce. Now Moses is alone and without his family. Likely a monumental depressions situation for him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But in faithful obedience to YHVH, Moses accepts the call to lead the enslaved Israelites out of captivity and into the wilderness in which he had spent forty years leading sheep. For all those years, YHVH had been preparing him to lead two-legged sheep. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As Moses returned to Egypt to confront Pharaoh, YHVH literally put a sermon in Moses\u2019 mouth to preach to Pharaoh, even though he was stricken with a speech impediment of some sort. To this point, Moses\u2019 life is one of stumbling, failure and seemingly random and serendipitous events. What could YHVH possibly make out of this stew of disparate ingredients? A disgraced member of the Egyptian royal family, a wanted criminal, a lowly shepherd, a failed family marriage and life plus a speech impediment on top of it all. This sounds like a recipe for disaster! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bible is teeming with examples like Moses of individuals, who YHVH called to accomplish great things, but who encountered seemingly insurmountable and often life threatening challenges en route to their ultimate, heaven-mandated destiny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, like Moses, although YHVH gave Abraham a divine mission, but stumbled along the way in fulfilling his destiny by trying to make things happen in his own way. The same occurred with both Jacob and Joseph whose lives took a series of unexpected and seemingly disastrous and dead end turns until the seemingly random puzzle pieces fell into place and YHVH\u2019s plan for their lives came to fruition. Similarly, David was anointed as king of Israel many years before became king. In the interim, he spent many years fleeing for his life from those who wanted to kill him. Many more examples could be given.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So Moses\u2019 struggles did not end with his divine encounter, commissioning and empowering at the burning bush. They only begin. As mentioned earlier, shortly thereafter, his marriage likely ended in divorce. His wife of some forty years failed to catch YHVH\u2019s vision for Moses\u2019 life and preferred to remain in the comfort zones of her father\u2019s house in the land of Midian. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moving on, YHVH had set the stage is set for Israel\u2019s redemption in Exodus 5:22\u201323. After all, Moses, as either Pharaoh\u2019s adopted grandson or his nephew (depending on whether this was the Pharaoh of Moses\u2019 childhood or his son), had an \u201cin\u201d with the monarch that he could have exploited for the benefit of securing the release of Israel. Yet Moses\u2019 first venture to Pharaoh was a disaster. The plight of the children of Israel deteriorated instead of being improved. Discouraged, Moses almost takes on an accusative tone toward YHVH (Exod 5:22\u201323). Graciously, YHVH doesn\u2019t rebuke Moses, but as a loving Father encourages him to refocus on his word and the veracity and surety of his promises (Exod 6:2\u20135).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite Moses\u2019 complaints, YHVH graciously encourages Moses upward and onward in spite of his discouraging first attempt at securing the \u00adchildren of Israel\u2019s release from captivity. Is it possible that YHVH allowed immediate success to elude Moses to bring him \u201cto the end of himself\u201d with regard to any tendency he might have had to rely on himself and on his own wisdom to accomplish Elohim\u2019s plans? Probably so, for YHVH tested the faith of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and David in a similar manner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As YHVH wanted Moses to rely on him alone for Israel\u2019s deliverance, even so YHVH is teaching is modern saints to trust him alone to accomplish his will in our lives, rather than on not relying on our own human abilities. This is how YHVH increases the faith of his servants. For faith \u201cis the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen\u201d (Heb 11:1). We have to be totally emptied of ourselves before we are ready for the Master\u2019s use. This does not mean that YHVH will not use our natural abilities, talents or what he have gained through life\u2019s experiences, but we must learn to submit all that we have and are to his sovereign will. Moses gave up everything important in his life to serve YHVH: his wife, his family, his career as a successful shepherd, and his connections to Egyptian royalty. He learned to \u201ctrust in YHVH, and do good\u2026Trust in YHVH, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in YHVH; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto YHVH; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass\u2026Rest in YHVH, and wait patiently for him\u2026The steps of a good man are ordered by YHVH: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for YHVH upholdeth him with his hand\u201d (Ps 37:3\u20135, 7, 23\u201324). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By following this upward path of spiritual matriculation and maturation, not only is one\u2019s faith built, but YHVH, not man, gets the glory when success occurs (Jer 9:22\u201323). There is no truer maxim in the Bible than this: they down is the way up. Yeshua characterized this counterintuitive spiritual path this way:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And a man\u2019s foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. (Matt 10:36\u201339)<\/p>

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. (Matt 16:25)<\/p>

He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. (John 12:25)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

David summarized this spiritual journey similarly:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them. Who passing through the valley of Baca [or weeping] make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools. They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God. (Ps 84:5\u20137)<\/p>

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. (Ps 125:5\u20136)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Or to put these ideas into modern parlance, there is no gain without pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When one finally dies to oneself and lets Elohim have his way in his life, it is then that one steps into heaven\u2019s river of life and into the realm of supernatural with its miraculous possibilities endless opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To this point, at age 80 Moses\u2019 life continues to be one of ongoing struggles and failure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moses\u2019 story is one to which most of us can relate. How is this? Because Moses\u2019 road to ultimate success involved multiple setbacks and wrong turns, and he was beset with human foibles and weaknesses. Yet out of the bittersweet ingredients of Moses\u2019 life, out of this confused potpourri and miscellany of human experiences, the Creator of the universe, who ex nihilo<\/em> created the heavens and the earth, created Moses out of nothing, formed and shaped him, prepared him to prophetically prefigure Yeshua the Messiah, who was to come 1,500 years later. So what is the moral of this story? Like formless, worthless lumps of clay, if we will, in faith, trust and submit our lives into the hands of the Almighty, despite our weaknesses and failures, he can turn each of us into useful vessels that will ultimately bring glory and honor to him\u2014and to ourselves as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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So what was Moses\u2019 ultimate destiny that required him to go through such a refining process? What was the real meaning and ultimate purpose his life? Here is a key takeaway regarding the life of Moses. He was the tool that YHVH would use to unfold heaven\u2019s plan of redemption for the descendents of Abraham\u2014a plan that would eventually expand to encompass all humans. Through Moses, YHVH brings the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant and adds to it the of righteousness as outline in the Mosaic or Sinaitic Covenant, and in the process lays the groundwork for the New Covenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did YHVH encourage and empower Moses? By reminding Moses of and reaffirming his covenantal promises made to the patriarchs, Moses\u2019 forefathers, and by standing by his word which is summarized in his name and reputation. YHVH reaffirmed his covenant promises to Moses using his covenant name YHVH<\/em>, three times (Exod 6:6, 7, 8). Here are some other examples of how Scripture uses YHVH\u2019s covenant name along with modifying adjectives to describe his promise and ability to meet all our human needs and to fulfill his lofty plans in our lives:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n