Torah Portion Beshalach - By Way of the Wilderness

The video version is available at: https://youtu.be/ip2thjPu-HI

Reading – Exodus 15:1-21

 

By Dan and Brenda Cathcart

This Torah portion includes the famous song of Moses which the Jewish people call the Song of the Sea. It extols God’s mighty works especially those of bringing the children of Israel across the Red Sea on dry land. Because the Torah portion includes the reading of this song, this Sabbath is called the “Shabbat Shirah” or the Sabbath of the Song.

The Torah portion begins with Pharaoh sending the people out of Egypt. As Pharaoh sent them out, God took control and led them on their journey. However, God didn’t take the children of Israel on the easy well-traveled road up the coast to the Promised Land. He took them on the more difficult route through the wilderness.

Exodus 13:18 NKJV 18 So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt.

Why didn’t God take the children of Israel along the quick and easy path to the Promised Land? What places and events did God guide them to experience while on their journey? What did He want the children of Israel to learn? What can we learn from their journey?

Each step of the journey that the children of Israel took on their way, first to Mt. Sinai, and on to the Promised Land, was orchestrated by God. Paul tells the Corinthians that the events experienced by the children of Israel on their way to Mt. Sinai are an example for them.

1 Corinthians 10:11-13 NKJV 11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. 12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

So, what are these lessons and how do they apply to us at the end of the ages? These lessons began when they left Succoth, their first stop after leaving Ramses, when the Shekinah glory first began to lead them as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

So, why didn’t God lead them on the easy path to the Promised Land? The stated reason is that the children of Israel might change their minds and turn back to Egypt if they had to fight along the way.

Exodus 13:17 NKJV 17 Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, "Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt."

This well-traveled trade route up the coast along the Mediterranean Sea was protected by forts that were put in place by the Egyptians. In order to travel this route, the children of Israel would be constantly confronted by Egyptian troops. The NKJV Study Bible explains:

The Egyptians had heavily fortified this coastal route for their own defensive purposes. The people might have been forced into battle with the Egyptians before they were prepared.[i]

Although the route itself would have made for easy travel, the journey itself would have been filled with battles they weren’t ready to face.

There were, of course, several other reasons for the path that God chose for the children of Israel. One of those reasons was that, although their final destination was the Promised Land, they had to make a crucial stop along the way. When God appeared to Moses at the burning bush, He told Moses that he was to bring them to serve God on that same mountain.

Exodus 3:12 NKJV 12 So He said, "I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain."

Before going into the Promised Land, Moses and Aaron were to bring the children of Israel to meet God on the mountain where Moses first encountered God in the burning bush and where Aaron joined Moses to accompany him back to Egypt. Mt. Sinai was far from the coastal route to the Promised Land.

As the children of Israel left Succoth, it seems that Moses and Aaron got lost. They had already traveled the path to Mt. Sinai when Aaron came out to meet Moses and again on their return to Egypt, so they knew the way. In fact, it seems that God got lost as well. He was the one leading them with His angel and the Shekinah glory. Instead of leading the people to the easiest place to cross the Red Sea and, from there, on to Mt. Sinai, God led them in a wandering path that left them trapped at the shore of the Red Sea. However, God was really setting a trap for Pharaoh.

Exodus 14:1-3 NKJV 1 Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 2 "Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea. 3 "For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, 'They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.'

The name Pi Hahiroth, number 6367 in Strong’s Concordance, means “the mouth of the gorges.” God led the children of Israel to the Red Sea through a series of gorges which opened up at the Red Sea. The children of Israel were seemingly trapped with the Red Sea in front of them and a narrow gorge behind them. Pharaoh could bring his armies down the gorge and the children of Israel would have no way to escape. That’s exactly what happened, God strengthened Pharaoh’s heart in his resolve not to let the people go after all, and seeing that the children of Israel had trapped themselves, he set out to bring them back into captivity—all according to God’s plan.

Exodus 14:4 NKJV 4 "Then I will harden Pharaoh's heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD." And they did so.

When the children of Israel saw the armies of Pharaoh coming, they had to wonder about the path that God led them on. Why would He trap them there as sheep for the slaughter? Had God turned against them?

Exodus 14:10-11 NKJV 10 And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the LORD. 11 Then they said to Moses, "Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt?

Moses didn’t know what was going to happen, but He knew that God would bring about a miraculous deliverance. He instructed the people to stand still and witness God’s salvation. Good advice for the most part, however, God’s deliverance required action on their part.

Exodus 14:15-16 NKJV 15 And the LORD said to Moses, "Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. 16 "But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

Moses was to lift his rod and stretch it over the sea. This was the rod Moses used to demonstrate God’s signs to the elders when he first returned to Egypt to demand that Pharaoh let God’s people go to worship Him. Moses demonstrated God’s power and authority over the sea. Just like in creation when God spoke and divided the waters from the waters bringing forth dry ground, now He divided the waters of the Red Sea and dry ground appeared. The children of Israel who grew into a great nation while in Egypt, now become a new creation, a new nation. God would bring them to Mt. Sinai to define for them what kind of nation they would be.

However, God didn’t just want the children of Israel to cross the sea on dry ground; He had plans for Pharaoh and his army. God strengthened their resolve to pursue the Israelites into the sea even though they encountered the dark side of God’s shekinah glory, even though they saw the waters of the Red Sea piled up in heaps on either side of dry ground over which the children of Israel fled.

Exodus 14:17-18 NKJV 17 "And I indeed will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen. 18 "Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen."

The children of Israel crossed on dry ground. But the Egyptian army that followed them encountered the waves of water crashing back around them as Moses stretched out his hand over the sea once more. The army of Pharaoh was destroyed in the sea.

Exodus 14:30-31 NKJV 30 So the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Thus Israel saw the great work which the LORD had done in Egypt; so the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD and His servant Moses.

God accomplished His purpose for supposedly allowing the people to be trapped between the gorge and sea. He attained honor over Pharaoh and the gods of Egypt, and He, also, caused the people to fear Him and believe Him.

This fear and faith were reflected in the song that Moses led the children in singing after they crossed the Red Sea.

Exodus 15:1 NKJV 1 Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the LORD, and spoke, saying: "I will sing to the LORD, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!

The song concludes as the children of Israel look forward to God taking them into the Promised Land! They equate crossing the Red Sea to crossing over into the land.

Exodus 15:15-16 NKJV 15 Then the chiefs of Edom will be dismayed; The mighty men of Moab, Trembling will take hold of them; All the inhabitants of Canaan will melt away. 16 Fear and dread will fall on them; By the greatness of Your arm They will be as still as a stone, Till Your people pass over, O LORD, Till the people pass over Whom You have purchased.

You would think that the lesson had been learned. It should be easy traveling to Mt. Sinai now that they had crossed the sea and Pharaoh’s army was destroyed. However, God knew that the people had more to learn. He led them three days into the wilderness and brought them to a watering hole that for some reason had been fouled. They couldn’t drink the water. At the Red Sea, they faced an insurmountable army; now they faced an enemy that couldn’t be fought. They faced the lack of water.

Exodus 15:23 NKJV 23 Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah.

For a second time, the children of Israel feared that they would die. If they drank the water available to them, they would surely get sick and die. However, once again, God had planned this ahead of time. He told Moses to throw a tree into the water.

Exodus 15:25-26 NKJV 25 So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them. And there He tested them, 26 and said, "If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you."

God associated the bitter waters with the plagues He had used to bring judgment on Egypt. After the elation they experienced when they crossed the Red Sea, would they remember to serve God or would they turn back to the gods of Egypt? Would they continue to listen to God’s voice and follows His commandments and statutes which they would receive in detail at Mt. Sinai?

God continued to lead the children of Israel on a steady pace to Mt. Sinai. Exactly one month after leaving Egypt, the stores of food that they had brought with them began to run low. How would they get enough food to feed over two million people? Up until now, the children of Israel had relied on their own stores of food. Now, they would learn to look to God.

Exodus 16:4 NKJV 4 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not.

Moses will later explain the nature of this test. God was testing not only if they would come to rely on Him each day, but that they would listen to His voice each day.

Deuteronomy 8:2-3 NKJV 2 "And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. 3 "So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.

Yeshua quoted this passage in Deuteronomy when He was tempted in the wilderness by Satan. Yeshua demonstrated that He listened to God’s voice at all times. When Yeshua taught His disciples to pray, He told them to ask each day for bread. The daily bread we are to ask for is not just food for our bodies, but food for our souls. We are to listen to God’s words every day.

The next trial the children of Israel experienced once again had to do with water. This time it isn’t bitter waters, but no water at all! God dealt with bitter water and lack of food, now He deals with lack of water.

Exodus 17:5-6 NKJV 5 And the LORD said to Moses, "Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go. 6 "Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink." And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

Moses was to gather together the elders of the people to witness how God would provide the water of life. In front of the people, Moses was to take his staff that he used to strike the Nile River and turn its water into blood; this time, he was to use the staff to strike a rock. When Moses strikes the rock, God would be standing on it, and water would flow out from the rock.

Yeshua said that it was necessary for Him to be struck.

Luke 24:46 NKJV 46 Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,

Yeshua said that drinking the water that He provides is to drink from the Living Water.

John 4:13-14 NKJV 13 Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 "but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."

When God provided water from the rock, He addressed their physical thirst. Even though God demonstrated His presence through the pillars of cloud and fire, the children of Israel had begun to question whether God was really with them.

Exodus 17:7 NKJV 7 So he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?"

God’s answer to this question was to allow the Amalekites to attack them while they were there at the same place where God had provided water. Moses chose Joshua to lead the armies of Israel against the Amalekites, but the battle really wasn’t Joshua’s to win or lose. Moses was to stand over the battle with his staff in his hand and his arms raised. As long as Moses stood with arms raised, the children of Israel prevailed. When Moses’ arms dropped, the Israel’s were beaten back. With the help of Aaron and Hur, Moses was able to keep his arms raised until Joshua defeated the Amalekites.

Exodus 17:14-16 NKJV 14 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven." 15 And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-LORD-Is-My-Banner; 16 for he said, "Because the LORD has sworn: the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation."

What is the ongoing fight with Amalek? This battle was in answer to question, “Is the LORD among us?” God demonstrated through victory over Amalek that He was with them. Moses built an altar there and called the altar “Yehovah nissi,” meaning “The LORD Is My Banner.” Yes, the LORD is among us. Every time we fight against those who would prevent us from continuing on our journey to the Promised Land, we can know that God is among us. He is our banner if we look up to see Him, like the children of Israel looked up to see Moses on the hill with his staff in his hand and arms raised.

God didn’t take the children of Israel on the quick path to the Promised Land. They needed to learn to fear God and have confidence that He could defeat the armies of the Canaanites. They needed to be reminded that God rewards those who seek His righteousness and punishes those who do evil. They needed to know that God would provide for the physical needs as well as their spiritual needs. And underlying all of these events is the promise of the greater Messiah to come. God is among His people. Let us sing the Song of the Sea together with Moses and the children of Israel.

Study Questions:

Teaching Questions

 

1.      What were God’s purposes in leading the children of Israel to Pi-hahiroth, a place that seemingly trapped the children of Israel?

 

2.      What is the connection between the bitter waters at Marah and the plagues on Egypt? How is this a lesson to the children of Israel?

 

3.      How were the manna and the water from the rock providing for both physical and spiritual needs? How does Yeshua refer to the manna and the water (John 6:22-40, John 7:37-39)?

General Portion Questions

 

4.      Read 1 Corinthians 10:1-13. How is Paul referring to the journey of the children of Israel to Mt. Sinai? What did Paul say the journey was to teach them? How are these things an example to us?

 

5.      How does the Song of the Sea reflect the children of Israel’s newfound fear of God and faith in His deliverance (Exodus 14:31-15:21)?

 

6.      What other insights did you gain from this teaching? What indicators are there in this Torah Portion that point to Messiah Yeshua?

 

© 2023 Moed Ministries International. All rights reserved.

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[i] NKJV Study Bible. General Editor Earl D. Radmacher, Th.D. Thomas Nelson Publishers. ©1997, 2007 Thomas Nelson, Inc. Page 111.

Torah Portion Bo – Do Not Have the Heart of Pharaoh

The video version is available at: https://youtu.be/FKPyUICXdMc

Reading: Exodus 10:1-11:10

 

By Dan and Brenda Cathcart

This week’s Torah portion picks up with the last three plagues of God’s judgment on Egypt just prior to Moses leading the children of Israel out of bondage and ultimately to the Promised land. The account of the plagues reads like a contest between God and Pharaoh. As the portion Bo begins, we read that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart.

Exodus 10:1-2 NKJV 1 Now the LORD said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his servants, that I may show these signs of Mine before him, 2 "and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and your son's son the mighty things I have done in Egypt, and My signs which I have done among them, that you may know that I am the LORD."

The plagues that God brought on Egypt were a direct challenge to the gods of Egypt proving that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was and is the one and only true God and creator of the universe. God hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that He could demonstrate that He is God.

Many people think that Pharaoh should not be held accountable for his refusal to let the children of Israel go because it was God who hardened his heart. At least, this is what our English translations lead us to believe. A closer examination of the original Hebrew reveals something a little different.

When we examine these scriptures involving the interaction of Pharaoh and Moses, we see the English word hardened, as in Exodus 10:1 above. But in the original Hebrew text there are two different words in play. The Hebrew word for hardened in the case of Pharaoh making his own heart hard, as in Exodus 10:1 which we just read, is #3513 in the Strongs Concordance, kabad, meaning to be heavy. As in making one’s own heart heavy in that one would not be moved or changed. But when it comes to God making Pharaoh’s heart hard, the word used is “Chazak”, #2388, meaning to be strong or courageous, determined. God made Pharaoh courageous and determined in his heart to stand firm in his position regarding the children of Israel.

In Exodus 9:34 and 35 we see how both Hebrew words are used.

Exodus 9:34-35 NKJV 34 And when Pharaoh saw that the rain, the hail, and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet more; and he hardened (kabad) his heart, he and his servants. 35 So the heart of Pharaoh was hard (chazaq); neither would he let the children of Israel go, as the LORD had spoken by Moses.

Pharaoh was determined that he would not let the children of Israel go; He held this position strongly. We could read this passage as saying, “Pharaoh made his heart unmovable; the heart of Pharaoh was strong!

Why did God want this contest between Himself and Pharaoh to continue? Moses tells us that the purpose is so God can demonstrate His sovereignty before Pharaoh, that the children of Israel would testify of God’s mighty works, and that the children of Israel would know that God is Yahweh.

In ancient Egypt, Pharaoh was considered the mediator between the gods and the world of man as well as a god himself. Pharaoh is representative of the Egyptian god Sobek. Sobek is depicted in Egyptian art and hieroglyphics as a king with the head of a crocodile. Pharaoh was both high priest and king for the Egyptian people. For Pharaoh to humble himself before God, would mean to acknowledge that the God of Moses and the Hebrews is greater than all the gods of Egypt. To allow the children of Israel to go serve a different god other than the Egyptian gods, Pharaoh would have to step back from his role of mediator between the gods and man. He would have to acknowledge the sovereignty of Yahweh! In the heart of Pharaoh, that is not even remotely possible. God was looking for Pharaoh to humble himself.

Exodus 10:3 NKJV 3 So Moses and Aaron came in to Pharaoh and said to him, "Thus says the LORD God of the Hebrews: 'How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, that they may serve Me.

Pharaoh refused to change his heart, so God continued to strengthen Pharaoh’s resolve not to let the children of Israel go and continued to display His mighty works before all of Egypt. These mighty works amounted to judgments against the Egyptian gods represented in each of the ten plagues.

The second purpose of the contest between God and Pharaoh was so that the children of Israel would testify of God’s mighty works. The Song of the Sea that they sang after crossing the Red Sea testifies that there is no one like God.

Exodus 15:11 NKJV 11 "Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders?

The children of Israel were to teach their children in generation after generation about the mighty works God did among them. The result was that they would know that He is God. Again, in Exodus 10:2

Exodus 10:2 NKJV 2 "and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and your son's son the mighty things I have done in Egypt, and My signs which I have done among them, that you may know that I am the LORD."

The word translated as “know” is #3045, “yada” meaning to know by seeing or perceiving, to know by experience. God wanted the children of Israel to truly experience His power and sovereignty, including those in later generations. The children of Israel experienced God’s power as He brought the plagues, and His sovereignty was demonstrated as He differentiated between His people and the Egyptians.

This Torah portion begins with the plague of locusts covering the land of Egypt and eating every green thing and every fruit that was left after the plague of hail.

Exodus 10:4-6 NKJV 4 …if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory. 5 'And they shall cover the face of the earth, so that no one will be able to see the earth; and they shall eat the residue of what is left, which remains to you from the hail, and they shall eat every tree which grows up for you out of the field. 6 'They shall fill your houses, the houses of all your servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians-which neither your fathers nor your fathers' fathers have seen, since the day that they were on the earth to this day.'" And he turned and went out from Pharaoh.

Following the locusts was a plague darkness which covered the land of Egypt for three days, but there was light in the land of Goshen where the children of Israel lived.

Exodus 10:22-23 NKJV 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. 23 They did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

The final plague, the death of the firstborn, demonstrated God’s mercy. Anyone who sacrificed the Passover Lamb and put its blood on the doorposts and lintels of their homes, dwelled safely within the protection of the blood. Anyone who did not sacrifice the Passover Lamb and put the blood on the doorposts and lintels of their home, lost the firstborn of that household. This plague affected everyone. The children of Israel as well as the Egyptians directly experienced God’s mighty works.

Because of God’s actions in Egypt, not only did the children of Israel come to know their God in a powerful way, but the surrounding nations would hear of this and fear the coming of the Hebrew people and their powerful God.

Exodus 15:14-15 NKJV 14 "The people will hear and be afraid; Sorrow will take hold of the inhabitants of Philistia. 15 Then the chiefs of Edom will be dismayed; The mighty men of Moab, Trembling will take hold of them; All the inhabitants of Canaan will melt away.

To this day the events of this exodus from Egypt are commemorated in the Feasts of Passover and Unleavened Bread. The Jewish people, along with those of us grafted in, continue to teach about the events of the Exodus and God’s mighty power.

In the time of Yeshua, The Jewish people were teaching their children how God judged Pharaoh and delivered them. They were teaching their children that He would deliver them again as Moses and the prophets revealed!

At this time in history, when the nation of Israel was once again under great oppression, this time by occupation of the Roman Empire, they were again looking for a deliverer; one like Moses. They were looking for the overthrow of Roman rule and the reestablishment of the kingdom of Israel by a descendent of David.

God sent Yeshua to bring a message of repentance to the Jewish people as well as to the Gentiles. Especially those Gentiles who had joined themselves to the Jewish people and their God.

One year, at the celebration of the Passover in Jerusalem, Yeshua died as the Passover Lamb and was raised from the dead three days later on the Feast of Firstfruits. Over the next forty days while He was present with his disciples, Yeshua commanded them to testify to God’s salvation through His resurrection.

Luke 24:46-48 NKJV 46 Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 "and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 "And you are witnesses of these things.

Unlike Pharaoh, Yeshua was and is the true mediator between God and man. Paul writes to Timothy in 1^st Timothy 2:4-5 that it is God…

1 Timothy 2:4b-5 NKJV 4b …who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.

All nations were to be told that He is coming again. Yeshua spoke of that day in Matthew 24:14.

Matthew 24:14 NKJV 14 "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Yeshua goes on to say that great tribulation would come, and after this tribulation, Yeshua would return.

Matthew 24:29-30 NKJV 29 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Yeshua’s return would be preceded by great darkness like the three days of darkness in the land of Egypt. The tribes of the earth would mourn like they mourned in Egypt at the death of the firstborn. God’s power would once again be demonstrated for all to see! Only this time, not just a single country or kingdom, but the entire world would witness the power and judgments of God!

God’s people will once again be separated out as the time of judgment and wrath would fall on the nations, just like the children of Israel were separated out in Goshen.

Matthew 24:31 NKJV 31 "And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

The Harvest of the Earth will begin.

Revelation 14:14-15 NKJV 14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, "Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe."

All those who believe Yeshua and call on His name will be gathered to Him, just like those who put the blood of the Passover lamb on the doorposts and lintels of their homes dwelled safely while in Egypt. All those who are not in the company of Yeshua and written in His book of life, will face destruction like those who did not put the blood of the Passover Lamb on the doorposts and lintels of their homes.

Revelation 20:12-15 NKJV 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

In both the case of acceptance of Yeshua, and with the children of Israel in Egypt, the blood of the Passover Lamb brought life; without the blood of the Passover Lamb, death was and is certain.

Those who are victorious once again sing of victory like the children of Israel sang after the crossing of the Red Sea. They sing the Song of Moses and the song of the Lamb!

Revelation 15:3-4 NKJV 3 They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: "Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! 4 Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, For Your judgments have been manifested."

Pharaoh hardened his heart; he made it heavy and unmovable. He refused to humble himself and acknowledge that God alone is God, and that God would provide His own mediator to bring men to the knowledge of the truth.

In the time of Yeshua, many of the Jewish people, especially the leaders and the teachers, should have recognized Yeshua as the Messiah because they had the words of the Father through Moses. Instead, they had the heart of Pharaoh. Yeshua himself said they hardened their hearts as He quoted the prophet Isaiah in John 12:37-40.

John 12:37-40 NKJV 37 But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, 38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: "Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?" 39 Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again: 40 "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, Lest they should see with their eyes, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them."

The word “harden” in this verse is the Greek word Po-ro-o, #4456, meaning to petrify. This word is equivalent to the Hebrew kabad. They, literally, made their heart so hard it was like stone! It was so heavy and so hard; they made their hearts unmovable!

Today the nations of the world face the same choice as Pharaoh and the leaders of Yeshua’s day. Will the nations of today’s world humble themselves and acknowledge that God is sovereign? The Psalmist tells us that most of the nations will be like Pharaoh and harden their hearts.

Psalms 2:1-3 NKJV 1 Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, 3 "Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us."

Like the death of the firstborn in Egypt, it will be preceded by darkness.

Zechariah 14:6-7 NKJV 6 It shall come to pass in that day That there will be no light; The lights will diminish. 7 It shall be one day Which is known to the LORD-Neither day nor night. But at evening time it shall happen That it will be light.

God will send a plague against all those who fight against Jerusalem.

Zechariah 14:12 NKJV 12 And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, And their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths.

As a result, all the nations will know that God alone is God and worthy to be worshiped.

Zechariah 14:16 NKJV 16 And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

We have a choice. We can be like Pharaoh or the teachers of Yeshua’s day. Or we can choose to hear God’s voice and humble ourselves.

Hebrews 4:7 NKJV 7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David, "Today," after such a long time, as it has been said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts."

Today, we have the opportunity to accept Yeshua as our mediator with God. We have the opportunity to repent and receive the remission of our sins. We have the opportunity to have our names written in the book of life. Do not have the heart of Pharaoh. Make your heart light, and open to hearing the words from our Father. He is worthy of all our praise.

Study Questions:

Teaching Questions

 

1.      How do the events surrounding and leading up to the death of the firstborn reflect the grace and mercy of God?

 

2.      Further analyze the two Hebrew words translated as “hardened” in our English Bible. (#3513 kabad, and #2388 Chazak.) How does the meaning of these two words change, or effect our perception of Pharaoh and his interactions with Moses and Aaron?

 

3.      In what ways is Yeshua’s message of repentance also the message of Moses and Aaron to both The Egyptians and the Hebrews?

 

General Portion Questions

 

4.      When faced with the plague of locusts, what was the compromise that Pharaoh offered Moses?  How does this play out in our world today? In both the secular and religious circles.

 

5.      How does the placing of the blood of the Passover Lamb on the doorposts and lintels of the homes in Egypt reflect, or is a foreshadow of salvation through Messiah Yeshua?

 

6.      What other insights did you gain from this teaching? What indicators are there in this Torah Portion that point to Messiah Yeshua?

 

© 2023 Moed Ministries International. All rights reserved.

Torah Portion Va’erah – These are the Same Aaron and Moses

The video version is available at: https://youtu.be/laUUhS0PWzc

Reading – Exodus 6:2-7:13

 

By Dan & Brenda Cathcart

The book of Genesis revolves around the accounts of two brothers—Cain and Abel, Abraham and Haran, Ishmael and Isaac, Jacob and Esau, Judah and Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim. Up until Manasseh and Ephraim the relationship between the brothers was adversarial. With the birth of Manasseh and Ephraim, the relationship was cooperative and supportive. This role of cooperative brothers continues into the book of Exodus. In fact, these two brothers, Aaron and Moses, are the central human characters in the book of Exodus. We tend to focus on Moses as the agent of God’s deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt, but what role does his brother Aaron play? What is their joint role and what is the underlying message God is communicating through this continuance of the accounts of two brothers?

As the book of Exodus opens, the children of Israel are afflicted and in bondage in Egypt. In spite of their suffering, they were fruitful, their numbers multiplying so quickly that Pharaoh was frightened at the potential strength of those numbers. As the suffering of the children of Israel grew worse, two sons were born to Jochebed and Amram of the tribe of Levi.

Exodus 6:20 NKJV 20 Now Amram took for himself Jochebed, his father's sister, as wife; and she bore him Aaron and Moses. And the years of the life of Amram were one hundred and thirty-seven.

As is often the case, there is a message in the names Levi, Amram, Jochebed, Aaron and Moses. The name Levi, number 3878 in Strong’s Concordance, means attached or joined. When Leah gave birth to Levi, she declared that at last her husband would become emotionally attached to her.

Genesis 29:34 NKJV 34 She conceived again and bore a son, and said, "Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons." Therefore his name was called Levi.

Aaron and Moses’ parents were Amram and Jochebed, both of the tribe of Levi. The name Amram, number 6019, means a high people. The name Jochebed, number 3115, means Jehovah glorified. The name Aaron is not defined in Strong’s Lexicon. However, the Brown Driver Briggs Lexicon defines the meaning of Aaron as “light-bringer.” Easton’s Bible Names and other lexicons define Aaron as meaning “teacher, mountain of strength, or illuminator.” As a teacher, Aaron would bring the light of Torah to his people. Moses’ name was given to him by Pharaoh’s daughter when she pulled him out of the Nile River. His name, number 4872, means drawing out or rescued. However, the name his mother gave him at birth was probably “Tovia,” from the declaration Jochebed made at his birth that the child was goodly, or in Hebrew, tov.

Exodus 2:2 KJV 2 And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.

Amram and Jochebed had an older child, a daughter named Miriam. Her name, number 4813, means rebelliously. Jochebed rebelled against Pharaoh’s edict and saved the life of her son Moses. Miriam was the older sister Jochebed instructed to watch over Moses as he floated in the basket in the Nile River. An alternate definition of Miriam’s name is “bitter” from the Hebrew word “mar,” number 4751, meaning bitter. Chabad.org follows this origin of the name Miriam explaining that she was named Miriam because she was born during the period of bitter bondage in Egypt.[i] 

So, what do all these names tell us about these two brothers? The bitterness of bondage is relieved when a high people are attached to the glory of God. A light-bringer or teacher comes who is good and will bring about the rescue of his people.

What do we know about Aaron and Moses’ joint role? A literary structure often found in the Bible is that of a chiasm. A chiasm is a symmetric writing pattern that expresses an idea in a reverse order around a central theme. A chiasm located right after the genealogy of Aaron and Moses reveals their purpose.

Exodus 6:26-27 NKJV 26 These are the same Aaron and Moses to whom the LORD said, "Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies." 27 These are the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt. These are the same Moses and Aaron.

This chiasm contains three layers. The outer layer is a declaration of their names, first given in birth order with Aaron listed first, and ending with a restatement of their names given in preeminence of their role with Moses listed first. The second layer is the parallel statements that they are the ones God commanded to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt. Right in the middle is the statement that “these are the one who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt. This is the center of the chiasm. Aaron and Moses, Moses and Aaron were selected to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt. They will go together to speak to Pharaoh. How wonderful it is to have a brother at one’s side! As we continue, we will see that this chiasm is actually included within a larger chiasm.

We’re familiar with Moses’ story. He was taken in by Pharaoh’s daughter and educated in Pharaoh’s household. When he was forty years old, he fled Egypt after killing an Egyptian taskmaster who was abusing two Hebrew slaves. He went to Midian where he spent forty years tending the sheep of his father-in-law, Jethro. While tending sheep, God appeared to him in the burning bush and declared that He had selected him to deliver the children of Israel.

Exodus 3:10-11 NKJV 10 "Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt." 11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?"

Moses objected that he wasn’t worthy or perhaps capable of such an honor. Moses had not been able to relieve the suffering of his people while he was in Egypt. He killed one harsh taskmaster, but instead of embracing him, the two Hebrews he saved from the taskmaster rejected him. God persisted stating that He would be with Moses, and, further, that God would give him signs to perform to prove that God had sent him. Moses persisted in his objections on the grounds that he wouldn’t know what to say and how to say the words.

Exodus 4:10-13 NKJV 10 Then Moses said to the LORD, "O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue." 11 So the LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the LORD? 12 "Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say." 13 But he said, "O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send."

Even though the LORD reassured Moses that God would give him the words to say, Moses begged God for the third time to send someone else. This angered God. God declared that Moses’ brother Aaron would speak for Moses.

Exodus 4:14-16 NKJV 14 So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and He said: "Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And look, he is also coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 "Now you shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth. And I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you what you shall do. 16 "So he shall be your spokesman to the people. And he himself shall be as a mouth for you, and you shall be to him as God.

God revealed to Moses that, even as they were speaking on the mountain, Aaron was already on his way to meet him! In fact, Aaron was anticipating their meeting with gladness in his heart. We also know that Aaron was gifted in his speech and had probably already been used by God to speak to their people. So, how did God communicate his anger against Moses? The Stone Edition Chumash relates the Jewish sage Rashi’s opinion that Moses would have been the high priest, but because of his rejection of the role to speak to Pharaoh, Aaron became the high priest instead.

“Aaron was born a Levite and was intended to remain one, while Moses was elevated to be a Kohen. Now, because of Moses’ constant attempts to evade the mission, their positions would be reversed, with Moses remaining a Levite and Aaron becoming the Kohen.”[ii]

Instead of Moses hearing directly from God and relaying the message to Pharaoh, Moses would relay it to Aaron who would speak to Pharaoh. God explained that Aaron would be the mouth and Moses would be as God telling him what to say.

So, Moses went to his father-in-law to seek permission to return to Egypt. After receiving the permission and blessing of Jethro, Moses returned to Mt. Sinai to await the arrival of Aaron whom God had sent to meet him.

Exodus 4:27-29 NKJV 27 And the LORD said to Aaron, "Go into the wilderness to meet Moses." So he went and met him on the mountain of God, and kissed him. 28 So Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD who had sent him, and all the signs which He had commanded him. 29 Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel.

The two brothers, united in purpose, returned to Egypt. Their first act was to gather the leaders of the children of Israel. With Aaron as the spokesman, Moses performed the signs that God had given to Moses to use to prove that God had sent them.

Exodus 4:30-31 NKJV 30 And Aaron spoke all the words which the LORD had spoken to Moses. Then he did the signs in the sight of the people. 31 So the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel and that He had looked on their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.

Moses and Aaron, then, gained an audience with Pharaoh. Their demands to Pharaoh that he should let the children of Israel leave Egypt to hold a feast to the LORD resulted in even greater hardship being placed on the Hebrews. This enraged the elders and they blamed Moses and Aaron for the increased suffering of the people.

Exodus 5:20-21 NKJV 20 Then, as they came out from Pharaoh, they met Moses and Aaron who stood there to meet them. 21 And they said to them, "Let the LORD look on you and judge, because you have made us abhorrent in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us."

Although God had warned Moses that Pharaoh would not let them go and that He would strengthen Pharaoh’s heart so Pharaoh would not back down, Moses did not foresee that things would get worse for the Hebrews before God brought deliverance.

Exodus 5:22-23 NKJV 22 So Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me? 23 "For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all."

God assured Moses that everything was going according to His plan. Pharaoh’s rejection of their demand allowed God to act and bring about deliverance on His terms.

Exodus 6:1 NKJV 1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. For with a strong hand he will let them go, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land."

This introduces the broader chiasm that includes the chiasm mentioned earlier with the central theme that Aaron and Moses would go together to speak to Pharaoh. Although everything was now set up just the way God wanted it to bring deliverance, Moses doubted his ability to lead. As a result of Pharaoh making their servitude harder, the elders were no longer listening to Moses. How could he expect that Pharaoh would listen to him?

Exodus 6:12 NKJV 12 And Moses spoke before the LORD, saying, "The children of Israel have not heeded me. How then shall Pharaoh heed me, for I am of uncircumcised lips?"

The outer layer of the chiasm is Moses’ declaration that he has uncircumcised lips and Pharaoh will not pay attention to his words. However, God didn’t accept Moses’ doubt bringing us to the next level in the chiasm. God issued a command to both Moses and Aaron to bring His people out of Egypt.

Exodus 6:13 NKJV 13 Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, and gave them a command for the children of Israel and for Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

Now we come to the center of the chiasm which consists of two parts. The first part is the genealogy of Levi revealing that Aaron and Moses are sons of Levi. The second part of the central theme is actually the earlier chiasm revealing Aaron and Moses’ mission to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt.

We now reverse out of the chiasm with the LORD telling Moses to command Pharaoh to let the people go. The chiasm concludes with Moses once more stating that he has uncircumcised lips, and that Pharaoh will not listen to him. Moses, again, expresses that he did not have confidence that Pharaoh would listen to Moses.

Exodus 6:28-30 NKJV 28 And it came to pass, on the day the LORD spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, 29 that the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "I am the LORD. Speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you." 30 But Moses said before the LORD, "Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh heed me?"

In summary, the form of this chiasm consists of the outer layer, found in verses 12 and 30 that Moses states that he has uncircumcised lips and Pharaoh won’t listen to him. The next layer, found in verses 13 and 29, is God’s command to speak to Pharaoh to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt. The center of the chiasm is the revelation of Aaron and Moses as the sons of Levi and the ones God chose to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. In spite of Moses’ lack of eloquence, in spite of Pharaoh’s refusal to hear, God chose Aaron and Moses to act together to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt. This is the central theme of both chiasms, one nested inside the other!

God responds to Moses’ claim that Pharaoh won’t listen to him by agreeing with Moses that Pharaoh won’t listen. However, that sets up the opportunity for God to bring judgment against Pharaoh and his gods.

Exodus 7:4-5 NKJV 4 "But Pharaoh will not heed you, so that I may lay My hand on Egypt and bring My armies and My people, the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. 5 "And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the children of Israel from among them."

Together, Aaron and Moses obey the word of the LORD. From now on, they will express no doubt as to the mission that God had called them to do.

Exodus 7:6-7 NKJV 6 Then Moses and Aaron did so; just as the LORD commanded them, so they did. 7 And Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three years old when they spoke to Pharaoh.

And, thus, begins the battle between the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and the gods of Egypt! Moses and Aaron will go into Pharaoh together. Moses will speak the words to Aaron, and Aaron will relay them to Pharaoh. It will seem to Pharaoh as if Moses is God, and Aaron is his prophet.

Exodus 7:1-2 NKJV 1 So the LORD said to Moses: "See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet. 2 "You shall speak all that I command you. And Aaron your brother shall speak to Pharaoh to send the children of Israel out of his land.

The first sign they were to give to Pharaoh is to turn Aaron’s staff into a crocodile.

Exodus 7:9 YLT 9 `When Pharaoh speaketh unto you, saying, Give for yourselves a wonder; then thou hast said unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast before Pharaoh--it becometh a monster.'

The Hebrew word translated as “monster” in the Young’s Literal Translation is the word “tan-neen,” number 8577 meaning a marine or land monster. In modern Hebrew, “tan-neen” means crocodile! Most of the English translations translate the word as snake or serpent which seemingly connects this back to the sign Moses was to perform for the children of Israel turning his staff into a serpent and then picking it up by the tail as it turns back into a staff. However, the Hebrew word for serpent is “naw-khawsh” not “tan-neen.”

Aaron threw down his staff and it became a crocodile, the monster of the Nile River. Somehow, Pharaoh’s magicians are able to replicate this miracle. So, there are crocodiles crawling all around. However, Aaron’s crocodile consumes the other crocodiles.

Exodus 7:11-12 YLT 11 And Pharaoh also calleth for wise men, and for sorcerers; and the scribes of Egypt, they also, with their flashings, do so, 12 and they cast down each his rod, and they become monsters, and the rod of Aaron swalloweth their rods;

In ancient Egypt, the crocodile was the god Sobek which is associated with the power of Pharaoh, fertility, and military prowess.[iii] Aaron and Moses challenged Pharaoh’s power and military might! This sets up the judgments on Egypt that will follow with the ten plagues. These plagues culminate in the death of the firstborn including Pharaoh’s firstborn.

God gave the two brothers, Aaron and Moses the task of working together to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt. As God’s chosen men, they would bring God’s judgment on Pharaoh and deliver the children of Israel out of Egypt.

David wrote a psalm, preserved for us as Psalm 133, proclaiming that it is good when brothers dwell together in unity. He compares it to the image of Moses anointing Aaron’s head as he inaugurates him as the first high priest of Israel. Aaron, as the high priest would act as mediator between God and the people and teach them how to live. Together, priest and king, they would lead the children of Israel to the Promised Land.

These are the same Aaron and Moses!

Study Questions:

Teaching Questions

1. Where does Aaron first appear in the Exodus narrative? What is his role leading up to the Exodus of the Children of Israel from Egypt? Are there hints of his future role of High Priest?

 

2. There is a partial listing of the generations of Jacob starting with Reuben and ending with the Aaron and Moses, the grandsons of Levi. Why do you think this partial genealogy of Leah’s first three sons is given?

3. We examined a nested set of chiasms in this portion. What do these chiasms reveal?

General Portion Questions

4. God told Moses to have Aaron throw down his staff and it became a crocodile. What is the significance of this sign? How does it differ from the signs God told Moses to show to the children of Israel?

5. Exodus 6:6-7 are probably two of the most quoted verses in Exodus. They communicate God’s promise to the children of Israel. Yet, when Moses spoke those words, the children of Israel didn’t listen to Moses (Exodus 6:9). Why didn’t they believe Moses? How is their unbelief turned around?

6. What other insights did you gain from this teaching? What indicators are there in this Torah Portion that point to Messiah Yeshua?

W

© 2023 Moed Ministries International. All rights Reserved.

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[i] https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/3847875/jewish/Popular-Jewish-Hebrew-Girl-Names.htm

[ii] The Stone Edition Chumash. General Editiors Rabbi Nosson Scherman and Rabbi Meir Zlotositz. Mesorah Pulbications, ltd. ©1998, 2000 Mesorah Publications, ltd. Page 309.

[iii] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sobek