Parashas
Shemot
Exodus/Shemos
1:1 –
6:1
Please
Pray this prayer
before reading
In the name of Yahushua
Our
Messiyah,
I
pray for the Spirit of Understanding
The
Spirit of Knowledge and
The Spirit of Wisdom
As
I read through this Parasha
Parashas Shemot is the thirteen portions
of the Torah cycle and the first in Exodus. The word Shemot means name, the names of those who came out of
Egypt “Misrayem.” The book of Exodus begins with the conjunction “and”
to help us relate to the book of Genesis where Jacob’s family began the process
of exile by descending to Egypt, and here the narrative of the exile is
developed, until it ends with the blaze of miracles that culminated in the
exodus and finally the giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai.
In this Parashas the Torah tells us that
baby Moses was taken from the Nile and into the house of Pharaoh, where he was
raised by Royalty. Many years later after a series of event which led Moses to
choose between YAHVEH’S people and Egypt he choose to defend the right of the
children of Yisrael, he had to flee to Middian for his life.
The narrative tells us that one day
while tending his father-in-law flock in the wilderness, Moses saw a forest
fire on a near by hill and he went to investigate. As he drew close to the
burning bush, the CREATOR revealed HIMSELF to Moses.
Although Moses decision to investigate
the strange enigma of the insignificant burning bush, given the more dramatic
occurrence to come, it is a crucially important moment for Moses. If Moses had not investigate he would have
never encounter the CREATOR. His action also reveals the status of Moses
spiritual awareness that nothing comes into our lives by accident, that
everything that happen to a believer comes as a sign from the CREATOR.
When Moses observes the burning bush he
knew it had a special meaning, so he went to see the manifestation. How many of
us would have responded if we saw something out of the ordinary? Most of us
would have decided right then and there that is was much to do about nothing
and continue on our merry way.
Why the truth is not as clear to us as
it was to Moses? The answer is that our spiritual consciousness has not yet
reached the spiritual level where we truly understand that there are no
coincident! Because we do not see the CREATOR in everything, the CREATOR’S
messages are not revealed to us.
This Parashas revealed an insight into
the spiritual consciousness of a Mature Believer such as Moses, ant it serves
as a valuable reminder of just how often we have miss the opportunity in life
when we choose to ignore the occurrence of things in the natural. Imagine just
how different Moses life would have turned out if he had ignored this simple
manifestation.
After arriving at the Burning Bush, the
CREATOR appears to Moses and informed him that he was chosen to tell the
Yisraelites that their suffering will soon come to and end, for he was chosen
to lead the Children of Yisrael out of Egypt.
Moses never doubts that it is YAHVEH
speaking to him; he never considers that he might be suffering hallucinations
from the heat. Moses recognizes the CREATOR, and he knew how important YAHVEH’S
message to the Yisraelites would be. Yet Moses continues to find reason after
reason why he cannot go to Pharaoh.
Many a believer used various reasons why
we place limits on what we can accomplish, on how much we can help people. When
our experience and our preconceptions do not match up with the CREATOR, we allow
doubt to cloud our minds. When we see ourselves giving in to doubt we can
remind ourselves of the portion of Shemot. We can bring Moses to mind and
benefit from his mistakes and from the miracle of freedom that he was able to
bring to his people.
Genesis listed the names of all those
who came to Egypt, include Jacob’s grandchildren, whereas Shemot lists only his
sons. In the context of resisting the corruptive atmosphere of Egypt and
preserving the moral and spiritual grandeur of Jacob’s family, his sons were
equal to the task.
Because they kept the nation of Yisrael
on the high level set be Jacob. Slavery did not begin as long as they were
alive. His grandchildren, however, were not as righteous; they like us were not
able to maintain the same level of spiritually greatness. Never the less, the
promise made to Jacob had to be fulfilled. So their merit was great enough to
prevent the onset of total enslavement as long as they were alive.
The
name, the Shem, of the tribal ancestors had been mentioned in their lifetimes
and they are repeated here as they pass from the scene, as one often repeats
something that is dear to them. They are likened to the stars, which YAHVEH
brings out and brings in by number and by name, Isaiyah 40:26. Lift up your
eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them
all by names by the greatness of his might, for that HE is strong in power; not one faileth.
He counts and
enumerates when they come out and again when they are gathered in. This shows
that the forefathers, like the stars, are precious to ABBA YAHVEH. The twelve
tribes are compared to stars because they correspond to the twelve
constellations, in that both the tribes and the constellations are composed of
many individual units that complement one another. Just like the combination of
stars forms the constellation, so too the combination of people forms a tribe
and the combination of tribes creates the nation.
Jacob was like the
sun and his sons like the stars; when the sun is out the stars are not visible.
When the sun is set like Jacob, the stars his sons begin to shine. When the sun
is out, the stars are not visible, but when the sun sets, the stars take over
the sky. So too, after Jacob’s death, the tribal ancestors achieved great
importance, for the presence of their light in the increasing darkness of
Egypt. As long as they are conscious of their true purpose, they are only in
physical not spiritual exile.
As time passes this exile is about to be
concluded, as promise by EL YAHVEH. This exile like our lives, were condition
on who we believe. As long as the children of Yisrael like our selves obeyed
the Word of EL YAHVEH, they would receive a favorite status as Joseph and his
brother did, at the conclusion of Genesis it stipulated. As time progress,
however, the people would forget the purpose of being in Egypt, which is to
plunder Pharaoh. Therefore, they would become subjugated to slavery at the hand
of the Egyptians.
Joseph warned his brothers to remember
Genesis 50:24 and the purpose of being in Egypt. Like so many time in
Scripture, we wander away from the intended goal of Creation, and become
subjugated to slavery to the world system. However, because of the promise EL
YAHVEH made to Jacob, HE had to fulfill it. Therefore EL YAHVEH rose up a
redeemer to carry out this task.
Sabbath Shalom.
