Parashah 13 Shemot

Exodus 1:1 – 6:1

By Dr. K. Blad  ©

Second edition 2013-14

Lucrative copying not permitted. 

Torah Readings:

1. 1:1-17
2. 1:18 – 2:10
3. 2:11-25
4. 3:1-17
5. 3:18 – 4:17
6. 4:18-31
7. 5:1 – 6:1
8. Maftir: 5:22 – 6:1

Haftarah: Isaiah 27:6 – 28:13; 29:13; 29:22-23 (Ashkenazi tradition); Jeremiah 1:1 – 2:3 (Sephardic tradition)

Shemot

Means “names”.

Comments:

The First Aliyah, 1:1-17

1:7    “The children of Yisra'el were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.”(HNV) – Here we can see how the Eternal fulfilled his promise to increase the children of Israel, see Genesis 17:2; 22:17; 26:4, 24; 48:4.

1:9    “He said to his people, ‘Behold, the people of the children of Yisra'el are more and mightier than we.’”(HNV) – If we look at it from a prophetic view this text seems to indicate that the children of Israel will end up being more in number than the rest of the peoples of the world. By this I am referring to those who will be grafted into the consecrated people through Yeshua. There are Scripture passages, which say that the majority of the population of the world will be saved through the Messiah, and thus will become part of the people of Israel.

In Isaiah 54:1, it is written,

“Sing, barren, you who didn’t bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, you who did not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, says HaShem.”(HNV revised)

 In Galatians 4:26-28, it is written,

“But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, ‘Rejoice, you barren who don’t bear. Break forth and shout, you that don’t travail. For more are the children of the desolate than of her who has a husband.’ Now we, brothers, as Yitzchak was, are children of promise.”(HNV)

 The children of the heavenly Jerusalem are going to be more in number than the children of this world’s system.

1:12 “But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out. They were grieved because of the children of Yisra'el.”(HNV) – The pressure from the outside, caused them to multiply. We can see that the same is true in all healthy spiritual life. If we do not have some form of pressure or persecution in our spiritual lives, then something is not right, as it is written in 2 Timothy 3:12,

 “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Messiah Yeshua will suffer persecution.”(HNV)

In Luke 6:26, it is written,

“Woe, when men speak well of you! For their fathers did the same thing to the false prophets.”(HNV)

Let us not be afraid of persecution because we know that it is a tool that helps us to increase. When there is no opposition we can easily become lax in our commitment and dedication to the Eternal. Conflicts and persecution keep us constantly alert and cause us to be dependent on our heavenly Father. Don’t defend yourself when you are slandered, but increase!

In Acts 4:24-31, it is written,

“When they heard it, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, ‘O Lord, you are God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who by the mouth of your servant, David, said, “Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth take a stand, and the rulers take council together, against HaShem, and against his Messiah.’ For truly, in this city against your consecrated servant, Yeshua, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the gentiles and the people of Yisra'el, were gathered together to do whatever your hand and your council foreordained to happen. Now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of your consecrated Servant Yeshua.’ When they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were gathered together. They were all filled with the Spirit of Sanctity, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.”(HNV revised)

Here we see that positive results came from the pressure that the congregation in Jerusalem was under. It caused them to pray fervently. Instead of praying to be delivered from the oppression, they prayed for power to resist and to increase in the midst of it. Our response to persecution is not to run and hide, but rather to increase and to spread the Torah and the message of the Messiah Yeshua in the power of the Ruach HaKodesh even more.

Prayer and Torah studies ought to be a very important part of a Yeshua-believer’s life. A normal believer ought to take at least one hour a day in prayer. He should also read at least one chapter a day in the Scriptures. A leader ought to spend between three and five hours daily in prayer and much time in daily study of the Scriptures. A good rule for the normal believer is to fast one day of the week. Leaders ought to fast one or two days a week. Through this the power of the Eternal is released among us and the Messianic Kingdom will be spread faster. If we do not take these things seriously now, when there is no severe persecution in the western world, it is possible that the Eternal will allow persecution to come. Then we will take our loyalty to the heavenly Kingdom seriously.

The result of the persecution in Egypt was that the people cried out to the Eternal. This cry brought great manifestations of power during the exodus. Supernatural acts of power are a result of our sacrifice to the Eternal.

In Acts 8:1b, 4, it is written,

"A great persecution arose against the assembly which was in Jerusalem in that day. They were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Yehudah and Shomron, except for the apostles… Therefore those who were scattered abroad went around preaching the word.”(HNV)

The persecution in Jerusalem produced good results. The Word spread and more people joined the congregation of the Messiah.

1:17 “But the midwives feared God, and didn’t do what the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the baby boys alive.”(HNV revised) – Authorities have been put in place by God, as it is written in Romans 13:1-6,

“Let every soul be in subjection to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those who exist are ordained by God. Therefore he who resists the authority, withstands the ordinance of God; and those who withstand will receive to themselves judgment. For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. Do you desire to have no fear of the authority? Do that which is good, and you will have praise from the same, for he is a servant of God to you for good. But if you do that which is evil, be afraid, for he doesn’t bear the sword in vain; for he is a minister of God, an avenger for wrath to him who does evil. Therefore you need to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. For this reason you also pay taxes, for they are ministers of God’s service, attending continually on this very thing.”(HNV revised)

The main purpose of authorities is to punish those who do evil and honor those who do good, as it is written in 1 Peter 2:13-14,

“Therefore subject yourselves to every ordinance of man for HaShem’s sake: whether to the king, as supreme; or to governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evil-doers and for praise to those who do well.”(HNV revised)

It is the laws of the Eternal, which decide what is good and what is evil, not man’s opinion or the opinion of the majority. That which the Eternal considers to be a right behavior is right behavior, and that which the Eternal considers evil is evil. The authorities must therefore adapt their laws to the heavenly laws in order to fulfill their purpose. If an authority does not fulfill its heavenly assignment, it will be punished and finally removed by the Eternal, who has placed it in that position.

The Scriptures also teach us that the people receive the government that it deserves (see Nehemiah 9:37). If the people live in sin, the Eternal will give them a bad government. The problem with corrupt governments is not primarily the members of the government, but the people who are living in sin. If the people repent and turn from their sin, the Eternal will give the nation a good and honest government. The people will have the government that they deserve! There are several texts which speak on this subject, Jeremiah 27:5-7; Ezekiel 25:14; Proverbs 21:2; 24:21; Ecclesiastes 8:2-9; 10:20; Daniel 2:21; 4:17 (Heb. 14), 25-26 (22-23), 32 (29); 5:21.

It is necessary to submit to the authorities over you, for they have been placed there by God. Our obedience to the authorities ought to be exemplary in all areas that do not go against the heavenly laws. Whoever submits to authority shows respect to God. Whoever resists the government with attitudes, words, or deeds is being rebellious to God. There is only one case where we cannot obey our authorities, and that is when they try to force us to do something that goes against the laws of heaven, which were given in the Torah through Moshe. The will of the Eternal and his laws are above manmade laws, as it is written in Acts 4:19-20 and 5:29,

“But Kefa and Yochanan answered them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, judge for yourselves, for we can’t help telling the things which we saw and heard.’… But Kefa and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men.’”(HNV revised)

The midwives feared God who has established that it is evil to murder a human. The king of Egypt’s command opposed this heavenly law. Therefore the midwives did not have to obey the king. We must fear God more than men, as Yeshua said in Matthew 10:28,

“Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehinnom.”(HNV)

The Second Aliyah, 1:18 – 1:20

1:20-21 “God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied, and grew very mighty. It happened, because the midwives feared God, that he gave them families.”(HNV revised) – God honored the midwives because they feared him more that the king of Egypt. They preferred to risk their lives in this world rather than to risk their lives in the coming world.

2:2    “The woman conceived, and bore a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months.”(HNV) – This is not just talking about what she saw in the natural. The child was not only fine to look at physically. There was something supernatural that was revealed at his birth. According to tradition, Moshe was born on the 7^th of Adar (February-March). A Midrash[1] says that the light of the heavenly presence, the shechinah, lit up the whole room when he was born. Another Midrash[2] says that Moshe was born circumcised. There was surely something very special with this child. The mother decided to hide him for three months and so risk her own life in order to save her son. This act was so important that it is listed among the heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11:23, where it is written,

“By faith, Moshe, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that he was a beautiful child, and they were not afraid of the king’s command.”(HNV)

Faith conquered over fear of the king. The opposite of fear is faith and trust, as it is written in Mark 5:36,

“Don’t be afraid, only believe.”(HNV)

In the same way that faith opens the door for the Eternal to work in our lives, fear opens the door for the evil one to work in our lives.

2:3    “When she could no longer hide him, she took a papyrus basket for him, and coated it with tar and with kofer. She put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank.”(HNV) – Rashi quotes a Midrash[3] and says that she used clay on the inside and tar on the outside so that the child did not have to smell the tar.

In Deuteronomy 18:15, 18-19, it is written,

“HaShem your God will raise up to you a prophet from the midst of you, of your brothers, like me; to him you shall listen… ‘I will raise them up a prophet from among their brothers, like you; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him. It shall happen, that whoever will not listen to my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.’”(HNV revised)

The prophet who would be like Moshe is the Messiah. We can, therefore, study Moshe’s life and find many parallel events that line up with the Messiah Yeshua’s life, as it is written in Matthew 21:11,

“The multitudes said, ‘This is the prophet, Yeshua, from Natzeret of the Galil.’”(HNV)

In John 6:14, it is written,

“When therefore the people saw the sign which Yeshua did, they said, ‘This is truly the prophet who comes into the world.’”(HNV)

In Acts 3:22-23, it is written,

“For Moshe indeed said to the fathers, ‘HaShem God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers, like me. You shall listen to him in all things whatever he says to you. It will be, that every soul that will not listen to that prophet will be utterly destroyed from among the people.”(HNV revised)

Just as Moshe was exposed to a life threatening danger shortly after his birth on account of an evil king’s command, Yeshua had to be saved from the hands of the evil King Herod, as it is written in Matthew 2:13-16,

“Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Yosef in a dream, saying, ‘Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.’ He arose and took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by HaShem through the prophet, saying, ‘Out of Egypt I called my son.’ Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked by the wise men, was exceedingly angry, and sent out, and killed all the male children who were in Beit-Lechem and in all the surrounding countryside, from two years old and under, according to the exact time which he had learned from the wise men.”(HNV revised)

Moreover, we see how Moshe was saved out of the danger in the water. In the same way Yeshua was saved out of the “waters” of death, as it is written in Jonah 2:4-5,

“I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your consecrated temple.’ The waters surrounded me, even to the soul. The deep was around me. The weeds were wrapped around my head.”(HNV revised)

In Psalm 18:15, it is written,

“Then the channels of waters appeared, the foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, HaShem, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.”(HNV revised)

In Psalm 69:13-14, it is written,

“But as for me, my prayer is to you, HaShem, in an acceptable time. God, in the abundance of your loving kindness, answer me in the truth of your salvation. Deliver me out of the mire, and don’t let me sink. Let me be delivered from those who hate me, and out of the deep waters.”(HNV revised)

2:10  “The child grew, and she brought him to Par`oh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moshe, and said, ‘Because I drew him out of the water.’”(HNV) – A Midrash[4] says that Moshe was taken to Pharaoh’s daughter after 24 months. According to Rashi, the name Moshe[5] comes from the root mashah,[6] which means “pull out”. The name Moshe speaks of the Messiah having to be pulled out of death in order to be the deliverer of Israel and the world.

The Third Aliyah, 2:11-25

2:11  “It happened in those days, when Moshe had grown up, that he went out to his brothers, and looked at their burdens. He saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his brothers.”(HNV) – The Hebrew identity was stronger in this young man than the Egyptian identity. The expression “his brothers” show that he had a very strong feeling of identification on the inside. He must have gone through a very deep identity crisis. He posed the question, “Who am I? Am I Egyptian or Hebrew?” Finally he decided to follow his heart and be united with his blood brothers.

Those who grow up in the gentile world but have Jewish blood or a Jewish soul, go through the same experience. They now experience a strong urge to leave the surroundings that they grew up in and be united with their “brothers”, the Jews. To leave one’s gentile surroundings and become united with the Hebrew people is considered to be one of the greatest acts of faith, according to Hebrews 11:24-26, where it is written,

“By faith, Moshe, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Par`oh’s daughter, choosing rather to share ill treatment with God’s people, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a time; accounting the reproach of Messiah as greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he looked to the reward.”(HNV revised)

Here we see that Moshe had the Messiah in mind when he decided to be united with the suffering of the chosen people. The Messiah identified with his people and took their sins upon himself, as it is written in Matthew 1:21,

“She shall bring forth a son. You shall call his name Yeshua, for it is he who shall save his people from their sins.”(HNV)

 In Isaiah 53:4-6, it is written,

“Surely he has borne our sickness, and carried our suffering; yet we considered him plagued, struck by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought our shalom was on him; and by his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; everyone has turned to his own way; and HaShem has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”(HNV revised)

The reproach of Messiah’s produces riches in olam habah, the coming world, as it is written in Romans 8:16-18,

“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God; and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Messiah; if indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed toward us.”(HNV revised)

In 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, it is written,

“For our light affliction, which is for the moment, works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory; while we don’t look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”(HNV)

The suffering that we go through in this world for the sake of the Messiah, will produce for us an incredibly rich glory in the world to come. The only way to be able to endure the pain and suffering is to think about the results they will bring. There will be a great reward for those who suffer on account of the kingdom of heaven, as our Rabbi Yeshua said in Luke 6:22-23,

 “Blessed are you when men shall hate you, and when they shall exclude and mock you, and throw out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake. Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven, for their fathers did the same thing to the prophets.”(HNV)

Moshe looked toward the invisible reward that would be revealed in the future. He also saw the Invisible One, as it is written in Hebrews 11:27,

“By faith, he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.”(HNV)

Suffering for the kingdom of heaven produces a reward in the olam habah. However, all kinds of suffering in this world will also produce a character that is pleasing before the Eternal, if we react to it in the right way, as it is written in James’ letter 1:2-4,

 “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. Let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”(HNV)

In Romans 8:28-29, it is written,

“We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”(HNV revised)

The reason that we go through suffering is so that through it we will be formed into the image of God’s Son. That is the goal that the Father has for each and every one of us.

2:14 “He said, ‘Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you plan to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian?’ Moshe was afraid, and said, ‘Surely this thing is known.’”(HNV) – Moshe was rejected the first time he came to his brothers, as it is written in Acts 7:23-25,

“But when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Yisra'el. Seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him who was oppressed, striking the Egyptian. He supposed that his brothers understood that God, by his hand, was giving them deliverance; but they didn’t understand.”(HNV revised)

The children of Israel had not yet been in Egypt according to the set time. Therefore it was not yet time for Moshe to deliver the people. He had the calling on his life. The desire to fulfill his calling was not lacking. But there were two things lacking; the right time and the correct way. When he tried to move too early, something terrible happened. In his anger and nationalistic zeal, he committed murder. This was not the right method. HaShem had another plan. Moshe had to learn to cooperate with Him instead of taking things into his own hands with his own strength. The secret to being successful in the Kingdom is to cooperate with the Eternal in His projects and not do things in our own way, as it is written in John 5:19,

“Yeshua therefore answered them, ‘Most assuredly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father doing. For whatever things he does, these the Son also does likewise.’”(HNV)

Here we can also see that God’s Son is not almighty. He is completely dependent on his Father. Because of this, the will of the Eternal prospered in his life, as it is written in Isaiah 53:10b,

“and the pleasure of HaShem shall prosper in his hand.”(HNV revised)

In the same way, we can not do anything without the help of the Messiah Yeshua, as it is written in John 15:4-5,

“Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch can’t bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me. I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”(HNV)

2:15  “Now when Par`oh heard this thing, he sought to kill Moshe. But Moshe fled from the face of Par`oh, and lived in the land of Midyan, and he sat down by a well.”(HNV) – According to a Midrash,[7] Moshe went first to the land of Kush, where he married his first wife, who later rejected him, see Numbers 12:1. After that he went to Midyan and married the daughter of Yitro. According to Rashi, Yitro was a governor in Midyan, not a priest.

During the forty years in the wilderness, Moshe learned to be humble and dependent on the Eternal so that he could be a true deliverer. Dependency on the Eternal is the key to success in the kingdom of heaven.

The Fourth Aliyah, 3:1-17

3:1    “Now Moshe was keeping the flock of Yitro, his father-in-law, the Priest of Midyan, and he led the flock to the back of the wilderness, and came to God’s mountain, to Horev.”(HNV revised) – There will always be a supernatural revelation and a heavenly encounter when one has managed to walk through a spiritual desert, led by the Eternal. The revelation is on the other side of the desert.

3:2    “The angel of HaShem appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.”(HNV revised) – The Eternal reveals himself on earth through his angels. Many times these wonderful beings are revealed as flames of fire, as it written in Hebrews 1:7,

“Of the angels he says, ‘Who makes his angels winds, and his servants a flame of fire.’”(HNV)

In order to serve the Eternal, we have to be on fire. God is not the God of the dead, but of the living, and life needs fire in order to exist. That is why the sacrifices are given to the Eternal by fire and strong wine, which is something that “burns", (see Numbers 28:7). Our dedication to the Eternal goes through fire, as it is written in Romans 12:11,

“not lagging in diligence; burning in spirit; serving HaShem”(HNV revised)

We learn two things from this bush that burned without being consumed. The first thing is that when we serve the Eternal, it must not be from our own inspiration, our own fire. Such a fire will devour us, as it is written in Ezekiel 28:18,

“By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your traffic, you have profaned your sanctuaries; therefore have I brought forth a fire from the midst of you; it has devoured you, and I have turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all those who see you.”(HNV)

Human inspiration is a fire that devours. But when the inspiration comes from the Eternal, we will not be devoured. It is important that our ministry before the Eternal is done with his fire, not with our own, which is a strange fire that will kill us, as it is written in Numbers 26:61,

“Nadav and Avihu died, when they offered strange fire before HaShem.”(HNV revised)

The second thing that we learn from this wonderful phenomenon is that in spite of the fact that Israel has gone through such oppression in Egypt, and later on throughout all of history, it has not been devoured.

3:5    “And He said: ‘Draw not nigh hither; put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is consecrated ground.’”(JPS revised) – Shepherds in the wilderness in the countries of the Middle East use a head covering to protect themselves from the sun and the wind. When the Eternal revealed himself to Moshe, he did not command him to uncover his head, but to take off his boots. They were not sandals, because they needed something much stronger to protect their feet in that terrain.

3:6    “Moreover he said, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Avraham, the God of Yitzchak, and the God of Ya`akov.’ Moshe hid his face; for he was afraid to look at God.”(HNV revised) – The Scriptures teach us that it is not customary to uncover one’s head in the presence of the Eternal, but rather to hide. It is a way of honoring him while at the same time protecting oneself from the intense light that is in the presence of his glory. In the tabernacle it was forbidden to serve the Eternal without covering one’s head. The High Priest had to constantly wear a head covering before the Eternal.

Yeshua the Messiah is right now serving as High Priest in the heavenly tabernacle according to the order of Malki-Tzedek. Since the High Priest on earth is a shadow of the heavenly High Priest, we can conclude that the Messiah Yeshua has his head covered when he serves in the heavenly tabernacle (see Zechariah 3:1-5; Revelation 19:12). Those who now serve the Eternal according to the order of Malki-Tzedek ought therefore also to wear a head covering as a sign of respect for the Eternal (see 2 Samuel 15:30; 1 Kings 19:13).

3:9-10 “Now, behold, the cry of the children of Yisra'el has come to me. Moreover I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come now therefore, and I will send you to Par`oh, that you may bring forth my people, the children of Yisra'el, out of Egypt.”(HNV) – HaShem reveals himself to Moshe because of the great compassion that he had for the people who were oppressed. Moshe had to come to know a God who shows mercy and compassion, who knows what the people feel and cares about their situation and is aware of their suffering. If a leader does not have the compassion of the Eternal for his people, he will never be successful in the Kingdom. This was the first thing that Moshe had to learn at this heavenly encounter. This revelation of the compassionate God is intimately connected with the name YHWH. This is the name that expresses the Eternal’s mercy and compassion.

According to the second level of interpretation, remez, the allegorical level, we can say that Egypt symbolizes the present world system, Pharaoh symbolizes satan, who rules in this world of evil, and the slavery symbolizes the state of man under sin. These are man’s three main enemies, the world, satan, and sin. The last is the most dangerous. It leads to death. Moshe was now given the assignment to deliver the people from these three; from Egypt, from Pharaoh’s influence, and from slavery. In the same way, the Messiah has the assignment of delivering the people of Israel from this world system, from the influence of satan, and from the power of the yetzer ha-rah, the evil urge within man, which leads to death.

3:11 “Moshe said to God, ‘Who am I, that I should go to Par`oh, and that I should bring forth the children of Yisra'el out of Egypt?’”(HNV revised) – Moshe has been stripped of his youthful pride that he had the first time he tried to deliver the Israelites from slavery. Now he fell into the opposite ditch. Now he despised himself. This is the first time that he resists the calling of the Eternal. Altogether he resists five times. In the end the Eternals wrath was revealed towards him. Humility is not saying that you can’t do something. Humility is to submit to the will of the Eternal and do what he says, even if you become great by doing it, as it is written in Philippians 2:8-9,

“he humbled himself, becoming obedient… Therefore God also highly exalted him…”(HNV revised)

3:12 “He said, ‘Certainly I will be with you. This will be the token to you, that I have sent you: when you have brought forth the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.’”(HNV revised) – The question was, “Who am I?” and the answer was “I will be with you”. Moshe had to learn not to do things in his own way. He had already learned that when you do things your own way it brings catastrophic consequences. He did not see himself as capable of leading the children of Israel out of Egypt. But that was not what the Eternal wanted of him. He did not want Moshe to do it on his own. He would be with him. When you do things together with the Eternal, all is well. Moshe had to learn to be completely dependent on the Eternal, and not on himself. To be dependent on the Eternal is one of the greatest secrets in the kingdom of heaven, as it is written in 2 Corinthians 12:10,

“Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Messiah’s sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong.”(HNV)

In 2 Corinthians 1:9, it is written,

“Yes, we ourselves have had the sentence of death within ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead”(HNV revised)

In 2 Corinthians 3:5, it is written,

“not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God”(HNV revised)

In 1 Corinthians 15:10, it is written,

“But by the grace of God I am what I am. His grace which was bestowed on me was not futile, but I worked more than all of them; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”(HNV revised)

3:14-15 “God said to Moshe, ‘I will be who I will be.’ And he said, ‘You shall tell the children of Yisra'el this: “I will be has sent me to you.”’ God said moreover to Moshe, ‘You shall tell the children of Yisra'el this, “The Eternal, the God of your fathers, the God of Avraham, the God of Yitzchak, and the God of Ya`akov, has sent me to you.” This is my name forever, and this is my memorial to all generations.’”(HNV revised) – In this extraordinary experience we find altogether seven names of the Eternal. These seven are:

1.      I will be who I will be – Ehiyeh asher ehiyeh.

2.      I will be – Ehiyeh, a shorter form of the first.

3.      The Eternal – YHWH.

4.      The God of your fathers.

5.      The God of Avraham.

6.      The God of Yitzchak.

7.      The God of Ya’akov.

Targum Jerusalem translated verse 14 this way, “And the Word of the Lord said to Moshe, ‘I am the one who said to the world, “Be!” and it was, and the one who will come in the future will say, “Be!” and it is going to be.’ And he said, ‘This you shall say to the children of Israel, “I am” has sent me to you.’”

A Midrash[8] says, “I do not have a permanent name, because my Name varies according to the way that my actions are perceived by man,” HaShem explained. “When I sit in judgment and wage war against evil, I am called Tzevaot. When I spare the sinner from punishment, I am called Shaddai. When I am merciful, I present myself as YHWH (HaShem). The Name Ehiyeh asher ehiyeh, means that in the same way that I am with them in this exile, I am going to be with them in the future exiles.”

The same Midrash goes on to say that Moshe asked if they had not had enough suffering now, in order to find out about the future. HaShem answered him that this name was only revealed to him as their leader. To the children of Israel, you shall only name the name Ehiyeh, “I will be”, so that they will understand that I will be with them in this suffering.

The root of the word Ehiyeh is hayah[9] (he, yud, he), which means “be”, “is”, “exist”, “have”, “own”, “make oneself”, “become”, “be changed into”, “place oneself”, “belong to”, “serve as”.

The root of the name YHWH is havah[10] (he, vav, he), which means “be”, “is”, “exist”, “become”, “happen”.

The word YHWH[11] (Yud, He, Vav, He), is connected to hayah and havah. YHWH is the hiphil-form of the verb havah, which means that he is (for eternity), he lives (and cannot die) and he gives life (and causes everything living to exist). He is the one who exists in and of himself, the only one who really is without comparison, without limit, self-sufficient, eternal, and unchanging.

In Isaiah 41:4, it is written,

“Who has worked and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I, HaShem, the first, and with the last, I am.”(HNV revised)

This teaches us that the Eternal does not exist in time. He is the first and simultaneously he is with the last. Right now he is present at the Garden of Eden when Adam eats of the forbidden fruit. Right now he is present when his Son sheds his blood on the tree. He is present at the second coming of the Messiah and at the eternal judgment. He is in the past, present, and future, simultaneously. He does not need to foresee the future; he is in the future. He is the first, and at the same time he is with the last.

That means that he did not need to look back into the past and into the future when the Messiah died for all men. He was present in every person’s life that had lived, and were living at the time, as well as all who would be created in the future. Because of this, he was able to remove the sins of all the people in the past, present and future, and place them on the Son’s body so that he could die for everyone, with no exceptions.

This means that the Eternal sees the bloody death of Yeshua for your sake and my sake right now. His death is always present at the heavenly throne. Because of that death, you and I can come before the throne of grace. Because HE IS, we can be together with him and share in his life for eternity. Blessed be his eternal Name!

In Revelation 4:8, it is written,

“The four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around about and within. They have no rest day and night, saying, ‘Consecrated, consecrated, consecrated is HaShem God, Tzevaot, who was and is and is to come.’”(HNV revised)

In 1 Timothy 6:16, it is written,

“who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light; whom no man has seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and eternal power. Amen.”(HNV)

Only HaShem is immortal. He is the ONLY one who is immortal. He, who is immortal, dwells in a light that no one can approach. No man has seen him or can see him who alone is immortal. If Yeshua was immortal we could not see him. Neither would he have been able to die. The only one who is immortal is the Eternal, the Unlimited. God’s Son could die, and we could see him. This is therefore not speaking about him.

In 1 Timothy 1:17, it is written,

“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”(HNV revised)

The only God is the eternal immortal King. Yeshua was mortal and visible. The “only God” could therefore not include Yeshua.

In John 5:26, it is written,

“For as the Father has life in himself, even so he gave to the Son also to have life in himself.”(HNV)

From the beginning it was only the Father who had life in himself. Then the Father gave the Son the ability to have life in himself. If the Father had not done that, the Son would not have had it. The Son received immortality from the Father. He did not have it in himself. He received it from the Father.

In Romans 2:6-7, it is written,

“Who will render every man according to his works: to those who by patient endurance of a good work seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life.”(MRC)

Man is not immortal. Man’s soul is not immortal. There is only one who is immortal. Man seeks immortality. HaShem shares of his immortality with those who are tied to him. He is the one who gives life and existence. Outside of him there is no life or existence. The angels live because the Eternal gives them life. Whoever distances himself from the Life-Giver will die, be exterminated, cease to exist, disappear. Outside of the Life-Giver there is no existence.

The Scriptures say that there is only One who is immortal, the one who gives life to everything, as it is written in 1 Timothy 6:13a,

“I charge you before God, who gives life to all things”(HNV revised)

 In Acts 17:24-25, 28a, it is written,

“The God who made the world and all things in it, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands, neither is he served by men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself gives to all life and breath, and all things… For in him we live, and move, and have our being.”(HNV revised)

He has given his Son, the last Adam, the ability to give life, as it is written in 1 Corinthians 15:45,

 “So also it is written, ‘The first man, Adam, became a living soul.’ The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.”(HNV)

In John 5:25, it is written,

“Most assuredly, I tell you, the hour comes, and now is, when the dead will hear the Son of God’s voice; and those who hear will live.”(HNV revised)

In John 10:27-28, it is written,

 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.”(HNV)

In 1 John 5:11-13, it is written,

“The testimony is this, that God gave to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has the life. He who doesn’t have God’s Son doesn’t have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.”(HNV revised)

“HaShem, the God of your fathers, the God of Avraham, the God of Yitzchak, and the God of Ya`akov… This is my name forever, and this is my memorial to all generations.”

The name YHWH (HaShem, the Eternal) is intimately connected with the three patriarchs. His name means that he causes these three to exist. The patriarchs had long been dead when Moshe lived; they were not alive. Neither were they alive during Yeshua’s time. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection. Neither did they accept any Scripture beyond the Chumash (the five books of Moshe). Therefore, when the Yeshua debated with them about the resurrection, he did not use arguments from the books that they did not accept as inspired, (where it very clearly mentions the resurrection of the dead, see Job 19:26; Isaiah 26:19; Daniel 12:2, 13 among others). He used the Chumash, and quoted the text that we have stopped at here, according to what is written in Luke 20:37-38,

“But that the dead are raised, even Moshe showed at the bush, when he called the Lord ‘The God of Avraham, the God of Yitzchak, and the God of Ya`akov.’ Now he is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all are alive to him.”(HNV revised)

What argument does Yeshua use? If there is no resurrection, as the Sadducees say, then how can the Eternal connect himself to the patriarchs and say that he is their God, if they are dead? He is not a God of the dead, but of the living. This teaches us that the patriarchs were dead when Yeshua spoke. If Yeshua had considered them to be alive, he would not have had an argument against the Sadducees. According to our Rabbi, the resurrection is a necessity in order for the Eternal to be Avraham’s, Yitzchak’s, and Ya’akov’s God. If there was no resurrection they would continue to be dead, and then HaShem would be a God of the dead. Therefore, whoever teaches that those who have died in faith are still alive, are mistaken. Those who died need the resurrection of their bodies in order to be alive. Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya’akov have to be resurrected in order to be considered alive and for God to be a God of the living. According to Yeshua, man cannot live without a body. The resurrection is the stipulation for man to be able to live for eternity, as it is written in 1 Corinthians 15:53-54,

“For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this corruptible will have put on incorruption, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then what is written will happen: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’”(HNV)

Death cannot be swallowed up until the resurrection, because then the dead bodies will have life again.

The Fifth Aliyah, 3:18 – 4:17

3:16 “Go, and gather the elders of Yisra'el together, and tell them, ‘YHWH, the God of your fathers, the God of Avraham, of Yitzchak, and of Ya`akov, has appeared to me, saying, "I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt"’”(HNV revised) – We see clearly that Moshe uttered the Name of the Eternal to the children of Israel. He did even before Pharaoh, see 5:1-2, 17.

Just as Moshe acknowledged YHWH’s Name before the people of Israel, so the Messiah Yeshua made the name of the Father known to his disciples, as it is written in John 17:6, 26,

“I revealed your Name to the people whom you have given me out of the world. They were yours, and you have given them to me. They have kept your word… I made known to them your Name, and will make it known; that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and I in them.”(HNV)

3:18  “They will listen to your voice, and you shall come, you and the elders of Yisra'el, to the king of Egypt, and you shall tell him, ‘HaShem, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to HaShem, our God.’”(HNV revised) – Here God calls himself the “God of the Hebrews”. This is the first time in the Scriptures that this expression is found. The word “the Hebrews” (ha-ivrim) occurs fourteen times in the Chumash (the Pentateuch) in the normal way, and one time in an unusual way. Here are the first four times:

1.      Genesis 40:15 – in connection with the land of Israel.

2.      Genesis 43:32 – in connection with food.

3.      Exodus 2:6 – in connection with the people.

4.      Exodus 3:18 – in connection with the Eternal.

In Exodus 3:18 the word is written ha-ivriyim, with a double yud. This is the only time it is written this way in the entire Scriptures. This tells us that there is a secret hidden within the expression “the God of the Hebrews”.

• The letter yud is the first letter in the Name of the Eternal – He identifies with the Hebrews to such an extent that he lets his Name be among them.

• The letter yud is the tenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet – The ten words were given on Mount Sinai. It also means that the ten plagues would come over Egypt in order to deliver the Hebrews from that place.

• The double yud is also found in the word va-yitzer (and formed) in Genesis 2:7. According to Rashi, this means that there was a double forming of man (as opposed to the animals). One forming for this world, and one for the resurrection of the dead. Within the human body there is a seed for the resurrected body, see 1 Corinthians 15:42-44. Now when the double yud is found in the word “Hebrews” in Exodus 3:18, it alludes to the Hebrews being people who live in two dimensions, in this world and in the heavenly world. Among the Hebrews there are two kinds of people; those who are only of this world, (like the sand), and those who are also of heaven, (like the stars). The Hebrews who have a relationship with the Eternal are those who have been marked with a double yud. They are the heavenly children.

“three days’ journey” – This is referring to the resurrection of the Messiah.

4:2a  “HaShem said to him, ‘What is that in your hand?’”(HNV revised) – The rod represents the Messiah, as it is written in Genesis 49:10,

“The scepter will not depart from Yehudah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes to whom it belongs. To him will the obedience of the peoples be.”(HNV revised)

In Numbers 24:17, it is written,

“I see him, but not now; I see him, but not near: there shall come forth a star out of Ya`akov, a scepter shall rise out of Yisra'el, shall strike through the corners of Mo'av, break down all the sons of tumult.”(HNV)

4:2b-3 “He said, ‘A rod.’ He said, ‘Throw it on the ground.’ He threw it on the ground, and it became a snake; and Moshe ran away from it.”(HNV) – The Messiah had to take the place of sinful man. Sin, which is the nature of the old serpent, came into his flesh and thus he was, so to speak, turned into a serpent in order to be punished as a sinner in our place, as it is written in John 3:14-15,

“As Moshe lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”(HNV)

4:5    “That they may believe that HaShem, the God of their fathers, the God of Avraham, the God of Yitzchak, and the God of Ya`akov, has appeared to you.” (HNV revised) – In the same way that Moshe was sent to the children of Israel with supernatural signs, so the Messiah Yeshua was also sent. Miracles confirm that the messenger is sent by the Eternal, as it is written in John 5:36,

“But the testimony which I have is greater than that of Yochanan, for the works which the Father gave me to accomplish, the very works that I do, testify about me, that the Father has sent me.”(HNV)

In John 10:37, it is written,

“If I don’t do the works of my Father, don’t believe me.”(HNV)

In John 15:24, it is written,

“If I hadn’t done among them the works which no one else did, they wouldn’t have had sin. But now have they seen and also hated both me and my Father.”(HNV)

4:6-7 “And HaShem said furthermore unto him: ‘Put now thy hand into thy bosom.’ And he put his hand into his bosom; and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow. And He said: ‘Put thy hand back into thy bosom.’ And he put his hand back into his bosom; and when he took it out of his bosom, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh.”(JPS revised) – In Jewish tradition, the Messiah is called “the leper”.[12] This is actually not referring to the disease that today is called leprosy. They do not have the same symptoms. The Hebrew name for this affliction is tzaraat. The sages in Israel teach that it is a punishment that God sends when one speaks lashon harah, “evil tongue”. In this case Moshe was punished because he spoke ill of Israel by saying that they would not believe him. Miriam was punished with this affliction because she spoke against the servant of the Eternal, etc.

Moshe’s hand represents the Messiah, who is in the bosom of the Father, as it is written in John 1:18,

“No one has seen God at any time. The one and only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.”(HNV revised)

The first time that he came from the Father’s bosom, he came as “the leper”, in order to carry man’s sin-leprosy. Thereafter he was brought back to the same place that he had come from, in order to be revealed again, without having anything to do with sin, as it is written in Hebrews 9:28,

 “so Messiah also, having been once offered to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, without sin, to those who are eagerly waiting for him for salvation.”(HNV)

4:8    “And if they do not have faith in you or give ear to the voice of the first sign, they will have faith in the second sign.”(BBE) – The first time that the Messiah came, the majority of the Jews did not believe in him; but they will believe at his second coming.

4:9    “It will happen, if they will not believe even these two signs, neither listen to your voice, that you shall take of the water of the river, and pour it on the dry land. The water which you take out of the river will become blood on the dry land.”(HNV) – Whoever does not believe the two signs that the Father has given through the Messiah, and resists Yeshua even at his second coming, will have to suffer death and his blood will be spilled out on the ground (see Revelation 19:19-21). In connection with the second coming of the Messiah, the gentile nations, who are symbolized by water, will come to the land of Israel, die there and be turned to blood (see Ezekiel 38-39; Isaiah 61:1-4; Revelation 14:18-20).

4:12  “Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall speak.”(HNV) – In the same way, Yeshua the Messiah did not speak on his own, but only whatever the Father put in his mouth, as it is written in Deuteronomy 18:18,

“I will raise them up a prophet from among their brothers, like you; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him.”(HNV)

In John 12:49, it is written,

“For I spoke not from myself, but the Father who sent me, he gave me a command, what I should say, and what I should speak.”(HNV revised)

In John 14:10, it is written,

 “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I tell you, I speak not from myself; but the Father who lives in me does his works.”(HNV)

4:13  “He said, ‘Oh, Lord, please send someone else.’”(HNV) – This is a reference to the Messiah.

4:16  “He will be your spokesman to the people; and it will happen, that he will be to you a mouth, and you will be to him as God.”(HNV) – Moshe was given the job of being Elohim, the highest judge with the highest power. The Hebrew word Elohim is not a personal name for the Creator, but a position, a title. His name is not God, he IS God. A man can have several different assignments. He can be a lawyer, a father, a friend, and a company president. All these titles are different roles. But none of them are a personal name. A person’s given name is not the same as the position that he holds. For example “John is a policeman”. John is his name and he holds the position of a policeman. It is the same thing when it is written, “YHWH is God”, (Deuteronomy 4:39). His name is YHWH and he holds the position of God, Elohim. The Creator has a personal name by which he reveals himself, YHWH, as it is written in Exodus 15:3,

“HaShem is a man of war. YHWH is his name.”(HNV revised)

That is his personal name. His other names are titles, which represent his different roles, and “God”, Elohim, is one of them. This role of being Elohim, was delegated to Moshe. In the same way, the Messiah has received the power to be Elohim from the invisible God, as it is written in John 1:1,

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,[13] and the Word was God (Elohim).[14]”(HNV revised)

The Word, the Torah, was together with God the Father, and the Torah held the position of Elohim, i.e. the highest power and authority. The Torah was later made flesh and dwelled among us, as it is written in John 1:14,

“The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.”(HNV)

The plural form Elohim, is used in Exodus 4:16, to describe a man who represents the Almighty on earth (see Exodus 21:22; 22:8-9). If the term Elohim was only used to describe plurality, it would not have been used of a single person. Moshe is not more than one person. Here he received the power to represent the Almighty on earth, and he was not called El or Eloah, which are the singular forms, but he was called Elohim, which is the plural form of the word Eloah. This teaches us that the word Elohim is not referring to several people, but to full authority, full power. The word Elohim is used here of one single person who was given full authority to act in the place of the Almighty on earth. This was the case with Moshe, and this is the case with Yeshua the Messiah. In his case, however, it is not an authority limited to Egypt, for he has received all power in heaven and on earth, as it is written in Matthew 28:18,

“Yeshua came to them and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.’”(HNV)

The Sixth Aliyah, 4:18-31

4:18 “Moshe went and returned to Yitro his father-in-law, and said to him, ‘Please let me go and return to my brothers who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive.’ Yitro said to Moshe, ‘Go in shalom.’”(HNV revised) – According to Rashi, Moshe’s father-in-law had seven different names: Reuel, Yeter, Yitro, Keni, Chovav, Chever, and Putiel.

4:19 “HaShem said to Moshe in Midyan, ‘Go, return into Egypt; for all the men who sought your life are dead.’”(HNV revised) – Yeshua’s adoptive father received a similar message about going back to the land of Israel, as it is written in Matthew 2:20,

“Arise and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Yisra'el, for those who sought the young child’s life are dead.”(HNV)

4:20 “Moshe took his wife and his sons, and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. Moshe took God’s rod in his hand.”(HNV revised) – In the same way, the Messiah came on a donkey, as it is written in Zechariah 9:9,

“Rejoice greatly, daughter of Tziyon! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king comes to you! He is righteous, and having salvation; lowly, and riding on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”(HNV)

4:22 “You shall tell Par`oh, ‘Thus says HaShem, Yisra'el is my son, my firstborn”(HNV revised) – To be the firstborn does not always mean the one who was born first because it also has to do with greatness (see Psalm 89:28). Israel is the youngest of all the nations who were founded in Genesis 10. But even so, Israel exercises, as the firstborn among the nations, the right to receive a double inheritance from the Father, to be priest and to rule (see Exodus 19:5-6). Israel is the head of the nations. The Messiah is the incarnate Israel. He is the firstborn of the Father and fills these three roles. When Israel was delivered from Egypt, God’s son came out, as it is written in Hosea 11:1,

“When Yisra'el was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.”(HNV)

In Matthew 2:15, it is written,

“and was there until the death of Herod; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by HaShem through the prophet, saying, ‘Out of Egypt I called my son.’”(HNV)

4:25  “Then Tzipporah took a flint, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet; and she said, ‘Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me.’”(HNV) – The Messiah is also a bridegroom of blood.

4:31  “The people believed, and when they heard that HaShem had visited the children of Yisra'el, and that he had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.”(HNV revised) – Yosef spoke certain key words concerning the exodus from Egypt, as it is written in Genesis 50:24-25,

“Yosef said to his brothers, ‘I am dying, but God visiting he will visit you, and bring you up out of this land to the land which he swore to Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Ya`akov.’ Yosef took an oath of the children of Yisra'el, saying, ‘God visiting will visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.’”(HNV revised)

The key words were, “visiting will visit”, in Hebrew “pakod yifkod”. Here Moshe came saying the same thing, saying that the Eternal had visited them. Therefore the children of Israel understood that it was the voice of the Eternal that had spoken and they believed him.

The first time that the word “visit” occurs is in Genesis 21:1, when the Eternal visits Sarah so that the miracle of the supernatural birth of the son of the promise would come to pass. In the same way, he came at this time to do something that was humanly impossible; to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt.

The Seventh Aliyah, 5:1 – 6:1

5:1    “Afterward Moshe and Aharon came, and said to Par`oh, ‘This is what HaShem, the God of Yisra'el, says, "Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness."’”(HNV revised) – This is the first time that the expression “Israel’s God” occurs. It is tied to three things:

1.      The people of Israel.

2.      Delivery from slavery.

3.      A feast to the Eternal.

The Eternal is Israel’s God. The expression “Israel’s God” occurs two hundred times in the Scriptures.

Rabbi Shaul says once that he is also the God of the gentiles, in Romans 3:29, where it is written,

“Or is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t he the God of gentiles also? Yes, of gentiles also”(HNV revised)

This “also” means that he has not stopped being Israel’s God in order to now be the God of the gentiles. He continues to be first and foremost the God of Israel and the Jews.

Israel’s God delivers man from his three main enemies, the world, satan, and sin, which leads to death, so that man can serve Him for eternity.

The feast that this is referring to is Shavuot, Pentecost. During this feast the Torah was given. The Hebrew word for feast is chag, which comes from the root chagag,[15] which means, “move in a circle”, “celebrate”, “make merry”. This teaches us that the Eternal wants us to rejoice in dance before him. He has established his own feasts. He shares these feasts with his people so that we can celebrate our deliverance together with him (see Leviticus 23).

5:3    “They said, ‘The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to HaShem our God, lest he fall on us with pestilence, or with the sword.’”(HNV revised) – The three days refer to the Messiah’s resurrection on the third day. This teaches us that the death and resurrection of the Messiah is something that causes us to distance ourselves from the world and we have this as a foundation for serving the Father with pleasing sacrifices, as it is written in 1 Peter 2:5,

“You also, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house, to be a consecrated priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Yeshua the Messiah.”(HNV revised)