Blessing for the Torah Reading:
Baruch atah YHVH, Eloheynu, Melech ha-O’lam, asher
bachar banu m’kol ha-amim,
v’natan
lanu eht Torah-to. Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn ha-Torah. Ameyn.”
(Blessed are you, YHVH, our Elohim , King of the
Universe,
you have selected us from among all the peoples,
and have given us your Torah.
Blessed are you, YHVH, giver of the Torah. Ameyn.)
Ivrim/Heb 12:15 See to it that no one falls short of the
favour of Elohim, that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, by
which many become defiled,
Heb 12:16 lest there be anyone who whores, or profane
one, like Ěsaw, who for a single meal sold his birthright.
Heb 12:17 For you know that afterward, when he wished
to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance,
though he sought it with tears.
The above scripture addresses the spirit of this
age - The Esav spirit – it is a
religious spirit that seeks to control and manipulate through guilt and
deception.
The opposite spirit is the “Yakov
spirit” who live as pilgrims tending sheep and studying Torah.
Many people in this world who
call themselves believers have no idea of the kind of danger they are in WHEN
THEY REFUSE TO OBEY THE TRUTH BECAUSE THOSE WHO ARE CONTROLLED BY THE SPIRIT OF
ESAV WILL FIND IT VERY DIFFICULT EVEN IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND A PLACE OF REPENTANCE.
2Ti 4:3 For there shall be a time when they shall not
bear sound teaching, but according to their own desires, they shall heap up for
themselves teachers tickling the ear,1 Footnote: 1Isa.
30:10, Jer. 5:31, Rom. 16:18.
2Ti 4:4
and they shall indeed turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned
aside to myths.
In the almost 40 years that I have been involved in
the church and with Christians I have noticed a dangerous spiritual decline
amongst believers.
Yahshua solemnly warns such a group of people. (Parable of the soils)
Mat
13:14 “And in them the prophecy of
Yeshayahu is completely filled, which says, ‘Hearing you shall hear and by no
means understand, and seeing you shall see and by no means perceive,
Mat 13:15 for the heart of this people has become
thickened, and their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should
understand with their heart, and turn back, and I heal them.’
Mat 13:16 “And blessed are your eyes because they see,
and your ears because they hear,
Mat 13:17 for truly I say to you, that many prophets
and righteous ones longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear
what you hear, and did not hear it.
Isa 6:8 And I heard the voice of יהוה, saying, “Whom
do I send, and who would go for Us?” And I said, “Here am I! Send me.”
Isa 6:9 And He
said, “Go, and you shall say to this people, ‘Hearing, you hear, but do not
understand; and seeing, you see, but do not know.’
Isa 6:10 “Make the
heart of this people fat, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they
see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart,
and shall turn and be healed.”
Isa 6:11 Then I
said, “יהוה, until when?” And He answered, “Until the
cities are laid waste and without inhabitant, and the houses are without a man,
and the land is laid waste, a ruin,
Isa 6:12 and יהוה has removed men far away, and the forsaken
places be many in the midst of the land.
Mic 7:15 “As in the days when you came out of the land
of Mitsrayim, I shall let him see wonders.”
Mic 7:16 Let the gentiles see and be ashamed of all
their might, let them put their hand over their mouth, let their ears be deaf.
Mic 7:17 Let them lick the dust like a serpent, let
them come trembling from their strongholds like snakes of the earth, let them
be afraid of יהוה our Elohim and fear because of You.
Mic 7:18 Who is an
Ěl like You – taking away crookedness and passing over the transgression of the
remnant of His inheritance? He shall not retain His wrath forever, for He
Himself delights in kindness.
Mic 7:19 He shall
turn back, He shall have compassion on us, He shall trample upon our
crookednesses! And You throw all our sins into the depths of the sea!
Mic 7:20 You give
truth to Yaʽaqoḇ, kindness to Aḇraham,
which You swore to our fathers from the days of old!
Isa 10:20 And in that day it shall be that the remnant
of Yisra’ĕl, and those who have escaped of the house of Yaʽaqoḇ, never again lean
upon him who defeated them,(Esav) but shall lean upon יהוה, the Set-apart
One of Yisra’ĕl, in truth.
Isa 10:21 A
remnant shall return, the remnant of Yaʽaqoḇ, to
the Mighty Ěl.
Isa 10:22 For
though your people, O Yisra’ĕl, be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of
them shall return – a decisive end, overflowing with righteousness.
Isa 10:23 For the
Master יהוה of hosts is making a complete end, as
decided, in the midst of all the earth.
Isa 10:24
Therefore thus said the Master יהוה of hosts, “My
people, who dwell in Tsiyon, be not afraid of Ashshur, who beats you with a rod
and lifts up his staff against you, in the way of Mitsrayim.
Isa
10:25 “For yet a little while and the
displeasure shall be completed, and My displeasure be to their destruction.”
Isa 11:11 And it shall be in that day that יהוה sets His hand
again a second time to recover the remnant of His people who are left, from
Ashshur and from Mitsrayim, from Pathros and from Kush, from Ěylam and from
Shinʽar, from Ḥamath and from the islands of the sea.
Isa 11:16 And there shall be a highway for the remnant
of His people, those left from Ashshur, as it was for Yisra’ĕl in the day when
he came up from the land of Mitsrayim.
Our Torah portion begins:
Shemot/Ex 10:1- 2
Exo 10:1 And יהוה said to
Mosheh, “Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his
servants, so that I show these signs of Mine before him,
א וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה
אֶל-מֹשֶׁה, בֹּא אֶל-פַּרְעֹה:
“Bo el Paroh” “Bo” is also the name of this new Parasha –
it is the imperative to come or to go.
It seems appropriate that a “remnant” represented by
Moshe and Aaron could order the destruction of the most powerful empire of the
time.
In the book of Revelation we find a similar scenario in
the last days.
Rev 11:3 “And I shall give unto my two witnesses, and
they shall prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clad in
sackcloth.”
Rev 11:4 These are the two olive trees and the two
lampstands that are standing before the Elohim of the earth.
Rev 11:5 And if anyone wishes to harm them, fire comes
out from their mouth and consumes their enemies. And if anyone wishes to harm
them, he has to be killed in that way.
Rev 11:6 These possess authority to shut the heaven,
so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy. And they possess authority
over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as
often as they wish.
Rev 11:7 And when they have ended their witness, the
beast coming up out of the pit of the deep shall fight against them, and
overcome them, and kill them,
Rev 11:8 and their dead bodies lie in the
street of the great city which spiritually is called Seḏom and Mitsrayim,
where also our Master was impaled,
Rev 11:9 and
some of the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations see their dead bodies
for three and a half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be placed into
tombs,
Rev 11:10
and those dwelling on the earth rejoice over them and exult. And they
shall send gifts to each other, because these two prophets tortured those
dwelling on the earth.
Rev 11:11
And after the three and a half days a spirit of life from Elohim entered
into them, and they stood upon their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw
them.
Who are these two witnesses? There is much speculation as
to who they are. However the small messianic remnant who are alive in those
days will be in agreement with every word of judgment which comes from their
mouths. In the mouth of two or three witnesses every word of judgment will be
c0nfirmed and carried out.
Exo 10:2 and that
you relate in the hearing of your son and your son’s son what I have done in
Mitsrayim, and My signs which I have done among them. And you shall know that I
am יהוה.”
Jer 16:14 “Therefore see, the days are coming,”
declares יהוה, “when it is
no longer said, ‘יהוה lives who
brought up the children of Yisra’ĕl from the land of Mitsrayim,’
Jer 16:15 but, ‘יהוה lives who brought up the children of
Yisra’ĕl from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had driven
them.’ For I shall bring them back into their land I gave to their fathers.
Eighth plague-locusts Shemot/Ex 10:3-20
Exo 10:3 And
Mosheh and Aharon came in to Pharaoh and said to him, “Thus said יהוה Elohim of the Heḇrews,
‘Till when shall you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, so
that they serve Me.
Exo 10:4 ‘Or else,
if you refuse to let My people go, see, tomorrow I am bringing locusts within
your borders.
Exo 10:5 ‘And they
shall cover the surface of the land, so that no one is able to see the land.
And they shall eat the rest of what has escaped, which remains to you from the
hail, and they shall eat every tree which grows up for you out of the field.
Exo 10:6 ‘And they
shall fill your houses, and the houses of all your servants, and the houses of
all the Mitsrites, which neither your fathers nor your fathers’ fathers have
seen, since the day that they were on the earth to this day.’ ” Then he turned
and went out from Pharaoh.
Exo 10:7 And
Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “Till when would this one be a snare to us? Let
the men go, so that they serve יהוה their Elohim.
Do you not yet know that Mitsrayim is destroyed?”
Exo 10:8 And
Mosheh and Aharon were brought back to Pharaoh, and he said to them, “Go, serve
יהוה your Elohim. Who are the ones that are
going?”
Exo 10:9 And
Mosheh said, “We are going with our young and our old, with our sons and our
daughters, with our flocks and our herds we are going, for we have a festival
to יהוה.”
Exo 10:10 And he
said to them, “Let יהוה be with you as
I let you and your little ones go! Watch, for evil is before your face!
Exo 10:11 “Not so!
You men go now, and serve יהוה, for that is
what you desired.” And they were driven out from the presence of Pharaoh.
Exo 10:12 And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Stretch out your hand
over the land of Mitsrayim for the locusts to come upon the land of Mitsrayim,
and eat every plant of the land – all that the hail has left.”
Exo 10:13 And
Mosheh stretched out his rod over the land of Mitsrayim, and יהוה brought an east wind on the land all that
day and all that night. Morning came, and the east wind brought the locusts.
Exo 10:14 And the
locusts went up over all the land of Mitsrayim and settled within all the
borders of Mitsrayim, very grievous. There had never been locusts like them
before, nor would there again be like them.
Exo 10:15 And they
covered the surface of all the land, so that the land was darkened. And they
ate every plant of the land and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had
left, and no greenness was left on the trees or on the plants of the field, in
all the land of Mitsrayim.
Exo 10:16 Pharaoh
then called for Mosheh and Aharon in haste, and said, “I have sinned against יהוה your Elohim and against you.
Exo 10:17 “And
now, please forgive my sin only this once, and pray to יהוה your Elohim, that He would only turn away
this death from me.”
Exo 10:18 And he
went out from Pharaoh and prayed to יהוה.
Exo 10:19 And יהוה turned a very strong west wind, which took
the locusts away and blew them into the Sea of Reeds. Not one locust was left
within all the border of Mitsrayim.
Exo 10:20 However,
יהוה hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did
not let the children of Yisra’ĕl go.
Ninth Plague – darkness
Shemot/Ex 10:21 - 29
Exo 10:21 And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Stretch out your hand
toward the heavens, and let there be darkness over the land of Mitsrayim, even a darkness which is felt.”
Exo 10:22 And
Mosheh stretched out his hand toward the heavens, and there was thick darkness
in all the land of Mitsrayim for three days.
Exo 10:23 They did
not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, while all the children of Yisra’ĕl had
light in their dwellings.
Exo 10:24 And
Pharaoh called to Mosheh and said, “Go, serve יהוה, only leave
your flocks and your herds behind. Let your little ones go with you too.”
Exo 10:25 But
Mosheh said, “You yourself are to provide us with slaughterings and burnt
offerings, to prepare for יהוה our Elohim.
Exo 10:26 “And our
livestock are to go with us too, not a hoof is to be left behind, for we have
to take some of them to serve יהוה our Elohim,
and we ourselves do not know with what we are to serve יהוה until we come there.”
Rashi comments that one the reasons darkness came over
Mitsrayim, is that there were many Hebrews who did not deserve to be freed –
because they had so assimilated into Egyptian culture that there was no hope
for them to return to the covenant of Yisrael. These were to die so YHVH
provided the darkness so that the Mitsrites would not see their death and claim
that the plagues affected HEBREWS and Mitsrites alike.
Exo 10:27 However,
יהוה hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he
would not let them go.
Exo 10:28 And
Pharaoh said to him, “Get away from me! Watch yourself and see my face no more,
for in the day you see my face you die!”
Exo 10:29 And
Mosheh said, “You have spoken rightly – never again do I see your face!”
Tenth Plague and final arrangements for the first Pesach
and exodus
Shemot/Ex 11:1-12:12
Ex 11:1 And יהוה said to
Mosheh, “I am bringing yet one more plague on Pharaoh and on Mitsrayim. After
that he is going to let you go from here. When he lets you go, he shall drive
you out from here altogether.
Exo 11:2 “Speak
now in the hearing of the people, and let every man ask from his neighbour and
every woman from her neighbour, objects of silver and objects of gold.”
Exo 11:3 And יהוה gave the people favour in the eyes of the
Mitsrites. And the man Mosheh was very great in the land of Mitsrayim, in the
eyes of Pharaoh’s servants and in the eyes of the people.
Exo 11:4 And
Mosheh said, “Thus said יהוה, ‘About
midnight I am going out into the midst of Mitsrayim,
Exo 11:5 and all
the first-born in the land of Mitsrayim shall die, from the first-born of Pharaoh
who sits on his throne, even to the first-born of the female servant who is
behind the handmill, and all the first-born of cattle.
Exo 11:6 ‘And
there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Mitsrayim, such as has
never been or ever be again.
Exo 11:7 ‘But
against any of the children of Yisra’ĕl no dog shall move its tongue, against
man or against beast, so that you know that יהוה makes
distinction between Mitsrayim and Yisra’ĕl.’
Exo 11:8 “And all
these servants of yours shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, ‘Get
out, you and all the people at your feet!’ And after that I shall go out.” And
he went out from Pharaoh in great displeasure.
Exo 11:9 But יהוה said to Mosheh, “Pharaoh is not going to
listen to you, in order to multiply My wonders in the land of Mitsrayim.”
Exo 11:10 And
Mosheh and Aharon did all these wonders before Pharaoh, however, יהוה hardened the
heart of Pharaoh, and he did not let the children of Yisra’ĕl go out of his
land.
Establishing the beginning of the New year that will put the Moadim in place
Exo 12:1 And יהוה spoke to
Mosheh and to Aharon in the land of Mitsrayim, saying,
Exo 12:2 “This
month is the beginning of months for you, it is the first month of the year for
you.
Note the use of “for you” twice in the above verse. YHVH
was appointing our observance of His time in such a way that we would consider
His Redemption for us as the most important event to commemorate the counting
of our years here on earth. So the most important question someone could ask
you is when did you begin to observe with understanding the beginning of YHVH’s
scriptural calendar – or in old Christian terms when were you truly born again.