3/31/2023

Parashat 15 (‘’Bo’’) Portion 57 Shemot 11:1-12:28 Ps 50:1-23 Haggai 2:6-15 + 23 Jn 6:53-69


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.   

אחד עוד נגע = ‘’ yet one more plague’’ The Hebrew noun for ‘’ נגע’’ (negah) means plague. The verb form of the same noun (nagah) means ‘’to touch’’. We conclude that these plagues were but only a ‘’touch’’ from the Hand of YHVH. How then should we view the full-blown judgment of YHVH in the last days?

A Final Plague Threatened

Exo 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. 

Before announcing the final plague, the Torah pauses and instructs the Israelites on how to prepare for their journey from Mitzrayim. They are not to leave empty handed and they are instructed regarding preparations for the Passover meal or ‘’Pesach’’

We will see this pattern repeated once again in the last days preceding the end of this age.

Rev 16:12  And the sixth messenger poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, in order to prepare the way of the sovereigns from the east. 

Rev 16:13  And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits, as frogs, 

Rev 16:14  for they are spirits of demons, doing signs, which go out to the sovereigns of the entire world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of יהוה the Almighty – Prov 21:1. 

Rev 16:15  “See, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who is staying awake and guarding his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” 

Rev 16:16  And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Har Meḡiddo. 

The Seventh Bowl (There also seems to be a pause between the 6th and 7th bowl of wrath)

Rev 16:17  And the seventh messenger poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the Dwelling Place of the heaven, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” 

Rev 16:18  And there came to be noises and thunders and lightnings. And there came to be a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not came to be since men were on the earth. (like a prelude to a final destruction)

Rev 16:19  And the great city became divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Baḇel (religious new world order)was remembered before Elohim, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. 

Rev 16:20  And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 

Rev 16:21  And great hail from the heaven fell upon men, every hailstone about the weight of a talent. And men blasphemed Elohim for the plague of the hail, because that plague was exceedingly great. (Rev 14:20  And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the bridles of the horses, for about one thousand six hundred stadia[d]. Footnote: dApprox. 296 kilometres or 184 miles. )

 ‘’The state takes the place of God…the socialist dictatorships are religions and state slavery is a form of worship.’’ Carl Jung – This will be the final destruction of our captors and their religious new world order.

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. 

It is possible that just before the final judgment of the first born (a symbol of the ruling religious order) there was a great awareness and realization amongst the people of Mitzrayim that the Hand and favour of YHVH was on an Israelite remnant that dwelt in Goshen. Many Mitsrites left Mitzrayim with the Israelites (mixed multitude).

Also, the giving of gifts was also a payment for outstanding Israelite wages who toiled to build Pharoah’s kingdom.

Will the same pattern repeat itself in the last days?

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 shall be again. 

‘’In order to fully understand this plague, we must appreciate the significance of the first born in the hierarchy within Egyptian civilization. It was a society ruled by the succession of the first born. The first-born had absolute power within the family unit. Pharaoh was the first-born of the first-born of the first-born. It was from this birth right that he exercised power to establish and continue the worship of pagan gods and the subjugation of all slaves. If these first-born sons were not removed by YHVH the Israelites would have found themselves in a perpetual state of slavery.’’

We see the same pattern of the destruction of ‘’Babylon’’ or religion in the last days – see Rev 16:19

Exo 11:7  ‘But against any of the children of Yisra’ěl no dog shall move its tongue, against man or against beast, so that you know that יהוה makes distinction between Mitsrayim and Yisra’ěl.’ 

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!’(follow in your footsteps) 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 strengthened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not let the children of Yisra’ěl go out of his land. 

The Passover (Passover should always remind us that there is only one escape from this present world order - Yahshua our ‘’Passover Lamb’’- Jn 6:53-54)

Exo 12:1  And יהוה spoke to Mosheh and to Aharon in the land of Mitsrayim, saying, 

Exo 12:2  “This new moon is the beginning of new moons for you, it is the first new moon of the year for you. 

Exo 12:3  “Speak to all the congregation of Yisra’ěl, saying, ‘On the tenth day of this new moon each one of them is to take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. 

Exo 12:4  ‘And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next to his house take it according to the number of the beings, according to each man’s need you make your count for the lamb. 

Exo 12:5  ‘Let the lamb be a perfect one, a year old male. Take it from the sheep or from the goats. 

Exo 12:6  ‘And you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same new moon. Then all the assembly of the congregation of Yisra’ěl shall slay it between the evenings. 

Exo 12:7  ‘And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. 

Exo 12:8  ‘And they shall eat the flesh on that night, roasted in fire – with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. 

Exo 12:9  ‘Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire, its head with its legs and its inward parts. 

Exo 12:10  ‘And do not leave of it until morning, and what remains of it until morning you are to burn with fire. 

Exo 12:11  ‘And this is how you eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Pěsaḥa of יהוה. Footnote: aPěsaḥ - See Explanatory Notes - Passover. 

Exo 12:12  ‘And I shall pass through the land of Mitsrayim on that night, and shall strike all the first-born in the land of Mitsrayim, both man and beast. And on all the mighty ones of Mitsrayim I shall execute judgment. I am יהוה

Exo 12:13  ‘And the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I shall pass over you, and let the plague not come on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Mitsrayim. 

Exo 12:14  ‘And this day shall become to you a remembrance. And you shall celebrate it as a festival to יהוה throughout your generations – celebrate it as a festival, an everlasting law. 

Exo 12:15  ‘Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. Indeed on the first day you cause leaven to cease from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that being shall be cut off from Yisra’ěl. 

Exo 12:16  ‘And on the first day is a set-apart gathering, and on the seventh day you have a set-apart gathering. No work at all is done on them, only that which is eaten by every being, that alone is prepared by you. 

Exo 12:17  ‘And you shall guard the Festival of Matzot,b for on this same day I brought your divisions out of the land of Mitsrayim. And you shall guard this day throughout your generations, an everlasting law. Footnote: bUnleavened Bread. 

Exo 12:18  ‘In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the new moon, in the evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the new moon in the evening. 

Exo 12:19  ‘For seven days no leaven is to be found in your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, that same being shall be cut off from the congregation of Yisra’ěl, whether sojourner or native of the land. 

Exo 12:20  ‘Do not eat that which is leavened – in all your dwellings you are to eat unleavened bread.’ ” 

Exo 12:21  And Mosheh called for all the elders of Yisra’ěl and said to them, “Go out and take lambs for yourselves according to your clans, and slay the Pěsaḥ. 

Exo 12:22  “And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin, and you, none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning. 

Exo 12:23  “And יהוה shall pass on to smite the Mitsrites, and shall see the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, and יהוה shall pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to smite you. 

Exo 12:24  “And you shall guard this word as a law for you and your sons, forever. 

Exo 12:25  “And it shall be, when you come to the land which יהוה gives you, as He promised, that you shall guard this service. 

Exo 12:26  “And it shall be, when your children say to you, ‘What does this service mean to you?’ 

Exo 12:27  then you shall say, ‘It is the Pěsaḥ slaughtering of יהוה, who passed over the houses of the children of Yisra’ěl in Mitsrayim when He smote the Mitsrites and delivered our households.’ ” And the people bowed their heads and did obeisance. 

Exo 12:28  And the children of Yisra’ěl went away and did so – as יהוה had commanded Mosheh and Aharon, so they did. 

It is significant that many Hebrew roots believers are busy at this time preparing for the Passover or ‘’pesach’’. Let us consider the following verses in John 6 as they relate to the Passover. The church has understood these verses and words of Yahshua to be referring to ‘’holy communion or the eucharist’’

If we look more carefully at these verses we see that the context of chapter 6 takes place at the time of ‘’pesach’’ -  Joh 6:3  And יהושע went up on a mountain, and there He sat down with His taught ones. Joh 6:4  And the Pěsaḥ was near, the festival of the Yehuḏim. 

Joh 6:35  And יהושע said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall not get hungry at all, and he who believes in Me shall not get thirsty at all. (Jn 4:13-14)

Joh 6:36  “But I said to you that you have seen Me, and still do not believe. 

Joh 6:37  “All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I shall by no means cast out. 

Joh 6:38  “Because I have come down out of the heaven, not to do My own desire, but the desire of Him who sent Me. 

Joh 6:39  “This is the desire of the Father who sent Me, that all He has given Me I should not lose of it, but should raise it in the last day. 

Joh 6:40  “And this is the desire of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him should possess everlasting life. And I shall raise him up in the last day.” 

Joh 6:41  Therefore the Yehuḏim were grumbling against Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down out of the heaven.” (manna)

Joh 6:51  “I am the living bread which came down out of the heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever. And indeed, the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” 

Joh 6:52  The Yehuḏim, therefore, were striving with one another, saying, “How is this One able to give us His flesh to eat?” 

Joh 6:53  יהושע therefore said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Aḏam and drink His blood, you possess no life in yourselves. 

Joh 6:54  “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood possesses everlasting life, and I shall raise him up in the last day. 

Joh 6:55  “For My flesh is truly food, and My blood is truly drink. 

Joh 6:56  “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood stays in Me, and I in him. 

Joh 6:57  “As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me shall live because of Me. 

Joh 6:58  “This is the bread which came down out of the heaven, not as your fathers ate the manna and died. He who eats this bread shall live forever.” 

Upon closer examination of Jn 6:51 Yahshua is using the same language as found in Gen 3:22  And יהוה Elohim said, “See, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever...” 

Gen 3:23  so יהוה Elohim sent him out of the garden of Ěḏen to till the ground from which he was taken, Gen 3:24  and He drove the man out. And He placed keruḇim at the east of the garden of Ěḏen, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life. 

Mankind would have to wait for the coming of Messiah before they would finally be invited back again to eat from the Tree of Life – Yahshua Himself was the embodiment of the tree of life.

Joh 6:66  From then on many of His taught ones withdrew and were not walking with Him any more. 

Joh 6:67  יהושע therefore said to the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” 

Joh 6:68  Then Shim‛on Kěpha answered Him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You possess words of everlasting life. Joh 6:69  “And we have believed, and we know that You are the Messiah, the Son of the living Elohim.” 

 

Why would many of His followers decide to turn away? Because to follow Him they would have to walk as He walked – we would, like Him, become a ‘’passover lamb’’ for others – to lay down our lives for them. Joh 15:12  “This is My command, that you love one another, as I have loved you.[b] Footnote: bSee Joh_13:34 and Joh_15:17

Joh 15:13  “No one has greater love than this: that one should lay down his life for his friends. 

Joh 15:14  “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 

1Co 5:7  Therefore cleanse out the old leaven, so that you are a new lump, as you are unleavened. For also Messiah our Pěsaḥ was slaughtered for us.

Rev 2:7  “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To him who overcomes[a] I shall give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise[b] of Elohim.” ’c Gen_2:9, Gen_3:22, Gen_3:24 Footnotes: aThis word (and its noun) is used 17 times in the Book of Revelation. The name Yisra’ěl means to overcome with Ěl. bLit. garden. cSee Rev_22:2 and Rev_22:14

Rev 22:14  “Blessed are those doing[b] His commands,[c] so that the authority shall be theirs unto the tree of life, and to enter through the gates into the city.

Blessed are you YHVH, our Elohim, King of the Universe, you have given us your Torah of truth, and have planted everlasting life within our midst. Blessed are you, YHVH giver of the Torah – Amein.