Shemot/Exodus 10:1-13:16There is a chilling phrase in our Haftarah this week that should cause us all to tremble before YHVH. The phrase “ he has let the appointed time pass by.”
Let us not become complacent and just assume that all is well with our beings, our souls. It will become more and more apparent in these last days that many who have called themselves believers have let the appointed times pass by. The danger of losing such opportunities is that you may never ever have them again. Yirmeyahu/Jer 46:17 “There they cried, ‘Pharaoh, sovereign of Mitsrayim, is but a noise. He has let the appointed time pass by!’
Jer 46:18 “As I live,” declares the Sovereign, whose Name is יהוה of hosts, “For as Taḇor is among the mountains, and as Karmel by the sea, he shall come.
“He shall come.” Who is “he” that comes from Tabor and Karmel? Was not our Messiah transformed on Mount Tabor where he met with Moshe and Eliyahu? Was it not Eliyahu who reckoned with the prophets of Baal on mount Karmel? (Mat17:1-3 and 1Kings 18)
When Messiah comes again at the appointed time, he shall come to bring judgment on earth and redemption to those who have prepared for this appointed time. There are many who believe that Messiah will return during the fall feasts (Moadim/Appointed Times) of the Hebrew year, between Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur. Will we be honouring and preparing ourselves for his coming during these Appointed Times?
Hence the title of our parashah, “Bo” YHVH calls us to come at the appointed times He has given us.
Pharoah will forever serve as one who despised and rejected YHVH’s appointed times.
Blessing for the Torah:
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,
(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.)
Torah Readings:
- 10:1-11
- 10:12-23
- 10:24 – 11:3
- 11:4 – 12:20
- 12:21-28
- 12:29-51
- 13:1-13
- Maftir: 13:14-16
Haftarah: Jeremiah 46:13-28
Aliyah Rishon 10:1-11
Shemot/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,
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.”
There is a key word in vs 2 – “done” or the Hebrew “hitalalti” that helps us understand the essence of this Torah portion. “Hitalalti” is a hitpael verb, Strongs number 5953. The root “alal” means to act severely or make a fool of someone. This reflexive verb points to YHVH as the first cause of such an action.
In other words Pharoah has passed the point of no return, he has let his appointed time pass him by and now YHVH is going to make a mockery of him and Pharoah will no longer have any control over what happens to him and his people.
The opening verse states that Moshe must “go into Pharoah” – “Bo el Paro.” Moshe under the instruction of YHVH is now in full control over Pharoah and Mitsrayim/Egypt.
This scenario will be repeated again in the last days. Many believe that Moshe and Eliyahu will be the two end time messengers who under YHVH’s instruction bring terrible plagues and curses upon the earth.
Speaking of these two witnesses the book of Revelation says in 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”.
In other words these witnesses will also make a mockery of everything and everyone who opposes the Torah and the prophets of YHVH. (See also Malachi chp 4)
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.
“Pharaoh was willing to let the menfolk go, as long as the children remain behind; for as long as the younger generation remains "in Mitsrayim/Egypt," there would be no future for the people of Yisrael.
The "Pharaohs" of our day have the same attitude. If the older folk wish to cling to Jewish tradition, that is perfectly acceptable; but the youth should be raised in "the spirit of the times" (Maayanah Shel Torah)
We must also consider that the Yisraelites were in a sense property of Pharoah because they had sold themselves to him as slaves. This fact resonates with our present day condition that we too have sold ourselves to a world system that is in opposition to YHVH’s Kingdom and has also enslaved us.
Aliyah Sheni 10:12-23
Shemot/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.”
This was a total devastation of Mitsrayim’s/Egypt’s agriculture.
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.”
Note Pharoah is repenting but his repentance is not genuine as it does not bring about a change in heart.
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.
Those who have given themselves over to the Esau spirit and have sold their birthright – the Torah – for their vain traditions will not find a place of repentance even though they beg for it.
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.
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.
Rev 16:10 And the fifth messenger poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his reign became darkened. And they gnawed their tongues from pain.
Rev 16:11 And they blasphemed the Elohim of the heaven for their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their works.
This darkness and the end time plague of darkness speak of a complete and total separation from YHVH and His Kingdom.
It is a sobering thought that the five foolish virgins spoken of by our Master in Matthew 25 did not have a second chance to be part of his bride.
Mat 25:11 “And later the other maidens also came, saying, ‘Master, Master, open up for us!’
Mat 25:12 “But he answering, said, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
The darkness was also a judgement on the sun god “Ra” (“Zeus” etc in other cultures)This too should cause us to tremble as we still clearly see the effects of sun worship in our day, amongst those who call themselves believers. (Sunday Worship and the keeping of pagan feasts – mixture of the worship of the true Elohim with the worship of paganism)
Aliyah Shlishi 10:24-11:3
Shemot/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.”
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!”
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.
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.
Aliyah Reviee 11:4-12:20
Shemot/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.
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.
Pesach intructions.
(See parable of the bus stops at the conclusion of this parashah)
Exo 12:3 “Speak to all the congregation of Yisra’ĕl, saying, ‘On the tenth day of this month 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 month. Then all the assembly of the congregation of Yisra’ĕl shall kill 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.