Shemot/Exodus 18:1 – 20:23
It remains a great source of amazement to the ancient and modern Jewish sages how the most important Torah portion in the Torah – The Mattan Ha Torah – The giving of the Torah could be named after the gentile – Yithro.
This Torah portion reminds us once again that righteous gentiles could play a critical role in these days to cause the Torah to flourish among Jews and non- Jews once again – may it be YHVH’s will in our time for this to happen.
The name Yithro comes from a root word “yeter” (S3499) which can also mean “remnant.” Will there be a Torah observant ex-gentile remnant in the last days that will bring excellence to the earth and usher in a genuine Messianic Revival?
Listen carefully to the following prophetic word given to us from the Torah:
It is said of Yithro in Bamidbar/Numbers 10:29-31 reads, “And Moshe said … We are journeying to the place about which YHVH said,I will give it you; come with us, and we will do you good … And he [Yitro] said to him, I will not go; but I will depart to my own land, and to my kindred. And he [Moshe] said, Leave us not, I pray you; for you know how we are to camp in the wilderness, והיית לנו לעינים and you may be to us instead of eyes.”
Rashi (Bamidbar/ Numbers10:31) reads, “You will be our guide … Another explanation: [the passuk is in] the future tense—If anything should be hidden from our eyes, you shall enlighten us.
Could the use of this future tense refer to an end time Torah observant ex gentile bride of Messiah?
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:
- 18:1-12
- 18:13-23
- 18:24-27
- 19:1-6
- 19:7-13 (Sefardim); 19:7-19 (Ashkenazim)
- 19:14-19 (S); 19:20 – 20:17 (v. 14 Heb.) (A)
- 19:20- 20:17 (v. 14 Heb.) (S); 20:18-21 (15-18 Heb.) (A)
- Maftir: 20:24-26 (21-23 Heb.) (S); 20:22-26 (19-23 Heb.) (A)
Haftarah: Isaiah 6:1-13 (Sefardim); 6:1 – 7:6; 9:6-7 (5-6 Heb.) (Ashkenazim)
Aliyah Rishon 18:1-12
Exo 18:1 And Yithro, the priest of Miḏyan, Mosheh’s father-in-law, heard of all that Elohim had done for Mosheh and for Yisra’ĕl His people, that יהוה had brought Yisra’ĕl out of Mitsrayim.
Yithro represents all the priesthoods of this world that are in strife and opposed to the One Torah and One Elohim of Yisrael (Midyan means “strife” S4080)
Exo 18:2 And Yithro, Mosheh’s father-in-law, took Tsipporah, the wife of Mosheh – after he had sent her back,
Commentary: N Lawrence
18:2–3, There is indication here that Moses divorced his wife after their altercation over the circumcision of their sons in 4:24–26. The phrase sent away/back in verse two is shilluach/ (shin-lamed-lamed-vav-chet, shil-loo’-akh), which according to Strong’s and Gesenius can refer to divorce. Shilluach is from shalakh/ (shin-lamed-chet), a basic verb meaning “to send” (note passive participle ie an action which was done to her ie she received her marching orders) where in Yeshayahu/Isaiah 50:1 and Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 3:1 the prophets use it referring to YHVH’s divorce from the House of Israel/Ephraim. Though rabbinical commentators Rashi and Hirsch fail to note the possibility of Moshe’s divorce (Jewish Torah commentators tend to gloss over the faults of their great heroes), Baal HaTurim notes this possibility in his commentary. Yet in Shemot/Exodus18:2, YHVH still views Zipporah as Moshe’s wife. What’s going on here? Zipporah seems to have evidenced reluctance at obeying YHVH’s command to circumcise their sons (4:25), so did Moshe put her away (divorce her), as a result? Was Moshe, the human “savior” of Yisrael from Mitsrayim/Egypt and an ante type (prophetic forerunner) of Yahshua the Messianic Savior (Deut 18:15–19), having to deal with a rebellious wife even as Yahshua had to deal with his rebellious wife Israel and eventually had to put her away? “Perhaps we see in this weeks and next week’s Torah portion how Moshe takes her back. We read in Bamidbar/Numbers 12:1 how Moshe took another wife (Kushite woman)”
In next week’s Torah portion we read in Mishphatim – Shemot/Exo 21:10 “If he takes another wife, her food, her covering, and her marriage rights are not to be diminished.
Maybe there is a prophetic reference here to the gentile part of the Bride of Messiah. If one part of the gentile bride is not acceptable to him, he may take another gentile bride without diminishing the rights of the first one.
This may explain why so many non Torah observant Christians are blessed today, but in reality they do not want to be part of a Torah observant bride and subsequently will not be included as the Bride of Messiah.
Exo 18:3 and her two sons, of whom the name of one was Gĕreshom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land,”
With the name Gershom Moshe indicated that he had always been a sojourner in this world – even before his flight from mItsrayim/Egypt – because a tzaddik’s (righteous man’s) true world is not from this world.
The verb “garish” is also associated with the name “Gershom.” This verb means to divorce yourself from something; in the case of a “ger” it is one who has divorced himself from his culture and religion and has taken on the faith and culture of Avraham Yitzchak and Yakov and the Torah of Moshe.
Exo 18:4 and the name of the other was Eli’ezer, for he said, “The Elohim of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.”
Eliezer comes from two Hebrew words “El” which can mean “Elohim” and it can also mean “strength or mighty.” “Ezer” “means aid or helper.”
“Eliezer can either mean Elohim is my help or my help or aid is mighty”
This reminds us of the Ruach of YHVH who is called the “parakletos” in Greek.
Yoch/Joh 14:26 “But the Helper, the Set-apart Spirit, whom the Father shall send in My Name, He shall teach you all, and remind you of all that I said to you.
The Greek word for “helper” is “parakletos” An intercessor, consoler: - advocate, comforter.
Exo 18:5 Yithro, Mosheh’s father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Mosheh in the wilderness, where he was encamped at the mountain of Elohim.
Exo 18:6 And he had said to Mosheh, “I, your father-in-law Yithro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.”
Note in vs 2,5&6 The Torah repeats that Yitro brought back Moshe’s family. The Torah wants to draw our attention to this fact because it is repeated three times. From this we may deduce that Moshe’s family do not consist only of the 12 tribes of Yisrael.
Exo 18:7 And Mosheh went out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed down, and kissed him. And they asked each other about their welfare, and they went into the tent.
Exo 18:8 And Mosheh told his father-in-law all that יהוה had done to Pharaoh and to the Mitsrites for Yisra’ĕl’s sake, all the hardship that had come upon them on the way, and how יהוה had delivered them.
Exo 18:9 And Yithro rejoiced for all the good which יהוה had done for Yisra’ĕl, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Mitsrites.
Exo 18:10 And Yithro said, “Blessed be יהוה, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Mitsrites and out of the hand of Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Mitsrites.
Exo 18:11 “Now I know that יהוה is greater than all the mighty ones, indeed in the matter in which they acted proudly, above them.”
Exo 18:12 Then Yithro, the father-in-law of Mosheh, brought a burnt offering and other slaughterings unto Elohim. And Aharon came with all the elders of Yisra’ĕl to eat bread with the father-in-law of Mosheh before Elohim.
For Yithro to present such an offering he must have left his pagan ways to follow the way of the Elohim of Yisrael, he had been deeply influenced by Moshe during the 40 year period Moshe lived in Midyan with Yithro.
Aliyah Sheni 18:13-23
Exo 18:13 And it came to be, on the next day, that Mosheh sat to rightly rule the people. And the people stood before Mosheh from morning until evening.
Exo 18:14 And when the father-in-law of Mosheh saw all that he did for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit by yourself, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?”
Exo 18:15 And Mosheh said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to seek Elohim.
Exo 18:16 “When they have a matter, they come to me, and I rightly rule between one and another, and make known the laws of Elohim and His Torot.”
Exo 18:17 And the father-in-law of Mosheh said to him, “What you are doing is not good.
Exo 18:18 “Both you and these people with you shall certainly wear yourselves out. For the matter is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it by yourself.
Exo 18:19 “Now listen to my voice. Let me counsel you and Elohim be with you: Stand before Elohim for the people, and you shall bring the matters to Elohim.
Exo 18:20 “And you shall enlighten them concerning the laws and the Torot, and show them the way in which they should walk and the work which they do.
Exo 18:21 “But you yourself, seek out from all the people able men, who fear Elohim, men of truth, hating unfair gain. And place these over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
Exo 18:22 “And they shall rightly rule the people at all times. And it shall be that they bring every great matter to you, but they themselves rightly rule every small matter. So, make it lighter for yourself, for they shall bear with you.
Exo 18:23 “If you do this word, and Elohim shall command you, then you shall be able to stand and all this people also go to their place in peace.”
Yithro is introducing Yahshua’s pattern of making disciples. The Torah was always meant to be lived out in a community of people who are in a dynamic relationship with leaders who have paid a price to lead and train disciples or talmadim who are willing to be taught the principles of the Torah so that they in turn can also teach others. This was always the way the Torah and YHVH’s Kingdom and rule was meant to be established. This kind of a people will not only rule themselves effectively but also the nations.
Aliyah Shlishi 18:24-27
This kind of lifestyle observance of Torah would produce men and woman who would take responsibility for proper functioning of the household of faith as well as reproduce this kind of life to other peoples and nations.
Eph 4:11 And He Himself gave some as emissaries, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as shepherds and teachers
Eph 4:12 for the perfecting of the set-apart ones, to the work of service to a building up of the body of the Messiah,
Eph 4:13 until we all come to the unity of the belief and of the knowledge of the Son of Elohim, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the completeness of Messiah,
Eph 4:14 so that we should no longer be children, tossed and borne about by every wind of teaching, by the trickery of men, in cleverness, unto the craftiness of leading astray,1 Footnote: 15:6, also 2 Cor. 10:5, 2 Cor. 11:3-14, Gal. 1:6-9, 2 Tim. 3:1-8, 2 Tim. 4:2-4, 2 Peter 2:2-22, Jud. vv. 10-19.
Eph 4:15 but, maintaining the truth in love, we grow up in all respects into Him who is the head, Messiah,
Eph 4:16 from whom the entire body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the working by which each part does its share, causes growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
Eph 4:17 So this I say, and witness in the Master, that you should no longer walk as the gentiles walk,1 in the futility of their mind, Footnote: 11 Cor. 12:2, and Jer. 10:2.
Eph 4:18 having been darkened in their understanding, having been estranged from the life of Elohim, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart,
1Co 12:4 And there are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.
1Co 12:5 There are different kinds of services, but the same Master.
1Co 12:6 And there are different kinds of workings, but it is the same Elohim who is working all in all.
1Co 12:7 And to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for profiting,
1Co 12:8 for to one is given a word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another a word of knowledge according to the same Spirit,
1Co 12:9 and to another belief by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the same Spirit,
1Co 12:10 and to another operations of powers, and to another prophecy, and to another discerning of spirits, and to another kinds of tongues, and to another interpretation of tongues.
1Co 12:11 But one and the same Spirit works all these, distributing to each one individually as He intends.
1Co 12:12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is the Messiah.
1Co 12:13 For indeed by one Spirit we were all immersed into one body, whether Yehuḏim or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink into one Spirit.
As ex gentiles we understand these ministries however we have only seen them as operating and belonging in the church. These gifts and ministries always belonged to Yisrael and were meant for the equipping of Yisraelites.
Exo 18:24 And Mosheh listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he said.
Exo 18:25 And Mosheh chose able men out of all Yisra’ĕl, and made them heads over the people: rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
Exo 18:26 And they rightly ruled the people at all times – the hard matters they brought to Mosheh, but they rightly ruled every small matter themselves.
Exo 18:27 And Mosheh sent off his father-in-law, and he went away to his own land.
Aliyah Reviee 19:1-6
Exo 19:1 In the third month after the children of Yisra’ĕl had come out of the land of Mitsrayim, on this day they came to the Wilderness of Sinai.
Exo 19:2 For they set out from Rephiḏim, and had come to the Wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness. So Yisra’ĕl camped there before the mountain.
At all their other encampments, the verse says vayachanu ("and they camped," in the plural); here it says vayichan ("and he camped," in the singular). For all other encampments were in argument and dissent, whereas here they camped as one man, with one heart. (Mechilta; Rashi)
Unity was present at the outpouring of the Ruach.
Act 2:1 And when the Day of the Festival of Weeks (Shavuot in Hebrew) had come, they were all with one mind in one place.
Act 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from the heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.