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.”
you have selected us from among all the peoples,
and have given us your Torah.
Blessed are you, YHVH, giver of the Torah. Ameyn.)
טז דִּרְשׁוּ מֵעַל-סֵפֶר יְהוָה, וּקְרָאוּ
Yeshayahu/Isa 34:16 Search from the book of יהוה, and read: (call out) not one of these shall be missing, not
one shall be without a mate, for He has commanded my mouth. And His Spirit
shall gather them.
We have been given 66 amazing volumes of this book
(sefer) but these volumes only have value as they relate and confirm the Torah
of Yahveh.
Isa 34:1 Come near, you gentiles, to hear. And listen,
you people! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, the world and all its
offspring.
Isa 34:2 For the displeasure of יהוה is against all
the gentiles1, and His wrath against all their divisions.
He shall
put them under the ban, He shall give them
over to the slaughter, Footnote: 1See
footnote Jer. 30:11.
Yir/Jer 30:11 ‘For I am with you,’ declares יהוה, ‘to save you.
Though I make a complete end of all gentiles1 where I have scattered
you, yet I do not make a complete end of you. But I shall reprove you in
judgment, and by no means leave you unpunished.’ Footnote: 1See
46:28, Isa. 34:2, Isa. 45:17, Dan. 2:44, Amos 9:8, Hag. 2:22.
Isa 34:3 and their
slain be thrown out, and their stench rise from their corpses. And mountains
shall be melted with their blood.
Isa 34:4 And all
the host of the heavens shall rot away. And the heavens shall be rolled up like
a scroll, and all their host fade like a leaf fading on the vine, and like the
fading one of a fig tree.
Isa
34:5 “For My sword shall be drenched in
the heavens. Look, it comes down on Eḏom, and on the people of My curse, for judgment.
Isa 34:8
For it is the day of the vengeance of יהוה, the year of recompense for the cause of Tsiyon.
We are called to strengthen one another as we wait for
the day of His salvation:
Isa 35:3 Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the
weak knees.
Isa 35:4 Say to those with anxious heart, “Be strong,
do not fear! See, your Elohim comes with vengeance, with the recompense of
Elohim. He is coming to save you.”
Isa 35:10 And the ransomed of יהוה shall return and enter Tsiyon with singing, with everlasting
joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing
shall flee away.
When
we survey the plagues of Mitsrayim we see a pattern of three groups of three
plagues each and the final plague of the death of the first born.
Interestingly we see a similar
pattern in the plagues of the book of Revelation, there are three groups of
plagues or destructions coming upon the earth in the form of seals, trumpets
and bowls of wrath.
One
can midrash and speculate about the similarities. The book of Revelation begins
with the letters to the assemblies. It is striking that only the assembly of
Philidelphia obtains a good report from our Master because they remained true
to the Word or Torah of YHVH. This group will be preserved and protected from
the coming tribulation which will come upon the earth. This group paid a price
to remain true to YHVH and His Torah.
The
next dramatic event in the book of Revelation is finding someone worthy to open
the seals which precede the first seven judgments.
Rev 5:1 And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on
the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, having been sealed with
seven seals.
Rev 5:2 And I saw a strong messenger proclaiming with
a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loosen its seals?”
Rev 5:3 And no one in the heaven or on the earth or
under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.
Rev 5:4 And I wept much, because no one was found
worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it.
Rev 5:5 And one of the elders said to me, “Do not
weep. See, the Lion of the tribe of Yehuḏah,1
the Root of Dawiḏ,2 overcame
to open the scroll and to loosen its seven seals.” Footnotes: 1Heb.
7:14 2Isa. 11:1 & 10.
Perhaps
these events happen at the beginning of the great tribulation. In the Shemot
account of the plagues in Mitarayim we see that the children of Israel were
also included in the first three plagues that came upon the land.
In the
last days that for the first time many in the apostate church and others both
Jew and Gentile begin to come to their senses. The scroll or the Torah is
“opened” and so for the first time so are their “eyes” to recognize that only
Yahshua – The Torah in the flesh is able to open the eyes of our understanding
to understand the eternal counsel of YHVH.
The
following set of judgments - trumpets –
are sent upon those who still refuse to repent and submit to YHVH’s counsel and
Kingdom. This second set of plagues could be the subject of this week’s Torah
portion.
The
third set of plagues - bowls of wrath –
are finally poured out upon those who absolutely refuse to repent with a
resulting total destruction of all means and manners of surviving on earth.
The
final death of the firstborn possibly refers to the final destruction of a
religious priesthood which led everyone astray to idolatry and away from Torah.
Rev 18:1 And after this I saw another messenger coming
down from the heaven, having great authority, and the earth was lightened from
his esteem.
Rev 18:2 And he cried with a mighty voice, saying,
“Baḇel the great is
fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a haunt for every
unclean spirit, and a haunt for every unclean and hated bird,
Rev 18:3
because all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her
whoring, and the sovereigns of the earth have committed whoring with her, and
the merchants of the earth have become rich through the power of her riotous
living.”
Rev 18:4 And
I heard another voice from the heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest
you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.1
Footnote: 1Jer. 51:6 & 45.
Rev
18:5 “Because her sins have piled up to
reach the heaven, and Elohim has remembered her unrighteousnesses.
Our Torah portion
begins:
Exo 8:20 And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Rise
early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh as he comes out to the water, and
say to him, ‘Thus said יהוה,
“Let My people go, so that they serve Me.
Exo
8:21 “Or else, if you do not let My
people go, see, I am sending swarms of flies on you and your servants, and on
your people and into your houses. And the houses of the Mitsrites shall be
filled with swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand.
There
is much discussion and debate as to exactly the fourth plague was. The Hebrew
word used here is “ arov” spelled “ayin, reish, vav) This word can be
translated as “swarms” perhaps swarms of all kinds of insects. This Hebrew word
is also the word used for “mixture”
Could
this possibly be referring to a variety of unclean flying insects (demons) that
seek to defile YHVH’s people of all kinds of pagan mixture forms of worship?
Exo
8:22 “And in that day I shall separate (palah)
the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be
there, so that you know that I am יהוה in the midst of the land. (You
will not become part of the mixture and thus will experience the protection of
the Almighty One)
יח וְהִפְלֵיתִי בַיּוֹם
הַהוּא אֶת-אֶרֶץ גֹּשֶׁן, אֲשֶׁר עַמִּי עֹמֵד עָלֶיהָ, לְבִלְתִּי הֱיוֹת-שָׁם,
עָרֹב--לְמַעַן תֵּדַע, כִּי אֲנִי יְהוָה בְּקֶרֶב הָאָרֶץ
Exo
8:23 “And I shall put a distinction
between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall be.” ’ ”
Exo
8:24 And יהוה did so, and thick swarms of flies came
into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants’ houses, and into all the land
of Mitsrayim, and the land was ruined because of the swarms of flies.
Exo
8:25 Pharaoh then called for Mosheh and
Aharon, and said, “Go, slaughter to your Elohim in the land.”
Exo
8:26 And Mosheh said, “It is not right
to do so, for we would be slaughtering the abomination of the Mitsrites to יהוה our Elohim. See, if we slaughter the
abomination of the Mitsrites before their eyes, would they not stone us?
Exo
8:27 “Let us go three days’ journey into
the wilderness, then we shall slaughter to יהוה our Elohim, as He commands us.”
Exo
8:28 And Pharaoh said, “I am letting you
go, then you shall slaughter to יהוה your Elohim in the wilderness. Only, do not go very far away!
Pray for me.”
Exo
8:29 And Mosheh said, “See, when I leave
you I shall pray to יהוה, and tomorrow the swarms of flies shall depart from Pharaoh,
from his servants, and from his people. But do not let Pharaoh again deceive,
not to let the people go to slaughter to יהוה.”
Exo
8:30 And Mosheh went out from Pharaoh
and prayed to יהוה.
Exo
8:31 And יהוה did according to the word of Mosheh and
removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his
people. Not one remained.
Exo
8:32 But Pharaoh hardened his heart at
this time too, and did not let the people go.
They could
not have offered acceptable offering to Elohim in Mitsrayim/Egypt – Acceptable
worship to the one and only true Elohim can only be accomplished in the context
of obedience. The worship Elohim desires cannot be given in the realm of
disobedience.
The sages
tell us to live outside the land is like living in idolatry.
Why was it
necessary for Yisrael to leave Mitsrayim before they could offer acceptable
offering to YHVH?
Because an
eternal picture was wrapped in her leaving: redemption and deliverance must precede
acceptable worship – only the redeemed are able to worship Elohim in the
context of the covenant.
Elohim would
take Yisrael for His wife – and give her the marriage covenant – ketubah - on mount Sinai – This was the sign YHVH promised
Moshe was the proof that He had called Yisrael out of Mitsrayim. As long as
Israel remained in Mitsrayim she could
not be Elohim’s wife. Worship would be the result of her redemption and not the
cause of it.
Thus the
remaining plagues serve to separating Yisrael as a distinct people from the Mitsrites/Egyptians.
Exo 8:23 “And I shall put a distinction between My
people and your people.
We must also note that offering –
laying down our lives – was the key activity associated with worship – why?
Because redemption can only be accomplished via offering.
Exo 9:1 And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Go in to Pharaoh and
speak to him, ‘Thus said יהוה Elohim of the Heḇrews,
“Let My people go, so that they serve Me.
Exo
9:2 “For if you refuse to let them go,
and still hold them,
Exo
9:3 see, the hand of יהוה is on your livestock in the field, on the
horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the cattle, and on the sheep – a very
grievous pestilence.
ג הִנֵּה יַד-יְהוָה
הוֹיָה, בְּמִקְנְךָ אֲשֶׁר בַּשָּׂדֶה, בַּסּוּסִים בַּחֲמֹרִים בַּגְּמַלִּים,
בַּבָּקָר וּבַצֹּאן--דֶּבֶר, כָּבֵד מְאֹד.
Exo
9:4 “And יהוה shall separate between the livestock of
Yisra’ĕl and the livestock of Mitsrayim, and let no matter die of all that
belongs to the children of Yisra’ĕl.” ’ ”
Exo
9:5 And יהוה set an appointed time, saying, “Tomorrow יהוה is going to do this word in the land.”
Exo
9:6 And יהוה did this word on the next day, and all the
livestock of Mitsrayim died, but of the livestock of the children of Yisra’ĕl,
not one died.
Exo
9:7 Then Pharaoh sent, and see, not even
one of the livestock of the Yisra’ĕlites was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was
hardened, and he did not let the people go.
The
kinds of livestock mentioned here were very important for agriculture commerce
and even the military (horses).
Exo
9:8 And יהוה said to Mosheh and Aharon, “Fill your
hands with ashes from a furnace and let Mosheh scatter it toward the heavens
before the eyes of Pharaoh.
Exo
9:9 “And it shall become fine dust in
all the land of Mitsrayim, and it shall cause boils that break out in sores on
man and beast in all the land of Mitsrayim.”
Exo
9:10 So they took ashes from the furnace
and stood before Pharaoh, and Mosheh scattered them toward the heavens. And
they caused boils, breaking out in sores on man and beast.
Exo
9:11 And the magicians were unable to
stand before Mosheh because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians
and on all the Mitsrites.
Exo
9:12 But יהוה hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did
not listen to them, as יהוה had said to Mosheh.
Exo
9:13 And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Rise early in the morning
and stand before Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘Thus said יהוה Elohim of the Heḇrews, “Let My people go, so that they serve Me,
Exo
9:14 for at this time I am sending all
My plagues unto your heart, and on your servants and on your people, so that
you know that there is no one like Me in all the earth.
Exo
9:15 “Now if I had stretched out My hand
and struck you and your people with pestilence, then you would have been cut
off from the earth.
Exo
9:16 “And for this reason I have raised
you up, in order to show you My power, and in order to declare My Name in all
the earth.
Exo
9:17 “You still exalt yourself against
My people in that you do not let them go!
Exo
9:18 “See, tomorrow about this time I am
causing very heavy hail to rain down, such as has not been in Mitsrayim, from
the day of its founding until now.
Exo
9:19 “And now send, bring your livestock
to safety, and all that you have in the field, for the hail shall come down on
every man and every beast which is found in the field and is not brought home,
and they shall die.” ’ ”
Exo
9:20 Those among the servants of Pharaoh
who feared the word of יהוה made their servants and livestock flee to the houses.
Exo
9:21 But those who did not set their
heart on the word of יהוה left their servants and livestock in the field.
“Imhotep”
was the Mitsrite/Egytian deity of medicine. The Mitsrites prided themselves in
their advanced medical achievements in surgery, dentistry, prosthetics and a
host of cures and medicines they produced. Their physicians were sought after
throughout the world.
This
is in contrast of the Yisraelites. The priests diagnosed and prescribes herbal
and other natural cures for various ailments. Sickness was considered to have
spiritual causes and was treated accordingly.
This
plague served to destroy their medical ability to cure diseases caused by this
plague.
Could
it be in the last days that medical science may prove completely inadequate to
deal with the challenges sick people will have to face?
To
summarize the first three plagues came upon all Mitsrayim (including the
Yisraelites in Goshen)– these could be compared to the seven seal plagues of the book of Revelation.
The following plagues came only upon the Mitsrites and can be compared to the
seven trumpet plagues. The last group of three can be compared to the seven
bowl plagues where the wrath of YHVH is poured out upon those who refuse to
repent. The final plague the death of the first born is perhaps the last
judgment that destroys a religious priesthood that opposes the priesthood of
YHVH.
Exo
9:22 Then יהוה said to Mosheh, “Stretch out your hand
toward the heavens, and let there be hail in all the land of Mitsrayim – on
man, and on beast, and on every plant of the field, throughout the land of
Mitsrayim.”
Exo
9:23 Then Mosheh stretched out his rod
toward the heavens. And יהוה sent thunder and hail, and fire came down to the earth. And יהוה rained hail on the land of Mitsrayim.
Exo
9:24 Thus there came to be hail, and
fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail, very heavy, such as had not
been in all the land of Mitsrayim since it became a nation.
Exo
9:25 And the hail smote in all the land
of Mitsrayim all that was in the field, both man and beast. And the hail smote
every plant of the field and broke every tree of the field.
Exo
9:26 Only in the land of Goshen, where
the children of Yisra’ĕl were, there was no hail.
Exo
9:27 Pharaoh then sent and called for
Mosheh and for Aharon, and said to them, “I have sinned this time. יהוה is righteous, and my people and I are
wrong.
Exo
9:28 “Pray to יהוה, for there has been enough of the thunder
and hail of Elohim. And I am letting you go, so that you stay no longer.”
Exo
9:29 And Mosheh said to him, “As soon as
I go out of the city, let me spread out my hands to יהוה, let the thunder cease and the hail be no
more, so that you know that the earth belongs to יהוה.
Exo
9:30 “But as for you and your servants,
I know that you do not yet fear before יהוה Elohim.”
Exo
9:31 And the flax and the barley were
smitten, for the barley was in the head and the flax was in bud.
Exo
9:32 But the wheat and the spelt were
not smitten, for they were late crops.
Exo
9:33 And Mosheh went out of the city
from Pharaoh and spread out his hands to יהוה, and the thunder and the hail ceased, and
the rain was not poured on the earth.
Exo
9:34 And Pharaoh saw that the rain, and
the hail, and the thunder had ceased, yet he sinned again and he hardened his
heart, he and his servants.
Exo
9:35 And the heart of Pharaoh was
hardened, and he did not let the children of Yisra’ĕl go, as יהוה had said through Mosheh.
This
serves as a very serious warning that there can come a time where one can no
longer turn back and repent.
Rev 9:20 And the rest of mankind, who were not killed
by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should
not worship the demons, and idols of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of
stone, and of wood, which are neither able to see, nor to hear, nor to walk.
Rev 9:21 And they did not repent of their murders, nor
of their drug sorceries, nor of their whoring, nor of