This parashah details the events of the first Pesach,
and particularly the application of the blood on the doorposts (mezuzot) of the
Hebrew homes. A number of issues confront us from this portion.
This Pesach event was meant to be a continual reminder
of our coming out of spiritual bondage and paying the price to walk as our
Messiah walked. The example of Yahshua and his followers was to keep this
vitally important appointment every year from the 14 of Aviv. Sadly this
commandment and several other commandments are not taken seriously by many who claim
to be seekers after the truth and
followers of Yahshua.
History reminds us that after the first Pesach they
only had a second Passover in the wilderness (Bemidbar/Numbers 9:1-5) and then
the children of Yisrael would wait for the rest of the 40 years before they had
their next Passover.
Thus, throughout the
history of the children of Israel, the Passover celebration, or the neglect of
it, stood out as a thermometer indicating the Jewish community's spiritual
condition.
Sadly the church has not
only ignored this set appointment, they have altered the appointment according
to pagan customs – Easter.
Exo 12:29 And it came to be at midnight that יהוה smote all the
first-born in the land of Mitsrayim, from the first-born of Pharaoh who sat on
his throne to the first-born of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the
first-born of livestock.
The other plagues could have been regarded as acts of
nature, however there would be no doubt in anyone’s mind that this final plague
was definitely the Hand of YHVH.
If we midrash around this issue, what kind of modern
equivalent situation could be considered?
Perhaps the illegitimate authority and control of
Judaism, Christianity, Islam and every other counterfeit man made religion or
philosophy will have to be destroyed before true lasting and genuine liberty
can be realized amongst the end time remnant. This may have to happen before
Yahshua return to rule and reign on earth and teach the nations the Torah of
YHVH.
Exo 12:30 And
Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants, and all the Mitsrites.
And there was a great cry in Mitsrayim, for there was not a house where there
was not a dead one.
Exo 12:31 Then he
called for Mosheh and Aharon by night, and said, “Arise, go out from the midst
of my people, both you and the children of Yisra’ĕl. And go, serve יהוה as you have said.
Exo 12:32 “Take
both your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and go. Then you shall bless
me too.”
Exo 12:33 And the
Mitsrites urged the people, to hasten to send them away out of the land. For
they said, “We are all dying!”
Exo 12:34 And the
people took their dough before it was leavened, having their kneading bowls
bound up in their garments on their shoulders.
In order to fully understand this final plague, we must appreciate the hierarchy within Egyptian civilization. It was a society ruled by primogeniture. The first-born had absolute power within the family unit.
The Egyptians worshipped lambs, the Hebrews offered them up to YHVH for purposes of atonement.
Today many Christians worship the Lamb instead of identifying with his (Yahsua’s) giving up of himself. It is easier to worship the Messiah than to emulate him.
Christianity may well have brought upon all mankind the greatest bondage imaginable by obscuring the true Messiah from the world.
In order to fully understand this final plague, we must appreciate the hierarchy within Egyptian civilization. It was a society ruled by primogeniture. The first-born had absolute power within the family unit.
The Egyptians worshipped lambs, the Hebrews offered them up to YHVH for purposes of atonement.
Today many Christians worship the Lamb instead of identifying with his (Yahsua’s) giving up of himself. It is easier to worship the Messiah than to emulate him.
Christianity may well have brought upon all mankind the greatest bondage imaginable by obscuring the true Messiah from the world.
A future time may come when the judgment against human
religion will be so devastating that the rulers of this world will do
everything in their power to make sure the remnant return to the land of
Yisrael, unhindered and carrying much wealth with them.
Exo 12:35 And the
children of Yisra’ĕl had done according to the word of Mosheh, and they had
asked from the Mitsrites objects of silver, and objects of gold, and garments.
Exo 12:36 And יהוה gave the people favour in the eyes of the
Mitsrites, so that they gave them what they asked, and they plundered the
Mitsrites.
There seems to be an ethical question about the intention
of the Yisraelites. They were going to “ask” for objects of wealth knowing that
they would not return them to their former captors. Then it appears that they
“plundered” the Mitsrites. The Hebrew word here is the piel verb form “natzal”-
this verb has a root meaning of “saving or rescuing.” It is possible to
understand it to mean that by the Mitsrites showing favour to Yisrael and giving them items of
silver and gold, they were actually “saving” themselves“ from total destruction.
This was a small token of compensation to the Yisraelites for all their years
of hard unpaid labour.
Exo 12:37 And the
children of Yisra’ĕl set out from Raʽmeses
to Sukkoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides the little ones.
Rameses represented pagan sun worship – Sukkoth (the
place where they came to) represented the Hebrew remnant that YHVH called to
return to the land of Yisrael where YHVH
would establish His Kingdom.
YHVH is calling a Hebrew remnant once again in these last
days to turn their backs on all forms of Sunday worship and return to the
ancient paths of our fathers and Sabbath keeping.
Exo 12:38 And a
mixed multitude went up with them too, also flocks and herds, very much
livestock.
Exo 12:39 And they
baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had brought out of Mitsrayim,
for it was not leavened, since they were driven out of Mitsrayim, and had not
been able to delay, nor had they prepared food for themselves.
Exo 12:40 And the
sojourn of the children of Yisra’ĕl who lived in Mitsrayim was four hundred and
thirty years.
Exo 12:41 And it
came to be at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, on that same day it
came to be that all the divisions of יהוה went out from
the land of Mitsrayim.
Exo 12:42 It is a
night to be observed unto יהוה for bringing
them out of the land of Mitsrayim. This night is unto יהוה, to be observed by all the children of
Yisra’ĕl throughout their generations.
Is this possibly the pattern that will repeated once
again in the last days – “leshanah ha ba ah bi yerushalayim” ( ‘next year in
Yerushalayim’)
Exo 12:43 And יהוה said to Mosheh and Aharon, “This is the
law of the Passover: No son of a stranger is to eat of it,
Exo 12:44 but any
servant a man has bought for silver, when you have circumcised him, then let
him eat of it.
Exo 12:45 “A
sojourner and a hired servant does not eat of it.
Exo 12:46 “It is
eaten in one house, you are not to take any of the flesh outside the house, nor
are you to break any bone of it.
Exo 12:47 “All the
congregation of Yisra’ĕl are to perform it.
Exo 12:48 “And
when a stranger sojourns with you and shall perform the Passover to יהוה, let all his males be circumcised, and
then let him come near and perform it, and he shall be as a native of the land.
But let no uncircumcised eat of it.
Exo 12:49 “There
is one Torah for the native-born and for the stranger who sojourns among you.”
Exo 12:50 And all
the children of Yisra’ĕl did as יהוה commanded
Mosheh and Aharon, so they did.
Exo 12:51 And it
came to be on that same day that יהוה brought the
children of Yisra’ĕl out of the land of Mitsrayim according to their divisions.