Parashat 16 - “Beshalach” “When he set free or when he cast out”
Shemot/Exodus13:17 –
17:16
יז וַיְהִי,
בְּשַׁלַּח פַּרְעֹה אֶת-הָעָם, וְלֹא-נָחָם אֱלֹהִים דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ
פְּלִשְׁתִּים, כִּי קָרוֹב הוּא: כִּי אָמַר אֱלֹהִים, פֶּן-יִנָּחֵם
הָעָם בִּרְאֹתָם מִלְחָמָה--וְשָׁבוּ מִצְרָיְמָה.
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17 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had
let the people go, that YHVH led them not by the way of the land of the
Philistines, although that was near; for YHVH said: 'Lest peradventure the
people regret when they see war, and they return to Egypt.'
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“Better to
die in the wilderness where true worship can be expressed than to be enslaved
in paganism”
Exo 13:21 And יהוה went before
them by day in a column of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a column of
fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night.
Exo 13:22 The
column of cloud did not cease by day, nor the column of fire by night, before
the people.
The further Egypt and idolatry are behind us, the more
freely we are enabled to receive and follow YHVH’s guidance.
Isa 30:20 Though יהוה gave you bread
of adversity and water of affliction, your Teacher1 shall no longer
be hidden. But your eyes shall see your Teacher1, Footnote: 1Or teachers. See
also Joel 2:23.
Isa 30:21 and your
ears hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the Way, walk in it,” whenever
you turn to the right, or whenever you turn to the left.
The further Egypt and idolatry are behind us, the more
freely we are enabled to receive and follow YHVH’s guidance.
Exo 14:1 And יהוה spoke to
Mosheh, saying,
Exo 14:2 “Speak to
the children of Yisra’ĕl, that they turn and camp before Pi Haḥiroth,
“Pi Ha chariot” “Pi” means “mouth” “ha chariot” can either mean freedom or
bondage – lit. a hole.
Pro 10:19 When words are many, Transgression is not
absent, But he who restrains his lips is wise.
See 14:13,14 – Israel
was commanded to be silent while YHVH destroyed Yisrael’s enemies
….between Miḡdol
and the sea, opposite Baʽal Tsephon – camp before it by the sea.
“Migdol” means “tower” it can also infer a stronghold. “Baal
Tsephon” could refer to a hidden or mysterious foreign deity - Demonic
strongholds will confront those who have chosen to leave Egypt behind them.
Deliverance from these strongholds are possibly linked to the words of our
mouths.
Pro 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the
tongue, And those loving it eat its fruit.
Exo 14:3 “For
Pharaoh shall say of the children of Yisra’ĕl, ‘They are entangled in the land,
the wilderness has closed them in.’
Exo 14:4 “And I
shall harden the heart of Pharaoh, and he shall pursue them. But I am to be
esteemed through Pharaoh and over all his army, and the Mitsrites shall know
that I am יהוה.” And they did
so.
Exo 14:5 And it
was reported to the sovereign of Mitsrayim that the people had fled, and the
heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people. And they said,
“Why have we done this, that we have let Yisra’ĕl go from serving us?”
Exo 14:6 So he
made his chariot ready and took his people with him.
Exo 14:7 And he
took six hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Mitsrayim with
officers over all of them.
When we are at our most vulnerable the enemy will try to
destroy us but YHVH will miraculously deliver us – see Rev 12 – there is
protection in the “wilderness”
Exo 14:8 And יהוה hardened the heart of Pharaoh sovereign of
Mitsrayim, and he pursued the children of Yisra’ĕl, but the children of
Yisra’ĕl went out defiantly.
Exo 14:9 And the
Mitsrites pursued them, and all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his
horsemen and his army, and overtook them camping by the sea beside Pi Haḥiroth,
before Baʽal Tsephon.
Exo 14:10 And when
Pharaoh drew near, the children of Yisra’ĕl lifted their eyes and saw the
Mitsrites coming up after them. And they were greatly afraid, so the children
of Yisra’ĕl cried out to יהוה.
Exo 14:11 And they
said to Mosheh, “Did you take us away to die in the wilderness because there
are no graves in Mitsrayim? What is this you have done to us, to bring us up
out of Mitsrayim?
Exo 14:12 “Is this
not the word that we spoke to you in Mitsrayim, saying, ‘Leave us alone and let
us serve the Mitsrites?’ For it would have been better for us to serve the
Mitsrites than to die in the wilderness.”
We must keep the faith even in times of severe testing,
the rewards are great and YHVH is honoured.
Exo 14:13 And
Mosheh said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the
deliverance of יהוה, which He does
for you today. For the Mitsrites whom you see today, you are never, never to
see again.
Exo 14:14 “יהוה does fight for
you, and you keep still.” See Josh 6
Exo 14:15 And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Why do you cry to Me?
Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, and let them go forward.
Exo 14:16 “And
you, lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it,
and let the children of Yisra’ĕl go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.
Exo 14:17 “And I,
see I am hardening the hearts of the Mitsrites, and they shall follow them. And
I am to be esteemed through Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and
his horsemen.
Exo 14:18 “And the
Mitsrites shall know that I am יהוה, when I am
esteemed through Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”
Exo 14:19 And the
Messenger of Elohim, who went before the camp of Yisra’ĕl, moved and went
behind them. And the column of cloud went from before them and stood behind
them,
Exo 14:20 and came
between the camp of the Mitsrites and the camp of Yisra’ĕl. And it was the
cloud and the darkness, and it gave light by night, and the one did not come
near the other all the night.
Exo 14:21 And
Mosheh stretched out his hand over the sea. And יהוה caused the sea
to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry
land, and the waters were divided.
Exo 14:22 And the
children of Yisra’ĕl went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, and the
waters were a wall to them on their right and on their left.
“Mikvah” baptism became a symbol of crossing from life to
death.
Exo 14:23 And the
Mitsrites pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all the horses
of Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.
Exo 14:24 And it
came to be, in the morning watch, that יהוה looked down
upon the army of the Mitsrites through the column of fire and cloud, and He
brought the army of the Mitsrites into confusion.
Exo 14:25 And He
took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty. And the
Mitsrites said, “Let us flee from the face of Yisra’ĕl, for יהוה fights for them against the Mitsrites.”
Exo 14:26 Then יהוה said to Mosheh, “Stretch out your hand
over the sea, and let the waters come back upon the Mitsrites, on their
chariots, and on their horsemen.”
Exo 14:27 And
Mosheh stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its usual
flow, at the break of day, with the Mitsrites fleeing into it. Thus יהוה overthrew the Mitsrites in the midst of
the sea,
Exo 14:28 and the
waters returned and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the army of
Pharaoh that came into the sea after them, and not even one was left of them.
Exo 14:29 And the
children of Yisra’ĕl walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea, and the
waters were a wall to them on their right and on their left.
Exo 14:30 Thus יהוה saved Yisra’ĕl that day out of the hand of
the Mitsrites, and Yisra’ĕl saw the Mitsrites dead on the seashore.
Exo 14:31 And
Yisra’ĕl saw the great work which יהוה had done in
Mitsrayim, and the people feared יהוה, and believed יהוה and His servant Mosheh.
Exo 15:1 Then Mosheh and the children of Yisra’ĕl sang
this song to יהוה, and spoke, saying, “I sing to יהוה, for He is highly exalted! The horse and
its rider He has thrown into the sea!
This song is called the “song of the sea” – “shirat ha
yam”
Vv 1-10 describe YHVH’s great victory over the Egyptian
foe.
Vv 11-13 describe
that no deity is comparable to YHVH.
Vv 14-16 describe how the exodus impacted other nations.
Vv 17-18 are prophetic and describe YHVH’s continuing
reign.
Exo 15:2 “Yah is
my strength and song, and He has become my deliverance. He is my Ěl, and I
praise Him – Elohim of my father, and I exalt Him.
Exo 15:3 “יהוה is a man of battle, יהוה is His Name.
Exo 15:4 “He has
cast Pharaoh’s chariots and his army into the sea, and his chosen officers are
drowned in the Sea of Reeds.
Exo 15:5 “The
depths covered them, they went down to the bottom like a stone.
Exo 15:6 “Your
right hand, O יהוה, has become
great in power. Your right hand, O יהוה, has crushed
the enemy.
Exo 15:7 “And in
the greatness of Your excellence You pulled down those who rose up against You.
You sent forth Your wrath, it consumed them like stubble.
Exo 15:8 “And with
the wind of Your nostrils the waters were heaped up, the floods stood like a
wall, the depths became stiff in the heart of the sea.
Exo 15:9 “The
enemy said, ‘I pursue, I overtake, I divide the spoil, my being is satisfied on
them. I draw out my sword, my hand destroys them.’
Exo 15:10 “You did
blow with Your wind, the sea covered them, they sank like lead in the mighty
waters.
Exo 15:11 “Who is
like You, O יהוה, among the
mighty ones? Who is like You, great in set-apartness, awesome in praises,
working wonders?
Exo 15:12 “You
stretched out Your right hand, the earth swallowed them.
Exo 15:13 “In Your
kindness You led the people whom You have redeemed, in Your strength You guided
them to Your set-apart dwelling.
Exo 15:14 “Peoples
heard, they trembled, anguish gripped the inhabitants of Philistia.
Exo 15:15 “Then
the chiefs of Eḏom were troubled, the mighty men of Mo’aḇ,
trembling grips them, all the inhabitants of Kenaʽan
melted.
Exo 15:16 “Fear
and dread fell on them, by the greatness of Your arm they are as silent as a
stone, until Your people pass over, O יהוה, until the people,
whom You have bought, pass over.
Exo 15:17 “You
bring them in and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance, in the place,
O יהוה, which You have made for Your own
dwelling, the set-apart place, O יהוה, which Your
hands have prepared.
Exo 15:18 “יהוה reigns forever and ever.”
“Kotvei Shilachim” – writings of the “sent ones” the
Apostles – Midrash.
From chapters 1 to 7 in
the book of Romans the word “ruach” is used only 5 times. In chapters 9 to 16
the word “ruach” is used 8 times. However in chapter 8 of the book of Romans
the word “ruach” is used 21 times – The obvious theme of Romans chapter 8 is
the indwelling presence of the “Ruach” and how it enables us to walk in all the
righteousness of the Torah.
Rom 8:4 so that the righteousness of the Torah should
be completed in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the
Spirit.
When the Yisraelites
left Mitsrayim and went through the mikvah of Moshe through the Red sea, they
were guided by the cloud and by the fire – the two symbolic elements of the
mikvah in the Ruach Ha Kodesh.
Mat 3:10 “And the axe is already laid to the root of
the trees. Every tree, then, which does not bear good fruit is cut down and
thrown into the fire.
Mat 3:11 “I indeed immerse you in water unto
repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I
am not worthy to bear. He shall immerse you in the Set-apart Spirit and fire.
Mat 3:12 “His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He
shall thoroughly cleanse His threshing-floor, and gather His wheat into the
storehouse, but the chaff He shall burn with unquenchable fire.”
We see that for Shaul,
the life one who is justified by faith is a life lived in and by the Ruach Ha
Kodesh.
Commentary Romans 1:1
Tim Hegg