Bless YHVH the blessed One; Blessed is YHVH, the blessed One for all eternity, you have selected us from among all the peoples, and have given us your Torah. Amein.
קדשׁ לי – (‘’Kadosh
li…’’) '’set apart to Me…’’ Once again the scribe presents an incomplete phrase
as he introduces this Torah portion. This inspires the reader to seek a
meaningful response and completion of the phrase….. may we be one of those
chosen set -apart ones called ‘’kadosh li’’
Exo 13:1
And יהוה spoke to
Mosheh, saying,
Exo 13:2 “Set apart to Me (קדשׁ לי) all the first-born, the one opening the womb among the children of Yisra’ĕl, among man and among beast, it is Mine.”
Let us consider Paul’s words about
the Messiah as the first-born:
Col 1:14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, Col 1:15 who is the likeness of the invisible Elohim, the first-born of all creation.[b] Footnote: b Heb_1:6, Rev_3:14. Col 1:16 Because in Him (not by Him as KJV states) were created all that are in the heavens and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or rulerships or principalities or authorities – all have been created through Him (not by Him as KJV suggests) and for Him.c Footnote: c Joh_1:3.
The incorrect use of these pronouns and prepositions has profoundly confused
most Christian believers to this day about our true identity in Messiah as well
confusing us regarding the true identity of YHVH and Yahshua - Isa 66:1 Thus said יהוה, “The heavens
are My throne, and the earth is My footstool. Where is this house that you
build for Me? And where is this place of My rest?
Isa 66:2 “And all these My hand has made,
and all these that exist,” declares יהוה. “Yet to such a one I look: on him who is
poor and bruised of spirit, and who trembles at My Word.
Col 1:17 And He is before all, and in (not by Him) Him all hold together. Col 1:18 And He is the Head of the body, the assembly, who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that He might become the One who is first in all. Col 1:19 Because in Him all the completeness was well pleased to dwell, Col 1:20 and through Him to completely restore to favour all unto Himself, whether on earth or in the heavens, having made peace through the blood of His stake.
Rom 8:29 Because those
whom He knew beforehand, He also ordained beforehand to be conformed to the
likeness of His Son, for Him to be the first-born among many
brothers.
Here once again we see that Messiah is the goal and the
perfection of all the Torah – Rom 10:4.
The term ‘’first born’’ used 9 times in chapter 13
of Shemot – (6 times ‘’bechor’’ and three times ‘’peter’’)
There seems to a connection between the firstborn and the Feast of Unleavened Bread which is repeated in Ex 34:18-24.
Exo 13:3 And Mosheh said to the
people, “Remember this day in which you went out of Mitsrayim, out of the house
of slavery. For by strength of hand יהוה brought you
out of this place, and whatever is leavened shall not be eaten.
Exo 13:4 “Today you are going
out, in the month Aḇiḇ.
Exo 13:5 “And it shall be, when יהוה brings you into the land of the Kenaʽanites, and the Ḥittites,
and the Amorites, and the Ḥiwwites, and the Yeḇusites, which He swore to your
fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall keep
this service in this month.
Exo 13:6 “Seven days you eat
unleavened bread, and on the seventh day is a festival to יהוה.
Exo 13:7 “Unleavened bread is to
be eaten the seven days, and whatever is leavened is not to be seen with you,
and leaven (Heb ‘’se or’’) is not to be seen with you within all your border.
Exo 13:8 “And you shall inform
your son in that day, saying, ‘It is because of what יהוה did for me
when I came up from Mitsrayim.’
Exo 13:9 “And it shall be as a
sign to you on your hand and as a reminder between your eyes, that the Torah of
יהוה is to be in your mouth, for with a strong hand יהוה has brought you out of Mitsrayim.
Exo 13:10 “And you shall guard
this law at its appointed time from year to year.
Exo 13:11 “And it shall be, when יהוה brings you into the land of the Kenaʽanites, as He swore to you
and your fathers, and gives it to you,
Exo 13:12 that you shall pass
over to יהוה every one opening the womb, and every first-born that comes
from your livestock, the males belong to יהוה.
Exo 13:13 “But every first-born
of a donkey you are to ransom with a lamb. And if you do not ransom it, then
you shall break its neck. And every first-born of man among your sons you are
to ransom.
Exo 13:14 “And it shall be, when
your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ then you shall say
to him, ‘By strength of hand יהוה brought us out of Mitsrayim, out of the
house of bondage.
Exo 13:15 ‘And it came to be,
when Pharaoh was too hardened to let us go, that יהוה killed every first-born in the land of Mitsrayim, both the
first-born of man and the first-born of beast. Therefore I am slaughtering to יהוה every male that open the womb, but every first-born of my sons
I ransom.’
Exo 13:16 “And it shall be as a sign on your hand and as frontlets between your eyes, for by strength of hand יהוה brought us out of Mitsrayim.”
Midrash – Leaven and the First-born:
יט שִׁבְעַת
יָמִים--שְׂאֹר, לֹא יִמָּצֵא בְּבָתֵּיכֶם: כִּי כָּל-אֹכֵל מַחְמֶצֶת, וְנִכְרְתָה
הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִוא מֵעֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל--בַּגֵּר, וּבְאֶזְרַח הָאָרֶץ. 19 Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses;
for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, that soul shall be cut off from
the congregation of Israel, whether he be a sojourner, or one that is born in
the land (Ex 12:19)
שְׂאֹר – ‘’se
or’’ Strongs 7603/4 –(leaven or chametz) to be left over, be left alive, survive, to be left behind.
מַחְמֶצֶת – Heb. ‘’chametz’’ Strongs 2557 – ‘’thing leavened or fermented.’’
This is clearly a reference to the journey from Egypt
(bondage) to the Promised Land (Kingdom of YHVH) This is the pilgrimage of the ‘’First-born’’(Israel
– Ex 4:22) for this age (‘’olam ha ze’’)
For us to make it on this journey we must leave behind
all hinderances ‘’se or’’ that will prevent us from completing our journey.
Heb 12:1 We too, then, having so great a cloud of witnesses all around us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race set before us, Heb 12:2 looking to the Prince (First-born) and Perfecter of our belief, יהושע, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the stake, having despised the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of Elohim.
Yahshua elevates removing this ‘’se or’’ a step higher
when he says - Mat 5:29 “And if your right eye causes you
to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is better for you
that one of your members perish, than for your entire body to be thrown into
GěHinnom. Mat 5:30 “And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut
it off and throw it away from you. For it is better for you that one of your
members perish, than for your entire body to be thrown into GěHinnom.
Some call this the doctrine of ‘’radical amputation’’ I’m
sure Yahshua didn’t mean we must mutilate our bodies but he was very serious
about the hinderances (‘’se or’’) that could disqualify us from entering the
Kingdom.
Gal 5:1 In the freedom with which Messiah has
made us free,(Gk - indefinite aorist verb – that is an ongoing verb
whose action still needs to be completed) stand firm,
then, and do not again be held with a yoke of slavery - ‘’se or’’
What is it that can rob us of our freedom?
The false teachings of religious men – the leaven (‘’se
or’’) of the Pharisees - Mat 16:6 And יהושע said to them, “Mind! And beware of the
leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.” (Yahshua uses
the Hebrew word ‘’se or’’) ויאמר ישוע אליהם ראו והשמרו לכם משאר הפרושים והצדוקים׃
As we will see it is the misrepresentation of Messiah
which constitutes the essence of false religion – the leaven ‘’se or’’ we are
commanded to get rid of – to leave behind.
Why single out a donkey and the first-born son for
ransom? Donkeys were ‘’burden bearers’’ as were the first-born sons who were called
to bear the burden of the Torah. Taking upon yourself the ‘’yoke of
the Torah’’ was generally accepted in the rabbinic community as hearing, guarding,
and doing the Torah.
Yahshua instructs us in this regard when he says to us
in Mat
11:29 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and humble
in heart, and you shall find rest for your beings.[d]
Footnote: d Jer 6:16. Mat 11:30 “For My yoke is gentle and My
burden is light.”
Quote: "Pidyon ha ben” or redemption of the first born: According to the traditional rabbinic interpretation, in the early part of the Bible, as recorded in the Book of Genesis, the duties of a priest fell upon the eldest son of each family. The first-born was to be dedicated to YHVH in order to perform this task.
Following the Israelite Exodus from Egypt, after the nation had sinned with the Golden Calf, the priesthood was taken away from the first-borns, and given to the Tribe of Levi, specifically to the Kohanim, that is: High Priest Aaron, his children, and their descendants. At the same time, it was instituted that the first born of each family should be redeemed; i.e. they would be 'bought back' from the dedication to YHVH that would previously have been required of them. Levites were substituted for the first-born and wholly given to Divine service:
And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons; they are
wholly given unto him from the children of Israel.
And I behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel
instead of every first-born that opens the womb among the children of Israel;
and the Levites shall be Mine. For all the first-born are Mine: on the day that
I smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto Me all the
first-born in Israel, both man and beast, Mine they shall be: I am the LORD.' (Numbers 3:9,
12–13)
The first-born male of every clean animal was to be given up to the
priest for sacrifice. The first-born donkey, if not redeemed, was to be
put to death. There is no need for redemption by any other non-kosher
animal, for the firstborn status only applies to kosher animals.’’ End quote.
The redemption price for the first born given to the priest was 5 pieces
of silver.
What about today? Are, we still under a ‘’Pharoah’s’’ power? This is
possibly the single greatest tragedy of our age – in spite of Yahshua’s first
coming and the outpouring of the ‘’Ruach’’ all believers find themselves
trapped in a kind of ‘’Egypt’’ and once again YHVH will bring great plagues and
judgments on this earth to set His people free.
When the time comes for us to return to the land, we are not going to
just pack our bags and walk out of Egypt or this present world system. As
believers we don’t like to admit that we are in bondage to anything, but if we
honestly consider our present condition in this world, we realize that we need
to be set free from the hold that this world has over each one of us, whether
we admit it or not. (Imagine a world without cell phones computers and all
other forms of modern technology)
Once again herein lies a very important truth for us to understand this
Torah portion as well as end time events. Note that Pharoah had a legal right
over the people of Mitsrayim/Egypt. YHVH was not going to steal His people.
Pharoah eventually set them free because they had become too much trouble for
him. It was Pharoah’s stubborn foolishness that got him and the first born killed
and then and only then Egypt lost its right of all ownership over the people of
YHVH. We are ALL in captivity to this world-system whether we believe it or not
and as end time events unfold, we will all realize how deep our bondage and
captivity to this world and its gods is.
The Mystery of
Israel's (YHVH’s First-born) Salvation
Rom 11:25 For I do not wish you to be ignorant of this secret, brothers, lest you should be wise in your own estimation, that hardening in part has come over Yisra’ěl, until the completeness of the nations[a] has come in. Footnote: a Gen_48:19. Rom 11:26 And so all Yisra’ěl shall be saved, as it has been written, “The Deliverer shall come out of Tsiyon, and He shall turn away wickedness from Ya‛aqoḇ, Rom 11:27 and this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.” Isa_59:20-21. Rom 11:28 Truly, as regards the Good News they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. Rom 11:29 For the gifts and the calling of Elohim are not to be repented of. Rom 11:30 For as you also at one time disobeyed Elohim, but now have obtained compassion through their disobedience, Rom 11:31 so also these have now disobeyed, that through the compassion shown you they also might obtain compassion. Rom 11:32 For Elohim has shut them all up to disobedience, in order to have compassion on all. Rom 11:33 Oh, the depth of riches, and wisdom and knowledge of Elohim! How unsearchable His judgments and untraceable His ways!
We need to relook at our eschatological understanding of the end times
in the light of these truths. We are not going to return to the land of Israel
until the Pharoah of this present world system is destroyed – “when he sends us
away into the wilderness” or “Be shalach”
Parashat 16 -
“Beshalach” “When he set free or when he
cast out”
Exo 13:17 And
it came to be, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that Elohim did not lead
them by way of the land of the Philistines, though that was nearer, for Elohim
said, “Lest the people regret when they see fighting, and return to Mitsrayim.”
NOTE WHO IS LEADING YISRAEL! YHVH LEADS THEM OUT OF MITSRAYIM.
The Midrash Rabba states that “The tribe of Ephraim had erred and
departed from Egypt 30 years before the destined time, with the result that
three hundred thousand of them were slain by the Philistines... and their bones
lay in heaps on the road... YHVH therefore said: If Israel behold the bones of
the sons of Ephraim strewn in the road, they will return to Egypt...”
“Lest the people regret when they
see fighting, and return to Mitsrayim.”
The Hebrew word for regret comes from a root word meaning to have
compassion. This verb appears in the text as a “niphal” verb and therefore
conveys a passive meaning. In other words the people would feel sorry or have
feelings of compassion when they saw war. Why? I believe it is possible if they
took the short route, they would have seen the bodies of the Ephraimites strewn
across the desert and would have felt very sorry for them, possibly fearful of
the same fate.
The moral behind this is that when a people try to make this journey in
their own strength according to their own wisdom they are bound to come to
grief. Perhaps the remnant that the Father will save will also be protected
from witnessing the destruction that comes upon a people who seek to journey to
the promised land in their own strength and power disregarding the issues of
‘’leaven’’ that must remain behind.
Exo 13:18 So
Elohim led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Sea of Reeds. And
the children of Yisra’ĕl went up armed from the land of Mitsrayim.
Maybe their “arms” were not carnal weapons of warfare, but the promises
of YHVH and His Torah.
“armed” 2571 “Chamushim”
the meaning is uncertain.
Chamushim can mean "armed"...
Another interpretation: one in five (chamesh) among the children of
Israel came out of Egypt; four-fifths died during the three days of darkness
[because they did not want to leave Egypt]. (Rashi)
Rabbi Joshua interpreted it thus: fivefold they came out of Egypt, for
five times their number in converts were gathered into the people of Israel
upon their departure from Egypt. (Midrash Tanchuma)
Midrash Rabbah – “This is comparable to a king who had a son to whom he
wished to bequeath an inheritance, but he argued: "If I give it to him now
that he is small, he will not know how to take care of it. I will therefore
wait until my son studies the writings and comprehends the value [of the property],
then I will bequeath it unto him." This is what YHVH said: I shall first
give them the Torah, and then bring them into the Land.”
Exo 13:19 And
Mosheh took the bones of Yosĕph with him, for he certainly made the children of
Yisra’ĕl swear, saying, “Elohim shall certainly visit you, and you shall bring
my bones from here with you.”
The Hebrew word for "bone" (etzem)
also means "essence." This verse can therefore be understood to mean
that Moshe took Yoseph's very essence with him, and this served as inspirational
guidance for them as they crossed the desert. Yosef represents so much of who
and what the Messiah is and so in these last days we too can expect a renewed Messianic
revelation in all our preparation for returning to The Land.
Exo 13:20 And
they departed from Sukkoth and camped in Ětham at the edge of the wilderness.
Note they leave out detail recorded in Numbers chapter 33. Num 33:5 Then the children of Yisra’ĕl
departed from Raʽmeses and camped at Sukkoth.
I believe that the Torah wants us to focus more on the
events that took place at the various locations. They carry a certain prophetic
significance for an end time generation that will follow a similar pattern of
redemption and return. Later on, in Bamidbar
33 we will consider more detail of the 42 places or stages of the wilderness
journey.
Ramases –
“child of the sun” We will leave Mitsrayim because we no longer desire to
submit ourselves to any form of sun worship what so ever .
First stop – Sukkot.
- Sukkot
or temporary shelters – Tells us that for 42 months(Book of Revelation) we
are going to be pilgrims and sojourners in the truest sense of the word
wandering through the wilderness waiting for our Messiah to return and
establish his kingdom on earth and in Yerushalyaim - looking for a city with foundations, whose builder and
maker is Elohim. - Heb 11:10.
- The
second stop was “Etham” which means contemplation or plowshare.
Luk 9:62 But יהושע said to him, “No one, having put his hand
to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the reign of Elohim.
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.
This pilgrimage can only be successful under the guidance and protection of YHVH’s Hand – His Ruach. That’s why we go through ‘’mikvah’’ immersion – we must die to everything that will hinder us on our journey to the promised land and make sure we are dealing with ‘’leaven’’ issues.
Exo 14:1 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
Exo 14:2 “Speak to the children of Yisra’ěl, that they turn and
camp before Pi Haḥiroth, between Miḡdol and the sea, opposite Ba‛al Tsephon –
camp before it by the sea.
Exo 14:3
“For Pharaoh shall say of the children of Yisra’ěl, ‘They are entangled in the
land, the wilderness has closed them in.’
Exo 14:4
“And I shall strengthen 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’ěl 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.
Exo 14:8
And יהוה
strengthened the heart of Pharaoh sovereign of Mitsrayim, and he pursued the
children of Yisra’ěl, but the children of Yisra’ěl 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 Ba‛al Tsephon.
Exo 14:10
And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Yisra’ěl lifted their eyes and saw
the Mitsrites coming up after them. And they were greatly afraid, so the
children of Yisra’ěl 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 burial-sites 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.”
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 silent.”
And this too will happen in the last days: Rev 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in the heaven, “Now have come the deliverance and the power and the reign of our Elohim[b] and the authority of His Messiah, for the accuser of our brothers, who accused them before our Elohim day and night, has been thrown down. Footnote: bSee Rev_11:15. Rev 12:11 “And they overcame him because of the Blood of the Lamb, and because of the Word of their witness, and they did not love their lives to the death. Rev 12:12 “Because of this rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has little time.” Rev 12:13 And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. Rev 12:14 And the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, to fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, Dan_7:25, Dan_12:7 from the presence of the serpent. Rev 12:15 And out of his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river after the woman, to cause her to be swept away by the river. Rev 12:16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. Rev 12:17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to fight with the remnant of her seed, those guarding the commands of Elohim and possessing the witness of יהושע Messiah. (Emphasis: my own,)
Blessed are you YHVH, our Elohim, King of the Universe, you have given us your Torah of truth, and have planted everlasting life within our midst. Blessed are you, YHVH giver of the Torah – Amein.