Please, YHVH, our Elohim, sweeten the words of Your Torah in our hearts and in the hearts of Your people, the family of Israel. May we and our offspring and the offspring of Your people, the household of Jacob – know Your Name and study Your Torah, for the sake of Your Torah- empowering us to sincerely love one another and to love You above all. Please uncover our eyes and open our hearts that we may carefully examine and understand the marvels and mysteries of Your Torah- Revealed in us through the Messiah - Amein.
Shabbat Shalom.
וישׁמע
יתרו – “and Yitro heard”- Jethro
(Hebrew: יִתְרוֹ, Yitro
or Yithro) means “his abundance,” “abundance,” “excellence,” or “surplus.”
Yitro the gentile was abundantly blessed with surplus abundance.
Some scholars claim this is the most significant Torah
Portion in all the Torah – (all Torah portions are very significant) however,
this Torah portion is also known as the “Mattan ha Torah or the giving of the
Torah”
Some Hebrew scholars believe that what makes this portion
particularly significant is its particular context. We need to remind ourselves
that in the original Torah scrolls, there were no chapters or verses - This is
an important observation when studying Scripture because it affects how we
understand the flow and context of the text. This week’s Torah portion begins
with “and” - “and” is a coordinating conjunction because it joins words,
phrases, or clauses of equal grammatical importance.
If we examine the previous verses, we find an interesting
connection –
Exo 17:13 And Yehoshua defeated Amalěq and his
people with the edge of the sword.
Exo 17:14 And יהוה said to Mosheh,
“Write this for a remembrance in the book and recite it in the hearing of
Yehoshua, that I shall completely blot out the remembrance of Amalěq from under
the heavens.” Num 21:14
Exo 17:15 And Mosheh built a slaughter-place and
called its name, יהוה
Nissi,
Exo 17:16 for he said, “Because a hand is on the
throne of Yah, יהוה
is to fight against Amalěq, from generation to generation.”
Whose hand is on the throne of YHVH? The text does not clearly state whose hand it is. Some scholars believe it’s possibly the hand of a gentile, who was once indifferent towards Israel but now has drawn near to Israel to intercede for them.
It is as if these words awaited a future final fulfilment
– perhaps in the “mello ha goyim” or during the fullness of the gentiles.
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’ěl His people, that יהוה had brought Yisra’ěl out of Mitsrayim.
Exo 18:2 And Yithro, Mosheh’s father-in-law, took
Tsipporah, the wife of Mosheh – after he had sent her back,
Exo 18:3 and her two sons, of whom the name of one
was Gěreshom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land,”
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.”
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.”
In Exodus 18:6, Jethro sends a messenger ahead saying: "I,
your father-in-law Jethro am coming to you with your wife and her two sons."
He is formally escorting her back to her husband, restoring the broken family
unit.
“There is evidence suggesting that knowledge and worship of YHVH existed in the southern regions associated with Midian before Israel's national establishment, but it cannot be established that the Midianites as a whole were Yahwists before Israel.”
Zipporah is a Midianite (Gentile) woman.
Her return to Moses—brokered by a Gentile Yahwist priest
(Jethro) happens right at the foot of Mount Sinai, just before the giving of
the Torah.
This creates a multi-layered prophetic image. The text
subtly hints that before Israel can receive the Torah and fulfil its corporate
mandate to the world; the leader of Israel must first reconcile with his
Gentile bride.
Exo 18:8 And Mosheh told his father-in-law all that
יהוה had done to Pharaoh
and to the Mitsrites for Yisra’ěl’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’ěl, 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 an ascending offering and other slaughterings unto Elohim. And Aharon came with all the elders of Yisra’ěl to eat bread with the father-in-law of Mosheh before Elohim. (Israel and gentiles honouring the covenant together)
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?” (why are the Torah loving gentiles not
helping you?)
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.”a Footnote: aTorot - plural of Torah, teaching.
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. (prophetic statement?)
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 (make known) them the way in which they should
walk and the work which they do – (direction and steps)
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.”
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’ěl, 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.
Israel at Mount Sinai
Exo 19:1 In the third new moon (1st
of Sivan) after the children of Yisra’ěl 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’ěl camped there
before the mountain.
Exo 19:3 And Mosheh went up to Elohim, and יהוה called to him from
the mountain, saying, “This is what you are to say to the house of Ya‛aqoḇ, and declare to the children
of Yisra’ěl:
Exo 19:4 ‘You have seen what I did to the
Mitsrites, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. (a
very hard journey was made easier)
Exo 19:5 ‘And now, if you diligently obey My voice,
(ועתה
אם־שׁמוע תשׁמעו) and shall guard My covenant, then you shall be My treasured
possession above all the peoples – for all the earth is Mine – 1 Pet 2:9
The actual chronological timeline of what is happening in
Exodus 19 and 20 reveals a fascinating progression:
In the third month after leaving Egypt, Israel camps at
the base of the mountain. At this point, the mountain is quiet, and no laws
have been spoken. [1,
2, 3]
2. The Up-and-Down "Negotiations" (Exodus
19:3-25)
Before any commandments are given, Moses goes up and down
the mountain three separate times just to relay messages back and forth
between YHVH and the people: [1,
2]
·
Trip 1 (Ex 19:3-7): Moses goes up; YHVH
proposes the covenant ("You shall be a kingdom of priests"). Moses
comes down and tells the elders. [1, 2]
·
Trip 2 (Ex 19:8-14): Moses goes back up
to bring the people’s answer ("All that YHVH has spoken we will do").
YHVH tells Moses to go back down and have the people wash their clothes and
prepare for the third day. [1, 2,
3]
·
Trip 3 (Ex 19:20-25): On the third day,
the mountain erupts in smoke, lightning, and a loud trumpet blast. YHVH calls
Moses to the top just to give him a strict warning: "Go down and warn
the people not to break through to look at YHVH." Moses objects,
saying the boundaries are already set, but YHVH insists. Moses goes back
down to stand with the people. [1,
2, 3, 4]
This is the crucial detail that matches your observation.
When Exodus 20 begins, Moses is standing at the foot of the mountain with
the rest of Israel. [1, 2]
When the Ten Commandments (the "Ten Words") are
spoken in Exodus 20:2-17, they are spoken audibly by YHVH from the cloud
directly into the ears of the entire nation. There are no stone tablets
yet. The people hear the literal voice of the Almighty and are so utterly
terrified by the thunder and the voice that they tremble, draw back, and beg
Moses, "You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let YHVH speak
to us, lest we die." [1, 2, 3,
4, 5]
When does he actually get the tablets?
Moses does not ascend the mountain for the famous 40
days and 40 nights to receive the physical stone tablets until Exodus
24:12-18. [1,
2]
The sequence is:
1.
Exodus 19-20: YHVH speaks the Ten
Commandments aloud to everyone.
2.
Exodus 21-23: YHVH gives Moses additional
civil and judgments/laws while Moses stands in the thick darkness nearby.
3.
Exodus 24: The covenant is officially
ratified with blood. Only after this ratification does YHVH say, "Come
up to Me on the mountain... and I will give you the tablets of stone."
(Ex 24:12) [1,
2, 3,
4,
5, 6]
This chronological precision actually beautifully
enhances your thesis.
·
The Torah was not given to a single man in
secret to bring down to a passive audience.
·
The foundational principles of the covenant were
proclaimed publicly, audibly, and collectively to the entire
assembly—including the "mixed multitude" (Gentiles) who left Egypt
with them.
·
It shows that the Torah is inherently a
corporate, community-wide marriage covenant designed to be heard and lived out
collectively before the physical architectural structures (the tablets
and the Tabernacle) were ever manufactured. [1,
2]
The delay occurs for three crucial reasons that tie
perfectly into your theme of covenant, the nations, and restoration.
1. The Wedding First, the Contract Second
In ancient Near Eastern culture, and explicitly in
rabbinic thought, Mount Sinai was a wedding ceremony.
·
The Mountain was the Chuppah (the
wedding canopy).
·
The Audible Voice in Exodus 20 was the
public exchange of vows.
·
The Stone Tablets were the Ketubah
(the formal, legal marriage contract).
A bride and groom do not sign and file legal paperwork
before they stand at the altar and pledge their lives to one another. YHVH
delayed giving the tablets because He wanted Israel (and the mixed multitude of
Gentiles with them) to fall in love with the King and hear His heart personally
before handing them a written copy of the household rules. The relationship had
to be sealed by the audible voice first.
By delaying the physical tablets, YHVH created a crucial
gap of time. Moses was up on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights after
the audible voice spoke. This gap was a test of endurance and internalizing
what they had just heard.
Tragically, without a physical object to look at, the
people panicked and built the Golden Calf. This delay proved a vital
spiritual truth: it is easy to say "we will do and obey" when
the mountain is shaking and the voice is booming, but true covenant
faithfulness is tested when the vision tarries and you have to walk by faith,
not by sight.
The delay in giving the physical tablets allowed the
people to realize their deep need for a mediator.
When the people heard the audible voice, they cried out
in terror, "Do not let YHVH speak to us, lest we die! You go near,
Moses!" (Exodus 20:19). By stepping back, the people voluntarily
handed the responsibility over to Moses. The delay in getting the tablets
allowed Moses to ascend into the cloud, not just as a messenger, but as an intercessor
who would eventually have to plead for Israel's life when they sinned with the
Golden Calf.
This pattern is a foreshadowing of the first and second coming of Messiah (added)
See also Joshua 24:15&19 – only a very small
portion of Yahshua’s household will listen, obey and enter.
This pattern of "delay" perfectly mirrors the
timeline of the Messiah you explored earlier:
·
The Audible Voice / First Coming: Yeshua
came and spoke the words of the Father audibly to the world, writing the Torah
on the hearts of His disciples, but the physical, global kingdom structure was
"delayed."
·
The Wilderness / The Present Age: We are
currently in the "40 days" period—the long delay where the Bridegroom
is hidden on the mountain. Mainstream religion, like the camp at the foot of
Sinai, has grown impatient and fashioned its own "golden calves"
(lawless systems of worship).
·
The Final Descent / Second Coming: Just
as Moses finally came down the mountain with the permanent tablets to establish
the physical Tabernacle, so too will Messiah descend at the end of the age to
physically manifest the Torah globally from Jerusalem.
The delay is not an afterthought; it is the space given
for the remnant to prove their loyalty while the King is out of sight.
In Exodus 32, while Moses is delayed on the mountain, the
camp loses faith and reverts to Egyptian paganism (the Golden Calf). When Moses
descends and smashes the first set of tablets, he stands at the gate of the
camp and issues a famous battle cry:
"Whoever is for YHVH, come to me!"
(Exodus 32:26)
The text records that only the sons of Levi (1Pet
2:9 crowd) gathered themselves to his side. While the rest of the nation had
abandoned the covenant instructions they had audibly heard just weeks prior,
this small group chose absolute loyalty to YHVH and His prophet over culture,
comfort, and even their own family members.
Because of this specific act of radical obedience during
a time of national apostasy, YHVH set the Levites apart to minister in
His Tabernacle, replacing the firstborn sons of all the other tribes (Numbers
3:12).
2. The Direct Parallel to the End-Times Gentile Remnant
This historical event serves as a precise prophetic
mirror for the movement you described earlier (anchored in Matthew 5:17-19):
·
The Lawless Camp: Just as the ancient
camp of Israel fell into lawlessness because the leader was delayed on the
mountain, much of mainstream religion today has embraced a lawless theology,
claiming the Torah was "done away with" during the long delay of the
Messiah's return.
·
The Remnant's Call: Today, a
remnant—primarily from among the nations—is hearing that same cry: "Who
is for YHVH?" They are responding not by following the religious
status quo (the modern golden calves of lawlessness), but by choosing to stand
firmly with the King and His eternal instructions.
·
The "Grafted-In" Priests: In a
stunning prophetic twist, the Hebrew prophets explicitly state that in the last
days, Gentiles who hold fast to the covenant will function exactly like the
Levites did.
The Prophet Isaiah gives us the ultimate scriptural link
between the Gentile remnant, the Sabbath/Torah, and the Levitical priesthood in
the end times.
In Isaiah 56:6-7, YHVH speaks directly about the
Gentiles:
"And the sons of the foreigner who join
themselves to YHVH... everyone who keeps the Sabbath from defiling
it, and holds fast to My covenant—them I will bring to My set apart
mountain..."
Then, in Isaiah 66:19-21, looking forward to the
final gathering of the nations at the return of the Messiah, YHVH drops a
theological bombshell regarding these Torah-keeping Gentiles:
"And they shall bring all your brethren for an
offering unto YHVH out of all nations... And I will also take of them for
priests and for Levites, says YHVH."
This brings your entire commentary full circle:
1.
The Pattern: Jethro (a Gentile) comes to
the mountain, acknowledges the true YHVH, and watches his family line (the
Kenites) get grafted into Israel's inheritance.
2.
The Crisis: During the delay, the nation
fails the test of faith and falls into lawlessness. The Levites step forward to
defend the Torah and are chosen to serve YHVH.
3.
The Restoration: In the end times, during
the long delay of the Messiah's return, the mainstream religious world has
fallen into its own version of lawlessness. But a Gentile remnant—the
"fullness of the Gentiles"—is waking up, guarding the Sabbath, and
holding fast to the Torah (Matthew 5).
According to Isaiah, because this Gentile remnant stands
up for the truth when everyone else is drifting, YHVH will view them exactly
like the sons of Levi, using them to inspire, protect, and minister
alongside the house of Israel in the ultimate restoration of the Kingdom.
This concept comes directly from the Apostle Paul in Romans
11:11, where he writes that salvation has come to the Gentiles "to
make Israel envious" (or to provoke them to jealousy).
In Paul’s vision, the Gentile believers were supposed to
live out the faith so beautifully, with such a clear connection to the Elohim of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that the Jewish people would look at them and say, "You
have our Elohim, you have our scriptures, and you are experiencing the
spiritual reality we were promised."
In the Midrash
(Pesikta Rabbati), the sages
interpret this to mean that the nations will experience a profound crisis of
faith in their inherited religious systems. They will eagerly seek out Jewish
people not to conquer them, but to beg
them to teach them the true ways of YHVH and the depth of the Torah.
Zec 8:23 “Thus said יהוה of
hosts, ‘In those days ten men from all languages of the nation’s take hold,
yes, they shall take hold of the edge of the garment of a man, a Yehuḏi, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that
Elohim is with you.” ’ ” b Footnote: b Jhn_4:22.
Isaiah asks that precise question, and it aligns beautifully with the
Torah awakening of the Gentiles we just discussed.
Isaiah asks, "Where did these come from?" in Isaiah
49:21.
In this chapter, the prophet paints a powerful picture of Zion (the
Jewish people) sitting in exile, feeling barren, abandoned, and completely
alone. Suddenly, Zion looks up and sees a massive, unexpected multitude of
children rushing toward her from all over the world, completely overwhelming
the land.
Stunned by this sudden influx, Zion asks in her heart:
“Who bore me these? I was bereaved and barren; I was exiled and
rejected. Who brought these up? I was left all alone, but these—where have
they come from?”
The very next verses provide the answer, explaining exactly where
this sudden, massive family comes from:
Isa 49:22 Thus said the Master יהוה, “See, I lift My hand up to
the nations, and set up My banner (nissi) for the peoples; and they shall bring
your sons in their arms, and your daughters carried on their
shoulders; Isa 49:23 “And sovereigns shall be your foster fathers,
and their sovereignesses your nursing mothers. They bow down to you with their
faces to the earth, and lick up the dust of your feet. And you shall know that
I am יהוה – those who wait for Me
shall not be ashamed.”
*According to traditional eschatological scholars, these events span
a chronological timeline that begins before the return of the
Messiah.
Isaiah explicitly links this amazing influx of children to the Gentiles
waking up, lifting up YHVH’s banner, (nissi – Ex 17:15) and carrying the
descendants of Israel home.
“Isaiah 49:20–22 could describe a restoration process that begins during
the first half of the final seven years and develops further afterwards. But we
should not claim that Isaiah specifically places it before the Great
Tribulation. The strongest emphasis of the passage is not the precise timing,
but YHVH's astonishing restoration of Zion and the participation of the Gentile
nations in that restoration.”
The Shock of Loneliness: Rashi notes that Zion says, "Look, I
was left all alone" because during the long centuries of persecution,
Israel felt completely isolated. The traditional nations were hostile, and the
institutional Church was spiritually adversarial.
The Global Parentage: Rashi and other classical commentators (like Ibn
Ezra) explain that these children were raised in "far-off lands" and
"the islands of the sea" under entirely different religious systems.
The Unexpected Adoption: The shock is that these people—who have no
physical lineage tracing back to the literal tribes of Jacob—suddenly arrive in
Jerusalem acting, living, and loving like true family. Zion did not give birth
to them physically, yet they have the spirit of children who belong to her
house.
How Paul Uses
Isaiah 49 to Pivot to the Gentiles
The Apostle Paul
did not invent the idea of a Gentile awakening; he intentionally structured his
entire missionary calling around the very same chapter of Isaiah.
When Paul and
Barnabas faced fierce opposition from traditional religious leaders in Antioch,
they formally announced their shift to focus heavily on the non-Jewish world.
To justify this massive theological pivot, they quoted Isaiah 49:6 as a direct
divine command:
“For
this is what the Elohim has commanded us: ‘I have made you a
light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” (Acts 13:47)
In short, Paul is
taking a famous Hebrew scripture about Israel's mission to be a light to
the world and stating that he and Barnabas are actively fulfilling that
command right then and there. The faithful gentile remnant of Pauls ministry is
also part of this light to the nations.
Act 13:41 “See, you despisers, marvel and
perish, for I work a work in your days, a work which you would in no way
believe if someone were to declare it to you.’ ” Hab_1:5.
Now, in the latter days, those very same seeds are blooming. As those
Gentile nations (remnant) wake up to the true weight of the scriptures and turn
back toward Zion, it triggers the exact scenario predicted in Isaiah 49:21.
Israel looks out, sees thousands of non-Jews standing with the Torah and the Elohim
of Abraham, and asks with wide-eyed wonder: "Where did these people come
from?"
Maimonides (Rambam): The Purpose of Global Religions
The most explicit prediction regarding the mechanics of this awakening
comes from Maimonides (the Rambam), the most authoritative legal sage of
the Middle Ages. In his monumental work, Mishneh Torah (Hilchot Melachim
11:4), Maimonides made a staggering historical prediction regarding
Christianity and Islam.
He wrote that God purposely allowed the spread of Christianity and Islam
throughout the Gentile world for one primary reason: to prepare the nations
for the Torah.
"All these matters relating to Jesus of Nazareth and the Ishmaelite
[Muhammad] who came after him, only served to clear the path for King Messiah,
to prepare the whole world to worship God together... How? Through them, the
entire world has already become filled with the talk of the Messiah, the talk
of the Torah, and the talk of the Mitzvot (commandments). These matters
have already been scattered to far-flung islands and among many uncircumcised
nations."
Maimonides predicted that when the true Messianic era nears, the
gentiles who have been raised on these scriptures will experience a sudden
awakening. They will realize their theological systems were incomplete or
misinterpreted, and they will collectively pivot to the true, unadulterated
understanding of the Torah.
Modern Sages: Witnessing the "Torah Awakening"
In the modern era, prominent Orthodox Jewish leaders are recognizing
that this ancient prediction is actively unfolding.
Rabbi Tuly Weisz and Rabbi Shlomo Riskim:
Contemporary Israeli scholars have openly written about what they formally call
"The Torah Awakening among Non-Jews." They note that for 2,000
years, the thought of thousands of Gentiles studying the Hebrew language,
keeping the Sabbath, and reading Torah portions alongside Israel was completely
unimaginable. Today, they view this phenomenon as a direct, literal fulfillment
of the predictions made by Isaiah, Zechariah, and Maimonides.
The Core Realization: "We Inherited Lies"
The sages note that this awakening is ultimately fuelled by a specific
realization outlined in Jeremiah 16:19, where the Gentiles come from the
ends of the earth and say: "Our ancestors possessed nothing but false
gods, worthless idols that did them no good."
The sages explain that the "awakening" happens when the
blindfold of replacement theology falls off, and the nations realize that the
original Hebrew text, the original instructions (Torah), and the original
Jewish context of faith were the truth all along.
You have found a beautiful and precise grammatical distinction
highlighted by Rashi.
The scene you are referring to—where Moses pleads with his father-in-law
not to leave them, saying "you will be our eyes"—actually
takes place in Numbers 10:29–32, where Jethro is referred to by his
other biblical name, Hobab.
The Hebrew phrase Moses uses is וְהָיִ֥יתָ לָּ֖נוּ לְעֵינָֽיִם (ve-hayita
lanu le-einayim), which literally translates to "and you will be to
us as eyes". Rashi dives deep into the grammatical structure of this
specific phrase because it presents a major theological problem: Why would
Israel need a mortal Gentile to act as "eyes" or a guide when they
already had the literal pillar of cloud and fire leading them?
Rashi solves this by unpacking three ways to understand the
grammar and tense of this phrase, explicitly focusing on the future tense
element you mentioned:
Rashi's Breakdown on Numbers 10:31
1. The Past Tense Interpretation (The Targum's View)
Rashi notes that according to Onkelos (the Targum), the phrase can be
understood retrospectively. It means: "You have seen all the miracles
and wonders wrought for us with your own eyes, so how can you leave now after
witnessing such truth?"
2. The Future Tense Interpretation: "Enlightening Our Eyes"
This is exactly the grammatical shift you noted. Rashi writes:
"Another explanation: It is in the future tense—If any matter
should be hidden from our eyes, you shall enlighten our eyes [with your
guidance]."
Moses is telling Jethro that his specific skill—the administrative,
judicial, and practical wisdom he already displayed back in Exodus 18—is
something Israel will continue to need in the future. The cloud would show them
where to walk physically, but Jethro's insight would show them how
to handle difficult human and legal matters that might obscure Moses' own
vision.
3. The Intimate Interpretation: "Beloved as the Pupil of Our
Eye"
Rashi offers a third layer based on the Sifrei:
"You shall be as beloved to us as the pupils of our eyes, as it
says, 'You shall love the proselyte' (Deuteronomy 10:19)."
Moses is telling the Gentile priest that he isn't just a useful tool or
temporary advisor; he has become so fundamentally grafted into the community
that losing him would be like losing an eye.
The Ultimate Dynamic of the "Gentile Guide"
By looking at the future tense, Moses establishes a permanent reality:
Israel's journey is a partnership. YHVH provides the supernatural direction
(the Cloud), but the righteous Gentile provides a critical earthly perspective
that "enlightens" the community. Moses explicitly uses a plea ("Please
do not leave us") because he recognises that the camp is spiritually
richer and structurally safer with Jethro's presence.
To Evangelize His Own People: Jethro did not leave out of a
rejection of YHVH or the Torah. Rather, he said to Moses: "If I stay
here with you, I am just one single spark enjoying the light. But if I return
to Midian, I can convert my family and my countrymen to the truth."
He explicitly wanted to bring the reality of the one true Elohim back to
the Gentile world.
My conclusion:
If there is only one faith, (Eph 4:5) should Jewish
and Gentile believers have different standards of faithfulness and obedience to
YHVH?
Consider these passages:
·
1 John 2:6: Whoever claims to abide in Yahshua ought to walk as He
walked.
·
Romans 3:31: Faith does not make void the law; Paul says we establish
the law.
·
Romans 8:4: The righteousness of the law is fulfilled in those who walk
according to the Spirit.
·
Matthew 5:17: Jesus came not to destroy the Law or the Prophets, but to
fulfil them.
Blessed are you YHVH, our Elohim, King of the
Universe, you have given us your Torah of truth and have planted perfect freedom
and everlasting life within our midst. Blessed are you, YHVH giver of the Torah
– Amein.