Parashat 17- “Yithro” – “his excellence”

Shemot/Exodus 18:1 – 20:23 

It remains a great source of amazement to the ancient and modern Jewish sages how the most important Torah portion in the Torah – The Mattan Ha Torah – The giving of the Torah could be named after the gentile – Yithro.

This Torah portion reminds us once again that righteous gentiles could play a critical role in these days to cause the Torah to flourish among Jews and non- Jews once again – may it be YHVH’s will in our time for this to happen.

The name Yithro comes from a root word “yeter” (S3499) which can also mean “remnant.” Will there be a Torah observant ex-gentile remnant in the last days that will bring excellence to the earth and usher in a genuine Messianic Revival?

Listen carefully to the following prophetic word given to us from the Torah:

It is said of Yithro in Bamidbar/Numbers 10:29-31 reads, “And Moshe said … We are journeying to the place about which YHVH said,I will give it you; come with us, and we will do you good … And he [Yitro] said to him, I will not go; but I will depart to my own land, and to my kindred. And he [Moshe] said, Leave us not, I pray you; for you know how we are to camp in the wilderness, והיית לנו לעינים and you may be to us instead of eyes.”

Rashi (Bamidbar/ Numbers10:31) reads, “You will be our guide … Another explanation: [the passuk is in] the future tense—If anything should be hidden from our eyes, you shall enlighten us.

Could the use of this future tense refer to an end time Torah observant ex gentile bride of Messiah?

Blessing for the Torah:

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.

(Blessed are you, YHVH, our Elohim , King of the Universe,

you have selected us from among all the peoples, and have given us your Torah.

Blessed are you, YHVH, giver of the Torah. Ameyn.)

Torah Readings:

1. 18:1-12
2. 18:13-23
3. 18:24-27
4. 19:1-6
5. 19:7-13 (Sefardim); 19:7-19 (Ashkenazim)
6. 19:14-19 (S); 19:20 – 20:17 (v. 14 Heb.) (A)
7. 19:20- 20:17 (v. 14 Heb.) (S); 20:18-21 (15-18 Heb.) (A)
8. Maftir: 20:24-26 (21-23 Heb.) (S); 20:22-26 (19-23 Heb.) (A)

Haftarah: Isaiah 6:1-13 (Sefardim); 6:1 – 7:6; 9:6-7 (5-6 Heb.) (Ashkenazim)

Aliyah Rishon 18:1-12

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’ĕl His people, that יהוה had brought Yisra’ĕl out of Mitsrayim.

Yithro represents all the priesthoods of this world that are in strife and opposed to the One Torah and One Elohim of Yisrael (Midyan means “strife” S4080)

Exo 18:2  And Yithro, Mosheh’s father-in-law, took Tsipporah, the wife of Mosheh – after he had sent her back,

Commentary: N Lawrence

18:2–3, There is indication here that Moses divorced his wife after their altercation over the circumcision of their sons in 4:24–26. The phrase sent away/back in verse two is shilluach/ (shin-lamed-lamed-vav-chet, shil-loo’-akh), which according to Strong’s and Gesenius can refer to divorce. Shilluach is from shalakh/ (shin-lamed-chet), a basic verb meaning “to send” (note passive participle ie an action which was done to her ie she received her marching orders) where in Yeshayahu/Isaiah 50:1 and Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 3:1 the prophets use it referring to YHVH’s divorce from the House of Israel/Ephraim. Though rabbinical commentators Rashi and Hirsch fail to note the possibility of Moshe’s divorce (Jewish Torah commentators tend to gloss over the faults of their great heroes), Baal HaTurim notes this possibility in his commentary. Yet in Shemot/Exodus18:2, YHVH still views Zipporah as Moshe’s wife. What’s going on here? Zipporah seems to have evidenced reluctance at obeying YHVH’s command to circumcise their sons (4:25), so did Moshe put her away (divorce her), as a result? Was Moshe, the human “savior” of Yisrael from Mitsrayim/Egypt and an ante type (prophetic forerunner) of Yahshua the Messianic Savior (Deut 18:15–19), having to deal with a rebellious wife even as Yahshua  had to deal with his rebellious wife Israel and eventually had to put her away? “Perhaps we see in this weeks and next week’s Torah portion how Moshe takes her back. We read  in Bamidbar/Numbers 12:1 how Moshe took another wife (Kushite woman)”

In next week’s Torah portion we read in Mishphatim – Shemot/Exo 21:10  “If he takes another wife, her food, her covering, and her marriage rights are not to be diminished.

Maybe there is a prophetic reference here to the gentile part of the Bride of Messiah. If one part of the gentile bride is not acceptable to him, he may take another gentile bride without diminishing the rights of the first one.

This may explain why so many non Torah observant Christians are blessed today, but in reality they do not want to be part of a Torah observant bride and subsequently will not be included as the Bride of Messiah.

Exo 18:3  and her two sons, of whom the name of one was Gĕreshom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land,”

With the name Gershom Moshe indicated that he had always been a sojourner in this world – even before his flight from mItsrayim/Egypt – because a tzaddik’s (righteous man’s) true world is not from this world.

The verb “garish” is also associated with the name “Gershom.” This verb means to divorce yourself from something; in the case of a “ger” it is one who has divorced himself from his culture and religion and has taken on the faith and culture of Avraham Yitzchak and Yakov and the Torah of Moshe.

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.”

Eliezer comes from two Hebrew words “El” which can mean “Elohim” and it can also mean “strength or mighty.” “Ezer” “means aid or helper.”

“Eliezer can either mean Elohim is my help or my help or aid is mighty”

This reminds us of the Ruach of YHVH who is called the “parakletos” in Greek. 

Yoch/Joh 14:26  “But the Helper, the Set-apart Spirit, whom the Father shall send in My Name, He shall teach you all, and remind you of all that I said to you.

The Greek word for “helper” is “parakletos” An intercessor, consoler: - advocate, comforter.

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.”

Note in vs 2,5&6 The Torah repeats that Yitro brought back Moshe’s family. The Torah wants to draw our attention to this fact because it is repeated three times. From this we may deduce that Moshe’s family do not consist only of the 12 tribes of Yisrael.

Exo 18:7  And Mosheh went out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed down, and kissed him. And they asked each other about their welfare, and they went into the tent.

Exo 18:8  And Mosheh told his father-in-law all that יהוה had done to Pharaoh and to the Mitsrites for Yisra’ĕl’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’ĕl, 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 a burnt offering and other slaughterings unto Elohim. And Aharon came with all the elders of Yisra’ĕl to eat bread with the father-in-law of Mosheh before Elohim.

For Yithro to present such an offering he must have left his pagan ways to follow the way of the Elohim of Yisrael, he had been deeply influenced by Moshe during the 40 year period Moshe lived in Midyan with Yithro.

Aliyah Sheni 18:13-23

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?”

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.”

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.

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 them the way in which they should walk and the work which they do.

Exo 18:21  “But you yourself, seek out from all the people able men, who fear Elohim, men of truth, hating unfair gain. And place these over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

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.”

Yithro is introducing Yahshua’s pattern of making disciples. The Torah was always meant to be lived out in a community of people who are in a dynamic relationship with leaders who have paid a price to lead and train disciples or talmadim who are willing to be taught the principles of the Torah so that they in turn can also teach others. This was always the way the Torah and YHVH’s Kingdom and rule was meant to be established. This kind of a people will not only rule themselves effectively but also the nations.

Aliyah Shlishi 18:24-27

This kind of lifestyle observance of Torah would produce men and woman who would take responsibility for proper functioning of the household of faith as well as reproduce this kind of life to other peoples and nations.

Eph 4:11  And He Himself gave some as emissaries, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as shepherds and teachers

Eph 4:12  for the perfecting of the set-apart ones, to the work of service to a building up of the body of the Messiah,

Eph 4:13  until we all come to the unity of the belief and of the knowledge of the Son of Elohim, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the completeness of Messiah,

Eph 4:14  so that we should no longer be children, tossed and borne about by every wind of teaching, by the trickery of men, in cleverness, unto the craftiness of leading astray,¹ Footnote: ¹5:6, also 2 Cor. 10:5, 2 Cor. 11:3-14, Gal. 1:6-9, 2 Tim. 3:1-8, 2 Tim. 4:2-4, 2 Peter 2:2-22, Jud. vv. 10-19.

Eph 4:15  but, maintaining the truth in love, we grow up in all respects into Him who is the head, Messiah,

Eph 4:16  from whom the entire body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the working by which each part does its share, causes growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

Eph 4:17  So this I say, and witness in the Master, that you should no longer walk as the gentiles walk,¹ in the futility of their mind, Footnote: ¹1 Cor. 12:2, and Jer. 10:2.

Eph 4:18  having been darkened in their understanding, having been estranged from the life of Elohim, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart,

1Co 12:4  And there are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.

1Co 12:5  There are different kinds of services, but the same Master.

1Co 12:6  And there are different kinds of workings, but it is the same Elohim who is working all in all.

1Co 12:7  And to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for profiting,

1Co 12:8  for to one is given a word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another a word of knowledge according to the same Spirit,

1Co 12:9  and to another belief by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the same Spirit,

1Co 12:10  and to another operations of powers, and to another prophecy, and to another discerning of spirits, and to another kinds of tongues, and to another interpretation of tongues.

1Co 12:11  But one and the same Spirit works all these, distributing to each one individually as He intends.

1Co 12:12  For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is the Messiah.

1Co 12:13  For indeed by one Spirit we were all immersed into one body, whether Yehuḏim or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink into one Spirit.

As ex gentiles we understand these ministries however we have only seen them as operating and belonging in the church. These gifts and ministries always belonged to Yisrael and were meant for the equipping of Yisraelites.

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’ĕl, 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.

Aliyah Reviee 19:1-6

Exo 19:1  In the third month after the children of Yisra’ĕl 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’ĕl camped there before the mountain.

At all their other encampments, the verse says vayachanu ("and they camped," in the plural); here it says vayichan ("and he camped," in the singular). For all other encampments were in argument and dissent, whereas here they camped as one man, with one heart. (Mechilta; Rashi)

Unity was present at the outpouring of the Ruach.

Act 2:1  And when the Day of the Festival of Weeks (Shavuot in Hebrew) had come, they were all with one mind in one place.

Act 2:2  And suddenly there came a sound from the heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

Parashat 16 - “Beshalach” “When he set free or when he cast out”

Shemot/Exodus13:17 – 17:16

Blessing for the Torah:

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.”

(Blessed are you, YHVH, our Elohim , King of the Universe,

you have selected us from among all the peoples, and have given us your Torah.

Blessed are you, YHVH, giver of the Torah. Ameyn.)

Torah Readings:

1. 13:17 – 14:8
2. 14:9 – 14:14 (Ashkenazim); 14:9-25 (Sefardim)
3. 14:15-25 (A); 14:26 – 15:26 (S)
4. 14:26 – 15:26 (A); 15:27 – 16:10 (S)
5. 15:27 – 16:10 (A); 16:11-29 (S)
6. 16:11-36 (A); 16:30-36 (S)
7. 17:1-13
8. Maftir: 17:14-16 

Haftarah: Judges 4:4 – 5:31 (A); 5:1-31 (S)

General Overview:

 In this week's reading, Beshalach, Pharaoh pursues the Israelites into the desert. The Red Sea splits, the Israelites cross the sea while the Mitsrites’/Egyptian army is drowned. Moshe and the Yisraelites sing a special song thanking YHVH for this miracle. The Yisraelites complain about a lack of food and drink. YHVH sends Manna and quail for them to eat, and miraculously produces water from a rock. Amalek attacks the Israelites and is soundly defeated.

Aliyah Rishon 13:17-14:8

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.”

When the time comes for us to return to the land we are not going to just pack our bags and walk out of Mitsrayim/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 position 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.

Once again herein lays 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 his country. YHVH was not going to steal His people. Pharoah eventually set them free because they had become too much trouble for him. It was Pharoahs stubborn foolishness that got him killed and he no longer had any right of ownership over the people of YHVH.

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 also “sets us free” or “Be shalach”

NOTE WHO IS LEADING THEM! 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 Ephramites strewn across the desert and would have felt very sorry for them.

The moral behind this is that when a people fight the enemy in their own strength according to their own wisdom they are bound to come to grief. Perhaps the Father wants to save a remnant by protecting them from witnessing the destruction that comes upon a people who seek to do warfare in their own strength and power.

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. (“The Red Sea is called “Yam Suf” in Hebrew. It means “the Reed Sea”. The name “Red Sea” is probably a result of a translation error. In the first English translations it was written as “Reed Sea”, but it seems as though those who used that English translation of the Bible when making a new translation, mistook the word “reed” for “red”. The Reed Sea is not red at all. When one is there, everything looks quite blue, just like all the other seas on the earth. The Reed Sea is the name of the whole sea, including the inlets of Suez and Aqabah”).

Maybe their “arms” were not carnal weapons of warfare, but the promises of YHVH and His Torah.

“armed” 2571 “Chamushim” this is the only place this word is used in the Tenach and its 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 Yosef's very essence with him, and this served as inspirational guidance for them as they crossed the desert. Yosef represents so much of who the Messiah is and so in these last days we too can expect a Messianic essence in all our preparation in returning to the land.

1Co 10:1  For I do not wish you to be ignorant, brothers, that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea,

1Co 10:2  and all were immersed into Mosheh in the cloud and in the sea,

1Co 10:3  and all ate the same spiritual food,

1Co 10:4  and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed, and the Rock was Messiah.  (Shaul/Paul quotes the midrash rabba)

      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 Bemidbar/Numbers chapter 33.  Num 33:5 Then the children of Yisra’ĕl departed from Ra’meses 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/Numbers 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/Succoth. (Should remind us of our annual camp at Chapmans Peak – or wherever the readers of this Blog were camping)

1. 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 
2. 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.

Note once again Who it is who is leading them. It is the presence of YHVH. Moshe was their leader because he more than any other person was willing to lay down his life and obey YHVH no matter what the consequences.

This should once again remind us of our Messiah who only did what he was told by YHVH.

Yochanan/Joh 8:28  So יהושע said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Aḏam, then you shall know that I am He, and that I do none at all of Myself, but as My Father taught Me, these words I speak.

Joh 8:29  “And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do what pleases Him.”

This Hebrew expression “lift up” means that when we lift up something towards heaven we are acknowledging this lifted up gift HAS COME FROM THE FATHER AND CREATOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. In the case of Yahshua it also meant that the “lifting up” or impaling on an execution stake would also be the will of YHVH.

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, between Miḡdol and the sea, opposite Ba’al Tsephon – camp before it by the sea. (“Al hayam” means ‘on the sea’)

‘Pi Hachiroth’ -  or mouth of freedom or freedom valley. This is possibly where the slaves were brought to be set free. For the Hebrews freedom only comes when we take on our shoulders the yoke of Torah. YHVH Himself will open up the Reed Sea or do anything else for our freedom if this is what is required.

Now, the evil inclination is called the ‘tzephoni’ - the hidden one, like it says (Yoel 2,20): “And the hidden one (northerner) I will distance from you”, because it is concealed and hidden in the chambers of a person’s heart, as Chazal have said. This is what the posuk (verse) is saying “between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal Tzephon - in a place of idol worship, and before the concealed evil inclination. In front of it you shall be, and you will subdue your inclination. And therefore “opposite this”, in return for this, “you shall rest on the sea”, you shall rest on dry land within the sea –

It is here before the great deliverance of the sea that opens up for bnei Yisrael  (children of Yisrael) that YHVH wants to deal with our evil inclination in a decisive manner. It was because bnei Yisrael failed to be convinced of YHVH’s ability to deliver them that they were so easily controlled by their evil inclination.

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. (Why is Pharoah still alive - was he not a firstborn??? And why is he preparing his own chariot, this is not what kings did)

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 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.

When we are ultimately set free, we too will not take the shortcut back to the land. Before we possess our inheritance we will be tested and our obedience to the detail of this Torah instruction may greatly assist us in possessing our inheritance.

We will not take another 40 years through a wilderness, but maybe the 42 months spoken of in the book of Revelation.

Rev 12:1  And a great sign was seen in the heaven: a woman clad with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. (12 tribes Israel – Gen 37:9 Yosef’s dreams)

Rev 12:6  And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by Elohim, to be nourished there one thousand two hundred and sixty days. (42 months)

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, 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.

The miracle of the earth opening its mouth can be compared to the Reed sea opening up for the Israelites to cross over.