Parasha
Shemot
Exodus 1:1-6:1
By:
Dani'el Rendelman
There
was silence as Moshe and
his brother Aharon approached
the throne room. Only the echo of their footsteps could
be heard against the sound
of their breathing as
they climbed the huge
and lofty staircase.
These stairs would
lead them to the land’s
most powerful person.
At the top of the
incline were two huge
wooden and gold inlay
doors that were open before
them.
Armed guards were
posted at both sides,
yet they walked right
through the opening and
stepped into a huge hallway.
The mysterious hall was aflame
with torches held by detailed
statues. These statues were spaced with what looked
like tables along the walls.
These were no ordinary
statues though. The figures were each a different depiction
of the various gods of Egypt.
And these weren’t
just tables that spaced
them out – they were altars
for making sacrifices.
Egypt was full of
false gods and this room
seemed to house them all. This was not just Pharaoh’s throne room;
it was a place of worship,
a sanctuary to all the evil
of the land. The farther Moshe and Aharon walked the
more they realized that
the room rose in elevation
until they were led to one
final altar and one final
god – it was Pharaoh himself.
Moshe and Aharon both took
deep breaths as they approached
the king of Egypt. They had a radical message to take to
the ruler.
Nevertheless, it
had to be done.
The Almighty had
spoken to Moshe and now
Moshe had to speak to Pharaoh. With butterflies in his stomach and a
frog in his throat, Moshe
began to speak.
His brother also
presented the Israelite
case before Pharaoh. Their message was simple and their message
was heard.
“Here is what Yahweh
the Mighty One, the Elohim
of Israel, says “Let my
people go so that they can
celebrate a festival in
the desert to me,” Shemot
5:1.
These powerful words fell
on silence and Pharaoh shifted
in his huge throne. He was definitely uncomfortable with this
message.
His eyes seemed to
dart wildly from side to
side.
They seemed to be
looking for something or
someone. His face moved as he looked at his statues,
as he looked at his gods.
Perhaps he was searching
for an altar to “Yahweh”
but he could not find it.
Then, almost without
a sound Pharaoh stood and
spoke with a booming voice,
“Who is Yahweh that I should
obey when he says to let
Israel go?
I don’t know Yahweh,
and I also won’t let Israel
go.”
Pharaoh knows well the gods of Mitzrayim
(Egypt).
Yet he does not know
or recognize the Elohim
of Israel.
Pharaoh doesn’t know
Yahweh so Pharaoh doesn’t
obey Yahweh.
Even today a distorted view
of Father Yahweh leads man
to disobedience to His word
and rebellion against his
ways.
To answer Pharaoh’s
question (and maybe yours)
let’s look to the events
of this week’s parasha.
Just who is the Elohim
of Israel?
The answers might
surprise you.
He is an Elohim
to be feared
Early on in this portion Pharaoh
instructed the midwives
of Egypt to kill the children
of the Hebrews if a boy
was being born.
Yet, the Torah states
that the midwives disobeyed
the ruler of Egypt because
they feared Elohim.
Fear, or deep respect,
for Yahweh will lead to
obedience to Yahweh. And obedience always leads to blessing.
Evidently the midwives
feared Elohim more than
they feared Pharaoh. Their defiance to a ruler of this world
brought blessing from the
Ruler of the universe.
Fear though is a tricky thing.
Fear of Elohim leads
to profit but fear of man
leads to bondage. If you fear something or someone
then this emotion could
lead you to act irrationally
or be scared of events.
For example, Pharaoh
was motivated by fear to
kill the Hebrews.
The Talmud says that
astrologers had warned Pharaoh
that a savior was to be
born to Israel soon.
This caused Pharaoh
to be afraid of what could
happen in the future. So in response to his fear of man Pharaoh
sought to kill off all possible
boys who could grow and
become the Redeemer that
was prophesied.
The midwives preserved
the lives of the Hebrew
boys because they feared
or respected Yahweh.
Fear of man leads
death while fear of Yahweh
leads to life.
When the Elohim of
Israel is feared, actions
of righteousness are performed
and blessings come.
He is an Elohim
Who hears prayers
“During that
long period, the king of
Egypt died. The Israelites
groaned in their slavery
and cried out, and their
cry for help because of
their slavery went up to
Elohim.
Elohim heard their
groaning and he remembered
his covenant with Avraham,
with Yitz’chak and with
Ya’acov.
So Elohim looked
on the Israelites and was
concerned about them,” Shemot
2:23-25.
The Israelites
prayed for many years about
their slavery.
They groaned about
their harsh conditions. Yahweh heard their prayer and responded.
He listened and He
answered.
The Elohim of Israel
hears prayer and responds.
Nothing else needs
to be said.
He is Elohim of
the mountain
In
this parasha the burning
bush is set aflame atop
Mount Horev. This peak is also called Sinai and the
“mountain of Elohim” throughout
the scriptures. This is the mountain where Yahweh reveals
himself to Moshe.
He tells Moshe that
Israel will assemble at
this very place to worship
as a nation freed from bondage
and slavery.
Consequently it is
here, on the mountain of
Elohim that the Torah is
given to Moshe.
Mount Horev is a
place of worship, a place
of holiness, it is a place
of Yahweh. Here the “the glory of Yahweh was like
devouring fire on the top
of the mount in the eyes
of the children of Israel,”
Shemot 24:17.
Many Bible teachers
also agree that it was on
Horev that Yahshua’s transfiguration
took place, thus revealing
the glory of Yahweh Yahshua.
You see, mountain
peaks are very important
to the message of the Bible.
Much of the Messiah’s
ministry and life took place
on mountaintops. The mountain is a place where man can
do aliyah or ascension to
meet with Yahweh.
“Many nations will
come and say, “Come, let
us go up to the mountain
of Yahweh, to the house
of the Elohim of Ya’acov. He will teach us his ways, so that we
may walk in his paths.”
The Torah will go
out from Zion, the word
of Yahweh from Jerusalem,”
says Micah 4:2. The mountain is a place of meeting for
instruction from Yahweh.
On
these high peaks Moshe was
instructed to go to Pharaoh,
Torah was given to Israel,
and Yahshua delivered the
“sermon on the Mount.” The mountain of Elohim is where Yahweh
is revealed as teacher.
It is where man goes
up and Yahweh comes down
and life is forever changed. Notice the eternal pattern here – man
goes up and Yahweh comes
down.
The
Elohim of Avraham, Yitzchak,
and Ya’acov
“Then
he said, “I am the Elohim
of your father, the Elohim
of Avraham, the Elohim of
Yitzchak, and the Elohim
of Ya’acov.” At this, Moshe
hid his face, because he
was afraid to look at Elohim,”
Shemot 3:6.
It is here that this
eternal phrase of the patriarchal
name is first used.
The mighty one of
Israel is the Elohim of
Elohim of Avraham, Yitzchak,
and Ya’acov.
For
Moshe each name must have
brought to mind how Yahweh
had interacted with these
patriarchs in times gone
by.
For us this title
should still do the same.
Yahweh is a personal
Elohim.
He appeared and related
personally to the founding
fathers of the faith.
He called out to
Avraham, He appeared to
Yitzchak, and He wrestled
with Ya’acov. “Like the patriarchs each person should
believe in Yahweh on the
basis of personal investigation,
not merely tradition,” says
the classic Jewish book
“Etz Yosef.”
As Father Yahweh
He was with Avraham, Yitzchak,
and Ya’acov He was with
Moshe.
And is with us today.
This
name is also a direct reference
to the resurrection power
of Yahweh. Yahshua quoted the Torah and said, “But
about the resurrection of
the dead—have you not read
what Elohim said to you,
‘I am the Elohim of Avraham,
the Elohim of Yitz’chak,
and the Elohim of Ya’acov?
He is not the Elohim of
the dead but of the living.” You see Avraham was dead yet Yahweh is
the Elohim of Avraham.
Just as He was, and
Is, and Is to come Yahweh
is the Elohim of Avraham,
Yitz’chak, and Ya’acov.
The
Elohim Whose name is Yahweh
When
you meet someone, usually
the first thing you do is
tell that person your name. Next you hear them tell you theirs. When a name is exchanged a bond is made.
Well, the Elohim
of Israel has a personal
name.
This designation
is to be remembered forever
and used for all eternity. When a person calls on the name of Yahweh
a bond is made and blessings
abound. “Anyone who calls on the name of Yahweh
will be saved,” says the
scriptures.
“Elohim also
said to Moshe, ‘Say to the
Israelites, ‘YHVH, the Elohim
of your fathers—the Elohim
of Avraham, the Elohim of
Yitzchak and the Elohim
of Ya’cov—has sent me to
you.’ This is my name forever,
the name by which I am to
be remembered from generation
to generation,’” Shemot
3:14.
Most English Bibles render “YHVH” as the
“L/rd” yet this is hardly
what was told to Moshe thousands
of years ago. What was spoken to him was four Hebrew
letters that mirror the
verb form of “to be.” These four letters are “yod-heh-vav-hey”
or “YHVH.”
This is THE name
of the creator.
“Yahweh” is found
over 6800 times throughout
the scriptures hidden behind
the capitalized term “Lord” in English Bibles. The Jewish Publication Society says, “YHVH
was probably pronounced
“Yahweh,” but in Second
Temple times, as an expression
of reverence Jews began
to avoid uttering it, substituting
“Adonai” and other surrogates.”
Why though would
the Creator of the Universe
reveal His name to Moshe,
tell Moshe to use it, and
command it to be used for
all generations if He wanted
to be called something different?
The Elohim of Israel
is Yahweh.
Moshe used His name
and so should we.
Who
is Yahweh?
Much
more can be discovered about
Yahweh in this weekly Torah
account. Just a little reading will discover that
He is the Elohim of worship,
the Elohim of miracles and
wonders, and the Elohim
of Israel.
What also takes place
in this parasha is the defiance
of Pharaoh.
Remember that is
was Pharaoh who declared
“Who is Yahweh that I should
obey when he says to let
Israel go?
I don’t know Yahweh,
and I also won’t let Israel
go.” This trap of rebellion is easy to fall
in if you don’t become acquainted
with the truth about the
Elohim of Israel.
The
events that followed the
dramatic conversation between
Moshe and Pharaoh occurred
to respond to that simple
question.
The miracles, the
plagues, and even the exodus
are answers to Pharaoh’s
query. A battle is beginning between the “gods”
of Mitzrayim and the Elohim
of Israel.
The god of the Nile,
the sun, the animals, and
the god of Pharoah will soon be triumphed over. Pharaoh will finally obey Yahweh and let
Israel go.
This will occur when
Pharaoh at long last understands
that Yahweh is THE Elohim
of the Universe.
Honestly
though, it is hard to obey
someone you don’t know.
Many people don’t
obey the commandments of
the Torah because they don’t
understand the Elohim of
the Torah.
So, get to know Father
Yahweh.
Times of deception
are now ending with the
restoration of all things.
This restoration
includes a proper understanding
and knowledge of Yahweh
the Almighty. Discover in this parasha and
throughout scripture just
Who Yahweh is.
When you do you’ll
be amazed, humbled, and
led to obedience.
