Did you know that Moses was a talented musician? In fact the Bible reveals three songs attributed to him and the first can be found in Ex.15. (The other two are found in Deut.32. and Ps.90.) The Israelites burst into a song of praise with their freedom secure and their enemies drowned, and this was followed by another one led by Miriam. Not unsurprisingly, this Sabbath gets its name “Shabbat Shira” – the Sabbath song.
Here in Ex.15 is the first occasion a song of praise appears in Scripture and first mention holds significance. The song of celebration to the Lord with all its detail, served as a way to fix the account of the miracle in the minds of the Israelites. When God’s covenant people were on the verge of extinction, God stepped in to fight for them as He has done throughout history to remind them that they are sustained only by the grace of God! Remembering and retelling important events through the medium of music and song became established.
Deborah sang after Israel’s victory over the forces of Siserah Judges.5. Hannah sang when she had a child 1Sam. 2. When Saul was depressed, David would play for him and his spirit would be restored 1Sam.16 and was known as the “sweet singer of Israel” 2Sam. 23:1. Elisha called for a harpist to play so that the prophetic spirit could rest upon him 2Kings 3:15. The Levites sang in the Temple. And today we sing unto the King of Kings because He has redeemed us from the slavery of sin through Yeshua!
So too, when we, the redeemed of the Lord, Jew and Gentile will sing the Song of Moses around the throne of God in eternity: “Great and marvellous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! 4 Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?” Rev.15
We worship God because of our redemption through Yeshua, confirmed through His creation. The psalmist speaks of the stars that are continually singing praise to Him and Ps.19 states that the “…heavens declare the glory of God.” The current season in Israel is currently in transition when the desert will soon blossom like a rose. When I lived in Israel we lived several years in a remote desert town close to Beersheva called Arad. Every year around this period, the desert was transformed from a barren wasteland into a carpet of colour after the latter rains descended upon the parched sands. Yet, within a couple of days, the scorching sun caused these same flowers to wither and die as if they had never ever existed, until the next year when the cycle was repeated. It was an amazing experience that I will never forget.
It’s something akin to the promises in Scripture that are like the flowers that seem to appear from nowhere in God’s perfect moment – a desert transformed into a Garden of Eden.
Isa. 35 speaks about it – of a future time when the desert will blossom and this was partially fulfilled around the middle of the 20th century following Jewish immigration and the formation of kibbutzim which saw the land of Israel transformed into a paradise yielding an abundance that in our modern times has become the envy of nations. “Imagine the wilderness whooping for joy, the desert’s unbridled happiness with its spring flowers. It will happen! The deserts will come alive with new growth budding and blooming, singing and celebrating with sheer delight. The glory of the Eternal One will be on full display there, and they will revel in the majestic splendour of our God.” (v.1)
But its completion has yet to be fulfilled. In v.10 we read that, “…the redeemed of the Lord will return, And come with singing to Zion (with shouts of jubilation), And everlasting joy will be upon their heads; They will find joy and gladness, And sorrow and sighing will flee away.” (Isa.35:10)
During the millennium period, there will be unparalleled joy with songs of praise and worship to our God as the revelation of His glory fills the whole earth! In the fullness of time, at just the right moment, our lives will be filled with an explosion of colour with unprecedented blessings that will never wither or die!
B’Shalach (When He Let Go) Ex 13:17–17:16; Judges 4:4–5:31; Matt 5; Rev 19:1-20;6. By Raphael ben Levi
“Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, (B’Shalach) that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, ‘Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.’” (Ex.13:17)
This opening verse of the Torah portion is an illustration of God’s fatherly concern for the Israelites that’s no less true than for us. Sometimes, like the Israelites, we choose shortcuts in life that are not necessarily God’s perfect will. In these times whenever God’s ways differ from our own there is always a good reason.
The situation facing the Israelites following their exodus continued to be fraught with danger. After Pharaoh finally released the Israelites he regretted his decision and commanded his army to pursue the Israelites to once again enslave them (14:5). Pharaoh was so blinded by pride and arrogance that he chose this plan of action. The Israelites panicked, yet God was fully in control and through it they experienced their greatest moment in history that would be remembered and retold throughout all generations.
Following their exodus from Egypt, the Israelites reached Pi-harioth with the Egyptian army in one direction and their backs to the Red Sea on the other. The situation appeared hopeless but God had already forewarned Moses that, “… Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, ‘They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’ I will harden (make stubborn, defiant) Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will be glorified and honoured through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians shall know [without any doubt] and acknowledge that I am the Lord.” (Ex.14:2-4)
Despite God’s assurances, His promises to the Israelites were forgotten against the backdrop of their circumstances which simply reinforced their logic of despair. Everyone agreed that it would be better to have served the Egyptians because now they faced certain death in the desert (Ex.14:11-12) So, they turned to Moses pleaded with him, ’What then shall we do?’
God commanded Moses to stretch out his rod over the sea, rather than placate the people with words an action that appeared pointless and futile! But, Moses chose to obey God rather than trust in his own abilities, and history was made.
God calls us to stretch out the ‘rod’ of His authority against any obstacle we may face that threatens to block our walk with God and when we do we too will experience the miraculous supernatural provision of God!
The Israelites had started well, filled with wonder and delight following centuries of slavery. God came through for them and made a way for them where there seemed to be no way. Yet, after only a few days, the harshness of life in the desert completely changed their perspective.
When oppression and adversity chases us, how well prepared are we to deal with it? Nothing the Holy Spirit seeks to do in our lives will go uncontested because the enemy seeks to nullify every initiative birthed from the heart of God.
It is here that we find the first mention of the Shekinah Glory manifested within the Israelite camp and throughout their time in the wilderness until the moment they entered the Promised Land under Joshua (Ex.13:21-22). And despite times of spiritual infidelity, God never abandoned them because He always remains faithful to His word. The Israelites spent much of their time in the wilderness complaining and threatening to return to Egypt, but at the end of the day no-one ever did. Although they often argued against God, rebelled, disobeyed or ignored Him, they knew instinctively that it was impossible to live without Him! And this has been true throughout history. Perhaps that’s why even today the staunchest Jewish atheist can always be found in synagogue on Yom Kippur!
The Israelites were awestruck at the incredible way in which God came through for them from the exodus to the parting of the Red Sea, and they celebrated these miracles with great joy. Yet, after only three days things changed dramatically.
It is in moments like this, when we are faced with adversity that we have opportunity to prove the promises of God by faith. Sometimes, that’s all God leaves us with when all other support systems have been stripped away that we might be proved in the furnace of affliction and come forth as precious jewels. The Israelites found themselves stuck in the desert without water to drink, and when they finally arrived at an oasis called ‘Mara’ the water was bitter and undrinkable! It tested the hearts of the people and exposed to what extent their friendship with God was superficial and restricted based only upon their terms. Moses alone remained unfazed and interceded before God who turned the bitter waters into sweet. That was miracle number 3 which demonstrated the power of intercession! (“The prayer of the righteous avails much” – James 5:16) God’s hand of mercy was once again extended and the Israelites thirst was quenched – “It is because of the Lord’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, Because His [tender] compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great and beyond measure is Your faithfulness.” (Lamen.3:22-23)
One would have thought that by this stage the Israelites would have learnt to trust God, but it was not so. Shortly afterwards they faced another challenge: “…on the 15th day of the 2nd month after leaving the land of Egypt, there in the desert the whole community of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron.” (16:1) ‘If only we had died by the hand of Adonai in the land of Egypt, when we sat by pots of meat, when we ate bread until we were full. But you have brought us into the wilderness, to kill this entire congregation with hunger.’”
First they were dying from thirst and now they were craving the flesh pots of Egypt fantasising about the conditions they had had and deceiving themselves into believing that enslavement was not so bad after all, preferable to their current circumstances. And still, in these early stages God did not hold them fully accountable, but like an indulgent father, He continued to overlook their grumbling and provided them with manna, described in Ps.8 as “Angels Food.” And later He also supplied them with quails. Ps.106 laments “…how quickly they forgot His works, and would not wait for His counsel! 14 In the wilderness they craved ravenously, in the desert they tested God. 15 So He gave them what they asked for, but sent a wasting disease among them.” (Leanness to their souls)
Following these incidents, God’s expectations were ratcheted up a notch and so He initiated laws and regulations for them to live by. Now God supplied their needs which was conditional upon their obedience: “If you will listen intently to the voice of Adonai your God, do what he considers right, pay attention to his mitzvoth and observe his laws, I will not afflict you with any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians because I am Adonai your healer.” (15:26) It was at this point that God introduced a level of accountability that until now was absent.
In Jer.17:22-23 He told the Israelites, “… I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt-offerings or sacrifices: but this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people; walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.”
So, let’s break this down to consider the implications of these directives. In Ps.51, David cried out to God, “16 You are not pleased by sacrifices, or I would give them. You don’t want burnt offerings [Lev.1:1–17] The sacrifice God wants is a broken spirit. God, you will not reject [despise] a heart that is broken and sorry for sin [contrite;
“He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you Except to be just, and to love [and to diligently practice] kindness (compassion), And to walk humbly with your God [setting aside any overblown sense of importance or self-righteousness]. Mic. 6:6–8].
God desires that our lives demonstrate genuine brokenness over sin. The first step towards reconciliation is when we recognise and agree with Him how serious sin is. The prophet Micah summed things up well: “With what shall I come before the Lord [to honour Him] And bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, With yearling calves? 7 Will the Lord be delighted with thousands of rams, Or with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my acts of rebellion, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you Except to be just, and to love [and to diligently practice] kindness (compassion), And to walk humbly with your God [setting aside any overblown sense of importance or self-righteousness]? (Micah 6:6-8)
These things bear much relevance for us in these end times. Many people have faced fierce challenges in recent days but the true measure of a person is revealed when all our good theology is put to the test. How we respond to situations when the waters at the oasis of ‘Mara’ are bitter reveals much. One can easily ascribe greatness to God as did the Israelites when they had been delivered from the hand of Pharaoh; (“I will sing unto the Lord for He has triumphed gloriously..”). But to remain steadfast unmovable at all times and in every circumstance is something altogether different.
God is searching for those who unreservedly place their full trust in Him in “quietness and confidence”. (Isa.30:15) The word for quietness in Hebrew (’shakat’) (שָׁקַט) means to be calm, relaxed and free from all anxiety; to be still, to lie down with support underneath. A good example of ‘shakat’ is with Shabbat, designed by God to provide us with quietness and rest amid all the turmoil and busyness of life the other six days of the week. The Book of Hebrews, urges us to “…strive to enter our Sabbath rest” the only place in Scripture where the word, “strive” is employed to convey something needful for us to pursue.
The entire chapter of Ex.16 focuses upon Shabbat. It was presented to the Israelites as something unique and distinctive that would set them apart from the other nations and was among the first commands the Israelites received on leaving Egypt that symbolised freedom from slavery.
The importance of Shabbat has nourished and sustained the Jewish people throughout time and was something the Greek mind-set couldn’t grasp. That God created the universe in six days, made more sense than seven. For them, the seventh day held no meaning. Because of this, the Greeks accused the Jews of being lazy.
God’s desire is for us to experience His Shabbat rest. This is why the writer of Hebrews urges us to, “Strive to enter into your Shabbat rest” not just one day a week but seven. God made His Divine rest available through Yeshua who invites everyone who hungers and thirst to, “Come unto (Him if you) are burdened and weary and (He) will give you rest.” So there remains a [full and complete] Sabbath rest for the people of God. “For the one who has once entered His rest has also rested from [the weariness and pain of] his [human] labours, just as God rested from [those labours uniquely] His own.” (Heb. 4:9-11)
To desire above all things to do His will is now no longer burdensome but as the psalmist declared, “Doing your will, My God, is my joy; Your Torah is in my inmost being.” (Ps.40:9)
Within this simple and straightforward verse is a profound truth that can be easily overlooked. Many believers do the will of God from a variety of ulterior motives such as fear of punishment, or for outward recognition and the applause of men. Yet, there is something about the psalmist’s declaration which captures our imaginations; we love to do the will of God, and consider it an honour and privilege because He is our all in all!
Sometimes our service for the Lord is a mixture of joy and hesitancy; an outflow of love with just a tinge of obligation? But, it really doesn’t need to be like that. When we choose for God to reign within our innermost being rather than a temporary resident, our lives became transformed from the mundane to the supernatural. Far better is the inexpressible privilege to abide in His love within every situation and circumstance, irrespective of the occasion or who or what we are surrounded by. This is what it means to enter God’s rest! His abiding presence is our sufficiency, when the Word made flesh dwells in our inmost being.
Can anything exceed experiencing the depths and the riches of God? “ O the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how incomprehensible His ways! 34 For “who has known the mind of Adonai, or who has been His counsellor?” 35 Or “who has first given to Him, that it shall be repaid to him?” 36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen.
When we allow Him access into every area of our lives, we will never be disappointed, for He is our unshakable rock, our Immanu-El. No matter where we may find ourselves, whatever our predicament, God does not change and His promises remain steadfast.
God reveals His loving care for us in multifarious ways that are often characterised by unexpected twists and turns, because His love is as surprising as it is infinite, and His ways not always our ways, nor His timings our timings. Through it all, Immanu-El is our covering against every weapon formed against us, that secret place, as we abide under the shadow of the Almighty; He is indeed a mighty fortress in whom we gladly place our trust.
The word ‘Immanu-El’ should be posted on the door of every believer’s heart as a prophetic statement; our proclamation, our war cry that pierces the air without distortion. Immanu-El is an outcome of our declaration and intent to serve the King of Kings and walk in His perfect ways with unconditional obedience, passion, humility and love. And it all began with His initiative. God had it all wrapped up right from the beginning even as with the Israelites so too with us.
