Ex. 10:1 – 13:16: JER. 46:13-28: ROM. 9;14-29
by Raphael ben Levi
“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his officials so that I might perform these signs of mine among them”
This week’s Parasha is one of the most dramatic for a nation who had dwelt in exile in Egypt for 400 years including 200 years where they were cruelly afflicted as slaves.
The entire book of Exodus (Shemot) describes God’s dealings and redemptive acts for His covenant people. But, the first few chapters begin by describing the Israelite’s oppression something that has been experienced on many occasions throughout their history. Yet as the story unfolds it reveals how God always provides for us in fulfilment of His promises and in His perfect timing.
This will continue through to the end of the 7-year Tribulation in the last days when Israel will experience a 2nd Exodus (a 2nd redemption) when Yeshua returns. At that point, Israel’s survival will be hanging by a thread, surrounded by the nations led by the Anti-Christ.
For 2000 years until that future moment, God has blinded the eyes of the Jewish people who have given little credit and scant attention to God for His Divine hand of protection. But now, in a moment of utter desperation and despair Zechariah describes how Yeshua will reveal Himself to the surviving remnant in a most profound and moving spectacle recorded in Zech.12:10: “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.”
As we reflect upon these things we take heart that God is always in full control and will deliver the Jewish people at just the right time in a sudden and most improbable moment following a history characterised by persecution.
The previous parasha records the first 7 plagues of God against the Egyptians where He demonstrates His supremacy through mighty acts of power via His servant Moses. This was a war against demonic forces when on each occasion evil was compelled to bow the knee. Every plague was directly linked to various demonic entities – the gods who the Egyptians served. Initially, Pharaoh’s magicians called upon demonic entities to replicate God’s miraculous signs until after the third encounter.
The 9th plague was the plague of darkness that enveloped the entire Egyptian people, demonstrating God’s power that took full authority over the Egyptian god, Ra, the god of light. The Pharaohs were considered to be the literal sons of this particular demonic entity who ruled over all the gods of Egypt, so it was the most stinging defeat for Pharaoh and a direct attack upon his personal identity.
On the 10th and final plague, all the firstborn of the Egyptians perished. God considered Israel to be His own firstborn among the nations and had warned about His impending retribution on Egypt (Ex.4:22-2-3): “Israel is My firstborn son. I say to you, “Release My son, so that he may serve Me,” but in your stubbornness you refused to free him; therefore, I am going to kill your firstborn son.’”
Throughout Moses’ encounter with Pharaoh, the gods of Egypt were muted. Serket, the goddess of protection, was powerless. Meshkenet, the goddess who presided at the birth of children, failed to save the firstborn. Sobek, the god of protection and fertility who epitomised the might of the pharaohs, couldn’t protect anyone. Renenutet, the god who appeared as a vulture, the special protector god of the pharaoh, could not protect the pharaoh’s son. Osiris, the giver and ruler of life was conspicuously absent.
Following the 10th plague, Pharaoh hastily agreed to Moses’ demands. Here lies an important principle for those who stubbornly refuse to walk according to God’s revealed will. It is interesting that Moses was not phased by Pharaoh’s hardness of heart or his threats because he understood the nature of spiritual warfare, but above everything chose to walk in obedience to the perfect will of God. When we face off against the demonic realm, God provides us with an opportunity to put our faith into action, and it will always be a one-sided battle for the word of God teaches us that when we, “Submit ourselves to God, then resist the Devil he must flee from us!” (James 4:7)
Such was the case with Corrie Ten Boom. Whilst in Ravensbruk Concentration camp, God used her in the epicentre of hell to minister life and hope to other prisoners, transforming their nightmare, the thick darkness, into what became a piece of paradise. Unbelievable! Surrounded by starvation, thirst, nakedness, beatings, sickness, despair, torture and death, the light of Yeshua shone brightly, radiating love and peace saturating her life and touched the hearts of other inmates.
One can easily forget how things started off with Moses who allowed God to transform his life through his obedience. He remained in the wilderness for 40 years before God took hold of him and changed his life irrevocably. God can similarly transform our lives and the only qualification He is looking for is a willing heart that allows Him to have His perfect way in our lives.
God can make each one of us into giant slayers no less than Corrie Ten Boom, and so many other heroes of faith. Even though we may place limits upon ourselves, our God has equipped us with everything in life to be ‘more than conquerors.’
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, 5 casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when our obedience is complete.” 2Cor.10:3-6
Moses understood that God cannot be manipulated or controlled and those who are foolish enough to attempt to do so will ultimately face devastation even as Pharaoh did. It took ten plagues before God brought the greatest nation of the ancient world to its knees. Due to his stubborn and rebellious heart, Pharaoh brought not only untold suffering upon himself but also upon the Egyptian people. It is a terrible thing when people who are beaten up through their own stubbornness and pride choose spiritual death over life.
Pharaoh aligned himself with Satan ‘the Father of Lies,’ who can boast a track record of 6000 years behind him. Every temptation, allurement and promise he offers is tainted with the poison of evil. Every lie is accompanied with unfulfilled promises that ends with the stench of death and decay. Never negotiate with the enemy! Cling to what is good and wholesome and remain hidden under the secret place of the Most High!
When we face off against the demonic forces of darkness we do so knowing that our battle belongs to the Lord! If we submit ourselves to God and resist the Devil, he must flee from us! James 4:7
God desires to transform us into giant slayers like Moses was and so many other heroes of faith throughout history. God has equipped us to be “more than conquerors” meaning that when we choose to live according to God’s rules, no evil shall prosper against us!
The Exodus did not end with Pharaoh’s release of the Israelites, for he subsequently had a change of heart and pursued them in the wilderness! Sin has an insatiable desire that can never be satisfied. Here lies something important regarding our spiritual warfare. When we experience breakthroughs, never assume that Satan will surrender without seeking to regain lost territory. Scripture warns us that spiritual complacency is Satan’s door of opportunity and urges us to be ever vigilant for our enemy, the Devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking to devour anyone in his path. (1Pet.5:8)
The Word of God identifies different kinds of freedoms and types of slavery. In Egypt the Israelites were avadim, slaves of Pharaoh. Leaving Egypt they became avadim, servants of the Most High God. The difference was a change of master. The spiritual parallel is clear. At one time we were slaves to sin but now we have been set free through Yeshua as slaves of the living God. With one we were enslaved, with the other we have surrendered our lives as living sacrifices to the living God – once enslaved and in servitude but now a servant – the same word but with a different nuance. Once we were subject to Pharaoh’s law, now we are subject to God’s law. Rom.6:17-18 states that “ …though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient with all your heart to the standard of teaching in which you were instructed and to which you were committed. And having been set free from sin, you have become the slaves of righteousness [of conformity to God’s will and purpose]. ”
But there is still more. Yeshua told His disciples, “You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends…” (Jn.15:15)
“A master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me” (Jn.15:15, NLT). Until this moment, Scripture only makes mention of Abraham and Moses as God’s special friends (Ex 33:11; 2Chron. 20:7; Isa.41:8; James 2:23). It has been said that God only shares His secrets with His friends. A servant /slave mentality serves from a distance but a friend lays down his life, for he does not love it even unto death.
Yeshua is the best friend we could ever have who loves us so much that He laid down His life for us (Jn 3:16; 5:13; Rom 5:7–8). He is the “Good Shepherd” who “lays down his life for HIs sheep” (Jn 10:11). Scripture describes Him as “a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Prov.18:24) One who is faithful and promises that He will “… never leave nor forsake [us]” (Josh 1:5). He loves us “to the very end” (Jn 13:1), to love’s fullest extent and uttermost limit.
Let me share with you something else about friendship. Imagine my wife asks me for something. If I loved her a just little bit, I would simply give her what she asked for. But if I loved her with all my heart, I would delight to give it to her even more than she would to receive it. In our lives, her prayer would become my prayer and her desire would become mine! This is friendship on the highest level second only to the friendship God desires to have with us.
Have you ever asked someone for a favour and afterwards walk away and say, “Thank you very much.’” but nothing more happens beyond this? And then one may ask someone for a favour and as a consequence they become really close. What’s the difference? If you ask them for a favour and they agree it may only be a onetime act. But should they reply, “I want you to have what you are asking for as much as you yourself want to have it!” suddenly my soul and the other person’s soul entwines. You can ask me for as little as a glass of water, and suddenly I truly want you to have a glass of water more than anything else. When this happens I taste the depths of your soul, and a friendship is forged forever. That’s how it’s like with God, who is knocking on the door of our hearts seeking to offer us a glass of water to assuage our thirst and become our closest friend.
Let me now switch to something else. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks said that “…Jews were not summoned to be a nation of intellectuals. They were called on to be actors in a drama of redemption, a people invited by God to bring blessings into the world by the way they live.”
To educate someone is not primarily about equipping them with knowledge, morality and the ethics to become mature, informed and successful citizens of the world. Education for life is something which goes beyond. That ‘something’ is the spiritual component which nurtures and nourishes.
In biblical times, a child’s education from the age of 5 to 11 comprised of memorising the first 5 books of Moses. Everything was focused upon Torah from which everything else was an outflow. Only on completion of their education aged twelve or thirteen would students apply their learning in life and return to their family trade.
During their studies, students were taught to ask questions. This is evident in the torah portion for example in Ex.12:26-27 the Israelites were told that “…when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when He struck down the Egyptians.’” And in Ex. 13:14 “In days to come, when your child asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ say to him, ‘With a mighty hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.’”
We recite the same Scriptures each year when we celebrate Pesach to underline how important it is for our children to ask the right questions within a culture of enquiry. As parents, we have the sacred responsibility to teach our children how to seek God with understanding. One may be a genius or someone who wields great power over nations but without God he remains like a bottle of the finest wine that can never be opened or a Rolls Royce with no fuel. The Bible defines such a person as a “fool” – someone who is spiritually deficient.
We see a good example in the book of Job which is filled with questions focused upon the age-old conundrum, “Why do the righteous suffer while evil people flourish?” Job’s so called friends spoke from their own knowledge and experience to explain Job’s circumstances but fell short because they lacked the wisdom of God and failed to understand that some things in life are simply a “chok” – a mystery – Job’s comforters. God ultimately answered Job not by reprimanding him but with confronting him gently with deeper questions that instantly rendered Job silent: “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? … Can you catch Leviathan with a hook? … Will it make an agreement with you and let you take it as your slave for life?” God’s response was not to scold Job but to reveal where his thinking and those of his friends was flawed. Deut 29:29 makes it clear that the secret things belong to the Lord but those things He has revealed He has revealed to us and our children that we may observe His revealed will. God was showing Job that trusting Him with unknown and inexplicable tragedies is the essence of faith that transcends human understanding. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the reality of things not seen. (Heb.12:1)
One may be a genius or someone who wields great power over nations but without God’s wisdom we are merely like a bottle of the finest wine that can never be opened or a Rolls Royce with no fuel. The Bible defines such a person as a “fool” – someone who is spiritually deficient.
Corrie Ten Boom, was a woman of great faith.Following on from the story, one day soon after her sister had died in the concentration camp, she was standing outside in a line for roll-call. It was brutally cold and the women stamped their feet in an attempt to keep warm. Suddenly Corrie heard her name: “Prisoner Ten Boom, report after roll-call.”
All sorts of thoughts passed through her mind. Was she going to be punished, shot or may be placed in the gas chambers?
“Father in Heaven, please help me now,” she prayed.
When she reported, she was given a card stamped “Entlassen”, (“Released”). God had performed a miracle and she was free! She was given back her few possessions, some new clothes and a railway pass back to Holland.
Afterwards, she learnt that she had been released by mistake through a clerical error, something unheard of within German bureaucracy. A week after her release all the women of her age in the camp were killed.
Life is a level playing field where the rain falls on both the just and unjust (Matt.5:45). When we are hit by tragedy or circumstances beyond our control, it may appear totally unfair and arbitrary. Are there any means of escape or must we remain trapped within our circumstances? How can one best respond when bad things happen to good people? These types of questions can be excruciatingly painful except for those who are armchair critics or Jobs comforters, but people like Corrie ten Boom bore testimony to the power of God who can transform the most impossible situations into a place of paradise!
Although God never promises to shield us from evil He promises to share in our deepest disappointments, the direst encounters, the profoundest pit of despair and the cruellest torments, bringing hope where there appears to be none.
Whatever things we may be facing today, we have everything to gain by placing our trust in the living God through the precious blood of Yeshua who had you and me foremost on His mind when He sacrificed His life and bore the punishment that should have been ours.
May we experience our piece of paradise today as we explore the depths of the riches of His love. Here is my prayer for you today that we might, “…[grasp the greatness of this plan by which Jews and Gentiles are joined together in Christ]. (And so) I bow my knees [in reverence] before the Father [of our Lord Jesus Christ]… 16 May He grant you out of the riches of His glory, to be strengthened and spiritually energised with power through His Spirit in your inner self,17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through your faith. And may you, having been [deeply] rooted and [securely] grounded in love, 18 be fully capable of comprehending with all God’s people the width and length and height and depth of His love [fully experiencing that amazing, endless love]; 19 and [that you may come] to know [practically, through personal experience] the love of Yeshua which far surpasses [mere] knowledge, that you may be filled up [throughout your being] to all the fullness of God [so that you may have the richest experience of God’s presence in your lives, completely filled and flooded with God Himself].
20 Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us, 21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Yeshua Ha’Mashiach throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen. (Eph.3:14-21) (AMP – adapted)
