VA’ERA (And I Appeared) Ex 6:2–9:35; Ezek 28:25–29:21, Matt 12:1–14
By Raphael ben Levi
In last week’s parasha, God revealed His presence to Moses within a thorn bush considered useless by the heathen even for carving their wooden idols. God chose to dwell in the stunted, worthless thorn bush to illustrate something incredible. It represents a beautiful picture of humility. God displayed an aspect of His character easily overlooked – the Creator of the universe revealed Himself clothed in humility. And this event changed Moses’ life forever and transformed him into a man of God who modelled himself around His Maker and became more humble than anyone else who walked the earth (Num 12:3).
And at a much later stage in history, our Redeemer, Yeshua, humbled Himself even unto death. And on this occasion that same type thorn bush became a crown of thorns crushed upon the head of the One who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the “Suffering Servant” who willingly paid the price for our sins. And God has made His name famous throughout all creation. Yud-He-Vav-He in human form, the Incarnation – Yeshua the perfect and complete expression of humility, who paid the highest price at a cost greater than eternity will ever be able to fully grasp.
What was it that changed Moses’ life that transformed him radically from a passive shepherd with a speech impediment to a fearless lion? Num.12:3 directs our attention to the burning bush – God’s staggering humility shattered Moses’ life completely and equipped him with the courage and the confidence to overcome all obstacles and opposition presented to him in his confrontations with Pharaoh.
Herein lies the paradox. Humility is the partner of one who walks in spiritual authority even as pride is the partner of a tyrant.
Our reading of the Torah starts this Shabbat with a pivotal moment in God’s eternal plans, when He spoke to Moses, “I am Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh (Adonai). I appeared to Avraham, Yitz’chak and Ya‘akov as El Shaddai, (God Almighty) although I did not make myself known to them by my name, Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh.”
Here we see a composite description of God: El Shaddai (“God Almighty”) and Yud-He-Vav-He referred to by observant Jews as “Hashem,” (“the name,”) because they regard it as too sacred to repeat.
There are some 200 names and titles of Yeshua in the Bible such as His nature as Messiah (Prince of peace Word of God , King of kings and Lord of Lords: and so much more; from His nature as Messiah to His work on earth: (Author and Perfector of our Faith: Bread of Life: Bridegroom: and again, so much more!)
God told Moses: “I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty [El Shaddai], but by My name (Yud-He-Vav-He) I was not known to them” (Ex.6:3). Here, we see an important distinction between the Patriarch’s experience of God, (Abram, Isaac and Jacob) against what the Israelites were about to experience. In these verses of Scripture, God initiated something entirely new for here we see a glimpse of the meaning of Yud-He-Vav-He. For example, the Ten Commandments did not begin with the words “I am the Lord your God who created heaven and earth,” but “I am the Lord your God who brought you out from Egypt, from the house of slavery.”
The Book of Genesis opens with the statement, speaking of ELOHIM as Creator:
בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ But, Yud-He-Vav-He is God as revealed in history, who delivered the Israelites from slavery and the tyranny of Egypt. This was the 1st Exodus. The 2nd Exodus occurred around 1,500 years later with Yeshua: “ who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a slave, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”. Phil.2
Our Torah portion reveals that although it was here at this moment of time that the Israelites faced their darkest night, it was also the moment they were poised to experience their greatest encounter with God. In the midst of hopelessness, hope was born as they stood at the edge of despair following centuries of unremitting slavery.
Nothing can adequately describe their wretched situation. In comparison, the Final Solution was implemented by the Nazis in January 1942, following the Wannesee Conference, until the end of the 2nd world war in April 1945 – 3.5 unrelenting years. Yet, when placed side by side, the Israelites under Pharaoh endured Nazi-style slave labour in concentration camp conditions for several centuries! Unimaginable!
To embrace any solid hope defied logic but the reality is that God is ever faithful to His promises and will never fail nor forsake us even when He keeps us waiting…
The sequence of events that were to follow Moses’ encounter with the Living God led to the single most formative moment in the history of Israel: the intervention of God on behalf of His covenant people to demonstrate His power and authority before every power and principality. It was a shadow of things to come when He set free the captives enslaved by sin through doing the unthinkable which He did by sending His only Son, Yeshua, to be the means whereby ALL humanity might be set free – no restrictions – every human being now became eligible – Jew and Gentile (the whosoever) for those who choose to embrace Him as their personal Saviour and Lord.
Moses, the displaced Jew, who was disconnected from his nation and people, a prince of Egypt, reduced to a common shepherd of a Midianite’s flock – a pagan priest of Midian no less, – this same person was commissioned by the living God to lead his people from captivity to freedom. Outwardly he represented a poor choice but in God’s eyes he was the perfect choice. The one who was separated from his people for 40 years in Egypt at birth, then exiled for a further 40 among the pagan Midianite nation suddenly becomes reconnected in the most staggering Divine encounter.
God reiterated His covenant promises passed down from Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, to Joseph and now to Moses, “Therefore, say to the people of Israel, ‘I will free you from the forced labour of the Egyptians, rescue you from their oppression, and redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. I will take you as my people, and I will be your God. I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – I will give it to you as your inheritance. I am Adonai.” (Ex.6:6-8)
For Moses to trust God with this promise meant to believe Him for the impossible. Abram never saw its fulfilment, neither Isaac or Jacob nor Joseph. Why would Moses be any different – to believe God for just one person against the might of Pharaoh and the entire Egyptian army? It was because he understood that one person with God is always a majority! We serve a God of the impossible!
Moses took on the mantle of God’s commission and the demonic realm did all they could to destroy God’s purposes from progressing any further. And it manifested with a common ploy Satan often uses especially whenever God calls someone into ministry or a new direction. Everything initially seems to go wrong, tempting one to question whether they may have misheard the Lord? This is what occurred with Moses: “ (He) shared God’s promises spoken to him with the people of Israel. But they would not listen to him, because they were so discouraged, and their slavery was so cruel.” (v. 9)
The Israelites complained to Pharaoh, then they complained to Moses, then Moses complained to God. “Why have you brought trouble to this people? Why did you send me?”
What was going on? Why did everything seem to be going wrong? Had not God promised that He would free the Israelites from Egyptian slavery? Perhaps we can identify with Moses in similar things in our lives? In the face of rejection from his own people, Moses could easily have told God to find someone more qualified to do HIs bidding. But with all his human limitations Moses was instead strengthened because he trusted God.
The Creator of the Universe whose matriarchs were unable to give birth to a son naturally, would demonstrate to Moses how infinitely He, Yud-He-Vav-He, cared for His children the Israelites and their offspring who were held captive as slaves in Egypt. And He would deliver them from the Egyptians and return them to the land given to their forefathers. The time of fulfilment following centuries of waiting had now come – the time of slavery was poised to end.
When Moses confronted the proud and arrogant Pharaoh, his initial efforts met with failure. Not only did Pharaoh refuse to release the Israelites, he made their abject working conditions worse. Why would God allow the Israelites to go through even greater extremes of suffering that would have touched the heart-strings of Moses? Although there is no easy answer, we do see in Scripture how God sometimes allows a believer to be tested before He entrusts him with greater things. The greater the commission, the greater the test.
Moses held a father’s heart towards the Israelites and although he would have been startled and discouraged that they did not initially listen to him, It had nothing to do with his failure as a leader or a public speaker. In fact, it had nothing to do with Moses at all. Why did they not listen to him? It was because their spirit was broken and their labour was harsh. And they had come to the end of themselves and could take no more.
It’s difficult to hear God’s message if our spirit is broken and our labour is harsh. That is why Yeshua commands us to “…come unto (Him) all those who are heavy laden and weary and (He) will give you rest.” (Matt.11:28)
True freedom is not freedom from our persecutors or freedom from the worst physical deprivations and torture ever designed by man. We dare not allow reactions of the moment to allow Satan to paralyse our future. Let’s not forget that Moses had to wait 40 years following the murder of an Egyptian slave master and fleeing for his life leaving behind everything he was familiar and comfortable withers part of God’s preparation for the future.
And so, as we fast forward Moses confronts Pharaoh, and this week’s parasha covers the first 7 of 10 plagues. Each of God’s creative acts in Genesis find its negative counterpart in the plagues, which shows us that God loves Israel enough to temporarily undo creation in order to rescue His covenant people from bondage.
God’s words to Pharaoh show us why there had to be a total of ten plagues. These recalled the ten words that God’s voice uttered at creation. Gen.1 uses the Hebrew word (va’yomer;“And [God] said…”) a total of ten times, so for each creative word that God spoke to create the earth, He uttered a destructive word against Egypt: “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.” This is an inviolable principle whenever a nation curses Israel. Blessing is removed and replaced with judgment that is often manifested through an act of God repeated time and again throughout history.
This places upon us a serious responsibility in these end times as God’s witnesses to stand in the gap for the Jewish people and indeed both Jew and Gentile. We dare not remain in our comfort zones any more than Moses was allowed to continue in his quiet and uncomplicated life as a shepherd in the Midian desert.
God’s dealings with each and every person is unique and He can use anyone or anything to fulfil His purposes. He even used a donkey as with Balaam the stubborn pagan prophet. God desires to transform the raw material into something unimaginably beautiful. Whether we be kings, princes, beggars or homeless: weak or strong: rich or poor: young or old: oppressed or free: God will transform the life of anyone when they simply allow Him to.
Here for the first time in Scripture God invaded history to set apart His covenant people from all other nations to become uniquely His. The fulfilment of a covenant established with the patriarchs was now finally unravelling. And it was all set in motion when God revealed Himself to Moses within a common thorn bush.
As we interpret this parasha for ourselves in current times, we face the choice to remain silent within the barrenness of the Midianite desert or respond to the calling and destiny over our lives as “living epistles.”
Many believers are being fiercely persecuted for their faith. The cost is high and we must be prepared to face rejection from even among the Body of Messiah similar to Moses.
When we follow the life-giving teachings of Yeshua as His disciples, He will set us free from yesterday’s pain and the ugliness of sin. To love as He loved is to receive and share the reward of such love. God has modelled for us how to love even our enemies. There is no alternative or escape clauses for this imperative which God designed for our ultimate triumph. Yeshua never tells us to submit to evil, but rather to refuse to oppose it on its own terms or let it dictate the methods of how we express our opposition.
Moses understood this very quickly, following his commissioning, seeing how the straight and narrow paths can often be filled with curve balls. In addition, life can be filled with detours should we pursue things which, however good and noble, are not part of His plan for our lives. We need to discern rightly between the two. This is why God desires that we pause long enough to read, reflect, and carefully follow His signposts. We may at times take a wrong turn, but even then He remains faithful to protect and strengthen those who love Him (Ps.37:24). His grace is sufficient and His strength is made perfection in weakness. This is the character of the Master potter who loves us with an everlasting love and seeks to transform us into His likeness. Many are called but few are chosen because few are willing to choose the narrow path. So, let’s stand firm – and having done all, to stand in our spiritual warfare regarding the things that God has called us to.
In these days, where nations are in an uproar and kingdoms conspire against those who uphold godliness, righteousness and justice, can there be anything better than to experience the depths and the riches of Immanu-EL! When we allow Him access into every area of our lives, we discover that no matter where we find ourselves, whatever our predicament, He is our unshakeable rock, who is always a God of ‘more-than-enough.’
God reveals His loving care 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 are not always our ways, nor His timings our timings. Through it all, Immanu-El is our covering against every weapon formed against us, keeping us safe in that secret place as we abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
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 airwaves.
Immanu-El is the fruit of those who wholeheartedly serve the King of Kings and walk in His ways with unconditional obedience and humility like Moses.
God, knows what will happen long before it happens, and prepares for every occasion even before the foundations of the earth were created. God prepared Pharaoh’s daughter to go bathe in the river with her handmaidens at the perfect moment and prepared the family of Moses to make a basket that was water-proof and placed the baby Moses in the basket that was guided right in the exact place that Pharaoh’s daughter was bathing in the water – perfect moment, perfect timing!
God prepared Moses to be a shepherd working for a pagan priest as a shepherd of his flock an occupation he was taught was detestable according to Egyptian culture.
The miracles and encounters of Moses with the Egyptian sorcerers were Divinely orchestrated by God to prepare for the deliverance of the children of Israel that they might rule themselves independently as a sovereign nation in the land that God promised Abraham and his descendants for an everlasting inheritance.
The secret of life is just like Moses in his commissioning by God at the burning bush, that although I always have to be what I am there are moments when I have to be not what I am also – to go beyond the limits we set ourselves and enter the realm of the impossible because our God transforms impossibilities into realities, failure into stepping stones, water into dry land, and hopelessness into new beginnings.
He has created you to be history makers in the Kingdom of God! All we need is to allow Him to take complete control of our lives He can enlarge our boundaries! We may not see the full impact of this until we see Him face to face when even the smallest things done for Him in our lives will be revealed. There are many “cups of water” that we have given to others that we may be totally unaware of here on earth.
There is a story that begins with the famous D.L.Moody who went on to influence a man named F.B. Meyer, a London pastor and an intellectual. Meyer’s congregation told him that they wanted Moody to come to speak to them which he reluctantly agreed to.
Meyer had a lot of intellectual pride and was ashamed of preaching the gospel of Messiah Yeshua because it seemed too simple. When Moody showed up, Meyer immediately took a dislike to him because he was not well dressed and only had a fifth-grade education compared to Meyer who had several doctorates. Moody got up to preach in Meyer’s church and was anointed by the Holy Spirit. The power of God was upon him. As he spoke, hundreds of people came to faith that day. Meyer was extremely embarrassed and consumed with jealousy.
Two weeks later, Meyer was talking with one of his Sunday school teachers who confided in him how the Holy Spirit had transformed his life through the preaching of D.L.Moody. As he told the story, Meyer suddenly began to weep under conviction of the Holy Spirit and was supernaturally changed. For the rest of his life, he preached the gospel faithfully to all who would listen.
As the years went by, Meyer influenced J. Wilbur Chapman who influenced Billy Sunday who influenced Mordecai Ham. And it was Mordecai Ham who led Billy Graham to Messiah Yeshua. It all happened in 1936 when Billy Graham was a 16-year old teenager. Mordecai Ham was holding a tent meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina and somehow, Billy and some of his friends found themselves hanging around and decided to enter to see what was happening. Once inside, they realised there was no room for them so decided to leave. As they turned, an usher standing there saw them and put his big arms around their shoulders, welcomed them and managed to find them seats. The rest is history.
Billy Graham found Messiah Yeshua that night and is among the most famous though controversial evangelists of the 20th. Century. That usher could never have known how God was using him through his simple yet faithful service. It was just a cup of cold water…
Most people live in exile to God’s eternal purposes and their vision is downgraded stunted or lost in the mire of lost opportunities. As I have said several times before, why settle for being a spiritual garbage collector when you could be stringing pearls for the Kingdom of Heaven? Who knows what God can do through you when you yield your life fully to Him in simple faith and obedience? God has called you to be a history maker! Whether you have received 1 or 10 talents makes no difference to God. What is of greatest importance to Him is that we fully use everything we have received for His praise and glory!
