Shemot (Exodus)
|
Meaning
|
Day Five
|
Haftara
|
B'rit Hadashah
|
1 Our Father, we receive Your Words and hide Your commandments with us; 2 we incline our ear unto wisdom, and apply our hearts to understanding; 3 We cry after knowledge and lift up our voices for understanding; 4 we seek it as silver; and search for it as for hidden treasures; 5 We declare that we shall understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. Declaration of Proverbs 2:1-5
Exodus 23:20-33 (NASB)1
20 "Behold, I am going to send an angel before you to guard you along the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. 21 "Be on your guard before him and obey his voice; do not be rebellious toward him, for he will not pardon your transgression, since My name is in him. 22 "But if you truly obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. 23 "For My angel will go before you and bring you in to the land of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will completely destroy them. 24 "You shall not worship their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their deeds; but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their sacred pillars in pieces. 25 "But you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water; and I will remove sickness from your midst. 26 "There shall be no one miscarrying or barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days. 27 "I will send My terror ahead of you, and throw into confusion all the people among whom you come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. 28 "I will send hornets ahead of you so that they will drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites before you. 29 "I will not drive them out before you in a single year, that the land may not become desolate and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you. 30 "I will drive them out before you little by little, until you become fruitful and take possession of the land. 31 "I will fix your boundary from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the River Euphrates; for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you will drive them out before you. 32 "You shall make no covenant with them or with their gods. 33 "They shall not live in your land, because they will make you sin against Me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.
13 For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. Jeremiah 2:13. This verse from Jeremiah might seem out of place, but it came today to match up with that last verse of our reading today. Because we've been through this journey so many times before, and also by the way the world looks right now, we know that Israel became snared by the gods of the other nations, just as God said they would! Had Israel not made the covenants with the Canaanites and their gods, the world might look a whole lot healthier and more peaceful now. I don't know if the mainstream media is showing any of the footage of the hostage return from Hamas to Israel because I don't use that media. This morning I saw a few pictures of the return of the bodies of the Bibas family, two adults and two babies that were taken captive on 7 October 2024. The perverted “show” that Hamas put on was the worst yet. They turned this event into a rally for Hamas and the Palestinians, who are as mad as Hamas OR are experiencing the largest case of Stockholm Syndrome the world has ever seen.
Stockholm Syndrome is when hostages develop a psychological bond with their captors. It appears that this is what has occurred with Hamas being 'voted' in as a part of their government back in 2006. Even though Hamas shows them no mercy, steals their humanitarian supplies, and tortures them for infractions of stealing food, or kills them and hangs them if they're even suspected of collaborating with Israel, the Palestinian people STILL support this insane Luciferian movement and their macabre shows. The four coffins were handed over and the ceremony of the Red Cross and Hamas bosses signed the papers. This event had every bit of 'ceremony' and glee for Hamas that folks on this side of the pond, might gather for the July 4th parade and the picnic celebrating America, afterwards. It sounds rather disgusting but there it is. Hamas continues to torment the families of the hostages by returning their bodies in locked coffins with keys that didn't open the locks. At around 4:44 A.M. Eastern time the coffins were wrapped in Israeli flags and carried to the transporting vehicles in 'combat position', which I am guessing is in the fashion as dead soldiers are returned, with every respect, as certainly not accorded by Hamas. The IDF documented their return for the families but the photographs will only be distributed later if the family permits.
As we move away from the knowledge of what has occurred while we slept on this side of the world, we acknowledge that The God of Israel has allowed all of this for a reason, actually, for many reasons which we do not know. We entrust the world to him today as we beaver along in Torah in our own modern day wilderness. There is an abundance of good news for Israel as God further outlines what will be done as they journey forth.
20 Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. 21 Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him. 22 But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries. Exodus 23:20-22.
What tidings of good news! Yah stated that He would be an enemy to their enemies and an adversary to their adversaries! When any human being has that backing, there can be no room for fear. Basically, Yah said He'd be hostile to those hostile to Israel and also would besiege or bind up those who wished to do the same to Israel. But, it all had to do with this “Angel” that God would send before them. Who is this Angel? He won't pardon transgressions “for My Name in him”. The KJV inserts the “is” italicized, which indicates this is not in the original Hebrew. Angels as God's creatures, as we know them, don't pardon transgressions. God's Name in Him gives this Angel with a capital 'A': distinction. Could God have been talking about Moses here? Moses wouldn't or rather couldn't pardon their transgressions as a mere man. But I think we can get the sense here that Moses was specially empowered to lead Israel by God. It would be a very good thing if the multitude would “obey” the voice of Moses because Moses was empowered to lead them. Adam Clarke helps our feeble thinking (well, I should speak for myself here):
“Behold, I send an Angel before thee - Some have thought that this was Moses, others Joshua, because the word מלאך malach signifies an angel or messenger; but as it is said, Ex 23:21, My name is in him, (בקרבו bekirbo, intimately, essentially in him), it is more likely that the great Angel of the Covenant, the Lord Jesus Christ, is meant, in whom dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. We have had already much reason to believe that this glorious personage often appeared in a human form to the patriarchs, etc.; and of him Joshua was a very expressive type, the names Joshua and Jesus, in Hebrew and Greek, being of exactly the same signification, because radically the same, from ישע yasha, he saved, delivered, preserved, or kept safe. Nor does it appear that the description given of the Angel in the text can belong to any other person.”
Now here is a devotional aspect of this same passage by the Biblical Illustrator, with the closing remarks of J. B. Brown, B.A.
“Life's pilgrimage: — The angel, the way, the prepared place. It is the Divine key to the mystery of life. Life is emphatically a way. Not by the way of the sea — a prompt and easy path — but by the way of the wilderness, of old God led His pilgrims. The vision of the angel in the way lights up the wilderness...
The pilgrim's WAY TO THE PILGRIM'S HOME.
1. It is a way of purposed toil and difficulty, of wilderness, peril, and night. Suffer we must in the wilderness; the one question is, Shall it be with or without the angel of the Lord?
2. It is a way of stern, uncompromising duty. God asks us now simply to do and to bear, and to wait to see the whole reason and reap the whole fruit on high. We must train ourselves to the habit of righteous action, and leave the results to God and eternity.
3. It is a way of death. God promises to none of us an immunity from death. The shadow hangs round life as a drear monitor to all of us. He only who can eye it steadily and fix its form will see that it is angelic and lustrous with the glory beyond. The grave is but the last step of the way by which the angel leads us to the place which He has prepared. (J. B. Brown, B. A.)”
It is no use to read and parse the words of Torah unless we can apply it's tenets and aspects to our own 'way' in the wilderness. Indeed. Our path is nothing less than toil and difficulties. There are times we must suffer, if not for ourselves, then for those whose misery is more grievous than our own. Ultimately, the question is: shall it be with or without that messenger of The LORD? I can't imagine the life without.
The record today continues with the benefits of obedience!
The obedience required would be of the most and greatest importance:
I don't think I'll ever forget a scene I witnessed as a young wife and mother in our old neighborhood. I was out in the back yard and could see over the fences of the yards over to my right. I heard a lot of children's yelling but it did NOT sound like sounds of play. I looked over and about two yards down was a little girl that was on her back on the ground and five or six young boys not older than ten years, were all around her, taunting her and tormenting verbally. She was screaming and crying. But what was more disturbing was that a man in the next yard was standing there at his fence and watching the proceeding. He was not stopping this display of bullying. It was like he was enjoying it. I yelled out for them to leave her alone, or some such thing, and her tormentors scattered. I have no idea what would have happened had I not yelled out, but my first inclination was that this was evil and even more so because of that man doing absolutely nothing, when he was even closer than I was, to intervene.
This week, I looked at the Haftara reading and then realized the format that was used. Jeremiah 34:8-22; 33:25-26. I thought, why not just put the verses in order? Jeremiah 33:25-26; 34:8-22. Then I read them over again in the original order and realized that the verses in chapter 34 were certainly doom and gloom warning while the verses we were led to read afterwards, were totally different. Then I realized: good placement! For Yah was bringing down judgment and it was harsh. But despite that harsh judgment, the message was that God would never forget His promises towards Israel, even after judgment. After judgment, there will be mercy. Hallelu-YAH!
Stockholm Syndrome is when hostages develop a psychological bond with their captors. It appears that this is what has occurred with Hamas being 'voted' in as a part of their government back in 2006. Even though Hamas shows them no mercy, steals their humanitarian supplies, and tortures them for infractions of stealing food, or kills them and hangs them if they're even suspected of collaborating with Israel, the Palestinian people STILL support this insane Luciferian movement and their macabre shows. The four coffins were handed over and the ceremony of the Red Cross and Hamas bosses signed the papers. This event had every bit of 'ceremony' and glee for Hamas that folks on this side of the pond, might gather for the July 4th parade and the picnic celebrating America, afterwards. It sounds rather disgusting but there it is. Hamas continues to torment the families of the hostages by returning their bodies in locked coffins with keys that didn't open the locks. At around 4:44 A.M. Eastern time the coffins were wrapped in Israeli flags and carried to the transporting vehicles in 'combat position', which I am guessing is in the fashion as dead soldiers are returned, with every respect, as certainly not accorded by Hamas. The IDF documented their return for the families but the photographs will only be distributed later if the family permits.
As we move away from the knowledge of what has occurred while we slept on this side of the world, we acknowledge that The God of Israel has allowed all of this for a reason, actually, for many reasons which we do not know. We entrust the world to him today as we beaver along in Torah in our own modern day wilderness. There is an abundance of good news for Israel as God further outlines what will be done as they journey forth.
20 Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. 21 Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him. 22 But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries. Exodus 23:20-22.
What tidings of good news! Yah stated that He would be an enemy to their enemies and an adversary to their adversaries! When any human being has that backing, there can be no room for fear. Basically, Yah said He'd be hostile to those hostile to Israel and also would besiege or bind up those who wished to do the same to Israel. But, it all had to do with this “Angel” that God would send before them. Who is this Angel? He won't pardon transgressions “for My Name in him”. The KJV inserts the “is” italicized, which indicates this is not in the original Hebrew. Angels as God's creatures, as we know them, don't pardon transgressions. God's Name in Him gives this Angel with a capital 'A': distinction. Could God have been talking about Moses here? Moses wouldn't or rather couldn't pardon their transgressions as a mere man. But I think we can get the sense here that Moses was specially empowered to lead Israel by God. It would be a very good thing if the multitude would “obey” the voice of Moses because Moses was empowered to lead them. Adam Clarke helps our feeble thinking (well, I should speak for myself here):
“Behold, I send an Angel before thee - Some have thought that this was Moses, others Joshua, because the word מלאך malach signifies an angel or messenger; but as it is said, Ex 23:21, My name is in him, (בקרבו bekirbo, intimately, essentially in him), it is more likely that the great Angel of the Covenant, the Lord Jesus Christ, is meant, in whom dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. We have had already much reason to believe that this glorious personage often appeared in a human form to the patriarchs, etc.; and of him Joshua was a very expressive type, the names Joshua and Jesus, in Hebrew and Greek, being of exactly the same signification, because radically the same, from ישע yasha, he saved, delivered, preserved, or kept safe. Nor does it appear that the description given of the Angel in the text can belong to any other person.”
Now here is a devotional aspect of this same passage by the Biblical Illustrator, with the closing remarks of J. B. Brown, B.A.
“Life's pilgrimage: — The angel, the way, the prepared place. It is the Divine key to the mystery of life. Life is emphatically a way. Not by the way of the sea — a prompt and easy path — but by the way of the wilderness, of old God led His pilgrims. The vision of the angel in the way lights up the wilderness...
The pilgrim's WAY TO THE PILGRIM'S HOME.
1. It is a way of purposed toil and difficulty, of wilderness, peril, and night. Suffer we must in the wilderness; the one question is, Shall it be with or without the angel of the Lord?
2. It is a way of stern, uncompromising duty. God asks us now simply to do and to bear, and to wait to see the whole reason and reap the whole fruit on high. We must train ourselves to the habit of righteous action, and leave the results to God and eternity.
3. It is a way of death. God promises to none of us an immunity from death. The shadow hangs round life as a drear monitor to all of us. He only who can eye it steadily and fix its form will see that it is angelic and lustrous with the glory beyond. The grave is but the last step of the way by which the angel leads us to the place which He has prepared. (J. B. Brown, B. A.)”
It is no use to read and parse the words of Torah unless we can apply it's tenets and aspects to our own 'way' in the wilderness. Indeed. Our path is nothing less than toil and difficulties. There are times we must suffer, if not for ourselves, then for those whose misery is more grievous than our own. Ultimately, the question is: shall it be with or without that messenger of The LORD? I can't imagine the life without.
The record today continues with the benefits of obedience!
- Exodus 23:23 For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off.
- Exodus 23:27 I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee.
- Exodus 23:31 And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee.
The obedience required would be of the most and greatest importance:
- Exodus 23:24 (KJV) Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.
- Exodus 23:25 (KJV) And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.
- Exodus 23:32-33 (KJV) Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. 33 They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee.
I don't think I'll ever forget a scene I witnessed as a young wife and mother in our old neighborhood. I was out in the back yard and could see over the fences of the yards over to my right. I heard a lot of children's yelling but it did NOT sound like sounds of play. I looked over and about two yards down was a little girl that was on her back on the ground and five or six young boys not older than ten years, were all around her, taunting her and tormenting verbally. She was screaming and crying. But what was more disturbing was that a man in the next yard was standing there at his fence and watching the proceeding. He was not stopping this display of bullying. It was like he was enjoying it. I yelled out for them to leave her alone, or some such thing, and her tormentors scattered. I have no idea what would have happened had I not yelled out, but my first inclination was that this was evil and even more so because of that man doing absolutely nothing, when he was even closer than I was, to intervene.
This week, I looked at the Haftara reading and then realized the format that was used. Jeremiah 34:8-22; 33:25-26. I thought, why not just put the verses in order? Jeremiah 33:25-26; 34:8-22. Then I read them over again in the original order and realized that the verses in chapter 34 were certainly doom and gloom warning while the verses we were led to read afterwards, were totally different. Then I realized: good placement! For Yah was bringing down judgment and it was harsh. But despite that harsh judgment, the message was that God would never forget His promises towards Israel, even after judgment. After judgment, there will be mercy. Hallelu-YAH!
25 Thus saith the LORD; If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth; 26 Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob, and David my servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them. Jeremiah 33:25-26.
1 NASB www.lockman.org for daily reading and KJV in commentary unless otherwise specified
Daily Torah Bites ©
anne@anchorchurchsurfside.com