שְׁמוֹת

Shemot

 Exodus 1-1-6:1 : Israel in slavery

Haphtarah: Isaiah 27:6-28:13 and 29:22-23: reunification of the exiled

Jeremiah 1:1-2:3 and Ezekiel 16:1-13: the vocation of the prophet [1]

These are the names shemot שְׁמוֹתof the sons of Isra’el who came into Egypt with Ya’akov; each man came with his household Exodus 1:1

The Book of Shemot, or Names, starts this week with memorializing for us, the names of the children of Israel (vs 1-4) who came down to Egypt with the last Patriarch, Yaakov. 

In the first Book, Bereshit (Genesis), we saw the beginning and foundations of Creation, and that of a Jewish nation being established. The second Book, Shemot, (Exodus), speaks more of acts and of the first step of the Redemption of Israel which will be complete at the end time.

The seventy souls mentioned in verse five of chapter one (this number not being accurate and even different in Acts 7:14) represents, symbolically, the first seventy nations of the earth.

We find the same idea in chapter 15verse 27 of the Book of Exodus: the children of Israel arrive at Elim where there are twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees.

Those twelve wells, water spiritually, the seventy nations. We can see the parallel with the twelve Jewish Apostles of which the Kehila (Assembly) of G-d has been laid:

  So then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers. On the contrary, you are fellow–citizens with God’s people and members of God’s family.

You have been built on the foundation of the emissaries (Apostles) and the prophets, with the cornerstone being Yeshua the Messiah himself.

Ephesians 2:19 -20

By memorializing those names, G-d wants us to remember and understand that our faith must rest on solid foundations, such as that of the children of Israel which was built on the Patriarch’s faith, the Avot, the Fathers of our faith.

The next step in building strongly, a young Jewish nation (carrier of the messianic ideal), is miraculous multiplication and perseverance through testing in order to purify the heart.

According to the Midrash, Jewish women would give birth to six children at a time, sextuplets, and the sons of Israel multiplied greatly (as implied by the Hebrew word used), and similar to that in verse 1:21: 

The descendants of Isra’el were fruitful, increased abundantly

(va yichretzu) וַיִּשְׁרְצוּ multiplied and grew very powerful; the land became filled with them. Exodus 1:7 

This multiplication both impressed and worried Pharaoh. This Pharaoh was either a king from the new dynasty which replaced Hyksos’ two hundred year rule over Egypt, or he was the same Pharaoh who changed his attitude towards Israel. More interesting for us here, is to understand that Egypt ruled with deep occult power and practices which elevated man as a god and enslaved G-d’s creatures. This power was trying to prevent Israel from fulfilling the prophet’s role and proclaim the Oneness of G-d to this pagan and rebellious world.

With the story of Exodus, we enter the spiritual realm and Egypt was master in the art of witchcraft and black magic. G-d will intervene in a spectacular way, overthrowing natural and physical laws and will let it be known that He is Master of the Heavens and earth and that He loves His chosen people.

Pharaoh had a terrific dream: [2]

He was sitting on a throne and an old man was standing in front of him holding a scale. One plate of the scale held all the tied up officials and dignitaries of the kingdom, and on the other sat a little white lamb, tipping the scales, for the weight of its preciousness greatly exceeded that of all those mighty men!

Who else could have possibly been this Lamb Who came to destroy the deeds of the devil and bring His Light to this world of darkness, if not the King of kings?

They will go to war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are called, chosen and faithful will overcome along with him. Revelation 17:14  

Pharaoh wanted to destroy the Israelites by three means: occultism, physical violence and psychological war. [3]

He decided to take council from his advisors as implied in the Hebrew word used for “wisdom” which comes from the word chakham, wise:

Come, let’s use wisdom nitchakhma, נִתְחַכְּמָה in dealing with them. Otherwise, they’ll continue to multiply; and in the event of war they might ally themselves with our enemies, fight against us and leave the land altogether. Exodus 1:10 

The Midrash tells us that his three main advisors were, Bilaam, Jethro and Yoav (Job) [4] .

Bilaam was an expert in witchcraft and we will meet him again, called by Balak to curse the children of Israel. Jethro, after his refusal to harm the Israelites will flee to Midian and Job, who will finally meet the L-rd.

Obviously this attempt to destroy the Israelites was directed against the Holy One of G-d, the Lamb Who removes sin from the world and whom Salvation was to shine through and from Yisra-El.

Still today, the devil is trying to erase the Jewish people to prevent the return of the King of kings to the Land of Israel.

Despite the fact that many Israelites had kept their Jewish identity, the temptation of mixing with the Egyptians and their idolatrous practices was very strong and many fell. So G-d sent the enemies and a wave of Anti-Semitism and the suffering of the Jewish people was great. Husbands and wives were separated, babies murdered, buried alive in building walls, drowned, thrown to crocodiles in the Nile... [5]

So G-d sent them a savior in Moshe and the teva, the basket in which he was put by his mother reminds us of the same word used for Noach’s ark, which was used to save a remnant of men. 

When she could no longer hide him, she took a papyrus basket, תֵּבָה teva coated it with clay and tar, put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the riverbank. Exodus 2:3 

But I will establish my covenant with you; you will come into the ark, teva תֵּבָה you, your sons, your wife and your sons’ wives with you. Genesis 6:18 

It’s the same way in the present age: there is a remnant, chosen by grace.

What follows is that Isra’el has not yet attained the goal for which she is striving. The ones chosen have obtained it, but the rest have been made stonelike, just as the Tanakh says, “God has given them a spirit of dullness, eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear, right down to the present day.” 

BUT:  

With respect to the Good News they are hated for your sake. But with respect to being chosen they are loved for the Patriarchs’ sake, (the Avot),

for God’s free gifts and his calling are irrevocable.

  Just as you yourselves were disobedient to God before but have received mercy now because of Isra’el’s disobedience; so also Isra’el has been disobedient now, so that by your showing them the same mercy that God has shown you, they too may now receive God’s mercy.

  For God has shut up all mankind together in disobedience, in order that he might show mercy to all.

Romans 11:5, 7-8, 28-32 

It is through the fire of the Word of G-d,  that the called people of

HaShem must be purified, and the burning bush of the heart from which raises G-d’s voice, reveals it to us: 

The Hebrew word for bush is sneh, סְּנֶה and is similar to the word Sinai, סִינָי from which he comes and on which was given the Torah [6] , the Word of G.od is burning as a fire:

 “Isn’t my word like fire,” asks ADONAI, Jeremiah 23:29  

When the Living Word, manifested in Yeshua, came among us, Yochanan, a Jewish prophet grounded in the faith of the Patriarchs, prophesized:

 “I am immersing you in water, but he who is coming is more powerful than I––I’m not worthy to untie his sandals! He will immerse you in the Ruach HaKodesh and in fire.” Luke 3:16  

The revelation of the burning bush burst this day in front of the children of Israel and part of the divine Name was unveiled in the mouth of the One Who was, Who is and Who comes:

God said to Moshe, "Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh," (I AM will be what I AM will be) and added, "Here is what to say to the people of Isra’el: ‘Ehyeh (I AM or I Will Be) has sent me to you.” Exodus 3:14 

אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה 

I am the ‘A’ (Aleph) and the ‘Z,’ (Tav) the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Revelation 22:13  

God said further to Moshe, "Say this to the people of Isra’el: ‘Yud–Heh–Vav–Heh, (ADONAI) the God of your fathers, the God of Avraham, the God of Yitz’chak and the God of Ya’akov, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever; this is how I am to be remembered generation after generation.” Exodus 3:15 

Rashi tells us that one letter, the vav, is missing in the word “forever”, which should be spelled לְעוֹלָם instead of לְעֹלָם, which than gives another meaning of this word, that of “hidden”:

Part of this Name is hidden and the answer doesn’t belong to our understanding but to future revelation:

Next I saw heaven opened, and there before me was a white horse. Sitting on it was the one called Faithful and True, and it is in righteousness that he passes judgment and goes to battle.

  His eyes were like a fiery flame, and on his head were many royal crowns. And he had a name written which no one knew but himself.

  He was wearing a robe that had been soaked in blood, and the name by which he is called is, "THE WORD OF GOD.”

The armies of heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.

  And out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down nations – "He will rule them with a staff of iron." It is he who treads the winepress from which flows the wine of the furious rage of ADONAI, God of heaven’s armies.

And on his robe and on his thigh he has a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Revelation19:11-16 

G-d promises that He will rescue His people from Pharaoh’s hold with a strong and mighty Hand. Yeshua came to destroy the deeds of the devil, those deeds of darkness which destroy and enslave the creatures G-d created for them to glorify Him.

This Hand, is the supernatural intervention of a G-d Who loves His people and who prophesizes the ultimate act of love which will engrave in blood the Salvation of man and the final Redemption of His people    Yisra-El:

“I have engraved you on the palms of my hands, your walls are always before me.” Isaiah 49:16  

But they won’t believe in me, shouts Moshe! 

Neither will they believe when Yeshua comes centuries later:

But he replied, “If they won’t listen to Moshe and the Prophets, they won’t be convinced even if someone rises from the dead!” Luke 16:31

Then G-d will make a sign to Moshe. The staff, a symbol of authority will be transformed into a snake, נָחָשׁ (Genesis 4:3). The devil, the ancient serpent, will have for a time the right to accuse Israel before G-d because of his unbelief but later, in front of Pharaoh, this same staff will be transformed into a crocodile (or great monster), תַנִּין in the Hebrew text. This crocodile is the symbol of Pharaoh, as mentioned in Ezekiel 29:3:

And say that ADONAI ELOHIM says: ‘I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, you big crocodile, תַּנִּים (same word as תַנִּין) lying in the streams of the Nile! You say, “My Nile is mine; I made it for myself.” 

G-d will demonstrate to Pharaoh, to the ancient Serpent that He is the All Mighty Who came to destroy the works of the devil and to set free His people from physical and spiritual slavery.

And this snake will finally be elevated on a pole to bring healing to anyone who will look at him:

And ADONAI answered Moshe: “Make a poisonous snake and put it on a pole. When anyone who has been bitten sees it, he will live.”

Numbers 21:8  

Yeshua came to destroy the works of the devil: 

You were dead because of your sins, that is, because of your “foreskin,”your old nature. But God made you alive along with the Messiah by forgiving you all your sins.

He wiped away the bill of charges against us. Because of the regulations, it stood as a testimony against us; but he removed it by nailing it to the execution–stake.

Stripping the rulers and authorities of their power, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by means of the stake.

Colossians 2:13-15  

It will be at the end, when the plan will be fulfilled and Israel back to her called position, that the big serpent will be swallowed up along with  death as revealed through the numeral value of the word snake, nachash, נָחָשׁ which is the same as for the word Mashiach מָּשִׁיחַ : 358 

Moshe will then give a password to the children of Israel which will sound deep within their hearts and will remind them of the one Yaakov and then Yossef prophesied about in Genesis 50:25:

Go, gather the leaders of Isra’el together, and say to them, ‘ADONAI, the God of your fathers, the God of Avraham, Yitz’chak and Ya’akov, has appeared to me and said, "I have been paying close attention to you (or visited you and remembered of you) and have seen what is being done to you in Egypt;” Exodus 3:16 

The promise of a savior who will deliver the people of Israel and the promise of The Savior in front of Whom Moshe will decline G-d’s offer:

And he said, Ah Lord! Send, I pray thee, by the hand of HIM whom thou wilt send. Exodus 4:13 (DBY) 

This password which will sound deeply in the hearts of the captive sons of Israel will also, centuries later, do so in the hearts of the ones who will recognize the voice of the Great Shepherd of Israel, Who will remind His people as announced to Zachariah (G-d remember): 

  “Praised be ADONAI, the God of Isra’el, because he has visited and made a ransom to liberate his people

by raising up for us a mighty Deliverer who is a descendant of his servant David.

  It is just as he has spoken through the mouth of the prophets from the very beginning–– that we should be delivered from our enemies and from the power of all who hate us.”

  “This has happened so that he might show the mercy promised to our fathers, the Avot, the Patriarchs––that he would remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore before Avraham avinu to grant us that we, freed from our enemies, would serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.” Luke 1:68 -75

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