Newsletter 12

This week's reading / Parashas is “Bo”, or “Come”. It starts at Exodus 10:1 and runs through Exodus 13:16. It covers a lot of ground, event wise and theological wise. It starts with the last three plagues to the Egyptians then moves quickly to the sanctification of The New Moon and moves on to the laws of the Passover.

There is a lot to learn here. I don’t know how much I can or will cover, but please, be sure to read and study this reading for yourselves. There are critical teachings involved. One of the main things I want to remind you of is that all of this is a Shadow of things to happen, and Shadows of the true things in Heaven.

God / HaShem tells us that the way to know that He is God, is that He tells us the end from the beginning. There is a lot in this teaching that shows us that. Over and over again.

I often hear comments about how God hardened Pharaoh’s heart in the situations involved here. I know a lot of people that claim that the hardening was done simply so that God could show his Glory. I have heard some say that Pharaoh had no choice in these matters. And, I have heard that he simply made the choices he wanted to. Well, I want to tell you that they are ALL correct! Isn’t it amazing how awesome God is, the fact that he can make all three options viable! God states that he hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that he could show that HE IS GOD. In that light Pharaoh had no choice, he (Pharaoh) was going to make the choices that God wanted made. But, at the same time, the sages contend that God strengthened Pharaoh’s heart, so that he would not simply crumble at the horror and stress of the plagues, which allowed him (Pharaoh) to make the choices that his temperament and wicked nature would lead him to make. So, given this set of answers, we see that ALL are correct! Isn’t God awesome!!!!

One item that stood out to me in this Parashas revolves around the Plague of Darkness.

21     Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even a darkness which may be felt.”

 22     So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days.

23     They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the sons of Israel had light in their dwellings.

Maybe you will think this is a stretch, but to me, I see Jesus in this. I don’t have the room to list all the similarities between Jesus and Moses, but to list a few:

Both were born when the King had declared that the male babies be killed

Both went to Egypt as children

Both were not immediately accepted by the Jews

This is not coincident; Moses was a Shadow of The Messiah to come. In the above Scripture, what I see is that Moses raised his arms and there was darkness for three days. Jesus raised his hands on the cross and was buried in “the darkness” for three days. But the greatest part is that “all the sons of Israel had light in their dwellings.” That is a Shadow of all of us that have accepted Yeshua as our savior. We are “sons of Israel”, and we do have a light in our dwellings. For as Yeshua told us, “He is the Light of the World”!

Let’s move forward a bit.

This Parashas also sanctifies the New Moon and sets the Jewish calendar into effect. God’s calendar is lunar. His festivals revolve around the moon’s cycle. This is in accordance with Genesis, which I will quote from The Stone Edition Chumash:

Genesis 1:14

“God said,”Let there be luminaries in the firmament of the heaven to separate between the day and the night; and they shall serve as signs, and for festivals, and for days and years;”

(Italics are my emphasis)

Once again, God shows us who HE is by showing us the latter things, by showing us the former things. HE showed us in Genesis, something that wouldn’t come about until Exodus!

I won’t get into the entire matter of Passover. I have done so before in the April/06 newsletter somewhat. Even there I couldn’t get deep enough to show all the matters that point to Jesus. To cover that well, I think one would have to write an entire book.

But there is one area of the Passover Laws that I would like to wrap this newsletter up with.

Genesis 12:43

47     “All the congregation of Israel are to celebrate this.

48     “But if a stranger sojourns with you, and celebrates the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near to celebrate it; and he shall be like a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person may eat of it.

49     “The same law shall apply to the native as to the stranger who sojourns among you.”

50     Then all the sons of Israel did so; they did just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron.

51     And on that same day the Lord brought the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their hosts.

First off, I would like to say that WE ARE A PART OF ISRAEL! Just look at Paul’s writings. He says that we are part of Israel. But one thing I would like to make clear is that we are A PART of Israel. There is a great future plan for the Jewish people. You can find it in Daniel, Isaiah and Revelation, as well as the entire Bible! But by faith and by adoption, we are a part of Israel. We are the strangers that sojourns with them. And as you can see above….the same law applies to the stranger as to the native. We are like a native of the land. We are part of Israel. This Passover celebration that is commanded by God, applies to us also. No, we can’t sacrifice at the Temple. There is no Temple right now, other than within us, all. But the rest of the Passover feast CAN BE DONE BY ALL OF US. And, I believe it SHOULD be done by all of us. This is a Holy Command of God. The entire Passover is a Shadow of Jesus and the Sacrifice that HE made for us. In my opinion, Passover SHOULD have even MORE meaning for us! We should certainly celebrate it in its entirety. Most importantly, at the last supper, when Yeshua said “do this in remembrance of ME”. What HE was referring to, was what they had just done. Having the Passover dinner. That is what HE is asking us to do in remembrance of HIM.  HE is saying do THIS (this dinner, this feast, this celebration) in remembrance of ME.

This year, when Passover comes around, take the time, the interest and the Love, to do as your Savior has asked, and as your God has commanded. Celebrate Passover!

 

Blessings in the Name of The Lamb,

Tony and Robin