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Parsha Page
Torah, Exodus 8:16 - 9:21
And the Lord said to Moses, “Early in the morning present yourself to
Pharaoh, as he is coming out to the water, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord:
Let My people go that they may worship Me. For if you do not let My people go, I
will loose swarms of insects against you and your courtiers and your people and
your houses; the houses of the Egyptians, and the very ground they stand on,
shall be filled with swarms of insects.’”
Thus begins the second set of three plagues upon Mitzrayim (Egypt). Moses
continues, telling Pharaoh that the Israelites in the land of Egypt called
Goshen will not experience this plague of insects. This is to show to Pharaoh
that Adonai is in the midst of the land, and He makes a distinction between His
people and the people of Pharaoh. That is the main purpose of these three
plagues, and how they are carried out, to prove that Adonai is intimately
involved in the lives of His people.
These are the fourth plague – swarming insects (in some commentaries this
is called wild beasts, but refers to snakes, scorpions and other beasts that
make their nests underground); the fifth plague- a pestilence upon the Egyptian
livestock and the sixth plague, boils upon all the peoples. At this point, the
magicians are unable to confront Moses, because they are afflicted with boils
along with the rest of Mitzrayim. None of these plagues affect the Israelites.
This reading ends with the prediction of the seventh plague – the hail that will
destroy everything that is not brought under cover.
These plagues are a demonstration of God’s power, but also a sign of His
mercy, since each is also an opportunity for Pharaoh to repent. And during each
plague, Pharaoh appears to be softening.
In the first five confrontations, however, we read, "Pharaoh hardened his
heart". During the rest of the plagues, we read, "God hardened Pharaohs heart."
This shift in wording indicates that Pharaoh lost the ability to repent. This
is, indeed, part and parcel of the punishment.
Qeriah, Isaiah 35:1-10
This passage is a great message of hope, with promises of healing of the
land and it's inhabitants. In a manner that reminds us of the Exodus of Isra'el
from Egypt, the exiles from the land return to Eretz Isra'el with the provision
of water and sustenance from Adonai. The coming of Messiah is proclaimed, along
with a Way of Holiness for those that follow Him. A vision of redemption - and
the joyful shouts of those redeemed - completes the passage.
Da'ath, Revelation 7:9-17
Yochanon is describing the crowd of the redeemed worshiping before the
Throne of Adonai, and before The Lamb. We learn that these are the people that
Adonai delivered out of the Great Tribulation. This sounds much like the shouts
of the ransomed returning to Zion in Isaiah 35.
Igarath, 1 Peter 4:12-19
In our Igarath reading, Kefa, who is Peter, is writing to a Messianic Community
who is undergoing persecution because of their belief in Yeshua as Messiah. Kefa
tells them that it is not an unusual or extraordinary thing that is happening to
them. Kefa encourages them, since they are being insulted because they bear the
name of Messiah. Thus, the very Spirit of God is resting on them. Kefa tells the
community that they will rejoice all the more when the full Sh'khinah of the
Lord is revealed
Conclusion
So in Torah we see Adonai is preparing to remove His people from bondage,
taking them to blessings in their own Land. In Qeriath we see the faithful remnant returning from exile
to that same Land. Da’ath shows that those who stayed faithful to Yeshua
HaMashiach are delivered from persecution, and will worship in front of the
Throne of God. In Igarath Kefa is telling those who believe on Yeshua as Messiah
that they will also be cared for by Adonai during their persecution. The eternal protections of Adonai, where His people, Israel and all those grafted into Her through faith in Yeshua HaMashiach, are taken from bondage and persecution into the final Exodus, to the final, perfect Promised Land.
Barukh HaShem,
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Shalom