Veiled Understanding
With the absence of condemnation, Father redirects the mind set of Mosheh. He wants him to understand he wasn't charged with success in his first meeting with Pharaoh. He was simply told to "GO". The job at hand was far more than any one man could accomplish. It would take the mighty hand of the Elohim of Israel. The same is true with us in our respective callings, great or small.
Although the end result was the same, the Divine goal in the beginning was not to ease burdens or immediately free the children of Israel from Egypt. Father's purpose was to declare His majesty and tear down and destroy ALL the gods of Egypt. The same will be done with the "Pharaoh's" of our generation. There is only ONE true Elohim. Pharaoh is about to learn that lesson, the hard way.
When Mosheh said to Pharaoh, "Thus said יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, ‘Let My people go...'", Pharaoh responded with, "Who is יהוה, that I should obey His voice to let Yisra’ĕl go? I do not know יהוה..." By the words from Pharaoh's own mouth comes Father's purpose then, now, and forevermore for all mankind. "Let Me introduce Myself to you"!
A very valuable lesson learned from this account is that we are not expected to succeed in our endeavors for YHVH. We are merely expected to faithfully do His bidding and declare His wonderous works. "Go" and make Him and His mercy known to a lost and dying world. Whether they heed or reject the warnings, the efforts have been successful in consideration of free-will, to eternal blessing or to judgment.
It is not even right to presume that our burdens will be lightened. Maybe they will, but, then again, maybe not until we enter His kingdom. We are only guaranteed blessings sufficient for us to affect His purposes--health, finances, etc. In fact, we will be rejected, even hated, maybe even killed because we are called by His name. Rather, we are admonished by Yeshua;
"But seek first the reign of Elohim, and His righteousness, and all these matters (health/finances, etc.) shall be added to you. Do not, then, worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow shall have its own worries. Each day has enough evil of itself."
Matthew 6: 33-34
No God Like Our God
With the concept of needed understanding in regards to our action adequately covered, let us now move on to the question of Divine Soverignty of YHVH. Mosheh has just poured his heart out before his Elohim. He did as many atheletes, "left it all on the field". In my mind, I can see Father placing His strong but comforting hand on Mosheh's shoulder while making this faithful response.
"And יהוה said to Mosheh, 'Now see what I do to Pharaoh, for with a strong hand he is going to let them go, and with a strong hand he is going to drive them out of his land.'" Exodus 6: 1
An integral part of the sovereign nature of YHVH is that of His unchanging character. He doesn't waver as do men, even the best of them. He truly is "the same yesterday, today, and forevermore". It is also written in Scripture;
“For I am יהוה, I shall not change, and you, O sons of Yaʽaqoḇ, shall not come to an end." Malachi 3: 6
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with Whom there is no change, nor shadow of turning."
James 1: 17
James 1: 17
There is none like Him in the universe. What He said even a million yesterdays before, can still be relied upon today and for ALL of our future dealings with Him. With that understanding, it makes sense why Father would make this next statement.
"And Elohim spoke to Mosheh and said to him, 'I am יהוה. And I appeared to Abraham, to Yitshaq, and to Yaʽaqoḇ, as Ěl Shaddai. And by My Name, יהוה, was I not known to them? And I also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Kenaʽan, the land of their sojournings, in which they have sojourned. And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Yisra’ĕl whom the Mitsrites are enslaving, and I have remembered My covenant.'" Exodus 6: 2-5
There are a few things needing attention in this statement. Father begins with "I am YHVH". In the Hebrew, this is the exact same words He used to begin the Ten Commandments. All Christian renditions of the "Ten" show the first to be, "Thou shalt not have any other gods before Me". In actuality, that is the second, which is combined with the third as seen in Christian renditions. The first actually reads as follows and says "Believe in Me".
"I am יהוה your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim, out of the house of slavery." Exodus 20: 2
Without initial belief, it is impossible to keep correctly the remaining nine, or the whole of Torah which supports the "Ten". When understanding the Giver of the "Ten" was NOT the Father but, rather, Yeshua, the keeping or even great knowledge of Torah becomes a fruitless venture without the Salvation of believing (Yeshua).
ANY person that stands as some authority on Torah yet denies the person of Yeshua the Lawgiver as Messiah is nothing more than a clanging symbol and a false prophet, as outlined by Mosheh in Torah. There are at least a well-known few of this number in our day. These are those described by John in his first epistle.
ANY person that stands as some authority on Torah yet denies the person of Yeshua the Lawgiver as Messiah is nothing more than a clanging symbol and a false prophet, as outlined by Mosheh in Torah. There are at least a well-known few of this number in our day. These are those described by John in his first epistle.
"Who is the liar, except the one denying that יהושע is the Messiah? This is the anti-messiah, the one denying the Father and the Son."
1 John 2: 22
These four verses(2-5)are written in our English Bibles with the extensive use of the word, "and" and the phrase, "and I have also". With this broken construction in our western Bibles, one might come to the conclusion that YHVH made a covenant with our fathers but somehow forgot about it until He heard the groaning of the "children".
Rather, the Hebrew construction shows a continuous statement with no breaks. A more accurate rendition in the Hebrew is as follows. What a solid foundation this is for us in our day, for when He brings US out of ALL the nations!
"I am YHVH; they didn't know My name as YHVH while you do. I never forgot my covenant; I told Abraham about being in Egypt and how I would bring them back out at the appointed time. And I'm gonna to do so whether they're groaning or not, because I keep My promises." Exodus 6: 2-5 (Paraphrase)
Father is keeping his promises and taking care of us and our children even before we/they were born, and that's a fact! We need to understand the depth and profundity of the seriousness with which Father treats and guards His promises. He will take care of us in spite of all our shallow prayers for help. Yeshua says, "The Father knows of your needs even before you ask for them".
YHVH doesn't check with us first before He goes into action. He doesn't forget. He does what He already planned to do whether or not we are in sync with Him. Like Greyhound, just sit back and let Him do the driving. He already promised to get us safely through our lives, and the coming days of tribulation. That settles it.
Prophetic Symmetry
The next statement of YHVH is absolutely perfect in symmetry and shares in uniqueness with these Psalms. It is a majestic statement about His plan for Mosheh AND for us. Consider the whole of the statement.
“Say, therefore, to the children of Yisra’ĕl, ‘I am יהוה, and I shall bring you out from under the burdens of the Mitsrites, and shall deliver you from their enslaving, and shall redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments, and shall take you as My people, and I shall be your Elohim. And you shall know that I am יהוה your Elohim who is bringing you out from under the burdens of the Mitsrites. And I shall bring you into the land which I swore to give to Aḇraham, to Yitsḥaq, and to Yaʽaqoḇ, to give it to you as an inheritance. I am יהוה.’”
Exodus 6: 6-8
His first statement, "I am YHVH", is also the last statement. His second statement, "I shall bring you out of Egypt", is very similar to the second to the last statement, "who is bringing you out of Egypt", and so on, as in a mirror effect. It is also interesting that we find "I am YHVH" in the very center of this majestically profound statement. How can we not simply take Him at His Word, believe in Him?" He IS YHVH!
Within this statement, YHVH says "I shall" four times. He says "I shall bring you out...". Second, He says, "I shall deliver you...". Third, He says, "I shall take you as My people...". Lastly, He says, "I shall bring you to the land...". Symmetrical in its own way, each "I shall" builds upon the former as one that builds with bricks. The end is a strong and eternal dwelling with our Creator.
There is a distinct parallel reference in these four layers that only those who celebrate Passover will understand. Those who celebrate the Christian spring holiday don't have a clue as to the meaning of this statement of YHVH. These same four "I shall's" represent and are named after the four cups of the Passover Seder. They memorialize what He has done and in like manner will do for us.
The first cup is "sanctification". This means "separation" or "set apart". When Mosheh brought the children out of Egypt, they became separated from their oppressors. In like manner, when we receive Yeshua as Savior, and accept His death as payment for our sin, He removes our sin "as far as the east is from the west". He separates us from the sin that oppresses us and sets us apart unto Him. Consider Yeshua's charge to Paul on Damascas road, and Paul's comment to the Corinthians.
"...to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light, and the authority of Satan to Elohim, in order for them to receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are set-apart by belief in Me." Acts 26: 18
"And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were set apart, but you were declared right in the Name of the Master יהושע (Yeshua) and by the Spirit of our Elohim." 1 Corinthians 6: 11
When he says "I shall deliver you from your bondage", we see a parallel in the second cup of the Seder. When we drink the second cup, we remember and memorialize openly all the bondage we were under in Egypt and the judgments that fell on Egypt accordingly. It's all about instruction of the bondage and our release from it. We are charged by His Holy Torah never to forget, as the Scripture says.
“And it shall be, when יהוה your Elohim brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers, to Aḇraham, to Yitsḥaq, and to Yaʽaqoḇ, to give you great and good cities which you did not build, and houses filled with all kinds of goods, which you did not fill, and wells dug which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you shall eat and be satisfied. Be on guard, lest you forget יהוה who brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim, from the house of bondage.
Deuteronomy 6: 10-12
By our faithful actions commanded in Torah, we memorialize the second cup by daily living our lives as Peter charges.
"Through these there have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, so that through these you might be partakers of the Mighty-like nature, having escaped from the corruption in the world, caused by lust. And for this reason do your utmost to add to your belief uprightness, to uprightness knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control endurance, to endurance reverence, to reverence brotherly affection, and to brotherly affection love. For if these are in you and increase, they cause you to be neither inactive nor without fruit in the knowledge of our Master יהושע Messiah. For he in whom these are not present is blind, being shortsighted, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his old sins."
2 Peter 1: 4-9
2 Peter 1: 4-9
"Give thanks to יהוה! For He is good, for His kindness is everlasting. Let the redeemed of יהוה say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary..."
Psalms 107: 1-2
The fourth Seder cup is seen in the phrase, "I shall take you for my people". Father took Mosheh and his people for His very own, His inheritance. He took them out of Egypt to Sinai and made them his people through covenant at the mountain. He will do the same for us; remove us from our Egypt and take us to the holy "Mountain of Elohim" at Yerushalyem and make us his people forever, as the Psalmist concludes.
"...and gathered out of the lands, from east and from west, from north and from south. They wandered in a wilderness, in a desert way; They found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their being in them grew faint. Then they cried out to יהוה in their distress, He delivered them out of their troubles. And He guided them by the right way, to go to a city to settle."
Psalms 107: 3-7
In glorious parallel, we will very soon embark upon our own journey to the Land of Promise, not led by Mosheh, but by Yeshua Himself. In turn, we will be ceremoniously welcomed in the City of David by Him. That journey is spoken of by Jeremiah, the Prophet.
“Therefore see, the days are coming," declares יהוה, "when it is no longer said, ‘יהוה lives who brought up the children of Yisra’ĕl from the land of Mitsrayim,’ but, ‘יהוה lives who brought up the children of Yisra’ĕl from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had driven them.’ For I shall bring them back into the land I gave to their fathers." Jeremiah 16: 14-15
In that land He has promised to Abraham and his descendants, we will be known of Him. He will be our Elohim. Think of a time when a particular heavy burden was lifted from the shoulders. Then, imagine the sheer ecstacy of body, soul, and spirit with the realizaton of burdens lifted from our being. I have felt this euphoric ecstacy a few times in my life. It is a feeling as being a feather floating on a gentle breeze. If we can experience such in this life, can we dare think of what it will be like when we live in the Kingdom?
Father began this majestic, symmetrical statement with "I am YHVH". In the Spirit of its true Hebrew meaning, I challenge; "believe Him, trust Him, and obey Him". When doubts and fears arise as they certainly will, when everything is given to our calling from YHVH only to be a seeming failure, when we find ourselves thinking we've been left alone, hear the Sovereign voice of the Great I Am as He says:
"I am YHVH, I will be with you always, even to the end of the world."
Matthew 28: 20
The Chosen Few
Before closing this article, I would be remiss in not touching on this very profound thought embedded at the very center of Father's statement to Mosheh. He says, "and you shall know that I am YHVH your Elohim". The profundity of this phrase, in its truth and position, is that one cannot enter into the Kingdom unless they "know the Lord". This is the very heart of Father's statement to Mosheh, His beginning of the "Ten", and the very core of Yeshua's statement, "You must be born again".
Of those redeemed from Egypt, only two made it to the Promised Land, Joshua and Kaleb. They were the only ones of whom it could be said, "they believed in the Lord". As there were millions of Mosheh's people that professed to be a part of Israel but didn't make it to the land, there are countless millions today that profess to know the Lord yet will not make it alive to the Kingdom.
Jeremiah and Ezekiel write of a coming exodus that will parallel the exodus of Mosheh, yet on a much grander scale. Rather than being "zapped" out of here to Heaven in a so-called rapture, we will embark upon a three and one-half year journey to the Promised Land known as modern day Israel. The Scripture speaks clearly of this future group of last generation believers in Messiah. They are called "tribulation saints".
The question begged is this. If we truly are living in that final generation as I sincerely believe we are, where are these saints right now? Can they be pointed out? What does the Bible say about these people? This is how they are described by John the Apostle.
"And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to fight with the remnant of her seed, those guarding the commands of Elohim and possessing the witness of יהושע Messiah." Revelation 12: 17
This is a clear description of those that walk alive into the Kingdom, not tasting death in this life, and witnessing with their own eyes the coming of Yeshua in all His glory on the clouds of the heavens. John says they have the testimony of Yeshua (they profess Him as Lord) AND they guard His commandments (keep or guard Torah). For those that say they "love the Lord", Yeshua has this to say.
“If you love Me, you shall guard My commands.
John 14: 15
“If you guard My commands, you shall stay in My love, even as I have guarded My Father’s commands and stay in His love.
John 15: 10
There is a significantly large group of people that profess to believe in Yeshua (Jesus). Within a large variety of divisions, these are called "Christians". As a whole, these say we are no longer under the law (Torah), God is finished with Israel and now works through the church, and we are under grace. Such doesn't agree with the admonition of Yeshua above according to John, and clearly resides within the confines of "sloppy agape", and, "lawlessness".
In keeping or guarding His commandments, the sages of Israel agree the picture of the saints with palm branches in their hands is a preparation for celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles. With that in mind, I think of Yeshua entering Yerushalyem on a colt while people lined the streets shouting praises and waving palm branches. The people are welcoming their King, as we will likewise do at His second coming.
The sages go further in saying the keeping of Torah includes a true believer's affectionate drawing toward relationship to the one hundred forty-four thousand mentioned in Revelation. These also see themselves in relation with the commonwealth of Israel. They identify with one of the twelve tribes of Israel, seeing the "one hundred forty-four thousand" as their leadership. They don't see themselves as part of the "church". Rather, they see themselves as "children of promise". As the Scripture says;
"However, it is not as though the word of Elohim has failed. For they are not all Yisra’ĕl who are of Yisra’ĕl, neither are they all children because they are the seed of Aḇraham, but, in Yitsḥaq your seed shall be called. That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of Elohim, but the children of the promise are reckoned as the seed." Romans 9: 6-8
"For it has been written, 'Rejoice, O barren, you who do not bear! Break forth and shout, you who do not have birth pains! For the deserted one has many more children than she who has a husband.' And we, brothers, as Yitsḥaq was, are children of promise." Galatians 4: 27-28
Concerning those that see Israel and the Torah done away with and Father now working through the church by grace alone, they may be redeemed, but they don't know the Lord. They don't know the Lord that brought our fathers out of Egypt or will bring us out of our Egypt. These will not walk alive with us into the Kingdom. They'll die quickly or somewhere along the way as did their fathers in the wilderness.
Simple believing in Messiah Yeshua is not enough to guarantee we'll walk alive into the Kingdom, and be known as "overcomers". It only guarantees our redemption from sin and subsequent salvation in Yeshua. For those that choose the easy path of belief only, without proper change in lifestyle, their false love of God will net them this fate as Yeshua described.
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Master, Master,’ shall enter into the reign of the heavens, but he who is doing the desire of My Father in the heavens. Many shall say to Me in that day, ‘Master, Master, have we not prophesied in Your Name, and cast out demons in Your Name, and done many mighty works in Your Name?’ And then I shall declare to them, ‘I never knew you, depart from Me, you who work lawlessness (Torahlessness)!'" Matthew 7: 21-23
Only those that know Yeshua as Savior and love Him enough to observe His Torah will walk alive into His Kingdom. Only the overcomers will make it into the kingdom alive. YHVH most certainly redeemed these "lawless" out of our Egypt, but He says, "I won't let you walk alive into My kingdom because you don't know Me". This is the simple prayer of the tribulation saint that truly "knows the Lord".
"Lord, you know I'm having a little bit of a problem here. Yet, I know You're my Elohim so I really have no problem. I delight in your law and rest in Your faithful promises to my father Abraham. Thus, I know You are pledged to help me."
These pay attention when he says, "I am the Lord". They trust Father and praise Him. These are the "covenant children" of YHWH, the chosen few, the remnant of Israel. God knew us from before the creation of the world. That's why we're called the chosen people. It is this knowledge which should evoke us to change our mindset and be drawn to His ways and really get to know Him.
Remember His everlasting covenant with our father, Abraham, of whom we are all part through the Seed of that covenant, Yeshua our Messiah and soon coming King (Ephesians 3: 29: 30). He has taken us to Himself and protects us under His wings. Also remember, He didn't tell us to produce positive results; He just said, "Go"! Be faithful to His covenant and Torah, and proclaim the majesty of "The Soverign, Great I Am"!
