What's up with portion Yitro

Shouldn't this portion be called Esharot ha'devarim?

Going through the portion it's obvious that the highlight is Elohim descending on Mount Sinai and delivering the Ten Words known as the Ten Commandments.

So, what's up with naming the portion after Moses' father-in-law Yitro, Jethro?

Portion naming convention

The standard convention for naming the Torah portion is that the name is found in the first few lines of the portion.

But if the Torah is Elohim's word, why wouldn't He name it something better? The words are from Elohim, the chapters, verses, name of the portion are all done by people. The hope is that those people were inspired who made these insertions into the Scripture, but they are still insertions.

Yitro's Clues

We learn three important aspects about Yitro from the text.

1. And Yitro the priest of Midian, the father-in-law of Moshe, heard all that which Elohim had done for Moshe and for His people Israel, that Yehovah had caused Israel to go out from Egypt. (Exo 18:1)
2. And Jethro rejoiced regarding all the good which Yehovah had done to Israel whom He had delivered from the hand of Egypt. And Yitro said, Blessed be Yehovah who has delivered you from the hand of Egypt, and from the hand of Pharaoh; He who delivered the people from under the hand of Egypt. (Exo 18:9-10)
3. Now I know that Yehovah is greater than all the gods; truly, in the way in which He acted proudly against them. (Exo 18:11)

 1) Yitro was a priest of and in Midian and we know that when El first appeared to Moshe He said,

"When you bring out the people from Egypt: You shall serve God on this mountain." (Exo 3:12)

That mountain was in Midian where Yitro's sheep were kept. Israel was camping in Yitro's backyard. Unlike many other tribal leaders, Yitro allowed them to do so. He showed hospitality to the millions of Israelites.

2) In contrast to other leaders, "Yitro rejoiced regarding all the good Yehovah had done..." Other leaders saw the hordes of Israelites as a threat, and were afraid they would eat up all the food and drink all the water.

Yitro heard what happened, and rejoiced. He greeted his son-in-law, the leader of the Israelites and brought Moshe's wife and children to the camp. Yitro even offers sage advice to Moshe on how to deal with the massive numbers of people seeking rulings to help out.

3) Yitro acknowledges, "Now I know that Yehovah is greater than all the gods." This statement reveals that Yitro knew enough about other gods that recognizing what Yehovah had performed in Egypt and beyond Yitro was convinced Yehovah was greater.

Who is greater?

There has been an ongoing contest for millenia over who is greater. We see it in the plagues in Egypt. Yehovah showed that He was mightier than all of the gods of Egypt one by one. That contest continues today.

There is no question in the minds of followers of Messiah that Yehovah who created all things, and by whom all things continue to exist is Supreme. (see Col 1:16) Not everyone believes that though.

The Creator can make the Rules

If Elohim created all things, and all things are His, then He has every right and the responsibility to set down rules. Just as an earthly father sets house rules, so does our Heavenly Father.

Did you ever hear your father or mother say something like, "As long as you live in my house, you will obey my rules!"? I heard it. A parent has the authority to set rules and expect them to be obeyed.  Our Father sets rules and says the same thing. As long as we are in His household, we need to obey His rules.

What's the alternative?

"If you are unwilling to obey my rules, you need to get out of my house." That's not a bad thing when you turn eighteen or twenty, and it's time to leave the nest, but when it is Father Elohim, and He tells you to get out, you're in trouble.

Not everyone who says to Me, Lord! Lord! shall enter the kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord! Lord! Did we not prophesy in Your name, and through Your name throw out demons, and through Your name do many wonderful works? And then I will say to them I never knew you! Depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness! (Mat 7:21-23)

When Paul wrote, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Php 4:13) those all things includes keeping the commandments, instructions, and feast days of Elohim.

Portion Beshalach (sent away) January 19, 2019

Moses leads the children of Israel out of Egypt, bondage, and servitude. They leave rejoicing. They are escaping from under the lash of their Egyptian taskmasters.

Let My People Go

Sometimes we forget there was more to God's instructions to Pharaoh. It wasn't just "Let my people go," but "Let my people go that they may serve me."

In the Apostolic Writings Paul tells the Corinthians,

"You are bought with a price; don't be the servants of men." (1Co 7:23)

Israel was not freed from slavery, they were bought with a price, and that price was the death of all the firstborn of Egypt, Pharaoh, and all his army and chariots. It was a high price.

The price paid by Egypt had to be high, because it foreshadowed the price that would be paid by Yeshua, a price nobody else could pay.

Sweetened Water

The bitter waters of Marah. It's a redundancy. Marah is Hebrew for bitter. The waters were bitter. What made the waters bitter? It could have been a high salt content, a high mineral content, or the water could have contained a concentration of poison such as the metalloid arsenic.

"And he cried to Yehovah, and Yehovah showed him a tree. And he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. He made a statute and an ordinance for them there, and He tested them there. And He said, 'If you carefully listen to the voice of Yehovah your God, and do what is right in His eyes, and you give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will not put on you all the diseases which I have put on Egypt; for I am Yehovah your Healer.'" (Exo 15:25-26)

Drinking bitter water leads to death. That's why sailors can't drink salt water, the salt accumulates in the body and without fresh water to flush it, it becomes toxic. The tree Moses is shown is symbolic of the tree Yeshua was crucified on. That tree took the bitterness of death away from us.

"But now having been set free from sin, and having been enslaved to God, you have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is everlasting life in Messiah Yeshua our Lord." (Rom 6:22-23)

Hear and Do

Did you notice what Moses told the people?

"If you carefully listen to the voice of Yehovah your God, and do what is right in His eyes, and you give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes..."

They weren't told, "Hey Pharaoh's dead, now you can do whatever you want and live however you want." But that is the message that I hear a lot today. "I don't have to keep those commandments, I'm under grace, not under the law."

That's a deception!

I find it fascinating that the same people who tell me "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," turn around and say "Nobody can keep the law." So, you can do all things, except do what Father tells you to do, through Christ who strengthens you? That doesn't seem right, does it?

It seems to me that if Christ was going to strengthen you to do anything, it would be to do what God our Father tells us to do. After all it was Yeshua who said, "If you love me, keep my commandments," and John,

"By this we know that we love the children of God: when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not heavy." (1Jn 5:2-3)

I encourage you to learn what Father's house rules are as found in the Torah, and keep them. They are not difficult to keep, and He promises blessings for obedience. Just like our earthly dad's often say, "If you live in my house, you obey my rules."

Torah portion Shemini and Renewing the Fear of God

Torah Portion Shemini; Leviticus 9:1 - 11:47, its accompanying Haftarah 2 Samuel 6:1 - 7:17 and New Testament reading Mark 9:2 - 9:13. As I pondered the connection between the three readings, one feature stood out.

At first I saw that all three contained reference to Yehovah's dwelling among men. With Moses, he dwelt in the tabernacle, although from the text, it is clear that though he dwelt in the temporary structure of the tabernacle His desire is to dwell inside of us.

"These words shall be in your heart." Devarim 6:6.

If the words of Torah are in your heart, and Yeshua is the living Torah, by extension, once the words in your heart take on life by your obedience, Yeshua is in your heart.

The tabernacle was a temporary dwelling. The permanent dwelling is in our hearts.

David's experience in the 2 Samuel Haftarah reveals a problem that we still find. David was troubled that he lived in a house of cedar while Elohim lived in a tent. First problem. Elohim lived in a tent because that is where He told Moses and the Children of Israel the ark was supposed to be housed. Elohim never said He wanted a more permanent structure.

I think David missed the point that the permanent dwelling was to be in the heart.

David looked at the housing situation and came up with a logical, but worldly solution. Build a house as good or better than his own. I think David knew where Elohim wanted to dwell. The Psalms are replete with references to the indwelling of the Word, and the Spirit.

The second message of Shemini, and perhaps even more important is installing the fear of God.

Many modern believers have replaced the fear of God with the love of God. God is love, but He is also a Judge, a Man of War, and a jealous God. All three readings emphasize that the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is a fearful God. Nadab and Abihu were consumed for not following Yehovah's instructions. Uzzah was killed because he touched the ark. While Nadab and Abihu's motives are unclear, Uzzah's intent was to keep the ark from falling. Intent didn't matter. Action did. And Uzzah died.

Pater was afraid when he saw Yeshua, Moses and Elijah together.

Fear of God keeps us on the straight path when other motivations fail us. In times of trial and temptation, a healthy fear of what God will do to us for disobedience can keep up from giving in even more than our love for Him.

It is the same type of fear we have for a good earthly father.

It is not that we are constantly fearful of abuse, but that we understand there are rules, and if we break the rules, we will suffer punishment. I think the idea that Christ took our punishment so we are now free to sin as much as we want without any consequences is misplaced. "Shall we continue to sin that grace may abound? God forbid."

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." (Matthew 7:13-23)

The word translated as iniquity is anomia, without law. Yeshua is addressing people who prophesied in his name, cast out devils, and did wonderful works, but they were without law, the Torah. Sounds like a lot of our brothers and sisters who come into covenant with Elohim, and then turn their backs on His instructions in the Torah.

It is time to renew the fear of God among those who have made a covenant with Him. It is for their own good. Fear is a motivator to obedience. Eternal life is a gift, obedience is a way of life, and it takes work. That is why we are cautioned to "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling."

Insight into The Garden of Eden

“Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Yehovah Elohim had made. And he said unto the woman, “Has Elohim said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” And the woman said unto the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, Elohim has said, ‘You shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.’” And the serpent said unto the woman, “You shall not surely die: For Elohim knows that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:1-5)

Well, the serpent lied, and it didn’t.

The adversary still operates that way! It mixes one or more lies with enough truth so the lie sounds plausible.

The lie, “You shall not surely die.”

Thanks for that

Eating the fruit brought death into the world, not just for them, but for all of us.

The truth, “In the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”

Elohim confirms the true part, “And Yehovah God said, ‘Behold, the man has become as one of Us, to know good and evil.’”

The other aspect here is that the adversary realized there was a difference between the imposition of the death sentence and the gaining of knowledge. “In the day you eat thereof,” their eyes were opened.

“And the eyes of both of them were opened. And they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made girdles for themselves.” (Genesis 3:7)

Their eyes were open immediately. It was later that Elohim imposed the death sentence. Although it is not specifically stated in the text, I suspect there was an immediate change in them that accompanied the realization they were naked. They may have felt the seed of death and it probably came with the opening of their eyes. If not, why was it important to keep them from eating from the Tree of Life?

Now Chava (Eve) aided in her own deception when she added, “Neither shall ye touch it,” to what Elohim told her and Adam. But that is the subject of another day.

Once Elohim discovered Adam and Chava had eaten of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, He did eight things;

To the woman

·         I will greatly increase your sorrow and your conception.

·         In pain you shall bear sons

·         Your desire shall be toward your husband

·         Your husband shall rule over you

And to Adam

·         The ground is cursed for your sake

For both of them

·         Made coats of skin

·         Clothed them

·         Sent them out of the Garden of Eden to till the ground

And then “Lest (Adam) put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever,” Elohim “placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.” (Genesis 3:16-24)

Now comes the fun part.

Well, except for the whole we are all going to die, more or less.

When I talk with people, they agree the cherubim are there to keep Adam, and his descendants away from the Tree of Life. But let’s look at it another way.

“Lest (Adam) put forth his hand…”

Adam and Chava sinned. If you sin, can you reach out and take hold of Eternal Life? Nope. There is a process laid out of repentance, accepting the sacrifice that makes atonement for the sin, and then following the instructions Elohim has established for right living.

I think the cherubim were placed at the east of the Garden for exactly the purpose the text says, “To guard (Shomer in Hebrew) the way to the Tree of Life.”

Elohim did not want the adversary to block or obliterate the way that Adam and his descendants would be able to gain access to the Tree. Adam could not simply reach out and take the fruit, he had to follow the Way back. Not to keep Adam out, but to ensure that when he was ready, the way would still be there.

We need to follow the way as well.

Paul  pointed out we are all sinners (Rom. 3:23). We can’t simply reach out and take the fruit. But the Way cherubim have been guarding it for millenia so those who truly desire to find the Way to Eternal Life can find it.

Repentance is turning away from sin (violation of the instructions of God) and toward Elohim (living the way He wants us to live). The sacrifice is Yeshua (Jesus). The instructions that lay out how to live the way Elohim want His people to live is the Torah.

That was fun. I invite you to come back and visit me again. If you have comments, please share. Thank you for reading.