Shemot – “Names”

Exodus opens with the names of the tribes that went to Egypt. After some time, Joseph and his brothers and all that generation died. According to God’s promise, the Jewish people multiplied greatly while in Egypt; from seventy-five people to nearly two million. One of God’s promises was to make Abraham’s descendants as numerous as the stars of the sky and as the sand on the seashore. He kept His promise!

Eventually a new Pharaoh reigned in Egypt. This Pharaoh, however, didn’t view Israel’s fruitfulness as a blessing, but rather as a potential threat. Pharaoh didn’t appreciate the good things Joseph had done for Egypt, nor did he feel any obligation to Joseph’s descendants, and was hostile towards them. Although the Israelis had lived in Egypt for four centuries, they had not assimilated into the Egyptian culture, but remained distinct.

Pharaoh feared that the Jewish people had become so strong and numerous that they might join forces with Egypt’s enemies to bring the nation down. So, he came up with a plan of oppression, which included enslavement, and ordering midwives to kill Israeli males being born. When that didn’t work, he ordered his own soldiers to do it, yet the people of Israel continued to multiply.

This was a direct battle between Pharaoh and the God of Israel. In Genesis 12:3 God promised Abraham that whoever blessed his descendants would themselves be blessed, and whoever cursed the Jewish people would themselves be cursed. Pharaoh’s opposition to God and Israel would inevitably backfire against him and all the inhabitants of Egypt.

In chapter 4 Moses has an encounter with the Living God, who appeared amid a burning bush. Adonai recounts the promises He previously made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In addition, He shares with Moses His personal Name; a name whose correct pronunciation had long since been forgotten, demonstrating His desire to have a more personal relationship with His people. This is so important. You see, Israel had been enslaved almost 400 years, and almost certainly some had given up and lost faith in the promises God made to Abraham.

Adonai commands Moses to confront Pharaoh and demand that he let Israel go. But Moses hesitated because of what he perceived as his own inadequate speech. He focused on his circumstances rather than focusing on God’s power. We find this theme in the New Testament, when Peter stepped out of the boat in faith and began walking on water, but then focused on the situation instead of Yeshua, and began to sink. It’s easy to look back and be critical of Moses’ reluctance to take the assignment, but he was a human being who, like us, experienced doubts and emotions, including fear. The Scriptures are truthful in their portrayal of Moses as a man with real flaws and weaknesses just like us. If we are honest with ourselves, we would have probably acted no differently.

Adonai had a message for the people of Israel and for Pharaoh, King of Egypt, neither of whom believed the words of Moses. They both needed to understand that the Lord decreed the Israelis to be set free and His will is going to be done.

However, Pharaoh refused, and took away the provision of straw for the Israelis to make bricks, yet still required them to maintain the same quota. The Israelis blamed Moses for the increased hardship, but Adonai responded by telling Moses “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. For with a strong hand he will let them go, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.”

This week’s parasha contains lessons of faith, lessons of the high cost of a hard and rebellious heart, and examples of the power of the Mighty God that we serve. I submit that one of the biggest lessons to be found in this section of Scripture is that Adonai’s will cannot possibly be impeded or prevented.

Whether or not the nation of Israel believed that Moses was sent by God proved to be irrelevant. Adonai was going to free them from bondage anyway. And neither Pharaoh nor the unbelieving Israelis were going to get in His way or stop Him from accomplishing His purpose.

In Romans 15, Rabbi Paul tells us that everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Therefore, Israel’s bondage, the rise of a deliverer, and the contest with Pharaoh’s stubborn pride that resulted in the miraculous deliverance of the people of God should be an encouragement to us all.

It’s comforting to realize that God does not forget us, or the promises He has made. He remembers us because it is in His nature to be faithful, and He desires a close personal relationship with us. He truly knows us and can intimately identify with what we endure, whether it be trials, suffering or temptations.

The book of Hebrews tells us that this was accomplished by Messiah Yeshua. The author writes, “For this reason Yeshua had to be made like his brothers and sisters in every way, in order that He might become a merciful and faithful High Priest in service to God, and that He might make atonement for the sins of the people.”

Because Yeshua Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is empathetic, and able to help those who are being tempted. The God of the Bible is not distant; nor is He unmoved by the cry of the oppressed who believe in Him. He is close to His people, running the universe for their good and for His glory. And now the stage is set, and the next act of the drama of Israel’s redemption is about to unfold. Until next week.

Shabbat Shalom