Bo (Come) Ex. (Sh’mot) 10:1-13:16
1.Exodus 10:10, “And he said to them, Let the L-rd be with you, if I will let you go, and your little ones. Look evil is before you.” The Hebrew word for evil is ra. It is also the name of Egypt’s highest god. So what was Pharaoh telling Moses? Do you see any connection between this verse and the last three plagues mentioned in this Torah portion?
Knowing the meaning of this Hebrew word “ra” puts a deeper meaning to this verse. Pharaoh could have been boasting that his god Ra, Egypt’s highest god, was standing in their way and they needed to remember who they were dealing with.
Now, how does that connect to the three final plagues? The Egyptian god, Ra, was the sun god. So what plagues did G-d choose?
The eighth plague was locusts (Ex. 10:4-5, 15) Verse 15 says, “For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened…”
The ninth plague was darkness (Ex. 10:21-23) Verse 21 says, “Then the L-rd said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt—darkness that can be felt.” So the darkness was so thick you could feel it.
The tenth plague was killing of the first born (Ex. 12:29-30) Verse 29 says, “At midnight the L-rd struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock as well.” This plague came in the middle of the night.
So what does this mean? These plagues of darkness were specifically chosen by G-d and were a direct affront to Ra, the Egyptian sun god. Noteworthy that the Israelites had light while the Egyptians had 3 days of darkness. I think this symbolized who was walking in spiritual darkness and who wasn’t. The Israelites may have been the slaves and the Egyptians the masters but the Egyptians were the ones in physical and spiritual darkness.
Also, G-d was showing Pharaoh and the people of Egypt that Ra had no power and there was none above the G-d of Israel. Let us never forget who we serve. Our G-d is our Shield and Deliverer. Just as He redeemed Israel so has He redeemed us.
2.Exodus chapter 12 begins an in-depth explanation of Passover. Each household was to take a lamb without blemish, kill and eat it. The first and last day of the appointed time was to be a Sabbath. They were to eat unleavened bread during this time. Why did G-d tell them this was to be a memorial and they were to keep it throughout their generations? Does this appointed time give us a picture of our spiritual life?
I believe G-d told the people to memorialize this time, to remember what G-d did for them and how their lives changed. This is a good idea to follow. We should always remember what G-d has done for us and what our life might have been if He had not changed our course in life. They were to tell their children year after year what happened. We should also share with family and friends how G-d has always been there for us.
The appointed time of Pesach is a wonderful symbol for us also. It is easy to see that the sacrificed lamb could represent Yeshua when His blood was spilled for us. This appointed time begins and ends with a Shabbat day of rest. The first Sabbath represents our day of salvation when we were rescued from our own spiritual Egypt, when we became redeemed people of G-d. It is a time of resting in our redemption. The last Shabbat could represent the day when our work on earth is finished and we step into Paradise with our Heavenly Father.
The journey of the days between the two Shabbats reminds us of our walk on this earth as believers. Just as during Passover we have specific guidelines such as eating unleavened bread, as believers, between our Spiritual Sabbaths we have G-d’s framework to live by. No longer can we do what our flesh desires.
We cannot participate in eating “leavening.” Exodus 12:15 says we must put away all leaven out of our house. When we leave behind our own personal spiritual Egypt we must put away all leaven from our house. The only power that sin has in our lives, during this time between the Shabbats is what we give it. What a beautiful picture G-d has given us of our lives as believers and what He has done for us.
I Corinthians 5:7-8, “Clean out the old leaven in order that you may become a new lump, just as you are, in reality, unleavened. Moreover, Yeshua our Pesach lamb, has been sacrificed. Come now, let us celebrate the feast not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and evil, but rather with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”
3.In our Torah portion Moses was about to lead these people out of Egypt to a new life. He gathered them together and spoke to them before they set out on their journey. What did he talk about? Did he give them a pep talk? Read Exodus 12:26-27, Exodus 13:8, Exodus 13:14 and find out. Why were these conversations important?
As Moses gathered the people together to exit Egypt to a new life what did he talk to them about? He could have talked about the journey, how they needed to be tough to endure what was coming. He could have described where they were going. Instead he talked to them about their children, their future. He stressed how important it was to pass on their memories to the next generation that was not even born yet. It was important enough to mention three times in this Torah portion.
Exodus 12:26-27, Exodus 13:8, Exodus 13:14. What do you think Moshe was saying to the people and also to us in these verses?.
So here Israel was standing on the doorstep of freedom. Moshe told them they had to become a nation of teachers. These verses tell us freedom is not won on the battlefield but in the human heart. To defend a country you need an army. But to defend a free society you need to teach your children what makes them truly free.
What makes us truly free? We only have freedom when we realize what G-d has done for us and submit to live in the freedom He is offering us. Our government does not make us free. The problems we see in our society today is not because of what our government does or does not do. The problems in our society are happening because Americans have lost their way. I believe the majority of Americans no longer know G-d intimately and no longer choose to live in His freedom. Rebellion grows when we do not know G-d’s way.
The most important thing we can do in our lives is to teach our children and grandchildren who G-d is. As parents we need to never stop talking about what G-d has done in our lives. We must pass on to our children what our journey has been and how G-d directed our life. We must share not only with our children but with others how G-d has touched our lives.
Moses knew how important it was for the children of Israel to never forget that all that they were and all that they had was because of their Creator. Looking back on the early years we lived in Israel – beginning in 1978, it was a wonderful time. Israel had won several wars, the country was growing. In other words, they were full of themselves. Everyone talked with pride at what they had accomplished in so few years and how many battles they had won. They felt they were invincible. Very few conversations included what G-d had done for them. They were self-sufficient. I think these last two years have been a humbling time for Israel. Hopefully they are seeing where their true strength lies and are turning to G-d.
I think we should follow Moses’ instructions and talk about G-d to anyone who will listen. We do not have time to waste. We carry within us a hope, a life preserver that the dying, drowning world around us desperately needs. I pray G-d gives us opportunities we never dreamed of to share our story.
4.Fact check question: In Exodus 13:1-2 the L-rd told Moses to tell the people to sanctify to Him all the firstborn, whoever opens the womb among the people of Israel. Did Yeshua’s parents do this or was that law done away with at His birth?
Luke 2:22-24, “When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the L-rd (as it is written in the Law of the L-rd, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the L-rd”), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the L-rd: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”