This weeks reading is from Parashat Bo (Shemot / Exodus 10:1-13:16), which details the final plagues God brought upon Egypt. The Lord tells Moshe א וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָֹה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה בֹּא אֶל-פַּרְעֹה כִּי-אֲנִי הִכְבַּדְתִּי אֶת-לִבּוֹ וְאֶת-לֵב עֲבָדָיו לְמַעַן שִׁתִי אֹתֹתַי אֵלֶּה בְּקִרְבּוֹ: 10:1 Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may perform these signs of Mine among them, (NASB) In the midst of all that is happening, we read the Lord working in the hearts of men for the purpose of showing that He is Lord of all. The Lord brings the plague of locust (10:3-19), three days of darkness (10:22-23), and finally the death of the first born of both man and beast (10:24-11:10). The deliverance of Israel marks the beginning of months of God’s appointed times (His Moedim). To prevent the death of the first born, the blood of the lamb that was slain is spread upon the door posts of the house, and the flesh of the lamb is to be eaten till morning with cloths on, sandals on our feet, and staff in hand, this is the Lord’s Pesach (Passover, 12:1-25). The blood will be a sign for the angel of death to “pass over” the house and the Passover is to be remembered as a feast to the Lord and the power of God to deliver His people.
כתבי הקודש / The Holy Scriptures
ספר שמות פרק יא
א וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה עוֹד נֶגַע אֶחָד אָבִיא עַל-פַּרְעֹה וְעַל-מִצְרַיִם אַחֲרֵי-כֵן יְשַׁלַּח אֶתְכֶם מִזֶּה כְּשַׁלְּחוֹ כָּלָה גָּרֵשׁ יְגָרֵשׁ אֶתְכֶם מִזֶּה: ב דַּבֶּר-נָא בְּאָזְנֵי הָעָם וְיִשְׁאֲלוּ אִישׁ | מֵאֵת רֵעֵהוּ וְאִשָּׁה מֵאֵת רְעוּתָהּ כְּלֵי-כֶסֶף וּכְלֵי זָהָב: ג וַיִּתֵּן יְהוָֹה אֶת-חֵן הָעָם בְּעֵינֵי מִצְרָיִם גַּם | הָאִישׁ מֹשֶׁה גָּדוֹל מְאֹד בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בְּעֵינֵי עַבְדֵי-פַרְעֹה וּבְעֵינֵי הָעָם: ס [רביעי] ד וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָֹה כַּחֲצֹת הַלַּיְלָה אֲנִי יוֹצֵא בְּתוֹךְ מִצְרָיִם: ה וּמֵת כָּל-בְּכוֹר בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם מִבְּכוֹר פַּרְעֹה הַיֹּשֵׁב עַל-כִּסְאוֹ עַד בְּכוֹר הַשִּׁפְחָה אֲשֶׁר אַחַר הָרֵחָיִם וְכֹל בְּכוֹר בְּהֵמָה:
Shemot / Exodus 11:1-5
11:1 Now the Lord said to Moses, ‘One more plague I will bring on Pharaoh and on Egypt; after that he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will surely drive you out from here completely. 11:2 ‘Speak now in the hearing of the people that each man ask from his neighbor and each woman from her neighbor for articles of silver and articles of gold.’ 11:3 The Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Furthermore, the man Moses himself was greatly esteemed in the land of Egypt, both in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people. 11:4 Moses said, ‘Thus says the Lord, ‘About midnight I am going out into the midst of Egypt, 11:5 and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of the Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the millstones; all the firstborn of the cattle as well. (NASB)
In this week’s reading, God speaks to Moshe saying there will be one more plague that will be brought upon Egypt. The plague will be so horrible that when the people ask for gold and silver, their Egyptian neighbors will give them what they ask and send them away. The Scriptures say the Lord will give Israel favor in the eyes of the Egyptians. Following the passover, the Scriptures say לו וַיהֹוָה נָתַן אֶת-חֵן הָעָם בְּעֵינֵי מִצְרַיִם וַיַּשְׁאִלוּם וַיְנַצְּלוּ אֶת-מִצְרָיִם: 12:36 and the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have their request. Thus they plundered the Egyptians. (NASB) So, the Lord did give the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians. These Scriptures speak of having faith in the work of God in the hearts of men. Do you believe God works in the hearts of men? Do you believe God works in mysterious ways (1 Timothy 3:16)? Do you believe God works through prayer? Do you believe God works through the lives of others? Do you believe what God tells Jeremiah in Jeremiah 33:3? ג קְרָא אֵלַי וְאֶעֱנֶךָּ וְאַגִּידָה לְּךָ גְּדֹלוֹת וּבְצֻרוֹת לֹא יְדַעְתָּם: 33:3 ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ (NASB) Some people go about actively trying to gain the respect of men in the hopes that who they know will one day lead to greater wealth or position. The Scripture this week reveals to us that our trust is in the Lord God who has the power to give favor in the sight of all men. Yeshua taught this very same principle to have faith in God and in Him, John 11:25 εἶπεν αὐτῇ ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀνάστασις καὶ ἡ ζωή: ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ κἂν ἀποθάνῃ ζήσεται, “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,” (NASB) Isn’t it time to stop trusting in ourselves and start trusting in the Lord God Almighty and His Messiah Yeshua? BTT_Parashat Bo-2013
