Parasha Shemot 5784

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Me

This week we read Parasha Shemot, the opening Parasha of Sefer Shemot—The Book of Exodus. Interestingly, Shemot begins with the Hebrew letter Vav, which symbolically serves as a conjunction and stresses the continuity between the narrative of Genesis and the narrative of Exodus. And this is exactly what is happening as we pick up in Exodus 1 with the reminder of the twelve sons of Israel in Egypt and Joseph and all of his generation dying. Yet, despite the death of their generation the infantile nation continues to be fruitful and multiply.
Exodus 1:8 says a Pharaoh arose that knew not Joseph—which is more likely that a Pharaoh arose who just didn’t care what Joseph did for Egypt. He then goes on a mission to enslave B’nei Yisrael and to try and kill off all boys who could become their savior. These plans backfire in quite a few ways, but the primary being the providence of HaShem lands Moshe, the very savior Pharaoh feared, in his own household being raised as his own grandson.
As Moses grows up, when he’s about 40 years old, he realizes the plight of his people Israel and slays an Egyptian task master in defense of a Hebrew. He becomes afraid that news will get back to Pharaoh of what he did and he runs away to the dessert where he ultimately marries Zipporah, the daughter of Jethro.
In chapter 3 Moses, after another 40 years, encounters the Burning Bush and draws close to figure out what this oddity is exactly. The Lord begins to speak to Moses from the Bush and tells Moses He is equipping him to go back to Egypt and to lead Israel out of slavery into freedom, and ultimately into the Promised Land. Moses has this whole back and forth argument with HaShem which runs on forever… Until Moses finally realizes he can’t win.
In the latter half of chapter 4 Moses let’s his father-in-law know what he has to do and gets released from Jethro to follow his calling. Then Moses meets Aaron along the way and they begin their journey to Egypt to follow through on what God has in store.
In chapter 5 we see Moses and Aaron go before Pharoah and request Israel’s release. And this begins the saga that is the foundation of the Great Exodus of Israel from Egypt by HaShem’s strong and mighty hand.
(Talk briefly about moving out of Cabana before leases was up into Dani’s parents to go in the USMC only to have that fall apart, then God providing a way out of Green Tree when it was His timing for my calling.)

We

God

Moses tried to do the right thing in the right place, but at the wrong time (outside G-d’s timing) and went nowhere real fast. But as we look through the next few Parashot, we realize a very important spiritual principle…
Principle: When we wait on G-d’s timing to fulfill our calling, the enemy’s attempted roadblocks can only serve as speed bumps.
(Repeat)
Parasha Vayechi
Exodus 2:11–15 TLV
Now it happened in those days, after Moses had grown up, that he went out to his brothers and saw their burdens. He noticed an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. So he looked around and when he saw that there was nobody, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. Then he went out the following day, and saw two Hebrew men fighting. So he said to the guilty one, “Why are you beating your companion?” But the man answered, “Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? Are you saying you’re going to kill me—just as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, and thought, “For sure the deed had become known.” When Pharaoh heard about this, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, where he sat down by a well.
Moses had sympathy for his Israelite brothers and took matters into his own hands. When it became known the Israelites scolded him, “Who made you ruler and judge over us?” While in fact, this was actually what G-d had called Moses to be, just he and the Israelites were not yet aware. Yet Moses jumped the gun on G-d’s calling and it cost him everything.
Parasha Vayechi
Exodus 3:1–10 TLV
Now Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. So he led the flock to the farthest end of the wilderness, coming to the mountain of God, Horeb. Then the angel of Adonai appeared to him in a flame of fire from within a bush. So he looked and saw the bush burning with fire, yet it was not consumed. Moses thought, “I will go now, and see this great sight. Why is the bush not burnt?” When Adonai saw that he turned to look, He called to him out of the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” So he answered, “Hineni.” Then He said, “Come no closer. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” So Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. Then Adonai said, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their slave masters, for I know their pains. So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, to bring them up out of that land into a good and large land, a land flowing with milk and honey, into the place of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. Now behold, the cry of Bnei-Yisrael has come to Me. Moreover I have seen the oppression that the Egyptians have inflicted on them. Come now, I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people Bnei-Yisrael out from Egypt.”
Moses spends 40 years in Egypt, then 40 years in the wilderness, after the 40 years in the wilderness G-d revealed His call on Moses’ life in His timing. At this point He calls Moses to become ruler and judge over Israel and to lead them into freedom from Egypt and into HaShem’s promises.
Parasha Vayechi
Principle: When we wait on G-d’s timing to fulfill our calling, the enemy’s attempted roadblocks can only serve as speed bumps.
Parasha Vayechi
1 Corinthians 7:17–24 TLV
Only, as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each, let him walk in this way. I give this rule in all of Messiah’s communities. Was anyone called when he already had been circumcised? Let him not make himself uncircumcised. Has anyone been called while uncircumcised? Let him not allow himself to be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing—but keeping God’s commandments matters. Let each one remain in the calling in which he was called. Were you called as a slave? Don’t let that bother you—but if indeed you can become free, make the most of the opportunity. For the one who was called in the Lord as a slave is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise the one who was called while free is Messiah’s slave. You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men. Brothers and sisters, let each one—in whatever way he was called—remain that way with God.
Be faithful where you are and where G-d has you now and if He moves you elsewhere be faithful to follow and faithful there.
Parasha Vayechi
David— prime example of waiting on G-d’s timing. Dedicated as the next king of Israel, served in Saul’s court while he waited, ran for his own life while he waited, refused to kill Saul while he waited.
Principle: When we wait on G-d’s timing to fulfill our calling, the enemy’s attempted roadblocks can only serve as speed bumps.
Parasha Vayechi
John 7:1–13 TLV
After these events, Yeshua was walking about in the Galilee. He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Judean leaders wanted to kill Him. Now the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near. Therefore His brothers said to Him, “Leave here and go to Judea, so Your disciples also may see the works You are doing. No one who wants to be well known does everything in secret. If You are doing these things, show Yourself to the world!” For not even His brothers were trusting in Him. Therefore Yeshua said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always at hand. The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify that its works are evil. You go on up to the Feast. I’m not going to this feast, because My time hasn’t yet fully come.” After saying these things, He stayed in the Galilee. But after His brothers went to the Feast, He also went, not openly but secretly. Then the Judean leaders were searching for Him at the Feast and kept asking, “Where is that fellow?” There was a lot of murmuring about Him in the crowds. Some were saying, “He is good.” But others were saying, “Not so! He leads the people astray.” Yet no one spoke openly about Him for fear of the Judean leaders.
Parasha Vayechi
Principle: When we wait on G-d’s timing to fulfill our calling, the enemy’s attempted roadblocks can only serve as speed bumps.
Parasha Vayechi

You

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