(CHAPTER 6)

2. Now Elohim spoke to Moshe and told him, "I am YHWH.

   YHWH is the name that emphasizes Elohim the judge's compassionate side. Moshe had been obedient despite his questioning and arguing, so YHWH's initial wrath had departed by this point. But Moshe is frustrated because things have gotten worse since he started obeying YHWH, and the answer he receives is very simple, yet very profound: "I am YHWH." This says everything there is to say. The name by which He first spoke to Moshe, Ehyeh asher Ehyeh, a different form of His name, means "I am becoming what I am becoming". (3:14) He can be everything His people need Him to be. This is the beginning of the first commandment (20:2), and it is where everything begins for Israel: recognizing who YHWH is. The Torah--and Israel--is all about responding to that realization: doing something about it. We cannot put him in any of our boxes, yet still He lets us know Him as whatever we need Him to be at that moment. So He is telling Moshe, "I am taking care of this, even though it may not look like it. Before you get there, I will be there."

3. "And I appeared (va'era) to Avraham, To Yitzhaq, and to Yaaqov as El Shaddai, but by my Name YHWH I was not known to them."

   Both Noakh (Gen. 9:26) and the Torah that Moshe himself wrote says that all three of these patriarchs did know His Name was YHWH (Gen. 12:3, 8; 13:4; 17:1; 21:33; 22:13ff; 24:7ff; 26:25; 28:3, 13ff) They also knew Him as El Shaddai (Gen. 17:1; 35:10ff) But this was not the attribute He emphasized to them. El means "mighty one" and emphasizes His power and justice. Shaddai seems to stem from shad (breast in the specific context of nursing). That is then combined with "dai" (enough), emphasizing His sufficiency. He intervened for teh patriarchs whenever they needed Him to, but the name YHWH emphasizes that He can be whatever He needs to be in any season, and now that Israel is a people, He wants to dwell permanently with us all of the time, not just come when called upon. He is both the fierce protector, as seen in the pillar of fire, and the comforter, as seen in the cloud, which brings su shade. When Moshe said, "I can't", it angered YHWH, because He was on Moshe's side to support him. His brother ended up getting credit for things he should have done. We need to at least try to do what we think we cannot, because He had ways of making this work that Moshe did not know about, but which would work in his favor. Name: includes one's reputation. He had proven Himself to the patriarchs through natural, though abnormally-timed, things like births of children, a land to inhabit, and provision in duress. He promised them a home, as one would to a bride. But that was not all there is to Him. He did not want Moshe to think His power was one-faceted, like the gods of Egypt, who supposedly each controlled only one aspect of weather, etc. What He was going to do to Pharaoh was not a motherly thing. He would not even drive Israel out gently. He was not only a friend to individuals, showing mercy, but a warrior who can do much more than protect them and make them wealthy; He could avenge them in a magnificent manner as well. He wanted to be al things to His people at all times, for at this time Israel needed both nurture and a strong hand. They had not been obedient or remained in unity, so they needed more than El Shaddai. They are building state-sponsored monuments to multiple elohim! Both they and Pharaoh must therefore be invaded with the fact that He is one, and experience the fact that He is very different from Egypt's elohim.

4. "And I also confirmed My covenant with them, to give them the Land of Kanaan--the land of their sojournings, in which they were temporary dwellers.

   He refers everything back to the context of the covenant, because without them, there is no Israel. If they are replaced by a "new" covenant, Israel is destroyed. (In reality there is only a renewal of the same covenant.) More than ethnicity, Israel is defined by our covenants with YHWH. He heard their cry because of this covenant, a contract with their ancestors that extended to them--and to us. In Egypt, we had come to be about acquiring and security, and we forgot our responsibilities to YHWH. But His covenant is for a people in unity. YHWH even took responsibility Himself to put Israel back into the right context to be able to fulfill their part--the exact same task the prophets had, and the same job Yahshua was given in regard to the scattered sheep of the House of Israel, in addition to returning those still at home to the fullness of the original covenant. Sojournings: Yaaqov was described as "a perfect man, living in tents" (Gen. 25:27), which symbolizes learning the ways of YHWH. YHWH was again going to move His people onward, and would meet them in the wilderness and in a tent. Once they moved into the Land and became settled, there was more temptation to fear the gods of the peoples there, and also when David stopped fighting the paganism and his son settled in and built a stationary house, he also became idolatrous. Even in the Land they were considered tenants of YHWH, because it is His Land (Lev. 25:23), and were called "sojourners WITH Him". Even the Promised Land is a picture of something better, and Hebrews chapter 11 celebrates those who kept seeking a homeland, and continued living as strangers and pilgrims on the earth; how much more those of us who are still in exile from our earthly homeland as well? Yaaqov built himself a house, but built sukkoth (stables or booths--i.e., temporary shelters) for his flocks, and we are YHWH's flock. Yaaqov then, in fact, went back to dwelling in tents. Israel, ideally, is always a sojourning nation, because only this way do we constantly see that our provision comes only from YHWH.

5. "And I have also perceived the groaning of the descendants of Israel, whom the Egyptians are compelling to labor, and I have remembered My covenant.

6. "So tell the descendants of Israel, 'I am YHWH, and I will bring you out from [under] the tyrannical service of the Egyptians, and I will snatch you away from their slave-labor, and I will avenge you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment.

   I am YHWH: Moshe is speaking as a prophet. Aharon does not arrive until v. 13. Judgment: both punishment for the Egyptians and vindication for the Israelites.

7. "Moreover, I will acquire you for Myself as a people, and I will be an Elohim for you, and you will come to know that I am YHWH your Elohim, who is bringing you out from [under] the compulsory service of the Egyptians.

   Thus far the story has just been that He will take them to a party in the wilderness; now it goes a lot deeper, because Pharaoh has gone too f ar. He has made things worse for them, so now His people will be completely brought out. Pharaoh will know YHWH as devastator, and we will know what it means to be YHWH's people and have Him as our Elohim. I will acquire you for Myself: Aram., "I will bring you close before Me". This is the terminology of taking a bride. The nation of Israel had begun through an untimely birth, and the Exodus brings to birth a nation that interrupts the natural flows of history as usual. The "repair of the world" had begun!

8. "Then I will bring you into the Land which I raised My hand to give to Avraham, to Yitzhaq, and to Yaaqov. And I will give it to you as an heirloom. I am YHWH!"

   Raised My hand: i.e., swore an oath. The statement "I am YHWH" is enough to prove that He is trustworthy, though He has not yet acted with a strong hand. He is telling Moshe that he will see every part of Him, for He will act in many roles during this whole process. Heirloom: possession or inheritance.

9. So Moshe spoke to the descendants of Israel, but they did not listen to Moshe, due to the impatience of spirit and the cruel slave-labor.

   Impatience of spirit: or shortness of breath. When one is in such straits, in a "living hell", it is hard to believe things will get any better. Last time they had listened to him, things only got harder for them. When they tried to do the right thing, their situation became worse. They needed relief, and at first they had thought Moshe was bringing these. Pharaoh's orders to "forget those pipe dreams" worked for a while. They did not want to listen to him again. They were disappointed, and it is hard to blame them. They needed results, not just promises. They thought they would already have had relief by this time. But YHWH had more to teach them on the way there, so He did not just work magic. He required action on their part as well, or they would not be able to live wit the shame of letting Him do all the work. We must invest ourselves in our deliverance as well, and things usually get tough before they get better. But hang in there, because this time we again have each other to help. "Cruel slave-labor" could also be translated "stubbornness in service", i.e., obsession with getting their job done. Today this is applicable to those who are hesitant to leave the Church or any other loyalty to take their place as Israel, because the Church "needs them", even though it is really enslaving them.

10. Then YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying,

11. "Go in and warn Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, [to] set the descendants of Israel free from his land."

   Set free: literally "send out"; they had to be sent out before they recognized YHWH.

12. But Moshe spoke before YHWH, saying, "Look, the people of Israel have not listened to me; how then will Pharaoh listen to me--I, [who have] uncircumcised lips?"

   Not only had Pharaoh shown great disrespect for YHWH; the Israelites themselves have put doubts in Moshe's mind. Uncircumcised lips: or, "sealed/overhanging language"--i.e., he stumbled over his own mouth as he spoke. Did Moshe only see himself as not diplomatic enough to avoid saying something that would get himself killed? After 40 years away from Egypt, his Egyptian was probably not the best either, but he had not spoken Hebrew since he was about three years old, and now he is 80, and Hebrew is the language he would need to speak to give Pharaoh YHWH's words verbatim. Having so many Hebrews under his authority, it would be strange if Pharaoh did not understand some Hebrew as well. But if the Israelites did not understand his broken Hebrew, how much less would Pharaoh? If those who stood to benefit from his words would not listen, how much less the one who would have to pay the price? Yet still, he is transferring genuine experience to what is a mere suspicion, a yet-unproven theory. Too often our doubts prevent us from acting. There is a fine line to walk between not thinking enough about what one is doing and overthinking it, but Moshe is definitely doing the latter. So YHWH needed to keep reminding him that, it was true, Moshe could not do what he was being asked to do, but YHWH could, and he needed to take what steps he could to get the process started. He would have a translator in Aharon, and it might not matter how clearly he could speak if he had the signs to show him what he meant.

13. Thus YHWH spoke to Moshe and Aharon and commanded the descendants of Israel and Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to bring the descendants of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

   I.e., everyone involved was now responsible to get the Israelites out of Egypt—Moshe, Aharon, and Pharaoh himself --but also the Israelite slaves!  It was not just Pharaoh’s problem.  If each did his job, no one could blame anyone else if we had not yet left.  Even if the government made it hard, they were each also responsible to see to it that the others got out.  And if we want Egypt to let us go, we have to start letting go of Egypt.  To be compassionate to some, we may have to be a devastator to others, as Moshe was to Pharaoh because he refused to do his part.  Even if we are disappointed, and even if we are now having to gather the “straw” that used to be provided for us, we need to find out what our part in the deliverance is.  Who is the Pharaoh now?  Anything that keeps us in bondage, whether governments, the Church, our employers, or our own ideas of what will keep us secure.  Egypt was full of industries geared solely toward preparing people for the afterlife, just like the Church.  But the Torah is called our life, so anything that keeps us from the fullness fo life is our Egypt.  The Torah represents Moshe today, and Israel is again realizing who we are, so we are in the same situation again.  If we do not move out of Egypt, we will be lost with it.  Moshe is not responsible to do this alone, as Yahshua cannot be expected to bring the Kingdom alone.  We would think slaves would surely want to leave Egypt behind!  But amazingly, the people gave Moshe a hard time; they said things became worse when he came.  Why could he not have left well enough alone?  The rabbis say they were growing accustomed to their bondage and becoming comfortable in their bondage, just as kidnapped hostages often learn to identify with their captors’ goals and hold them in high esteem.  People who experience harsh treatment begin to see it as normal.  Likewise, many people recognize the truth, but stay in the Church, and even say that those who keep Torah are the ones in bondage—though it is the only place we are free to actually obey YHWH rather than what some men have invented.  How could they walk away from what they were born into?  Others were probably even married to Egyptians, with the advantages that might have brought them.  They might not have been treated as badly, but this kept their hearts in Egypt.  In contrast, even though Yaaqov and Yosef died in Egypt, their bodies were eventually taken home because they did not consider Egypt home, and took steps to leave, even after their lives were over.  YHWH does not accept our captivity as inevitable; nor should we.  We must begin to think as free men and see ourselves where YHWH sees us.  The Hebrew word for “exodus” is the same as the word for “exit”.  In our automobile culture, we have to know which exit to take from the highway to get where we need to go.  We must follow the “hurricane evacuation route” rather than take our own choice of road, or we may end up just as much in harm’s way as the place we left behind.  The Torah is the sign, the road map, or the GPS that tells us which exit to take.  We are not just leaving Egypt, but going to a particular place and for a particular purpose.  If the governor tells us to evacuate, but the local government does not enforce the evacuation, he and those under him will end up paying a price, and this is the situation Pharaoh was in.  This hurricane was a “category 10”—10 plagues wide.  We cannot just will ourselves off the highway; we have to start turning the wheels in the right direction, or we will never get there.  Studying Torah, practicing community, and visiting the Land of Israel are the things that will steer us the right way.  We may have heard that there are bad things down that road, but it is the only one that will take us home.  The details do not appear on the map until we get closer to each turn, but we must start disconnecting from things that want to keep us here, and start connecting with things that will take us there.  No one was left with the excuse that they did not know this needed to be done. All were held accountable for seeing that they left. No one could say they did not know. It will be similar when the fullness of judgment comes--when all who have bookshelves full of Bibles will be made to actually open them and read what their responsibilities were. As a blues-spiritual in the 1920s said, "If I don't read, my soul will be lost, and nobody's fault but mine." The entire earth must answer for this. If the whole world really wanted what would be most beneficial to all, they would all send the House of Yoseyf home as quickly as possible and do al they could to empower Yehudah who is already in the Land. Kings are to carry our children home on their shoulders! . Otherwise YHWH will have to interfere as He did with Pharaoh. He had to earn his judgment by making the wrong choices, because YHWH is "overly" fair in waiting for his cup to be full. Another clue that Moshe is emphasizing that every Israelite must take responsibility is that he moves directly into this list of Israel's leaders:

14. These were the heads of the houses of their fathers:

The sons of Reuven [Look! A son!], the firstborn of Israel, were:

Chanoch [dedicated or disciplined],

Pallu [distinguished, set apart],

Hezron [surrounded by a wall], and

Karmi [my vineyard or the gardener].

These were the clans of Reuven.

   Who says genealogies have to be boring?! The name groupings tell stories: the eldest son Reuven's tribal leaders remind us instantly of Y'shua's parable of the unfaithful keepers of his walled-in vineyard. (Matt. 21:31-41) YHWH has just told Pharaoh (through Moshe), "Israel is my firstborn". (4:22) Reuven lost that right because of a wicked deed (Gen. 49:3, 4), so that later Efrayim, Yoseyf's son, is called the firstborn (Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 31:9), i.e. in terms of transferred birthright. The wording is eerily reminiscent of these five names and the name of Efrayim ["doubly fruitful"]: They SAW the SON, said "this is the heir (firstborn)", did not REVERENCE him, but threw him out of the VINEYARD. The master then ended their lease and turned over the vineyard to OTHERS which would give him of its FRUITS in their proper season.

15. The sons of Shim'on [the one who really heard, or the great hearing]:

Y'mu-El [Day of Elohim],

Yamin [right hand],

Ohad [united or made one],

Yachin [he will establish],

Tzohar [dazzling whiteness], and

Sha'ul [asked for], the son of a Kanaanitess.

These were the families of Shim'on.

   What a prophetic family! It immediately transports us into the seventh (Sabbath) millennium to the book of the Revelation of Y'shua the Messiah, which begins with Yochanan being taken in spirit into the DAY OF YHWH, and immediately HEARING behind him a great voice, turning to see the speaker in DAZZLING WHITE apparel, and having the keys of death so that he can ESTABLISH his kingdom. He holds seven stars in his RIGHT HAND, and he himself is the Servant, a name for the central trunk of the menorah that unites all the branches into one "vine" (cf. Yochanan 15). He is the one called by his Father's Name. "In THAT DAY [nearly always an idiom for the Day of YHWH] YHWH will be ONE and his name ONE." (Zech. 14:9).

16. And these were the sons of Levi [joining] according to their birth order:

Gershon,

K'hath, and

Merari,

and the lifetime of Levi was 137 years.

17. Then the sons of Gershon [exile]:

Livni [my white one]

Shimei [my "heard-of" or renowned one], by their clans.

   The sons of Levi were divided into four groups in their encampment around the Tabernacle in the wilderness. The sons of Gershon camped on the West, between the tent of meeting and the three tribes of Rachel, and who all traveled under the banner of Efrayim, the tribe that led the northern kingdom into a self-chosen EXILE. Yet YHWH did not forget His promises to them, and sent Y'shua to these lost sheep. Those who did HEAR his voice "washed their garments" in His atoning blood and were given WHITE apparel, which speaks of righteousness. They have made his name RENOWNED throughout all the world during their exile--which Paul tells us was the plan from the start (Romans 11)--and will again be brought back to their inheritance in their greatest numbers from the WEST.

18. And the sons of K'hath [an assembly of those allied together]:

Amram [an exalted people],

Yitzhar [shining oil],

Hevron [closest friendship or association], and

Uzzi-El [Elohim is my strength].

And the lifetime of K'hath was 133 years.

   K'hath's sons ended up with the most EXALTED positions of all the Levites because of their special faithfulness. The high priesthood came from the line of Amram through his son Aharon. They camped with the three tribes under the standard of Yehudah, the EXALTED, royal line that brought forth David, the "man after YHWH's own heart" and Y'shua, "the Shepherd and the man who is My ASSOCIATE" (Zech. 13:7). The Menorah, symbol of Yehudah's people to this day, is a lampstand in which OIL (a picture of the Holy Spirit) is burned, giving forth a SHINING light in YHWH's temple, which is true STRENGTH.

19. And the sons of Merari [my bitterness]:

Mahli [sickly or weak] and

Mushi [sensitive, touchy, weakly yielding].

These are the clans of Levi according to their genealogies.

   The sons of Merari were camped on the side of the Tabernacle with the tribes that were under the standard of Dan [a judge]--the tribe that, living both by the sea (a picture of the Gentile nations) and on the northern border of Israel, from which much pagan influence entered the land, caused the whole nation to YIELD to the pressure to participate in idolatry and of course, become sickly in YHWH's eyes. Bitterness bears, as its fruit, sickliness (so that one is of no benefit to his neighbors) and thin-skinned self-consciousness in which one is so easily offended that he no longer wishes to be part of the community. The name sounds fitting in English as well--"mushy" meaning nauseatingly emotional. The raw nerves of oversensitivity are a symptom of the root of bitterness (Deut. 29:18) that causes many to be defiled. In the context of unity in the Body of Messiah, the writer to the Hebrews warns us to beware of this root that will seek its nourishment from the community but bear no edible fruit in return. (12:15) In other words, it is selfishness. The word for rebellion in Hebrew shares the same root as "Merari". It means serving our own purpose, rather than what YHWH is leading His people to do. Rebellion indicates that we are trusting someone other than YHWH. (Yesh. 35:5) Insolence is counted as being as evil as witchcraft and idolatry (1 Shmuel 15:22-23), and leaves a bitter taste in YHWH's mouth. Oversensitivity means we think too much of ourselves; we think we know better than YHWH or the leaders He sets in place. Defensiveness is a sign that we have not been fully dealt with, because one who is dead to self is not easily offended. Rebellion and bitterness breed sensitivity to self, which in turn breeds more of the same in others, so those infected with it must be put off-limits so the sickness cannot spread. The more time YHWH has put into His craftsmanship, the angrier He is when it goes awry, and He had put everything into Israel. (Yeshayahu/Isa. 5) YHWH is jealous and says He will separate such people from His tribes (Deut. 29:18), for we cannot serve Him and our own hearts at the same time. Indeed He did this; to remedy the fact that some of Israel was "Merari", YHWH made them "Gershon" (exiles) so that the bitterness could be dealt with. He longs for Ephraim to be "sweet" again (Hoshea 11), and He has given us all that we need to rebuild His dwelling place, but He will not do it without our cooperation. Guard against bitterness!

20. Then Amram took his beloved Yocheved as a wife, and she bore him Aharon [light-bringer] and Moshe [drawn out], and the lifetime of Amram was 137 years.

   Beloved: or his aunt; the word is ambiguous. Marrying one's father's sister would later be forbidden by Torah, but so would marrying two sisters, which Yaaqov did, though unintentionally. But "sister" has wider meanings in Hebrew as well, and could have included more distant relatives of his father. 137 years: LXX: 132 years.

21. And the sons of Yitzhar [shining oil]:

Qorakh [bald],

Nefeg [sprout], and

Zichri [memorable].

   Yitzhar: possibly another name for the Amminadav of verse 23, Qorakh's father according to 1 Chron. 6:22.

22. And the sons of Uzzi-El [Elohim is my strength]:

Mishael [Who is what Elohim is?],

Elitzafan [My Elohim has protected], and

Sithri [my hiding-place].

23. Then Aharon took as a wife Elisheva, daughter of Amminadav, sister of Nachshon, and she bore him Nadav, Avihu, El'azar, and Ithamar.

   The fruit of Aharon (the "light-bearer") and Elisheva ("My Elohim has sworn an oath") are Nadav ("one who is noble, willing, or generous"), and Avihu ("he is my father"), El'azar ("Elohim has helped"), and Ithamar: "coast of palms". The 70 palm trees at Elim represented 70 nations for which Israel is to intercede (1:5; 15:27; Deut. 32:8), and the "coastlands" are a figure of speech for the nations which would inhabit Shem's tents. (Compare Gen. 9:27; 10:5) Thus Ithamar represents the fact that many Israelites would be exiled in other lands. Amminadav means "my people is noble", and Nachshon, "great enchanter" (related to the word for "serpent").

24. And the sons of Qorakh [were]:

Asir [prisoner],

Elqanah [Elohim has acquired], and

Aviasaf [My father has gathered].

These are the families of the Korchites.

25. And Aharon's son El'azar took for himself one of the daughters of Putiel [disparaged by Elohim] as a wife, and she bore him Pin'has [mouth of bronze]; these are the heads of the progenitors of the Levites, according to their clans.

   The genealogy ends at Pin'has, a generation beyond Moshe, because YHWH was satisfied with him. (Number 25:12) His zeal and action earned his family an eternal covenant.

26. These are that [same] Aharon and Moshe to whom YHWH had said, "Bring the descendants of Israel out from Egypt according to their companies."

   Thus Moshe and Aharon were of the fourth generation living in Egypt. Companies: really battle divisions or armies. (See 7:4) One title of Elohim is YHWH Tz'vaoth (YHWH of the armies). The Tabernacle yard's layout resembled the field-camp of the Pharaohs, according to ancient Egyptian rock-carvings. So when this several million-strong community was traveling through the wilderness, the other peoples saw them coming and were struck with respect for this company that resembled Pharaoh's army, only was much larger. Bilaam (Numbers 24) saw them from high above and prophesied, "How pleasing are your tents, O Israel!" Men of war are men of tents, for a soldier does not entangle himself in everyday affairs (2 Tim. 2) so he can please the one who enlisted him. Israelites are not to live in palaces, because they are built to do spiritual warfare, on the offensive against the principalities and powers in the heavenly places (Ephes. 6). We don't wrestle against people, but against the concepts and spirits that rule them. Our worship disrupts their agendas, and our prayers and proclamations do battle in other dimensions which affect the physical realities around us as well. Only warriors come out of Egypt, partly because we first have to fight ourselves off, since we are often the ones who keep ourselves in bondage, as we saw in v. 9.

27. They are the ones who were speaking to Pharaoh, king of Egypt about leading the descendants of Israel out from Egypt; these are the [same] Moshe and Aharon.

   Moshe is showing his pedigree, for the Israelites were probably accusing him of not even really being one of them. Last time they had seen him, he was an Egyptian official. People feel that if they can find fault with the leadership, they do not have to take responsibility either. He is showing that he does have authority to speak after all, and there may be something of a veiled threat in the reminder that he is of the tribe of Levi: "Remember what he did, and realize that we are going to leave, but if you do not listen to me, you will not be part of this." But he still introduces himself not as first in line, even in his own family, and shows that his tribe is not the firstborn either, but the third. He shows respect for the tribes of his ancestor's elder brothers, and his tribe should not be mentioned without theirs coming first. But at the same time it is a reminder that Re'uven did not live up to his birthright and Shim'on disappointed his father as well, but there is a tribe that is taking the risks needed to get this job done. Levi helped Shim'on kill the men at Sh'khem, but he is standing in the gap for his brothers. If Levi could, so could Shim'on; this can be done. At least one family is taking responsibility.

28. Now what took place on the day when YHWH spoke to Moshe in the land of Egypt

29. was that YHWH told Moshe, "I am YHWH; declare to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, all that I tell you."

   Again, if he were to repeat YHWH's words exactly, he would be speaking Hebrew to Pharaoh, reminding him that his language was inferior, though he thought of himself as a god.

30. But Moshe said before YHWH, "Look, I am uncircumcised of lips, so how will Pharaoh listen to me?"

   We are back to where we began. Why this digression, then, into genealogies? They put Moshe and Aharon into perspective, but why the other two tribes? And, for that matter, why not the other nine? It relates to the fact that Moshe was told to gather the elders of Israel. He is speaking about everyone taking responsibility (v. 13), and the leaders are expected to make everyone under them act responsibly. This is an example of how. It shows the organization of Israel as YHWH wants it--divided into houses with heads. It is a representative government in a way, but not democracy. Not everyone has a vote, though their wisdom may be called on when needed. Reuven is listed as the firstborn, and though he had lost his birthright, these three tribes tell us what we need in order to know how to bring deliverance to Israel again in our own day. The meanings of the names of those listed tell us much. Reuven's family (v. 14) speaks of a SON who DISCIPLINED and DEDICATED Himself and was SET APART as well as DISTINGUISHED. This is Yahshua, YHWH's Son, who delivers Israel from Egypt. The Temple is SURROUNDED BY A WALL, and just above it is HIS GARDEN. The "Gardener" (Adam) began to be reconstituted through Israel as it went out of Egypt to form a dwelling place for YHWH. Shim'on, the "great hearing", (v. 15) pictures Mt. Sinai, where with loud trumpets and voices, YHWH laid out His marriage covenant. The DAY OF ELOHIM (the Millennial Kingdom) is the result of this listening and obeying. The RIGHT HAND, Yahshua, made it possible for that UNITED people who spoke with "one voice" at Sinai (24:3) to be ESTABLISHED at last. We will be able to walk with Him in DAZZLING WHITENESS (Rev. 3:4), but we have to ASK FOR it, giving Him no rest until He establishes Yerushalayim, which mystically is the same as this united Man. (Yesh. 62:7; cf. Luke 18:3ff) Levi(vv. 16-18) teaches us that as the EXILES bring forth PURITY and makes YHWH's REPUTATION known (which is synonymous with His Name, Zeph. 3:19), we can be JOINED fully back to YHWH in His Land. Only as we are not only ASSEMBLED but also truly ALLIED with one another can an EXALTED PEOPLE be birthed again, along with the OIL that is worthy of anointing Yahshua and lighting the lights in the Temple, and we can have CLOSEST FRIENDSHIP with YHWH Himself, as well as His STRENGTH.

CHAPTER 7

1. So YHWH told Moshe, "Look: I have made you an elohim to Pharaoh, and Aharon your brother will be your prophet.

   Prophet: or simply a spokesman. The terms are not just religious ones. The father of a household is its elohim, and anyone who speaks his will to another is his prophet. If his words reflect any will other than that of the one who sent him, he is not a true prophet. He is the one with the authority to hold others responsible to do what is right. If the claim that Yahshua is actually YHWH is based on the fact that Thomas called him his elohim, then by the same token we must posit a doctrine of the deity of Moshe! And Moshe is YHWH's prophet as well. Acting too "humble" when He has given him authority is wrong, because true humility is simply a realistic appraisal of what one is and is not. The Hebrew one means "low"--that is, close to the ground--not groveling, but grounded on a sure foundation, knowing where one stands. If He has called us Israel, then we have within us what is needed to get the task He has assigned to us done. YHWH doees not want him to see himself as weak when he really is not. But there is also some psychological warfare involved here, as Moshe does not speak to Pharaoh, but has a "servant" who speaks for him. Pharaoh, supposedly a god himself, would start to get angered by this man who "thinks he's too noble to speak to me"--especially since he was a sheepherder, and, as far as Egypt was concerned, a murderer. And now he is made responsible to ensure that the most powerful man in the known world lets Israel go. YHWH expects him not to let what took place 40 years ago stop him from speaking. It is not Moshe Pharaoh is not listening to; it is YHWH. If he does what he is told, he will see YHWH's salvation. In response to 6:30, YHWH is telling him to notice what He has done, so he will realize why Pharaoh really will listen to him. Elohim also means "judge", and he certainly was that to Pharaoh. As the Aramaic targum Pseudo-Jonathan puts it, "Why are you afraid? I have already made you an object of fear to Pharaoh."

2. "You must say all that I command you, and Aharon your brother will speak to Pharaoh, so [that] he will send away the descendants of Israel from his land.

   Aharon will need to keep his own opinions to himself, or change them! He must have trust his brother to really be saying words he heard from YHWH. Aharon was a brave man! He will send: YHWH could have simply brought them out and destroyed Egypt by His word, but He wished to show that He was powerful enough to make Pharaoh willing to actually command them to leave, not just let them go.

3. "But I will toughen Pharaoh's resolve, then cause My distinguishing proofs and miracles to multiply in the land of Egypt.

   Toughen Pharaoh's resolve: or, harden his heart; Aram., make it stubborn. This refusal of the circumcision of the heart (Deut. 10:16) also kept the "foreskin" of his ears (Acts 7:51) from being removed. The two are intimately connected. Paul spoke about how important it is for one to hear in order for his heart to believe. (Rom. 10:9-14) YHWH, however, has the prerogative of doing things the way He wants to (Dan. 4:35), and He would make sure Pharaoh would ultimately listen to Him by making him unable to listen at first.

4. "Yet Pharaoh will [still] not listen to you, so I have employed My hand over Egypt and will bring My armies, My people, the children of Israel, out from their midst with great acts of judgment.

   My armies: They were armies-in-training to reclaim the Land of Kanaan for those to whom it was promised. The House of Israel, also known as the sons of Yoseyf, will also be brought back into the Land as armies to reclaim it once again. (Ovadyah 1:18) There is no place for cowardice or pacifism in Israel. We may be fighting lies rather than people (may we indeed conquer through truth), but we cannot let Israel be defeated simply because we do not enjoy confrontation. Great acts of judgment: Egypt had been blessed by Israel's presence among them, so YHWH would judge them for how they treated Israel in return. Through the tests of the power of the things he bowed down to, Pharaoh would be found legally guilty and thus punished. He would pay for bowing down to things that were not ultimately elohim with a slow, tortuous death. The Israelites were never enslaved to Pharaoh as the rest of Egypt was (during Yoseyf's day), yet they, too, were treated as slaves, and even more so than the native inhabitants of Egypt. Yet many Israelites indebted themselves to him, though they belonged to YHWH, and it is time to reclaim them, but everything is done above board. Since the coming exodus will greatly overshadow the past one (Yirm. 16:14-15), the events described in the Book of Revelation are also directed against the forces that will try to keep Him from accomplishing this. That Egypt is also symbolic of the institutional Church also suggests that its highest leaders will not be granted repentance if they do not wish to set their hardest workers, the "cream of the crop" among their members, free to be Israel as they were meant to be.

5. "Then the Egyptians will know that I am YHWH, through My employing My hand upon Egypt and My bringing the descendants of Israel out from among them."

   If Moshe avoided the confrontation, not only would Israel suffer; so would those YHWH wanted to know Him from among the Egyptians. He does not include Pharaoh at this point, but He wants some of Pharaoh's subjects to stop being fooled by idols of wood and stone.

6. So Moshe and Aharon did as YHWH had commanded; they did indeed.

   This is one of the most beautiful verses in the whole Torah! They did things YHWH's way rather than the least offensive way or as their own fears, hesitations, or even morality dictated. He did not even do things his parents' or grandparents' way, because if their way was right, why was Israel still in exile and slavery?

7. Now Moshe was 80 years old and Aharon 83 when they spoke to Pharaoh.

   Prophet: or simply a spokesman. The terms are not just religious ones. The father of a household is its elohim, and anyone who speaks his will to another is his prophet. If his words reflect any will other than that of the one who sent him, he is not a true prophet. He is the one with the authority to hold others responsible to do what is right. If the claim that Yahshua is actually YHWH is based on the fact that Thomas called him his elohim, then by the same token we must posit a doctrine of the deity of Moshe! And Moshe is YHWH’s prophet as well. Acting too "humble" when He has given him authority is wrong, because true humility is simply a realistic appraisal of what one is and is not. The Hebrew one means "low"--that is, close to the ground--not groveling, but grounded on a sure foundation, knowing where one stands. If He has called us Israel, then we have within us what is needed to get the task He has assigned to us done. YHWH doees not want him to see himself as weak when he really is not. But there is also some psychological warfare involved here, as Moshe does not speak to Pharaoh, but has a "servant" who speaks for him. Pharaoh, supposedly a god himself, would start to get angered by this man who "thinks he's too noble to speak to me"--especially since he was a sheepherder, and, as far as Egypt was concerned, a murderer. And now he is made responsible to ensure that the most powerful man in the known world lets Israel go. YHWH expects him not to let what took place 40 years ago stop him from speaking. It is not Moshe Pharaoh is not listening to; it is YHWH. If he does what he is told, he will see YHWH’s salvation. In response to 6:30, YHWH is telling him to notice what He has done, so he will realize why Pharaoh really will listen to him. Elohim also means "judge", and he certainly was that to Pharaoh. As the Aramaic targum Pseudo-Jonathan puts it, "Why are you afraid? I have already made you an object of fear to Pharaoh."

8. Then YHWH said to Moshe and Aharon,

9. "When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, 'Produce a token for yourselves', then you shall tell Aharon, 'Take hold of your rod and fling it in front of Pharaoh, and it will become a crocodile.'"

   Token: i.e., evidence that you have authority to tell me to do this. Yahshua said a generation that required such a sign was wicked and adulterous. (Mat. 12:39) Before

Pharaoh: or even, into Pharaoh's face. When Moshe appeared before the elders of Israel,

the rod became a nakhash (serpent, the same word used of haSatan in the

Garden of Eden, and communicated to them that the promise to crush his head

was still remembered); when before Pharaoh, it becomes a tanin (in Scripture,

always depicted as in the water or coming out from the water--a crocodile,

dragon, or amphibious dinosaur--also serpentlike, but more familiar to the

Egyptians to this day; even one of their hieroglyphic "letters" was a crocodile, and

the Egyptian word for "king" was composed of a hawk and two crocodiles. So

Pharaoh's very position was linked with crocodiles.). The crocodile was one of

Egypt's gods, named Sobek (see photo), who in their view created the Nile from its

sweat. It was feared because it was the most terrible creature in the Nile, but

according to Herodotus, the Egyptians paid homage to it by keeping a tame one as

a pet, hanging its ears with rings, encircling its forepaws with bracelets, and

finally embalming it when it died. It was considered the protector of the royal

dead. So YHWH was making war on Pharaoh's title, his afterlife, and the strength

of Egypt. The rod that turned into a "dragon" (a picture of haSatan) suggests that

the hand YHWH was employing against Egypt was not His right hand (Yahshua),

but He was using the other side to divide a kingdom against itself.

10. So Moshe and Aharon went in to Pharaoh, and did just what YHWH had commanded them: Aharon threw his rod [down] in the presence of Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a crocodile.

11. But Pharaoh also summoned the wise men and those practicing sorcery, and the magicians of Egypt did the same with their enchantments:

   LXX: sorcerers and charmers. Magic was flourishing at this time. Magical texts and even magic books have been found in Egypt from this time period. Pharaoh must have been somewhat impressed, because he did not just say, "So what?" but called in his best to counter it. Enchantments: literally, "flames". In Y'hezq'el (Ezekiel) 29:2-7, Pharaoh himself is called a tanin/crocodile who rules his river and says that he created it himself He is a picture of the counterfeit Messiah, who claims to be above every god. (2 Thess. 2:4) Now this seems to uphold his viewpoint: see how many crocodiles he has? Nachmanides (Ramban) said these magicians could manage the negative supernatural forces of destruction, but could not remove them, as YHWH could. These forces were already in motion, and they were tapping into already-active energy. Any time worship is established, some spirit will come to receive it. The "disorderly energy" cast out of YHWH's presence seeks to be increased through such acknowledgement. HaSatan was in charge of leading the worship of YHWH, so he knows well how these principles work. The magicians are dealing with a power they do not understand; they do not know who they are really calling on. YHWH sometimes gives haSatan permission to miraculously heal, but the source and the fruit must be taken into account before it is acclaimed. Paul wrote that it is those who did not welcome the love of the truth that are deceived by "lying wonders" stemming from the "secret of lawlessness". (2 Thess. 2:7ff) The counterfeit Messiah will repeat this strong delusion to keep Israelites within the ecumenicized Church by making them think they are still Egyptians and that he is their "Lord". Pharaoh also turned on the Israelites who had turned to him for help, so YHWH said He would leave him like a fish out of water.

12. Each of them threw his rod down, and they became crocodiles, but Aharon's rod swallowed up their rods.

   If Pharaoh had paid attention to the history of Yoseyf, he would have been warned that one animal eating another of the same kind was a bad sign for Egypt. Sobek was actually depicted as four crocodiles rather than one, so this multiplicity of crocodiles being swallowed up would be a definite message that Sobek was not all-protective. Yet it does not say it was the crocodile that ate other crocodiles, but the rod, which is a symbol of authority. So this is the message that really matters here. When these rods were eaten up, the Egyptians had to find new rods. Israel is reclaiming the Scriptural authority that the Church had co-opted, so the pope and other leaders are looking elsewhere for their validation--to the Dalai Lama, to appeals to reunification with the Protestant churches, to being beneficial to the world at large, or to "inter-faith" precursors to the coming single world religion, for the harlot will ride the Beast until it turns on her. (Rev. 17) If we trace the history of this particular rod throughout the whole narrative from chapter 4 onward, we find that the same rod that belonged to Moshe (sometimes called the Rod of Elohim) is also the one Aharon uses--the one which later blossoms in order to show that YHWH had chosen Aharon as high priest (Numbers 17).

13. Yet Pharaoh's heart was strengthened so that he would not listen to them, just as YHWH had said.

   Strengthened: Though his own magicians were outdone, the fact that they could nonetheless do something upheld his preconceived ideas, in his mind, confirming to him that his worldview was the correct one and he need not change anything. This "trick" was not worthy of his attention, in his opinion.

14. Then YHWH told Moshe, "Pharaoh's heart is burdensome; he has refused to let the people go.

   Burdensome: literally, heavy, dull, or given importance--i.e., he gave more weight to his own heart, and let this be his authority. He considered it to be right, and decided to "follow his heart"--a philosophy so common in today's media arts, but very contrary to Scripture, which says the human heart is profoundly deceitful (Yirmeyahu 17:9) and leads us astray (Numbers 15:39).

15. "Go to Pharaoh in the morning. Pay attention [to when] he is coming out of the water, and be [already] stationed by the river's edge to meet him, and take in your hand the rod that was changed into a serpent.

   Coming out of the water: either bathing or relieving himself--a vulnerable moment for the reputation of this "god" who supposedly had no such needs; it is more psychological warfare designed to unsettle him. YHWH gave them leverage to accomplish more than they think they can by catching him at such an undignified moment when he not on his throne or in his royal finery but was probably already nervous and would be in a hurry to get to the river and therefore more willing to conclude this interruption as quickly as possible. YHWH refers Moshe back not to the most recent usage of his rod, but to the one that would remind him of Sinai where his underlying purpose--that of shepherding Israel--was defined. The time it turned into a serpent (rather than a crocodile) was when he first encountered YHWH and proved himself. He is down at the river not because of the circumstance immediately in front of him but because at that earlier time he had committed himself to YHWH. He was real then, and He is real now. Do not look at your present situation, but look back to what what brought you this far to start with. The rod does not actually get used at this time, but the fact that he has it there is more leverage, for by the river, Pharaoh cannot call in his other magicians, and it Moshe were to turn it into a crocodile here--in its own element--he would not be able to outrun it.

16. "Then you shall tell him, 'YHWH, the Elohim of the Hebrews, sent me to you to say, "Let My people go, so they may serve Me in the uncultivated land." But thus far you have not obeyed.'

17. "Thus says YHWH, 'This is how you will know that I am YHWH: Watch--I myself will strike the water of the River with the rod that is in my hand, and it will be transformed into blood.

   Pharaoh had asked who YHWH was and why he should care. Now he will find out very clearly who He is, but he will meet the side of Him that he should not be eager to meet.

18. "'Then [all the species of] fish that are in the River will collectively die, and the River will stink, and the people of Egypt will find it offensive to drink the water from the River.'"

   The Nile was considered one of the gods of Egypt, since their livelihood depended on it. It was also tied inextricably to the people's perception of Pharaoh's power. (Y'chezq'el 29:3) Thus this would weaken his image in their eyes as well. Find it offensive: or impossible; targum Neofiti: "they will weary themselves to find drinkable water ". This was the first of YHWH's direct litmus tests of the power (or lack of it) in the things they trusted in.

19. Then YHWH told Moshe, "Say to Aharon, 'Take your rod and extend your hand over the waters of Egypt--over their rivers, over their canals, over their marshes, and over every pool of water, so that they may become blood. And there will be blood throughout the whole land of Egypt, and in wooden and stone [containers as well].'"

   Pool: or reservoir; Heb., miqvah, the word later used for Torah-compliant ritual

baths which change one's symbolic status to one of being "pure" and eligible to enter

holy places. If so, symbolically, the Egyptians have no possibility of being clean in

YHWH's eyes anymore. There is some evidence of these in Egypt, but these could be

reservoirs for other purposes. Now He is making war on Hapi, the river god, who is

depicted as a man with breasts (see photo)--a counterfeit of El Shaddai. It was seen

as the creator of fish and also of grain, since only after the Nile's annual floods would

the crops grow. This is where their "happiness" comes from. Since Egypt represents

the Church, YHWH's great end-time judgments are designed to show up its bankruptcy

as well, since now that Israel's exile has run its course, He has removed His presence from it.

20. So Moshe and Aharon did as YHWH had commanded: he raised up the rod and sent judgment upon the waters that were in the river in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, and all the waters in the river were being changed into blood.

21. And the fish [population] that was in the river died, and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink from the river's water; there was blood throughout the whole land of Egypt.

   Most Egyptians, though paying homage to many deities in certain times of crisis, would normally consider themselves chiefly worshippers of one particular elohim, and those elohim were often in opposition to one another. They would devote themselves to one particular temple which they frequyented, paying its priests, which became their livelihood. Even Pharaoh was not allowed to enter some temples; only the priests connected to it were, and this gave them a great commercial advantage. In the book of Acts we see similar devotion by a whole town to a particular deity, and the rivalry it created with devotees to other deities when the source of wealth derived from it was threatened. The northern and southern kingdoms of Egypt worshipped two different elohim, both of which were supposedly the creators of the Nile. When Sobek was thus dishonored, Horus' priests would rejoice! So this began further dividing Egypt against itself.

22. But the magicians of Egypt did the same with their secret arts, so Pharaoh's heart was strengthened, and he did not listen to them, as YHWH had said.

   Did the same: Whatever Moshe and Aharon had not already turned into blood, they did, thus finishing up the job for them, and proving to be a foolish kingdom divided against themselves!

23. Then Pharaoh turned away and went into his house, and he did not lay this to heart either.

   As is so common today, as long as he had his "holy" counterfeit, he did not think he needed to pay attention to the real thing. If he can get by with his substitute, he thinks he will be all right. If he was not so prosperous (for which he was really dependent on the actions of Yoseyf many years before without acknowledging it), he might have appreciated the Hebrews instead of oppressing them, like his predecessor back then who knew he was in trouble and rewarded Yoseyf as he deserved for his rescuing the nation from oblivion. But even if this Pharaoh's interest in YHWH was piqued by things going wrong, when they returned to normal, his fingers went right back into his ears. Maybe there is a little bit of Pharaoh in all of us?

24. But all the Egyptians had to dig all around the river for water to drink, because they could not drink the water of the river.

   The water was corrupted by blood, so they had to dig new wells. This difficult-to-reach fresh water may have been the source of the water the magicians turned into blood. In any case, it kept the Egyptians too busy to harass the Israelites further. The pague on Egypt is replacing water with blood. There is much emphasis in Christianity of being "washed in the blood", but Scripture actually says that what washes us is the water of the Word. We cannot drink blood! The pure water of Torah has been defiled by an overuse of Yahshua's blood, which is applied everywhere instead of where it pertains. The Church, finding that this kills the "fish", thinks the Torah is responsible, and does not dig in it for water. Instead it should make us run back toward the Torah. But when the water is replaced by blood, it is a curse. We cannot claim the blood without walking in the instruction. YHWH once more shows He has power over what the Egyptians worship (the Nile). We do not worship the Torah, but only appreciate the life YHWH brings us through it. Josephus adds that it caused great pain to those who ventured to drink it, but says the water was completely drinkable to the Israelites. However, there is no evidence of any difference in the Hebrews' condition until chapter 9, for as long as we are mixed in among the Egyptians, we will suffer the same things they suffer. One evidence of this is in verse 19. It pays to know archaeology when studying Scripture, for one detail that would not otherwise stand out is that the Egyptians did not use wooden or stone containers to store water in, but clay vessels. However, the Kanaanites did, and this practice was carried on by the Hebrews who had lived among them. Wooden and stone vessels would not retain ritual impurity like clay would. (Compare Lev. 6:28 and 11:32 with 11:33.) Thus this appears to be referring to the containers in which Israelites stored water as well. Too many of them may have been paying homage to that elohim.

25. And a full seven days [passed] after YHWH sent judgment upon the river.

   By this time, his people are dying of thirst, but Pharaoh does not take it seriously enough to ask Moshe to stop the plague, and there is no record that it did stop, though the Aramaic targum assumes that it stopped after this complete cycle of seven days. Judgment upon the river: YHWH makes war on anything that holds His people captive.

CHAPTER 8

1. [7:26 in Hebrew] Then YHWH told Moshe, "Go to Pharaoh, and tell him, 'This is what YHWH says: "Send My people away, so that they may serve Me.

   Send away: more than just “let My people go”, for if he left it to us, to our shame we probably would not have all left.  Many of us had too much invested in Egypt.  YHWH had said (Ex. 6:1) that Pharaoh would drive us out with a “strong hand”.  The Hebrew denotes a “tightly-clenched” hand—i.e., He would be unwilling, preferring and trying to hold us back, yet would be forced to not just let us go, but give us a military escort out of his land, though not in the way anyone expected.   Serve Me: instead of Pharaoh!  This is the key.  Pharaoh sees them as his slaves; what would be in it for him if he let them go?  YHWH sees things differently.  They are His people, accordingf to an agreement made long before this Pharaoh ever existed.  (Even after He said the Northern Kingdom would no longer be His people, He said He would still bring us back after “putting us through hell”.)  So the rivalry here reaches dramatic proportions. The Hebrew word used here for “send away” (shalakh) is used in Lev. 21:7. Numbers 30:0, and Deut. 24:1 specifically as term for divorce.  They are to come out of Egypt so they can come into His Land—His household, as His bride. He is telling Pharaoh to divorce himself from them—to say not, “You can go, but be sure you come back”, but “I never want to see you again!”  YHWH wants to take His bride camping!  He is jealous of the Egypt that holds His people captive today as well. What keeps us attached to “Egypt”?  A job?  Citizenship in a particular nation that has low taxes?  Church membership?  Any of these can keep us from fully seeking the One to whom we belong.  We need to consistently see ourselves as YHWH sees us—as belonging to Him.  If we have reached the point where we are eager to leave the pagan system, what is our reason for wanting to leave? Because it gives you some emotional comfort?  Because Hebraic dance makes us feel nice?  Because community seems like a refuge if the system collapses?  Because the family and authority structures that have been abandoned elsewhere are still intact and even increasing within Israelite community?  Rebellion against some other authority?  Just wanting to be different?  These have all helped many people shake loose from Egypt, but even feeling a connection with the beautiful heritage He has given us is not the “why”.  The only acceptable primary motive is that we want to please YHWH—to give Him what He asks for—not just to prove you know more than the pastor or rabbi!  YHWH Ekhad can mean “YHWH is one”, but it must also mean “YHWH is number one”.  He comes first.  He does not want us “married” to anything that has more importance in our lives than He does.  The context He wants us in is serving one another, not Pharaoh.  We need to divorce Pharaoh, too—to “burn his dinner” and do other things that make him no longer find pleasure in us, so that when YHWH says it is time to leave, our bags are already packed. 

2. "'"And if you are unwilling to let them go, behold, I am about to strike all the territory within your borders with frogs.

   Frogs: The Hebrew name for them means "those that come out early from the swamp". They were another of the things the Egyptians worshipped, because of how they "die" and are "resurrected" when metamorphosed from tadpoles. The ancient Egyptians saw thousands of frogs appear all along the Nile at certain times of the year. Their appearance came to symbolize fruitfulness and coming life. But the four primeval deities of Egypt, Nun (representing water), Amun (invisibility), Heh (infinity), and Kek (darkness), were all also illustrated as frogs. Frogs were consecrated to Osiris and were the symbol of inspiration. Frogs and toads were very sacred to the Egyptians. If someone killed a frog, even unintentionally, the person was punishable by death. So Egypt sees frogs as a beneficial thing, but YHWH will use them against it.

3. "'"And the River will swarm with teeming frogs, which will come up and enter your house, and your innermost rooms, and your bed, and come into the houses of your servants, and into your people, and into your cooking ovens, and into your kneading bowls [when dough is in them].

  The goddess Heqt (Heket) was depicted as a frog-headed woman, who was

   "reborn" through her many children. As a water goddess, she was also a goddess

   of fertility where she was particularly associated with the later stages of labour.

   Her priestesses were trained as midwives. So having Heket in one's bed might

   have sounded like a wonderful idea to them--until YHWH actually brought the

    frogs into their beds! Now they were not such a blessing anymore! Into your

    people: Some Rabbinic writers say they even entered all of their bodily orifices. Thus even men would be "delivering" frogs! Rabbi Hirsch says He took away their privacy so they would know what their slaves were constantly experiencing. This also provides the background for the idea of the "unclean spirits like frogs" in the mouth of the dragon (Rev. 16:13)--doctrines of demons. These indeed are infesting the Church in greater numbers as YHWH calls His people out from there.

4. "'"And the frogs will [gob] up into you and your people, and your slaves."'"

   Your slaves: since it is listed in addition to his people, this must mean the Israelite slaves.

5. [8:1 in Hebrew] Then YHWH told Moshe, "Tell Aharon, 'Extend your hand with your rod [in it] over the rivers, canals, and marshes, and cause frogs to come up onto the land of Egypt.'"

6. So Aharon extended his hand over the waters of Egypt, and frogs came up and overwhelmed the land of Egypt.

   Overwhelmed: covered, concealed. Josephus adds that they caused a filthy slime to be over everything. Psalm 78:45 tells us that the frogs corrupted them (spoiled them, caused them to rot, perverted them). YHWH has allowed the Church to be spoiled by doctrines of demons, so it is not a place for a holy people to remain any longer.

7. But the magicians did the same with their secret arts, and brought frogs up onto the land of Egypt.

   Secret arts: This term makes one wonder whether they were using sleight of hand. As if there were not already enough, the magicians conjured up more! Arrogance can lead people to do very strange things. Why not try to make them disappear instead? But the dark side can only counterfeit what YHWH is doing through His servants; they cannot create anything original.

8. But Pharaoh summoned Moshe and Aharon, and said, "Plead with YHWH to make these frogs leave me and my people. Then I will let the people go to make a slaughter to YHWH."

   In Egypt, only the priests did the slaughtering, whereas in Israel, the one who brought the offering slaughtered it himself, while the priest merely officiated, assisted, and dealt with the blood. It is a a personal, intimate experience. Blood must be shed to provide a proper understanding of redemption. The animal has the offerer's hands laid firmly on it to show his identification with it, for he is intending to kill off the "animal nature" within himself. When we die to self, we can draw near to YHWH, which is the real meaning of the other word often translated "sacrifice". This also tells us that Israel had not been slaughtering animals to YHWH the whole time they had been enslaved in Egypt. YHWH withholds from Pharaoh the knowledge that He intends to ask of him a greater challenge--that of letting Israel go altogether. He mercifully allows him to prove faithful in a smaller thing first. Note that Pharaoh does not ask his magicians to take the frogs away. He admits this is from YHWH, acknowledging Him at last, after a taste of what He is capable of. Yet he still puts himself before his people--the opposite of what YHWH looks for in a leader. YHWH chose shepherds who risked their lives for the flock to be leaders of His people. He makes no mention at all of removing the frogs from his slaves (as included in v. 4). He did not care what became of the Israelites. Moshe corrects him by placing them before his own people:

9. So Moshe said to Pharaoh, "Glorify yourself above me: When shall I pray for you and your slaves and your people, to eliminate the frogs from you, so they'll only be left in the river?"

   Glorify yourself over me: Here, apparently, "You be the one to choose!" Aramaic targum Onqelos says "Ask for a mighty deed; set an appointed time when I should pray..." In the river: their normal habitat, where they would not be an inconvenience. Yet the picture is still one of an unclean beast in the source of drinking water (which symbolizes selfish interpretation of Torah); thus it would still constantly defile everything.

10. So he said, "Tomorrow." And he [replied], "According to your word, so that you may know that there is none like YHWH our Elohim.

   It is amazing that Pharaoh did not say, "Right now!", as if he wanted to enjoy the dirty feeling of frogs within his body for one last day. Or he may have just wanted to preserve some sense of control in this matter. In any case, this gave him ample time to truly repent, though not unlimited; the choice must be made by "tomorrow". And the longer one hesitates, the more blessing "evaporates" from what YHWH is offering us. Egyptian deities were limited by time or territory, and had to ask permission of other gods to act outside their jurisdiction, but YHWH is not bound like this. By setting a specific time he could prove it was YHWH acting, not just Moshe doing tricks.

11. "Thus the frogs will leave you, from your houses, from your servants, and from your people; they will only remain in the [Nile] River."

12. Then Moshe and Aharon departed from Pharaoh, and Moshe cried out [for help] to YHWH about the matter of the frogs which He had brought upon Pharaoh.

13. And YHWH did according to Moshe's word, and the frogs perished from the houses, enclosed settlements, and cultivated fields.

   YHWH did according to Moshe's word: "Moshe" symbolizes the Torah, and YHWH does honor that in everything He does.

14. So they piled them up in heaps, and the land stank.

   They must have been glad to have them out of their houses, ovens, and ears, but still there is a bitter reminder left behind. A stench is in Scripture is usually associated with disobedience, as in the test regarding the manna. (16:20) He is just saying words to get past the unpleasant situation, but does not actually change his intentions at all.

15. But when Pharaoh saw that there was breathing-space, he honored his own wishes and would not listen to them, as YHWH had said.

   How typical of us all to relax our zeal and repentance when things get back to normal and the pressure is off. The heart is more inclined to YHWH when there is trouble, so another plague is needed…

16. So YHWH told Moshe, "Tell Aharon, 'Extend your rod and strike the dust of the land, so that it will become lice throughout the land of Egypt.

   Lice: while it is sometimes translated gnats, the Hebrew word indicates something that fastens [its egg] onto a stalk, somewhat like a grape cluster. It could also be interpreted as something that inserts, like a mosquito or tick. Anciently, demons were associated with blood-sucking insects. Indeed, like a mosquito, Constantine extracted the blood of Yahshua from Israel and appropriated it for his own purposes, creating a new entity that he thought could have the best of both worlds. But the term for gnats is also based on a root word meaning a root, support, shoot, or stock. Paul reminds Gentiles not to imagine that they support the root, but to remember that the root (Israel) supports them. Constantine did all he could to obliterate that fact. This time Pharaoh receives no warning, for those he receivede earlier should be enough. He is still being held accountable for those.

17. So Aharon indeed stretched out his hand on his rod, and struck the dust of the land, and lice were upon man and beast; all the dust of the ground became lice throughout the whole land of Egypt.

  Adam was created from the dust of the land of Israel, since Eden is above

   Yerushalayim. But from the dust of Egypt, all that can be created is stinging,

   discomforting parasites. But what was YHWH making war on this time? There was

   no elohim of gnats or lice in Egypt. Rather, he is told to strike the ground. The

   people of Egypt also worshipped the land from which these came. An elohim called

   Geb (see picture) is depicted as a man wearing a crown with a goose on it, and his

   body is called the "house of the Earth". So YHWH will turn the very earth against

   them, if they continue to want to see it as something to worship.

  18. Then the magicians prepared to bring forth lice with their secret arts, but they

         could not. But there were lice upon man and beast,

   This is where their power ran out. It may be that this was because they had no advance lead time to work up a counterfeit as they could in previous cases. Josephus also adds that they were "not able to destroy this sort of vermin with either washes or ointments".

19. so the magicians told Pharaoh, "That is a finger of Elohim!" But Pharaoh's heart was made heavy, and he did not listen to them.

   Finger of the Elohim: Psalm 8:3 describes the heavens, the moon, and the stars as the work of YHWH's fingers. So this is creation force that they are dealing with, not something they can imitate. With incantations they could coax frogs out of the river, but could not create life from "scratch". When the Assyrians spoke of the finger of Elohim, it always referred to devastation, but in Egypt the phrase infers something miraculous. A Midrash says that after this these magicians became Moshe's students. This prefigures many in the Church who, when its mask is finally off, will follow Israel in knowing YHWH the way He originally wanted to be known. The lice probably now disappeared, because this was the response YHWH was looking for. They were starting to realize that YHWH really was greater than their elohim. But Pharaoh did not acknowledge this.

20. So YHWH told Moshe, "Get an early start and station yourself in Pharaoh's way; take notice [of when] he comes out toward the water, and tell him, 'This is what YHWH says: "Send My people off, so that they may serve Me."'

21. "'And if you do not send My people off, look out! I am about to send swarms upon you, your slaves, and your people, and into your houses, and the houses of the Egyptians will be filled with swarming things, and also the ground which they are on."

   Swarms: it does not specify what type of animals or insects this entailed, though the LXX says the "dogfly"; an Aramaic targum has gnats. Its name means "mixture" (a practice deadly and corrupting to the church as it mixed Hebraic truth with paganism), "with constant or involved motion", or what “darkens” the ground.  Josephus calls it "various sorts of pestilential creatures". (See also note on 9:24)  At this specific time period in Egypt, the “order of the golden fly” was a much-coveted military decoration.  The fly also graced the rods of the heads of Egypt’s armies.  A golden chain with three pendants bearing the fly motif was found in the tomb of Queen Ahotep from 1550 B.C.E.  The fly hieroglyph signified bravery.  How does one beat a fly, especially if multiple flies are buzzing around you?  They can drive you crasy without even hurting you in any way.  Pharaoh’s armies had conquered the whole world like such a swarm; to hear of them would make anyone’s knees weak.  So YHWH is symbolically turning Egypt’s own armies against it. 

22. And in that day I will isolate the Land of Goshen on which My people are remaining, until no swarms will be there, in order that you [who are] in the midst of the land may acknowledge that I am YHWH [the One who exists]."

   It appears that this is the first plague that did not affect that part of the land, possibly because the Israelites were not listening well enough before this, but possibly so that they could empathize with what the Egyptians were going through, and be willing to let some of the Egyptians join them in leaving the land, because YHWH shows Himself merciful to those who are merciful.  YHWH is now making a way for Israel to be unaffected by the sufferings being brought on Egypt. Goshen means "drawing near", and this regathering was an essential prerequisite for their departure from Egypt, just as the "fallen sukkah of David" must be raised back up BEFORE the descendants of Israel will again return to their land (Amos 9:11), just as one must ascend many steps before entering the Temple proper. We must pay attention to this, because "what has been is what will be". (Qoheleth/ Eccles. 1:9) When YHWH opens the door to gather in "Goshen", do not remain in bondage, no matter what you must sacrifice! Goshen held none of the attractions of mainstream Egypt; all that was there were shepherds and flocks, but that is why it was given to Israel, whose purpose is to feed YHWH's sheep. Those who did this are the ones YHWH calls His people; the rest are living as individualists rather than seeing themselves as part of Israel. Apparently there was a community who had never left Goshen; it is possible that they were never even enslaved, but only those who scattered into the rest of Egypt. In any case, with the Egyptians preoccupied with the plagues, Israel has an open door to come back to where they were supposed to remain a separate people. Every time there was a pogrom against the Jews, even under Hitler, there was always a time allotted to leave beforehand. Prior to the 1920s and 1930s it was difficult to emigrate from Germany, but at this time there was an unprecedented open, but most had grown wealthy in Germany and saw no reason to leave this behind. Many Israelites of this generation had never been shepherds, and in Goshen they could not make bricks, so they might have felt they had no way to make a living there. It was only for the later plagues that affected the people themselves that the land of Goshen (which was only under Egypt's military jurisdiction) received a different treatment than the land of Egypt proper. Israel will be affected by part of the "great tribulation", because the plagues of Revelation are coming on all the world. But during the latter, worse, part, they will be gathered together and hidden in "the secret place of the Most High" (cf. Psalm 91) where they will be near the destruction of the wicked, but will only see it; the plague will not come near the tent of those who have gathered when called (the Tabernacle we will again have with us in that short replay of the wilderness wanderings that followed this greater Exodus). With the current resurgence of nature-worship under the guise of esoteric New Age philosophy, we can see the same pattern in the book of Revelation, as the earth and all that people are again worshipping is shown to be inadequate to save them from the wrath of the same Judge, YHWH.

23. "And I will put a division between My people and your people; this distinguishing sign shall be for tomorrow."

   A division: The word also means "ransom". (Used thus in Psalms 111:9; 130:7) So redemption makes us separate from what we have been. We hear no more about them making bricks, so this may have brought reprieve from their hard labor. Those who were not in Goshen by "tomorrow" would be considered to be in Pharaoh's camp, not YHWH's, no matter what kind of blood was running through their veins. No one outside Goshen would receive the benefit of YHWH's shielding. YHWH draws a line even for His people: Those who don't return home to the community of Israel remain in Pharaoh's jurisdiction and will suffer along with him. Gathering in Raamses or Pithom would not provide any kind of protection. "For tomorrow" also suggests a fulfillment for the time to come as well, when everyone will be given one final mandate to take one side of the other--Israel or "Egypt".

24. So that is just what YHWH did: heavy swarms came into Pharaoh's house and his slaves' houses, and into the whole land of Egypt, and the land was corrupted in the face of the swarm.

   Since Moshe and Aharon had upheld YHWH's word, He upheld theirs. Another possibility of what this "swarm" was is the scarab beetle, also known as the dung beetle, because it rolls 1½-inch balls of animal dung along the ground in balls to build its nest--thus infecting every place over which it moved. They were thought to be able to bring life out of inanimate matter, because they laid their eggs, too tiny for the human eye, in the dung balls, then the newborn young would eat the dung and emerge when grown larger. Thus the Egyptians worshiped them; they even considered the sun a large ball rolled by a huge scarab beetle! This swarm would disrupt Egyptian religious life, since the priests were required to shave all their hair and bathe twice a day if even lice were found on them, and they would be forbidden from entering their temples if so many insects were all over them.

25. So Pharaoh summoned Moshe and Aharon, and said, "Go, make your slaughter to your Elohim--[but here] in the land!"

26. But Moshe said, "It is not safe to do that, because we will be making a slaughter to YHWH our Elohim that is abominable to the Egyptians; if we slaughter what is an abomination to the Egyptians where they can see us, won't they stone us to death?

   Safe: It was not secure or solid ground for them. Slaughter that is abominable: Yoseyf had told his family (Gen. 46-47) that shepherds and herdsmen were an abomination to the Egyptians, much like in India today. Aramaic, "We are taking as our sacrifice the very cattle which the Egyptians worship." Egyptians neither kill nor eat sheep; we would be killing things they believe are supposed to survive. This would not work when we are surrounded by people who do not believe in what we are doing. Can we follow YHWH while within the institutional church? It may tolerate an occasional Passover seder, but usually it is seen as entertainment, not an obligation, and it is thus totally out of context. It does not even let us keep the Sabbath, yet still wants our tithes to go to its own agendas, which include things that YHWH hates. And we will have to "kill" things it holds dear: its Hellenized Jesus, Gentile ways, extrabiblical morals, and simply die to self, which flies in the face of its current psychology. We have to leave Egypt and go to the "place of the Word" to be able to truly keep YHWH's festivals. As it turned out, since Pharaoh would not cooperate, the Israelites would have to slaughter many sheep right in front of the Egyptians.

27. "We will go three days' distance into the uncultivated land, and make a slaughter to YHWH our Elohim, in whatever way He may tell us."

28. So Pharaoh said, "I will let you go, so you may make a slaughter to YHWH your Elohim in the wilderness. Just don't go very far away. Say a prayer for me, then!"

   Say a prayer: Herodus' trickery in saying he, too, wanted to pay homage to the newborn king of the Jews (Matt. 2:8) is another example of the same spirit. Or he may only be saying, "Pray that this will stop now!" Any atheist with a gunto his head believes in YHWH!

29. So Moshe said, "Look, I am departing from being with you, and I will make a request to YHWH that the swarms may be removed from Pharaoh, from his slaves, and from his people tomorrow.  Just do not let Pharaoh add another instance of deceit by not allowing the people to go make a slaughter to YHWH.”

   I.e., it had better be real this time! His slaves: Those Israelites who had still not gathered in Goshen, the place He had provided to prepare for deliverance.

30. So Moshe went out from Pharaoh, and pleaded with YHWH,

   Notice that he would not even speak to YHWH in front of Pharaoh; there was no need to let him get hold of--and profane--any truth about YHWH.

31. and YHWH will do according to the word of Moshe. So He caused the swarmers to turn away from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his nation, and not one was left.

32. Then Pharaoh made his heart weighty this time also, and he did not let the people go.

   The situation had made it obvious that he had to let the people go, but he gave more authority to what his own heart wanted. He could say, "What right does this foreign Elohim have to do anything in my land?" According to Egyptian culture, he was right! But more often than not, our hearts are wrong.(Yirmeyahu 17:9) Israel was in Egypt, and Israel belonged to YHWH, so His truth superseded any rights Pharaoh had. Our hearts will not just lie down and die on their own volition; do not wait for that. We need to act on what is right, no matter how we feel. Following Torah instead of our hearts will make the difference between whether we go home or stay in exile.

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 9

1.  So YHWH said to Moshe, "Go in to Pharaoh, and tell him, ‘Thus says YHWH, the Elohim of the Hebrews: Let My people go, so that they may serve Me!

  His message has not changed, nor has His reason. Is this the reason that we are coming out of today’s “Egypt”?  Most of us start for other reasons, and many of those are pleasing to YHWH in certain seasons, but loving our Husband is always in season; if loving Him with all our heart, soul, and strength is not our motivation, we are driving on the wrong side of the road and will eventually run into something.  We can learn to “switch lanes” and go in the right direction as we regularly and intentionally ask whether all that we have been doing is for the sake of pleasing Him.  It is about the One who made us.  This is the only road home.  Those who have trouble learning this are usually those who end up going back to Egypt.  If we do our part and get our motivation right but Pharaoh still does not do his part, YHWH will take care of hitting whatever stands in our way hard enough to make it want to release us.  YHWH knew Pharaoh would not agree to obey; the first nine plagues were mainly to get Israel back to Goshen and ready to leave.  The best way to show him where the exit is is to have our wheels turned toward it, because a wedding awaits us in the wilderness.

2. "'Because if you refuse to let them go, and keep detaining them,

   Detaining: literally, holding them within your grip.

3. "'[then] behold, YHWH's hand is going to be on your livestock which are in the field--on the horses, the donkeys, the camels, upon the cattle-herds, and the flocks [in the form of] a very severe plague.'

   I.e., if you do not take your hand off My people, you will feel My "hand" against you. Livestock: the Hebrew word means "acquired possessions". They would gladly trade gold for any of these animals that could actually feed their children. Though Pharaoh and his people do not eat sheep, they keep great herds to trade for other things they want, and of course they would use the wool for clothing. Sheep and goats were the standard of trade in the fertile crescent. Horses were Egypt's military advantage. They were so skilled with chariots, that they even hunted from them. Donkeys and camels were the equivalent of vehicles to modern men, and cattle were of the highest value because they had so many uses--plowing, grinding grain, pulling great loads, and food. So though it does not sound as bad as some of the previous plagues, it would devastate the economy. This may be a foreshadowing of His judgment on the multitude of possessions owned by the Church. YHWH will take away the things Pharaoh should be holding onto if he wants to remain ruler, if he will not stop holding onto the Israelites. He is the wrong person to be holding onto them. We, on the other hand, should be taking a firmer grip on Israel, and releasing our grip on other securities. The word for "plague" here, dever, actually comes from the root davar, which means to speak. Since all of creation came from YHWH's word, it is as if He is saying, "Don't make me say it, because if I do, it will definitely come to be!" It is the teaching of YHWH's word that draws the sheep into Israel, but His word can become a plague to those who keep part of themselves in reserve for Egypt's purposes. The Torah is a tree of life to those who take hold of it--the same phrase used in verse 2--but it can indeed be a curse if we refuse to walk fully in it, but continue to touch it with "Egyptian fingers".

4. "Moreover, YHWH will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, and nothing belonging to the descendants of Israel shall die.

5. "Now YHWH has set an appointed time, saying, 'Tomorrow YHWH will carry out this matter in the land.'"

   Set an appointed time: LXX, "fixed a limit". But now He is no longer letting Pharaoh have the option of deciding when He will act.

6. And YHWH did carry out that matter the next day, and all of Egypt's livestock died, but not one of the livestock of the descendants of Israel died.

   The great bull Apis was considered a manifestation of the Egyptian god Osiris. One bull was chosen to represent him, and when it died, another had to be chosen, and there were 29 criteria it

had to meet in regard to its markings and qualities. After the cattle of all who were remaining loyal

to the Egyptian religion were destroyed, it would be very difficult for them to find a replacement.

7. And Pharaoh sent [envoys], and, sure enough, not one of the Israelites' animals was dead. Yet Pharaoh's heart was heavy, and he did not send the people out.

   He even checked to see if the prophecy had come true, but then he did nothing about it. YHW was weighing his heart. He could have argued to YHWH, "You said send and I sent!" But he sent the wrong people to the wrong place. He only obeyed halfway. We cannot simply do something related to what YHWH has commanded, but must carry out His actual commands. Since Goshen was the best pastureland, many of Pharaoh's livestock may have been there too, and died in the presence of the cattle belonging to Israel. One may be in the place of safety, but if he does not fully belong to Israel, he will continue to suffer along with the Egyptians. Who we belong to matters as much as who we are.

8. Then YHWH told Moshe and Aharon, "Take for yourselves handfuls of ash from the furnace, and have Moshe scatter it toward the sky in the eyes of Pharaoh.

   Furnace: or kiln, probably a place where the Egyptians made some of the bricks for their building projects; but in Hebrew it emphasizes a place for subduing the fire, or keeping it under control--which is just what Pharaoh was trying to do to the people of Israel.

9. "And it will become [clouds of] fine, powdery dust over the whole land of Egypt, and it will turn into an inflammation breaking out with blisters on humanity and on beast in the whole land of Egypt."

   The Egyptians had a belief that scattering ashes to the wind would

protect them from disease (much like those in the children's song "Ring

around the Rosy", which originated with a similar superstition that ashes

and the smell of a rose would war off the bad odors that caused the

bubonic plague). Also compare Iyov 2:7-8. But again YHWH shows that

their superstitions (probably related to a particular deity) could not be

trusted, by causing exactly the opposite effect. The Egyptians were very

vain about the appearance of their bodies, and this plague again would

bring their purposes to nought. YHWH is also fighting the elohim of a

specific type of furnace--a smelting furnace, which is used to get

impurities out of metals. The Egyptians were considered the fathers of

alchemy and some metallurgy. They figured out much about the nature

of metals, but also tried to turn other metals into more valuable ones. Each metal was correlated with a specific celestial body (gold represented the sun and silver with the moon, etc.) Each metal was also linked to a specific god. Iron was more valuable than gold at this time, because chariots and swords were made from it; gold was too soft. Iron was called "Ba-inpet"--the metal of the heavens. It was related to Thoth, the god of wisdom and knowledge, and he was represented with a quill pen and papyrus, because the scientists were also the magicians so often being spoken of here.

10. So they took the ashes from the furnace, and took their stand before Pharaoh, and Moshe tossed it toward the sky, and it became an inflammation breaking out into blisters upon mankind and beast.

   The result of this ash taken from a kiln was very much like the blisters that form after one is burned. Josephus adds that before the blisters broke out, the disease had already "inwardly consumed" them. This is a foreshadowing of the "grievous sores" that will be poured out on all who take the Mark of the Beast (Rev. 16:2), who, like Pharaoh, tries to claim the position of YHWH. It would also keep the people distracted from the Israelites who may have been continuing to move into Goshen.

11. And the magicians could not remain standing in the face of Moshe because of the inflammation, because the inflammation was on the magicians as well as on all the [other] Egyptians.

   Remain standing: either the pain was too great, or they simply were too ashamed to show their face because they could no longer imitate Moshe. Their trade may have been the specific target of the plague of boils. If they were no longer able to shave themselves because of the boils, this would also put a stop to activity in the pagan temples. The priests were often the same as these scientists and magicians. They knew the mathematical formulas, which is why they could bring flies and frogs and counterfeits, but they are now at a point where they can no longer "do the math", even backwards. The Hebrew term for them stems from a root meaning "to engrave or write". Rather than wiping out the Egyptians' deities, YHWH was using them against the people who trusted in them. In Hebrew, words are numbers, and YHWH spoke the right combination of numbers (for davar, at root, means "to arrange"), and this time the scientists could not protect themselves.

12. But YHWH made Pharaoh's heart rigid, so that he would not listen to them, just as YHWH had promised Moshe.

   Up to this point, he had hardened his own heart. But after five plagues (one for each finger) did not loosen his grip, YHWH started to use his own hand against him. Now that Pharaoh has given his own heart the authority twice in a row (8:32 and 9:7) with nothing else to strengthen his argument, but rather evidence to the contrary, YHWH Himself starts to harden his heart. YHWH gave him reason to repent, and he did not, so now YHWH will not allow him to repent. His cup is full, and now he will have no power to make the right choices. Repentance is not always available, if we hesitate. This is a frightening thought. It might seem cruel, but, as with Y'hoshua's upcoming conquest of Kanaan, it is only after much patience on His part--more than was deserved--and many, many warnings. (See note on v. 30.) Note that there is no record of this plague ever being cut short as at least some others had been. So there may now be a cumulative effect of the plagues upon Egypt.

13. Then YHWH told Moshe, "Get up early in the morning, take your stand before Pharaoh, and tell him, 'Thus says YHWH, the Elohim of the Hebrews: Let My people go, so that they may serve Me!

   Get up early: or, shoulder the burden. I.e., make it your first priority. Moshe might be wondering how many times he had to say the same thing, and with Pharaoh's heart hardened, it might seem a total waste of time and breath. But YHWH tells him not to go lax, but to continue to put his whole heart into it and do the job fully, even before tending to his own needs, for no day is an ordinary day. Because he did, when we do not know what YHWH's will is for us when we wake up in the morning, we can start by consulting Moshe, and that is easy to do by just opening the Torah. Of the Hebrews: He is increasingly bringing the distinction from Egypt into the discussion. "Hebrews" means those who have crossed over; in this case, that would mean chiefly those who had moved back out of Egypt proper into Goshen (the land of "drawing near"), thus acting like Hebrews, in contrast to those who were still serving Pharaoh, though they were Israelites.

14. "'Because this time I am directing all my crushing blows at your heart, and upon your servants, and your nation, so that you may know that there is none like Me in all the earth,

   He has no equal whatsoever, and anyone who is still serving Pharaoh will feel the brunt of this. It was the Hebrew overseers who had a compelling reason to see their brothers remain enslaved who were beaten when the slaves did not make enough bricks. Today, as YHWH increasingly takes Israel out from the church, there will be many shepherds left with no sheep, because they do not know how to shepherd those who know they are Hebrews. It was through the avenue of Pharaoh's own heart that He was making war on all the deities of Egypt. When meat is pounded, it becomes more tender, but not Pharaoh's flesh. His heart still had not changed, for he still had a callous around it; it was uncircumcised. He refused to let it soften. YHWH offers us the open doors, but He is not responsible to do our part. We need to surrender and work with what He gives us; it is not magic or automatic.

15. "'for now I have stretched out My hand to strike you and your people with pestilence, and you will be cut down from the earth.

   Now I have: Aramaic, "the time is approaching for Me to..."

16. "'But in fact, it was for this very reason indeed that I set you in place: to demonstrate My irresistibility, and in order to have My reputation recounted throughout the whole earth.

   YHWH picked the most stubborn of rulers to show His power in even greater contrast.  He is telling Pharaoh that He does not need Pharaoh; He could have easily killed him along with the animals, but He kept him alive as an example to others of what not to do. He is really putting him in his place, eating away at his arrogance. His very existence is only for the sake of being part of YHWH's will; He made him to destroy him! Why do the wicked prosper? So they can be concentrated into one area and eliminated. (Ps. 92:7) Reputation: lit., "name"; compare His purpose in Tzefanyah (Zeph.) 3:9. The Pharaohs' focus even in their tombs was on making their names known throughout the whole world. But now YHWH tells Him this is being done so that HIS Name will be known! Pharaoh, on the other hand, was a vessel fit for destruction. YHWH created the wicked for the day of calamity (Prov. 16), like a playwright who needs "extra" actors to form a more exciting plot and a more formidable conflict to for the protagonist to surmount. This is not unjust on His part. (See note on v. 30; compare Rom. 9:14-24.) Pharaoh could at least respond by saying, "At least He has a purpose for me!" Even that would be worth yielding to, but Pharaoh drags his feet and kicks and screams the whole time, so he earns no merit for his people through this whole experience. Moshe, on the other hand, was raised up for the same purpose--to set Israel free. He is glad to be used and surrenders to what YHWH is doing. It may look horrible at first, but when he gets into the mud puddle, it turns out to be a healthful mineral bath!

17. "'Are you still exalting yourself against My people, so as to not let them go?

18. "'Watch! Tomorrow at about this time I am sending such a heavy 'hail' as Egypt has never had the likes of ever since the day it was founded!

   He now uses the psychological tactic of letting him know He is going to hurt him even more.

19. "'So send and have your livestock and anything you have in the field brought to shelter, because the 'hailstones' are sure to fall on and kill any, human or beast, that are found in the field and not brought indoors.'"

   Your livestock: But weren't they all dead? (v. 6) The Israelites who had some left may have sold them some again and by doing so acquired some of the gold needed for the Tabernacle. Field: Yahshua says this is a symbol of the world (Matt. 13:38), i.e., the pagan/humanistic "system"; compare Rev. 14:9-10). YHWH is building one "new man", while the world simultaneously is constructing a counterfeit unity, and ultimately there will be a showdown between the only two entities left on earth. Indoors: literally, "home" or "into the house". The "house" that YHWH is building with Yahshua as the cornerstone is the "ark of protection" for His "flocks and herds" in our day. Human: Heb., Adam. (See note on v. 25.)

20. Whoever had respect for YHWH's word among the servants of Pharaoh hastily drove his servants and livestock indoors,

   Servants of Pharaoh: His own were turning against him (v. 11), but Pharaoh would be admitting that he believed in the word of lowly Moshe if he were to bring his servants in. Moshe did not have to give a warning to the Egyptians, but he had mercy by telling them that if they were wise, they would avoid injury.

21. but whomever did not place [any value] on the word of YHWH left his servants and livestock out in the field.

   Left: literally, deserted, abandoned, or neglected. This is reminiscent of Noakh's ark. Place any value on the word: They were preparing for the harvest (v. 31); it would be foolish according to natural wisdom (1 Cor. 1:18-31) to bring everything back inside now. But "whoever does not believe on Him is condemned already", says Yochanan 3:18, in the context of Moshe lifting up the serpent (which could also have a reference to his picking it up by the tail) and YHWH giving up His only Son (the last plague He would bring on Egypt) but sparing any who would trust Him.

22. Then YHWH told Moshe, "Extend your hand toward the sky, so that there may be 'hail' on the whole land of Egypt--upon human being and beast, and upon every green plant of the field throughout the whole land of Egypt."

23. So Moshe stretched forth his rod toward the sky, and YHWH delivered [loud] noises and 'hail', and fire ran along the earth; thus YHWH dropped hail on the land of Egypt.

   Loud noises: or thunderings. Psalm 18 describes "coals of fire" falling from the heavens at this time.

24. So there was 'hail' and fire flashing amidst the very heavy hail such as there had never been the likes of in the whole land of Egypt since it had become a nation.

   Flashing: Aramaic, leaping (Pseudo-Jonathan). This was clearly no ordinary "hail" as we know it. Josephus says it was not like the hail that falls in wintry climates either. The Hebrew word is related to "ice", yet these were rocks big enough to kill anything they fell on. Verse 5 says YHWH had an appointed time, and Gen. 1:14 says the heavenly bodies were created for this very purpose (using the same term for "appointed times"). So this is something from beyond the clouds and terrestrial atmosphere. Velikovsky (Worlds in Collision, 1950) theorized that part of the earth passed through a comet's tail, which was described by the Latin poet Servius as being eerily red "with a fine dust of rusty pigment" --possibly what turned the water blood-red (leaving only groundwater unaffected, as above), and irritated the skin of men and animals (v. 8). It took place at the very moment Moshe obeyed YHWH's commands. (Josephus said that the pestilential creatures in 8:21 were such "as had never come into the sight of men before." Velikokvsky said that in the comet's tail, there would be bacteria-like hydrocarbons of the same type as were found in 1996 in a fossilized state from a rock that originated on Mars. In other words, these creatures were never meant to have been on earth in the first place, but were brought here only in an act of judgment.) The Babylonian Talmud says these stones were "hot" (Berakhot 54b). Meteorites crash with explosion-like noises, and the comet's gaseous tail would indeed include burning matter as gravelly ice came in contact with the earth's atmosphere like a million small meteors. The comet's head did not crash into the earth (though it was probably thrown into orbit to become the planet Nogah (Venus), which was once described by the Chaldeans as being "bearded" like a comet), but exchanged repeated violent electrical discharges, which would look like colored serpents in the sky and are best described as "thunderbolts". It appeared that there was a celestial battle going on between "gods". Velikovsky cites story after story from every part of the world of similar conditions at this very time, most notably American Indian legends in which the heavens came very close to the earth and repeated shouts of "Yahu!" were heard--this being the very pronunciation of the shortened version of "Yahweh" in Hebrew, which we know from names like "Netanyahu". The Chinese speak of a cataclysmic time in the "days of Yahou". The same type of "hail" fell during the battle of Y'hoshua in the Valley of Ayalon when the sun "stood still" (Y'hoshua 10:12), indicating the bypass of another heavenly body large enough to stop the earth's turning or cause it to wobble on its axis through its strong gravitation. (Patten, Hatch, and Steinhauer). Rocks very different in character from anything naturally occurring in the area have been found in that valley. Since the ancient pagans worshipped the planets, YHWH was again having one of their own elohim attack them.

25. And throughout the whole land of Egypt, the 'hail' destroyed everything that was out in the open, from man to beast, and the hail destroyed every green plant of the field, and splintered every tree on the land.

   The Egyptian eyewitness Ipuwer concurs that even trees were destroyed, and all the vegetation that had been visible the day before was no longer there, as if it had been reaped overnight. We see the same thing taking place again in Rev. 8:7, since in our day people are again worshipping the "green earth" instead of the One who generously lets us benefit from it (v. 29). Every green plant: in the context of "Adam or beast" (v. 19), we see that YHWH is rescinding His creation as far as Egypt was concerned (as all three of these elements was mentioned in the creation account). And He was using Set (Seth), the god of thunder and storms in the desert, against them. The heat of the fires would even make it seem like the desrt was being brought to them.

26. Only in the land of Goshen, which was where the sons of Israel [were], was there no 'hail'.

   The comet's tail could have cut a swath across the Nile Valley and the Delta without touching Goshen, which sits toward the northeast of Egypt, "out of the way". In a particularly large meteoritic blast, if it occurs while still in the air, the epicenter is hardly affected. Whether or not this was something we can now explain naturally, the main point is that YHWH made this distinction between Israel and Egypt.

27. Then Pharaoh sent and summoned Moshe and Aharon, and told them, "This time I have committed an offense. YHWH is just; I and my people are the guilty ones.

   As if this was the first time he had done anything wrong, he makes only an indirect confession and even wants his people to share the blame with him, though many of them have repented. He would have been much more honorable--and maybe even honored--if he simply took responsibility rather than making excuses.

28. Plead with YHWH, because these noises and 'hail' are seriously excessive! Then I will let you go, and you will have no more to endure."

   Seriously excessive: or, enough of this thunder and hail of the elohim! He does not specify which elohim, so he may still be crediting this to Set. He is still trying to keep the upper hand somehow. It is hard to surrender to YHWH, but it is always better to do so.

29. So Moshe told him, "As I leave the city, I will spread forth the palms of my hands to YHWH, and the noises will desist, and there will be no more 'hail', so that you may know that the earth belongs to YHWH.

   Earth: one of the things worshipped by the "Egyptians" of today, who make it into the goddess "Gaia".

30. "But as for you and your servants, I can tell that you are not yet awed by the face of YHWH Elohim."

   For the first time Moshe adds his own opinion, for he is beginning to learn to discern men's hearts. YHWH Elohim: He corrects Pharaoh's vagueness in verse 28. Proverbs 15 tells us that the fear of YHWH is the beginning of wisdom, and that one who does not heed reproof or instruction will not gain understanding. YHWH searches hearts (1 Chron. 28:9), and though Pharaoh appears to be remorseful (v. 27), he is not truly repentant, and now it is too late for him. Like the "Yizavel" (Jezebel) whom Yahshua gave time to repent (Rev. 2:20), at some point YHWH tells the wicked to go on being wicked (Rev. 22:11), and gives them over to their own reprobate wishes (Romans 1:26). He chooses who will be a vessel fit for destruction (Rom. 9:22), but He is not bound by time, He can base His choice on each one's own pattern of choices, so it is not as if he was unfair. Now that YHWH has seen that nothing will truly change Pharaoh's heart, He has already decided what to do with him; his attempts to change his course will be futile, because, as Proverbs 16 tells us, a man may plan his ways, but YHWH will direct the actual outcomes. Pharaoh was no longer in control of the supernatural world as he once thought he was. Even if he should now wish to repent, YHWH would not let him do so. He had taken every bit of slack YHWH would give him, so now it had to be a noose for him.

31. (Now the flax and barley had been destroyed, since the barley was [advanced to] the stage of forming green ears, and the flax had budded,

   This stage of barley's maturation is how the new moon of Aviv is identified, and the new year cannot be declared nor can Passover come until this stage is reached. But in Egypt, the barley reaches this stage about a month before it does in Israel. So this may be anywhere from two to six weeks before the Passover. Flax is what the priests' garments were made of, so the destruction of these parallels the destruction of those who were meant to be firstfruits among those who went to Goshen, but failed to do so. But there is a second harvest of those who are YHWH's chosen yet not "on time to the wedding feast" (cf. Mat. 25:1ff):

32. but the wheat and the rye were not destroyed, because they had not yet ripened.)

   Rye: or spelt. Ripened: changing to a darker color. LXX, "they were late". This may parallel those in Kanaan whose sin had not yet reached the point where YHWH had to destroy them. (Gen. 15:16) Since there was still some semblance of hope left for Egypt, they held out this hope rather than surrendering to YHWH, just as the people alive during the Great Tribulation will keep refusing to repent after many such warnings. (Rev. 9:20-21)

33. So Moshe left Pharaoh and went out of the city, and spread the palms of his hands toward YHWH, and the thundrous noises and 'hail' ceased, and rain was not poured out on the earth.

34. Now when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the 'hail' and the thunderings had ceased, he increased his sin and gave his heart weight, [both] he and his servants.

   Though he knew he had sinned (v. 27), he still tried to make his own heart the authority.

35. Since Pharaoh's resolve was strengthened, he would not let the descendants of Israel go--just as YHWH had predicted.

   Had predicted: all the way back at the burning bush. Pharaoh still thinks he is the one holding Israel captive, but he is really held captive by his own heart. If he had escorted them out of his land willingly, they might even have loved him and willingly aided him. If we ask what we are holding onto, the answer will tell us what is really holding onto us, and the more we loosen our grip on it, the more it will set us free.

Parashat VaEra

(Exodus 6:2 - 9:35)