Shemoth/Exodus
CHAPTER 1
1. Now these are the names [shemoth] of the children of Israel coming into Egypt along with Yaaqov (each came in with his household):
2. Re’uven, Shim'on, Levi, and Yehudah,
3. Yissachar, Z'vulun, and Binyamin,
4. Dan and Nafthali, Gad and Asher.
5. And all the souls that had proceeded from the loins of Yaaqov were seventy souls, Yoseyf being [already] in Egypt.
After a series of genealogies that list only one man per generation, this one is exciting because it starts with the names of the ancestors of all of our tribes.
…
CHAPTER 2
…
23. Now over the course of those many days, [the] king of Egypt died, and the descendants of Israel groaned from the servile labor, and they cried out for help, and their outcry reached Elohim due to their labor.
24. And Elohim heard their groaning, and Elohim remembered His covenant with Avraham, with Yitzhaq, and with Yaaqov.
25. And Elohim considered the descendants of Israel, and Elohim acknowledged.
CHAPTER 3
<c. Year 2564 from creation/1436 B.C.E.>
1. And Moshe was tending the flock of Yithro, his in-law, priest of Midyan. When he guided the flock to the far side of the pastureland, he came upon the mountain of Elohim at Khorev.
There is no chapter break in the Hebrew text, so we are meant to see that just when YHWH was determining that He would do something about Israel’s problems, Moshe was in the right place at the right time and doing the right thing. Here was a Hebrew shepherd—something YHWH had not seen for a long time because the rest of them were enslaved. This made him useful to YHWH. He was actually in touch with his past, and he could lead flocks. He understands how important it is for a flock to be tended. Here was the shepherd YHWH needed for the kind of deliverance He wanted to bring. In contrast with the bricklayers in Egypt, a shepherd seals with living, bnreathing, dependent, multiplying creatures, which will leave behind offspring, unlike lifeless objects which will only leave ruins behind. If tended properly, a flock is not a temporary thing like a building is. . Mt. Moryah is also called the Mountain of Elohim, so this is like His “vacation home”.
2. Then the Messenger [of] YHWH appeared to him in a flash of fire from the midst of the thornbush, and he watched it and, lo and behold, the bush was on fire, burning, but the bush was not consumed!
Sometimes we need such dramatic events before we pay attention and realize that YHWH is serious.
3. So Moshe said, "Well, I'm going to go out of my way to see this tremendous phenomenon--why the thornbush is not burned up!"
4. Now when YHWH saw that he had gone out of his way to consider [it], Elohim began calling to him from the midst of the bush. That is, He said, "Moshe! Moshe!" And he said, "Here I am!"
5. And He said, "Do not come near here. Pull your sandals off your feet, because the place on which you are standing--consecrated ground it is."
6. And He said, "I am the Elohim of your father--the Mighty One of Avraham, of Yitzhaq, and of Yaaqov." So Moshe concealed his face, because he was afraid to look upon Elohim.
7. Then YHWH said, "I have paid close attention to the misery of My people who are in Egypt, and have indeed heard its outcry in the face of its oppressors, because I am acquainted with its sorrows.
8. "And I have come down to snatch them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and bring them up out of that land to a generous and roomy land--to a land gushing with milk and honey; to the place of the Kanaanites, the Chittites, the Emorites, the Prizzites, the Chiwites, and the Y'vusites.
Come down: Many would say that this means He came down from “Heaven”, but the idea in context is that He came down to Egypt from Kanaan, to which He wants to take them back. He is not physically limited to any place, and in a very real way He is in every place, but over and over in Scripture He says He is cenetered on Yerushalayim, which He calls His resting place and His footstool.
9. "And now the cry of the children of Israel has reached Me, and I have taken note of the oppression with which the Egyptians are suppressing them."
10. "So go now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, and you must bring My people, the descendants of Israel, out from Egypt."
He would now be shepherding people, just as Yahshua told some fishermen, based on Yirmeyahu 16:16, that they would now be fishing for men.
11. But Moshe said to Elohim, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the descendants of Israel out from Egypt?"
12. So He said, "Because I will be with you, and this will be the proof to you that I have sent you: When you bring the people out of Egypt, you will serve Elohim on this mountain."
The proof will not be evidenced until after Moshe does what YHWH says. He has to trust YHWH and act before the reassurance will come.
13. Then Moshe said to the Elohim, "Look here; When I come to the descendants of Israel and tell them, ‘[The] Elohim of your ancestors has sent me to you', they will say to me, ‘What is His name?' What shall I tell them?"
14. So Elohim said to Moshe, "I will be whatever I must be!" Moreover, He said, "This is what you shall say to the descendants of Israel: ‘"I will be" has sent me to you.'
This description of Himself is in the imperfect tense, which can also mean, “I will continue to be what I [customarily] am”, or “I can be whatever I need to be”. Imagine a science-fiction scenarion in which the enemy can change into anything it needs to be—whether bullet-proof or an explosion or “instant death”. It would be hard to oevercome. And that is exactly what YHWH will be to Pharaoh. Whatever His people need Him to be, He can be. It is a name that looks forward, and would give Israel hope
15. Then Elohim told Moshe further, "You shall say this to the descendants of Israel: ‘YHWH, the Elohim of your ancestors--the Elohim of Avraham, the Elohim of Yitzhaq, and the Elohim of Yaaqov--has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is how I am to be brought to mind continuously for perpetuity.
16. "Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and tell them, ‘YHWH, the Elohim of your ancestors, has presented Himself to me--the Elohim of Avraham, Yitzhaq, and Yaaqov--to say, "I have paid close attention to you and to what has been done to you in Egypt,
17. "‘"and I have said, ‘I will bring you up out of the humiliating affliction of Egypt to the land of the Kanaanites, the Chittites, the Emorites, the P'rizzites, the Chiwites, and the Y'vusites--to a land gushing with milk and honey.'
18. "‘"And they will listen to your voice, and you shall come (you along with the elders of Israel) unto the king of Egypt, and tell him, ‘YHWH, the Elohim of the Hebrews, has met up with us. So now, please let us go three days' journey into the uncultivated land, so we may [make a] slaughter to YHWH our Elohim.'"'
YHWH required him to put the heads of households on the line too; they also need to take responsibility for bringing their families out of Egypt.
19. "Now I am aware that the king of Egypt will not permit you to go, not even by a strong hand,
Not even by a strong hand: literally, a firm, squeezing grip. YHWH is setting him up to feel the full force of what he deserved.
20. "So I will stretch forth My hand and give Egypt a push with all My extraordinary deeds which I will demonstrate in its heartland, and after that he will send you away.
Give a push: or strike, slap, or hit. Choking him (putting him in a tight place) did not work (v. 19), so YHWH has to “smack” him; then he will let them go.
21. "And I will give this people charm in the eyes of Egypt, so that what will happen is that you will not go empty [handed],
22. "but each woman must ask [to borrow] from her neighbor and from the one seeking hospitality in her house articles of silver, articles of gold, and garments, and you shall put them on your sons and daughters; thus you will plunder Egypt."
Elohim, the judge, determined that they had not been compensated for their hard labor, and mandated that they be paid reparations. The women could borrow earrings, necklaces, etc., in a way that men would not be likely to. From these precious metals and garments, the implements for the tabernacle would be made. Israel would not otherwise have supplies of cotton or dye with them in the wilderness, so these garments would have to be unraveled to get threads to make the Tabernacle's coverings, and the probably-idolatrous objects melted down. The materials were usable once purified, but they could not be used in their present form.
CHAPTER 4
1. Then Moshe responded by saying, "But, look. [What if] they won't trust me or pay heed to my voice, but they say, ‘YHWH didn't appear to you!'?”
2. So YHWH said to him, "What's that in your hand?" And he said, "A rod!"
Like the sages after this, YHWH answers his question with another question, because Moshe was already holding the answer to his question before he asked it. Like "Adam, where are you?", this question was not for His own information, but to get Moshe to focus on what he already did have as opposed to what he did not. But he was afraid to use it. After all, how oculd he do what all the armies of the world at that time could not and raise his hand against Pharaoh? Doesn’t he have archers and lances and chariots? It was no coincidence that he held a rod in his hand. A shepherd's rod usually had events from his whole life carved into it (his encounters with danger, his victories, the significant events), so his rod represented his identity. To answer his own question, he needed to look at his own past—his own training as both a leader and a keeper of flocks, and realize that he was indeed specially groomed for this task. "Rod" also means a "tribe", and YHWH indeed had put the tribes of Israel into Moshe’s hand to shepherd. A rod is the symbol of power and rulership, for, just as with the sheep, it is used to inflict pain, whether on rebellious sheep or those that come against the flock from outside.
3. Then he said, "Throw it on the ground!" So he threw it on the ground, and it turned into a snake, and Moshe ran away from its presence.
If he lets the authority that YHWH has given him drop, as he is trying hard to do at this point, everything would get out of control. His training would all be wasted, dissipated into a wild (undisciplined, unfocused, self-serving) life. Letting go of the responsibility YHWH had already given him allowed it to turn on him and become an object of great fear. Moshe even has the right name to draw the people out, but he is afraid to become who he is supposed to be. Those who do not take up their calling end up getting bitten by the snake.
4. Then YHWH told Moshe, "Stretch out your hand, and seize it by the tail!" So he stretched out his hand and held onto it firmly, and it became a rod in his hand.
This is the Kingdom’s call: take the serpent by the tail. Usually one would try to grasp a snake just behind its head so it could not bite him. If anyone takes it by the tail, it is usually to whip it and break its spine so it is no longer a threat. Otherwise, one cannot control it; it like taking the proverbial tiger by the tail. But YHWH tells us not to run from the challenges when things get out of hand, but embrace them, for if we run from the responsibilities, we also forfeit the possibilities. Though Moshe had it made in the wilderness, with such a laid back existence where he bothered no one and no one bothered him, his people now needed him. Now he is being called to go get in Pharaoh’s face, and he does not want such drama. But who is speaking to him? The Elohim of his ancestors. If he wants nothing to do with his heritage, he can g o on being a Midyanite, and YHWH will save them by some other means. But if he embraces his calling, great things can occur. By reaching out his hand, he could become a new kind of shepherd. YHWH said He would stretch out His own arm (3:20), but the way He will do this is by Moshe stretching out his hand. YHWH will go on ahead, but Moshe still has to act. Pharaoh is the one who has a snake on his headdress, so he is really the snake Moshe needs to take by the tail. What belonged to Pharaoh will now belong to him; these are Moshe’s sheep, not Pharaoh’s. Do not try to blackmail YHWH by saying you will do such-and-such a thing if He will do something for you. It does not work that way; when we put our hand to it, then YHWH will act. Z’kharyah and Mal’akhi both say, “Return to Me and I will return to you.” He has been walking all along; it is our turn to take the first step. Do not expect Him to do something you are not willing to commit to putting your hand to. So how do we put out our hand if we have no rod? Use both hands: the right hand to reach out to one another, loving our neighbors as ourselves, and the left to “smack” whatever is holding Israel captive. Living in community gives us the great advantage of being able to use whatever any of us has in his hands. We get to use everyone’s “rods”. Where it all starts is with knowledge. Moshe knew a shepherd would need a rod to hit a predator, head a sheep in the right direction, or test how deep the water is before letting the flocks cross. So he had a rod. We have to know where we came from, where we are going, and what our job is. Knowing how to use each tool and when—knowing which tool is right for which job—is the next step. This is discernment. But knowing how to use it is what makes us really powerful; this is wisdom. But we cannot be wise until we take up the tool and make it our own. A matteh (a tree branch at its simplest) can be a walking stick, a shepherd’s rod, or a lance, a club, a back-scratched, or a rolling pin. It is a useful and versatile tool! The key is to know what the present season calls for it to be. Knowing how to apply it is what makes it powerful, and if we run from it, it cannot be any of these. We are responsible to take what we know and apply it to what is in front of us. Matteh comes from the word natah, meaning to stretch out or extend. Our rod is however we extend ourselves. Take a close, careful; look at the Torah, and we should be able to overcome with whatever is in our hands. If not, extend yourself further; give even more of yourself.
…
18. So Moshe departed and returned to his in-law Yether and said to him, "Let me go now and return to my brothers who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive." So Yithro told Moshe, "Go in peace."
Yithro is his teacher, and probably the one who gave him his shepherd’s staff, so how could he just take it and leave? He could have assumed that because he had seen this vision and heard from YHWH, he had the right to just go ahead, but he did not. He went through the right channels. He asked his elder if it would be all right, and might even have asked him if he thought this was all valid or if he was hallucinating. He asked his elder to confirm it before setting the plan in motion, and by doing so he had even more authority.
19. Then YHWH said to Moshe in Midyan, "Go [ahead] and return to Egypt, because all the people [who were] seeking [to take] your life are dead."
Only after Moshe has taken the first major step toward obedience, does YHWH tell him the reassuring news that, just by the way, all the people that he was afraid of were no longer even around.
20. So Moshe took his wife and his sons, and made them ride on the donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moshe took the rod of Elohim in his hand.
Notice what became of his rod once he started to obey. A simple shepherd’s staff used in the right way by the right person at the right time went from being Moshe’s to being Elohim’s. Because he took it by the tail, it is now a King’s scepter. Now it is the Judge’s rod, the symbol of the authority granted to Moshe now that he has laid his own fears and desires aside. It is now a weapon that will be lifted up over and over to perform the miracles that will persuade Pharaoh to let them leave Egypt. Likewise, Scripture used in context lets our arm become much longer, giving us a huge advantage. It is not magic; it is an extension of Moshe (and sometimes Aharon, whose authority it will also end up proving). YHWH Himself said He would deliver Israel from Egypt with an outstretched arm. (6:6) This is the same term that means “extended”. An arm is extended by a rod, which gives him leverage that even Pharaoh will feel. We need to use what we have and what the community has. The key is to be confident enough in YHWH’s instruction to pick up the snake. The Hebrew word for “faith” (confidence) is based on the word for being firm—that is, not shaky, unafraid. The rod also means a “tribe” in the sense of a branch of the family tree. (It is used over and over in this way in chapter 35.) The messenger in the burning bush is still speaking today, and the way we carry on this work is to grab hold and take up our tribe, saying, “This is the family I am part of”—and to extend ourselves on behalf of all of the tribes of Israel. Use whatever YHWH has put in your hand.
Commentary on
Parashat Shemoth
Snake-Handling
101
