Ex. 21:1–24:18 maf. Num. 28:9-15 Isa. 66:1-24
This week’s parasha is from Ex.21-24, but I would like to begin a couple of chapters earlier where God makes an extraordinary promise to the Israelites, “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will in fact obey My voice and keep My covenant (agreement), then you shall be My own special possession and treasure from among all peoples [of the world], for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation [set apart for My purpose].’ (19:4-6)
God’s love for Israel is here compared to an eagle bearing her young upon her as she soars through the sky. (“I carried you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself.”) She doesn’t carry her young in her claws like other birds but the baby eagles attach themselves to the back of the mother eagle and because of this they are protected. Any arrow from a hunter must pass through the mother eagle before it can touch the eaglets who are perched on her back.
God’s plan for Israel, His special treasure was not merely to be people with a unique place in His eternal purposes. God’s desire for Israel was for them to experience the fullness of His glory. And the only way they could do this was by carefully obeying the terms of His promises reflected in His Word.
This was the same yearning Paul had for every believer: “17 I pray that the glorious Father, the God of Yeshua the Messiah, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know Him better. 18 Then …you will know the confidence that he calls you to have and the glorious wealth that God’s people will inherit. …the unlimited greatness of his power as it works with might and strength for us as believers.” (Eph1:17-18)
A similar message from God to the Israelites in Ex.19 is also found in 1Pet.2:9: “You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.”
The Israelites were separated from the world as holy unto God. This has been a work in progress with many ups and downs but it will ultimately lead to their salvation. In context, their history of suffering and persecution may appear strange and bizarre and yet look how God is using the current situation in Israel to be melting the hearts of many Israelis from those who were entirely secular, if we were to take a modern example. And ultimately this will lead to their salvation when “all Israel shall be saved.” In the same way for us as believers, God will even use our failings and weaknesses as the Master Potter to draw us closer to Him and mould us into a unique and beautiful vessel for Him meet for His purposes!
The Israelites initial response to the words of God and His condition for blessings was filled with enthusiasm! “Everything Adonai has said, we will do!” (19:7) So too, our initial response to God’s challenges presented to us are often unequivocal, yet our enthusiasm can easily wane when we are confronted in full force with the implications because the cost of discipleship can be very messy, way beyond inconvenient, and sacrificial demanding our all in every aspect of life. Paul describes this as being a ‘living sacrifice,’ our “reasonable service” that we might prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
The Israelites responded with just two Hebrew words; na’aseh v’nishma, literally, “we will do and we will hear” (Ex.24:7) and they said this before they had heard any of the terms contained within the commandments. The words, “We will hear,” imply that they had not yet received the Ten Commandments or the detailed laws that followed set out in Parsha Mishpatim. They were so enthusiastic that they agreed to His demands before knowing what they were!
“We will do and we will hear.” This is the essence of biblical faith as defined in Heb.11:1: “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the reality of things not seen” which Paul undergirds as a pre-requisite to possess a living relationship with Yeshua in Rom.1:19, “For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith [disclosed in a way that awakens more faith]. As it is written and forever remains written, “THE JUST and UPRIGHT SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.” And He qualifies this revelation quoting directly from Hab.2:4 “The Just shall live by faith.”
The world has things in reverse – we must understand what we are committing ourselves to before making any commitment. This may appear true as a pragmatic approach and life principle but it doesn’t always work like this in the Kingdom of God. Paul said in Heb.11, “Do not allow the world to squeeze you in its mould (do not be conformed to the world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” for as Paul writes in 1Cor.3:19, “… the wisdom of this world is foolishness (absurdity, stupidity) before God.”
It is an easy thing to become resigned to obeying God’s laws instead of delighting in them. In Ps.40:7-8, David declared (something that was also prophetic regarding Yeshua the coming Messiah), “Behold, I come [to the throne]; In the scroll of the book it is written of me.“I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart.” The entire 176 verses of Ps.119 are devoted to expressing the psalmist’s delight in God’s Torah characterised in the opening two verses: “You’re only truly happy when you walk in total integrity, walking in the light of God’s word. What joy overwhelms everyone who keeps the ways of God, those who seek him as their heart’s passion!”
The Psalmist understood that obeying God’s laws is the greatest thing in life, that overflows with an abundance of which there is no substitute. Paul made clear his ambition to “know Yeshua and the power His resurrection…” and the road map is God’s Word. It begins with choosing to love God with all our heart, mind and strength that overflows into the lives of others, our neighbour, even our enemies.
There is no better example of reckless love than with the life of Peter whose relationship with Yeshua was exposed as falling far short from the dynamic reality he thought it was prior to Yeshua’s resurrection. Following his denial of Yeshua after Yeshua had been arrested, he was tormented by his failure and hopelessness, failing to know how he could ever again claw his way back and find restoration and redemption? To admit one’s failure is not easy – to find redemption in the midst of failure is Divine grace experienced within the love and forgiveness of our precious Saviour.
Following His resurrection, Yeshua asked Peter three times: “Do you love Me?” It was perhaps the most uncomfortable question of his entire life. Three times Peter had denied Yeshua so how would he now respond having previously been tested and fallen short? Basically, with deep remorse and repentance he acknowledged to Yeshua that his love fell far short of what he had thought it had been.
Maybe there have been occasions when we too have squirmed when God has challenged us with the same question? “Do you love Me?” Yet it’s a pivotal question as God’s unnerving gaze penetrates our being. The point is that unless we choose to love God unconditionally we can never experience the fullness of His love with a yearning that resides deep within our hearts.
After choosing to love God with all one heart, soul and strength we are faced with loving one’s neighbour as oneself, not an easy thing to do! In fact the impossibility of it stares us in the face which is made all the more complicated when we realise that ones neighbour includes one’s enemy. Yeshua made this abundantly clear in His parable of the Good Samaritan in Lk.10. But we cannot side-step Yeshua’s words: “This is my commandment that you love one another, even (just as) I have loved you so shall you love one another.” (Jn.15:12)
This begs the question what it means to love one’s enemy? First let me say that unconditional love does not equate to pacifism, as believers are still expected to defend the innocent and speak the truth without hate. We could spend many sessions examining this issue but suffice it to say that Yeshua taught that we must demonstrate love without differentiation, enemies included. It’s when we love our enemies and “pray for those who persecute us,” we truly reveal that Yeshua is Lord of our lives. Yeshua said, “I say to you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which spitefully use you, and persecute you.” (Matt.5:44) This command is illustrated in Ex.23:4,5:
“If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again…”
By the way, when Yeshua said “You have heard it said, ’love your neighbour and hate your enemy,” he was not quoting directly from Scripture. Yeshua was not twisting the Torah but was simply defending what God commanded against the teachings and practices of his day where hatred and religious intolerance and bigotry permeated within much of the religious hierarchy. In other words, He was addressing faulty interpretations of the Law.
After commanding us to love our enemies, Yeshua followed with another directive: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (τέλειος) (Matt.5:48). This is utterly impossible for any human being yet, it’s exactly what the Law itself demanded (James 2:10). So why would Yeshua demand the impossible? He later tells us, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matt.19:26). And here is the good news: what is impossible for man becomes possible for those who give their lives to Yeshua, through the power of the Ruach ha Kodesh who rules and reigns in our hearts.
In closing I want to share a brief thought from Jn.15:15, towards the end of Yeshua’s public ministry. He shared with His disciples something astounding: “You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I’m no longer calling you servants because servants don’t understand what their master is thinking and planning.”
Throughout the NT the word slave, or servant (doulos) is used metaphorically to someone who is absolutely devoted to Yeshua – those who had servant hearts that were entirely “owned” by their Divine Master.
To be a servant of the Living God is to be afforded an honour way beyond our imagination. But even being a servant of the Most High God runs short of the best He has for our lives. So when Yeshua referred to the possibility of having a higher status above that of being His servant, to being His personal friend was something staggering. Friends place their trust in each other. Not necessarily so a servant. We confide in Him and He confides in us because this is what friends do. A servant serves but a friend lays down his life, just as Yeshua demonstrated that whilst we are sinners He died for us. (Rom.5:8)
Do you realise that God regards us as His best friend? I never had a best friend in my life until I met Yeshua but it took me many years to discover the Divine quality of that friendship – one that wraps us up in His infinite embrace, caring for the smallest detail of our lives and providing us with the very best even though sometimes disguised. Whenever I reflect upon His friendship it totally breaks me and I find it almost unbearable because it’s something I know I can never match up to, yet His love is something I could never live without even for a fraction of a moment.
It’s all about “Amazing grace” in the present tense – amazing grace that saved a wretch like me. Only the unimaginable love of God could ever have conceived such a thing, stretching to the deepest recesses of our souls to redeem that which is unredeemable.
