VA’ERA (And I Appeared) Ex 6:2–9:35; Ezek 28:25–29:21, Matt 12:1–14
By Raphael ben Levi
In this week’s parasha, the drama of the Exodus continues Moses’ confrontations against the demonic principalities governing Egypt. At Pesach, we tell (Haggadah=telling) the story of the Exodus, and specifically link each plague with the demonic Egyptian god which we have included in our Mekudeshet Haggadah.
With each confrontation God judged Pharaoh and on each occasion it impacted the entire Egyptian nation minus the Israelite slaves. With each plague God’s judgement became severer as Pharaoh hardened his heart and refused the Divine command to, “Let my people go!” The entire might of Egypt – the most powerful nation in earth stood redundant against the power of the One true God.
Here we see for the first time how God invaded history by establishing and shaping an entire people destined and set apart from all other nations to become His unique and chosen ones.
Some historians claim that it was at this moment that the idea of ‘history’ as a concept was born – a pivotal occasion when God established a people with a Divine destiny and calling. The fulfilment of a promise established with the patriarchs Abram, Isaac and Jacob was now finally unravelling before the Israelites eyes after several hundred years where everything had appeared an impossibility.
And it all began when God revealed Himself to Moses within a common thorn bush considered useless and without worth? Why would He chose to dwell in the stunted, thorn bush?
For the Creator of the Universe didn’t reveal Himself within the magnificence of His creation, demonstrating His Divine humility, for God uses the things the world despises and considers foolish to confound the wise.
And He comes to us bearing gifts on bended knee, something easily overlooked because it defies our imagination. And later in the fullness of time God sent His only Son – God made man – clothed in humility to offer His life as a sin-offering for the whosoever who would receive Him as their Saviour and Lord.
Divine humility triumphed over the pride and arrogance of this world as the Roman soldiers placed a crown of thorns on the head of our Messiah fashioned from a similar ‘worthless thorn bush” which they crushed on His head with scorn and mocking – the One who “…Like a lamb led to the slaughter, like a sheep before its shearers is silent, He did not open His mouth” (Isa.53:7) but He willingly paid the price for our sin, offering humanity a gift on bended knee in absolute humility. “He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities. The chastisement for our shalom was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” (Isa.53:5)
Satan’s contempt, ridicule and scorn forged against the Redeemer – what he had considered for a just a moment was his greatest victory – became his greatest and irrevocable defeat, one that sealed his eternal doom.
All this was made possible through Yeshua’s total and complete obedience and humility: “6…who, although He existed in the form and unchanging essence of God [as One with Him, possessing the fullness of all the divine attributes—the entire nature of deity], did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped or asserted [as if He did not already possess it, or was afraid of losing it]; 7 but emptied Himself [without renouncing or diminishing His deity, but only temporarily giving up the outward expression of divine equality and His rightful dignity] by assuming the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men [He became completely human but was without sin, being fully God and fully man]. 8 After He was found in [terms of His] outward appearance as a man [for a divinely-appointed time], He humbled Himself [still further] by becoming obedient [to the Father] to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 For this reason also [because He obeyed and so completely humbled Himself], God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow [in submission], of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess and openly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord (sovereign God), to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil.2:6-11)
Yeshua hung on the Cross suffering unimaginable agony bearing the penalty of our sins as Heaven briefly held its breath witnessing the Divine act of redemption. Through His sacrifice a massive and irrevocable paradigm shift occurred as God gave Him a Name that’s above all names! Yud-He-Vav-He in human form, the Incarnation – Yeshua the fullest expression of humility who through His unfathomable love for us humbled Himself even unto death at a cost higher that even eternity cannot fully grasp.
What was it that changed Moses’ life from morphing into a passive shepherd with a speech impediment to one who God transformed into a fearless lion? Scripture reveals in Num.12:3 that it was the incident at the burning bush which shattered Moses’ life into a million fragments of new beginnings. This event changed Moses’ life forever and transformed him into someone known as being the most humble person who walked the earth (Num 12:3) – because no-one can remain untouched once having encountered God in the burning bush of our lives.
And so we are faced with a paradox. Humility is the partner of one who walks in spiritual authority, but pride is the partner of godless tyrants. And though it may appear strange at first, time and again it’s been this exact attribute of God – His Divine humility – which has consistently out manoeuvred the enemy from the very beginning.
“I will be what I will be” means that God is outside of time but His plan of salvation necessitated Him entering it. But the fullest expression was always just beyond the visible horizon until that perfect moment, 1500 years later when God once more invaded time sending us Yeshua who offers salvation to the whosoever revealing that He not only is the God of the future but also the God of the present: simultaneously “I will be who I will be” and “I am who I am”.
When Moses confronted Pharaoh, his initial efforts met with failure. Pharaoh refused to release the Israelites. Instead he made their working conditions worse. At this point all the Israelites turned against Moses to the point of stoning him. As slaves, their primary objective was simply survival. Every glimmer of hope had evaporated with what appeared to be the failed promises of Moses.
Moses too was at ground zero questioning God: “Lord why have You brought evil on these people? Is this why You sent me? Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your Name, he has brought evil on these people. You have not delivered Your people at all.” (ch.5: 22-23)
Imagine the overwhelming emotions flooding Moses at this point as he faced one of the lowest moments his life: “Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your Name, (You have) brought evil on these people. You have not delivered Your people at all.” He was caught between a cleft and a rock with no means of escape. Yet, he never gave up – cast down but not destroyed – with the courage necessary for a breakthrough leading to one of the greatest events in Jewish history.
Some believers suffer from spiritual myopia (short-sightedness) no different to what Moses experienced for a short space of time, and it usually occurs when we make our personal circumstances the prime focus instead of God and look to the facts rather than to the reality. God came to set the Israelites free but He did so on His terms.
In these days, God is calling us to press in violently with every ounce of energy within us. We refuse to allow Satan to paralyse our future when confronted with obstacles strewn before us in the present.
We face as believers great challenges in these days and praying for our nation of SA is an important means to combat the evil and corruption permeating our land and throughout the world. But do we also see parallels with Moses’ confrontation with Pharaoh?
Even so, we no longer have the luxury to remain silent within the barrenness of the Midianite desert. God is seeking a remnant willing to stand in the gap as watchmen who refuse to remain silent and will not rest until we vindicate the righteousness of God’s .
In all these things, it’s important to differentiate between loving our enemies and standing against every manner of evil and ungodliness manifested throughout the world today. Yeshua commanded us to love our enemy (not merely our neighbour!). Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach shared the following testimony about his father that provides us here with a stunning example: “How do most people treat our enemies who seek us harm? Whenever a person, any person, even the lowest scallam, came to see my father, he would first put on a tie and jacket, comb his beard and then greet the person. He would always say, ‘How wonderful it is to see you!’ Once a thief came under the guise of collecting for a yeshiva. My father greeted him in his accustomed manner. After the thief left, I asked my father, ‘Aren’t you overdoing it, treating a known ‘ganav’ in such a manner?’
He answered, ‘All the kavod (honour) in the world is not enough for the lowest person in the world.’”
Until we recognise that the most evil person within humanity is not in any more need of God’s grace than ourselves, we will have completely missed the mark! This is how we come before God’s throne of grace and mercy. (Testimony about forgiveness)
Second, how do we then stand against the flow of evil threatening to deceive, if it were possible, the very elect of God that’s causing the love of many to grow cold? I believe the answer resides in our deep longing to walk obediently and with humility in God’s pathways revealed in the Word of God through Yeshua who is THE WORD OF GOD. In Ps.16:11 David wrote: “You make me know the path of life; In your presence is fullness of joy, in your right-hand eternal delight.”
God’s express desire for us is to pause long enough to read, reflect, and carefully follow His signposts. We may at times stumble or take a wrong turn, but He remains faithful to keep those who truly love Him safe in the palm of His hands (Ps.37:24). His grace is sufficient and His strength made perfect amid our own imperfections. This is the nature of the Master potter who loves us with an everlasting love and transforms us into His likeness from glory to glory.
As we press forward, Heaven beckons and even the most attractive things on earth become dull and unappealing in comparison! As Paul declared, “…whatever I used to count as my greatest accomplishments, I’ve written them off as a loss because of Messiah. And more so, I now realise that all I gained and thought was important was nothing but yesterday’s garbage compared to knowing Yeshua my Lord. For Him I have thrown everything aside—it’s nothing but a pile of waste—so that I may gain Him.” (Phil 3:7-8.)
In the world today, many are called but few are chosen because few are willing to choose the narrow path. The most we can ever give to God is only the least He deserves! So, let’s stand ready and prepared – and having done all, to stand – as we await the soon return of our Lord, engaged in the service of the King of Kings as His bride without spot or blemish!
