PARASHAH YITRO
(Exodus 18:1-20:23) Week 17
YITRO: Abundance (Jethro: Priest of Midian, the Father-in-law of Moses)
JETHRO: Believed in the power of Adonai because of the GREAT DELIVERANCE of the Hebrew nation out of slavery; out of Egypt . He sacrificed animals to Adonai, and they were eaten by Moses, Aaron, Jethro and the elders as a celebration of this miracle.
GER TZEDEK: A Righteous Convert! Jethro is highly esteemed in Jewish history as a Ger Tzedek or Righteous Convert!
TESTIMONY: EDUTH The Torah of the Lord is perfect, restoring the inner person; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. Psalm 19:7
The Hebrew word EDUTH means testimony, precept or warning. It comes from a word meaning WITNESS.
SINAI: Mount Sinai (Sinai – see Exodus 19:20) is the mountain where Israel met with God, upon leaving Egypt. The Hebrew word Sinai (Strong’s #5514) means Thorn. This word comes from the parent root SN (sin-nun), also meaning Thorn. Another word derived from this parent root is seneh (#5572) meaning thorn-bush. The bush that Moses saw burning in Exodus 3:2 is a seneh.
It was not just a burning bush, but a burning thorn-bush.
Mount Sinai is also called Mount Horeb (hhorev – see Exodus 3:1). The Hebrew word hhorev (#2722) comes from the root hharav (#2717) meaning to lay waste or to be dried up, as well as to fight. By definition the words sinai and hhorev are synonymous with a dry wasteland, which is often filled with thorn-bushes.
There is an interesting connection between the Garden of Eden and Mount Sinai:
When Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden (Gan Eden or Garden of Delight) God placed a flaming sword at the entrance as a barrier so Adam and Eve and their descendants could not re-enter the Garden of Eden.
The Hebrew word for sword is hherev (sword, sharp) which comes from the same root, hharav (to fight, to make waste), as the word hhorev, (wasteland) which is also called Sinai (sharp, thorn).
The burning thorn-bush of Exodus is a picture of the flaming sword of Genesis. Is it possible that the burning bush and the flaming sword are one and the same?
Is Mount Sinai located at the ancient entry into the Garden of Eden, as its Thorny Barrier?
THE 10 WORDS: Ten Sayings (5 SHALLS … AND 5 SHALL NOTS)
MIDBAR: Desert Wilderness. Seeds were present, only needing WATER to burst forth!
MOSAIC COVENANT: This Covenant is like a marriage covenant between husband and wife, drawing power from faithfulness. This covenant was based on Israel’s faith in Adonai, and therefore promised either blessings for faithfulness or curses for faithlessness!
KETUBAH: Hebrew word for the Marriage Contract.
I AM THAT I AM: The name Adonai wanted the Israelites to know Him by! He set the boundary around the base of Mt Sinai. God is a boundary-setter!
Boundaries bring beauty!
The Base of Mt. Sinai: The boundary around the base of Mt. Sinai was set forth by the Lord to demonstrate there is a CHASM between the HOLY and the PROFANE.
(Profane meaning commonplace) Adonai established the boundary before His Self-Revelation which He demonstrated at Mt. Sinai; an extension of the miracles and signs and wonders of Exodus!
This period in biblical history is punctuated by the Self-Revelation of Adonai and the progressive revelation of His self-proclaimed names!
SHOFAR: To Bring Beauty The Ram’s horn was used to CALL the people of God into a State of ATTENTION focused on Adonai! The sounding of the Shofar brings beauty, as each heart is called to an ALERTNESS to the Father.
KADOSH: HOLY (Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, Adonai) Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord!
LESHAV: Vainly, Emptily, to treat Lightly, to Dishonor; like blowing dust off a table! Consider where the term: “To Blow something OFF” comes from.
TORAH: The Instructions of Adonai…The Way to Walk…God’s way to go!
COHANIM: The King’s Priests; Ministers to Elohim, God Most High.
ADONAI CAME DOWN: From the Heavens to the top of Mount Sinai, as Moses climbed up Mt. Sinai to the top, to meet with Him there.
Adonai commanded: “Either you will accept the Torah (The Instruction) or be buried here!” These prophetic words describe the generation of the Nation of Israel who initially gathered around Mount Sinai; a rebellious generation who died in the desert. The younger generation who came after them, led by Joshua, entered the Covenant Land.
SHABBAT: REST (The fourth commandment states to “Remember the day, Shabbat, to set it apart for God. For the Purposes of God”.
Sixth of Sivan: The day on which the 10 Commandments were given by God to the Nation of Israel was a Sabbath Day, 7-weeks to the day, from the Exodus of the people of Israel out of Egypt / Slavery.
Remember the Prophetic impact of 7 WEEKS and/or 7 DAYS in Jeremiah and the Book of Daniel describing the Alcharit Hayamim or End of Days…
The 10 Commandments are GROUPED according to Relationships:
The first 4 Commandments have vertical impact! These are God’s instructions pertaining to our relationship with Him, and have measurable Kingdom Impact!
The last 6 Commandments have horizontal impact! These are God’s instructions pertaining to our relationship with people; our family, friends and neighbors, and the world-at-large, and have measurable Earthly Impact!
A Kingdom of Priests; A Holy Nation:
God commissioned Moses to tell the appointed leaders of Israel: IF they OBEY the Lord and KEEP His COVENANT, To Hear and Obey, they will become His Kingdom of Priests, and a Holy Nation. This fullness for Israel is YET to be REALIZED! It will be fulfilled in the coming Millennial Reign of Jesus the Messiah, in Jerusalem, during His 1,000 Year Rule over the earth, and all the Nations.
SHEMA Israel! SHALOM Israel!
HAFTARAH (Old Covenant) READING: Isaiah 6:1-7 and 9:5-6
Isaiah the prophet writes of his own commissioning as a messenger to the people…as if his commissioning as messenger was the direct result of the acceptance of the Covenant at Sinai when the people responded to God through Moses with a resounding:
“We will do all that He has said!”
As Pharaoh’s heart hardened, he could not SEE or HEAR Adonai. The people of Israel became hardened as a direct result of their rebellion of God’s instruction!
SIN has a consequence. Life-long sin produces death, darkness, and dulled vision toward God. A hard heart is the result of a life-style of progressive sin; the bitter fruit of rebellion. Yet, the prophetic promise was revealed; a HOLY SEED would remain from which the people would one day be REGENERATED. This prophecy will be fulfilled in the Millennial Reign of the Messiah!
After Isaiah’s commissioning as a prophet to the people of Israel he reassured King Ahaz of Judah that in spite of a pressing invasion by the northern Kingdom, God would intervene! There was a promise of a coming king of Judah to restore righteousness, forever!
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace!” (Sar Shalom)
This promise became a historical reality with the virgin birth of our Lord, His sinless life story, His sacrificial death on the cross, and His resurrection as our Passover Lamb of God! (Se Ha Elohim) Furthermore, upon the resurrection of Jesus, (Yeshua) as promised, the Comforter has been sent! This prophecy was fulfilled at Pentecost, by the giving of the Holy Spirit (Ruach Hakodesh) into the hearts of new believers.
BRIT CHADASHAH (New Covenant) READING: Matt 8:5-20
“As Yeshua entered K’far-Nachum, a Roman army officer came up and pleaded for help.” “Sir my orderly is lying at home paralyzed and suffering terribly!” Yeshua said, “I will go and heal him.” “Sir I am unfit to have you come into my home. Rather, if you will only give the command my orderly will recover!”
“Then Yeshua said to the officer, “Go, let it be for you as you have TRUSTED.” “He Himself took our weaknesses and bore our diseases.”
Matthew clearly preaches: saved by faith, not by works or law! Yes, the new Covenant is a better Covenant, and is the fulfillment of every promise of Adonai and in His words of Torah, fulfilled by His son:
“Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a yud or stroke will pass from the Torah – not until everything that must happen has happened.”
Spoken by Jesus in Matthew 5:18 (CJB)