Beshalach/And he let them go בשלח Exodus 13:17–17:16

“leaving the egypt of our lives behind…. “

But now that you have come to know יהוה, or rather to be known by יהוה, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?

Galatians 4:9

Many of us came into the understanding that the Torah was very relevent for us today. This was something that was contrary to what we had been taught for so many years we grew up on the churches. Many of us struggled as we began to learn what יהוה was telling us in the Torah. Probably the first two things we encountered, that was a personal stuggle for many of us, was the keeping of the seventh day Sabbath. This affected many of us in ways that we did not previously understand. We started out Zealous for this newfound understand of the relevence of Torah, but we then sank into a type of depression as we realized exactly how this would impact us. Some of us gave up our familiar sports games on the couch, and pizza parties that we gathered for traditionally on the Sabbath, in order to keep the Sabbath from being profaned. Some of us may have given up on even partaking in various sporting events on the Sabbath, as we realize that these profaned the sabbath. Some of us may have gone to a movie on the Sabbath and ate out, but realize that we needed to refrain from these bahviours and make our foods before the Sabbath. We may have even lost friends over this type of radical change in our lives. Some of us, being Zealous for the obedience, even lost our spouses, and the state put children into the hands of disobedient spouses.

• Indirect Route : Pharoah changed his mind, and after he finally allowed the people to leave, decided later that they should bring the people back and utilize their slave labor force. Jubilees claims that Mastema, a code word for the devil, and or/his angels is the tool YHWH uses to effect the hardening of heart of pharoah and his various advisors. When the people were finally let go, they went by way of an indirect Route, by way of the wilderness, with Josephs bones, according to the promise that they made with him, instead of the kings highway, much shorter distance to their destination, i.e. Caanan land. Concern that if they came on the kings highway, they might be discouraged since the philistines were well acqainted with war, and if Israel was to join battle with them, they might surely be turned back to Egypt. YHWH instead led them by way of the wilderness, a round about way to the waters edge.
• The Children of Israel cross the Red Sea/Sea of Reeds – Through an incredible miracle, of wind blowing and parting the waters from the East. Crossing over dry-shod they hurry across with the army of Egpyt hot on their trail. The Egyptians go into the divided body of water after then, but get bogged down in the mud, and are irretrievably stymied. As the children of Israel ascend up upon the banks of the other side, the waters crash down on the Egyptian army drowning the entire host of chariot soldiers. Song of Moses, Miriam Dancing with timbrel, connection to the Song of Moses in Revelation – 15:2-4
• The people are thirsty, and try to drink the waters on the other side, after crossing the body of water, but they are bitter to drink and cause illness. (Marah, bitter waters, complaining) getting ill, Moses is given divine knowledge to find a tree that will heal the waters, and most likely change the acidity to an alkaline apporpriate suitability -branch of a certain tree. Similarities -Revelation 22:12 trees, leaves for the healing of the nations, Ezekiel 47: 12 fruit trees along the banks of a pure river, 12 kinds of fruits, leaves for the healing of the nations, refreshing of the dead sea, to pure, sustaining life again, restorations – 2 Kings 2:21 Elisha heals the waters with salt. I am YHWH-Rapha (connections to the Arch-Angel Raphael as instroduced in the book of Enoch 1, and the book of Tobit), Thy elohim thy healer, connected to the promise that “none of these diseases,” of the Egyptians shall be put on you.
• Provision of Food which in the Hebrew was called – mah’nah, or “what is it,” from יהוה. In the morning the bread from heaven fell ( and at evening, quail) upon the people, so that they could gather it up for six entire days an exact amount for each person, but on the sixth day they gathered double, and the substance was still good on the seventh day. This miracle was such because the people did not listen to YHWH and gathered more than they were told on all the other six mornings, and it rotted by the next day, except those who did this on the sixth day, and on the seventh day, the bread type substance was good all throughout the seventh day, so they could rest. Affirmation of the seventh day Sabbath, feeding us with the heritage of Jacob, people wonder why they are having so much trouble financially, and expensis coming out of every quadrant, always poor, and yet they forsake the very commands that promise the provision, summed up in the Messiah’s Prayer, – give unto us this day, our daily Bread – Mah’Nah.
• Seeking water again, quarreling, Massah and Meribah – מסה ומריבה to the test, as you tested, and place of strife. A desolate pathway through the wilderness, very little water, large flocks of herds, and people, and a people used to instant gratification in a land that has so much water flowing through it, the Nile. Moses is instructed to have the elders gather, at the rock, and Moses strikes the Rock and it starts flowing with water out of it.

• The punishment of Amalek for constant disobedience and complaining about no water yet agrain at Rephidim. Constant pattern of complaining and striving with יהוה, led to a manifestation of the fruit of their own lips.

Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken יהוה, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.

Isaiah 1:4

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but יהוה is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

1 Corinthians 10:13

In transgressing and lying against יהוה, and departing away from our אלוהים, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and יהוה saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.

Isaiah 59:13-15

But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.

Jeremiah 7:24

And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, andover the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of יהוה. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of יהוה, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, אדוני יהוה Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O אדוני, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

Revelation 15:2-4

Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

Proverbs 18:21

Challenges for today

• When we come against a challenge, how will we respond? Will we seek יהוה for an answer, or strive with יהוה about our difficulties.
• How are we like or unlike the Israelites who came through the trials of the wilderness? Consider the similarities both in circumstances and attitudes
• How can we position ourselves so that we are no longer so reliant upon Egypt, and more reliant upon יהוה?