"Now these are the names
of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt; every man and his household
came with Jacob." (Exod. 1:1)
"Now there arose up a
new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph." (Exod. 1:8)
"Pharaoh’s “not knowing of Joseph” is a direct contrast
to God’s “knowing of the son’s of Israel.’ To Pharaoh they had no worth or
significance, to the God of Israel they’re name and they’re destinies were
intertwined. This sets the stage for the entire book of Shemot (Exodus). For
the next twelve chapters the king of Egypt and the God of Israel will be
embroiled in a winner takes all contest, and the prize is Israel. To God,
Israel is a treasure, a beloved child, a new humanity conceived in his image.
To Pharaoh though, Israel is a material possession, a work force, a symbol of
his power subvert and dominate."
"Unfortunately as the years past, many became arrogant
and did “not know” the son’s of Israel. This has had horrific consequences for
Israel, for the church and for the world. Abraham Joshua Heschel once asked the
sobering question, “Can the Church really claim the God of Israel without
remembering the people of Israel.” This is a question I believe can only be
answered in the negative." (More: http://shuvah.org/blog/?p=277#more-277)
“But the more they
afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew (iphrotz). And they were
grieved because of the children of Israel.” (Exod. 1:12)
The more Egypt afflicted bnei Israel, the more they multiplied and grew. Moreover Egypt feared bnei Israel.
Hashem realized His plan about
Israel in Egypt. No one – even the biggest world empire – couldn’t stop God’s
work!
Iphrotz – pharatz – do
the break, to spread, to extend.
This word is used in Breyshit 28:14 too.
“And thy seed shall be as
the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread (pharatzta) abroad to the west,
and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy
seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” (Breyshit 28:14)
Later this prophecy came
true when Jews came to Eretz Israel.
they were disgusted because of the children of Israel
- "they [the Israelites] were like thorns
(כקוצים) in their eyes [from Sotah
11a]" (Rashi) (http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/9862/showrashi/true)
As Hashem defended Israel
as He will defend all believers in Messiah Yeshua.
46 The LORD liveth; and blessed
be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.
47 It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.
48 He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that
rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.
49 Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing
praises unto thy name.
50 Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed,
to David, and to his seed for evermore. (Psalms 18:46-50)
“No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.” (Isaiah 54:17)
The midwives
15 And the king of Egypt spake to
the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of
the other Puah:
16 And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see
them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a
daughter, then she shall live.
17 But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded
them, but saved the men children alive.
18 And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have
ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive?
19 And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the
Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in
unto them.
20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and
waxed very mighty.
21 And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them
houses. (Exodus 1:15-21)
“But the midwives
feared God” – they were the
righteous people like Kornelius etc.
1 There was a certain man
in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,
2 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much
alms to the people, and prayed to God alway. (Acts 10:1-2)
“Then Paul stood up, and
beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give
audience.” (Acts 13:16)
“but saved the men
children alive” – The midwives
didn’t fulfil the order of the king of Egypt. More of that: they saved the men
children alive. Hashem made houses to the midwives.
14 For when the Gentiles,
which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these,
having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience
also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else
excusing one another;)
16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according
to my gospel. (Romans 2:14-16)
SHEMOT 2
“And there went a man of the
house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.” (Exodus 2:1)
Rabbi S.R.Hirsh wrote it
was necessary to have the big courage in order to become by the mother and
father in that difficult situation in Egypt.
2 And the
woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly
child, she hid him three months.
3 And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes,
and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she
laid it in the flags by the river's brink.
4 And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.
5 And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her
maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the
flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.
6 And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept.
And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.
7 Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a
nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?
8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the
child's mother.
9 And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for
me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the women took the child, and nursed
it. (Exodus 2:2-9)
These good news are not the
chance events. These good news are thanks to Hashem!
an ark of bulrushes – in Hebrew: teva. This Hebrew word is used in Gen.
7-9 for Hoah’s ark. We Messianic believers have
the spiritual ark too!
she saw the child – literally:
saw him the child. Rashi writes she saw the child. Then he refer to Midrash
which understand these words so: she saw Shechinah with the child.
I will give thee thy
wages – Moshe’s mother receives the
wages too – the blessing in plenty! Baruch
Hashem!
“Now unto him that is
able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to
the power that worketh in us,” (Eph. 3:20)
Pharaoh’s daughter is the
righteous woman.
There was the danger for
Messiah Yeshua too. But plan of satan was a failure.
13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the
Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child
and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word:
for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed
into Egypt:
15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was
spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding
wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in
all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time
which he had diligently enquired of the wise men. (Matthew 2:13-16)
19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream
to Joseph in Egypt,
20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land
of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life.
21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the
land of Israel. (Matthew 2:19-21)
In Exod. 2:10 we read:
“And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became
her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of
the water.”
In Moshe’s name we see the hint
about that as Pharaoh’s daughter drew Moshe out the water as he will draw bnei
Israel out Egypt. Messiah Yeshua drew us out the spiritual Egypt.
16 Now the priest of
Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the
troughs to water their father's flock.
17 And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped
them, and watered their flock. (Exodus 2:16-17)
Why did the shepherds
drive the girls away? Rashi and Tankhum write that their father declined
worship to idols.
Moshe is the defender of the weak
people. It is an important trait for future leader. It is Messianic trait!
Moshe met Tziporah (his future
wife) near a well like Eliezer met Rivkah (Isaac”s wife) near a well and Yacov
met Rachel near a well too. In this future family his head – Moshe - has the
great God’s mission ahead him.
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