January 13, 2024: Parashah Torah Portion Vayera
This week’s Parashah Torah Portion Vayera is taken from Exodus 6:2-9:35. Join Dr. Jeffery Myers, as he forewarns about what's coming in the not-so-distant future, but also encourages us to carry hope, just like Moses brought a message of hope to the disheartened Israelites who were enslaved in Egypt!
Follow along in the AUDIO PODCAST, by clicking on the play button below, and reading along with the notes, as you listen to today's Parashah Torah Portion:
Lion of Judah Speaks: Parashah Torah Portion Vayera - Exodus 6:2-9:35
The message of the gospel is the message of hope but if you feel hopeless, the gospel is going to fall on deaf ears. It will not take root in you! Exodus 6: 9 says, “Moshe said this to the people of Israel but they wouldn’t listen to him, because they were so discouraged, and their slavery was so cruel.” When Moshe first came back to Egypt, the Israelites were hopeless. They were slaves and brickmakers when Moshe came back to bring them hope. He came with the message of freedom and Elohim. He showed them with signs, and they began to believe. However, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened and increased the workload making their lives more difficult. In our lives the same happens and people tell us, “Don’t get your hopes up” because the higher your hopes the further they plunge!
Sometimes it is hard to listen to hope because of our despondency. You had hope and it seems that hope had betrayed you—so we resolve not to be hurt again! One way to avoid hurt is to never hope again. As we face disappointment, it is difficult to hope again. When we set out to accomplish something for Elohim, our initial enthusiasm cools quickly as we face difficulties and setbacks.
An example is we set out to make peace with an enemy but the enemy takes advantage of the gesture and aggravates the conflict. Another example is we go to witness to others about our faith and no one receives the message or we resolve to change our life because of addiction or to improve our character and it starts out well but fails in the attempt, and we end up just as bad or worse.
We must not be comfortable in our despondent state! Don’t be settled! We must risk the chance of disappointment. How many believe in YHVH? How many have faith? Then we should live in a constant state of expectation. If Elohim is on your side you cannot lose! When you know you cannot lose you have nothing to fear! Don’t be afraid of disappointment! Don’t be a pessimist to protect yourself! You can be an optimist, and let Elohim raise your expectations!
Let’s set out to be good or do better and be better because we can rely on Elohim’s compassion, His promises and the power of His name! These things will set us through the disappointment. Elohim wants to reveal His name to us…He will reveal it to the world very soon! We look at the children of Israel who stayed too long in Egypt and assimilated to the culture. Elohim did not break His promises or forsake His people! If He ever turned away and took another people then there would be no confidence in our faith!
In Exodus 6:2-3 Elohim showed Himself as El Shaddai (Yah Almighty) but to Moshe, He reveals Himself as YHVH (Adonai). However, there is a little problem if we examine Gen. 15:7 and 28:13, we see Elohim introduced Himself as YHVH. So how can He say that the forefathers did not know Him by the name of YHVH?
Now if we remember that in the Torah, a name signifies an attribute or attributes, then we can more easily understand this passage. What Elohim is telling Moses is that He appeared to the Patriarchs as El Shaddai or Elohim, thereby revealing those particular aspects of His nature to them. However, the attribute of His nature signified by the name YHVH had not, until then, been revealed. What was that particular attribute?
Patriarchs knew Him as great, mighty, and powerful Elohim as one who made promises, but He never related to them as an Elohim who fulfilled those promises! Elohim gave some far reaching promises to the Patriarchs, but they were never brought to complete fulfillment before them (Hebrews 11:13).
Now as Elohim sends Moshe and Aaron to confront Pharaoh, He is about to begin to bring the fulfillment of some of those promises to pass. Therefore, He will NOW reveal the meaning of His name, YHVH, so that all can see that He is Elohim who keeps His covenant promises.
He was revealing the true meaning of His name! He is the promise keeping Elohim! The Holy name of Elohim (YHVH), is understood to imply His unchanging, covenant keeping, promise-fulfilling nature! It is the meaning of who He is which is why we must never suppose that He has abolished His covenant, changed His name or forsaken His people…to do so would be a violation of His own name!
In Exodus 9:14-16 Adonai tells Moshe that plagues will strike Egypt in order to show His power to the world. Yeshua is coming again, and it will be like in the days of Egypt. The heaven will unleash plagues and signs revealing Elohim’s name but this time over all the earth. The plagues will conclude with the redemption of Elohim’s people and the publication of Elohim’s name!
In the semitic sense, to declare one’s name means to broadcast a person’s fame and reputation and to declare Elohim’s name means to reveal who Elohim is, i.e., to glorify Him! It has nothing to do with the pronunciation but has everything to do with revealing Elohim’s person and character to the world. The revelation of Elohim’s name thematically runs through the story of the 10 plagues and the exodus from Egypt.
Yeshua has the same objective and we read in John 17:4-6…He revealed Elohim’s character and established His reputation for 3 years through sign, works, and teachings. The resurrection would be the ultimate sign of His revealed name!
The clock is ticking…heaven is about to unleash plagues and signs revealing Elohim’s name to all the earth. The prophesies in the Book of Revelation speak of plagues to come. Witnesses like Moshe will appear (Rev. 11:6) and spirits will afflict humanity like locusts (Rev. 9:1-8). There will appear frogs (Rev. 16:13) and plagues of hail and blood will descend on earth (Rev. 8:8-9) along with pestilence, famine and woe will consume Babylon (Rev. 18:8).
As in Egypt, the plagues will conclude with the redemption of Elohim’s people and the publication of Elohim’s name as Zech. 14:9 says, “Then Adonai will be King over the whole world. On that day Adonai will be the only one, and His name will be the only name.” Romans 14:11 say’s, “Every knee will bow and every tongue confess…will publicly acknowledge Elohim! That day is coming and coming soon! Are you ready?
Shabbat Shalom Mishpocha,
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The time is coming and we need to be prepared. Prepare for war! Prepare for the coming of Yeshua! Yeshua is coming for the bride, one without spot or wrinkle. Let the watchmen arise and let His light be seen all across this world. Blow the shofars and alert the people…the time is now! I will see you at the altar!
Shalom Aleichem