Shabbat Shalom Saints of the Most High. Welcome to the second post of our The Messianic Torah Observer Journal.
Today is a special day of sorts. It’s not only the Sabbath, but it is also the start of the 9th Biblical Month. Rosh Chodesh.
There are no mandated Feasts of the LORD in this 9th Biblical Month (Leviticus/Vayikra 23). However, the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah begins on the 25th day of this month (which is 12/20/2022). And Hanukkah goes on for 8 days, concluding this year on 12/27/2022.
Hanukkah is born, not of Torah (which explains why it is not a mandated feast of the LORD). But rather, it is born of the successful Maccabean Revolt against the forces of Antiochus Epiphanes (a Seleucid king) in the 2nd century B.C.E.
The holiday memorializes the rededication of the Jerusalem altar after its desecration by Antiochus Epiphanes.
There are significant spiritual lessons to be gained from the background story of this holiday that we may tackle in a future post.
But for today, our focus will be on this week’s Torah Reading, which is contained in Exodus/Shemot 18:1-20:26. It is the 59th reading of our 3-year Torah Reading cycle.
Jethro: A Portrait of Paternal Wisdom Yah Used to Help Steer Mosheh
Jethro, Priest of Midian (i.e., Moshe’s father-in-law) brought unto Moshe his wife Zipporah and his two sons in the wilderness after hearing of what Yah had done for Moshe and the nation (18:1-6). It would appear that this may have been an insertion into the exodus timeline, as it mentions this meeting taking place at the Mount of Elohim (18:5). It talks about Jethro speaking to Moses in verse 18:6, then it talks about Moses going out to meet Jethro in verse 18:7.
Verse 18:10–Jethro rejoices: Blessed be Yehovah who has (1) delivered you out of the hand of the Mitsriyim; and (2) out of the hand of Pharaoh; and (3) who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Mitsriym. The deliverance of Moshe and Yisra’el convinced Jethro that Yehovah was “greater than all elohiym” (18:11). Which tells me that Jethro was a polytheist who probably worshiped a number of regional elohim. And it was after Jethro’s and Moshe’s talk that Jethro offered unto Yah an ascending smoke offering and sacrifices, which were followed by a celebratory meal with the leaders of Yisra’el (18:12).
The next day Jethro observed Moshe judging the people from morning to night (18:13-14). Moshe clarified to Jethro that the people came to him and that he might serve in the capacity of a court system. Ruling on various legal matters involving their personal situations (18:15). And the people did this because Moshe was the one who possessed knowledge of Yah’s statutes and Torah (18:17). And thus Moshe taught the people Yah’s ways, which strongly suggests that Yah had taught Moshe His ways–His Torah.
It would seem that Yah used Jethro to counsel Moshe as it relates to the proper godly governing of Yah’s people (18:16-26). And despite the common misconceptions of many in our Faith community, Yah does require His people to operate under proper human governance that is exclusively Torah-based.
True Messianic assemblies are supposed to operate in a similar manner. Whereby, Yah chooses that assembly’s leader (in the case of our reading it was Moshe). That leader is tasked with teaching the assembly Yah’s ordinances and Torah and the way in which the people must live and operate as individuals and as a community and nation. As I’ve stated in previous posts, we are not meant to operate in isolated, individual vacuums in this Faith community of ours. For whatever reason, many brethren have chosen to go it alone in their Faith walk. They’ve abandoned the assembling of themselves together with like-minded brethren. They ultimately become a government unto themselves. Many despise Yah’s assemblies for various and sundry reasons, which is a problem in and of itself.
Yah’s assembly member is also tasked with training up and employing “able men” who fear Elohim; men of Truth who hate covetousness, to be leaders over the congregation according to the number of people that make up the congregation. These would be tasked with assisting Yah’s chosen leader with governing the body. And only those matters of great importance will the leader be obliged to deal with.
And so it was, that Moshe took the counsel of Jethro to heart and established a working government over the people (18:24-26).
In 19:1-2, the narrative brings us back to the sequential chronology of the Exodus as the nation, having departed Rephiydiym, had at this point finally arrived in the “wilderness of Ciynai” in the 3rd month of Yah’s calendar year; 3 months after the nation’s departure from Mitsriym. And in terms of Yah’s reckoning of time and His set-apart days, we know that Shavu’ot always falls within the 3rd month of the calendar year. The nation established its camp at the base of the Mountain of Elohim.
It is here that Moshe was led up into the Mountain where Yah instructs Him to pitch a marriage proposal to the nation, whereby He would be her Elohim and she would be a “peculiar treasure unto Him” above all the nation peoples of the earth; a kingdom of priests unto Him; a holy people. For all the earth belongs to Him. In return, Yah was asking the nation to obey His voice and shama (i.e., guard; keep) His covenant. Which covenant? The covenant He was proposing unto them. The terms of the marriage proposal (i.e., the ketubah) (19:3-6). And Moshe was to deliver this proposal precisely as Yah articulated it to him.
Respecting the government that he’d previously installed over the nation, Moshe pitched the marriage proposal Yah had given to him on the Mount (19:7). Thus, he put forth the proposal to the nation’s elders, whom no doubt went back to their assigned people and pitched the exact same proposal to their constituents. And the nation resoundingly consented to the marriage proposal saying: “All that Yehovah has spoken we will do” (19:8).
And Moshe, serving as the intermediary between the nation and Yah, returned to Yah with the people’s consent to be His set-apart people.
Thus, Abba lays out before Moshe the sequence of events that will officially bring about this marriage: (1) He would come specifically and primarily to Moshe and declare unto Him His Word, manifested in a thick cloud. This would serve to certify that Moshe was the de-facto intercessor and leader for the nation. This would solidify in the people’s minds that He was in fact chosen by Yah to be the nation’s leader (19:9). (2) The people needed to be sanctified over the course of those next two days, primarily symbolized by them washing their clothes in anticipation of them meeting Yah on the 3rd day (19:10). This means that there would have had to have been a significant water source in order to make such a thing happen. But the text does not provide any such information on such a water source. (3) The nation was to be present in body, mind, heart, and soul to receive Yah on the 3rd day when He would descend from the Mountain and manifest in their sight (19:11). (4) When the nation hears the shofar blasts, that would be her signal to assemble at the designated place before the Mountain. In so doing, the nation was to be trained regarding boundaries. Yah instructed Moshe to establish and enforce strict boundaries about the mountain. Obviously, this was to teach the people about respecting the sacred things of Yah. The holy things of Yah. That they were never to overstep the established boundaries between the holy and the mundane, under the fear of summary execution (19:12-13).
And thus, Moshe relayed these 4 key marriage events that the people would experience and the text says that he “sanctified the people and they washed their clothes” and not engage in intimate relations with their spouses (19:14-15). What does it mean that Moshe sanctified the people? This is certainly reminiscent of Yochanan the Immerser’s call to the nation to repent and be baptized for the remission of their sins in preparation to receive their Messiah and the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 3:1-12). For Yah requires that His would-be people be made ritually pure to receive His presence. For Yah does not dwell in the midst of impurity. Our intercessor, Yeshua Messiah, sanctifies us to be in Yah’s presence by cleaning us up and purifying us with His blood. This is spiritual sanctification. But in terms of personal responsibilities, we are required to prepare ourselves physically, mentally, and emotionally to receive Yah’s presence each day. We need to clean our spiritual garments by ridding ourselves of the filth of the carnal world and enter into His presence with fear and reverence.
Yah’s presence was manifested so as to impress upon every physical human sense with exception of taste: sight (cloud, lightning), hearing (thunderings and the blasts of the sofar), feeling (fear, quaking of the mount before them, and overwhelming loudness of the shofar and thunder), smell (no doubt smelling the burning fire on the mount) (19:16-18).
And when the sound of the heaven shofar had sounded long and grown ever so loud, Moshe called out to Yehovah who answered Him (19:19). Yah calls Moshe up to meet him on His Mountain (19:20). And it is here that Yah admonishes Moshe to warn the people not to cross the established boundaries separating Him/His mountain and them (19:21-22). And Moshe reminds Yah that he’d already warned the people not to violate any established boundaries lest they suffer immediate death. But for a 3rd time, Yah admonishes Moshe to tell the people not to violate the established boundaries between He and them.
Why would (1) Yah instruct Moshe 3-times to admonish the people to not violate the established borders between Him and them knowing the people were essentially terrorized by that which they were witnessing? (2) Didn’t Yah know beforehand that the people would be too afraid to violate those established boundaries in the first place?
Jethro (aka Yitro; Raguel (1), and Reuel(2)) is referred to as “administrator” or “kho’heyn” of Mid’yahn (aka Priest of Mid’yahn/Midian), father-in-law to Mosheh, who hears of the awesome wonders that Yehovah did on behalf of Mosheh and his people, Yisra’el. And so, he leaves his home in Midian with Mosheh’s wife, Zipporah/Tsiporah, and Mosheh’s two sons in tow, and journeys out to meet Mosheh in the Sinai Wilderness.
Yitro/Jethro is referred to in the Book of Jasher (aka Yashar) as Re’u’el the Midian, who had heard of the great exploits of Yah on behalf of Mosheh and Yisra’el. One may be led to wonder if Yitro/Jethro, curious about the stories he’d heard about Yehovah and Yisra’el second-hand, could not resist coming to hear of these wonders directly from the horse’s mouth so-to-speak.
You know, it’s always more powerful to hear a testimony of Yah’s awesome power operating in a person’s life directly from the affected individual than to read or hear of it from a 3rd party.
The most poignant thing that I drew from my reading of this event in Jasher is that the author makes the point that it is through this fortuitous meeting between Mosheh and Re’u’el/Jethro, and Re’u’el/Jethro hearing of the awesome exploits of Yehovah on Yisra’el’s and Mosheh’s behalf, that Re’u’el/Jethro came to personally know and worship Yehovah.
Josephus refers to Jethro/Yitro as Raguel.
Josephus writes that Raguel advised Mosheh (described as the arbitrator over the people) to devote himself to Godly matters and to looking or searching out ways to preserve the wellbeing of the nation. To leaving the arbitration of “common causes to others”. And it is here that Raguel suggests to Mosheh that he appoint rulers over 10,000s, over 1,000’s, and divide those up into 500’s, and those into 100’s, and still those into ’50s, ’30s, 20’s, and 10’s.
The leaders that were to rule over these groupings, were to be selected by members of their own communities, based upon their righteous reputations. These would serve in the place of Mosheh to arbitrate over the causes of the people. The more complex and difficult the cause to arbitrate, the higher up the ruler-ladder or chain it would go. And only the most difficult causes would be brought to Mosheh to arbitrate.
The governmental set-up that Raguel suggested to Mosheh, according to Josephus, would serve to advance and promote justice throughout the nation, and free up Mosheh “to attend constantly on God, and procure Him (Him being Yah) to be more favorable to the people” (Antiquities of the Jews 4.1.72).
This of course serves as a shadow of the government that the Jerusalem/Yerushalayim Church put into place by the apostles, who appointed seven qualified men to attend to the daily ministrations of the assembly, while the apostles were freed up to devote themselves to prayer and the work of the critical work of the Gospel.
Later on in the Brit Hadashah, under the leadership of the Apostle Paul/Shaul, the various assemblies strewn throughout the Roman Empire of his day, began to implement government systems therein. This system was composed of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, that some today refer to as the five-fold ministry of the Church. Unfortunately, these offices or ministry roles have been compromised and improperly administered by denominationalism and even our Messianic Community. But Yah’s Ruach HaQodesh placed these offices or roles into the Body of Mashiyach for, as Shaul described, “the perfecting (I.e., “katartismos” or equipping) of the saints; for the work of the ministry, for the edifying (I.e., “oikodome” or the building up) of the Body of Mashiyach till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of Elohim, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Messiah/Mashiyach (Ephesians 4:11-13; KJV).
Therefore, that which became the governing body of the Body of Messiah had its humble beginning with this fortuitous meeting and suggestion by Mosheh’s father-in-law.
Sometimes Yah places individuals in lives to help us transition and work through challenging situations that would, if not properly addressed, hinder our faith walk.
In the reading that lays before us we have Yitro/Jethro, who the text titles as Mosheh’s in-law. We know him previously as Zipporah’s/Tsiporah’s father. Zipporah/Tsiporah of course married Mosheh during his sojourn in Midian.
I think it is not too much of a stretch to surmise that during his sojourn in Jethro’s/Yitro’s house that Mosheh got somewhat, if not very, attached to his father-in-law.
May I go even further to suggest that Mosheh, not having a true biological father in his life to steer his upbringing and development as a man, may have attached himself all the more closer Yitro/Jethro than he would have otherwise?
Amram, Mosheh’s biological father, apparently was not present in much of Mosheh’s life for obvious reasons (Exodus/Shemot 6:18,20). But rather, Mosheh was raised in Pharaoh’s house. Now, to what extent Pharaoh played a father role in Mosheh’s life is speculative at best.
But given the warm welcome Mosheh extends to Yitro/Jethro upon his arrival at Yisra’el’s camp, it would seem that maybe Mosheh saw Yitro/Jethro as the father that Egyptian/Mitsrayim slavery deprived him of.
Throughout the 18th chapter, Yitro/Jethro is referred to simply as Mosheh’s in-law (aka Moshe’s father-in-law), which I found to be quite interesting. I could not fathom fully the reason Mosheh chose to refer to Jethro/Yitro as his father-in-law, rather than by his name. It’s possible that he did not want to confuse the record by citing variations of his name. The other possibility is that Mosheh, whom we presume to be the author, sought to frame Yitro/Jethro from the perspective of a close relative, such as an in-law. And this goes back to what I just mentioned regarding the absence of Amram, Mosheh’s biological father, from much of Mosheh’s life. Clearly, the amount of parchment that Mosheh gives to Yitro/Jethro (more than is ever given to Amram) and his influence over his life is very telling.
When many of us come into this beloved Faith-community of ours, especially us men, the close paternal relationship we may have once shared with our biological fathers either fades or disappears for obvious reasons. And few of us ever find suitable spiritual fathers to step in and fill that void.
But just because we transition into the true Faith once delivered doesn’t mean we are no longer to have any human paternal influence over our lives. This is despite the erroneous belief by some that Yah is the only parent one is to have once one comes to faith. But the reality is that Yah established human families as a means by which each individual is to receive wisdom, identity, and a purpose in life.
Thus, those of us who are or were bereft of human paternal and maternal influence in our lives because of our faith and life situations, are often deprived of the Yah-ordained benefits that family is supposed to provide every individual. That’s why, in part, Yah had such a heart for the orphan/fatherless, and demands His chosen ones to look after the fatherless (Exodus/Shemot 22:22, 24; Deuteronomy/Devarim 10:18; 14:29; 16:11, 14, 17, 19, 20-21; 26:12-13; 27:19). Consequently, we generally tend to focus our attention on children as it relates to Yah’s instructions that we care for the fatherless. But what about the fatherless adults in our Faith-community? How many in our Faith-community have come and gone from our community because they lacked sage, paternal influence in their faith walk?
Just a thought beloved.
Why has/is the enemy so bent on attacking the family? Among a great many reasons is that if there is no sage father present in one’s life, there is often no flow of Godly wisdom from parent to child. In this case, no flow of Godly wisdom from a mature, Godly father figure to an immature soul coming into the Faith.
This is why it is important that each of us has a human spiritual father, and even mother, in his/her faith walk.
Thus, we who are chosen of Yah must learn to distinguish the value (e.g. wisdom) that certain individuals bring to our faith walk. We must learn to not dismiss or overlook those potential paternal and maternal figures that Yah may place in our lives as we journey through the wilderness of our faith walk. For Yah can and will (from time to time) use virtually certain sage individuals to enlighten, encourage, correct, lead, guide, and blessings us as Yah sees fit.
And so, after exchanging affectionate greetings with one another and inquiring as to each other’s wellbeing (I.e., le’ sha’ lom), the pair proceeded to Mosheh’s tent, where Mosheh recounts for Yitro/Jethro all that he and the people witnessed and experience throughout their wilderness journey.
Yitro/Jethro is said to have exalted Yehovah for delivering His people. And then he declares: “Now I know” (I.e., Ya’da’ti) that Yehovah is greater (I.e., gadol Yehovah) than all the Elohim because those elohim treated Yisra’el so terribly.
Yitro/Jethro, no doubt prior to this visitation, was a polytheist (I.e., he was the priest of Midian), clearly saw the utter injustice that was common to the elohim of this world (I.e., the demigods of this world). And thus, he came to recognize that Yehovah was the only just Elohim. That Yehovah reigned supreme over all the elohim.
The Onkelos records: “…For by the thing by which the Mizraee had thought to punish (I.e., to judge) Yisra’el, they themselves are punished.” This can be interpreted in a couple of ways: (1) The Mitsri/Egyptians, influenced by their many elohim, once drown Hebrew newborns in the Nile, and thus, Yah drowned the Mitsri/Egyptian army in the Yam Suph/The Red Sea. Or (2), as some believe Pharaoh intended to slaughter the Hebrews in the Yam Suph/Red Sea, Yah instead destroys the Mitsri/Egyptian forces in the Yam Suph/Red Sea.
Jewish tradition holds that Jethro hereby gave up polytheism and that he became a Jewish proselyte.
The next day Yitro/Jethro observes the people coming before Mosheh to seek of him the will of Elohim. Mosheh at this time was not a simple arbitrator as some text may suggest by their wording. But rather, Mosheh served as the nation’s mediator or intercessor before Yehovah. And so, when a matter (I.e., a da’var) was brought to Mosheh to arbitrate, Mosheh would teach the parties involved “the customs or ways and teachings of Elohim” (18:16). Thus, Mosheh served also as a teacher of the Ways of Yehovah to the nation.
This was apparently a sight to behold and it obviously troubled Jethro/Yitro to see such inefficient governance taking place within the nation. And so, at an opportune moment, Jethro/Yitro pulls Mosheh off to the side and says to him: “fade you will fade” (I.e., na’volti’bol). That both you and the people will wear out through this inefficient system of governance. He noted that the process (I.e., ha’da’var) that Mosheh employed to govern the people was excessively burdensome (I.e., kha’veyd). And that it was too much for one man to handle.
Thus, Jethro/Yitro advised “if you listen (I.e., shema) to my advice, Elohim will be with you (I.e., Yah will bless and guide you) and you will intercede to Elohim on behalf of the people as you bring their matters (I.e., ha’de’va’rim) before Elohim. And you will make known unto the people the customs/statutes (I.e., ha’chu’qim), the teachings (I.e., ha’to’rot/torah), and the path or way they are to walk (I.e., ha’de’rekh yeyl’khu) and the work (I.e., ha’ma’a’seh) that is expected of them (18:18-20).
“So then, it will be that you will select and distinguish leaders of the nation: Men of force who fear Elohim. Men of truth that despise bribery” to arbitrate and govern the people as it would relate to general matters (18:21). However, the great matters the leaders were to bring to Moshe’s attention and he would arbitrate them by interceding on the people’s behalf before Yehovah.
And so, Mosheh took his father-in-law’s advice and it befell the selected leaders of the nations to lessen the governing burden that Mosheh alone had taken on.
We’re Getting Married in the Morning
The nation arrived at the wilderness of Sinai in the 3rd month after departing Mitsrayim/Egypt. They set up camp near the foot of the Mountain of Yah/Mount Sinai.
And so, Mosheh ascends the mountain, at which point Yehovah directs Mosheh to put forth a proposal to the nation. And that proposal is like that of a marriage proposal. And the proposed marriage would be between Yehovah and Yisra’el. Yah would become Yisra’el’s Elohim and Yisra’el would be Yah’s chosen people.
Yehovah framed the proposal in a manner that the people would fully understand and afford them the opportunity to think through whether or not they wanted to move forward with being Yehovah’s bride.
Yah’s proposal went something like this:
“Look Yisra’el, based on what you witnessed and experienced me do on your behalf against Egypt/Mitsrayim (I.e., I’ve courted you and I’ve shown you that I love you and that I am more than capable of taking care of you), I’m proposing that if you would hear (I.e., sha’mo’a) My voice and safeguard my covenant (I.e., ush’mar’tem et be’ri’ti), you will be to Me a “jewel” (I.e., se’gu’lah) from all the peoples of the earth. This is to say that all the earth belongs to Me and yet I’m choosing you to be my beloved out of all the people nations of the world. I find you special.
“And so, if you will adhere to the terms of this proposal (I.e., that you will hear My voice and safeguard My covenant with you), then you will become a kingdom of administrator/priests (I.e., mam’le’khet ko’ha’nim) and a unique/holy/set-apart nation (I.e., we’goy qa’dosh)” (19:3-6).
A simple marriage proposal that He has extended to each and every one of us on an individual basis. And like our ancient cousins, we have the opportunity to accept or decline the proposal.
After receiving these instructions, Mosheh comes down from the mountain and extends the proposal to the nation’s leaders (I.e., the very ones that were selected to help Mosheh govern the nation). And it turns out that the leaders all agreed to Yehovah’s proposal. Thus, Mosheh went back up the mountain to report to Yah the consent of the people to His marriage proposal.
Why do you think it was necessary for Mosheh to go back and forth in setting up this marriage arrangement between Yah and Yisra’el? Isn’t Yah omniscient?
Well, of course, Yah is omniscient. He most certainly knew the outcome of Mosheh’s interaction with the nation’s leaders before Mosheh delivered the proposal to them. But Yah, instead of making of effecting the marriage proposal (I.e., the ketubah) between He and Yisra’el unilaterally (I.e., without Yisra’el’s consent), He instead chose to bring about this agreement/marriage proposal using a recognizable courting paradigm that no doubt the whole nation would be able to identify with. Thus, Yah chose Mosheh to be the “go-between” of the two-parties and to make sure all the t’s were crossed and all the I’s were dotted for this forthcoming marriage. This thing was going to transpire decently and in order.
Yah then lays out before Mosheh how the marriage ceremony was to transpire. The people (I.e., the bride to be) were to sanctify themselves in order that they be presentable to Him (I.e., the groom to be) and to formerly receive the marriage contract (I.e., the ketubah) (19:9-25). Indeed, Yisra’el was getting married in the morning.
In establishing the protocol for the marriage ceremony, Yah also established clear lines of separation between His bride to be and Him. For He was holy. The people were not holy. And they, like us, were not holy because of sin. So, they would in time be made holy once they adhered to Yah’s covenant provisions. But for the time being, there’d have to be a separation between His bride-to-be and Him. Eventually, if Yisra’el would hearken to Yah’s voice and keep His covenant, she would become holy and the marriage between Yah and Yisra’el would be fully consummated.
This beloved was a foreshadowing of Yah’s Plan of Salvation. And there is no better illustration of Yah’s Plan of Salvation than that which is to be found in His Feasts. Yah’s moedim. His set-apart days (Leviticus/Vayikra 23). For out of all the nation peoples of this world (now totaling some 8 billion people), He chose us to be His beloved. And He chose Yeshua to be the go-between: The mediator of our marriage to Yehovah. It is the Person and Ministries of Yeshua Messiah that bring us into a covenant relationship (I.e., a marriage if you will) with Yehovah, the Creator of the Universe (1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 8:6; 9:15; 12:24).
Getting back to our reading: The line that Yah established around His Mountain, promising death to any who would dare broach or cross it, would serve as a critical learning lesson, not only to our ancient Hebrew cousins but to us today in the 21st century west.
When one seeks to come into Yah’s presence, he or she must always bear in mind that Yah is holy. Any place that His presence touches becomes holy. Therefore, it is incumbent upon those who are His chosen ones to know and respect Yah’s holiness. He or she must know how to approach and treat Yah at all times. They must also be in a position spiritually to distinguish the difference between the holy things of Yah and the things that are of this world or that are profane. That’s why Yah has provided His chosen ones with His Holy Spirit to aid in our ability to distinguish between the holy and the profane (1 Thessalonians 4:7-8). And one must learn to respect Yah’s holiness at all times and not presume that he or she is Yah’s equal in any way.
We as Yah’s chosen ones are being made holy each day by virtue of our sanctification journey. And at the time of our Master’s return and at the time of our resurrection (if we’ve died) or translation (if we’re still alive), the work of the Ruach HaQodesh/the Holy Spirit in the life of the chosen one will be completed. And we will be changed and made holy and ushered into the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9).
Like in the example of our ancient Hebrew cousins at the base of Mount Sinai, we may boldly enter into Yah’s presence because we have a mediator/an administrator/a high priest that can identify with our infirmities (Hebrews 4:15-16). The major difference between us and our ancient cousins is that our mediator/administrator/high priest’s blood has cleansed and continues to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:7).
At the base of the Mountain, Yah was teaching our ancient cousins this critical lesson. Because He was holy and they were not, there had to be boundaries drawn between Him and them, despite the pending marriage ceremony. Our ancient cousins had to be taught the essential distinction between the holy and the profane. This would have been new to them.
The understanding of Yah’s holiness must become a hardwired reality to Yah’s chosen ones. That reality will influence how they conduct themselves before both humanity and Yehovah. Fear of Yehovah that is garnered through a healthy understanding of Yah’s holiness and irresistible power will lead to one’s obedience to the ways and instructions of Yehovah Elohim. And this becomes, according to Solomon, the whole duty of humanity: That he/she fear Yehovah and that he/she keep his commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
The line of demarcation between our ancient cousins and Yah, coupled with the awesome display of Yah’s glory and power, served to strike fear into their hearts, minds, and souls. For without true fear of Elohim, there will be no true obedience. This leads us to the third part of our reading:
Yisra’el’s receiving of the Ten Words which is the Foundation of our Covenant Relationship with Yehovah.
In 20:1-2, Yah audibly identifies Himself to the nation as Yehovah, their Elohim. (Remember, the nation has agreed to marry Yehovah, which would mean that they had agreed to have Yah be their Elohim/their God.) He further identified Himself as the One Who brought the nation from Mitsrayim/Egypt and out of the “land of slaves”.
Now, the nation was free to serve Him having been freed from serving the elohim of Mitsrayim/Egypt. (This is certainly a shadow of us being freed from serving the gods of this world, and upon our coming to Faith, being free to serve Yehovah and His glorious Kingdom.)
But unlike Yisra’el’s previous overlords, Yah had redeemed them into a loving covenant relationship with Him. And that loving covenant relationship would rest upon Yisra’el’s faithful, loving obedience to Yah’s instructions in righteousness.
Yah says to our ancient cousins: “You saw what I did (on your behalf) to the Mitsri/Egyptian forces and how I bore you on eagles’ wings from your place of enslavement unto Myself. So, now you will be My true love and I will be yours.”
Then Yah presents to the nation the terms of the marriage covenant agreement, which has famously become known as the Ten Commandments.
In 20:3-17, Yah stipulates:
1. We are to have no other god (I.e., demigods; false gods) before Him (I.e., before His face).
2. We are to make no grave images (I.e., no idols), nor are we to bow ourselves down to worship any idol or demigod.
3. We are not to misuse Yah’s holy Name.
4. We are to remember to keep the Shabbat holy (I.e., set-apart; sacred).
5. We are to honor our mother and father.
6. We are not to commit murder.
7. We are not to commit adultery.
8. We are not to steal.
9. We are not to provide false testimony against another.
10. We are not to covet.
In verses 20:18-19, we receive a powerful understanding that all of the physical senses of the mixed multitude standing at the base of the Mountain were tremendously impacted by the awesome manifestations of Yah’s presence. So awesome were the manifestations that the people trembled in fear of Yah and that fear kept them from getting any closer to the cloud.
The fear that the people experienced at that event led to them demanding Mosheh that he alone communicate with Yehovah. To the end that they would not suffer death.
You see, there was an ancient near east (ANE) belief that if a human were to see or experience a manifestation of God, they would die right there on the spot. Which we know, in hindsight, was not necessarily the case. Only in cases when Elohim came to mete out wrath and punishment.
Then, in verse 20:2 we see Mosheh, desperately desiring that the people settle into the covenant relationship with Yah by trusting that He indeed had their best interest at heart, not shy away from His awesome presence. And that the fearsome wonders they were presently witnessing and experiencing were tests. They were tests put forth to them by Yah to confirm that they truly would fear Him, which was a requirement for establishing the covenant relationship with Him (Ecclesiastes 12:13; fear and obey). That through their fear, they would be swayed to not violate/transgress Yah’s Torah. For to violate or transgress Yah’s Torah is sin (1 John 3:4).
And so, Mosheh, a type of Messiah/Yeshua Ha Mashiyach, provided the example behavior to the people by Him drawing near unto Yehovah (I.e., the thick cloud a physical manifestation of Yehovah before the people). The people, conversely, withdrew out of fear of Yah. But Yah nonetheless continued to convey the terms of the marriage agreement to the nation.
Consequently, the nation, like us as individuals, will have to come to terms with their fear of Yehovah, and whether that fear leads to obedience. Whether that fear leads to a loving, obedient covenant relationship with the Creator of the Universe. Whether that fear leads to them ultimately becoming Yah’s unique possession and them entering the promised land (for us, the Kingdom of Yah).
Does our fear of Yah lead us to become true Children of Elohim? This is the question each of us must come to terms with and answer, not by words, but by the way, we conduct our lives and how we relate to Yehovah and to one another (Matthew 22:37-40).
Shabbat Shalom and Sameach Rosh Chodesh fellow saints in Training.