TORAH: Exodus 13:17-17:16HAFTARAH: Judges 5:1-31

B’RIT CHADASHAH: John 6:25-35, Revelation 15:1-4All references: The Scripture 1998+ unless otherwise noted

BESHALACH “When He let Go”

For Today and understanding the days to come

B’SHALACHAnd it came to be, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that Elohim did not lead them by way of the land of the

Philistines, though that was nearer, for Elohim said, “Lest the people regret when they see fighting, and return to

Mitsrayim.” (Exodus 13:17)

B‟shalach or to “let go” also “sending away” or “expelling”. After the death of Mitzrayim’s first-born, this is what Pharaoh actually did. He “sent them out”.

Now, “b‟shalach” is spelled “beit-shin-lamed-chet”. the numeric value is 340, = the word “natzar” means to

“keep the Covenant” or “observe the Covenant”. So, in essence, YHVH caused Pharaoh to send B’nei

Yisra’el out from Mitzrayim so that they could “observe” or “keep the Covenant”.

B’SHALACHMoshe kept telling Pharaoh ...“Let My people go, so that they serve Me in the wilderness,” but see, until now you have not listened! (Exodus 7:16)

340 is also the numeric value of the word “netzar” which means the “branch” or “offspring”.

Branch is used many times for Mashiach in Scripture.

So this speaks of Mashiach’s presence in the wilderness with the Children of Yisra’el.

This also speaks of the “offspring” of B’nei Yisra’el, as well as the sojourners with them (the mixed multitude), who were counted as present with our forefathers at Sinai for the giving of the Torah.

Moshe reminded the people

“All of you are standing today before יהוה your Elohim: your leaders, your tribes, your elders and

your officers, all the men of Yisra’ĕl, your little ones, your wives, and your sojourner who is in the midst of your camp, from the one who cuts your wood to the one who draws your water, so that you should enter

into covenant with יהוה your Elohim...as He has sworn to your fathers, to Abraham, to Yitshaq, and

to Yaʽaqob. “And not with you alone I am making this covenant and this oath, but with him who stands

here with us today before יהוה our Elohim, as well as with him who is not here with us today.

(Deuteronomy 29:10-15)

PERFECT PLAN יהוהWas יהוה perfect plan to enter the desert? NO. It was the plan of Yah for the Sons of Israel to repent of their idolatry before the Exodus even began?Ezekiel wrote: (Ezekiel 20:5-10)

“And you shall say to them, ‘Thus said the Master On that day I lifted My hand in an oath to“ ..יהוה

them, to bring them out of the land of Mitsrayim into a land that I had searched out for them, flowing with

milk and honey, the splendour of all lands. “And I said to them, ‘Each one of you, throw away the

abominations which are before his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Mitsrayim! I am

’.your Elohim יהוה

PERFECT PLAN יהוה“But they rebelled against Me, and would not obey Me. ... So I resolved to pour out My wrath on them to complete My displeasure against them in the midst of the land of Mitsrayim. “But I acted for My Name’s sake, that it should not be profaned before the eyes of the gentiles among whom they were – before whose eyes I had made Myself known to them, to bring them out of the land of Mitsrayim. “So I took them out of the land of Mitsrayim, and I brought them into the wilderness. (Ezekiel 20:5-10)

Character is also moulded by the change of daily routines. How about the change in routine when you began to keep the Sabbath? All of these things affect your behaviour and transform your character. The commandments are an avenue the Father has chosen to mould your character into what He wants you to be.

WAY OF THE PHILISTINES

And it came to be, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that Elohim did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, though that was nearer, for Elohim said, “Lest the people regret when they see fighting,

and return to Mitsrayim.” (Exodus 13:17 )

The phrase used here for the “way of the land of the Philistines” is “derech eretz Philist‟im”.

“Derech” (dalet-reish-kaf) is literally the “path” or “way”.

“derech” is the “path” in which you walk your life’s journey.

Now, “eretz” (aleph-reish-tzadee) means “land” and also can refer to the “earth” or “world”.

Then “Philist‟im” (Fey-lamed-shin-tav-yud-mem) means literally “sojourners”, “immigrants” or “wanderers”. It’s interesting to note that the “Philistines” were ancient Egyptians that were “sojourners” and “immigrants” into Kena’an.

WAY OF THE PHILISTINES

ELOHIM’S WAYElohim could have brought them “by the way of the world, the immigrants, the nations”, He didn’t, even though it was closer.

Why? The way of the world is usually the shortcut. But, YHVH said that the people would “regret when they see fighting, and return to Mitsrayim.”

Regret in the Hebrew, it’s “nach‟am” (nun-chet-mem) which is “to regret” or “to be sorry”. This is nearly the opposite of the word “nachum” (spelled exactly the same), which is the Hebrew word for “comfort”.

Hebrew word translated here as “fighting” is in fact “milchamah”. The literal translation of this word is “war”. This all about spiritual warfare and they weren’t ready.

YHVH carefully orchestrated when, how and with whom B’nei Yisra’el would make war.

WAY OF THE WORDSo Elohim led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Sea of Reeds. And the children of Yisra’el went up

armed from the land of Mitsrayim. (Exodus 13:18 )

“derech ha midbar Yam Suf”“derech” or “the path” “midbar”, = “wilderness” or “deserted place”, also means the “mouth” or “instrument of speech”. It shares the same root as “debar” or “the word”.

“And He humbled you, and let you suffer hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your

fathers know, to make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but by every Word that comes from the

mouth of יהוה (Deu 8:3)

JOSEPH’S BONESAnd Mosheh took the bones of Yosĕph with him, for he certainly

made the children of Yisra’ĕl swear, saying, “Elohim shall certainly visit you, and you shall bring my bones from here

with you.” (Exodus 13:19)

Why were these bones important, because of what they held within them, Joseph’s DNA. A person’s DNA represents their identity. Joseph’s bones are a picture of the House of Israel, the “lost” ten tribes, and are therefore prophetic of the return of not just Judah and Benjamin, the two tribes currently living in the land, but of all twelve tribes returned and living in the land. Joseph’s bones represent a continuous heritage promised to Abraham’s descendants generations ago.Another reason Joseph’s bones had to be carried back to the land of Israel was because Joseph’s brothers had tried to kill him (Genesis 37:18). Without his DNA, or identity, it could be alleged that Joseph was not “alive” and that his ancestors no longer existed, even to this day.

12

SUKKOTH & ETHAMAnd they departed from Sukkoth and camped in

Etham at the edge of the wilderness. (Exodus 13:20)

“Sukkoth”, or “Tabernacles” was their first stop on the way out of bondage.

This was the Bedouin city, of approx. 250,000 people, that was always on the move. It was here that the Israelites (city dwellers) bought tents and learned how to be campers.

SUKKOTH & ETHAMThis too represents leaving the “tabernacles”, “tents” or “worship” of Mitzrayim. “Dwelling in tents” is a Scriptural metaphor for “learning” their ways.

“Etham” is an Egyptian word which means “border of the sea”. Its importance is that it bordered the Yam Suf, the Sea of Reeds, the instrument of יהוה’s Deliverance.

PILLARAnd יהוה went before them by day in a column of

cloud to lead the way, and by night in a column of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. The column of cloud did not cease by day, nor the column of fire by night, before the people.

(Exodus 13:21-22)

PILLARThis is important to remember as we’re going to be seeing this picture throughout the rest of Torah. As we begin to study the first “exodus”, it will help us understand the “second greater exodus”.

The Hebrew word for “column” or “pillar” (depending on your translation) is “awmood” (ayin-mem-vav-dalet) which is from the root “amad”, meaning to “stand firm” or “establish”. The numeric value of “awmood” is 120 which equals “ami” or “my people”, “Masada” or “the foundation” and “va‟eef d‟noo” or “did redeem you”. And, 120 also equals “va‟a latah” or “thick darkness”.

So יהוה went before them in this “pillar” TO ESTABLISH HIS PEOPLE ON THE FOUNDATION OF REDEMPTION.

LEADING THE WAY יהוהThe column of cloud suggests that the heaven and .are veiled and can’t be seen יהוה

This is the picture we see in Rosh Chodesh, when the moon is veiled, and is then revealed.

There are times when יהוה is obscured, hidden to us.

Then, in the night, in our darkest hour, the Light breaks through and we know He’s there.

He was there all along. In the Hekal (House of Elohim), יהוה was obscured behind the veil.

But, in the kingdom of Mashiach, when the Hekal is built, there will be no veil. Whenever our faith, our trust, is tested, we need to remember that it’s still His leading that we follow.

LEADING THE WAY יהוהAnd it shall be that he who is left in Tsiyon and he who remains in Yerushalayim is called set-apart,

everyone who is written among the living in Yerushalayim. When יהוה has washed away the filth

of the daughters of Tsiyon, and rinsed away the blood of Yerushalayim from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning, then יהוה shall create above every dwelling place of Mount Tsiyon, and above her assemblies, a cloud and

smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night, for over all the esteem shall be a covering,

(Isaiah 4:3-5)

GULF OF AQABAHow deep is the water? The Gulf of Aqaba is very deep: in places over a mile (1,600m) deep. Even with the sea dried up, walking across would be difficult due to the steep grade down the sides. But there is one spot where if the water were removed, it would be an easy descent for people and animals. This is the line between Nuweiba and the opposite shore in Saudi Arabia.

GULF OF AQABADepth-sounding expeditions have revealed a smooth, gentle slope descending from Nuweiba out into the Gulf. This shows up almost like a pathway on depth-recording equipment, confirming it's Biblical description,

'...a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters.' (Isaiah 43:16).

The distance between Nuweiba and where artifacts have been found on Saudi coast is about 18 km (11 miles). Along this line, the deepest point is about 800m (2,600 feet).

the Bible described it as the mighty waters and that not a single Egyptian survived when the water collapsed in upon them.

GULF OF AQABA

GULF OF AQABA

And it came to be, in the morning watch, that יהוה looked down upon the army of the Mitsrites through the column of

fire and cloud, and He brought the army of the Mitsrites into confusion. And He took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty. And the Mitsrites said, “Let

us flee from the face of Yisra’ĕl, for יהוה fights for them against the Mitsrites.” Then יהוה said to Mosheh, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, and let the waters come back

upon the Mitsrites, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.” And Mosheh stretched out his hand over the

sea, and the sea returned to its usual flow, at the break of day, with the Mitsrites fleeing into it. Thus יהוה overthrew

the Mitsrites in the midst of the sea, and the waters returned and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them,

and not even one was left of them. (Exodus 14:24-28)

GULF OF AQABA

GULF OF AQABA

THE CROSSINGExo 14:13 Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.“

15 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. 16 Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. 17 I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. 18 The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.“

THE CROSSING19 Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel's army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, 20 coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.

21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, 22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

THE CROSSINGThe divided sea reminds us of the ancient ceremony of covenant making, known as the “cutting of a covenant.” In the ceremony animals are divided and the parties to the covenant walk between them.

Genesis 15:9 -18 ..And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. On the same day יהוה

cut a covenant with Abram, saying: "To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of

Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates –

THE CROSSINGAt the Red Sea, the Israelites passed “between the pieces” (the waters, instead of the halves of the animals) in a renewing of the covenant made with Abram.

The rabbis teach that Israel entered into covenant with יהוה by three rites – circumcision, immersion, and sacrifice.

In 1 Corinthians 10 we also see how their passage related to the mikveh (baptism):

For I do not wish you to be ignorant, brothers, that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed

through the sea, and all were immersed into Mosheh in the cloud and in the sea, (1 Corinthians 10:1-2)

SONG OF MOSESThen Mosheh and the children of Yisra’ĕl sang this

song to יהוה, and spoke, saying, “I sing to יהוה, for He is highly exalted! The horse and its rider He has

thrown into the sea! “Yah is my strength and song, and He has become my deliverance. He is my Ěl, and I praise Him – Elohim of my father, and I exalt

Him. (Exodus 15:1-2)

SONG OF MOSESThe Song of Moses is prophetic for the people who revere Yahweh’s commandments and walk in His ways will sing the true Song of Moses. 

And I saw another sign in the heaven, ..for the wrath of Elohim was ended .. those overcoming the beast

and his image and his mark ,,holding harps of Elohim. And they sing the song of Mosheh the

servant of Elohim, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and marvellous are Your works, יהוה Ěl Shaddai! Righteous and true are Your ways, O

Sovereign of the set-apart ones! “Who shall not fear You, O יהוה, and esteem Your Name? Because You

alone are kind. Because all nations shall come and worship before You, for Your righteousnesses have

been made manifest.” (Revelation 15:1-4)

THREE DAYS NO WATER

And Mosheh brought Yisra’?l from the Sea of Reeds, and they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And

they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. And they came to Marah, and they were

unable to drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. So the name of it was called Marah. And the

people grumbled against Mosheh, saying, “What are we to drink?”(Exodus 15:22-24)

Water represents the Spirit Life of Torah, Y’shua. Y’shua is the Living Word. He is the author of the Word (Genesis 1:1; John 1:1, 14).

If we look deeply into the Word of Yahweh for the Living Water we will find abundant life. But when the soul goes without water, it is that much easier for it to be influenced by a spirit of grumbling.

TREE OF LIFEThen he cried out to יהוה, and יהוה showed him a tree. And when he threw it into the waters, the

waters were made sweet. There He made a law and a right-ruling for them, and there He tried them. And He said, “If you diligently obey the voice of יהוה your

Elohim and do what is right in His eyes, and shall listen to His commands and shall guard all His laws, I shall bring on you none of the diseases I brought

on the Mitsrites, for I am יהוה who heals you.” (Exodus 15:25-26)

TREE OF LIFEThe spring at Marah still exists and the water is still bitter. The water contains minerals that kill parasites. The Egyptian today charge money for this water.

Elohim brought them to a place of healing from the diseases of the Mitzrites. But, the cure was bitter. Sometimes, the waters of healing taste bitter.

The “tree” (that is taught) that sweetens the bitterness of life, is the Torah, the Tree of Life.

EYLIMAnd they came to Ělim, where there were twelve

fountains of water and seventy palm trees. And they camped there by the waters. (Exodus 15:27)

EYLIMBoth of the two tests that occur after the deliverance at the Yam Suf involve water, which refers to Torah. Moshe leads the Children of Yisra’el to “Eylim” (Aleph-yud-lamed-mem). • “Eylim” means “palms” or “upright trees”

referring to the 70 palm trees (tamar‟im). • “Eylim” also means “rams”, as in the rams of the

offerings. Since the rams were used as offerings (korban‟ot) for drawing near, ascension and as sin offerings, etc.; we can see that this was a very special place of drawing near and ascending to יהוה for B’nei Yisra’el.

• “Eylim” means “mighty ones” or “the mighty”.

The 12 fountains, (ayin‟ot), are the 12 Tribes of Israel, possessing the water (Torah) that comes from beneath by revelation. The 70 palms (tamar‟im) represent the 70 nations (goyim) of the world.

EYLIMThis oasis at Elim is a beautiful picture of the provision by Yeshua that will be there for ALL the nations (70) who identify with Israel and leave Egypt.

This is not the Kingdom, but a respite on the way to the Promised Land.

So why is this spot a test? Elim becomes a place of accountability.

We are able to drink deeply here of the water of the Word. We can rest here. But we must continue on from here toward the Promised Land.

If we pollute the water here, or refuse to move on we have failed the TEST

MANNAAs the whole Israelite community set out from Elim they came to the Desert of Sin, between Elim and Sinai. On the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt they again grumbled to Moses.

• This manna appeared on the fourth week of their leaving Egypt. • prophetic of the time when the Messiah would

come to appear in bodily form to the Israelites in the four thousandth year.

The Children of Israel were quick to forget their God/Elohim and in their grumbling spoke of how abundant the food was back in Egypt.

MANNAThen Yahweh said to Moses,

“I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether

they will follow my instructions. On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days”

(Exodus 16:4-5).

Keeping the Sabbath is a test of our faithfulness to Yahweh. Shabbat is referred to as the wedding ring of the Bride of Yeshua.

MANNAExodus 16:20 “However, some of them paid no

attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to

smell.”

Maggots form in dead, decomposing FLESH. This manna that fell in the desert, that sustained the Israelites for forty years, was flesh–

Yeshua’s body, made as an offering of life for us.

John 6:51 Yeshua said, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh,

which I will give for the life of the world.”

MANNA“You will not find any of it on the ground today” is a reference to the Messiah Yeshua and that He would not be found in the ground (grave) on the Sabbath.

This passage is prophetic of Yeshua’s death and resurrection. His flesh did not see decay, as He did not die–He is alive! Yeshua is the living eternal word (John 1:1; 14).

Acts 1:3 “After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he

was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.” He

is alive…

The Israelites ate manna for forty years. Yehushua showed another sign that He was the living manna that was with the Israelites in the Desert (Exodus 16:35).

“What Is It?”

Manna is Hebrew for “what is it?”

After feeding the four thousand, “Yeshua and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, ‘Who do people say I am?’ (“What is it?”)

They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.’ ‘But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’

Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah [the Living Manna]’ ” (Mark 8:27-30).

The key to the Messianic Kingdom is to enter and keep the Sabbath. As is the wedding ring of Messiah’s Bride and is a sign and symbol of their love for each other. The Bride of Yeshua is the one who is faithful to walk in His words and faithful to keep her wedding ring on.

The Hebrew word שבת shabbat (Strong’s H7676) comes from the verb שב ת shavat (Strong’s H7673) meaning to cease or stop. Shabbat is a time of ceasing from business. It is a day to sanctify, set apart as in prophetic, to be holy, betroth, dwell in His people, and the Day of the Lord (Hebrew understanding).

Those who are called Israel are following the law of the firstborn at Passover. They left Egypt, cross over the Red Sea and walk into the desert in obedience to Yahweh’s invitation, “to hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.”

The feast Israel was to celebrate is called Pentecost or in Hebrew Shavuot. Shavuot is fifty days after Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread

At the Feast of Unleavened Bread the Israelites were commanded to eat only unleavened flat bread for seven days. This is likened to a personal consecration time for those who obeyed the Passover.

Shavuot is the confirmation and formal ceremony of Yahweh’s Wedding Covenant (called ketubah in Hebrew) to His Bride Israel,.

The Covenant was for the first time will formally be written down for the bride. This is the Bridegroom’s gift to His Bride so that if she were ever in a compromised situation or in the wilderness she would always be able to find her way back to Him through the instructions contained within her Betrothal (ketubah) Covenant.

On the Feast of Shavuot, at Mount Sinai, Yahweh will give His Bride her ketubah containing the promises of their wedding pledge.

It is at this betrothal stage that Yahweh and His Bride Israel are called husband and wife.

They are legally “married” but do not live together or consummate the marriage until their wedding day.

It is during this betrothal time that if there were any uncleanliness found in the Bride, the husband could legally divorce her. Divorce was only legally applicable in the betrothal stage but not after the wedding ceremony

Yahweh illustrated the Covenant to His Bride using many signs and wonders.

This story of the Exodus is a living prophetic parable for believers. Today, we are approaching the Passover season.

This is the time Yahweh offers believers an opportunity to separate themselves from any unclean dishonoring ways (olam hazeh) before entering so she can draw near to her Bridegroom when He calls for her.

TORAH: Exodus 13:17-17:16

BESHALACH “When He let Go”