Parashat
Va'era ("and I appeared") Exodus
6:2-9:35
In
the first aliyah of this weeks Parasha, HaShem reveals His name to Moses. A name that He had kept hidden from Abraham,
Isaac and to Jacob.
“I
appeared (וָאֵרָא) to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as El Shaddai (אֵל שַׁדָּי),
but by my name YHVH (שְׁמִי יהוה) I did not make myself known to them. (Exod.
6:2-3)”
HaShem
explains that His name is “I AM” or rather that is the revelation that He
supplied Moses.
“God
spoke to Moses and said to him,
"I am the LORD" (וַיְדַבֵּר אֱלֹהִים אֶל-משֶׁה וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אֲנִי יְהוָֹה:).
"I am the LORD" (וַיְדַבֵּר אֱלֹהִים אֶל-משֶׁה וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אֲנִי יְהוָֹה:).
I
wonder however, if HaShem spoke face to face with Moshe as Yeshua but kept His name
secret still.
Anyhoo,
is it a coincidence that Rachel wrote a devotional just last night for our
church on this very parasha without knowing what week it is? Maybe, but I shall
leave the temptation to use her devotional and write my own study.
The
parasha this week is about the struggle for hope internally as much as it is
about powerful miracles. The verse that
really stood out to me (and Rachel for her devotional) is Exodus 6:9,
“And
Moshe spoke so to the people of Israel; but they listened not to Moses because of
their anguished spirit, and because of the cruel slavery.”
Imagine
a can or bottle of soft drink that when shaken or stirred produces a powerful
motivational “urgency” inside the can or bottle to “RELEASE”! Nothing can stop the pressure from forcing
the substance out of its jailed confines – except time and hard knocks.
That’s
right, after shaking a can of soft drink you can wait a long time period and
the urgent, excited pressure will finally subside or you can knock of the
bottom of the can – about 4 hard finger flicks - (sometimes the sides) and the
knocks will literally beat the excitement out of the can. The pressure goes away, and everything
returns to normal. This is the picture
of Yisrael.
The
hard knocks of Mitzrayim מִצְרָיִם had subdued the hearts of the people and
left them “normal”. They had lost the
urgency to return to the land that HaShem had promised.
Here’s
the worst part. In Exodus 7, Moshe
begins showing miraculous signs to Pharaoh and to the Hebrews. Can you imagine how these signs and wonders
would have begun shaking the can. The
staff of Moshe turned into a snake, but the magicians could do the same –
another knock to keep the pressure down.
Finally
in Exodus 9, it appears that Pharaoh will let the Hebrews go - to worship.
The can is fully shaken and about to explode and then comes ANOTHER
massive and painful knock – Pharaoh changes his mind.
It
is at THIS point that I can imagine the Hebrews hearts being completely
convinced that even HaShem can’t help them.
Too many knocks for too
long. When will it ever end? Can HaShem really save??
Last
week I said to a friend, “HaShem usually waits until the odds are completely
stacked against Him”. There’s that “WAIT”
word.
But
it’s true. In the case of Moshe and the
Hebrews, HaShem allowed disappointment after disappointment (knocks on the can)
until His perfect time. And then He
showed Himself powerfully and marvellously.
Why? Because bubbles in a can, when shaken, make a
huge mess.
A
can that has had all the bubbles knocked out, will pour perfectly.
HaShem
is more than able to save. In fact, this
whole parasha give us greater insight or rather, a greater “appearance” of who HaShem is:
(1):
Exodus 7:17: "In this thou shalt know that I am the Lord". He exists and is all powerful; much more
powerful than any magic. These signs
and wonders were a statement of powerful position.
(2):
Exodus 8:22: "to the end thou mayest know that I am the Lord in the midst
of the earth" The uniqueness of His power and that He is involved in every
part of the world and nothing is hidden from Him.
(3): Exodus 9:14:" that thou mayest know
that there is none like me in all the earth". His absolute superiority.
We
don’t need to surge or rush on out by our own excited strength (bubbles); He
will do it. He is our answer and He is
our RELEASE.
Allow
the knocks of this life to shape you, but don’t let them take your hope. Yeshua said, that, "I have told you
these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have
trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33.
Which
is why HaShem begins this parasha with a revelation of who He is; the great I
AM.
That
is our battle. Let the Lord fight the
Mitzrayim; we need to battle ourselves and our anguished hearts.
Shalom
Shalom
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