January 21, 2023: Parashat Torah Portion Va'eira

This week’s Parashah Torah Portion Va'eira is taken from Exodus 6:2-9:35. Join Dr. Jeffery Myers, as he exhorts us to not settle for discouragement or disappointments, but to choose to be filled with HOPE again, no matter the difficulties!

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 Va'eira - 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. In Exodus 6:9, “Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor.” When Moses came back to Egypt, the Israelites were hopeless, slaves, brickmakers even though Moses came back with hope. He came with an “Elohim-given message in Exodus 6:6-8 and he showed them with signs and they began to believe. However, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened and increased the workload making their lives even more difficult. This is the same in our lives and people tell us “Don’t get your hopes up” because the higher the hopes, the further they plunge.

Sometimes it is hard to listen to hope because of our despondency! We had hope and it seems that hope had betrayed us, so, we resolve not to be hurt again. The one way to avoid hurt is to never hope again. Each disappointment makes it more difficult to hope again. When we set out to accomplish something for Elohim, our initial enthusiasm cools quickly as we face difficulties and setbacks! We must not become comfortable in our despondent state. We must not settle in but take the risk of disappointment.

How may believe in Elohim? How many have faith? Then we should live in a constant state of expectation. If Elohim is on our side, we cannot lose! Romans 8:31,32, tells us “If Elohim is for us, who can be against us?” When we know we cannot lose, we have nothing to fear! Don’t be afraid of disappointment! Don’t be a pessimist to protect yourself! You can be an optimist—let Elohim raise your expectations. Let’s set out to be good or do better and be better because we can only rely on Elohim’s compassion, promises, and the power of His name! These will get us through the disappointments.

Elohim wants to reveal His name to us. When we look at the children of Israel, we see that they stayed too long in Egypt and assimilated to the culture. What was meant to be a temporary shelter ended up becoming their permanent prison. Yet, 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. However, Isaiah 49:16 tells us, “He has never forgotten us and in fact has engraved us on the palms of His hands; your walls are ever before Him.” This means our names are on His hands…He sees me, knows me, understands me because when He looks at His hands, I am there!

In Exodus 6:2-3, Elohim showed Himself as El Shaddai (Yah Almighty). To Moses, He reveals Himself as YHVH (Adonai). We know a name, in Torah, signifies an attribute or attributes, so we can understand this passage better. What Elohim is telling Moses is: 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 a great, mighty, and powerful Elohim, as one who made promises, but He never related to them as an Elohim who fulfilled these promises. Elohim gave some far reaching promises to the patriarchs, but they were never brought to complete fulfillment before them.

Hebrew 11:13, “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.” Now as Elohim sends Moses and Aaron to confront Pharaoh, He is about to begin to bring to pass the fulfillment of some of these promises. 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! This 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 because to do so would be a violation of His own name!

In Exodus 9:14-16, He unleashes plagues and signs revealing Elohim’s name. There is coming a day, like in Egypt, where plagues and signs will reveal His name but this time over all the earth. Like in Egypt, the plagues will conclude with the redemption of Elohim’s people and the publication of Elohim’s name! Zechariah 14:9, “Adonai will be king over the whole earth. ON THAT DAY there will be one Adonai, and His name the only name.” In the Semitic sense, to declare Elohim’s name means to reveal who Elohim is, i.e., to glorify Him! Sorry, but it has nothing to do with correct 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 (Ex. 9:13-16). Just a short summary: Elohim revealed Himself to Moses (Ex. 5:2). Pharaoh “never heard of Him”. Elohim begins to reveal Himself to Pharaoh, at the end Redemption!

Yeshua had the same objective, John 17:4,6, “I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.” “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word.” Yeshua revealed Elohim’s character and established His reputation for three years—through signs, works, and teachings. The resurrection would be the ultimate sign of His revealed name! So, where are we on the world’s timeline?

The clock is ticking! Heaven is about to unleash plagues and signs revealing Elohim’s name to all the earth! The Book of Revelation reveals this to us. The witnesses like Moses will appear, Rev. 11:6. Demonic powers will afflict humanity like locusts, Rev. 19:1-8. Frogs, hail, and blood will descend on earth, Rev. 8:8,9; Rev. 16:13. 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, Zechariah 14:9 again says, “Adonai will be king over the whole earth. ON THAT DAY there will be one Adonai, and His name the only name.” Romans 14:11 says, “As surely as I live, says Adonai, every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge Elohim.” Yes, and Amen!

Shabbat Shalom Mishpocha,

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