Bo, בֹּא - Come!
Exodus:10:1-13:16
Haftarah: Jeremiah 46:13-28
Apostolic Scripture: John 19:31-37
Reading #7 - Exodus 13:1–16
My Thoughts:
Today we learn about redeeming the firstborn. Interestingly enough, before the “golden calf” incident, the firstborn males of Israel were all to be involved in the priesthood. After the incident, only the Levites were designated for this. They did not participate in the golden calf event. And since that time, all Jewish firstborn males are to be redeemed. There is a ceremony today called the “Pidyon Haben” where a baby is presented to a priest and redeemed for 5 shekels (Numbers 18:16). It all reminds me that really everything belongs to Hashem. All of us are created by Him, live for Him and return to Him. Something to think about.
Challenge:
In verse 9 we read about having a “sign” of Hashem’s Law on our hearts. The forehead and the hand. These may represent our ability to "think" in our brains and "implement" with our hands. Our thoughts must reflect Torah, our love for Hashem and others. Our hands must carry out all the duties/acts that He requests of us. I challenge you today to take some time to review if your thoughts and actions are representative of Hashem’s light in your life. And work on areas that are not. Improve and be better. For Him. For others.
Reading #7 - Exodus 13:1–16
13 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Sanctify to me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of animal. It is mine.”
3 Moses said to the people, “Remember this day, in which you came out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand Hashem brought you out from this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten. 4 Today you go out in the month Abib. 5 It shall be, when Hashem brings you into the land of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which He swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall keep this service in this month. 6 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to Hashem. 7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days; and no leavened bread shall be seen with you. No yeast shall be seen with you, within all your borders. 8 You shall tell your son in that day, saying, ‘It is because of that which Hashem did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ 9 It shall be for a sign to you on your hand, and for a memorial between your eyes, that Hashem’s law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand Hashem has brought you out of Egypt. 10 You shall therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year.
11 “It shall be, when Hashem brings you into the land of the Canaanite, as He swore to you and to your fathers, and will give it you, 12 that you shall set apart to Hashem all that opens the womb, and every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have. The males shall be Hashem’s. 13 Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck; and you shall redeem all the firstborn of man among your sons. 14 It shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ that you shall tell him, ‘By strength of hand Hashem brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage. 15 When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, Hashem killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of livestock. Therefore I sacrifice to Hashem all that opens the womb, being males; but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ 16 It shall be for a sign on your hand, and for symbols between your eyes; for by strength of hand Hashem brought us out of Egypt.”
Haftarah
My Thoughts:
In the crazy world we live in -- a world of "G-dlessness" -- we have a promise. The promise is all will be made well in the end. The garden of Eden will be restored in a sense, because in eternity we live with Him once again. We see this promise in verse 27 “Jacob will return, and will be quiet and at ease…”. I often think about what it will be like when we are in the Olam Haba (the world to come). Where in this world there is chaos, in the Olam Haba there will be “peace and ease”. Something we should look forward to, prepare for and pray for.
Challenge:
In verse 28 we read that there will be “consequences” for all we have done. We will be punished. I believe we receive that in our lives here on earth. For every sin we commit, there is a consequence. Whether you see it or not. And many times our sins affect others. Today would be a good day to take a hard look at your life. What are things you have or do in your life that do not bring glory to Hashem? It’s time to correct them. It’s time to make things right.
Haftarah: Jeremiah 46:13-28
46:13 The word that Hashem spoke to Jeremiah the prophet, how that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon should come and strike the land of Egypt.
14 “Declare in Egypt,
publish in Migdol,
and publish in Memphis and in Tahpanhes:
say, ‘Stand up, and prepare;
for the sword has devoured around you.’
15 Why are your strong ones swept away?
They didn’t stand, because Hashem pushed them.
16 He made many to stumble.
Yes, they fell on one another.
They said, ‘Arise! Let’s go again to our own people,
and to the land of our birth,
from the oppressing sword.’
17 They cried there, ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise;
he has let the appointed time pass by.’
18 “As I live,” says the King,
whose name is Hashem of Armies,
“surely like Tabor among the mountains,
and like Carmel by the sea,
so He will come.
19 You daughter who dwells in Egypt,
furnish yourself to go into captivity;
for Memphis will become a desolation,
and will be burned up,
without inhabitant.
20 “Egypt is a very beautiful heifer;
but destruction out of the north has come.
It has come.
21 Also her hired men in the middle of her are like calves of the stall;
for they also are turned back.
They have fled away together.
They didn’t stand,
for the day of their calamity has come on them,
the time of their visitation.
22 Its sound will go like the serpent;
for they will march with an army,
and come against her with axes, as wood cutters.
23 They will cut down her forest,” says Hashem,
“though it can’t be searched;
because they are more than the locusts,
and are innumerable.
24 The daughter of Egypt will be disappointed;
she will be delivered into the hand of the people of the north.”
25 Hashem of Armies, the Elohim of Israel, says: “Behold, I will punish Amon of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with her gods, and her kings; even Pharaoh, and those who trust in him. 26 I will deliver them into the hand of those who seek their lives, and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants. Afterwards it will be inhabited, as in the days of old,” says Hashem.
27 “But don’t you be afraid, Jacob my servant.
Don’t be dismayed, Israel;
for, behold, I will save you from afar,
and your offspring from the land of their captivity.
Jacob will return,
and will be quiet and at ease.
No one will make him afraid.
28 Don’t be afraid, O Jacob my servant,” says Hashem;
“for I am with you;
for I will make a full end of all the nations where I have driven you;
but I will not make a full end of you,
but I will correct you in measure,
and will in no way leave you unpunished.”
Apostolic Scripture
My Thoughts:
Interesting that not one bone of Yeshua was broken. Just like the Pesach lamb. Torah instructs us not to “break any bones” of the lamb (Exodus 12:46). Yeshua was killed on Pesach, just about the time they were sacrificing the lambs. The Pesach lamb’s life was given to redeem the firstborn male of the Hebrew households. When Yeshua died, He gave His life to redeem His people and set them free. I believe He came to warn His people that if they did not start worshiping Hashem and obeying His commands, that the Temple was going to come down (70 A.D.) and they would be dispersed for a long, long time. It was a strong message, but few heeded it. And His prophecy was fulfilled.
When He came to warn His people about all this, He knew they would kill Him. But, He came anyway. He came because He loves us so much. His blood will not be wasted. It will be used to “seal the New Covenant”. The future covenant of Jeremiah 31. It all fits. He came to redeem Israel, to save the Temple from being destroyed. To help the people find their way back to Hashem. And some day we will do this.
Challenge:
If you are not familiar with how the death of Yeshua the Mashiach ties in with the Feast of Pesach, then I challenge you to start studying it today. There are many prophecies about the coming Mashiach written in Scripture. I believe Yeshua came first as the “suffering Mashiach”. And that He will return as the “King Mashiach”. If you want to learn more about Yeshua the Rabbi, go to my website: https://www.jesus-was-a-rabbi.com/
Apostolic Scripture: John 19:31-37
19:31 Therefore the Jews, because it was the Preparation Day, so that the bodies wouldn’t remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a special one), asked of Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 32 Therefore the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who was crucified with him; 33 but when they came to Yeshua, and saw that He was already dead, they didn’t break his legs. 34 However one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35 He who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, that you may believe. 36 For these things happened that the Scripture might be fulfilled, “A bone of him will not be broken.”Exodus 12:46; Numbers 9:12; Psalm 34:20 37 Again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they pierced.”Zechariah 12:10
