Post by alon on Jan 10, 2019 16:12:49 GMT -8
Par’shah 15.2 Bo
This week’s readings: Par’shah 15
Date of reading: January 12, 2019/6 Sh’vat 5779
Name of Par’shah: Bo (Go)
Par’shah: Sh’mot 10:1-13:16
Haftarah: Yirmeyahu 46:13-28
Brit Chadashah: Luke 2:22-24; Yochanan 19:31-37; Acts 13:16-17; Revelation 8:6-9:12; 16:1-21
D’rash:
Sh’mot 10:1---Adonai said to Moshe, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have made him and his servants hardhearted, so that I can demonstrate these signs of Mine among them, …”
This might not seem fair at first glance for Adonai to do this to an individual but let’s look at
Romans 9:17-22---For the Tanakh says to Pharaoh, “It is for this very reason that I raised you up, so that in connection with you I might demonstrate my power, so that My Name might be made known throughout the world.” So then, He has mercy on whom He wants, and He hardens whom He wants. But you will say to me, “Then why does He still find fault with us? After all, who resists His will?” Who are you, a mere human being, to talk back to G-d? Will what is formed say to Him who formed it, “Why did you make me this way?” Or has the potter no right to make from a given lump of clay this pot for honorable use and that one for dishonorable? Now what if G-d, even though He was quite willing to demonstrate His anger and make known His power, patiently put up with people who deserved punishment and were ripe for destruction?
The key here is that G-d will show patience for a time to individuals who walk contrary to His ways; but if one continues to ignore and disobey the inner traffic light of his conscience, then why have it there? If he insists on being a dishonorable vessel then why not let G-d use him as such to express His will, especially for good on behalf of those who are His honorable vessels? Even the Tanankh says this plainly:
Mishlei 16:4---Adonai made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of disaster.
In a brief summary, Pharaoh witnessed the power of Adonai and His judgements over the gods of Mitzrayim, the death of all the firstborn not covered by the blood (especially his firstborn), and shortly afterwards, the destruction of his army at the parting of the sea. When it was all over and Adonai accomplished His will, he again had his free will. Yet, no mention of him reconsidering and repenting, even after returning to Mitzrayim to see the damage from the plagues, not to mention his army. It is one thing to be a fool and say, “There is no G-d” (Tehellim 14:1; 53:1) but it is another thing when one witnesses His miraculous and irrefutable proofs of His existence and power and still rejects Him. The Easy-to-Read Version of the Bible may not state the exact translation from the original, but gets the point across quite bluntly:
Mishlei 27:22---You can grind a fool to powder, and still you will not force the foolishness out of him.
This kind of hard heart continues to manifest itself throughout history. Yeshua witnessed it when a few of the P’rushim attributed His power from G-d to cast out demons to the ruler of demons. Emissary Sha’ul teaches in Romans 1:18-32 that those who at least know about G-d and of some of His ways but continue to practice vile behavior will be given over to it, the conviction of the Ruach HaKodesh removed from them. He also teaches that in the end days, those who practice wickedness will be deceived by the anti-Messiah:
2 Thessalonians 2:9-12---When this man who avoids
comes, the adversary will give him the power to work all kinds of false miracles, signs and wonders. He will enable him to deceive, in all kinds of wicked ways, those who are headed for destruction because they would not receive the love of the truth that could have saved them. This is why G-d is causing them to go astray, so that they will believe the Lie. The result will be that all who have not believed the truth, but have taken their pleasure in wickedness, will be condemned.
In Revelation chapters 8 and 9 when Yeshua breaks the seventh seal, six plagues are released upon the earth (a few resemble the ones done in Mitzrayim, but on a grander scale). What was the response of those who survived these plagues?
Revelation 9:20-21---The rest of mankind, those who were not killed by these plagues, even then did not turn from what they had made with their own hands---they did not stop worshipping demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they turn from their murdering, their involvement with the occult and with drugs, their sexual immorality or their stealing.
Later, in Revelation 16, when the seven messengers pour out the seven bowls of G-d’s fury upon the earth, the hard heart will still be a staunch fortress:
Revelation 16:8-11---The fourth one poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was permitted to burn people with fire. People were burned by the intense heat; yet they cursed the Name of G-d, who had the authority over these plagues, instead of turning from their sins to give Him glory. The fifth one poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom grew dark. People gnawed on their tongues from the pain, yet they cursed the G-d of Heaven because of their pains and sores, and did not turn from their sinful deeds.
When the seventh messenger pours out his bowl, a number of miraculous and/or violent events occur, and for the sake of brevity only the last one will be stated:
Revelation 16:21---And huge seventy-pound hailstones fell on people from the sky. But the people cursed G-d for the plague of hail, that it was such a terrible plague.
The truth of the matter is that G-d can do anything except conquer an unrepentant, hard heart. When the offer and an opportunity to receive forgiveness of sins through Yeshua HaMashiach, eternal life, a perfect and glorified body, the chance to dwell in a new heaven and earth are knowingly rejected, it is no wonder these individuals are called fools. Yeshua presented the illustration of the rich man who built bigger storage facilities for all his goods which would last him for many years. Yet G-d called him a fool, saying that he would die that very night and he was not prepared for eternity (Luke 12:13-21). That’s the problem---the lust for riches, status, the flesh or whatever can blind the eyes of a person’s heart in the short-term at the expense of the long-term. Yochanan states it plainly in his gospel:
Yochanan 3:19---"Now this is the judgement: the light has come into the world, but people loved the darkness rather than the light. Why? Because their actions were wicked.
So in one sense there is a point-of-no-return because of the pulling and blinding effect of the world that darkens one’s mind and heart and in another sense there remains an entry way for repentance and restoration, yet that way may be faintly lit; but it is there. What a tragedy if one chooses to permanently ignore it!
References: Scriptures taken from the Complete Jewish Bible, copyright 1998 by David H. Stern, unless otherwise noted.
MRD
This week’s readings: Par’shah 15
Date of reading: January 12, 2019/6 Sh’vat 5779
Name of Par’shah: Bo (Go)
Par’shah: Sh’mot 10:1-13:16
Haftarah: Yirmeyahu 46:13-28
Brit Chadashah: Luke 2:22-24; Yochanan 19:31-37; Acts 13:16-17; Revelation 8:6-9:12; 16:1-21
D’rash:
Sh’mot 10:1---Adonai said to Moshe, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have made him and his servants hardhearted, so that I can demonstrate these signs of Mine among them, …”
This might not seem fair at first glance for Adonai to do this to an individual but let’s look at
Romans 9:17-22---For the Tanakh says to Pharaoh, “It is for this very reason that I raised you up, so that in connection with you I might demonstrate my power, so that My Name might be made known throughout the world.” So then, He has mercy on whom He wants, and He hardens whom He wants. But you will say to me, “Then why does He still find fault with us? After all, who resists His will?” Who are you, a mere human being, to talk back to G-d? Will what is formed say to Him who formed it, “Why did you make me this way?” Or has the potter no right to make from a given lump of clay this pot for honorable use and that one for dishonorable? Now what if G-d, even though He was quite willing to demonstrate His anger and make known His power, patiently put up with people who deserved punishment and were ripe for destruction?
The key here is that G-d will show patience for a time to individuals who walk contrary to His ways; but if one continues to ignore and disobey the inner traffic light of his conscience, then why have it there? If he insists on being a dishonorable vessel then why not let G-d use him as such to express His will, especially for good on behalf of those who are His honorable vessels? Even the Tanankh says this plainly:
Mishlei 16:4---Adonai made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of disaster.
In a brief summary, Pharaoh witnessed the power of Adonai and His judgements over the gods of Mitzrayim, the death of all the firstborn not covered by the blood (especially his firstborn), and shortly afterwards, the destruction of his army at the parting of the sea. When it was all over and Adonai accomplished His will, he again had his free will. Yet, no mention of him reconsidering and repenting, even after returning to Mitzrayim to see the damage from the plagues, not to mention his army. It is one thing to be a fool and say, “There is no G-d” (Tehellim 14:1; 53:1) but it is another thing when one witnesses His miraculous and irrefutable proofs of His existence and power and still rejects Him. The Easy-to-Read Version of the Bible may not state the exact translation from the original, but gets the point across quite bluntly:
Mishlei 27:22---You can grind a fool to powder, and still you will not force the foolishness out of him.
This kind of hard heart continues to manifest itself throughout history. Yeshua witnessed it when a few of the P’rushim attributed His power from G-d to cast out demons to the ruler of demons. Emissary Sha’ul teaches in Romans 1:18-32 that those who at least know about G-d and of some of His ways but continue to practice vile behavior will be given over to it, the conviction of the Ruach HaKodesh removed from them. He also teaches that in the end days, those who practice wickedness will be deceived by the anti-Messiah:
2 Thessalonians 2:9-12---When this man who avoids
comes, the adversary will give him the power to work all kinds of false miracles, signs and wonders. He will enable him to deceive, in all kinds of wicked ways, those who are headed for destruction because they would not receive the love of the truth that could have saved them. This is why G-d is causing them to go astray, so that they will believe the Lie. The result will be that all who have not believed the truth, but have taken their pleasure in wickedness, will be condemned.In Revelation chapters 8 and 9 when Yeshua breaks the seventh seal, six plagues are released upon the earth (a few resemble the ones done in Mitzrayim, but on a grander scale). What was the response of those who survived these plagues?
Revelation 9:20-21---The rest of mankind, those who were not killed by these plagues, even then did not turn from what they had made with their own hands---they did not stop worshipping demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they turn from their murdering, their involvement with the occult and with drugs, their sexual immorality or their stealing.
Later, in Revelation 16, when the seven messengers pour out the seven bowls of G-d’s fury upon the earth, the hard heart will still be a staunch fortress:
Revelation 16:8-11---The fourth one poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was permitted to burn people with fire. People were burned by the intense heat; yet they cursed the Name of G-d, who had the authority over these plagues, instead of turning from their sins to give Him glory. The fifth one poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom grew dark. People gnawed on their tongues from the pain, yet they cursed the G-d of Heaven because of their pains and sores, and did not turn from their sinful deeds.
When the seventh messenger pours out his bowl, a number of miraculous and/or violent events occur, and for the sake of brevity only the last one will be stated:
Revelation 16:21---And huge seventy-pound hailstones fell on people from the sky. But the people cursed G-d for the plague of hail, that it was such a terrible plague.
The truth of the matter is that G-d can do anything except conquer an unrepentant, hard heart. When the offer and an opportunity to receive forgiveness of sins through Yeshua HaMashiach, eternal life, a perfect and glorified body, the chance to dwell in a new heaven and earth are knowingly rejected, it is no wonder these individuals are called fools. Yeshua presented the illustration of the rich man who built bigger storage facilities for all his goods which would last him for many years. Yet G-d called him a fool, saying that he would die that very night and he was not prepared for eternity (Luke 12:13-21). That’s the problem---the lust for riches, status, the flesh or whatever can blind the eyes of a person’s heart in the short-term at the expense of the long-term. Yochanan states it plainly in his gospel:
Yochanan 3:19---"Now this is the judgement: the light has come into the world, but people loved the darkness rather than the light. Why? Because their actions were wicked.
So in one sense there is a point-of-no-return because of the pulling and blinding effect of the world that darkens one’s mind and heart and in another sense there remains an entry way for repentance and restoration, yet that way may be faintly lit; but it is there. What a tragedy if one chooses to permanently ignore it!
References: Scriptures taken from the Complete Jewish Bible, copyright 1998 by David H. Stern, unless otherwise noted.
MRD
