14.3 Par'shah Va-eyra- I Appeared

[alon]

Name of Par’shah- 14.3 Va-eyra- I Appeared
Par’shah- Ex 6:2 – 9:35
Haftara- Ezekiel 28:5-29:21

D’rash: Still no commandments applcable to us today. They were for Moshe and Aharon, the Jews of that time and place, as well as their Egyptian overlords, and especially to Pharaoh. However there are many, many biblical principles in this reading. Let’s start in our haftara and look at one of them:

Ezekiel 28:5 (ESV) by your great wisdom in your trade
    you have increased your wealth,
    and your heart has become proud in your wealth—

When man is blessed, whether by God, circumstance (having the Nile to sustain you), or especially by your own works and “wisdom,” we tend to become proud and to shut God out. We are willing to make for ourselves false gods and worship them. But not to worship and obey the One True God of Israel.

Pharaoh was proud, as was all of Egypt. But Pharaoh ruled as a man-god himself. He was not about to let his might be thrown down for the world to see by a bunch of slaves and their God.

Ezekiel 28:6-7 (ESV) therefore thus says the Lord God:
Because you make your heart
    like the heart of a god, 
therefore, behold, I will bring foreigners upon you,
    the most ruthless of the nations;
and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom
    and defile your splendor.

And we see this is exactly what happened to Egypt. Pharaoh, proud man-god saw his country made desolate by the true might of Eloah, the Mighty One (Neh 9:17), the God of the slaves; Yisroel. In later readings we will see his mighty army of chariots destroyed. Because of Egypts weakened conditioned, she was attacked by neighbors so that Pharaoh had to hold back the remnants of his once mighty army in defense of his home soil. He could no longer pursue the Hebrews, or he probably would have done so. Pride was Egypts undoing, and as He so often does our Shofet, Judge (Ps 75:7) allowed the Egyptians to pick their own path to judgement.

Exodus 6:7 (ESV) Now Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Adonai-Nissi, God Our Banner/God Our Victory (Ex 17:15) called Moshe at age 80. As a younger man he might have been tempted to become proud himself. As young men we tend to think whatever we do is by our own strength. However as we age we begin to see not much gets done by us alone. This was all to be a work of Elohei Yisroel, the God of Israel (2 Saml 23:3), and there was to be no mistaking this. Like today, we are witnesses to not just the rebirth of the nation of Israel, but its’ miraculous continued existence in the midst of hoards of neighbors who want to kill every Jew. There is no mistaking the hand of the Almighty in the rebirth and continued existence of the nation of Israel.

Exodus 6:9 (ESV) “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Prove yourselves by working a miracle,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.’”

Notice El Sali, the God of My Strength (Pslm 42:9) starts Moshe and Aharon with a miracle He has already let Moshe experience. So the initial confrontation with Pharaoh, which could not have been comfortable for these two men of God at least starts with something they can have complete confidence in. They were led gently into what was to be a prolonged test of wills between Elohei Ha’Ivriyim, the Lord God of the Hebrews (Ex 3:18) and the man-god of Egypt.

Exodus 6:17-18 (ESV)  Thus says the Lord, “By this you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it shall turn into blood. The fish in the Nile shall die, and the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will grow weary of drinking water from the Nile.”

Hapi, was the Egyptian god of the Nile. The Nile was the source of life and wealth for Egypt, however he was a minor god in the Egyptian pantheon. Many of the animals the Egyptians worshiped came out of the Nile. So while the God of All Patience and Consolation (Rom 15:5) continued to ease His representatives into this confrontation, first attacking a minor god, this first plague struck at the very heart of the Egyptian nation and religious life. It was also the source for much of their drinking water, which sustained their very lives and that of their livestock.

Throughout the rest of this reading El Gibor, the Mighty God (Gen 49:24) continues to attack Egypt through her own gods and the health of her people. But Pharaoh will not relent. In his pride, his heart grows harder, just as Abishter knew it would. Our pride can destroy reason, blinding us to the truth. Mine led me to waste many years in open rebellion to Avi Ad, the Possessor of Eternity (Is 9:6). Foolishness! But it happens, from the highest (the man-god of Mitzrayim) to the lowest (me). If we take one principle from this parashah, let it be we should always watch for and curb our pride.

Dan C

[alon]

I want to add something here. When doing these parashot I often gain insights, seeing things I never did before.And I look back often with a sense of pride in what I've written. Pride in doing a good job is not the type of destructive pride we are talking about in the reading here. Not unless it becomes pride in my own wisdom. But like I said, I spent amny years as an arrogant, boastful, yet very angry and unhappy person. I was not nice to be around. So I have that example to look back on.

Like Moshe, looking back from this end of life I can see things differently. I see where and how God prepared me for service. I also know when I look at what I write that I'm not THAT smart, else I wouldn't have wasted my life. I take pride in what I do, yes. But I also give Ruach Shel Chochmah v’Binah, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding (Is 11:2) credit for preparing me, showing me, and helping me. As Pastor Ed Cole used to say, "Grab the gold, but give God the glory." 

I am no prophet, not a Rabbi; in fact, the only title I hold anywhere right now is "Moderator," and that is mostly because I am still a butt-head who has no problem keeping decorum on the forum. And even that I hope I am not too ridged about. Used to I would have been. But I think Avinu, Our Father (Is 64:8) was exact in his timing there. So I want to say Baruch HaShem, and thanks to God for this. Also thanks to Synagogue Chavurat HaMashiach and the forum here for this opportunity to grow personally. We are not a large nor a hyper active forum, but that is ok too. God's economy and ours are very different. I learned while working in church ministries that sometimes we sit faithfully and wait, praying for growth. But the Father of Mercies: (2 Cor 1:3) had me there on at least three times where one person came in who needed some one on one time with someone who cared, who would share God's love with them. So I trust that someone I have no idea about will read these posts- mine and yours- and will get exactly what they need. So I thank God for those few who do participate. And for His counsel, His wisdom which He shares so abundantly if we only ask, and for the opportunity to participate here.

Dan (not so much humble as often humbled) C