Scriptures

Exodus 10:1-13:16

Haftorah Reading
Jeremiah 46:13–28

B’rit Chadashah
On the great tribulation and wrath of Elohim: Revelation 8:6–9:21; 16:1–21
On the feasts: Colossians 2:16–17
Leavening is a picture of sin: >1 Corinthians 5:5–8
Yeshua and the Passover and his crucifixion: Matthew 26:1–27:56; John 19:1–37
On the Lamb of Elohim: Revelation 5:6,9,12; 13:8; 14:4; John 1:29,36
On the blood of the Lamb: Acts 20:28; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14; 1 Peter 1:18–19
Paul on the Exodus: Acts 13:16–17
On the dedication of the firstborn: Luke 2:22–24

Etz Chayeem Hoo (He Is a Tree of Life)

Yeshua is a tree of life to those who take hold of Him, and those who support Him are praiseworthy. His ways are ways of pleasantness and all of His paths are shalom. Bring us back YHVH to You, and we shall come, renew our days as of old.

As we begin to study the Torah let us never forget that YESHUA THE MESSIAH is the Living Torah, the Torah-Word of Elohim made flesh. He is the way, the truth and the life — the Living Manna sent from heaven. Without Him living in our lives through the indwelling Presence of his Set-Apart/Kadosh Spirit (Who leads us into all truth and revelation) the Written Torah can become the dead letter of the law!

Outline of This Week’s Parashah (Torah Portion):

• 10:1 The Eighth Plague—Locusts
• 10:21 The Ninth Plague—Darkness
• 10:27 Pharaoh’s Final Refusal
• 11:1 Pharaoh’s Last Warning; Threatened With the Death of the Firstborn
• 11:4 Moses Prepares the Israelites
• 12:1 The New Moon (Rosh Chodesh) Marking the Beginning of the New Year
• 12:3 The First Passover (Pesach)
• 12:12 YHVH to Strike the Firstborn of Egypt
• 12:14 Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread Instituted
• 12:21 The Passover Lamb Slaughtered
• 12:29 The Tenth Plague—Death of the Firstborn, Pharaoh Surrenders
• 12:37 The Exodus: the Children of Israel Leave Egypt
• 12:43 Laws Pertaining to Passover
• 13:3 Remember the Exodus Every Year at Passover
• 13:11 The Redemption of the Firstborn
• 13:16 Israel to Remember YHVH’s Deliverance

Study Questions For This Week’s Midrash (Torah Discussion):

1. Here are the rest of the plagues from Chapters 10 through 12 and some suggested spiritual meanings of them:
   • The plague of locusts was a judgment on Egypt’s economic system, Egyptians love of wealth and material goods. The love of money and wealth brings barrenness and emptiness.
   • The plague of darkness was a judgment against the Egyptian sun deity. This teaches us that the world lies in spiritual darkness, and that YHVH brought the Israelites out of that darkness into his spiritual light.
   • The death of all Egypt’s firstborn was a prophecy foretelling the second death after the white throne judgment of all the unregenerate (Rev 20:11–15).

   What are the parallels between Elohim’s destructive judgment upon Egypt (a spiritual type of this world) and that upon the Babylonish world system that will exist prior to Yeshua’s return? Revelation chapters 15, 16, 18 and 19:11–21 prophesy this end-time divine judgment against Babylon the Great. We are living in the end times. Judgments are coming. Are you spiritually prepared for what might occur in your lifetime? Do you live in faith or in fear? (Read 2Tim 1:7.) Are you clothed in the white garments of righteousness, which are the righteous acts of the saints (Rev 19:8), or do you still have one foot in spiritual Egypt/Babylon? What excuses do you make for having communion with darkness (Torahlessness/unrighteousness)? Spiritually speaking, is the sum total of your life wood, hay and stubble, or gold, silver and precious stones in YHVH’s eyes (1Cor 3:9–17)? The fires of refinement are coming where the constitution of each man’s spiritual makeup will be revealed.

2. What are some of the parallels between Israel’s bondage and servitude in Egypt to your past life of bondage and servitude to the rudiments of this world? Are things like bricks, mortar, straw, and taskmasters symbolic of your past enslavement to the world, the flesh and the devil? How did YHVH deliver/redeem you from that enslavement? Do you share your testimony of this with others (Rev 12:11)? To what degree are you still enslaved in Egypt? What areas of your life, what spiritual, emotional, physical and psychological strongholds still exist in your life that you have not yet put under subjection to the Word, Spirit and dominion of our King and Master, Yeshua? Paul referred to himself as a “bond slave” to Yeshua. All his personal rights, freedoms, expectations, desires, etc. were laid on the sacrificial altar before Yeshua. How about you?
3. 12:2 Why is observing Rosh Chodesh (the new moon) so important in YHVH’s economy? Discuss ­YHVH’s set-apart (kadosh) calendar and his kadosh times and cycles that all begin with the sighting of the new moon. The world system (including Christianity) has totally forgotten YHVH’s kadosh calendar and replaced it with a Babylonish counterfeit calendar. If one wants to return to the truth of Scripture why is it crucial to have an understanding of YHVH’s set-apart calendar?
4. 12:3–7 What is the significance of blood and sacrifice in YHVH’s spiritual economy? How can we explain these concepts to those around us who view this as barbaric? Why is the shedding of blood necessary for the atonement of our lives (Lev 17:11)? How does this relate to Yeshua’s shedding his blood at the cross of Calvary/Golgatha for the remission of man’s sins?
5. In this Parashah are found many prophetic symbols or shadow pictures that point to Yeshua’s work on the cross. How did he fulfill these symbols prior to and at his crucifixion? (See the supplemental teaching article that discusses this issue.)
6. Discuss the significance of Hag HaMatzot (Days of Unleavened Bread) and how this is fulfilled in the believer’s life. Why does YHVH tell his people to actually do this feast every year and to put leaven out of their homes? What can we learn by actually fulfilling this command? What does this practice teach our children? Yeshua said, “If you love me keep my Torah commandments” (John 14:15). How is putting leaven (a metaphor for sin) loving him? Do you consider obeying the command to put leaven out of your home for seven days to be optional? If so, why? What other commands of YHVH’s Word do you “slide” on? Can one really know the heart of the Father and love him to the fullest extent if one does not obey him? (Read 1 John 2:3–6.)

Supplemental teachings for Parashat Bo:

How Yeshua the Messiah Perfectly Fulfilled the Passover (http://www.hoshanarabbah.org/pdfs/lamb.pdf)
Why Celebrate the Passover (Pesach)? (http://www.hoshanarabbah.org/pdfs/whypassover.pdf)
The Feast of Unleavened Bread (Hag HaMatzot) (http://www.hoshanarabbah.org/pdfs/unlbread.pdf)
The Biblical Calendar & the New Moon (http://www.hoshanarabbah.org/pdfs/new_moons.pdf)

Haftorah Reading—Jeremiah 46:13-28

Ye Servants of YHVH:
Stand Fast in His Grace as Empires Fall Around You!

The connection between the Parashah and Haftorah is obvious. Both deal with YHVH’s judgment against the nation of Egypt. The Parashah deals with Egypt’s destruction by the direct hand of YHVH, while the Haftorah deals with Egypt’s collapse through the nation of Babylon acting on behalf of YHVH. In both instances, YHVH is destroying a powerful nation to teach Israel some valuable lessons. Scripture constantly reaffirms the fact that YHVH directs world events around Israel—who is the apple of his eye. Understanding this fact and realizing Israel’s identity is crucial to understanding YHVH’s plan of redemption for man as revealed in the pages of Scripture.

1. 46:14 Stand fast and prepare you. Read Psalm 91:7–10 (read the entire chapter for context) and compare. Were the Jews who fled Jerusalem after its fall seeking refuge in Egypt, contrary to the word of Jeremiah, in the center of YHVH’s will? His perfect will for them was to have stayed in Jerusalem, but they refused to heed the words of Jeremiah to stay, and instead fled to Egypt out of fear of Babylon. Despite this, YHVH was faithful to his promise to protect them. A thriving Jewish community existed in Egypt up until the modern era. What does this say about the grace of YHVH even when we are not totally obeying him and in his perfect will for our lives?
2. 46:27–28 Fear not. Though other nations—even empires—have fallen and will fall around the people of Israel, what is the hope of Israel that is revealed in this verse? What is the relevance of this promise to you now, as YHVH’s people, that is, as Israel (Eph 2:11–19; Rom 4:16; 9:8–11; Gal 3:7,9,14,28–29)?
3. 46:27–28 My servant Jacob. What is the key to YHVH’s protecting and delivering Israel? They must never forget who and what they are: the people of Israel and the servant of YHVH. What does it mean to be YHVH’s people and his servant?