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Shemot 1:1-6:1, Haftara Jer. 1:1-2:3, Brit Chadashah Philippians 4:4-13

(Please take the time to read the portion completely as this "reflection" is designed to be a practical life application of some selected parts of the Torah portion and is not an in depth commentary, but rather a way to see ourselves in the text.)

Shalom Friends,

Exo 5:6-13 So the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters over the people and their foremen, saying, "You are no longer to give the people straw to make brick as previously; let them go and gather straw for themselves. "But the quota of bricks which they were making previously, you shall impose on them; you are not to reduce any of it. Because they are lazy, therefore they cry out, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.' "Let the labor be heavier on the men, and let them work at it so that they will pay no attention to false words." So the taskmasters of the people and their foremen went out and spoke to the people, saying, "Thus says Pharaoh, 'I am not going to give you any straw. 'You go and get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, but none of your labor will be reduced.'" So the people scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. The taskmasters pressed them, saying, "Complete your work quota, your daily amount, just as when you had straw."

Do you feel like this? Like you are told to make bricks without straw? The Pharaohs of the world have created a situation in which your daily quota, the bills you have to pay and the food you have to buy, has not decreased but your ability to meet those needs has. You are sent out "gleaning" from anywhere you can. Sound familiar? Maybe it was today you thought that you couldn't make it, that the taskmasters of Egypt, those darn bill collectors, were beating you and you were screaming to yourself;

Exo 5:15b-16 "Why do you deal this way with your servants? "There is no straw given to your servants, yet they keep saying to us, 'Make bricks!' And behold, your servants are being beaten; but it is the fault of your own people."

That word "fault" is the killer. We always want to know whose fault it is. Who is to blame for the situation we are in? The word fault here is "chatah" normally translated as "sin." Literally it means to "miss the mark or fall short." Well let's examine the text to see if we can find out who fell short of the mark.

At the end of B'reshit the children of Israel are living separately in the land of Goshen. Doing what they always have done, shepherding their flocks. But in verse seven of the first chapter of Shemot we see a change.

Exo 1:7 But the sons of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly, and multiplied, and became exceedingly mighty, so that the land was filled with them.

They left their provided land and mixed with the people. They became prominent and powerful. Too powerful. The Egyptians didn't like these foreigners to be more numerous than they were. As for Israel they were having the time of their lives. Jobs were plentiful; borrowing money to get a new barge for water sports on the Nile was easy. You could get a loan for 150% of what your tent was worth even if you had a job cleaning out the stables. Isaiah sums it up pretty well;

Isa 22:12-13 Therefore in that day the Lord YHVH of hosts called you to weeping, to wailing, To shaving the head and to wearing sackcloth. Instead, there is gaiety and gladness, Killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, Eating of meat and drinking of wine: "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die."

Where were the children of Israel? They were in Egypt. Not in the Promised Land, not in their inheritance, far from the place and I submit the attitude that they should have had. I will now propose something for your introspection. The Children of Israel were not content to live in tents in Goshen, but they became content living in the world. According to the Brown Driver Briggs Lexicon of Biblical Hebrew, Goshen means "drawing near," consequently if they leave Goshen they would be doing the opposite of drawing near, they would be moving away. They didn't want to leave the new world they had encountered so when the countenance of the Egyptians changed they pretended not to notice until one day they woke up and no longer were they prominent peoples in a foreign land, they were slaves to Pharaoh. They liked living the Egyptian way so much they didn't notice the fact that they were loosing the one thing that is inherent to all God's people -Free Will! We have a right given by our Creator to choose. Not just where to live and what to eat but more importantly how we will live. Each and every day we must decide who we will follow and how we will follow. I am not saying they became Egyptians but they certainly adopted some of the lifestyle.

Jer 1:17-19 "Now, gird up your loins and arise, and speak to them all which I command you. Do not be dismayed before them, or I will dismay you before them. "Now behold, I have made you today as a fortified city and as a pillar of iron and as walls of bronze against the whole land, to the kings of Judah, to its princes, to its priests and to the people of the land. "They will fight against you, but they will not overcome you, for I am with you to deliver you," declares YHVH.

From the Haftarah we have this little nugget. If we stand strong in Him he will deliver us.

But how do we stand strong when we are faced with making bricks without straw? Once again the answer is plainly illuminated by the Ruach HaKodesh in the Brit Chadashah;

Php 4:11-13 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

This word "content" doesn't mean happy or at ease, but comes with the idea of "baffling or blocking out the wind." In other words, to be able to keep living when the wind (Synonymous with our life, Gen.2:7) is gentle or when it is raging. We must learn to stop looking for something other than what the Father wants to give us.

Let me put it this way, if YHVH had not put the children of Israel in bondage to the Egyptians they would have never left Egypt. As it is Elohim instructs Moses to show signs to the Israelites so they believe that He (Elohim) sent Moses to deliver them.

Exo 4:8-9 "If they will not believe you or heed the witness of the first sign, they may believe the witness of the last sign. "But if they will not believe even these two signs or heed what you say, then you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground; and the water which you take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground."

Obviously Elohim knew he was dealing with some stubborn and doubt ridden people. Today we are a doubt ridden people. We doubt whether we will have enough of what ever we think we will need. We even doubt if our Creator will take care of us. I am here to tell you no matter what kind of trouble or problems you face today, YHVH has placed you there to show YOU His strong hand. Just as things seemed to go from bad to worse for the enslaved nation of Israel, there is some good news;

Exo 6:1 Then YHVH said unto Moses, now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.

In Scripture the only One with a true "Strong Hand" is YHVH. He will act if you will be content with the results.

Shalom B'Shem Yeshua
Bill

Other reflections on Shemot