Studying Torah Portion B’Shalach

Shabbat started at sundown tonight ad I’m studying Torah portion B’Shalach.  I absolutely love the opportunity to study His Word for an entire day and just focus on learning His Word and hearing His Will for my family.  I have been studying Torah and reading the portions for five years. Each year I read from a new translation. This year, I am reading from The Five Books of Moses or the Shocken Bible. I really appreciate the beautiful language of this translation. Reading the Torah from a different scripture each year has been a fantastic experience and one that I believe really helps me understand His Word better.

Exodus 15:26 He said: If you will hearken, yes, hearken to the voice of YHVH your God, and what is right in his eyes will do, giving-ear to his commandments and keeping all his laws: all the sicknesses which I have imposed upon Egypt, I will not impose upon you; for I am YHVH, your healer.

For context, the Israelites have been led out of Egypt, they are at Mara, their third stop along the way.  They have NOT come to Mt. Sinai and they have not been handed the 10 commandments yet. So it is obvious there were already instructions on how to live prior to Sinai. But the part that is so shocking to me is that disease is associated with lawlessness.  It is Strong’s number H4245.  Every single place this word is used, it is associated with lawlessness.  Something to seriously pray about and ask for guidance!

Exodus 16:2 And they grumbled, the entire community of the Children of Israel, against Moshe and against Aharon in the wilderness.

I have read many commentaries that want to say the Egyptian mixed-multitude were the grumblers… but this verse completely contradicts that thought. Entire is H3605 and it means all, total, complete, whole. Read scripture, don’t let commentary (especially mine) be the only research you do.

Now what are they grumbling about? Food.

Do you know why Abba provided manna for the Israelites? Most think it was to stave off starvation? Here is the answer (from Scripture) and it may surprise you!

Exodus 16:4 YHVH said to Moshe: Here, I will make rain down upon you bread from the heavens, the people shall go out and glean, each day’s amount in its day, in order that I may test them, whether they will walk according to my Instruction or not.

Are you surprised?

In the next verse we see God providing a double portion of manna for the Sabbath:

Exodus 16:5 But it shall be on the sixth day: when they prepare what they have brought in, it shall be a double-portion compared to what they glean day after day.

This section really convicts me every year I read it.  When we are grumbling… we are really grumbling against Abba, what He has provided and done for us.

Exodus 16:8 Moshe said: Since YHVH gives you flesh to eat at sunset, and at daybreak, bread to satisfy (yourselves); since YHVH hearkens to your grumblings which you grumble against him- what are we: not against us are your grumblings, but against YHVH!

I am always struck by how Abba provides enough. And enough for all. Not more than we need, but enough. It really makes me wonder how much we ask for that is more than enough. For the last several years Abba has really put it on my heart to simplify and downsize. Really pressing me that we have way too much and it has become a burden. 

Exodus 16:16 This is the word that YHVH has commanded: Glean from it, each-man according to what he can eat, an omer per capita, according to the number of your persons, each-man, for those in his tent, you are to take.
Exodus 16:17 The Children of Israel did thus, they gleaned, the-one-more and the-one-less,
Exodus 16:18 but when they measured by the omer, no surplus had the-one-more, and the-one-less had no shortage; each-man had gleaned according to what he could eat.

Did you know the word “Sabbath” literally means cease / rest? Isn’t it amazing how clear God is? No ambiguity whatsoever.

Early on in my Messianic walk, I was terribly confused about what the wilderness was. How many times have you heard someone refer to the wilderness as a place of testing and trials?  This verse changed my view on the wilderness completely!

Exodus 16:35 And the Children of Israel ate the mahn for the forty years, until they came to settled land, the mahn they ate, until they came to the edge of the land of Canaan.

Isn’t that fantastic? They were completely provided for the entire time they are in the wilderness. So how can the wilderness be a bad place? It is a place where miracles happen daily. Where Abba provides our very sustenance. This is critical for us to understand. He provided for them yet it was a testing even in the midst of provision. I love that vision.

I hope you are reading the Torah portion on your own and are digging into the Word.  I use several resources when I study and wanted to share them with you:

eSword.  It is a free Bible Study Software.  I got mine from this church years ago and have never received one piece of junk mail due to it. This software has multiple version of scripture (and you know how I love to read different translations) including KJV, Scriptures, JPS, Peshitta, etc. And it has several different lexicons including Strongs, BDB and Thayers.  I highly recommend you get this software and it is free.

Blue Letter Bible.  Is a website that I take the Strong’s number from eSword and go search to see how the word has been used in other verses. It has the Gesenius’ definition of Hebrew words, which I just love!

The Five Books of Moses (Schoken Bible) is the translation I am reading from this year.

Shalom, Shalom!