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EMET MINISTRIES' VISION STATEMENT
READ THE 'PARSHAH' OF THE WEEK ON THE 'THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK' PAGE
This week's 'parshah': 'PARSHAH BO'
EMET MINISTRIES' PRAYER MEETING
The next Emet Prayer Meeting for the Jewish people and Israel will take place on Monday night, 30 January in the EAGLE HALL at Hatfield Christian Church at 7pm.
The Jewish people and Israel need your prayers. Please join us; we look forward to seeing you there. All are welcome
EMET MINISTRIES' SHABBAT SERVICE
The next Ministries' Shabbat service will take place on Friday night, 3 February in the MINOR AUDITORIUM at Hatfield Christian Church at 7pm.
Join us after the service for 'Dessert Fellowship' and enjoy dessert, cake, tea, coffee and great fellowship. Invite your family and friends; invite Jewish people. All are welcome.
We look forward to seeing you there.
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G-D WILL USE A MOSES AND A PHARAOH
In this week’s ‘parshah’, ‘Parshah Bo’, found in Exodus 10:1 – 13:16, we read in Exodus 12:29-30: “And it came to pass at midnight that the LORD struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of livestock. So Pharaoh rose in the night, he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead.”
Pharaoh had experienced nine devastating plagues with which the L-RD had struck Egypt.
Moses gave Pharaoh a warning of the impending devastation that was about to come upon Egypt: “Then Pharaoh said to him, "Get away from me! Take heed to yourself and see my face no more! For in the day you see my face you shall die!" And Moses said, "You have spoken well. I will never see your face again.” (Exodus 10:28-29)
Yet Pharaoh did not heed the plagues or the warning.
We know that G-D eventually hardened Pharaoh’s heart. However the first five times Pharaoh hardened his own heart.
Why did G-D harden Pharaoh’s heart?
Exodus 11:9-10 gives us the answer: “But the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not heed you, so that My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.” So Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh; and the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go out of his land.”
You see, G-D will use a Moses or a Pharaoh for His purposes.
We see another example of this in Jeremiah 27:6 where G-D calls Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, “My servant”.
Both were pagan kings and both held the Children of Israel captive. Yet G-D used both of them, even calling one ‘His servant’.
In a nutshell, G-D showed His glory and faithfulness to Israel through Moses; and He showed His power to the nations through Pharaoh, who by constantly defying the G-D of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saw G-D’S awesome power devastate Egypt.
G-D’S ways are not our ways; His plans are always perfect.
G-D wants to use you to fulfill His plans and purposes on this earth…and He will use you – whether you are a Moses or a Pharaoh.
The question is: Which one do you want to be?
THE FOUR EXPRESSIONS OF REDEMPTION
The ‘parshah’ (‘Torah’ portion) this week, ‘Parshah Va’eira’ (‘And I Appeared’) tells us that In wake of Moses' protest to G-D over the sufferings of Israel, G-D assured him that the redemption of Israel was near:
Exodus 6:6-8: ““Therefore say to the children of Israel: 'I am the LORD; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will save you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the LORD.’”
‘Parshah Va’eira’ begins in Exodus 6:2-4 with G-D speaking to Moses, saying to him: “I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name LORD I was not known to them. I have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, in which they were strangers.”
G-D revealing Himself to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, confirming that He would fulfill His covenant with them, evokes ‘four expressions of redemption’.
G-D promises in Exodus 6:6-7: “I will bring you out; I will save you; I will redeem you; I will take you”.
The ‘four expressions of redemption’ (represented at the ‘Pesach Seder’ by the four cups of wine) relate to the four aspects of our liberation from Egypt:
1) “I will bring out” - our physical removal from the geographical boundaries of Egypt.
2) “I will save” - our delivery from Egyptian supremacy (Egypt was a superpower that enslaved and oppressed many nations and peoples outside its borders).
3) “I will redeem” - the elimination of any future possibility of enslavement by the great judgments inflicted upon the Egyptians.
4) “I will take you as My people, and I will be your God” - our election as G-D’S chosen people at Mount Sinai, the purpose of the Exodus.
However, ‘Haftorah Va’eira’ takes this even further in Ezekiel 28:25-26: “Thus says the Lord GOD: “When I have gathered the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and am hallowed in them in the sight of the Gentiles, then they will dwell in their own land which I gave to My servant Jacob. And they will dwell safely there, build houses, and plant vineyards; yes, they will dwell securely, when I execute judgments on all those around them who despise them. Then they shall know that I am the LORD their God.””
As we see G-D’S faithfulness to His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, we now see the ‘four expressions of redemption’ with different eyes:
1) “I will bring out” – the Jewish people from slavery to sin and death into freedom in Yeshua.
2) “I will save” – the Jewish people from sin and eternal death to the forgiveness of sin and eternal life.
3) “I will redeem” - the Jewish people back to myself and reveal to them their ‘Mashiach’, Yeshua.
4) “I will take you as My people, and I will be your God” - our election as G-D’S chosen people, the bearers of the covenants, and the people He will use to usher in the return of the Messiah, Yeshua.
Finally, G-D says in Ezekiel 28:25-26: “Thus says the Lord GOD: “When I have gathered the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and am hallowed in them in the sight of the Gentiles, then they will dwell in their own land which I gave to My servant Jacob. And they will dwell safely there, build houses, and plant vineyards; yes, they will dwell securely, when I execute judgments on all those around them who despise them. Then they shall know that I am the LORD their God.””
And Almighty G-D has been faithful to His covenant and to His word in that He has gathered the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they were scattered and has returned them to dwell in their own land, Israel, which He gave to His servant Jacob.
And the glorious day is coming when G-D’S chosen people, the Jews, will dwell safely in Israel, build houses, plant vineyards, and dwell securely when G-D executes judgments on all those nations around them who despise them.
Even so, come Yeshua!
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