theAnointing

      This week's Sabbath reading portion is titled B'Shallach, which means "when he (referring to Pharaoh) let go". The phrase comes from the first verse of the reading portion of this Sabbath, Ex. 13:17: "Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, 'Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt." In written Hebrew, it is aleph-tav (Alpha and Omega in Greek, referring to Jesus in Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6 and Rev. 22:13) the people. By that, these people are identified as belonging to the prophesied Messiah. Aleph-Tav, the first and the last letters of the Hebrew alphabet, also means "God of the Cross/Mark/Covenant". The Messiah/Christ is prophesied throughout the Torah scriptures, from the very beginning of scripture, in Genesis, to the last Book of the Torah, Malachi.

     Looking further at the aleph-tav people, who are the Israelites, the Hebrew word for "people" is am, and is written with the Hebrew letters hey, ayin, mem. Each of these Hebrew letters have an individual meaning that, when combined together, can mean "Behold the appearance/experience of the fountain of (massive) water". Jesus described this experience in Him: "On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, 'If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart/belly (koilia - whole belly, entire cavity, womb: the place that conceives and nurtures life, man's innermost part: the soul, the heart) will flow rivers of living water.' But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive..." (Jn. 7:37-39, see also Isa. 12:2-3, Isa. 44:1-4, Isa. 55:1, Zech. 12:10, 13:1). 

     As Jesus referenced "the belly" above, we see it again in our next verse from Exodus: "So God led (aleph-tav) the people around by way of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt." (Ex. 13:18). The Hebrew word for "orderly ranks" is hamas/homes, and means "in battle array, armed men, arranged by fives/belly, abdomen, area of the fifth ribs". The former slaves were not armed with physical weapons at this point, or trained in war, but they represented the living spiritual power or weapon that would flow out of the bellies of the believers in Christ, and in their wombs they carried Messiah/Christ to be born at the appointed time. These were aleph-tav the people.

     So, Pharaoh let aleph-tav the people go, whom he would later try (and horribly fail) with his whole army of six hundred chariots and many foot soldiers, to re-capture. Egypt, including Pharaoh's house had just gone through the terrible plague from the LORD of the death of the first born of Egypt. Why was he so determined to risk annihilation by the hand of the God of Israel in order to chase after and re-capture these aleph-tav people? One reason is because God hardened Pharaoh's heart to do so, as the LORD told Moses beforehand (Ex. 14:1-9). God would glorify Himself before all of His aleph-tav people, as well as before the Egyptians, with His victory over this very stubborn, rebellious, and most powerful earthly king. 

     Spiritually speaking, the spirits of darkness, represented by the gods of Egypt which the ancient Egyptians served, would have been determined to destroy "the bellies", and the fruit of those bellies, of the LORD's aleph-tav people, as Pharaoh also tried to do earlier by killing newborn Hebrew male babies, in order to prevent the Deliverer King of all people from coming forth.

     History may be able to shed light on another reason, which the scriptures verify, that Pharaoh had great fear of these aleph-tav Hebrews (see Ex. 1:8-12). Ancient writers of Egyptian history reveal that Egypt was, for a period of time, ruled by foreign Pharaohs. These foreigners who ruled Middle and Lower Egypt were called the Hyksos. Only Upper Egypt was ruled by an Egyptian Pharaoh at the time. This time of foreign Pharaohs is known as Egypt's Second Intermediate Period, which lasted for about a century from circa 1670 to 1550 B.C.E. According to the historians, these Hyksos foreigners were a Semite population that had migrated from Canaan into the northern Egyptian Delta, which included the land of Goshen, to become a powerful ruling class that, over a slow process, began to rule as Pharaohs. The Hyksos, or "Shepherd Kings" were a unique people known for their shepherding and multicolored garments. We will hear more about "multicolored garments" later in our Sabbath reading. The Jewish historian, Josephus, recorded that these Hyksos people ruling at that time in Egypt were Jews! Other ancient historians were not willing to go that far but did admit that these Hyksos people had emigrated to Egypt from Canaan. This ties into the account in scripture of Joseph's and Jacob's travel to Egypt from Canaan in Genesis, and Exodus Ch. 1. Eventually, the foreign Hyksos people lost their ruling position in Egypt, and a new Egyptian Pharaoh (Ex. 1:8) was able to establish rule over all of Egypt. This period was called The New Kingdom. This being the case, we can understand why a new Egyptian Pharaoh, having obtained rulership, might fear this very numerous foreign former ruling class still living within his borders, and seek absolute power over them. He did not want these foreign "Shepherd Kings" with their colorful garments to ever be able to rise up in his territory again.

     Now about those very colorful garments that distinguished these Hyksos foreigners: We would soon learn that the Israelites had knowledge of vibrant fabric and thread dyes, because these very bright dyes would be used in the materials of the tabernacle that would soon be built in the wilderness under the supervision of Moses. The Israelites' knowledge of making these original dyes has been lost for many centuries, but has recently been rediscovered and the dyes are now being made and used again, especially in sacred garments. We will see later that these colorful garments would be a coveted and identifiable mark of the Israelites.

     From another reading portion from this week's Sabbath B'shallach, or "when he let go", generations later, under the period of the Judges, the Israelites, now long settled in the Promised Land as promised by the LORD, would fall under the oppression of their enemies when they turned away from the worship of the LORD, and turned instead to the idols and false gods of the land. A judge would be raised up by the LORD to deliver the aleph-tav people from oppression, and restore them to the worship of and obedience to God. One such judge was a prophetess named Deborah. The enemy king of Canaan, Jabin ("whom God observes, considers, discerns, distinguishes") of Hazor (haser/hasar - castle, tower, enclosure, court/ sound a trumpet, blow a trumpet), had an army of nine hundred iron chariots led by his general Sisera (meaning "battle array", "field of battle"), and had harshly oppressed the children of Israel for twenty years. The LORD had sold (makar - to sell, surrender, be given over to death, to betroth a daughter) the Israelites into his hands because of the evil (ra/ra'a - evil, wickedness, distress, injury, giving pain unhappiness and misery, unkind, malignant/do an injury, hurt, break in pieces, afflict) the Israelites had done in the sight of the LORD. The evil of God's people brought the evil back upon them. The long, harsh oppression of the conquering enemy had caused the Israelites to cry out to the LORD.

     A man named Barak (lightning, glittering, bright, flashing arrowhead, glittering sword, cast forth, send lightning used of God, to thunder) of KedeshNaphtali (holy sanctuary/ to wrestle, struggle, to twine) had been appointed by God to lead the Israelite armies against the enemy general Sisera, but he had not done so. Deborah called him before her and said: "Has not the LORD God of Israel commanded, 'Go and deploy troops at Mount Tabor (tebar/sabar - to break in pieces, fragile/break, destroy, hurt, crushed, rend violently, give birth)...and against you I will deploy Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army...and I will deliver him into your hand?" (Judges 4:6-7). Barak said that he would go but only if the prophetess went with him, which she agreed to do. Deborah told him, though, that because of this, he would get no glory from the victory, but the LORD would "sell" (see above) Sisera into the hands of a woman (v. 8-9). The enemy army was destroyed, but the general, Sisera, escaped to eventually hide in the tent of a Kenite family, where the wife killed the general with a workman's hammer and a tent peg. Sisera thought the Kenites would be an ally, but this Kenite family had severed themselves from the other Kenites. They were direct descendants of Moses' father-in-law, Jethro! They were not Israelites, but this family of Kenites was in covenant with the Israelites by marriage. This Kenite family was made up of Heber (heber/habar - a house in common, shared association/couple together, unite, join together, have fellowship with, to be marked with stripes or lines or blows), and his wife Jael (ya'al - to be good, profitable, to ascend on high, to rise above, set forward, stand on a summit, ascend a mountain, a noble prince, to excel). This family's tent (ohel/ahal - tent, tabernacle: the sacred tent of Jehovah, covering, home/shine) was pitched by (aleph-tav) Kedesh (meaning holy place, sanctuary). This family represented non-Israelites, severed from the idolatrous Canaanites, being joined by marriage to the Israelites, and with the One marked by stripes and blows, dwelling next to the Aleph-Tav holy place, and his wife who ascends to the heights. This sounds like the church to me. 

     We can tell from the Hebrew meanings of the key words used in the account in Judges that Deborah  was setting in place a spiritual battle as much as a physical battle. Barak's and Deborah's song of victory spells it out. They sing of how the people willingly offer themselves (nadab - to offer oneself freely, free-will offering, willingly, spontaneously) (Judg. 5:2, 9). Paul also wrote to the church: "I beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world (remember that Heber severed himself from the other Kenites), but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Rom. 12:1-2). This is a first step in spiritual warfare - the weapon of the holiness of an offering of oneself. Deborah commands herself to "Awake, awake...awake, awake (ur - awake, lift up, arise, raise, be triumphant, be awake and watchful), sing (dabar) a song!" and Barak to "Arise (qum - arise, establish, to be raised up, preserve alive, become powerful)...and lead thy captivity captive (of the Messiah/Christ Jesus: see Eph. 4:8-10) !". The spiritual warfare is done in the name of Jesus, who is the Resurrection and the Life. Deborah and Barak also sang: "They fought from the heavens; the stars (kokab - star, of Messiah, blazing, shining, prince) from their courses (mesilla/salal - highway, raised way, steps of a ladder/lift up, exalt, elevate, esteem highly, cast up a highway, make plain, raise up, make a level way, wave to and fro like boughs of willow and palm trees; also see also Lk. 3:4-6, Isa. 40:3-5, Mt. 21:6-9) fought against Sisera." (v. 20). Again, we have a direct connection to the Messiah/Christ in v. 20, above. Sisera's army was swept away by a torrent of water, "an ancient (qedumim/qadam - antiquity, a pristine hero/anticipate, hasten, meet, go before) torrent" (v. 21), reminding us of the rivers of massive living waters that come out of the belly of believers in Christ, who is the Water of Salvation. This Song is full of references to Jesus Christ. 

     Remember the colorful garments of the Hyksos foreign rulers of  Egypt, and their possible connection to the Jewish people? In the Song of Deborah and Barak, the mother of the dead general Sisera was wondering why he has not yet returned. This was the mother's conclusion: "Her wisest ladies answered her, 'Yes', she answered herself, 'Are they not finding and dividing the spoil: to every man a girl (raham - womb, bowels, damsel, mercy, compassion, grace, favor) or two; For Sisera, plunder of dyed garments, plunder of garments embroidered and dyed, two pieces of dyed embroidery for the neck of the looter?" (v. 28-30). Sisera's mother thought that the great prize that would go to the general was the embroidered, dyed garments of the Israelites. It seems a strange battle prize for the general unless these garments were very highly prized or had great significance. What was it about the multicolored garments of God's people that made them so valuable?

     Psalm 45, which my Bible subtitles, "The Glories of the Messiah and His Bride" (this is an interpretation on the part of the scholars who published this version of the Bible), "the royal daughter" is among the daughters of kings who have come to the palace of the anointed King in order to serve among the King's honorable women. This King of this Psalm is described as having lips of grace, with glory, and majesty, with truth, humility and righteousness, anointed (masah - to anoint with oil, to smear, to lay colors on any thing, anoint in inauguration and consecration, consecrate as King) by God more than any other. We get the word "Messiah" or "Christ" in Greek from the understanding in the Hebrew of His anointing by God.  In this Psalm, at the King's right hand stands the queen, His wife was dressed in gold from Ophir (unknown location meaning "reducing to ashes" that was known as a place from which fine gold, precious stones, sandal wood, silver, and ivory could be imported). The entering royal daughter is "all glorious within the palace; Her clothing is woven with gold. She shall be brought to the King in robes of many colors or in raiment of needlework (riqma - see above); The virgins, her companions who follow her, "shall be brought to You. With gladness and rejoicing they shall be brought; They shall enter the King's palace." (v. 13-14).  We can see here that the idea of many colors and embroidered colors is part of the meaning of the Hebrew word "anointed" (see above). No wonder the enemy general, Sisera, coveted the multicolored garments of the Israelites, and no wonder Pharaoh despised letting them go! However, these special garments are not for the enemies of God to possess.

     The Book of Revelation tells us that for her marriage to the Lamb/Messiah/Jesus Christ it has been granted for His wife to be clothed in "fine (white) linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints." (Rev. 19:6-8). Verse 9 continues to say, "...Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!".  Here, the wife of the Messiah is to be dressed in clean, fine (white) linen, but the wife of the King in Psalm 45 is dressed in gold. If Psalm 45 is indeed about the glory of the Messiah and His Bride, why is she wearing "gold from Ophir" in the Psalm instead of white? When we look at the Hebrew root word for "gold", it is katam, meaning "marked, defiled, deeply stained, soiled, stained, filthy". That's a surprise! However, the main or key Hebrew word translated as "gold" is ketem, which means "fine gold, pure gold, precious, gold ore: pure as originally mined, that which is hidden away in treasuries". We can see by the use of the Hebrew words for gold, that something which was defiled, soiled, and filthy, has become pure, fine, and precious. What once was hidden away because of its filth, is now hidden away because it is of the greatest value. This golden garment of the wife represents the salvation and cleansing from all unrighteousness found in the Messiah/Christ Jesus. In Revelation, Jesus tells one of His churches: "I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire...and white (leukos/luke - light, bright, brilliant, dazzling white/light) garments, that you may be clothed..." (Rev. 3:18, see also Dan. 12:9-10, Mal. 3:2-3).

     The song of Deborah and Barak in Judges 5 ends saying: "Thus let all your enemies perish, LORD! But let those who love Him be like the sun (semes - sun, sun-rising, to be brilliant, a ray or beam of light) when it comes out in full strength." (Judges 5:31, see also Dan. 12:2-3).

     If you would like to learn more about the anointing of the Messiah, and the purification of His Bride, we can pray: "Heavenly Father, You have called Your aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega people to walk in and rejoice in the Anointed One, Your Messiah, Jesus Christ, who purifies us from all uncleanness and sin, and has called us as His Bride, to shine in dazzling light, and to walk in His anointing. Rivers of massive living waters are to flow from our bellies, our innermost being, which is the Holy Spirit in us through Christ. Work in my life, Lord Jesus, through Your Word and Spirit, so that I my life will reflect the glory of the purity and anointing of my Messiah and Savior. I ask this in Your great name, JESUS. AMEN."

Remember

The sabbath readings continue in the Book of Exodus, and as we have found out, the word exodus is a Greek-Latin word meaning "the way or road out of". In the Book of Exodus, the LORD miraculously leads His people in the way out of the bondage of Egypt. We will see another element of exodus, valid both then and now, in this week's reading. The title of this sabbath's reading portion is B'shallach, which means "when he let go", and refers to Pharaoh having finally agreed to allow the Israelites to leave Egypt. The Torah portion of this sabbath's reading covers Exodus chapters 13 through 16. Egypt had just been through the terrible tenth plague, the death of the firstborn (Ex. 12:29-32). Israel had been spared from this plague by the blood of an unblemished lamb applied to their doorposts and lintels, which is called the LORD's Passover (Ex. 12:21-27). Not only did Passover involve the blood of the lamb, and its complete consumption, but it also included the eating of unleavened bread. This also became an appointed Feast of the LORD to be told to, and remembered by, all future generations (Ex. 12:15-17). The Feast of Unleavened Bread is to last seven days. The unleavened bread was to be a sign before Israel's eyes always, even taking a prominent position in the Holy Place of the tabernacle, and in the two temples that would come later. The phrase "unleavened bread" in Hebrew is the word massa/masas, meaning "without leaven, something greedily devoured for sweetness, sweetness (not soured or bittered with yeast), specially sweet, to draw out or suck out with pleasure as one would with a sweet like milk, sweet and pleasant to the taste". There is a scripture that says: "The Angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them. Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who fears in Him!" (Ps. 34:7-8). We are to know the sweet, good taste of the LORD. What is the nature of this sweetness found in the bread of Passover? Jesus solved the mystery of the unleavened bread as He observed the Passover meal with His disciples before His death. He took the unleavened bread of the Passover "...gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, 'This is My body which is given/broken for you; do this in remembrance (anamnesis/anamimnesko - remembrance, recollection, call to mind, admonish, weigh well and consider, put in mind) of Me." (Lk. 22:19, 1 Cor. 11:24). As the LORD led the Israelites out to the border of Egypt by a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night (Ex. 13:21), there was no mistaking His presence with them. It may surprise us to find out that the LORD purposefully led His people into a "dead end". They ended up positioned within three fortified cities of Egypt: Pi Hahiroth ("the mouth of caverns"), Migdol ("fortified tower"), Ba'al Zephon ((sacred to the lord destroyer"), and the Sea (roar") before them, making four obstacles. The LORD did this in order to cause Pharaoh to believe that the Israelites were trapped because of their unfamiliarity with the wilderness territory, and consequently chase after the "helplessly" trapped Israelites. The LORD said to Moses to tell the children of Israel: "For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, 'They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.' I will harden Pharaoh's heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did so." (Ex. 14:1-4). Though there appeared to be four immovable obstacles around and ahead of the Israelites, the LORD previously repeated four times that they were to remember and pass to their children the knowledge that He had delivered them out of bondage by His "strong hand" and "strength of hand" (Ex. 13:3, 9, 14, 16), even telling them regarding this knowledge: "It shall be as a sign on your hand, and as frontlets between your eyes..." (v. 16). As the Egyptian army advanced to the location of the Israelites, who were facing the Sea, the Israelites began to panic (they had forgotten to remember already!) and God commanded: "...Tell the children of Israel to go forward (v. 15)." Go forward?! Into the Sea?! However, as we know, the LORD instructed Moses about how he was to divide the waters of the Sea (Ex. 14:16, 21-22). As the Israelites crossed the dry land of the sea bed after the waters were divided, the Egyptians who chased them did not make it across before the waters closed over them. The LORD had caused their chariot wheels to fall off in the middle of the crossing. The stuck Egyptian army drowned in the returning waters (Ex. 14:24-29). The same "way or road out of" bondage for the Israelites through the roaring Sea, became the road or way into death for their oppressors as they tried to follow. The Israelites saw miracle upon miracle as the LORD delivered them out of the bondage of the Egyptians. As they crossed to the other side of the Sea, Moses and the Israelites sang a song of praise, but also a song meant for remembrance. Several parts of the song will appear many generations later in the Psalms and the Prophets, and into the New Testament. This is one example: "The LORD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; He is my God and I will praise Him; my father's God and I will exalt Him." (Ex. 15:2, Isa. 12:2, 25:1). However, the song of Moses did not just celebrate an accomplished miracle of God, but it also contained prophetic events. The defeat of Canaanite nations, which the Israelites had not yet encountered, were included (v. 14-16). The knowledge that the LORD was not only leading them to a land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but to a holy habitation in God: "You in Your mercy have led forth the people whom You have redeemed; You have guided them in Your strength to Your holy habitation...You will bring them in and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which You have made for Your own dwelling, the sanctuary, O LORD, which Your hands have established. The LORD shall reign forever and ever." (v. 13, 17-18). Not only could this be referring to the tabernacle and temples yet to be built, but this moreso refers to a dwelling and sanctuary of God, built, not with human hands, but with God's own hands. We see this revelation taught in the New Testament also (Acts 7:48-50, Acts 17:24-25, 2 Cor. 5:1-3, Heb. 11:9-10). Remembering the mighty works of the LORD is not only about the past, but carries within it the proclamation of the future, and eternity. Sometimes our understanding limits this power and importance of "remembering". Our exodus today is empowered in part by our remembrance of the exodus from the past. We have another example of an exodus from this week's sabbath reading, and the important part that remembering played in it. From Judges 4 and 5, Israel is delivered from their enemy's oppression by King Jabin of Canaan and his general, Sisera (meaning "battle array, a field of battle"). This enemy had been allowed to overcome Israel in the first place because Israel "had done evil in the sight of the LORD" (Judges 4:1-3). The prophetess/judge Deborah later described that "evil": "They chose new gods; then there was war in the gates; not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel." (Judges 5:8). They had forgotten their God, and these new gods had so deceived them with a false sense of security that they had dis-armed themselves. The deliverance of the LORD would come through two women this time. The first woman, as mentioned above, was the prophetess and judge, Deborah. She is strangely described in scripture. She sat under the palm tree (tomer - palm tree, post, column) of Deborah in Ephraim, meaning doubly fruitful from the root word Ephrath which is another word for Bethlehem. Deborah was the wife (issa - wife, woman, married) of Lapidoth, whose name means "torches, lamp, to shine, flame". As written in the Hebrew, the word for wife or woman, issa, is repeated twice in this verse as "issa Deborah issa Lapidoth". In her song of victory, Deborah describes her calling this way: "Village life had ceased in Israel, until I Deborah, arose, arose a mother in Israel." (Judges 5:7). Again, in Hebrew but also in English, a word is repeated: arose (qum - raise up, be raised up, establish, confirm, be proven, set, fixed, again). In the Hebrew it is "qum Deborah qum". Deborah, because of the special use of Hebrew words concerning her, sounds to me like a New Testament kind of prophet and judge who had been set in the time of the judges for the purpose of deliverance. In another verse of her song (Judges 5:9), Deborah said that her heart (leb/lebab/labab - heart, mind, understanding, soul, seat of emotions, passions and courage, knowledge, reflection, memory) is with the haqaq (cut, cut into, strike with a sword, stamp violently, encounter violently, to beat, engrave letters, carve out a sepulchre, law giver, leader, sceptre), who offered (themselves) willingly ((nadab - freely, willingly offer, given willingly). Again, from the meanings of these words, Jesus, beaten violently, cut with whips, who willingly gave His life, comes to mind as the place where Deborah has placed her heart (see Jn. 10:11, 17-18). Her husband was a "Lamp", and she sat under a tree (column), which reminds me of the cross. Deborah said that she was raised up to be a "mother" in Israel" in the verse above. Mother is the Hebrew word em, which means mother, but also means "point of departure or division, "mother of the way", a parting of the road, a great and leading city". Being a "point of departure", a "mother of the way", she established a road for a different kind of exodus from oppression. In her song, Deborah orders all judges in Israel: "Speak...you who sit in judge's attire, and who walk along the road...among the watering places, there they shall recount/rehearse (tana - tell agsin, celebrate, commemorate [officially remember and give respect], distribute gifts) the righteous acts of the LORD..." (Judges 5:10-11). The judges were to bring to remembrance to Israel all of the righteous acts of the LORD on behalf of His people. As well as remembering the events of that battle, Deborah concludes her song prophetically: "Thus let all Your enemies perish, O LORD! But let those who love Him be like the sun when it comes out in full strength." (v. 31). Jesus also said this many generations later: "Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear!" (Mt. 13:43). This week's sabbath reading concludes with Psalm 78. In it the psalmist repeatedly states the necessity of remembering the works of the LORD: "...our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done...That they should make them known to their children...that they may set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments." (v. 4-7). Sadly, the Psalm continues by speaking of those who saw these wonderful works that we have read about above, but "forgot His works and His wonders that He had shown them...They did not remember His power: The day when He redeemed them from the enemy..." (v. 11-42). We do not want to be a people who forgets; a people who have experienced the wonderful works of the LORD, but then are turned away by new cares, fears, desires, and events, and forgetting an essential part ot the exodus then and now - to remember. If you would like to learn more about our own way or road of exodus in the LORD, you can join me in my prayer: "Heavenly Father, I remember how You delivered Your people out of bondage and the oppression of enemies by the work of Your strong hand. I will recount and rehearse these paths of deliverance again and again, so that when trying circumstances arise in my life that are meant to tempt me to forget, I will instead be prepared, believing, and following the way and the road out of the house of bondage. I will prepare my children in the same manner, telling them about the miracles of deliverance that you have done. I remember Your Son, who was and is our deliverance. I remember the Holy Spirit, who has been my pillar of cloud by day, and my pillar of fire by night. I remember and praise You in the name of Jesus. AMEN." **There is a free ebook now available that was written by a well-respected author on the subject of the fascinating Shroud of Turin titled: "The Shroud of Turin- A Perfect Summary". You can get this free ebook by going to www.The ShroudofTurin.org/freebook.**