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."
