Parashah 16: B'shallach (After he had let go)
Exodus 13:17 through 17:16

Parashah 16: B'shallach (After he had let go), Exodus 13:17 through 17:16

Haftarah (Writings and Prophets): Judges 4:4 through 5:1-31.

B'rit Hadasha (New Testament): Luke 2:22-24; John 6:25-35, 19:31-37; 1 Cor. 10:1-13; 2 Cor. 8:1-15; Revelation 15:1-4.

Tanach Scriptures are from Stern's Complete Jewish Bible; B'rit Chadash Scriptures from the Aramaic English New Testament.

Welcome "newbies" and "oldies!" As you all know, Torah was written by Moshe (Moses) and consists of the first five Books of the Bible which contain God's original Divine Instructions in Righteousness. Since this is a Netzarim (Nazarene/Messianic) website, we refer to God by His proper Name: Yud-Hey-Vav-Hey, transliterated into English as YHWH, and most likely pronounced "Yah-way" (see Exodus 3:13-15). His Son's Name is Y'shua (most likely pronounced "Ye-shoo-ah"). Enjoy this week's Torah portion!

Before we start, here's just a little reminder that YHWH is very adamant about His Torah, as we saw in Exodus 13:9 in our last parashah ...and the "written Torah" hadn't even been given yet - which totally negates the claim of those who insist there was no Torah before it was written down!

It is imperative to remember that Torah (Divine Instruction in Righteousness) commands have been around since the beginning, in the Garden of Eden when YHWH commanded Adam not to eat the "fruit" of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil....

Exodus 13: 9 "Moreover, it will serve you as a sign on your hand and as a reminder between your eyes, so that ADONAI's Torah may be on your lips; because with a strong hand ADONAI brought you out of Egypt.

Note, in Exodus 13:17-18, we see YHWH taking His people around the land of P'lishtim to protect them from the wars there, even though it was a more direct route to Canaan!

Exodus 13: 17 After Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not guide them to the highway that goes through the land of the P'lishtim, because it was close by -God thought that the people, upon seeing war, might change their minds and return to Egypt. 18 Rather, God led the people by a roundabout route, through the desert by the Sea of Suf. The people of Isra'el went up from the land of Egypt fully armed. 19 Moshe took the bones of Yosef with him, for Yosef had made the people of Isra'el swear an oath when he said, "God will certainly remember you; and you are to carry my bones up with you, away from here."

Notice in Exodus 13:19 Moshe carried the bones of Yosef with him fulfilling Genesis 50:25-26!

So....Not counting the "mixed crowd/multitude" (Exodus 12:38) who chose to follow Moshe and his people, approximately two million Israelis - if you count one wife and one child for each man - were brought out of Egypt! How do we know this? Last week's parashah in Exodus 12:37-38 told us the following, which was right after the last Plague, which was the killing of the firstborn:

Exodus 12: 37 And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children. 38 And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle. 39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual.

40 Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. 41 And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. 42 It is a night to be much observed unto the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the LORD to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations. (JPS)

By the way, there are certain religious types who like to use certain scriptures - such as the ones we studied in this parashah - to show that "the Jews" were an unruly, rebellious people who refused to obey God, and that is why He supposedly turned His back on "the Jews" and scattered them into the nations and made "the church" His "chosen." These people tend to forget that:

(1) ALL humans are rebellious to a certain degree; the entire Bible shows proof of that.

(2) "The Jews" (called Israelites or Hebrews back then, as there were no "Jews" before Jacob had one of his 12 sons whom he named Judah where the term "Jew" originated) were the ONLY people on earth at the time who were following YHWH (and He ultimately scattered them into the nations, which enabled the nations to also hear of Him and His Torah);

(3) Moshe brought out of Egypt not just the Hebrews, but also a "mixed crowd/multitude" that included the Egyptians (Exodus 12:38) who chose to accept YHWH as their God.

Be that as it may, this particular parashah revealed how hard YHWH kept trying to get mankind to understand that HE was God...and how, over and over again, people kept on testing Him - even after they had witnessed the Ten Plagues sent against Egypt; even after they saw how YHWH used Moshe to lead them out of Egypt via supernatural means; even after He caused the sea to part so that they could escape Pharaoh on "dry land"; even after they saw how He fed them supernaturally and gave them quails to eat after they complained about having no meat (Exodus 16)....

And this one should give everyone goosebumps: Jumping ahead to the last Book of the Torah (Deuteronomy) Moses, after he wrote the Torah, prophesied that YHWH's people would become corrupt and turn aside from YHWH's commands to the point where disaster would befall them in the acharit-hayamim (latter days):

Deuteronomy 31: 24 Moshe kept writing the words of this Torah in a book until he was done. When he had finished, 25 Moshe gave these orders to the L'vi'im who carried the ark with the covenant of ADONAI: 26 "Take this book of the Torah and put it next to the ark with the covenant of ADONAI your God, so that it can be there to witness against you. 27 For I know how rebellious and stiffnecked you are! Here, even while I am still alive with you today, you have rebelled against ADONAI; so how much more will you do so after my death?

28 Assemble for me all the leaders of your tribes and your officials, so that I can say these things in their hearing, calling heaven and earth to witness against them - 29 because I know that after my death you will become very corrupt and turn aside from the way that I have ordered you, and that disaster will come upon you in the acharit-hayamim, because you will do what ADONAI sees as evil and provoke him by your deeds."

Part of YHWH's grand plan was obviously to show the mighty Pharaoh WHO the real God was!

In Exodus 13: 21-22 we saw the manifestation of YHWH's presence guiding the children of Yisra'el as a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire by night - the pillar is a symbol of strength, the cloud and fire is symbolic of Divine covering and guidance!

Moving on to Exodus 14:1-4, YHWH directed the children of Yisra'el to camp by the Red Sea - this was a deliberate move to trick and defeat Pharaoh who thought they were "lost" in the wilderness!

Exodus 14: 4 I will make Pharaoh so hardhearted that he will pursue them; thus I will win glory for myself at the expense of Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will realize at last that I am YHWH."

In Exodus 14:10-11 we see the children of Yisra'el afraid and not trusting in YHWH - but in verse 13 Moshe encourages them to "stand still, and see the salvation of YHWH" The word salvation is Y'shua! In verse 14 Moshe tells them to stand still, remain silent because YHWH will fight for them....And we see YHWH constantly trying to reveal who HE is!

Exodus 14: 18 Then the Egyptians will realize that I am YHWH, when I have won myself glory at the expense of Pharaoh, his chariots and his cavalry."

In Exodus 14:19 we see the angel of Elohim - this is clearly Y'shua protecting them from the Egyptians, also showing that YHWH is controlling the elements. (We suggest this was Y'shua, because Scripture tells us no one can look upon YHWH (the Father) and live - Exodus 33:20.) Note also that the crossing of the Red Sea was no small feat:

Exodus 14: 19 Next, the angel of God (could have been Yeshua - ref Ex. 15:6 and 12 and Isaiah 53:1), who was going ahead of the camp of Isra'el, moved away and went behind them; and the column of cloud moved away from in front of them and stood behind them. 20 It stationed itself between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Isra'el - there was cloud and darkness here, but light by night there; so that the one did not come near the other all night long. 21 Moshe reached his hand out over the sea, and ADONAI caused the sea to go back before a strong east wind all night. He made the sea become dry land, and its water was divided in two. 22 Then the people of Isra'el went into the sea on the dry ground, with the water walled up for them on their right and on their left.

Note in verse 21 above we see Moshe stretched out his hand over the sea....the Red Sea, or Sea of Reeds, is narrow and stretches 1300 miles from Suez to the Gulf of Aden, and has depths reaching up to 9,500 feet!

23 The Egyptians continued their pursuit, going after them into the sea - all Pharaoh's horses, chariots and cavalry. 24 Just before dawn, ADONAI looked out on the Egyptian army through the column of fire and cloud and threw them into a panic. 25 He caused the wheels of their chariots to break off, so that they could move only with difficulty. The Egyptians said, "ADONAI is fighting for Isra'el against the Egyptians! Let's get away from them!" 26 ADONAI said to Moshe, "Reach your hand out over the sea, and the water will return and cover the Egyptians with their chariots and cavalry."

Notice in Exodus 14:25 YHWH took the wheels of the chariots off - those chariots were extremely heavy and became bogged down by their sheer weight. The Egyptians became afraid when the saw YHWH was fighting for the children of Yisra'el!

27 Moshe reached his hand out over the sea, and by dawn the sea had returned to its former depth. The Egyptians tried to flee, but ADONAI swept them into the sea. 28 The water came back and covered all the chariots and cavalry of Pharaoh's army who had followed them into the sea -not even one of them was left. 29 But the people of Isra'el walked on dry ground in the sea, with the water walled up for them on their right and on their left. 30 On that day, ADONAI saved Isra'el from the Egyptians; Isra'el saw the Egyptians dead on the shore. 31 When Isra'el saw the mighty deed that ADONAI had performed against the Egyptians, the people feared ADONAI, and they believed in ADONAI and in his servant Moshe.

Please read Exodus 15 (making sure to note the Messianic symbology) which shows the Israelites rejoicing and praising YHWH. Check this out - In Exodus 15 we see the following comments:

6 Your right hand, ADONAI, is sublimely powerful; your right hand, ADONAI, shatters the foe.

12 You reached out with your right hand: the earth swallowed them. 13 In your love, you led the people you redeemed; in your strength, you guided them to your holy abode.

16 Terror and dread fall on them; by the might of your arm they are still as stone until your people pass over, ADONAI, till the people you purchased pass over.

Notice some key words in the above: "Your right hand"...Who sits at YHWH right hand? Y'shua (Colossians 3:1)! "Redeemed." How did YHWH redeem His people ultimately? With the Blood of His Divine Messiah - Halleluyah! "By the might of your arm..." Isaiah 53:1 tells us Y'shua is the ARM of YHWH.....

In Exodus 15:15 we see mention of the chiefs of Edom. Edom means "red earth"...The Edomites were descendants of Esau and Ishmael - wild donkeys of men always at odds with their brethren.

By the way: For those who insist women cannot be used by God, we invite you to read Exodus 15:20 which talks about Miryam the prophetess leading the women in dance and worship. (See also Judges 4!)

The praise didn't last very long, because a month and a half after their escape from Egypt, in Exodus 15:24 and 16:2-3 we begin to see the Hebrews whining about their situation. But notice that YHWH hears and fixes their problems and then does what? He gives them "rules of life" (Torah) to follow!

Exodus 15: 25 ... There YHWH made laws and rules of life for them, and there he tested them. 26 He said, "If you will listen intently to the voice of ADONAI your God, do what he considers right, pay attention to his mitzvot and observe his laws, I will not afflict you with any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians; because I am ADONAI your healer."

Further study of Exodus 15:22-25 reveals some very interesting things. For instance, the wood Moshe threw into the waters of Marah....Marah means bitterness; maror is also used in the Passover Seder to cause us to remember the bitter years the children of Yisra'el suffered at the Egyptian hands. The wood Moshe used could have been the Moringa oleifera, or commonly called today as the golden shower tree (Cassia fistulosa).

Google it and you'll see, this is one of the most useful trees being cultivated heavily for use in the Sudan today. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations said that village women had successfully used the tree Moringa oleifera to cleanse the highly turbid water of the River Nile. After trying other moringa species in Egypt, Namibia, Somalia, and Kenya, they too have shown properties that clarify water quickly. When moringa seeds are crushed and poured into a pot or bottle of dirty water, the water turns transparent within seconds. The seeds' anti-bacterial properties can turn low, medium, and high turbidity waters into tap-water quality in an hour or two.

In Exodus 16:4 we see the word "Torah" used for the second time in recent memory; remember, the last time we saw it in Exodus 13:9, and before that, in Genesis 26:5. (Torah with a capital "T" refers to YHWH's Divine Instructions; while the Hebrew word "torah" simply means "instruction."

Beginning in Exodus 16:4 onward, in response to the Israelite grumbling, we see YHWH provide the supernatural "manna" and quails.

Exodus 16: 4 ADONAI said to Moshe, "Here, I will cause bread to rain down from heaven for you. The people are to go out and gather a day's ration every day. By this I will test whether they will observe my Torah or not. 5 On the sixth day, when they prepare what they have brought in, it will turn out to be twice as much as they gather on the other days." 6 Moshe and Aharon said to all the people of Isra'el, "This evening, you will realize that it has been ADONAI who brought you out of Egypt; 7 and in the morning, you will see ADONAI's glory. For he has listened to your grumblings against ADONAI - what are we that you should grumble against us?" 8 Moshe added, "What I have said will happen when ADONAI gives you meat to eat this evening and your fill of bread tomorrow morning. ADONAI has listened to your complaints and grumblings against him - what are we? Your grumblings are not against us but against ADONAI."

9 Moshe said to Aharon, "Say to the whole community of Isra'el, 'Come close, into the presence of ADONAI, for he has heard your grumblings.'" 10 As Aharon spoke to the whole community of the people of Isra'el, they looked toward the desert; and there before them the glory of ADONAI appeared in the cloud; 11 and ADONAI said to Moshe, 12 "I have heard the grumblings of the people of Isra'el. Say to them: 'At dusk you will be eating meat, and in the morning you will have your fill of bread. Then you will realize that I am ADONAI your God.'" 13 That evening, quails came up and covered the camp; while in the morning there was a layer of dew all around the camp.

On one hand Israel praised YHWH (as we saw in Exodus 15), and on the other, they whined and complained and even questioned, "Is YHWH with us or not?" (Exodus 17:7). They had just witnessed Him putting Ten Plagues on Egypt and part the sea and feed them manna supernaturally! At that point, one wonders why YHWH didn't zap the entire earth into oblivion....But, isn't it human nature to complain? We are ALWAYS complaining about something! Despite the people's grumblings, YHWH continuously reached out to show them He WAS there and He WAS listening....

As a side note, for those who have ever wondered where we get the term "manna" - in Stern's Complete Jewish Bible the answer lies in Exodus 16:14-15 ("Manna" in Aramaic means, "What is it?"):

Exodus 16: 14 When the dew had evaporated, there on the surface of the desert was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. 15 When the people of Isra'el saw it, they asked each other, "Man hu? [What is it?]" because they didn't know what it was. Moshe answered them, "It is the bread which YHWH has given you to eat.

We are then told in Exodus 16:33 the Children of YHWH were to keep the manna in a jar with the Testimony. Testimony? What Testimony? This must have referred to a future event because, remember, Moshe is writing all this at the END of the 40 years, so these verses in Exodus 16:34-35 are talking about things that would be yet to come: "33 Moshe said to Aharon, "Take a jar, put in it two quarts of man, and set it aside before ADONAI to be kept through all your generations." 34 Just as ADONAI ordered Moshe, Aharon set it aside before the testimony to be kept. 35 The people of Isra'el ate man for forty years, until they came to an inhabited land. They ate man until they arrived at the borders of the land of Kena'an." The Testimony has not yet been given to them, and they have not yet been in the desert for 40 years. In fact at this point in Exodus, the people don't even know they will be in the desert that long!

Back to today's parashah where we see an excellent example to use against those who believe in the ludicrous lunar Shabbat idea. (They believe the Shabbat is according to the phases of the moon and can only fall on the days of the month numbered 8, 15, 22, and 29). The scripture below should serve as a wakeup call:

Exodus 16: 19 Moshe told them, "No one is to leave any of it till morning." 20 But they didn't pay attention to Moshe, and some kept the leftovers until morning. It bred worms and rotted, which made Moshe angry at them. 21 So they gathered it morning after morning, each person according to his appetite; but as the sun grew hot, it melted. 22 On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two 'omers per person; and all the community leaders came and reported to Moshe. 23 He told them, "This is what ADONAI has said: 'Tomorrow is a holy Shabbat for ADONAI. Bake what you want to bake; boil what you want to boil; and whatever is left over, set aside and keep for the morning.'"

24 They set it aside till morning, as Moshe had ordered; and it didn't rot or have worms. 25 Moshe said, "Today, eat that; because today is a Shabbat for ADONAI - today you won't find it in the field. 26 Gather it six days, but the seventh day is the Shabbat - on that day there won't be any." 27 However, on the seventh day, some of the people went out to gather and found none. 28 ADONAI said to Moshe, "How long will you refuse to observe my mitzvot and teachings? 29 Look, ADONAI has given you the Shabbat. This is why he is providing bread for two days on the sixth day. Each of you, stay where you are; no one is to leave his place on the seventh day." 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.

Notice that Moshe describes the Shabbat as the "seventh day" not the "8th day of the month" or the "15th, 22nd or 29th day of the month." The counting of the days to Shabbat is always seven consecutive days.

Notice also the emphasis on keeping the Sabbath holy? The Seventh Day has always been the commanded day of REST, a "set apart" (holy) day since the very beginning (see Genesis 2:1-3). But, people always seem to want to do whatever they wish, and some simply refused to obey the command to NOT gather manna (work) on Shabbat. It got to the point where YHWH commanded that His people couldn't even leave their homes because some had been venturing out to gather manna, even after He had commanded them not to.

In Exodus 16 we also learn that the Israelites had received WRITTEN testimony!

Exodus 16: 33 Moshe said to Aharon, "Take a jar, put in it two quarts of manna, and set it aside before ADONAI to be kept through all your generations." 34 Just as ADONAI ordered Moshe, Aharon set it aside before the testimony to be kept.

As mentioned above, many argue there was no Torah until it was all written down by Moses. In this passage we see that at least SOME of it must have been written down, or else how could they have "set jars before the testimony"?

Moving on to Chapter 17, we learn that the people kept grumbling and blaming Moshe for their plight, insisting they had it so much better in Egypt....But note the last scripture of today's Torah portion which shows that YHWH intends to fight the spirit of Amalek generation after generation - and He's still fighting it today!

Exodus 17: 8 Then 'Amalek came and fought with Isra'el at Refidim. 9 Moshe said to Y'hoshua, "Choose men for us, go out, and fight with 'Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with God's staff in my hand." 10 Y'hoshua did as Moshe had told him and fought with 'Amalek. Then Moshe, Aharon and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 When Moshe raised his hand, Isra'el prevailed; but when he let it down, 'Amalek prevailed.

12 However, Moshe's hands grew heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aharon and Hur held up his hands, the one on the one side and the other on the other; so that his hands stayed steady until sunset. 13 Thus Y'hoshua defeated 'Amalek, putting their people to the sword. 14 ADONAI said to Moshe, "Write this in a book to be remembered, and tell it to Y'hoshua: I will completely blot out any memory of 'Amalek from under heaven."

Note, in verse 8 we see the Amalek who came and fought the children of Yisra'el in Refidim...And we see Moshe appointing Yehoshua (Joshua) to lead a volunteer army. As they fight we see that Moshe raised his hands - and for those who know some Hebrew, we recognize that his uplifted arms represented a pole like a banner, and his raised hands also represent YHWH's initial, the Shin. Also it's like a banner that rallied the army to battle. After the Amalekites were defeated, Moshe built an altar and called it YHWH-Nissi, which means, "YHWH is my banner."

Haftarah portion:

Here's a tidbit for those who insist women cannot be teachers of the Word. The Prophetess Deborah is living proof that YHWH uses whomever He wishes:

Judges 4: 4 Now D'vorah, a woman and a prophet, the wife of Lapidot, was judging Isra'el at that time. 5 She used to sit under D'vorah's Palm between Ramah and Beit-El, in the hills of Efrayim; and the people of Isra'el would come to her for judgment. 6 She sent for Barak the son of Avino'am, from Kedesh in Naftali, and said to him: "ADONAI has given you this order: 'Go, march to Mount Tavor, and take with you 10,000 men from the people of Naftali and Z'vulun. 7 I will cause Sisra, the commander of Yavin's army, to encounter you at the Kishon River with his chariots and troops; and I will hand him over to you.'"

8 Barak answered her: "If you go with me, I'll go; but if you won't go with me, I won't go." 9 She replied, "Yes, I will gladly go with you; but the way you are doing it will bring you no glory; because ADONAI will hand Sisra over to a woman." Then D'vorah set out and went with Barak to Kedesh. 10 Barak summoned Z'vulun and Naftali to come to Kedesh. Ten thousand men followed him, and D'vorah went up with him. 11 Now Hever the Keini had cut himself off from the rest of Kayin, the descendants of Hovav Moshe's father-in-law; he had pitched his tent near the oak at Tza'ananim, which is close to Kedesh. 12 Sisra was informed that Barak the son of Avino'am had gone up to Mount Tavor. 13 So Sisra rallied his chariots, all 900 iron chariots, and all the troops he had with him, from Haroshet-HaGoyim to the Kishon River.

14 D'vorah said to Barak: "Get going! This is the day when ADONAI will hand Sisra over to you! ADONAI has gone out ahead of you!" So Barak went down from Mount Tavor with 10,000 men following him; 15 and ADONAI threw Sisra, all his chariots and his entire army into a panic before Barak's sword; so that Sisra got down from his chariot and fled on foot. 16 But Barak pursued the chariots and the army all the way to Haroshet-HaGoyim. Sisra's entire army was put to the sword; not one man was left. 17 However, Sisra ran on foot to the tent of Ya'el the wife of Hever the Keini, because there was peace between Yavin the king of Hatzor and the family of Hever the Keini. 18 Ya'el went out to meet Sisra and said to him, "Come in, my lord; stay here with me; and don't be afraid." So he went into her tent, and she covered him with a blanket.

19 He said to her, "Please give me a little water to drink - I'm thirsty." She opened a goatskin of milk, gave him some to drink, and covered him up again. 20 He said to her, "Stand at the entrance to the tent; and if anyone asks you if somebody is here, say, 'No.'" 21 But when he was deeply asleep, Ya'el the wife of Hever took a tent peg and a hammer in her hand, crept in to him quietly and drove the tent peg into his temple, right through to the ground; so that he died without waking up. 22 So here is Barak pursuing Sisra, and Ya'el steps out to meet him and says, "Come, I will show you the man you are looking for." He goes into her tent; and there is Sisra, lying dead with the tent peg through his temple. 23 Thus God on that day defeated Yavin the king of Kena'an in the presence of the people of Isra'el. 24 The hand of the people of Isra'el came down more and more heavily against Yavin the king of Kena'an, until they had completely destroyed Yavin the king of Kena'an.

B'rit Chadasha reading:

Take a look at this powerful passage in Revelation 15 which tells us that YHWH is NOT kidding around!

Revelation 15: 1. And I saw another sign in heaven, great and wonderful; seven Messengers having seven plagues, the last in order, because with them the wrath of Elohim is completed. 2. And I saw as it were, a sea of glass mixed with fire: and they, who had been innocent over the beast of prey and over its image, and over the number of its name, were standing on the sea of glass; and they had the harps of Elohim. 3. And they sing the song of Moshe the servant of Elohim, and the song of the Lamb, saying: Great and marvelous are your deeds, Master YHWH Elohim Almighty; just and true are your ways, O King of worlds. 4. Who will not Fear you, O Master YHWH, and glorify Your Name? Because You only are Set Apart and just: Because all nations will come and worship before you, since your righteousnesses have been revealed.

5. And after this I beheld, and the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened. 6. And the seven Messengers who had the seven plagues went forth from the temple, clothed in clean splendid linen, and girded about their breast with girdles of gold. 7. And one of the four Creatures gave to those seven Messengers seven cups of gold full of the wrath of Elohim who lives forever and ever. 8. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of Elohim and from his power; and no one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven Messengers were accomplished.

For those who believe "the law" was abolished at the cross and all one has to do is "believe in Jesus" here is a major eye opener:

2 John: 1. The Elder to Kuria the elect, and to her children: whom I love in the truth, and not I only, but all they who know the truth; 2. For the sake of the truth which abides in us and is with us forever. 3. May grace be with you and mercy and peace from Elohim the Father, and from our Master Y'shua the Mashiyach, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. 4. I have rejoiced greatly that I found (some) of your children who walked in the truth, as we have received Commandment from the Father. 5. And now I beg you, Kuria, (I write no new commandment to you but that which was with us from the beginning) that we should love one another. 6. And this is love, that we walk according to the Commandment. This is the Commandment, as you have heard from the beginning, that we should walk in it.

7. Because many seducers have gone forth into the world who do not confess that Y'shua the Mashiyach has come in the flesh. This is a seducer and antiChristos. 8. Take heed to yourselves that you do not lose what you have gained; but that you may be recompensed with a full reward. 9. Everyone who transgresses and does not abide in the teaching of the Mashiyach, Elohim is not in him. And he who abides in his doctrine, he has the Father and the Son. 10. If anyone comes to you and does not possess this doctrine, neither entertain him in your house nor say to him, Joy to you: 11. For he that says to him, Joy to you, is a participator in his evil deeds. 12. Having many things I could write to you, I would not with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and to converse mouth to mouth, that our joy may be complete. 13. The children of your elect sister send you peace. Grace be with you. Amen.

There is so much more that could be said about today's study, and we wholeheartedly urge you to read the cited scriptures through, if you haven't already done so. If you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to write! Thank you for reading our Torah study notes for this week, and we pray for you a blessed week ahead, that may you ever grow in your knowledge of YHWH. And, as always, please let us know if you ever see anything in our studies that sounds "off the mark"! Nobody has the market cornered on absolute Truth; we are all learning and obeying to the best of our abilities....

Next week's parashah reading will be:

Parashah 17: Yitro (Jethro) - Exodus 18:1 through 20:23.

Haftarah (Writings and Prophets): Isaiah 6:1 through 7:6; 9:5-6; 6:1 through 7:6.

B'rit Hadasha (New Testament): Matthew 5:21-30; 15:1-11; 19:16-30; Mark 7:5-15; 10:17-31; Luke 18:18-30; Acts 6:1-7; Romans 2:17-29; 7:7-12; 13:8-10; Ephesians 6:1-3; 1 Tim 3:1-14; 2 Tim 2:2; Titus 1:5-9; Hebrews 12:18-29; James 2:8-13; 1 Peter 2:9-10.

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