Parasha: Beshalach

Nachshon's Leap

Tags:  archegos, perfecter, prince, salvation, savior, Spirit of Messiah

In the traditional Jewish telling of the crossing of the Red Sea, Nachshon ben Amminadab, the prince over the tribe of Judah, plays an important role. Who is Nachshon? His name is mentioned six times in the Torah. To believers his name is familiar from the genealogies of the Master in Matthew 1 and Luke 3. Nachshon was one of the ancestors of Yeshua. The Torah refers to him as...
Read...   Print...

 

Parasha: Bo

The Bread of Affliction

Tags:  Land of Israel, provision, unleavened, unleavened bread

And they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. (Exodus 12:8) The unleavened bread of the Passover seder is referred to in the Passover Haggadah as "the bread of affliction." In the traditional Passover Haggadah, Rabban Gamliel explains the symbolism of the unleavened bread and the bitter herbs. Regarding the unleavened bread he says: This is the unleavened bread that we eat. What is it for? It...
Read...   Print...

 

Parasha: Va'era

Pharaoh the Strong Man

In the Midrash HaGadol, a collection of Yemenite Jewish commentary on Torah, the Jews are fearful of inciting Pharaoh further, so they protest to Moses, "Can a slave serve two masters? We are enslaved to Pharaoh and are afraid to transgress his laws." Yeshua says, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and...
Read...   Print...

 

Parasha: Shemot

The Good Shepherd

After fleeing Egypt, Moses spent 40 years shepherding sheep. His years of shepherding sheep prepared him for the task of shepherding God's people. Throughout the Bible, Israel is compared to a flock. She is the flock of the LORD. Her leaders are her shepherds, appointed by her ultimate Shepherd, the LORD Himself. Israel's greatest leaders were shepherds. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were men with flocks. Jacob worked as a shepherd...
Read...   Print...

 

Parasha: Vayechi

Waiting for Salvation

Tags:  salvation

For your salvation I wait, O LORD. (Genesis 49:18) Jacob exclaimed, "For your salvation I wait, O LORD." The word translated "salvation" is yeshua (ישועה). Yeshua's name means "salvation." The Sages understood Jacob's exclamation to reflect his longing for Messiah, the true Judge of Israel, the true Salvation. The daily prayer for the coming of Messiah is based upon this passage. Observant Jews pray it three times a day. Notice...
Read...   Print...

 

Parasha: Vayigash

Man of Sorrows

Joseph wept. "He wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard of it" (Genesis 45:2). When his brothers first appeared before him in Egypt, emotion overcame him. "He turned away from them and wept" (Genesis 42:24). When they returned to Egypt and appeared before him again, he was again moved with emotion. Losing his composure, he retreated from their presence to find a private...
Read...   Print...