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01-26-2008, 4:08 PM LovingNeighbor Joined on 02-10-2006 Washington Posts 397 Preparing You for Elohim - Don't get ahead of yourself Preparing You for Elohim For Parasha Yitro By Lovingneighbor 1-26-2008 This weeks Parasha is in the book of Exodus also called Shemot, and is called Yitro which means 'His Excellence'. In this weeks parasha: - Yitro Moshe's father in law took Moshe's wife and 2 sons and went to him when he heard all YHWH did - Moshe told Yitro all that YHWH did for them and Yitro rejoiced and blessed YHWH - The next day all the people came before Moshe to judge matters and Yitro asked him why - Yitro said he shall appoint judges that fear Elohim, men of truth who hate coveting to help him - Moshe appointed judges and they judged the small matters and he judged the great matters - Yisra'el came to Mount Sinai and Moshe went up to talk with YHWH - Moshe told the people all YHWH said and they said all he has spoken we will do - YHWH told Moshe to sanctify the people for the third day when YHWH will speak to the people - On the 3rd day there was thunder, lightning, and a thick cloud on the mountain and the voice of a trumpet - YHWH called Moshe up to the mountain and warned him not to let the people break through - Elohim spoke all these words saying I am YHWH who brought you out of Egypt - You shall have no other elohim before me - You shall not have, make, or worship any idols - You shall not take the name of YHWH in vain - Remember the sabbath, 6th days you shall work but the 7th day is the sabbath of rest - Honor your father and mother - You shall not murder - You shall not commit adultery - You shall not steal - You shall not lie - You shall not covet - The people saw the thunderings and told Moshe he should speak to Elohim and they would listen to him - Moshe drew near to the thick darkness and YHWH told him to tell Yisra'el not to make elohim of silver and gold - YHWH commands Moshe how to build an altar for Him - Haftarah - YHWH prepares to send YeshaYahu to the people This week we are going to see a pattern of events and they start with Yitro observing the people coming to Moshe day and night and when Yitro asked why Moshe answered: Exo 18:15 And Moshe said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire(D'rash) of Elohim: The word enquire is a root word D'rash which means to ask enquire, seek, or follow, It's spelled Dalet, Resh, Shin which in the Ancient Hebrew could be Door, beginning, press or test. To d'rash is likened to understanding. It is the third level. It is what you are looking for when examining the two witnesses. Many people misuse the term d'rash. They use it to describe almost anything they talk about it. But really it is best described as to seek. One of the big problems with religion is they don't seek. They repeat. They seek after the answer and don't want to know how to get the answer. It's like someone who wants a passing score on the test but doesn't care to really know the subject. We see this in modern schools all the time. People become good at memorizing the answers to pass tests and not to retain or know what the answers really mean. So this leads to the next point. The people came to Moshe who represents the Torah to d'rash seek after Elohim. At the time Moshe interacted with YHWH and the people had to come to him to seek YHWH. In the same way we must go to Moshe ie the Torah to seek after YHWH both day and night which also implies one should study the Torah at morning and evening times along with their prayers. THis is what the people did. Yitro suggested that he select men with certain traits to be jusges over smaller matters and then if they have a great matter they can come to him and that this would bring all the people to their place in peace. There are a few things that this may imply. One is that people can't just use the Torah when it's convienent for them. We see this all the time now. People have a bible but they don't know (yadah) the bible. They use it but don't live it and become a judge because of it. Many people lived among Moshe and yet they didn't all have judgment. I see this as a pattern of transferring knowledge from the Torah ie Moshe to people who will also live Torah like Moshe ie the judges. If more people were living the Torah and leting it change their judgment we wouldn't need the Book because it would be in our hearts. I think this is iterated in the verse about taking the law out of the stony heart and putting it in the heart of flesh. Writing it on your inward parts models this pattern of Moshe appointing judges. He is taking himself and putting his judgment in the hearts of the people. After doing this they were going to get direct access to YHWH. This proved to be too much for them and so they again wanted to have Moshe as the mediator to seek YHWH. What it really did is show them they were not ready for direct access. I see this happen again when Mashiach came and the world wasn't really ready for him. People today wouldn't be ready for Mashiach in my opinion. We have the Torah and it's a great mediator for us to seek or d'rash YHWH. This is why I think it's hard for people to really fear YHWH like at the mountain because we are used to dealing with the Word, like the people who dealt with Moshe. If you won't seek YHWH through Moshe why would you think you could go straight to the source. This reminds me of people thinking they will boldly appraoch the throne and all of that kind of talk. I think not. The point is that Moshe was to prepare them for the meeting with YHWH and they should clean their clothes and prepare themselves and that is what we are doing by studying Torah. Just like in the haftarah portion we have Yeshayahu being a prophet to the people who lack ears to hear and eyes to see, then they will again get a prophet to speak to them. People always seem to reject the order of things and want to go straight to the source though they are not even close to ready. Stay focused on the door that is before you. The Torah that will cleanse you and prepare you for the time when you will be in the presence of YHWH and feel like those who have been there that you will die if you stand in His presence. The Torah prepares us for this time and if you think you are ready now don't worry most people do until it happens. As the proverbs say Pro 25:6 Put not forth yourself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men: Pro 25:7 For better it is that it be said unto you, Come up here; than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince whom your eyes have seen. A disciple should diligently search for the truth and humbly deny and reconsider it's possession.    Report

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