OHR YESHUA SYNAGOGUE
February 11, 2012 18th Sh’vat 5772
PARASHAH YITRO (JETHRO)
SHMOT (EXODUS) 18:1-20:23
HAFTARAH
YESHU’YAHU (ISAIAH) 6:1-7:6; 9:5(6)-6(7)
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PSALM 63
PROVERBS 17:15-16
MATTHEW 5:17-30
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
The memorial service for Donald
grinder, father of Michael will be this Sunday at 2:30pm at the Nazarene Church
on 59th Street West.
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Parashah Yitro takes the Israelites from a
community to a nation. The parashah starts with a family reunion. Yitro, Jethro,
shows up with his daughter and grandsons, Moshe’s wife and son’s. The last we
heard of them it seemed as if there was only on son, Gershom, who together with
Moshe’s wife were also going to Egypt. It now appears that this was not the
case. We also discover another son Eli’ezer. The common sense of Yitro regarding
Moshe acting as the sole leader able to administer and judge is impractical to
say the least and Yitro’s advice is applied by Moshe to the situation. The
points that we can learn from this scenario are many. Firstly HaShem’s laws and
teachings i.e. the Torah has like all other situations of this ilk, must be
taught to people who are recognized by the community and who are able and
honest. It is then their job to teach others thus disseminating HaShem’s Torah
to all. Once you know the Torah you can stay in its boundaries by and large.
Moshe almost quit being a leader to become a Supreme Court judge. Thus a large
community requires men of learning and integrity to act in legal issues and
judge righteously. This insures right administration of HaShem’s Torah. The next
issue was the giving of or the acceptance of the Covenant. Time after time the
understanding of the ten utterances of HaShem from Mt. Sinai to Israel that is
the specific terms of the Covenant are taken as the only true commandments which
is wrong. Before Israel knows the terms of the Covenant, the nation in Exodus
19: 8 say “Everything Adonai has said, we will do.” There was no powwow with a
retort that if we think it’s appropriate we will agree. It was an instantaneous
acceptance without knowing the full details. Our sages tell us this was Israel’s
finest moment! Israel and the mixed multitude were also made to realize the
holiness of HaShem regarding their boundaries. The majesty of HaShem and the
wholly Holy Otherness of HaShem must have been amazing and frightening.
It is at this point that Moshe who is (acting as) the most high priest of HaShem
receives the terms of the Covenant. The people are terrified and endorse
HaShem’s use of Moshe as the intermediary. I find it strange that so many people
take the so-called Ten Commandments do a hatchet job on what was actually stated
and apply it to themselves and their communities as if it was the only
commandments HaShem is serious about!
If you do not see yourselves as one
with Israel you cannot except by misconstruing what HaShem said, namely I am
Adonai your G-d, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the abode of
slavery ch. 20:2. If you were never slaves in Egypt by the fact that you are not
a descendant of an Israelite slave you cannot make that claim. What is the rabbi
talking about? It is only in Yeshua who is in the flesh a descendant of an
Israelite slave that that you can have any claim to a covenant relationship with
HaShem. I believe that there has been such a great corruption that has taken
place from the time of the Apostles of Yeshua to this day. It is only those IN
MESIAH YESHUA that have any true connection to the Sinatic Covenant. Once you
are IN YESHUA you would obviously be in Israel. This is a very difficult
teaching to grasp but it is a logical realty. There is no replacement of Israel
only a grafting in. Thus Paul says in Ephesians 2:15ff…”He did this in order to
create in union with himself from the two groups a single new humanity and thus
make peace.” Not two but a single body! We have read in Romans that we
(especially in those days, pagan gentiles) die and are resurrected, a new
creation in messiah. Thus if there is one body does that body move to different
conflicting instructions? You cannot serve two masters etc. I have heard just
about all the arguments why “HaShem” wants different groups interpreting the
scriptures in ways that justify their miss or non-application of the scriptures.
The most usual is that that’s only for the Jews. Well if you are in a Jew,
Yeshua, who is going to rule and reign back on earth by what standard, is He
going to rule and judge? When we stand before the Lord on the day of judgement
what is His standard by which He judges us? If you say Yeshua’s standard then
you must mean the Torah. When Yeshua was asked what are the greatest
commandments He drew on the Ten utterances, in my opinion he was saying keep the
covenant. This is not a thorough study but I would like you to take time to
think this through. Historical study clarifies what scripture says. Knowing the
language or at least being able to work with the language will help not to be
lead on a path of inaccuracies and false teachings. SHABBAT SHALOM