Parasha 57: He Who Believes in Me

He Who Believes in Me

-- T O R A H   P O R T I O N --

Introduction:

Have you been in a situation where you’re sharing something important, then some believe and some don’t?

Last Shabbat, God’s pillar of cloud and fire went before the children of Israel as they departed from the land of Egypt. But suddenly, Pharaoh realized that he shouldn’t let the Israelites go from serving him and his people. So he took six hundred chariots with captains, and they chased the Israelites, who were about to cross the Red Sea. The children of Israel got frightened, and Moshe encouraged them to stand still and witness the salvation of God.

God made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. So the children of Israel began crossing the sea, but the Egyptians chased and went after them. Then Moshe stretched out his hand over the sea, and the wall of waters came back upon the Egyptians, and not so much as one of them remained. So God saved His people, and they believed and feared Him.

Our Torah portion this Shabbat has two sections. Chapter 15:22–27 is about the bitter water made sweet. Going back to the final verse of chapter 14, Israel saw how God fought for them and saved them from the Egyptians. Fresh from crossing the Red Sea, the children of Israel began to complain against Moshe regarding the Marah or bitter water, which can be likened to the bitter attitude of the Israelites. Considering they sang a song to God because of their victory against the Egyptians, their belief in Moshe suddenly disappeared like a bubble.

Life didn’t get more controllable for the children of Israel. Their journey to the Promised Land presented new challenges. Just three days later, the children of Israel were dying of thirst. So when they arrived at Marah, they panicked and laid into Moshe when they found out that the water was undrinkable. The early lesson here is very simple: following God didn't mean easy living or a piece of cake for the children of Israel. It’s a clash of FAITH over FEAR. Our expedition, compared to the children of Israel, is full of obstacles and hardships. But just as the children of Israel had reasons to trust God, so do we. Even the most bitter circumstances can give way to something sweet if we embrace the promises of God.

The second section of our Torah portion is from chapter 16:1–24, which is about the bread from heaven. Here, the children of Israel complained again to Moshe. They thought that Moshe brought them into the wilderness to die from hunger as a community. Now God tested His people by giving them ordinances. And whoever believes in Him will experience the following:

No diseases like what God brought on the Egyptians (v. 26) – In Leviticus 26:14–16, God said to His people:

“But if you do not obey (believe) Me, and do not observe all these commandments, and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant, I also will do this to you: I will even appoint terror over you, WASTING DISEASE AND FEVER which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart.”

God is serious in punishing His people who don't believe and obey His words. But they can run away from any diseases by believing, because God declared Himself as their Healer.

No lack of Meat and Bread (vv. 1–20) – Here’s the thing: when the children of Israel grumbled against Moshe and Aaron in the wilderness about food, God heard it and He rained bread. But in spite of the provision, God told Moshe that He would test them too if they would believe and walk in His instruction. In verse 9, Moshe told the children of Israel to come near before God, for He heard their grumbling. Then the testing followed, for they should not gather much food. But they didn't pay attention to Moshe; some left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and caused Moshe to get mad. The children of Israel continued to disobey. The sun grew hot, and the manna melted (v. 21).

No overwork (vv. 22–24) – Along with what the children of Israel should believe is to gather manna twice on the sixth day, and they did. Because the following day would be a Shabbat rest. Exodus 1:13–14 says:

“So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor. And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage—in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them was with rigor.”

The Hebrew word for rigor is perek, which means “cruelty, harshness.” I believe that part of the cruelty and harshness that the children of Israel experienced in Egypt was having no day of rest. That’s why God brought them out so they could experience the delight of Shabbat. Notice carefully in verse 23 what God said: “Tomorrow (seventh day) is a Shabbat rest, a holy Shabbat to the LORD.” The double gathering of manna on the sixth day is a reminder to us that our bodies were designed by God to work only for six days. God rested on the seventh day (Gen. 2:2), and we should imitate Him, because this has been the model since creation. As the children of Israel believed, God sustained the manna.

I believe that God tests us so that He can mold us. He is the Great Potter and we are the clay. His testing is for our good. And when we mold into what God wants us to be, it brings joy and honor to Him.

1 Peter 1:7 says: “These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Messiah Yeshua is revealed.”

God can use anything to test His people if they would believe in Him. He used the tree of knowledge of good and evil for Adam and Eve. He used manna for the children of Israel after they were freed from Egypt. He used Isaac for Abraham. He used Pharaoh for Moshe. Now and then, God continuously uses His Torah (teaching, instructions). If people believe in Him, we should be on the side of those who believe.

John 5:46–47:

“For if you believed Moshe, you would believe Me; for he wrote (Torah) about Me (Torah Who became flesh). But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words (Torah)?”

The bitterness you fear may be the very place God intends to turn your unbelief into unshakable trust.

What bitter experience are you resisting that God may be using to reveal whether you trust His heart or only His miracles? Will you let Him transform the bitterness—or will you allow it to transform you?

-- H A F T A R A H P O R T I O N --

Isaiah calls the nations to assemble—not merely Israel, but fugitives from the nations (vv. 20–21). God summons them as witnesses to His absolute sovereignty, His justice, and His ability to save. He challenges them to compare their idols with His prophetic works: Who foretold these things long ago? Who declared it before it came to pass? Only Adonai—Tzva’ot, the Just God and Savior.

To understand verses 20–25, we must trace Isaiah’s argument back to verse 1. There, God appoints Cyrus, king of Persia, as His instrument to invade Babylon and liberate Israel. Just as He hardened Pharaoh to display His power at the Exodus, God now raises up Cyrus to display His sovereignty among the nations.

When God judged Babylon through Cyrus, Gentiles also were invited to “draw near” (v. 20)—not merely to observe, but to acknowledge and believe that He alone is:

1. A Just God and Savior (v. 21)

God demonstrates justice by judging the wicked kingdom of Babylon.

He demonstrates salvation by rescuing Israel—just as He did in Egypt, and again in their exile.

Nations watching this drama unfold were meant to realize:

Only the God of Israel judges righteously, and only the God of Israel saves.

2. The One True God (v. 22)

When God announces, “For I am God, and there is no other,” He invites the ends of the earth to abandon idolatry.

The wood and stone idols cannot speak, cannot act, cannot save.

But the God who foretold Cyrus’ rise proves He is the only true God.

3. Worthy to Be Praised (v. 23)

God swears by Himself—His word cannot fail:

“Before Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.”

Paul draws directly from this verse in Philippians 2:10–11, applying it to Yeshua the Messiah:

“At the name of Yeshua every knee should bow … and every tongue confess that Yeshua HaMashiach is Lord.”

Isaiah 45 reveals that the glory, allegiance, and worship due to YHWH are given to Yeshua—showing His divinity and His identity as Adonai’s perfect revelation.

Isaiah’s prophecy makes a radical declaration for its time:

The God of Israel is extending His hand to the nations.

Just as Ruth the Moabitess declared:

“Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.” — Ruth 1:16

So Isaiah invites the nations to forsake idols, recognize Israel’s God as their own, and join themselves to His covenant blessings.

Isaiah ends with the declaration of those who turn to Him:

“In Adonai alone are righteousness and strength.”

Those who resisted Him will be brought to shame;

those who come to Him will be justified, vindicated, and glorified.

This righteousness is not human achievement—it is a gift that flows from the One who alone saves:

Only in Adonai is justice.

Only in Adonai is strength.

Only in Adonai is salvation.

This is why every redeemed heart declares:

“God—yes God!—is my strength and my salvation.” (Isa. 12:2)

When God exposes our idols, it’s not to humiliate us—it’s to make room for His glory.

What idol—visible or hidden still contends with God’s sovereignty in your life? Will you bow now in willing allegiance, or wait until the day when every knee must bow?

-- APOSTOLIC P O R T I O N --

Our Apostolic portion deals with the blindness and unbelief of the people in spite of the signs that Yeshua performed. From verse 1 to 14, He fed 5,000 men. Verses 15 to 21, He walks on the water. Verses 22 to 30, Yeshua challenged the people not to labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to everlasting life, which He can give.

He told the people that He is the manna from heaven, but this statement caused many Jews to complain and not believe that He is the bread that came down from heaven. The Greek word for believe is pisteuo, which means “be convinced of something.” We must be convinced that Yeshua is the manna from heaven, and if we are, we have eternal life. The people struggled to believe because they expected signs, not a Savior who embodied the signs.

When Yeshua said that He is the manna from heaven, it means:

He can give eternal life – In verse 49, He said that in spite of the manna that the Israelites ate in the wilderness, they died because it only sustained earthly life. But in Yeshua, we receive eternal life.

He is the Unleavened Bread – 1 John 3:5–6 says:

“And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.”

When we step back, we see the picture clearly:: 

The bitter water showed Israel’s need for a Savior who transforms.

The manna showed Israel’s need for a Savior who sustains.

Both point straight to Yeshua, the One who turns death into life and who feeds our souls with the life that never ends.

Adonai Himself would come down and sustain His people.

In John 6, Yeshua proclaims that He is that very sustenance—not a symbol, not a metaphor, but the living reality.

The question is not whether manna fell…
but whether we believe the One who sent it is now standing before us.

The manna kept Israel alive for a day; the Bread of Heaven keeps the believer alive forever.

What hunger in your soul have you been trying to satisfy with temporary “manna,” and what would it look like today to come to Yeshua for the bread that endures?

Here is the connection of our Parasha 57: it’s about believing in God and in His words. In the Torah, the children of Israel complained about the water and food. So God gave them instructions, and when they believed, God provided their needs. In the Haftarah, the people of the earth should believe that Adonai YHVH is God and there is no other beside Him. In the Apostolic portion, those who believe that Yeshua is the manna from heaven will have everlasting life.

I want to end this with a story. Bill went to a barbershop to have his hair cut. As the barber began, they talked about God. The barber said: “I don’t believe that God exists.”

“Why do you say that?” asked Bill.

“Tell me, Bill, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things.”

Now Bill said to the barber: “You know what? Barbers do not exist.”

“How can you say that?” asked the surprised barber. “I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!”

“No!” Bill exclaimed.

“Barbers don’t exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside.”

“Ah, but barbers DO exist! That’s what happens when people do not come to me.”

“Exactly!” Bill affirmed.

“That’s the point! God, too, DOES exist! And that’s what happens when people do not come to God as well.”

Belief is the bridge between wilderness and promise; every step of faith becomes a testimony of the God who provides, delivers, and sustains.

If Adonai asked you today, “Do you believe Me?”, what evidence in your life would answer that question? Where is Adonai inviting you to shift from complaining to believing, from testing Him to trusting Him?

Shabbat Shalom,

Topher

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Sources:

blueletterbible.org

atimetolaugh.org

firmisrael.org

thebiblesays.com

reformjudaism.org

wernerbiblecommentary.org

TheMacArthurStudyBible

scenichillsblvd.com

 

Parasha 56: Kadima: Faith that Moves Forward

 

Kadima: Faith That Moves Forward

-- T O R A H   P O R T I O N --

Introduction:

When was the first time you took a step of faith in your life, and how was it?

Last week, God told Moshe to consecrate to Him all the firstborn among the children of Israel, both man and beast. Also, Moshe repeated the instructions on how to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The purpose of these two instructions is to remind the children of Israel of the following: First, that God is faithful by sparing all the firstborn males of Israel during the killing of the firstborn in the land of Egypt. Second, to remind Israel about God’s covenant with them. Third, as a testimony for the next generation. Fourth, a foreshadowing of Yeshua, since He is unblemished like the bread without yeast.

Our Torah portion deals with the departure of Israel from the land of Egypt. It’s a new beginning for them not only as the people of God, but as a nation as well, considering they were slaves in the land for four hundred and thirty years (Exo. 12:40). Many changes and adjustments will happen during their journey going to the land of Canaan. From time to time they will encamp. They will eat manna and quail every day, not like in Egypt where they were eating fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic (Num. 11:5). They will make offerings and sacrifices to God. They will fight against other nations, and lastly, they need to start taking steps of faith.

Now as they begin to take a step of faith, the people of Israel need to:

FORGET Egypt (vv.10–12)

God continuously hardened the heart of Pharaoh even at the final moment. When the news came to him that the people of Israel had fled, he took six hundred choice chariots with captains to chase them. And when the Israelites saw the Egyptians, they cried out to God, but they questioned and doubted Moshe. They knew absolutely that the reason they were freed from Egypt was so they could serve God and celebrate a feast to Him in the wilderness. But they doubted Moshe, thinking they were brought out to die in the wilderness. Instead of forgetting the land of Egypt, they wanted to return and serve the Egyptians.

As they travel to the Promised Land, the luggage of Israel full of painful memories from Egypt should be left behind. Their luggage must be new and empty so they can move forward and let God fill it with new experiences that will help strengthen their faith. Apostle Paul says in Phil. 3:13–14: “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Messiah Yeshua.”

FEAR NOT (vv.13–14)

From these two verses we see that the only thing Israel must do is to watch, just like what they did during the giving of the plagues from the first to the ninth. They should trust and believe again how powerful their God is. What a beautiful assurance to know that God is the One fighting for His people. This is the reason why Joshua successfully led the children of Israel into the Promised Land—for God fought on their behalf.

This is also an encouragement to each one of us now who are fighting what we call LIFE, which is full of testing and trials. Whatever we are facing now, God is bigger and greater than those things. Through His words we can gain strength and wisdom. Deuteronomy 20:4 says: “For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”

FORWARD March (vv.15–16)

In the military concept, “forward march” is a command used to move troops in a specific direction with a specific cadence and distance between each step. Kadima (Hebrew: קדימה (is a Hebrew word that means literally forward. After Moshe told the children of Israel to stand still and watch, this time God told Moshe to tell the children of Israel to go forward, which in my understanding means they should begin walking toward the Reed Sea. God doesn’t want His people to get stuck in their past. It’s time to move forward for the children of Israel.

The question is, why do they need to cross the sea? First, God wants Pharaoh and the Egyptians to witness and know that He is God (v.18). Second, He wants to support what Moshe has said: He will be the One to fight for the children of Israel.

FOCUS (vv.21–23)

Now Moshe stretched out his hand over the sea, and the waters were divided. The children of Israel began walking into the midst of the sea on dry ground. While walking, they witnessed the waters like a wall on their right hand and on their left, and here they needed to focus because they could be amazed by the parting of the sea, which they had never seen before. Another possible reason for losing their focus is the Egyptians pursuing them into the midst of the sea. But in spite of this, Israel must remain focused. Their eyes should be like the eyes of a horse in a racetrack, with covers on both sides to avoid losing focus because of their surroundings, but rather to reach the finish line.

FILLED WITH GRATITUDE (vv.24–31)

As the children of Israel start taking their step of faith, they should always be grateful for what God has done because a grateful heart always knows how to show gratitude. I believe once the present generation of Israel reads verse 31, they will feel blessed and thankful. For God fought for them and saved them out of the hand of the Egyptians. They saw the great work which God had done in Egypt. Now, they are free to worship God and hold a feast to Him not only in the wilderness but even today.

Our Torah portion ends with the song of Moshe. He and the children of Israel sang this song to God as an acknowledgement of His faithfulness. The heart of the song can be found in verse 2, which says: “The LORD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.”

Exodus 14:13
“Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today.”

Faith grows when the next step looks impossible but God says, ‘Move forward.’

What “Egypt” do you still carry in your spiritual luggage?
Identify one thing you must leave behind  to walk forward in faith like Israel at the sea.

-- H A F T A R A H P O R T I O N --

In the Haftarah, God speaks through the prophet Jeremiah to declare judgment against the Ammonites and Edomites. But what led to the punishment of these nations?

Regarding the Ammonites, they had taken land that rightfully belonged to the tribe of Gad. Some commentators note that the Ammonites—descendants of Lot (Gen. 19:38)—were under the authority of their king Milcom, another name for Molech. In Jeremiah 49:1, God confronts them directly:
“Has Israel no sons? Has he no heir? Why then does Milcom inherit Gad?”

The message is clear—Israel does have sons, and because of God’s covenant faithfulness, His people will reclaim what is theirs. Because the Ammonites seized territory that did not belong to them, God pronounced judgment on them, echoing the prophecy in Zephaniah 2:9, which compares Moab and Ammon to Sodom and Gomorrah—ruined, desolate, and overturned. Yet God still promises that the remnant of His people will one day possess their inheritance.

Reading further understand the deeper issue behind God’s judgment: the Ammonites had become proud, relying on their wealth, their security, and their own sense of strength. They “trusted in their treasures” and believed that nothing could come against them. Their pride blinded them to the truth that every blessing and ability comes from God, not from human power or position.

Regarding Edom, God mentions Teman, a grandson of Esau, who represents the nation. Unlike the Ammonites, Edom receives no promise of restoration. According to Obadiah 1:10–21, Edom will be completely cut off forever. Because of their long-standing hostility toward Israel and their refusal to walk in humility, God declares that whatever they have done to Israel will return upon their own heads. No survivor will remain of the house of Esau.

It also highlights that Edom’s downfall was rooted in self-exaltation. The Edomites trusted in their strategic locations, building their cities high in the cliffs and believing they were unreachable—like eagles nesting in the heights. They took pride in their strength, their fearsome reputation, and their fortified dwellings. But God made it clear that no height is too high for Him to bring down. Their pride convinced them they were secure, but God used invading armies—strengthened by His hand—to humble them and expose their weakness.

Both Ammon and Edom face this truth:
Pride leads to downfall, and self-reliance blinds the heart.
Whenever people forget that God is the true source of their strength, He allows circumstances to humble them and draw their eyes back to Him.

Yet even as these judgments unfold, Israel is called to continue taking steps of faith. While other nations crumble under pride and arrogance, Israel is to trust in the faithfulness of God. With His favor, as Jeremiah 49:2 declares, they will take possession of their inheritance. Their future is secured not by their own strength, but by the God who walks with them and keeps His promises.

Jeremiah 49:2
“Therefore behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, that I will cause an alarm of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites… and Israel shall take possession of his inheritance.”

Adonai's promises outlast every enemy, every obstacle, and every nation that rises against His people.

Where do you need to trust God’s justice instead of fighting battles in your own strength?
Surrender your personal battle to Adonai’s sovereignty.

-- APOSTOLIC P O R T I O N --

The fourteen verses of our Apostolic portion are about the battle between the flesh and the Spirit. In order to win the battle, a step of faith should be taken:

Walk according to the Spirit (vv.1–9)

According to Paul in verse 2, the law of the Spirit of life in Messiah Yeshua has made him free from the law of sin and death. To support Paul, I want to share John 16:8 and 13. Verse 8 says: “And when He (Ruach Hakodesh) has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” Here, Yeshua told His Talmidim that one of the roles of the Spirit is to convict a person about his or her sin. And this was probably what happened to Paul.

Now in verse 13, Yeshua said: “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth.” Another role of the Ruach Hakodesh is to guide us into truth.

Live as Yeshua is in you (vv.10–11)

When a person is now in Messiah Yeshua, he or she is freed from the power of sin. Paul said in Romans 5:19–21: “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Yeshua the Messiah our Lord.”

Our Apostolic portion is a reminder to us that once we are in Messiah Yeshua and walking according to the Spirit, we are now a new creation. The old (sinful living) has gone, and the new (righteous living) has come.

Romans 8:14
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”

Freedom begins the moment you choose the Spirit’s voice over the flesh’s demands.

Where do you still live as if you are bound, even though Yeshua has set you free?
Identify one habit, thought, or reaction that you must surrender so the Ruach can truly lead you as a child of God.

The connection of our parasha is about the steps of faith. In the Torah, since the children of Israel were released from Egypt, they needed to start a new life and this included taking steps of faith in God. In the Haftarah, despite what the Ammonites and the Edomites did to the children of Israel, they needed to continue their faith. And gladly in verse 2, they shall take possession of their inheritance, says the LORD. In the Apostolic portion, one of the steps of faith is to walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit, for He will help and guide us in truth.

Back to my introduction… Just like the children of Israel who made a step of faith going to the Promised Land, so should we. Trusting God in our everyday journey is very important. He knows what to do. He will provide our needs. He is on our side, and He is the one fighting for us. Trusting God is living a life in obedience to Him in spite of difficult times.

Psalm 37:23–24
“The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with His hands.”

Exodus 15:2
"The LORD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will exalt Him." 

Faith is not merely believing that God can, but trusting that He will, even when the path is unknown.

As the Israelites stepped into the Red Sea, they left the familiar behind and trusted God’s hand for the future. As we end this parasha, Adonai wants us to move forward (kadima), trusting that God fights for you and guides you through the waters, just as He did for Israel. 

Shabbat Shalom,

Topher

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Sources:

hallel.info

free.messianicbible.com

shema.com

yashanet.com

m.jpost.com

peacetheology.net

endtimebible.com

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melissabeaty.com

TheMacArthurStudyBible

Parasha 55: You Are Mine: The Firstborn Belongs to Adonai

 

You Are Mine: The Firstborn Belongs to Adonai

-- T O R A H   P O R T I O N --

Introduction:

How does it feel to be the firstborn, and what is special about it?

According to a recent Swedish study, firstborns have more favorable personality traits, including openness to new experiences, conscientiousness, extroversion, friendliness, and greater emotional stability than their later-born siblings. Firstborns tend to possess psychological characteristics related to leadership, including responsibility, creativity, obedience, and dominance.

Last Shabbat, God released His verdict and the final plague upon Pharaoh and his people. He struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt—from Pharaoh’s firstborn to the captive’s firstborn, even the firstborn of the livestock. A great cry was heard throughout Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead. This was the result of Pharaoh’s disobedience to let the Israelites go to worship God in the wilderness. He and his people experienced ten plagues, and the most painful of all was the death of the firstborn.

For the people of Israel, after they obeyed God by putting the blood of the lamb on their doorposts, God gave them additional instructions regarding the Feast of Pesach. And it came to pass, on that very same day, that the LORD brought His people out of the land of Egypt according to their armies.

Last Shabbat, God released His verdict and the final plague to Pharaoh and his people. He struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from Pharaoh’s firstborn to the captive’s and all the firstborn of the livestock. A great cry was heard in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead. This is the result of Pharaoh’s disobedience to let the Israelites go to worship God in the wilderness. He and his people experienced ten plagues, and the most painful is the death of all the firstborn.

For the people of Israel after they obeyed God to put the blood of the lamb on their doorposts, God gave them additional rules about the feast of Pesach. And it came to pass, on that very same day, that the Lord brought His people out of the land of Egypt according to their armies.

Our Torah portion this Shabbat deals with the consecration of the firstborn and the repetition on how to celebrate the feast of Unleavened Bread. The Hebrew word for consecrate is Qadas which means "sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy and be separate." In verses 1 and 2, God told Moshe to consecrate to Him all the firstborn, but surprisingly Moshe first repeated the celebration of the feast of Unleavened Bread. Why? In verse 3, Moshe told the people: “Remember this day in which you went out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out of this place.”

Here, we can see two reasons why this feast was repeated by Moshe: First to remind Israel that they were slaves inside Egypt. God told Abraham in Gen.15:13 that his descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and they will serve(slaves) them, and they will afflict them for four hundred years. As slaves, they don’t have freedom, a freedom to worship God, and that’s the reason why He wants Pharaoh to let Israel go. This is where we can appreciate the Torah, they contain God’s teachings and instructions which will help and remind us what it feels like to be free.

Second, to remind them of God’s redemptive work. In Gen.50:24, Yosef told his brothers: “God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” God fulfilled this promise. By the mighty strength of His hand, He brought Israel out of Egypt. The first three fall feast is a celebration of what God did for the people of Israel. Imagine the blood of the lamb protected them from judgement which foreshadows the blood of Yeshua, and the command to eat bread without yeast taught them a lesson that when it’s time to go, it’s time to go.

Next is the consecration of the firstborn and what are some reasons why God wants them:

A Reminder of God’s Faithfulness - If at the feast of Unleavened Bread God reminded Israel of their former status in Egypt and His redemptive work, here upon consecrating the firstborn, He wants to remind His chosen people that He is faithful. After God killed Pharaoh’s firstborn and all in the land of Egypt, He followed immediately this instruction, since all the firstborn of Israel including their animals were spared by the tenth plague.

A Reminder of God’s Covenant Relationship with Israel - Going back to Exodus 4:22, God said: “Israel is My son, My firstborn.” From this verse, we can see the covenantal relationship between God and His people. He’s a husband, a father, a protector and savior to them. He brought the nation of Israel into reality. Until now, Israel is the apple of the eye of God. Deuteronomy 32:10 says: “He found him in a desert land, and in the howling waste of a wilderness; He encircled him, He cared for him, He guarded him as the apple of His eye.”

A Testimony for the Next Generation - In verse 14, God said: “So it shall be, when your son(Maybe a firstborn) asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ that you shall say to him, By strength of hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” We can see here the relationship between a father and his son. It is so nice to see a father testifying God’s faithfulness, injecting to the mind of his son that through the mighty hand of God, their forefathers were freed from slavery, and this story telling of a father to his son cannot be matched by any amount of money.

A Foreshadowing of Messiah Yeshua - In Luke 22:1 says: “Now the feast of Unleavened Bread, which is called Passover, is approaching.” Then In verse 15 Yeshua said to His Talmidim: “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.” Finally in verse 19, He said: “And when He had taken some bread( of course it's matzah) and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” Yeshua was the Unleavened Bread in Exodus 13, for He was no leaven ( meaning blameless). So everytime the Jewish people and Gentile (circumcised/grafted in) celebrate these two back to back spring feasts, we are not only remembering Him, but also claiming that He was there already in the Tanakh as the firstborn of all creation (Col.1:15). Also in Luke 2:7 it says, “And she ( Miryam) gave birth to her Firstborn( Yeshua) son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” HalleluYAH! What a wonderful revelation from God!

Freedom without consecration leads to rebellion, but freedom offered back to God becomes redemption’s testimony.

When was the last time you thanked Adonai not just for freeing you, but for claiming you as His own? This week, dedicate something in your life, your time, your talent, your first fruits as a sign that you belong to Him.

-- H A F T A R A H P O R T I O N --

Our Haftarah deals with the contrast between the God of Israel and the gods of Babylon.

Verses 1–2 mention Bel and Nebo. According to commentators, Bel is another spelling of Baal, and Nebo comes from the name Nebuchadnezzar.

The prophet Isaiah reveals the utter helplessness of Babylon’s idols:

“From its place it shall not move.”

Unlike the God of Israel who is Omnipresent, the gods of Babylon are immobile—unable to reach those who call for help.

“Though one cries out to it, yet it cannot answer.”

These idols are deaf and mute—it is useless to cry out to them.

“It cannot save someone in trouble.”

In contrast, Yeshua, whose very name means “to save”, offered Himself to take away the sin of the world. The gods of Babylon are powerless, but the God of Israel saves.

The God of Israel

“Listen to Me, house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel,

you who have been carried by Me from birth,

and have been borne by Me from the womb.

Even to your old age I am He; even to gray hairs I will carry you.

I have made, and I will bear; I will carry, and will deliver you.”

(Isaiah 46:3–4)

Unlike idols that must be carried, Adonai carries His people. From the day of Israel’s birth as a nation, He took care of them, upholding and carrying them in His arms. He made them, sustains them, and will rescue them.

V.3 – A Father

God is like a father to His chosen people. They have been upheld by Him from birth and carried from the womb, meaning they are God’s firstborn (Exodus 4:22).

Isaiah 9:6 affirms, “His name shall be called... Everlasting Father.”

This reveals His tender and faithful care—He never ceases to carry His children.

V.4 – A Deliverer

Notice the use of the personal pronoun “I” five times—proof that God Himself promises His presence and deliverance.

The phrase “Even to your old age” mirrors Yeshua’s words in Matthew 28:20, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

The same everlasting arms that carried Israel through the wilderness will carry us through every stage of life.

VV.8–11 – The Aleph and Tav God

Here Adonai calls Israel to remember “the former things of old”—their history from Egypt and the fulfillment of His promises.

Verse 10 declares: “I make known the end from the beginning.”

He is Omnipresent, sovereign over time itself, the Aleph and the Tav, the Beginning and the End (Revelation 22:13).

He is not a god bound by space or time but the Eternal One who ordains all things.

Vv.12–13 – A Savior

From the word “salvation” we see Yeshua, because His name means “to save.”

Matthew 1:21 says,

“And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Yeshua, for He will save His people from their sins.”

This salvation is near and not delayed. God declares, “I will grant salvation in Zion, My glory for Israel.” (Isaiah 46:13)

That salvation has come, is coming, and will come again in the person of Yeshua HaMashiach.

Adonai YHVH, the God of Israel, is the One True God—sovereign, powerful, and compassionate. He is not carried by human hands; He carries His people from the womb to gray hairs, from bondage to redemption.

As David Guzik noted:

“The false gods must be carried; but God carries His people.”

The idols of this world demand your effort but give no life; the God of Israel asks for your heart and gives you eternity.

Look at what you lean on daily, security, possessions, even relationships. Are any of them competing with Adonai for your trust? This week, let Him carry what your idols never could.

When life feels heavy, do you still trust the everlasting arms of your Father to carry you? Or are you struggling to carry what only He can bear?

-- APOSTOLIC P O R T I O N --

In Apostolic, Paul wrote to the Ekklesia in Colossae, because there was a problem caused by false teachings and maybe one of the problems is the deity of Yeshua. Verse 9 says, “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.”

To increase the knowledge, wisdom and understanding of the brethren in Colossae, Paul speaks about the superiority of Yeshua:

He is the image of the invisible God - John 14:9-10 says, “He said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father, so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me?” Here we can see that Yeshua is the exact portrayal and nature of the Father.

He is the firstborn of all creation - For Paul, Yeshua is preeminent. When he says that Yeshua is the firstborn, it doesn’t mean that He was created first, rather Yeshua carries the covenant promise of God to Abraham (Gal.3:16).

He is before all things - John 1:1-2 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.”

To belong to Yeshua is to carry the mark of the Firstborn, called out, set apart, and sent forth to reflect the Father’s glory.

In what area of your life are you living for yourself rather than for Adonai? Let the truth of Yeshua’s supremacy remind you: you were not just saved—you were set apart to show that you belong to Him.

The connection of our parasha is about God’s ownership of the firstborn son. In the Torah, God told Moshe to consecrate all the firstborn, both man and beast. In the Haftarah, Israel who has been upheld by God from birth, who has been carried from the womb was reminded by God that He is the only True God, and He cannot be compared with the false gods of Babylon. In the Apostolic, Yeshua is the firstborn of all creation.

Back to my introduction…Being firstborn doesn’t mean the first to be born. It is about a different kind of position or rank. Just like in the case of Esau and Jacob, Ishmael and Isaac, God chose the younger to serve Him. So if He chose us to serve Him too, we now share in the privilege and favor of His firstborn, for the blood of Yeshua the firstborn of all creation redeemed us. We belong to God so let us show Him that we are worthy to be called as His.

The One who redeemed the firstborn of Israel, who carries His people from the womb, and who reigns as the Firstborn of all creation, He calls us His own. We do not belong to Egypt, to Babylon, or to this world. We belong to Adonai, bought by the blood of the Lamb and carried by the arms of the Father.”

When the world demands your allegiance, whose mark do you bear, the mark of bondage or the seal of belonging?

Live daily remembering: you are not defined by what you carry, but by Who carries you.

Walk as one redeemed, consecrated, and sustained by the Firstborn, Yeshua HaMashiach.

Romans 14:7-9

“For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the LORD; and if we die, we die for the LORD. So whether we live or die, we belong to the LORD.”

Shabbat Shalom,

Topher

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Sources:

crivoice.org

theheartofisrael.org

reformjudaism.org

jtsa.edu

timesofisrael.com

rts.edu

bibleoutlines.com

bethmelekh.com

theconversation.com

TheMacArthurStudyBible

bibleblender.com

scenichillsblvd.wordpress.com