-- T O R A H P O R T I O N --
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 --
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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 --
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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
Sources:
hallel.info
free.messianicbible.com
shema.com
yashanet.com
m.jpost.com
peacetheology.net
endtimebible.com
explainingthebook.com
melissabeaty.com
TheMacArthurStudyBible
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