Torah B’shallach – When He Let Go:
Shemot (Exodus) 13:17 – 17:16
Shoftim (Judges) 4:4 – 5:31
Qorinthim Alef (1 Corinthians) 10:1-13
If only I knew, I would be so much better off! In this day and age, I shouldn’t have to be ignorant about any important matter in life!
In the age of information, just about anything you or I want to know is at our fingertips. If I need to know how to fix a car, I go to ‘YouTube University.’ How do I treat a sickness? Want to know what’s going on in the world? You or I could quickly find out.
Even some of the strangest, most obscure prophecies in the Bible are making sense right now on how they play out in our day. News reports of the world are sounding more biblical than ever! Knowledge of both good and evil is clearly on the rise.
But you, Daniel, close up the words and seal the book until the time of the end. Many will run back and forth and knowledge will increase.’ Daniel 12:4
A Double Portion on the Sixth Day
For all 40 years in the wilderness, YHWH gave the children of Israel ‘bread for two days on the sixth day.’ (Exo 16:29) Instead of one omer of manna, they gathered two on the sixth day. The word ‘omer’ in Hebrew is similar to the word emor’ – ‘to say.’
Being taught ones of our Rabbi Yeshua, we know that He is ‘the Living Bread that came down out of Heaven.’ (John 6:50-58) He truly sustains our spirit, soul and body.
Put these concepts together and we have the sayings of Yeshua to be the food that strengthens and sustains us with life eternal. Considering the double omer on the sixth day, we see that in this sixth millennium, a double portion of the sayings of Yeshua is being granted to us as we ‘grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Yeshua Messiah.’ 2 Peter 3:18 The revelations of Yeshua are on the rise these days!
It was during the dark of the night that the manna formed with the dew. It is in the dark of the night of the era of man (signified by the number 6) that the double portion of the sayings of Yeshua comes to those who abide in Him and soak in His Spirit. We are about to enter into a seventh day of millennial rest, once the Messiah returns to bring true peace to earth. But for now, we are in a very dark period in the history of mankind.
As important as the understanding of the double portion of manna is, is that the knowledge that all of us should be aware of? Of all things, we should not be ignorant of and should know, what is most important thing to know about this Torah portion?
Do Not Be Ignorant of This
There is one extremely important issue of life that we can’t learn much about from a search on the internet, or any of ‘the wise’ of this world, for it is foolishness to them (1 Cor 1:18-31). According to Scripture, this life and our future in eternity both depend upon knowing something about this very Torah portion – B’shallach. Let’s find out what it is from one of the most knowledgeable Torah scholars throughout history – Paul:
And I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the Sea. And all were baptized to Moses in the cloud, and in the Sea… 1 Corinthians 10:1-2
Most hits on an internet search will present different sides of the issue on baptism. Do you dunk or do you sprinkle? Do you even need to be baptized in water at all? Each ‘expert’ wants you to know his doctrine on baptism to be the only way to believe. These debates are a smoke screen. What does Abba want us not to be ignorant about in the Torah? What should we understand about the Red Sea crossing?
Under the Cloud
Let’s start with considering – ‘our fathers were all under the cloud.’ 1 Corinthians 10:1. What about the glory cloud should believers in Yeshua be aware of in our day?
Yes, we should expect and welcome the supernatural manifestations of the Presence of YHWH in our day, many believers long for signs and wonders to return, like the Shekinah glory cloud, to show up in our meetings again. We do need the spiritual gifts manifesting in our midst. Wouldn’t that be the most awesome experience in life?
But the glory cloud moves on from camp to camp. Where will He show up next? First, we need to know more about this glory cloud.
From the description of the glory cloud in the midst of Israel, we understand that the cloud was a physical expression and radiance of YHWH Himself. The glory of YHWH could be seen by everyone in the camp of Israel as a cloud by day and as a fire by night.
What is the Name of our God when He shows up in a physical way upon the earth? Believers in Yeshua know the Messiah to be the Glory Cloud of YHWH Elohim. How can we be sure of that?
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, Whom He appointed heir of all things, through Whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature and upholds all things by the Word of His power. Hebrews 1:1-3a
Here we learn that YHWH speaks to us in His Son and that the Son is the radiance of His glory! Yeshua is the spoken Word by which we live, not by bread alone (Deut 8:3, Mat 4:4) Yeshua is the glory that radiates from YHWH! The Messiah is the glory cloud!
The Faith of the Glory, Yeshua
Do you need another verse to prove that Yeshua is the glory cloud?
My brethren, hold not, in respect of persons, the faith of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, YLT, Young’s Literal Translation, James 2:1
Another way to purely translate Greek in this verse is ‘the faith of the Glory, our Lord Yeshua Messiah.’ The apostle Jacob told us to hold up the faith of the glory, our Adonai Yeshua. What else is there about our God that we can see Yeshua as the Glory?
We learn here about Adonai Yeshua from Jacob that we are not to hold this faith in the Glory ‘in respect of persons.’ What does that say about the Trinity doctrine that teaches there are three persons of the Godhead? Nowhere in the Bible does it say that Yeshua is the second person of the Godhead. Nowhere can you find the phrase ‘three persons.’ We are not to regard the singular, true God ‘in respect to persons’ as the pagans regard their plural gods. What does the Word say about Yeshua and the true Deity?
For in Him (the Messiah) all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form. Colossians 2:9
Yeshua is fully Deity revealed in the flesh (John 1:14). He told His disciples, “I and the Father are one.” John 10:30.
He did not say, ‘I and the Father are two persons.’
Daily, throughout the world, Israel declares by ‘the Shema’ that there is only One God – YHWH Echad (Deut 6:4). Common sense says three persons make three gods, not one. That’s what people are led to believe. The heathen believe in multiple gods, not Israel.
Confusion ensues on Who to pray to. When I pray, I address the Father, knowing that the Son is in Him. In praying to the Father, I pray to Him through the Son, the Door, our Advocate with the Father. I don’t pray to the Father as a separate person from the Son.
The Cloud: Dark on One Side, Light on the Other
As important as Yeshua truly being the physical manifestation of YHWH, why don’t more people, even Torah-observant believers, see Him that way? There is a very intriguing way that the glory cloud was seen that gives us a picture of why some see Him, and others do not. It all depends on what side of the glory cloud we find ourselves on!
Also, the pillar of cloud moved from in front and stood behind them, and so came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel – there was the cloud and the darkness over here, yet it gave light by night over there – neither one came near the other all night long. Exodus 14:19b-20, TLV
To the Egyptians on the west side, the cloud was darkness, to the Israelites on the East side, the cloud was light, illuminating their way. The Egyptians didn’t see the glory cloud, the physical manifestation of YHWH that the Hebrews did, they could only see darkness.
Under the Red Sea: Destruction on One Side, Deliverance on the Other
Seeing only darkness between them and the Hebrews may explain why the Egyptians drove their chariots headlong into the bottom of the Sea. They could not see the walls of the trap being set for them! What Pharaoh may have thought was a trap set by his gods for the children of Israel between rock cliffs and the waters of the Red Sea, was a trap set by YHWH for him and his chariots. Yahweh our Elohim is so awesome!
The same sea that Yah used to deliver Israel was the sea Yah used to destroy His enemies. The same cloud Yah used to cause darkness to our enemies today, is the same cloud that gives us the light of our Salvation today! The same Yeshua that the enemy thinks makes believers in Him weak and vulnerable to destruction is the same mighty God Who delivers us today! When judgment falls on our country, let’s remember Paul’s words – don’t be ignorant of this glorious Truth about Yeshua as the Glory Cloud!
If we try to understand Who Yeshua is from a worldly, western viewpoint by engaging only the intellect, He will be dark to our understanding. But if we see Yeshua from the Scriptural, eastern viewpoint by engaging with the Torah by the Spirit of Truth, we can see the Light of the Glory of Yeshua! Remember, Yeshua told Peter that flesh and blood did not reveal to him Who He is as the Messiah, but the Father in Heaven revealed that truth to him. (Matthew 16:17) May we all be baptized in the Spirit of the Truth of Yeshua!
Passing Through the Red Sea
What else does our Elohim not want us to be ignorant of? Let us now move on to Paul’s writing about the children of Israel:
‘passing through the Sea, and all were baptized to Moses in the cloud, and in the Sea.’ 1 Corinthians 10:2
The common thread of death at the hand of our enemies, drowning in waters, and coming out alive through the supernatural work of Yeshua and His Spirit are all in the story of the Red Sea crossing. That’s the glorious Gospel of our Lord and Savior Yeshua the Messiah pictured in the Torah! The principle of the Gospel pictured in the Torah is all through the Torah and should not be ignored.
Torah scholars should not be willfully ignorant of the amazing typologies that help us to understand how Yeshua saves and delivers His people. Maybe we should include, not ignore some Christian theology in our Torah studies where their doctrines are true!
The Red Sea crossing is a picture of the born-again experience and baptism in the Name of Yeshua (Yah saves) through the Red Sea (Yom Suph). Like a doorway where an individual applied the blood of a lamb, the parting of the Red Sea pictures for us a birth canal for a nation to come forth. The flesh had to die for the Spirit to take dominion!
Immersed in the Messiah
Paul earnestly wanted everyone to be aware and think about this Gospel typology. He goes on further to say what not to be ignorant of:
For you are all sons of God through trusting in Messiah Yeshua. Galatians 3:26
In my studies of the Torah, I’m always looking for ‘the Word of Messiah’ to build my faith in Him. I want to be so immersed in the Messiah that I don’t ever want to be found ignorant of how Messiah can be found ‘in the volume of the Book’ (Psa 40:7; Heb 10:7) Yeshua is the object of my faith. I can’t see an invisible God, but the Light of His Word reveals the glory of the Messiah to me in real ways. Then, I know my God better!
So faith comes from hearing and hearing by the Word of Messiah. (Romans 10:17
To Be Clothed With Messiah
Paul goes on to write that we are not to be ignorant about baptism in the Messiah.
For all of you who were baptized in Messiah have clothed yourselves with Messiah. Galatians 3:26-27
Like eating food every day, a necessity of life is to clothe ourselves every morning. Once we arise from the night, before we go out in the light of day, we must put on clothes. If I was to leave the house ignorant that I forgot to dress, how do you think my day would go? What could we accomplish without the proper apparel for the task of the day at hand? We dress according to the job we have to do on that day.
The same with clothing ourselves with the Messiah. We are to put on the attitude, the character, the demeanor, His mind, and His armor of Light before we face the day. If we don’t, the day will not go well with what we can accomplish for the Kingdom of Yah. What are we thinking about with what we have to do that day when we wake up in the morning? What is it about the character and the work of our Messiah that we need to put on for that day, to accomplish something worthwhile in His Kingdom?
Identifying with the People of Messiah
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female – for you are all one in Messiah Yeshua. And if you belong to Messiah, then you are Abraham’s seed – heirs according to the promise. Galatians 3:28-29
How can we be sure we are on the right side of the Glory Cloud? How can we be assured, and not found ignorant about how we can identify with His people? Note the context of this verse doesn’t do away with the Jews, but how souls are saved as Israel was through the glory cloud and under the sea. Paul doesn’t want us to erase or to be ignorant of our identity, but he does want us to know how to be a united people by being found one in Messiah. The Jew and Greek separation was systemic throughout the known world in Paul’s day. But anyone who thought of themselves as Jews or Greeks are saved by the same baptism in the Messiah. It doesn’t matter what occupation we have (slave nor free), we are saved by the same grace through faith. Men are saved the same way as women get saved, but of course, not losing their gender identities. By the same Seed, by the Word of Messiah, we are all of the same spiritual race called ‘the seed of Abraham.’ (Gal 3:16) Praise Yah for the promise of salvation offered to whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish, but have eternal life!
Wait! Don't Be Ignorant of This Either!
Another very important thing that Paul said not to be ignorant of; it’s something I’m hearing more and more people wanting today:
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be ignorant. 1 Corinthians 12:1
If the Corinthians were aware of spiritual gifts, why would Paul write this admonition? We need the same admonition today. Is too much Torah emphasis why we Hebrews don’t talk much about the spiritual gifts today? Why are so many willfully ignorant of speaking in tongues, interpretations of tongues, of prophecy, and other gifts of the Spirit? Are we afraid if we do discuss them and they manifest in our midst that they would cause division when the same Spirit works on unifying us? Are we afraid of turning some of us into a bunch of glory-poppers just coming to services to get their next ‘religious high’? Or are some of us truly desiring more of the manifestations, the glory of the Messiah manifesting in our midst? Who do we allow to judge us in these matters?
I don’t have much for answers to these questions, but I know One Who does. Who will speak to this important issue we are not to be ignorant about? Before we ever engage in that discussion, one truth must be established – that Yeshua is Lord, Yeshua is YHWH. Paul continues with the Corinthians on what not to be ignorant of:
You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed by idols that cannot speak, and you got led astray. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Ruach Elohim says, “Yeshua be cursed,” and no one can say, “Yeshua is Lord (Kurios, YHWH),” except by the Ruach ha-Kodesh.
1 Corinthians 12:2-3
Oh to grow intimately, knowing our great and glorious Savior, Yeshua the Messiah!
Let’s get to know Him better this week, this Shabbat together, starting every morning.
Be blessed beholding Alef Tav-Yeshuat YHWH,
David Klug