Bible Studies

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Parshat Va’eira
“God spoke to Moses and said to him, ‘I am HASHEM.’” Exodus 6:2 (Stone)
“I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El Shaddai, but with My Name HASHEM I did not make Myself known to them.” Exodus 6:3 (Stone)
“Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely HASHEM is present in this place ad I did not know!’” Genesis 28:16 (Stone)
“He built an altar there, invoked HASHEM by Name, and there he pitched his tent; there Isaac’s servants dug a well.” Genesis 26:25 (Stone)
Clearly Isaac and Jacob both not only knew the name, but used it, Isaac prayed it, Jacob declared it. So what does Father mean when He says He did not make Himself known by YHWH?
Genesis 17:1, “When Abram was ninety-nine years old, HASHEM appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am El Shaddai; walk before Me and be perfect.’” (Stone)
In a similar event, Father announces Himself to Jacob as El Shaddai in Genesis 35:11. But He never once announced Himself as YHWH to Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob. He was known to them as YHWH, but He did not make Himself known that way. And yet, over and over, He tells Moses, “I am YHWH.” Why is this, and what does it mean? Through this entire passage in Exodus 6:2-8, Father is making a contrast. First He contrasts what He called Himself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, with what He called Himself to Moses. Then He contrasts what He did. Verse 4, “Moreover, I established My covenant with them…” (Stone) then, in verses 5&6, “…and I have remembered My covenant. Therefore, say to the Children of Israel: ‘I am HASHEM, and I shall take you out from under the burdens of Egypt…” (Stone) El Shaddai is the Almighty Judge, the One Who makes covenants, and YHWH is the One Who exists, Who fulfills them. No less than four times, from verse 2 through verse 8, Father announces, “I am YHWH.”
“I, only I, am HASHEM, and there is no deliverer aside from Me.” Isaiah 43:11 (Stone)
“The sons of Simeon: Jeuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, and Zohar; and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman; these were the families of Simeon.” Exodus 6:15 (Stone)
If only Shaul was the son of a Canaanite woman, what was the race of Simeon’s other wife or wives?
Exodus 7:1 is a funny verse. It is not funny because it is hard to translate, but because it is very simple, but no one translates it that way. The closest it comes is Young’s Literal Translation, “And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `See, I have given thee a god to Pharaoh, and Aaron thy brother is thy prophet’”
Literally, it is, “and said YHWH to Moses, ‘look, I have given you Judge to Pharaoh and Aaron your brother will be your prophet.’” This can be translated, “I have made you Judge to Pharaoh”. To Pharaoh, Moses was the Judge. Not a god, but Elohim Himself.
“But I shall harden Pharaoh’s heart and I shall multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt.” Exodus 7:3 (Stone)
In Hebrew thinking, the heart is the place of wisdom and understanding. Not of knowledge, but of wisdom. The word “harden” is qashah, which means, “harden” in the sense of, “make difficult.” Father did not make up Pharaoh’s mind for him, Father merely clouded Pharaoh’s understanding.
“And Egypt shall know that I am HASHEM, when I stretch out My hand over Egypt; and I shall take the Children Israel out from among them.” Exodus 7:5 (Stone)
Egypt will know that He is YHWH. The Jewish sages say that YHWH describes Him as merciful. Then why were the plagues and the death of the firstborn going to let the Egyptians know that He is YHWH? No, but YHWH is the covenant-keeper.
Where are the Children of Israel now? Scattered throughout the world. Some in Israel, some in Europe, some in the United States, some in Latin America, some in India, some still in the Arab countries. Israel is scattered in Egypt, when is Father going to call them out?
Revelation 14:4, “These are they who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. These are they who followed the Lamb, whithersoever he went. These have been redeemed by Jesus from among men, the first fruits to God and the Lamb.” (Murdock)
“So says HASHEM, ‘Through this shall you know that I am HASHEM; behold, with the staff that is in my hand I shall strike the waters that are in the River, and they shall change to blood.’” Exodus 7:17 (Stone)
What was Pharaoh’s original objection? “I know no HASHEM.” So Father responds by saying, now you will know that I am the one you didn’t know.
“But if you refuse to send out, behold, I shall strike your entire boundary with frogs.” Exodus 7:27 (Stone)
“Frogs” is the generally accepted translation of (Drpc (ts’pharde’a). But in Psalm 78:45 it says, “He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.” (KJV) Frogs destroyed them? Rashi was the first to translate this word “frogs,” but it is really uncertain that this is the right translation. Some suspect it is “crocodiles.” However, it would be hard to get a crocodile into a kneading bowl.
“Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, ‘Entreat HASHEM that He remove the frogs from me and my people, and I shall send out the people that they may bring offerings to HASHEM.’” Exodus 8:4 (Stone)
At last, Pharaoh acknowledges Father. Now he knows YHWH.
“The sorcerers did the same with their incantations to draw for the lice, but they could not. And the lice-infestation was on man and beast.” Exodus 8:14 (Stone)
Why could the sorcerers do the other things, but not this one? The first one involved changing water to blood. The second was brining frogs up from the river. But this was creating living lice, from non-living dust. The sorcerers could not bring forth life from non-life. Only Father can do that.
“The sorcerers said to Pharaoh, ‘It is a finger of God!’ But Pharaoh’s heart was strong and he did not heed them, as HASHEM had spoken.” Exodus 8:17 (Stone)
It is interesting that the sorcerers did not use the Name. They merely called Him “God.” However, they did call Him Elohim, not simply El. It is as if they are being forced to acknowledge, but resisting it as much as they can.
“And on that day I shall set apart the land of Goshen upon which My people stands, that there shall be no swarm there; so that you will know that I am HASHEM in the midst of the land.” Exodus 8:18 (Stone)
Father separated the land of Goshen, and the people that were scattered in Egypt, who had been scattered in order to find straw. This time He made it clear that He was the God of the Hebrews, not a generic god, but the God of the Hebrews.
“Thus it will be in the end of the world. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from among the righteous.” Matt. 13:49 (Younan)
Father always distinguishes between the righteous and unrighteous even when they are mingled together in the land, just as He did as Sodom and Gomorrah.
“I shall make a distinction between My people and your people—tomorrow this sign will come about.” Exodus 8:19 (Stone)
Father’s people, and Pharaoh’s people. This is interesting because Pharaoh was considered a god, the incarnation of the sun-deity. To challenge Pharaoh one had to be a god or God. This gives new meaning to when Father made Moses a God to Pharaoh. This is, in the eyes of the Egyptians, a battle of the gods, the chosen people of one God, verses the chosen people of their god.
“Pharaoh said, ‘I will send you and you shall bring offerings to HASHEM, your God, in the Wilderness; only do not go far off—entreat for me!’” Exodus 8:24 (Stone)
This verse is interesting in that Pharaoh still takes credit for sending them out, and yet he acknowledges Father enough to ask Moses to entreat for him when they sacrifice. He acknowledges that Father is not only a god, but a God that Pharaoh needs mercy from.
“But Pharaoh made his heart stubborn even this time, and he did not send out the people.” Exodus 8:28 (Stone)
This time it was not Father who hardened Pharaoh’s heart, Pharaoh hardened it himself. Does this mean that, at this point, Father was willing to allow Pharaoh to let Israel go, but that Pharaoh himself wasn’t ready yet?
“The necromancers could not stand before Moses because of the boils, because the boils were on the necromancers and on all of Egypt.” Exodus 9:11 (Stone)
This is the first time that Scripture mentions a plague directly affecting the sorcerers.
“However, for this have I let you endure, in order to show you My strength and so that My Name may be declared throughout the world.” Exodus 9:16 (Stone)
Pharaoh, yes, he did evil things. But Paul says that all have sinned, and are short of the glory of God. In this, no one is better than Pharaoh. It is only for this reason that Father allows anyone to endure, to show His strength, and to let His Name be declared.
The Readings: Parshat Va’eira, Exodus 6:2-9:35. Haftarat Va’eira, Ezekiel 28:25-29:21. Tehillim Va’eira, Psalm 46. B’rit Chadesha Va’eira, Matt. 13:47-58, Revelation 14:1-5.

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