Day 6--Chag HaMatzot (Feast of Unleavened Bread)

(In addition to being Yom HaBikkurim, today is also the sixth day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. I originally wrote and posted this to my previous blog on 04/10/2007.)

Readings:

Shemot (Exodus) 13:17-15:26
Bemidbar (Numbers) 28:19-25
Shemu'el Bet (2 Samuel) 22:1-51

In today's reading from Shemot, the miracle of the Israelites crossing the sea on dry ground is recounted. It is difficult to imagine such an amazing event even with the depictions that Hollywood has supplied to us! The pillar of cloud and fire standing between them and the Egyptians is something I love to imagine--what a feeling of protection that must have given His people!

Exo 13:21 And YHWH went before them by day in a column of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a column of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night.
Exo 13:22 The column of cloud did not cease by day, nor the column of fire by night, before the people.

He was always there--without ceasing!--in such a visible way!

Exo 14:19 And the Messenger of Elohim, who went before the camp of Yisra'el, moved and went behind them. And the column of cloud went from before them and stood behind them,
Exo 14:20 and came between the camp of the Mitsrites and the camp of Yisra'el. And it was the cloud and the darkness, and it gave light by night, and the one did not come near the other all the night.

This picture reminds me of these passages that have always brought me so much comfort:

Isa 52:12 For you shall not come out in haste, nor go in flight. For YHWH is going before you, and the Elohim of Yisra'el is your rear guard.

Isa 58:8 "Then your light would break forth like the morning, your healing spring forth speedily. And your righteousness shall go before you, the esteem of YHWH would be your rear guard.

How can we possibly ever be afraid when YHWH has our back?

Exo 14:13 And Mosheh said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the deliverance of YHWH, which He does for you today. For the Mitsrites whom you see today, you are never, never to see again.
Exo 14:14 "YHWH does fight for you, and you keep still."

In verse 13, the Hebrew word translated as "deliverance" is yeshuah. The King James translators translated this word as "salvation". Yeshua is the salvation of YHWH. He was then, He is now, and He always will be.

The reading from Shemu'el Bet is a beautiful song of praise which King David wrote when YHWH delivered him from all his enemies.

2Sa 22:20 "And He brought me out into a large place, He delivered me for He delighted in me.

I love this verse--How amazing is that? When we are completely His, the Almighty King of the universe actually DELIGHTS in us!!!

2Sa 22:26 "With the kind You show Yourself kind, With the perfect one You show Yourself perfect,
2Sa 22:27 "With the clean You show Yourself clean, And with the crooked You show Yourself twisted.
2Sa 22:28 "For You save the humble people, But Your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low.

If we do not humble ourselves before Him, He will humble us, and it probably won't be nearly as pleasant as doing so ourselves. Many of us who have been proud, haughty and defiant know quite well what it is to be humbled under the mighty hand of YHWH!

2Sa 22:47 "YHWH lives! And blessed is my Rock! And exalted is my Elohim, The Rock of my deliverance,

It is the same Rock of deliverance who delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians who delivered David from all his enemies and who delivers us from bondage to the adversary.

1Co 10:1 For I do not wish you to be ignorant, brothers, that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea,
1Co 10:2 and all were immersed into Mosheh in the cloud and in the sea,
1Co 10:3 and all ate the same spiritual food,
1Co 10:4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed, and the Rock was Messiah.

All have been immersed, and all eat the same spiritual food and drink the same spiritual drink. The Rock was, is and will be Yeshua Messiah, the salvation of YHWH.

Be encouraged by this song and video: