Why are judges needed?

Exodus 18:13-23

But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.

(Ex. 18:21 NIV)

Why are judges needed?

Men have a good and an evil inclination within. The evil inclination is selfish and only seeks benefits for the self. Due to the evil inclination there are conflicts and wars among men. While there is an evil inclination in men there will be conflicts among people.

Those who have more than one child soon realize that men are born selfish. Parents must act as judges any time their children have a conflict between them that they can't solve on their own. In a family, it's normal that parents have to judge their children everyday to bring order, peace and justice among them. It's important for parents to know the Torah so they can apply it in the relationship among their children. Abuse, theft, violence, bad language and other bad behaviour in children must not be allowed. Parents are responsible of correcting any behaviour that conflicts with the Torah in their children. That's why it's not good to leave children in the care of others until they have grown several years in their own home's environment where the Torah rules and where there is personal attention to each one of them, much better that in any daycare.

A system of judges is necessary both in families and in society. When there is a conflict between people and they can't solve it by themselves, there has to be a judge that dictates a fair sentence. The judge is set over citizens of a country in representation of the Almighty. Whatever the judge dictates has to be respected as if it had come directly from heaven. The only instance in which a judge's sentence must not be obeyed is when he doesn't follow the rules of the Torah. That's why it's very important that a judge understands his or her responsibility to judge according justice and not his or her personal criteria.

When Moshe's father-in-law Yitro suggested him to select judges over the people, it wasn't enough that they were "capable", meaning that they were skilful leaders and administrators, but also that they "feared God". This quality is extremely important when judging. A judge who has no fear of heaven becomes corrupt and capricious. Moreover, they had to be trustworthy, men who hated lies. The last quality of a judge is that he hates dishonest gain, corruption. All nations need this kind of judges to achieve peace and justice within society.

When the Messiah instructs his disciples no to judge, he does so from a personal point of view. In our relationship with our neighbour, it's forbidden to judge others, but that's not the case of a court. The context in Matthew 7 speaks about judging faults in our neighbours. When one judges neighbour's faults it is usually evidence that the one who judges has those same faults him/herself on a larger scale. The one who is bothered by the speck in his brother's eye is the one with the plank in his own.

In personal relationships, we have to be very careful not to judge what we think are somebody else's motives. Usually, the reason behind people's behaviour is unknown. Only HaShem knows the hearts' motives and we have no right to judge them neither on a personal level nor by any human court system. A human court can only judge facts, not motives or hidden reasons or issues.

What men do in secret will be judged by the heavenly court that sees everything. But specific and concrete actions can and must be judged by a human court, following the rules established by the Torah for that purpose.

May the Eternal raise mature judges among us that are able to judge correctly and to bring justice and peace among the people.

Shalom uvrachah – peace and blessing,

Why some people don't obey?

When (he) sent

Exodus 16:11-36

However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them... Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none. Then the LORD said to Moses, "How long will you refuse to keep my commands and my instructions?

(Ex. 16:20, 27-28 NIV)

Why some people don't obey?

The people had been raised in slavery. The Eternal wanted to deliver them, not only from physical slavery but also from the spiritual one, the one of the soul. During their time of bondage in Egypt, the people had been forced to obey. But in spite of that exterior obedience, it's not sure that they obeyed from their hearts. They only obeyed to avoid being beaten and punished. That kind of obedience is conditional. I obey so everything goes well, and nothing bad happens to me. But each person decides when to obey. If he can get away with disobedience without beating and punishment, he will do it. That kind of obedience isn't the one the Eternal wants from us.

Now, the Eternal took them out from Pharaoh's bondage so they would become His servants. Obedience to the Eternal has two levels and the second level is the one that the Eternal likes. The first level of obedience is the one that comes out of interest, to get a benefit or to avoid punishment. In this level of obedience there is no heart, only selfishness. This level of obedience brings good consequences because there is a blessing in obeying, even if it's done reluctantly.

However, there is another kind of obedience, the one that comes from the heart. In that level, the person doesn't obey out of interest but out of a heart that is surrendered to the Eternal. That person's obedience will be the same in public and in private, when everyone is watching or in secret. That is the most pleasing kind of obedience to the Eternal because it reflects the character of the Messiah, the image of the Invisible One.

Some of the sons of Israel thought that the deliverance from Pharaoh gave them right to obey just when they saw fit. Freedom doesn't mean that we can do whatever we want. Freedom doesn't mean we can do as we please, but it is conditioned to obedience from the heart to the rules of the Eternal, given to bring freedom. There is no freedom without obedience. Disobedience brings negative consequences, provokes the Eternal's wrath and causes curse and destruction.

The lesson of the manna was given to the people to teach them to obey. Now, some did it out of interest, to avoid looking at the manna rotting and to avoid going out to pick it when there was none. But others did it from their hearts, just because the Eternal had ordered it, through His servant Moshe.

What kind of obedience do we want in our lives?

May the Eternal lifts us to the level of heartfelt obedience, with no rebellion, no faking, no personal interests, only out of love.

Let's pray: "Heavenly Father. Show me the path of obedience from the heart. Take away all obedience out of personal interest or fear. Create an upright heart inside of me, surrendered only to You. Fill me with Your Spirit to reach the level of obedience that You like. May You be glorified and exalted through the obedience of your people, amen."

How do you cry out to the Eternal?

Exodus 14:9-14

As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD.

(Ex. 14:10 NIV)

How do you cry out to the Eternal?

The people of Israel were filled with terror when they saw the Egyptian army coming after them. In their fear they cried out to the Eternal. But their cry wasn't one out of faith, because they later turned against Moshe and reproached him for having taken them out of Egypt to die in the desert. Their cry to the Eternal didn't have any positive effect on them. It was a hopeless cry out of anguish and bitterness. This kind of clamour doesn't help the one who is crying out. Even if they received help in the moment, their words were fulfilled later and they died in the desert for not having trusted the Eternal.

There is another kind of clamour, the clamour full of faith, like the one our father Yaakov pronounced in a similar moment (see manna 8-1). It is good to cry out to the Eternal and expose all our fears and anguish, but at the same time it is important to believe that the Eternal is good and that He wants to help those who draw close to Him, as it is written in Hebrews 11:6: "And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (ESV)

When you find yourself with your back against the wall, cry out to the Eternal knowing that He is good and that He wants, not to hurt you, but to help you. In this way, you'll receive timely help from Him.

May his strong hand always guide you,

What does the Eternal get us into big trouble for?

When (he) sent

Exodus 13:17 – 14:8

And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD." So the Israelites did this.

(Ex. 14:4 NIV)

What does the Eternal get us into big trouble for?

When the sons of Israel came out of Egypt, Pharaoh had let them go celebrate the feast and then come back. But that wasn't enough for the Eternal. He wanted to free the people from Pharaoh by killing him in the sea. After the Pharaoh was dead, there would be no owner of the enslaved souls of the sons of Israel. So the Eternal's plan wasn't only to let the sons of Israel go to the desert to celebrate a festival and then come back to slavery, but to create a legally fair platform so they could be free from Pharaoh forever. Had Pharaoh not died, the sons of Israel would have been unfaithful to their owner by escaping. But Pharaoh's death would bring a total freedom.

Besides, the Eternal had in mind to destroy all of Pharaoh's army who hurt the sons of Israel so much; and He decided to do it through an amazing miracle: to divide the ocean and let them sink in there forever. This would be a huge manifestation of His delivering power and He wanted the sons of Israel to see this miracle.

And for a miracle of this magnitude to happen, the Eternal had to strengthen Pharaoh and his servants' hearts, so that they went after the sons of Israel to the desert. In this way, the Eternal was behind of this, which to the eyes of the people of Israel was a disaster. Why did the Eternal put the sons of Israel in this huge trouble? To show His great power. The greater the problem, the greater the miracle that will come to happen if we walk with the Eternal obeying His commandments.

This teaches us that the Eternal can create critical situations to show His miracles. When we find ourselves in a similar situation, we must not despair but believe in the promises we received from heaven, then we will see wonderful things.

Do not become desperate if the enemy comes against you with all his might. Do not be discouraged if an ocean is in front of you and the enemy behind. Don't let your heart fail when everything seems impossible. Lift up your eyes and trust in the One that has given you promises that are more valuable than gold, and follow His instructions. Stretch out your arm and cross that sea!

Shavua tov – have a good week,   www.messianictorah.org

What do we stop eating yeast for?

Exodus 11:4 – 12:20

For seven days no leaven is to be found in your houses. If anyone eats what is leavened, that person will be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land

.

(Ex. 12:19 ESV)

What do we stop eating yeast for?

The month of the tender sprigs, in Hebrew haaviv – האביב – was appointed to be the first month of the year for the sons of Israel. This is the month of redemption. In this month our fathers were delivered from Pharaoh's slavery and from forced labour in Egypt, and in that month, Israel will be redeemed again. To commemorate this historic deliverance and to proclaim the future final deliverance, the Eternal established the feast of Passover, in Hebrew Pesach – פסח (stress on the e).

Immediately after Passover comes a celebration called the Feast of Unleavened Breads, in Hebrew chag hamatsot – חג המצות. During this feast it is strictly forbidden to hold, have and eat any leavened product from cereals.

The whole celebration of Pesach and also Chag Hamatsot are full of symbols that speak about the first and the second redemption. Therefore, leaven has a very important symbolic message. The one who trespasses the prohibition of eating leaven during that week of celebration will lose his or her right of belonging to the chosen people that will reign upon the world to come; both foreigner or native of the land of Israel.

Then, what is the message behind the prohibition to eat leaven?

In the Scriptures, leaven is a symbol of the evil inclination, sin, dispute, pride and false teaching. So when the sons of Israel and all those grafted from among the nations clean our homes before Pesach searching for and eliminating all trace of leaven and leavening agents, we are proclaiming that we don't want to have anything to do with such things in our lives. Deliverance from spiritual leaven is a very important part of the last redemption that will take place when the Messiah returns in glory. Then we will be free from the yetser hara, sin, forever. But before this happens, we have the obligation of cleaning not only our homes before Pesach, but also our own lives. What we learn from the obligation of having nothing to do with leaven for one week a year is that we have to be careful to let the Eternal clean us from all sin, quarrel, pride and false teachings all days of our lives.

If we eat something leavened during the seven days of Chag Hamatsot we will lose the spiritual connection between our souls and the chosen people, unless there is true repentance. The same way, if we eat from sin, that is, if we feed our lives from what sin produces, we will be left out from eternal life prepared for all those who are in Messiah Yeshua.

Don't take the rules of the feast of unleavened breads lightly. Likewise, don't take sin lightly. Fight it. Cry out to heaven to be freed of anything the Eternal considers leaven in your soul. Don't give up. Continue to struggle with the desire get everything out and you will partake in the resurrection when the Blessed and Sanctified Heavenly High Priest who takes away sin from the world comes.

May the Eternal prosper you in the cleansing,

Is there such a thing as fake repentance?

Come

Exodus 10:12-23

Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you. ¹⁷ Now forgive my sin once more and pray to the LORD your God to take this deadly plague away from me."... But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let the Israelites go.

(Ex. 10:16-17, 20 NIV)

Is there such a thing as fake repentance?

When the locusts came to Egypt and ate all they could, Pharaoh's soul weakened. He called Moshe and Aharon and acknowledged his sin against the Eternal and against them and asked for forgiveness to, then, ask them to free him from the locust plague. Then the Torah says that the Eternal strengthened his heart so that he did what he really wanted: not sending away the sons of Israel. The Hebrew text doesn't say that the Eternal hardened his heart but that He strengthened it – vayechazek ויחזק – from the root chazak – חזק – strong.

This teaches us that Pharaoh's repentance was fake, false. He only repented superficially to receive a benefit and be delivered from the plague. But when the plague was gone, his heart went back to be the same. His repentance didn't come out from his heart but from his soul. It wasn't deep enough. He didn't change his innermost attitude.

There are many people that come to the Eternal when things go wrong just to ask for His help. They know that their Creator doesn't agree with their lifestyle and that's why they feel the need to confess and ask forgiveness for their sins. But that is only conditional. They do it just to make a good impression to get momentary help, but not to change their lives and stop doing just what they want. Their heart hasn't surrendered to the Eternal; they just seek Him out of interest. After the Eternal helps them, they just leave His ways because their heart didn't actually change. There was no true repentance, it was all fictitious.

The Eternal is not the plumber that we call when we have a leaky faucet at home. He is a Father and a Boss whom we have to obey in everything and not only when things go bad.

Stop living for yourself. Stop deciding when you are going to take heed to His words. Humble yourself and reason together with Him, when things are going bad and also when they are going well. Repent for real!

May the Eternal give you revelation to understand this message.

In Messiah Yeshua,

Who wins the argument?

Exodus 7:8 – 8:10 (8:6 Heb.)

Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs. Yet Pharaoh's heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said

.

(Ex. 7:12-13 NIV)

Who wins the argument?

When there is an argument between two people with opposing ideas it is very common that both of them try to win the argument with a line that makes the opponent weaker. The one with an intellectual ego-swollen mind will think that he can win the discussion with the strongest lines so the opponent feels humiliated and ignorant before his brilliant debate. This kind of argument only serves the purposes of feeding the pride and strengthening the yetser harah, the bad inclination, the flesh.

one who presents the strongest lines is not the one who wins the argument. It is possible that he wins the argument itself, but the opponent that was humiliated by his cunning attitude most of the time will still believe what he did just because he is not willing to submit to the opponent’s attitude.

The power confrontation between Moshe and the magicians from Egypt is an example of this. Even though Aharon’s staff/snake was stronger than the sorcerers’ and it devoured them, there was no change in attitude in the sorcerers or Pharaoh. Moshe didn’t win the battle showing that his power was greater, because Pharaoh’s heart became hard. This is very common in arguments. The one who wins the argument, wins with his lines but doesn’t win the heart of his opponent.

It is better to lose an argument than to lose a heart. It is better to lose and argument and win the heart and appreciation of the opponent when he sees that you are not interested in gaining control, boast or rise yourself over him.

However, in Moshe there was no desire of showing that he was greater. He was a humble man and his only wish was to obey the Eternal’s orders. And because he was humble he was lifted up and the Eternal showed through the power operating in Moshe, that He was the greatest. But Moshe didn’t do as many, trying to take the Eternal’s place and be gods in this world to be praised for their merits and achievements. Far from someone of such magnitude. His heart’s motivation was way above those attitudes.

Don’t try to win an argument to be deemed smarter or rise above the others. If you do so, you become a loser before the eyes of heaven. On the other hand, you will and should win arguments with a humble heart and honouring the opponent, correcting him with meekness, compassion and love. In this way you will win his heart and help him repent of his wrong reasoning and ideas that are contrary to the Torah.

May the Eternal help us be humble in everything and not to seek our own glory in any area of our lives.

Happy the meek because they shall inherit the land,

How is a person identified?

And (I) appeared

Exodus 6:14-28

Amram took as his wife Jochebed his father’s sister, and she bore him Aaron and Moses, the years of the life of Amram being 137 years...These are the Aaron and Moses to whom the LORD said: "Bring out the people of Israel from the land of Egypt by their hosts."

(x. 6:20, 26 ESV)

How is a person identified?

Moshe and Aharon were presented by the Torah with their genealogy. The Torah does not introduce a person according to their knowledge of theology, languages, history, music, literature, math, science or anything like that.

There are people who feel they are nothing because they have no academic degrees. Others believe that they are important just because they have a degree. But the Torah doesn't present or introduce a person according to degrees and titles but according to their family.

Do you want to know how a person is? Look at his family or ask his family how he is.

After a long explanation of their genealogy, the Torah says, these are Aharon and Moshe. This teaches us that a person is what his ancestors were, and what his family is. One's family is very important to the Eternal. That's why it is very important to take care of one's family over studies or work. Family is much more important than academic achievements. The one who can't take care of his family is not able to be a leader in the Eternal's people.

A woman who decides take care of her children at home is of much more value in heaven than a woman who leaves home to study and work to bring more money leaving her children in the care of others. If you are a woman who left her studies to take care of your children and raise them in the ways of the Eternal you have much more value than your neighbour who left her children in daycare to become someone or to have more riches in this world.

May the Eternal help us understand what is important to Him so that we are not guided by the corrupted values of this world.

Whose words are stronger?

And (I) appeared

Exodus 6:2-13

Now the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron about the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he commanded them to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.

(Ex. 6:13 NIV)

Whose words are stronger?

Moshe told the people of awesome promises of freedom from bondage and their entry in the land promised to their fathers with the privilege of having the Eternal as their Elokim. But the children of Israel didn't listen to Moshe because of the anguish they were suffering. Before that, the Hebrew leaders rebelled against Moshe rebuking him for having caused a heavier burden on the people.

Then the Eternal commanded Moshe to speak to Pharaoh so that he let the children of Israel leave his land. But Pharaoh didn't want to listen but, because of the words that Moshe had transmitted, he put more pressure on the people instead.

That's why Moshe said that if the people didn't want to listen to him, let alone Pharaoh!

So, the people's words opposed the Eternal's words, Pharaoh's words opposed the Eternal's words, and Moshe's words opposed the Eternal's words. But the Eternal kept sending orders for the children of Israel and for Pharaoh in order to take the children of Israel from the land of Egypt. Then, whose words were stronger at the end? The history itself answers that question.

The people's words didn't succeed, Pharaoh's words lost their strength and Moshe's own words fell to ground without being able to change the divine purpose, but what the Eternal had said was fulfilled word by word!

The words of men that oppose what the Eternal has said will lose their strength even if now they seem to have a large influence around them. But the counsel of the Eternal will last forever. Blessed be the man who knows to cooperate with the words of the Eternal.

“Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations." (Ps. 33:8-11 NIV)

Don't speak against the words of the Eternal. You would only harm yourself and those around you. Keep His words in your heart, believe them, speak them and live them; with time you will see them fulfilled. “Whoever speaks must speak God's words” (1 Pet. 4:11a ISV)

Shavua tov,

Is it possible to hide sin?

Exodus 2:11-25

Glancing this way and that and seeing no-one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand... When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses...

(Ex. 2:12, 15a NIVUK)

Is it possible to hide sin?

Moshe had a strong desire to help his Hebrew brothers. He felt identified with them much more than with the Egyptian royal house. This was from the Eternal who created him to be the deliverer of the people of Israel. However, the time for the people's deliverance was not ripe yet. Moshe did all he could with his youth’s strength to help his people. But his attempt was a complete failure. In his anger, he killed an Egyptian and that wasn't the way to free the people. The people of Israel didn't acknowledge him as their deliverer despite of the fact that the Eternal had called him to be that. The reason of the failure was because it wasn't time yet and because he used his own strength instead of working with the Eternal.

Moshe had a lot to learn. His character wasn't prepared for enduring the people's complaints in the desert. He also was too self-confident. He hadn't learned to walk in the time of the Eternal or working with Him. He needed many years in the desert training to become the deliverer of the people of Israel.

Moshe thought that he could commit murder and get away with it. He hid the body in the sand but, can sin be hidden? For how long?

Maybe it's possible to hide many sins from the eyes of men but not from the eyes of the One who sees it all, even the heart's motivation. Sooner or later, all things that men hide will come to light, as well as all works that have been done in the dark. There is nothing hidden before the Heavenly Court before whom one day, every single person will have to account for his/her deeds.

Besides, in order to be a public character, acknowledged by the people, one has to live his private life as if it was public. A heaven-approved leader cannot go around hiding his sins; they will come to light sooner or later. And so it was that Moshe's sin came to Pharaoh's ears and he tried to kill him.

“He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy. (Prov. 28:13 NIVUK)

May the Eternal help us not to hide anything from Him but to live out in the light. This way, we will know where to walk without stumbling.

May you be strong and blessed, www.messianictorah.org