Two For the Price of One! (and a bonus!)

I apologize for not posting last week, but I spent most of my time researching the subject matter for this post.  In order to make it up to you, I am giving you a two for one special by combining last weeks and this week’s Parashat together.  This post will include the Parashat of both Va’eira and Bo.  These cover the scripture reading of Genesis 6:2 – 13:16 and takes us through the entire saga of the plagues.  I would love to spend time on each and every one of the plagues, but that is not where I feel the need to take you at this time.  I told you in my last post the book of Exodus begins some of the most exciting reading, promises and prophecy in the entire Bible.  As I began reading chapter 6, there it was!  I was captivated with one verse and I knew I had to camp there with you, but I must give you a little background on why that verse grabbed me so. Last summer the majority of the United States experienced a severe drought.  My area was caught in the worst portion of that drought and although we have received several inches of rain within the past week we are still many inches behind.  During the worst part of the drought I began to question God as to why He was allowing it and what we needed to do in order for Him to send rain.  I kept hearing a specific verse in my mind every time I prayed and God began opening my eyes to that scripture in a way I had never seen before.  I began writing a book about it, but before finishing the book things began to distract me to the point I was unable to complete it.  I have not been able to pick it up and finish it yet, but now I think I know why.  The main theme in that book is the same theme where I stopped in this passage, although it is two totally different scripture passages it uses the same phrase.  God knew I needed to write this blog post first before I could finish the book.  He is so awesome.  I am now going to introduce you to a new Hebraic concept.  It is one that permeates the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation.  After learning this you will begin to see so many things throughout scripture that you never thought about before.  You are going to so enjoy this journey, because you are going to get to know your Father better and then you’ll also know His son better too! Go with me now to Genesis 2:9  “And HASHEM God caused to sprout from the ground every tree that was pleasing to the sight and good for food; also the Tree of Life in the midst of the garden, and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad.” And also to Genesis 3:22-24 “And HASHEM God said ‘Behold Man has become like the Unique One among us, knowing good and bad; and now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the Tree of Life, and eat and live forever!’ So HASHEM God banished him from the Garden of Eden, to work the soil from which he was taken.  And having driven out the man, He stationed at the east of the Garden of Eden the Cherubim and the flame of the ever-turning sword, to guard the way to the Tree of Life.” What was so important about this tree?  Of course if we are looking at it with our western eyes we see only a tree, right?  But, if we look at it with the new eyes I have been teaching all of you to see with, we can see much more.  Let me tell you a little about this tree before we go to our Parashat.  The Jews have taught for thousands of years that with 10 utterances, God spoke the world into existence.  (Psalms 33)  I wanted to relay this to you, but it is a rather lengthy discussion and for time’s sake I will not go into that subject at this time.  I am also not as well versed on that particular subject and how it relates; although, I do know it is connected to this tree! What I do know is there is also a connection to this tree and a Parashat to come in the next few weeks!  (CAN NOT WAIT FOR THAT ONE!  You are gonna love it!  I promise!)  There is ALSO a connection to this tree and some 7 fruit to be exact (with their actual harvest equivalent),  [do these sound anything like a verse you might have read somewhere in Galatians maybe?]:  Transcendence (wheat) [goodness]; vitality (barley) [faithfulness]; joy (grapes) [joy, you think!]; awareness (fig) [love]; action (pomegranate) [kindness, gentleness]; struggle (olive) [self-control]; tranquility (date) [peace, patience].  One other very important connection to our Parashat from this two week section is……THE TEN PLAGUES!  Yep!  They are connected to this tree also!  (This could get very deep, couldn’t it!)  Just let me give you one hint….any time you see the number 10; just know that it relates in some way to this tree, nuff said! I hope you are learning something new!  Now let me get to the really good stuff about the Tree, because this is the starting point for all of the above mentioned points!  I am sure you have heard about the Tree of Life before.  It is mentioned, specifically, 12 times in the entire Bible beginning in Genesis 2:9 and ending in Revelation 22:19!  I have no clue how many times it is alluded to throughout the entire Bible!  Too many to count I am sure.  The best way to present it is to give you a diagram.  The Tree of Life is also called the 10 Sieferot (there are a couple of variations on the spelling).  It is a picture of a “stick” tree depicting 10 attributes of God.  They are connected and as your level of education into Judaism deepens, so does the levels of depth into the tree and its’ meaning.  I will keep this very simple, since I am on level one myself.  (ha ha!) What you usually see when looking at a diagram of the Tree of Life is basically God from the back.  So if the circle is on your right, it is God’s right and if it is on your left, then it is God’s left.  Now, by looking at this diagram is this explanation on the hands and arms beginning to ring any bells on scriptures you have heard all your life?  Think, right hand of  God, righteous right hand, etc. (Hamsters, start turning those wheels!)  As you look at and begin to study this tree, for those of you who have been in a church where you have heard a lot of scripture all your life and been a student of the Bible, those scriptures are going to start clicking into place like a jigsaw puzzle!  You are going to begin seeing scripture like you have never seen it before!  God is sooo good, all the time! Now that you have seen this and hopefully taken a long look at it, I want to bring you into the Parashat!  Go with me now to Exodus 6:6-8.  This passage is one which is quoted by all Jews every year at the Passover meal known as Seder.  It is also called the four “I Wills” and they are quoted along with the four cups drank at the meal.  The “I Wills” (I Shalls) are definitely promises by God to His people, but are also prophecy.  One great thing about prophecy is that there is always an immediate fulfillment, but there is also a future fulfillment and another future fulfillment and again a future fulfillment each one occurring in a spiral with greater detail until an ultimate fulfillment of that prophecy!  Now, let us read that passage: “Therefore, say to the Children of Israel: ‘I am HASHEM, and I shall take you out from under the burdens of Egypt; I shall rescue you from their service; I shall redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.  I shall take you to Me for a people and I shall be a God to you; and you shall know that I am HASHEM your God, Who takes you out from under the burdens of Egypt.  I shall bring you to the land about which I raised My hand to give it to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I shall give it to you as a heritage – I am HASHEM.’” Was there anything in that passage that jumped out at you?  What about, “I shall redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.” Go back and take a long look at that diagram again.  Read the wording where the arms or hands are located and think about an outstretched arm.  Grace in one direction, judgment in the other!  God is getting ready to lead His people out of Egypt.  Immediate for sure, but what a future fulfillment?  Think about a time in the future when God would redeem his people by stretching out His arm with grace and judgment?  Look at the scripture with me in Mark14:22-25 where Yeshua is observing the Passover Seder with his disciples.  Do you remember the four “I Wills”?  As I have already stated, at the Seder there are four specific cups that are drunk and one of the “I Wills” is quoted after each one.  Two are drunk before the meal and then immediately following the meal a third cup is drunk at which time those present will recite:  “ I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.” ALWAYS SPOKEN AFTER THE THIRD CUP!   Keep this thought in mind as you read this portion of scripture. “When they ate, Yeshua took bread, made a blessing, broke it, and gave it to them.  He said, ‘Take it; eat it.  This is my body.’  He took the cup, made a blessing (what blessing?  "I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and great judgments") and gave it to them, and all of them drank from it.  He said to them, ‘This is my blood, the blood of the new covenant, which is poured out on behalf of many.  Amen, I say to you, I will surely not drink of the fruit of the vine again until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.’” Do you see what I see?  Yeshua took the cup of  “I will redeem you with an outstretched arm” and said after this time, I won’t be drinking this cup with you again until when?  The day I drink it with you in the kingdom of God!  Whew!!!!!!!!!  Do you see it!  Do you have goosebumps?  Ain’t this scripture great! Go with me to Luke 23:32-33, 39-40, 42-43 and let’s look at something even goosebumpier (is that even a word?, don’t know and don’t care, it just sounds good here!) “There were also two others with him, wicked men who were found deserving of death.  When they came to the place that is called Golgotha they crucified him there with the two wicked men, one on his right and the other on his left.  …..One of the wicked men being hanged insulted him, saying ‘Are you not the Mashiach?  Save yourself and us!’  The other one answered and reprimanded him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God?’ ….  He said to Yeshua, ‘Please remember me, my master, when you come into your kingdom!’  Yeshua said to him, ‘Amen, I say to you that today you will be with me in Gan Eden.’”(paradise) An outstretched arm of judgment in one direction and an outstretched arm of grace in the other!  Two men, two arms and two outcomes!  (What do you bet the one who would be with him in Gan Eden was on his right?) Oh my friend, I have told you all of this to bring you to one short point that is packed with dynamite.  God’s grace has always been part of the plan.  His Chesed and His outstretched arm!  From the creation of the world to the final days of the earth it has always been and it always will be about grace!  It is not a new testament thought.  It is as old as God himself!  Now there is a thought for you!  God is grace!  They are inseparable.  God the Son is leading you with His hand of grace to God the Father. Aren't you glad that grace allows us the privilege of not having to face God's judgment?   Oh really?  Does it?  We'll talk..........Shalom!