Parashat Shemot: From Trial to Treasure

Torah: Ex 1:1-6:1

Haftarah: Isa 27:6-28:13, 29:22-23

Brit Chadashah: Acts 7:17-35, 1 Cor 14:18-25

Main Points:

Israel’s prosperity in Egypt and Joseph’s death.

Egyptian oppression and subjugation of Israel.

The intervention of Shiphrah and Puah.

The birth of Moses.

Moses escapes to Midian.

God hears the cries of Israel and calls Moses at the burning bush.

Moses returns to Egypt and confronts Pharoah.

Egyptians complicate Israel’s work and oppress them more.

Moses turns to God in despair and God gives his promise.

The children of Israel were in bondage. A new Pharaoh arose who did not know Joseph and became concerned that the great multitude of Israelites who inhabited Egypt may one day oppose him. He was right. After all, throughout Israel’s long history, there has always been a trend to buck absolute authority figures bent on robbing the people of their faith. It was a hard lesson for many countries and despotic rulers who thought they were the absolute power, only to find out that the God of heaven defended Israel and rebuked kings for their sake. Our Parashat picks up here with the biblical narrative focusing on the birth and early life of Moses.

The Egyptians resorted to cruelty and oppression against the Israelites. Pharoah also ordered all Israelite babies to be killed at birth. The enemy is strategic. He chooses the optimal time to kill your vision and purpose. If he can kill it as soon as it is born, he never has to worry about a person of faith standing against him. The easiest way to kill purpose in the life of a believer is to place that person in such duress that when hope is born, the person is too distracted, troubled, or in so much turmoil that the promise is missed.

Moses’ mother could have let this happen. Things were already horrible, but she along with many other courageous women opposed Pharoah’s command and continually strove to keep the hope of the nation alive. It was in this well-placed, hard-headedness and grit that God began to move. Their bondage became the unlikely birthplace of God’s plan as God began to woo and call his people over the years in what would eventually culminate in the Exodus.

Never think that God can’t move through a bad situation where you are powerless. He continually does this because that powerless place is the place of our purest faith. It is the place where we are most unable, most limited, and have the smallest amount of power, resources, and sometimes ability. God doesn’t need our money, personality, or connections to do anything. He is all-powerful. His word created the world, he turns it and sustains it.

The key to making it from trial to treasure is to keep God in the center of our focus. It would have been easy for the Israelites to give up and be compliant, assimilate, and accept their circumstances. We mustn't allow our trials to be our sole consuming focus. Many things come at us in life that tempt us to give up, beat us into compliance, force us to assimilate without struggle, and accept that we are personally powerless. Prayer is not about personal power. It is about God’s power and his plan. If we refuse to worship around the altar of despondency and powerlessness, we can focus on serving God. We cannot make our trial our god. Our trials can consume all of our emotional energies, thoughts, time, and drain our spirituality and hope. Worship and praise help us to make separation and kick back spiritually against all that assails us. Does that sound radical? It is. But this type of faith turned world events time and time again. When God’s people pray, God’s power prevails.

It is in this place of powerlessness that we realize faith as God intended it to be. We have to contend with life on many levels and there is a place to kick back. The prayers that are birthed in the throes of trial are often not pretty. They are desperate, heartfelt, and powerful. They represent the purest form of who we are and stand apart from all of the pretty masks we publicly wear. It is the place where we realize we are undone, sick of being religious, and in desperate need of God’s intervention. May God breathe over his people his strength, vision, and covenant mercies.

Rav Calev

Next feasts:

Purim begins sundown on March 13th and ends at sundown March 14th.

Hebrew words to know:

Facing Problems- Tsuris; A Yiddish word for problems or when we are facing many problems, we can say that we are af tsuris (on troubles).

Falsehood or lie- Sheker

Family- Mishpacha- A Yiddish term. This can be blood relatives, those we are close to, or the congregation we attend.

Fear- Ayma

Fiancé- Bashert- Yiddish.

Fit- Kanipshin; A Yiddish word for throwing a fit or tantrum. Hence a “kanipshin fit.”

Friendly Face- Yiddish, Haymish Ponim

Funeral- Levaya

Funeral Sermon- Hesped