A Sign of Redemption

0:01 Well, Ethan. Mazel Tov on a job well done. You guys can clap. That's fine. I You have become a bar mitzvah and are now entering into this new phase in your life. the first thing the first challenge of that new phase is listening to me and not falling asleep. It's difficult to trust me. I understand. Ethan I'm actually going to to speak to you out of exactly what you read. The verses that you read and then I'm gonna and we'll finish up

0:47 in one more part during the Torah portion, but we'll start here in verse. 4 of chapter 11 most just said here is what Adonai says about midnight. I will go out into Egypt and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt will die. From the firstborn of pharaoh sitting on his throne to the first born of the slave girl at the handmill and all the firstborn of the livestock. There will be a horrendous whaling. throughout all the land of Egypt there has never been another like it and there never will be again. But not even a dog's growl. Will be heard against any of the people of Israel. neither against people nor against animals

1:32 In this way, you will realize that Adonai distinguishes between Egyptians and Israel. All your servants will come down to me prostrate themselves before me and say get out you and all the people who follow you and after that I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh In the Heat of anger. Adonai said to Moshe Pharaoh will not listen to you. So that still more of my wonders. Will be shown in the land of Egypt. We come here in the beginning of this. Well, not in the beginning. I should say the beginning of this section. And Moses is addressing pharaoh.

2:17 And he's telling Pharaoh what the Lord has said and that the Lord's going to come out around midnight. And he's going to take care of this business. But before that I just want to give a little context for you Ethan and for everyone else. Sometimes when we when we break up the the weekly Torah portions we forget what has been read the previous week or the previous two weeks. But it wasn't that long ago two weeks ago that we read. That the god of Israel heard the cries of the people and responded by coming and bringing Deliverance to the oppressed in Egypt in Exodus chapter 2.

3:04 So I want you to understand that the reason all of this is even happening is because God is responding to the cries. of his oppressed people and he's responding by bringing them Deliverance salvation if you will. So it's important to keep that in mind as we read through this Torah portion that part of the reason that God is doing this. is because there's there's this Warfare against the empire of Egypt. Because they have oppressed this other people. another part of the reason for this Warfare against the empire of Egypt is that

3:52 Our God's name is at stake. What do I mean by Our God's name? He made a covenant with Abraham with Isaac and with Jacob that they would dwell that hit their descendants, which well in the land of Canaan. And he also told Abraham in Genesis 15. He let Abraham know that his descendants were going to be foreigners. They were going to dwell in a foreign Nation. And then that they were going to be oppressed for 400 years. And it's only at that time going back to Genesis. You see we forget some of these details by the way, as we as we move forward in the Torah portion. It's only after the 400 years. Why is it 400 years?

4:39 Why do we even have to go through something like this? Because God says that it won't be until after 400 years that the current inhabitants of Canaan. that they will have sinned again and again and again and again and again and again and again without repentance and that by continuing to sin that they will have gone so long. That they would don't even know what repentance is anymore. You see God Waits 400 years out of extra Mercy. for those in the land of Canaan he lets his people endure slavery. Maybe I should put it that way. Let's put this is the contrast. He lets

5:25 his chosen people endure slavery. cruel slavery at the hands of Egyptians Because he's giving the inhabitants of Cain and time to repent. But they don't. Lord knows it. They don't he extends his Mercy 400 years for that. Imagine what the people of Israel are going through? You don't have to imagine because you just read in your Torah portion. They've been going through this for hundreds of years and they've been oppressed and they're crying out to God. and God finally says It's time. it's really interesting because it says the text actually says and God remembered his people and heard their cry.

6:14 It's as if you was waiting. For the response of the other people and never heard anything. And now he comes to save his people. And it's his name. That's at stake, by the way because he's already said my people are going to be a great and prosperous Nation. They're gonna dwell here in the land of Canaan. So if God continues to let his people be in slavery. To the point of decimation then it's God's name. Not the people of Israel that will bear the shame. Because God's name is at stake here. He States his reputation on it. Up until this point up until this here in chapter 11.

6:59 We have nine different times at least. That the Lord has already provided signs and wonders and plagues. That spoke to his preeminence as the one and only God you see by giving the inhabitants of the land of Canaan and extended amount of time. We see the same thing happening. With God to pharaoh. in the in the Egyptians God God could have come in and said, all right. We're done. All my people, let's go. But God gives them time the Egyptians Time After Time After Time After Time After Time After Time, I don't have forgot how many count times

7:46 I'm on he gives them at least 9 attempts here to repent Pharaoh in particular. and he doesn't Well, he doesn't stick with his repentance. But it's this next one. That will break the will of pharaoh long enough. to allow the people the children of Israel to leave you see it doesn't break Pharaoh's will Beyond. Recognition, it's just for the certain amount of time to allow the people to leave because in Pharaoh gets his will back and he says wait a second. What have I done? I'll let I'll let all my workers go. I got to go get them back.

8:32 How's anything going to get done around here? We got all these frogs to clean up. But you see the plagues. We're not just designed. to pull God's people out of Egypt The plagues were also designed to pull Egypt out of God's people. You see because sometimes we can get so comfortable in a particular place, even if it's uncomfortable. That we can begin to settle. And that we can begin to cut corners and to not remember God. God wanted to make sure that all of

9:19 Egypt was out of his people before he pulled them out of Egypt. You know, it's an interesting thing. I started thinking about. our people have been here. This is just a modern day thing here in America. For 370 years, maybe not our particular families. But our people have been here for 370 years. A little odd thing. We're getting near 400. in America Just think about what it would take. This is I'm coming out on a limb here. Think about what it would take to remove.

10:05 America from us if we were just to put ourselves in a I mean, I know this is totally different situation. I recognize all of that. But we have been here and have been established now for long enough. Dare, I say that we as a people have become complacent. And imagine what God would have to do. To pull the America out of us and I'm not talking about the good things of America. I'm talking about the bad things. You see because the empires of this world lay claim to our souls Listen, I believe America has been a great country. I'm

10:51 not saying any of that. I'm not speaking against any of that but there are things in America that are not right. And there are things in America that have never been right. And it's those things that they claim to our soul. And it's those that God has to remove from us. He's got to take it out of us so that we can fully follow him. I could ask you a question. I could ask all of us a question. What ways is it that we've become dominated? in our own lives in service to the Empire of this world and not the kingdom of heaven.

11:37 In fact, I think that's a that's an important measure for every person to take. And to consider prayerfully what is it in this world that has claimed you? What elements of this world has already laid its claim to you? That stand in direct contrast to the kingdom of heaven. You see because the Kingdom of Heaven is already here, but it's not fully. here as a difficult concept it's already but it's not yet. It's it's a little it's like a mustard seed is what Yeshua says in Luke is going to become this huge tree. But it takes this process and we're in that process.

12:23 From from the planting of the mustard seed to the emergence of the tree. We're in that process. And so what is it in our lives that takes us away from the kingdom of heaven? Because it takes 10 plagues in the final one. takes Trust Great Trust on behalf of the people of Israel I mean Ethan if I told you today. like just just think about this if I came to you if I came to your parents and said the Lord's gonna come through the land is going to kill all the firstborn.

13:09 You need to go get a goat. Or sheep, or you know Ram something, you know get something. That's perfect. Bring it into your house. Not just for one day, but for four days so you begin to like it and soft and cuddly pet. and then You cut his throat. You drain the blood. And you put the blood. Well, let's let's go. Let's I don't really want to go that way you put the blood on the door post of your house. but be kind of like I don't know.

13:56 Maybe killing a bald eagle. I mean that's kind of the symbol of our country. Certainly if you lived in Philadelphia. If you killed a bald eagle. And you you published it to everyone? I said I'm killing a bald eagle today. And I'm gonna take its blood and I'm gonna put it on the door post because that's what I think of your bald eagles. You guys see what in the front this is to Egypt? And how much faith it takes for a people who are oppressed to do this. It's the it's tantamount to the sacrifice of a god of Egypt. And they have to trust that their God who's already

14:42 permitted. Pharaoh to come down harder and harder and harder and the crops have been wiped out. The livestock have been wiped out. Everything's been wiped out. It takes an extreme amount of trust. That Pharaoh is not going to turn around and kill their firstborn in retaliation. But they have to do this and they have to trust in the Lord and they put it out there for all the public to see. In the Lord goes out. And surely all the firstborn from pharaoh to the servants even the livestock. are killed and there's this weeping that has never this wailing that has never occurred in Egypt

15:28 before or again. And yet even during this moment. We come to verse 7. It says but not even a dog's growl. Will be heard against any of the people of Israel neither against the people nor against animals in this way. You will realize that the Lord distinguishes between the Egyptians and the Israelites. God makes a distinction and you mentioned that in your Torah portion. God makes a distinction. And it's during this time during the quietness of anticipation you imagine this. It gets dark far before midnight. But the quietness of anticipation that's prevalent among the people. As they're waiting and there's not even a dog's growl

16:15 to be heard. There's an extreme difference. in that quietness that will continue even And in contrast we'll be the Wailing. of Egypt That's very noticeable. It's during this it's this stark contrast between Israel into Egypt. And Pharaoh's own loss. That makes him realize. I gotta let him out. If nothing else they have to get out of here.

17:03 In in this process Moses, by the way is speaking all of this to pharaoh and to his servants who are nearby and then Moses says in your servants are going to come down to me. prostrate themselves before me I can just imagine it seems to me pharaohs it would seem pretty appropriate if Pharaoh were on a throne. elevated above Moses at this point and his servants maybe down a few levels and Moses says you're gonna leave Pharaoh come down and prostrate yourself to me and tell me get out. It's almost a reversal of whom they serve at this point. And sure enough they do they get out you

17:50 and everyone who follows you get out. In the Lord says to Moses even at this point. He says Moses leaves after giving this word. The Lord says to Moses Pharaoh's not going to listen to you. I know that you think at this point you're gonna be out you're gonna be on the road again. And you're gonna be safe. But even here Pharaoh is not going to listen to you. And so that still more of my wonders will be made known. You see the purpose of the Wonders is to make God's name known in Egypt and throughout all of the world. It is the Battleground.

18:38 between the empires of this world and the kingdom of heaven and this is what's happening. God is is fighting for his people fighting for his kingdom in the battle. I dare say is still evident today. So it's an important question to ask. yourself Ethan and anyone else whom will you serve? A famous poet musician said you got to serve somebody. It may be the devil or it may be the Lord.

19:25 But you have to serve someone. There's not I can sit on the fence and I I'm My Own master. I'm the you know Champion. I'm the captain of my own ship. I it just doesn't work that way. If you're not serving the lord you're serving someone else. Oftentimes it seems as if we're serving ourself, but when we're serving ourselves, we're serving the kingdom of the empire of this world the Empire of Egypt. Not the kingdom of heaven. So I want to read to you Ethan. From the very last part of your Torah portion. From chapter 13. I don't know I said to motion set aside for me all the firstborn.

20:12 Whatever is first from the womb among the people of Israel both of humans and of animals belongs to me. Moshe said to the people remember this day. On which you left Egypt the Abode of slavery. Because I don't know by the strength of his hand has brought you out of this place. Do not eat comets. You are living you are excuse me. You are leaving today in the month of Aviv. When Adonai brings you into the land of the canaani the hiti the Emory the heavy the busy which he swore to your ancestors to give you. A land flowing with milk and honey. You are to observe this ceremony in this month. For seven days you were to eat matzah in the seventh days

20:58 to be a festival for the Lord. Matzo's to be eaten throughout the seven days. Neither comments nor leavening agents are to be seen with you throughout your territory. On that day you were to tell your son. It is because of what the Lord did for me when I left Egypt. More over it will serve you as a sign on your hand and as a reminder between your eyes. So that the Lord's Torah may be on your lips because with a strong hand out an eye brought you out of Egypt. Therefore you are to observe this regulation and it's proper time year after year. When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites as he swore to you and your ancestors and gives it to you you're to set apart for the Lord everything that is first from the womb.

21:44 Every firstborn male animal will belong to the Lord every firstborn from a donkey you were to redeemeth the lamb, but if you choose not to redeem it, you must break its neck. But from people you are to redeem every firstborn son. When at some future time your son asks you what is this? Then say to him with a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt out of the Abode of slavery when Pharaoh was unwilling to let us go. The Lord killed all the firstborn males in the land of Egypt both the firstborn of humans and the first born of animals. This is why I sacrificed to the Lord any male that is first from the womb of an animal. But of all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.

22:32 This will serve as a sign on your hand. And as a front on a headband around your forehead that with a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt. You see Ethan? You are a firstborn, son. All of us should do this, but you especially should meditate on what are your responsibilities? I'm telling you go home. Seek the Lord say Lord. What are my responsibilities you look in the scripture look through all of it Lord. What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to live?

23:18 But I want to remind you this. When at the future your son asks, you verse 14. What is this? This is he's saying what's this Passover stuff? What is this? Then say to him with a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt. out of the Abode of slavery you see you especially speak to the Lord and what he has done for us. You are a sign of the Redemption of the Lord for our people in general and your parents in particular actually.

24:05 Because your parents everyone you say what is this all of a sudden your parents are reminded. What is this? The Lord brought us out of Egypt and has been trying to get the Egypt out of us ever since. You are a sign that the Lord is unwilling to let even one of his people. Stay in bondage and oppression. He's unwilling to let even one stay. He wants everyone. You see Ethan today is a special day. I mentioned it earlier. Today's a special day because it's your bar. Mitzvah you are. Entering into the doorway of

24:51 the manhood. You see what you've been up until this point as a child. And I'm sure your dad is reminded you of it every now and then. But now you're entering through the doorway. You're not quite there yet. I suspect you. Dad can probably still take you if he needs to. I mean, you know take you to lunch. but you're entering through into in your beginning to stake your own claim. on your own life and it's here where you need to set your marker so that you can remember. Because you're beginning to transition from one phase of your life from childhood into adulthood.

25:39 And it's you have to remember what the Lord does for you every step along the way. Because sometimes we forget. And it's at those moments that we need to go back and be like, okay. What was it that the Lord did for me? What did he do for me at this particular moment. You can come back to today, but even even more than that, or maybe not more than that. That's that's plenty for you. But let me let me give you an aside. I mentioned this earlier yesterday was International Holocaust Remembrance Day. It's the day. Internationally that marks when our people were delivered from Modern slavery. And more than slavery.

26:30 but it's a day for you Now I know there's other days in particular. But I want you to think about this it's a day for you. To remember what your grandfather did for us. your grandfather took steps that would scare the pants off of anybody else today. but in like fashion your dad and your mom have done their own fair share.

27:17 of taking their own steps in serving those Who are oppressed and downtrodden here and around the world? But today, you know, it's it's fascinating. I I probably Shouldn't say this. But whatever. I'll say it your bar. Mitzvah was delayed till today. Right. Am I right? That's what I thought it was delayed until today. I don't see that as a coincidence. I see it as this is a day to make an even greater. Moment in your mind a memory because you can connect it with your grandfather. And your grandfather who went and stood? in defense of his own people

28:04 Who were in? camps and he made that declaration and he fought and he continued to make that declaration until the day he died. So let today. Be a sign for you. an occasion to remember That the lord loves you. And he wants you to draw near to him. Just as our forefathers did when they left Egypt and they came to worship him at Sinai. Ethan today is a special day.

28:49 in multiple multiple ways But let it be a memory a marker for the remainder of your life. That you can look back to and draw strength and courage. While you are serving the lord. Mazel Tov even on a job well done on becoming a bar mitzvah. May the Lord bless you. And keep you may the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Give our recognize.

29:37 my here are here come Ye he sat onipulaka. There's some left on. My shoes in the name of our Messiah Yeshua, I mean shivajalum muscles of Ethan.