Torah reading Beshalach (בשלח): Exodus 13:17–17:16

Readings

TaNaKh (Torah, Prophets & Writings)

• Exodus 13:17–17:16
• Judges 4:4–5:31 (see studies on this passage)
• Psalm 77
• Proverbs 26
• Isaiah 63:7–65:25

Apostolic Writings

• Revelation 19:1–20:6
• Revelation 15:1–3
• Hebrews 3:1–4:13
• 1Corinthians 10:1–13
• Matthew 14:22–33; Mark 6:45–52; John 6:15–21
• Matthew 8; Mark 4–5
• 2Peter 2

Discussions

Read study notes and listen to recorded discussions by Hallel Fellowship teachers on Beshalach.

Got enough faith to be free?: Lessons from ancient Israel’s and the apostles’ sea crossings (Exodus 14–15; Matthew 8; John 6–7)

Jeff January 27, 2024

Ancient Israel’s crossing of the Red Sea while being pursued by the army of then-superpower Mitzraim (Egypt), recorded in Torah reading בְּשַׁלַּח Beshalach (“when he sent” or “after he had let go,” Exodus 13:17–17:16), is a key example of God’s supremacy over worldly powers. This study explores a parallel between Heaven’s mastery over that sea and the mastery of Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) over the tempestuous waters of the Sea of Galilee. We investigate how ancient Israel and Yeshua’s apostles were prepared for trusting in God when all seems hopeless, and how this spiritual discipline trains us for the…

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Bondage-breaking power of the Bread from Heaven and Living Water (Exodus 15–17; John 6; 1Corinthians 10; Hebrews 3–4)

Jeff February 4, 2023

When we look at the Torah reading בְּשַׁלַּח Beshalach (“when he sent” or “after he had let go,” Ex. 13:17–17:16), we need to ask ourselves five big questions: Is God with us? Are we really free? Where are we going? How will we get our “daily bread”? Where will we find “living water”? And via a number of parallel passages in the Prophets, Writings and Apostolic Scriptures, we learn that the answer to all those questions is Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus the Christ).

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Don’t leave your heart in Egypt: Faith to move forward to freedom (Exodus 17; 1Corinthians 10)

Jeff January 15, 2022

1Corinthians 10 was the apostle Paul’s midrash on Israel’s history, detailing how division arose among the children of Israel during their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. In the Torah reading בְּשַׁלַּח Beshalach (“when he sent,” Ex. 13:17–17:16), we see that it didn’t take Israel very long to forget all of the miracles that God had rendered on their behalf for their freedom and struck out in anger against Moses and Aaron. These lessons can teach us how to trust our Deliverer, Yeshua the Mashiakh (Jesus the Christ) and follow Him to true rest for our restless souls.

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God, why does this keep happening to me? Mercy in the test retake (Exodus 13:17–17:16)

Daniel January 30, 2021

Why do the same challenges or problems keep hitting us again and again? Among the lessons from the Torah reading בְּשַׁלַּח Beshalach (“when he sent,” Exodus 13:17-17:16) is that ancient Israel kept getting and kept failing faith tests in the journey out of the house of bondage in Mitzraim (Egypt) and toward Sinai and the Promised Land. While repeated testing suggests more maturity is needed as an heir of the Kingdom, it’s also part of the name (reputation) of the Holy One (Exodus 34:6-7) God is being kind to you — showing favor and mercy — by allowing you to retake the…

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Knowing when to speak and when to remain silent is wisdom (Exodus 13:17–17:15)

Jeff February 8, 2020

Impudent speech causes more problems than it solves. Ancient Israel, as they were delivered from the “house of bondage” in Egypt and moved towards Sinai, grumbled about their living conditions and their food, causing Moses a lot of stress and bringing God’s judgment on them. In the 21st century, social media has made it easier to say things to a wide audience that we should keep to ourselves. The Torah reading (בְּשַׁלַּח Beshalach, “when he sent,” Ex. 13:17-17:16) provides us practical tips on what things are wise to share and what things should be kept to ourselves or only spoken of…

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Exodus 14; 1Corinthians 10: Follow God’s escape plan from sin

Jeff January 19, 2019

1st Corinthians 10 is Paul’s midrash (commentary) from Israel’s history on how divisions arose during the journey from Mitzraim (Egypt) to the Promised Land. And the crossing of the Red Sea — recorded in בְּשַׁלַּח Beshalach, “when he sent,” Ex. 13:17-17:16 — also is a parallel for our trip from unsaved to Savior.

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Are you ready to enter God’s rest? 5 questions to ask yourself (Exodus 13:17–17:16)

Jeff January 27, 2018

Am I really free from my old way of life? Am I going somewhere in life that leads to eternal contentment, or am I wandering through this existence, at the mercy of happenstance? These are some of the big questions tackled in the Torah reading בְּשַׁלַּח Beshalach (“when he sent”), covering Ex. 13:17-17:16. We can’t imagine what our ancestors in faith experienced as they witnessed God’s work during the Exodus from Mitzraim (Egypt). As they were leaving the house of bondage, were they really free or did they leave their hearts in Mitzraim, despite the cruelties and indignities they experienced…

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Exodus 13:17–17:16: If God is with us, who can be against us?

Jeff January 23, 2016

The questions ancient Yisra’el asked after the Exodus from Mitzraim are similar to what we often ask ourselves today: Is God with us or not? Are we really free? Where are we going? How will we get our “daily bread”? Where will we find “living water”? That’s the focus of the Torah reading Beshalach (“when he sent”), covering Exodus 13:17-17:16.

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Hebrews 3-4: How to enter God’s lasting ‘rest’

Jeff October 11, 2014

Some read about the “Sabbath-rest” in Hebrews 4 and conclude that the teaching is that the remembrance of the seventh-day rest, the Sabbath, has been transferred to the Messiah, Yeshua. Yet the context of the passage and the quotations in it relating to a pivotal event in the Torah point to the fuller meaning of personal peace and real “rest” that God provides.

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You want to be one of God’s firstfruits

Daniel June 7, 2008

Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) is called the firstfruits of the resurrection (1st Cor. 15:20), and why are we called firstfruits of creation (James 1:18)? Pentecost originally was a celebration of the firstfruits of the wheat harvest and followed 50 days after the celebration of the firstfruits of the barley harvest. What is God teaching here about Yeshua and us?

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Exodus 13–15

Journey to the 10 series

Exodus 12–20 recounts a transformation of Israel from a people in bondage to a truly free nation of ambassadors of the Kingdom of God. This “Journey to the 10” is a path each believer should take before and after baptism to become fully mature, not lacking anything. (Start the series of studies from the beginning.)

God delivers Israel from Mitzraim (Egypt) through the Red Sea

On the 15th day of the first month, the first day of what God established as Khag Matzot (Feast of Unleavened Bread), Israel left Mitzraim (Egypt). We’ll explore why the Bible talks more about the Matzot than Pesakh (Passover). Pesakh commemorates God’s breaking the chains of Mitzraim that held Yisra’el there, and Matzot, God’s breaking the power of Mitzraim via the sea.

Studies on the annual festival of Firstfruits

The annual festival of Firstfruits, aka רֵאשִׁית קָצִיר Reysheet Qatzir, falls during the seven-day festival of Unleavened Bread, aka מצות Matzot, and actually is a memorial of what Israel experienced during the Exodus. It’s also part of our journey as believers from the “old person” to the “new person” in Messiah (Christ).

Exodus 16

Manna and Shabbat

We need to make our own personal connection to the Exodus and the events leading up to Sinai. These events are not only for those who have an ethnic Jewish heritage. This history belongs to all who are called by God our Father to take hold of Yeshua as our elder brother and kinsmen redeemer. At this point in the Exodus, God gives them manna to eat but also gives them very specific instructions of how, when and what to do with the manna after they gather it. The people violated those instructions and incurred different punishments for their folly.

Wilderness of Sin, Sinai and daily ‘what is it?’ bread

The people of Israel had cried out from the burden of overwork but they didn’t want God to remove them from Goshen forever. Yet, that’s what God did in a miraculous way. As we have reached the fifth week leading up to Sinai, the people are becoming very homesick for Egypt as they are traveling further and further from Egypt. God brings the people of Israel to the wilderness of Sin where they murmur against God for the second time. God responds by making a surprising provision and another test of their willingness to listen and obey God.

Exodus 17

Wilderness of Sin to Massah and Meribah; Amalek terrorized Israel

The territory of Sin — a place name, not the term for moral malady — that Israel transversed after leaving Mitsraim (Egypt) was a very large place. It’s in the area where Mt. Sinai is located. Yet, Yisra’el did sin at Rephadim, so it was called Massah and Meribah. But God still gave the people water from the rock — “living water” preceded law at Sinai — and defeated Amalek.

War against Amalek and the rocks of rest and water

What we see in this story are the actions of God, not the actions of the people. We can learn a lot about God if we just read the story carefully. In this passage, rocks play an important role and are important symbols of God at work. First was the rock Moshe sits on raising his arms during the daylong battle with Amalek. Second was the rock from which “living water” came to quench the thirst of Israel.

Haftarah: Judges 4:4-5:31

Female judges Devorah & Ya’el

Daniel Agee looks into the only two female judges of ancient israel, Devorah (Deborah) and Ya’el (Jael), and how that last battle against Canaan parallels the struggles we face today and will face on the Day of the LORD.