In the Torah reading שמות Shemot (“names,” Ex. 1:1–6:1) and its parallel passage, we learn about Moses and Samuel, great leaders of ancient Israel. But their greatness came from their humility, not grasping at the reins of power. Because of their meekness, Heaven appointed them to be chief agents of the power of Heaven on Earth.
How much more does the Messiah, the exact representation of Heaven (Heb. 1:3), show us what a faith-worth leader should be.
What we fear, we want to eradicate. In the Torah reading שמות Shemot (“names,” Exodus 1:1–6:1), we read how one particular Pharaoh feared the Israelite’s because they refused to assimilate into Egypt. King Herod feared losing his earthy throne to a more rightful Davidic heir so he slaughtered all the young boys in Bethlehem to consolidate his power. This is how all despots deal with real or imagined threats to their control.
Scripture shows us again and again that the rightful heir inevitably prevails, God makes sure of that, but those around them suffer difficulty and persecution and God takes care of them, too.
It’s cold comfort while we’re suffering to understand that learning how to endure it will make us stronger (James 1:2–4). And it can seem cruel to watch such a struggle from the outside, thinking someone with power should step up and stop it.
That heart cry for deliverance is the focus of the Torah reading שמות Shemot (“names,” Exodus 1:1–6:1). Amid the passage’s exploration of the key question of why the Kingdom of Heaven that spoke the Earth into existence seems to be unable or unwilling to stop the oppression of one of its superpowers — Mitzraim (Egypt) — there’s the subtle hit of Heaven’s coming knockout blow to that bully.
The Holy One blessed about three-score and 10 Israeli immigrants, lifting Mitzraim above its neighbors during a punishing famine while multiplying Israel’s numbers at a rate that was frightening to a pharaoh who thought he was in control of his own destiny. Just think what Heaven will do for those who cry out for relief.
We don’t know for sure which pharaoh helped raise Moshe or which pharaoh Moses confronted to free the ancient Israelis from slavery. What we can see from Torah reading Shemot (Exodus 1:1-6:1) is Heaven’s pattern for the Mashiakh Who delivers all from the bondage of living apart from the Creator.
The first 80 years of Moses’ life are summarized in Exodus 1-3. It starts with his birth in Egypt and the end of chapter 3 tells us about his call to return to Egypt. The rest of the book focuses on the last 40 years of his life.