Tag: Parashat Beshalach

Torah reading Beshalach (“and he sent”) covers Exodus 13:17-17:16.

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Discussions Torah

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

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

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 test. Rather than being mad at God for a repeat of a test, we should be grateful for another opportunity to improve.

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Discussions Torah

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

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 with God alone in prayer.

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Apostolic Writings Discussions Torah

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

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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Discussions Torah

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

Cat resting from his hard work. Photo Patataj Patataj via Freeimages.com.

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 there?

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Discussions Torah

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

"The Israelites Crossing the Red Sea" by Circle of Juan de la Corte
Circle of Juan de la Corte (1580-1663), "The Israelites Crossing the Red Sea," Oil on canvas, Fundacion Banco Santander, Wikimedia Commons / Google Art Project, Public domain (U.S.), 1630-1660.

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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Appointments With God Discussions Shabbat

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

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

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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Appointments With God Discussions Torah Unleavened Bread

Seventh Day of Unleavened Bread points to the lifelong, arduous journey of trust in God

Illustration of a desert oasis with palm trees, a stream, and rocky cliffs, where robed figures lead goats through water, symbolizing a biblical journey. Overlaid text reads: “Seventh Day of Unleavened Bread points to the lifelong, arduous journey of trust in God.” Logo in bottom left corner reads “hallel.info.”

How do we relate to Israel’s flight out of Egypt to the Red Sea, as recorded in Exodus? We weren’t there. We know that this was a long, arduous journey. It was a seven-day walk — day and night — without sleep or respite. A likely reason God wants us of the Commonwealth of Israel to remember the Israel’s deliverance from both the lure of Egypt and the might of Egypt on the first and seventh days of the Festival of Unleavened Bread they are picture of the full release God gives us through the Great Deliverer, Yeshua the Messiah.