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Items of
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What's New
Compliments of First Fruits of Zion
reprinted by permission of FFOZ
Beshalach - בשלח : “When he sent”
Torah : Exodus 13:17-17:16
Haftarah : Judges 4:4-5:31
Gospel : Mark 6
One who believes in Moses believes in God. (Mechilta)
When Israel saw the great power which the LORD had used against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in His servant Moses. (Exodus 14:31)
Israel’s moment of personal faith occurs on the shore of the Red Sea. After they saw the destruction of Pharaoh’s army and the deliverance God had given them through the hand of Moses, they fully placed their faith in God and in His servant Moses. It says that they feared God, meaning they finally perceived His authority. It says the believed in Him, meaning they had faith in His saving power. It says they believed also in Moses His servant, meaning that they now had faith in Moses as the agent sent by God. This is the Torah’s prescription of saving faith.
In addition, belief in Moses indicates something more than simply monotheism. To believe in God is one thing, but to believe in Moses is to believe in God as He revealed in the Torah. Many people believe in God, but not so many believe the Torah. Not many people believe in God as He is revealed through Moses. This is why the Mechilta, an ancient commentary on Exodus, says, “One who believes in Moses believes in God.” One who believes in the Torah believes in more than just a vague sense of higher power; he believes in the real God, the God of the Bible.
There is a similar passage in the Gospels. In John 14:1, the Master told his disciples, “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.” He means to tell them that just as they have previously placed their faith in God, they need also to place their faith in Him as God’s agent of salvation. Just as Israel believed in Moses, the disciples are to believe in Yeshua the prophet like unto Moses, the Son of God. And this faith in Yeshua is the critical distinction of a believer’s life. We find that many people today are willing to confess faith in God, but seem embarrassed to confess faith in Yeshua. We are called believers because we believe in Yeshua. We find salvation in Him because we place our faith in Him.
Moses saved the children of Israel from Egypt, from Pharaoh and from the Red Sea. Yeshua saves us from sin, from Satan and from death. He is the prophet like unto Moses and greater than Moses, worthy of our faith. He is the Son of God.
Please consider supporting FFOZ with a financial contribution.
We are pleased to announce 3 different Restoration products, now available at the FFOZ Store (http://ffoz.com/store). The Restoration Book, the Restoration Workbook and the Audio Book. The new workbook contains fifteen chapters that correspond to the chapters in the book Restoration, written by D. Thomas Lancaster. Each chapter contains an introduction and questions to help the reader explore the concepts and ideas presented in the book in more detail.
This workbook is primarily intended for use in a group setting. Group leaders could set up a book study, where participants read a chapter during the week, and then the group could go over the workbook portion of the chapter during the study.
The Restoration Audio Book, read by D. Thomas Lancaster, contains six
CDs and is narrated by the Author.
FFOZ's Weekly e-Drash is based on our popular Torah Study
Program,
Torah Club. For an introduction to Torah Club
click here.
First Fruits of Zion, PO Box 620099, Littleton, CO
80162-0099 USA
Telephone 303 933 2119, Toll-free 800 775 4807, Fax 303 933 0997
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