YITRO/JETHRO – Shemot 18:1 – 20:23, by Matthew Moshe Nolan

• Jethro’s advice.
• Yitro: Yod, Tav, Resh, Wav = Abundance, increase, advantage, to add, hanging over or cords which in pitching a tent fasten the curtains to the stakes (Is 54).
• Preparing an assembly to receive the revelation.

ShavUOT – the betrothal stage.

Pesach = 1^st of 3 part marriage, dedication stage.

Shavuot = Betrothal stage

Sukkoth = Full Marriage

The Parsha begins with a man who recognizes the POWER of YHWH and the need for delegation and it culminates with the giving of Torah and YHWH’s government (1^st Cor 12).

Haftarah: Yeshayahu 6:1 – 7:6, 9:5 – 6.  Begins with a man who recognizes the power of YHWH and culminates with a Messianic PROPHECY about YHWH’s government.

• It’s time to remove hierarchy from this assembly. There will continue to be order and government, but heavenly government where we all operate in our gifts
• Not persuasive words but a demonstration of Ruach and Power.
• Put our Emunah, not in the Chocmah of men, but in YHWH’s power.
• Revelation comes by the Ruach. (Revelation of Sinai).
• The Malchut L’ YHWH isn’t word, but Power.
• Earthly leadership or Heavenly – supernatural and powerful. (Picture from above).
• I have to bring people into the tangible, supernatural reality of the Torah – form the inside out or I have no authority to teach it anymore.
• You are going to apprehend the promises of the Kingdom and CALL them in to reality through TESTIFYING.
• Be aware of the ever-present reality of the Kingdom.

All of these words are reflected upon today in our Parsha.

In the Torah Moshe speaks, In the Haftarah Yeshayahu speaks, and they SPEAK THE SAME WORD: Israel has sinned, speak to them about the coming judgments. There will be a national purging and then only a remnant will be restored. The Jewish sages describe it as “a restored remnant sprung from seed like shoots on a ravaged tree.” Romans 11.

Did I hear from “The Father – YHWH”?

The song: “I enter the Holy of Holies” – “You can enter into the Kadosh Ha Kedoshim – Holy of Holies.”

Matt 27:51 And, see, the veil of the Beit HaMikdash was rent in two from the top to the bottom; 5 and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent. 52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the Yisraelite kidushim that slept arose, 53 And came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the kadosh city, and appeared to many. 54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Yahushua, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of the Almighty.

If the veil to the Kadosh Ha Kedoshim/Holy of Holies ripped how could the centurion see that if there is still a curtain separating the outer court from the Kadosh Place/Holy Place?

Ivrim 9:19 Having therefore, Yisraelite brothers, boldness to enter into the Makom Kadosh (KJV: Holiest. Greek: Hageos: Sanctuary, holy place, holiest of all, holiness.) by the dahm of Yahushua, 20 By a new and living way, which He has set-apart for us, through the veil (Greek: Katapetasma: One of The TWO curtains in the Temple), that is to say, His flesh; 21 And having a Kohen HaGadol over the Beit HaMikdash of YHWH.

The veil that ripped was the Hekel curtain giving us access as PRIESTS into the Kadosh Place.

High Priest or Priest? If we were talking with YHWH and hearing from Him directly, then wouldn’t that mean that we think we’re the High Priest and have no need for a mediator? YHWH forbid. We are Priests.

Test the spirits.

Surely, if we were to hear from “The Father – YHWH” we’d recoil in fear from the divine presence, just like they did at Sinai!

Shemot 20:18 And all the people saw the thundering, and the lightning, and the noise of the shofar, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they moved back, and stood at a distance. 19 And they said to Moshe, You speak with us, and we will listen: but let not Elohim speak with us, lest we die. 20 And Moshe said to the people, Fear not: for Elohim is come to test you, and that His fear may be before your faces, that you sin not. 21 And the people stood far off, and Moshe drew near to the thick darkness where Elohim was. 22 And YHWH said to Moshe, This you shall say to the children of Yisrael, You have seen that I have talked with you from the shamayim.

Mediators:

Moshe the mediator: Galutyah 3:19: What purpose then does the Torah serve? It was added because of transgressions, 3 until the Zera should come to whom the promise was made; and heavenly malachim through the hands of a Mediator ordained it.

Yeshua – the Son, the mediator: Timteuos Alef 2:5 For there is Eloah-Echad, and One Mediator between Eloah and men, Yahushua ha Moshiach; Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

Ivrim 8:6 But now Yahushua ha Moshiach has obtained a greater service, by which He also is the Mediator of a more advantageous brit, which was given as Torah based upon more advantageous promises.

There is an order of approach in divine communication:

We hear through The Ruach Ha Kodesh from the mediator – the Son, who speaks words that edify and build up the body, not words of fear and condemnation.

1^st Corinthians 14:3 But he that prophesies speaks to men to edification, and encouragement, and comfort. 4 He that speaks in an unknown language edifies himself; but he that prophesies 4 edifies the Yisraelite congregation.

Prophesy: To speak the will and Word of YHWH.

1^st Corinthians 14:29 Let the neviim speak two, or three in their turns, and let the others discern their words. 30 If anything is simultaneously revealed to another that sits by, let the first hold his silence and not interrupt. 31 For you may all prophesy one by one in your turn, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. 32 And the ruachim of the neviim are subject to the neviim. 33 For Eloah is not the author of confusion, but of shalom, as He is in all congregations of the Yisraelite kidushim.

Be discerning, Be still and know He is YHWH. Stop! We weren’t taught the difference between Tahor/clean and Tamei/unclean.

• Three ways to hear words.

1. Ruach – Ma’aseh Schlichim – 3:21.
2. S.a.tan – Beresheeth 3:4.
3. Our self, our own vain imagination – Devarim 13:1.

Captains – Establishing the order of priority. To assist Moshe Rabeinu in obtaining the best for Israel.

Yitro – Shemot 18:1 When Yithro, the priest of Midyan, Moshe’s abba-in-law, heard of all that Elohim had done for Moshe, and for Yisrael His people, and that YHWH had brought Yisrael out of Mitzrayim; 2 Then Yithro, Moshe’s abba-in-law, took Tzipporah, Moshe’s wife, after he had sent her back, 3 And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been a ger in a strange land: 4 And the name of the other was Eliezer; for the Elohim of my abba, said he, was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh: 5 And Yithro, Moshe’s abba-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moshe into the wilderness, where he camped at the mount of Elohim: 6 And he said to Moshe, I your abba-in-law Yithro have come to you, with your wife, and her two sons with her. 7 And Moshe went out to meet his abba-in-law, and bowed down, 3 and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare; and they came into the tent. 8 And Moshe told his abba-in-law all that YHWH had done to Pharaoh and to the Mitzrim for Yisrael’s sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how YHWH delivered them. 9 And Yithro rejoiced for all the tov that YHWH had done to Yisrael, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Mitzrim. 10 And Yithro said, Blessed be YHWH, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Mitzrim, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Mitzrim.11 Now I know that YHWH is greater than all elohim: for in the thing in which they dealt proudly He was above them.12 And Yithro, Moshe’s abba-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for Elohim: and Aharon came, and all the zechanim of Yisrael, to eat lechem with Moshe’s abba-in-law before Elohim. 13 And it came to pass the next day, that Moshe sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moshe from the morning to the evening. 14 And when Moshe’s abba-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, What is this thing that you do for all the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand before you from morning to evening? 15 And Moshe said to his abba-in-law, Because the people come to me to inquire of Elohim:16 When they have a matter, they come to me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the chukim of Elohim, and His Torot. 17 And Moshe’s abba-in-law said to him, The thing that you do is not tov. 18 You will surely wear away, both you, and this people that is with you: for this thing is too heavy for you; you are not able to perform it yourself all alone. 19 Listen now to my voice, I will give you counsel, and Elohim shall be with you: Stand before Elohim for the people, that you may bring the matters to Elohim: 20 And you shall teach them the ordinances and Torot, and shall show them the derech in which they must have their halacha, 2 and the work that they must do. 21 Moreover you shall provide out of all the people able men, such as fear Elohim, men of emet, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: 22 And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for yourself, and they shall bear the burden with 23 If you shall do this thing, and Aloha command you so, then you shall be able to endure, and the entire people shall also go to their place in shalom. 24 So Moshe listened to the voice of his Abba-in-law, and did all that he had said. 25 And Moshe chose able men out of kol Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. 26 And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard matters they brought to Moshe, but every small matter they judged themselves. 27 And Moshe let his Abba-in-law depart; and he went his way into his own land.

• Yitro visits the camp of Israel; the action here takes place over two days – 2000 years.
• We’re given a fleeting glimpse into Moshe’s domestic life.
• Yitro observes the routine of the Israelite camp; he’s critical of the ineffective and tiresome procedures.
• Moshe Rabainu by-passes the existing power structure, the “elders.”
• The restructuring creates a centralized, Ruach filled, powerful supratribal system.
• The focus of judicial authority is decentralized.
• Moshe Rabainu said, “Hear out your fellow man.” – Devarim 1:16 – LET THEM TESTIFY.
• The new format corresponds to the army in the days of the united monarchy.

Haftarah: Yeshayahu 6:1 – 7:6, 9:5 – 6.  Begins with a man who recognizes the power of YHWH and culminates with a Messianic PROPHECY about YHWH’s government. Yeshayahu and Moshe Rabainu speak the same words. “ Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?” “ No spring yields both salt water and fresh.” The people will become sick, only after they have drunk massive quantities.

Laying your life down for your brethren

• Fifth Commandment – Honor.
• 1^st Cor 10. “For the weapons we fight with..”  (Joel – the army of YHWH – drawing from US combat soldiers in Afghanistan)
• I want to cultivate an environment where everyone is important and no one is taken for granted.
• An environment where our relations will be governed by whether you can trust the other person with your life.
• Where none of us will be acting on our own to avoid a situation that may come upon the whole group.
• By the brave mans definition it means to fight together till the death – the Kingdom.
• A commitment to the group. It’s such a pure, clean standard that we’ll be able to remake ourselves in relationships. The only thing that will matter here is your level of dedication to Yahushua and His body, the group, and that’s almost impossible to fake when we TESTIFY.
• We need a shared commitment to safeguard one another’s lives; it’s nonnegotiable and will only deepen during our TESTIMONY TIME.  In war courage is love. Neither can exist without the other.
• Fear and anxiety and will overtake a loosely bonded group. But a tightly bonded group of brethren will mainly be concerned with living up to the standards of the group.
• Combat soldiers can withstand more pain through torture when they are close to, and part of a close group than when they’re alone.
• Combat psychology: In war bad attitudes relate directly to noncombat casualties.  Psychological collapse in combat is directly linked to domestic and interpersonal relations.
• The Dunbar number. In the early 1990’s English anthropologist Robin Dunbar theorized that the ideal size group for humans was 147 people, rounded up to 150 people. It became known as “the Dunbar number” and it popped up everywhere. A survey of ethnographic data found that precontact hunter-gatherers around the world lived in shifting communities that ranged from 90 – 221 people, with an average of 148. Neolithic villages in Mesopotamia, Abraham’s neck of the woods, were thought to have 150 people. The Roman army of the classical period used a formation of a 130 men – called a manacle, or a double century – in combat. Hutt rite communities in South Dakota split after reaching 150 people because in their opinion, the collective group standard can’t function with anything larger.
• Dunbar also found that the size of human hunter-gatherer communities were not spread evenly along a spectrum but tended to clump around certain numbers. The first group size that kept coming up in ethnographic data was thirty to fifty people – essentially a platoon. A platoon community that is highly mobile but kept in close contact with three or four other communities for social or defensive purposes. The larger these groups were the better they could defend themselves, up until the point where they got so big that they started to fracture and divide. The parallels with military structure are almost exact.
• Company – 150 men.
• Platoon – 30 men – the smallest self – contained unit in the regular army. Inserted into enemy territory and resupplied by the Company it can survive and function indefinitely.
• Men will risk their lives for anyone in the Platoon or Company but after that the sentiment drops off sharply – a brigade, forget about it – all sense of common goals or identity is pretty much theoretical. When you go to a conference – think brigade!
• Soldiers that become deserters are found to be disgruntled loners, who had never really fit into the group. They were men that typically had trouble giving or receiving kindness and affection from the group and had a history of difficult relations.
• T4 Company – 150 brethren.
• T4 and its 5 Salem Platoons of 30 brethren.