Beth HaDerech; Messianic Jewish Congregation, Toronto, Canada

Mashiach: Discovering the Burning Bush

Weekly Sidra: Shemot (Names) Torah Portion: Shemot /Exodus 1:1-6:1 Haftorah: Yermiyahu /Jeremiah 1:1-2:3 This weeks Torah reading, starts the new book of Shemot (Sefer Shemot / Book of Exodus). We learn about the Hebrews gradual enslavement, Moses’s birth and some significant moments in his life. One of the most significant and dramatic event is Moses discovering the Burning Bush and God commanding him to “Go down Moses, way down to Egypt Land… tell old Pharaoh to Let My People Go!” Of course in the great tradition of Jewish conversations with God, Moses argues and tells God that He must of made some kind of divine accounting mistake and that he wasn’t the person for the job, choose some one else, please! Moses explains / reasons with God, (like He didn’t know) that he doesn’t have much self confidence to do anything great with his life, and that he’s a terrible public speaker. He basically argues, who Am I to do this amazing job, I can’t do it on my own! God says pratically – Yofi meod “Great! That’s exactly the type of self nullifying personal qualities I’m looking for, you’re hired!!” Moses is a reluctant Messiah type person, who after (some say) seven days of arguing with God, he begrudgingly takes on the job and starts to make his way to Egypt. What’s going on? A Burning bush? A self-conscious Messiah type?...