Exodus 21 Slaves, Killing, Fighting and Goring QA

Slaves, Killing, Fighting and Goring

With Questions and Proposed Answers

 

 

Background and printed text: Exodus 21

 

Exodus 21:1 And these are the justices that thou shalt set to their faces.

 

2When thou shalt buy a Hebrew slave, he will serve six years. And in the seventh he will exit to freedom gratis. 3If he will come with his body, he will exit with his body. If he is a husband of a woman, and his woman will exit with him.

 

4If his lords will give a woman to him, and she will child to him sons or daughters, the woman and her children will be to her lords. And he will exit with his body. 5And if the slave will say, saying, “I loved my lords, my woman and my children! I will not exit free!” 6And his lords shall approach him unto the Elohim. And he shall approach him unto the door or unto the Mezuzah. And his lords shall pierce his ear with a piercing-tool. And he shall serve him to Hider.

 

7And when a man will sell his daughter to a slavemaiden, she shall not-exit as the exiting of the slaves. 8If she-is-bad in the eyes of her lords who did not betroth her, and she shall be redeemed. He shall not rule to sell her to a foreign people in his defrauding via her. 9And if he will betroth her to his son, he will do to her as the justice of the daughters.

 

10If he will take to himself another {feminine}, he will not diminish her remainder, her blanket-covering and her cohabiting. 11And if he will not do these three to her, and he will exit her gratis─there is no silver.

 

12The smiter of a man, and he will die: dying, he shall-be-made-to-die! 13And whoever did not stalk, and the Elohim situated to his hand, and I will put a place to thee that he will flee there.

 

14And when a man will presume upon his neighbour to slay him via guile, thou shalt take him from with my altar to die.

 

15And the smiter of his father and his mother: dying he shall-be-caused-to-die!

 

16And a stealer of a man, and he sells him, and he will be found in his hand: dying, he shall-be-caused-to-die!

 

17And he lightly esteems his father and his mother: dying, he shall-be-caused-to-die!

 

18And when men shall fight, and a man shall smite his neighbour via a stone or via a fist and he will not die, and he will fall to bed, 19if he will arise and he will walk himself into the outside upon his staff, and the smiter will be innocent. Only he will give his sitting and healing—he-will-cause-healing!

 

20And when a man will smite his slave or his slavemaiden via a rod, and he will die under his hand, avenging, he shall be avenged! 21Only if he will arise a day or days, he will-not-be-avenged. For he is his silver.

 

22And when men will physically-fight, and they will smite a pregnant woman, and her children will exit, and there will not be injury, amerced, he shall be amerced just-as the husband of the woman will set upon him. And he will give via the deliberators. 23And if injury will be, and thou shalt give, being under being!— 24eye under eye, tooth under tooth, hand under hand, foot under foot, 25branding under branding, wound under wound, bruise under bruise.

 

26And when a man will smite the eye of his slave or the eye of his slavemaiden, and he will blind her, he will send him to freedom under his eye. 27And if a tooth of his slave or a tooth of his slavemaiden will fall, he will send him to freedom under his tooth.

 

28And when an ox will gore a man or a woman and he will die, stoning, the ox shall be stoned! And he shall not eat his flesh. And the husband of the ox is innocent. 29And if an ox—he gored from yesterday three days ago, and he was testified via his husbands, and he will not guard him, and the ox will cause- a man or a woman -to-die, he will be stoned, and also his husbands─he will-be-caused-to-die! 30And if a covering will be set upon him, and he shall give a redemption of his being as all that will be set upon him! 31Or he will gore a son, or he will gore a daughter, he will be done to him as this justice.

 

32If the ox will gore a slave or a slavemaiden, he will give silver of 30 shekels to his lords. And the ox will be stoned.

 

33And when a man will open a pit, or when a man will dig a pit, and he will not cover him, and an ox or an ass will fall ‘thereward,’ 34the husband of the pit will make peace. He will return silver to his husbands. And the dead will be to him.

 

35And when the ox of a man will attack the ox of his neighbour, and he will die, and they shall sell the living ox. And they shall halve his silver. And they shall also halve the dead. 36Or it was known that the ox—he gored from yesterday, three days ago, and his husbands will not guard {singular} him: making-peace, he shall make peace, an ox under the ox. And the dead will be to him.

 

37When a man shall steal an ox or a sheep and slaughter him or sell him, he will-make-peace: five of the herd under the ox and four of the flock under the sheep!

 

 

 

I. The Justices (verse 1)

 

Yehovah commanded Moshe to set these justices to the faces of the Israelis. How surprising to find that the first justices pertain to proper treatment of slaves!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Why did Yehovah call these things justices? A definition of justice is rendering (that is, finally concluding and telling) a right decision based on all facts. Elohim will be telling the Israelis what justice is in each case.

 

2.     Why must these be “set to their faces” (instead of being told to them or written for them)? The Israelis must see these justices occurring in order for them to know that they are good and right. Just hearing them won’t necessarily show them that they are good or right.

 

          Also, the Israelis are in unbelief; thus, they go by sight rather than by faith. They must have Truth put right in front of them.

 

          If something good is set to their faces, they will be more likely to go after it.

 

 

 

II. Buying a Hebrew Slave (verses 2-3)

 

Israelis will purchase Hebrew slaves. (A Hebrew slave is an Israeli slave.) The slave will serve six years. In the seventh year, the slave will exit from slavery to freedom gratis—that is, without having to pay anything.

 

If the slave will come with the only possession being his own physical body, he will exit with his physical body. If, on the other hand, he is a husband of a woman, his woman will exit with him.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Who is thou in, “When thou shalt buy a Hebrew slave”? Thou is Israel. Again, whatever an individual Israeli does, all Israel does.

 

2.     What is a Hebrew slave? Anyone who is a Hebrew is descended from an ancestor named Ever (Eber in regular translations). The following text gives the genealogy from Shem, one of Noah’s sons, to Avraham:

 

          1 Chronicles 1:24 Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah, 25Ever, Peleg, Reu, 26Serug, Nahor, Terah, 27Avram; the same is Avraham.

 

          The term Hebrew later came to be used mainly for the Israelis, though it originally included other non-Israeli groups who came from Ever’s lineage. If Yehovah’s command includes all who come from Ever’s lineage, that would include descendants of Ishmael, of Moab, of Ammon, of Esau… Had Yehovah said, “When thou shalt buy an Israeli slave…,” I would have known that this command was only for Israelis. Yehovah worded it the way He meant it.

 

3.     The text states, “He will serve six years.” Can’t the time of his serving as a slave be less than six years? Yehovah could have worded this, “He will serve no more than six years,” but He didn’t word it that way. The period of six years is the maximum (unless the slave desires to become a permanent slave), but it seems that it is also the required length of time. Yehovah will give exceptions if the slave can be freed before that. Of course, if the slavemaster wants the slave to be freed before six years, he can command the slave to be freed, in which case the remainder of the six years will be under the command of freedom!

 

4.     Why did Yehovah choose six years (instead of seven or five, for examples)? This length of time is also a type—a picture of events to come.

 

          The one future event of which I am aware that lasts seven years is the Tribulation. The Israelis will be as slaves to the lusts of others for six of those years, and the seventh year will be especially when the Israelis come with freedom to Mount Zion. I don’t know of another seven-year event that this could typify at this time.

 

5.     What does gratis mean? This means without price or payment of any kind.      

 

6.     Suppose that this slave had run up a debt that is equivalent to 25,000,000 dollars; how would his being a slave for six years come anywhere near paying that debt? It wouldn’t come near paying the debt. That is exactly what Yehovah is teaching the Israelis. No matter how great the debt, that debt will be canceled after six years and in the seventh year. That is exactly what will happen to Israel. The People of Israel will have accrued a debt (will have run up a debt) that will be so large, that no amount of time would permit the Israelis to pay that debt. Yet, Yehovah will cancel that debt in the seventh year of the Tribulation; the Israelis will request forgiveness, and Yehovah will grant it; the Israelis will ask for it in Truth.

 

7.     The text states, “If he will come with his body, he will exit with his body.” How could he come without his body? This wording in Hebrew implies that he comes into this slavery position without any other possessions except his physical body.

 

8.     If he is a husband of a woman, does his woman also become a slave when he does? If his debt is great enough, she does, and so do his children!

 

9.     If he went into slavery with his children, would they also come out with him? They do!

 

10.  Suppose that an Israeli purchases a slave who isn’t a Hebrew. Will that slave also exit in the seventh year? No! That person is a slave for life, and the children of that slave are also slaves:

 

          Leviticus 25:39 And when thy brother with thee will be impoverished, and he will be sold to thee, thou shalt not slave-drive via him the slavery of a slave. 40He will be with thee as a hireling, as a resident. He will slave with thee unto the year of the flowing. 41And he will exit from with thee—he and his children with him. And he will return unto his family. And he will return unto the possession of his fathers. 42For they are my slaves—them whom I exited from the land of Egypt. Ye shall not sell the selling of a slave. 43Thou shalt not descend into him via rigour! And thou shalt fear from thy Gods! 44And thy slave and thy slavemaiden who will be to thee: Ye shall acquire a slave and a slavemaiden from them—from with the races that are around you 45and from the children of the residents, the sojourners with you. Ye shall also acquire from them who are with you and from their families who childed in your land. And they shall be to you to a grasping. 46And ye shall self-inherit them to your children after you to a possession of grasping to hider. Ye shall slave-drive via them. And thou shalt not descend into him via rigour via your brothers, sons of Israel, a man via his brothers!

 

 

 

III. Slaves Making Babies (verses 4-6)

 

A slavemaster of a Hebrew slave can give a woman to the slave to make babies. If she does become pregnant for the slavemaster, the woman and her children will be the property of the slavemaster (and not the slave who impregnated her—who got her pregnant). When the time comes for the slave to exit, he will exit with his own physical body, and not with the woman or the child that he fathered.

 

Now, if the slave will insistently say, “I loved my lords, my woman and my children! I will not exit free,” his slavemaster will ‘approach’ him unto the Elohim—unto the Gods of Israel. And he will ‘approach’ him unto the door or unto the Mezuzah (the doorpost). The slavemaster will then pierce his ear with a piercing-tool. The slave will then serve the slavemaster to Hider—he will permanently become his property. (That way, he can keep his woman and his child/children.)

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Why is lords plural? Does this refer to a slavemaster and his wife? It isn’t referring to a second human slavemaster/slavemistress. It is referring to one slavemaster/slavemistress. It is plural because the slavemaster/mistress is the boss in the many areas of the slave’s life. This is also the reason why Yehovah is so often called my Lords Yehovah in Hebrew in the Bible. Yehovah isn’t merely the Lord, but He is boss in this area and in this other area and in this other area… He is all the Lords over all things.

 

2.     If the slave’s lords will give a woman to him, does she become the slave’s wife? No! That is the point of this section: she doesn’t become his wife, and he isn’t her husband. (There is one exception to this.)

 

3.     Aren’t a man and a woman supposed to be married in the Bible before having sex and producing children? That is the rule except in this one case, and in one other case given in the Bible. A slavemaster can have a slave produce children through a woman that the slavemaster provides, and the woman and the children will not belong to the slave, but to the slavemaster unless the slave meets certain conditions (given next in the text). This is not wrong; it is perfectly right in the eyes of Yehovah.

 

          The other exception occurred with Judah and Judah’s daughter-in-law, Tamar. When Judah’s son who was married to Tamar died, Judah’s next son was responsible to take Tamar, and try to produce children to his deceased brother. He refused, and he died. Judah was afraid to give his third son to Tamar because Judah knew that the third son might also end up dead like the first two (they were evil, and Yehovah killed them). Judah cheated Tamar by promising the third son to Tamar, and not giving him to her. So, Tamar dressed up like a prostitute, and Judah had sex with her thinking she was a pagan temple whore. She became pregnant by Judah, her father-in-law, and had twins. What she did was right, and the tribe of Judah in Israel became the most notable among the tribes of Israel, the tribe that will prove to be the most Spiritual at the earliest time.

 

          Apart from these types of justices, when a man and a woman (including a girl and a boy) who are not married to anyone engage in sex together without forming marriage bonds, they are committing fornication, and fornication is sin before Yehovah. Now, since most folks do not fear Yehovah, and most folks do not believe in Yehovah and in His Messiah (Yeshua), they follow their own gods; most gods are not against fornication. Those who fear Yehovah have no business judging those who serve other gods regarding such things; the True and Living God will judge those who are outside of the faith of Yehovah. These texts in Exodus that we are considering are the Teachings of Yehovah, and not the teachings of other gods. Getting to know the Teachings of Yehovah can save lives.

 

4.     Why would a slavemaster desire a slave to produce children for the slavemaster? Children are very valuable in the Bible. I don’t mean that they are worth a lot of money; they have great abilities to benefit those around them, and they are worth all the difficulties that come with rearing children if they decide to have good character.

 

          Suppose that a slavemaster and his wife cannot have children for one reason or another; obtaining children from a slave would be an excellent and simple way to solve this problem. That is one of Yehovah’s solutions.

 

5.     What does “he will exit with his body” mean, again? He won’t take anyone with him; the woman and the children are not his.

 

6.     In what order will the slave declare his love? He starts by stating, “I loved my lords.” He then says, “… my woman …” and finally, “… my children.”

 

7.     What else must the slave declare? He must declare, “I will not exit free!” Thus, he is declaring his intention to be a slave to this slavemaster for the rest of his life.

 

8.     Under what conditions would a slave be willing to voluntarily become a permanent slave to another human? There can be many conditions, including the following:

 

  • The slave loves and trusts the slavemaster
  • The slave greatly desires to keep the woman and the children
  • The slave does much better in life with the slavemaster handling his affairs than he would do handling his own affairs
  • The slave is confident in the ability of the slavemaster to provide protection
  • The slavemaster is very good at finances and runs his holdings very well

 

 

          Many volunteered to become slaves of others in Biblical times when masters were very good to those around them.        

 

9.     Isn’t slavery evil? Slavery is evil under the following conditions:

 

  • When a person has been kidnapped for slavery purposes (as in the cases of slavery in the early United States)
  • When slaves are mistreated
  • When slaves are treated as cattle rather than as humans (made in the image of God)
  • When corrupt laws of humans cause free-born persons to become slaves
  • When slave drivers and slavemasters don’t value the lives and limitations of their slaves

 

 

          Otherwise, slavery isn’t evil; it is actually an excellent relationship that all countries in the world use and acknowledge. Marriage is voluntary slavery; every form of the military is always slavery; life-and-death forms of work are usually slavery.

 

          The military is slavery because officers can and do send men and women into life-threatening positions and assignments. They order men and women to do tasks that can easily get them killed. The military tells folks where to go, where to live, what to eat, how to dress, how to behave, etc. Even when a person retires from the military, every military can always call the retired to return to active duty. The country owns its military personnel; that ownership is for life. Thus, slavery is not automatically evil. Some thrive as slaves.

 

10.  The next verse states, “And his lords shall approach him unto the Elohim.” What does this mean, and how can this happen? The Elohim, of course, is the Gods, usually (if not always) a reference to the Messiah, and definitely a reference to the Creator. This slavemaster must bring this slave to approach the Creator.

 

          Now, the text doesn’t tell how this must be accomplished. (When I ask a question about what these things typify, you will probably see that the type will be clear.) The normal way to approach the Elohim is by coming to the altar of the Temple or Tent of Appointment. That act of coming to the altar is considered approaching Him.

 

11.  Why should he approach him unto the door, and what door is this? The text doesn’t tell what door is in mind, but the door will be made of wood, and will be hard. It will be the backdrop for ear piercing.

 

12.  What is a Mezuzah? That is the Hebrew word for a doorpost—the hard wood structure that fits around the door on the left and right upon which the door is either hinged or latched.

 

13.  What is a piercing tool? It is a tool designed to make a small but permanent hole in the lobe of the ear.

 

14.  Why must the ear be pierced? Apart from the type (that I will discuss shortly), this is usually for the placement of an earring, and if so, it shows that the man is owned as a permanent slave.

 

15.  What does “he shall serve him to Hider” mean? Since Hider refers to a time that isn’t revealed, serving to that time is serving throughout all of revealed time! The Bible reveals what will happen up to the creation of the New Earth! Thus, Hider must be beyond this present earth’s history!

 

16.  Since a human cannot serve another to Hider (due to finally becoming old and dying), what does this section of the text typify? Suppose that the slave’s lords is a type of Yehovah Himself. If this is correct, Yehovah is the one who gives a woman to the slave. She can bring forth children to him, but the woman and the children belong to Yehovah, the owner. When the slave’s time with Yehovah ends, he exits with his body. The woman who belonged to Yehovah and the children that belonged to Yehovah still belong to Yehovah; the exit of the man (I am proposing) is his death. If, however, the man declares, “I loved my lords”—that is, that he truly loved Yehovah, and, “I loved my woman and my children, I will not exit free,” his lords (supposing that this is Yehovah) will approach him unto the Elohim—that is, unto the Messiah, Yeshua. He will also approach him unto the door or unto the doorpost; the door and the doorpost are designed to keep undesired persons out. His lords (again, supposing that this is Yehovah) will pierce his ear with a piercing-tool, and I propose that this typifies the hearing of the man being opened so that he can hearken. The man who is the slave will now serve Yehovah to Hider—that is, even beyond his own death, since he will return in the resurrection of the dead to continue serving Yehovah. Since the woman and the children belonged to Yehovah, his relationship with them will also continue, though there is no marriage after death; marriage is only for this life.

 

          If what I propose is correct, this text pictures how things change when a man is born of God, opting to become a permanent slave of Yehovah and of His Messiah.

 

 

 

IV. Selling a Daughter (verses 7-9)

 

An Israeli can sell his daughter as a slavemaiden. (See questions to learn why this might occur.) This slavemaiden shall not exit (go out) as the exiting of the slaves. She must be treated differently from the other slaves.

 

If her slavemaster doesn’t look at her in a good light, and if he also didn’t betroth her (either to himself or to his son), she must be redeemed. The slavemaster is never permitted to sell her to a foreign people in the process of defrauding (dealing crookedly with her) by means of her.

 

If, on the other hand, he will betroth her to his son, he must do to her exactly what is the justice to do with daughters.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Does the man really sell his daughter to a slavemaiden? That is the Hebrew way of wording that he is selling his daughter to become a slavemaiden.

 

2.     Isn’t selling a daughter to become a slavemaiden really cold, an act of total lovelessness, and just cruel? While this could be the case, doing this among the Israelis under the Torah (Teaching) was often quite different in results. Now, if a man must sell his daughter to become a slavemaiden, it is usually because the financial situation of his family has become desperate. Now, suppose that he sells his daughter to become a slavemaiden, and the couple who purchases her has a son about her age. Suppose that this couple truly loves this hard-working and very gracious slavemaiden, and suppose that their son also does. She can easily go from being poor to being the wife over much property. In cases like this, selling her wasn’t cold, it wasn’t a loveless act, and it wasn’t cruel. It was a step up for her, giving her opportunity to demonstrate her quality of character.

 

          While every daughter-selling will not be so romantic, some of them will be, and the two families will then be bonded by a strong love for each other. Yehovah’s commands are good; they are not designed to do bad to the innocent.

 

3.     What does “she shall not-exit as the exiting of the slaves” mean? This can mean two different things; I propose that both are what is in mind.

 

          When the male slaves go out in the morning, most going into the fields to tend crops or to tend cattle, the slavemaiden is not to accompany the male slaves. Accompanying them would put her at risk of being raped and of being mistreated in various ways. She must be given safe tasks in safe places so that her time of slavery is not dangerous.

 

          Also, when the time comes for her to be freed from her slavery, she must not be sent out with just her body and her clothing; she must be accompanied and treated as a daughter.

 

4.     What does “she is bad in the eyes of her lords” mean? For one reason or another, her slavemaster (or slavemistress) just didn’t like her. Instead, he (or she) viewed her as destructive to his/her goals. This doesn’t imply that she did anything wrong. Yehovah knew that the Israelis were not born of God, and their senses of justice can be all wrong because of the hardness of their hearts.

 

          On the other hand, the slavemaiden might truly be destructive; still, she must be treated in a right manner.

 

5.     What does betroth mean? This means to seal a marriage relationship; the two involved are indeed husband and wife, but they haven’t yet come together for sexual intercourse.

 

          Betrothal can occur at any age. Parents of a son can betroth their son to the daughter of another set of parents when the son and daughter are, say, six years old. (I am speaking of another set of cultures, and not the cultures of the United States.) The children are husband and wife, but they are not old enough for many things. Later, when they are ready and mature enough, they can live under the same roof and can live as husband and wife. In the meantime, though, they are still married, and the term betrothed explains their relationship. Once they are betrothed, only divorce or death can break that relationship.

 

6.     What does “she shall be redeemed” mean? This form of redemption refers to a monetary price being paid for her release from slavery. Someone who is near of kin to her must pay the redemption, since her lords sees her as bad, and he didn’t betroth her to himself or to his son. The text doesn’t tell who must do this, but only that it must be done. (Someone who fears Yehovah, who is near of kin, and who can afford the redemption price will redeem her.)

 

7.     What does defraud mean? It means to cheat; to claim the willingness to do something, and then not do it; to fool another and then refuse to do what was promised.

 

8.     Explain “He shall not rule to sell her to a foreign people in his defrauding via her”: The slavemaster acquired her as a slavemaiden, and then he didn’t like her. He gave her the impression that she would do well under him, but instead he turned against her. He cannot rule over her to sell her to a foreign (non-Israeli) people; if he did, he would be selling her to folks outside of Israel who are not bound by the Teaching (Torah) of Yehovah, and who therefore could do with her whatever they wanted. If he were to sell her to a foreign people, he would be both violating this commandment and defrauding Israel and Yehovah by means of her! Yehovah will not be happy!

 

9.     Can this slavemaster betroth this slavemaiden to his son without her parents’ permission? During the time that she is a slavemaiden to this master, he owns her—but he owns her as a daughter. If his son is of good character, and if he is of good character, I don’t think that her parents will be against this betrothal. If the slavemaiden didn’t desire to be betrothed, she could express this; forced marriages do not usually work well. I propose that a wise slavemaster will speak with the slavemaiden’s parents, and will also speak with the slavemaiden herself to make certain that his son and this woman will work well together.

 

10.  What does “he will do to her as the justice of the daughters” mean? Doing as the justice of in the Bible means treating as—that is, doing things in the right manner that Yehovah has commanded.

 

          Justice is a right decision based on all facts. If the justice of a daughter who is about to be married includes giving her a dowry (a gift that is like an inheritance to help supply things needed during the marriage), the slavemaster must likewise give her a dowry! He must treat her exactly as if she were his natural daughter. (This is the only right way to treat a slavemaiden.)

 

 

 

V. Second Wife (verses 10-11)

 

If the son of the slavemaster who has married the slavemaiden takes another woman to himself as a second wife, he will not diminish the remainder of the woman who was both the first woman and the slavemaiden. He will not diminish her blanket-covering, and he will not diminish her cohabiting—sleeping with her. If he will not do these three to her, he will exit her without any redemption price—that is, gratis; there must be no silver exchange for her leaving.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Does the Bible permit an Israeli to have more than one wife? Yes.

 

2.     Why would Yehovah permit a man to have more than one wife? Yehovah knew that wars would leave shortages of men, and Yehovah gave most women the desire to have children. He therefore gave that option so that a woman would not have to be without a husband and a means of legitimately having children if there were not enough men.

 

3.     Can a man have more than one wife in the United States and in countries with similar cultures? No; it is against the laws of these lands. These lands are not Israel. Yehovah has commanded those who fear Him to obey the laws of the lands in which they live as long as those laws do not command citizens to violate the Scriptures.

 

4.     Isn’t taking on another wife a form of cruelty to the first wife? Work for women and men was usually very hard. A woman might be able to have slaves who worked with her, but at times, she desired to have help that was more personal, and she might have a true friend who was in need of a marriage relationship. In other words, at times, the women found this arrangement good, and they would basically run the household while their husband did his labour.

 

          In many of our cultures, such a relationship would make for terrible jealousy, frustration and even hatred. Under the conditions of the cultures in which Israel was placed, such a relationship could be very beneficial.

 

          Yehovah never permits a woman to have more than one husband; that confuses the lineages, and men are liable to kill each other in such a case.

 

          Also, Yehovah never recommended that a man have more than one wife; He permitted it, and He gave the conditions under which it could occur.

 

5.     Who is taking to himself another woman? I propose that this is the son whose father has betrothed a slavemaiden to his son.

 

6.     What does “he will not diminish her remainder” mean? If a man will take on a second wife, the man is not permitted to cut down on what the first wife (the slavemaiden) previously was given. He cannot take what is hers and share it with the second wife; mistreatment is not permitted.

 

7.     What does “he will not diminish … her blanket-covering” mean? The husband is not permitted to take blankets (or clothing) of the first wife (the slavemaiden) to give to the second wife. He is not permitted to take part of the tent or all of the tent of the first wife and give it to the second wife.

 

8.     What does “he will not diminish … her cohabiting” mean? This means that the first husband is not permitted to diminish the amount of time that he sexually sleeps with his first wife (who was a slavemaiden). He is not to position his second wife as a replacement for his first.

 

9.     Verse 11 states, “And if he will not do these three to her, and he will exit her gratis─there is no silver.” Does he send her away after living with her as a wife for a while, and then after obtaining a second wife? If the son who has been betrothed to the slavemaiden is not willing to meet these three conditions from the beginning of his coming together with this woman, the slavemaiden’s betrothal becomes a form of fraud against her. Thus, she will be immediately sent away from being a slave.

 

          If the son takes another woman before coming together with this betrothed slavemaiden, and the son isn’t willing to make the other woman second to the slavemaiden, this also is a form of fraud against the slavemaiden, and has mandated her freedom.

 

          If the son comes together with this slavemaiden to whom he is betrothed, and then later takes another woman, and he isn’t willing to do the three things commanded to the slavemaiden, he again has defrauded her (cheated her). She must be freed. (I do not know if this constitutes a divorce since the only allowable divorce is for fornication.)

 

 

 

VI. Murderer and Manslayer (verses 12-13)

 

Anyone who smites a human such that he dies, the smiter shall be likewise made to die.

 

Now, if anyone killed another, and that person didn’t stalk the one he/she killed, and the Elohim situated the victim to the hand of the one who killed him, Yehovah will put a place to Israel so that this ‘manslayer’ will flee there.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What does “The smiter of a man, and he will die” mean? This means that a man struck another man such that the other man died.

 

2.     What does “dying, he shall-be-made-to-die” mean? This means that this person must be put to death.

 

3.     Is Yehovah for capital punishment, or is He against capital punishment? Yehovah isn’t for death at all, but He commanded capital punishment for certain crimes. If He commands something, it is morally right.

 

4.     What does “the Elohim situated to his hand” mean? This means that Elohim (Gods) placed the one man (or woman) who is about to be accidentally killed into the hand of the other man (or woman) who is about to do the accidental killing. Thus, this accidental killing involves Elohim’s direct action. (Life and death are in Elohim’s hands.)

 

5.     What does “whoever did not stalk, and the Elohim situated to his hand, and I will put a place to thee that he will flee there” mean? This describes a man who didn’t stalk another person to kill him, and he didn’t plan to do so. Elohim placed the other man into the hand of the man who accidentally kills him. Elohim will designate (point out) a place for the accidental slayer so that the slayer will flee there. (He will be tried there, and if found to be an accidental slayer, he will remain there until the death of the High Priest—see Numbers 35, beginning at verse 9; you will have to read quite a few verses to see what is occurring.)

 

 

 

VII. Plotting Murderer (verse 14)

 

When a man will presume upon his neighbour (assume with arrogance in a prideful approach) to slay him via guile, Israel must take that person from being with Yehovah’s altar so that the man will die (being put to death).

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What does presume mean in the Bible? It means to assume with arrogance. Assuming anything means that one figures that it is the case without checking it out. Assuming with arrogance means pridefully figuring that something is the case without a willingness to be corrected if it isn’t the case.

 

2.     How can a person presume upon his neighbour (to slay him via guile)? This person pridefully figures that he has the right to kill his neighbour, and that his neighbour deserves being killed. Thus, this person is behaving as a judge, the jury, and the executioner.

 

3.     Why must he slay him with guile? If he doesn’t, the neighbour might be able to defend himself!

 

4.     Why did Yehovah state, “thou shalt take him from with my altar to die”? Why was the man at Yehovah’s altar? If a person accidentally kills someone, that person can flee to a city of refuge where he will be safe until he is put on trial.

 

          If a person slays another using guile, that person might also flee to a city of refuge in order to make the claim that the killing was accidental!

 

          There is one detail this murderer doesn’t know: that Yehovah knows that he did his murder with presumption and via guile! Thus, Yehovah is quite capable of showing the truth of this to the judges at the city of refuge!

 

          Now, Yehovah is indicating that the murderer has fled to the city of refuge, and that he also has taken hold of the horns of the altar (see 1 Kings 2, especially at verse 28, but read the surrounding text to see an example) in order to avoid being killed until he will give his version of what took place. Once the judges find out that the man actually murdered his neighbour, they will take the man from the horns of the altar, and they will see that he is put to death.

 

 

 

VIII. Parent Murderer (verse 15)

 

Smiting (striking) one’s father and one’s mother is a death-penalty offense; that person must be put to death.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What is a smiter of his father and his mother? This is one who strikes his father and his mother (that is, who hits them very hard, and not in play).

 

2.     Why is this a death penalty? This is also a type.

 

          First, the image of God is on these parents, and Yehovah gave these particular parents to this youth in order for these parents to benefit him. Smiting them, then, is an attack of Elohim.

 

          Secondly, these parents are a type, as proposed in the last chapter. The father, I proposed, typifies Avraham, and the mother Jerusalem. Smiting Avraham, the father of faith, and smiting Jerusalem, the free mother of all Israelis is striking out against the two by which Yehovah has brought Truth to all of Israel. That will lead to death, and not to life.

 

3.     Suppose that one’s father and mother are drowning; is smiting them in order to bring them to shore or to a ship also a death penalty? Doing what is necessary to save their lives is different, and is the right thing to do. Again, these things are types—pictures of actions and situations that are far more important. Smiting parents to save their lives is heroic.

 

 

 

IX. Kidnapper (verse 16)

 

Anyone who kidnaps another and either sells him or still has him must be put to death.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What is a stealer of a man? This is a kidnapper.

 

2.     If he sells him, how can he be found in his hand? This is describing two different cases, though it is connected by and in Hebrew. This is the way to read it: “And a stealer of a man, and he sells him; and a stealer of a man, and he will be found in his hand; dying, he shall be caused to die!” Whether the kidnapped person has been sold or not, the kidnapper will be put to death.

 

3.     Why is kidnapping a death penalty offense? This action violates ownership, destroys relationships, causes (and is) violence, and brings death. It brings the great mistreatment and murder of others as if they are worthless objects. It destroys society, causes wars, breeds bitterness, and is cruel.

 

          Yet, war is not wrong, though one can take others for slaves in a war. That is not kidnapping (according to the Bible). It is quite different from kidnapping since taking slaves in a war is acquiring very valuable acquisitions of others. A slave legitimately acquired can be so good for all involved (it can even be good for the one taken into slavery, as the Bible shows).

 

 

 

X. Light-Esteemer of Parents (verse 17)

 

Anyone who views parents with contempt as if they have little value must be put to death.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What does lightly esteem mean? It means to view and treat as of little worth and value. It is why some show contempt for their parents and treat their parents as excess baggage to be dropped off and abandoned.

 

2.     Why is lightly esteeming father and mother a death penalty offense? This shows contempt for Yehovah who gave the father and mother, since the image of God is in the father and the mother, and they were given the role of God for a while in the life of the child. Yet, the type shown by this is very important.

 

          If Avraham is the father and if Jerusalem is the mother, lightly esteeming Avraham will not only stop one from having faith (since Avraham is the father of faith), but it will also lead to contempt for fellow-Israelis who are children of Avraham. Thus, it will lead to every form of mistreatment of others. Lightly esteeming Jerusalem will stop a person from heroism during the Tribulation, and will instead cause that person to focus on self-preservation (a form of selfishness) instead of focusing on preserving others. This will be one of the reasons why Yehovah’s wrath will be against Israel! Thus, such action is worthy of the death penalty since it causes great death among the Israelis (and others).

 

 

 

XI. Fighting and Reparations (verses 18-19)

 

Israeli men will fight. If one of them smites his neighbour via a stone or via a fist, and the neighbour doesn’t die, but he does fall to bed, if he later arises and walks on his own power into the outside upon his staff, the smiter will be innocent. In the meantime, however, the smiter must pay for whoever has to care for the man and for medical bills; the smiter must make sure the man is healed.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Will Israelis fight with each other? They will until they will all be born of God. Until that occurs, some of their fights will be severe.

 

2.     Is smiting a neighbour via a stone against the Torah? I haven’t seen where that is against the Torah, but the command to love one’s neighbour as oneself is part of the Torah, and using a stone or a rock in a fight isn’t normally a good way to show love toward a neighbour. If the one who is using the stone or rock is considerably weaker or smaller than the other, that might be the advantage needed to even out the fight, but it has its risks as the text will explain.

 

3.     What does “he will fall to bed” mean? This means that the hit with the rock/stone or with the fist was great enough, that the other person has been injured and cannot get up out of bed. This is quite an injury.

 

4.     The text continues, “if he will arise and he will walk himself into the outside upon his staff …” What does this mean? This means that the person who was injured was later able to get out of bed and was able to walk without aid, using his own staff to walk. Thus, the injury wasn’t permanent or very long-lasting.

 

5.     Why will the smiter be innocent in this case? The smiter didn’t do permanent damage to the injured person.

 

6.     What does the text require the smiter to do? The text requires the smiter to “give his sitting and healing”—that is, to pay for another to sit with the injured person until the person can get up, and to pay the medical bills and medication costs until the person can get up.

 

7.     The text states, “he will cause healing!” What does this mean? This means that the smiter must bring about the healing of the injured person! This can be very expensive; it might be worthwhile for the smiter to decide to not smite with his fist or with a rock/stone!

 

8.     Suppose that both men injure each other, and both are stuck in bed for a while. Are they even? No! They each must pay for the sitter for the other, for the medical bills for the other and the medication costs for the other! Their bills and costs might not be similar!

 

 

 

XII. Smiting a Slave (verses 20-21)

 

When a slavemaster smites a male or female slave via a rod, and the slave dies under his hand, vengeance must be taken for the slave.

 

If instead the slave arises in a day or several days, no vengeance will be taken for the slave since the slave is the silver of the slavemaster.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Is an Israeli in violation of the Torah if he/she smites a slave? No; this isn’t a violation as long as there is no permanent damage from the smiting.

 

2.     In the case that a slave dies under a smiting, the text states, “avenging, he shall be avenged.” It doesn’t say what will be done. What will be done in such a case? The slavemaster will be put to death. Though the person beaten was a slave, that doesn’t diminish the crime of murder that was committed.

 

3.     Explain this: “Only if he will arise a day or days, he will-not-be-avenged. For he is his silver”: If the slave that was beaten doesn’t die, and will be able to get out of bed in a day or two days, the slave won’t be avenged; nothing will happen to the slavemaster. The reason is given: the slave is the slavemaster’s ‘silver’—that is, he is his money! If the slavemaster wants to beat a slave, and have that slave useless for a time, such that the slavemaster must take care of the slave, that is the choice of the slavemaster. (If the slavemaster damages the slave, however, another text commands what must be done.)

 

4.     Doesn’t this paragraph permit the general mistreatment of slaves? It may appear to do that, but it doesn’t. The Torah is such that all of it must be taken together; taking only parts will certainly lead to taking it wrong!

 

          Some slaves are at first very unwilling to do what they are told; and sometimes what they are told to do is good, and not bad. The slavemaster must be careful to not permanently hurt the slave, however, since another text teaches that the slave must be released from slavery under that circumstance. If slavemasters were never permitted to strike their slaves who refused to work, no one would desire to be a slavemaster since almost no slaves would voluntarily work. The Bible shows a number of slaves and slavemasters who developed a relationship with each other that included great love and trust. Besides this, anyone entering into a marriage is volunteering to be a slave; anyone entering into the military is becoming a slave; slavery is a normal part of life.

 

          Now, some slavemasters are just evil. Yehovah later gives rulings about the treatment of slaves who run away. For example, if a slave runs away and comes to the home of another Israeli, that Israeli must treat that slave well, and that Israeli is not permitted to return the slave back to the slavemaster! The slavemaster must come for the slave on his own!

 

 

 

XIII. Pregnant Woman’s Injury during a Fight (verses 22-25)

 

Israelis will physically fight. If they will smite a pregnant woman in the process of fighting, and if her children will exit (from her womb), and there won’t be injury, there will still be a monetary fine for causing this birthing at this time. The husband of the woman will set the fine, and the one who smote the woman causing the birth will pay the fine. Deliberators will decide if the fine’s size is right, and the man will give according to the deliberators.

 

If, on the other hand, there will be injury, whatever the nature of the injury is, that will be done to the man who smote the pregnant woman!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Why would men smite a pregnant woman? Normally, this is an accident. This text doesn’t make a distinction between an accident and an intentional attack on the pregnant woman; what must be done is the same.

 

2.     Why does the text state, “and her children will exit,” instead of this: “and her child will exit”? She might be carrying twins (or more). (He children exiting means that she gave birth.)

 

3.     What does amerced mean? This means to impose a financial penalty that is not fixed by any statute. The woman’s husband (along with deliberators) will determine how much the one who struck her and caused the premature birthing must pay.

 

4.     Why does the woman’s husband (and not the woman) get to set the amount that must be paid? Some women would feel very uncomfortable having to set a price for what took place. The husband is more likely to not be stressed by such a decision. Since the woman and her husband are one flesh, and since he wasn’t directly involved, he can participate in this way without being dishonoured for setting the price high.

 

5.     What is a deliberator? This is a person who thinks things (including very difficult things) through in order to reach a good decision.

 

          Folks who participate in a jury are supposed to deliberate on what they hear in court; they are supposed to carefully weigh all testimonies given to determine who is innocent and who is guilty, and whether the evidence presented is truly convincing evidence.

 

6.     How many deliberators will be involved? The text doesn’t give this information; the reader can tell that there are at least two. That way, the decision will probably be wiser.

 

7.     What occurs if the deliberators determine that the amount declared by the husband is too high or too low? I propose that the deliberators will change the amount to reflect what they feel is wise.

 

8.     What must be done if the woman is injured? Whatever the injury of the woman is, that same injury must be done to the man who injured her! Thus, if one of the two fighting men broke her leg, the judges will appoint someone to break the leg of the guilty man!

 

9.     Why is the Torah so hard on the man who accidentally harmed the woman while fighting with another Israeli? Every Israeli is a guard (‘keeper’) of his brother and his sister. Becoming angry at one Israeli, and then hurting another in the process of getting back at that Israeli is wrong. (The Israelis could have gone to the judges instead of fighting.) Thus, the retribution (payback) must be exactly according to the damage.

 

          The Israelis will usually fear this ruling, and will be careful to stop the fight when any woman comes into the area.

 

10.  What does under mean in “eye under eye,” etc.? It means in the place of. Thus, if the fighter puts out the woman’s eye, the fighter’s eye is put out in place of her eye that was put out.

 

11.  Suppose that the injury is to the baby—what is the ruling regarding this? Since the text doesn’t specify whether the injury is to the woman or to her children, I propose that the same would be true. If the baby dies, the man who struck the woman will be put to death (if I am right about this).

 

 

 

XIV. Damaging a Slave (verses 26-27)

 

A slavemaster who will smite a slave might put out the slave’s eye. If he does, he must send the slave to freedom in the place of his/her eye. The same is true regarding a tooth.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Does it matter if putting out the eye of a slave was an accident, or was intentional? It doesn’t matter.

 

2.     Why isn’t the eye of the slavemaster put out in an ‘eye-for-an-eye’ response? There isn’t a way to tell if the slave or slavemaiden was intentionally fighting with the slavemaster in a case where the slavemaster was truly being kind and very reasonable (even if there were witnesses, since things can be made to look like they are not). The slave/master relationship can start out being very adversarial (that is, with the slave seeing the slavemaster as a terrible enemy, and the slavemaster seeing the slave as doing everything to not participate in work that needs to be done). If there were danger of kind-for-kind retribution in such cases, a slave could intentionally receive payment to have his own eye put out, and then to claim that the slavemaster did it. This would make holding slaves very dangerous for even the best and kindest of slavemasters. Yehovah has limited the damage response to losing the slave.

 

3.     Supposing that both eyes are put out; wouldn’t sending the slave or slavemaiden to freedom be cruel, since he/she cannot do anything much for quite a while? Once the slave is free in Israel, the Israelis have other commands that take care of such cases. The Israelis must take care of their brethren who become poor.

 

4.     Only the blinding of an eye or the falling of a tooth is mentioned. Suppose that the little toe of the slave is broken; what must be done in that case? This must be asked: will the toe heal? The eye won’t, and the tooth won’t. If the toe won’t heal, the slave must be freed. If the toe will, the slave won’t be freed. (Time will tell.) Now, if the slavemaster causes the slave to lose a toe or a finger, the slave must be freed.

 

5.     Why does Yehovah pick things like the losing of a tooth when they are so minor compared to other things, and when the Torah is truly so short (in contrast to other bodies of ‘law’ in other lands)? Yehovah gave rulings in order to keep lives from being lost.

 

          Suppose that Yehovah had not covered this issue of slaves. Now, supposing that a man in Israel had a sister whom he loved, and who was married to a man who became poor. Suppose that the man with the sister couldn’t afford to pay for her freedom. Now, suppose that she had a tooth knocked out during an angry response of her slavemaster, and the slavemaster still kept her as a slave. Her brother, who loves her a great deal, might go to find the slavemaster, and might intentionally knock out three of his teeth. His kinfolks, hearing about this, might get together to go after this brother and his kin… This would begin a feud and much bloodshed. Thus, Yehovah ruled on such things so that like things could also be judged by judges, and so that feuding would be far less likely to occur, thus saving lives.

 

 

 

XV. A Goring Ox (verses 28-31)

 

An ox that gores a man or a woman to death must be stoned. No one is permitted to eat the flesh of the ox. The husband (ox owner and handler) is innocent.

 

On the other hand, if the ox gored yesterday or even three days ago, and someone testified this to the ox’s husbands (handlers), and the husband will not guard the ox, and the ox will cause a man or a woman to die, the ox will be stoned, and the ox’s husbands—he will also be put to death!

 

If a covering will be set upon the husband, the husband will give a redemption of his being according to all that will be set upon him!

 

If the ox will gore a son or a daughter, this same justice will be done to the husband.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Why must the ox be stoned to death instead of just being slaughtered? The ox has acted as a type—as if the ox were a group that committed murder! Therefore, the ox is treated as a murdering group and is stoned to death. The outrage of the Israeli community must be shown against this animal. This will also cause other oxen owners to fear so that they will be far more careful to keep their oxen from harming others. (An ox is very valuable; losing one is a great loss.) If the ox is stoned, it cannot be used for food.

 

2.     Who is he in, “And he shall not eat his flesh”? This refers to the owner, and to any Israeli (or sojourner).

 

3.     What does “the husband of the ox is innocent” mean? The husband of the ox is either the owner or the person taking care of the ox. That person didn’t do anything wrong since this is the first incident of the ox goring.

 

4.     What does “he gored from yesterday three days ago” mean? This means that the ox tried to ram someone with its horns yesterday, or three days ago, or sometime in the past (it could be two months ago!).

 

5.     Explain “he was testified via his husbands”: Someone told the husbands of the ox—that is, the ox tender(s) who take(s) care of the ox—that the ox has a tendency to try to gore humans, and that the animal is dangerous. If the husbands received this information, it changes everything!

 

6.     The text states, “and he will not guard him.” Does the husband of the ox refuse to guard the ox? Suppose that the husband was willing, but just couldn’t guard the ox for a short time; doesn’t that mean that he will guard him? The statement, “and he will not guard him,” has nothing to do with his willingness in his mind; it has everything to do with whether or not he has taken precautions and measures to make sure that the ox never has opportunity to gore anyone. If the husband permits the ox to take any opportunity to gore another person, that husband isn’t guarding the ox!

 

7.     Why must the husbands also be caused to die even if the ox broke down a fence (say), and then gored a man? The husbands knew very well of the danger. He could easily have had the ox dehorned! (A dehorned ox cannot gore; it can kick and stomp, but it can’t gore.) The owner could also have traded the ox to a butcher, and used the proceeds to purchase a more docile (quieter and calmer) ox.

 

          Once an Israeli knows the danger, and that Israeli is always his brother’s and sister’s keeper, that Israeli is responsible to take action, and to do it right away!

 

8.     How will the husband of the ox be caused to die? The text doesn’t say. Stoning would be appropriate, in some cases!

 

9.     The next verse states, “And if a covering will be set upon him…” What does this mean? Since the covering is connected to a redemption, I propose that this covering will keep the husband from being killed, and the redemption is what the husband must pay because of the death that the animal he was tending has caused.

 

10.  Under what circumstances might a covering keep the husband of the ox that gored from being put to death? I thought of several, and I suspect that you also can think of several circumstances. Here is one: Suppose that the owner of the ox didn’t know that the ox tended to gore humans. Now, suppose that the owner traveled to a distant part of Israel. In the meantime, while he is gone, he receives a communication from the person he put in charge to watch his oxen, and this communication tells him that his ox tried to gore one of the cowboys. This owner now knows, but he is still a distance from being home. Suppose he writes a communication back, telling the person in charge of the ox to keep the ox carefully tied up until he gets back, because he intends to use the ox in some form of work in which the ox won’t be dangerous. Now, the one in charge of the ox is the husband of the ox while the owner is out of town. He receives the note, and he carefully ties up the ox. In the meantime, the ox breaks loose. A cowboy is passing through the field, and the ox goes after him; the ox gores the cowboy, who then dies. Now, the husband of the ox tried to restrain him, and the owner told the husband of the ox to restrain him. The judges hear this case, and they put a covering on both men. They can’t blame the husband of the ox because the owner didn’t permit him to destroy the animal; they can’t blame the owner because the owner gave specific directions to keep the ox tied. Thus, I propose that the judges will set a covering upon the husband of the ox—the man hired, and he must give a redemption of his own being according to whatever is set upon him because though the ox escaped, it was his responsibility to make sure that the ox didn’t escape. If the man isn’t married, and if the cowboy was married, and she is now a widow, she might insist that his redemption be that he will take her husband’s place, and become her husband!

 

11.  Why is verse 31 necessary? If the ox (that has gored before) gores a child, someone might think that the child was foolish for being in the area of the ox, and that it was an accident. The Torah doesn’t permit this view; the ox was already dangerous, and it is up to the husband of the ox to make certain that the ox doesn’t hurt anyone!

 

12.  How could this justice be the means of making a proper law regarding someone who drives after having become a little drunk, and kills someone? While these Teachings are designed for the Israelis in the Land of Israel, the correctness and the justice of these teachings will sometimes be wise considerations when making laws in other countries and cultures.

 

          For example, here is a way that a law could be constructed in another country that would resemble this: Suppose that a person who has never been tipsy or drunk before becomes tipsy, and then drives. If that person hits and kills another person, manslaughter has taken place, and the laws regarding manslaughter should be enforced.

 

          Now, suppose that the person had previously become tipsy or drunk, and drove the car. This person now drives drunk again, and kills someone. This person should be held for murder since the person already has shown the tendency to drink and then drive, and also to be dangerous to others. Thus, this person should be put to death. (Of course, most places are doing away with capital punishment because of terrible justice inconsistencies that have put innocent folks to death, and because there isn’t the view that the image of God is on each person, making capital punishment both right and necessary when there is valid proof of murder.)

 

 

 

XVI. Ox Goring a Slave (verse 32)

 

If the ox will gore a male or female slave, the husband will give 30 shekels of silver to the slavemaster, and the ox will be stoned.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Thirty shekels isn’t much at all—the equivalent of perhaps $50. Why is this all that occurs from an ox goring of a human? The text assumes that the reader realizes that this ox wasn’t previously known to try to gore and ram humans. This exchange of currency is more than what would have been exchanged if the person had not been a slave, since there would have been no monetary compensation or compensation of any kind. This ox goring destroyed the property of another: a slave. The 30 shekels should remind readers who have read the entire Bible of another incident in which this price was exchanged. (See Zechariah 11:12-13, Matthew 26:15, and Matthew 27:3-9.) This is the price of a slave.

 

2.     What will occur if the ox of a master kills that master’s slave? He cannot pay himself; he has lost a slave.

 

 

 

XVII. An Open Pit (verses 33-34)

 

When a man opens or digs a pit, it is up to the man to provide a cover for the pit that will keep humans and large animals from falling into the pit. If the man who opens or digs the pit doesn’t provide such a cover, and an ox or an ass falls into the pit, the husband of the pit (the one who is responsible for the pit being opened or dug) will make peace. He will return silver to the husbands of the dead animal; he will now own the dead animal.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What does this text mean by cover him? It refers to placing something over the entire hole so that even a large animal cannot fall into this hole. (Of course, the man could put a fence around the hole, but that would defeat the purpose.)

 

2.     What is the purpose of digging such a hole? There can be a number of reasons. It might be to start a well; it might be to trap deer or similar animals; it might be to catch a lion; it might be to look for minerals or for valuable items in the ground that can be used for various purposes; it might be to catch rainwater… Regardless of its purpose, if an ox or ass owned by someone else falls into this pit, the one who dug the pit must compensate (pay out for damages).

 

3.     Suppose that the animal falls into the pit, but isn’t hurt; must the one who dug the pit pay something? This text assumes that the animal that fell into the pit was harmed or killed. If the animal isn’t harmed or killed, the one who dug the pit must get the animal out of the pit.

 

4.     What does “thereward” mean? This is a coined word(a made-up word) that means toward there—toward the pit (the bottom of the pit), in this case.

 

5.     What does “the husband of the pit will make peace” mean? The husband of the pit is the one who dug the pit. (This could easily be a worker who was told to dig the pit.) This person must make peace—that is, must pay a reasonable price for the damages so that theowner of the harmed or dead animal doesn’t feel as if he had been cheated regarding the actual value of the animal.

 

6.     Suppose that the animal that was harmed or killed was a pet or a prize animal to the owner; how would peace be made? In very difficult cases like that, where the owner has a value on the animal that is far above any market price (the price that would normally be paid for the animal at a place where animals are sold), the judges in the city gates will hear, and will determine what must be done.

 

          There are some folks with whom peace just cannot be made; they will insist on being unreasonable no matter what. Some of them try to make a huge profit from such a case. The judges at the gate will hear such cases, and they will force a peace on that man even if he doesn’t like it; the peace that must be made also has Yehovah in mind!

 

7.     What does “He will return silver to his husbands” mean? This means that he won’t give an animal for an animal, but will instead pay a price in silver (it doesn’t say, in gold).

 

8.     Why must the price be in silver? Why didn’t the text specify that silver or gold could be used? All of these texts are types—pictures of things that are even more important. Silver is a picture of redemption in the Bible. To redeem (with this kind of redemption) is to pay a price in order to bring a person from some sort of a held state—like being held as a hostage, as a slave, as a prisoner, etc. The one paying the silver is thus redeeming the dead animal! The dead animal therefore becomes “to him” (becomes his).

 

9.     Suppose that he doesn’t want the dead animal; can he leave the animal in the pit, and cover it? He can do whatever he wants with the animal. He cannot tell the previous owner to come and get it! It is now the property of the one who dug the pit, and it is also his problem!

 

10.  If the animal is an ox, and it just recently fell into the pit and died, can the new owner eat the animal? Yes!

 

 

 

XVIII. Ox Duel (verses 35-36)

 

If one ox of one man attacks another ox of a neighbour, and the neighbour’s ox dies, both men must sell the living ox. They must then halve the silver for the ox. They will also halve the dead ox.

 

If it was known that the ox gored yesterday or even three days ago, and his husbands will not guard the ox, that owner must make peace, replacing the ox with one of his own oxen (or acquiring an equivalent ox for the victim’s husband). The owner of the goring ox will now own the dead ox.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What must they do if an ox attacks and kills two oxen of his neighbour? If no one knew that the ox showed this behaviour before, the living ox must be sold, and half its value must be given to the owner of the dead oxen; and half the price of another ox of equal value must be given by the husband of the ox that gored; and both dead animals must be halved between the husband and the owner of the dead oxen. It will come out equal for both.

 

          If the oxen’s reputation as a gorer was already established, however, peace must be made, and the two dead oxen will then belong to the husband of the goring ox. This could become quite expensive! 

 

 

 

XIX. Animal Theft (verse 37)

 

A sheepstealer or an ox thief who slaughters or sells the animal must make peace with the owner. Making peace includes this: he must give five animals of the herd in the place of the ox, and four of the flock in the place of the sheep!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What must be done to a man who steals an ox or a sheep, and is found with the animal alive and unsold? I can only propose an equitable solution, since I don’t know. I propose that instead of five of the herd, he will return the ox with four other oxen; instead of four of the flock, he will return the sheep with three other sheep.

 

2.     What will happen to the thief if he cannot cover these costs? He will become a slave of the man or woman from whom he tried to steal. If the man or woman doesn’t want him, the man or woman can sell him to another Israeli who can deal with such a person with ease.

 

3.     Why are the rates for oxen and sheep different—that is, five of the herd under the ox, and four of the flock under the sheep? Stealing an ox is stealing an Israelis tractor! It is taking away not only an animal that could be eaten, but also one that can be used to farm and raise crops! Therefore, the theft was much more severe than the theft of a sheep.

 

          (Now, if that sheep were like a daughter, that is a very different case, again! In such a case, the judges will determine what to do. King David almost ordered the death of a man who took the only sheep of another man; King David almost ordered his own death! See 2 Samuel 12!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exodus 20 Ten Statements

Ten Statements

 

 

Background and printed text: Exodus 20

 

Exodus 20:1 And Elohim spoke all these speeches to say,

 

2 “I am Yehovah thy Gods Who exited thee from the land of Egypt, from the house of slaves!

 

3 “He shall not be to thee—other gods—upon my faces! 4Thou shalt not make to thee an engraved-[image] and every picture that is in the heavens from above and that is in the land from under and that is in the waters from under to the land. 5Thou shalt not prostrate to them. And thou shalt not serve them. For I am Yehovah thy Gods, a jealous mighty-[One] visiting iniquity of fathers upon children upon thirds and upon fourths to my haters, 6And doing Grace to thousands—to my lovers and to guards of my commandments!

 

7 “Thou shalt not carry Name Yehovah Thy Gods to a vanity! For Yehovah will not clear whoever will carry His Name to a vanity!

 

8 “Remember-thou Day of the Ceasing to sanctify him! 9Thou shalt slave and do all thine errand six days. 10And Day the seventh is a ceasing to Yehovah thy Gods. Thou shalt not do any errand—thou and thy son and thy daughter, thy slave and thy female-slave and thy cattle and thy sojourner who is in thy gates. 11For, six days Yehovah did the heavens and the land, the sea and all that is in them. And He ceased in Day the seventh. Yehovah therefore blessed Day the seventh, and He sanctified him!

 

12 “Glorify thy father and thy mother so-that thy days will lengthen upon the soil that Yehovah thy Gods gave to thee.

 

13 “Thou shalt not murder.

 

“Thou shalt not commit-adultery.

 

“Thou shalt not steal.

 

“Thou shalt not answer via thy neighbour, a witness of a lie.

 

14 “Thou shalt not covet a house of thy neighbour. Thou shalt not covet a woman of thy neighbour and his slave and his female-slave and his ox and his ass and any that is to thy neighbour.”

 

15And all the people, they are seeing the voices and the torches and a voice of the shofar! And the mountain is smoke! And the people saw. And they tottered. And they stood from a distance. 16And they said unto Draw [Moshe], “Speak thou with us! And we hearkened! And Elohim will not speak with us lest we will die!”

 

17And Draw [Moshe] said unto the people, “Don’t fear-ye. For the Elohim came in order to test you and in order that His fear will be upon your faces so-that-ye-shall-not-sin!”

 

18And the people stood from a distance. And Draw [Moshe] neared unto the neck-falling-darkness where there is the Elohim.

 

19And Yehovah said unto Draw [Moshe], “So thou shalt say unto children of Israel, ‘Ye, ye saw that I spoke with you from the heavens! 20Ye shall not make with me gods of silver! And ye shall not make gods of gold to you! 21Thou shalt make an altar of soil to me. And thou shalt sacrifice thine ascensions and thy ‘peaces,’ thy flock and thy herd upon him. I will come unto thee in each place that I will remind my Name. And I will bless thee. 22And if thou wilt make an altar of stones to me, thou shalt not build them a cutting. For thou did swing thy sword upon her, and thou profaned her! 23And thou shalt not ascend upon my altar via steps so-that thy nakedness will not-be-exposed upon him!’”

 

 

 

I. All These Speeches (verse 1)

 

Elohim spoke all these speeches. This section shows what all the speeches said.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Who is Elohim?

 

2.    How many speeches are given in these texts?

 

3.    This speech of verse 1 states, “Elohim spoke all these speeches to say.” What are these speeches saying?

 

4.    To whom did Elohim speak all these speeches?

 

 

 

II. The First Statement: The Identity of Yehovah (verse 2)

 

Yehovah identified Himself: “I am Yehovah thy Gods.” He said what He did: “… Who exited thee from the land of Egypt (Double-Adversity)…” He also did this: “… Who exited thee from the house of slaves!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What does the name Yehovah mean?

 

2.    Why does the text state, “Yehovah thy Gods instead of “Yehovah thy God”?

 

3.    Why does Yehovah identify Himself as the Gods “who exited thee from the land of Egypt,” of all the different ways that He could describe Himself?

 

4.    What does house of slaves mean?

 

5.    Who is thee in, “Who exited thee?”

 

6.    Why did Yehovah exit Israel from the land of Egypt?

 

 

 

III. The Second Statement: NO Other Gods (verses 3-6)

 

Yehovah stated very specifically: “He shall not be to thee—other gods—upon my faces!”

 

He then added details: “Thou shalt not make to thee an engraved-[image].”

 

“Thou shalt not make to thee every picture that is in the heavens from above.”

 

“Thou shalt not make to thee every picture that is in the land from under.”

 

“Thou shalt not make to thee every picture that is in the waters from under to the land.”

 

Yehovah then commanded what not to do:

 

“Thou shalt not prostrate to them.”

 

“And thou shalt not serve them.”

 

He then gave the reasons:

 

“For I am Yehovah thy Gods, a jealous mighty-[One].”

 

What does a jealous mighty One do?

 

“…visiting iniquity of fathers upon children upon thirds and upon fourths to my haters…”

 

He also does beneficial things:

 

“…And doing Grace to thousands to my lovers and to guards of my commandments!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Why did Yehovah word this, “He shall not be to thee—other gods—upon my faces,” instead of wording it this way: “Other gods shall not be to thee upon my faces”?

 

2.    Why does He say, “upon my faces”?

 

3.    Why does the text read, “upon my faces,” instead of, “upon my face”?

 

4.    What is an engraved image?

 

5.    Is Yehovah commanding the Israelis to refrain from every carving and sculpture?

 

6.    Is this text commanding the Israelis to never make any pictures?

 

7.    What would an engraving or a picture look like if it is “in the heavens from above”?

 

8.    What is “the land from under”?

 

9.    Does this command prohibit making photographs?

 

10. What are the “waters from under to the land”?

 

11. Are only pictures of these gods and goddesses prohibited?

 

12. What does prostrate mean?

 

13. What does “Thou shalt not prostrate to them” mean?

 

14. What is involved in serving them?

 

15. Do folks today serve false gods and goddesses?

 

16. Who is thou in, “Thou shalt not prostrate to them”?

 

17. Is this command only to whom you identified in the answer above?

 

18. What is the reason Yehovah gives for not prostrating to or serving false gods?

 

19. Isn’t being jealous very childish?

 

20. In what way is Yehovah jealous?

 

21. What is iniquity?

 

22. What does visiting iniquity upon someone mean?

 

23. Is Yehovah doing right by visiting the iniquity of fathers upon children? Should children be held responsible for what their fathers did?

 

24. What is Grace?

 

25. What does doing Grace mean?

 

26. What is a ‘lover’ of Yehovah?

 

27. What is a guard of Yehovah’s commandments?

 

 

 

IV. The Third Statement: Carrying the Name to a Vanity (verse 7)

 

Yehovah commanded, but He spoke of Himself in the third person (as if He were speaking of another being): “Thou shalt not carry Name Yehovah Thy Gods to a vanity!” (A vanity includes a false god; see the questions.)

 

He then gave the threat, but again in the third person, as if He were speaking of another: “For Yehovah will not clear whoever will carry His Name to a vanity!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What is a vanity in the Bible?

 

2.    What does “Thou shalt not carry Name Yehovah Thy Gods to a vanity” mean?

 

3.    What does Yehovah say that He will do to anyone who carries this Name to a vanity?

 

4.    Most translations give the impression that using God’s name in vain is what this command about. This gives the impression that this command is against cussing/swearing using His name. Is this also correct?

 

 

 

V. The Fourth Statement: the Day of Ceasing (verses 8-11)

 

The commands continued as if Yehovah were not the speaker, since they are not in the first person (“I,” “my” or “me”), but in the third person (“He,” “His” or “Him”). “Remember-thou Day of the Ceasing to sanctify him!”

 

Yehovah then gives the directions: “Six days thou shalt slave and do all thine errand. And Day the seventh is a ceasing to Yehovah thy Gods. Thou shalt not do any errand—thou and thy son and thy daughter, thy slave and thy female-slave and thy cattle and thy sojourner who is in thy gates.”

 

He gives the reason: “For six days Yehovah did the heavens and the land, the sea and all that is in them. And he ceased in Day the seventh.”

 

“Yehovah therefore blessed Day the seventh, and He sanctified him!”

 

Questions

 

1.    What is this Day of Ceasing?

 

2.    What do the Days of Ceasing picture?

 

3.    What does sanctify mean?

 

4.    How can one sanctify a Day of Ceasing?

 

5.    How many days of the week is Israel assigned to work?

 

6.    Why must Israel slave? What does this mean?

 

7.    What is an errand, and how does this differ from work?

 

8.    Why is errand singular (“all thine errand”)?

 

9.    Why is Day the seventh a ceasing to Yehovah instead of being a ceasing to Israel?

 

10. Why mustn’t Israel do any errand, including even a sojourner who is in Israel’s gates?

 

11. What did Yehovah do for the six days mentioned in verse 11?

 

12. What does bless mean, and how did Yehovah bless Day the seventh?

 

13. How did Yehovah sanctify him, and who is him?

 

 

 

VI. The Fifth Statement: Glorification and a Prolonged Stay (verse 12)

 

Yehovah commanded one being (described by thy) to glorify this being’s father and mother. He gave the reason: “so-that thy days will lengthen upon the soil that Yehovah thy Gods gave to thee.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What does glorify mean?

 

2.    Who is thy in, “Glorify thy father and thy mother…”?

 

3.    If the answer to the above text is true, identify the father and the mother:

 

4.    How will glorifying Avraham lengthen Israel’s days upon the soil that Yehovah, Israel’s Gods, gave to Israel?

 

5.    How will glorifying Jerusalem lengthen Israel’s days upon the soil that Yehovah, Israel’s Gods, gave to Israel?

 

6.    Has Yehovah given the soil of the Land of Israel to the Israelis?

 

 

 

VII. The Sixth Statement: Don’t Murder (verse 13)

 

Again speaking to one being, Yehovah commanded, “Thou shalt not murder.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What is murder?

 

2.    Who is being commanded to not murder?

 

 

 

VIII. The Seventh Statement: Don’t Commit Adultery (verse 13)

 

He then commanded to this one being, “Thou shalt not commit-adultery.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What is adultery?

 

2.    Who is being commanded to not commit adultery in this text?

 

3.    With whom might Israel as a whole commit adultery?

 

4.    Is Israel as a whole committing adultery right now?

 

 

 

IX. The Eighth Statement: Don’t Steal (verse 13)

 

Yehovah told this one being, “Thou shalt not steal.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Who is being told to not steal?

 

2.    From whom could Israel steal?

 

 

 

X. The Ninth Statement: Don’t Answer as a Witness of a Lie (verse 13)

 

Yehovah commanded against answering a question by means of a neighbour such that the person answering is a witness of a lie.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What does “Thou shalt not answer via thy neighbour, a witness of a lie” mean, and how does it differ from “Thou shalt not answer, a witness of a lie”?

 

2.    Is lying as a witness ever right?

 

3.    How else can Israel answer via Israel’s neighbour, a witness of a lie?

 

 

 

XI. The Tenth Statement: Coveting What Can’t Be Obtained (verse 14)

 

Yehovah commanded against coveting particular items: a house of one’s neighbour, a woman of one’s neighbour, a male slave of one’s neighbour, a female slave of one’s neighbour, an ox of one’s neighbour, an ass of one’s neighbour, and any item that is holy to one’s neighbour.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What does covet mean?

 

2.    Who is thou in, “Thou shalt not covet…”?

 

3.    If the answer above is correct, what is wrong with Israel coveting a house of Israel’s neighbour?

 

4.    What is wrong with coveting a neighbour’s woman?

 

5.    If the neighbour has a slave, can’t the slave be purchased if the one who is coveting can afford the price?

 

6.    Can Israel go to war with neighbours, and take property (including slaves and women for wives) from the neighbours?

 

 

 

XII. Terror of Dying (verses 15-16)

 

All the people of Israel are seeing the voices! They see the torches, and they see the voice of the shofar! The mountain is smoke. Upon seeing these things, the people tottered, and they stood from a distance!

 

The Israelis then said unto Moshe, “Speak thou with us!” They guaranteed, “And we hearkened!” They then requested, “And Elohim will not speak with us lest we will die!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    How can all the people see voices, including the voice of the shofar?

 

2.    What torches were there?

 

3.    What do torches do, and why were they there with Elohim?

 

4.    If the above answer is correct regarding the torches, what do the voices do, and why did Elohim send the sounds of the voices?

 

5.    What is a shofar?

 

6.    What does “the mountain is smoke” mean?

 

7.    Why did the people totter, and what does that mean?

 

8.    What did the Israelis do as they tottered?

 

9.    What did the Israelis desire Moshe to do, and why?

 

10. Would they have died if Elohim had continued to speak with them?

 

 

 

XIII. The Test and Sin-Preventing Fear (verse 17)

 

Moshe responded by saying unto the people, “Don’t fear-ye.” He explained, “For the Elohim came in order to test you.” That wasn’t the only reason, however; He also came “in order that His fear will be upon your faces;” that fear was intentional. That way, the Israelis won’t sin!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What good did Moshe’s telling them to not fear do? Does telling fearful folks to not fear do any good?

 

2.    What is the purpose of a test from Elohim?

 

3.    What are the two reasons given for Elohim coming (to Mount Sinai)?

 

4.    What does fear being upon a person’s face have to do with not sinning?

 

5.    Does anyone show a fear of Elohim on his/her faces today?

 

 

 

XIV. Neck-Falling Darkness (verse 18)

 

The people of Israel still stood from (at) a distance. Moshe neared unto the darkness where Elohim was. It was ‘neck-falling’ darkness.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Why does the text again state, “And the people stood from a distance”?

 

2.    Why is the darkness described as neck-falling?

 

3.    Why did Moshe approach this? Wasn’t he afraid?

 

4.    Does Elohim show up in great darkness elsewhere in the Bible?

 

5.    What is the benefit of Elohim’s appearing in neck-falling darkness?

 

 

 

XV. Against Idolatry (verses 19-23)

 

Yehovah now gave Moshe more things to say unto the children of Israel. Yehovah started with what He did: “Ye, ye saw that I spoke with you from the heavens!”

 

Since Yehovah is therefore right there with them, He commanded, “Ye shall not make with me gods of silver!”

 

He also commanded against making gods of gold to (for) themselves.

 

Now, He commanded them to make one item: “Thou shalt make an altar of soil to me.” He gave its purposes: “And thou shalt sacrifice thine ascensions and thy ‘peaces,’ thy flock and thy herd upon him.”

 

How will Yehovah respond? “I will come unto thee in each place that I will remind my Name. And I will bless thee.”

 

He didn’t command against a stone altar, but He gave one restriction: “And if thou wilt make an altar of stones to me, thou shalt not build them a cutting. For thou did swing thy sword upon her, and thou profaned her!”

 

There was one other restriction regarding an altar: “And thou shalt not ascend upon my altar via steps so-that thy nakedness will not-be-exposed upon him!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Did Moshe now see Elohim (since Moshe just entered into the neck-falling darkness)?

 

2.    Yehovah told Moshe to tell the children of Israel, “Ye, ye saw that I spoke with you from the heavens!” Did Yehovah speak to them from the heavens, or did He speak to them from Mount Sinai?

 

3.    Why did He speak with them from the heavens instead of appearing on the land where they were?

 

4.    What does Yehovah’s speaking with them from the heavens have to do with their not making gods of silver with Him and not making gods of gold to them?

 

5.    Yehovah said two different things: “Ye shall not make with me gods of silver” and “Ye shall not make gods of gold to you.” What is the difference between the two besides the metal from which the gods are made?

 

6.    Why did Yehovah specify that the altar must be made of soil?

 

7.    What is an ascension, and how is it sacrificed?

 

8.    What are ‘peaces,’ and how are they sacrificed?

 

9.    Why did Yehovah specify, “thou shalt sacrifice … thy flock and thy herd upon them” when that is obvious?

 

10. Yehovah next stated, “I will come unto thee in each place that I will remind my Name.” What does He mean by “remind my Name,” what places are these, and what will Yehovah do?

 

11. Yehovah mentioned two types of sacrifices: the ascension and the peaces. Why didn’t He also include the various sin sacrifices?

 

12. Why will Yehovah bless Israel?

 

13. What does “build them a cutting” mean?

 

14. What is wrong with cutting the stones into shapes in order to make a pretty altar to Yehovah?

 

15. What nakedness will be exposed if Israel ascends upon Yehovah’s altar via steps?

 

16. What is wrong with nakedness? Doesn’t Yehovah have the ability to see through all garments, and didn’t He design the human body in the first place?

 

 

 

Exodus 20 Ten Statements QA

Ten Statements

With Questions and Proposed Answers

 

 

Background and printed text: Exodus 20

 

Exodus 20:1 And Elohim spoke all these speeches to say,

 

2 “I am Yehovah thy Gods Who exited thee from the land of Egypt, from the house of slaves!

 

3 “He shall not be to thee—other gods—upon my faces! 4Thou shalt not make to thee an engraved-[image] and every picture that is in the heavens from above and that is in the land from under and that is in the waters from under to the land. 5Thou shalt not prostrate to them. And thou shalt not serve them. For I am Yehovah thy Gods, a jealous mighty-[One] visiting iniquity of fathers upon children upon thirds and upon fourths to my haters, 6And doing Grace to thousands—to my lovers and to guards of my commandments!

 

7 “Thou shalt not carry Name Yehovah Thy Gods to a vanity! For Yehovah will not clear whoever will carry His Name to a vanity!

 

8 “Remember-thou Day of the Ceasing to sanctify him! 9Thou shalt slave and do all thine errand six days. 10And Day the seventh is a ceasing to Yehovah thy Gods. Thou shalt not do any errand—thou and thy son and thy daughter, thy slave and thy female-slave and thy cattle and thy sojourner who is in thy gates. 11For, six days Yehovah did the heavens and the land, the sea and all that is in them. And He ceased in Day the seventh. Yehovah therefore blessed Day the seventh, and He sanctified him!

 

12 “Glorify thy father and thy mother so-that thy days will lengthen upon the soil that Yehovah thy Gods gave to thee.

 

13 “Thou shalt not murder.

 

“Thou shalt not commit-adultery.

 

“Thou shalt not steal.

 

“Thou shalt not answer via thy neighbour, a witness of a lie.

 

14 “Thou shalt not covet a house of thy neighbour. Thou shalt not covet a woman of thy neighbour and his slave and his female-slave and his ox and his ass and any that is to thy neighbour.”

 

15And all the people, they are seeing the voices and the torches and a voice of the shofar! And the mountain is smoke! And the people saw. And they tottered. And they stood from a distance. 16And they said unto Draw [Moshe], “Speak thou with us! And we hearkened! And Elohim will not speak with us lest we will die!”

 

17And Draw [Moshe] said unto the people, “Don’t fear-ye. For the Elohim came in order to test you and in order that His fear will be upon your faces so-that-ye-shall-not-sin!”

 

18And the people stood from a distance. And Draw [Moshe] neared unto the neck-falling-darkness where there is the Elohim.

 

19And Yehovah said unto Draw [Moshe], “So thou shalt say unto children of Israel, ‘Ye, ye saw that I spoke with you from the heavens! 20Ye shall not make with me gods of silver! And ye shall not make gods of gold to you! 21Thou shalt make an altar of soil to me. And thou shalt sacrifice thine ascensions and thy ‘peaces,’ thy flock and thy herd upon him. I will come unto thee in each place that I will remind my Name. And I will bless thee. 22And if thou wilt make an altar of stones to me, thou shalt not build them a cutting. For thou did swing thy sword upon her, and thou profaned her! 23And thou shalt not ascend upon my altar via steps so-that thy nakedness will not-be-exposed upon him!’”

 

 

 

I. All These Speeches (verse 1)

 

Elohim spoke all these speeches. This section shows what all the speeches said.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Who is Elohim? The title, Elohim literally means gods. This is plural; yet it is singular when used of the Creator described in the first chapters of Genesis. While Elohim refers to Yehovah, it specifically refers to the One Who is sent from Yehovah to interact with Israel and with others. He is both Yehovah and with Yehovah. Thus, this is the Messiah Himself.

 

2.    How many speeches are given in these texts? There are many speeches. Each speech gives a different teaching, and each teaching has at least one saying, and often many sayings. (A speech is made of a group of sayings.) The Ten Statements given in this chapter have at least ten speeches, and the chapter contains more. Since the Bible was never originally divided into chapters and verses, the speeches to which Elohim is referring don’t stop or start with this chapter.

 

3.    This speech of verse 1 states, “Elohim spoke all these speeches to say.” What are these speeches saying? This information is given later by the same One who gave these speeches (that is, by Elohim):

 

Matthew 22:34 But the Pharisees, having heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, were gathered together. 35And one of them, a doctor of the Torah, questioned Him, tempting Him and saying, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Torah?” 37And Yeshua said to him, “Thou shalt love Yehovah thy Gods with all thy heart and with all thy being, and with all thy very much! 38This is the first and great commandment. 39And the second is like it: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40All the Torah and the prophets hang on these two commandments.”

 

       The Book of Mark gives this event in a more complete way:

 

Mark 12:28 And one of the scribes came. And having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?” 29And Yeshua answered him, “The first of all the commandments is, ‘Hearken Israel! Yehovah, our Gods, Yehovah is One! 30And thou shalt love Yehovah thy God with all thy heart and with all thy being and with all thy mind and with all thy strength!’ This is the first commandment. 31And the second is like this: thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There isn’t another commandment greater than these.” 32And the scribe said to Him, “Right, teacher. Thou hast said that God is one according to Truth. And there isn’t another besides Him. 33And to love Him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the soul and with all the strength, and to love a neighbour as oneself is more than all the ascensions and the sacrifices.” 34And Yeshua, seeing that he intelligently answered Him, said to him, “Thou art not far from the Kingdom of God.” And no one dared to question Him any more.  

 

       Thus, these speeches are all given to say to the Israelis to love Yehovah, the Elohim of the Israelis, with all their everything, and their neighbours as themselves.

 

4.    To whom did Elohim speak all these speeches? He spoke them to Moshe to speak them to the Israelis; He spoke them to the Israelis to speak them to the races of the world.

 

 

 

II. The First Statement: The Identity of Yehovah (verse 2)

 

Yehovah identified Himself: “I am Yehovah thy Gods.” He said what He did: “… Who exited thee from the land of Egypt (Double-Adversity)…” He also did this: “… Who exited thee from the house of slaves!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What does the name Yehovah mean? It means He will be, He is, He was. It is an abbreviation (contraction) for the following:

 

Ye-he-yay Hovay Hi-yah

 

       Yeheyay: He will be; Hovay: He is; Hiyah: He was.

 

       Take the emboldened and underlined parts and put them together:

 

Yehovah

 

       This Name is sometimes contracted to Yah.

 

2.    Why does the text state, “Yehovah thy Gods instead of “Yehovah thy God”? The Israelis have a tendency to have many and different gods. In other words, they have a tendency to be idolatrous (believing in idols). Yehovah is all the Gods that there are, and He is all the Gods that the Israelis will ever need. He is the God of the sea, the God of the land, the God of the air, the God of crops, the God of the universe, the God of the constellations, the God of war, the God of protection, the God of fertility, the God of life, etc. He is the Gods of Israel.

 

3.    Why does Yehovah identify Himself as the Gods “who exited thee from the land of Egypt,” of all the different ways that He could describe Himself? While unbelieving Israelis could refuse to recognize Yehovah as the source of many other things, they would have a hard time denying that Israel had been in Egypt as slaves, and that they were later no longer slaves in Egypt. Egypt was a great military power; no large group of slaves just walks out of Egypt.

 

4.    What does house of slaves mean? A house in the Bible can refer to the structure in which a family lives, but more often it refers to the smallest unit of government—a household. All members of a house are not necessarily related family members, but they all live in the same area and work together. Their livelihoods depend on each other. Slaves of a family are still members of that house. Thus, it is like a small unit of government.

 

       The Israelis were all part of a house in Egypt that was designed for slavery to the Egyptians. They who were members of this ‘house’ therefore had a government by which they ran that house. The entire government was a slave to Egypt, and all worked for Egyptian prosperity.

 

5.    Who is thee in, “Who exited thee?” This refers to Israel—the entire people (as if they all are one person, since they are one group).

 

6.    Why did Yehovah exit Israel from the land of Egypt? That was His plan from the beginning. He claims Israel as His property. He used Egypt to ‘grow’ Israel into a great race in a very short amount of time; Egypt toughened Israel up into a strong army. Once Israel was ready, Yehovah took His own property from Egypt. The Egyptians clung to the Israelis, so that Yehovah had to give them ten incentives to send the Israelis. Even after these ten incentives, Egypt sent its army to retrieve them, so Yehovah set a trap for the Egyptian army in order to stop Egypt from trying to re-enslave the Israelis.

 

 

 

III. The Second Statement: NO Other Gods (verses 3-6)

 

Yehovah stated very specifically: “He shall not be to thee—other gods—upon my faces!”

 

He then added details: “Thou shalt not make to thee an engraved-[image].”

 

“Thou shalt not make to thee every picture that is in the heavens from above.”

 

“Thou shalt not make to thee every picture that is in the land from under.”

 

“Thou shalt not make to thee every picture that is in the waters from under to the land.”

 

Yehovah then commanded what not to do:

 

“Thou shalt not prostrate to them.”

 

“And thou shalt not serve them.”

 

He then gave the reasons:

 

“For I am Yehovah thy Gods, a jealous mighty-[One].”

 

What does a jealous mighty One do?

 

“…visiting iniquity of fathers upon children upon thirds and upon fourths to my haters…”

 

He also does beneficial things:

 

“…And doing Grace to thousands to my lovers and to guards of my commandments!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Why did Yehovah word this, “He shall not be to thee—other gods—upon my faces,” instead of wording it this way: “Other gods shall not be to thee upon my faces”? The way He worded it is far more personal: He shall not be to thee!” This shows the jealousy of Yehovah over this issue! Any other Elohim will make Yehovah very, very jealous, and thus, very, very angry!

 

2.    Why does He say, “upon my faces”? He doesn’t want to even see other gods! Since He doesn’t have a back side, and everything that happens occurs right in His faces, any Israeli who has another god at all will be having that god upon His faces! He will be furious!

 

3.    Why does the text read, “upon my faces,” instead of, “upon my face”? Faces are always plural in the Bible since every object and every person always has more than one face. (The face of a rock in the front of the rock isn’t the same as the face of that rock in the back of that rock. On the other hand, the face of a person can be a smile one moment and a frown the next. Faces are made of curves, being three-dimensional; human and animal faces also experience changes and expressions. Yehovah’s faces are of the same nature. He is everywhere, and His faces vary a great deal. Every human holds the very image of God, and every human therefore reflects the faces of God.

 

       Thus, any action that humans do is done upon Yehovah’s faces!

 

4.    What is an engraved image? It is an image that has been carved into something or sculptured from something.

 

5.    Is Yehovah commanding the Israelis to refrain from every carving and sculpture? This section is about other gods; it isn’t about carvings, sculptures or pictures in general. Yet, with this in mind, one person’s nature sculpture can easily become another person’s deity. If the one who made the sculpture did it for its beauty (only), and if another worships it as a deity, that isn’t the fault of the one who produced it, but it is the fault of the one of makes it into a god.

 

6.    Is this text commanding the Israelis to never make any pictures? Again, this text refers to pictures that are of gods or that are used as pictures of gods. Thus, if an Israeli person recognizes a certain picture as a picture of Jesus, and if that Israeli person views Jesus as God, having that picture is a violation of this commandment for every Israeli. Yehovah commands against having such a picture upon His faces.

 

7.    What would an engraving or a picture look like if it is “in the heavens from above”? That would be an engraving or a picture that is supposedly set in the heavens. (Pictures that show Jesus going up into the heavens or coming down out of the heavens are perfect examples of this; if Jesus is God, such representations are violations for the Israelis.)

 

8.    What is “the land from under”? That is the land that is under the heavens (referring to all the land on earth).

 

9.    Does this command prohibit making photographs? It prohibits the Israelis from making photographs of gods and goddesses. This prohibition therefore includes all pornography since pornography pictures a man, woman or child as a god or goddess of pleasure and desire.

 

10. What are the “waters from under to the land”? They are the waters that are lower than the land (and thus include all oceans, lakes, rivers, streams, and the great underground waters that exist).

 

11. Are only pictures of these gods and goddesses prohibited? Engraved images are also prohibited. Thus, the Israelis must not make to themselves any statues of gods or goddesses, as well as pictures of the gods or goddesses.

 

12. What does prostrate mean? It means to lie down flat, face-down.

 

13. What does “Thou shalt not prostrate to them” mean? It means that the Israelis are not to lie down flat (showing the willingness to serve) to any god or goddess, to any engraved image of a god or goddess, or to any picture of a god or goddess.

 

14. What is involved in serving them? Serving other gods and/or goddesses involves doing what priests and/or priestesses of them command to do to benefit these false gods. It also involves working to benefit and promote these false gods (and goddesses).

 

15. Do folks today serve false gods and goddesses? Most religious individuals in this world serve false gods. Some have idols (images) to which they pray and serve. Some don’t have visible idols, but they serve gods that are still idols. Some name these idols with names associated with the True and Living God (like Jesus, Jehovah), but they are still idols since their Jesus and their Jehovah don’t fit the Bible’s description of the True and Living God.

 

       Very few serve the Biblically described God.

 

16. Who is thou in, “Thou shalt not prostrate to them”? This command is to Israel; therefore, this command is to all Israelis (since if one Israeli violates, all Israel has violated!).

 

17. Is this command only to whom you identified in the answer above? This section of text is only to Israel, and therefore is only to every Israeli comprising (making up) Israel.

 

       Now, Yehovah created every human in His own image. All who wear His image are owned by Him. Any person serving other gods is declaring that Yehovah doesn’t own him/her! Therefore, serving other gods is wrong.

 

18. What is the reason Yehovah gives for not prostrating to or serving false gods? He gives the reason next: “For I am Yehovah thy Gods”! Yehovah is also a jealous mighty One!

 

19. Isn’t being jealous very childish? No! While jealousy can be childish and petty, it can also be exactly the right response. This text shows that Yehovah is jealous, and another text indicates that Saints are to be God-like in character. Therefore, being jealous is right if it is for the right reason. (Most jealousies are not for the right reason.)

 

20. In what way is Yehovah jealous? If any Israeli prostrates to and serves a false god, Yehovah is very jealous since Yehovah has a very special relationship with Israel, and thus with all Israelis.

 

21. What is iniquity? It is the guilt that remains after a person or group has sinned. Guilt remains if a person or group sins even if he/it stops sinning. The guilt must be removed; if it isn’t, the person/group will die in sin and with that guilt.

 

22. What does visiting iniquity upon someone mean? This means bringing consequences for the guilt (iniquity) upon someone—that is, making certain that the target person of the consequences suffers some type of loss or pain for the guilt that hasn’t been removed. Visiting indicates keeping an appointment (in this case, the appointment was set when the sin that resulted in guilt was committed). Thus, visiting iniquity is keeping the appointment of the punishment for the guilt,  and keeping that appointment with the person who has the guilt.

 

23. Is Yehovah doing right by visiting the iniquity of fathers upon children? Should children be held responsible for what their fathers did? This text is describing fathers who had children, and those children had children (and thus are grandchildren). The fathers sinned, and they never turned from their sins. Thus, they also kept the guilt of their sins (the guilt being the iniquity). Now, the children of the fathers also sinned. Children normally sin to a greater degree than their fathers if they choose to sin. Thus, the children have even greater iniquity. They in turn have children, and those children commit greater sins, and thus gather even greater iniquity. This is now to the third. Sometimes Yehovah visits the iniquity in this third ‘generation,’ and sometimes He waits until the fourth ‘generation.’ The fathers hated Yehovah (which is why they sinned and made themselves guilty, keeping that guilt and not turning). The children hated Yehovah even more, and their children hated Yehovah even more. (Had any of them turned to Yehovah, refusing to sin, what I am about to describe would have been stopped.) Now, Yehovah sees this third or this fourth group of children—that is, He sees the grandchildren or the great grandchildren; He sees that they hate Yehovah more than their parents, who in turn hated Yehovah more than their parents. Yehovah is now ready to visit the iniquity (guilt) of the fathers upon these children, knowing that the guilt of the fathers is far less than the guilt of the grandchildren or the great grandchildren. Had Yehovah determined to visit the guilt of each upon his/her own sin, that would have been much worse. Instead, Yehovah shows mercy by only bringing the guilt of the first generation of sins.

 

       Look at this drawing to see what I am describing:

 

 

Visiting Iniquity

 

 

       Thus, Yehovah is far less harsh than He would have been by visiting the true amount of iniquity on the ones who deserve a much harsher punishment or chastisement. He does this because His desire is for them to repent from sin and to live. He takes no pleasure in their deaths.

 

       They are not being held responsible for what their fathers did; they are being held responsible for what they did, and Yehovah is bringing only part of that consequence upon them!

 

24. What is Grace? It is a fervent, ardent zeal by which one is actuated. Now, I will define the definition’s terms: It is a fervent (very strong) ardent (‘burning’—that is, with great emotion) zeal (an intense and constant draw for a cause or against a cause) by which one is actuated (that is, motivated to take action).

 

       You will hear other definitions of grace. One that used to be popular is unmerited favor, but this definition has always been wrong. Instead, mercy is unmerited favor, and Biblical grace and mercy are definitely not the same. Another definition that you will hear is unconditional love. This definition is nonsense, since absolutely nothing is unconditional; all things always come with conditions. Besides this, Biblical grace can be demonstrate without any love whatsoever since it can be the motivation for attacking enemies of life and Truth.

 

25. What does doing Grace mean? Grace isn’t some feeling; it always involves action. Doing Grace is taking action for or against anyone or a group based upon that fervent, ardent zeal! Yehovah does Grace—that is, He takes action on behalf of thousands who do what is right toward His lovers—those who love Him and who are guards of His commandments!

 

26. What is a ‘lover’ of Yehovah? This is a person who truly delights in what He has done and what He will do regarding His righteousness, His justice, His Grace, and His many other attributes. Such a person will therefore behave much like Him, given the situation, since folks who love others tend to act like them. A lover of Yehovah also loves what He has said, and therefore loves the contents of the Bible, taking it very literally.

 

       A lover of Yehovah will obey Yehovah should Yehovah command him/her to do something, but this person will first make sure that Yehovah truly commanded it.

 

27. What is a guard of Yehovah’s commandments? This person first hears Yehovah’s commandments. He/She then thinks about them to understand them. After this, He/She hearkens to His commandments, which always includes doing exactly what he/she has been told to do. If the commandments are not directed toward him/her, the person still gets to know them very well, and makes certain to not forget.

 

       There is one other part of guarding Yehovah’s commandments. Every Israeli is personally a commandment of Yehovah. If an innocent Israeli is in danger, and another Israeli or a non-Israeli is capable of helping that Israeli (that Jewish person), that person capable of helping has already been commanded to help. Thus, the Israeli is a commandment already given. Guarding Yehovah’s commandments includes guarding the Jews from enemies! They have the image of God, and the Salvation of God is from them. This action will be the opposite of idolatry!

 

 

 

IV. The Third Statement: Carrying the Name to a Vanity (verse 7)

 

Yehovah commanded, but He spoke of Himself in the third person (as if He were speaking of another being): “Thou shalt not carry Name Yehovah Thy Gods to a vanity!” (A vanity includes a false god; see the questions.)

 

He then gave the threat, but again in the third person, as if He were speaking of another: “For Yehovah will not clear whoever will carry His Name to a vanity!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What is a vanity in the Bible? Since the word vanity means nothingness, anything that is vain is empty. A vain person is an empty person—empty in the head (where it counts)!

 

       Yehovah uses the word vanity to describe idols since they are truly empty of life, empty of the ability to respond or help, and empty of power. Idols do work, but that is because demons (angels who rebelled) power them! The demons give gullible humans (‘suckers’) the impression that the idols work because the demons do things when humans call upon their idols. An idol itself has no power.

 

2.    What does “Thou shalt not carry Name Yehovah Thy Gods to a vanity” mean? Israelis must not place the Name Yehovah (or Yeshua) onto an idol!

 

       Violating this commandment is commonly done in most churches today. They will take the name Jesus, which is a distant form of Yeshua, and they will apply this name to gods whose descriptions differ from Yehovah/Yeshua in the Bible. They don’t know (or believe) that they are doing this, but Yehovah commanded the Israelis to not do this.

 

3.    What does Yehovah say that He will do to anyone who carries this Name to a vanity? He says that He will not clear anyone who carries His Name to a vanity! That means that such a person will not be legally cleared (found innocent) in the Judgment when that person is tried for his/her works! The text doesn’t say what will be done beyond this.

 

4.    Most translations give the impression that using God’s name in vain is what this command about. This gives the impression that this command is against cussing/swearing using His name. Is this also correct? This text has nothing to do with cussing or swearing, but instead with false gods. Cussing and swearing falsely are wrong, and using the names Yehovah/Yeshua (or Jesus) while cussing or swearing is also wrong, but this text doesn’t deal with these issues; other texts do.

 

       Claiming that ‘Jesus’ has desires and attributes that are not true is far more offensive to Yehovah than cussing or swearing. Many folks who go to church refuse to cuss and swear, but many who go to church make lying claims about Jesus without knowing how offensive this is to Him. Now, this text is a command to the Israelis: they must not do this practice. Therefore, it should be obvious that Yehovah/Yeshua is against this practice (even if a non-Jewish person does it).

 

 

 

V. The Fourth Statement: the Day of Ceasing (verses 8-11)

 

The commands continued as if Yehovah were not the speaker, since they are not in the first person (“I,” “my” or “me”), but in the third person (“He,” “His” or “Him”). “Remember-thou Day of the Ceasing to sanctify him!”

 

Yehovah then gives the directions: “Six days thou shalt slave and do all thine errand. And Day the seventh is a ceasing to Yehovah thy Gods. Thou shalt not do any errand—thou and thy son and thy daughter, thy slave and thy female-slave and thy cattle and thy sojourner who is in thy gates.”

 

He gives the reason: “For six days Yehovah did the heavens and the land, the sea and all that is in them. And he ceased in Day the seventh.”

 

“Yehovah therefore blessed Day the seventh, and He sanctified him!”

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What is this Day of Ceasing? This is the Sabbath, in Hebrew called Shabbat. This Day of Ceasing occurs more than once a week (since there are more Sabbaths than just the one at the end of the week). The one that occurs once a week starts on Friday at sundown and ends on Saturday at sundown. There are also special holy days (later called holidays) that occur once a year, including the following:

 

  • Pesach (Passover, better called skip-Over)
  • Yom HaKippureem (Day of the Coverings, wrongly called Day of Atonement)
  • Sukkot (also known as booths, tabernacles)

       Each of these Days of Ceasing (Sabbaths) are times when the Israelis are to do no normal work (except tending their children, relatives, and animals), though priests who tend Sabbath sacrifices must continue their work! (They cease later.)

 

2.    What do the Days of Ceasing picture? They picture life-saving events on earth during which the Israelis won’t be able to do the necessary work, and Yehovah will do what is necessary so that the work will be accomplished. One example of such a work is providing everlasting Salvation for every person. No human can obtain his/her own Salvation by any form of work since a perfect sacrifice that is of equal or greater value than the human must be provided. Yeshua does the necessary work by voluntarily being that perfect sacrifice, and humans must refuse to work for that Salvation (that rescue from sin and to righteousness) in order to obtain it! (Anyone who is working for it won’t be given it.)

 

3.    What does sanctify mean? It means to cause something to be owned. It is exactly the same as to become holy, which means to become owned. (This is all that it ever means; it never means more, and it never means less.)

 

4.    How can one sanctify a Day of Ceasing? This command is to Israel (as if all Israel is one person). Israel must make this Day of Ceasing Israel’s own property. This ownership will show itself by all of Israel doing exactly what Yehovah commanded regarding the Day of Ceasing, and by believing what the Days of Ceasing picture!

 

       Also, the Sabbath is later viewed as a person. The gender of the word Shabbat in Hebrew is feminine; yet the pronouns he and him are applied to the Sabbath as if it refers to a man. Indeed, it does: it refers to Yeshua Who is the very One who will cause all of Israel to cease while He does the works that will save the lives of all Israel. Those same works will be for folks of all races so that all can have Salvation from sin and the resulting everlasting death, instead being granted everlasting life in order to live righteously.

 

       Thus, when all Israel finally claims Yeshua, that act will be sanctifying Yeshua and the Sabbath!

 

       Every Sabbath Day is designed to give Israelis reason to think about these things.

 

5.    How many days of the week is Israel assigned to work? The text states, “Thou shalt slave and do all thine errand six days.” Israel is assigned to slave and do all the errand six days. (Other Sabbaths sometimes make work weeks shorter than six days.)

 

6.    Why must Israel slave? What does this mean? This means that Israel must work hard as owned (by Yehovah)! A slave always has an owner.

 

7.    What is an errand, and how does this differ from work? An errand can be work, but it doesn’t have to be. An errand involves going somewhere in order to do, obtain, give or send something. An errand is like an assignment or a task, but it involves going somewhere.

 

8.    Why is errand singular (“all thine errand”)? Yehovah’s command assumes that Israel has only one errand (even if that errand has many parts). Yehovah has sent Israel to do one errand: to teach Truth to the races. Ceasing on the Sabbath will continue to teach Truth to the races!

 

9.    Why is Day the seventh a ceasing to Yehovah instead of being a ceasing to Israel? It belongs to Yehovah! Israel must make it Israel’s property, but it initially belongs to Yehovah. He is the One Who first ceased from His labour. Because it belongs to Yehovah, Israel must not violate it, and Israel must not violate it while on Yehovah’s land! (Violating it while on His land will be the same as violating the Land of Israel!)

 

10. Why mustn’t Israel do any errand, including even a sojourner who is in Israel’s gates? This points to an event far into the future (and thus, this is a show-and-tell event) when Israel won’t be able to do any errand, and Yehovah will do all the errand!

 

11. What did Yehovah do for the six days mentioned in verse 11? Yehovah did the heavens and the land, the sea and all that is in them. (He created some things, He made other things, He multiplied some things, and He commanded some things.) This is recorded in Genesis 1 and 2.

 

12. What does bless mean, and how did Yehovah bless Day the seventh? To bless is to transfer benefits to another (the benefits coming with responsibilities to use them for the good of others).

 

       Yehovah gave advantages to Day the seventh that include responsibilities for the day to do good for others. This day will provide Salvation to humans who carefully consider what it pictures and Whom it represents.

 

13. How did Yehovah sanctify him, and who is him? Yehovah took this secular day, and He made him (the day) His own property. The other days belong to humans, but the Day the seventh belongs to Yehovah! He therefore commanded the Israelis to treat this day as Yehovah’s property, and to do what Yehovah commanded: to cease in him.

 

 

 

VI. The Fifth Statement: Glorification and a Prolonged Stay (verse 12)

 

Yehovah commanded one being (described by thy) to glorify this being’s father and mother. He gave the reason: “so-that thy days will lengthen upon the soil that Yehovah thy Gods gave to thee.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What does glorify mean? It means to demonstrate as very important.

 

2.    Who is thy in, “Glorify thy father and thy mother…”? I above stated that this text is to Israel as if Israel is one person. If this is the case, the command is for Israel to glorify Israel’s father and Israel’s mother.

 

3.    If the answer to the above text is true, identify the father and the mother:

 

       Speaking to the Israelis, Yehovah said,

 

Joshua 24:3 “And I took your father Avraham from the other side of the flood. And I led him throughout all the land of Canaan. And I multiplied his seed. And I gave him Isaac.”

 

       Thus, Avraham is the father of Israel.

 

       Another text identifies the mother of Israel:

 

Galatians 4:26 Jerusalem that is above is free, which is the mother of us all!

 

       Thus, Jerusalem is the mother!

 

4.    How will glorifying Avraham lengthen Israel’s days upon the soil that Yehovah, Israel’s Gods, gave to Israel? Avraham is the example of faith in the Bible. Demonstrating Avraham as important will include demonstrating the faith of Avraham. Since Avraham believed God, and God thought him righteous on account of this, anyone who considers Avraham important will likewise believe God. Therefore, if Israel recognizes Avraham as important, Israel will refuse to sin and will do righteousness upon the soil that Yehovah gave to Israel. Yehovah will then be pleased to keep Israel on the soil of the land and will not permit enemies to drive Israel off. Yehovah will also keep the Palestinians from being active enemies to Israel.

 

5.    How will glorifying Jerusalem lengthen Israel’s days upon the soil that Yehovah, Israel’s Gods, gave to Israel? If Israel will recognize the importance of Jerusalem in a Biblical way, all Israel will refuse to sin in Jerusalem, and will maintain Jerusalem as a place of righteousness, justice, Grace, and of the Teaching (Torah). Thus, races from all over the world will be able to come to Jerusalem to learn righteousness. Yehovah will be pleased to maintain Israel in Jerusalem, and He will stop all enemies who desire Israel’s demise (destruction and death).

 

6.    Has Yehovah given the soil of the Land of Israel to the Israelis? He hasn’t yet. The Israelis don’t yet know how to treat the soil of the Land of Israel. The Israelis continue to sin while on that soil; sin mistreats the soil.

 

 

 

VII. The Sixth Statement: Don’t Murder (verse 13)

 

Again speaking to one being, Yehovah commanded, “Thou shalt not murder.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What is murder? It is intentionally killing a person without the force of proper law behind that killing. It differs from manslaughter (which is accidentally killing a person), and war (in which killing non-surrendering members of an opposing army is right, or killing surrendering members of an opposing army for proper vengeance because of needless slaughter on the part of the enemy is right), and legally proper execution of a criminal who deserves the death penalty.

 

       Do not confuse manslaughter—that is, accidentally killing a person—with murder that might look accidental. If a person has gotten drunk before and gets drunk again, and then drives, and then ‘accidentally’ kills someone, that isn’t manslaughter; that is murder. That was as intentional as if it were planned. The person had warnings and knew better, but took the risk—at the risk of another person. That is murder.

 

2.    Who is being commanded to not murder? The target is the same: Israel (as one person, including all Israelis together as if they form one person). If an individual Israeli murders, all of Israel has murdered.

 

 

 

VIII. The Seventh Statement: Don’t Commit Adultery (verse 13)

 

He then commanded to this one being, “Thou shalt not commit-adultery.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What is adultery? That is participating in sexual activity when one or more persons is married to someone else. (This differs from fornication in which a male and a female participate in sexual activity when neither is married.)

 

2.    Who is being commanded to not commit adultery in this text? Israel as a whole (consisting of all the Israelis together) is being commanded to not commit adultery. If one Israeli commits adultery, all of Israel is committing adultery.

 

3.    With whom might Israel as a whole commit adultery? Israel belongs to Yehovah. When Israel is portrayed in the Bible as a woman, she is Yehovah’s wife. If she goes after any other gods, she is committing adultery. Therefore, adultery and idolatry (putting one’s trust in idols) will often be directly connected in the Bible.

 

4.    Is Israel as a whole committing adultery right now? Israel’s faith is in the United States, in the United Nations, and in human good will and good sense. All three of these defy what the Bible teaches Israel. Thus, Israel is practicing adultery, not looking to the only source of peace: Yehovah, Israel’s husband.

 

 

 

IX. The Eighth Statement: Don’t Steal (verse 13)

 

Yehovah told this one being, “Thou shalt not steal.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Who is being told to not steal? Israel as a whole is being told to not steal. If any Israeli steals, Israel has stolen.

 

2.    From whom could Israel steal?

 

  • Israel could steal from Yehovah (taking what belongs to Him as if it belongs to Israel). For example, Yehovah alone owns the right to teach Truth. If any Israeli claims to teach truth, and that truth isn’t Yehovah’s truth, that Israeli has stolen Yehovah’s right to give and be Truth, and thus Israel has stolen.
  • Israel could steal from the races. Israelis have often stolen the gods of the races, making them their own gods. If an Israeli does this, all Israel has done this. Yehovah becomes very angry over such theft.
  • Israel could steal from Israel (in the form of Israeli stealing from Israeli). When one Israeli steals from another Israeli, that involves Israel as being both the thief and the victim of theft! That doesn’t promote loving one’s neighbour as oneself, but rather violence! Yehovah hates violence.

 

 

X. The Ninth Statement: Don’t Answer as a Witness of a Lie (verse 13)

 

Yehovah commanded against answering a question by means of a neighbour such that the person answering is a witness of a lie.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What does “Thou shalt not answer via thy neighbour, a witness of a lie” mean, and how does it differ from “Thou shalt not answer, a witness of a lie”? This command is against an Israeli answering a question by giving a lying testimony—that is, by claiming to have seen, heard, smelled, tasted, or physically felt something that never occurred at the time being discussed. For example, if Johnny says, “I saw Martha throw the glass at Jody,” and Johnny never saw Martha throw the glass, Johnny is a witness of a lie. He isn’t just a lying witness, but he is a witness of a lie—the lie being what Johnny (and perhaps others) planned to say against truth.

 

       Now, Johnny answered via his neighbour—that is, by means of his neighbour, since he is using his innocent neighbour to construct and uphold a lie. That lie is now on the shoulders of his innocent neighbour, and that neighbour must carry that lie until that lie is exposed.

 

       Yehovah has strong fury against a witness of a lie.

 

       Had the text instead said, “Thou shalt not answer, a witness of a lie,” this would not have involved any neighbour. It would also have appeared to be commanding to not answer at all. Other texts show that the Israelis must give testimony if they saw or heard something that is important in cases brought before judges in Israel. There is a major difference between “thou shalt not answer” and “thou shalt not answer via thy neighbour.”

 

2.    Is lying as a witness ever right? Yes! When the only way to save an innocent person from the hands of guilty persons is to lie as a witness, anyone who fears Yehovah must lie. If the person doesn’t lie, and if the innocent person is therefore taken by guilty persons, Yehovah will hold the person who didn’t lie as a coconspirator with the guilty persons! The Bible gives several examples of righteous persons who lied to save the innocent from the hands of the guilty. The midwives did so in the beginning of Exodus, and both Avraham and Isaac lied in order to save many lives. Yehovah blessed the midwives, and Yehovah threatened those to whom Avraham and Isaac lied rather than being angry with Avraham or Isaac!

 

       This command, “Thou shalt not answer via thy neighbour, a witness of a lie,” therefore holds for Israel, as do the commands around it, and for Israelis with Israelis when the Teaching (Torah) is being obeyed by all parties involved. No one will need to witness a lie under these circumstances!

 

3.    How else can Israel answer via Israel’s neighbour, a witness of a lie? Yehovah chose Israel to bring the Truth to the races. Israel’s teachers and rabbis have brought tradition to the races, the occult to the races, many false doctrines to the races, the Truth of Yehovah to the races, Salvation to the races, the Word of God to the races, and many other things. Thus, Israel has brought what will bring Salvation as well as what will bring damnation. At present, Israel, as a whole, is teaching the races that peace will come through dialogue—that is, through enemies sitting down and talking together. This is a witness of a lie. This testimony of Israel violates this commandment.

 

       Just as it is wrong for an Israeli to be a witness of a lie against another Israeli, it is wrong for all of Israel to be a witness of a lie to the races. Both promote death and killing.

 

 

 

XI. The Tenth Statement: Coveting What Can’t Be Obtained (verse 14)

 

Yehovah commanded against coveting particular items: a house of one’s neighbour, a woman of one’s neighbour, a male slave of one’s neighbour, a female slave of one’s neighbour, an ox of one’s neighbour, an ass of one’s neighbour, and any item that is holy to one’s neighbour.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What does covet mean? It means to very strongly desire the very item or position that another person or group has.

 

       In some cases, a person can purchase an item from another person; coveting isn’t wrong if the item is for sale, and if purchasing the item isn’t doing wrong.

 

       In some cases, the item can never be acquired. For example, if a woman desires a man to become her husband, and if that man is already married to another woman, the only way that she can obtain this man is by adultery or by the other woman dying. If the woman covets this man, she is doing wrong.

 

       In one case in the Bible, a king coveted the property of an Israeli. The king could not have that property; it was part of an inheritance to the man who had it. The king’s wife had the man murdered. That is what wrong coveting can do.

 

       Coveting Biblically Spiritual things is not wrong; it is right. Spiritual things come with responsibilities and with dangers, but coveting them is right. (Trying to purchase them with money is wrong!)

 

2.    Who is thou in, “Thou shalt not covet…”? As shown above, it refers to Israel as a singular being.

 

3.    If the answer above is correct, what is wrong with Israel coveting a house of Israel’s neighbour? This easily will lead to war, and war produces deaths. Coveting a house isn’t worth the deaths of humans.

 

       If any Israeli covets the house of a neighbour, all Israel is also coveting that house.

 

4.    What is wrong with coveting a neighbour’s woman? That woman is usually the wife of the neighbour. Coveting in such a case will often lead to adultery or to murder. Yehovah will avenge such a crime.

 

5.    If the neighbour has a slave, can’t the slave be purchased if the one who is coveting can afford the price? Coveting is far stronger than desiring to make a purchase. It is akin to lusting after something—a desire that is strong enough to lead the coveting person to sin in order to obtain the coveted object or person. This is why Yehovah commands against coveting what belongs to Israel’s neighbour.

 

6.    Can Israel go to war with neighbours, and take property (including slaves and women for wives) from the neighbours? Yehovah gave Israel certain conditions under which Israel could go to war. As long as the war was with a neighbour outside of the land of Canaan, and as long as the Biblical conditions for war were met, Israelis could capture slaves and could take women for wives. Taking these persons and their possessions was not considered violating the command against coveting.

 

 

 

XII. Terror of Dying (verses 15-16)

 

All the people of Israel are seeing the voices! They see the torches, and they see the voice of the shofar! The mountain is smoke. Upon seeing these things, the people tottered, and they stood from a distance!

 

The Israelis then said unto Moshe, “Speak thou with us!” They guaranteed, “And we hearkened!” They then requested, “And Elohim will not speak with us lest we will die!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    How can all the people see voices, including the voice of the shofar? The Israelis would have seen the voices if the voices were accompanied by light (as thunder is always accompanied by lightning).

 

       The word see in English has a similar set of definitions in Hebrew. If I say, “I see what you mean,” I am not describing anything visible, but I am describing that I understand. The Israelis understood that they would die if Elohim continued to speak. I cannot tell from the text that this is what Yehovah was communicating via the voices. I propose that the voices were accompanied by light.

 

2.    What torches were there? The text doesn’t describe what the torches were, but rather that there were torches. They were not being held by the Israelis; they were there on the mountain with Elohim.

 

3.    What do torches do, and why were they there with Elohim? Torches give light. The torches were there with Elohim because Elohim was giving light to Israel at this time. Torches are used in darkness when the surrounding area doesn’t have light of its own. Yehovah will give Israelis light during the Tribulation when they have no light; He will send His torches for them.

 

4.    If the above answer is correct regarding the torches, what do the voices do, and why did Elohim send the sounds of the voices? Voices give information. Elohim’s voices give Truth. He will send His voices during the Tribulation so that Israelis and their friends who desire to come to the Salvation of Mount Sinai will know where to go and what to do.

 

5.    What is a shofar? It is a ram’s horn (I showed a picture of it in a previous BCS chapter). Once it is made hollow, it can be blown like a trumpet; its sound will travel for quite a distance. It was (and will be) used militarily to call folks to a gathering point and to become ready for some event.

 

6.    What does “the mountain is smoke” mean? This means that the entirety of Mount Sinai was completely covered with smoke so that the Israelis couldn’t see the mountain; just the smoke.

 

7.    Why did the people totter, and what does that mean? To totter is to rock backward, forward, or sideways, as about to fall. It is like what a person who is very drunk does when trying to walk.

 

       The Israelis tottered because of the terror of what they were seeing (and hearing). This mountain that only moments ago was clear was now all covered with smoke, very loud sounds, and lights.

 

8.    What did the Israelis do as they tottered? The text states that they “stood from a distance,” meaning that they repositioned themselves so that they were farther away from the mountain.

 

9.    What did the Israelis desire Moshe to do, and why? They desired Moshe to speak with them—that is, instead of Elohim speaking with them! They wanted Moshe to be their prophet of Elohim. They claimed that they would hearken if Moshe spoke with them. They didn’t want Elohim to speak with them because they were afraid that they would die if He did.

 

10. Would they have died if Elohim had continued to speak with them? They might have died of fright. Elohim wasn’t there to harm them; He was there to test them and to give them His beneficial fear. The only kind of fear of Elohim that they had was a harmful fear! It drove them away from Elohim.

 

 

 

XIII. The Test and Sin-Preventing Fear (verse 17)

 

Moshe responded by saying unto the people, “Don’t fear-ye.” He explained, “For the Elohim came in order to test you.” That wasn’t the only reason, however; He also came “in order that His fear will be upon your faces;” that fear was intentional. That way, the Israelis won’t sin!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What good did Moshe’s telling them to not fear do? Does telling fearful folks to not fear do any good? If those being told to not fear believe in the person telling them to not fear, it will do some good! If a good parent tells a child to not fear something, the child’s level of fear will decrease. In some cases, the child will entirely lose fear!

 

       If the Israelis had believed Moshe, they would have become a little less fearful (or they would have lost their fear of what they were seeing).

 

2.    What is the purpose of a test from Elohim? His test is given in order to show to the person being tested the truth about him or her.

 

       Elohim never tests a person by presenting an option to sin in front of a person. He always tests a person so that the person can do what is right and righteous. Anyone can pass His tests by obtaining His help if necessary. (Some who are tested do not need His help to pass His tests; they already trust Elohim.) His tests are designed to help a person or a group to not sin.

 

3.    What are the two reasons given for Elohim coming (to Mount Sinai)? They are to test the Israelis and so that His fear will be upon their faces so that they won’t sin.

 

4.    What does fear being upon a person’s face have to do with not sinning? When the fear is great enough, and that fear shows up on a person’s faces, the person will not violate the one whom he/she fears. Elohim put His fear into the faces of all the Israelis so that they wouldn’t disobey what He said to do.

 

5.    Does anyone show a fear of Elohim on his/her faces today? Yes! There are some who show that fear on their faces if others are attempting to get them to sin!

 

 

 

XIV. Neck-Falling Darkness (verse 18)

 

The people of Israel still stood from (at) a distance. Moshe neared unto the darkness where Elohim was. It was ‘neck-falling’ darkness.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Why does the text again state, “And the people stood from a distance”? This showed that their fear continued in spite of Moshe’s telling them to not fear. The entire people did not move from the distant position.

 

2.    Why is the darkness described as neck-falling? I propose that this describes a darkness intense enough that a person in it will look down to his/her feet in order to see anything. Looking down to one’s feet can only be done by the neck falling.

 

3.    Why did Moshe approach this? Wasn’t he afraid? Moshe greatly feared Elohim. That fear did not keep him from Elohim; it drew him to Elohim.

 

       Moshe knew that Elohim desired him to come so that he (Moshe) could deliver the Teaching (Torah) to the Israelis.

 

4.    Does Elohim show up in great darkness elsewhere in the Bible? Yes.

 

1 Kings 8:12 Then Solomon spoke, “Yehovah said that He will dwell in the thick darkness!”

 

5.    What is the benefit of Elohim’s appearing in neck-falling darkness? One benefit will be for some during the Tribulation. Since they will know that Elohim will be present in such darkness, they will not be afraid of the darkness. They will know that Elohim is there. That darkness will also be a refuge for them; enemies won’t be able to approach them in that darkness. An event almost like this already occurred just before the Israelis crossed the Red Sea when the cloud was darkness to the Egyptians and provided light for the Israelis. The darkness kept the Egyptians from approaching. The Israelis will willingly approach to Elohim Who will be in such darkness during the Tribulation so that they will be safe from enemies!

 

       Children are sometimes very frightened of the dark. During the Tribulation, the opposite will occur: they will not be afraid of the dark; they will know that there is safety there!

 

 

 

XV. Against Idolatry (verses 19-23)

 

Yehovah now gave Moshe more things to say unto the children of Israel. Yehovah started with what He did: “Ye, ye saw that I spoke with you from the heavens!”

 

Since Yehovah is therefore right there with them, He commanded, “Ye shall not make with me gods of silver!”

 

He also commanded against making gods of gold to (for) themselves.

 

Now, He commanded them to make one item: “Thou shalt make an altar of soil to me.” He gave its purposes: “And thou shalt sacrifice thine ascensions and thy ‘peaces,’ thy flock and thy herd upon him.”

 

How will Yehovah respond? “I will come unto thee in each place that I will remind my Name. And I will bless thee.”

 

He didn’t command against a stone altar, but He gave one restriction: “And if thou wilt make an altar of stones to me, thou shalt not build them a cutting. For thou did swing thy sword upon her, and thou profaned her!”

 

There was one other restriction regarding an altar: “And thou shalt not ascend upon my altar via steps so-that thy nakedness will not-be-exposed upon him!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Did Moshe now see Elohim (since Moshe just entered into the neck-falling darkness)? This text section doesn’t say. Another does:

 

Exodus 33:11 And Yehovah spoke unto Moshe faces to faces as a man speaks unto his friend.

 

       Also, when Moshe will return to the camp, he will be glowing very brightly. I am therefore convinced that he saw Elohim.

 

2.    Yehovah told Moshe to tell the children of Israel, “Ye, ye saw that I spoke with you from the heavens!” Did Yehovah speak to them from the heavens, or did He speak to them from Mount Sinai? We just read that He spoke to them from Mount Sinai; the mountain was above the Israelis so that they had to look up into the heavens to see the source of the voices. Yet I am convinced that this refers to a future event that won’t have anything to do with Mount Sinai when He will speak with the Israelis from the heavens! Other texts describe examples of such an event:

 

Matthew 3:17 And behold a voice from the heavens saying, “This is my beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased!”

 

Matthew 17:5 While he yet spoke, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. And behold a voice from the cloud that said, “This is my beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased! Hearken ye to Him!”

 

Mark 9:7 And there was a cloud that overshadowed them. And a voice came from the cloud saying, “This is my beloved Son! Hearken to Him!”

 

Luke 9:35 And a voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son! Hearken to Him!”

 

3.    Why did He speak with them from the heavens instead of appearing on the land where they were? The Israelis were not ready for Him to make a land appearance. He will later make such a land appearance and walk among the Israelis for three years in the form of Yeshua! He will call the Israelis to become ready since the Kingdom of God will near. Yet, they won’t become ready at that time; their readiness for Him to remain with them on land will wait many centuries.

 

4.    What does Yehovah’s speaking with them from the heavens have to do with their not making gods of silver with Him and not making gods of gold to them? Had Yehovah come and spoken with them on the land, they would have been in the greatest danger of being slaughtered because of the gods of silver and of gold. Yehovah is very jealous of any competition from false gods when it comes to the Israelis! Thus, He spoke with them from the heavens so that they would be warned. He is keeping His distance from the Israelis because they are not ready for Him to come to them in a personal way.

 

5.    Yehovah said two different things: “Ye shall not make with me gods of silver” and “Ye shall not make gods of gold to you.” What is the difference between the two besides the metal from which the gods are made? The first states, “Ye shall not make with me…” while the second states, “Ye shall not make to you.” The first commands against making idols with Yehovah, implying that they can serve both Yehovah and idols, which will greatly anger Yehovah. The second commands against making idols to them implying that they can serve idols apart from Yehovah, which will also greatly anger Yehovah.

 

       Making idols of any kind will bring the intense anger of Yehovah upon the Israelis.

 

6.    Why did Yehovah specify that the altar must be made of soil? Humans tend to want to make religious items fancy and very valuable; expensive items (they think) show their dedication. Now, Yehovah made humans out of soil, not out of gold and silver. An altar of soil, then, will typify humans rather than showing off a person’s or groups wealth. Those things sacrificed on the altar will also typify (picture) humans. Soil can easily picture humility just as throwing soil on one’s own head can picture being humbled or humiliated.

 

7.    What is an ascension, and how is it sacrificed? An ascension is the sacrifice of an animal (like a sheep or goat) that typifies (pictures) a person or group that will be sacrificed, and that will ascend into the heavens.

 

       Saints who died at the time that Yehovah gave the texts of the Torah did not ascend into the heavens, but went to the paradise side of Sheol in the heart of the earth.

 

       Paradise is the Garden of Eden that was moved from its location on earth into the heart of the earth because of Adam’s sin; it is a most delightful place for humans, and is a miniature of the New Earth that will have Paradise over all its surfaces. Paradise was later transferred to the heavens so that Saints ascended into Paradise, as they do now. Thus, these sacrifices that are ascensions showed a picture of Paradise being in the heavens and not in Sheol.

 

       The person doing the sacrifice of ascension brings a perfect proper animal (usually a sheep or goat). He/She lays hands on the animal’s head, and slits its throat, killing it. The priest is there to oversee and to help, if necessary. The animal is then cut open, and the various parts on the inside are removed, each part also being a type—a picture of very important events. The animal’s skin is removed, and the animal is roasted on the altar. The priest and the one doing this sacrifice then eat the animal, enjoying a meal together that pictures their becoming part of what the animal and its parts picture. It is a show-and-tell of events to come.

 

8.    What are ‘peaces,’ and how are they sacrificed? The word ‘peaces’ is plural for peace—that is, for the condition of not being at war or in debt, but of a good relationship that is potentially beneficial to all concerned.

 

       ‘Peaces’ sacrifices typify (picture) events and persons who will bring various forms of peace to both the Israelis and all Israel during the Tribulation. Because these sacrifices typify humans, those humans will heroically die to bring various forms of peace to the Israelis and Israel.

 

       At the beginning of the Tribulation, Yehovah will have great anger toward Israel and most of the Israelis. Heroic persons (Israelis and even some non-Israelis) will give their own lives to save Israelis from Yehovah’s wrath toward Israel and to show the kind of selflessness that alone can and will bring peace in all areas of life. Many Israelis at first will view these heroes and heroines as evil, some even thinking that they are the ones bringing Yehovah’s wrath on Israel. The Israelis will later learn that they are wrong, and that these heroes and heroines knew the Truth about Yehovah and His plan. These sacrifices are like memorials to those heroes and heroines even before they ever live.

 

9.    Why did Yehovah specify, “thou shalt sacrifice … thy flock and thy herd upon them” when that is obvious? Yehovah is teaching the Israelis that they will be sacrificing Israeli heroes and heroines, slaughtering innocent Israelis in groups!

 

10. Yehovah next stated, “I will come unto thee in each place that I will remind my Name.” What does He mean by “remind my Name,” what places are these, and what will Yehovah do? The places where He will “remind” His Name are places that He will set His Name there. One way of identifying those places is seeing where Yehovah commanded the Levitical priests to place altars there so that the Israelis could do sacrifices. Yehovah identified certain cities for the Israelis to go when they ate and drank the tithes; these were the same cities where the remembrance of His Name was placed. Israelis and others could come to these cities and be taught about Yehovah’s Name (Who is later identified as Salvation—as Yeshua).

 

       Yehovah stated that He will come unto thee—unto Israel—in these places. I propose that these are also cities of refuge where a person who accidentally kills another person could flee in order to be judged and in order to live. The following text identifies these six cities:

 

Joshua 20:7 And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali and Shechem in mount Ephraim and Kirjatharba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah. 8And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh. 9These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel and for the stranger who sojourns among them so-that whosoever kills any person at unawares will flee to there and not die by the hand of the redeemer of blood unto his standing to the faces of the congregation.

 

11. Yehovah mentioned two types of sacrifices: the ascension and the peaces. Why didn’t He also include the various sin sacrifices? Yehovah desires to bless Israel. If the Israelis sin, that will not bring a blessing from Yehovah, but rather His wrath. Yehovah did not provide the sin sacrifices in order to give the Israelis the impression that they could sin and repent with a sacrifice, and that everything would be fine; He provided the sin sacrifices for them as types—pictures of events to come in which true heroes and heroines will willingly give their own lives to save the lives of Israelis who are not yet in faith. These sin sacrifices are therefore very sad and reminders of future heroism.

 

12. Why will Yehovah bless Israel? He will bless Israel because Israel will do right and will sacrifice his ascensions and his peaces to Yehovah—types of heroes and heroines to come.

 

13. What does “build them a cutting” mean? This means to build them by cutting them into shapes.

 

14. What is wrong with cutting the stones into shapes in order to make a pretty altar to Yehovah? He explained, “For thou did swing thy sword upon her, and thou profaned her!” This sword is a stone-cutting tool. When humans try to make their own faiths look better by using tools, they prove their faiths to be false. A real faith doesn’t need to be made pretty. While cut stones can be very pretty, Yehovah has no pleasure in His altar being made from cut stones. An altar made with cut stones is profaned—that is, it is now secular. (That means that it is not owned by Yehovah, but rather is unowned, and is for anyone’s use.) Natural stones are what Natural stones are what Yehovah made. The altar will typify what Yehovah makes, not what humans make.

 

15. What nakedness will be exposed if Israel ascends upon Yehovah’s altar via steps? The use of undergarments was not universal; the types of garments they wore did not make them necessary. If any part of Israel (like an Israeli) were to ascend an altar of Yehovah, viewing the person from underneath would reveal the person’s nakedness. Yehovah does not want any form of nakedness to approach His altar. If steps were made for the altar, the steps would become part of the altar.

 

16. What is wrong with nakedness? Doesn’t Yehovah have the ability to see through all garments, and didn’t He design the human body in the first place? Nakedness is also a type! It pictures shame and vulnerability (that is, the human body is easily able to be damaged when it is naked) due to sin! When Adam sinned, he realized that he was naked, and he hid from Yehovah!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exodus 19 Israel’s Sanctification

Israel’s Sanctification

 

 

Background and printed text: Exodus 19

 

Exodus 19:1 In the third month to the exit of the children of Israel from the land of Egypt, they came from the Thorny Desert in this day. 2And they journeyed from Corpses. And they came-to the Desert of My-Thorns [Sinai Desert]. And they camped in the desert. And Israel camped there in-front-of the mountain.

 

3And Draw [Moshe] ascended unto the Elohim. And Yehovah called unto him from the mountain to say, “So shalt thou say to the House of He-Will-Heel [Jacob], and thou hast told to the children of Israel, 4 ‘Ye—ye saw what I did to Egypt! And I carried you upon wings of eagles. And I brought you unto me.

 

5 “‘And now, if, hearkening, ye will hearken into my voice, and ye shall guard My Covenant! And ye shall be segregated to me from all the peoples. For all the Land is to me! 6And ye, ye shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy race to me!’ These are the speeches that thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.”

 

7And Draw [Moshe] came. And he called to the elders of the people. And he put to their faces all these speeches that Yehovah commanded him. 8And they answered─all the people─together. And they said, “We will do all that Yehovah spoke!”

 

And Draw [Moshe] returned the speeches of the people unto Yehovah.

 

9And Yehovah said unto Draw [Moshe], “Behold I am coming unto thee in the darkness of the cloud for-the-sake-that the people will hearken via my speech with thee. And they will also believe via thee to Hider!”

 

And Draw [Moshe] told the speeches of the people unto Yehovah.

 

10And Yehovah said unto Draw [Moshe], “Go unto the people. And sanctify them today and tomorrow. And they shall launder their garments. 11And they shall be straight-forward-ones to the third day. For Yehovah will descend to the eyes of all the people upon Thorny Mountain in the third day. 12And thou shalt border the people around to say, ‘Guard-ye to yourselves to ascend into the mountain and to touch into his edge! Each toucher into the mountain: dying, shall die! 13Thou shalt not touch a hand into him! For stoning, he shall be stoned, or shooting, he shall be shot! If beast, if a man: he shall not live! They shall ascend into the mountain when extending the flow!’”

 

14And Draw [Moshe] descended unto the people from the mountain. And he sanctified the people. And they laundered their garments. 15And he said unto the people, “Be-ye straight-forward-ones for three days. Touch-ye-not unto a woman.”

 

16And he was in the third day when being the morning. And he was voices and lightnings and a heavy cloud upon the mountain, and the very strong voice of a shofar! And all the people that is in the camp quaked! 17And Draw [Moshe] exits from the camp with the people to meet the Elohim. And they positioned themselves in the undermost-part-of the mountain. 18And Mount-of-my-Thorns [Mount Sinai] is smoke─all of him—because Yehovah descended upon him in fire. And His smoke ascended as the smoke of the furnace. And all the mountain much quaked! 19And the voice of the Shofar was walking and very strong.

 

Draw [Moshe] will speak and the Elohim will answer him via the voice!

 

20And Yehovah descended upon Mount-of-my-Thorns [Mount Sinai] unto the head of the mountain. And Yehovah called to Draw [Moshe] unto the head of the mountain. And Draw [Moshe] ascended. 21And Yehovah said unto Draw [Moshe], “Descend! Witness into the people lest they will fragment unto Yehovah to see! And many shall fall from him! 22And also the priests who are approaching unto Yehovah shall sanctify themselves lest Yehovah will blow-up into them!”

 

23And Draw [Moshe] said unto Yehovah, “The people will not be able to ascend unto the Mount-of-my-Thorns [Mount Sinai], because Thou, Thou testified into us to say, ‘Border the Mountain and sanctify him!’” 24And Yehovah said unto him, “Go! Descend! And ascend thou, and Aharon with thee. And the priests and the people shall not fragment to ascend unto Yehovah lest He will blow-up into them!”

 

25And Moshe descended unto the people.

 

 

 

I. The Third Month’s Journey (verses 1-2)

 

The Israelis had now been away from Egypt for more than two months. They had most recently been in Thorny Desert. On this very day, they traveled from Thorny Desert and from Corpses, and they came to the Desert of My-Thorns—that is, to the Sinai Desert. They camped there in the desert, and in front of the mountain (Mount Sinai).

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Why did Yehovah walk the Israelis into desert lands instead of lands where there were many plants and animals?

 

2.     Why did Yehovah wait until the third month to do what He is about to do, rather than immediately doing these things?

 

3.     What kind of a desert would be described as Thorny Desert?

 

4.     What kind of a land would be called Corpses?

 

5.     Why would a place be called the Desert of My Thorns?

 

6.     The text states, “they camped in the desert.” Where else would they have camped?

 

7.     Why did they camp in front of a mountain?

 

 

 

II. Moshe Ascends unto the Elohim (verses 3-4)

 

Moshe ascended unto the Elohim (the Gods). Yehovah called unto him from the mountain in order to say, “So shalt thou say to the House of Jacob, and thou hast told to the children of Israel…” Yehovah will be communicating many things to Moshe so that he will tell them to the Israelis.

 

Yehovah continued, “Ye—ye saw what I did to Egypt!” They had, of course. Yehovah then said, “And I carried you upon wings of eagles.” (See the questions regarding this.) He also said, “And I brought you unto me.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     How did Moshe know to ascend (go up) unto the Elohim?

 

2.     Was ascending the mountain to come to the Elohim (the Gods) scary for Moshe?

 

3.     What did Moshe see while in the mountain?

 

4.     What does the Elohim mean, and why does it mean this?

 

5.     What is a house in, “So shalt thou say to the House of Jacob”?

 

6.     Why did the Elohim make a distinction between the House of Jacob and the children of Israel?

 

7.     What are the children of Israel?

 

8.     The Elohim said, “so shalt thou say…” He also said, “…and thou hast told…” Why is He wording these things in these ways?

 

9.     The Elohim said, “Ye—ye saw what I did to Egypt!” To what event is He referring?

 

10.  The Elohim said, “And I carried you upon wings of eagles.” When did He do this?

 

11.  When did the Elohim bring the children of Israel unto Him?

 

 

 

III. Promises, Promises! (verses 5-6)

 

Yehovah continued, “And now, if, hearkening, ye will hearken into my voice, and ye shall guard My Covenant!” Yehovah told the Israelis what will happen to them: “And ye shall be segregated to me from all the peoples.” He then claimed ownership of all the land: “For all the Land is to me!” Yehovah assigned Moshe to speak these speeches unto the children of Israel.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What does hearken mean?

 

2.     Why did the Elohim say if?

 

3.     What will be the result when the children of Israel will hearken into the Elohim’s voice?

 

4.     What does guard mean?

 

5.     Why guard a Covenant? Is someone trying to steal it?

 

6.     What does segregated mean?

 

7.     In what ways will the Israelis be segregated from all peoples?

 

8.     Why did the Elohim say, “ye shall be segregated to me”?

 

9.     Why doesn’t Yehovah desire all the peoples of the world to be segregated to Him?

 

10.  Doesn’t this mean that the Israelis are special above all the other peoples of the world?

 

11.  What does all the land being to the Elohim have to do with the segregation of the Israelis? What land is this?

 

12.  What is a priest?

 

13.  What is a kingdom of priests?

 

14.  What does holy mean?

 

15.  What is a holy race?

 

16.  What race is this, and who owns this race?

 

17.  What is the position of the many who joined themselves to Israel, but are not part of the race of Israel, having come from many other races?

 

18.  The Elohim said, “These are the speeches that thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.” It appears to be just one speech. Why is it considered speeches?

 

19. Did the Israelis understand these speeches when Moshe told them?

 

 

 

IV. Moshe Presents the Speeches (verses 7-8)

 

Moshe came to the Israeli camp. He then called to the elders of the people. He then put all these speeches that Yehovah commanded him directly to the faces of these elders.

 

All the people answered together. They said, “We will do all that Yehovah spoke!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Why did Moshe call the elders of the people?

 

2.     Why does the text state, “he put to their faces all these speeches that Yehovah commanded him”?

 

3.     If Moshe was speaking only to the elders, how could all the people together answer Moshe?

 

4.     Did the Israelis do all that Yehovah spoke right after this event?

 

 

 

V. Moshe Returns Speeches to Yehovah (verse 8)

 

Moshe then returned the speeches of the people of Israel to Yehovah (as if Yehovah hadn’t heard).

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Why did Moshe return the speeches of the people unto Yehovah? Didn’t Yehovah hear what they said?

 

 

 

VI. The Darkness of the Cloud (verse 9)

 

Yehovah now said unto Moshe, “Behold I am coming unto thee in the darkness of the cloud for-the-sake-that the people will hearken via my speech with thee. And they will also believe into thee to Hider!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Why did Yehovah come in the darkness of a cloud, according to this text?

 

2.     Yehovah then added, “And they will also believe via thee to Hider!” When is Hider, and will they believe Moshe to Hider in Moshe’s day?

 

 

 

VII. Moshe Again Tells Yehovah the Speeches (verse 9)

 

Moshe now had more Israeli speeches to tell Yehovah.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Why does the text again state that Moshe told the speeches of the people unto Yehovah?

 

 

 

VIII. Sanctification and the Dangerous Descent (verses 10-13)

 

Yehovah said unto Moshe, “Go unto the people. And sanctify them today and tomorrow.” He then told them what to do: “And they shall launder their garments.”

 

He then told Moshe how the Israelis must behave: “And they shall be straight-forward-ones to the third day.” Yehovah gave the reason: “For Yehovah will descend to the eyes of all the people upon Thorny Mountain in the third day.”

 

Yehovah now warned of great danger by telling Moshe of the restrictions: “And thou shalt border the people around to say, ‘Guard-ye to yourselves to ascend into the mountain and to touch into his edge!’” (He was telling them to not ascend into the mountain, and even to not touch into the mountain’s edge!) Yehovah gave the reason why: “Each toucher into the mountain: dying, shall die!” Yehovah made the warning very specific: “Thou shalt not touch a hand into him!” If a person were to throw a stone to or at the mountain, “stoning, he shall be stoned!” If a person were to shoot an arrow toward the mountain, “shooting, he shall be shot!” Even if an animal goes to the mountain, or if a man tries to get up the mountain, “If beast, if a man: he shall not live!” This was a very strong warning!

 

Yehovah finished this speech by telling when the Israelis will ascend into the mountain: “when extending the flow!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What does sanctify mean?

 

2.     Why did Moshe need to sanctify the people if Yehovah already owned them?

 

3.     Why did Moshe need to do this “today and tomorrow”?

 

4.     What process was involved in sanctification?

 

5.     Why did they need to launder their garments?

 

6.     What does straight forward ones mean?

 

7.     Why, again, will Yehovah descend upon Mount Sinai in the third day?

 

8.     What does “border the people around” mean?

 

9.     What does “Guard-ye to yourselves to ascend into the mountain” mean?

 

10.  Why was Yehovah so strongly against any Israeli ascending into the mountain and even touching the very edge of the mountain?

 

11.  According to verse 13, what will happen to an Israeli who throws or slings a stone at Mount Sinai at this time?

 

12.  What will happen to an Israeli who shoots an arrow at the mountain at this time, and why?

 

13.  What will happen if a bull goes too close to Mount Sinai, and crosses onto the edge of the mountain?

 

14.  Yehovah told Moshe to say, “They shall ascend into the mountain when extending the flow.” What does this mean?

 

 

 

IX. Sanctification and Women (verses 14-15)

 

Moshe descended from the mountain to come unto the people. He then sanctified the people. Afterward, they laundered their garments.

 

Moshe said unto the people, “Be-ye straight-forward-ones for three days. Touch-ye-not unto a woman.” (See the questions.)

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What water did they use to launder their garments?

 

2.     Why did they have to launder their garments? What does this picture?

 

3.     Why did Yehovah command the Israelis to not touch unto a woman? Were women inferior, unclean and to be avoided?

 

4.     Was there a problem if an Israeli man or woman was already unclean by something beyond what he or she could avoid?

 

 

 

X. Sound, Earthquake, Smoke and Terror (verses 16-19)

 

The morning of the third day after Moshe’s sanctification of the Israelis, the entire camp heard voices, saw lightnings, saw a heavy could upon the mountain, and heard the very strong voice of a shofar! Everyone in the camp began to shake from the terror of these things.

 

Moshe and the Israelis exited the camp to meet the Elohim (Gods). They positioned themselves right under the mountain (without going near enough to touch it).

 

All of Mount Sinai is smoke because Yehovah descended upon him in fire. His smoke ascended as the smoke of the furnace! All the mountain greatly shook with an earthquake. The voice of the shofar was walking—traveling along the land—and was very strong!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Who was in the third day (verse 16)?

 

2.     What four things did the Israelis witness on this morning of the third day?

 

3.     What is a shofar?

 

4.     Why did all the people in the camp quake?

 

5.     If the people [singular] was so afraid, why did this group exit with Moshe to meet the Elohim?

 

6.     Where did they go?

 

7.     Did Mount Sinai become smoke?

 

8.     Why did Yehovah’s fire cause so much smoke?

 

9.     How does the smoke of a furnace ascend?

 

10.  What fifth thing did the Israelis also experience at the same time?

 

11.  The text says, “the voice of the Shofar was walking.” What does this mean?

 

 

 

XI. Moshe and the Elohim Communicate (verse 19)

 

Moshe will speak to the Elohim, and He will answer Moshe via the voice!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What did Moshe say to the Elohim?

 

2.     How could Moshe’s voice be heard with the much greater sounds occurring?

 

3.     What did the Elohim answer?

 

4.     Did the Israelis hear the answer?

 

 

 

XII. Yehovah Descends; Danger is to the Israelis (verses 20-22)

 

Yehovah descended upon Mount Sinai’s head. Yehovah then called to Moshe, summoning him unto the head of the mountain. Moshe ascended.

 

Yehovah said unto Moshe, “Descend! Witness into the people lest they will fragment unto Yehovah to see! And many shall fall from him!”

 

Yehovah also warned, “And also the priests who are approaching unto Yehovah shall sanctify themselves lest Yehovah will blow-up into them!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Hadn’t Yehovah already descended (verse 18)?

 

2.     Why did Yehovah call to Moshe to come unto the head (top) of the mountain?

 

3.     It seems that Yehovah was about to tell Moshe something when Yehovah suddenly commanded Moshe, “Descend! Witness into the people lest they will fragment unto Yehovah to see! And many shall fall from him!” If this is true, what was happening?

 

4.     Were the priests any more ready than the Israelis?

 

5.     What does blow up into them mean?

 

6.     What did the priests have to do to sanctify themselves?

 

 

 

XIII. Confusion Over Ascending or Not (verses 23-24)

 

Moshe said unto Yehovah, “The people will not be able to ascend unto the Mount-of-my-Thorns [Mount Sinai], because Thou, Thou testified into us to say, ‘Border the Mountain and sanctify him!’”

 

Yehovah replied, “Go! Descend!” Moshe had to deliver Yehovah’s communications to the Israelis. Yehovah gave more commands: “And ascend thou, and Aharon with thee.”

 

As for the rest, Yehovah said, “And the priests and the people shall not fragment to ascend unto Yehovah lest He will blow-up into them!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Why did Moshe say unto Yehovah, “The people will not be able to ascend unto the Mount Sinai because Thou, Thou testified into us to say, ‘Border the Mountain and sanctify him’”? Had Yehovah said that the people should ascend, or had He said that they must not ascend?

 

2.     Aren’t the two statements about ascending or not ascending the mountain in conflict with each other?

 

3.     Did Yehovah explain to Moshe what had confused Moshe? Why, or why not?

 

4.     Why did Yehovah desire that Aharon ascend with Moshe?

 

 

 

XIV. Moshe Descended the Mountain (verse 25)

 

Moshe then went down the mountain to return to the Israelis. He had life-saving information.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What was the purpose for Moshe descending Mount Sinai at this point?

 

2.     How did the Israelis respond to Moshe’s arrival?

 

 

 

 

 

Exodus 19 Israel’s Sanctification QA Supplied

Shofar by Olve Utne

Israel’s Sanctification

With Questions and Proposed Answers

 

 

Background and printed text: Exodus 19

 

Exodus 19:1 In the third month to the exit of the children of Israel from the land of Egypt, they came from the Thorny Desert in this day. 2And they journeyed from Corpses. And they came-to the Desert of My-Thorns [Sinai Desert]. And they camped in the desert. And Israel camped there in-front-of the mountain.

 

3And Draw [Moshe] ascended unto the Elohim. And Yehovah called unto him from the mountain to say, “So shalt thou say to the House of He-Will-Heel [Jacob], and thou hast told to the children of Israel, 4 ‘Ye—ye saw what I did to Egypt! And I carried you upon wings of eagles. And I brought you unto me.

 

5 “‘And now, if, hearkening, ye will hearken into my voice, and ye shall guard My Covenant! And ye shall be segregated to me from all the peoples. For all the Land is to me! 6And ye, ye shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy race to me!’ These are the speeches that thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.”

 

7And Draw [Moshe] came. And he called to the elders of the people. And he put to their faces all these speeches that Yehovah commanded him. 8And they answered─all the people─together. And they said, “We will do all that Yehovah spoke!”

 

And Draw [Moshe] returned the speeches of the people unto Yehovah.

 

9And Yehovah said unto Draw [Moshe], “Behold I am coming unto thee in the darkness of the cloud for-the-sake-that the people will hearken via my speech with thee. And they will also believe via thee to Hider!”

 

And Draw [Moshe] told the speeches of the people unto Yehovah.

 

10And Yehovah said unto Draw [Moshe], “Go unto the people. And sanctify them today and tomorrow. And they shall launder their garments. 11And they shall be straight-forward-ones to the third day. For Yehovah will descend to the eyes of all the people upon Thorny Mountain in the third day. 12And thou shalt border the people around to say, ‘Guard-ye to yourselves to ascend into the mountain and to touch into his edge! Each toucher into the mountain: dying, shall die! 13Thou shalt not touch a hand into him! For stoning, he shall be stoned, or shooting, he shall be shot! If beast, if a man: he shall not live! They shall ascend into the mountain when extending the flow!’”

 

14And Draw [Moshe] descended unto the people from the mountain. And he sanctified the people. And they laundered their garments. 15And he said unto the people, “Be-ye straight-forward-ones for three days. Touch-ye-not unto a woman.”

 

16And he was in the third day when being the morning. And he was voices and lightnings and a heavy cloud upon the mountain, and the very strong voice of a shofar! And all the people that is in the camp quaked! 17And Draw [Moshe] exits from the camp with the people to meet the Elohim. And they positioned themselves in the undermost-part-of the mountain. 18And Mount-of-my-Thorns [Mount Sinai] is smoke─all of him—because Yehovah descended upon him in fire. And His smoke ascended as the smoke of the furnace. And all the mountain much quaked! 19And the voice of the Shofar was walking and very strong.

 

Draw [Moshe] will speak and the Elohim will answer him via the voice!

 

20And Yehovah descended upon Mount-of-my-Thorns [Mount Sinai] unto the head of the mountain. And Yehovah called to Draw [Moshe] unto the head of the mountain. And Draw [Moshe] ascended. 21And Yehovah said unto Draw [Moshe], “Descend! Witness into the people lest they will fragment unto Yehovah to see! And many shall fall from him! 22And also the priests who are approaching unto Yehovah shall sanctify themselves lest Yehovah will blow-up into them!”

 

23And Draw [Moshe] said unto Yehovah, “The people will not be able to ascend unto the Mount-of-my-Thorns [Mount Sinai], because Thou, Thou testified into us to say, ‘Border the Mountain and sanctify him!’” 24And Yehovah said unto him, “Go! Descend! And ascend thou, and Aharon with thee. And the priests and the people shall not fragment to ascend unto Yehovah lest He will blow-up into them!”

 

25And Moshe descended unto the people.

 

 

 

I. The Third Month’s Journey (verses 1-2)

 

The Israelis had now been away from Egypt for more than two months. They had most recently been in Thorny Desert. On this very day, they traveled from Thorny Desert and from Corpses, and they came to the Desert of My-Thorns—that is, to the Sinai Desert. They camped there in the desert, and in front of the mountain (Mount Sinai).

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Why did Yehovah walk the Israelis into desert lands instead of lands where there were many plants and animals? Yehovah determined to show others far into the future that He can easily supply what humans need to live and do well in places where there are no provisions—certainly not enough for a group of any larger size. He also put the Israelis in a position to depend upon Him in order for them to know that humans live by what Yehovah speaks, and not just by having plenty of food.

 

2.    Why did Yehovah wait until the third month to do what He is about to do, rather than immediately doing these things? This showed the Israelis of that time, the Israelis of the future, and all readers of the text that Yehovah had no trouble sustaining the Israelis and supplying them for months regardless of their having no faith in Him! The Israelis did fine.

 

3.    What kind of a desert would be described as Thorny Desert? It is a desert with some plant life (and thus some rain), but the plants include many that have thorns (and are therefore not good for some types of domestic cattle). It is a desert that can harm humans who are either careless or who don’t know about some of the thorny plants. (There are deserts in this world that are known to never get any rain at all.)

 

4.    What kind of a land would be called Corpses? It is either a land where dead bodies were found or where some war had taken place, and the slain were left for others to find. (There could be other reasons, but I couldn’t think of any.) It is a place that just doesn’t sound … hospitable.

 

5.    Why would a place be called the Desert of My Thorns? I can think of one reason, and I am certain that there are other possible reasons. (Unless the Bible gives the reason or the reason is discovered elsewhere, the reader won’t know the reason.) One reason might be because someone who named the area also claimed it as being his/her own, including claiming its thorns as his/her property! (I, personally, like thorny plants; some produce beautiful flowers.)

 

6.    The text states, “they camped in the desert.” Where else would they have camped? Deserts can include bodies of water (seas). The Israelis once camped by the sea. They are now camped where no water is present; yet, they have the Rock that supplies more than all the water they can use.

 

7.    Why did they camp in front of a mountain? Yehovah’s cloud led them there. They always have this cloud that is leading them while they are on this journey. This mountain will be very important to the Israelis.

 

 

 

II. Moshe Ascends unto the Elohim (verses 3-4)

 

Moshe ascended unto the Elohim (the Gods). Yehovah called unto him from the mountain in order to say, “So shalt thou say to the House of Jacob, and thou hast told to the children of Israel…” Yehovah will be communicating many things to Moshe so that he will tell them to the Israelis.

 

Yehovah continued, “Ye—ye saw what I did to Egypt!” They had, of course. Yehovah then said, “And I carried you upon wings of eagles.” (See the questions regarding this.) He also said, “And I brought you unto me.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    How did Moshe know to ascend (go up) unto the Elohim? The next statement tells how Moshe knew: “Yehovah called unto him from the mountain.” Moshe was a prophet; therefore, Yehovah communicated to Moshe what He desired Moshe to know.

 

2.    Was ascending the mountain to come to the Elohim (the Gods) scary for Moshe? The text doesn’t indicate that it was scary for him. Moshe was over 80 years old. He had feared Yehovah for years (and thus had done what was right); this wasn’t so different than coming to the Elohim in the bush that burned and wasn’t burned up.

 

3.    What did Moshe see while in the mountain? The text doesn’t tell what he saw, but rather what he heard; Yehovah’s voice came from the mountain.

 

4.    What does the Elohim mean, and why does it mean this? The Elohim means the Gods. It is plural. Yet, there is only One God. Still, He is all the Gods that there are! He is the God of the land and the God of the sea, the God of the heavens and the God of the depths. He is the God who gives life and the God who can save lives. Thus, He calls Himself the Elohim—the Gods!

 

5.    What is a house in, “So shalt thou say to the House of Jacob”? First, it doesn’t refer to a structure or a building in which folks live when it is used like this. Instead, it refers to all the persons who participate with and are part of Jacob’s offspring. Thus, it includes the following:

 

  • Jacob’s descendants
  • The women who have married Jacob’s descendants
  • The slaves who are owned by Jacob’s descendants
  • All who have joined Jacob’s descendants to become part of the people (cultural group) of Jacob

6.    Why did the Elohim make a distinction between the House of Jacob and the children of Israel? I propose that Yehovah had the later scatterings of Israel in mind when He used the children of Israel. While the House of Jacob refers to a unified group, the children of Israel can refer to a very scattered group that becomes very different groups according to very different cultures. Two cultures in lands distant from each other don’t form one house. Thus, whether they are unified (the House of Jacob) or scattered (the children of Israel), what the Elohim is about to describe is still Truth.

 

7.    What are the children of Israel? They include all of Israel’s children, grand children, great grandchildren, etc., but they also include others who have joined themselves to Israel (Jacob) as if they were born to him, though they weren’t. Adults can have their own children by birth, but they might also have other children born from other parents who come and who become part of the family; they become children of those parents with the same responsibilities and the same care.

 

8.    The Elohim said, “so shalt thou say…” He also said, “…and thou hast told…” Why is He wording these things in these ways? The first expression, “so shalt thou say,” is what Moshe must do in the future from the time of the command. “and thou hast told” is for a future time looking back on what Moshe told (the children of Israel) centuries ago. Thus, the text is indicating two very different timings for these communications: the first is given while Israel is unified (the House of Jacob), and the second is given even when Israel will be very scattered (the children of Israel).

 

9.    The Elohim said, “Ye—ye saw what I did to Egypt!” To what event is He referring? While it is obvious to a reader that He is referring to the Israelis’ exit from Egypt and the events that took place before this exit, including all the plagues, what isn’t so obvious except to a careful reader is that He is also referring to a future event that He will again do to Egypt. Almost no information will be given at this time regarding this event, but other texts much later in the Bible will describe events that will happen in Israeli and Egyptian future times. The next question will give strong evidence to this.

 

10. The Elohim said, “And I carried you upon wings of eagles.” When did He do this? He certainly didn’t do this in the recent events of Israel’s coming out of Egypt! Nothing describes eagles or humans being flown on the wings of eagles during the original exit from Egypt. Thus, this must refer to a future event. Such an event is described in Isaiah:

 

       Isaiah 40:27 “Why wilt thou say, Jacob, and thou hast spoken, Israel, ‘My way is hidden from Yehovah, and my justice has crossed-over from my Gods!’? 28Didn’t thou know?─if thou hadn’t heard? The Gods of the universe─Yehovah─Creator of the ends of the land─will not be weary! And He will not be exhausted! There is no successful-searching to His understanding 29Who gives to the weary-one power; and He will multiply might to the no-abilities-one! 30And youths shall be weary and shall be exhausted. And chosen-ones, stumbling, they shall stumble! 31And waiters-of Yehovah shall exchange power! They shall ascend a pinion [where pinions are the very small feathers on wings] as eagles! They shall run, and they shall not exhaust. They shall walk, and they shall not weary!”

 

       Other texts describe the use of eagles to fly Israelis and other ‘good guys’ to Mount Zion during a future time called the Tribulation. The Elohim will truly carry the children of Israel upon wings of eagles!

 

11. When did the Elohim bring the children of Israel unto Him? He hasn’t done this yet! This refers to a future time when He brings them unto Mount Zion—a different mountain than the one being described in this text (Mount Sinai). He will bring them unto Him, since He will be there in that mountain!

 

 

 

III. Promises, Promises! (verses 5-6)

 

Yehovah continued, “And now, if, hearkening, ye will hearken into my voice, and ye shall guard My Covenant!” Yehovah told the Israelis what will happen to them: “And ye shall be segregated to me from all the peoples.” He then claimed ownership of all the land: “For all the Land is to me!” Yehovah assigned Moshe to speak these speeches unto the children of Israel.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What does hearken mean? It is a combination of three things: hearing, listening, and doing—that is, obeying.

 

2.    Why did the Elohim say if? He knew that the Israelis won’t hearken into His voice (for the most part) for many centuries. They will perfectly hearken at a future time.

 

3.    What will be the result when the children of Israel will hearken into the Elohim’s voice? The result will be their guarding His Covenant and their being segregated to Him from all the peoples.

 

4.    What does guard mean? First, no one can guard anything unless it is in the person’s possession. The person must have the object (or person) to guard. Since what is being guarded is the Covenant, the children of Israel must both know of what the Covenant consists and they must believe this Covenant. Then, they must obey this Covenant (that is, any parts of the Covenant that tell them what to do). Since the Covenant is given to the children of Israel as a group (and not as individuals), the entire group must be guarding it at the same time in order for it to be being guarded. (If part of the children of Israel is guarding and the other part isn’t, it isn’t being guarded!)

 

5.    Why guard a Covenant? Is someone trying to steal it? Many have tried to steal it, claiming that it is theirs when they either aren’t even Israelis, or they are individual Israelis claiming the Covenant for themselves instead of recognizing that the entire group is in mind.

 

       Consider this: Yeshua summed up the Covenant’s goal:

 

       Mark 12:28 And one of the scribes came. And having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?” 29And Yeshua answered him, “The first of all the commandments is, ‘Hearken Israel! Yehovah, our Gods, Yehovah is One! 30And thou shalt love Yehovah thy God with all thy heart and with all thy being and with all thy mind and with all thy strength!’ This is the first commandment. 31And the second is like this: thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There isn’t another commandment greater than these.”

 

       Now, since every Israeli born and everyone who joins himself/herself to the Israelis are or become part of the Covenant, every person in these categories is a living representative of that Covenant. Thus, to guard the Covenant is to guard them. If an Israeli is guarding the Covenant, then, he/she is also loving his/her neighbour (who is a representative of the Covenant) as himself/herself, and is thus willing to risk his/her life to save that neighbour’s life—to guard each representative of the Covenant.

 

       The Elohim commanded these things many centuries before the time when these things must be done in order for Israel (and the world) to survive! (There are yet many centuries before the time of the Tribulation, when the Israelis will fulfill this command.)

 

6.    What does segregated mean? It means to be intentionally separated from other groups in culture and in other ways.

 

       When one group forces segregation on another group, it is generally from fear of the group being segregated. This is one form of racism—the view that a particular race is inferior (lower in qualities and behaviours) to another race. Yet, the fact that fear is involved shows that the group that segregates the other group actually sees the other group as superior in some ways. Forced segregation leads to many forms of cruelty against the segregated group.

 

       When one group voluntarily segregates itself from other groups, this is generally done to preserve traditions and culture, and for the sake of the safety of the group segregating itself. Members of other groups sometimes grow very suspicious of the segregating group because they don’t know what secret practices are being done and what secret views of others are being held. The suspicions sometimes lead to accusations, and the accusations to violence even when the group that segregates itself is doing absolutely nothing wrong, and doesn’t view other groups in a bad way.

 

       When Elohim segregates a group, as He will do to Israel, it is so that the group can serve the other groups in beneficial and even life-saving ways. This form of segregation doesn’t mean staying apart from the other groups, but rather involves being different in beneficial ways from the other groups.

 

7.    In what ways will the Israelis be segregated from all peoples? They will be segregated in the following ways:

 

  • The way they dress will be different (for examples, they must wear a ribbon of blue around their outer garments and four blue tassels on the corners of their outer garments)
  • The way they eat will be different (for example, they must eat only land animals that have entirely split hooves that are in the forms of two toe sections, and that bring up a food pellet to re-ingest from it; thus, they cannot eat pork, since pigs don’t bring up a food pellet)
  • The way they teach will be different (since they will use themselves and their practices as teaching tools)
  • What they consider important will be different (since they will be centered on the Teachings of Yehovah)

       There are many other differences that will keep the Israelis segregated from the other races and peoples. Yet, if anyone from the other races and peoples desire to become part of the people of Israel, that person can (with one or two exceptions that the Torah—the Teaching of Yehovah—lists).

 

8.    Why did the Elohim say, “ye shall be segregated to me”? Segregation always indicates separation from, but also separation to someone or something. Yehovah is the owner of the people of Israelis; their segregation will be to the Elohim, doing what He determines for them to do.

 

9.    Why doesn’t Yehovah desire all the peoples of the world to be segregated to Him? That wouldn’t be the most beneficial. Every cultural group has its purposes and excellencies; they need to be pursuing those things. The Israelis are segregated to be priests between members of the other cultures and Yehovah. There is no need for everyone to be a priest; others must produce other things and serve in other ways. (Anyone can be a fearer of Yehovah and a doer of righteousness; that has nothing to do with this segregation.)

 

10. Doesn’t this mean that the Israelis are special above all the other peoples of the world? The Israelis are segregated to serve (as in, slave for) the other peoples of the world! If being a slave to others makes one special, the Israelis are special. If being a slave makes one above others, that makes no sense. If being given an assignment that differs from the assignments given to others makes one special, what about the other assignments that others are given? Yet, the Israelis will lead because they will do what is right. (The other peoples and races will have some members who will also do what is right, but other members will determine to stand against doing right, and will eventually rebel against Yehovah.)

 

11. What does all the land being to the Elohim have to do with the segregation of the Israelis? What land is this? If Yehovah had said, “For the land is to me,” He would probably have been declaring His ownership over Israel. By saying “all the land,” however, He indicates that the entire planet’s land that is above water belongs to Him! Therefore, He can segregate one group of creatures (humans) made from that land to be His own property! (All humans are made from soil; their physical bodies are made from things that grow from the soil.)

 

12. What is a priest? A priest is a person who takes information and messages from a deity (a god, or the real God), and delivers those messages to humans; the priest also takes information and messages from humans, and delivers them to a deity (a god, or the real God). Thus, a priest is a ‘go-between’ from a god to man and from man to a god. Priests of the Gods of the Bible act as ‘go-betweens’ only for Yehovah (that is, the Elohim) and humans, and they always accurately give communications from Yehovah. (Many consider themselves to be priests who are not Biblical priests of the Elohim, and many are considered priests when they are not. Most are priests to false gods—gods who really aren’t gods at all.)

 

13. What is a kingdom of priests? It is a kingdom made up entirely of priests! Thus, even the Israeli children will behave as priests when the Israelis are a kingdom of priests!

 

14. What does holy mean? It means owned; it doesn’t mean anything more than this, less than this, or different from this.

 

       Ownership is so important in the Bible. It always has to do with responsibility, and relationships are always built on ownership. Slaves in the Bible were often greatly loved, and stating that one is another’s slave was very good (showing willingness to serve).

 

15. What is a holy race? It is a large group of individuals who come from just one set of ancestors, and all members of that group are owned by the same owner(s)!

 

16. What race is this, and who owns this race? This is the race that comes from Isaac and Rivka (Rebecca) through Jacob and his two wives and two concubines.

 

       Since the text says, “ye shall be … a holy race to me,” the owner is the Elohim!

 

17. What is the position of the many who joined themselves to Israel, but are not part of the race of Israel, having come from many other races? If they have the faith of Avraham, they are children of Avraham as much as if they had been born to Avraham!

 

       Galatians 3:7 They who are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

 

       Thus, though they were not born from Avraham, they are still accounted as offspring of Avraham. The same is true regarding Israel. Many who are not originally of the race of Israel, but who joined themselves to Israel have become joined to the race that belongs to Yehovah! Besides this, a race always includes the women who have married into it; otherwise, there would be no race anywhere.

 

       Thus, the position of those who have become part of Israel either by marriage or by some other permanent means is the same as those who are direct offspring from Isaac and Jacob.

 

18. The Elohim said, “These are the speeches that thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.” It appears to be just one speech. Why is it considered speeches? Each part of this one speech is in itself a complete speech. (Perhaps you can tell by the questions that I asked about each part!) The children of Israel need to hear and understand every speech!

 

19. Did the Israelis understand these speeches when Moshe told them? They didn’t understand—or if they did, they didn’t believe these things. The Israelis under Moshe didn’t guard the Covenant. They were segregated, but it was from the strong Hand of Yehovah, not from the faith that they held in common.

 

 

 

IV. Moshe Presents the Speeches (verses 7-8)

 

Moshe came to the Israeli camp. He then called to the elders of the people. He then put all these speeches that Yehovah commanded him directly to the faces of these elders.

 

All the people answered together. They said, “We will do all that Yehovah spoke!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Why did Moshe call the elders of the people? The elders first had to hear what the Elohim said to Moshe, and then they could tell those whom they served as leaders. They needed to understand in case there were questions.

 

2.    Why does the text state, “he put to their faces all these speeches that Yehovah commanded him”? Moshe made certain that he saw them and that they saw him face to face in order to be certain that the elders understood just how important this is. This communication had to be very direct and very clear.

 

3.    If Moshe was speaking only to the elders, how could all the people together answer Moshe? After the elders told the Israelis what the Elohim had said, the Israelis then came together and assured Moshe that they will do all that Yehovah spoke.

 

4.    Did the Israelis do all that Yehovah spoke right after this event? No! At this time, though, they thought that they would obey.

 

 

 

V. Moshe Returns Speeches to Yehovah (verse 8)

 

Moshe then returned the speeches of the people of Israel to Yehovah (as if Yehovah hadn’t heard).

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Why did Moshe return the speeches of the people unto Yehovah? Didn’t Yehovah hear what they said? Yehovah did hear what they said. Yet, both Moshe and Yehovah desired to converse with each other, and Yehovah had more to say to Moshe. Moshe was reporting to Yehovah as one under the command of a commanding officer.

 

2.    Why did Yehovah come in the darkness of a cloud, according to this text? Yehovah did this so that the people of Israel will hearken by means of Yehovah’s speech with Moshe. The Israelis needed to see wonders and great miracles with mystery in order to hearken to what Moshe said. Thus, Moshe needed to go out of their sight with great fanfare in order for them to be convinced enough to hearken. The Israelis would not have believed Moshe, had Yehovah just spoken directly to Moshe without all the show.

 

3.    Yehovah then added, “And they will also believe via thee to Hider!” When is Hider, and will they believe Moshe to Hider in Moshe’s day? Hider can refer to two very different things. First, it refers to the beginning of the period of time just after the revealed periods of time end. The Bible reveals the periods of time from the creation of the world unto the creation of the New Earth. Anything beyond that hides from humans, since the Bible doesn’t describe what will occur (except for a small period of time at the beginning of the New Earth).

 

       Secondly, I propose that Hider refers to Yehovah Himself Who intentionally hides Himself from view so that humans can live by faith.

 

       If these both are correct, the Israelis will believe Moshe to Hider—that is, to the period of time right up to the end of this planet and the creation of the New Earth once Israel comes to faith, and they will believe Moshe to Yehovah—that is, all the way to faith in Yehovah Himself!

 

 

 

VI. The Darkness of the Cloud (verse 9)

 

Yehovah now said unto Moshe, “Behold I am coming unto thee in the darkness of the cloud for-the-sake-that the people will hearken via my speech with thee. And they will also believe into thee to Hider!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Why does the text again state that Moshe told the speeches of the people unto Yehovah? Besides the answer that I already proposed above, this shows one very important part of prayer: communicating to Yehovah what others said to Yehovah. It shows what a priest truly does.

 

       If anyone asks you to pray for him/her, that person is asking you to take on the role of a priest! It is a very important responsibility!

 

 

 

VII. Moshe Again Tells Yehovah the Speeches (verse 9

 

 

Moshe now had more Israeli speeches to tell Yehovah.

 

 

 

Questions

 

 

1.    Why does the text again state that Moshe told the speeches of the people unto Yehovah? This shows the reader that Moshe heard a number of speeches from the Israelis, and that Moshe personally communicated these speeches to Yehovah to obtain Yehovah’s responses (if any). Moshe wasn’t with Yehovah to only hear what Yehovah had to say, but also to communicate to Yehovah what the Israelis had to say.

 

 

 

VIII. Sanctification and the Dangerous Descent (verses 10-13)

 

Yehovah said unto Moshe, “Go unto the people. And sanctify them today and tomorrow.” He then told them what to do: “And they shall launder their garments.”

 

He then told Moshe how the Israelis must behave: “And they shall be straight-forward-ones to the third day.” Yehovah gave the reason: “For Yehovah will descend to the eyes of all the people upon Thorny Mountain in the third day.”

 

Yehovah now warned of great danger by telling Moshe of the restrictions: “And thou shalt border the people around to say, ‘Guard-ye to yourselves to ascend into the mountain and to touch into his edge!’” (He was telling them to not ascend into the mountain, and even to not touch into the mountain’s edge!) Yehovah gave the reason why: “Each toucher into the mountain: dying, shall die!” Yehovah made the warning very specific: “Thou shalt not touch a hand into him!” If a person were to throw a stone to or at the mountain, “stoning, he shall be stoned!” If a person were to shoot an arrow toward the mountain, “shooting, he shall be shot!” Even if an animal goes to the mountain, or if a man tries to get up the mountain, “If beast, if a man: he shall not live!” This was a very strong warning!

 

Yehovah finished this speech by telling when the Israelis will ascend into the mountain: “when extending the flow!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What does sanctify mean? It is the verb form (the action form) of holy; thus, it means to cause something to be owned (that was either unowned before, or had different ownership).

 

2.    Why did Moshe need to sanctify the people if Yehovah already owned them? While Yehovah owns all things, the Israelis still hadn’t formally had their ownership transferred to Yehovah! Thus, the Israelis were still unowned, and they needed to witness this transfer of ownership.

 

3.    Why did Moshe need to do this “today and tomorrow”? Sanctifying several million individuals took time—that is, two days.

 

4.    What process was involved in sanctification? The text doesn’t give the steps. Thus, sanctification can be accomplished in a number of different ways with the very same result: the person or group becomes owned by Yehovah!

 

5.    Why did they need to launder their garments? They had to be clean (versus unclean, not versus soiled or dirty). Being clean in this way meant that they could participate in the congregation of Israel; if they were unclean, they were not to be part of a congregation (until they were clean). Congregating means coming together and assembling for a single purpose.

 

6.    What does straight forward ones mean? This means persons who do not deviate (turn aside to go another way or to behave a different way) from either a behaviour, a way or road, or from an instruction.

 

       Yehovah commanded that the Israelis must remain as they are (sanctified and with laundered clothing) to the third day. If they weren’t being straight-forward, they would instead return to their normal ways of living, ways that were crooked and that caused them to become unclean (sin always makes a person unclean).

 

       A person can become unclean without sinning, and normal processes in life will cause a person to become unclean. There is no sinfulness in becoming unclean. Sin, however, always makes a person unclean, as I mentioned before.

 

       Being straight-forward, then, indicates continuing as clean (versus unclean), and doing what is right in the eyes of Yehovah.

 

7.    Why, again, will Yehovah descend upon Mount Sinai in the third day? Yehovah will do this so that the Israelis will hearken to Moshe when he gives the speeches of Yehovah to them.

 

8.    What does “border the people around” mean? This means to have them stand around the border of the mountain (Mount Sinai) so that they will surround the mountain (and be a witness of what occurs).

 

9.    What does “Guard-ye to yourselves to ascend into the mountain” mean? This sounds like it means that the Israelis must ascend into the mountain—that is, this is how it comes across in English. It is the opposite in Hebrew; this guarding is to make certain that they don’t ascend into the mountain. The next sentence shows this.

 

10. Why was Yehovah so strongly against any Israeli ascending into the mountain and even touching the very edge of the mountain? I propose that this has everything to do with End Times events (events that the Bible declares will occur during the End Times, which include the seven years of Tribulation that will occur many centuries from today). Another mountain will be important at that time: Mount Zion. (It is presently a small hill in Jerusalem, but it will be raised a huge mountain during the Tribulation.) When Mount Zion has been raised into a huge and very tall mountain, it will be a refuge for Israelis and friends of the Israelis who are willing to risk their lives for Israeli brothers and Israeli persons in need. Only those who are willing to risk and give their lives for the Israelis and friends of the Israelis will be permitted entry to this mountain; the rest will be kept out and will eventually be killed (unless they also become intentional heroes and heroines before it is too late). Yehovah, in the form of Yeshua, will descend on that mountain (Mount Zion); all who have the faith and life-saving behaviour of Moshe will be granted entrance. Those (Israeli or not) who touch Mount Zion and who are unwilling to risk their own lives to save the lives of Israelis and their friends will not live!

 

11. According to verse 13, what will happen to an Israeli who throws or slings a stone at Mount Sinai at this time? That person will be stoned to death!

 

       Stoning involves having a group of folks surround the person about to be stoned, who is in the middle of a circle of these folks. They then take stones and rocks, and throw them as hard as they can at the person in the middle, hitting the person in any way they can until the person is dead. They then take the stones thrown, and cover the person. When the Israelis did this, it was usually a quick death; one rock to the head of the person would knock the person out, and the rest of the thrown rocks would ‘finish the person off.’ This kind of execution showed the contempt and anger of the crowd against the person being stoned, since that person was considered endangering the entire crowd by bringing the fierce anger of Yehovah against them if they didn’t stop this person.

 

       Stoning was also used against innocent persons later in Israel’s history; such stonings are murder, and Yehovah keeps an account of them.

 

12. What will happen to an Israeli who shoots an arrow at the mountain at this time, and why? The Israeli will be shot with an arrow! I propose that this also refers to events on the future Mount Zion when enemies of Israel will shoot arrows at inhabitants of Mount Zion. Later in the Tribulation, they will not succeed in harming anyone, but they themselves will be shot with arrows and will die!

 

13. What will happen if a bull goes too close to Mount Sinai, and crosses onto the edge of the mountain? The bull must be put to death!

 

14. Yehovah told Moshe to say, “They shall ascend into the mountain when extending the flow.” What does this mean? The word for flow (as in the flowing of waters, or the flowing of objects that are in motion) is the word Jubilee. (That is what Jubilee means.) Jubilee is a time of flowing—that is, when Israeli slaves of Israelis flow back to their own inheritances, and when Israeli lands temporarily sold to fellow-Israelis flow back to their owners. Debts flow back to a debt-free accounting (meaning that those who owe debts now owe nothing).

 

       The extending of the flow, or the extending of the Jubilee will occur near and at the end of the Tribulation. That is when the Israelis (who are willing to risk and give their lives to save the lives of their brethren) will ascend into the mountain at that time (Mount Zion). The Israelis will be in faith at that time, and will be truly clean before Yehovah (cleansed from all unrighteousness—that is, from all things that are sin).

 

 

 

IX. Sanctification and Women (verses 14-15)

 

Moshe descended from the mountain to come unto the people. He then sanctified the people. Afterward, they laundered their garments.

 

Moshe said unto the people, “Be-ye straight-forward-ones for three days. Touch-ye-not unto a woman.” (See the questions.)

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What water did they use to launder their garments? They used the water flowing from the Rock (the Rock being Messiah Himself).

 

2.    Why did they have to launder their garments? What does this picture? Garments can picture several things in the Bible:

 

       Genesis 38:19 And she put on the garments of her widowhood.

 

       Isaiah 59:17 And He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing.

 

       Isaiah 61:10 He clothed me with the garments of salvation; He covered me with the robe of righteousness…

 

       Isaiah 61:3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness…

 

       Revelation 19:8 And to her was granted that she shall be arrayed in fine, clean and white linen. For the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

 

       Laundered garments indirectly picture righteousness. The Israelis were not righteous, but they were told to do certain things that picture future events.

 

3.    Why did Yehovah command the Israelis to not touch unto a woman? Were women inferior, unclean and to be avoided? They were not inferior in any way.

 

       A woman might be on her menstrual cycle, in which case she is unclean (but not at all sinful from this). If a man and a woman have sexual intercourse, they are both unclean (but not at all sinful if they are married to each other). The idea was to remain clean for these couple of days.

 

       A woman wasn’t be avoided, but physical contact with a woman was to be avoided during these several days so that there would be no uncleanness beyond what was beyond the control of the Israelis. Yehovah’s command was as much to the women as it was to the men!

 

4.    Was there a problem if an Israeli man or woman was already unclean by something beyond what he or she could avoid? No. This command was exactly as given:

 

       They were commanded to

 

  • Be sanctified
  • Launder their garments
  • Refrain from touching a woman.

       This didn’t stop them from holding their babies (male or female) and from doing the things that were normal to life.

 

 

 

X. Sound, Earthquake, Smoke and Terror (verses 16-19)

 

The morning of the third day after Moshe’s sanctification of the Israelis, the entire camp heard voices, saw lightnings, saw a heavy could upon the mountain, and heard the very strong voice of a shofar! Everyone in the camp began to shake from the terror of these things.

 

Moshe and the Israelis exited the camp to meet the Elohim (Gods). They positioned themselves right under the mountain (without going near enough to touch it).

 

All of Mount Sinai is smoke because Yehovah descended upon him in fire. His smoke ascended as the smoke of the furnace! All the mountain greatly shook with an earthquake. The voice of the shofar was walking—traveling along the land—and was very strong!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Who was in the third day (verse 16)? The event about to be described is he.

 

2.    What four things did the Israelis witness on this morning of the third day? The Israelis witnessed the following:

 

  • Voices
  • Lightnings
  • A heavy cloud upon the mountain
  • The very strong voice of a shofar

3.    What is a shofar? It is a ram’s horn that has been hollowed out so that it can be blown like a trumpet. The following is a picture of a shofar:

 

Shofar by Olve Utne

 

By Olve Utne,

 

a Temani (Yemeni Jewish) style shofar made from a horn of the greater kudu.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jemenittisk_sjofar_av_kuduhorn.jpg

 

       The following is a picture of the animal called the greater kudu from which ram’s horns like the above are acquired:

 

Greater Kudu by L0k1m0nk33

 

(Uploaded by L0k1m0nk33 at en.wikipedia)

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Male_greater_kudu_horns.jpg

 

 

 

       The following is a picture of a man blowing the shofar:

 

Blowing the Shofar by Jonathunder

 

By   Jonathunder,

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ShofarSound.JPG

 

4.    Why did all the people in the camp quake?

 

  • The voices were very loud; they probably sounded like thunder!
  • The lightnings were very bright, and they hadn’t been there moments ago.
  • The heavy cloud upon the mountain suddenly had appeared; the Israelis didn’t know what was in the cloud.
  • The shofar had a very strong voice! It was very loud, and it lasted quite a while!

 

 

       With all these things together, the Israelis were terrified of the largeness and power of this God Who had also caused the terrifying plagues in Egypt!

 

5.    If the people [singular] was so afraid, why did this group exit with Moshe to meet the Elohim? The Israelis were curious, and they figured that they should stay with Moshe. (Moshe is safety.)

 

6.    Where did they go? They positioned themselves in the ‘undermost’ part of the mountain—that is, as close as they could come without actually beginning to go up the mountain.

 

7.    Did Mount Sinai become smoke? The mountain didn’t become smoke, but rather it was totally surrounded by smoke over all of its surfaces so that all the Israelis could see was smoke.

 

8.    Why did Yehovah’s fire cause so much smoke? This way, the Israelis could not look upon Yehovah; He was still hidden! Yet, He descended upon the mountain in fire, so that they could see His fire! (The fire didn’t burn up the mountain; it was still there when Yehovah’s fire was gone.)

 

9.    How does the smoke of a furnace ascend? It goes up very rapidly because of its great heat!

 

10. What fifth thing did the Israelis also experience at the same time? They experienced a great earthquake of the mountain! Thus, they saw, heard and felt these things!

 

11. The text says, “the voice of the Shofar was walking.” What does this mean? I would not have known what this meant except for an experience I had as a child. I was near a lighthouse when clouds moved in. Modern lighthouses can use their light when it is clear, but they can also use their horns when it isn’t. The sound will warn ships that there is danger in the waters if they get too close. Now, when the lighthouse horn sounded, it was loud! It was so loud, that the concrete walkway that stood about ten feet above the water vibrated. The vibrations were so strong, that I as a child felt as if I would slide into the water! The horn sounded for about five seconds (which seemed like forever). When it stopped, I thought I would hear silence, but I didn’t! I could hear the sound continue across the water. It was quieter, but it continued for a number of seconds! It was walking! This is what the Israelis experienced with the sound of the shofar! It had the loudness of a blasting horn of a lighthouse!

 

 

 

XI. Moshe and the Elohim Communicate (verse 19)

 

Moshe will speak to the Elohim, and He will answer Moshe via the voice!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What did Moshe say to the Elohim? The text doesn’t say what he said.

 

2.    How could Moshe’s voice be heard with the much greater sounds occurring? The Elohim could have heard Moshe had he whispered, or even had he spoken to Him in his thoughts! The Elohim isn’t hard of hearing.

 

3.    What did the Elohim answer? Again, the text doesn’t give this information.

 

4.    Did the Israelis hear the answer? They did! I just don’t know if they understood! (The Hebrew language sometimes uses voice for thunder!)

 

 

 

XII. Yehovah Descends; Danger is to the Israelis (verses 20-22)

 

Yehovah descended upon Mount Sinai’s head. Yehovah then called to Moshe, summoning him unto the head of the mountain. Moshe ascended.

 

Yehovah said unto Moshe, “Descend! Witness into the people lest they will fragment unto Yehovah to see! And many shall fall from him!”

 

Yehovah also warned, “And also the priests who are approaching unto Yehovah shall sanctify themselves lest Yehovah will blow-up into them!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Hadn’t Yehovah already descended (verse 18)? He had already descended as fire; I cannot tell from the text whether He then descended in a form other than fire, or whether this is telling the reader again that He descended (in person).

 

2.    Why did Yehovah call to Moshe to come unto the head (top) of the mountain? Yehovah desired that the Israelis see Moshe ascending to speak in person with Yehovah. Yehovah knew that the Israelis would not have believed any report stating that Yehovah spoke directly to Moshe to give what Yehovah is about to give unless the Israelis saw Moshe ascend to this terrifying God.

 

3.    It seems that Yehovah was about to tell Moshe something when Yehovah suddenly commanded Moshe, “Descend! Witness into the people lest they will fragment unto Yehovah to see! And many shall fall from him!” If this is true, what was happening? The Israelis began “to fragment” (that is, to come out of the group and split up into small groups) to follow Moshe up the mountain in order to see Yehovah! If they were to do this, they would be killed! (They are not ready to see Yehovah; Moshe is.)

 

4.    Were the priests any more ready than the Israelis? No! Any of them approaching unto Yehovah also had to sanctify themselves lest Yehovah would blow up into them!

 

5.    What does blow up into them mean? The Hebrew word has the following acceptations (accepted uses): to break through or down or over; burst, burst open, breach; to break or burst out (from womb or enclosure); to break into or open; to break up or away, break in pieces; to use violence. I saw this as describing blowing up into the priests if they violated.

 

6.    What did the priests have to do to sanctify themselves? They had to both declare and demonstrate that they are owned by Yehovah (and not by false gods)! (The Israeli priests were as pagan as the Egyptians, as were the rest of the Israelis—a few being exceptions.)

 

 

 

XIII. Confusion Over Ascending or Not (verses 23-24)

 

Moshe said unto Yehovah, “The people will not be able to ascend unto the Mount-of-my-Thorns [Mount Sinai], because Thou, Thou testified into us to say, ‘Border the Mountain and sanctify him!’”

 

Yehovah replied, “Go! Descend!” Moshe had to deliver Yehovah’s communications to the Israelis. Yehovah gave more commands: “And ascend thou, and Aharon with thee.”

 

As for the rest, Yehovah said, “And the priests and the people shall not fragment to ascend unto Yehovah lest He will blow-up into them!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Why did Moshe say unto Yehovah, “The people will not be able to ascend unto the Mount Sinai because Thou, Thou testified into us to say, ‘Border the Mountain and sanctify him’”? Had Yehovah said that the people should ascend, or had He said that they must not ascend? Yehovah had said that the people must not ascend, but He also said (verse 13): “They shall ascend into the mountain when extending the flow.” Moshe was confused by this.

 

2.    Aren’t the two statements about ascending or not ascending the mountain in conflict with each other? They would be except for one little detail: they have very different timings. The Israelis must not ascend Mount Sinai at this time; they will die. They Israelis must ascend Mount Zion far into the future in order to live. Moshe didn’t immediately realize the difference in the timings of Yehovah’s statements.

 

3.    Did Yehovah explain to Moshe what had confused Moshe? Why, or why not? Yehovah did not explain these things to Moshe. He left it up to the readers and Moshe to figure out both statements so that they are not in conflict with each other. Timing will so often be the answer in what appears to be conflicts in the Bible.

 

4.    Why did Yehovah desire that Aharon ascend with Moshe? The Bible always establishes that at least two witnesses must be present for a testimony to be legally valid (that is, to be considered in a court as acceptable). Had Moshe alone said what Yehovah said and did, the Israelis would not be required to consider Moshe’s testimony as valid. If Aharon accompanies Moshe and can testify what Yehovah will do and say, the Israelis will have two witnesses.

 

 

 

XIV. Moshe Descended the Mountain (verse 25)

 

Moshe then went down the mountain to return to the Israelis. He had life-saving information.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What was the purpose for Moshe descending Mount Sinai at this point? It was to bring Aharon up with him to meet with Yehovah.

 

2.    How did the Israelis respond to Moshe’s arrival? While the text doesn’t give this information, the Israelis had been terrified by the sights and sounds on Mount Sinai. Moshe had gone up, and had returned without harm. When both Moshe and Aharon now ascend Mount Sinai, they won’t be so afraid.

 

 

 

 

 

Exodus 18 Judging Relatives QA Supplied

Judging Relatives

With Questions and Proposed Answers

 

Background and printed text: Exodus 18

 

Exodus 18:1 And His-Excess [Jethro], priest of Contention, Draw’s [Moshe’s] father-in-law heard all that Elohim did to Draw [Moshe] and to Israel his people: that Yehovah exited Israel from Egypt. 2And His-Excess [Jethro], Draw’s [Moshe’s] father-in-law took Zipporah [Ladybird], Draw’s [Moshe’s] woman (after her being sent [more than once]) 3and two of her sons, the name of which the first is Sojourner-There [Ger-Shom], for he said, “I was a sojourner in a foreign land!” 4And the name of the one is My-Mighty-One-Helped [Eli-Ezer], “Because-of the Gods of my father when helping me; and He rescued me from the sword of Pharaoh!”

 

5And His-Excess [Jethro], Draw’s [Moshe’s] father-in-law, came, and his sons and his woman, unto Draw [Moshe], unto the desert that he camped there, Mount of the Gods. 6And He said unto Draw [Moshe], “I, thy father-in-law His-Excess [Jethro], come unto thee! And thy woman and two of her sons are with her!” 7And Draw [Moshe] exited to meet his father-in-law. And he prostrated. And he kissed to him. And they asked a man to his neighbour for peace. And they came the tentward.

 

8And Draw [Moshe] scrolled to his father-in-law all that Yehovah did to Pharaoh and to Egypt concerning the firebrand of Israel, all the weariness that they found in the way. And Yehovah rescued them! 9And His-Excess [Jethro] focused upon all the good that Yehovah did to Israel—that He rescued him from the hand of Egypt. 10And His-Excess [Jethro] said, “Blessed is Yehovah Who rescued you from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of Pharaoh, Who rescued the people from under the hand of Egypt! 11Now I knew that Yehovah is bigger than all the gods, for what they presumed upon them is in the speech!”

 

12And His-Excess [Jethro] father-in-law of Draw [Moshe] took an ascension and sacrifices to Elohim. And Oy!-Conception! [Aharon] came, and all elders of Israel, to eat bread with the father-in-law of Draw [Moshe] to the faces of the Elohim.

 

13And he was from the next day. And Draw [Moshe] sat to judge the people. And the people stood upon Draw [Moshe] from the morning unto the evening. 14And the father-in-law of Draw [Moshe] saw all that he, he did to the people. And he said, “What is this speech that thou art doing to the people? Make-known—art thou sitting thy lonesome, and all the people is positioned upon thee from morning unto evening?” 15And Draw [Moshe] said to his father-in-law, “For the people come unto me to research Elohim. 16For a speech will be to them; he came unto me. And I will judge between a man and between his neighbour. And I will make-known statutes of the Elohim and His teachings!”

 

17And the father-in-law of Draw [Moshe] said unto him, “The speech is not good that thou art doing. 18Foolishness! Thou wilt-become-a-fool—also thou, also this people that is thy people! For the speech is heavier than thee! Thou will not be able to do him thy lonesome!”

 

19 “Now, hearken via my voice. I will counsel thee. And Elohim was with thee. Be thou to the people a front to the Elohim. And thou, thou shalt bring the speeches unto the Elohim. 20And thou shalt enlighten them with the statutes and with the teachings. And thou shalt make-known to them the way they shall walk via her and the doing that they shall do.”

 

21 “And thou, thou shalt choose men of an army from all the people, fearers of Elohim, men of Truth, haters of cuts. And thou shalt put princes of thousands, princes of hundreds, princes of fifties and princes of tens over them. 22And they shall judge the people in every time. And he shall be, they shall bring unto thee every big speech. And they, they shall judge every little speech. And he shall-lighten/speed-up from upon thee. And they shall carry thee.”

 

23 “If thou wilt do this speech, and Elohim will command thee, and thou wilt be able to stand. And also all this people will come upon his place via peace.”

 

24And Draw [Moshe] hearkened to the voice of his father-in-law. And he did all that he said. 25And Draw [Moshe] chose men of an army from all Israel. And he gave them heads upon the people: princes of thousands, princes of hundreds, princes of fifties and princes of tens. 26And they judged the people at every time. They brought the hard speech unto Draw [Moshe]. And they, they judged every little speech.

 

27And Draw [Moshe] sent his father-in-law. And he walked to him unto his land.

 

 

 

I. Moshe’s Family Travels (verses 1-4)

 

Jethro, priest of Midian, who was Moshe’s father-in-law, heard all that Elohim did to Moshe and to Israel, Moshe’s people. Yehovah exited Israel from Egypt!

 

Jethro, Moshe’s father-in-law, took his daughter Zipporah who was Moshe’s woman after she had been sent more than once. Accompanying her was two of her sons. The name of the first is Ger-Shom. Moshe had named him this because Moshe had said, “I was a sojourner in a foreign land!” The name of the other one is Eli-Ezer. Again, Moshe had said, “Because-of the Gods of my father when helping me; and He rescued me from the sword of Pharaoh!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     How did Jethro hear about all that Elohim did to Moshe and Israel? Word of the Israeli slaves leaving Egypt spread quickly. Word of the destruction of the entire Egyptian army spread even more quickly! Egypt was a very great power in the area; it was reduced to powerlessness! Many stories of what had occurred spread throughout the region. Jethro heard about these things, and he heard about the Israelis remaining alive and doing fine in a desert in which very few humans could have thrived.

 

2.     Jethro was a priest of what religion? He was a priest of a pagan, idolatrous religion held by the Midianites. I didn’t find which god or gods they followed. He wasn’t a priest of Yehovah the Gods of Israel.

 

3.     What does excess mean (in the name Jethro, meaning his excess)? Excess means extra—what is beyond what is necessary. It can indicate a special gift (like a child) that is beyond what was expected, or it can indicate something else that is above and beyond need.

 

4.     Why would a girl child be named Ladybird? I can only guess. Perhaps after she was born, she made sounds that were like the sounds a little bird makes.

 

5.     Moshe’s woman wasn’t with Moshe, so Moshe’s father-in-law brought her to him. Why wasn’t she with Moshe? She originally left with Moshe to go to Egypt, but she didn’t stay with him while he confronted the pharaoh. The text doesn’t say why she didn’t stay. She had become very upset regarding the circumcision that she had to perform when her husband hadn’t done as he was commanded. I don’t get the impression that she was very interested in Yehovah the God of Moshe, but that is only an impression. I wonder if she returned to her father because she felt that the mission that Moshe was sent to do was crazy; no one tells the most powerful country in the region to send out all of its slaves from one race. Yet, because the text is silent on this, I could easily be totally wrong.

 

          The way the Hebrew words it, she was sent more than once. She had young children to whom she had to attend, and Moshe was in constant danger from both the Israelis and the Egyptians. Both groups wanted to kill him! Jethro now saw that Moshe wasn’t in so much danger, and his wife and sons should be with him.

 

6.     Moshe named one child, Sojourner There, because he said, “I was a sojourner in a foreign land.” In what land was he a sojourner, and what is a sojourner? A sojourner is a person who is traveling, and who therefore isn’t at home. The travel that the person is doing is over a long distance so that it will take days, months or years to arrive. Moshe was a sojourner in the land of Midian, and he was also a sojourner in Egypt. His final destination will be Israel. Yet, Moshe was prophesying—not about himself, but about another. Israel will be able to declare in the future, “I was a sojourner in a foreign land.”

 

7.     Moshe also said, “Because-of the Gods of my father when helping me; and He rescued me from the sword of Pharaoh,” when he named the other son My Mighty One Helped. Did Moshe name the youth for his own experience? He did, but what he said was prophetic. Moshe was referring to the previous pharaoh and not to the one who died in the Ending Sea. That previous pharaoh searched for Moshe to kill him, but he never found him. Yet as I mentioned, this statement is prophetic since a future pharaoh will attempt to slaughter that portion of Israel that will be in Egypt. Yehovah will rescue Israel as He rescued Moshe.

 

 

 

II. Moshe’s Family Arrives (verses 5-7)

 

Moshe’s father-in-law Jethro came with Moshe’s sons and his woman (his wife). They came unto Moshe who was located in the desert where Moshe camped; it was called Mount of the Gods. Yet, before Jethro arrived, he announced, “I, thy father-in-law Jethro, come unto thee! And thy woman and two of her sons are with her!” Upon hearing this, Moshe exited to meet his father-in-law. Moshe prostrated. And he kissed him. They asked each other about their peace, and they came toward the tent.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Why would a location be called Mount of the Gods? It is the mountain where Yehovah, the Gods of Israel will communicate with Moshe and the Israelis.

 

2.     How dry is this desert? It has only very occasional grass during the summer when it is very dry. Only animals used to the dry climate can graze there and find enough to eat. There may have been a little more grass in Moshe’s day, since entire herds could be fed, but it often required moving the herds, since it was and is a true desert. Water just wasn’t available there without digging a well with much effort.

 

3.     Why did Jethro say, “I, thy father-in-law His-Excess [Jethro], come unto thee,” as if Moshe would not recognize him? So much had happened and had changed in Moshe’s life. When he left his father-in-law, he was a shepherd of a flock of sheep. Moshe was now a shepherd of an entire race in the millions. It was as if Moshe had to be reminded because of the thoughts and all the changes that had taken place from that time. Also, the way it is worded, in the next verse, Moshe goes to meet him. This gives me the impression that a slave was sent on ahead to tell Moshe that Jethro was just now arriving, and that Moshe and Jethro hadn’t yet seen each other.

 

4.     Jethro said, “Thy woman and two of her sons are with her.” Were there other sons? The text doesn’t indicate that Moshe had more children by her. Hebrew words things this way, and it gives English readers the impression that there were more, but this isn’t usually the case.

 

5.     Moshe exited to meet his father-in-law. The text never says that he exited to meet his woman (his wife). Why? Moshe greatly desired to see his father-in-law. The text doesn’t give Moshe’s feelings or actions toward his wife and children. It is as if Moshe had become disconnected from them. He loved his father-in-law; no text indicates what the status of his relationship was with his wife and sons.

 

6.     Why did Moshe prostrate, and what does this mean? To prostrate means to lie flat, face-down before another. This is always the true meaning of worship! (No one is worshipping who isn’t at the same time lying flat before another.) It shows humility before another and the willingness to serve another. It can show other things, like surrender, etc. Moshe first prostrated before his father-in-law, whom he was very willing to serve, and then he kissed him.

 

7.     What does “they asked a man to his neighbour for peace” mean? It means that they inquired to find out how each other was doing in all areas of life in order to see whether each had peace in all areas. Having peace means that there are no large current problems that are frustrating, depressing, causing fear, etc., but rather that things are going well in life.

 

8.     Where did they go if they came “the tentward”? They came to Moshe’s tent.

 

 

 

III. Yehovah is the Greatest! (verses 8-11)

 

Moshe scrolled to his father-in-law everything that Yehovah did to Pharaoh and to Egypt concerning “the firebrand of Israel”—all the weariness that they found while they traveled. Yehovah rescued them! Jethro focused on all the good that Yehovah did to Israel, and that Yehovah rescued Israel from the hand of Egypt!

 

Jethro said, “Blessed is Yehovah Who rescued you from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of Pharaoh, Who rescued the people from under the hand of Egypt! Now I knew that Yehovah is bigger than all the gods, for in the speech is what they presumed upon them!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What did Moshe do when he “scrolled to his father-in-law all that Yehovah did to Pharaoh and to Egypt”? He told what happened in order. (To scroll is to show and give details in order from the beginning to the end or to the current time.)

 

2.     What is the firebrand of Israel? What does that mean? A firebrand is either a piece of wood, a piece of coal, or a fire torch that was on fire, but now the flame isn’t there, though the red cinders are. It is very close to going out if it isn’t tended. It can quickly become a flame again, and if given more fuel (like wood, coal, or dry plant life, for examples), the flames can start up again.

 

          When it is used for a group (like Israel), it describes that the group is on the edge of extinction, and could go either to extinction or it could continue and even thrive. When Israel was taken out of Egypt, it easily could have gone out of existence except for Yehovah’s faithfulness.

 

3.     What was this weariness that they found in the way? The Israelis were traveling on foot, and they greatly feared the Egyptian army. I don’t think that the adult Israelis got much sleep. The Israelis didn’t know where they were going, and they didn’t know how long it would take to get there. They didn’t know what groups they would meet along the way, and how those groups viewed them. So many thoughts combined with walking, with not having food or water, and without trust in Moshe and Moshe’s God made them very weary.

 

4.     From whom or from what did Yehovah rescue them? He rescued them from Pharaoh, from Egypt, from danger and extinction, and from the weariness that the Israelis suffered.

 

5.     Why did Jethro focus upon all the good that Yehovah did to Israel (instead of the terrible circumstances in which Israel found itself)? One text explains this:

 

          Romans 2:4 Dost thou despise the riches of His goodness and endurance and longsuffering [long before going into wrath], not knowing that the goodness of God leads thee to repentance?

 

          Jethro’s focus was the opposite of the focus of nearly all Israelis who kept reminding each other of what they had lost by leaving Egypt. Jethro had been a pagan priest  of a false god; yet, he knew how to look at Truth and on the works of Yehovah in the right way! He saw that Yehovah rescued Israel from the hand of Egypt, and Jethro believed. The Israelis would have reached the same conclusion as Jethro had they focused upon all the good that Yehovah did to Israel! One main good that Yehovah did was to rescue Israel from the hand of Egypt! That was an impossible act!

 

6.     Why did Jethro say that Yehovah is blessed? What does blessed mean? Blessed means benefited with gifts that are accompanied by responsibilities to benefit others! A gift and a blessing are not the same. If a woman or a young girl is given a necklace, that is a gift; it won’t benefit others. If anyone is given equipment and instruction to make fresh bread, that is a blessing; others will be benefited. Blessings in the Bible are always responsibilities as well as advantages.

 

          Yehovah is blessed because He acquired an entire race (the Israelis) who will later be a benefit to the whole world!

 

7.     What does “from under the hand of” mean in, “Who rescued the people from under the hand of Egypt”? Under the hand of anyone or anything means being subservient, and being under the control of another. Since the hand pictures power (as it does in the eyes of a very young child who sees the hand of an adult with all power), being under another’s hand is being subject to do what the other says to do.

 

8.     Jethro said, “Now I knew that Yehovah is bigger than all the gods.” What does this mean, and what does it imply about Jethro? We might say in English, “Now I know that Yehovah is bigger than all the gods.” The word know is in the past tense in Hebrew.

 

          Jethro now knows that Yehovah is bigger—that is, more powerful in every way—than all the gods (that humans consider gods). Jethro now sees that Yehovah is superior to all gods, period.

 

          This implies that Jethro is coming to faith in Yehovah. Now, if he still holds to the other gods even if they are inferior—that is, even if they are not as powerful, he is still an idolater. If he puts his faith in Yehovah and removes his faith from the other gods, he will no longer be an idolater (a follower of false gods).

 

9.     What does “what they presumed upon them is in the speech” mean? They refers to the Egyptians, including Pharaoh. Them refers to the false gods. Thus, the Egyptians presumed things upon the false gods—things that were not true! No matter how much they might beg the lice god, for example, and no matter how many sacrifices they might offer to the lice god, the lice god won’t be able to stop Yehovah from making lice torment the Egyptians! The Egyptians presumed (that is, they assumed with arrogance) that the lice god would save them from the lice, but that false god couldn’t do it.

 

          The speech to which Jethro referred was what Moshe scrolled to Jethro; Jethro could tell from what Moshe said exactly what the Egyptians had presumed on all their false gods. The speech also showed exactly what Yehovah accomplished by turning the creatures that the Egyptians worshipped into attack agents against the Egyptians! The Egyptians no longer could count on their false gods.

 

10.  Did the Egyptians become believers in Yehovah after this? Why or why not? They didn’t! They feared Yehovah the Gods of the Israelis, but they didn’t turn to Yehovah as their Gods. Instead, they took on new gods! This is such normal behaviour! Most humans don’t want truth; they want their own ways and their own gods!

 

 

 

IV. Sacrifice and Food (verse 12)

 

Jethro, Moshe’s father-in-law, took an ascension and sacrifices to Elohim! Aharon came, and so did all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moshe’s father-in-law right in front of the Elohim!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What is an ascension? It is an animal sacrifice that pictures something ascending—that is, going upward into the heavens. That ‘something’ is actually a group of heroes and heroines who will give their lives so that others will live during the Tribulation.

 

2.     Why did Jethro take an ascension to Elohim? Jethro now believed in Elohim; he prophetically did what he did as if he were one of the heroes of the Tribulation! He associated himself with the heroes and heroines of the Tribulation by taking an ascension to Elohim.

 

3.     How could Jethro take an ascension to Elohim when Elohim wasn’t physically on earth in some location where it could be taken? He took the ascension (the sacrificial animal) to an altar built for Elohim; thus, he took the ascension to Elohim!

 

4.     Did Jethro know what the ascension pictured? The text doesn’t indicate this. Yet, what Jethro did was prophetic and very important. Thus, Yehovah the Spirit must have been involved making sure that Jethro did things right.

 

5.     How many sacrifices did Jethro take to Elohim? The text doesn’t tell the reader.

 

6.     Why did Jethro take sacrifices to Elohim, and why did he take more than one? Again, the text doesn’t give the reason. Sacrifices were often accompanied with vows, but didn’t have to be. His bringing more than one sacrifice to Yehovah also isn’t explained, but Jethro desired to do this, showing his faith in Yehovah.

 

7.     Where did Jethro get the sacrifices? Jethro had been a shepherd before, and I assume that he still shepherded sheep and goats. While these animals might slow a traveler down, they can also provide fresh milk and meat while traveling! I propose that Jethro had a flock with him as he went to meet Moshe.

 

8.     Why did Aharon and all elders of Israel also come? The ascension and the sacrifices were eaten; they weren’t just put on altars and burned up. (That would have been a terrible waste.) Jethro was glad to both do the ascension and sacrifices, and to share his sacrifices with others who were also witnesses of the ascension and the sacrifices. All this was done to the faces of Yehovah.

 

9.     Where were the faces of Yehovah? The faces of Yehovah were in the cloud that was either over them or in front of them (if they were traveling).

 

 

 

V. Jethro Watches Moshe Work (verses 13-16)

 

What happened next was on the next day. Moshe sat to judge the people of Israel. And this people stood right there beside Moshe from the morning unto the evening.

 

Moshe’s father-in-law saw all that Moshe—Moshe himself—did to the people. And Jethro said, “What is this speech that thou art doing to the people?” Jethro continued, “Make-known—thou art sitting thy lonesome [all alone], and all the people is positioned upon thee from morning unto evening?” This was so unreasonable!

 

Moshe responded to his father-in-law, “For the people come unto me to research Elohim. For a speech will be to them; he came unto me.” He continued, “And I will judge between a man and between his neighbour. And I will make-known statutes of the Elohim and His teachings!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     The text states that Moshe sat to judge the people. What does this mean, and what was occurring? Judging is giving and carrying out a correct decision based on all true facts. The Israelis brought situations to Moshe for him to solve. One Israeli, for example, might have a disagreement with another Israeli, and the two could not resolve the disagreement. They would bring the case to Moshe, describing what took place. Moshe would listen to the case, and he would then tell both of them what must be done to resolve the problem. Whatever Moshe said was then done. Moshe did this with the entire people of Israel (one case among the Israelis at a time), giving one decision at a time.

 

2.     The next statement is, “And the people stood upon Moshe from the morning unto the evening.” What does this mean? To stand upon in Hebrew can mean to stand beside; it can also mean to come into someone’s space (either to protest, to be line for something from that person, or to demand something from that person). The Israelis looked to Moshe to determine justice for them. They saw him as being a good judge. Since there were so many who needed judging, the Israelis often had to wait for long periods of time before Moshe considered their cases; thus, they kept close to Moshe so that others wouldn’t take their places in line.

 

3.     The text then states, “the father-in-law of Moshe saw all that he, he did to the people.” Why is the pronoun, he doubled, and what did he do to the people? The pronoun is doubled because Jethro was so surprised that Moshe himself did all this to the people of Israel without any help. He, Moshe, administered justice to the people alone! This should have been an impossible work load; yet, Moshe hadn’t sought any help.

 

4.     Jethro said to Moshe, “What is this speech that thou art doing to the people?” What did Jethro mean by speech in this question? A speech in Hebrew can be spoken by words, but it is also spoken by actions. A person doesn’t have to speak with the mouth in order to speak; body language and actions are also forms of speech in Hebrew. Moshe’s actions spoke, and Jethro heard and saw Moshe’s speech! He then questioned Moshe, asking him what he was speaking to the Israelis by carrying this entire load!

 

5.     Jethro then called Moshe to make known to him (to Jethro) what he was doing: “Art thou sitting thy lonesome, and all the people is positioned upon thee from morning unto evening?” What was Jethro communicating to Moshe? Jethro found it incredulous (unbelievable and just too much) that Moshe would be doing the work of a judge of the entire people all alone, and Israelis would be coming to him alone from morning unto evening!

 

6.     What did Moshe mean by, “For the people come unto me to research Elohim”? The Israeli people (in the form of individuals and groups) come unto Moshe to research (to search out an answer regarding something specific) Elohim—that is, to search out an answer from Elohim to find out what Elohim’s justice will be in each particular case. Since Elohim means Gods, the Israelis come to find what the Gods of Moshe have determined for each case. Moshe gives them the answer.

 

7.     Can anyone research Elohim today? Yes! That is one of the many reasons why the Bible was constructed the way it was. So many issues of justice are part of what the Bible describes! If a person comes across an issue of justice not covered in the Bible, the person can still research Elohim by asking Him for wisdom; if the person is willing to receive wisdom from Him, He will provide it; only, the person must be willing to patiently endure. Those who insist upon an immediate answer, and who will do what isn’t right or wise if the answer doesn’t immediately come, cannot expect anything from Elohim.

 

8.     What did Moshe mean by, “For a speech will be to them”? Two or more Israelis have spoken with words and with their bodies (their works). They have disagreed. They then come to Moshe to judge and to tell them what is the right thing to do.

 

9.     Think about Moshe’s past. What is he now doing that connects with his past? Moshe was originally being trained to be Pharaoh, and to lead an entire country. He is now doing exactly that!

 

10.  What is a statute? It is a rule as if it were engraved in stone. Each statute given to Israel is a type: something that pictures something else far more important than itself. Yehovah teaches many things by His statutes that He gave to Israel. These statutes also solve arguments, fights and disagreements between Israelis.

 

 

 

VI. Moshe Will Become a Fool (verses 17-18)

 

Moshe’s father-in-law said to Moshe, “The speech is not good that thou art doing. Foolishness! Thou wilt-become-a-fool—also thou, also this people that is thy people! For the speech is heavier than thee! Thou will not be able to do him thy lonesome!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What speech was Moshe doing that Jethro thought was not good? Moshe was communicating (by his works and words) that he, Moshe, was the only one among the Israelis who could judge the Israelis! What would happen once Moshe died? Jethro was right.

 

2.     What does fool and foolishness mean in the Bible? The word fool means one who has contempt for Yehovah and Godly things, despising Wisdom or ignoring Her. There are four different Hebrew words Indicating four different types of fools:

 

  • caseel—a spiritually, ethically or morally intentionally stupid person
  • naval—a senseless, vile, thoughtless, cruel person
  • sakhal—a sucker, unwise in making decisions, or feigning to be senseless
  • eveel—a licentious [that is, a person who doesn’t care about morality or ethics, but does whatever feels good], quarrelsome [liking to get into quarrels and fights], violent, mocking hater of wisdom and a doer of evil.

          Foolishness, therefore, shows one of the above four types of actions and choices.

 

3.     Why was Jethro concerned that Moshe would become a fool by judging the Israelis all by himself? Doing the kind of judging that Moshe did all day long, and handling that judging without any help will eventually bring Moshe to such an anger level, that he will finally become thoughtless and senseless, giving wrong decisions because of the overload. The Israelis will do the same thing; they will see Moshe’s decisions as cruel and disgusting, and they will imitate Moshe, except that they will truly be cruel and thoughtless. Yehovah gave Moshe the assignment of taking the Israelis out of Egypt, and then giving them the Teaching of Yehovah. He was capable of judging, but he was also under continuous pressure from the Israelis who tended to fight among themselves and to go after idolatry.

 

4.     What did Jethro mean by, “The speech is heavier than thee”? Moshe’s communications in words and actions (including body language) were Moshe’s speech. What he was communicating to the Israelis was even too heavy for him (Moshe) to carry. It was too much responsibility, and it caused too much dependence on Moshe. Jethro was looking ahead; Moshe was already over 80 years old!

 

5.     What did Jethro mean by, “Thou will not be able to do him thy lonesome”? He meant that he couldn’t do this all alone—that is, Moshe couldn’t continue to do this all alone. It was too much for him.

 

6.     Was Jethro right? Yes, he was right! While Moshe had the aid of the Yehovah the Spirit, still, Moshe wasn’t helping the Israelis by doing all their thinking for them. Moshe eventually would also become tired and angry, possibly following emotions instead of wisdom. What would happen if Moshe became sick? Would the Israelis have to wait for his recovery to solve their fights? Israelis would probably break out in riots!

 

 

 

VII. Moshe, the Front and the Teacher (verses 19-20 )

 

Jethro advised Moshe: “Now, hearken into my voice. I will counsel thee. And Elohim was with thee.” Jethro then explained his idea: “Be thou to the people a front to the Elohim. And thou, thou shalt bring the speeches unto the Elohim. And thou shalt enlighten them with the statutes and with the teachings. And thou shalt make-known to them the way they shall walk in her and the doing that they shall do.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What does “heaken via my voice” mean? This means to both listen and do by means of what my voice says—exactly as it says.

 

2.     What does counsel mean in the Bible? It means to both give advice and to lead in carrying out that advice. It never means just to give advice. If a person is willing to counsel another, that person is also willing to aid that other person in what is counseled. Thus, if a king chooses a counselor, it is because the king desires that person to also carry out what the person has counseled. (That person will also be responsible for the success or failure of that counsel.)

 

3.     Jethro next said, “And Elohim was with thee.” Why did he use was instead of saying, “And Elohim will be with thee”? In Hebrew, when something is proposed that will have a result, the proposition is in the future, and the result is in the past. Consider the following English example, and the Hebrew example that follows:

 

          English: “If you give me the ball, I will throw it.”

 

          Hebrew: “Thou shalt give me the ball, and I threw it.”

 

          The Hebrew wording has much more certainty in the results.

 

          In the text, Jethro tells Moshe, “I will counsel thee.” Jethro then gives the result of Moshe’s following his counsel: “Elohim was with thee.”

 

4.     What is Jethro telling Moshe to do when Jethro states, “Be thou to the people a front to the Elohim”? Jethro sees the people as a single group. Moshe will be the front of the group, and will therefore face Elohim for the group. This means that Moshe will speak to Elohim as the voice of the people, and will hear the speeches of Elohim, telling those speeches to the people.

 

5.     What speeches will Moshe bring unto the Elohim? He will bring the speeches of the Israelis who are presenting matters that are too hard for even Moshe to solve.

 

6.     How will Elohim respond to these speeches? Elohim will enlighten the Israelis (via Moshe) with Yehovah’s statutes and teachings, solving the issues of justice.

 

7.     The Bible often refers to walking as it does in this statement: “And thou shalt make-known to them the way they shall walk…” What does walk mean when used this way? The walk in the Bible is the moral and ethical way that a person or group lives on a daily basis. Morality and ethics both have to do with right and wrong from the view of a god/God.

 

          Each person can have his/her own occupation in life—the work that a person does to either earn a living or to be of benefit in society. The occupation normally doesn’t have anything to do with a person’s walk unless that occupation involves morality and/or ethics. Certain occupations always involve morality and ethics. For example, if a woman is a prostitute, her occupation is Biblically immoral, and her walk isn’t right before Yehovah. (Some serve false gods that include being righteous prostitutes as occupations.) Another occupation that involves morality and ethics is being a leader in society (for example, a politician or a king). Most occupations don’t directly deal with morality and ethics, however, though a person can always be moral or immoral, ethical or unethical in whatever occupation the person has.

 

          A few folks walk righteously—they consistently do what is right (ethically and morally). Ethics has to do with right and wrong in business; morality as to do with right and wrong in social relationships (including relationships with the person’s god/God or gods).

 

          A few folks walk in great evil; they like to do what is wrong, seeing that is fun and fulfilling.

 

          Most folks have an inconsistent walk, doing some things with righteousness (what is right in the eyes of a god/God) and some things without righteousness, doing what is wrong and shameful. Those who have an inconsistent walk are unrighteous before Yehovah. Yehovah doesn’t weigh righteous behaviour against unrighteous behaviour to see which is greater; He sees unrighteous behaviour as cancelling righteous behaviour! Thus, most humans have a walk in life that is sinful (in violation of what Yehovah commanded).

 

8.     Jethro stated, “And thou shalt make-known to them the way they shall walk via her.” Identify her: The noun form of counsel is feminine. I propose that Jethro is telling Moshe to make known to the Israelis the way that they shall walk by means of Jethro’s counsel for Moshe. (The word way is masculine; her, of course, is feminine.)

 

9.     What is the doing that they shall do? The Israeli people as a unit must do what is according to Yehovah in all matters of justice and righteousness. Moshe must make these things known to the Israelis so that they, as a group, can and will be consistent.

 

 

 

VIII. Soldiers Qualified to Judge (verses 21-22)

 

Jethro continued, “And thou, thou shalt choose men of an army from all the people, fearers of Elohim, men of Truth, haters of cuts. And thou shalt put princes of thousands, princes of hundreds, princes of fifties and princes of tens over them. 22And they shall judge the people in every time. And he shall be, they shall bring unto thee every big speech. And they, they shall judge every little speech. And he shall-lighten/speed-up from upon thee. And they shall carry thee.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Why did Jethro specify that Moshe should choose men of an army? Men who are army-trained have several advantages:

 

  • They are taught self-control
  • They are taught to wait, to be patient, and to only hurry when that is advantageous
  • They are taught to take commands
  • They are taught to give commands
  • They are taught how to defend themselves and others
  • They are taught to speak wisely, clearly and briefly
  • They are taught respect
  • They are trained in selflessness

2.     What is a fearer of Elohim? This is a person who fits all of the following descriptions:

 

  • This person believes that Elohim (the Gods of Israel) exists
  • This person believes that Elohim will hold each person responsible for what he/she does, and therefore knows that there will be a judgment
  • This person knows that Elohim will never judge ‘on a curve’—that is, averaging out what many folks do, but instead will judge each individual as if he/she is the only person being judged
  • This person fears doing wrong before Yehovah
  • This person knows that Yehovah will reward a person with good if the person does what is right in Yehovah’s view
  • This person knows that Yehovah hears, sees and responds to all things
  • This person knows that Yehovah has all power, and will use that power for or against humans made in His image

 

 

          Therefore, this person will do what is right instead of what is convenient or wrong.

 

3.     Why must the men chosen be fearers of Elohim? Those who either fear other gods or who don’t fear any god will lead the Israelis into sin and into death and destruction.

 

4.     What is Truth? It is whatever is absolute (and therefore unchanging and unchangeable) before Yehovah. Anything that can change isn’t truth, though it may be true at a particular time.

 

          The Bible explains Truth—what is certain and never changing according to Yehovah the Gods of Israel. Messiah Yeshua (the anointed Salvation of Yehovah) is the Truth. He never changes, and what He says and does is always right.

 

5.     What are men of Truth? These are men who always (that is, consistently) do what is morally and ethically right in Yehovah’s view of right, and refuse to do what is wrong (no matter what it costs them).

 

6.     Why didn’t Jethro also include women? While Jethro never ruled out women, Jethro knew that the Israelis didn’t tend to automatically view a woman as a leader. Yet, women in leadership was always potentially part of Israeli society.

 

          The Israelis are like so many other societies: if women lead, the men remain in the background and don’t lead, as if they are lazy (which is too often true). The men are entertained by women in leadership, and that entertainment tends to laziness. If men lead, the women also tend to lead and don’t tend to be lazy.

 

7.     What is a hater of cuts? Think of cuts in line—when someone tries to move ahead of others who have been patiently waiting in line. Such a person is looking to his own advantage, and not to the advantages of others. Also, think of cuts in terms of money: folks who are willing to force others to give them a cut on moneys that don’t belong to them. They are willing to use blackmail and accept bribes and pay-offs, and use other forms of corruption in order to get ahead of others.

 

          Thus, a hater of cuts hates every form of corruption in which persons take advantage of weaker persons to get ahead.

 

8.     Are the princes of tens princes over just ten persons? I suspect that they are princes over ten families; if I am right, each group leader is over numbers of families instead of individuals.

 

9.     What does “they shall judge the people in every time” mean? Every time the people needs judging (that is, individuals and groups within the people), these princes will always do the judging (except in cases that are too hard for them to judge).

 

10.  What is a big speech in, “they shall bring unto thee every big speech”? A big speech is one that has a lot of sayings, and is therefore very important (and probably very hard to figure). This big speech describes some argument or disagreement that must be judged to see who is right or what must be done. Jethro told Moshe to handle these difficult and complex decisions. Instead, the princes can judge every little speech (in this case also, every little argument).

 

11.  Who is he in, “And he shall-lighten/speed-up from upon thee”? He is the speech that Jethro is communicating to Moshe, counseling him to do things this way. If Moshe follows the speech of Jethro, the speech will lighten Moshe’s load, and will also speed up things from upon Moshe—that is, will lighten his load more quickly.

 

12.  Who are they in, “And they shall carry thee”? They refer to the princes over the groups of different sizes.

 

13.  How will they carry Moshe? Since they will carry the load that Moshe has been carrying, it will be as if they are carrying Moshe himself, making him capable of leading the People of Israel will great ease (compared to what he has been doing up to now).

 

 

 

IX. Ability to Stand, and Peace (verse 23)

 

Jethro then explained why this would work: “If thou wilt do this speech, and Elohim will command thee, and thou wilt be able to stand. And also all this people will come upon his place via peace.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What was Jethro saying when he declared, “If thou wilt do this speech, and Elohim will command thee”? In order for Moshe to judge the very hardest cases, Moshe will need Yehovah to command him so that Moshe will know what to do. If Moshe does what Jethro advises, and if Yehovah will command Moshe regarding the very hardest cases, Moshe will be able to stand and all the Israelis will come to the destination in a peaceful manner.

 

2.     What did Jethro mean by, “thou wilt be able to stand”? What is the alternative? Standing in the Bible is the opposite of falling. One who falls goes down (whether in death or in the loss of rank and power). It is failure. Standing, on the other hand, is maintaining (and ever being victorious).

 

          If Moshe stands, he will continue leading the Israelis, and his leadership will succeed until he has died or has been replaced without violence or failure on his part.

 

3.     Identify his place in, “all this people will come upon his place via peace”: His place is the land of Canaan, which will become the Land of Israel. It will be the place that the people of Israel will inhabit after they have finished their journeys that began from Egypt.

 

4.     Why will the people come upon his place via peace? What does that mean? It means that the journey to the land that the Israeli people will inhabit will be a peaceful journey. The reason why it will be peaceful is because there will be plenty of judges (princes) to consider the many matters of disputes; peaceful resolutions (strong solutions and good decisions that will solve the problems) will so often take place under these wise princes.

 

 

 

X. Moshe Obeys a Pagan Priest (verses 24-26)

 

Moshe hearkened to the voice of his father-in-law, doing everything that he said. Moshe chose men who were part of Israel’s army from all Israel’s tribes. He gave them positions of being heads over the people of Israel. He made some princes of thousands, some princes of hundreds, some princes of fifties, and some princes of tens. They judged the people at every occasion. They only brought very difficult decisions to Moshe, judging every little ‘speech.’

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Why did Moshe hearken to his father-in-law instead of first inquiring from Yehovah? Moshe didn’t need to inquire from Yehovah; Moshe heard the very wisdom of Yehovah being spoken by his father-in-law! Moshe knew he was right, and was glad to do what he said.

 

2.     Should a person living by Biblical faith hearken to (that is, both listen to and do) a pagan priest of a false god? Yes, if the pagan priest speaks wisdom! Yehovah has given wisdom to humans regardless of their faiths. Only a few use the wisdom that Yehovah has given, but a wise man or woman will hearken to a pagan who speaks truth and gives wisdom that is beneficial.

 

3.     What does “he gave them heads upon the people” mean? This means that Moshe gave these men of an army to the Israelis to be heads upon (over) the people of Israel. It was an assignment of responsibility.

 

4.     How did Moshe know that these newly assigned princes were doing consistent and proper justice? They all had a proper standard of justice because of their good character. They all:

 

  • Feared Elohim
  • Were men of Truth
  • Hated cuts
  • Were men of an army—that is, showed excellent self-control.

          Since they met these criteria (these standards by which they were tested), they also properly judged.

 

 

 

XI. Moshe Sends Jethro (verse 27)

 

It was time for Moshe’s father-in-law to leave, and Moshe sent him. He walked ‘to him’—that is, for himself—unto his land.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Why did Moshe send his father-in-law? Did he want to get rid of him? He didn’t want to get or be rid of him. When guests came to homes in many of the cultures of Moshe’s time, those guests were very important to their hosts. If guests were to just leave, this would be viewed as a rude break in relationships between the guests and the hosts. It would appear that the guests were fleeing—running away from the hosts—because of some offense that had taken place. Instead, the guests sought permission of the hosts to leave, and the hosts would then send the guests on their journey, sometimes giving them traveling provisions, and sometimes seeking the blessings of their (the hosts’) gods for the travelers. The relationships between guests and hosts were very valuable, since hosts sometimes risked their lives when receiving the guests—not risk from the guests, but risks from others who were evil and who might seek to take terrible advantage of the guests. Thus, hosts would send the guests who were sojourners (travelers) on their ways. This is what Moshe did with Jethro.

 

2.     What does “he walked to him unto his land” mean? If the text had just said, “he walked unto his land,” it would have been very simple to understand; Jethro walked home. The way it is worded in Hebrew, I propose that in smoother English, it would be like this: “he walked for himself unto his land,” indicating that he went home without help and without accompaniment. Jethro wasn’t a young man; he was old, too! Moshe was over 80 years old, and he had met Jethro when he (Moshe) was 40 years old. The two men were probably close to the same age. Jethro had come with Moshe’s woman (wife) and his sons; now, he walked “to him” or “to himself,” back to his land of Midian.