For the week of January 31, 2026 / 13 Shevat 5786

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Beshalach
Torah: Shemot/Exodus 13:17 – 17:16
Haftarah: Shoftim/Judges 4:4 – 5:31
Originally posted the week of January 23, 2016 / 13 Shevat 5776 (revised)

The LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward.” (Shemot/Exodus 14:15)

This week’s message is not for everyone. I guess that’s always true, but there’s something about this one in particular that should probably be ignored altogether if it doesn’t apply to you. But if it does, you don’t want to miss it! So, here goes!

The people of Israel were between a rock and a hard place, metaphorically speaking. They were actually between an impassable body of water and the Egyptian army, which was keen to drag them back to Egypt. An interesting interchange ensues between Moses and God. Well, actually, it’s not an interchange. The people freak out, thinking that they are about to be slaughtered. Moses reassures them, but then God tells Moses what to do, contradicting him in the process. Let’s look at this more closely.

Moses said to the people: “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent” (Shemot/Exodus 14:13-14). Based on everything Moses knew about God up to that moment—his character, his power, and his methodology—this sounds so right. Moses knew how fundamentally misguided the people’s freak-out was. God didn’t bring them to this point only to abandon them. Moses knew that he was leading them to Mount Sinai and on to the Promised Land. So, this couldn’t be the end. How God would rescue them, he didn’t know, but after all that had happened with the ten plagues and a reasonable analysis of the situation, Moses concluded that all Israel had to do was stand and do nothing. God would take care of the situation. All by himself.

But with all due respect to Moses, he was wrong. They were not just to stand there; they were to “go forward.” I know Moses was also told: “Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground” (Shemot/Exodus 14:16), but the people were not to wait for the sea to part first, but rather they were to march toward the sea.

God was calling the people to readjust their orientation to the situation. He had called them to journey in a certain direction, which required getting to the other side of the water. But instead, they were frozen by fear. They needed to refocus and get with God’s program again.

Note that God was not calling them into the water before it parted. He might call people to do that from time to time, but not in this case. They simply had to move in its direction. He also didn’t order them to turn around and confront the enemy nipping at their heels. The day would come when Israel would engage in battle, but not now. In this situation, they were to go forward.

I remember a situation I was in when I was called to go forward. It was nowhere near as drastic as what the Israelites were facing. But for me, at the time, the dynamic was similar. I was at a large leaders’ conference, a pretty intense time of seeking God. I was privileged to be part of the core group tasked with discerning direction for the various meetings. I was new to such things and probably a little too excited about it all. In one of the core group meetings, I had a real burden about something, but once I finally had a chance to speak up, I got the impression (right or wrong) that I was out of line. I felt absolutely terrible and embarrassed. I went to my hotel room, not wanting to show my face in public again (I am being only a little overdramatic!). As I called out to the Lord in my fear and confusion, I had the clear sense that I needed to “go forward.” That meant joining the others to face whatever might happen, whatever they might think of me, whatever reprimand I might receive—whatever. I had no guarantee of how God would deal with the scary elements ahead. I had to face them. And as I did, nothing I feared came to pass. My sea had parted as I went forward.

Is God directing you to go forward? Then, you must walk towards the very thing you think will be your complete undoing. But as you do, God will enable you to walk through it as if it is not really there, just like the Israelites walked through on dry ground. He may even obliterate the threat at your back at the same time, just like the drowned Egyptians.

But as I mentioned at the start, this is only for those for whom it applies. God may have an altogether different tactic for you. Maybe you are to stand, to fight, or something else. Just don’t be surprised if God is telling you to go forward.

Scripture taken from English Standard Version

For the week of January 24, 2026 / 6 Shevat 5786

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Bo
Torah: Shemot/Exodus 10:1 – 13:16
Haftarah: Jeremiah 46:13-28
Originally posted the week of January 24, 2015 / 4 Shevat 5775 (revised)

Then the LOED said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine among them, and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and of your grandson how I have dealt harshly with the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them, that you may know that I am the LORD.” (Shemot/Exodus 10:1-3)

Last week and this week, the parashot (Torah reading portions) contain an extensive display of God’s power, commonly known as the ten plagues. You might be surprised to learn that the word “plague” (or more literally “strike”) is hardly used to describe these events. Throughout the Bible, the more common description is “signs” and “wonders” (see Shemot/Exodus 7:3, D’varim/Deuteronomy 6:2, Nehemiah 9:10, T’hillim/Psalm 135:9, and Jeremiah 32:20).

Generally speaking, signs are designed to communicate something. A traffic sign informs drivers and pedestrians of crucial information to control their behavior. Responding properly to a sign brings great benefit to those for whom it is intended. Failure to respect signs causes great trouble to ourselves and others.

Wonders are extraordinary events, commonly called miracles. But the way we normally understand miracles may not reflect the biblical concept of wonders. If miracles are a way to describe God’s work in the world, rather than when he is not, then we are not thinking biblically. According to the Bible, God not only created the universe, but he also sustains it. God is at work in and through every aspect of life. There’s a well-known miracle story about George Müller, who established orphanages in Great Britain in the nineteenth century. It is said that one day, there was no food for the approximately 300 orphans in his care. So Müller gathered everyone at mealtime as usual and thanked God for his provision anyway. Not long afterwards, a baker and a milkman, each for unusual reasons, came by with offers of bread and milk respectively. If by calling this a miracle, you mean that God wasn’t involved when food was provided in normal, usual ways, then you are distorting the reality of God’s ongoing role of provider.

But if God is always the provider, whatever the means of provision he uses, then would it not be better to call every act of provision a miracle? This misses the point regarding signs and wonders. Even though God is involved in either case, there is a difference between the ordinary and the extraordinary. Recognizing God at work in life in general is essential, but not everything is a sign and a wonder. I have attended more births than most non-medical people, having been present for all ten of our children. My wife and I tend to refer to these events as miracles, as we have been so struck by the wonder of it all. But despite how precious each baby is, births are ordinary, not extraordinary, events – as is the growth of a flower, the roar of ocean waves, or the twinkling of a star.

This is not to diminish the awe we should have towards the ordinary. We should be in ongoing awe of the glory of creation. Every aspect of physics, chemistry, biology, and the ways they work together is worthy of our praising God. It’s that if we think of everything that God does as a miracle, then we will miss the significance of his actual and intended signs and wonders.

Following the Exodus, the people of Israel faced many conflicts with other nations. Of the battles they won, it was because God was with them. Most of the time, Israel used ordinary means of battle. But on a few occasions, God used extraordinary methods that wouldn’t normally produce the results they did, such as the fall of Jericho under Joshua, the defeat of the Midianites under Gideon, or the routing of the Philistines under Jonathan, son of King Saul. It’s the same with the provision of food. Usually, God uses the ordinary means of farming to feed people. On occasion, he uses extraordinary means through signs and wonders.

Many people get excited about miracles as if they are proof of God’s existence. But that is not the purpose of signs and wonders. According to Scripture, creation is the evidence for God (see Tehillim/Psalm 19:2 [English: 19:1]; Romans 1:20). Signs and wonders, on the other hand, have their own particular purpose. As signs, they bring a message. The ten plagues, for example, reveal God’s supremacy over the Egyptian false gods, his distinction between his people and others, and his affirmation of Moses’ leadership. As wonders, they help make these signs significant. Ordinary events by their nature are not going to communicate anything special. Extraordinary events get attention. And when they are accompanied by God’s Word, as was the case through Moses, they powerfully and effectively reveal God’s truth.

Scriptures taken from the English Standard Version

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Va’era
For the week of January 17, 2026 / 28 Tevet 5786
Torah: Shemot/Exodus 6:2 – 9:35
Haftarah: Ezekiel 28:25 – 29:21

Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery. (Shemot/Exodus 6:9)

We live in a world of communication. In fact, according to the Bible, the universe began with communication: “And God said…” and there was! Our first parents were then instructed on how to fulfill their very reason for being. Despite their failure to adhere to God’s word sufficiently, God has continued to speak. His communication is chiefly called “torah,” which is best understood as “teaching” or “direction.” While the standard translation “law” isn’t wrong on its own, it doesn’t capture torah’s essence as God’s equipment for effective, godly living (see 2 Timothy 3:16–17).

It might be difficult to fathom that God would create a world in which his representative creatures would not automatically obey his instructions. Not only that, but our lack of adherence has resulted in all sorts of terrible things. We could lament this tragedy, or instead do our best to understand it for what it is and discover how best to recover from, or at least cope with, such misguided, destructive behavior.

So many of those who rightfully emphasize God’s sovereign oversight of the universe may be slow to fully appreciate the dynamic of human interaction with God, both positive and negative. We know that God didn’t make robots, but we struggle to grasp how autonomous beings could live under the rule of such a divine being, however autonomous we may be. But the sooner we accept the realities of life through God’s perspective as revealed through his Word, the sooner we can learn to live life according to his design.

In this week’s parsha (Torah reading portion), we see how the people of Israel suffered under a tyrannical regime for many long years before God sent Moses to rescue them. When Moses first explained God’s rescue plan to them, we read:

And the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped. (Shemot/Exodus 4:31)

However, it wouldn’t be too long before their hopes were dashed. Pharaoh’s response to Moses’ demand for release was to make their work more onerous than before. When Moses confronted God over this unexpected, adverse reaction, God assured Moses that everything would work out. God’s reassurance was satisfactory to Moses, but not to the people. In fact, according to Shemot/Exodus 6:10, they wouldn’t even listen to him, “because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery.”

Have you ever been there, be it in relationship to God or to others? Have you ever been at a place in your life where you could no longer receive a word of encouragement? Have you ever been so crushed in spirit that hope seemed like nothing more than a fantasy? As you tried to look ahead, there was only darkness. So can we blame these people for shutting down, when so many of us have been in that exact same place? And let’s ask the question, when it is that we can no longer hear words of encouragement from God or others, is it because we can’t or won’t? Is it our suffering that has deafened us, or do we have our fingers in our ears?

King Solomon wisely said: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life” (Mishlei/Proverbs 13:12). Certainly, long-term disappointment has a debilitating effect on the core of our being, but does that excuse us from stubbornly refusing to receive good news when it finally reaches us? Will we allow resentment and anger to keep us in bondage forever, or will we avail ourselves of the offer of help? Are you listening?

Scriptures taken from the English Standard Version

For the week of January 10, 2026 / 21 Tevet 5786

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Shemot
Torah: Shemot/Exodus 1:1 – 6:1
Haftarah: Isaiah 27:6 – 28:13; 29:22-23
Originally posted the week of January 9, 2021 / 25 Tevet 5781 (revised)

Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” (Shemot/Exodus 3:1-4)

Moses’ encounter with God at the burning bush is one of the most crucial interchanges between God and human beings. It is here that God conscripts Moses to lead his people, Israel, out of oppressive bondage and into the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Under Moses’ leadership, God would demonstrate his power to Israel, Egypt, and the world. Moses was also to be the channel through whom God’s Torah (his teaching, his direction) would be revealed.

One particular aspect of this encounter is often overlooked. In the Bible, God engages people in a variety of ways. Most of the time, when we read that he speaks, there is no reference to the actual dynamics of the communication. Other times, we are told that it is through a dream or a vision. The burning bush is unique, not only in that it’s the only time God speaks through a plant, burning or otherwise, but also because of the role Moses played. Going about his usual daily activities as a shepherd, this unusual sight catches his eye. Moses decides to check it out. It is only when Moses gives his attention to it that God calls to him.

Moses’ curiosity drew him into this life-changing experience. He could have just as easily not noticed. How often are we so focused on ourselves and whatever we are going through at the time that extraordinary opportunities pass us by without our realizing it? Sometimes it’s not so much that we are distracted, it’s that we are oblivious. Life has ceased to arouse our interest. I say, “has ceased,” because curiosity is natural to most of us as children until, for one reason or another, the wonder of the universe is lost to us. Perhaps curiosity got us into trouble. It may have resulted in injury or blame, leading us to conclude that it is better to live life with blinders on. Good thing Moses didn’t become like that.

Many years ago, I read the classic “Confessions” by Augustine of Hippo, written about 1,600 years ago. At the time, I was troubled by his depiction of curiosity in negative terms as one of life’s great temptations. To him, curiosity was a craving after knowledge and experience for its own sake, but this presupposes a warped understanding of the world in which we live. Curiosity may kill the cat, as the proverb says, but the craving that leads to trouble is not the curiosity itself, but sinful desires hijacking an essential God-given quality.

How many burning bushes are we missing because we are no longer curious? There is far more going on around us than we think. God is working to fulfill his purposes in the world. He longs for us to be part of that. But are we paying attention? Or are we so wrapped up in our current life situation that we don’t notice that something’s burning?

The Messiah directed us to pray, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10)—a transformative process that God wants me and you to be part of. Exactly how, I can’t say. But aren’t you curious?

Scriptures taken from the English Standard Version