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 LEADER: We gather together this night as the children of Israel in celebration and gratitude of YHWH’S love, mercy, faithfulness and deliverance.

PEOPLE: Halleluiah! Blessed be YHWH the Sovereign of the Universe who fulfilled his promises to our fathers and blessed his people with freedom.

LEADER: YHWH has commanded that his people remember these events and rehearse them in the ears of their children, from generation to generation and to celebrate these events from year to year.

 READER: And YHWH said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him: ² And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son’s son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am YHWH. (Exodus 10:1-2 KJV)

 READER:  And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to YHWH throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever. (Exodus 12:14 KJV)

 LEADER: Tonight therefore, we fulfill this commandment and recall all that YHWH has done for us.

 PEOPLE: Halleluiah! Blessed be YHWH the Sovereign of the Universe.

 LEADER:  In the Hebrew mind to “remember” is more than just recalling the past.  For the Hebrew to remember is to relive these events in the present.  By remembering/reliving the events leading up to the exodus from Egypt every generation gets to experience this great deliverance for themselves.  Thus every Israelite may declare:

 PEOPLE:  Blessed be YHWH who has delivered ME  from bondage!

 LEADER: It is important that right from the start we recognize that this celebration is a celebration of the PAST, the PRESENT, and the FUTURE.  Therefore we will celebrate all three of these aspects throughout the course of this night.

 The story of our deliverance begins not in Egypt but in the land of Canaan, where YHWH made a promise to our father Abraham.

 READER: And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; ¹⁴ And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. ¹⁵ And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. ¹⁶ But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. (Genesis 15:13-16 KJV)

 LEADER:  In preparation for Israel’s arrival in Egypt YHWH sent Joseph to prepare a place for the children of Israel.  A great famine in the land of Canaan drove the children of Israel out of the Promise Land and into the land of Egypt.  But even there, YHWH promised our father Jacob that he would be with him.

 READER: And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: ⁴ I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes. (Genesis 46:3-4 KJV)

 LEADER: The Pharaoh was blessed by Joseph and gave to the children of Israel the best land of Egypt for a possession.  But the land of Goshen began to possess the children of Israel. Instead of returning to the Land of Promise the children of Israel remained in the land of Goshen in Egypt. 

 READER: And Joseph returned into Egypt, he, and his brethren, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father. (Genesis 50:14 KJV)

 LEADER: Once again YHWH promised through Joseph that he would visit his people and lead them again to the Land of Promise.

 READER: And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. (Genesis 50:24 KJV)

 LEADER: But the children of Israel remained in Egypt, became fruitful and multiplied.  But soon there rose up a Pharaoh that did not remember Joseph and who feared the multitude of Israel.

 READER: And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them. ⁸ Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. ⁹ And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: ¹⁰ Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land. (Exodus 1:7-10 KJV)

 LEADER:  Out of fear Pharaoh began to make the children of Israel suffer.  Pharaoh set taskmasters over them to afflict them.  But the more he afflicted them the more they multiplied.  Then he made their lives bitter with hard bondage. Next he schemed to have the midwives kill all the newborn male children. When they refused, Pharaoh ordered that all the new born male children of Israel be thrown into the river.

 LEADER:  It was at this time that Moses was born and set adrift in an ark in the Nile River.  Moses was rescued by Pharaoh’s daughter and raised in Pharaoh’s court.  But Moses still identified with his people.  When he saw an Egyptian persecuting his Hebrew kinsman, Moses rose up and killed the Egyptian.  When Pharaoh heard of this evil, Moses fled Egypt fearing for his life.

 In Midian Moses became a shepherd and tended the flock of Jethro.  It was while tending Jethro’s flock that Moses encountered YHWH.

 READER: And the angel of YHWH appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. (Exodus 3:2 KJV)

 LEADER: YHWH assured Moses that he was aware of what was happening to the children of Israel in Egypt.

 READER: Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. ⁷ And YHWH said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; ⁸ And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. (Exodus 3:6-8 KJV)

 LEADER: YHWH sent Moses and his brother Aaron back to Egypt to share the good news with the children of Israel.

 READER: Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am YHWH, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: ⁷ And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am YHWH your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. ⁸ And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am YHWH. (Exodus 6:6-8 KJV)

 LEADER: But the children of Israel were so oppressed and afflicted that they could not hear the good-news that Moses brought them.

 READER: And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage. (Exodus 6:9 KJV)

 LEADER: Next Moses went to Pharaoh and demanded that the children of Israel be allowed to go and serve YHWH.  But the Pharaoh ruled in arrogance….

 READER: And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith YHWH God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness. ² And Pharaoh said, Who is YHWH, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not YHWH, neither will I let Israel go. (Exodus 5:1-2 KJV)

 LEADER: So YHWH began to introduce himself to Pharaoh the ruler of Egypt in a most spectacular way.  While Pharaoh was the ruler of Egypt, YHWH is the Ruler of the Universe!  With ten plagues YHWH introduced himself to Pharaoh and the people of Egypt.

 (THE SONG THE TEN PLAGUES OF EGYPT)

 THE FIRST PLAGUE—BLOOD

 READER: Thus saith YHWH, In this thou shalt know that I am YHWH: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood. ¹⁸ And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall lothe to drink of the water of the river. (Exodus 7:17-18 KJV)

 READER: And Moses and Aaron did so, as YHWH commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. ²¹ And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. (Exodus 7:20-21 KJV)

 (Everyone Drinks the Tomato Juice)

 THE SECOND PLAGUE—FROGS

 READER: And YHWH spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt. ⁶ And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt. ⁷ And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt. ⁸ Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Intreat YHWH, that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto YHWH. ⁹ And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory over me: when shall I intreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to destroy the frogs from thee and thy houses, that they may remain in the river only? ¹⁰ And he said, Tomorrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like unto YHWH our God. (Exodus 8:5-10 KJV)

 THE THIRD PLAGUE—LICE

 READER: And YHWH said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt. ¹⁷ And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt. (Exodus 8:16-17 KJV)

 THE FOURTH PLAGUE—FLIES

 READER: Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are. ²² And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am YHWH in the midst of the earth. ²³ And I will put a division between my people and thy people: tomorrow shall this sign be. ²⁴ And YHWH did so; and there came a grievous swarm of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants’ houses, and into all the land of Egypt: the land was corrupted by reason of the swarm of flies. (Exodus 8:21-24 KJV)

 THE FIFTH PLAGUE—MURRAIN

 READER: Behold, the hand of YHWH is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain. ⁴ And YHWH shall sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt: and there shall nothing die of all that is the children’s of Israel. (Exodus 9:3-4 KJV)

 THE SIXTH PLAGUE—BOILS

 READER: And YHWH said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh. ⁹ And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt. (Exodus 9:8-9 KJV)

THE SEVENTH PLAGUE—HAIL

READER: And YHWH said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt. ²³ And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and YHWH sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and YHWH rained hail upon the land of Egypt. ²⁴ So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. ²⁵ And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field. ²⁶ Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail. (Exodus 9:22-26 KJV)

 THE EIGHTH PLAGUE—LOCUST

 READER: And YHWH said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left. ¹³ And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and YHWH brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts. ¹⁴ And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such. (Exodus 10:12-14 KJV)

 THE NINTH PLAGUE—DARKNESS

 READER: And YHWH said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. ²² And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days: ²³ They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. (Exodus 10:21-23 KJV)

 (Turn lights out and light a candle or oil lamp)

 THE TENTH PLAGUE—DEATH OF THE FIRSTBORN

 LEADER: But after each of these plagues Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let the children of Israel go.  But YHWH had one plague more in store for Pharaoh.

 READER: And YHWH said to Moses: And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith YHWH, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: ²³ And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn. (Exodus 4:22-23 KJV)

 READER: And Moses said, Thus saith YHWH, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: ⁵ And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts. ⁶ And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more. ⁷ But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that YHWH doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel. (Exodus 11:4-7 KJV)

 (All of the FIRSTBORN stand up)

 LEADER: Four days prior to this night YHWH commanded that the children of Israel choose a male lamb or kid of a year old, and bring it into their home.  On the 14^th day of the first biblical month the children of Israel were told to slaughter the lamb on the threshold of their homes, to take a branch of hyssop and to apply the blood upon the two doorposts and the lintel above the door to their home. 

 (Place Red Ribbons on the Door Frames of the House)

This blood was to be a sign for the children of Israel and a sign to YHWH.  For the children of Israel the blood was a sign that YHWH had made a provision for the children of Israel to protect them from judgment and secure their release from bondage.  For YHWH the blood was a sign that the children of Israel had faith in his promise and provision.

 That night the children were to eat a very special meal.  YHWH gave specific instructions for when, what, and how the meal was to be eaten.

 READER: And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. ⁹ Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. ¹⁰ And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. ¹¹ And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is YHWH’S passover. (Exodus 12:8-11 KJV)

 LEADER: YHWH further commanded the children of Israel that they were to remove all the leaven from their homes and to eat unleavened bread for seven days.

 READER: Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. ¹⁶ And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you. ¹⁷ And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance forever. (Exodus 12:15-17 KJV)

 LEADER: That night while the children of Israel ate the Passover—YHWH went throughout all the land of Egypt smiting all the firstborn from beasts in the field to Pharaoh’s palace.

 READER: And it came to pass, that at midnight YHWH smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle. ³⁰ And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. ³¹ And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve YHWH, as ye have said. (Exodus 12:29-31)

 LEADER: The children of Israel hastily finished their meal and prepared to leave the land of Egypt in the morning.  But once more Pharaoh hardened his heart and pursued the children of Israel. But again YHWH intervened.  With the mighty blast of his nostril YHWH miraculous parted the Red Sea so that the children of Israel could pass safely through it on dry ground. When Pharaoh entered the sea, however, the walls of water closed in around him and Pharaoh and his army were destroyed.  Moses and the children of Israel sang for joy on the distant shore.

 THE PEOPLE: I will sing unto YHWH, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. ² YHWH is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him. (Exodus 15:1-2 KJV)

 LEADER: So it is this night that we celebrate what YHWH has done for us. 

 THE PEOPLE: YHWH has done great things for us, let his name be praised! Halleluiah!

 LEADER: But as we prepare to eat this meal let us understand its symbols.

 THE PEOPLE: The LAMB that is slain is YHWH’S PROVISION for our deliverance. The MATZAH is the symbol of a leaven free life, a life committed to living the pure Torah. The BITTER HERBS are a reminder of the bitterness we endured while living in the pollution of Egypt.

 LEADER: The Apostle Shaul taught us that everything that happened to Israel was for our example.  Therefore we should understand that Israel’s deliverance from Egypt is a shadow picture of yet another great deliverance.

 READER: Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. (1 Corinthians 10:11 KJV)

 LEADER: From the fall of Adam and Havah in the beginning of the Bible, all humanity has been waiting for the promised “seed of the woman” to come and free us from bondage to sin and death.

 READER: And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; ¹⁸ Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; ¹⁹ In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. (Genesis 3:17-19 KJV)

READER: They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? ³⁴ Yeshua answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. (John 8:33-34 KJV)

 READER: For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, ²¹ Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. ²² For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. ²³ And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. (Romans 8:20-23 KJV)

 LEADER: In the events surrounding this night we should recognize the prophetic shadow picture of Yeshua our Messiah.

 THE PEOPLE: “Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”

 LEADER: The bitter herbs are a symbol of the bitter affliction Yeshua endured from those who could not receive him.  The Matzah is a symbol of the sinless life of Yeshua, and the lamb slain is a picture of Yeshua who poured out his life blood to redeem us from a life of bondage to sin, fear, and death.

 READER: Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; ¹⁵ And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. (Hebrews 2:14-15 KJV)

 THE PEOPLE: Blessed be YHWH our God who has made provision for our deliverance and our salvation!

 READER: Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Messiah our passover is sacrificed for us: ⁸ Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1 Corinthians 5:7-8 KJV)

 READER: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30 KJV)

 LEADER: From the Fall of Adam and Havah, all humanity has been held in bondage to the tyranny and oppression of sin, fear, and death.

 READER: Yeshua answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you. Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. (John 8:34)

 READER: For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Yeshua Messiah our Master. (Romans 6:23)

 READER: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

  THE PEOPLE: Blessed be YHWH who through his Anointed One has set us free! 

 READER: And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:32 KJV)

 READER: Yeshua saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me. (John 14:6)

 READER: If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. (John 8:36 KJV)

 LEADER: Tonight we eat this meal in the hope of our redemption and salvation.   

 THE PEOPLE: Blessed be YHWH who has made provision for our salvation!

 LEADER: Tonight we eat this meal in exile. Once again we eat this meal under a foreign rule.  Once again we wait for the return of the deliverer, our Messiah, to gather us from the four corners of the earth, and bring us again to the Land of Promise.

 READER: If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will YHWH thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee: (Deuteronomy 30:4 KJV)

 READER: Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; ⁶ I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; ⁷ Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him. ⁸ Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears. ⁹ Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth. (Isaiah 43:5-9 KJV)

 READER: Behold, the Lord YHWH will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. ¹¹ He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. (Isaiah 40:10-11 KJV)

 READER: Hear the word of YHWH, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock. (Jeremiah 31:10 KJV)

 THE PEOPLE: Tonight we eat this meal in haste and in hope, gratefully remembering what YHWH has done for us in the past, and joyfully anticipating what he will do for us in the future.  May YHWH our Creator, our Redeemer, our Deliverer, and our Savior be praised now and forever!  Amen.  Come Yeshua our Messiah, and establish your Kingdom!  Amen.

 LEADER: Let us now eat the meal of redemption and bless the name of our deliverer.

 THE PEOPLE:  May YHWH be praised in all the earth, may his Anointed One, Yeshua our Teacher, be glorified among his people!  Amen.

THE TEN PLAGUES OF EGYPT

(sung to tune of The 12 days of Christmas)

 With the first plague of Egypt, Yahweh gave to thee:

 1)  The Nile River Flowing with blood.

 2)  Herds of croaking frogs

 3)  Swarms of biting lice

 4)  Flies as thick as darkness

 5)  DISEASE ON ALL LIVESTOCK

 6)  Boils upon their faces

 7)  Hail on land and beast

 8)  Garden eating Locusts

 9)  Three days of deep darkness

 10)                    First born a dyin’

 Copryright 2000 by Michael Rood—If you copy this, copy it right in its entirety.  Public performance rights granted on request.

For those of us who have been raised with the knowledge of Yeshua, his life, death, resurrection and ascension, “fear of YHWH” may seem somewhat foreign to us.  We are accustomed to hearing the many scripture passages declaring Father’s love for us.

I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. (Proverbs 8:17 KJV)

YHWH hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. (Jeremiah 31:3 KJV)

Who shall separate us from the love of Messiah? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. ³⁷ Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. ³⁸ For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, ³⁹ Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Messiah Yeshua our Lord. (Romans 8:35-39 KJV)

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. ⁸ He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. (1 John 4:7-8 KJV)

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10 KJV)

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:16 KJV)

With this great testimony of YHWH’s love for us it is difficult to receive or emotionally connect with the concept of the fear of God.  We may recall the words of the Apostle John,

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18 KJV)

To understand this conflict we need to understand what is meant by “the fear of God”.

For those who do not believe in God at all there is no fear of God evident in their lives.  This is what Abraham saw when he entered Gerar.  Abraham feared for his life and asked Sarah to say she was  Abraham’s sister instead of his wife.  When King Abimelech abducted Sarah YHWH threatened to kill him.  Abimelech confronted Abraham and asked him why he would do such a thing.  Abraham pointed to the lack of fear of God in Gerar.

And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing? ¹¹ And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake. (Genesis 20:10-11 KJV)

For one who has encountered the Holy One and is thus becomes a believer, the fear of God is better understood as the fear of death as a result of seeing the Holy One.  We witness this type of fear in children of Israel as they stood at the base of Mount Sinai and heard the voice of YHWH speaking to them.  It is also evident in Manoah and his wife as the messenger of YHWH visited them.

And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. (Exodus 20:19 KJV)

And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God. (Judges 13:22 KJV)

The fear of God that is the beginning of wisdom, however, is not a fear of the presence of God but the fear of his absence.  When we ponder the Eternal One and his creation, we quickly realize that everything that exists, exists in him and by him.  All creation is but the expression of the Eternal One’s will, nature, and desire to be known and loved.  All life has its source and sustenance in the Creator.  Apart from the Creator nothing exists.  YHWH is sovereign over the whole of creation. 

Most of our time and lives are lived in the finite.  We are distracted from thoughts of the Eternal One. We are busy preparing our daily bread, earning a living, caring for our families, studying for school, searching for entertainment, managing our households, and pursuing hobbies, sports, or shopping. Much of our life is spent with the mundane realities of life.  We live our lives on the assumption that tomorrow will be much like today.  We plan and go about our daily lives assuming that time simply continues. 

But on occasion the even the mundane can become monumental.  Every now and then, life reminds us that we are not the lord of our own lives.  Either by circumstance or, on occasion by revelation, the reality hits us that we too are finite.  When this revelation becomes reality we suddenly realize how fragile and limited we are. For the believer this is when we begin to understand the “fear of God”.  It is not that we fear being in the presence of his Holiness, though this should never be taken for granted, but it is the fear that our behavior, attitude, and priorities would separate us from the one who loves us beyond measure.  This is the fear of God that is the beginning of wisdom. 

This fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, because it is wisdom to recognize that YHWH is sovereign, YHWH is loving, and that YHWH is the source of all our blessings and our lives!  When this reality becomes clear to us, we live our lives in a completely different way.  When we realize that all life is in YHWH, and because of YHWH, we realize that we are not the center of the universe.  We also realize that we are not solely responsible for the world.  Instead, we realize that we are just one part of the Creator’s greater plan and purpose for life.  When we feel overwhelmed we realize that we are not alone but that our Heavenly Father is there for us.  When we realize that it is YHWH who is responsible for the sun shining, the crops growing, the birds singing, the blessings flowing, our hearts beating, our minds thinking, and our lives happening, we do not want anything to separate us from this love.  YHWH is our strength, our security, our sustenance and our salvation. 

When I ponder the impossibility of life without YHWH, or life alienated from YHWH, I tremble.  Such thoughts, while frightening, are also what makes me all the more ready to cling to YHWH throughout my day and free my heart and mind from the many mundane distractions that otherwise would overwhelm me.  Truly the fear of YHWH is the beginning of wisdom.

I was raised in the Christian faith.  I attended Church services and Sunday School on a weekly basis.  I completed all of the compulsory catechism classes and continued to study the Bible outside of the Church.  Even when we were on vacation or visiting Mema and Pop (my grandparents) out in the country we still attended a local Sunday School and Church service.  My love for the word of God eventually lead me to college and then to Seminary.  In all of this time the Bible stories were repeated again and again and again without much variation.  Whether in my home congregation’s Sunday School class or worship service, or any other church convenient to our travels, the stories were the same and the sermons were the same. “A” always meant “A” and “B” always meant “B” over time these “truths” simply became assimilated into my own thinking, beliefs, walk, and faith. The church’s theology was woven into the very fabric of my faith.  I too became a Sunday School teacher and eventually a preacher that taught “A” always means “A” and “B” always means “B”.  

But every now and then, the Living God moves in a mysterious way.  Every now and then when reading and re-reading the same old stories and lessons from the Bible, the Author of the Bible breathes life into his word.  Every now and then the word of God catches the reader off guard and speaks directly to the heart.  When this happens it can be extremely exciting.  With spiritual eyes and ears opened the old story suddenly becomes alive and meaningful in a dramatically new way.  The mind and soul is flooded with all manner of new understanding.   The little hairs on the back of the neck stand up and words of praise and awe involuntarily gush forth from somewhere in deep within the soul.  But when the warmth of this intimate encounter is over and the excitement and ecstasy of revelation has subsided the reality sets in.

Armed with this new revelation knowledge one must begin resorting everything that one has been taught over the years.  Does this newly discovered understanding line up with the old mantra of “A” always means “A” and “B” always means “B”?  One must begin searching the rest of the scriptures to confirm that the voice heard was indeed the voice of the Shepherd and not merely one’s own wacky sub-conscience trying to deceive.  Once one’s spiritual eyes and ears have been opened to a divine truth it is difficult to silence the echo of the voice of the Creator ringing within the halls of your soul.  Now one must make decisions.  Do you share this newly discerned information? Do you dare to rock the boat and shake the comfortable faith of others? Do you risk being misunderstood, rejected, labeled as a heretic, or a radical, or a trouble maker?  Or for the sake of peace and unity do you simply swallow hard and try to forget the awesome splendor of that moment when the Sovereign Creator of the universe opened your eyes and ears and spoke directly to your heart? 

While Messiah himself may be a solid Rock…the journey of faith is often walked upon shifting sands.  As the Spirit of the Holy One informs and directs our studies, we find that the various foundations we have based our faith upon over the course of our life time are not always as stable or solid as with thought or would like.

I remember as a Lutheran Pastor, studying the book of Acts with no other intention than deepening my already established faith and walk.  I studied the book with the thought that it would confirm the fact that my faith was indeed built upon the right foundation.  But the Living God surprised me.  He answered my prayer that he would show me his truth.  And when the wave of divine understanding came, the foundations of my established faith laid in ruin beneath the tidal-wave of truth. Filled with the certainty that the voice I was hearing did indeed belong to the Good Shepherd, I began following the new path that he was leading me on.  Everything he showed me was lining up, it all made sense, it answered long unresolved questions, and it brought me a sense of peace.  But this peace would end once I left the study and returned to the pieces of the old foundation. 

When we are frightened we have a tendency to jump backwards to where we came from.  We are familiar with where we were.  We had comfort and security where we were.  So it is when our faith is shaken, even by the revelation of the Creator, that we try to go back to where we last felt secure and stable.  But when we try to apply the new information to the old foundation it begins to crumble.  We simply cannot sew a new piece of cloth on the old worn and now torn cloth.  Nor can we pour the new wine of understanding into the old wine skin of a previously established religious system.  The old cloth will tear and be divided by the new revelation.  The old religious system will ultimately burst asunder if filled with the new wine.

When YHWH encounters us—we must be ready to be “born-again”.  We must be ready to become a new creature in Messiah.  Every time we open the Bible we must be ready to put our old man with all of his established theological principles, and religious understandings to death.  Before we read we should make sure that we are prepared for our faith life and journey to take drastic and surprising turns and twists.  We must be prepared to meet the Shepherd and follow his leading, even if it means that we must follow him to the cross and beyond.  We should pray before we open the Bible and ask the Father to open our ears, eyes, heart and mind to his presence and his will.  We must be willing to send the old comfortable garment of our old religious system to the thrift store or rag bag—and put on the new garment created in the image of YHWH.  This is not always so easy to do.  However, trying to fit the new living revelation into the old dead religious system will surely end in disaster.

Yeshua realized that what he was imparting to his disciples would cause them a great deal of grief if they tried to remain in the Pharisaic system of religion they had been raised in.  He knew that just as the religious system of Yeshua’s day persecuted him and sought to silence and kill him; it would not readily accept his teachings as embodied in his disciples.  He did not try to stitch them back into the old system—but called them out to a new life and faith as his body in the world. 

For those who have encountered the living God and have heard his invitation and calling to embrace the Torah as Moses received it and as Yeshua taught it, you know of what I speak.  There is no way to receive this knowledge and apply it to the old system without tearing it and ourselves apart.  YHWH is calling us to become a new cloth, a new creature, a new wineskin ready and able to expand with his ever increasing revelations.  Let us not be afraid to put our old comfortable garment off, and put on the new garment.  Let us not become merely a patch on the old system, but become a whole new clothe fit for our king.  Let us trust, that if YHWH dared to encounter us that he will indeed lead and provide for us all along the journey through the wilderness.

“The preparation of the heart in a man, and the answer of the tongue, is from YHWH.  All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but YHWH weigheth the spirits.  Commit thy works unto YHWH and thy thoughts shall be established.” (Proverbs 16:1-3)

It is typical for us to imagine, to see, to desire, and to will for ourselves.  It is most common for us to form a thought, an idea, and a desire within us, and then to pray that the Sovereign Creator of the Universe will hear or discern our thoughts, imagining, and desires and grant us our wish.  Such prayer is not dissimilar to a child reporting to Santa Claus the hope of her heart, or a child making a wish while blowing out his birthday cake candles. To pray in such a way is to turn prayer into magic.  While it is indeed acceptable to make requests from the Father in intercession and supplication, we must recognize that when the prayer originates with us we are standing apart from, and in some instances, over and against, the Father.  When the prayer originates from our own thoughts, hearts, and experience, then we are like the child who makes his desires and hopes known but remains uncertain that the request will be granted.  I am not sure that this type of prayer is the most effective form of prayer.  Nor do I believe that this is what the Father is asking of us in prayer.

In the verses above we see a different form of prayer.  This form of prayer originates with the Father.  To pray in this way is to allow the Spirit of the Holy One to prepare our heart and grant our tongue utterance. When prayer originates with us, it is limited prayer.  We cannot see what the Father sees.  Our knowledge and experience is finite and very limited.  While we may think we see the whole picture, there is no way of knowing what lies beyond what we can see.  The Eternal One can see the past, the present, and the future all at once.  Because of what may yet be in the future, the Father may will some event or experience for a person’s life that will prepare them for what is yet to come.  In our near-sightedness we may see only the immediate challenge and begin to pray that the Father will deliver from the preparatory challenge.  If the Father granted our will, the person would be ill-prepared to face the events of their future.  In essence we would be praying contrary to the will of the Father.  And though our prayer may have been offered most sincerely, and with the person’s best interest at heart, we none the less would have been praying something that would ultimately prove harmful for the person.  This cannot be an affective prayer.  If, however, we are truly crucified in Messiah, then we are completely surrendered to being used of YHWH. 

When we are completely surrendered to the Father, then we allow the Spirit of the Holy One to prepare our heart and mind to receive his will.  In other words, we submit our heart and mind to the Father that he may put his thoughts, will and desires in us.  In this regard, it is the Father that directs even our prayers. The Apostle Shaul alluded to this form of prayer in his letter to the Romans.

“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (Romans 8:26 KJV)  

Even in our prayer life we must remember that we are submitted disciples who do everything, including prayer, in the name of our Master Yeshua the Messiah.  When we do anything “in the name of” another, it means that what we do is done by their authority and is representative of their will.  We cannot originate a prayer in our own heart, mind and will, and simply slap the magic formula “in Yeshua’s name” on the end of it and consider it a done deal.  Prayer is not magic it is inspired.  True prayer “in the name of Yeshua” must originate within Yeshua.  In other words, it must be what he is telling us to pray. If we have embraced the cross then it is not we who live and pray but Messiah who lives and prayers within us.

I am crucified with Messiah: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Messiah liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20 KJV)

The Spirit that filled Yeshua is the Spirit of YHWH.  Yeshua did all that he did in his Father’s name.  This same Spirit of Messiah has been poured out upon the disciples of Yeshua who are the body of Messiah.  When we pray, we must wait upon the Spirit of Messiah (our head) to inform our hearts, minds, and will what they are to ask for, who we are to pray for, and what we are to pray.  The Spirit that guided our Master in prayer must now guide us. 

When we pray in such a manner we may be assured that our prayers will not only be heard but that they will be answered, for we are praying consistent with the Father’s will.  We should also recognize that when we pray in this manner we are no longer praying separate from the Father, but the Father is, praying (expressing his will) through us.  By using us in such a fashion the will of the Father becomes known in an edifying fashion, and others are likewise encouraged to pray.  When we commit our prayer life to YHWH we may be assured that he will establish our works.

The two primary motivations for nearly every human being are life and love.  From the first gasp of breath immediately after our birth, much of our behavior is driven by these two desires.  As infants we desperately cry out for others to help us survive. We demand that others meet the needs, that as infants, we cannot meet for ourselves.  As we grow and gain control of our faculties and the world around us we do all within our power to assure that we will live.  Even in our adulthood, we continue to labor for life.  We do not feel genuine peace until we have secured for ourselves the basics of shelter and food.  With these basics attained we do not stop laboring.  We continue to look for safer places to live, safer cars to drive, and healthier ways of living our life.  Millions are spent each year on medicine, medical care, weight loss products and exercise equipment to defy the aging process.  Even religion can be a symbol of our desire and will to live.  But merely being alive is clearly not enough.  No one wants to merely survive.  If we are honest with ourselves, and evaluate carefully, most of us will acknowledge that our desire to be loved, liked, and appreciated is the driving force behind most of our decisions and actions.  Again even from infancy we desired to be held, cuddled, and loved.  It is this love, in fact, that motivates the will to live.  In our youth this desire to be loved, or to be popular is the greatest temptation to give in to peer pressure.  As employees or employers our desire to be liked and accepted may cause us to make poor business choices or walk contrary to our values.  Politicians often find themselves compromising their core principles for the sake of being liked (and elected) by the majority.  Clearly these to forces, the will to live and the desire to be loved are an intricate part of our human nature.  It may strike us strange then, that the calling of Yeshua to be his disciples calls us to walk contrary to both of these strong forces within us.

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. (Mark 8:35 KJV)

And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. (Matthew 10:22 KJV)

If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. (John 15:18 KJV)

To be a disciple of Yeshua, we are called to lay down our lives.  We must overcome the fallen human nature that puts self-preservation over everything else.  The calling of Yeshua to live life not for the sake of self but for the sake of our Master, Yeshua and the completion of his word and ministry on behalf of the Father.  The calling of discipleship is to put aside our natural desire for self-security, pleasure, comfort, and preservation and to live for the life of the whole world.  Likewise, we are called not to live for the love and approval of our fellow human beings, but to give love to our fellow human beings.  To accomplish this ominous calling we must be willing to give our lives for our Master’s sake, and the sake of the Gospel. We must be willing to spend our energy being a light to the world.

In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (John 1:4 KJV)

Then spake Yeshua again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12 KJV)

As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. (John 9:5 KJV)

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. ¹⁵ Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16 KJV)

We must also realize however that not everyone loves the light.

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. (John 3:19-20 KJV)

This is what makes fulfilling the calling so much of a challenge.  Being a disciple of Yeshua means that we must walk contrary to everything that would, otherwise, comes naturally to us, especially, self-preservation and self-love.  For this to happen, we must truly be crucified in Messiah and raised with him to a new life.  We must be raised with a new heart and a new mind.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. ² And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:1-2 KJV)

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Messiah Yeshua: ⁶ Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: ⁷ But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: ⁸ And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. ⁹ Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: (Philippians 2:5-9 KJV)

To have the mind of Messiah Yeshua is to take our carnal, natural, fallen mind to the cross and allow Messiah to live within us. 

I am crucified with Messiah: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Messiah liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20 KJV)