Yitro – 17

Torah: Exodus 18:1 – 20:26
Haftarah: Isaiah 6:1 – 7:6, 9:6-7
New Testament/Brit Chadassah: Matthew 5:8-20

After the stories of Genesis and the destruction of the Egyptian war host in the Red Sea, we come now to Yitro. In this parashah and going forward, we will be examining many concepts and rules that Hebrew Israelite men need to understand and apply in their lives and families. In short, we will be getting into the weeds of applying the Torah to daily life from here to the end of Deuteronomy. 

A dominant theme will emerge as we explore this portion and that is about respect and love that goes both ways between superior and subordinate.

Yitro (or Jethro) had heard about the Exodus from Egypt and that Moses and the Israelites were camped at the mountain of God. He took Moses’ wife and two sons and went to meet Moses.

5 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was camped, at the mountain of God. 6 And he sent word to Moses: “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.” 7 Then Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and he bowed down and kissed him; and they asked each other about their welfare, and went into the tent. 8 Moses told his father-in-law everything that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had confronted them on the journey, and how the Lord had rescued them. 9 And Jethro rejoiced over all the goodness which the Lord had done for Israel, in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians. 10 So Jethro said, “Blessed be the Lord who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods; indeed, it was proven when they acted insolently against the people.” 12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses’ father-in-law before God.

Exodus 18:5-12

This passage is about mutual respect between a father-in-law (Jethro) and his son-in-law (Moses). When Aaron and the elders of Israel came to eat a meal with Moses and Jethro, they were showing respect to both of them. Moses and Jethro undoubtedly felt affection for each other. Indeed, Moses was modeling for everyone “Honor your father and your mother” that would become one of the major clauses in the Ten Commandments.

After the feast, the next day Jethro observed Moses fulfilling his duty as the leader of the Israelites hearing cases and rendering judgment. As the wise, experienced man that he was, Jethro observed a major problem and offered a sound, practical solution that benefited everyone in Israel.

13 And it came about the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood before Moses from the morning until the evening. 14 Now when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?” 15 Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. 16 When they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I judge between someone and his neighbor and make known the statutes of God and His laws.” 17 Moses’ father-in-law then said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good. 18 You will surely wear out, both yourself and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone. 19 Now listen to me: I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You be the people’s representative before God, and you bring the disputes to God, 20 then admonish them about the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they are to walk and the work they are to do. 21 Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 22 Let them judge the people at all times; and let it be that they will bring to you every major matter, but they will judge every minor matter themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will carry the burden with you. 23 If you do this thing and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people also will go to their places in peace.”

24 So Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything that he had said. 25 Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 26 Then they judged the people at all times; they would bring the difficult matter to Moses, but they would judge every minor matter themselves. 27 Then Moses said goodbye to his father-in-law, and Jethro went his way to his own land.

Exodus 18:13-27

It is a normal part of everyday affairs that disputes arise between men. If the men cannot resolve the issues themselves, either because of lack of knowledge or intransigence, then they have to take their dispute to someone in authority. At this point in the Exodus, Moses was that final human person in authority because he was the prophet of YHVH. So he had to arbitrate disputes. Jethro observed that the way Moses was doing it was grossly inefficient. The solution Jethro offered was to decentralize the judging and push it “down the ranks” as it were. Judges of tens, fifties, hundreds, and thousands would be appointed. The idea was accepted and Moses promptly implemented it. Then Jethro went home, having made an incredibly valuable suggestion to Israel.

Moses as the “chief justice” would handle the cases that rose to him and if needed, escalate to YHVH. He would also continue to teach the commandments, statutes and judgments to everyone in Israel. The “way they are to walk” is known in Hebrew as halacha. Halacha is the application of principles contained in the commandments, statutes, and ordinances. 

Now, it should be understood that in minor cases, application is straightforward if there is a single commandment, statute or ordinance that provides the knowledge of the correct decision. Where each of the disputants can point to one of the commands, statutes or judgments to support his case, that is where the judges have to deeply consider the issues. Sometimes, there are multiple commands, statutes or judgments that can apply and the judges may combine them in applicable ways to resolve the dispute.

Jethro identified three requirements for Moses to select these judges or leaders. First of all, they had to be able men who feared God. “Able men” implies that these people were known to be familiar with the commandments, statutes and ordinances, able to make clear judgments and explain their decisions. The other two qualifications are they love truth and hate dishonest gain. By loving truth, they will question the litigants to establish the matter, and by hating dishonest gain, they can’t be bribed.

This list of qualifications means that not every Israelite man will be qualified to handle this responsibility. But every Hebrew Israelite man must himself learn the commandments, statutes, and ordinances and teach and apply them within his family.  

Prior to the formal establishment of the Mosaic Covenant, a preliminary agreement needed to be reached. YHVH chose to make this agreement with the entire nation of Israel and each man would need to agree on behalf of himself and his family.

3 And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “This is what you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself. 5 Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; 6 and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.”

7 So Moses came and called the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which the Lord had commanded him. 8 Then all the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do!” And Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord. 9 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will come to you in a thick cloud, so that the people may hear when I speak with you and may also trust in you forever.” Then Moses told the words of the people to the Lord.

Exodus 19:3-9

In every covenant, there are two or more parties. On the one side there are the sons of Israel. On the other side, who was it? Was it God the Father or God the Son or both? Investigating this question resulted in the writing of the article “The Voice of the Lord” which is posted at Kol Yisrael Torah and Prophecy. The article may be accessed at the following link: https://kolyisraeltorah.com/2021/02/the-voice-of-the-lord/

The investigation showed that the term “my voice” without the possessive qualifier “of the Lord God” means that the speaker is God the Son, or Yeshua. That means every Hebrew Israelite man was assenting to entering into a national covenant relationship with Yeshua, Son of God the Father.

The covenant terms start at Exodus 20:2 and conclude at 24:8. The Ten Commandments, in Judaism the Ten Words, distill the behaviors expected from the Hebrew Israelites into ten clear and unambiguous statements. The Ten Words run from Exodus 20:2-17. From Exodus 20:8 to 23:33 are ordinances that further clarify and govern the halacha in which the sons of Israel were to walk. Exodus 24:1-8 is the formal making of the covenant. The rest of the Torah contains additional material that illuminate and extend the formal terms given in the Mosaic Covenant made at Mount Sinai. When Yeshua said ““If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” in John 14:15, He was referring to these.

In the weeks to come, we’ll be getting into the weeds of the commandments, statutes and judgments. Entire volumes have been written on this by many erudite Jewish sages over the millennia. This author cannot hope to even come close to their accumulated wisdom gleaned over the centuries in these short commentaries. But, at the very least, this author hopes that the men can learn and apply in their families, and future rulers of tens, fifties, hundreds and thousands can learn and prepare for their future duties. And that is the point and goal of this series.

Looking over the Ten Commandments, one thing is apparent. There is more there than meets the eye of an English reader who come from a Western Latin-based Christian Church.

First: 2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

Exodus 20:2

The first commandment identifies who our Elohim is. He is YHVH Elohim. We know Him because He brought us out of Egypt and out of the house of slavery. 

Second: 3 “You shall have no other gods before Me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not worship them nor serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, inflicting the punishment of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing favor to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

Exodus 20:3-6

No one else has done what He did. Not the gods of Egypt, Greece, Rome, Germany, the Celts or anywhere else in the world or in any time. He alone is the One who redeems us. Therefore, no other god or elohim has a claim on our worship; YHVH alone has the claim to our worship. Making His point crystal clear, the word “gods” is elohim (H#0430) which is the same word translated as “your God” except with the possessive modifier.

Since He alone is making the covenant with us, worshipping other elohim or idols (H#6459, transliterated ‘pecel’) or any likeness of anything in creation is hating Him. This will draw punishment that can extend to the third and fourth generations. That’s because four generations can be alive at the same time and all involved in foreign elohim or idol worship. Other elohim and pecels are off limits to all Israel, past, present and future.

Contrariwise, He will show favor to thousands who love Him and keep His commandments. This is exactly what Yeshua said in John 14:15: “If you love Me, keep My commandments”.

Third, 7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.

Exodus 20:7. 

Comparing Exodus 20:7 with Isaiah 4:1 For seven women will take hold of one man on that day, saying, “We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; take away our disgrace!” shows that taking or being called by the man’s name is marriage language.

It’s commonly taught that to take His name in vain is to use His name in vulgarities and blasphemy. While there is a certain truth to that teaching, the actual meaning of the third commandment is that Israel is betrothed to Yeshua and the nation as a collective and individuals within the nation are to regard themselves as married to Yeshua, and called by His name. Therefore, no one in Israel should make the covenant, take His name, and choose to treat Him disrespectfully by going to worship other elohim or pecels/idols.

Yeshua is okay with His people swearing by His Name. As Jeremiah pointed out

Then, if they will really learn the ways of My people, to swear by My name, ‘As the Lord lives,’ just as they taught My people to swear by Baal, they will be built up in the midst of My people.

Jeremiah 12:16

Jeremiah further connects the worship of Baal to forgetting His name, or making it vain:

27 who intend to make My people forget My name by their dreams which they report to one another, just as their fathers forgot My name because of Baal?

Jeremiah 23:27

Consider what Isaiah said to Israel about Yeshua the Son:

For your husband is your Maker,
Whose name is the Lord of armies;
And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel,
Who is called the God of all the earth.

Isaiah 54:5

Can you not hear the pain in Yeshua the Son’s words and yet rejoice in His foreknowledge that Israel will be brought back to Him?

And it will come about on that day,” declares the Lord,
“That you will call Me my husband (ishi)
And no longer call Me my Baal. (baali)
For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth,
So that they will no longer be mentioned by their names.

Hosea 2:16-17

Fourth, 8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 For six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God; on it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male slave or your female slave, or your cattle, or your resident who stays with you. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and everything that is in them, and He rested on the seventh day; for that reason the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Exodus 20:8-11

Work six days and rest the seventh. That applies to everyone and the animals. As far as technology is concerned, if the sun shines 7 days a week, machines can run seven days a week.

Fifth, 12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be prolonged on the land which the Lord your God gives you.

Exodus 20:12

Honor is the same as respect. Both parents are to be honored and respected in Yeshua’s patriarchal hierarchy.

Sixth, 13 “You shall not murder.

Exodus 20:13

Pre-planned taking of someone’s life is absolutely forbidden. The exceptions which will be explored later are military combat in war, judicial orders of execution for capital crimes, and the avenger of blood with limitations.

Seventh, 14 “You shall not commit adultery.

Exodus 20:14

Adultery is correctly defined as a man lying with another man’s wife. A wife is to be sexually available only to her husband. 

10 ‘If there is a man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, one who commits adultery with his friend’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death.

Leviticus 20:10

22 “If a man is found sleeping with a married woman, then both of them shall die, the man who slept with the woman, and the woman; so you shall eliminate the evil from Israel.

Deuteronomy 22:22

Spiritually, Israel is to worship Yeshua alone, and no other elohim nor idols/pecelim. In the next parashah, Mishpatim, note will be taken that a man may take more than one wife, subject to certain regulations.

Eighth, 15 “You shall not steal.

Exodus 20:15

Self-explanatory

Ninth, 16 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

Exodus 20:16

This includes testimony given in court, gossip, libel and slander.

Tenth, 17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male slave, or his female slave, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

Exodus 20:17

Coveting is something that comes from the heart as it is desire or lust. This particular commandment makes it clear that the Sinai Covenant was both outward and inward. 

Because of the clause “anything that belongs to your neighbor”, this commandment is connected to the prohibitions against murder (your neighbor’s life), theft (your neighbor’s property or male debt slaves), and adultery (your neighbor’s wife or female servant (concubine). This is why Yeshua taught the way He did in the Sermon on the Mount.

To conclude this week’s commentary, Yitro records the establishment of rulers of tens, fifties, hundreds and thousands for a judicial system for the tribes to maintain order in their clans and families. Then the preliminary agreement and actual giving of the Covenant is recorded. 

In Mishpatim which is the next parashah or portion, judgments will be given that expand on the Ten Commandments.