Yitro: Jethro — יתרו

​Thoughts on Torah for Last Week:
 
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Exodus 13-17
This week's portion includes manifestations of God’s presence and miracles to sustain the Israelites in the desert.  What becomes apparent in this portion is Israel’s salvation.  As the Israelites were fleeing the Egyptians, a pillar of fire came out of heaven and God opened the sea so that Israel could escape and be “saved”.  Moses said, "Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD". Not only were the Israelites saved from physical death and experienced temporal salvation, but by coming under God’s protection, Israel also experienced spiritual salvation - His presence.  

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"Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD"
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​Exodus 14:13

Salvation as a whole can be separated into two types – temporal and spiritual.

Temporal Salvation
Temporal salvation is essentially being saved from physical death.  The causes of physical death in mortality include: disease, hard labor, war, starvation, and murder.  We see this with Israel as slaves performing hard labor, the threat of death of the firstborn and being killed fleeing Egypt.  And then God’s deliverance – His Temporal Salvation.

​Spiritual Salvation
Spiritual salvation is to be saved from spiritual death or to live in the presence of God.  Receiving the Holy Spirit is a spiritual salvation.  Israel experienced spiritual salvation when God manifested His presence with a pillar of clouds and fire.

​Salvation in Mortality and Eternity
Moreover, there is temporal and spiritual salvation in both mortality and eternity.

​Salvation in Mortality
The basis for temporal and spiritual salvation in mortality is living God’s Law.  When we live the way God has asked us to live, then He blesses us with physical and spiritual life.  For the family, these blessings come from God through the father as king and priest.  Moreover, as a perfect complement with her husband, wives and mothers, as queens, acts in complete oneness and unity with their husbands, to bring temporal and spiritual life to the family.

“Generally, a person’s good fortune cannot be attributed as a blessing from God unless they are living His Law”, but rather it is a benefit of one’s own skill/abilities.” 
 
Salvation in Eternity
Adam and Eve's transgression in the Garden of Eden ushered in eternal physical and spiritual death into the world.  They were thrust out of God's presence and subject to physical death - humanity was eternally lost.   However, in God's grace and mercy, He provided a savior to humanity that could reverse Adam and Eve's transgression - "As in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive" - 1 Corinthians 15:22.

Moreover, in eternity, the kinds of covenants we make with God before the final judgement will determine the quality of our eternal existence - Rev. 20:12; 2 Corinthians 5:10.

Expanded View of Salvation
We can further define what salvation looks like in a fuller view of time and eternity.  The following table summarizes the progression of temporal and spiritual salvation in our fallen world, through the Millennium and into Heaven.  Isaiah explains that the life span of humanity in the Millennial will be extended to pre-flood expectations - Isaiah 65:22.
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Hebrew Study

The Hebrew word for salvation is: יְשׁוּעָה ​ ye-shu-ah

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance ​ deliverance, health, helping, salvation, save, saving health, welfare ​Feminine passive participle of yasha'; something saved, i.e. (abstractly) deliverance; hence, aid, victory, prosperity -- deliverance, health, help(-ing), salvation, save, saving (health), welfare.

Jehovah of Salvation the	See And	Still Stand	Not Fear
​אֶת־ יְשׁוּעַ֣ת יְהוָ֔ה	וּרְאוּ֙	הִֽתְיַצְב֗וּ	אַל־ תִּירָאוּ֒
’eṯ-yə-shū-‘at  Y'hovah	ū-rə-’ū	hit-yas-ḇū,	’al - tî-rā-’ū

Isaiah 15
Moab, a kindred people, suffers calamity in Jehovah’s Day of Judgment, their prayers to no avail.


Apart from our reading on Isaiah for this week, here is a video by Jonathan Cahn on the comparison between Donald Trump and Jehu in the Bible.  Trump's election has given America a temporary reprieve from the march of anti-god policies that were being promoted by the previous president.  It seems note worthy that God has given America a little more time to repent and turn back to Him and His Law. 

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Resource Links for this Week's Portion

TORAH: Exodus 18:1-20:23
GOSPELS: Matthew 19:16-26

Listen and Read the Portion
First Fruits of Zion

​​Commentary with Nehemia Gordon
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HAFTARAH: Isaiah Chapter 16

Commentary with Avraham Gileadi, PhD