Shemot “Names”
Exodus 1:1–6:1
Isaiah 27:6–28:13; 29:22–23
John 1-5

Looking to the Manual

I have been teaching preparedness for quite some time now. In the course of this teaching, I have accumulated a number of books on the subject, ranging from my trusty Boy Scout manual, to the U.S. Army Survival Manual to Wilderness Medicine. At the top of the list of preparedness books I own though is the Book of Exodus. While this book may not teach you the difference between a square knot and a granny knot, it teaches something none of the others can teach. The Book of Exodus not only teaches us how to walk, but it also gives us accounts of people who walked the path ahead of us.

In Jeremiah 16 the scripture tells us about a great exodus that is yet to come. It tells us that this exodus will be similar, but far more awesome in nature than the first one. In Romans and 1 Corinthians, we are told that the reason the first exodus was recorded in scripture was to teach us how to walk out our own exodus.

If you have ever been hiking in the woods you know it can get a bit confusing out there at times. After a while all the trees begin to look the same. Use of a map and compass or a GPS receiver can make a bit more sense out of the forest and keep you from getting lost. What is really great is when someone has blazed a trail for you and all you have to do is follow it. When you have a clear path through the forest, you no longer have to pay as much attention to where you are, but can rather spend more time enjoying the walk.

The Book of Exodus is like that blazed trail. In it we are told of events that did happen and events that will happen. We are told of the great power of Elohim that nurtured and protected His people in the past. Knowing that He is a God that does not change, we can gain faith knowing that what He did in the past, He will do again in the present and on into the future.

Before you begin to read this week’s Torah portion, read and take to heart the scriptures I mentioned above. First is Jeremiah 16:14-15. Understand as you read that I do not believe this is written for a group of people yet to come in the future, but is written to you and me today. The spirit of Jeremiah 16 began in the mid 1900's and is picking up steam with every day that passes. The next is Romans 15:4 and 1 Corinthians 10:6-13. With these scriptures comes the thought, "So much for the Torah being done away with!"

As we begin to read Exodus this week and in the weeks to come, keep these scriptures in the back of your mind. Consider every word of Exodus in light of them. Ask yourself this question often, "What is Exodus teaching me about my walk today and what is it telling me about my preparation for the greater exodus to come?" Look at this book the same as you would a trail that is leading you through a forest. Learn to recognize the signs of obstacles that we will encounter on the way. Learn to be watchful of trails that may lead away from the well-beaten trail. These are trails that will lead you back to the place you left or even worse to the cliffs of destruction.

We do not know the year in which the prophecy of Jeremiah will come to pass. We do not know which Passover will be followed by waking the next morning to the words, "It is time to go!" There are so many things we will not be told until the final day comes. What we can know today however is how our brothers and sister in the past walked the trail ahead of us. We can learn from their successes and we can learn from their failures. The tragedy would be for us to simply read this wonderful training manual and not take it to heart for ourselves, not “hear” it.

The Book of Exodus is more relevant to me today and in fact much more important than any survival manual I have on my shelves. I plan to learn much from this wonderful book this year. I pray you will also.