Moses and Jethro

A historical story that shows you cannot do it alone... You need God, family, and friends.

Story taken from Exodus and Acts 7

Moses knew that he had been called of God to deliver his people from their bondage in Egypt. He had been raised miraculously in the Pharaoh’s palace by his daughter that had found Moses in a small ark made of bulrushes in the Nile River. Moses was placed there by his mother to save his life.  He was a Prince of Egypt and had learned that he was a Hebrew, and not an Egyptian. Moses had fought wars as a general in Pharaoh’s army and had learned all the skills of Egyptian culture.

(See my blogs: The Exodus: Real History Oct 2011, Into the Wilderness Nov 2011, and Into Sinai and God’s Total Presence Nov 2011.)

Now he was on the run for his life because he had killed an Egyptian guard who was beating on a Hebrew slave. He had hurriedly buried the body, but it was found out what Moses had done and Pharaoh’s guards were after him.

So he headed East above the gulf of Aqaba, through the harsh desert and down into Midian which is in modern Northwest Saudi Arabia.

Moses was tired and had traveled for nearly 3 weeks. He stopped in a village which today is called Al Bad and sat down by the well there.  

The Priest of Midian, known by the title Reuel, had 7 daughters that tended to his flocks of sheep and goats. When they came to get water from the well for their flocks the other men shepherds drove them away.

Moses would not stand for that, as a trained warrior, he fought the men off and helped the women to water their flocks.

When the women came home to their father, he asked, “How is it that you have come home so soon today?” They replied, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock.” He said unto his daughters, “And where is he?  Why is it that you have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread with us.”

So Moses went and stayed for supper and accepted Jethro’s hospitality, who introduced himself and was very grateful for what Moses had done for his daughters.

Jethro is a descendant of Abraham from Ketura who Abraham married after Sarah died, they had 6 sons of whom one was Midian. Even though the Bible does not give the lineage of Jethro, he is the Priest of Midian. The Druze religion claims that Jethro is a prophet and founder. However, the Druze religion was not really established until around 1000 AD, and was influenced by Islam. Jethro lived about 1400 BC, and he was no doubt influenced by his ancestor, Abraham to know of Jehovah. After the Exodus, Jethro was very much submitted to the God of Abraham and greatly impressed by all of the miracles Jehovah had performed in deliverance of Israel with Moses as their leader.

Ancient Midian and modern Al Bad

Moses at the well with Zipporah.

Moses was 40 years old when he fled from Egypt and went to Midian. Jethro took Moses in and was happy to give him his daughter Zipporah for his wife.

Jethro was glad to get a son-in-law, and Moses lived in Midian for 40 years and cared for Jethro’s flocks.

As mentioned, and by his actions, Moses knew he was called of God to deliver his people. But, he operated on his own resources and had to flee for his life. Now he is living 40 years in the very area that God will bring Israel by Moses’ leadership and the strong hand of God. He learns the lay of the land, where waterholes are, grazing areas, trails, etc. Moses is learning that you can't do it by yourself.

During this time, Zipporah had two sons born to Moses. The first is Gershom which means stranger, for Moses was a stranger in a strange land. 

The second is Eliezer which means God is my help, for Moses was learning to trust in the LORD and was delivered from Pharaoh’s sword.

Moses’ family in Egypt had been separate from him most of his life. His royal mother who raised him in the palace could not save him from her father, the Pharaoh, and so he now finds himself here with a wife that loves him and a father-in-law who loves him as well. He has 2 sons and 6 sister-in-laws, life is good. He is about to find out that God still has big plans for him.  

This could have been Moses' home in Midian.

Ex 2:23 ¶  And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.

24  And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

25  And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.

Jehovah in the Burning Bush

One day while grazing the flock, Moses went Northeast about 22 miles near the Mountain of God called Horeb or Mount Sinai. There he saw a strange sight up the mountain; a tree was burning but no smoke, and it did not seem to be consumed. So he decided to climb up to investigate further.

The actual Mt. Sinai is Jabel Al Laws in Saudi Arabia. Here is a picture of one of the sides of the mountain. (see Wyatt Archaeological Research- discovered by Ron Wyatt in the 1970's)

Here is a close up of the top of the mountain. You can see an ancient almond tree there. Could this be the burning bush that Moses saw?

Ex 3:2  And the angel of the LORD 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.
3  And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
4  And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
5  And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
6  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.

The LORD spoke to Moses and told him that He had heard the cry of Israel in Egypt, and was going to deliver them out of bondage in Egypt to a land of milk and honey, the Promised Land that He had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  He wanted Moses to go to lead His people out and said that He would be with him.

Moses was 80 years old now and questioned who was he that God would send him to Egypt. God wanted him to go gather the elders of Israel and tell them that God had heard their cry and would deliver them. God said that he would cause plagues on Egypt and that Pharaoh would let them go and they would not leave empty. Moses asked what was God’s name, for he did not believe that Israel would believe him. God answered “I AM that I AM tell the I AM has sent you.”

Moses protested more and God showed him signs by making his staff a serpent then back to a rod, and his hand leprous and then normal. Then Moses said that he was slow of speech and could not talk well. God said that He was the one who made the mouth and was getting angry with Moses. God said his brother Aaron spoke well and that he would go with him to speak for Moses, but Moses would be God’s representative.

Ex 4:18 ¶  And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.

You can see the love and respect that Jethro had for Moses. No doubt, he had become dependent on Moses’ help, but had not tried to restrain him in any way.

19  And the LORD said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life.

20  And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.

21  And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.

22  And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, 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.

24 ¶  And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him.

25  Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.

26  So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.

This son had to be Eliezer, the 2nd born. Moses probably had circumcised Gershom, his 1st born several years prior. This must have abhorred Zipporah because of her statement when she had to circumcise Eliezer to save Moses' life. She is the one who stopped Moses from circumcising Eliezer, but now realized the absolute importance of obedience as God wrestled with Moses.

God had become angry with Moses when he was protesting going to Egypt. Now when Moses had not shown his obedience by circumcising Eliezer, God was not going to let him be the leader of Israel if he was not dedicated and obedient.

Several hundred years before when Jacob was bringing his family back to Canaan God met him and wrestled with Jacob all night and changed his name to Israel after dislocating his hip, Gn 32.

Remember this; when God appears as a man, it is always Jesus. These are two examples of a          pre-incarnate Jesus, there are others.

Deliverance of Israel

God spoke to Aaron, Moses’ brother, and told him to go meet Moses at Mt. Horeb. Moses told him what God had said and showed him the signs with the rod turning into a serpent and his hand turning leprous and back to normal. Aaron believed and accepted his brother as the leader of Israel. They went and gathered the elders of Israel and they were glad to accept Moses as God’s choice as leader when he and Aaron presented the signs to them. 

They all bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD.

Moses’ natural family were Levites. They were destined to be the ones who cared for the Temple and were the Priests of Jehovah. Moses and his siblings were the starting of God’s Theocracy: Moses was the leading Prophet, Aaron the High Priest, and Miriam a Prophetess.  Moses loved his family and was glad to be with them again. With God and his family together with him, his confidence was building. The Bible describes him as the meekest man on earth, Nu 12:3, but he was humble, and not weak.

Moses and Aaron went before the Pharaoh and asked to take Israel into the wilderness for 3 days to worship Jehovah, their God. As God had forewarned Moses, Pharaoh did not recognize God and was hard hearted and would not let the people go. He even increased their burdens and made them gather their own straw to make bricks. So Moses, by God’s hand, delivered the 10 plagues upon Egypt.  

The final plague was the death of every first born in Egypt; human and animal, as God had told Moses. However, those who had the blood of the sacrificial lamb on their door posts and lintel, were passed over by the angel of death. The blood is a type or symbol of the future blood of the Messiah of God who was our Lord Jesus the Christ. The Israelites were protected in the land of Goshen where the Nile Delta is located. They had been there since the days of Joseph. This event is celebrated annually in the spring as Passover.

The blood on the lintel and door posts represents the cross of the Lord Jesus, where He became the final sacrificial lamb of God and took the sins of the world on Himself, buying by His blood and death our eternal Salvation.

After Pharaoh’s firstborn son died, he finally let the people go. As God had said they did not leave empty, but took much of the wealth of Egypt with them; payment for many years of slavery. There were about 2.5 million people along with their flocks that departed Egypt.

All were healed with none feeble for their trip, another miracle of Passover.

God lead the people with a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of smoke by day. The fire would also give them warmth from the cool desert nights. The pillar of smoke would give them shade from the desert sun.

Zipporah Gershom Eliezer back to Midian 

The Bible is not clear here, but somewhere in this period, Zipporah and the boys went back to Midian with Jethro her father. Some Jewish writings hint that she was not used to royalty as was now surrounding her husband Moses, or that there may have been a problem with Moses’ office of Prophet that may have required celibacy. Regardless she was escorted safely home. Zipporah is not mentioned during the plagues or events that shortly follow.

There was also the fact of Moses' first wife. In Nu 12 we read: 
1 ¶  And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.
2  And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it.
3  (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)
4 ¶  And the LORD spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out.
5  And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth.
6  And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.
7  My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.
8  With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?
9  And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed.
10 ¶  And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.
11  And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned.
12  Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother’s womb.
13  And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee.
14  And the LORD said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again.
15  And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again.

The 1st verse is about the Ethiopian wife. I included the rest of the chapter to show God's feelings about Moses.

According to Jewish historian, Josephus 10 when Moses was an Egyptian Prince and General of the Pharaoh’s army there was a campaign in Ethiopia (Cush) which Moses led. They took the land and the Ethiopian king gave Moses his daughter as right of conquest. Her name was Tharbis.

Stephen said in Acts 7:22 that Moses was learned in all wisdom of Egypt and mighty in words and deeds.  

In the Egyptian historian Herodotus 2:110 concerning Sesostris the Pharaoh of the 12 Dyanasty, he was the 1^st to rule Ethiopia. He ruled it because of Moses' conquest. (That would make Moses’ adopted grandfather Osirtasin I.)  

The Red Sea Crossing

There are many traditions about where the Exodus route was, but only one is correct, and only one has archaeological evidence as was discovered by Ron Wyatt.

The crossing of the Red Sea was from the beach that is now at the town of Nuweiba on the West coast of the Gulf of Aqaba across into Saudi Arabia. Nuweiba is Arabic shortened for where Moses parted the waters.

Here is the satellite view from Google Earth.

Pharaoh changed his mind and took his army to kill the Israelites who now were camped on the beach of what is now Nuweiba. The people chided against Moses, but he told them to:

Ex 14:13  And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.

14  The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

The fire pillar of God moved to the mouth of the wadi there and separated Israel from the Egyptian army. Moses then raised his staff over the water and the sea separated. Israel crossed to the other side during the night with a wall of water on either side. The Egyptians then tried to follow but the water collapsed and drowned them.

Here is part of the song Israel sang about it.

Ex 15:1 ¶  Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

2  The LORD 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.

3  The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.

4  Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea.

All of Israel was thankful and praising God. Miriam took her tambourine and sang a prophecy of the event as well.

Ex 15: 20  And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.

21  And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

Moses had Joshua and the young men to gather the weapons that were on the bodies of the Egyptians that washed up on shore. Then they went deeper into the wilderness of Shur. Where they found water, but it was bitter and they could not drink it. God then showed Moses a certain tree, and when he threw it into the waters they became sweet. This is a type or symbol of the cross of Jesus.

God told Israel through Moses and Aaron while there:

Ex 15:26  And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.

From there they went down to Elim where there were 12 wells of water and lots of palm trees. This is near the East coast of the gulf of Aqaba part of the Red Sea.

From there they went into the wilderness of Sin and camped at Rephidim. The people were nearly out of food, and were complaining to Moses that they should have stayed in Egypt, where they had food. 

God gave them "bread from Heaven" here and when they saw it they said, "what is this?", which in Hebrew is manna.  So, this is the name that stuck. It was miracle food that was on the ground and gathered about a half gallon per person or what a person could eat. Raw it tasted like honey wafer, but according to tradition it could be prepared to taste like many foods. Jesus said he was the bread from Heaven and that we must eat Him, Jn 6,  which is our Communion bread; along with the wine which is His blood.The manna had to be eaten every day, for if you tried to keep in till the next day it would spoil. Only on Friday could you gather double and it would miraculously last through the Sabbath Day of rest. 

Moses had his hands full for these people were hard headed and God called them stiff necked. God told them there would be no manna on Saturday the Sabbath, but they went out and looked anyway. They complained all the time and Moses was becoming overwhelmed. He was their leader and they came before him for everything. Even when God sent them manna, they complained they wanted meat. So God sent them quail in great numbers, “till it came out their noses.”

While camped in Rephidim they ran out of water and chided against the LORD and Moses. God told Moses to go the Rock in Horeb and take his rod and smite the rock and water would come out for God would stand before the Rock.

This was a symbol of Jesus the water of life and Him smitten for the sins of the world. 
All the people and their livestock had water to drink as the rock split and formed a lake there in Rephidim.  

Here is an altar still there under the Rock of Horeb.

While there, they were attacked by Amalek. Moses sent Joshua out to fight against Amalek with the young men. Joshua and Caleb became close friends with Moses.

The next day Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill and Moses would hold his rod up over his head. While doing this, Joshua would be winning, but if the rod came down, Joshua would be loosing. When Moses’ arms got tired, Aaron and Hur would hold up his arms and finally Amalek was defeated and left.

God told Moses to write it in a book, because He would have war with Amalek from generation to generation until he was eliminated. He attacked Israel when they were weak and really not trained or well armed. 

Jethro visits Moses

1 ¶  When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father in law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt;

2  Then Jethro, Moses’ father in law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back,

3  And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land:

4  And the name of the other was Eliezer; for the God of my father, said he, was mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh:

5  And Jethro, Moses’ father in law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God:

6  And he said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.

7 ¶  And Moses went out to meet his father in law, and did obeisance, and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare; and they came into the tent.

8  And Moses told his father in law all that the LORD had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the LORD delivered them.

9  And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.

10  And Jethro said, Blessed be the LORD, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.

11  Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them.

12  And Jethro, Moses’ father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses’ father in law before God.

13 ¶  And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.

14  And when Moses’ father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even?

15  And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God:

16  When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.

17  And Moses’ father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good.

18  Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.

19  Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:

20  And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.

21  Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:

22  And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.

23  If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.

24  So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.

25  And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

26  And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.

27  And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into his own land.

So we see that Moses loved and respected his father-in-law. He took his advice and put it into action. Also that Jethro sacrificed to Jehovah and worshiped Him. He called Him the God of all gods.

Moses received the Law on Mt. Sinai, directly from God. The people of Israel continually rebelled against God, so that whole generation (except Joshua and Caleb) perished because God had them stay in the wilderness for 40 years. However, the next generation made it to the Promised Land.

So to review,So to review, Moses had some contact with his biological family while a child, because Miriam had convinced the Pharaoh’s daughter that she needed a wet nurse, and Miriam brought her mother Jochebed to the palace to nurse Moses.
 Moses knew that he was called of God to deliver Israel, but he tried to do it by himself. 40 years as a shepherd humbled him. So He had lost his royal family, but got a new family with Jethro, Zipporah, Gershom, Eliezer, plus 6 sister-in-laws

When he returned to Egypt, He was united with his siblings from his birth and with God with him, started a Theocracy for Israel along with his siblings.  His parents Amram and Jochebed had passed by this time. He was able to re-unite with Tharbis, his wife from Ethiopia. The Bible is not clear if his wives or children stayed with him the 40 years in the wilderness. The point made here is that with God, family, friends you can accomplish great things.

Aaron and Miriam both died in the wilderness journey. Moses lived to be 120 years old and got to see the Promised Land. Before Moses died, he anointed Joshua to take his place as leader. Joshua took Israel into the Promised Land. Joshua and Caleb were the only ones that lived from that generation through the 40 years in the wilderness. 

Joshua is a type of the Messiah, and his name is the same in Hebrew as Jesus which is Greek.

Jesus by his death and resurrection brought us into the New Covenant of Grace. The Holy Spirit revealed to us in Deu 18:15 that there would arise another Prophet greater than Moses. This was the Lord Jesus Christ, our only Salvation.

Bible quotes AKJV and pictures from the Inet.


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Jesus Christ: Prophet, Priest, King, and Lamb of God

Two millennia ago there was great anticipation for the Messiah of God to come to Israel. There had been 400 years of Prophetic silence since the writings of the last Hebrew Prophet, Malachi. He had said that Elijah would come and prepare the way for the Messiah.

Mal 4:4 ¶  Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.

5  Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:

6  And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. 

As with all prophecies, they are much easier to see and understand after they have happened. Jesus explained that John the Baptist (Jesus’ cousin) was the fulfillment of this prophecy.  In Luke 1 the Archangel Gabriel told Zacharias that his aged wife Elizabeth would have a son, John, who would go forth in the spirit of Elijah.

Prophecies of the Messiah as King

Mal 1:1 ¶  For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

2  But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

3  And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.

Here we see the wicked destroyed, and the Sun (son) of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings (tallit, fringe). This healing was fulfilled in Jesus who healed many, and raised the dead.  The woman with the issue of blood touched the “hem of His garment”, which was the tallit. The “ashes of the wicked under your feet” has not come yet.

Isa 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

7  Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

The eternal kingdom of God, is real and will happen. Right now Satan has Adam’s dominion of the earth until that time of man is passed, 6000 years. Jesus took away the sins of those who are His own and gave us power over the devil with His Mighty Name.  When Jesus returns to the earth at Armageddon, He will establish a millennial rule on the earth as King. 

Ps 89:3  I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant,

4  Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.

15 ¶  Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.

16  In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted.

17  For thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy favour our horn shall be exalted.

18  For the LORD is our defence; and the Holy One of Israel is our king.

19 ¶  Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people.

20  I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him:

21  With whom my hand shall be established: mine arm also shall strengthen him.

22  The enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness afflict him.

23  And I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him.

24  But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him: and in my name shall his horn be exalted.

25  I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers.

26  He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.

27  Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.

28  My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him.

29  His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.

Isa 55:3  Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

4  Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.

David is known in the Bible as a man after God's own heart. We see the coming Messiah King is a descendant of David. Jesus fulfilled this, but the Sanhedrin could not see this. We know this by the records of Matthew and Luke which give the genealogy of Jesus from Joseph the kingly line through Solomon and Mary the line of Nathan, respectively. 

2 Sam 7:12  And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.

13  He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

14  I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:

15  But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.

16  And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.

Again we see the eternal throne of David where his descendant will be the firstborn of God and rule forever.

The Messiah would also bring Peace and would keep Peace.

Isa 2:2  And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

3  And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

4  And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

This prophecy again stresses the rule of the Messiah. This will not be completely fulfilled until the time of the millennial reign of Jesus.

Israel was also looking for another great Prophet like Moses.

 Deu 18:18  I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.

19  And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

They were also looking for a great High Priest.

Ps 110:4  The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

Paul tells us in Heb 7 that Melchizedek was not born, did not die, and abides a Priest forever. He gave the first communion to Abraham that we find in the Bible. He was Jesus pre-incarnate. As of Dec of 2022, I have learned that Paul described the Order of the Priesthood which the Spirit of Christ/God was involved. The final and eternal Priest is of course, Jesus.

Jesus is our High Priest forever, but the religious Jews saw Him as a threat to them and their way of power and control over the people.

Heb 4:14  Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

15  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

The religious order of Israel, the Sanhedrin, were looking for this Prophet, King, and Priest to come and deliver Israel from Roman persecution. They knew that the time was near for Gabriel the Archangel had spoken to Daniel in chap. 9 that there would be 490 years from the order to rebuild Jerusalem to complete the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jer 30:7), and to bring  Messiah the Prince.

Dn 9:24  Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

25  Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

The Sanhedrin was correct, for Jesus was crucified and resurrected from the dead 483 years from the order to rebuild (Ezra 7). This leaves the last week of Daniel’s prophecy for the 7 year tribulation.

They were not correct in rejecting Jesus who was the Messiah. They were looking for a conquering King, and did not know or understand that there must be a suffering Messiah, the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. As John the Baptist said on the day that Jesus was baptized:

John 1:29  On the morrow he seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world!

Isa 42:1 ¶  Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

2  He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.

3  A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.

4  He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.

The religious Jews did not expect a merciful and compassionate Messiah. The bruised reed and smoking flax are those who are down trodden whom Jesus would comfort and bless and not condemn.

Also, Judaism could not see God pouring out His love on the gentiles. After all they were the people of God.

5 ¶  Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:

6  I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;

7  To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

8  I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

9  Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.

 Suffering Messiah Prophecies

Jer 31:34  and they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know Jehovah; for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith Jehovah: for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I remember no more.

This New Covenant had to come with sacrifice that would fulfill the whole law, once and for all.

This is confirmed by Paul in Heb 8 as our new covenant in Christ.

10  For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, And on their heart also will I write them: And I will be to them a God, And they shall be to me a people:

11  And they shall not teach every man his fellow-citizen, And every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: For all shall know me, From the least to the greatest of them.

12  For I will be merciful to their iniquities, And their sins will I remember no more.

13  In that he saith, A new covenant he hath made the first old. But that which is becoming old and waxeth aged is nigh unto vanishing away.

God told Adam that the day he sinned and ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that dying he would die. In Romans we see:

Ro 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The sacrifice had since Adam temporarily taken away sin from year to year. To take away man’s sin once and for all would require the perfect Lamb, God’s Son to be sacrificed.

Isa 53:1 ¶  Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?

2  For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

3  He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 ¶  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

6  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7  He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

8  He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

9  And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

The depths of the Hebrew words griefs and sorrows also include sickness and disease. Peter speaks of this as well:

1Pe 2:24  who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed.

The religious leaders of Israel saw Jesus as a threat to their way of controlling the people with pious application of the law. Jesus taught Grace and Mercy from God, where they were strictly by the law. They could not understand that the very things they forced on Jesus during His passion, were ushering in the New Covenant.

David saw prophetically the crucifixion and wrote about it in Psalms 22, 35, 69, 16, 38, & 31. The accuracy of the physical and spiritual things foretold that actually happened that day are remarkable.

Even at Jesus’ birth we read in Matthew 1 & 2 about the arrival of the Magi (wise men) in Jerusalem looking for the one born “King of the Jews.” These men came from the East and had studied the stars and planets with the conclusion that the Messiah had been born. Herod asked his Jewish Scribes knew that was in Bethlehem from Micah 5:2   But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.  They should have also known about the virgin birth: Isa 7:14  Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel, (God with us). 

Herod believed this enough so that he sent soldiers to Bethlehem to kill the male children that might grow up to be a king that would challenge his own authority.

Yet when Jesus was tried illegally by the Sanhedrin at night without a quorum and many other broken laws, they said that he was born in Nazareth and did not regard the Bethlehem prophecy.  Also the religious Jews thought that Joseph was Jesus’ father and that the pregnancy of Mary was questionable. False witnesses were called to convict Jesus.

Jesus did not fit whom they wanted to be the Messiah. Even after the resurrection the disciples asked Jesus if he now was going to restore the kingdom of Israel? (Acts 1:6) They wanted the Roman persecution to end, by the Messiah King.

Religious Israel’s rejection of Jesus as the Messiah is bad for them, but good for us Gentiles who can become part of the Church of Jesus. But, do not be anti-Jew, for Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and all the disciples were all Jews (with 2 converts). The 120 in the upper room on the day of Pentecost were also Jews. But, the 3000 converts to Christianity that day were Gentiles for the most part, Acts 2. The Church has grown since then to about 1/3 of the population of the world close to 2.5 billion people.

Israel still has a major part to play in these latter days. Paul says that all Israel will be saved, and so they will, even though there will be a tribulation time that will be worse than you can imagine. The Messianic Jews that have accepted Jesus as the Messiah are growing today.  Thank the merciful God for Jesus will come for His Church before the tribulation. However, Christian persecution is at its peak at this time in history.

Jesus will return as the Lion of the tribe of Judah. He came as the Lamb of God 2000 years ago. 

Anticipation of the soon coming of Messiah is once again rising in the Holy Land. The Temple Institute is training Levites to be Priests. They have made many of the implements for Temple worship and await the chance to start building the 3^rd Temple. Messiah will come back and inter Jerusalem through the Eastern Gate, which has been sealed for 500 years, EZ 44:1-3.

Discerning the Lord’s Body and Blood

Jesus on the night he was arrested had the Passover, “last supper” with His disciples. Here he instituted the Communion for the Church to take in remembrance of Him. The bread represented Jesus’ Body, the wine represented Jesus’ Blood.

The blessings passed to the first born in the Abrahamic patriarch’s line included grain, wine, and oil.

The grain makes the bread which has to be ground and crushed, then kneaded and pressed, and then baked by fire. Jesus’ Body was bruised, beaten, whipped, and bore God’s wrath of fire for our sake and the healing of our body and soul.

The wine stands for Jesus’ Blood that was shed for the remission once and for all for the sins of everyone who accepts Jesus as Saviour. Their spirit is joined with Jesus’ Spirit and they are born again.

The oil represents the Holy Spirit which can indwell the Christian upon sincere request.

Melchizedek brought bread and wine to Abraham after the slaughter of the kings that invaded Sodom and Gomorrah.  Abraham recognized Melchizedek as Deity and tithed to Him.  He was the High Priest of Salem (Jerusalem) and blessed Abraham there. This is the first mention of the actual bread and wine and example of communion.

In John 6, Jesus proclaims that He is the Bread of Life. He also says that His Body is bread indeed and His Blood is drink indeed. Many that were present could not understand about eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking His Blood. Many left following Him that day. He asked His disciples if they would leave, but Peter said “Where shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Jesus had said to them in vs 63 “It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”

The eating of the bread and wine represents your act of faith of becoming one with Jesus, His suffering and sacrifice. It is spiritual and reminds us that we are righteous because Jesus is righteous, not of ourselves. The bread reminds us that our maladies, sickness, disease, stress, and all such things were taken by Jesus in His body in our stead. Salvation in Jesus is being whole. It includes health, protection, and provision.

The disciples did not completely understand until after the resurrection. Jesus came and ate and broke bread with them. With the two on the road to Emmaus, Jesus talked to them and explained the scriptures concerning Himself for several hours, but He was hidden from them. After they broke bread together, He appeared as himself and they knew Him. Then He disappeared. 

 Transubstantiation became Catholic dogma in the 11^th century. This is the belief that the Eucharist actually transforms into the body and blood of Christ when the Priest prays over it.

All Christian churches practice Communion. The earliest Churches every Sunday, resurrection day.

Our King is coming for us soon. Those who rebel against Him, and those who don’t know Him will be terrified. We who love Him will be elated.

Bible quotes from AKJV.
Pictures from Inet.


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