ParashaBshalach

“I urge you, achi (brothers), in view of Elohim’s mercy, to offer your lives as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to Yahweh—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to know and approve what Elohim’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will,” Romans 12:1-2.

Be prepared to let go of some false teachings and accept the truth found in this week’s Torah Parasha. Let your mind be renewed with this portion that recounts the newly-freed Hebrew people’s journey towards the Promised Land. Be transformed by the emet, the truth, about the encounter between the army of an angry Pharaoh and his former slaves.

What does transpire between the Egyptian army and the Yisraelites is no secret. By Yahweh’s power Moshe leads his group to safety across the dry ground of the Red Sea. When Pharaoh follows his army and their chariots are swept away. “Then Moshe and the Yisraelites sang this song to Yahweh,” Shemot 15:1.

The song of Moshe is the first mention of singing in the scriptures. All Yisrael sung this as they realized their freedom. The Yisraelites were rejoicing because they were finally totally liberated. They had watched with their own eyes the destruction of Egypt by the ten plagues and now they had witnessed the death of the evil army through the waters of the sea. Their response to Yahweh is jubilant worship with singing and dancing. The song at the sea is a beautiful poem describing Yahweh and His works. Hidden in the text of this serenade is the first mention by the Yisraelites of a very important Hebrew concept. Found in this song is the notion of grace. Grace? Grace is in the Old Testament? Yes, contrary to popular belief the idea of grace was not invented by New Testament writers. Grace is found throughout the Bible, starting with creation and finding no end. Lay aside the false teachings of an “age” or “dispensation” of grace and accept the truth about “chesed.”

Amazing grace!

“Chesed” is the Hebrew term often translated as “grace” or “mercy” in English Bibles. Chesed or grace is usually understood to mean unmerited favor, yet it’s real definition is much greater. This is because chesed is one of the sefirot (attributes) of Yahweh. Yahweh is gracious and imparts grace because chesed is part of who Yahweh Is. To receive chesed is to receive Yahweh. To better understand chesed is to better know Yahweh. But, how can you comprehend the incomprehensible? How can you understand the unfathomable? How can the “amazing grace” of Yahweh be realized? This is done through Yahweh’s word, His Torah.

You may be confused because you will not find the word “grace” in this week’s reading. That’s because chesed is found in this week’s portion in the Hebrew but not in the English. Yahweh’s chesed is so great that translators have to use various words to describe it. It is hidden in this verse…“In your unfailing love (chesed) you lead the people you have redeemed,” Shemot 15:13. According to this verse through chesed, redemption or salvation comes. Sound familiar? “You are redeemed/saved by chesed through trusting belief—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of Yahweh,” Ephesians 2:18. Chesed is sometimes translated as grace and at other places mercy. Though the words may change the definition remains the same. Chesed is Yahweh doing for man what man can not do for himself. To help you better understand the vast scope of chesed here are a few other potentials:

Loving-kindness, favor, faithfulness, unconditional giving, deep love, bliss, tenderness, abundance, achievement, preservation, respect, enthusiasm, leadership, optimism, caring, safety, protection, trust, success, rewards, generosity, gratitude, love, union, insight, knowledge, understanding, and learning, loyalty, kindness, benevolence, and commitment.

Chesed is all of the above and more. Friend, much can be learned about chesed from numerous verses in the Tanakh. For example Tehillim (Psalms) 89:3 teaches that, “the world is built through chesed.” The act of creation and every act of the Almighty that has followed has happened through grace/chesed. Yahweh created because of and through His chesed. He did not have to create, yet through His love he chose to. Through His own sefirot or attributes Yahweh brought forth creation, redemption, and restoration. This is because through grace flows the merciful qualities of the Divine. Man deserves absolutely nothing yet because of chesed man receives everything.

Chesed is not only given from Yahweh to humankind, but also from man to fellow man as this Parasha reading shows. We receive chesed from El Shaddai and we should reflect that chesed to those around us. “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering Yahweh’s chesed in its various forms,” 1 Kefa (Peter) 4:10.

Even today, in Judaism, chesed is any act of mercy or kindness that is given towards those less fortunate or those who cannot reciprocate it. For example the Rabbis consider this a great mitzvah, indeed the greatest act of chesed to be the “chesed shel emet.” This Hebrew term of “chesed shel emet” literally means “true chesed.” According to the Sages, true chesed is only performed to those who can not pay it back. “Chesed shel emet” is in direct reference to acts of kindness towards the dead. Because they have passed away, the dead can never repay the act of chesed. This is true chesed. Even this week’s Torah Parasha shows the power of "chesed shel emet" with the action of Moshe taking the bones of Yoseph out of Mitzrayim and to the Promized Land. Moshe shows “chesed shel emet” as an example for us today. “Moshs took the bones of Yoseph with him because Yoseph had made the sons of Yisrael swear an oath. He had said, “Elohim will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place,” Shemot 13:19.

Age of grace?

Sorry folks, but the preacher is wrong. The “age of grace” did not begin with the crucifixion of the Savior. Nor is the seminary teaching of a “dispensation of grace” correct either. The gracious and forgiving Son of the New Testament has not – REPEAT - has not, pitted Himself against the vicious picky Father of the Old Testament. Such teachings are like dense fog that blinds people to the truth that is clearly before them. If you’ve ever driven in heavy fog, then you understand how dangerous misunderstanding grace can be. You’ve got your low beam lights on and you are creeping along the road with caution, but you can’t see ten feet in front of you. You think the road is clear so you speed up. Suddenly your car impacts another! You crash because the fog hinders your judgment, actions, and future. A false understanding of grace can do the same.

Two sides to every story

To better grasp the Hebraic concept of chesed you should meet chesed’s twin concept named gevurah. “Gevurah” is the Hebrew term for “might” or “judgment.” To have chesed without gevurah would be like having a car without tires. To really get somewhere you need both. The two simply must go together. Gevurah brings about the fear of Elohim in man. Yet gevurah is balanced by chesed. For simplicities sake just consider chesed to be the “motherly” side of Yahweh – merciful, forgiving, and bliss. Also, consider gevurah to be the “fatherly” side of Yahweh – stern, strong, and disciplinary. If you have one without the other you only have part of the family; and everyone knows that children need a mother and a father. In the same sense, man needs chesed and gevurah. Just consider only showing your children chesed - imagine that you never discipline them or stop them from doing what they want. Now imagine that all you do is discipline your children – imagine that they are restrained by your might from disobeying. Either way there will be problems. Chesed needs gevurah and gevurah needs chesed. These two attributes of Yahweh are balanced through Messiah Yahshua. “For the Torah was given through Moshe; chesed and gevurah are realized through Yahshua HaMoshiach,” Yochannan 1:17.

Yahweh desires observance to His Word from all mankind. He has not given grace as an excuse to disobey His commands, see Romans 7:7. Yahweh Yahshua in His wisdom and power balances chesed and gevurah.

To accept one side of Yahweh without the other will lead to false teachings and false understanding about the Almighty and His word. It is easy to rejoice with Yisrael when the waters of the Red Sea kill the Egyptians, but should we? Should we celebrate when the wicked are punished? “Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, or Yahweh will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from him,” Mishlei (Proverbs) 24:17.

What really happened

Maybe the Yisraelites were not singing because the evil Egyptians were dead. Maybe they were celebrating the greatness of Yahweh! “At the overthrow of the Egyptians by the Red Sea, the ministering angels wished to offer a song of triumph to Yahweh; but He stopped them, saying, “The work of my hands is drowned in the sea, and you would offer me a song,” says the Talmud. Yahweh does not want any to perish says 2 Kefa (Peter) 3:98.

You must see what really happened at the moment in time that the waters overtook the Egyptian army. At that very moment, at that second in history’s clock, one nation experienced the chesed of Yahweh and one experienced the gevurah of Yahweh. Grace and judgment were supremely balanced when the waters were released. Friend, it was the view of these opposing forces that led to the song of Moshe. Am Yisrael was astounded with Yahweh’s chesed and gevurah and offered to Yahweh an amazing song found in Shemot 15. When mercy and grace are balanced how can we help but respond like the Yisraelites in Shemot 15:11 and say, “who is like you Yahweh among the elohim?” Selah.