What We Missed:

• God speaks to Moses using a different name YHVH and not El Shadai (Almighty,); the name "known" to Moses’ predecessors. YHVH conveys more intimacy: It is the name invoked by the High Priest on Yom Kippur in the Temple chamber called the Holy of Holies.

• Genealogical List of Jacob’s Family: Through Levi only

• God reassures Moses that despite his slow speech, liberation will occur in the future.

Triennial Highlights:

• Beginning of the Confrontation: God vs. Pharaoh: As Pharaoh refuses to liberate the Israelites, the plagues begin.

The story of enslavement and eventual exodus is a story told on many levels.  First, we have a narrative: Moses and Aaron demonstrate God’s authority by casting down a rod, which becomes a serpent. As Pharaoh’s magicians do likewise; Pharaoh dismisses the demonstration as a cheap magic trick. Beyond the narrative, however, the Torah makes a theological statement about the supremacy of Israel’s God over Egypt’s flesh and blood Pharaoh. When Aaron’s serpent swallows up the magicians’ serpent, God’s conquest of Pharaoh begins. This conquest actually begins to take form when Pharaoh rejects Moses’ plea for Pharaoh to release the Israelites. God, as it were, anticipated Pharaoh’s rejection and is now prepared to unleash a power Pharaoh cannot imagine. The Torah narrates how Pharaoh’s heart stiffened, a character flaw (and egregious mistake) of a notorious egomaniac. Enter the first three plagues: Blood, frogs and vermin… Although these initial plagues will not persuade Pharaoh to let the people go, they help to build up a case for God; one in which even the Egyptians begin to acknowledge.

Blood - Although we can probably explain this plague (and plagues #2 and #3) as natural causes, there is an element of retribution here. When first oppressing the Israelites, Pharaoh commanded that Israelite boys be drowned in the Nile. Now, Pharaoh will appreciate how that same Nile will be a powerful force against him. The River which was to mark the death of Israelite children, will now witness the death of Egyptian water creatures and will deny Egyptians life sustaining water. Because Pharaoh’s magicians can duplicate the ‘plague’ Pharaoh is unmoved. For now…

Frogs - At first, the frogs just infested the Nile, once again demonstrating how that holy River would now turn against the Egyptians. Like the plague of blood, Pharaoh’s magicians can duplicate the second plague. However, their effort can only produce more frogs and they cannot remove them. To show the all-encompassing power of God, the frogs then overwhelmed the Egyptians on dry land. Gradually, the Egyptian people will learn how God’s authority is beyond limitation; conquering both sea and land. Unlike blood, the frog infestation will prevent Pharaoh and the people from living their lives. The frogs become so intolerable that Pharaoh himself pleads with Moses to remove them. Such represents an initial step toward succumbing to God’s will… However, rather than just making the frogs disappear, the frogs are piled up so that they smell up the entire country. Pharaoh and company will witness both the plagues and their powerful aftermath.

Vermin/Lice - Many of us with young children (generally young children) have experienced the agony of lice. Remedies for lice are time-consuming and tedious activities. Imagine, then, an entire nation plagued by lice. This plague was so severe that-for the first time no magic from Pharaoh’s magicians can duplicate the third plague. More importantly, these same magicians acknowledge their powerlessness in the matter. Here is the point where Pharaoh might have been a statesman who accepted his limitations and cut his losses by freeing the Israelites. Nothing doing… His heart stiffened once again; consequences will follow.

Thought to Consider:

Think about leaders who represent any level of leadership and authority from local through national. Too often officials and representatives become consumed with their own authority, to the point of obduracy; they reject any new ideas, new suggestions or new legislation. They become intoxicated by their power; their claims of representing the people are merely an exercise in personal authority. Unfortunately, many political leaders and operatives today have not learned any lessons from Pharaoh.

Haftorah Reading: Ezekiel 28: 25-29:21

Ezekiel speaks about the future destruction of Egypt (thus the connection to the Torah reading.). Egypt was again the enemy of Israel before the exile: Egypt pretended to be Israel's friend but turned against Israel when Israel’s existence was at stake. As a result, Ezekiel warns the Egyptians that their country will suffer the consequences of their duplicity; just as they suffered in the past.