Parashah Bo 6 Shevat, 5769 / January 31, 2009
By Kirk Gliebe, D'var Emet, Skokie, IL

This Week's Readings: Torah: Exodus 10:1-13:16,  Haftarah: Jeremiah 46:13-28,  Brit Chadashah: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22

I like to vacuum. It has always brought me a certain sense of personal satisfaction to be able to clean the carpet and within minutes enjoy obvious results. I don't like sweeping, though. For me it is just not as easy. More importantly, it seems much harder to get that nice obviously clean look; I also feel utterly incapable of properly handling both the broom and the dustpan at the same time. Still, on occasion my wife will ask me to sweep the tile in the kitchen or the hardwood floor in the dining room. When she does, I always find myself struggling with the crumbs. I get so frustrated with the last bits that I just can't get into the dust pan. Occasionally, I feel very tempted to simply lift the edge of the dining room rug and sweep those crumbs under it! Who is going to know? Well, if I would ever sweep crumbs under the rug, my wife would soon find out, and this would not lead to a happy end! Trying to clean up a mess by hiding it instead of removing it ultimately will lead to a bigger mess.

Unfortunately, many of us apply this "rug hiding" cleaning approach to the way we handle the personal issues of our lives, including our sin. We try to hide our hurts and sins both from others and G-d. We must understand that to effectively follow Messiah Yeshua, we must not hide these things, but actually bring them forward for exposure, that we might be healed and restored. Ignoring our hurts and sin does not please G-d, and it inhibits our personal spiritual growth.

Our Torah portion for this week recounts the final plagues, the institution of Passover and the beginning of the Exodus from Egypt. The portion also describes for us the sinfully arrogant state of Pharaoh's heart, and the heart of his people. God specifically says that he has brought the Egyptians to a point of mockery because of their unwillingness to submit to who he is and what he is doing in freeing Israel from slavery. G-d is not sadistic; he gets no pleasure in rattling our world, but he will rattle our world if that is what it takes to get us to submit. My advice is to avoid having a heart like Pharaoh's. Develop instead sensitivity toward G-d and his ways. G-d expects us to be open and teachable regarding needed change and repentance.

In the Haftarah portion God pronounces a severe judgment against Egypt because of its actions related to Israel. The last two verses of the portion also speak both of G-d's plans for Israel's future and of their need for continued discipline. For the Egyptians, the text does not hold back in describing what G-d intends to do, but for both the Egyptians and for Israel there are words of comfort related to ultimate restoration and renewal. G-d's objective in disciplining is always to bring restoration and spiritual renewal. Yet, let's be honest, we do not appreciate discipline as we should. We often lose sight of the depth of our own depravity. G-d never does. We often are amazingly complacent about our own sin. G-d never is! G-d's willingness to discipline us is a confirmation of his love for us. How do you handle discipline and correction from either G-d or other people? My advice is to develop a sincere appreciation for discipline and correction, because from G-d it is always a sign of his love.

Our Brit Chadashah portion takes this topic to a new level, into the reality of community life. Sometimes we individually are unable to properly see our own sin and our own life struggles; we have swept these out of our sight. We need others to help us. This is why a spiritual community is so essential for effective spiritual growth in Messiah. It is therefore always important for us within community to be honest with one another, sensitive toward one another and forgiving of one another. We must also be willing to be corrected, encouraged and challenged by one another in love. How do we handle the potential pain in such relationships? My advice is that we must practice deep humility toward one another and deep reliance on God's Spirit in our lives to give us needed discernment and a teachable spirit.

It is good to bring to the surface our personal struggles. Sweeping the painful issues of life and habits of sin into the hidden corners of our lives is not correct according to Scripture. Instead, we must expose them. G-d expects us to be open and teachable regarding change and repentance. Develop a sincere appreciation for G-d's discipline, knowing it is always a sign of his love, and never forget the great blessing of being in community, though it is painful at times, practicing deep humility toward one another and deep reliance on God's Spirit.