Today’s Random Psalm: Psalm 33

Rejoice in Yahuah, O righteous ones;
praise is fitting for the upright.
Give thanks to Yahuah with the lyre;
sing praises to Him with a ten-stringed harp.
Sing to Him a new song;
play skillfully with joyful shouting.

For the word of Yahuah is right,
and all His work is done in faithfulness.
He loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of the lovingkindness of Yahuah.
By the word of Yahuah the heavens were made,
and by the breath of His mouth all their host.

He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap;
He puts the deep waters into storehouses.
Let all the earth fear Yahuah;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
For He spoke, and it came to be;
He commanded, and it stood firm.

The counsel of Yahuah stands forever,
the plans of His heart from generation to generation.
Blessed is the nation whose Elohim is Yahuah,
the people He has chosen as His inheritance.

Bonus

Job 38

Then Adonai answered Job out of the whirlwind.
He said:

“Who is this who darkens counsel
with words without knowledge?

Now gird up your loins like a man;
I will question you,
and you will inform Me.

Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
Who set its dimensions—if you know—
or who stretched a line over it?
On what were its foundations set,
or who laid its cornerstone,
when the morning stars sang together
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Who shut up the sea behind doors
when it burst forth from the womb,
when I made a cloud its garment
and thick darkness its swaddling cloth,
when I prescribed its boundary
and set bars and gates,
and said,
‘This far you may come, but no further;
here your majestic waves will stop’?

Have you ever in your life commanded the morning
or caused the dawn to know its place,
that it would take hold of the corners of the earth
and shake the wicked out of it?
It changes shape like clay under a seal;
they stand out like those of a garment.
From the wicked their light is withheld,
and the upraised arm is broken.

Have you gone to the springs of the sea
or walked in the recesses of the deep?
Have the gates of death been revealed to you?
Have you seen the gates of the deepest darkness?
Have you comprehended the expanses of the earth?
If you know it all, declare it.

In what direction does light dwell,
and darkness, where is its place,
that you could take it to its borders
and discern the paths to its home?
Surely you know, for you were born then,
and the number of your days is great.”

Summary of Parashah Va’Era

Exodus 6:1-9:35

Parashah Va’Era stands as one of the most theologically rich and spiritually revealing portions of the Torah. It is the moment when promise turns into confrontation, when covenant moves from memory into manifestation, and when the unseen authority of Yahuah begins to visibly reshape the world. This portion is not merely about plagues or Pharaoh; it is about the nature of redemption, the revelation of the covenant Name, and the collapse of false spiritual systems.

The parashah begins with Yahuah speaking directly to Moshe and declaring, “I am Yahuah.” This is not a simple statement of identity—it is a declaration of covenantal authority. Yahuah explains that the patriarchs knew Him as El Shaddai, but not by His covenant Name in its fullness. This does not mean they were ignorant of the Name, but that they had not yet experienced what the Name represents: a mighty Redeemer who brings spoken promises into lived reality. Va’Era marks the moment when the Name is no longer theoretical—it becomes active in history.

Yisra’el’s condition at this time is crucial. They are physically enslaved and spiritually crushed. When Moshe first speaks words of deliverance, they cannot receive them. Their trauma blocks their faith. This shows that oppression does more than enslave the body—it erodes the soul. Yet Yahuah does not change His plan because His people are wounded. He speaks again, reaffirming that He will bring them out, judge Egypt, and take Yisra’el as His own people. Redemption is initiated by Elohim, not by human strength.

The inclusion of Moshe and Aharon’s genealogy in this section is intentional. It reminds us that covenant flows through generations. Yahuah’s deliverance does not arise in isolation; it grows from promises made centuries earlier. Moshe and Aharon are not random figures—they are covenant carriers. Their obedience connects Yisra’el to Avraham, Yitzhak, and Ya‘akov.

The confrontation with Pharaoh introduces a central biblical pattern: the clash between Yahuah’s authority and counterfeit spiritual power. Pharaoh is not merely a king; he is the embodiment of Egypt’s spiritual system. He claims divine authority, and Egypt’s gods are tied to natural forces—water, fertility, disease, animals, and celestial bodies. When Yahuah sends the plagues, He is not simply punishing Egypt; He is dismantling its entire spiritual worldview.

The staff turning into a serpent and swallowing the serpents of the magicians is a prophetic sign. Egypt’s power appears impressive, but it is ultimately consumed by the authority of Yahuah. This pattern repeats throughout the plagues. At first, Egypt’s magicians imitate some of the signs, but soon they reach their limit. They can produce deception, but they cannot stop judgment. This shows that false spiritual power can mimic truth but cannot deliver or redeem.

Each plague strikes a specific area of Egyptian worship. The Nile, worshiped as a life-giving deity, turns to blood. Frogs, symbols of fertility, become a curse. Lice and insects expose Egypt’s inability to control even the smallest of creation. Livestock die, showing the weakness of animal deities. Boils strike the bodies of priests, demonstrating that their gods cannot heal. Hail destroys crops, showing that sky gods are powerless. Darkness covers the land, revealing that even the sun obeys Yahuah. Step by step, every false source of security collapses.

Meanwhile, Yisra’el is being taught who Yahuah truly is. They are not merely watching Egypt fall—they are witnessing their own identity being restored. The plagues create a separation between Egypt and Goshen. This distinction teaches that Yahuah knows how to preserve His people in the midst of judgment. Redemption is not just rescue; it is belonging.

The hardening of Pharaoh’s heart is one of the most misunderstood elements of this parashah. Scripture shows both Pharaoh and Yahuah involved in this process. Pharaoh resists because of pride, but Yahuah strengthens that resistance so that His power can be fully revealed. This does not remove Pharaoh’s responsibility; it reveals that even rebellion serves Yahuah’s purpose. The struggle itself becomes a testimony to Yahuah’s supremacy.

Va’Era also teaches us that redemption unfolds in stages. Egypt is not destroyed in one blow. Yisra’el is not freed in one moment. Each plague is a step toward freedom. Each confrontation strips away another layer of bondage. This mirrors the spiritual journey of every believer. Deliverance is often progressive. Yahuah works patiently, breaking external chains and internal mindsets until His people are truly free.

By the end of Va’Era, Egypt is shaken, Pharaoh is weakened, and Yisra’el is being prepared for the final act of deliverance. Yahuah has established that He is unmatched, unchallenged, and faithful to His covenant. He has shown that no power, no system, and no ruler can stop what He has declared.

Va’Era ultimately teaches that the Name of Yahuah is not a sound—it is a reality. It represents a Elohim who hears, remembers, acts, and redeems. In every generation, the same truth remains: when Yahuah decides to deliver His people, nothing in heaven or earth can prevent it.