Salvation, Egypt, and Messiah’s Return

Special Teaching — Salvation, Egypt, and Messiah’s Return

Welcome to Torah Today Ministries and a special teaching that I almost put in the Hebrew Key series — and I thought, well, maybe it should go in the Parasha Seasoning series — but I decided to park it here in the special teachings series. And I’m planning to include more teachings in this series and build it up more, because I’m constantly coming across just random insights in the word through my studies, and this is a good place to start recording those.

But this particular study is called “Salvation, Egypt, and Messiah’s Return.” And that may make you wonder what in the world is related between all of these. Well, this sprang out of the study of this week’s Torah portion, which is in the book of Shemot (שְׁמוֹת) — the Book of Exodus. And I happen to do a study on the word “salvation,” or the verb “to save,” and I found out that this word occurs for the first two times in the book of Exodus.

Yasha (יָשַׁע) and Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ)

But let’s take a look at the Hebrew words first. At the top you see the word yasha (יָשַׁע) — and this is the verb “to save” or “to rescue.” Yasha. And below that is the noun form Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ), which means “salvation.” Of course this is also the name Jesus, or the name of our Messiah — Yeshua. But this helps explain the verse in Matthew 1:21, which says:

“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Yeshua, for he will yoshia his people from their sins.” — Matthew 1:21

Or as our translations put it: “You shall call his name Yeshua, or Jesus, because he will yoshia (יוֹשִׁיעַ) et amim — he will save his people from their sins.” So you can see the play on words — you see the noun form here, Yeshua, salvation, and here is the verb yoshia — he will save them.

Now this verb “save,” yasha, is found for the first two times in the Bible — both times in Exodus. The first one in Exodus 2:17 and the second occurrence in Exodus 14:30.

Exodus 2:17 — The First Yasha

Now let’s give some context for this first occurrence — Exodus 2:17. Moses is 40 years old. He has fled from Pharaoh, fled from Egypt. He comes to the wilderness of Midian. He sees Jethro’s daughters — though he does not know who they belong to at this point — but he sees them being heckled and obstructed by some mean shepherds who drive the girls away so the men can water their own flocks first.

And the shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and yesha (יָשַׁע) — saved them — and watered their flock. — Exodus 2:17

So at the well, Moses is not going to have any of this abuse of women. He drives the shepherds away and then waters the flock of Jethro’s daughters. And of course as you read on further in the story, when they get home and tell their father, they say “an Egyptian man saved us” — because Moses is dressed and looks like an Egyptian. And later Moses marries Jethro’s eldest daughter.

Exodus 14:30 — The Second Yasha

Now Exodus 14:30 is the next time we see the word “save.” And this is 40 years later — God has led Israel out of Egypt, they have crossed the Red Sea.

Thus Adonai (אֲדֹנָי) yasha — Adonai saved — Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians. And Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. — Exodus 14:30

Two Salvations — Two Comings

Now what’s so special about these two occurrences, these first two occurrences of the verb yasha — “to save”? Well, as I pondered this a little bit, it occurred to me that the first occurrence aligns itself with the Messiah’s first coming and the second occurrence aligns itself with his — hopefully soon — return.

Because in the first occurrence you see Moses operating individually, basically saving this small handful of girls — these sisters at the well. He drives away the shepherds and he saves these girls from their abuse and he waters their flocks. It’s a very small operation. And he’s not recognized — he’s thought to be an Egyptian, thought to be one of the enemy.

But in the second time you see a national salvation. We see all of Israel brought out of Egypt, along with a great erev rav (עֵרֶב רַב) — a great mixed multitude. They’re brought across as the sea splits; they come across to the other side of the Red Sea and God closes up the waters over Egypt’s military and they are all drowned. And Israel looks down and sees the Egyptians dead on the seashore. There’s been this incredible deliverance.

And isn’t this kind of like Yeshua‘s first coming — where he comes incognito? And even to this day the Jewish people think of Yeshua and think he’s really not one of ours. He doesn’t really belong with the Jewish people. And he’s even rejected. He’s not recognized. It’s kind of like — in the end of the book of Genesis — where Joseph’s brothers come to him in Egypt and he’s ruling Egypt under Pharaoh and they don’t recognize him. They think, like Jethro’s daughters thought of Moses, that Joseph is an Egyptian. And yet he brings tremendous salvation.

So we can put these side by side and look at them this way. On the left side we see the first occurrence of yasha in Exodus 2:17. It involves Moses. He’s thought to be Egyptian. He brings individual rescue. And here he provides water, which brings life. And I believe this is a picture of Yeshua‘s first advent.

But on the right we see the second occurrence of the word yasha in Exodus 14:30. Again involving Moses — and this time he’s not incognito. They recognize who he is. And he comes and destroys Egypt’s military and he brings a national rescue. As when Messiah returns, he’s going to destroy the enemy. There will be no more fear of the enemy. The enemy’s power will be completely wiped out and taken away. And here water equals death — not quite sure what the full connection is there. I do know that in the future God is going to make a new heavens and a new earth where there is no more sea. But that’s something to think about — give me your insights about that.

And a couple of other things: in both cases there is an exit from Egypt. Moses in the first case has left Egypt. And then in the second case he is again leaving Egypt, but taking all of Israel, all of those who are following with him. And in both cases — and I find this very interesting — in both cases the event is followed by a wedding. Because shortly after the event in Exodus 2 we read about Moses marrying Jethro’s oldest daughter Tzipporah (צִפּוֹרָה). And of course when Messiah returns and he establishes his kingdom, there’s going to be a grand wedding as he takes a bride — as described in the last two chapters of Revelation.

So I don’t think these parallels are at all accidental. But again, it just goes to confirm to me that God knows the end from the beginning, and all through the Torah we see these foreshadowings of Yeshua‘s coming — not just his first coming, but also of his second.

Anyways, I’d love to hear what further insights you have. So please email me at mail@torahtodayministries.org and if you’d like to print out these notes please go to our website at TorahTodayMinistries.org. You can print them out as well as the notes for all the other teachings you’ll find there. So until next time, I wish you shalom (שָׁלוֹם) and may God bless.