February 15, 2025: Torah Portion Parashah Yitro - "Jethro"
In this study, we will explore the Torah Portion Yitro - "Jethro"
Torah Portion: Exodus 18:1-20:23
Haftarah: Isaiah 6:1-7:6
Brit Chadashah (New Testament): Matthew 8:5-20
Before you read this wonderful Bible study about this special Torah Portion Yitro and message for this SHABBAT, please HELP us continue to make a positive impact, partner with us in this vision! How You Can Make a Difference:
1. Pray for Our Mission: We need your prayers as we move forward with this important ministry. Pray for favor, resources, and divine guidance.
PARTNER WITH US - YOUR DONATIONS ARE ALL TAX EXEMPT IN THE UNITED STATES:
As we start off the civil YEAR 2025, we have so many projects and we need your help, for the glory of Adonai! Please DONATE to keep us going.
All of the ministry funds to Restore Israel is for ministerial, educational and charitable purposes. Restore Israel is recognized as a non-profit 501(c)3 organization in the United States.
Your financial support is crucial to making this vision a reality. Whether you give a one-time gift or set up monthly support, every contribution is an investment in the Kingdom of God as we work in producing MUSIC, MEDIA, MERCY MISSIONS, ETC...
SHARE the Vision: Help spread the word. SHARE this newsletter with friends, family, and others who might feel called to support this mission!
Parashah Yitro - "Jethro"
Last week’s Torah Portion Parashat Beshalach recounted how God delivered the children of Israel from Pharaoh’s advancing armies by dramatically drowning them in the Sea of Reeds. The Israelites were overjoyed over their new freedom and celebrated by singing the “Song of the Sea.” Despite their newly found freedom, however, the people soon began complaining about the hardship of life in the desert. Nonetheless the LORD was gracious and provided both fresh water and manna from heaven to meet the people’s needs.
Parashat Yitro begins in Exodus 18:1:
"And Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt."
Moses' father-in-law Jethro (Yitro) had heard how God had blessed his son-in-law and his kinsmen by delivering them from their oppression in Egypt, and went to Rephidim to meet with him. Jethro also brought Moses' wife Zipporah and his two sons Gershom and Eliezer (all of whom had returned to Midian before the exodus of the Israelites). Upon their reunion, Moses told his father-in-law all what the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the hardship that had come upon them in the way, and how God had delivered them. Jethro rejoiced, blessed the LORD, and offered sacrifices - which were then communally eaten with Moses' brother Aaron and the elders of the Israelites.
After this celebration, Jethro observed how Moses sat every day to judge the people "from morning to evening" (Exodus 18:14) and expressed concern that his son-in-law was taking on too much responsibility.
Jethro then wisely advised his son-in-law to appoint a hierarchy of magistrates and judges to help him govern the people, thereby freeing Moses to be a more effective intercessor before the LORD.
Moses agreed to his father-in-law's advice, and then Jethro returned to his home in Midian. Jethro's wise counsel helped implement the system of justice that later became the basis of Jewish social law (i.e., the Sanhedrin, etc.)
After the third new moon after leaving Egypt (the 1st day of the month of Sivan), the Israelites encamped opposite Mount Sinai, the place where Moses was initially commissioned at the "burning bush."
Moses then ascended the mountain, and there God commanded him to tell the leaders that if they would obey the LORD and keep His covenant, then they would be a "kingdom of priests and a holy nation."
"Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain, “This is what you are to tell the house of Jacob and explain to the sons of Israel: 4‘You have seen for yourselves what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. 5Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine. 6And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’"
Exodus 19:3-6
After returning down to deliver this message to the elders, the people responded by proclaiming, "All that the LORD has spoken, we shall do" (Exodus 19:8). Moses then returned to the mountain and was told to command the people to prepare themselves to experience the presence of God upon the mountain in three days.
The people were to abstain from worldly comforts and not so much as touch (under penalty of death) the boundaries of the mountain.
"Be ready for the third day; for on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people." Exodus 19:11
On the morning of the third day (the sixth of Sivan, exactly seven weeks after the Exodus), all the children of Israel gathered at the foot of Mount Sinai, where the LORD descended amidst thunder, lightning, billowing smoke, fire, and the voluminous blast of the shofar.
Moses then ascended, but the LORD told him to go back down and warn the people - including the priests not to set foot on the mountain lest they be consumed by the wrath of the LORD.
The LORD then declared the foundation of moral conduct required of the people, the Ten Commandments, which begins with the words: "I AM" (Exodus 20:2)
The Ten Commandments:
1. I Am the LORD your God who delivered you from Egypt ...
2. You shall have no other gods before Me ...
3. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain ...
4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy ...
5. Honor your father and mother ...
6. You shall not murder
7. You shall not commit adultery
8. You shall not steal
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor
10. You shall not covet ...
"18When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sounding of the ram’s horn, and the mountain enveloped in smoke, they trembled and stood at a distance. 19“Speak to us yourself and we will listen,” they said to Moses. “But do not let God speak to us, or we will die.”
20“Do not be afraid,” Moses replied. “For God has come to test you, so that the fear of Him may be before you, to keep you from sinning.” 21And the people stood at a distance as Moses approached the thick darkness where God was." Exodus 20:18-21
As God spoke, however, the people drew back in terror, and begged Moses to become their intercessor. Because the vision was so overwhelming, the terrified Israelites began beseeching Moses to be their mediator lest they die before the Presence of ADONAI.
It's very important to note Moses' explanation for WHY it was such an intense experience for the Israelites, as they stood at the foot of the mountain, in the Presence of ADONAI; Verse 20: “For God has come to TEST you, so that the FEAR of Him (ADONAI) may be before you, to KEEP you from sinning.”
The LORD is always testing our hearts to make sure we stay faithful to Him!
Later on, in the book of Deuteronomy, The LORD mentions this very fact:
“And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.” Deuteronomy 8:2
King David famously wrote the words in Psalms 139:23-24
"23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
We need to be like King David who kept himself in the straight an narrow path for most of his life, because he constantly humbled himself before ADONAI, and asked Him to search his heart and remove all of the impurities that were found within.
PRAYER:
Help us oh LORD, to humble ourselves and allow you to show us the impurities that are in our hearts. YESHUA, cleanse us, purify us, wash us clean, making us pure, white as snow, uprooting every offensive way found within us, in order to clear the pathway for us to follow you in the way everlasting, in YESHUA'S MIGHTY NAME!
Amen and Amen!
Why Your Support Matters:
As you know, creating high-quality media takes resources, and this vision is urgent. Your donation will directly support:
• TV Program Production: Reaching millions with the message of Yeshua and the importance of supporting Israel.
• Faith-Based Media: Producing movies, documentaries, and shows that reflect the truth of the Gospel and the significance of Israel in God’s plan.
• Music Production: Sharing the Gospel through powerful worship and faith-based music that touches hearts and opens lives to the Messiah.
• Podcasts
• School of Prophets & School of Ministry: Educating ministers in the Restoration
By investing in these projects, you are not only helping to advance the Kingdom of God but also ensuring that the message of salvation through Yeshua is broadcast across the nations. Your partnership will help us to reach people who may have never heard the Gospel and may never step foot into a church or synagogue.
How You Can Make a Difference:
1. Pray for Our Mission: We need your prayers as we move forward with this important ministry. Pray for favor, resources, and divine guidance.
2. Donate to Our Vision: Your financial support is crucial to making this vision a reality. Whether you give a one-time gift or set up monthly support, every contribution is an investment in the Kingdom of God.
3. Share the Vision: Help spread the word. Share this newsletter with friends, family, and others who might feel called to support this mission.
A Final Word: The Urgency of the Hour
The time is now. We are living in the final days, and the harvest of souls is at hand. Just as we must stand with Israel, we must also stand together to spread the Good News of Yeshua the Messiah. This is an urgent matter—souls are at stake, and the need is greater than ever.
We are grateful for your partnership in prayer and financial support. Together, we can make a powerful impact, not just in supporting Israel, but in reaching the lost with the Gospel message of salvation through Yeshua.
Thank you for standing with us. May God bless you richly, and may He continue to bless Israel and the work of His Kingdom.
Shabbat Shalom!
In His Service,
Elihana Elia & Dr. Hadassah Elia and team at RONI International Alliance, Lev
Echad One Heart Messianic Congregation & Restore Israel Ministry
Shabbat shalom!!