Chapter 34
Having gone through the Passover and witnessing the miracles of God that saved them from Egyptian slavery, the Jews have been following God’s demands continually up and to today concerning Passover. Those were God’s instructions, to the Jews so that they not forget the Passover. Not to mention the fact that the Torah, those first five books of the Old Testament, tells them again and again the importance of remembering the Exodus. God intervening forcefully and unequivocally on behalf of the Jewish nation was without doubt a unique moment in history.
One of the reasons why God instructed the Jews to always remember the Passover was so they could be happy. Heaven knows that with all the persecutions they have gone through over all these years they have not had a lot in their lives to be happy about. Remembering the good from the past gives people a good thing to concentrate on. Something powerful takes place when people assemble to express gratitude.
IF we are only grateful at the time something good happens, we may never be grateful again, unless good is done repeatedly. Remembering the good is a statement of faith, and it helps to maintain that faith. This must be the reason why the Lord instructed them to teach this to their sons and to celebrate seven days with only unleavened bread.
They were to take the time and trouble to educate their children about God and the Exodus. Can you even imagine if every father would fulfill the request to regularly teach their children about God and His teachings?
Verse 9 of chapter 13 says, “And this shall serve you as a sign on your hand and as a reminder on your forehead -in order that the Teaching of the Lord may be in your month- that with a mighty hand the Lord freed you from Egypt. This is the main verse that led the Israelites to wear tef-ill-in.
The definition of tefillin is two small leather boxes that contain words from the Torah that are worn, especially during prayer time, hanging low on a person’s forehead and around a person’s arm. Actually the Torah does not mention the word tefillin.
In fact, the Torah does not specify that this “sign” must be an actual physical object. But archeological evidence has documented, tefillin have been physical objects for years. My curiosity about these phylacteries led me to check out more information on tefillin.
I learned these phylacteries consisted of small strips of parchment, on which are written certain passages from the Law which are then folded tight, placed in small boxes, and attached by bands to the left wrist and to the forehead at the hours of prayer. It is well known that a similar custom prevailed in Egypt; and this fact has made an objection to the Mosaic institution of phylacteries.
It has been thought that Moses would not have encouraged an Egyptian superstition. But the adoption of Egyptian customs, purged from their superstition, is in the spirit of the Mosaic institutions, and presumably in no way reprehensible.
If the Israelites were addicted to wearing amulets, like the Egyptians, it is explained, it would have been a wise provision to substitute for the magic charms of sorcerers to the solemn words of the Law, and in this way to turn a current superstition to a good account. And we know that man, even today chooses how they will display and worship God, or anything else.
It is evidenced by the fact of wearing crosses on a necklace, tattoos on our bodies, piercings on our head and clothing to signify who we are and what we believe. None of that is instructed in Scripture so we don’t have the Word of God to approve or condemn the custom.
But as humans we sometimes feel the need to show our righteousness. Right or wrong, we know tefillin cannot make or break us because: For by grace we are saved… not of works… lest any man should boast.
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