This portion continues to teach us about the growth of the nation of Israel.

We were born as a nation when we left Egypt. What is a natural thing for a baby to do? Cry and complain! According to Mishnah Avot 5:4, there are 10 occasions in which Israel complained to
G-d. Six of these are right here in Beshallach:

1) Exodus 14:11-12 at Yam Suf, (the Sea of Reeds) - why they
     left Egypt.
2) Ex. 15:24 - at Marah because the water was bitter.
3) Ex. 16: 2 - between Elim and Sinai - they had no food.
4) Ex. 16:20 - individual disobedience when they collected
     manna.
5) Ex. 16: 27 - individual disobedience about the Sabbath.
6) Ex. 17:2-3 - again about water at Rephidim.

We would think that after seeing all the miracles which G-d did for the Hebrews that their faith would be strong enough to take them through their journey to the Promised Land.

Professor Nathan Aviezer of the Department of Physics at Bar Ilan University in Israel said that miracles do not help to strengthen faith, in fact they tend to weaken our faith.

If we compare this to our own lives, we can see that we live today always looking back at our past. We tend to build our castles of truth based on a foundation of untruths. Yeshua clearly told us not to build our houses on foundations of sand but on rock. When slaves have been finally set free, it doesn't mean that they can let go the past; the lifestyle has become so ingrained that it takes a lifetime to undo it.

Sometimes we confuse the gift of Salvation (spiritual freedom) with being free from our past. G-d saves us but there are times that he has taken our lives because we keep looking back at our personal Egypt.

True faith is demonstrated when we continue to trust when things are not going well. Surely if we had lived at the time of Moses and had witnessed the 10 plagues, left Egypt with riches, seen G-d part the Red Sea, and the drowning of the Egyptians, we would have a tremendous faith!

Today, an "easy believism" is taught with people being attracted to miracles, healings and promises of prosperity if they exercise their faith. They trust more in the person or the results than in
G-d.

During the Yom Kippur war in October 1973, Israel had only 300 tanks against 3000 of the best Soviet tanks of the Egyptians. Israel was certain that they had lost the war and suddenly, the Egyptians got out of their tanks and ran in the opposite direction. They are ferocious fighters and not afraid to die so when they were captured, they were questioned about their actions. Pointing in the distance, they said "didn't you see the great army? the chariots of fire?" This was a miracle! The L-RD of the armies protected us in battle and yet did Israel as a nation come to believe in G-d after this miracle? No.

How do we learn to have faith? Do we acquire it? Do we develop it? Take a look at our muscles. We didn't acquire them, we are born with them but if we don't use them, they atrophy and become useless. God gives us faith but it is up to us to exercise it.

During the times when we do not think that G-d is with us, it is then that we need to remember that it is G-d who is in control. When it looks like nothing is happening in the way we want it to or we are at the end of our rope, remember that G-d is in control. He wants us to trust him, to be ready and available to serve.

God never allowed or asked Israel to make her own decisions or choose her own direction. He was the cloud by day and the fire by night. We simply needed to follow. He gave us the signs to direct us and the rules to live by, we needed to be obedient.

We were born, grew from babies to childhood and the process of maturing is like the process of faith. There is a verse in the Messianic Writings in which it is written that we are new creatures and that old things have passed away. This verse has been taken totally out of context and causes a lot of problems for believers who struggle with their past thinking that suddenly they have to be a completely changed person in one day. Was Rav Shaul (Paul) a liar when he said" what I do, I don't want to do and what I want to do, I don't do…" He knew that G-d is the answer for this internal struggle that we have as believers and that our spiritual growth is a process.

The process of Israel's growth as a nation mirrors our spiritual growth as followers of Messiah Yeshua. Our faith depends on our dedication to him and not the other gods of our lives. What are your gods…your finances? Your profession? A person? Your family? Remember that the experiences you are going through are not a matter for complaint but to show you the areas where your faith needs a little exercise. Faith isn't born in a moment; it is a way of life.

     Rabbi Percy Johnson
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