mordekhi v yisraela

Torah: Vayechi (And he lived), B’resheet (Genesis) 47.28-50.26
Haftorah: M’lakhim Alef (1 Kings) 2.1-12
Suggested Messianic Writings reading: 1 Kefa (1 Peter) 1.1-9

Shalom,

We have reached the end of B’resheet (Genesis), the first book of Torah. Back at the beginning,
when Ah-dahm (Adam) and Khavah (Eve) were cast from the Garden, the promise of One to come who
would bring redemption was given. Khavah believed that Kayin (Cain) was the One, and when he failed,
generation after generation of mankind awaited some kind of a deliverer. And as mankind distanced itself
farther and farther from its Creator, the hope turned into mythologies, rumors and legends. Yet the truth of
the promise remained, and continued through the Patriarchs Avraham, Yitz’khak v’Ya’akov (Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob). In B’resheet 49, Ya’akov prophetically narrowed the scope down with the
announcement that the Promised One would come from the tribe of Y’hudah (Judah).

In 49:10 the term שִׁילֹה Shiloh (Shee-loh) first appears in Scripture. Most scholars admit to one
degree or another that this term refers to the Messiah, although the history of why it does is uncertain; but
the fact is that Jewish sages wrote of this belief before the time of Yeshua. It is translated thus in the CJB:
“The scepter will not pass from Y’hudah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his legs, until he comes to
whom [obedience] belongs; [or: until Shiloh comes] and it is he whom the peoples will obey.”
B’resheet 49:11 notes that this One will wash his clothes in wine, and dip his robes in the blood of
grapes. This prophetic analogy is given again in Yesha’yahu (Isaiah) 63, and this could also be what
Yochanan (John) was referring to in Revelation 19:13 about the robe soaked in blood, for the Rider on the
white horse “treads the winepress….”

Yosef (Joseph) believed in this redemption, for prior to his death he received a promise from his
brethren that when they were delivered from Egypt, they would carry his bones with them. Yosef was
embalmed most likely according to Egyptian custom and placed in a coffin. Zola Levitt Ministries has an
interesting article concerning the discovery of the possible location of the tomb of Yosef in Egypt, on their
website at www.levitt.com/essays/joseph.html. Sh’mot (Exodus) 13:19 relates that Moshe carried the
bones of Yosef out when Israel left Egypt, and later on as Y’hoshua (Joshua) conquered the Promised
Land, the bones of Yosef were buried at Sh’khem (Shechem), an area given to Yosef by Ya’akov at his
death, in B’resheet 48:22. Although the context is not clear how or when Ya’akov actually gained the land
by a militant conquest, the land came to be known as Ya’akov’s gift to Yosef, as we see in Yochanan
(John) 4.5: “[Yeshua] came to a town in Shomron [Samaria] called Sh’khem, near the field Ya`akov had
given to his son Yosef.”

Messianic Rabbi Russ Resnik notes that the wording in B’resheet 50.26 says that Yosef was
placed in a coffin, rather than saying that Yosef was buried. In other words, the bones of Yosef were
placed into a location wherein it was possible to access them for travel. The above web article explains
how this was possible. Of note also is that the CJB translation of Hebrews 11:22 states that Yosef
“remembered about the Exodus of the people of Israel, and gave instructions about… his bones”
[emphasis mine]. Only by faith in HaShem can one truly remember about and believe in a future event.
And the name Yosef comes from the root yaw-saf יסף , one definition of which is, “to gather together, to
consolidate, to bring people together.” This Yosef did.

So B’resheet ends, not simply with the death of two great Patriarchs, Ya’akov and Yosef, leaving
us hopeless, but rather we see the hope of the promise of redemption. The Ramban wrote, “Thus
concludes the book B’resheet… it tells of what has occurred and of new things that will occur even before
they spring up in the hearts of the people.” Messianic Jews believe that Yeshua is Shiloh, the Promised
One; Pre-Messianic Jews are still unclear on exactly who this is. As Sha’ul (Saul, also known as Paul)
pointed out, [spiritual] blinders must be [spiritually] removed.

And so we have finished the book of B’resheet, Genesis. I leave you with the blessing
pronounced at the end of the reading of each book of Torah:

!חֲזַק! חֲזַק! וְנִתְחַזֵ! Kha-zakh! Kha-zakh! V’neet-kha-zayk!
Be strong! Be strong! And let us be strengthened!

שַׁאֲלוּ שְׁלוֹם יְרוּשָׁלָםִ – Sha’alu shalom Yerushalayim – Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! Pray for
the safety of Messianic believers in the Israel military forces. Pray for Israel to seek out her G-d in these
trying times. Pray for [spiritual] eyes to be opened to see Yeshua for who He is – Messiah of Israel.

Torah: Vayeshev (And he settled), B’resheet (Genesis) 37.1-40.23

Haftorah: Amos 2.6-38

Suggested Messianic Writings reading: Acts 7.9-16 (esp 9-10)

Shalom,

Yosef (Joseph) is now the focus for the rest of the book of B’resheet. We are told in 37.3 that Yosef was the favorite son of Israel (Ya’akov/Jacob), and we were given a hint of that back in chapter 33.2, when Ya’akov was preparing to come face to face with Esav (Esau) after all of those years apart. Ya’akov put the servant-girls and their sons first in line, then Leah and her children, followed at the back by Rachel and Yosef. The favorite son, along with the wife Ya’akov had originally chosen, were put in the position with the most protection in case of trouble. In our current chapter, we are told that Yosef was out pasturing the flock with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah (Dan & Naftali, Gad & Asher). Rabbi Hertz’ commentary notes that with Yosef’s favored position, even at the young age of 17, it was very probable that he was in fact out supervising the sons of the servant-girls.

Another reason we can possibly determine that Yosef was supervising is because of the robe Ya’akov had given him. Depending upon the translation, this may be a robe with long sleeves, a robe with many colors, or both. The Septuagint translates “many colors,” but the Hebrew כְּתֹנֶת פַּסִּים k’toh-neht pah-seem may simply mean “by implication a long and sleeved tunic (perhaps simply a wide one; from the original sense of the root, that is, of many breadths).” The robe may have had stripes with varying colors, but it was more than likely not the multi-colored squares we see popularized in many pictures. Archeology has discovered that in those days, leaders in the middle-eastern area would wear robes, or coats, with varied colors, which was a symbol of leadership. Yosef’s robe, given to him by his father, marked him as becoming the leader of all of the brothers upon his father’s death. (Re’uven (Reuben) lost this position as first-born when he slept with Bilhah, see B’resheet 35.22 & 49.3-4.) Thus, when Yosef impetuously related his dreams of superiority over his brothers, this only fueled the rage and jealousy of the brothers.

At some later point, Ya’akov sent Yosef out to check on the brothers, who were pasturing the sheep. The brothers seized upon the opportunity, hoping to kill Yosef, until Re’uven convinced them to throw Yosef into an empty pit, or cistern.

The brothers then apparently went some distance off from the pit, possibly to avoid Yosef’s screams, and sat down to eat, awaiting a caravan of Yishmaelites (Ishmaelites), to whom Y’hudah (Judah) convinced them to sell Yosef. It is said that in the clear desert air, a caravan could be seem 2-3 hours out, at the slow speed at which it would travel. There is to some a confusion as to why it seems the Yishmaelites were a verse later called Midyanim (Midianites), but Hertz believes what actually happened was that while the brothers were away from the pit, some Midianites came by, heard Yosef, pulled him out and sold him themselves to the Yishmaelites. He bases this upon Yosef’s own words in 40.15, “For the truth is that I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews….” That explains why Re’uven discovered Yosef missing, and returned to tell the other brothers. Yosef may have been sold more than once, for 37.36 states that the Medanites sold him to Potiphar, although 39.1 says that Potiphar bought him from the Yishmaelites, which may simply refer to the initial “purchase”. There is discussion among the commentators as to whether the Midianites and the Medanites are the same or different people; the Hebrew for the former is מִדְיָנִים Mid’yanim, the latter is מְּדָנִים M’da-nim. Midian was one of the sons of Avraham by Keturah (B’resheet 25.1-2), after Sarah’s death. Irregardless of who they were, Adonai’s plan for the coming nation of Israel was being put into motion. This will continue in the next parashah.

The path of Israel would be difficult all through their history. The reason they have gone through so much woe is given in a verse from the Haftorah for this week, from Amos 3.2, spoken by Adonai: “Of all the families on earth, only you have I intimately known. This is why I will punish you for all your crimes.” The Hebrew for “known” here is ידע yada, a term we are familiar with, meaning the intimacy of marriage, as from “Adam knew Eve”. “From him who has been given much, much will be demanded” (Luke 12.48). Adonai would use human means to punish Israel, but woe to those who went/go overboard with their cruelty. “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God!” (Heb 10.31).

If Israel would return to that intimacy with their Creator, they would understand His plans. That is precisely what it meant by the words in Amos 3.3-8, “Do two people travel together without having so agreed?….” Only in intimacy are wisdom, knowledge, joys, fears, as well as plans shared. In B’Midbar (Numbers) 11.29, Moshe desired that all of Adonai’s people were prophets, and that His Spirit was on all of them. Only in intimacy can anyone accept and understand Amos 3.8b, “Adonai, God, has spoken. Who will not prophesy?” Only in intimacy will He share His plans.

שַׁאֲלוּ שְׁלוֹם יְרוּשָׁלִָם – Sha’alu shalom Yerushalayim – Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! Pray for the persecution of Messianic Jews to cease, and for righteous leadership to be raised up in the Land. May Israel come to “know ידע yada” their Messiah Yeshua.

Torah: Vayishlach (He sent), B’resheet (Genesis) 32.4(3)-36.43
Haftorah: Ovadyah (Obadiah) 1.1-21
Suggested Messianic Writings reading: Heb 11.11-20

Shalom,

(B’resheet 32.25(24)): “And Ya’akov was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the
day.” As our parashah opens, Ya’akov (Jacob) is returning to his home, after all the many years of
working for and being cheated continually by his less-than-honest father-in-law Lavan (Laban). Now he is
returning home, uncertain of how his brother Esav (Esau) would greet him. By this time, Ya’akov has 11
sons and a daughter, and as far as he knows, he may be putting them all at risk. Yet at the same time he
knew it was time to leave the home of Lavan. Ya’akov seems to have kept his faith in ADONAI during those
years, but also seems to have leaned a lot upon his own devices. Now the time has come in ADONAI’s
plan for the formation of a chosen people. (As we noted in last week’s drash, Ya’akov was the first of the
three patriarchs of Israel to father only “Hebrew” children.) But first Ya’akov’s heart must be dealt with.

So Ya’akov, before he comes in contact with Esav, spends a night alone wrestling with a man. I am
reminded here of a later story, when Y’hoshua (Joshua), the new leader of Israel, was near Jericho when
suddenly he saw a man in front of him with his sword drawn. When Y’hoshua asked the man if he was for
Israel or for their enemies, the man basically replied, “No, I’m here to take over” (Y’hoshua 5.13-15).
Y’hoshua was a soldier, and was prepared for battle, so he was ready to fight as needed. We are not told
how the Ya’akov event began, so we don’t know Ya’akov’s initial reaction. We do know that the Hebrew
says that a “man, אִישׁ  ish” was wrestling with Ya’akov; the same term is used for the man who stood
before Y’hoshua. This word is a contraction of אֱנָשׁ  enosh, which we find used in the Book of Daniel,
where the prophet saw “one like a son of man, and he came up to the Ancient of Days.” The phrase “son
of man” here is בַר אֱנָשׁ bar enosh. When Yeshua referred to Himself as “the Son of Man,” he would have
used “Tanakh terminology” that the people of Israel, His listeners, were familiar with, and this title in
particular indicated His deity. אֱנָשׁ  Enosh means, “sick, incurable, desperate, wicked, woeful,” in the
sense of the mortality of man. This is in contrast to another usage of son of man found in Scripture, בֶּנ
אָדָם ben adam, meaning, “[son of a] human being.” (Bar is Aramaic for “son,” ben is Hebrew.) Stern uses
“human being” in the CJB. בֶּנ אָדָם Ben adam is seen particularly in the book of Yechezk’el (Ezekiel), as
ADONAI calls out often to Yechezk’el with this title.

When Yeshua called Himself “Son of Man, בַר אֱנָשׁ Bar Enosh,” He was indicating His dual role. [Although
this term is not seen in the Greek, we must remember that Yeshua was Jewish, speaking to His Jewish
audience, using the language they knew – Hebrew and/or Aramaic.] Firstly, He came and took on the
weak flesh nature of man, to the point of experiencing physical death; Secondly, He stated that He is THE
Son of Man who approached the throne of the Ancient of Days, as seen by the prophet Daniel. No mere
mortal man could have done that and lived; this One was blessed and given an eternal kingdom. Nor is
any angel ever blessed in such a manner. This בַר אֱנָשׁ Bar Enosh could only be one “person” – the One
who is fully God and fully man, Yeshua HaMashiakh, Yeshua the Messiah. This heavenly vision of
Daniel’s is found in Daniel 7.13-14; a similar picture is found in Revelation 4 & 5 as witnessed by
Yokhanan (John).

So in all likelihood, Ya’akov was very possibly wrestling with the pre-incarnate Yeshua. But there are
other aspects to look at. English is a boiling pot language, with a word history coming from many ancient
languages of the earth, so it is good to study the Word of G-d in the original language and thought as best
we can. In the book, Aleph-Bet Soup, by Charles J. Thurston (Hearthstone Publishing), the author notes
that “there are more different English versions of the Bible (at least fifty) than any other translation in any
other language.” Thurston’s book is a study on the reliability of the Hebrew Scriptures through the ages,
and the author continues, “The freedom of speech so treasured by the English, both in Britain and its
colonies in America and Australia, has permitted a very wide range of potential meanings of Scriptures
not necessarily intended by the Author, as the Scriptures have been brought down to our modern lowest
English common denominator. It is not the original inspired Hebrew and Greek Scriptures that create so
many divisive factions and such wide disagreements of theology, but rather the inferior and imprecise
nature of the English language.”

With that in mind, let’s proceed. We are told that, “a man wrestled with [Ya’akov]….” The Hebrew root for
wrestled is אָבֵק  ah-bahk, which means, “to float away (as vapor); to bedust, to grapple.” A dictionary
definition of grapple is, “to struggle, in or as if in wrestling” (my emphasis). This gives a bit of a mysterious
slant to the idea of wrestling here. Is it possible that Ya’akov was not actually physically wrestling with this
man? But what about the hip injury? That sounds pretty physical. Wikipedia gives this description of the
working of a hip: “The strong but loose fibrous capsule of the hip joint permits the hip joint to have the
second largest range of movement (second only to the shoulder) and yet support the weight of the body,
arms and head.” Could this possibly mean that Ya’akov, as the father of a [coming] new nation, could no
longer depend upon his own strength to lead this people? Did this injury infer his weakness, and that the
strength and power would have to come from the One who wrestled with him? The literal Hebraic
implication is that the man struck “the power of the generative parts;” perhaps the limp that followed
referred to the constant “pain” that the descendants of Ya’akov would endure.

My take here is that Ya’akov spent the night “wrestling” with ADONAI in deep, deep intercession. In doing
so, Ya’akov became totally aware of the weakness of his flesh-man, and the error of doing things his own
way. And so he interceded for his prophesied numerous descendants. His “hip injury” meant to him that
he could not depend upon his own strength anymore, but would have to lean upon the strength of the
One who “touched” him. Yet because of his persistence all night long, his faithfulness was shown to
ADONAI, who in turn blessed him mightily. I believe that when we are told that “the man saw that he did
not prevail against Ya’akov,” this simply meant that ADONAI was testing the faith of Ya’akov to the nth
degree. So this man in a sense said here also, “No, I’m here to take over”. Because of this, Ya’akov knew
that He had touched the heart of the Father, who was guiding and protecting his every step, and thus
from Esav he would have nothing to fear.

So whether or not this was an actual physical wrestling, or a spiritual wrestling, the implication for us is
that when things seem so fearful and life does not seem fair and just, in the midst of great trials and
difficulties, Yeshua is there. His “touch” may seem at times to be injurious, but in reality it is healing, and
“all things work together for good….” Things may not go the way we would desire, even to the point of
suffering and death, but He is still there. Yeshua, as a man, walked the same path we walk, and He
understands. Why He allows great trials to come is beyond our human understanding. Even such
questions as “Why the holocaust?” are well beyond our understanding, but yet I believe that He was
there, tending to His sheep, providing for many a Corrie Ten Boom or an Oskar Schindler; history has
revealed that there were many such rescuers and “angels;” others remain unknown, as Irena Sendler did
for many years.

There is another lesson here. This wrestling continued until “the breaking of the day”. We are entering a
season of darker and darker days, as evil is growing stronger in these end times. Perhaps the idea is not
so much one of whether or not we can spend an entire night in intercession, as it is that we must continue
in intercession – “grappling” in prayer constantly (praying without ceasing) – until The Day comes, the
Day of the return of Yeshua. We will have to press in while the darkness seems to envelop us. I want to
encourage all who read this that you must prepare your hearts for greater and greater spiritual darkness,
for potential tribulation. But be encouraged, do not be fearful, for greater is He who is in us than he who is
in the world. Scripture speaks of a great end-time apostasy, a massive falling away from the faith. I
encourage you to hold on to your faith, just as Sha’ul wrote to Timothy, “Fight the good fight of the faith,
take hold of [literally, “seize”] the eternal life to which you were called when you testified so well to your
faith before many witnesses” (1 Timothy 6.12).

שַׁאֲלוּ שְׁלוֹם יְרוּשָׁלָםִ – Sha’alu shalom Yerushalayim – Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! The salvation of
the Jewish people will affect the rest of the planet, for only when they cry out to Yeshua in acceptance
and repentance will He return (see Matthew 23.37-39). That most likely will not happen until after “Jacob’s
trouble” (Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 30.7). As a Messianic believer, my choice would be to stay here and stand
with Israel during her trials. May ADONAI grant me that grace if/when it is needed!

Torah: Vayetze (And he went out), B’resheet (Genesis) 28.10-32.3
Haftorah: Hoshea (Hosea) 11.7-14.10(9)
Suggested Messianic Writings reading: Yokhanan (John) 1.19-51

Shalom,

I remember as a youth at summer camp, high in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, all of us standing around
the late night bonfire while a leader led us in singing, “We are climbing Jacob’s ladder, we are climbing
Jacob’s ladder, we are climbing Jacob’s ladder, children of the Lord.” Everyone was in a somber reflective
spiritual mood (staring at a late night bonfire will do that), freezing on the side away from the fire, burning
up on the side facing the fire, not having a clue as to what this song meant. Oh, we understood the
“children of the Lord” line, but climbing Jacob’s ladder, what does that mean, how do you do that?

Our Parashah this week begins with Ya’akov (Jacob) heading back to the land his father and mother
came from, under the direction of his father Yitz’khak (Isaac), in order to find a wife. We can gain an
understanding of the culture when we realize that when Yitz’khak made this demand of Ya’akov, Ya’akov
was well over 70 years old, according to some commentators.

On the way, Ya’akov received a revelation from ADONAI. B’resheet 28.11 is translated as, “he came to a
certain place…, he lighted upon a certain place…,” etc. The Hebrew for “came to, lighted upon” is פּגע
pah-gah, and can also mean, “prayed, interceded.” I would conclude that, since ADONAI was guiding the
steps of this patriarch of Israel, this was more than a “by-chance” stopping point. I can imagine that when
Ya’akov entered this area, he felt the urgency to stop for the night and pray, since there was such a
heavy spiritual presence. He had, after all, at some point prior to this departure, been given a very
significant blessing and word of prophecy from his father. And yet he was definitely in need of a touch
from his Creator, for at this point he was leaving the scene of a disaster he had pretty much made by
himself, for he had deceived both his brother and his father, and in spite of being blessed, he apparently
was traveling pretty light, that is, not carrying loads of wealth and servants with him in this pursuit of a
wife, contrary to how Yitz’khak’s wife was pursued (see B’resheet 24).

There is a distinction in the wording between the blessing that had previously been given to Avraham,
and the blessing given to Ya’akov. In B’resheet 17.5, Avraham is promised by ADONAI that he will be the
father of a multitude of nations ( גֹּויִם , goyim). Goyim normally refers to non-Jewish people, but is also
used in the Tanakh to refer to nations as a whole, Jewish or Gentile. Avraham was the father of Yitz’khak,
from whom came the Hebrew line, but he was also the father of Yishma’el (Ishmael); we tend to forget
that Avraham later had six more sons with K’turah (Keturah), after the death of Sarah. So Avraham is
indeed the father of a multitude of nations – Jewish and non-Jewish. His son Yitz’khak fathered a
“Hebrew” son, Ya’akov, and a “non-Hebrew” son, Esav (Esau). Esav married some Kena’ani (Canaanite)
women, and later married a daughter of Yishma’el. By this marriage he may have been futilely trying to
please Yitz’khak, but he did not. In fact, what Esav produced by this marriage was an alliance between
two displaced first-borns, an alliance that has been at odds with the line of Ya’akov ever since.

In B’resheet 28.3, Ya’akov is promised that his descendants would be “ קְהַל עַמּיִם k’hal ahm-meem, a
company of peoples”. The terminology here is more direct – “all of your descendants will be of one people
group, one nation.” Ya’akov is the first of the patriarchs who did not father any “non-Hebrew”
descendants. All of his sons were considered to be the founders of one nation, Israel.

So we return to Ya’akov’s first stop on his journey to the land of his parents. This “ladder,” or “stairway,”
as it would more correctly be defined, was indeed a mystery. Ya’akov saw, in a dream or vision, angels
“ascending and descending” this stairway, and realized that he had indeed come upon a holy place. The
next thing he knew, “ הִנֵּה hee-ney, Lo!, Behold!, Suddenly! ADONAI was standing over it, or beside him,”
depending upon the translation. At any rate, Ya’akov was given a mighty promise of blessing and
protection that the land he was in would be given to his descendants. When Ya’akov awoke, he set up the
rock he had been sleeping upon, anointed it with oil, and named that place “ בֵּית אֵל , Beyt El, Bethel,
House of G-d.”

Now regarding the “ladder,” or the “stairway,” upon it Ya’akov saw angels of ADONAI going up and down.
In Yokhanan 1.51, from our reading this week, Yeshua tells Natan’el (Nathaniel) that he, Natan’el, would
see heaven opened and the angels of God going up and coming down on the Son of Man!” By saying
that, Yeshua stated that He is the connection between the holiness of heaven and the desperate search
of fallen man; to climb that staircase, to rejoin with the heavenly is now possible only through Him.
Humanity has an internal need to try to re-gain what was lost at the fall. True, much of mankind has jaded
their spirit and does not even realize this inner desire, but when eyes are opened to the truth of Yeshua,
that connection can be made.

When we desire for someone to see the truth of who Yeshua is, intercession is the key to the removal of
the blinders over the spiritual eyes, the veil over the spiritual heart. Sha’ul says in 2 Corinthians 4.4,
concerning people who can not see the truth of Yeshua, that they cannot come to faith “because the god
of the olam hazeh [this world, this age] has blinded their minds, in order to prevent them from seeing the
light shining from the Good News about the glory of the Messiah, who is the image of God.” Sha’ul
teaches a little later on that through intercession we are actually engaged in spiritual warfare. As he told
us, the mind of man has been blinded by the god of this world. In 2 Corinthians 10.3-5, Sha’ul teaches us
what to do in order to help open these blinded minds: “For although we do live in the world, we do not
wage war in a worldly way; because the weapons we use to wage war are not worldly. On the contrary,
they have God’s power for demolishing strongholds. We demolish arguments [the logic of the mind] and
every arrogance [the pride of the mind] that raises itself up against the knowledge of God; we take every
thought [the deductions, conclusions, and judgments of the mind] captive and make it obey the Messiah.”

This type of praying for someone is NOT what is sometimes known as “spiritual, or charismatic
witchcraft,” or mind control, i.e., “praying” for a person do something against their will, or for something to
happen to them in the same way; praying for our will to happen in their lives. No, true intercession is the
crushing of the spiritual power that blinds the eyes of a person to the truth. Only then will that person
realize what truth is, and hopefully they will direct their mind, or “will,” to that truth. Sometimes this type of
intercession may take weeks, months, years, even decades. The teaching about intercession in Scripture
is that it must be consistent with and insistent upon ONLY the will of ADONAI.

No doubt that Avraham and Yitz’khak both interceded for Ya’akov. Ya’akov was undergoing a spiritual
transformation here, and it was not against his will; Ya’akov was in a place of complete freedom in ADONAI
when he had this dream. That is the place we should all desire to be in: “And the Lord is the Spirit; and
where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty; and we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the
Lord, to the same image are being transformed, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2
Corinthians 3.17-18, emphasis added). As Ya’akov passed through this location, he was moving up to
another level of glory, by the Spirit of ADONAI. As you work your way up the “stairway” to ADONAI Yeshua,
take heart in this fact – you also are being transformed, from glory to glory. Sometimes the next level of
“glory” may not appear to be so “glorious,” but in reality it is. “Furthermore, we know that God causes
everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called in accordance with his
purpose” (Romans 8.28).

Ah, so that is how we “climb Jacob’s ladder;” we live our every day lives – the exciting and the mundane –
in accordance with His will; as we do this, Yeshua walks with us, every step bringing us closer to our real
home.

שַׁאֲלוּ שְׁלוֹם יְרוּשָׁלָםִ – Sha’alu shalom Yerushalayim – Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! Pray for spiritual
eyes and hearts to be uncovered, to see the truth of who Yeshua is – the Messiah, God, and King of
Israel – and the true home of the heart of every descendant of Ya’akov. And pray that all of the “cousins”
of Israel will come to the same realization.

Suggested Messianic Writings reading: Romans 9.1-13

Shalom,
This parashah gives us a look at events in the adult life of Yitz’khak (Isaac). Yitz’khak was forty years old
when he married Rivkah (Rebecca), and between verses 20 & 21, twenty years had lapsed. Rivkah had
been childless, and Yitz’khak interceded on her behalf in prayer. She became pregnant, and from before
birth the twins in her womb were at odds with each other.
When we look at the “matriarchs” of Israel – Sarah, Rivkah and Rachel – we see that even the birth of the
nation of Israel was a miracle, for all three women were, in their individual lives, barren until the hand of
ADONAI gifted each woman with child. We also see the grace and mercy of ADONAI in the way that each
child came. In Sarah’s case, a child was promised through the covenant ADONAI had cut with Avraham.
When this birth did not occur within the time frame of Sarah’s hopes and dreams, she apparently gave up
and offered her slave-girl Hagar to Avraham as a substitute. The result of the birth of Yishmael was a
blood-feud that has continued for millennia.
Two generations later, Rachel did the same for Ya’akov. Being childless, she offered her slave-girl Bilhah
to Ya’akov. Two separate children were born to this union, Dan and Naftali, from which came the two
tribes in Israel of the same names. Dan, as the first-born of Bilhah, was not particularly blessed by
ADONAI. The bad that happened to the tribe seems to outnumber the good, and the tribe eventually
succumbed to idolatry and witchcraft.
Naftali fared somewhat better, for Barak and Gideon came from this tribe. The tribe of Naftali was part of
the Northern Kingdom of Israel in later history, and thus came under the Assyrian conquest. Yesha’yahu
(Isaiah) 9.1 relates that the land of Naftali was, “in earlier times regarded lightly, but would later on be
honored”. That promise is later repeated in and fulfilled in Mattityahu (Matthew) 4. The Northern Kingdom
of Israel was conquered by Assyria in 729BCE. Assyrian annals uncovered by archaeologists reveal that
Sargon II, the King of Assyria, recorded that he carried away 27,280 men from the Northern Kingdom into
exile, primarily leadership, of an estimated population of 4-500,000. Thus, when Yeshua began His
earthly ministry, Mattityahu very correctly states that He settled in the land of Zebulun and Naftali, around
the Galilee, for many from these tribes had remained in the area.
When Assyria carried the 27,000 captives away, they in turn brought in conquered peoples from other
nations to re-settle the area. These people merged with some of the remaining Israelites to become the
Samaritans we read of in the Messianic Writings. Because of this mixture of people groups, Mattityahu 4,
quoting from Yesha’yahu 9, also states that Yeshua went to live in גליל הגוים Galil HaGoyim (Galilee of
the Nations). Sometime later, in Yokhanan (John) 4, Yeshua spoke with a Samaritan woman, explaining
that He Himself is the way to salvation, thus inferring that this offer was being offered not just to Israel, but
to the Nations. So from the above failure of Rachel we see a prime picture of ADONAI “causing everything
to work together for good… according to His purposes.”
On to another matriarch. What we see in the case of Yitz’khak and Rivkah is that Rivkah did not offer a
slave-girl to Yitz’khak, but rather we see that Yitz’khak interceded with ADONAI on his wife’s behalf, and
she became pregnant. It is known that Hebraic writing in the Tanakh is not always laid out in a
consecutive time-frame. The events of B’resheet 26 may very well have occurred prior to the birth of the
twins, for that would have made it much easier for Yitz’khak to lie to Avimelekh about Rivkah being his
sister. (This is not the same Avimelekh as in the similar Avrahamic situation; Avimilekh was a title for the
king of the Philistines, just as Pharaoh was a title for the king of Egypt). And very possibly the battle of the
twins in Rivkah’s womb and the feud that has ensued ever since was because of a holy judgment upon
that lie and failure to trust ADONAI. That is not actually stated, but, “Death and life are in the power of the
tongue” (Mishlei / Proverbs 18.21). And yet, again working out for good, “mercy triumphs over judgment”
(Ya’akov / James 2.13), for we know that the prayer of Yitz’khak, whatever the timing, was answered with
the miracle of barrenness turning into childbirth.
Many Jewish opponents of a miraculous birth in the case of Yeshua generally fail to recognize the
instances of miraculous births in the case of Israel’s fathers. Without these miraculous births, Yitz’khak
would not have been born to Sarah; Ya’akov would not have been born to Rivkah; and Yosef (Joseph)
would not have been born to Rachel; there would not be a nation and people of Israel. One birth made
such a difference; something to think about.
And in the effects of another lie being turned into good, Le’ah was given in marriage to Ya’akov in a
deceitful manner. Yet from the union of Ya’akov and Leah came the tribe of Y’hudah (Judah), from which
came King David, and later, the Messiah Yeshua. And of course, from Ya’akov’s well-known lie to gain
the blessing from Yitz’khak came the chosen nation of Israel.
Not that these are lessons teaching us to go around lying and being deceitful, expecting good to result;
we are not to continue in sin so that grace will abound, because quite simply, grace will not abound if we
continue in sin. The patriarchs and matriarchs were good and faithful people. They made mistakes – just
like you and I do – but they continued on their journey with their Creator, and He honored them for that.
The blessing of B’resheet 12.3 has ridden the crest of time and here at the end of days is just as valid as
it was when Avraham first heard the words.
So the point is this: ADONAI has had a mysterious plan ever since the fall of man to restore mankind to
redemption, to the Jew first, and then the Gentile. It could only come through a sacrifice by the Creator
Himself. Sha’ul wrote much of this mystery, especially in Ephesians. Why the hidden plan of redemption
is the way it is, is beyond the comprehension of the human mind alone, but when we allow it, our spirit will
readily connect with this truth. That’s why Sha’ul suggested praying with both the mind and the spirit. The
mystery is not as complicated as the religions of man have made it out to be. He desires our faith to be in
Him, and for us to grow in our trust of Him. Of course there are trials and test, and they are not enjoyable,
but they are designed to strengthen us and mold us into His design of who we are to be. Our joy is not to
be based on this life, but only in Him. The joy and satisfaction of being a disciple of Yeshua will far
outweigh any sacrifices we might have to make.
So for anyone who is struggling, whose life may be full of difficulty and weariness, think of Yeshua, “who
for the joy that was set before him endured the execution stake, despising the shame, and is seated at
the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against
himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted” (Hebrews 12.2-3). He is the one who declared to
each of us, “Come to me, all of you who are struggling and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my
yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for
your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Mattityahu 11.28-30).

שַׁאֲלוּ שְׁלוֹם יְרוּשָׁלָםִ – Sha’alu shalom Yerushalayim – Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May Israel
consider Yeshua, then take His yoke upon themselves and learn from Him.

Suggested Messianic Writings reading: 2 Kefa (Peter) 2.4-11

Shalom,

As the ancient Scriptural writings did not have chapter and verse breaks, the rabbis connect the beginning of chapter 18 with the end of chapter 17, thus 17.26 through 18.1 reads, “That very day Avraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised. And all the men of his house, those born in the house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him. And ADONAI appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day.” This is partly deduced because the Hebrew in 18.1 says that ADONAI appeared to him; it does not say ADONAI appeared to Avraham. Thus it is very probable that at this time Avraham was resting up from his circumcision.

Of course, there is no time frame given, but we have a few small hints that it might have been a few days afterward, for 18.2 says that Avraham ran from his tent to greet his visitors. Although this was a relatively minor surgery, one does not necessarily go out for a jog right away following such. In B’resheet 34.25, following the violation of their sister, two sons of Ya’akov, Shi’mon and Levi, slaughtered the men of the city “on the third day… when they were in pain.”

Some commentators have tried to make a separation between 18.1 and 18.2 with the idea that Avraham was in prayer, and the visitors were intruding upon that time, but the context has to be juggled a lot to make that thought stand.

Of note is the phrase that Avraham was sitting in the entrance to his tent “in the heat of the day”. The Ancient Hebrew Lexicon notes that the word חם khom, translated “heat,” denotes the “action root” of the word, but the “concrete definition” is “cheese,” (don’t ask me how or why) and the ancient pictograph is : “The pictograph  is a picture of a wall meaning ‘to separate’. The  is a picture of water. Combined these mean ‘[to] separate water’. Cheese was made by placing milk in a bag made out of an animal skin. The bag was hung out in the sun and pushed back and forth. The skin of the bag contained an enzyme that when heated and shaken caused the milk to sour and separate into its two parts, fat (curds or cheese) and water (whey). The whey could be drunk and the curds eaten or stored for future consumption.” So possibly Avraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent, shaking the bag of milk, separating the curds and the whey. (No little Miss Muffet puns here, please.) Thus he had curds ready when it was time to feed any potential guests. It was probably a reasonable way to pass the time, at least.

We should note here that Avraham ויקח חמאה וחלב ובן־הבקר va-yee-kakh khem-ah v’kha-lahv oo-bayn-ha-bakhar “and took the curds and the milk and the son of the herd (the calf)” and served them all to the men. The rabbis have worked hard to explain this away, because of the later ruling to “not boil a kid in its mothers milk,” explaining that dairy and meat are not to be served together. However, the later commandment to not boil a kid in its mother’s milk, from Sh’mot (Exodus) 23.19, was to dissuade Israel from falling into a pagan practice common for the time, wherein a boiled milk and meat mixture was sprinkled over fields of crops in a form of witchcraft, trying to instill fertility in the hoped-for harvest. Maimonides concurred with this fact. This is an area where rabbinical law (concerning kashrut, kosher food practices) has displaced Biblical law in much of Judaism. But in Biblical kashrut, you should know that it is “kosher” to eat meat and cheese together – only, of course, if they are both from kosher animals. The de-judaizing church took it too far the other way, though. A ham and cheese on rye is not kosher. A pepperoni pizza is not kosher. (You even have to watch things like turkey bacon, for some contain pork additives). In line with that, for a food to be truly kosher it should also be organic, for pesticides, fertilizers, steroids and other additives were not intended by the Creator to be items of consumption for us, I doubt. If the food you eat is not guaranteed organic, what else might it contain? Easier said than done, I know. And please, no “tied down to the Law” arguments regarding kosher foods. Yeshua did not declare all foods clean; He declared that it is okay to eat kosher foods without undergoing a ceremonial hand-washing every time. Context.

From all appearances it seems the three “men” were two angels and ADONAI, for the Hebrew states that “ADONAI appeared to Avraham”. And they did indeed eat the meat and cheese together, as they were appearing in a bodily form to Avraham. This was more than a vision. And certainly is it not possible for the Creator of everything to take on a bodily form at will? Whether this was true flesh and blood remains a mystery. Regarding the eating, we know that Yeshua, after His resurrection, ate fish, walked through walls, and appeared and disappeared in front of His disciples.

Basically, all of these incidentals aside, we have some lessons to learn from Avraham: 1) When ADONAI appeared to Avraham, “On seeing them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, prostrated himself on the ground, and said, ‘My lord, if I have found favor in your sight, please don’t leave your servant.’” Avraham was humble in his worship. 2) When it came time to display his heart and concern for others, “Avraham remained standing before ADONAI.” Avraham was bold in his intercession. Hebrews 4.16 says, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” That is exactly what Avraham did.

Many believe that the One who was speaking with Avraham was the pre-incarnate Yeshua. Here are some possible proofs. In 18.25, Avraham called Him השׁפט כל־הארץ ha-sho-phet kol ha-aretz “the judge of all the earth”. In the book of Ya’akov (James), speaking of the return of Yeshua, Ya’akov declares in 5.9 that “the Judge is standing at the door”. 1 Kefa (Peter) 4.5 speaks of “him who stands ready to judge the living and the dead”. And in Yokhanan (John) 5.22, Yeshua Himself states that, “The Father does not judge anyone but has entrusted all judgment to the Son”.

B’resheet 18.33 gives us a third lesson to be learned from Avraham. We read here that “ADONAI went on his way” after He and Avraham were finished. The root for “went his way” is walk. As I shared in the parashah Noakh a couple of weeks ago, “the Hebrew of walk is הלך, hah-lahk. The Ancient Hebrew lexicon for the root word pictures a shepherd’s staff and the palm of a hand, . The definition of this pictograph is of a traveler on foot, with his staff in hand, which provided not only support when walking, but also served as a weapon to defend against predators and thieves.” The last part of the verse says that Avraham “returned to his place - שׁב למקמו shoov leem’kho-mu”. That can be taken as “returned to his tent,” but another understanding is he “returned to the condition of his body or mind”. So a possible reading we can get from this final verse in chapter 18 is, “ADONAI went back to His place of being the protection and support for Avraham, and [here’s the lesson] Avraham went back to his position, or condition, of being a worshipper of ADONAI.”

The model prayer that Yeshua gave us truly exemplifies the same three themes: 1) Worship – Our Father in Heaven, Holy is Your Name; 2) Intercession – “give (provide for) us, forgive us, lead us not, deliver us; and, 3) Worship again – Yours is the kingdom, Yours is the power, and Yours is the glory forever.

A father is intended to be an example, and Avraham avinu, our father Avraham, while certainly having his human faults, as we all do, was an example for all of us in our faith journey.

שַׁאֲלוּ שְׁלוֹם יְרוּשָׁלִָם – Sha’alu shalom Yerushalayim – Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May Israel turn to recognize their Messiah, and see him just as Avraham did (Yokhanan/John 8.56).

Suggested Messianic Writings reading: Luke 24.44-53

Shalom,

Our parashah this week deals with the ultimate in choice – the choice of obedience to the Covenant of ADONAI and being blessed, or disobedience and being cursed. This is where the rubber hits the road, so to speak. Israel has now chosen to enter into covenant with their Creator, and herein the consequences – pro or con, good or bad – of being in covenant are explained by Moshe.

In D’varim 27.9, Moshe said to Israel, “שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה נִהְיֵיתָ לְעָם לַיְיָ אֱלֹהֶיךָ Sh’ma Yisrael, ha-yom ha-zey nee-yey-tah l’ahm l’Adonai Elo-hey-kha, Be quiet; and listen, Israel! Today you have become the people of ADONAI your God” [CJB English translation]. As we mentioned in a past drash, the blessings and the curses only applied to Israel once they entered into the covenant. A simple way to compare is entering into a contract to buy a house; if you don’t agree to the contract (covenant), you don’t sign, you walk away with nothing lost, nothing gained. Once you agree to buy the home, you sign on the line, and then you are committed to abide by the rules of the contract or face stiff penalties.

The blessings of ADONAI’s covenant are wonderful. Everyone likes blessings, but there are requirements involved in receiving the blessings of a covenant with the Creator. In a nutshell, love ADONAI your God with all you’ve got, obey Him, and love your neighbor as yourself. Yeshua is God (Yochanan 1.18), part of the mysterious Godhead (Yesha’yahu 48.16; 61.1); He is the same always (Hebrews 13.8; Revelation 1.4); if He is our Lord, then we are grafted into the covenant of Israel, whether we are a Jewish or Gentile believer. The blessings from obedience of D’varim 28 can be ours, but so can the curses of disobedience. Some of Yeshua’s final words when He physically left this planet were that we are to obey “all that I have commanded you” (emphasis added, for He is God). Blessings are not to be our goal and purpose, but as our desire for our Messiah and Creator increases, the blessings that come can be enjoyed, and if/when there are hardships, trials and testings, through His grace they are easier to “digest”.

Once entered into a covenant like this, the consequences of disobedience are very strong. In last week’s drash for Ki Tetze, we noted how one who was hung on a stake was cursed, or despised, by G-d; the Hebrew for “cursed” being the weaker of the two instances of curse as found in B’resheet (Genesis 12.3). Now, as we get into the real depth of the covenant, the English word curse as found in D’varim 27 & 28 is ארר ah-rar, a stronger curse, meaning, “to bitterly curse, to hem in with obstacles, to render powerless, to resist”. This subject is dealt with in Hebrews 10:28-31, “Someone who disregards the Torah of Moshe is put to death without mercy on the word of two or three witnesses. Think how much worse will be the punishment deserved by someone who has trampled underfoot the Son of God; who has treated as something common the blood of the covenant which made him holy; and who has insulted the Spirit, giver of God’s grace! For the One we know is the One who said, ‘Vengeance is my responsibility; I will repay,’ and then said, ‘ADONAI will judge his people.’ It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God!” (emphasis added).
FFOZ  makes an interesting observation regarding Israel in their e-drash this week. “All through the book of Deuteronomy, Moses drives home the message: ‘Keep God’s Torah.’ When Israel failed to keep the Torah, God sent prophets warning them to repent and turn back to Torah. When they repented, they were rewarded and blessed. When they did not, they suffered the maledictions threatened in the Torah. God continuously told His people for 1,400 years to walk in His commandments, keep His Torah and His covenant. Does it make sense to imagine that after 1,400 years, God suddenly changed His mind? Yet today many theologians claim that this is what God has done to Israel. For 1,400 years He punished them when they did not keep the Torah. Then when Yeshua came, He cancelled the Torah and henceforth punished them for keeping it.”
They point out that the teaching of these theologians is far from the truth. FFOZ continues, “Rather He is the Unchanging One, the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He has not cancelled the words of His Torah. Even today, He longs for His people—all of His people—to repent, turn away from sin and come back to the good and beautiful commandments of His Torah, just as His holy Son, Yeshua, has shown us. In Yeshua His people will find forgiveness for sins, and through His Spirit we find the strength and joy to serve God with gladness.”
The days we are living in are growing darker. The only real safety is abiding in Covenant with the G-d of Israel, and walking in the Light of the Son. The gist of this covenant: once again, love ADONAI your God with all you’ve got, obey Him, and love your neighbor as yourself. May the blessings of D’varim 28 be yours.

שַׁאֲלוּ שְׁלוֹם יְרוּשָׁלִָם – Sha’alu shalom Yerushalayim – Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May Israel turn to recognize their Messiah, so that they may reap the blessings in full again.