Vayechi
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.