Blessing for the Torah:
Baruch atah YHVH, Eloheynu, Melech ha-O’lam, asher
bachar banu m’kol ha-amim,
v’natan lanu eht Torah-to. Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn
ha-Torah. Ameyn.”
(Blessed are you, YHVH, our Elohim , King of the Universe,
you have selected us from among all the peoples,
and have given us your Torah.
Blessed are you, YHVH, giver of the Torah. Ameyn.)
Gen 41:38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Could we
find another like him, a man in whom is the Spirit of Elohim?”
Gen 41:39 Then Pharaoh said to Yosĕph, “Since Elohim
has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you.
Gen 41:40 “Be over my house, you yourself, and at your
mouth all my people shall kiss – only in the throne I am greater than you.”
Pharoah handed over the responsibility to Yosef for caring and
communicating with the people and meeting their needs.
Gen 41:41 And Pharaoh said to Yosĕph, “See, I have set
you over all the land of Mitsrayim.”
Gen 41:42 And Pharaoh took his seal-ring off his hand
and put it on Yosĕph’s hand. And he dressed him in garments of fine linen and
put a gold chain around his neck.
Gen 41:43 And he had him ride in the second chariot
which he had. And they cried out before him, “Bow the knee!” And he set him
over all the land of Mitsrayim.
Gen 41:44 And Pharaoh said to Yosĕph, “I am Pharaoh,
and without a word from you let no man lift his hand or foot in all the
land of Mitsrayim.”
Gen 41:45 And Pharaoh called Yosĕph’s name Zaphnath-Paʽnĕaḥ. And he gave him as a
wife Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On. And Yosĕph went out
over all the land of Mitsrayim.
Gen 41:46
Now Yosĕph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh sovereign
of Mitsrayim. And Yosĕph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went
throughout all the land of Mitsrayim.
Gen 41:47
And in the seven years of plenty the ground brought forth generously.
Gen 41:48
And he gathered all the food of the seven years which were in the land
of Mitsrayim, and laid up the food in the cities. He laid up in every city the
food of the fields which surrounded them.
Gen 41:49
Thus Yosĕph gathered very much grain, as the sand of the sea, until he
ceased counting, for it was without number.
Gen 41:50
And to Yosĕph were born two sons before the years of scarcity of food
came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On, bore to him.
Gen 41:51
And Yosĕph called the name of the first-born Menashsheh, “For Elohim has
made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house.”
Gen 41:52
And the name of the second he called Ephrayim, “For Elohim has caused me
to bear fruit in the land of my affliction.”
Gen 41:53
And the seven years of plenty which were in the land of Mitsrayim came
to an end,
Gen 41:54
and the seven years of scarcity of food began to come, as Yosĕph had
said. And the scarcity of food was in all lands, but in all the land of
Mitsrayim there was bread.
Gen 41:55
But when all the land of Mitsrayim hungered, and the people cried to
Pharaoh for bread, Pharaoh said to all the Mitsrites, “Go to Yosĕph, do
whatever he says to you.”
Gen 41:56
And the scarcity of food was over all the face of the earth, and Yosĕph
opened all the storehouses and sold to the Mitsrites. And the scarcity of food
was severe in the land of Mitsrayim.
Gen 41:57
And all the earth came to Yosĕph in Mitsrayim to buy grain, because the
scarcity of food was severe in all the earth.
Gen 42:1 And when Yaʽaqoḇ saw that there was
grain in Mitsrayim, Yaʽaqoḇ said to his sons,
“Why do you look at each other?”
Gen 42:2 And
he said, “See, I have heard that there is grain in Mitsrayim. Go down to that
place and buy for us there, and let us live and not die.”
Gen 42:3 And
Yosĕph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain in Mitsrayim.
Gen 42:4 But
Yaʽaqoḇ did not send Yosĕph’s
brother Binyamin with his brothers, for he said, “Lest some harm come to him.”
Gen 42:5 And
the sons of Yisra’ĕl went to buy grain among those who journeyed, for the
scarcity of food was in the land of Kenaʽan.
Gen 42:6 And
Yosĕph was the governor over the land, he was the one who sold to all the
people of the land. And Yosĕph’s brothers came and bowed down before him with
their faces to the earth.
Gen 42:7 And
Yosĕph saw his brothers and recognised them, but he acted as a stranger to them
and spoke to them harshly, and said to them, “Where do you come from?” And they
said, “From the land of Kenaʽan to buy food.”
Gen 42:8 So
Yosĕph recognised his brothers, but they did not recognise him.
Gen 42:9 And
Yosĕph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed about them, and said to them,
“You are spies! You have come to see the nakedness of the land!”
Gen 42:10
And they said to him, “No, my master, but your servants have come to buy
food.
Gen 42:11
“We are all one man’s sons, we are trustworthy, your servants are not
spies.”
Gen 42:12
But he said to them, “No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the
land.”
Gen 42:13
And they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man
in the land of Kenaʽan. And see, the
youngest is with our father today, and one is no more.”
Gen 42:14
And Yosĕph said to them, “It is as I spoke to you, saying, ‘You are
spies!’
Gen 42:15
“By this you shall be proven: By the life of Pharaoh, you do not leave
this place unless your youngest brother comes here.
Gen 42:16
“Send one of you, and let him bring your brother, while you are kept in
prison. So let your words be proven to see whether there is any truth in you,
or else, by the life of Pharaoh, you are spies!”
Gen 42:17 And he put them all together in prison for
three days.
Prophetically
it seems that family of Yisrael have been in prison for three days (three
thousand years) in Hebraic thinking the third day can mean two nights and two
days and third day does not have to be fully completed.
We are
living in the third day after the Messiah ascended and went to sit at the right
hand of the Father. Living without the Messiah is like living in prison.
This Torah
portion reveals two of the most powerful signs that will be evident before
Messiah’s return:
- Unprecedented favour and blessing on those
preparing to meet him.
- Our enemies and those who vehemently opposed us
coming to bow before our feet.
Rev 3:7 “And to the messenger of the assembly in
Philadelphia write, ‘He who is set-apart, He who is true, He who has the key of
Dawiḏ, He who opens and no
one shuts, and shuts and no one opens, says this:
Rev 3:8 “I
know your works – see, I have set before you an open door, and no one is able
to shut it – that you have little power, yet have guarded My Word, and have not
denied My Name.
Rev 3:9 “See, I am giving up those of the
congregation of Satan, who say they are Yehuḏim
and are not, but lie. See, I am making them come and worship before your feet,
and to know that I have loved you.
Rev 3:10
“Because you have guarded My Word of endurance, I also shall guard you
from the hour of trial which shall come upon all the world, to try those who
dwell on the earth.
Rev 3:11
“See, I am coming speedily! Hold what you have that no one take your
crown.
Rev
3:12 “He who overcomes, I shall make him
a supporting post in the Dwelling Place of My Elohim, and he shall by no means
go out. And I shall write on him the Name of My Elohim and the name of the city
of My Elohim, the renewed Yerushalayim, which comes down out of the heaven from
My Elohim, and My renewed Name.
This
Torah portion poses perhaps the greatest challenge to our lives than any other
Torah portion:
To be so aligned with
YHVH and His purposes and His Messiah in such a way that will bring us to this
place of unprecedented blessing and favour.
Yosef was obviously in
such a place. What was the key to his secret?
I believe the key has
to do with AUTHORITY.
Authority
and Order are the foundation of the throne of YHVH and His Kingdom.
Mat 22:29 And יהושע answering, said to them, “You go astray, not knowing the
Scriptures1 nor the power of Elohim. Footnote: 1Mk.
12:24.
The scripture speaks of His authority and His power is
revealed in causing His Word (Scripture) to come to pass.
They did not and we still
do not know the authority and order of YHVH.
Yosef understood
authority and order:
- If he had taken
Potiphars wife, he would have been out of order. He waited until he was
given a wife. (Yahsua is waiting for his Father to give him his bride)
- Yosef willingly
and obediently submitted to authority and was soon elevated and promoted
wherever he found himself. YHVH could not commit all the authority of
Egypt into Yosef’s hands if He could not trust Yosef with such authority.
- Because Yosef was
granted all authority he could establish order when there was a national
crisis. He was the second most powerful man in the world who was able to
provide food for a dying world.
- Yosef was willing
to pay the price, this included having to come to terms with his own
desperate situation and apparent powerlessness to do anything about it. He
knew only YHVH could deliver him from the darkness and despair he found
himself in for such a long time. (the darkest moment of Yahshua’s life is
when he cried out to the Father – “why have you forsaken me”)
- Yosef was given
favour by YHVH to come to terms with the unrighteous authority that
brought such harm and destruction upon his life. (while they were
executing the Master he prayed for their forgiveness)
- Yosef knew that
the greatest challenge he faced as the second strongest man in the world
was to gently and wisely restore his lost brothers to favour and
wholeness. Family was the most important thing in Yosef’s life. He made
sure they were well cared for in their greatest hour of need.
- The greatest
concern Yosef had was for his father – Yakov. (because Christianity has
rejected the Torah they have not honoured the Father with their
Trinitarian doctrines)
How does this Torah
portion translate into our present day situation honouring Moshiach as he
should be honoured? (Rom 10:4)
This Torah portion
presents us with an image of one of the greatest moments in history. The
revelation and recognition of Messiah by his estranged brothers.
We
recognize at this present moment we do not see Messiah as he is truly meant to
be seen. He is not just a powerful ruling king – he is the redeemer of Yisrael.
He is not the corner stone of the “church” he is the corner stone of Mount
Tzion.
Isa 28:15 because you have said, “We have made a
covenant with death, and with the grave we have effected a vision. When the
overflowing scourge passes through, it does not come to us, for we have made
lying our refuge, and under falsehood we have hidden ourselves.”
Isa 28:16 Therefore thus said the Master יהוה, “See, I am laying in Tsiyon a
stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious corner-stone, a settled
foundation. He who trusts shall not hasten away.
Isa 28:17 And I
shall make right-ruling the measuring line, and righteousness the plummet. And
the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lying, and the waters overflow the
hiding place.
Isa 28:18 And your
covenant with death shall be annulled, and your vision with the grave not
stand. When an overflowing scourge passes through, then you shall be trampled
down by it.
Both
Jew and gentile have made a covenant with death by not recognizing and coming
to the real Messiah – the only one who can deliver us from the death of this
world produced by the famine of the Word of YHVH. The world and especially
believers have created an image of Messiah that is not according to scripture –
Torah.
The
Messiah is presented here as the redeemer of Yisrael – this was his purpose on
earth.
Mat 15:22 And see, a woman of Kenaʽan came from those
borders and cried out to Him, saying, “Have compassion on me, O Master, Son of
Dawiḏ! My daughter is badly
demon-possessed.”
Mat 15:23
But He did not answer her a word. And His taught ones came and asked
Him, saying, “Send her away, because she cries after us.”
Mat 15:24
And He answering, said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the
house of Yisra’ĕl.”
Mat 15:25
But she came and was bowing to Him, saying, “Master, help me!”
Mat 15:26
And He answering, said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and
throw it to the little dogs.”
Mat 15:27
But she said, “Yea Master, for even the little dogs1 eat the
crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” Footnote:1See Rev.
22:15.
Mat
15:28 And יהושע answering, said to her, “O woman,
your belief is great! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was
healed from that hour. (Luke 7:1-10)
And so today the same truth applies – wherever there is a
true manifestation of that which is genuinely Messianic – there is a drawing
closer of the brothers of Messiah and there is healing and provision and all
manner of blessings.
Today we as believers recognize that in one sense the
work of Messiah was completed when he
breathed his last on the execution stake – yet in another sense the recognition
and acceptance by faith of who is, has not yet been fully realized by the world
and until we see and receive him for who he truly is, our lives will not be
complete – there will be no true shalom in the world.
How then do we recognize and draw closer to Yashua – the
key to all blessing?
The
following scripture clearly teaches us that becoming one with Yahshua is the
work of the Ruach of YHVH.
Joh 6:37 “All that the Father gives Me shall come to
Me, and the one who comes to Me I shall by no means cast out.
Joh 6:44 “No one is able to come to Me unless the
Father who sent Me draws him. And I shall raise him up in the last day.
Joh 6:45 “It has been written in the prophets, ‘And
they shall all be taught by יהוה.’ Everyone, then, who has heard from the Father, and learned,
comes to Me.
Joh 6:46 “Not that
anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from Elohim – He has seen the
Father.
Joh 6:47 “Truly,
truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me possesses everlasting life.
Joh 6:48 “I am the
bread of life.
Joh 6:49 “Your
fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and they died.
Joh 6:50 “This is
the bread which comes down out of the heaven, so that anyone might eat of it,
and not die.
Joh 6:51 “I am the
living bread which came down out of the heaven. If anyone eats of this bread,
he shall live forever. And indeed, the bread that I shall give is My flesh,
which I shall give for the life of the world.”
Joh 6:65 And He said, “Because of this I have said to
you that no one is able to come to Me unless it has been given to him by My
Father.”
Joh 6:66
From then on many of His taught ones withdrew and were not walking with
Him any more.
Yahshua is not hiding away, he wants to be found by us to
become one with us – because we have been instructed incorrectly we often find
difficulty in recognizing him when he calls and seeks for us.
“Baruch atah YHVH, Eloheynu, Melech ha-‘Olam, asher
natan lanu Toraht-emet, v’chay-yeh o’lam nata-b’tochenu. Baruch atah YHVH,
noteyn ha-Torah. Ameyn.”
(Blessed are you Yahweh, our Elohim, King of the
Universe, you have given us your Torah of truth, and have planted everlasting
life within our midst. Blessed are you, Yahweh giver of the Torah – Ameyn
Please
note these notes are under construction and are subject to correction and are
in no way a final authority on any subject.