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. Amein.
Gen 37:1 And Yaʽaqoḇ dwelt in the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Kenaʽan
The land of Yisrael is not yet their permanent residence, but will be one day.
Gen 37:2 This is the genealogy(Heb – toldot) of Yaʽaqoḇ. Yosĕph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. And the young man was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Yosĕph brought an evil report of them to his father.
It speaks of the “toldot” or genealogy of Yakov but then it goes on to
tell the story of Yosef. Why? Because Yosef’s life is an amazing prophetic fulfillment
of how the Messiah would accomplish the gathering and restoration of the 12
tribes of Yisrael/Israel to settle or “va yashev” in the land of Yisrael one
day. These twelve tribes include all
gentile nations grafted into these tribes – see Rom 11.
“ And Yosĕph
brought an evil report of them to his father.”
In this
context we believe evil or “ra-a” does not mean “lashon ha ra – a” or gossip,
but Yosef was speaking the truth about their actions. Yahshua said some harsh
but true things of the people of his generation-Mat 23:33 “Serpents, brood of
adders! How would you escape the judgment of Gehenna?
Gen 37:3 And Yisra’ěl loved Yosěph
more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. And he made
him a long robe.
Gen 37:4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and were not able to speak peaceably to him.
Pro 27:4 Wrath is cruel and displeasure overwhelming, But who is able to stand before jealousy?
Gen 37:5 And Yosĕph dreamed a dream, and told it to
his brothers. So they hated him even more.
Gen 37:6 And he said to them, “Please listen to this
dream which I have dreamed:
Gen 37:7 “See, we were binding sheaves in the midst of
the field, and see, my sheaf rose up and also stood up. And see, your sheaves
stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.”
Gen 37:8 And his brothers said to him, “Shall you
indeed reign over us? Shall you indeed rule over us?” So they hated him even
more for his dreams and for his words.
Gen 37:9 And he dreamed still another dream and related it to his brothers, and said, “See, I have dreamed another dream, and see, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars bowed down to me.”
The “sheaves” speak of
Messiah’s first earthly coming.
The “sun moon and stars speak of Messiah’s second coming.
In the dream
concerning the “sheaves” he politely asked them to please listen.. (vs 6)
In the dream of the
“sun moon and stars” twice in vs 9 we find the words “behold” now this time
there was no ‘’please’’ because this time they would have no choice in the
matter.
Php 2:9 Elohim, therefore, has highly exalted Him and given Him the Name which is above every name, Php 2:10 that at the Name of יהושע Yahshua every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, Php 2:11 and every tongue should confess Isa_45:23 that יהושע Messiah is Master, to the esteem of Elohim the Father.
In the dream of the
“sheaves” hatred is mentioned before and after; in the dream of the “sun moon
and stars” hatred is neither mentioned before or after.
In the dream of the
“sheaves” his brothers bow down to his sheaf but not to Yosef. In the dream of
the “sun moon and stars” the sun moon and stars bow down to Yosef (Messiah)
The Talmud teaches
that the Messiah will appear twice. First as Moshiach Ben Yosef and then as
Moshiach Ben David - Talmud Sanhedrin 97b
The Hebrew word for
“sheaves” is Strongs 485 “alumah” vs 7. (to be bound) This word is related to
Strongs 481 “alam” which means ‘’to be put to silence” and is found in Isa
53:7 He was oppressed and He was
afflicted, but He did not open His mouth. He was led as a lamb to the
slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,(alam) but He did not
open His mouth.
Gen 37:10 And he related it to his father and his
brothers. And his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that
you have dreamed? Shall we, your mother and I and your brothers, indeed come to
bow down to the earth before you?” (Not to Yoseph but to Yahshua)
Gen 37:11 And his brothers envied him, but his father
guarded the word.
Gen 37:12 And his brothers went to feed their father’s
flock in Sheḵem.
Gen 37:13 And Yisra’ĕl said to Yosĕph, “Are not your
brothers feeding the flock in Sheḵem? Come, I send you to them.” So he
said to him, “Here I am.” (78 km journey)
Gen 37:14 And he said to him, “Please go and see if it is well with your brothers and well with the sheep, and bring back word to me.” So he sent him out of the Valley עמקof Ḥeḇron, and he went to Sheḵem.
The Torah is concealing a mystery in vs 14 because Hebron is not in a
valley but on a hill. Why would the Torah deliberately make this kind of error?
‘’’valley or עמק implies
a profound journey from a ‘’deep place’’ that will eventually secure our eternal
redemption.
Hebron – is the burial
ground of Avraham Yitschaq and Yakov and their wives – it is also the place
where king Dawid was anointed as king over Yisrael by Shamuel.
Is it possible that
Shechem or “shoulder” was the place where we were meant to bear the yoke of YHVH’s
Word - His Torah – see Matt 11:28-30. Yahshua was most probably referring to
the yoke of the Torah as this was the rabbinic custom of expressing our duty
towards the studying and living of Torah.
“Dothan” S1886 - the place of two wells or the place of the
double law (Aramaic). This could refer to the apostasy that takes hold of
YHVH’s called out ones when they leave the One law of the Torah and seek to
establish their own or an additional law. This has sadly happened amongst many
Jews and Gentiles.
Gen 37:15 And a certain man found him, and see, he was
wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying, “What do you seek?”
Gen 37:16 And he said, “I am seeking my brothers.
Please inform me where they are feeding their sheep.”
Gen 37:17 And the man said, “They have left here, for I
heard them say, ‘Let us go towards Dothan.’
” So Yosĕph went after his brothers and found them in Dothan.
Gen 37:18 And they saw him from a distance, and before
he came near them, they plotted against him, to kill him.
Gen 37:19 And they said to each other, “See, this
master of dreams is coming!
Gen 37:20 “Now, then, come and let us now kill him and
throw him into some pit, and shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured him.’ Let
us then see what comes of his dreams!”
Gen 37:21 But Re’uḇĕn heard and rescued him from their
hands, and said, “Let us not take his life.”
Gen 37:22 And Re’uḇĕn said to them, “Shed no blood.
Throw him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on
him” – in order to rescue him out of their hands, and bring him back to his
father.
When the great Shepherd of the sheep (Yahshua) came to seek and save the
lost sheep of the house of Yisrael, his brothers also plotted to kill him.
Gen 37:23 So it came to be, when Yosĕph had come to his
brothers, that they stripped Yosĕph of his robe, the long robe which was on
him.
Gen 37:24 And they took him and threw him into a pit.
And the pit was empty, there was no water in it.
Gen 37:25 And they sat down to eat a meal. And they
lifted their eyes and looked and saw a company of Yishmaʽĕlites, coming from
Gilʽaḏ with their camels, bearing spices, and balm, and myrrh, going to take
them down to Mitsrayim.
Gen 37:26 And Yehuḏah said to his brothers, “What
would we gain if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?
Gen 37:27 “Come and let us sell him to the
Yishmaʽĕlites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our
flesh.” And his brothers listened.
Gen 37:28 And men, Miḏyanite traders passed by, so
they pulled Yosĕph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the
Yishmaʽĕlites for twenty pieces of silver. And they took Yosĕph to Mitsrayim.
Gen 37:29 And Re’uḇĕn returned to the pit, and see,
Yosĕph was not in the pit. And he tore his garments.
Gen 37:30 And he returned to his brothers and said,
“The boy is gone! And I, where am I to go?”
Gen 37:31 So they took Yosĕph’s robe, killed a male
goat, and dipped the robe in the blood,
Gen 37:32 and sent the long robe and brought it to their father and said, “We have found this. Please look, ( Heb “Haker na’’ please identify) is it the robe of your son or not?”
In Hebrew
“Haker na” means “please identify” we hear these
words again in Gen 38:25 when Yahudah/Judah must face his transgression of violating
his daughter in law Tamar who was carrying his child. Yahudah is asked if the
seal and staff presented by his daughter in law who posed as a prostitute were
his – ‘’haker na’’ please identify.
Gen 37:33 And he recognised it and said, “It is my
son’s robe. An evil beast has devoured him. Yosĕph is torn, torn to pieces.”
Gen 37:35 And all his sons and all his daughters arose
to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted, and he said, “Now let me go
down into the grave to my son in mourning.” So his father wept for him.
Gen 37:36 And the Miḏanites had sold him in Mitsrayim to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard
YOSEPH & YAHSHUA: MESSIANIC PARALLELS
Shepherd, Mediator, Beloved of the Father, Raised
with sons of "weakness"- A son of wisdom
(Firstborn)- Hated without a cause (sinat
chinam). Physical & Spiritual rule - Sent by the Father;
Betrayed by “Yahudah/Judas”... ...for silver Came forth from the ground -Went among the Gentiles (the “slaughterers”) - Garment was dipped in blood... (Rev 19:13) ...and presented to the Father.
Apocrypha - Jubilees 34: 12 And the sons of Yacob slaughtered a
kid, and dipped the coat of Yoseph in the blood, and sent it to Yacob their
father on the tenth of the seventh month.
13 And he mourned
all that night, for they had brought it to him in the evening, and he became
feverish with mourning for his death, and he said: 'An evil beast has devoured
Yoseph'; and all the members of his house [mourned with him that day, and they]
were grieving and mourning with him all that day.
14 And his sons and
his daughter rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted for his
son.
15 And on that day
Bilhah heard that Yoseph had perished, and she died mourning him, and she was
living in Qafratef, and Dinah also, his daughter, died after Yoseph had
perished.
16 And there came
these three mournings upon Yisrael in one month. And they buried Bilhah over
against the tomb of Rachel, and Dinah also his daughter, they buried there.
17 And he mourned for
Yoseph one year, and did not cease, for he said 'Let me go down to the grave
mourning for my son'.
18 For this reason
it is ordained for the children of Yisrael that they should afflict themselves
on the tenth of the seventh month -on the day that the news which made him weep
for Yoseph came to Yacob his father-(Yom Kippur) that they should make
atonement for themselves thereon with a young goat on the tenth of the seventh
month, once a year, for their sins; for they had grieved the affection of their
father regarding Yoseph his son.
19 And this day has been ordained that they should grieve thereon for their sins, and for all their transgressions and for all their errors, so that they might cleanse themselves on that day once a year.
The Torah is not only about the History of Israel, it is the history of all true believers.
Rom 7:12 So that the Torah truly is set-apart, and the command set-apart, and righteous, and good. Rom 7:13 Therefore, has that which is good become death to me? Let it not be! But the sin, that sin might be manifest, was working death in me through what is good, so that sin through the command might become an exceedingly great sinner. Rom 7:14 For we know that the Torah is Spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold under sin. Rom 7:15 For what I work, I know not. For what I wish, that I do not practise, but what I hate, that I do. Rom 7:16 But if I do what I do not wish, I agree with the Torah that it is good. Rom 7:17 And now, it is no longer I that work it, but the sin dwelling in me. Rom 7:18 For I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwells no good. For to wish is present with me, but to work the good I do not find. Rom 7:19 For the good that I wish to do, I do not do; but the evil I do not wish to do, this I practise. Rom 7:20 And if I do that which I do not wish, it is no longer I who work it, but the sin dwelling in me. Rom 7:21 I find therefore this law, that when I wish to do the good, that the evil is present with me. Rom 7:22 For I delight in the Torah of Elohim[a] according to the inward man, Footnote: aSee Psa_119:16. Rom 7:23 but I see another torah in my members, battling against the torah of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the torah of sin which is in my members. Rom 7:24 Wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from this body of death? Rom 7:25 Thanks to Elohim, through יהושע Messiah our Master! So then, with the mind I myself truly serve the Torah of Elohim, but with the flesh the torah of sin.
The Torah was given to show us the exceeding sinfulness of sin, which was measured by the exceedingly great price YHVH was willing to pay (to let His beloved brought forth Son die) not only to forgive our sin but to also remove our sin completely.
Rom 5:20 And the Torah came in beside, so that the trespass would increase. But where sin increased, favour increased still more, Rom 5:21 so that as sin did reign in death, even so favour might reign through righteousness to everlasting life through יהושע Messiah our Master.
Baruch atah YHVH, Eloheinu, Melech
ha-‘Olam, asher natan lanu Toraht-emet, v’chai-yeh o’lam nata-b’tocheinu.
Baruch atah YHVH, notein ha-Torah. Amein.
Blessed are you YHVH, 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, YHVH giver of the Torah –
Amein.