12/16/2022

Parashat 10 (Miketz- last days) Portion 40 Ber 42:4 – 43:23 Amos 8:4-12 + 9:14-15 Rev 21:9-27

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.

כי ישׁ שׁבר – because there was grain…

“Will there be grain during a ‘’new world order’’?

Maybe just enough to make complete slaves of mankind.

Will there be grain during the Great tribulation?

Only for a remnant.’’

Rev 12:6  And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by Elohim, to be nourished there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

 Gen 42:1  And when Ya‛aqoḇ saw that there was grain(כי ישׁ שׁבר) in Mitsrayim, Ya‛aqoḇ said to his sons, “Why do you look at each other?” 

Why were they looking at each other? They obviously were not looking forward to the prospect of going down to a pagan country bowing down and begging for food. After all they were a Covenant people in covenant with the Maker of Heaven and earth. (‘’miketz’’?)

Or maybe something like this ‘’we will have to bow down to the leaders of a ‘’New World Order’’ so that we and our families can put food on our tables.’’

Gen 42:2  And he said, “See, I have heard that there is grain(כי ישׁ שׁבר) in Mitsrayim. Go down to that place and buy for us there, and let us live and not die.” 

Gen 42:3  And Yosěph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain in Mitsrayim

Gen 42:4  But Ya‛aqoḇ did not send Yosěph’s brother Binyamin with his brothers, for he said, “Lest some harm come to him.”  

We may be called upon to surrender the things we treasure the most – liberty, freedom of choice, freedom of speech, freedom of worship. Eventually we will be required to surrender our faith to worship the anti messiah. This of course most believers cannot do and will suffer the most horrific consequences for their refusal. Fortunately, there will be a way of escape for a remnant who will not worship “The beast” and take his mark.

Gen 42:5  And the sons of Yisra’ěl went to buy grain among those who journeyed, for the scarcity of food was in the land of Kena‛an. 

Gen 42:6  And Yosěph was the governor over the land, he was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Yosěph’s brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the earth. 

Yosef’s prophetic dream:

Gen 37:5  And Yosěph 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 42:7  And Yosěph 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 Kena‛an to buy food.” 

Why would Yosef act in such a manner? He appears to be offensive. His brothers found him to be very offensive before his captivity and now Yosef appears to be treating his brothers harshly. Yosef is not seeking revenge, but he is tactfully trying to reveal YHVH’s purposes to his brothers.

YHVH is about to deeply offend both houses of Israel, because of our arrogance.

Isa 8:14  “And He shall be for a set-apart place, but a stone of stumbling and a rock that makes for falling to both the houses of Yisra’ěl, as a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Yerushalayim. Isa 8:15  “And many among them shall stumble and fall, and be broken and snared and taken.” 

Mat 11:6  “And blessed is he who does not stumble in Me.” 

Gen 42:8  So Yosěph recognised his brothers, but they did not recognise him. 

How is this possible? For such a long time the family of Israel has been estranged from one another. A ‘’Yosef remnant’’ will be a very important part of this family that will play a key role in bringing the family together before the return of Messiah. This important part of the family may look like ‘’Egyptians’’ but they are not.

Gen 42:9  And Yosěph 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!” 

A spy seeks to uncover the secrets(‘’nakedness’’) of the enemy. So, Yosef knew that his brothers would soon discover the ‘’secret’’ withheld from them.

Does YHVH want to play games with us? No! But He does hide from us.

Isa 45:15  Truly You are Ěl, who hide Yourself, O Elohim of Yisra’ěl, Saviour! 

Why does He hide Himself?

 To see who will truly seek Him.

Deu 4:27  “And יהוה shall scatter you among the peoples, and you shall be left few in number among the nations where יהוה drives you. 

Deu 4:28  “And there you shall serve mighty ones, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. 

Deu 4:29  “But from there you shall seek יהוה your Elohim, and shall find, when you search for Him with all your heartb and with all your being. Footnote: b Jer_29:13

Deu 4:30  “In your distress, when all these words shall come upon you in the latter days, then you shall return to יהוה your Elohim and shall obey His voice. 

Deu 4:31  “For יהוה your Elohim is a compassionate Ěl, He does not forsake you, nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them. 

 

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 Kena‛an. And see, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no more.” 

Gen 42:14  And Yosěph 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. 

Our Hebrew Messiah has been presented as one clothed with Egyptian pagan garments for more than 2000 years, we are now in the third day and these pagan garments and influences are about to be removed.

Now we may ask ‘’why would YHVH choose such an ‘’unnacceptable’’ way to reveal Himself?

Isa 55:8  “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares יהוה

Isa 55:9  “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. 


Psa 18:30  The Ěl – His way is perfect


Gen 42:18  Now Yosĕph said to them the third day, “Do this and live, for I fear Elohim:

Gen 42:19  “If you are trustworthy, let one of your brothers be confined to your prison (or guard) house, and you, go, bring grain for the scarcity of food of your houses.

Gen 42:20  “And bring your youngest brother to me, and let your words be confirmed, and you do not die.” And so they did.

Gen 42:21  And they said to each other, “Truly, we are guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the distress of his life when he pleaded with us, yet we did not listen, that is why this distress has come upon us.”

Gen 42:22  And Re’uḇĕn answered them, saying, “Did I not speak to you, saying, ‘Do not sin against the boy,’ and you would not listen? And see, his blood is now required of us.”

Gen 42:23  And they did not know that Yosĕph understood them, for he spoke to them through an interpreter.

Gen 42:24  And he turned himself away from them and wept, but came back to them and spoke to them. And he took Shimʽon from them and bound him before their eyes.

Yosef was not seeking revenge; his actions were part of YHVH’s plan to unite His Family then as well as in the last days.

This story is not only about what took place many years ago – it is the story of the last days restoration of the family of YHVH.

One day we will find out how many times our Messiah wept and interceded for us.

Heb 7:25 – Messiah ever lives to make intercession for us.

 

Mat 23:37  “Yerushalayim, Yerushalayim, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to her! How often I wished to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, but you would not! 

Mat 23:38  “See! Your house is left to you laid waste, Jer_22:5

Mat 23:39  for I say to you, from now on you shall by no means see Me, until you say, ‘Blessed is He who is coming in the Name of יהוה!’ ” Psa_118:26

 

Gen 42:25  And Yosĕph commanded and they filled their sacks with grain, also to put back every man’s silver to his sack, and to give them food for the journey. And thus it was done for them.

Gen 42:26  So they loaded their donkeys with the grain and went from there.

Gen 42:27  And as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his silver, for there it was in the mouth of his sack!

Gen 42:28  And he said to his brothers, “My silver has been returned, and there it is, in my sack!” And their hearts sank and they were afraid, saying to each other, “What is this that Elohim has done to us?”

What is Yosef saying to his brothers?

What you need you cannot buy with silver.

Your need is not only for bread, but you have a greater need to see the Hand of YHVH in your present situation.

Gen 42:29  So they came to Yaʽaqoḇ their father in the land of Kenaʽan and reported to him all that befell them, saying,

Gen 42:30  “The man, the master of the land, spoke to us harshly, and took us for spies of the land.

Gen 42:31  “But we said to him, ‘We are trustworthy, we are not spies.

Gen 42:32  ‘We are twelve brothers, sons of our father. One is no more, and the youngest is today with our father in the land of Kenaʽan.’

Gen 42:33  “And the man, the master of the land, said to us, ‘By this I know that you are trustworthy: Leave one of your brothers here with me, and take food for the scarcity of food of your households, and go.

Gen 42:34  ‘And bring your youngest brother to me, then I know that you are not spies, but that you are trustworthy – I give your brother to you, and you move about in the land.’ ”

Gen 42:35  And it came to be as they emptied their sacks, that look, the bundle of each man’s silver was in his sack! And when they and their father saw the bundles of silver, they were afraid.

Why were they afraid?

They knew something really significant was happening, but they did not yet know what was about to be revealed to them.

Gen 42:36  And Yaʽaqoḇ their father said to them, “You have bereaved me – Yosĕph is no more, and Shimʽon is no more, and you would take Binyamin! All this is against me.”

Gen 42:37  So Re’uḇĕn spoke to his father, saying, “Take the lives of my two sons if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my hands, and I myself bring him back to you.”

Gen 42:38  But he said, “My son is not going down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is left alone. If any harm should come to him along the way in which you go, then you would bring down my grey hair with sorrow to the grave.”

Maybe we are now coming to the main reason of our narrative – the revelation of YHVH’s heart through Yosef and then ultimately through Messiah.

Zec 12:10  “And I shall pour on the house of Dawiḏ and on the inhabitants of Yerushalayim a spirit of favour and prayers. And they shall look on Me whom they pierced, and they shall mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son. And they shall be in bitterness over Him as a bitterness over the first-born. 

Zec 12:11  “In that day the mourning in Yerushalayim is going to be great…..

Before the revelation of Messiah there will be a great famine in the world. (Rev 11:6)

Gen 43:1  But the scarcity of food was severe in the land.

Maybe now not even the ‘’New World Order’’ has sufficient food.

 

Gen 43:2  And it came to be, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought from Mitsrayim, that their father said to them, “Go back, buy us a little food.”

Gen 43:3  But Yehuḏah spoke to him, saying, “The man vehemently warned us, saying, ‘You do not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ ”

Gen 43:4  “If you let our brother go with us, we go down and buy you food.

Gen 43:5  “But if you do not let him go, we do not go down, because the man said to us, ‘You do not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ ”

Gen 43:6  And Yisra’ĕl said, “Why did you do evil to me to inform the man that you still had another brother?”

Gen 43:7  And they said, “The man kept asking about us and our relatives, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ And we informed him according to these words. How could we know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”

Gen 43:8  And Yehuḏah said to Yisra’ĕl his father, “Send the boy with me, and let us arise and go, and live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones.

Gen 43:9  “I myself shall stand guaranty for him – from my hand you are to require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.

Gen 43:10  “For if we had not delayed, truly by now we could have returned this second time.”

Gen 43:11  And their father Yisra’ĕl said to them, “If so, then do this: Take some of the best fruit of the land in your vessels and bring a present down for the man, a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, nuts and almonds.

Gen 43:12  “And take double silver in your hand, and take back in your hand the silver that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. It could have been a mistake.

Gen 43:13  “And take your brother, and arise, go back to the man.

Gen 43:14  “And Ěl Shaddai give to you compassion before the man, so that he shall release your other brother and Binyamin. And I, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved!”

Gen 43:15  And the men took that present and Binyamin, and they took double the amount of silver in their hand, and arose and went down to Mitsrayim, and stood before Yosĕph.

Gen 43:16  And Yosĕph saw Binyamin with them, and said to the one over his house, “Bring the men home, and make a great slaughter, and prepare, for these men are to eat with me at noon.”

Gen 43:17  And the man did as Yosĕph said, and the man brought the men into Yosĕph’s house.

Gen 43:18  And the men were afraid because they were brought into Yosĕph’s house. And they said, “It is because of the silver, which was put back into our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, to throw himself upon us and fall upon us, to take us as slaves, our donkeys too.”

Gen 43:19  So they came near to the man over the house of Yosĕph, and spoke to him at the door of the house,

Gen 43:20  and said, “O my master, we indeed came down the first time to buy food,

Gen 43:21  but it came to be, when we came to the lodging place, that we opened our sacks and saw each man’s silver in the mouth of his sack, our silver in its weight. And we have brought it back in our hand.

Gen 43:22  “And we have brought down other silver in our hands to buy food. We do not know who put our silver in our sacks.”

Gen 43:23  But he said, “Peace be with you, do not be afraid. Your Elohim and the Elohim of your father has given you (Heb – ‘’matmon’’ - a hidden treasure) in your sacks – your silver had come to me!” And he brought Shimʽon out to them.

One of the hidden meanings of this parashah.

YHVH is committed to restoring one family and one nation on this earth – Yisrael – All other nations will only experience restoration once His Family is restored to their inheritance and position as a priestly people, not dominating other nations but praying and interceding for them. It is evident that He will take whatever measures are necessary to bring about the restoration of Israel – the family of Yakov – see also Ezekiel 47:21-23

YHVH’s plans cannot be stopped by the nations. Many people try to create or replace this one family of YHVH whom He has chosen – see Ps 2

Upon closer examination of Yakov’s family, we note somewhat dysfunctionality, yet this is the family YHVH chose to be His model end time and eternal family. Even after the Messianic rule when the New Yerushalayim descends from heaven, entrance can only be gained by passing through one of the twelve gates named after the 12 sons of Yakov – see Rev 21:10-14

One of the biggest hinderances for this family coming together is the restoration of our complete honour and respect for YHVH, His Word - Torah and His Messengers. (Mark 12:28-32)

Mal 4:4  “Remember the Torah of Mosheh, My servant, which I commanded him in Ḥorěḇ for all Yisra’ěl – laws and right-rulings. 

Mal 4:5  “See, I am sending you Ěliyah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of יהוה

Mal 4:6  “And he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with utter destruction.”a Footnote: aSee also Zec_14:13.

One of the most important keys for us to understand the Yosef narrative is the use of the name of YHVH. YHVH is only used 8 times in the opening story of Yosef – Ber 39:2,3,5,21,23) For the remainder of Yosefs story no mention is made of the name of YHVH. Some commentators believe this was done to reflect the dishonour that was brought to His Name evidenced by the disrespectful way Yakov was treated by his sons.

This remains true for all religions of this world

The coming exile of the Yisrael in the last days will be the final opportunity for Yisrael and all those grafted into Yisrael to bring honour to YHVH and to the leaders He has chosen.

YHVH Will Restore Yisrael

Eze 20:33  “As I live,” declares the Master יהוה, “do not I, with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out, reign over you? 

Eze 20:34  “And I shall bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the lands where you are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out. 

Eze 20:35  “And I shall bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and shall enter into judgment with you face to face there. 

Eze 20:36  “As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Mitsrayim, so I shall enter into judgment with you,” declares the Master יהוה

Eze 20:37  “And I shall make you pass under the rod, and shall bring you into the bond of the covenant, 

Eze 20:38  and purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against Me. From the land where they sojourn I bring them out, but they shall not come into the land of Yisra’ěl. And you shall know that I am יהוה

Eze 20:39  “As for you, O house of Yisra’ěl,” thus said the Master יהוה, “Go, serve each of you his idols, and afterwards, if you are not listening to Me. But do not profane My set-apart Name any more with your gifts and your idols. 

Eze 20:40  “For on My set-apart mountain, on the mountain height of Yisra’ěl,” declares the Master יהוה, “there all the house of Yisra’ěl, all of them in the land, shall serve Me. There I shall accept them, and there I shall require your offerings and the first-fruits of your offerings, together with all your set-apart gifts. 

Eze 20:41  “As a sweet fragrance I shall accept you when I bring you out from the peoples. And I shall gather you out of the lands where you have been scattered. And I shall be set-apart in you before the nations. 

Eze 20:42  “And you shall know that I am יהוה, when I bring you into the land of Yisra’ěl, into the land for which I lifted My hand in an oath to give to your fathers. 

Eze 20:43  “And there you shall remember your ways and all your deeds with which you were defiled. And you shall loathe yourselves in your own sight because of all the evils that you did. 

Eze 20:44  “And you shall know that I am יהוה, when I have dealt with you for My Name’s sake, not according to your evil ways nor according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Yisra’ěl,” declares the Master יהוה.’ ” 

 

Amo 8:4  Hear this, you who are swallowing up the needy, to do away with the poor of the land, 

Amo 8:5  saying, “When does the New moon pass so that we sell grain, and the Sabbath so that we trade our wheat, to make the ěphah small and the sheqel large, and to falsify the scales by deceit, 

Amo 8:6  to buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals, and sell the chaff of the wheat?” (Ezek 16:49)

Amo 8:7  יהוה has sworn by the Excellency of Ya‛aqoḇ, “I shall never forget any of their works. 

Amo 8:11  “See, days are coming,” declares the Master יהוה, “that I shall send a hunger in the land, not a hunger for bread, nor a thirst for water, but for hearing the Words of יהוה

Amo 8:12  “And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east – they shall diligently search, seeking the Word of יהוה, but they shall not find it.a Footnote: a Jer_5:13, Hos_8:12, Eze_34:3-10

Amo 8:8  “Shall the land not tremble for this, and everyone mourn who dwells in it? And all of it shall swell like the River, heave and subside like the River of Mitsrayim.

Act 17:30  “Truly, then, having overlooked these times of ignorance, Elohim now commands all men everywhere to repent, Act 17:31  because He has set a day on which He is going to judge the world in righteousness by a Man whom He has appointed,b having given proof of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” Footnote: bSee Act_10:42


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 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.