Number Nine.
The 9th letter of the Aleph-bet is the letter “tet”, which can
mean “to surround with goodness”.
The number nine paints a picture of bearing fruit and giving.
Gal 5:22,23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustworthiness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is
no Torah (there is no specific instruction given concerning the measure of the
giving and the receiving of these gifts ).
1 Corinthians
12:7-10 mentions the nine gifts of the Ruach Ha kodesh.
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.)
The
single greatest tragedy of the Common Era is the misunderstanding of the
mission of Yahshua. One of the most neglected and misunderstood statements
Yahshua ever made is found in Mat 15:24.
Mat 15:24
ויען ויאמר לא שלחתי בלתי אל־הצאן האבדות אשר לבית
ישראל׃
Mat 15:24 And
He answering, said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of
Yisra’ĕl.”
“Long ago, a
wonderful rabbi acted as our kinsman redeemer and sent messengers around the
world to find us.”
The clear prophetic image of the coming Messiah was
that he would bring together the lost sheep of the house of Yisrael.
Yir/ Jer 50:6 “My
people have been wandering1 sheep. Their shepherds have led them
astray, turning them away on the mountains. They have gone from mountain to
hill, they have forgotten their resting place. Footnote: 1Or lost,
or straying, or perishing.
Yochanan/John 10:14 “I am the good shepherd.1 And I
know Mine, and Mine know Me, Footnote: 1Ezek. 34:11-12, Heb. 13:20,
1 Peter 2:25, 1 Peter 5:4.
Joh 10:15
even as the Father knows Me, and I know the Father. And I lay down My
life for the sheep.
Joh 10:16 “And other sheep I have
which are not of this fold – I have to bring them as well, and they shall hear
My voice, and there shall be one flock, one shepherd.1 Footnote: 1Ezek.
34:23, Ezek. 37:24.
Rom 11:24
For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and
were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree, how much more shall
these who are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive
tree?
Rom 11:25
For I do not wish you to be ignorant of this secret, brothers, lest you
should be wise in your own estimation, that hardening in part has come over
Yisra’ĕl, until the completeness of the gentiles1 has come in.
Footnote: 1Gen. 48:19.
Eze
34:11 ‘For thus said the Master יהוה, “See, I Myself shall search for My sheep and seek them out.
Eze 34:12 “As a shepherd seeks out
his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so I shall seek out My
sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered in a day
of cloud and thick darkness.
Eze 34:13 “And I shall bring them
out from the peoples and gather them from the lands, and shall bring them to
their own land. And I shall feed them on the mountains of Yisra’ĕl, in the
valleys, and in all the dwellings of the land.
Maybe the above prophecy
is the true reality of how we came into this wonderful messianic
restoration. We cannot really claim responsibility for where we are, most of us
are under the firm conviction that the initiative for this wonderful transition
that has taken place in our lives comes from YHVH and Him alone.
Maybe it’s time for deep repentance from those who call
themselves believers in Messiah – WE HAVE ALL FAILED TO REALIZE HIS MISSION AND
HAVE ALL MISREPRESENTED HIM FOR TOO LONG.
1Pe 2:25
For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the
Shepherd and Overseer of your lives.
Churchman
have hijacked the mission of Messiah but claiming that he had another agenda –
found in an evil theology called “replacement theology” which basically states
that the church has replaced Yisrael. This is a lie from the pit of hell; a lie
that makes an absolute mockery of the mission of Messiah.
Rom 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Messiah, for it is the power of
Elohim for deliverance to everyone who believes, to the Yehuḏite first and also to the Greek.
If the “good news” we preach is not primarily aimed at the
lost house of Yisrael we manifest a contempt of Messiah’s mission.
The words of Shaul addresses such a group
of people:
2Co 11:3
But I am afraid, lest, as the serpent deceived Ḥawwah by his trickery, so your minds should
be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Messiah.
2Co
11:4 For, indeed, if he who is coming
proclaims another יהושע,1 whom we have not
proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received,
or a different Good News which you have not accepted, you put up with it well
enough! Footnote: 1Mt. 24:5 & 23-24, John 5:43.
The ancient Sages believed that when the Messiah came for the first time he
would be "lowly and riding upon an ass."
This is what the Talmud teaches in Sanh.98a. When He comes the second time he
will rule as King of Kings.
To explain what seemed like a contradiction they concluded
that there must be two different Messiahs. The one who would suffer and die was given the title Mashiach ben Yosef
(Messiah son of Joseph) and one who would reign as king was given the
title Mashiach ben David (Messiah son of David). What becomes evident in the
progressive revelation of the Prophets is that these suffering and reigning
Messiahs are actually fulfilled in one Messiah, Yahshua/Yeshua, for He comes
suffers, raises from the dead, ascends and then will return a second time to
rule and reign. He is both Mashiach ben Yosef and Mashiach ben David.
Our
Torah portion begins:
Gen 37:1 And
Yaʽaqoḇ dwelt in the land of
his father’s sojournings, in the land of Kenaʽan.
The
Hebrew word for “sojournings” comes from the Hebrew word “ger” which can mean a
stranger, a foreigner, a convert to the faith of Yisrael. The idea of our
fathers being sojourners is that they didn’t fit it where they had come from,
they felt out of place.
When
we eventually return to the land NEVER TO LEAVE AND BECOME STRANGERS AGAIN – we
will proclaim – “home at last, home at last thank YHVH Almighty we are home at
last” (adapted from the words found on the tomb of the late Dr Martin Luther
King – “Free at last free at last thank G-D Almighty Im free at last)
Gen
37:2 This is the genealogy 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 of the 12 tribes of Israel to settle or “va
yashev” in the land of Yisrael one day, again, forever.
We who are not Jewish and
believe and desire to be part of Yisrael can be compared to Yosef. The gentile
nations came from Mennassah and Ephraim, Yosef’s two sons. We see prophetically
that there is a great responsibility on the descendants of Yosef – even the
birth right was given to the descendants of Yosef . However the story of Yosef
seems to indicate that for a while the birthright will passed on to Yosef so
that he could be instrumental in bringing about a restoration of Yisrael.
Ch 5:1 As
for the sons of Re’uḇĕn the first-born of Yisra’ĕl – he was the
first-born, but because he profaned his father’s bed, his birthright was given
to the sons of Yosĕph, son of Yisra’ĕl, so that the genealogy is not listed
according to the birthright,
1Ch
5:2 for Yehuḏah prevailed over his brothers, and from
him came a ruler, although the birthright was Yosĕph’s
The scepter was given to
Yehudah until Shiloh returns – Beresheet
49:10)
Gen 49:10
“The sceptre shall not turn aside from Yehuḏah, nor a Lawgiver from between his feet,
until Shiloh comes, and to Him is the obedience of peoples.
It is interesting to note
that like Yosef Messiah also comes from Mitzraim/Egypt.
Mat 2:14
And rising up, he took the Child and His mother by night and departed for
Mitsrayim,
Mat 2:15
and remained there until the death of Herodes, to fill what was spoken
by יהוה through the prophet, saying,
“Out of Mitsrayim I have called My Son.”1 Footnote:1Ex.
4:22-23, Hos. 11:1, Rev. 21:7
“ 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.
Gen
37:3 And Yisra’ĕl loved Yosĕph 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.
Yoch/Joh
15:25 but...that the word might be
filled which was written in their Torah, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’ (Ps
35:19 – the Tenach/Old Testament was also quoted as being the Torah)
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.
This dream seemed to refer to those on
earth.
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.”
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?”
This
dream seems to indicate that even messengers from heaven would bow before him.
Php 2:8
And having been found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became
obedient unto death, death even of a stake.
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 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 that יהושע Messiah is Master, to the esteem of Elohim the Father.
The Torah can only make sense when we
understand that it all points to Yahshua – Rom10:4 For Messiah is the goal[1] of the ‘Torah unto righteousness’ to everyone
who believes. Footnote:[ 1]Or end purpose; not termination.
Gen
37:11 And his brothers envied him, but
his father guarded the word.
This
reminds us of the words of Miriyam – mother of Yahshua.
Luk 2:16
And they came in haste and found Miryam and Yosĕph, and the baby lying
in a feeding trough.
Luk 2:17
And having seen, they made known the matter which was spoken to them
concerning the child.
Luk 2:18
And all those who heard marvelled at what the shepherds said to them.
Luk
2:19 But Miryam kept all these matters,
considering them in her heart.
Luk 2:20
And the shepherds returned, boasting and praising Elohim for all they
had heard and seen, as it was spoken to them.
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.”
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 of Ḥeḇron, and he went to
Sheḵem.
This is also an unusual statement made here
in the Torah. First of all Hebron is situated on a hill and not on a valley –
valleys are sometimes referred to as places of despair and even death.
Psa 23:4
When I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil.
For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
Why
would Yakov send Yosef to Shechem? The very place where Yakov and his sons had
to flee for their lives after Yakov’s sons deceived and killed the inhabitants
of the city of Shechem.
Is
this not what YHVH did with His son – He knowingly sent him to his
death????????
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.
“Dothan” means a place of “two wells” In
Aramaic Dothan can mean “double law” The reference here is obvious, the brothers
of Yosef were not in “good place” because they were not been established in the
Torah of YHVH alone, they were drinking from another law or well as well. This
is the sad state of mankind up to this day. We seek life where no life can be
found. We seek life from YHVH’s Law and from manmade law.
Yochanan/Joh 15:18 “If the world hates you, you know that it
hated Me before it hated you.
Joh 15:19
“If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you
are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, for that reason the world
hates you.
Joh 15:20
“Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than
his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they shall persecute you too. If they have
guarded My Word, they would guard yours too.
Joh 15:21
“But all this they shall do to you because of My Name, because they do
not know Him who sent Me.
Joh 15:22
“If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now
they have no excuse for their sin.
Joh 15:23
“He who hates Me hates My Father as well.
Joh 15:24 “If I did not do among them the works which no
one else did, they would have no sin. But now they have both seen and have
hated both Me and My Father,
Joh 15:25
but...that the word might be filled which was written in their Torah,
‘They hated Me without a cause.’
Joh 16:1
“These words I have spoken to you, so that you do not stumble.
Joh 16:2
“They shall put you out of the congregations, but an hour is coming when
everyone who kills you shall think he is rendering service to Elohim.
Joh 16:3
“And this they shall do to you because they did not know the Father, nor
Me.
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.
