2/03/2023

Parashat 13 (Shemot) Portion 49 – Ex 2:1-25 Jer 1:1-2:3


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

וילך אישׁ – a man went …  וַיֵּלֶךְ אִישׁ, מִבֵּית לֵוִי; וַיִּקַּח, אֶת-בַּת-לֵוִי.

The Birth of Mosheh

Exo 2:1  And a man of the house of Lěwi went and married a daughter of Lěwi. 

Why does the Torah omit the details of this ‘’man’’ here? The Torah wants us to enquire about this man and the circumstances surrounding this relationship.

Vs 1 refers to Exo 6:20  And Amram took for himself Yoḵeḇeḏ, his father’s sister, as wife. And she bore him Aharon and Mosheh. And the years of the life of Amram were one hundred and thirty-seven.

This creates a dilemma - Lev 18:12  ‘The nakedness of your father’s sister you do not uncover, she is your father’s flesh.  His father's sister - דדתו dodatho. The true meaning of this word is uncertain.

The best critics suppose that Jochebed was the cousin of Amram, and not his aunt. In Hebrew ‘’dodi’’’can also mean someone who is much loved. Does Mosheh come from a questionable background?

Maybe the use of ‘’dodatho’’ is deliberate and meant to cause us to seek some explanations.

The ‘’virgin’’ birth of Messiah created some confusion for another ‘’ish’’ called Yosef. Mat 1:19  And Yosěph her husband, being righteous, and not wishing to make a show of her, had in mind to put her away secretly. 

Mat 1:20  But while he thought about this, see, a messenger of יהוה appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Yosěph, son of Dawiḏ, do not be afraid to take Miryam as your wife, for that which is in her was brought forth from the Set-apart Spirit. 

Exo 2:2  And the woman conceived and bore a son. And she saw that he was a lovely child, and she hid him three months. 

Yahshua also had to be hidden - 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.” Exo_4:22-23, Hos_11:1, Rev_21:7

Exo 2:3  And when she could hide him no longer, she took an ark(Heb ‘’teivah’’) of wicker for him, and coated it with tar and pitch, and put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the edge of the river. 

This is the first appearance of this word ‘’teivah’’ – This same word is also used to describe Noach’s ark. The word ‘’teivah’’ is only used in the context of Mosheh and Noacch in the Torah. The ‘’teivah’’ unlike a boat cannot direct its course, it simply floats as it is guided by the wind – Heb ‘’ruach’’

 

Exo 2:4  And his sister stood at a distance, to know what would be done to him. 

Miryam – Yahshua’s relatives also stood at a distance to see how they executed him - Joh 19:25  And by the stake of יהושע stood His mother, and His mother’s sister, Miryam the wife of Qlophah, and Miryam from Maḡdala. 

Jeremiah’s calling is also unusual - Jer 1:5  “Before I formed you in the belly I knew you, and before you came out of the womb I did set you apart – I appointed you a prophet to nations.” 

We see a similar incident when Miryam Yahshua’s pregnant mother meets her aunt Elisheva - Luk 1:39  And Miryam arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Yehuḏah, Luk 1:40  and entered into the house of Zeḵaryah and greeted Elisheḇa. 

Luk 1:41  And it came to be, when Elisheḇa heard the greeting of Miryam, that the baby leaped in her womb. And Elisheḇa was filled with the Set-apart Spirit, Luk 1:42  and called out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! Luk 1:43  “And who am I, that the mother of my Master should come to me? Luk 1:44  “For look, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 

Exo 2:5  And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river, and her young women were walking by the riverside. And when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her female servant to get it, 

Exo 2:6  and opened it and saw the child, and see, the baby wept. So, she had compassion on him, and said, “This is one of the children of the Hebrews.” 

We see Yahshua also coming into a gentile pagan world. Even the rabbis were expecting the Messiah to be associated with the Roman empire – a type of Egypt - ( Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 98a)

https://www.sefaria.org/Sanhedrin.98b.12?lang=bi

‘’Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi asked Elijah another question about the future time: “When will the Messiah come? Elijah answered, “Go and ask him, himself.” Rabbi Yehoshua was amazed: “You mean I could find him, talk to him—now? Where is he?” Elijah said, “You can find him at the gates of Rome.” “How will I recognize him at the gates of Rome?” asked Rabbi Yehoshua. Elijah told him, “There he sits among the lepers….’’

Exo 2:7  And his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” 

Exo 2:8  And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” And the young woman[a] went and called the child’s mother. Footnote: aSee Explanatory Notes: Maiden. 

Exo 2:9  And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, then I shall pay your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. 

Exo 2:10  And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Mosheh, saying, “Because I have drawn him out of the water.” 

Yahshua was also nursed by His mother - Luk 11:27  And it came to be, as He was saying this, a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which You sucked!” 

Luk 11:28  But He said, “Blessed rather are those hearing the Word of Elohim and watching over it!”b Footnote: bSee Luk_8:21


Luk 8:21  And He answering, said to them, “My mother and My brothers are those who are hearing the Word of Elohim and doing it.”[b] Footnote: b Mat_12:50, Mar_3:35 

Mosheh Flees to Midian

Exo 2:11  And in those days it came to be, when Mosheh was grown, that he went out to his brothers and looked at their burdens. And he saw a Mitsrian striking a Hebrew, one of his brothers. 

Exo 2:12  So he turned this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he struck the Mitsrian and hid him in the sand. 

‘’Jasher 71: 2. And when the man who was beaten saw Moses he ran to him for help, for the man Moses was greatly respected in the house of Pharaoh, and he said to him, My lord attend to me, this Egyptian came to my house in the night, bound me, and came to my wife in my presence, and now he seeks to take my life away. 3. And when Moses heard this wicked thing, his anger was kindled against the Egyptian, and he turned this way and the other, and when he saw there was no man there he smote the Egyptian and hid him in the sand, and delivered the Hebrew from the hand of him that smote him.’’

Exo 2:13  And he went out the second day and saw two Hebrew men fighting, and he said to the one who did the wrong, “Why do you strike your neighbour?” 

Exo 2:14  And he said, “Who made you a head and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Mitsrian?” And Mosheh feared and said, “Truly, the matter is known!” 

Exo 2:15  And Pharaoh heard of this matter, and he sought to kill Mosheh. But Mosheh fled from the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Miḏyan. And he sat down by a well. 

Mosheh had to learn obedience to YHVH through the things which he suffered.

Heb 5:7  who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and petitions with strong crying and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His reverent fear, Heb 5:8  though being a Son, He learned obedience by what He suffered. Heb 5:9  And having been perfected, He became the Causer of everlasting deliverance to all those obeying Him,[b] Footnote: b Joh_3:36, Joh_14:15, Joh_14:23, Joh_15:10, Act_3:22-23.

Exo 2:16  And the priest of Miḏyan had seven daughters. And they came and drew water, and they filled the troughs to water their father’s flock, 

Exo 2:17  but the shepherds came and drove them away. Then Mosheh stood up and came to their rescue, and watered their flock. 

Exo 2:18  And they came to Re‛u’ěl[b] their father, and he said, “How is it that you have come so soon today?” Footnote: bHis title was Yithro (Excellency). 

Exo 2:19  And they said, “A Mitsrian rescued us from the hand of the shepherds, and he also drew enough water for us and watered the flock.” 

Exo 2:20  And he said to his daughters, “And where is he? Why did you leave the man? Call him and let him eat bread.” 

Exo 2:21  And Mosheh agreed to dwell with the man, and he gave Tsipporah his daughter to Mosheh. 

Wells were significant places – Eliezer found Rivka at a well. Yitzchak was waiting for Rivka at a well – Beer le chai Roi -  Moshe meets Tzipporah at a well – Yahshua meets the Samaritan woman at Yakov’s well in Schechem. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sz81dIfwf4Y

Exo 2:22  And she bore him a son, and he called his name Gěreshom, for he said, “I have become a sojourner in a foreign land.” 

Exo 2:23  And it came to be after these many days that the sovereign of Mitsrayim died. And the children of Yisra’ěl groaned because of the slavery, and they cried out. And their cry came up to Elohim because of the slavery. 

Exo 2:24  And Elohim heard their groaning, and Elohim remembered His covenant with Aḇraham, with Yitsḥaq, and with Ya‛aqoḇ. 

Exo 2:25  And Elohim looked on the children of Yisra’ěl, and Elohim knew! 

Only YHVH knows the exact time of our deliverance from this present world - Mat 24:36  “But concerning that day and the hour no one knows, not even the messengers of the heavens, but My Father only.[h] Footnote: h Mar_13:32 

To understand the scriptures we need to see that Messiah is goal of all scripture - Rom 10:4  For Messiah is the goal[b] of the ‘Torah unto righteousness’ to everyone who believes. To understand prophecy we need to see that Yahshua is also the goal of prophecy – Rev 19:10 … For the witness of יהושע is the spirit of prophecy.” 

 Yahshua came to free us from our bondage to sin. Mat 1:21  “And she shall give birth to a Son, and you shall call His Name יהושע for He shall save His people from their sins.”

In Jer 1:5 of our haftorah portion we read:

 

ה  בְּטֶרֶם אצורך (אֶצָּרְךָ) בַבֶּטֶן יְדַעְתִּיךָ, וּבְטֶרֶם תֵּצֵא מֵרֶחֶם הִקְדַּשְׁתִּיךָ:  נָבִיא לַגּוֹיִם, נְתַתִּיךָ.

5 Before I (will form) formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before you (will) come forth out of the womb I sanctified thee; I have appointed you a prophet unto the nations.

In the Hebrew text our attention is drawn to two different spellings for the word ‘’ אצורך'' In the scroll the scribes wrote the word without the ''vav'' Why remove the ‘’vav’’? Perhaps this is a future reference to the physical birth and existence of the Messiah. This is important for many believers ‘’deity’’ the physical birth and earthly existence of the Messiah. (Trinitarian heresy)

1Jn 4:3  and every spirit that does not confess that יהושע Messiah has come in the flesh is not of Elohim. And this is the spirit of the anti-messiah which you heard is coming, and now is already in the world. 

Tragically many Christians and even Messianic believers proclaim that YHVH and Messiah are the same Person. The Set Apart Spirit is bringing a correction to this way of thinking amongst believers – those whose names have been written in ‘the Book of life’ before the foundation of the world. All  true believers whose names have been recorded will repent. Even this repentance is a gift from YHVH who does not want anyone to perish - 2Pe 3:9  יהוה is not slow in regard to the promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward us, not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.[b] Footnote: b 1Ti_2:4

Eph 1:3  Blessed be the Elohim and Father of our Master יהושע Messiah, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Messiah, Eph 1:4  even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be set-apart and blameless before Him, in love,[a] Footnote: aSee also 2Th_2:13

Rev 13:7  And it was given to him (second beast) to fight with the set-apart ones and to overcome them. And authority was given to him over every tribe and tongue and nation. Rev 13:8  And all those dwelling on the earth, whose names (shemot)have not been written in the Book of Life of the slain Lamb, from the foundation of the world shall worship him. 

Rev 3:5  “He who overcomes shall be dressed in white robes, and I shall by no means blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I shall confess his name before My Father and before His messengers. 

Eph 4:30  And do not grieve the Set-apart Spirit of Elohim, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Mat 12:31-32 blasphemy against Set Apart Spirit)

Joh 6:39  “This is the desire of the Father who sent Me, that all He has given Me I should not lose of it, but should raise it in the last day. 

Rev 22:19  and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, Elohim shall take away his part from the Book[f] of Life, and out of the set-apart city, which are written in this Book. Footnote: f Some manuscripts read ‘tree of life’.”  (Revelation was the embodiment of all scripture)

Deu 29:16  “For you know how we dwelt in the land of Mitsrayim and how we passed through the nations which you passed through, 

Deu 29:17  and you saw their abominations and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were with them, 

Deu 29:18  lest there should be among you a man or woman or clan or tribe, whose heart turns away today from יהוה our Elohim, to go and serve the mighty ones of these nations, lest there should be among you a root bearing bitterness or wormwood. 

Deu 29:19  “And it shall be, when he hears the words of this curse, that he should bless himself in his heart, saying, ‘I have peace though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart,’ in order to add drunkenness to thirst. 

Deu 29:20  “יהוה would not forgive him, but rather, the displeasure of יהוה and His jealousy shall burn against that man, and every curse that is written in this book shall settle on him, and יהוה shall blot out his name from under the heavens. 

Deu 29:21  “And יהוה shall separate him for evil, out of all the tribes of Yisra’ěl, according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this Book of the Torah. 

Isa 62:2  And the nations shall see your righteousness, and all sovereigns your esteem. And you shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of יהוה designates. 

Rev_2:17  “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To him who overcomes I shall give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I shall give him a white stone, and on the stone a renewed Name written which no one knows except him who receives it.”  

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.

1/27/2023

Parashat 13 (Shemot) Portion 48 – Shem/Exodus 1:1-2:22 Yesh 27:6-13 Heb 11:23 Rom 8:4


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.

This Torah portion reminds us about the ‘’greater exodus’’- May our names (‘’shemot’’) be amongst those inscribed in His Mighty Hand of deliverance.

Jer 16:14  “Therefore see, the days are coming,” declares יהוה, “when it is no longer said, ‘יהוה lives who brought up the children of Yisra’ěl from the land of Mitsrayim,’ Jer 16:15  but, ‘יהוה lives who brought up the children of Yisra’ěl from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had driven them.’ For I shall bring them back into their land I gave to their fathers. Jer 16:16  “See, I am sending for many fishermen,” declares יהוה, “and they shall fish them. And after that I shall send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks. Jer 16:17  “For My eyes are on all their ways; they have not been hidden from My face, nor has their crookedness been hidden from My eyes. Jer 16:18  “And first I shall repay double for their crookedness and their sin, because they have defiled My land with the dead bodies of their disgusting matters, and have filled My inheritance with their abominations.” Jer 16:19  O יהוה, my strength and my stronghold and my refuge, in the day of distress the nations shall come to You from the ends of the earth and say, “Our fathers have inherited only falsehood, futility, and there is no value in them.”a Footnote: aSee also Psa_147:19, Isa_2:3, Isa_60:2-3, Joh_4:22, Rom_2:20, Rom_3:2 and Rom_9:4

Isa 27:12  And in that day it shall be that יהוה threshes, from the channel of the River to the wadi of Mitsrayim. And you shall be gathered one by one,[a] O children of Yisra’ěl. Footnote: a Jer_3:14-15

“In her penetrating analysis, Professor Leibowitz asks: What was the reason for the people’s exile to Egypt? Citing the normative Jewish understanding of evil, Professor Leibowitz states, “Like all other calamities that have overtaken us, this exile too was a punishment for sin.”

What was the particular sin of the Hebrew people in this case? Their desire to assimilate. As proof of the people’s massive assimilation, Professor Leibowitz notes that when the children of Jacob first entered Egypt, they declared to Pharaoh (Genesis 47:4) that they intended to stay in Egypt only temporarily, לגור בארץ באנו  La’goor ba’ah’retz bah’noo.” Eventually, however, Genesis 47:27 reports “ וישׁב ישׂראל בארץ מצרים בארץ גשׁן ויאחזו בה   that not only did the sons of Jacob settle in Egypt, they took permanent foothold in Egypt! (Heb niphal verb “achaz” – to be caught and captured and then assimilating into a foreign culture)

Furthermore, the Midrash Rabba on the verse (Exodus 1:8), “Now a new king arose,” notes,This teaches you, that when Joseph died, they [the Hebrews in Egypt] abrogated the rite of circumcision. They said, “Let us be like the Egyptians.” Because they did so, the Holy One, blessed be He, turned the love that the Egyptians bore them, into hatred…

The Midrash Yalkut Shimoni also confirms that the Hebrews of Egypt were entirely assimilated. On the verse (Exodus 1:7),”And the land was filled with them,” the Yalkut Shimoni explains that the amphitheaters and circuses of Egypt were filled with Hebrews. (Much like Hollywood)

The Ha’amek Davar  points out cogently that, originally, Yoseph had arranged for the Jewish people to reside in an exclusive ghetto area in the land of Goshen. The fact that during the tenth plague, the Almighty had to pass over the homes of the Hebrews that had the mark of the blood on the door, indicates that the Hebrews had forsaken Goshen, and were now entirely dispersed, living in Egyptian neighbourhoods into which they had assimilated. Says the Ha’amek Davar, “the Israelites were punished for violating Jacob’s wish that they should live apart from the Egyptians in Goshen. The Midrash relates that they wished to be like the Egyptians. As a result of intermingling with them, they preferred to imitate them, and not be different. This is the reason why we [Hebrews] suffer persecution in every age, because we do not desire to keep apart from the nations.”

Nehama Leibowitz points out a keen difference between the approach of the Midrash and the approach of the Ha’amek Davar. According to the Midrash, the punishment that the Israelites experienced emanated directly from Heaven. G-d turned the love with which the Egyptians bore them into hatred. The Ha’amek Davar, who sees the punishment as a natural consequence of the people’s desire to assimilate, insists that the Hebrews brought the hardships upon themselves. The non-Hebrew nations particularly resent the Hebrew minority invading their economic and cultural life.

Professor Leibowitz refers to a number of Midrashim that regard the sufferings and the exiles of the Jewish people, not as punishment, but as a source of inspiration, one that serves a vital educational purpose. Citing the verse in Proverbs 13:24, “Spare the rod and spoil the child,” the Midrash in Shemot Rabba claims that whoever spares his son corrective punishment, drives him to delinquency and hates him. The fact that Absalom fell into evil ways is attributed to the fact that his father, King David, failed to correct him. Declares Professor Leibowitz, “Exile and suffering are here invested with the refining and purificatory character.” End quote.

ואלה שׁמות- and these are the names

Exo 1:1  And these are the names of the children of Yisra’ĕl who came to Mitsrayim with Yaʽaqoḇ, each one with his household:

Exo 1:2  Re’uḇĕn, Shimʽon, Lĕwi, and Yehuḏah;

Exo 1:3  Yissasḵar, Zeḇulun, and Binyamin;

Exo 1:4  Dan and Naphtali, Gaḏ and Ashĕr.

Exo 1:5  And all those who were descendants of Yaʽaqoḇ were seventy beings, as Yosĕph was already in Mitsrayim.

Whenever the Father wants to deliver His people from bondage and establish His Kingdom and Rule on earth, He seems to use a certain pattern. He calls and prepares a leader or visionary; this leader lays down his life for this cause and for the people, YHVH calls for Himself.

The pattern seems to repeat itself; first 12 leaders then 70 messengers.

In the opening verses of this parashah we see this pattern established: First the fathers/leaders of the 12 tribes and then those with them which bring the total amount to seventy messengers or witnesses.

We see this pattern repeated with Moshe. He chose 12 leaders from the 12 tribes and then those with them totalling 70 men.

Num 11:16  Then יהוה said to Mosheh, “Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Yisra’ĕl, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them. And bring them to the Tent of Meeting, and let them stand there with you.

We see the same pattern with Yahshua. He chose 12 disciples and then those with them totalling 70.

Luk 10:1  And after this the Master appointed seventy others, and sent them two by two ahead of Him into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. Luk 10:2  Then He said to them, “The harvest indeed is great, but the workers are few, therefore pray the Master of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.

The same words used to introduce this parasha are also used in Mat 10:2  And these are the names of the twelve emissaries……(‘’ve ele shemot’’)

 “I think one of the first things I would do would be to get a small group of eight or ten or twelve men around me that would meet a few hours a week and pay the price. It would cost them something in time and effort. I would share with them everything I have, over a period of years. Then I would actually have twelve ministers among the laymen who in turn could take eight or ten or twelve more and teach them. I know one or two churches that are doing that, and it is revolutionizing the church. Christ, I think, set the pattern. He spent most of his time with twelve men. He didn’t spend it with a great crowd. In fact, every time he had a great crowd it seems to me that there weren’t too many results. The great results, it seems to me, came in his personal interview and in the time he spent with the twelve.”

Quoted in “Billy Graham Speaks: The Evangelical World Prospect,” Christianity Today, vol.3, no.1, p.5, Oct.13, 1958.

Five Major Discourses or Sermons in Matthew correspond to the five books of Torah. 

1. The Sermon on the Mount (5:1‑7:28) – Beresheet/ Genesis – Foundational teachings of the Messianic faith.

2. The Messengers Discourse (10:1‑42)-Mat 10:2  ואלה שמות  The same two words are used in the opening chapter of Exodus – ve ele shemot – “these are the names”

3. The Parable Discourse (13:1‑53) – Parables of the Kingdom of YHVH.

 This sermon compares to the third book of the Torah – ‘’Vayikra’’ – “and he called” – a Kingdom of Priests. YHVH still establishes His Kingdom with a called out priesthood. Exo 19:6  ‘and you shall be to Me a reign of priests and a set-apart nation.

4. The Community or Pilgrimage Discourse (Mat 17:22‑18:35) – Book of Bmidbar/Numbers – instruction about Messianic life in the wilderness of this current world. 1 Pet 2:9

5. The Apocalyptic Discourse (24:1‑25:46) – ‘’Devarim’’ the goal of our redemption – returning to the land and the eternal establishing of the covenant. Jer 31:31-34

Exo 1:6  And Yosĕph died, and all his brothers, and all that generation.

Exo 1:7  And the children of Yisra’ĕl bore fruit and increased very much, multiplied and became very strong, and the land was filled with them.

Exo 1:8  Then a new sovereign arose over Mitsrayim, who did not know Yosĕph,

Exo 1:9  and he said to his people, “See, the people of the children of Yisra’ĕl are more and stronger than we,

Exo 1:10  come, let us act wisely (‘’ נתחכמה'' deceive)towards them, lest they increase, and it shall be when fighting befalls us, that they shall join our enemies and fight against us, and shall go up out of the land.”

The book of Yasher gives some very interesting details about how powerful Yisrael had become and how they conquered armies who vastly outnumbered them. So they devised a scheme to enslave them. See chapters 65-80 also an interesting prophecy in Jasher Chapter 68 1. And it was at that time the spirit of God was upon Miriam the daughter of Amram the sister of Aaron, and she went forth and prophesied about the house, saying, Behold a son will be born unto us from my father and mother this time, and he will save Israel from the hands of Egypt.

Deu 18:18  I shall raise up for them a Prophet[c] like you out of the midst of their brothers. And I shall put My Words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. Footnote: cSee also Act_3:22-26, and Act_7:37

Act 3:22  “For Mosheh truly said to the fathers, ‘יהוה your Elohim shall raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brothers. Him you shall hear according to all matters, whatever He says to you. Act 3:23  ‘And it shall be that every being who does not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ Deu_18:15-19

Act 3:24  “And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Shemu’ěl and those following, have also announced these days. 

Exo 1:11  So they set slave-masters over them to afflict them with their burdens, and they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raʽamses.

Exo 1:12  But the more they afflicted them, the more they increased and grew, and they were in dread of the children of Yisra’ĕl.

Exo 1:13  And the Mitsrites made the children of Yisra’ĕl serve with harshness,

Exo 1:14  and they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all kinds of work in the field, all their work which they made them do was with harshness.

Exo 1:15  Then the sovereign of Mitsrayim spoke to the Heḇrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puʽah,

Exo 1:16  and he said, “When you deliver the Heḇrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a son, then you shall put him to death, but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.”

Exo 1:17  But the midwives feared Elohim, and did not do as the sovereign of Mitsrayim commanded them, and kept the male children alive.

Exo 1:18  So the sovereign of Mitsrayim called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and kept the male children alive?”

Exo 1:19  And the midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Heḇrew women are not like the Mitsrite women. For they are lively and give birth before the midwives come to them.”

Exo 1:20  So Elohim was good to the midwives, and the people increased and became very numerous.

Exo 1:21  And it came to be, because the midwives feared Elohim, that He provided households for them.

Exo 1:22  And Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “Throw every son who is born into the river, and keep alive every daughter.”

Exo 2:1  And a man of the house of Lĕwi went and married a daughter of Lĕwi.

Exo 2:2  And the woman conceived and bore a son. And she saw that he was a lovely child, and she hid him three months.

Exo 2:3  And when she could hide him no longer, she took an ark of wicker for him, and coated it with tar and pitch, and put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the edge of the river.

Exo 2:4  And his sister stood at a distance, to know what would be done to him.

Exo 2:5  And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river, and her young women were walking by the river-side. And when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her female servant to get it,

Exo 2:6  and opened it and saw the child, and see, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him, and said, “This is one of the children of the Heḇrews.”

Exo 2:7  And his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Heḇrew women to nurse the child for you?”

Exo 2:8  And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” And the girl went and called the child’s mother.

Exo 2:9  And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, then I shall pay your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him.

Exo 2:10  And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Mosheh, saying, “Because I have drawn him out of the water.”

Exo 2:11  And in those days it came to be, when Mosheh was grown, that he went out to his brothers and looked at their burdens. And he saw a Mitsrite beating a Heḇrew, one of his brothers.

1/20/2023

Parashat 12 (Vayegash) Portion 46/7 Ber 49:27- 50:26 Is 55:3-12, 56:8 1 Sam 9:1-10 Zech 14:1-11

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.

This is the final parashah of Bereshiet – ‘’Va yechi’’ – “and he lived” the sages taught that this final parashah of Bereshiet served as a transition for the next book of the Torah – Shemot – “Names” -Yakov and his sons died in Mitzraim,  yet we know that there future generations would live to re -enter the land of Yisrael. This is the ‘’Kibbutz Galuyot’’ of the ‘’Amidah’’ – the prayer for the ingathering of the exiles. See Zech 14

‘’Sound the great shofar for our freedom, and raise a standard to gather our exiles [from both houses of Israel], and gather us [in Messiah Yeshua] from the four corners of the earth.’’

בנימין – Benyamin – Son of My Right Hand – Yahshua is seated at the Right Hand of YHVH (Rom 8:34). We may soon witness how ferocious our Messiah is when He returns for His people. Rev 2:27  and he shall shepherd them(the nations) with a rod of iron, as the potter’s vessels shall be broken to pieces, Psa_2:9

Gen 49:27  “Binyamin is a wolf that tears, in the morning he eats prey, and at night he divides the spoil.” 

Gen 49:28  All these are the twelve tribes of Yisra’ĕl, and this is what their father spoke to them. And he blessed them, he blessed each one according to his own blessing.

Let us consider again the prophetic blessings that will come to the world in the last days through the sons of Yakov.

Initially these words of Yakov don’t appear as blessings. However Yakov is speaking the truth. Truth always brings blessings to YHVH’s people.

The Call to Scriptural Sexuality:

Gen 49:3  “Re’uḇĕn, you are my first-born, my power and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of exaltation and the excellency of power.

Gen 49:4  “Boiling (Heb ‘’pachas’’ unbridled licence) like water, you do not excel,(Heb -‘’al yathar’’ you will not have excess) because you went up to your father’s bed, then you defiled it – he went up to my couch.

In the last days, those who can hear the call for the ‘’family reunion’’, will hear the call to a Torah sexuality.

Before the Messiah returns there will be a return of Scriptural sexual values, during the millennium Yisrael will set the standard for all human sexual conduct. Serious consequences will come upon anyone who violates YHVH’s laws regarding this issue.

The Call to live in Messianic Peace – The Prince of Peace.

Gen 49:5  “Shimʽon and Lĕwi are brothers, their weapons are implements of violence.

Gen 49:6  “Let my being not enter their council, let my esteem not be united to their assembly; because they slew a man in their displeasure, and they lamed an ox in pleasure.

Gen 49:7  “Cursed be their displeasure for it is fierce, and their wrath for it is cruel! I divide them in Yaʽaqoḇ and scatter them in Yisra’ĕl.

The called out remnant will know that only Messiah can bring everlasting peace to mankind without the help of man’s ‘’implements’’ of war.

The Call to Obey Righteous Leadership:

Gen 49:8  “You, Yehuḏah, your brothers praise you; your hand is on the neck of your enemies; your father’s children bow down before you.

Gen 49:9  “Yehuḏah is a lion’s cub; from the prey you have gone up, my son! He bowed down, he crouched like a lion. And like a lion, who does rouse him?

Gen 49:10  “The sceptre shall not turn aside from Yehuḏah, nor a Lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh (to him whom it belongs) comes, and to Him is the obedience of peoples.

Gen 49:11  “Binding his donkey to the vine, and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, he washed his garments in wine, and his robes in the blood of grapes.

Gen 49:12  “His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.

Zec_9:9  “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Tsiyon! Shout, O daughter of Yerushalayim! See, your Sovereign is coming to you, He is righteous and endowed with deliverance, humble and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.b Footnote: b Mat_21:5, Joh_12:15.

The sceptre shall not depart from Yehudah. The use of the word “until” could also mean “including” and therefore when Messiah comes Yehudah keeps its position of leadership under the leadership of Messiah. In contrast to this imagery of a lion the Torah goes on to describe a donkey. The sages knew this referred to the coming of Messiah on a donkey.  Today we know that this is true of Messiah’s first coming.

The Call to Prosperous Business Enterprise:

Gen 49:13  “Zeḇulun dwells at the seashore, he is for a haven for ships, and his border is unto Tsiḏon.

The Call to become Bond Servants:

Gen 49:14  “Yissasḵar is a strong donkey lying down between two burdens,

Gen 49:15  and he saw that a resting place was good, and that the land was pleasant, and he inclined his shoulder to bear a burden, and became a subject to slave labour.

The Call to Protect:

Gen 49:16  “Dan rightly rules his people as one of the tribes of Yisra’ĕl.

Gen 49:17  “Dan is a serpent by the way, an adder by the path, that bites the horse’s heels so that its rider falls backward.

Gen 49:18  “I have waited for your deliverance, O יהוה! (For your yeshua I long – first time word yeshua or salvation is used)

The Call to Warn all of Israel’s Enemies that whatever is taken from Israel will be returned:

Gen 49:19  “Gaḏ, a raiding band raids him, but he raids its heel.

The Call to Enjoy abundant Blessings:

Gen 49:20  “Bread from Ashĕr is rich, and he gives delicacies of a sovereign.

The Call to Artistic Expression:

Gen 49:21  “Naphtali is a deer let loose, he gives words of elegance. (Mt 4:15 most of Yahshua’s teaching took place here)

The Call to Fruitfulness:

Gen 49:22  “Yosĕph is an offshoot of a fruit-bearing tree, an offshoot of a fruit-bearing tree by a fountain, his branches run over a wall. (Wall symbolic of separation between Jew and gentile)

Gen 49:23  “And the archers have bitterly grieved him, shot at him and hated him.

Gen 49:24  “But his bow remained in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the Mighty One of Yaʽaqoḇ – from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Yisra’ĕl –

Gen 49:25  from the Ěl of your father who helps you, and by the Almighty who blesses you with blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the deep that lies beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb.

Gen 49:26  “The blessings of your father have excelled the blessings of my ancestors, up to the limit of the everlasting hills. They are on the head of Yosĕph, and on the crown of the head of him who was separated from his brothers. (6x blessings is used because these blessings flow out)

The Call of the Coming Messiah who will destroy all Yisrael’s Enemies:             

Gen 49:27  “Binyamin is a wolf that tears, in the morning he eats prey, and at night he divides the spoil.”

Gen 49:29  And he commanded them, and said to them, “I am to be gathered to my people, bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Ḥittite,

Gen 49:30  in the cave that is in the field of Maḵpĕlah, which is before Mamrĕ in the land of Kenaʽan, which Aḇraham bought with the field of Ephron the Ḥittite as a possession for a burial site.

Gen 49:31  There they buried Aḇraham and Sarah his wife, there they buried Yitsḥaq and Riḇqah his wife, and there I buried Lĕ’ah –

Gen 49:32  the field purchased, and the cave which is in it, from the sons of Ḥĕth.”

Gen 49:33  And when Yaʽaqoḇ ended commanding his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.

 

Gen 50:1  And Yosĕph fell on his father’s face, and wept over him, and kissed him.

Gen 50:2  And Yosĕph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Yisra’ĕl.

Gen 50:3  And forty days were completed for him, for so are completed the days of embalming. And the Mitsrites wept for him seventy days.

Gen 50:4  And when the days of weeping for him were past, Yosĕph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If, now, I have found favour in your eyes, please speak in the hearing of Pharaoh, saying,

Gen 50:5  ‘My father made me swear, saying, “See, I am dying, bury me in my grave which I dug for myself in the land of Kenaʽan.” And now, please let me go up and bury my father, and return.’ ”

Gen 50:6  And Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear.”

Gen 50:7  And Yosĕph went up to bury his father. And with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Mitsrayim,

Gen 50:8  and all the house of Yosĕph, and his brothers, and his father’s house. Only their little ones, and their flocks, and their herds they left in the land of Goshen.

Gen 50:9  And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen, and it was a very great company.

Gen 50:10  And they came to the threshing-floor of Ataḏ, which is beyond the Yardĕn, and they lamented there with a great and very heavy lamentation. And he observed seven days of mourning for his father.

Gen 50:11  And when the inhabitants of the land, the Kenaʽanites, saw the mourning at the threshing-floor of Ataḏ, they said, “This is a grievous mourning for the Mitsrites.” That is why its name was called Aḇĕl Mitsrayim, which is beyond the Yardĕn.

Gen 50:12  And his sons did to him as he had commanded them,

Gen 50:13  for his sons brought him to the land of Kenaʽan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Maḵpĕlah, before Mamrĕ, which Aḇraham bought with the field from Ephron the Ḥittite as property for a burial site.

Gen 50:14  And after he had buried his father, Yosĕph returned to Mitsrayim, he and his brothers and all who went up with him to bury his father.

Gen 50:15  And when Yosĕph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Yosĕph hates us, and pays us back all the evil which we did to him?” (While the father lived they felt safe)

Gen 50:16  And they sent word to Yosĕph, saying, “Before your father died he commanded, saying,

Gen 50:17  ‘This is what you are to say to Yosĕph, “I beg you, please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did evil to you.” ’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the Elohim of your father.” And Yosĕph wept when they spoke to him.

Gen 50:18  And his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, “See, we are your servants.”

Gen 50:19  And Yosĕph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place (‘’tachat’’ or under) of Elohim?

Gen 50:20  “And you, you intended evil against me, but Elohim intended it for good, in order to do it as it is this day, to keep a great many people alive.

Gen 50:21  “And now, do not fear, I provide for you and your little ones.” So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

Gen 50:22  And Yosĕph dwelt in Mitsrayim, he and his father’s household. And Yosĕph lived one hundred and ten years.

Gen 50:23  And Yosĕph saw Ephrayim’s children to the third generation. The children of Maḵir, son of Menashsheh, were also brought up on Yosĕph’s knees.

Gen 50:24  And Yosĕph said to his brothers, “I am dying, but Elohim shall certainly visit you and bring you out of this land to the land of which He swore to Aḇraham, to Yitsḥaq, and to Yaʽaqoḇ.”

Gen 50:25  And Yosĕph made the children of Yisra’ĕl swear, saying, “Elohim shall certainly visit you, and you shall bring up my bones from here.”

Gen 50:26  And Yosĕph died, being one hundred and ten years old. And they embalmed him, and he was placed in a coffin in Mitsrayim.

 

Yasher 56:33 And Pharaoh commanded that it should be proclaimed throughout Egypt, saying, Whoever goes not up with Joseph and his brethren to the land of Canaan to bury Jacob, shall die.

34 And all Egypt heard of Pharaoh’s proclamation, and they all rose up together, and all the servants of Pharaoh, and the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt went up with Joseph, and all the officers and nobles of Pharaoh went up as the servants of Joseph, and they went to bury Jacob in the land of Canaan.

35 And Jacob’s sons carried the bier upon which he lay; according to all that their father commanded them, so did his sons unto him.

36 And the bier was of pure gold, and it was inlaid round about with onyx stones and bdellium; and the covering of the bier was gold woven work, joined with threads, and over them were hooks of onyx stones and bdellium.

37 And Joseph placed upon the head of his father Jacob a large golden crown, and he put a golden scepter in his hand, and they surrounded the bier as was the custom of kings during their lives.

38 And all the troops of Egypt went before him in this array, at first, all the mighty men of Pharaoh and the mighty men of Joseph, and after them the rest of the inhabitants of Egypt, and they were all girded with swords and equipped with coats of mail, and the trappings of war were upon them.

39 And all the weepers and mourners went at a distance opposite to the bier, going and weeping and lamenting, and the rest of the people went after the bier.

40 And Joseph and his household went together near the bier barefooted and weeping, and the rest of Joseph’s servants went around him; each man had his ornaments upon him, and they were all armed with their weapons of war.

But when Esau heard that Jacob’s sons were coming to bury him in the cave of Machpelah, which their Fathers were buried in, Esau and his sons stood against them. The battle that follows helps us understand great enmity between Jacob’s sons (the men of the spirit) and Esau’s sons (the men of the flesh). Here is how the battle begins.

Yasher 56:49 And Joseph and his brethren brought their father Jacob from that place, and they went to Hebron to bury Jacob in the cave by his fathers.

50 And they came unto Kireath-arba, to the cave, and as they came Esau stood with his sons against Joseph and his brethren as a hindrance in the cave, saying, “Jacob shall not be buried therein, for it belongs to us and to our father.”

Yasher 56:60 And when Esau saw that Naphtali had gone to fetch the records, he and his sons increased their resistance against the cave, and Esau and all his people rose up against Joseph and his brethren to battle.

61 And all Jacob’s sons and the people of Egypt fought with Esau and his men, and Esau’s sons and his people were smitten before Jacob’s sons, and Jacob’s sons slew of Esau’s people forty men.

64 And he asked, saying, Why do you not bury the dead, and what is this great consternation? And they answered him the words of Esau and his sons; and he ran to Esau in the midst of the battle, and he slew Esau with a sword, and he cut off his head, and it sprang to a distance, and Esau fell amongst the people of the battle.

65 And when Chushim did this thing Jacob’s sons prevailed over Esau’s sons, and Jacob’s sons buried their father Jacob by force in the cave, and Esau’s sons beheld it.

 

Possibly the largest recorded burial in history – why would this be so significant?

 

Would Yakov’s death mean the death of the ‘’patriachy’’ would we have to wait until the last days before the ‘’patriachy’’ would be restored?

 

Jer 31:8  “See, I am bringing them from the land of the north, and shall gather them from the ends of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, those with child and those in labour, together – a great assembly returning here. 

Jer 31:9  “With weeping they shall come, and with their prayers I bring them. I shall make them walk by rivers of waters, in a straight way in which they do not stumble. For I shall be a Father to Yisra’ěl, and Ephrayim – he is My first-born. 

Jer 31:10  “Hear the word of יהוה, O nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, ‘He who scattered Yisra’ěl gathers him, and shall guard him as a shepherd his flock.’ 

Jer 31:17  “And there is expectancy for your latter end,” declares יהוה, “and your children shall return to their own country. 

Jer 31:18  “I have clearly heard Ephrayim lamenting, ‘You have chastised me, and I was chastised, like an untrained calf. Turn me back, and I shall turn back, for You are יהוה my Elohim. 

Jer 31:19  For after my turning back, I repented. And after I was instructed, I struck myself on the thigh. I was ashamed, even humiliated, for I bore the reproach of my youth.’ 

Jer 31:20  “Is Ephrayim a precious son to Me, a child of delights? For though I spoke against him, I still remembered him. That is why My affections were deeply moved for him. I have great compassion for him,” declares יהוה

Jer 31:31  “See, the days are coming,” declares יהוה, “when I shall make a renewed covenant with the house of Yisra’ěl and with the house of Yehuḏah,a Footnote: a Heb_8:8-12, Heb_10:16-17

Jer 31:32  not like the covenant I made with their fathers in the day when I strengthenedb their hand to bring them out of the land of Mitsrayim, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them,” declares יהוה. Footnote: bCommonly understood as “take hold of.” 

Jer 31:33  “For this is the covenant I shall make with the house of Yisra’ěl after those days, declares יהוה: I shall put My Torah in their inward parts, and write it on their hearts. And I shall be their Elohim, and they shall be My people.