December 2023
TORAH REFLECTION
Torah Reflection 12
Vayechi (It came to pass)
It is important to remind readers that these ‘reflections’ are just that. They are highlights the LORD has quickened to me as I seek Holy Spirit guidance and write. There is no suggestion that these writings are a “commentary” on the Scriptures. The LORD will show you other, and possibly different, lessons as you study these passages for yourself. I pray readers will be blessed by these writings, but there is greater blessing in studying the word for oneself.
And so it is that we come to the end of the beginning. The family of Israel, now residing in the territory of Goshen in Egypt, and finding great favour with the Pharaoh and his Prime Minister, Joseph, prosper and multiply. Jacob had been in Goshen for 17 years and was nearing the end of his life. He called Joseph and made him promise that he would not be buried there, but be taken back to Canaan to be buried with his forebears.
Then “it came to pass”, that eventually, Joseph was summoned to his father’s side because he was very close to death. He took with him Manasseh and Ephraim, Joseph’s two sons who were born to him before Jacob arrived in Egypt. Amazingly, but in God’s perfect plan, Jacob ‘anointed’ them as his own. They were to take their place as equal with Reuben and Simeon (and others) as heads of the tribes of Israel, in due time, in place of their father Joseph. (We note that there were 12 brothers, but in time Levi was given no land inheritance and neither was Joseph. Their land allocation was given to Manasseh and Ephraim. Future children of Joseph were not afforded such privilege). But Jacob, who was virtually blind at this time, had one more surprise for Joseph. It seems a small matter, but it was both unusual and prophetic in the circumstance. Manasseh was the firstborn, so Joseph placed him adjacent to Jacob’s right hand, and Ephraim to his left hand. In blessing the boys, Jacob crossed his hands, to place his right hand onto Ephraim.
In spite of Joseph’s attempted correction, Jacob said “I know my son, I know he (Manasseh) also shall become a people, and he also shall be great’; but truly his younger brother (Ephraim) shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.” Now it is true, that about 1,000 years later, the Northern kingdom of Israel (the ten tribes) including Ephraim, were captured by the Assyrians (Shalamanezer V) and have been referred to ever since as “the lost tribes”. Some have argued, from this blessing of Jacob, that the ‘many nations’ actually includes what is known as “British Israelites”, and even America (Pilgrim fathers). But of course, such conclusion requires quite inventive thinking!
In addition to the blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh, the main content of our reading this week relates to the blessings which Jacob spoke to his own sons. He blessed them in the order they were born from the oldest to the youngest. Because we are privileged to have knowledge of future events, we can see how the LORD gave Jacob wisdom and insight into that future in each blessing. It has long been said that much care should be given in the words used to utter blessing over anyone. A word of caution. Do not speak presumptuously the first words that enter your mind. Ask the LORD to speak through you, that HIS words are heard, not yours.
“Gather together and hear you sons of Jacob, and listen to Israel your father” Hear and listen. They are not the same thing.
Reuben. “Unstable as water, you shall not excel” Why? Genesis 35:22. Be sure your sins will find you out.
Simeon and Levi. “Cursed be their anger, it is fierce; and their wrath for it is cruel I will divide them and scatter them in Israel.” Genesis 34:25-31.
Judah. “You are he whom your brothers shall praise; The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, .. and to Him shall be the obedience of the people.” A prophetic description of the One who shall arise from Judah.
Zebulun. “Shall dwell by the sea and become a haven for ships.”
Issachar. “He saw that rest was good and the land was pleasant.”
1 Chronicles 12:32
Dan. “Dan shall judge his people.” Genesis 30:6
Gad. “A troop shall tramp upon him, but he shall triumph at last.”
Genesis 30:11
Asher. “Bread from Asher shall be rich, and he shall yield royal dainties.”
Naphtali. “Is a deer let loose; he uses beautiful words.”
Joseph. Well it is a LONG blessing. “Joseph is a fruitful bough … his branches run over the wall … the arms of his hands were made strong” And much more praising the attributes of the one who is seen by most as a ‘type’ of Messiah. And so he was for his family.
Benjamin. “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he shall devour the prey. And at night he shall divide the spoil.” Judges 21: 20,25
And when Jacob had completed his blessings and comments about his children, he died. His body was enbalmed, and after 70 days of mourning, Joseph and his brothers, together with a company of the house of Pharaoh, took his body to Hebron, where he was laid to rest with his wife Leah.
Joseph lived for many years after that, But before he died at the age of 110 years, he extracted from his brothers the promise to one day take his bones back to the land of his birth. His tomb, recently desecrated by some angry Palestinians, is situated in Shechem, modern day Nablus.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
TORAH REFLECTION
Torah Reflection 11
Vayigash (Came near)
Joseph made a plan which he was sure would bring Jacob, his father, to ‘famine safe’ Egypt. He had successfully arranged for his younger blood brother, Benjamin, to be brought to Egypt. He then thought that if he could now arrange to keep Benjamin there, his father Jacob could be persuaded to come to Egypt to retrieve him. But, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who had taken Joseph to Egypt about 40 years earlier, had a better plan. And it came as a big surprise to Joseph. Judah, the brother who had organised the sale of Joseph to the Midianite traders, had seen at first hand the distress that had been caused to their father Jacob, and could not bear the thought of what the loss of Benjamin would do to him, not to mention the fact that it was Judah who had made himself guarantor for Benjamin’s safe return. So Judah made an impassioned plea to Joseph to allow Benjamin to return to his father, and he, Judah, would remain as Jacob’s slave. That impassioned plea melted Joseph’s heart.
What happened next is, I believe, prophetic of an event still future to us. Joseph cleared the room of all his advisers and officials (gentiles). Then in the intimate privacy of “family only”, he revealed himself to his brothers. It was the special Zechariah 12:10 moment for that particular family. Prophetic of the time when “.. they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for an 0nly son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.” There were tears, LOUD tears (so that those who had been dismissed from the room heard them). The brothers were in shock and dismay. The full revelation of their past deeds and actions would have brought deep regret and sorrow. And IF that was the end of it they would be looking for somewhere to hide I suspect. BUT, it was not the end. In “messianic” type, Joseph embraced his brothers in forgiveness. “God has been in control all the time.” he said “It was God who orchestrated events so that you can now experience the salvation He had planned for you from the beginning.” What a moment that was. And what a moment that will be!
As the narrative continued, the Pharaoh, probably in gratitude for the wisdom and leadership he had seen in Joseph, joined in the ‘moment’. As I ‘reflect’, I see this as a kind of Zechariah 8:23 moment. “In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’” “Selah”. In any event, it was the time when Almighty God advanced His plan to make Israel into a nation that would belong to Himself and provide a pattern for the world to see. A pattern which is still evident to believers to this day.
The Pharaoh opened his heart with generosity. He instructed Joseph to load up carts and donkeys with provisions, changes of clothes, and money, for a return journey from Egypt to Canaan. In addition he told Joseph that when his family arrived they would be given “the best of the land” on which they could settle. What a blessing. A note and a lesson here. In eschatological ‘type’ for Christians, Egypt is considered the land “from which we come’ in order to arrive ‘in the promised land’. Bad place to good place. But Genesis 12:3 is a conditional, but irrevocable promise of God. “I will bless those who bless you and I will curse those who curse you.” In our text we have a monumental example of Egypt blessing Jacob (Israel). Right at the very foundation of that nation. We cannot, in our day, see that Genesis 12:3 promise happening can we? But now look at Isaiah 19. Take time to read it all. Our God is a faithful God. Trust Him.
When the sons of Jacob returned to their father and related their experience “Jacob’s heart stood still, because he did not believe them.” Another note. We say we believe in miracles don’t we? But what is our immediate reaction when we hear about them today? Jacob was confronted with a miracle here. I think it was a very human reaction. Then he saw the evidence, the carts, the donkeys, the provisions for the return journey. And his spirit revived. And there is nothing wrong with asking to see the evidence. In another place the bible implores us to “test the spirits”. That is NOT doubting God, its doubting men. (Revelation 2:2)
So began the long trek from Shechem to Egypt. The journey took them by way of Beersheva. It was the place where Jacob once lived with his father Isaac. The place from where he had set out to find his wife Rachel. He offered sacrifices to God there, and yet again, God spoke to him in a dream. “I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt , for I will make of you a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you up again; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes.”
So knowing that he would not return alive, Jacob with his family of seventy persons (Genesis 46:27) took the journey to re-connect with Joseph, and begin a new life, not knowing the future, trusting God s promises. Some have observed that the number did not include Jacob himself, nor Joseph and his family. Whatever, it was a relatively small number of persons with which to start a nation!! When they arrived, Pharaoh lived up to his promise, and they settled in the land of Goshen, part of the territory of Egypt which was suitable for both crops and livestock.
We have to marvel at the way our God cares for those who belong to Him, even when we sometimes don’t understand the steps on the way.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
TORAH REFLECTION
Torah Reflection 10
Miketz (At the end)
Joseph had been unjustly imprisoned in a dungeon within the home of the captain of the guard. And, because of his diligence and hard work, was put in a position of some authority in that dungeon prison. Circumstances had arisen in which he became an interpreter of the dreams of the Pharaohs’ baker and butler who were also in that place for some reason. But in spite of Joseph’s request to them, upon their release, to bring his case before their Master, the Pharaoh, they had forgotten him.
Our ‘reflection’ this week begins two years later, by which time Joseph was 30 years old. Then the Pharaoh also had a dream, in fact two dreams, which troubled him.“The magicians” were called in, but they were unable to interpret the meaning of those dreams. It was then that the butler remembered about Joseph. To his enormous credit, when confronted by Pharaoh about his ‘gift’ as an interpreter of dreams, Joseph said “It is not in me (to interpret dreams); God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace (the interpretation).” A good lesson to learn here. How many of us would have taken the opportunity to ‘big note’ ourselves in order to curry favour with the king? Joseph is recognised by many, because of what happens later in these recorded events of history, as a ‘type’ of Messiah. His preparation for that role is clearly illustrated in the fact that he sought no glory for himself, just like our Messiah Yeshua much later, who gave ALL the glory to His heavenly Father. Truely a servant of the living God. Selah!
Now the details of the story are well known, but the key to it all is expressed by the Pharaoh when he said “Can we find such one as this, a man in whom IS the Spirit of God.” And so it was that Joseph, the prisoner, became Joseph, the Prime Minister. Such was Pharaoh’s trust in Joseph, that when he was petitioned for food by those suffering from the famine in the land, he said “Go to Joseph; whatever he says to you, do.” But the famine was not confined to Egypt alone, so people from all the lands around them came to Egypt to buy grain. That included ten of Jacob’s sons. Only the youngest, Ben, was not required by Jacob to make the long journey.
From this point onwards, it is possible to recognise the way in which Joseph typifies the characteristics of the coming Messiah, Yeshua. And remember that these events took place some hundreds of years before the Israelites were even considered to be a separated nation, led out of Egypt, through the God appointed leadership of Moses. Now, as is the case in most allegories, the detail cannot be completely lined up. But there is enough for us to see the connection. And the first sign we have is that when the brothers turned up in front of Joseph (from his viewpoint unexpectedly), they did not recognise him at all. But why would they? He was a 17 years old boy when they sold him to the Midianite traders. They are faced now with a VERY powerful man, of about 45 years of age, well dressed, speaking a different language, totally in charge of everything and everybody in his Governor’s palace. An awesome sight for sure. A man who had the power to listen to them or to dismiss them. But he immediately recognised them. He recalled the way they had treated him when he naively shared with them his dream all those years ago.
Joseph had acquired great wisdom in the course of the last 30 or so years. That wisdom, came under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit, and was responsible for his elevation to his present lofty position. So he began to search for information about his family. I try to imagine what it must have been like to have been separated from ones family for such a long time, having had such a variety of experiences, good and bad, which that family had no knowledge of, and suddenly be confronted by the very ones who were responsible for that separation. Think about it! Thus it was that he discovered that both his Dad and his younger brother were still alive. He was desperate to reconnect with them! So he devised a plan, and put them in prison for three days to think about it. Absolute power!!
The story is a very interesting read, and is quite well known, and the detail is worth reading again. But I am focussed in this ‘reflection’ on the ‘messianic’ similarities in this narrative. The brothers had presented themselves to Joseph as buyers of grain. When they arrived back to their home they had both the grain and their money in the grain sacks!! It was a salvation act .. and it was FREE. On their second visit, when they brought Benjamin with them, they tried to return the money. Joseph said “Peace be with you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has GIVEN you treasure in your sacks.” But that wasn’t the end of it. Joseph was now re-united with his blood brother, Benjamin, but the family was incomplete. It was necessary to bring Jacob, their father, and the rest of the family to Egypt, and to the safety of food supplies. The whole family was in need of salvation.
The scene changes a little now. And the allegory referred to earlier is not consistent with scene before us I know. The father, Jacob, is in distress because he has been separated from his beloved young son Benjamin. Joseph knows this of course and devises a plan to bring his father to the son. But in order to get the whole picture of how Joseph is a “type” of Messiah, we have to wait until next week.
I commend that you read the whole story of this event in order to appreciate, and see for yourself, how God Almighty works in unimaginable ways to save His people.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
TORAH REFLECTION
Torah Reflection 09
Vayeshev (He commanded)
“Jacob dwelt in the land (Canaan) where his father (Isaac) was a stranger”! Sounds a bit odd to us, but what it means is that Jacob took up permanent residence where his father Isaac had lived as a visitor. Putting it another way .. Jacob came HOME!
In Genesis 36, we are given a complete genealogy of Esau. The chapter ends with the statement that “Esau was the father of the Edomites” He had left the “land where his father was a stranger” and took residency in another country. An immediate distinction between the paths these twin brothers took in their lifetime. A distinction which continues to this very day!
Jacob’s family now consisted of his wife Leah, the two ‘handmaids”, Zilpah and Bilhah, and their collective TEN sons and one daughter, as well as Joseph and Benjamin who were born to Rachel (who had died in the childbirth of Benjamin). PLUS an unspecified host of servants. As the story unfolds in this week’s portion of Scripture, please understand that the pace of the events recorded is quite rapid. It’s a bit like watching a movie in ‘fast-forward’ mode!
Rachel was the love of Jacob’s life. Joseph, her firstborn, was only 17 years old. Benjamin, still a child. That was the basis of Jacob’s ‘favouritism’. But although it is not possible to determine precise birth dates, it seems likely that Reuben, the oldest, might only have been 8 or 10 years older than Joseph. And he assumed leadership. Joseph’s prophetic dream is one of the best known stories in the Scriptures. The angst of his older siblings quite well understood. Joseph’s mistake!!?? He shared the dream with his brothers. They were angry. Angry enough to kill him. But Reuben’s leadership stalled them. So they took Joseph's fancy coat and put him in a hole in the ground. Reuben must have been distracted by some other event because he was not present when Judah, the fourth oldest, concocted the plan to sell Joseph to some passing Midianite traders (Ishmaelites). When the distraught Reuben returned they put blood on the coloured coat in pretence that Joseph had been mauled by a wild animal. And that’s what they told Jacob.
God really does “work in mysterious ways” doesn’t He? Just think for a moment how you would view this event if that was all there was to it, and the brothers had ‘got away with it’. How could anyone possibly imagine how Almighty God could fulfil His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob without knowing how this remarkable event became pivotal in God’s plan for His people (“the apple of My eye”).
A lesson for us to learn right here. IF God is our refuge and strength. IF we believe God is a promise keeping God. If we believe that God is working out His purposes in His own way. THEN in ALL circumstances of our life … YES, in ALL circumstances, We have to trust Him. Even when we think we understand, and when we KNOW we don’t.
So the young Joseph was forcibly taken to Egypt and sold into slavery in the household of the Captain of the King’s guard, Potiphar. As years rolled by, Joseph worked hard at the tasks he was assigned. He gained promotion in that household and eventually was entrusted with complete responsibility of running the place. He also seemed, at least to the wife of the Captain, to be a very handsome man. “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” says the old English proverb. Thus it was that poor Joseph ended up in prison!
Another lesson. Ecclesiates 9:10 says “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might.” It is advice I have given, both to my children and their children. Joseph certainly did and (apart from the ugly devious behaviour of Potiphar’s wife, which curiously seems to have had a significant role in the plan of God), gained great blessing as a result.
But there are some very important observations to be made about the way Joseph conducted himself. Not only did his industry, faithfulness, honesty and conduct bring significant reward to himself, but the whole household, from the Master of the house to the other servants also prospered. Joseph’s wisdom in his handling of the affairs of the house, showed in such a way that the Master of the house observed the “the LORD” was with him. Joseph’s testimony was obviously not in words alone, but in his actions. It showed.
Even so, the false accusations made against him, caused an enraged Potiphar, without enquiry apparently, to have him sent to prison. What an injustice! How could God allow such a thing to happen? Commonly used words eh? Look back a few paragraphs. God’s ways are not our ways.
Well, the portion concludes this week with Joseph still in prison … but practically running the place. “And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his (Joseph’s) doing.” Why? “Because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made it prosper.” What an amazing testimony of faith in God.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
TORAH REFLECTION
Torah Reflection 08
Vayishlach (He sent)
Jacob had concluded his non-aggression arrangement with Laban, so free of that worry, he turned his attention to another! His brother Esau. The brothers had not seen each other for twenty years, and yet Jacob somehow knew where his brother was. So he sent some men to announce that he would be returning to his own country, with much wealth and possessions, and he wanted to “make friendship” with his brother again. Guilty conscience? Sad about the past? Fearful? Tricky? We can only speculate.
At this stage, Jacob and his entourage were about 20 miles east of the Sea of Galilee, north of where Amman is today. Esau and his family were several miles south of there, somewhere in the region of where Petra is today in Southern Jordan. So when Jacob’s men returned from their mission, in paraphrase they said :- “There is good news and bad news. The good news is that Esau is so pleased that you are coming that he has decided to come to meet you half way! The bad news is that he is bringing 400 of his men with him!!” To say that that put “the shivers up” Jacob is probably an understatement. So he set about making contingency plans to survive.
Let’s look at a lesson here. Just last week we read in Genesis 28:15 that God spoke to Jacob in a dream, “behold I am with you and will keep you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land: for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.” That was 20 years earlier. In those 20 years God had blessed Jacob with two wives (and their handmaids), eleven sons and a daughter, a countless flock of sheep etc. etc.. PLUS, He had spoken to Jacob in a dream again (Genesis 31:11-13) telling him that it was time to return to his homeland. What more could God do? So here is the lesson. Is there something that God has spoken to me? To you? Does it matter to God what time has passed since He promised to “never leave us nor forsake us”? Was it good prudence or lack of trust that caused Jacob to make these contingency plans? Are WE making contingency plans to do things “our way”? Or is our trust in God’s promises to us? When God dispersed the Israelites from the land, after many warnings, for their wanton disobedience to the covenant they had made, and rejection of Messiah Yeshua who had come to restore “the lost sheep of the House of Israel”. He had also told them that a day would come when He would restore them to that land. That restoration is happening in our generation, and it started in 1948. Our God is a promise-keeper, as we will see as we continue our ‘reflection’.
Read Genesis 32 to see how Jacob carefully planned his protective strategy for his meeting with Esau. However, Jacob, in his fear of what now might befall him, remembered the promises God had made to him all those years ago. So in humility he prayed to the God of Abraham and Isaac “I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant; for I crossed this Jordan with my staff (and nothing else) and now I have become two companies (alluding to his great blessing of wealth and possessions). Deliver me I pray …” Then he acknowledged his fear and reminded God of His promises. God, in response, planned one more encounter with Jacob!! The day before meeting Esau, Jacob sent his whole family over the brook Jabbok and remained behind alone. Jabbok means ‘emptying’. At this point there was a ford across the river, which, because it is shallow, flows faster, as it continues and ‘empties’ itself into the River Jordan some miles away. But scholars have shared another meaning to this place. The ‘emptying’ is applied to Jacob, who that night encountered the LORD again, and ‘emptied’ himself as he ‘wrestled’ with “a MAN” until he received an assurance of the promised blessing on his life. For his trouble, Jacob received a new name and a hip joint dislocation!! But his life was changed.
Jacob’s reunion with his brother Esau went surprisingly well. Was that another example of God’s protection in answer to Jacob’s prayer? We are not told anything more about the 400 men accompanying Esau. But Jacob still remained cautious about going along with Esau’s invitation to go back to Edom with him. The result was that Esau left, with the gifts Jacob had offered him, and journeyed the 250 Km or so back to his home, whist Jacob promptly led his family about 200 Km in the other direction, to Shechem in Canaan (Nablus today). Thus God completely fulfilled the promise He had made to Jacob 20 years earlier. But there is an important detail in our text. Genesis 33: 19,20 tells us that Jacob bought and paid in full for the land on which his family settled. So just as his grandfather Abraham had paid for the cave at Machpelah, and never re-sold it, so Jacob acquired the parcel of land in Shechem and it too has never been re-sold.
There is much more to be studied in this account of God’s dealings with the ‘flawed’ Jacob. As I ‘reflect’ on this passage, and the evident shortcomings in Jacob as a person, I take enormous hope and encouragement. Jacob was used by God to be the father of all the tribes of Israel, ‘flawed’ as he was. But we saw how Jacob, in fear for his life, humbled himself in prayer, then held on to that MAN as he wrestled with Him, until he received God’s blessing and guidance. Then , because we know how the story unfolds, we know that God used Jacob as part of His global promise “that in you, will all the nations of the earth be blessed.”
And that, my dear friends, is US. You and me. And finally, this thought. If He can do that in Jacob, He can do it in anyone … can’t He?
Shabbat Shalom
RS