Reflections
TORAH REFLECTION
Torah Reflection 14
Vayera (I appeared)
“I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as ‘El Shaddai’, but by My name YHWH I was not known to them.” So what is the difference? God is ONE. There are not TWO God’s at work here. IF you study the Scriptures carefully, you will discover a subtle difference. I confess that my research is not exhaustive, but what I found was that when God ‘appeared’ to these patriarchs, it was in a dream or a vision or a time of reflective contemplation. It was a time when covenantal promises were made. But when God ‘spoke’ to these same people it was in the vein of showing His mighty hand at work. It is a fact that some of the covenant promises were not seen by these patriarchs, but those same covenantal promises were, and are, being fulfilled, even in our lifetime.
Right at the beginning of this chapter we see different words used. “And ‘Elohim’ spoke to Moses and said to him ‘I am YHWH”.” What he was about to convey to Moses, regarding his leadership of the Israelites before Pharaoh, was in covenantal terms. In paraphrase, “I will do what I am telling you and you WILL see it happen, but I want Pharaoh to understand who I am too, so he has a few lessons to learn about Me on the way.” But Moses was unprepared for such a challenge and protested that he wasn’t eloquent in speech etc. so God said that his brother Aaron would be with.him to do the talking. Then another shock. “But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart and he will not heed you.” Now friends, because we have the privilege of knowing the whole story, which Moses and Aaron did not, you have to try to imagine that magnitude of the task that God had set these men. The Pharaoh was the most powerful man in the land. He had enslaved the Israelites in hard labour. They were huge contributors to the economy of Egypt. And Moses and Aaron were to confront him knowing that he would refuse them their God commanded request. And HE would harden Pharaoh’s heart, making sure Pharaoh would say no!
But Moses, now 80 years old, and Aaron, three years older, went anyway. What incredible faith in their God. It is the kind of faith that God expects of ME, and ALL others who claim to belong to Him. Selah!
As we proceed with the narrative, we need to keep in mind that this whole event, ALL of it, was designed by the LORD, to bring His own people from the place where He had sent them. It was God who had made provision for Jacob’s family, a relative handful of people, to be preserved in the face of severe famine. At first they enjoyed the best the land had to offer. They were comfortable. They prospered and grew large in number. Sufficient in number we have to conclude, for the LORD to establish them as an independent nation. BUT, God had to prepare them for the rigours of independence. He raised up a Pharaoh who began to treat them as ‘foreigners’. Eventually making them slaves to himself and the Egyptian people. Second class. Unwanted. Disposable. All the ingredients which caused them “to cry out to HIM.”
(Friends, it is happening AGAIN, in our lifetime. God is making His people ‘uncomfortable’ in the countries where they have been living ‘comfortably’. In accord with His many prophetic promises, He is calling them back to the land He promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And in their thousands, they are going. Think about it please.)
Moses and Aaron, went into Pharaoh, and made the request that he allow the Israelites to leave Egypt so that they could participate in a festival of thanks to their God. “How do I know your God has sent you?” said Pharaoh, as God had told Moses he would. The first test was Aaron’s rod turning into a serpent which the “magicians” in Pharaoh’s court promptly replicated, only to see their serpents eaten by Aaron’s rod. But Pharaoh’s heart grew hard. The scene is set. Read the story , which in short form, finds a series of miraculous events taking place which have TWO outcomes. The events first, seven days later, each accompanied by the request to “Let My people go.”
1. Rivers turn to blood. Replicated by the ‘magicians’. Pharaoh says NO.
2. Plague of frogs. Replicated by the magicians, But Pharaoh agrees.
3. Plague of lice. Magicians give up. Pharaoh agrees but again refuses.
4. Plague of flies. Magicians tell Pharaoh ‘this is God’. Same response.
5. Cattle diseased. But NOT in Goshen. Same response from Pharaoh.
6. Plague of boils on Egyptians. The LORD hardens Pharaoh this time.
7. Plague of hail. Goshen excepted again. Some Egyptians recognise God’s authority in this. But same reaction from Pharaoh. His heart remains hard.
So now let us see the ‘outcome’ of these catastrophic events in Egypt, from which the Land of Goshen was spared. In the case of the Egyptians, and even in the household of Pharaoh, there were those whose hearts were NOT hardened, who recognised the hand of God, the God of the Israelites. More about them later. Importantly though, the reaction amongst the Israelites, is profound. They witnessed their God in action. This people, who had been comfortable in Egypt, but saw their circumstances change, were now ready to leave. Willingly. Enthusiastically. And under the leadership of Moses. In that united situation, God had prepared them, through trials and tribulations, to be ready to accept His authority and His leadership, the extent of which had still not been revealed to them.
The lesson for us. That is the kind of faith God expects of those who call Him LORD. But we have the advantage of knowing, from His Word, His nature, His character, and His expectation, because He has revealed Himself in His dealings with the people ‘called by His name.’ We will see how this event progresses next week.
Shabbat Shalom.
RS
TORAH REFLECTION
Torah Reflection 13
Shemot (Names)
“These are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt.”
Our reflection last week ended with the death of both Jacob and Joseph. The main narrative this week takes place approx. 150 years later. Scholars have calculated that the sojourn in Egypt lasted 215 years. (The 430 years being calculated from the time God made His promise to Abram in Genesis 12) During those 150 years the Israelites had maintained their unique identity. They had not assimilated into the general population. They were readily identified, and they were numerous. And then .. “There arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.” That was a “game-changer”. It may be perfectly understandable given the time which had passed, but it also has a meaning of ‘not respecting’, in the sense of ‘its time to move on’. Whatever the word, the new king was cautious about having such a large group of unassimilated residents with a capacity to ‘rise up’ in conflict with the Egyptian authorities.
So, as time passed, in order to keep the Israelites in check, the Pharaoh devised a plan to severely oppress them with hard labour. “So the Egyptians made the Children of Israel serve with vigour.” The Israelites were forced to make their own bricks, and with those bricks to build cities for the Pharaoh. The work load was increased and the task-masters were cruel in their supervision. But then we are told “The more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew.” So the Pharaoh instructed the midwives to kill all the boy babies at birth. And when that scheme became ineffective because of the refusal of the midwives to kill the boys, the instruction was given to drown the boys in the river. It’s a truely horrible story and calls to mind a much more recent persecution of the Jewish people in the lifetime of some of us. But just as in that more recent horror, God is able to bring lasting good, fulfilling His purposes, out of the evil of men.
About 64 years after Joseph died, a baby boy was born in the house of Levi. He had an older sister called Miriam, A very well known story. Circumstances arose which saw that baby boy discovered by a daughter of Pharaoh in a basket on the river. How did the princess know Moses was a Hebrew? Genesis 17:9-12. She arranged for him, to be cared for, and eventually adopted him as her own, and called him Moses (“because I drew him up about of the water”). So Moses was brought up, from boyhood, in a situation of privilege. But he was still a Hebrew. One day much later in his life, when Moses was about 40 years old he saw an Egyptian beating one of the Israelites, Moses rose in defence of his compatriot, and killed the Egyptian, burying his body in the sand. Un-noticed he thought. Wrong. Next day he discovered that his deed of mercy was no a secret. The Pharaoh found out about it and sought to bring justice on Moses. So Moses fled the country to the safety of the land of Midian where Southern Jordan is today.
What seems like a bit of a “side trip” to the main story, we are given insight into the new life Moses gained by running away. Helping out the seven daughters of Reuel (also known as Jethro), who were shepherdesses, led to Moses meeting their father and living in that land, working as a shepherd, for the next 40 years. He married one of the daughters of Reuel, Zippora, and had two children, Gershon and Eliezer. But that was not the end. While Moses was living in that far country, the plight of the Israelites in Egypt got progressively worse. “The king who did not know Joseph” died. The bondage in which the Israelites were living was unbearable. They cried out to God. “So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.”
God miraculously visited Moses. A bush on fire but not consumed by the flames. A voice from within the flames calling his name. “I am the God of your father - the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob”. Moses shrank in fear. Read the words of the LORD which He spoke to Moses. “Come now therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” Wasn’t this is the same Pharaoh that sought to kill him? No. God assured him that “all the men who sought your life are dead.” Please read the story, it is compelling. But God has a bit more to say as Moses protested his unsuitability for the task. “What shall I say to the people if they ask me who sent me?” .. “I AM WHO I AM” tell them “I AM has sent me to you.” Then the shock, “But I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand.” What an assignment. Hold on, I haven’t finished. “So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in its midst; and after that he will let you go.” Then an impossible promise. “And it shall be when you go, that you shall not go empty handed.” Read Exodus 3:22.
On his way back to Egypt, at God’s direction, Moses’ brother Aaron came to meet him,(Exodus 4: 14-16) and Moses shared with Aaron all that the Lord had told him. Together they confronted the Pharaoh with the request that he let the people go to hold a feast to their God in the wilderness. He refused, and even put more onerous work on the people. It seemed to Moses that he had brought more harm on his people as a result of their approach to Pharaoh. And our reading ends in a note of despair. But God hasn’t even started yet!!
Shabbat Shalom
RS
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
TORAH REFLECTION
Torah Reflection 07
Vayetze (Went out)
Last week we ended with Jacob being sent away, with Isaac’s blessing, to find himself a wife out of his own ‘family’ in Padan Aram. That was the place from which his mother Rebekah had come. Esau, on the other hand, having missed out on the ‘blessing of the firstborn’ from Isaac, in colloquial terms, ‘spat the dummy’, and married a daughter of Ishmael. The gulf between the brothers was widening. Although the main division we see in our modern world is that between Isaac and Ishmael (with their respective family groupings), Esau, it seems, rebelliously joined the Ishmaelite group and is now recognised as the father of the Edomite nation (southern Jordan today).
Isaac and his family had settled just south of Beersheva. Jacob dutifully “went out” on his journey towards Haran, today in southern Turkey, the place where Abram dwelt after leaving Ur of the Chaldeans. It was a distance of just over 1,000 Km. !!! (Imagine walking from Sydney to Brisbane or Melbourne). Jacob lay down to sleep after a long day walking, and he had a dream. There wouldn’t be many who couldn’t relate the story quite well. But there a few observations which some may not be familiar with.
First, there was a ladder between earth and heaven. Angels of God were ascending and descending. Some commentators have seen significance in that order. That they first ascended indicates that their ‘station’ was on earth, presumably doing their allotted task among men. Were they reporting on their activity? Well we don’t know, but the concept is interesting.
Second, the LORD stood at the top of the ladder and addressed Jacob. “I am the LORD God of Abraham (Jacob’s grandfather) and the God of Isaac (his father); The land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants … and in you and your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. 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.”
Third, the content of God’s promise to Jacob is in almost identical terms to that which He had previously spoken to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3) and to Isaac (Genesis 26:2-5). It is for this reason that our God is frequently referred to as the “God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob”. They were uniquely privileged to receive the “land promise” directly from God Almighty. And to each of them that promise was extended to their ‘descendants’. Pass it on!!
Fourth, Jacob has gained a bit of a reputation as a ‘tough negotiator’. Not least because of the ‘birthright’ deal he did with his older brother Esau! Some have even labelled him a “bit tricky!” And here again, as we have just noted, God had made an amazing promise to Jacob. In paraphrase “I’ll be with you wherever you go and I’ll bring you back again.” It’s a promise that many christians today hold on to as applicable to themselves. But it was not quite good enough for Jacob!! His response was to add conditions onto God’s promise. Jacob said, again in paraphrase “IF you stay with me, feed me, clothe me, look after me, and bring me back to my father’s house in peace, THEN You can be my God! AND if you do all that, of everything you give me, I’ll give a tenth back to You.”
The rest of our portion shows how God led him directly to the family of Laban, Rebekah’s brother. It begins with meeting some shepherds at the well where the sheep drank water each day. Those shepherds identified Laban’s daughter Rachel (who was a shepherdess) and so it was that Jacob later met Laban, Now, if the comment earlier about Jacob being “a bit tricky” was true, it is also true that in Laban, Jacob met his match! Please read the story to get the message! However, in spite of that, Jacob ended up with two wives, Leah and Rachel, lots of children, who would become leaders of the tribes of Israel, plenty of servants, and a large flock of sheep. But he was twenty years older than when he first met Laban!!!! Although Jacob and Laban parted in strained circumstances, the LORD also ensured that His promise to Jacob (see Genesis 31:24) remained intact.
But now we need to find the message for ourselves today from this fascinating account of Jacob’s twenty year search for his wife.
The first thing I note is that Jacob honoured his parents in undertaking the journey they had instructed him to make. It was not easy, and required patience, persistence, and hardship at times. But in so doing, he was blessed by having a life-changing encounter with the LORD. He met the wife of God’s choosing, and he became the father of the boys who headed the tribes of Israel, ‘the apple of God’s eye’.
The second thing I note is that, although his conditional acceptance of God’s promise seemed to be arrogant and presumptuous, he never-the-less kept his word to the LORD. He never forgot the faithfulness, love, and mercy of God in bringing him through those twenty difficult years.
The third thing I note is that all of us who have had an encounter with God, have received His promise to us, of never leaving us nor forsaking us. That is a priceless promise. BUT it comes with a responsibility. To order our lives in a manner which brings glory to His name. Keeping our part of the arrangement, as did Jacob. The LORD bless you as you seek to honour your covenant with the LORD.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
TORAH REFLECTION
Torah Reflection 06
Toldot. (Descendants)
God had chosen Rebekah to be Isaac’s wife, and at 40 years of age, he married her. Good start eh! But we are not told how old Rebekah was! And the Bible doesn’t tell us, simple as that. What we are told (Genesis 24:8 and 24:58) is that Rebekah willingly consented to the marriage. Speculation beyond this is unprofitable, even though the sages have postulated on this matter for centuries. It is also speculated that Rebekah was barren for the first 20 years of that marriage, and this brings us to a salient point in the story.
There is little doubt that Abraham would have shared with Isaac the promise God had made to him about his descendants being numerous! Isaac’s mother was 90 when God miraculously intervened in the matter of Isaac’s birth. Now, the very next generation is beset with the same issue. Infertility. Their marriage has not produced any children. At stake here is Isaac’s relationship with God Almighty. There is no suggestion of going down the path that Abraham and Sarah had gone, which resulted in the birth of Ishmael. Our text in Hebrew uses the word “aqar” to describe the childlessness of the marriage, and that word is equally applicable to both male and female incapacity!!
So Isaac “pleaded” with the LORD. A good lesson from our portion today. The first ‘port of call’. Perhaps a lesson Isaac had learned at the feet of his esteemed father Abraham. Much later Psalmists make many references to the quality of reliable “refuge” and “comfort” which is to be found in the LORD. And then we read “and the LORD granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived.” Isaac was 60 years of age when Rebekah gave birth.
The rest, as they say, is history!! The story is well known, but some of the detail is not as clearly understood as it should be. The LORD clearly knew the future, which He revealed to Rebekah. Multitudes of people who identify as “Christian” today appear to not grasp the effects on our society of this seemingly simple act of the birth of twins, and the revelation God gave to Rebekah about the future for each of them. “Two nations are in your womb, two peoples shall be separated from your body; One people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger.” There are those who see it as a prophetic announcement by the Almighty. Which it is. Others might interpret it as ‘foreknowledge’. What we all know, or should do, is that in His infinite and perfect plan, God made everlasting unconditional covenants of promise with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (the younger twin). And God IS working out His purposes for the world in direct fulfilment of those covenants.
The birthright (law of succession) belonged to Esau. But chapter 25 of our text ends by telling us “Thus Esau despised his birthright.” The Hebrew word is “bazah”, it means ‘disesteem’ or ‘disregard’. And for that he paid a very high price!! But there is a bit more to this situation. Some time later, when Esau was 40 years old, he married two Hittite women, Judith and Beeri, in defiance of the wishes of Isaac and Rebekah. How do we know this? Look at Genesis 26:35. “And they were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah”. He later again took another ‘foreign’ wife, this time a daughter of Ishmael. Esau seemed to be very rebellious. He is recognised as the father of the Edomites. But that is a digression from our portion today.
There was a famine in the land. Just like his father before him, Isaac took his family down into Philistine country to survive. To Gerar, which borders Gaza. And just like his father before him, he too tried to pass off his wife as his sister. And again Abi-Melech, king of Gerar, just as had happened to Abraham, blessed Isaac with safety of residence. Isaac planted crops and reaped a bumper harvest, so much so that the Philistines envied him. They had stopped up the wells which Abraham had dug there. So Isaac moved further into the valley of Gerar and dug open the wells which Abraham had dug years before. That caused more quarrels about the water! So eventually, Isaac moved yet again, to about 20 miles south of Beersheva, and again dug a well. He called the place Rehoboth (meaning ‘open spaces) and said “Now the LORD has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land”. And so they were.
Our final comment on this portion has to be about the blessing which Isaac proclaimed over Jacob. The circumstances are dubious, many would say even fraudulent. We know the story. The blessing in part said “ May God give you of the dew of heaven, of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and wine. Let the peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be master over your brethren, and let your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be those who bless you!.” That blessing, having been proclaimed, could not be revoked.
Enter Esau. I am your firstborn, “Bless me father”. Too late. But Isaac has some words, with the same introduction, but a very different meaning, for Esau. “By your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; And it shall come to pass, when you become restless, that you shall break his yoke from your neck.” (i.e you will put some distance between you!) And so it was.
God has provided all of us who are His, a birthright. Guard it. Honour it. Esteem it highly. Do not treat it lightly. Learn the lesson of Esau.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
TORAH REFLECTION
Torah Reflection 05
Chayei Sarah (Life of Sarah)
What an interesting title to this week’s Torah reading! The life of Sarah. The first sentence tells us that Sarah lived 127 years. And the second proclaims her death!! It is not unusual today for a funeral to be principally about remembering the life of the deceased. In Sarah’s case, apart from mentioning her in relation to her burial place, her name is not used again in the whole reading. Nothing! Of course we can all recall things about her from our previous Scripture readings. For me, perhaps the standout is the degree of faith she shared with her husband Abram. After all, she too left her home and followed the LORD’s instructions to journey to a land she did not know. But she will always be remembered as the elderly lady, unable to bear children, chosen by God to miraculously bear ONE child only. That child became the grandfather of the 12 boys who each became head of one of the twelve tribes of Israel, the nation called by God to be His “special treasure” and “the apple of His eye”’
There is often speculation regarding the timing of some events in the Scripture. Rabbinic reasoning is that Sarah’s death, at the age of 127 years, is closely related to the anxiety she experienced at the Lord’s testing of Abraham with the ‘binding of Isaac’. Most people consider Isaac to have been about 12 years old at the time. But if the Rabbi’s are correct, Isaac would then have been a 37 year old man! And certainly, the sequential timing of the two events favours the Rabbinic view.
I find it interesting to look at a map of the area where events occurred in Scripture. At the same time, reference back to genealogy, specifically Genesis 10, (after Noah) in order to provide a framework to see how the names we encounter fit into the picture. But none of that alters the general thrust of the message contained in the reading today. Abraham was in Canaan, a foreigner (Hb. ‘ger’) from the ‘other side of the river’ (Euphrates) and he had developed a good relationship with his Canaanite neighbours. He needed a place to bury his beloved Sarah, so he negotiated, not for ANY burial sepulchre, but the best available. “The cave of the field of Machpelah”’. It was not cheap, but Abraham paid without bargaining. It is one of three well known places recorded in Scripture where land title was purchased from the landholder. The others being the site of Joseph’s Tomb in Shechem, and Araunah’s threshing floor in Jerusalem. They have never been sold back again!
Eventually, the “cave of the field of Machpelah” became the final resting place of the bodies of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their wives Sarah, Rebecca and Leah. (Rachel is not buried there) Later Herod built the huge wall around the ‘cave’ and over time it has become the enormous building, known as the “Tomb of the Patriarchs” which still stands on that site today. It functions mostly as a mosque, with a quite small synagogue adjacent to the main building, and Jews are allowed access to the main building on ten days each year. (On a visit to friends in Kiryat Arba on one such day, a few years ago, my late wife and I were privileged to witness the awe in which this place is held by Jews today).
We are then told that Abraham was ‘advanced in age’, and he wanted to make sure that his son, Isaac, had a wife of ‘correct lineage’! Taking up the timing issue again, it does seem a bit premature for Abraham to be caring about a wife for a 12 year old boy doesn’t it? In any event, he was concerned. In those days, “putting a hand under one’s thigh”, was considered an intimate gesture which confirmed a promise, and Abraham’s ‘governing servant’ was placed under such promise. It was a solemn oath. Little did that servant know that God had preceded him in that mission. It was a “done deal” as the words came out of Abraham’s mouth. Don’t you marvel, as I do, at God’s ways. The story is a most interesting one and worthy of your careful attention. Read it yourself. Abraham wanted all the possibilities covered. Isaac’s wife was to come from Abraham’s own family, BUT Isaac was forbidden to go there himself. Why? Because Abraham believed God. And God had said (Genesis 12:7) “To your descendants I will give this land”. At that particular time there was only ONE descendant. Isaac. And Isaac had not yet heard that promise directly from God. It was vital that he did. The whole future plan of God depended on it. And, by Abraham’s reckoning, Isaac’s wife could not possibly come from an idolatrous Canaanite family. The mixture would be wrong.
So Rebekah, a daughter of Abraham’s nephew, was the young lady who met Abraham’s servant at the watering place. What a coincidence!!! Abraham’s old servant was praying for some guidance at the well. “How am I going to know the person I am supposed to find?” I imagine him thinking. Wham! There she is standing in front of him. No short list. No choice. No ambiguity. Thank You LORD. The young Rebekah invited Abraham’s servant, who by this time was so sure that his mission was prospering, that he presented costly gifts to the young lady in thanks for her kindness. It was shortly after this that we meet Laban. Rebekah’s brother. We will meet him again later in this series. He, seeing the costly jewellery, and I suspect, having an eye for business, ‘gushed’ to offer hospitality and friendship to the new visitors. And so it was, that this story had a happy ending. Rebekah, God’s choice of a wife for Isaac, returned with Abraham’s servant.
But the elderly Abraham then re-married and produced many more children. He eventually died aged 175 and was buried, with his beloved Sarai in “the cave of Machpelah”.
Shabbat Shalom
RS