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Parashat "miketz" and "VaYigash"


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Parashah: “Miketz” (at the end of)    JOSEPH AND BRETHERN MEET AND ARE RECONCILED  (yet a changed heart and attitude is needed first) 
 
GENESIS 41:1-44:17.........................1 KINGS 3:15-4:1....................MATT 16:1-17:27 
 
      When we look into this parashah study, we see Yosef, who was, in a way of speaking, in the “pit” He was cast into the prison for something he did not do, yet he continued to trust YHVH for his needs.  This reminds us of Melech David's words “You will not leave my soul in Sheol” This was a time of testing for Yosef. It was out of his hands.
     He came to Egypt as a slave, got a good position in Potiphar’s house, went from a common slave to comfort of a house, from house to the prison, and from prison to fame and fortune.  All in YHVH's perfect timing and planning.  We might ask ourselves, if Yosef could have managed an escape from the house of Potiphar, or even from prison, he probably would have headed straight back to his home in Canaan.  No one would have been in Egypt to interpret Pharaoh's dreams, and thus, save the world from starvation.
     Yet we see that Yosef did submit himself to the perfect will of HaShem, and he was finally taken out of prison via the “cup bearer” (Oh yes, now I realize my shortcomings, there IS a guy in prison that can interpret your dreams your majesty...)  Yet Yosef gives all glory to God, “God will give the interpretation” which is a positive witness to YHVH.  Pharaoh probably saw the shortcomings and weakness of the Egyptian priests who were “supposed” to get their wisdom from Egyptian gods, yet this foreign “Hebrew” gets his wisdom to interpret dreams from an “invisible” God.
     Another thing we see is that Yosef not only gives the interpretation, but also the “solution”.  For what good is an interpretation of a dream that speaks “calamity” if there is no solution to the problem? It is kind of like saying; “Hey king, your country is doomed, 7 years of famine, starvation, death...well OK.... nice meeting you Mr. King.” yet Yosef is faithful and brings a solution, through YHVH's wisdom and perhaps the experience he already had in agriculture and livestock when he was in Canaan as a teen.
     Now, he is elevated to “assistant in command” to Pharaoh, and goes from “rags to riches” He is now in position to sort of “run the country” and we see that in time, Yosef's brothers come in search of food, of course they do not recognize him, in Egyptian clothing, some 20 years later, no beard, etc.  The brothers have to be tested to see if they are really sorry for what they did to Yosef, Yosef needs to see “true repentance”.  Yosef is now in the position as “judge” yet when he tested them, using Benjamin, he sees true repentance through Y'hudah, now that he sees this, he reveals his true self,  “Ani Yosef!!” (I AM Yosef) He is no longer in the position of “judge” but “family”
     When we were lost sinners, Yeshua was in the position as our “judge” As many who will continue to reject the free gift of salvation, they will be “judged” guilty by Messiah Yeshua at the Great White Throne Judgment, yet once we come to Yeshua and accept Him as our Savior and LORD, then, we come “Family” members, and
we will be treated as “family”.  “Y'hudah” symbolizes “Israel” who, in the future, will recognize “HE who was pierced” and those in Israel will say, “Blessed is He who comes in the Name of YHVH” as Yosef then “Talked” with his brothers, so YHVH desires to “talk” with us, through prayer and fellowship.  As Yosef invited ALL his family to Egypt, so ALL who come to recognize Yeshua as Mashiach, are invited to join the “Heavenly family”
     Yosef is a “Messiah type” who saved the local world from physical famine, Yeshua saves the world from “spiritual famine” to all those who come to HIM and accept him as Savior and LORD! 
 
1 KINGS 3:15-4:1 
 
 
     In this scripture portion, we see Solomon lifting up “burnt-offerings” and “peace-offerings” after also having “dreams” In his dream YHVH asked him what he wished for, “For wisdom, an understanding heart to judge this people” and YHVH thus granted him what he wished for.
     This should be a guide for us when we wish for things.  I think the best wish would be knowledge of the Torah and wisdom to put into action what we learn from God's Holy Writ.  As we see. God gave Solomon that and more.
     ” Burnt-offerings” symbolize our sinful nature, and the “peace-offerings” speak of our happiness and joy because of our salvation experience.  Today these offerings are “offered up” in “prayer and thanksgiving” the prayers of confession of sin are always heard, and so are the prayers of praise and thanksgiving, because we know we have been forgiven. 
 
MATT 16: 1-17:27 
 
     The “leaven” of the Pharisees is non-the less “unbelief” as Yeshua said, this reminds us when He was visiting the temple during this same time of Hanukkah, and the Jews came around him and said; “tell us plainly if you are the Messiah or not!” yet He rebukes them saying “I have already told you and you do not believe!” He had already given signs through his miracles of healing, raising of the dead, how much more proof did they need?  What does “leaven” do in bread? It “puffs up the bread” and that is what pride does, it “puffs up” and person, and sometimes, stubborn pride brings on unbelief.
     Kefa exhibits his faith when he said; “You are Messiah, the Living God” Faith is “believing what we cannot see” yet Kefa sees Yeshua and sees the miracles, and so he believes, yet Yeshua says later on after the resurrection, “You have believed because you see, blessed are those who do not see yet BELIEVE!
 
PARASHA: “VaYIGASH” (and he drew near) 
 
 
GENESIS 44:18-47:27........................EZEKIEL 37:15-28.......................MATT 18:1-19:30 
 
     In this Parashah, we read that “he (Y'hudah) drew near” to Yosef, and shows himself as truly repentant for his past actions against Yosef, for selling him for the price of a common slave.  And we see the reaction of Yosef once he hears Y'hudah, he then reveals himself as his TRUE self, their BROTHER.  Before, Yosef stood in front of his brothers as “judge” now he stands before them with “open arms” as “Family” “Savior” “Provider” Mashiach.  But it took a repentant and contrite heart to bring about the “revelation”.
     Before we come to Yeshua as a repentant sinner, He is our JUDGE, and as a Holy God, and Judge, he has the right to judge us guilty as lost sinners, yet all this change when we come and accept him as Savior and LORD, THEN, our position changes, we become members of “Mishpochah Adonai” (Family of God) and Yeshua is our mediator to our Heavenly Father.  Yeshua is no longer our “judge” but our Savior, Redeemer, Messiah, (Yeshuah, Goel, Mashiach)
     We see something similar.  Pharaoh (who some believe bore the name “Senoset”) was ruler of Egypt, and Yosef was his “right-hand man” or Viceroy” Prime Minister, if you could call him that.  Yosef had to get Pharaoh's permission for his family to go down to Egypt, and of course, permission was granted.  For us to get right-standing before our Holy God, we go through Yeshua, who is GOD, in the flesh, as Yosef was “Pharaoh” in a sense, when Pharaoh could not leave the palace.  Yosef spoke in “Name of” Pharaoh, as Yeshua represents the Father who is in Heaven.
…..We see the words of Yosef in 45:3  “Ani Yosef!” powerful words, what do they symbolize in the ancient Hebrew letters,    “Ani” (I)  “Alef” (strong leader, God) “Nun” (who gives life) “Yod” (does mighty works)  and the name “Yosef” :  “Yod” (who does works) “Vav” (connects) “Samekh” (to lean on, to support, to uphold) “Pey” (mouth, to speak) so, the name “YOSEF” in certain words can mean  “He who does might works, speaks  to (us) (to his brothers) and connects them to him through support.
     He spoke words of comfort to his brothers, promising them “support” throughout the years of famine, they could “lean on him” and thus have that “connection” so we see that “Yosef” (I know, everyone is used to spelling it “Joseph” (the regular English spelling) but the Hebrew does not have a “J” so “Yosef” is the correct and original spelling.  “Yosef” is related to our “Messiah Yeshua” in that “Both have spoken words of comfort to us, through His WORD, and we are connected to him through his blood and being “born again” and we can “Lean on Him” who has set captives free.  Yosef, who once was a captive slave, went down to Egypt, sold for 20 pieces of silver, (the price of a slave back then) and became the “Savior” of many lives through the distribution of food in that time of famine.
     Yeshua, who went “down to Egypt” as a baby. Came “up out of Egypt” and was sold for “30 pieces of silver” (the price of a slave then in his times) and became the “Savior” of the world, and saved the world of “Spiritual death and spiritual famine”
     We see in Chapter 47 that “Jacob” (who is ISRAEL now) goes down to Egypt, with his family of 70 (includes children, grandkids, servants, etc.) “Israel” and “Yosef” meet.  Yosef's legal name is “Yosef Ben Israel” or “Ben Jacob” the name ISRAEL comes from “Yasher El” (straight to GOD) Yosef is happy to see “Abba” again and goes “straight to God” as we believers should be happy to go “straight to God” through Yeshua.
     This is the beginning of Israel's “sojourn” in the land of Egypt, interesting fact, “Yosef” in a way “Enslaved the Egyptians” by taking from them their land, cattle, money, in exchange for food.  Later on, the “worm turned” and the Egyptians, under the power of a different Pharaoh (who some think was “Ahmose”) enslaved ISRAEL, until the time of Moshe.
     Israel is still enslaved to tradition, religiosity, blind eyes that refuse to recognize Messiah Yeshua, as the promised “Mashiach” that the Torah speaks of.  Yet many are coming to Mashiach, but there are still many more that need “Yeshuah” (Salvation)
 
EZEKIEL 37:15-28
 
Here, “Yeches’kel Ha Navi” (Ezekiel the Prophet) sees the joining of Judah and the children of Israel, and Yosef, with his son Efrain” and they are joined together as ONE (Echad) “One in Unity” Once they were separated, Yosef and his sons in Egypt, and Israel, Judah, and his brothers, in Canaan, but NOW, together as ONE FAMILY. As we are also ONE (echad) in Messiah Yeshua's love.  We are “Kehilah Echad” (One congregation united in Yeshua) even though there are thousands of “Kehilot” all over the world, our relationship in Yeshua makes us ONE.
 
MATT 18:1-19:30 
 
Yeshua says that “unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the Kingdom of Heaven”.   A child is “innocent” and has an eager mind to learn.  When we are “born again” we start anew, like “little children” and slowly “grow into maturity” yes, we will stumble and fall, get into trouble, and get “spanked” by the Father, but HE will still love us as HIS CHILDREN. 
 
Shabbat Shalom...Ben Avraham
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