Parasha "VaYechi" (and he lived)

[Jacob Ben Avraham]

PARASHA: “VaYechi” (and he lived)

 

GEN 47:28-50:26......................1 KINGS 2:1-12......................MATT 20:1-21:46 

 

     In this we see Jacob (Israel) in his last days, he prepares to “go the way of all men” (As king David put it), Jacob is getting ready to die.  He prepares himself, and makes sure that his sons and grandsons are blessed and they know what is ahead of them.  A father's blessing to his children is very important.

     We see that he lives 17 years in Egypt, and strangely enough, Yosef comes to Egypt at age 17! When we add up the two “17s” we get “34”, then adding 3+4 = 7, we are back to the number “7” which is God's number, Both Jacob and Joseph were in God's perfect will and HE fulfilled HIS perfect purpose through those men.  Jacob lives 147 years.  Those numbers and significant also.  Jacob has “12” sons all together, the “founding fathers” of what and who are the Israelis, Israelites, Jewish people today.  When we add up the numbers 1 +4+7 in the number 147, we get 1+4+7= “12”.  To write the number 147 using Hebrew letters we would use a “Qoph” (Q or K) “mem” (M) and a “Zayin” (z) Qoph = 100,  Mem = 40, Zayin = 7, how do these numbers tell us about Jacob/Israel?

     Jacob/Israel was set side “Kadosh” for YHVH's special purpose, to bring forth a “multitude of people “mem” and this people, the Jewish people would have to “fight” (Zayin) for survival, “zayin = weapon”,” mem” = “multitude, water, or chaos”

     Before he dies, Jacob blesses his 12 children and his 2 grandkids, and tells them about their futures, some are bleak, not so nice (one reaps what one sows).  Each name of “b'nei Israel” (children of Israel) has a symbolic meaning, what does these names mean to us as “born again believers in Yeshua HaMashiach?” well, let's see;

     RUEBEN (Re'eh) “to see” , SIMEON (Sh'ma) “to hear”, LEVI (lev=heart) “united, joined together” Y'HUDAH (contains the most sacred name of God, YHVH) “praise” ,DAN “judge” , NAPHTALI “wrestling” GAD “a troop comes”, ASHER “blessed” , ISSACHAR “wages”, ZEBULUN “dwelling with husband”, YOSEF “YHVH will add a son” , BENJAMIN “son of the right hand” MANASSEH  “forget my toil and my father's house”  (pray 4 Zion, the significance of the twelve tribes of Israel). 

     What do we see when we apply these meanings to our lives as “born again believers?” We can all SEE the changed lives, the miracles that have been done in believers' lives, and we HEAR of the faith of others who have been challenged by oppressive governments, we HEAR God's Word through SEEING the words in the Torah, and take them into our HEART, so that the words of Torah are JOINED TOGETHER to our lives, so that we may PRAISE the name of YHVH.  We must all look at our lives and JUDGE ourselves in light of the scriptures, are we living the way YHVH wants us to live? We must judge ourselves, least we be judged, yet we will ALL incur JUDGEMENT at the “Judgment seat of Messiah.  Every day is a kind of “WRESTLING” match between our old nature and our renewed nature, the sinful flesh against our new “born again” selves. 

     We are Adonai's TROOPS, we are at war against HaSatan, and his unholy fallen angels, it is spiritual warfare, and our weapons are the WORD of God, His Holy Spirit and HIS holy angels, and our prayers, we have been BLESSED with a new relationship with our creator and redeemer, and we will receive WAGES for our good works, (mitzvoth) in form of rewards in heaven, as “gold, silver, precious stones” 

     Our future hope is one day, to DWELL WITH OUR HUSBAND, who is Messiah Yeshua, who loves us as his “bride”.  Every time a lost person is “born again” a SON IS ADDED, to God's redeemed family of believers. We are sons of Adonai's RIGHT HAND, who is Messiah Yeshua, who stretched out his HANDS to receive the nails.  We can forget our TOILS, rest from them on the Sabbath, Every Sabbath day is our time to rest from our TOILS, and to be in OUR FATHER'S HOUSE.  Someday, we will have our permanent “Sabbath rest”.

     We must not forget that one of the blessings of Judah is the coming forth of SHILOH, who is Yeshua, who will have the ruler's scepter, who will be “king over all the earth” to him will gather ALL nations. 

1 KINGS 2:1-12

     King David is on his death bed and calls his son Solomon, and tells him “what it is to be a MAN!” so here's the truth to all “macho guys out there who just THINK they know what it is to be a real man.  Melech David tells the truth through the Holy Spirit who guides his words;

     ” Keep charge of YHVH thy God, Walk in HIS ways, Keep HIS commandments as they are written in the Torah, SO THAT, you may prosper in ALL you do.  So, there you have it, what it is to be a man, (or a woman) of God, Trust in Yeshua as LORD and Savior, Depend of HIS righteousness through his blood and sacrifice on the cross of Calvary, which will lead us to a right relation with HIM and with his written word, to put into practice as our way of life.  But always remember that salvation is through FAITH, and by FAITH only, and never depending on works! (mitzvoth) the “works” are an “aftermath” of our faith experience.

MATT 22:1-23:39 
 

     Yeshua tells the story of a man who pays the same wage to various workers who went to work for him at different times during the day.  The guy who worked 10 hours, gets, let's say, $100.00 and the guy who just worked 2 hours, also gets $100.00.  The guy who worked 10 hours gets upset, “Hey, that's not fair!” but why should he worry, if the man wants to be generous, that's on him, right? Which proves that YHVH shows mercy on whom he pleases, no matter where he or she is, and blesses in abundance with some, and not so much abundance with others, the thing to remember is that HE supplies our NEEDS, one way or another, whether or not we work a lot to get blessed, the blessings will ALWAYS come from ABOVE. 

 

Shabbat Shalom