Midrash: VaYechi" (and he lived) Gen 47-50

[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 lived 17 years in Egypt, and strangely enough, Yosef came 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 lived 147 years.  Those numbers and significant also.  Jacob has “12” sons all together, the “founding fathers” of what and who are the Israelis, Israelites, and 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, and not so nice (one reaps what one sows).  Each name of “b'nei Israel” (children of Israel) has a symbolic meaning, what do these names mean to us as “born-again believers in Yeshua HaMashiach?” well, let's see;

     RUEBEN (Re'eh) is “to see”, SIMEON (Sh'ma) is “to hear”, LEVI (lev=heart) is “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). 

     One interesting note in the prophecy concerning Y’hudah is the verse;

 

 “The scepter shall not depart from Y’hudah, nor a scholar from among his descendants until Shiloh arrives and his will be an assemblage of nations” 49:10

     Who is “Shiloh?” We can pretty much agree that it is Messiah Yeshua.  Even Rashi and Onkelos render: “until the Messiah comes to whom the kingdom belongs.” 

      All nations of the world will be gathered unto Messiah Yeshua when he returns to reign 1000 years, we can also see that in gematria, the name “Shiloh” (Sheen, Yod, Lamed, Hey) sum 345.  The words HaShem (a title for YHVH) also sums 345, and also “Moshe” sums the same.  Of course, it does, since HaShem and Moshe contain the same letters.  Moshe was a type of Mashiach who redeemed Israel from Egyptian slavery, as Messiah Yeshua redeemed us all from slavery to sin.  Also, with the name “Shiloh” we see “Yah” (Yod, Hey) which of course is the shortened form of YHVH.      

     There is one interesting thing about “Yosef” it is the blessing that Israel pronounces on his favorite son.  It is found in Gen 49:22;

 

“Yosef is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall”

 

We wonder what could this mean.  If we take some of these words in the original Hebrew, we see the words; “Porat” which is a boy’s name in Israel, it means; “fruitful” from the verb “Parah” which means “to bear fruit” then we have the combined words “Alei-Ayin” which, when searched in the dictionary is very hard to find an exact meaning.  But in Hebrew letters, it would be spelled out; “Ayin, Lamed, Yod (then a line connecting) Ayin, Yod, Nun.

     In the basic Hebrew dictionary, I found two meanings for the word; Ayin, Lamed, Yod (Alei) one is “On” and the other is “Pestle” which is part of the flower.  The word “Ayin” is “eye” What could we understand with this phrase? Perhaps something like “a bough that bears fruit on the eye, that goes “on” the wall, and then “over the wall” being watered by a spring.  Here is one idea, we have to say; “an idea” because one can never be 100% certain of some meanings.  What does the “eye” have to do with a plant? a bough? Tree? A pestle which is part of a flower which is part of a tree?

     Yosef will be “porat” fruitful, because of him bringing his family to Egypt, they “multiplied” in population in four hundred years.  The family began with 70 persons, and left Egypt four hundred and some years later with perhaps two million! Now THAT is what I call being FRUITFUL (porat) The verse also says; “Ben Porat” or “son of fruitfulness” This is mentioned TWICE, before and after the name YOSEF.  Could this mean a “double portion of fruitfulness?” again, we see 70 persons become two million.  Take even the sons of Yosef; Manasseh and Efraim, they became many and it is believed that the descendants of Efraim spread out to many nations, yet Israel claims his grandsons as “his own” meaning they are part of the 12 tribes, which is “Adat Yisrael” (Community of Israel).

     But what is a possible meaning of “Alei-Ayin?” perhaps we could say that the flowers that bloom on many trees have pestles, and the leaves, well, many are shaped like “eyes” and if the tree is connected to a spring/well of water, it will flourish.  The letter “Ayin” in Hebrew symbolizes “sight” or “insight” If we take the two words “Alei-Ayin” and look at the meaning of the words from an ancient Hebrew perspective, we can see the following; “insight through instruction/direction is a done thing! (Alei) and “insight accomplished leads to life” (ayin). 

     What were the names of the two trees in the Garden of Eden?  The Tree of Knowledge, and the Tree of Life! Is there a connection?  If we adhere to the instruction of the Torah, we will be blessed with life, and life in abundance and we will be fruitful, not so much biologically, but in bringing “spiritual fruit” bringing others close to Messiah, through witness and teaching others HIS Word.  We are then “B’nei Porat” (sons of fruitfulness) This is just an idea.  We can think on this.

     What do we see when we apply the name meanings of the sons of Israel to our lives as “born-again believers?” We can all SEE the changed lives, and 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, lest 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 and will gather ALL nations.

    The book of Genesis ends with the word “Egypt” yet begins with “B’Reisheet” (in the beginning).  One might say that "In the beginning" God had his plan for Israel.  It all started with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, then his 12 sons, but in "Egypt" there was a great population growth, from 70 to perhaps 3,000,000 in 400 years.  From 70 souls to a great multitude.    

 

     In this new year of 2024, let's try and grow in faith by leaps and bounds.  Pray for a multitude of blessings for those around us.