Shabbat Midrash (Teaching) Outlines

• Last week’s Parashah ended with Joseph being forgotten by the cupbearer and having to face two more years in prison. Joseph was seventeen when he was sent to Egypt and put into slavery against his wishes. Remember that the reason he is here is because he related his dreams to his father and brothers. He served in Potiphar’s house, which allowed him some freedom. Then he was thrust into a dungeon, which brought Joseph to one of the lowest levels of life one could have. Joseph was able to handle these hardships that came his way because of the strong background and foundation in Torah and parental nurturing that was characteristic of Jewish life.

• Many of us today have never known strong nurturing parents who taught us the scriptural applications of Torah in our lives. The opposite is most likely the case where Torah was not taught and most definitely not practiced. From childhood we have been given incorrect teaching and as a result, we have ended up as adults not able to properly handle our own family situations based on scripture rather than Freudian exploits. Many of us bring our ‘old baggage’ with us into our new family where the cycle begins all over again with strongholds from the bad instruction forming the foundation of what is now known as a dysfunctional family.

• Joseph knew to take refuge in Yahweh and this is what made it possible for him to make it through his trials and be refined into the man after Yah’s heart. The trials and testings are there in our lives to help deliver us and reveal Yah’s mighty hand of redemption. Letting go of self until only Yahweh exists is our ultimate challenge and leads us down a pathway toward holiness and prepares us to put on our priestly garments.

• When Pharaoh had two dreams that no one could interpret, the cupbearer remembered Joseph and told Pharaoh about his abilities. Joseph is taken from prison, cleaned up, shaven and given fresh clothes to wear to appear before Pharaoh. Joseph is now thirty years old. In Torah, a priest begins his duties at age 30. This was the same age at which Yeshua began his ministry.

• Joseph had been in Egypt thirteen years. Imagine a man who had been a shepherd and living in prison situations now coming to stand before Pharaoh! We should not be surprised because if we have truly surrendered our body, soul, and spirit to Yah and emptied our idols of self-reliance, self-centeredness, and pride and truly desire to serve a holy G-d, then we too will stand before kings, not in our own righteousness, but in His! Nothing of ourselves, everything of HIM! When we arrive at the place where Joseph was, it is no problem to stand before Pharaoh.

• Pharaoh said, “I have heard it said that you can interpret dreams”. “No!”, said Joseph boldly. “Yahweh will give Pharaoh the answer he desires”. Pharaoh then related to Joseph his two dreams. Joseph told Pharaoh that Yah had given the dream in two forms and that Yah had revealed to Pharaoh what was about to happen in Egypt very soon.

• Both Pharaoh and Joseph beheld the future in their dreams, but with significant differences. To Pharaoh, life is a river, with himself standing on the riverbank, outside of its flow, a passive bystander to what transpires. To Joseph, life is a field within which he toils, laboring at “binding sheaves”; gathering its diverse stalks and binding them into an integral whole. Many are seduced by the enticements of the Pharaoic life. “We remember the fish that we ate in Egypt for free,” the children of Israel grumbled when G-d stripped them of the shackles and security of their slavery. Life is a free lunch in Pharaoh’s Egypt; you don’t have to make any choices in your life. You simply stand on the riverbank and watch the cows and years follow and consume one another. However, there is little satisfaction and no fulfillment in his free fish. It is only in the toilsome labor in the field of life that the most important freedom of all is to be found: the freedom to achieve and create.

• After Joseph went into detail of what would be needed and how to go about accumulating the food from seven years to augment the seven years of famine that lay ahead, Pharaoh was so impressed with Joseph’s aptitude for administration that he selected him for job of Viceroy of all Egypt, a position second only to Pharaoh himself. Pharaoh took off his signet ring and placed it on Joseph’s finger, dressed him in robes of fine linen and placed a gold chain around his neck. This is symbolic of our Heavenly Father bestowing the honor entitled to his Son, Yeshua. Pharaoh then gave Joseph a new name; Zaphenath-Paneah, which means ‘he who explains what is hidden’. When Yeshua was among us in the flesh, he spent his time explaining what was hidden in the Torah to his disciples. Words once hidden were now being heard, understood, and seen through Yeshua’s actions and works.

• Pharaoh also gave to Joseph a wife, Asenath, the daughter of Potiphar, Joseph’s former master. According to a Midsrashic account, Asenath was actually the daughter of Dinah from Shechem. Banished from Jacob’s house, Asenath wandered to Egypt and was raised by Potiphar and his wife. When the daughters of Egypt threw their jewelry at Joseph as he passed among them, Asenath threw a golden amulet which identified her as a granddaughter of Jacob, and he took her as his wife.

• The Hebrew word, galut (exile), means that a person is deprived of his “home”, of the environment that preserves his faith, nourishes his growth and spurs his achievements. But precisely because it deprives him of the support of his natural environment, the state of galut compels the person to turn to the inner reaches of his soul and extract from there reserves of commitment and determination never tapped in more tranquil times. This is one reason why Joseph had to be totally dependent on Yah to sustain him.

• During the seven years of abundance, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath. The firstborn was named Manasseh (Forgetting), Joseph referred to his struggles in an environment intent on eradicating all memory of home and roots, and how his battle against forgetting and disconnection uncovered his deepest potentials.

• The second son, Ephraim, so named (because G-d has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction) represents the manner in which the “land of affliction” itself is exploited as a source of growth and productivity.

• When the famine in Egypt became severe, the Egyptians went to Joseph, crying, “Give us bread.” Joseph responds, “Woe to me that I must feed the uncircumcised,” he exclaimed; “Go and circumcise yourselves,” he said to them. They went to Pharaoh and cried out before him. Pharaoh told them “Go to Joseph”. They responded that they had gone to him and that he had commanded them to circumcise themselves. They then reminded Pharaoh that they had told him originally that Joseph was a Hebrew and that it was not fitting for a Hebrew to wield authority over them.

• “Fools”, Pharaoh said. “Didn’t a herald proclaim before him during the seven years of plenty, ‘A famine is coming, a famine is coming!’ Why then did you not keep in reserve the produce of a year or two?” They burst into tears before Pharaoh and related to him that even the grain that they had left had rotted. “Even the bread in our baskets has gone moldy”, they said.

• “Fools”, Pharaoh says again. “If the grain rots at his decree, what if he decrees against us and we die! Go rather to him and do all that he bids you.”

• Eventually, things get really bad for Israel and his sons. They hear that grain is available in Egypt and make preparations to go and buy. The story of the returning House of Israel today is reflected here as it still remains hidden to its brothers, the House of Judah. Judah cannot see their brother, House of Israel yet, as many look too Egyptian or Greek to them. The House of Israel still reflects the countries they have been living in. They still reek of the smell of unclean foods and still reflect the Babylonian feasts of Christmas and Easter.

• As House of Israel is taking off its contamination and making themselves clean before Yahweh, they remain hidden in the Messiah until the time of the fullness of the Gentiles. (Romans 11:12)

• Today, as it was then, Joseph was the only one who had bread. Yeshua, the Bread of Life, will be revealed to his brothers by Joseph. Even though Judah had been given the Torah, and were the keepers of the Torah, Judah does not understand its fullness as they have no life sustaining food from it and need to buy food. They cannot see Messiah in the Torah. Only Messiah in the Torah is life-sustaining food. Without Him, Torah has no life of its own. They were not seeking the Messiah in the Torah, thus they found no life. It was Joseph who had been in the wilderness and hidden for so long, who had searched diligently for the HEART of Torah, Yeshua the Messiah. He circumcised his heart and now Torah became a life-giving source to him. The Messiah is seen when we rent the veil of our heart and only then can we have life. Joseph treasured this in his heart and it will be Joseph who reveals Torah to his brothers, the keepers of Torah, in the future. The House of Israel came to Joseph to buy food. Joseph is a type and shadow of Yeshua the Messiah. Yeshua is the Bread of Life and we come to Him, the Living Manna, for our life. Amen!

• Joseph’s brothers embark on their homeward journey after leaving Simeon as collateral until they return home with Benjamin. On route they discover the silver coins still in their bags and fear falls on them driven by the guilt they carry for having sold their brother Joseph.

• At home Jacob was grieved with the loss of his sons. First, Joseph, then Simeon, and now this Egyptian Viceroy wanted Benjamin. Time passes and the need for more grain urges Jacob to consider Egypt again. Judah reminds Jacob of the conditions for their return, unless Benjamin is with them, they will not see Joseph’s face again. This is prophetic Jewish wedding language: Unless all 12 tribes are together again you will not see the Bridegroom (Yeshua). In Luke 13:35 Yeshua said, “Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you that you will not see me again until you say, Baruk Haba, B’shem Adonai, Blessed is He who comes in the name of Yahweh.” (Psalm 118:26)

• They return, this time with Benjamin, their youngest brother, which Judah has taken full responsibility for. They come bearing gifts from the land for Joseph and double the silver for purchase of grain for both trips. Joseph received them and gave orders to take these men to his house, slaughter an animal and prepare dinner so that they will dine with him at noon. This is prophetic of all twelve tribes of Israel coming together in the Father’s house and eating at the Feasts of Yahweh, the Wedding Supper of the Lamb.

• When the time came for them to leave, Joseph instructed each man to be given as much grain as possible and to return each man’s silver to him. Redemption cannot be purchased; it is a gift from Yahweh. Before their departure, Joseph also gave instructions for his cup, the silver one, to be placed inside Benjamin’s sack hidden along with his grain. This is symbolic of the cup Yeshua drank on our behalf to bring redemption for the whole house of Israel.

• As the story closes, Joseph’s steward follows the brothers and declares that they have stolen the silver cup. When accused, the brothers deny they have stolen it and decree in whomever’s sack it is found must die and the remaining brothers will be the slaves of Joseph. With this Joseph’s cup is found in Benjamin’s sack.

• They tear their garments and return to Joseph. Twenty-two years after having made their father go into mourning because of a falsehood, they now were falsely accused of a crime and are forced to go through deep anguish. Together they all fall prostrate before Joseph in mercy. All eleven brothers now bow before him fulfilling the dream given Joseph many years before. This is prophetic of the day when every knee will bow to the King of Kings, Yeshua!

posted by Chris Phillips, Congregational Leader  # 12/30/2005

• During the time of the Second Temple, which was nearly twenty-two centuries ago, a series of events took place that the Jews memorialize each year known as Hanukkah.

• The Jewish people had returned to Eretz Yisrael (Land of Israel) from the Babylonian exile. They had rebuilt the Holy Temple, but they remained subject to the reigning powers: first the Persian Empire, then later, the conquering armies of Alexander the Great.

• Alexander The Great was a kind and generous ruler to the Jewish people. He cancelled the Jewish taxes during Sabbatical years, and even offered animals to be sacrificed on his behalf in the Temple.

• After Alexander’s death, his kingdom was divided among his generals. Judea was caught in the middle and ended up under the system of the Seleucid Dynasty, Greek kings who reigned from Syria.

• A Syrian tyrant, Antiochus IV, was the new king who ruled Judea. He worshipped the Greek gods (Zeus was the main Greek god), but at first he did allow the Jews to worship Yahweh.

• During the years of Greek domination, many Jews started to embrace the Greek culture (centered around sports, art, and philosophy) and its Hellenistic, pagan way of life. The so called ‘Jewish Hellenists’ helped to further Antiochus’s goal; to abolish every trace of the Jewish form of worship from the face of the earth.

• Eventually, King Antiochus decided to go into Jerusalem and take the treasures from the Temple and forbid the Jews from keeping their holy traditions such as Shabbat, kosher laws, studying the Holy Scriptures and the practice of circumcision.

• To prove his point he entered the Temple and desecrated the Holy Altar by sacrificing a forbidden, unclean pig on it. He dedicated the Temple to the worship of Zeus Olympus, the main god of the Greeks. An altar to Zeus was set upon the high altar. The Jews were forced to bow before it under penalty of death.

• The Holy Temple was desecrated and pillaged of all its treasures. (Antiochus needed the gold to finance his military exploits) Many innocent people were massacred and the survivors were heavily taxed. Antiochus went so far as to proclaim himself a god, taking the name Epiphanes: God manifest.

• Flavius Josephus, the renowned historian who lived at the time of the Apostles, recorded the horrifying events of that time in this way: (Taken from Antiquities of the Jews, Book 12, Chapter 5):

“And when the king (referring to Antiochus) had built an idol altar upon G-d’s altar, he slew swine upon it, and so offered a sacrifice neither according to the law, nor the Jewish religious worship in that country. Antiochus also compelled them to forsake the worship of their own G-d, and to adore those whom he took to be gods; and made them build temples and raise idol altars in every city and village and offer swine upon them every day. He also commanded them not to circumcise their sons and threatened to punish any that should be found to have transgressed his injunction. He also appointed overseers who should compel them to do what he had commanded. And indeed there were many Jews who complied with the king’s commands either voluntarily, or out of fear of the penalty that was denounced, but the best men, and those of noblest souls, did not regard him, but did pay a greater respect to the customs of their country than concern as to the punishment which Antiochus threatened to the disobedient; on which account they every day underwent great miseries and bitter torments. For they were whipped with rods and their bodies were torn to pieces and were crucified while they were still alive and breathed; they also strangled those women and their sons whom they had circumcised, as the king had appointed, hanging their sons about their necks as they were upon the crosses. And if they were any sacred book of the law found, it was destroyed and all those with whom they were found miserably perished also.”

• Some Jews drifted into the Greek ways, changed their names from their Hebrew names and followed the Greek ‘modern’ practices, giving up the ‘old’ ways of their ancestors. One Hellenized Jew’s name was Joshua, but he changed it to the Greek name Jason. He offered King Antiochus a bribe so that he could take over the position of the High Priest.

• The “High Priest” Jason constructed a gymnasium near the Temple and demoralized his fellow Jews with pagan customs and licentious behavior. Another Hellenized Jew came along and offered a bigger bribe and Jason was replaced. Jason then gathered an army and attacked Menebus in the Holy City, slaughtering many of the Jews there. Antiochus interpreted this civil squabble as a revolt against his throne and sent his armies into Jerusalem, plundering the Temple and murdering tens of thousands of Jews. Altars were erected with statues of the Greek gods and goddesses in every city and town. Soldiers forced Jews to make offerings, eat forbidden foods, and to engage in other pagan immoral acts.

• Many other Jews resisted and refused to follow Greek practices and would not bow down to the Greek’s pagan idols. The Greeks tried to get the Jews to abandon the Torah and commandments, but the Giver of both (Yahweh), was still in control. Many times Yahweh had fought the Jewish battles, against all odds, delivering the evil enemies into the hands of the righteous and the outnumbered.

• Yahweh helped the Jews in this dilemma to organize the common people, farmers, workers, and servants. They all united and began to resist the Syrian persecutors.

• An aged priest named Mattathais (father of Judas Maccabee) began the revolt in 168 B.C. by striking down an apostate Jew who had been appointed a royal commissioner by Antiochus. Mattathais tore down the pagan altar in the town and fled to the hills with his sons. Early in the struggle, Mattathais died, but the battle raged on.

• This small but dedicated group of Hasmoneans, now under the leadership of Judas Maccabee (known as ‘The Hammer’), used guerilla warfare tactics to drive out the Syrians. The Maccabees regained control of the Holy Temple and began the task of purifying it. The altar, which had been defiled by the sacrifice of unclean animals upon it, was torn down and rebuilt. All new holy vessels were then crafted. A date for the rededication of the Temple was set: the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev, which occurs approximately in the Roman month of December.

• Taking unhewn stones, as the law commands, they built a new altar based on the model of the previous one. They rebuilt the Temple, restored its interior, and consecrated the Temple courts. They renewed the sacred vessels and the menorah (lamp stand) and brought the altar of incense and the table for the showbread into the Temple. They decorated the front of the Temple with golden wreaths and ornamental shields. They renewed the gates and the priest’s rooms and fitted them with doors. They put the Bread of the Presence on the table that was designed for it and hung the massive curtain separating the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple. One task remained.

• When they cleaned out the pagan idols from the Temple, they found only one small cruse of oil with only enough to sustain the Temple menorah for one day. They decided to light the Menorah anyway, and to everyone’s amazement, the Menorah miraculously burned for eight (8) days (the amount of time required to produce more pure oil).

• The light of the Menorah is the symbol of Yeshua, the Light of the World. The lighting of the Menorah is symbolic of how His Light is spread throughout the world, beginning with the Shamash candle (symbolic of Yeshua, the suffering servant). The fact that the light continued to burn even when no supply was left is symbolic of the eternity of Yahweh’s Word. The heart of the celebration of Hanukkah is not the retelling of the saga of revolt and renewal, but the retelling of the divine experience of the miracle of the oil!

posted by Chris Phillips, Congregational Leader  # 12/23/2005

• This portion begins with Ya’akov (Jacob) sending messengers to his brother Esau in order to let it be known that he had prospered in his sojourn (refers to the number 613; number of commandments in the Torah) with Uncle Lavan, and that he was coming home at Yah’s direction.

• As Ya’akov complies with Yah’s request, he finds himself caught between obeying Yah and fleeing his brother Esau out of self-preservation.

• The messengers that Ya’akov had sent out now return to inform him that his brother Esau is approaching with 400 men; actually there are 400 men plus Esau, thus equaling the number 401.

• The number 401 speaks directly of Messiah

• Messiah is represented by the Hebrew letters aleph and tav which are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet and have a numerical value of 401 according to the gematria (numerical coding of the Hebrew alphabet) - aleph has a value of 1 and tav has a value of 400).

• Ya’akov still possesses a healthy fear of his brother Esau. His fear will become the determining factor in his decision making process.

• Ya’akov is so awed by Yahweh’s sending messengers (angels) to encourage and strengthen him prior to meeting Esau that he says, “This is the camp of Yahweh”, and named the place Mahanaim, meaning ‘two camps’. His two wives and their children are truly “Two Camps”. This is prophetic of the actual two camps or “Houses” that will come from Leah and Rachel called the House of Judah and the House of Israel.

• During the night Ya’akov sends his two wives, his maidservants, and his eleven sons across the Yabok River. Yabok means ‘pouring out’ or ‘emptying’. Ya’akov was now alone; having no family or possessions. He had to come to a place of self-emptying where every human resource is given up so that Yah can replace them with His Life.

• Ya’akov gave up trying to pretend and “wing it”. He was now ready for a face to face encounter with Yah.

• There is nothing wrong with using brains and talents to get through, but it is the anointing that comes from surrendering our lives to Yah and the infilling of the Ruach HaChodesh (Holy Spirit) that breaks the yoke of bondage to ‘self’. New wine can then be put into ‘new wine skins’.

• Ya’akov is attacked by a man in the night who struggles with him until the rising of the sun. In the dark of night, Ya’akov might possibly have thought this man was his brother Esau, trying to kill him. The daybreak revealed his ‘ish’ (man) to be something more: He is our Messiah Yeshua!

• In our spiritual darkness we often fear worldly things and conflict with them in the same way that Ya’akov feared his brother. Yah leads us to face them in the same way that Ya’akov is led to face Esau.

• Through the struggle we sometimes find that the conflict that we thought we were fighting against some worldly power was really a struggle against a fear inside of us; the fear that Yah would abandon or forsake us.

• In just this way the darkness caused Ya’akov to believe he was struggling with his brother, but when the light shone on them, it was revealed that he was actually being tested by Yah.

• Notice that Ya’akov was in the ‘wilderness’ and asleep when the encounter begins. Many of us find ourselves in the wilderness experience and many have ‘fallen asleep.’

• The wilderness is a place of circumcision followed by empowerment. Circumcision is done on an individual basis while alone with Yah. It is not something that ‘people’ can take you through. They actually ‘prevent’ us from taking that final step of being alone with Yah, as many of us are dependent on an ‘enabler’ to get us through and not Yahweh.

• We need a one-on-one, face to face encounter with our Creator so that we can move from the Outer Court experience of the Tabernacle to the Inner Court or Holy Place. Nothing of ourselves enters this holy sanctum. If we reach this point in our spiritual lives and turn back not allowing Yah to have ownership of our lives, we will sadly continue to stall or even die, as much of the Outer Court ministry is ‘self-life’. ‘His Life’ is in the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. This becomes the goal of our hearts when we surrender and empty ourselves to Yah, the Giver of Life!

• Romans 13:10-14 says, “Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the Law. And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not is sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealously. Rather, clothe yourselves with Yeshua the Messiah, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature (the flesh).

Two Camps

• As mentioned earlier, great fear fell upon Ya’akov when he heard that his brother Esau was coming to meet him.

• Taking matters into his own hands, Jacob divides his family and animals into two camps saying, “If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape.

• Jacob had to face his past, which was one of trickery and deceit. His very name meant ‘trickster’ or ‘deceiver’. Instead of seeking G-d’s protection, he makes his own plan.

• After he thanked Yah for his protection, he prepared a ‘gift’ for his brother. He divided his animals into five groups (symbolic of grace) and instructed his servants that when the time came to meet Esau they were to go before him offering Jacob’s gifts saying “your servant Jacob is coming behind us.” Jacob is attempting to use diplomacy to appease his brother.

• It looks good to us, so we offer our righteousness and think it is acceptable to Yahweh, but this is from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and it is as filthy rags before Yah! We offer Him our worldly offerings or ‘works’ but they are unacceptable before a Holy G-d.

• These habits and beliefs were ingrown into Jacob’s very being and character, having been passed on through his generations. Nothing but a face to face encounter with Yah could change him.

• Yahweh had more for Jacob, just as he does for us, and he needs to change our hearts. But before this can happen, we have to die spiritually so that we may experience rebirth as people after G-d’s own heart.

posted by Chris Phillips, Congregational Leader  # 12/16/2005

B’resheet (Genesis) 28:10-32:3

Yahweh’s House

• Last week’s portion closed with Ya’akov (Jacob) fleeing his father’s house for Paddam-Aram because of the enmity of his brother Esau. He only took with him his staff, some oil, and his father’s blessing.

• His eastward journey form Beersheba toward Haran brings him to a “certain place” as he stops for the evening. The Hebrew text used to denote his arrival means that Yah led him to be at this place at this time. This pre-ordained set of circumstances we know as the Providence of G-d.

• This location is no ordinary place. This is the very place where Avraham offered up Yitzchak and, later, the place where the Holy of Holies was located when Shlomo (Solomon) constructed the Temple.

• As the day draws to an end, Ya’akov gathers stones from “the place” to put under his head as he laid down to sleep.

• Yah gave Ya’akov a dream in which he saw a ladder resting on the earth and the top reaching toward Heaven. Angels were ascending and descending on the ladder.

• In the Renewed Covenant book of Yochanan (John), Chapter 1, Verses 49-52, we read about a meeting between Yeshua and Nathan’el. “Nathan’el said, “From where do you know me?” Yeshua answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathan’el answered and said to him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of G-d; you are the King of Israel!” Yeshua answered and said to him, “Because I said I saw you beneath the fig tree you believe? Greater things than this you will see!” And He also said to him, “Amen, amen; I say to you that after this you will see heaven opened and the angels of G-d ascending and descending on the “Son of Man”.

• Here, Yeshua takes this “ladder” concept and applies it to Himself, as if to say, “That ladder Ya’akov saw is really Me”. He was alluding to his function as the ‘Way’ between G-d and man. Yeshua, the Living Torah, is the only way (ladder) to the Father. This is reinforced by the word for “ladder” which appears in Numbers 20:19, translated as “the elevated path.”

• Ya’akov then sees Yah standing at the top of the ladder and He reaffirms for Jacob the blessing of the firstborn, the Covenant of Avraham, and promises to keep him and not leave him until he has accomplished all that he had spoken to him.

• Jacob awakes from his dream to discover that the stones under his head had become a single stone during his sleep. He proclaims, “Surely Yahweh is in this place, and I did not know it. How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of Yah, and this is the gate of heaven!” This was the place where heaven and earth met.

• The “Stone of Israe”l is the title for Yahweh in Genesis 49:24. Yeshua is referred to as “a tested stone, a costly cornerstone, a firm foundation-stone” in Isaiah 28:16.

• As the children of Israel were taken out of Egypt and lead into the wilderness, “The Stone” provided natural water when Moshe struck a rock in the desert with his staff. Later, on Mount Sinai, “The Stone” provided “Living Water” on two tablets.

• Yeshua our Messiah is the carrier of G-d’s Word upon which we are to build our lives. This Stone, the “Living Torah”, is the stone that the builders rejected. This Stone causes men to stumble and fall because the light of the Torah illuminates the condition of their hearts. Christians have stumbled over the written Torah, while the Jews have stumbled over the Living Torah.

• In Matthew 16:18,19, Yeshua said, “And I tell you that you are Kefa (Peter) (Peter means rock) and on this rock I will build my “ekklesia” (people, Church), and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

• The keys of the Kingdom of Heaven being the discernment and understanding of clean and unclean, holy and unholy, and about the Sabbaths and moedim (feasts). The King of the Kingdom of Heaven is Yeshua: He is called the “Rock” or “Stone”. The keys of the Kingdom were written about in the Torah, the Word of Yah given through Moshe.

• If we obey the Torah, His Word, the enemy, HaSatan (the devil), is bound. If we seek to go our own way outside Torah, the enemy is loosed and causes difficulties in our lives.

• Just as the many stones beneath Ya’akov’s head became a single stone, the many people who have been called by G-d will be assembled into a single place at a single time to become a unified Bride. The many tribes will be united as a single family and the many stones will become one “House”.

Family Ties

• Also in this portion we see what seems to be a relationship between Ya’akov and his Uncle Lavan that is based on strong family ties, but if we look closer, we see an undercurrent of deceit and greed on the part of Lavan, and silent suffering on the part of Ya’akov.

• Ya’akov considers himself among family and his actions show that he conducted himself accordingly.

• We see Ya’akov acting to remove a heavy stone so that he can water his uncle’s flock even before he has openly claimed any family ties to Lavan.

• Water was is short supply in the area, so that the local shepherds were stingy about giving it out. All the flocks in the local community were gathered together before any could receive water. This would prevent one flock from getting more that another.

• Lavan displays the customary family greeting to Ya’akov when he is told by Rachel of his arrival. He embraces him, kisses him, and takes Ya’akov to his house.

• Ya’akov relates his story to Uncle Lavan and Lavan responds by saying, “Nevertheless, you are my flesh and blood.” He seems to hesitate a little here on inviting Ya’akov to stay. Why?

• Ya’akov has just told Lavan that he has nothing with him but his staff. Contrast this to the wealth and riches that Eliezer, Avraham’s servant, brought with him when he sought a wife for Yitzchak. It would appear that Ya’akov’s lack has caused Lavan some misgivings. Here we see Lavan’s true interest; he is not concerned with family; his only concern is money.

• Even so, we need to look at Ya’akov’s life as an example of how to deal with relationships with those who have not embraced Yeshua in the context that HE wants to be embraced.

• Ya’akov brings forth his grievances in their proper place, seeking resolution. He never takes from his uncle or deals falsely with him. He accepts his wages, although changed frequently, and is faithful in all his responsibilities. Despite living in an environment of greed and deceit, Ya’akov remains true to Yahweh.

• Later in B’resheet (Genesis) 32:5, when Ya’akov’s messengers are sent to his brother Esau, they are told to tell this, “I have sojourned with Lavan and have delayed until now.” The word for “I have sojourned”, pronounced garthi, has a numerical value or gamatria value of 613; the number of the commandments in Torah, which implies that though he resided with Lavan, he did not learn his deceitful ways, but instead kept the ways taught to him by his father Yitzchak.

• We are living in the “Last Days”. The Word says that in these days: “good will be called bad, and bad will be called good. People will become lovers of themselves and not lovers of G-d.” We must remain faithful to Torah in the midst of a wicked and perverse generation so that we can offer “Living Water” to those that thirst for the Truth.

posted by Chris Phillips, Congregational Leader  # 12/09/2005

• This portion begins with the wedding of Yitzchak (Isaac) and Rivka (Rebecca).
• After twenty years of marriage, Yitzchak prays to Yahweh on behalf of Rivka that her womb would be opened. Isaac must have entertained the thought that perhaps this could be a generational curse! Nevertheless, Yah heard and answered Isaac’s prayer and Rebecca became pregnant.
• Rebecca; however, was having a pretty rough time with her pregnancy. She was at a point where she would have preferred death to her present condition. So much so that she called out to Yah for an explanation of what was happening inside. The answer she received must have been quite alarming.
• Yah tells Rebecca that not only are there two nations in her womb, but her physical distress is due to the fact that they are rivals. Oh yes, and by the way, the older will serve the younger. This is completely contrary to Jewish customs and beliefs.
• On delivery day, Rebecca gave birth to twins; the first to appear was reddish and covered with hair. They named him Esau (meaning already having hair).
• Esau’s brother then emerges gripping Esau by the heel. His name was Ya’akov (Jacob) meaning “to supplant”.
• Yitzchak was 60 years old when the twins were born. Their grandfather, Avraham, was still alive and would have seen his grandsons. He would have related stories to them about how it was before the flood, Noah and the Ark, and life after the flood.

In a Stew

• The boys grew; Esau was a skillful hunter (so was Nimrod), a man of the field or open country. Jacob was a mild man, dwelling or remaining in tents. Yitzchak loved Esau because he ate of his wild game, but Rebecca loved Ya’akov. When we look through Jewish glasses we see that “open country” is a reference to being without boundaries, in other words, outside the Torah, Yah’s teaching and instruction, dwelling in darkness. “Staying in tents” is a reference to being inside the Torah, dwelling and living in the Light and Spirit of Yah.
• As our story continues, we find Ya’akov preparing a pot of lentil stew; what we might call portage. He was preparing a traditional mourner’s meal as grandfather Avraham had just passed away. He was doing so in the absence of Esau, the eldest, whose duty this was supposed to be.
• Esau arrives in a famished state and demands that Ya’akov give him a bowl of the stew or else he will perish. We see here that Esau’s food source did not sustain him and he became weakened. On the other hand, Ya’akov’s food source remained strong and constant, demonstrating that there is no life sustaining power outside of Torah.
• Ya’akov tests his brother to see how important his birthright is to him. He asks Esau to sell him his birthright. Esau responds that he is about to die, so what good is the birthright?
• The Hebrew word for birthright is bikorah. It means “first from the womb; whether human or animal, and it also applies to a harvest of fruit, grain, or wine.
• In the case of the first born among the animals and the first of our harvest, we are reminded that even though we apply ourselves to being productive, it is ultimately Yah who blesses us with the fruit of our labors.
• In the case of the first born of our sons, it is taught that the man of the family is to minister as priest of his household. The first born is to walk in his father’s path and to eventually serve Yah in the time of his father’s demise. The responsibility can be passed on to another son by the father’s choice, by Yah’s command, or the first born can forfeit the office by choice.
• Up until the Golden Calf fiasco, the first-born son of each family followed in his father’s footsteps and fulfilled his duty before G-d. The office was then given to the descendents of Levi. Why the change?
• Remember when Moshe came down from the mountain and saw what was happening? He called out, “Whoever is for Yah, come to me!” The descendents of Levi rallied around him. He commanded the Levites to slay all those who were involved with worshipping the golden calf. By their actions, the Levites consecrated themselves to Yah. The zeal of the sons of Levi earned them the right to serve in place of the first born in the Tabernacle as a priesthood.
• Esau, in his statement regarding death and his birthright, found in Genesis 25:32, denied both G-d and the resurrection.
• We have been a people who have not appreciated our birthright the way we should. We have cut ourselves off from Torah because we are no longer under the “law” (true translation is Torah). We are no longer under the law of “sin and death”, but true believers are under the “law (Torah) of life”!! Amen!!!

Isaac and Abimelech

• When a famine comes to the land, Isaac follows in the footsteps of his father and journeys to the territory of Gerar, home to Abimelech, King of the Philistines.
• Isaac repeats the mistake of his father Avraham when he lies to the king and tells him that Rebecca is his sister. He is afraid of being killed on her account.
• Abimelech discovers the truth, but allows Isaac and his family to remain in Gerar and Isaac becomes a wealthy man with large flocks, herds, and lots of servants.
• Abimelech asks Isaac to take his family and possessions and move away. The king states that Isaac has grown too powerful. (Amazing what G-d can accomplish even in a wilderness experience!)
• Abimelech’s servants caused trouble by filling in the wells that Isaac and Avraham had dug. They quarreled about the ownership of the first two, but finally, after the third well, the quarrelling stopped.
• Wells sustain life, especially in the desert. They are also symbolic of the Living Spirit of Yah. The king’s servants wanted nothing to do with the “Living Water”. Yahweh gave Yitzchak enough room and he was able to flourish in the land.
• The first two wells are symbolic of the two temples that were destroyed by the enemies of Israel. The third well represents the Third Temple which will be built soon. Yahweh will then broaden the boundaries of Israel and all the nations will serve HIM with Yeshua as our King.

posted by Chris Phillips, Congregational Leader  # 12/02/2005