Shabbat Midrash (Teaching) Outlines

• The children of Israel had been in captivity 400 years and now we see Yah’s hand of deliverance working in His people. Moshe had been prepared to be Yah’s prophet to the people to bring about their deliverance and redemption. In Yahweh’s assurance to Moshe, He confirms His name (Yahweh) and that He alone is the G-d of Israel. In Sh’mot (Exodus) 6:2-8, Yahweh exhorts Moshe to speak assurances to His people in the form of seven (7) “I wills”:

• These seven “I wills” are a gift for us today. It is our inheritance wrapped in His Covenant. May we be a people who remember it is not by our faith that this was done but by HIS FAITHFULNESS to us that will redeem us and fulfill what He has promised. Just as our forefathers had broken faith with Yahweh, we who are redeemed today, must also learn to walk out our redemption just as the Israelites did in Sh’mot (Exodus).

• In last week’s Torah portion, Yah tells Moshe to go and free His people from slavery from the Egyptians, for whom they are forming bricks. In many places in the Torah (the Tower of Bavel, for example), bricks represent man worshipping himself, or gods of his own creation, and the children of Israel are caught up in this. Pharaoh doesn’t want to let the people go and instead makes things harder on the Hebrews, forcing them to gather their own straw.

• In a similar way HaSatan and the earthly powers representing him do not want Yah’s people to be free. The Accuser knows that time is short on this earth and is doing everything he can to deceive G-d’s people in order to make them lose heart. In the beginning of this portion, we find that the Children of Israel did not heed Moshe for they were laboring under the burdens of the world. They were laboring in the brick pits, producing building blocks for the wrong kingdom.

• The bricks here stand in sharp contrast to the uncut stones Yah requires for worship and just so the man-made forms of worship we see in today’s world stand in sharp contrast to what G-d requires of us in Torah. The Children of Israel faced the same question we now face, and it is a question of letting Yahweh lead us to freedom or continuing as a slave to the world.

• Perhaps the worst form of oppression that the Accuser brings upon Yah’s children is the reaction the world has for one who begins to incorporate the Torah into their life. The world despises and oppresses on account of true obedience to Yahweh, just as Yeshua said in the Renewed Covenant. And just as some of the Children of Israel cried out to Moshe in Sh’mot (Exodus) 5:20 that their lives were even more oppressive now that Yah had sent him, and that they wished he had never come, many people today say, “I don’t want to hear what Moshe had to say; it is making my life miserable.”

• Sh’mot is not just a story of ancient times but is a prophetic vision for us today. The book of Revelation is the mirror of the book of Exodus. When the Apostle John was on the island of Patmos he saw the book of Exodus in a prophetic imagery and wrote down what he saw. That book was called The Revelation of Yeshua the Messiah. The plagues John saw and recorded were identical with the plagues that occurred in Exodus.

• The book of Exodus is for today, as it holds the revelations for tomorrow. How we prepare for Yeshua’s return is modeled in the book of Exodus. Exodus is a type of the “world system.” “Yahweh said, “Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their divisions.” It was Moses who will lead the children of Israel out of captivity and it will be the people who understand Moses today who will be returning back to the Garden in the future. Moses is our future for Yeshua gave the words of the Living Torah to Moses in the desert. If we follow those words, we too will return to the land. We must turn back in order to go forward. In John 5:46-47 Yeshua wrote, “If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”

• May we be a people who have Rabbi Shaul’s (Paul’s) hope and desire to stand on the promises Yah made so long ago for all 12 tribes to come home! This is the time. Yahweh is going to bring us out of our Egypt through the teachings of Moses in full divisions; all 12 tribes of Israel! He spoke it and he will do it!

“I Am Hashem”

• Exodus 6:2-3 is where Yahweh is speaking to Moshe regarding his name. “I am Adonai. I appeared to Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya’akov as El Shaddai, but I did not make myself known to them by my name, YHVH.” Avraham knew the name of G-d, but the specific knowledge of the Name is not what this verse is pointing at. “El Shaddai” is translated as “G-d Almighty” in many texts, but this is not the correct translation. The root “shad” literally translates as “breast”. A literal translation would be “the breasted one” in the context of “one who is all sufficient”, and the image here is of G-d who nurtures and cares for his children.

• G-d’s literal name, Yahweh, often translated as “Hashem” speaks more of righteous judgment, which is what we see in Exodus. The Children of Israel saw Yah’s outstretched arm and ‘great judgments’. This is important because it points out that the Patriarchs’ relationship with Yah was different than the relationship the Children of Israel had with Him. In Corinthians, Paul remarks that the last generation will go through a similar experience to the first Exodus. Part of this refers to the fact that so many people today are waiting for a Messiah who will be a nurturer, but scripture points to a Messiah who will come in judgment. This is why we are studying Torah; preparing our lives so that we can stand before His righteous judgment.

The Plagues

• Yahweh, in bringing to light how detestable the ways of the Egyptians were, sent plagues upon the people as a warning and a revelation of the corruption in their hearts. Yah wanted to expose the false gods of Egypt and at the same time display His Name and glory among the nations.

• 1) The First Plague “Blood”
  The first plague attacked Hapi, the father of the Egyptian gods. He was god of the Nile, the one who brings water to all Egypt. He brought fertility to the soil through the rising of the Nile. As a fertility god, he is associated with Osiris, Egypt’s god-king. The Nile was considered the link from this life to the next and was considered the blood of Osiris. The Egyptians worshipped the river, but when its waters turned to blood they loathed and detested it bringing confusion and shame for their great god Hapi who was defamed. The Nile held the very life of Egypt and controlled their economy. What happens when a people and a country put their hope in their economy? Can you just imagine what would happen if our country experienced an economic disaster? The loss would not only affect you and me personally but nationally and on a world level as many nations depend on our economy for their support. Where is our faith as a nation today?

• 2) The Second Plague “Frogs”
  The second plague attacked Heka, the toad goddess, wife of Khunum who was goddess of the land. Heka was also the goddess of the resurrection and procreative power. Frogs were consecrated to Osiris and were the symbol of inspiration. Frogs and toads were very sacred to the Egyptians. If someone killed a frog, even unintentionally, the act was punishable by death.

• 3) The Third Plague “Gnats”
  The third plague attacked Geb, the great cackler, who was god of the earth or vegetation. He was the father of Osiris and husband of Nut.

• 4) The Fourth Plague “Flies”
  The fourth plague attacked Khepfi, the god of insects. The beetle or scarab was an emblem of Ra, the sun god. Their sun god had now become detestable to them. While this plague was going on, Pharaoh told Moshe that the Israelites could offer a sacrifice to their G-d but they must remain in Egypt while doing it. Moshe explained that their sacrifice would be detestable to the Egyptians. Yah required a bull, one of the most sacred gods in Egypt. If the Israelites did this in their land the Egyptians would stone them.

• 5) The Fifth Plague “Livestock”
  The fifth plague struck Apis, the bull god. His counterpart was Hathor, the cow goddess. The Egyptians held many beasts as idols in their land. The lion, wolf, dog, cat, ape, and goat were very sacred to them; but especially the ox, heifer, and ram. The soul of their god Osiris was believed to reside in the body of the bull, Apis. The bull god, Mnevis, was the other symbol of fertility.

• 6) The Sixth Plague “Boils”
  With no warning to Pharaoh, Yahweh had Moses and Aaron “Take handfuls of soot from a furnace and toss it into the air in the presence of Pharaoh. It will become fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, and festering boils will break out on men and animals throughout the land.” The sixth plague was an attack on Imhotep, who was the god of medicine and intelligence/wisdom. The Egyptians had several medical deities to whom, on special occasions, they sacrificed humans. They were burnt alive on a high altar, and their ashes were cast into the air, that with every scattered ash a blessing might descend upon the people. The act performed by Moshe and Aaron shamed Imhotep. Not even the magicians could stand before Moshe.

• 7) The Seventh Plague “Hail”
  The seventh plague was an attack on Nut, the sky goddess, for it was harvest time in Egypt, the time of plenty. Like her husband Geb, Yah attacked and destroyed the crops. She was the mother of Osiris. Also, this was an attack on Isis, goddess of life and Seth, protector of crops. As Moshe stretched out his staff, a huge hailstorm fell and struck everything in the fields. Only in the land of Goshen did the hail not fall.

  Plagues, Past and Future

• The Exodus speaks not only about the Children of Israel being led to freedom, but also about Egypt coming to know Yahweh. Apply that sense to Revelation and you will find a similar theme: the Great Tribulation of End Time is about G-d introducing Himself to the world as YHVH as much as it is about Him calling His children home. In the Exodus past, the Children of Israel are present as all the plagues unfold before their eyes, and a close scrutiny will reveal that the same is true in End Times: the saints will be present through the plagues, though the plagues will not enter their tents. Interestingly enough, all of the Hebrews are given the instruction of Yahweh before they enter the Land, and the entire rebellious element in them dies in the wilderness before they enter the Land. They are required by Yah to be immersed in His Teachings before they come into their inheritance. The same will be true of End Times.

Amen!

posted by Chris Phillips, Congregational Leader  # 1/27/2006

• The second book of the Torah, Exodus, has us travel forward in time. From Yosef’s life, over 300 years have passed in the continued history of Ya’akov’s (Jacob’s) family, the Israelites.

• Sh’mot (Exodus) opens with the blessing that even though Ya’akov’s direct descendents have passed on along with that entire generation, their children were able to maintain their father’s identities. All 12 tribes were identifiable and unified all these years while they lived in Egypt. They did not intermingle with the Egyptians but kept set apart in their tribes. But the Egyptian influence was at work all around them. Scripture reports in Exodus 1:7 that “The Israelites were fruitful and multiplied greatly and became exceedingly numerous”.

• It is important to understand that the Hebrew name for Egypt is “Mitzrayim”, which means ‘to be hemmed in and besieged, troubled, and distressed.’ On a spiritual level it indicates the state of our world, where people are enslaved to a system, whether religious, financial, or political, that is killing them by keeping them separated from Yahweh. We were all born into a world that esteems mere things and human values over Yah’s principles, and many of His children have been tricked into believing that they are part of the system, and sadly, they become comfortable there. The Egyptians considered the Hebrews to be aliens, people who did not belong and they treated them so. But the Israelites continuously express regret to Moshe for having left the land of Egypt throughout the book of Sh’mot. This proved that the influence of the Egyptian or worldly system was a powerful force upon the lives of the Hebrews.

• As life within the Israelite camp flourished, Egyptian life came under the rule of a new Pharaoh, one who was not familiar with the past history of the Israelites or Joseph and his family. For no reason at all, the new Pharaoh began to focus his hatred toward the Israelites and devised ways to oppress them and bring them into servant hood to him. Soon we will see that even though Yahweh allowed the Pharaohs to play a role in history, it was His hand alone that delivered His people … at His appointed time!

• In B’resheet (Genesis) 15:13,14, Yahweh said to Avraham, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated 400 years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions.”

• The new Pharaoh began planning hardships for the Israelites to bring about cruelty and oppression. For a leader to do this, he would have had a very insecure background from childhood to adulthood. This leads to suspicion, and in turn to death. James 1:14,15 tells us, “But each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death”.

• In Sh’mot 1:9,10, Pharaoh began to manufacture suspicion in order to persuade the Egyptians to go along with his plans toward the Israelites. He mixed in a little jealousy and the stage was set for the delivery of Yah’s people. Pharaoh said, “the Israelites have become too numerous for us. Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies to fight against us and leave the country”.

• Even though the Israelites were a flourishing, fruitful and self-sufficient people, they had blessed Egypt through their economy and other ways but Pharaoh’s plan worked and soon the Hebrews were given Egyptian names and hard taskmasters were placed over them to oppress them. In their enslavement, the Israelites were forced to build the two cities of Pithom and Rameses.

• Pharaoh’s plan to enslave Yah’s people first unfolded as recruitment for public service. The second phase in Pharaoh’s plan was enslavement by hard labor by making bricks with mortar along with all kinds of field work that made their lives bitter. The third phase of oppression came by changing names from Hebrew to Egyptian to cause them to loose their identity. Phase four was the final solution; the killing of all male babies. The enemies of Israel have used these tactics throughout history. We have seen this in the pogroms, the Inquisitions and finally, the Holocaust.

• Because the Israelites were so fruitful and numerous, Pharaoh went after the children. In his book Devil Take the Youngest, Whitney Pratney talks about how the enemy seeks to woo the young people of every generation and eventually kill them. In Sh’mot 1:16 the scripture says, “When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth and observe them on the delivery stool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.” It is here that we see Egyptian names being applied to the attending Hebrew midwives. The Rabbi’s believe that Shiphrah and Puah, the two midwives, are the Egyptian names of Yocheved and Miriam the mother and sister of Moses.

• The midwives feared Yahweh more than Pharaoh. Allowing the male babies to live soon had them standing before Pharaoh explaining their actions. They explained, “The Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.” Because of their courage and actions Yahweh blessed the midwives. The Hebrews continued to flourish, which made Pharaoh even more enraged, saying, “Every boy that is born you must throw into the river, but let every girl live.”

• Yah’s plans for the Israelites are about to unfold. He chooses a baby to carry out His great plan of redemption for all Israel. Moses’ life is prophetic of Yeshua’s life. Yeshua came as the kinsman redeemer for Israel and He came into this world as a baby. Yeshua, just like Moses, had his life threatened by a cruel ruler while he was yet an infant.

• Messianic Jews (Hebrews) 11:23 tells us that, “By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born because they saw that he was no ordinary child and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.” Moses’ parents were exceptional as well. Jachobed and Amram were from the tribe of Levi.

• Moses’ mother wove a basket to house him using pitch inside and out to keep the little ark afloat. The word for pitch is the same Hebrew word used for atonement (karph) meaning “a covering for sins”. She placed him in the ark and put him among the reeds along the bank of the Nile River. This child was not thrown into the river to drown, but was placed ‘on’ the water to be lead by the wind or Spirit of Yah. Just as Noah trusted his family into the care of Yah by placing them into an ark and allowing the Spirit of Yah to lead, preserving that small family, Yocheved placed Moses into an ark to preserve the whole nation of Israel, all twelve tribes. The Israelites were looking for a Savior. Moses became the forerunner of the Messiah. This ark preserved one who would redeem many, just as Messiah would become redeemer of the world with His sacrificed blood, the atonement that covered our sins.

• Moses was not hidden for long as Pharaoh’s daughter came to the river’s edge to bathe. Water is representative of change of status (or Mikvah) and when she does this, her eyes were opened and she saw a basket. The basket (ark) represents Torah. She had it brought near to her. We are to bring the Torah close to us to look into Yah’s teaching and instruction. There she saw one of the Hebrew babies (noted by his circumcision/represents Torah keeper). This baby would be the revealer of Yah’s Torah to the people and the prophet Moses who proclaimed the coming Messiah. We are to look into the Torah, which enables us to see the Redeemer of Israel, Yeshua. In Yochanan (John) 5:46 Yeshua said, “If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me.”

• Miriam, Moses’ sister watches nearby and approaches Pharaoh’s daughter with the suggestion that she find a Hebrew wet nurse (one who would teach the child Torah). She ran and got Yocheved, Moses’ mother. Can you just imagine her joy at being reunited with her son and seeing the faithfulness of Yahweh! Yocheved took Moses and nursed him until he was old enough to be weaned and then she had to relinquish her son to Pharaoh’s daughter. He was called Moses, meaning “one who is drawn out”. Pharaoh, the great persecutor of the Hebrew people, now had the one who would deliver the Israelites from his wrath, living in his household.

Moses Flees to Midian

• When Moses was 40 years old, he witnessed one of his fellow Israelites being mistreated by an Egyptian and went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. Moses thought that his own people would realize that Yahweh was using him to rescue them but they did not. The next day Moses comes upon two Israelites who were fighting (representing the Two Houses of Israel, brother against brother). He tried to reconcile “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?” Does this sound familiar? Remember Yosef’s (Joseph’s) brothers asked him, “Do you intend to reign over us?” And like Yosef, Yeshua’s brothers were so jealous concerning the possibility of Him ruling over them that they plot his murder. When Pharaoh found out about the murder, Moses fled for his life to Midian.

• The Midianites came from the fourth son of Abraham by his wife, Keturah. They inhabited the desert north of the peninsula of Arabia. The peninsula of Sinai was the pasture-ground for their flocks. Being the dominant tribe, they were virtually the rulers of Arabia. A nomadic people, it was to one of their caravans that Yosef was sold.

• Arriving in Midian, Moses came to a well and sat down. We have learned through Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya’akov that when we see stories of wells in scripture that they represent ‘Living Water’. Jethro, the priest of Midian had seven daughters. They are representative of the seven ‘ecclesia’ or churches mentioned in Revelation 1:11. Jethro at one time served in the courts of Pharaoh but became disillusioned with Pharaoh and left to reside in Midian and later recognizes the one true G-d. The gematria (Hebrew numerical value) of Jethro’s name equals the Hebrew word for “The Instruction”, which suggests that he had incorporated the Word of Yahweh into his life. Where did he learn it? His ancestor was Midian, son of Avraham.

• When the seven sisters try to draw living water from the well, shepherds (representative of false prophets) drive them away. It was Moses (representing Yah’s word/truth) who came forward to rescue the seven sisters (ecclesia) and water their Father’s flocks. This picture represents Yahweh’s flocks and the flocks represent His people. In these end-times, these Messianic times, it will be those who stand up ‘in Moses’ (Yah’s teaching given through Moses) who will be watering the Father’s sheep. Those are Yah’s true prophets today!

• As Moses was tending his father-in-law’s flock he saw a bush that was burning yet not consumed. As Yah got his attention, Moses approached and Yah called his name twice. He responded, “Here I am”. Yah tells him not to come any closer and to remove his sandals. Removing of the sandals is representative of the giving and receiving of the marriage covenant in Hebrew culture. Moses was about to enter into a covenant with Yah just as did Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya’akov.

• When Yah informs Moses that He has heard the cries of the Israelites and that He is going to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and bring them into a land flowing with milk and honey, Moses must have said, “You go Yahweh!”. But when Yah informs Moses that He is sending him to be their deliverer, his entire countenance takes on a different look. He was not the least thrilled about this revelation and so he immediately lists five attitudes that would keep him (and us) from answering Yahweh’s call.

• 1) Exodus 3:11: Pride in the feeling of unworthiness. Moses said to Yah, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” Yah’s response: “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship Me on this mountain.”

• 2) Exodus 3:13: Fear of man. Moses said to Yah, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The G-d of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” Yah’s response: “I AM WHO I AM.” This is what you are to say to them: ‘I AM has sent me to you.”

• 3) Exodus 4:1: Fear of rejection. Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘Yah did not appear to you.” Yah has Moses to throw his staff on the ground and a snake appears. Then He has Moses pick up the snake and it turns back to a staff again. Then Yah has Moses put his hand inside his cloak and pull it out. It is covered with a skin affliction. Yah has him to put it back inside and it comes out well.

• 4) Exodus 4:10: Influence of previous experiences. Moses says to Yah, “O, Yah, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” Yah’s response: “Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or dumb? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, Yahweh? Now go; I will help you to speak and will teach you what to say”.

• 5) Exodus 4:13: Need for a mandate from Yahweh. Moses said, “O, Yah, please send someone else to do it.” This is the last straw for Yah. Five represents grace and Moses has used up all of his. Yah’s response: He sends Moses’ brother Aaron to assist him. Yah says to them, “ I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do.”

• This same promise of Yahweh holds true for all of us today. Don’t allow any of these attitudes to hold you back from serving in the calling that the G-d of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya’akov has on your life. Take up the staff that Yahweh gives you and be obedient to His instructions, His Torah.

posted by Chris Phillips, Congregational Leader  # 1/20/2006

• Jacob (Israel) and his family have been living in Egypt for 17 years. Because of Joseph’s obedience to Yahweh and his prominent position, Jacob and his family have been provided for and protected while living in Goshen.

• Jacob was now 147 years old and was approaching his time of death. He called for Yosef to come to him in order that he could make arrangements for his burial. He asked not to be buried in the land of Egypt, but expressed his desire to be buried with his fathers in Canaan. Why was it important for Jacob to return to his home and not be buried outside the land? Jacob represented all 12 tribes of Israel. Being buried in the land is prophetic of all 12 tribes coming out of the world ‘system’ (represented by Egypt) and returning back to the Land spiritually and physically. The Land spiritually is Torah, Yah’s teaching and instruction.

• Yosef (Joseph) promises by oath (placing his hand under Jacob’s thigh) to carry his father’s body back to the Land for burial. Later when Jacob was ill, Yosef is summoned to his bedside. He takes his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him to his father knowing it is time for the ‘promise’ to be passed on.

• When Jacob saw Yosef he said, “El-Shaddai appeared to me at Luz (Bethel) in the land of Canaan and there he blessed me and said to me, ‘I am going to make you fruitful and will increase your numbers. I will make you a community of peoples and I will give this land as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you’. (Genesis 48:3,4)

• The promise and everlasting covenant given to Avraham (Genesis 13) and passed on to his son Isaac and grandson Jacob is now passed on to Yosef. After confirming the covenant, Jacob talks to Yosef about his two sons born to him while in Egypt and makes an unusual statement: “And now your two sons who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you there, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are” (Genesis 48:5).

• Ephraim and Manasseh have the blood of Yosef in them. They do not have their mother’s (Asenath) in them. The mother provides the developing infant with nutritive elements for the baby while in her womb, but all the blood that forms in the infant is formed in the embryo itself from the sperm that is introduced by the father. From the time of conception to the time of birth of the infant, not one drop of blood passes from mother to child. This is key to the virgin birth of Yeshua.

• Jacob is saying that Ephraim and Manasseh are “his full sons”, ‘full blood sons’, as Jacob’s blood also runs through their veins. This is important information for the returning House of Israel as they are ‘full sons’, not just adopted into Jacob’s family.

• To make sure they understand this statement, Jacob adds this for effect, “as Reuben and Simeon are.” With this statement, Jacob has just elevated Ephraim and Manasseh, his grandsons, to first and second born positions. AND…Ephraim inherits Jacob’s name: ISRAEL.

• Jacob’s statement bypasses sibling rivalry and protects Yosef’s children, their heirs and their inheritance from that day on and in the future. There will be no robbery of Yosef and his son’s inheritance. Their position as full sons of Jacob is protected, prophetically setting the stage for the future return of all 12 tribes back to the land.

• Jacob gave the birthright to his beloved Rachel’s firstborn son. He gave it to Yosef and to Yosef’s sons. The firstborn was given a double portion so that he might be equipped to act as a kinsman-redeemer for his brethren. He received the right to inherit family leadership, authority, sovereignty, responsibility and right of succession. He became the next head of the family and embodied the soul and character of the family; he became responsible for its continuance and welfare.

• Ephraim and Manasseh were not adopted. The word ‘adopted’ describes one who generally has no blood ties to the family adopting them. It is this word, as it appears in the King James Version of the New Covenant, that leads to the phrase and mindset of being ‘spiritual Israelites’. Many today think they are ‘spiritual Israel’ because of this misinterpretation. The correct word should be ‘sonship’. We who believe are full sons of Israel and heirs according to the eternal, everlasting promises given Avraham, Yitzchaz, and Ya’akov.

• Galatians 3:7 says, “Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Avraham.” Galatians 3:29 says, “If you belong to Yeshua, then you are Avraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Jacob did not have spiritual sons, he had physical sons; therefore, we are not ‘spiritual Israel”.

• The problem today with the ‘church’ is that many do not know who they are. They have been fed a diet of misconceptions by their pastor because he does not know the truth. He only knows what he was taught at seminary. If we do not know who we are, we do not develop a respect for our heritage, our roots. We have lost our identity due to this veil, a veil of a lack of understanding. We do not know we are full sons of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya’akov, meaning “full blood relatives”. Not knowing who we are causes us to miss our inheritance and causes us to ‘see’ only partially.

• Many today from Judah tend to focus only on the legal relevance of Torah, not the fullness of Torah. By doing this, they miss the ‘Spirit of Torah’. The Mosaic covenant is important but to separate it from the Spirit of Torah produces death. Both are dependent on each other. It’s like having an engine without a car or a motor without gas. Both are separate but dependent on each other to produce ‘Life’. Spirit and Truth come together. Yahweh is looking for those who will worship him in ‘spirit and in truth’.

• Many in Judah have not recognized or are unwilling to recognize his brother Yosef and have missed the understanding and fullness of his return and heritage. Yes, Ephraim(Israel) may still look Egyptian but he is their “full blood relative”. Yosef’s brothers are still quarrelling and jealous and this is preventing them from coming home. Yosef is waking up to his heritage and coming to claim his full ‘sonship’ in Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya’akov and learning to walk in Yah’s promises stated in his teaching and instruction by keeping the Shabbat, Yah’s Feasts and Festivals, and learning what is holy and unholy, clean and unclean. By doing this, Yosef is learning to declare the truth and share the gospel and promises of who they are with others, including Judah.

• The time has now come to pronounce and lay hands on Ephraim and Manasseh for the passing on of the firstborn blessing. The younger son Ephraim is before Israel’s (Jacob’s) left hand and Manasseh is before his right hand. The right hand represents the authority from Yahweh and is used when blessing and passing on inheritance. Israel, being lead by the Ruach HaChodesh (Holy Spirit), places his right hand on Ephraim’s head and not Manasseh’s. With this he ‘crosses’ his hands and pronounces the firstborn blessing onto the younger son, Ephraim.

• Yosef is shocked at seeing his father’s right hand on Ephraim’s head and not Manasseh’s and he questions him. Israel responds by saying, “Manasseh will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he and his descendants will become a group of nations. It is interesting to note that it is Israel who passes the blessing on to Yosef’s sons and not Yosef himself. It was customary for the father to conduct this blessing, but in this case it bypassed Yosef while he is still alive and went directly to Yah’s chosen son, Ephraim. For Israel, the memory of usurping Esau, his father’s choice for the birthright, may have been on his heart. Knowing Manasseh was Yosef’s first choice, Jacob obeyed the Holy Spirit eliminating a repeat of what it was like when he received the ‘firstborn’ status from Esau causing years of alienation from his father. Even today the blessing over the sons of the covenant says, “May Yahweh make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.” So Israel put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.

• The scepter given Judah is the Torah, the very words of Yahweh. They are the keepers of His Word. They have cared for Yah’s words with their very lives and we are indebted to Judah for having the Word so available today. Unfortunately even today, many Jewish people are not familiar with Torah. “Ephraim coming home” looks to his brother for teaching as they are keepers of the Torah, but Judah has stumbled over ‘the Living Torah’, Yeshua the Messiah. Ephraim has the double portion and is being taught by the Ruach HaChodesh (Holy Spirit) by revelation. They are learning the Spirit and Truth of Torah. Judah today is searching for the Spirit of Torah that is in the care of Yosef.

• Ezekiel 37:16-19 speaks of the two sticks, the House of Judah and the House of Israel being brought together as one stick. Why is this so important? The two houses coming together, the kingly and priestly lines, is called the ‘order of Melchizedek.’ Melchizedek was a king and a priest. King David was a king and a priest in the order of Melchizedek. Yeshua is a king and priest in that same order and when we as a people (House of Judah and House of Israel) come together in the order of Melchizedek, the time of the Messiah’s return is at hand. (Genesis 14:18; 2 Samuel 7:12-16).

posted by Chris Phillips, Congregational Leader  # 1/13/2006

• This portion begins with Y’hudah (Judah) approaching Yosef (Joseph) and asking to speak to him privately. Y’hudah had no idea that he was addressing his brother; he thought he was speaking to the Egyptian Viceroy. He had to plead for Binyamin’s (Benjamin’s) freedom for the youngest brother had been caught with Yoseph’s cup in his sack of grain.

• Y’hudah shared with passion detailing in chronological order their journey from beginning to end and how the brothers had complied with all that Yosef had asked of them. Judah then ventures into their family life focusing on Binyamin and his father’s love of him. Y’hudah’ s main thrust of his story was to tell Yosef that he himself had guaranteed Binyamin’s safety.

• Y’hudah quoted the words of his father Ya’akov toYosef. “You know that my wife bore me two sons. One of them went away from me and I said, “He has surely been torn to pieces.” And I have not seen him since. If you take this one from me too and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in misery.” (Genesis 44:27-29)

• “He has been torn to pieces” is a prophetic reference to the future separation of the twelve tribes of Israel. They will separate and become Two Houses - the House of Judah and the House of Israel and they will be assimilated into the nations around them. When the tribes come together (Ezekiel 37), it is imperative that Binyamin be with them. He will act as the liaison between the Two Houses.

• Jacob loved all of his children, but the children coming form Rachel had a special place in his heart. All the other sons understood this and accepted it. After this plea for mercy, in an act of self-sacrifice, Y’hudah offers his life for Binyamin’s so the boy could return to his father.

• Yosef had been slowly preparing his brothers for reunion one step at a time. Consider how Yah reveals Himself to us; a little at a time as we are able to receive and understand His nature. Yosef could no longer contain his emotions. He cried out, “ Have everyone to leave my presence!” Yah desires to reveal himself to us privately as an intimate encounter between loved ones. Our Messiah, Yeshua, represented by Yosef, also revealed himself to his brothers alone in John 20:19. “On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Yeshua came and stood among them and said, “Shalom”.

• Just before Yosef shared, he wept so loudly the Egyptians heard him. “As Yeshua approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it and said, “if you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace, but now it is hidden from your eyes.” Yeshua wept over his brothers also before His crucifixion because of their lack of understanding.

• “I am Yosef!” he cried out to his brothers. This was such a total shock to his brothers that they were unable to respond. They were already terrified at the possibility of being thrown into slavery and not this! Memories that were long buried now flooded their minds and they struggled to put all this together to be able to comprehend that this was indeed their brother Yosef standing before them. What would he do? Would he reciprocate in retaliation for their actions twenty years earlier?

• In their state of shock, not realizing it, the brothers were looking at resurrection life. Yosef was dead but now was alive! Just as Yeshua was dead to his disciples, He stood before them alive after His crucifixion. During His ministry, Yeshua took three years to prepare His disciples. From those who followed Him, He chose carefully those He knew would be reliable witnesses to His Resurrection.

• Yosef said to his brothers, “Come close to me” (Genesis 45:4). “But now in Yeshua you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Yeshua” (Ephesians 2:13). “Once you were alienated from Yahweh and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Yeshua’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation” (Colossians 1:21-22).

• “I am your brother Yosef the one you sold into Egypt!” Oh, how their worst fears must have come back to them! Yosef, saw and understood their dismay and said, “do not be distressed and angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that Yahweh sent me ahead of you.” (Genesis 45:5)

• In the book of Yochanan (John) 11:49-52, Caiaphas, the high priest, said, “You people don’t know anything! You don’t see that it is better for you if one man dies on behalf of the people so that the whole nation won’t be destroyed”. Now he did not speak this way on his own initiative; rather, since he was high priest that year, he was prophesying that Yeshua was about to die on behalf of the nation and not for the nation alone, but so that He might gather into one the scattered children of Yahweh, all the tribes of Israel.

• It had been a long road for Yosef. Twenty-two years had passed since he was sold into slavery. Many thoughts must have gone through his mind. His anguish must have been very deep. He had given himself up for the deliverance of his brothers and now the time had arrived for him to reveal himself to them. Yosef was a shadow of Yeshua, who anguished in the Garden before giving himself up for our deliverance.

• Yosef had matured in the thirteen years as a slave. He had studied in the “tents” of Jacob and was familiar with Torah by the age of seventeen when he was sold. He made choices, trusted Yahweh, and walked in Torah; it saved both his life and the lives of his family. His brothers were not as familiar with Torah and their lives reflected what was in their hearts. This was the difference that brought deliverance.

• Why could his brothers not “see” him? His brothers sold him into slavery because of jealously and bitterness that had grown and blocked their hearts. Unforgiveness along with resentment, retaliation, anger, hatred, violence, and murder all had to be repented for and taken care of before they could “see” him and be restored. During this entire ordeal, the kinship between Yosef and his brothers remained, but the fellowship was severed. Now it was restored.

• As Yosef’s brothers could not see him because they had unforgiveness in their hearts, we also will miss revelations of Yeshua in the Torah if we harbor unforgiveness in our hearts towards people. Yeshua gave us His example just before he dies in Luke 23:24 when he says, “Father , forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” The level with which we forgive is the level of blessings we receive.

• Yosef was now ready for his father and the remainder of the family to come and join him in Egypt. The famine would last another five years and there would be no food for his father and brothers unless they came to live with Yosef in Egypt. Yosef revealed that they would be living in Goshen to be near him. Goshen means: to the land of lights. The Hebrew letters for Goshen are also used in the numerical form for the name: Messiah Yeshua, who is the ‘Light of the World’.

• Pharaoh offered carts for them to carry their goods down to Egypt. This was prophetic of the night of Passover when the carts were used to deliver the Israelites from Egypt. Before sending them home Yosef gave them provisions for the journey. He gave all of them new clothing but to Binyamin he gave 300 shekels of silver and five sets of clothing, a reflections of the five books in the Torah. To his father he gave ten donkeys loaded with the best things of Egypt and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other provisions. Ten signified completion, and represented the future ten “lost” tribes of Jacob who would return from captivity. This, together with the grain, representing Torah, would be the confirmation to Jacob that Yosef was alive and that he had remembered the Torah his father taught him and it had born much fruit.

• Jacob at first was not sure that his son Yosef was alive, but when he saw the carts that Yosef had sent, his spirit revived and he said, “I will go and see him before I die.” Jacob left with his whole family, their livestock, and all their possessions. On the way in Beersheba he stopped and offered sacrifices to Yahweh. Yah spoke to him and told him not to be afraid to go down to Egypt for He would make Jacob into a great nation there. Yah promised to go down to Egypt with Jacob and told him that he would bring him back again.

• As soon as Yosef appeared before Jacob, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time. Yosef was now forty when he greeted his father. Forty relates to a period of trials. Forty also relates to enlarged dominion or extended rule.

• Yosef’s family was presented to Pharaoh and they were given the land of Goshen. Yosef promised them all the food they would need before he returned to serve in his position as Viceroy. Even though his family was now with him, Yosef remained faithful to do the job that Yah had commissioned him for. There were still five more years of famine ahead and lots of work to do.

• Yosef continued to guide Egypt supplying grain for money and then for land. Pharaoh owned all the land and in return for grain, Yosef had the people return one fifth while they kept four fifths of the crop. In this way the people did not starve and the land was not left destitute.

posted by Chris Phillips, Congregational Leader  # 1/06/2006