Shabbat Midrash (Teaching) Outlines

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January 13, 2006

Parashah 12: Vayechi (He Lived)

B’resheet (Genesis 47:28-50:26)

Joseph’s Life: Part IV

• 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.

Crossing of the Hands

• 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).

Amen!

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

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