Beth Elohim Messianic Synagogue
Parashah #11: Vayigash (He approached) B’resheit (Genesis) 44:18-47:27
Haftarah: Yechezk’el (Ezekiel) 37:15-28
B’rit Chadashah: Acts 7:9-16 (Specifically vv.13-15)
This week we are going to focus on a comparison between Y’hudah’s overt willingness to sacrifice for family no matter the cost, to Yahshua’s sacrifice, unselfishness, and total commitment to family, whether biological or spiritual. Then, we will discuss application to our lives with a goal of developing spiritually to the point where we embody the same sense of loyalty to G-d as Y’hudah demonstrated before Yosef described in Genesis 44:1-34).
In the first sentence of our parashah we read that Y’hudah approached Yosef. This journey can be likened to the road to repentance. Y’hudah had to offer himself for Binyamin (son of the right hand) to honor his pledge to Ya’akov (Gen. 44:32).
Y’hudah’s speech is the longest in Genesis. He is very careful to honor Ya’akov’s favoritism for Rachel’s children over Leah’s, explaining how important the youngest son Binyamin is to his father (Gen. 44:20, 29-31) even though Y’hudah must have felt like a second-class citizen with Leah as his mother who was the less loved wife.
Initially, we may not have had a positive impression of Y’hudah because when he was younger, he showed no regard for Yosef or his father, Ya’akov. First, he convinced his brothers to sell Yosef as a slave (37;27), then he joined his brothers in the lie about Yosef’s life. But remember, he was the fourth son born to Leah and his name means “praise.” Ya’akov’s blessing for Y’hudah provides more information that leads us to the knowledge that there must have been a profound transformation in Y’hudah’s character as we read this week’s parashah: “Y’hudah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you. You are a lion’s cub, O Y’hudah, you return from the prey, my son.” Similarly, Moshe blessed the tribe of Y’hudah with these words: “hear Adonai, the cry of Y’hudah! Bring him in to his people, let his own hands defend him; but you, help him against his enemies” (Deut. 33:7).
The dichotomy between Y’hudah in his younger years and his actions and character as an adult described in this week’s parashah teach us that there is always a potential for humans to change their lives. G-d has a plan for each of us that may not come to fruition until later in our lives. Such was the case of many of the patriarchs, matriarchs, and prophets. Similarly, we should never deem our lives as useless and not worthy of living at any point. As long as there is breath in us, there is room for G-d to execute His plans for our lives. Now let us look at the true character of Y’hudah revealed as he matured.
We read in the parashah that the man who sold his little brother into slavery now offered himself as a slave to take his younger brother’s place. He was so concerned about his father and younger brother that he was willing to die for them. Recall that this same man also admitted his error in the case of Tamar. Now we see a consistent change in Y’hudah’s character. G-d can intervene and change the most selfish person.
As Y’hudah could no longer take it anymore and stepped forward to plead his brother’s case, he knew he was taking a significant risk. Yosef could have had him killed. But Y’hudah pleaded with Yosef on behalf of himself and his brothers for mercy. Y’hudah had promised Ya’akov that he would guarantee Benyamin’s safety and now he had the chance to keep that promise. He demonstrated great courage in fulfilling his promise. This is what is expected when we take on such serious responsibility. We must do our best to carry it out, no matter what it may cost us personally.
Just as we must demonstrate change in our behavior when we profess to be reconciled to G-d through Yahshua’s sacrifice, Yosef wanted to see if his brothers’ attitudes had really changed. He accomplished this by testing the way they treated each other. Y’hudah, the brother who had initiated the plan to sell Yosef, (37:27), now stepped forward to take Benyamin’s punishment so that Benyamin could return to Ya’akov. This convinced Yosef that a true change in attitude and character had taken place in his brothers.
We do not always have the discernment to identify a good leader from among a group of people because good leaders don’t always act or look a particular way until the need for leadership surfaces. Like a puppy who may be the runt of the litter when observed together with its siblings and who may seem withdrawn, may grow into a fierce defender of its humans and its home. In humans, the skills of decisiveness, ability to control, and initiative may not surface until a situation arises whereby these attributes can be expressed freely or with G-d’s intervention to accomplish his will. These skills can be used for good or evil. But Ya’akov’s fourth son, Y’hudah was a natural leader, the evidence illustrated in three different scenarios: planning the sale of Yosef, the incident with Tamar, and the interaction as he willingly offered his life for his little brother. These “natural” (G-d given skills) and the demonstration thereof were often the result of pressure in the moment rather than cooperation with G-d’s plan, although Y’hudah did not have that insight at the time. Once he recognized his mistakes, he admitted them. Another lesson we may learn from examining Y’hudah’s character as a young man and as a mature leader is that we should not wait until we are backed into a corner before admitting our mistakes. Once we are aware of them, we should immediately seek G-d’s forgiveness and not repeat the same sin. This is consistent with the protocol for the sin offering, the concept of which is recognizing the sin and the requirement for an innocent sacrifice to atone for it. Although animal sacrifices have not yet been reinstituted, the fact that sin costs innocent lives are truly clear. This fact points to the execution stake and G-d’s requirement for a perfect, totally consecrated sacrifice for man’s past sins (Rom. 3:25; 2 Pet. 1:9). Our past sins can only be covered by the blood of the perfect Lamb of G-d through His willingness to take on the sin of the world and offer himself to provide Jew or Gentile a way to become reconciled to G-d. Even more Yahshua provides a “new nature” to enable man to resist selfish desires, replacing them with a desire to hear, internalize, and act upon G-d’s Torah/instructions. This fact is consistent with the Word of G-d that we are not “automatically saved” when we repent and come to accept Yahshua as our Messiah. The “new nature” sets true believers who want to follow G-d’s Word out of love on the “right track” with the “right running shoes” in order that we may run the race to win the prize ((Heb. 12:1).If we do not accept this profound act of humility and submission to G-d shown by Yahshua’s faithfulness and walk the road of repentance as did Y’hudah, there is no forgiveness of sin. This is an example of the concept of Living Water, dynamic and unceasing from its Source, Yahshua.
John 19:34 specifically mentions blood and water flowing from Yahshua’s side as his torso was pierced with a spear. This correlation between blood and water, the covering for sin through His blood and Yahshua described as the Living Water in numerous scriptures to sustain and develop our spiritual maturity over time is just one of several applications of John 19:34 to the process of repentance and salvation.
Y’hudah was used by G-d as a man who made mistakes but overcame with G-d’s guidance and ability to lead. He was also the progenitor of David, and most importantly Yahshua, our Messiah. Through the narrative and adventures of Y’hudah’s life we should be able to recognize that G-d is in control of our lives and all of creation far beyond the immediate situations. If we internalize this truth, we can learn not to be anxious about anything, but to trust that G-d is working in our lives every minute (Psalm 46:10: Phil. 4:6-7).
As Y’hudah matured spiritually, he assumed the lead role that reflects the words “Va-Yigash” which is the title of our Parashah. It is translated as “went-up or approached” which appears in the introduction to Abraham’s intercession on behalf of S’dom (18:23), which was also a bold act on Abraham’s part. Y’hudah’s and Abraham’s speeches in their respective cases represent a very delicate balance between deference and assertiveness. Both men succeeded in moving each from a possible disposition of judgment to mercy.
We also learn something more about Yosef. He did not carry a grudge and was without guile. No sooner did he remind his brothers of their sin than he renounced retribution. This is the hope of all true believers when we stand before our Messiah for judgement. The Adversary will do his best to convict us and rightly so as we are sinners to the death. But through Yahshua’s sacrifice, our love and obedience to His Torah by continually taking of the “living Water,” and His promises, we will win the prize of spending an eternity with our Saviour, King, and L-rd. G-d has arranged life events and the outcomes so that disasters although very real and painful in human reality, is not the last word. The last word for the true believer will be life rather than death (Chap 45: 5-8).
Haftarah: Yechezk’el (Ezekiel) 37:15
We are going to discuss a similar comparison between Y’hudah’s willingness to be Yosef’s slave and the prophet Yechezk’el’s instructions from G-d who told him to prepare two pieces of wood, writing on one piece “Y’hudah” (Y’hudah) and on the other “Israel” then taking another stick and writing “Ephraim” upon it:
16 Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Y’hudah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:
17 And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.
18 And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not show us what thou meanest by these?
19 Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Y’hudah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.
YHVH Elohim was essentially telling the prophet that by taking Y’hudah and Ephraim and placing them together, G-d would unite them one day as Israel and end their exile.
The Jews went to Egypt because Y’hudah and Yosef weren’t united. Now YHVH was going to unite the two in the land of Israel. A foreshadowing of Y’hudah/Israel and Ephraim/ Israel with their companions Gentiles being united in the latter days to be fully united in the land of Israel at the Messiah’s Second coming.
B’rit Chadashah: Acts 7:9-16 (specifically 13-15)
“The second time, Yosef revealed his identity to his brothers, and Yosef’s family became known to Pharaoh. Yosef then sent for his father Ya’akov and all his relatives, seventy–five people. And Ya’akov went down to Egypt; there he died, as did our ancestors.”
Last week we discussed Stephen and his unjust trial and stoning as the cost of serving Yahshua wholeheartedly before corrupt religious men. This week we explore more detail surrounding the stoning of Stephen, a true believer in heart, soul, and might evidence by Stephen’s speech to those in the Sanhedrin because of false accusations of blasphemy against Moshe and G-d. Members of the Synagogue of the Freed Slaves as they were called, argued with Stephen in this matter. These members included Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and people from Cilicia and the province of Asia. Recall that Stephen was full of grace and power and was enabled to perform great miracles and signs among the people. He had been chosen by the Twelve talmidim to address the complaining of the Greek-speaking Jews against the Hebrew-speaking Jews that their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution (Acts 6:1).
Rumors were initiated and spread that Stephen blasphemed against Moshe and G-d. They stirred up the Torah teachers, elders, and the people who led him before the Sanhedrin, and arranged for some to say that Stephen never stopped “speaking against the holy place and against the Torah; for we have heard him say that Yahshua from Natzeret will destroy this place and will change the customs Moshe handed down to us” (Acts6:11-14).
Stephen then proceeded to answer these charges, not as one defending himself but as a witness to the gospel (Lk 21:13). He exposed the falseness of the charges as he affirmed his loyalty to G-d’s law and true worship. But more important, he revealed how religious effort, in this case first-century Judaism, is an obstacle to the other half of a saving relationship with G-d; that is understanding Yahshua as G-d incarnate who taught man the spirit of the Law as well as the letter of the Law and how the two must be practiced in our daily lives.
Similarly, Stephen himself, full of wisdom and grace, had been made responsible for food distribution for G-d’s people (Acts 6:3, 5, 8). Though Joseph’s brothers and Stephen’s opponents meant their attacks for evil, G-d was and is not thwarted, for He can turn it to good. In Joseph’s case, G-d protected his chosen preserver of the covenant people, preparing the way for the survival of generations.
Famine struck Canaan as well as Egypt. Jacob and his family were on the point of starvation (heurisko) in the negative imperfect points to “lasting inability”–Kistemaker 1990:249), and the covenant promises were on the verge of dying out in the fourth and fifth generations. They gained relief by sending to Egypt for food (see Gen 41:54, 57; 42:2, 5). Not only did Joseph preserve them alive, but on the second visit he revealed himself to them and effected a reconciliation (Acts 7:13; Gen 45:1-16). The parallel is that when Yahshua returns, He will reveal himself to those who did not recognize or believe that He was also the suffering Servant described in Isaiah 53. Until then, He will provide for those who love Him through the progressive earthly spiritual famine that is prophesied to get much worse before His return (Amos 8; Deut. 8:3).
Stephen concludes this portion of Israel’s history with the note that Joseph sent for Jacob and the whole family, seventy-five souls, and so they settled in Egypt (Acts 7:14). He tells us of the patriarchs’ deaths and their burial in Sh’chem in Canaan. So God’s purposes–both his eternal covenant with Abraham to build a great nation and his prophecy that there would be a sojourn in another country–were being accomplished. Their final instructions were to have their bones buried in the land. And this their sons did in hope.
The wilderness journey, exile, or the race to win the prize described by Sha’ul (Paul), is our training ground on this earth. True believers will experience trouble, further exile, or even death or imprisonment as we draw closer to Yahshua’s return and establishment of the Millennial Kingdom. Just as the patriarchs and prophets maintained faith in the eye of the storms they experienced, we must keep our eye on the prize and pray for strength, wisdom from above, peace, and G-d’s mercy and grace as we go about our lives daily. The constants of a covenant relationship, now as then, are G-d’s word of promise and his powerful working to fulfill it, his presence in every place, and the necessity of obedient faith to lay hold of that promise.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Tamah Davis-Hart