Vayeshev Trials in the Lives of the Patriarchs

TORAH: Genesis: 37:1-40:23
HAFTORAH: Amos 8:10 ; ruth 1:1-2
B’RIT CHADASHAH:
1

2
CONGR. CHINCONA CRUZ WILL BE A GUEST SPEAKER
IN MLTC ON DEC. 12 12:30 TO 3:30 PM.

He who has ears, let him hear.
TORAH PASSION POINTS:
Man primary purpose is to know God And His Word(Gen.
to Revelation) And to Seek HIS Absolute and Enjoy life
by Obeying YHVH YESHUA.
“ Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear The Elohim, and keep His commandments; for
this applies to every man. For The Elohim shall bring
every work into judgment, with all that is hidden,
whether it is good, or whether it is evil.”
(blessing or curse/freedom of choice)
(Eccl 12:13-14)

JACOB’S LADDER (SHULAM) = THE LADDER OF SUCCESS
WE REMEMBER THE FEAST OF DEDICATION OF THE
TEMPLE (HANUKAH)
6

WHEN IT COMES TO TITHING
MANY BELIEVERS /Like Jacob , are
HAVING A WRESTLING MATCH WITH GOD
!
WILL I TRUST GOD FOR MY TITHES?
OR WILL I TRUST IN MY OWN STRENGTH
AND CAPACITY TO GAIN WEALTH?
7
"Otherwise, you may say in your heart, 'My power and the strength of my
hand made me this wealth.' "But you shall remember the LORD your God,
for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm
His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. (Deu 8:17-
18)
“ At baka iyong sabihin sa iyong puso, Ang aking kapangyarihan at ang
lakas ng aking kamay ang siyang nagbigay sa akin ng kayamanang ito.
Kundi iyong aalalahanin ang Panginoon mong Dios, sapagka't siya ang
nagbigay sa iyo ng kapangyarihan upang magkaroon ka ng kayamanan;
upang kaniyang papagtibayin ang kaniyang tipan na kaniyang isinumpa sa
iyong mga magulang, gaya nga sa araw na ito.
(Deu 8:17-18)

And Yaʽaqoḇ dwelt in the land of his father’s sojournings,
in the land of Kenaʽan. (Genesis 37:1)
The Hebrew term “Va‟yeshev” means “and he settled”
in the land of his father's sojourning's, in eretz Canaan.
The connotation of “yeshev” is that of “settling down”
in peace and tranquillity.
“Toldot”, or “generations”, carries the connotation, in
Hebrew thought, of the concept and term “gilgulim” or
“rollings”, as with a “wheel” or within a “whirlwind”.
Their "rollings" are recounted in the remaining four
parashot in Genesis and
- alludes to our history and future; first in the Land of
Israel and then in exile, until we will finally come again
to a "state of habitation" (yeshev) in the Land of Israel,
with Melek Yahshua HaMashiach. Then too, we will live
in a state of “Yeshev HaDa‟at”, "a settled mind".
- Jacob sought tranquillity (a settled mind) in the Land
of Israel, however, this was to be short lived, as our
parsha this week teaches as true tranquillity, or “settled
mind” can only be attained through “generations” and
after the Restoration of the Kingdom to Israel. 9

Jacob endured through many trials. Even before he was born, he
struggled in the womb with his brother. He was forced to leave his
family because of Esau’s murderous threats after the way he
obtained the blessings. He lived 20 years with a manipulative uncle
and yet had left with wives, children and possessions. He struggled
with a divine being before figuring out how to appease Esau upon
his return to the Promised Land. His daughter was rescued from the
arms of an evil prince although the questionable method of securing
her release brought worry to Jacob.
After all of this, why wouldn’t Jacob, now an elderly man, be ready
for “settling” into a restful retirement?
** Retirement was not ‫’יהוה‬s plan for Jacob. His favoured son,
Joseph, would soon be kidnapped by his own brothers and sold as
a slave. Thus Jacob would endure another 22 years of trials,
mourning a son in whom he had placed so much hope.
If you haven’t figured it out by now, there is no real “settling” in this
world. There is always another battle, another trial, another test
for the person of faith.
Our mission in life seems to be just to keep moving forward.
(CONCEPT OF “ LIFE’S CYCLES ” ) 10

The Apostolic Writings tells us of the necessity and the
spiritual growth which brings us to “completion” as a result
of living through “trials”:
And not only so, but we glory also in afflictions, knowing
that affliction works out patience, and patience works out
proven character; and proven character, hope.
(Rom 5:3-4)
My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
knowing that the proving of your faith works endurance. And
let endurance have a perfect work, so that you be perfect
and complete, lacking in nathing. (Jacob 1:2-4) 11

Years later, a matured Jacob now referred to his life as a
“sojourn” as he answered a question posed by Pharaoh:
And Pharaoh said to Yaʽaqoḇ, “How old are you?” And
Yaʽaqoḇ said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my
sojournings are one hundred and thirty years. Few and evil
have been the days of the years of my life, and they have
not reached the days of the years of the life of my fathers in
the days of their sojournings.” (Genesis 47:8-9)
- It sounds like Jacob is being very negative; however, he’s
come to accept that trials and difficulties have been the
tool that ‫יהוה‬ used to bring him to “completion” (James
1:4).
The writer of Hebrews reminds us that all of the Patriarchs
were “sojourners”:
By faith, Aḇraham obeyed when he was called to go out to
the place which he was about to receive as an inheritance.
And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By
belief, he sojourned in the land of promise as a stranger,
dwelling in tents with Yitsḥaq and Yaʽaqoḇ, the heirs with
him of the same promise, (Hebrews 11:8-9) 12

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob:
..and confessed that they were aliens and strangers on the earth.
(Hebrews 11:13)
The benefits of not being too “settled” on this earth…
But now they long for a better place, that is, a heavenly. Therefore
Elohim is not ashamed to be called their Elohim, for He has
prepared a city for them. (Hebrews 11:16)
“Sojourning” implies walking, mobility, progress, and growth.
The danger of the “settled” lifestyle is that one can become
spiritually paralyzed or stagnant.
Obsession with security can hinder us from following Elohim.
We find the idea of “walking” connected with righteous men:
And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.
(Genesis 5:24 NKJV)
..Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with
God. (Genesis 6:9 NKJV)
13

THEREFORE, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of
wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the
dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit. [John 3:18.]
(Romans 8:1 AMP)
For we walk by faith [we regulate our lives and conduct ourselves by our
conviction or faithrespecting man's relationship to God and divine things,
with trust and holy fervor; thus we walk] not by sight or appearance. (2
Corinthians 5:7 AMP)
Are you not sure how to “walk”? ‫יהושע‬ invites each of us to
“yoke up” with Him:
"Come to me, all of you who are struggling and burdened,
and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn
from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you
will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my
burden is light.“ (Matthew 11:28-30 CJB) 14

‫יהושע‬ promises us “rest for our souls”…that’s not a
promise for a “settled” life. In fact, Scripture seems
to point to exactly the opposite:
And He said to them all, “If anyone wishes to come
after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his
stake daily, and follow Me. (Luke 9:23)
in which you exult, even though for a little while, if
need be, you have been grieved by manifold trials,
(1 Peter 1:6)
The question is…to “settle” or to “sojourn”?
“Settling” sounds inviting, but the following story
illustrates what we might be missing if we avoid
the challenges of life:
Once there was an old lady sipping her coffee in the restaurant of a theatre long after the curtain had gone up on the first act of the play. The waiter asked her curiously why she hadn’t taken her seat inside the theatre. She replied to him, “Oh no…it’s much too crowded and noisy in there now. Once they all come out…that’s when I go in. Then I can have as many seats to myself as I like!”
15

We tend to think that the purpose of life is those endless sunny
summer days; days when you can’t see a cloud and everything
in life seems perfect. And when the rain falls into our lives (as it
does to us all) well, that’s something to be endured until the
clouds clear. We put up with hardship, thinking that it’s just a
painful intermission, and when it ends, we will get back to the
“real purpose of life”.
The reverse is really the case. Life is all about the rain and the
storms and our striving to overcome them. For in this way, we
elevate ourselves spiritually and fulfill the purpose that we
were meant for. -Those sunny days are so we can gather our
strength, and thus derive the maximum from facing life’s
challenges. - Jacob learned that it was considered improper for
him to place his focus on serenity, for in life “the play’s the
thing”….not the intermission.
(Purpose of Mitzvah – connect 2GOD at all seasons) 16

“And He shall sit as a refiner and a cleanser of silver. And He shall
cleanse the sons of Lĕwi, and refine them as gold and silver, and
they shall belong to ‫,יהוה‬ bringing near an offering in
righteousness. (Malachi 3:3)
During his time in the PIT, Joseph was a ‘Prophet in Training’.
He needed to undergo the fires of purification in order to be
refined into a vessel God could use.
*** We may wonder, “What am I doing stuck in this PIT?”
How could the people so close to us, those who we trusted, hurt
and betray us?
The answer is simple. We are being prepared, purified, refined,
and made ready to rule and reign with Yeshua as kings
(melachim) and priests (cohanim) with Him in His Kingdom.
If Yeshua baptizes us with the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) and
with fire, should we be confounded by the preparation?
“I indeed immerse you in water unto repentance, but He who is
coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not
worthy to bear. He shall immerse you in the Set-apart Spirit and
fire. (Matthew 3:11)
17

… “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by
your name, you are Mine. “When you pass through the waters, I
am with you; and through rivers, they do not overflow you. When
you walk through fire, you are not scorched, and a flame does
not burn you. (Isaiah 43:1-2)
*** If we allow ourselves to submit to the fires of purification
and trust God that with Him by our side we will not be burned,
then God will exalt us in His perfect way and perfect time to
fulfil our destiny. - Although the fire can be uncomfortable and
even painful, it can be the very thing that sets us free.
… in a little while you have been grieved by manifold trials, in
order that the proving of your faith – much more precious than
gold that perishes, and proven by fire – might be found to result
in praise and respect and esteem at the revelation of ‫יהושע‬
Messiah, (1 Peter 1:6-7) 18

WHEN IT COMES TO TITHING
MANY BELIEVERS /Like Jacob , are
HAVING A WRESTLING MATCH WITH GOD
!
WILL I TRUST GOD FOR MY TITHES?
OR WILL I TRUST IN MY OWN STRENGTH
AND CAPACITY TO GAIN WEALTH?
19
"Otherwise, you may say in your heart, 'My power and the strength of my
hand made me this wealth.' "But you shall remember the LORD your God,
for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm
His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. (Deu 8:17-
18)
“ At baka iyong sabihin sa iyong puso, Ang aking kapangyarihan at ang
lakas ng aking kamay ang siyang nagbigay sa akin ng kayamanang ito.
Kundi iyong aalalahanin ang Panginoon mong Dios, sapagka't siya ang
nagbigay sa iyo ng kapangyarihan upang magkaroon ka ng kayamanan;
upang kaniyang papagtibayin ang kaniyang tipan na kaniyang isinumpa sa
iyong mga magulang, gaya nga sa araw na ito.
(Deu 8:17-18)

Are you not sure how to “walk”? ‫יהושע‬ invites
each of us to “yoke up” with Him:
"Come to me, all of you who are struggling and
burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke
upon you and learn from me, because I am gentle
and humble in heart, and you will find rest for
your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is
light.“ (Matthew 11:28-30 CJB)
20

Preparing for time of jacobs trouble in end times
How?
The power of blessing and curse

Joseph was the one that resembled his father most closely
in appearance, and, also, he was the one to whom Jacob
transmitted the instruction and knowledge he had
received from his teachers Shem and Eber.
*** The whole course of the son's life is but a repetition
of the father's.
• As the mother of Jacob remained childless for a long
time after her marriage, so also the mother of Joseph.
• As Rebekah had undergone severe suffering in giving
birth to Jacob, so Rachel in giving birth to Joseph.
• As Jacob's mother bore two sons, so also Joseph's
mother.
• Like Jacob, Joseph was born circumcised.
• As the father was a shepherd, so the son.
• As the father served for the sake of a woman, so the son
served under a woman.
• Like the father, the son appropriated his older brother's
birthright.
22

And Yisra’ĕl loved Yosĕph more than all his children, because
he was the son of his old age. (Genesis 37:3)
The Book of Jasher and other oral histories tell us that Joseph,
his father’s prodigy, studied with his father and became his
prime disciple in the worship of ‫.יהוה‬ The other brothers,
were not as eager to learn as Joseph was. In verse 3 we see
that Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons “because he
was the son of his old age”. The Hebrew word here for “old
age” is shown with vowel points as “zawqoon” which means
“old age”. Since there are no vowel points in the Torah, we
could also read this as “zawqayn‟im” which applies being
“old” or “aged” with “having wisdom”. Thus verse 3 can also
read; he was the son of Israel’s “age old wisdoms” or “ancient
knowledge”.
Legends of the Jews: Until he was seventeen years old, Joseph
frequented the Bet ha-Midrash, and he became so learned
that he could impart to his brethren the Halakot he had heard
from his father, and in this way he may be regarded as their
teacher. He did not stop at formal instruction, he also tried to
give them good counsel.
23

• The father was hated by his brother, and the -
son was hated by his brethren.
• The father was the favourite son as compared with his
brother, so was
- the son as compared with his brethren.
• Both the father and the son lived in the land of the
stranger.
• The father became a servant to a master, also the son.
• The master whom the father served was blessed by
God, so was the master whom the son served.
• The father and the son were both accompanied by
angels, and both married their wives outside of the
Holy Land.
• The father and the son were both blessed with wealth.
• Great things were announced to the father in a dream,
so also to the son.
• As the father went to Egypt and put an end to famine,
so the son.
24

• As the father exacted the promise from his sons to
bury him in the Holy Land, so also the son.
• The father died in Egypt, there died also the son.
• The body of the father was embalmed, also the
body of the son.
• As the father's remains were carried to the Holy
Land for interment, so also the remains of the son.
• Jacob the father provided for the sustenance of his
son Joseph during a period of seventeen years,
- so Joseph the son provided for his father Jacob
during a period of seventeen years.
25

YOSEPH –JOSEPH
Favor Follows Joseph into the Pit
The name Yosef (Joseph) is associated with the term yesod,
meaning foundation, from the expression, “Tzadik yesod olam”
— a righteous man is the foundation of the world.
Indeed, Joseph had a great destiny upon his life, the twists and
turns of which would provide a foundation for the survival of his
family; and in the fullness of time, a freedom that provides a
foundation for Jewish life and salvation.
*** Jacob’s favored son is so important that he is allotted
more text in the Tanakh (Old Testament) than any other
character except Moses.
*** But he was not immediately ready to fulfill his divine
purpose. Either Joseph needed to learn humility, which he
gained through painful and difficult trials, or through his
trials, God positioned him to fulfill that destiny. Perhaps
both.

This is the genealogy of Yaʽaqoḇ. Yosĕph, being seventeen years old,
was feeding the flock with his brothers. And the young man was with
the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives. And
Yosĕph brought an evil report of them to his father. (Genesis 37:2)
The mothers of the sons of Jacob made a competition out of having
these children. They were conceived in strife. Now, these bad feelings
are playing out in the sons lives. Joseph, was with the sons of Bilhah
(Dan & Naphtali) and Zilpah (Gad & Asher) tending their father's flocks.
In the Hebrew it says that Joseph “would bring their evil reports to his
father”.
Legends of the Jews: On his return he told Jacob that the sons of the
handmaids were in the habit of slaughtering the choice cattle of the
herd and eating it, without obtaining permission from Judah and
Reuben. But his report was not accurate. What he had seen was Gad
slaughtering one lamb, which he had snatched from the very jaws of a
bear, and he killed it because it could not be kept alive. 27

Vayeshev: Joseph – Judah
From the Depths of Despair to the Heights of Fulfilled Dreams
The drama began when Jacob dispatched Joseph on a mission to
check on his brothers. Unbeknownst to both of them, the brothers
had already plotted to kill Joseph.
Their plan might have succeeded except for the protests of Reuven,
who urged them to throw Joseph into a pit instead (secretly intending
to rescue him later). Reuven never did have the opportunity to save
his brother, since the other brothers sold Joseph, at Judah’s
suggestion, to an Ishmaelite caravan.
“They sold Joseph for twenty pieces of silver to the
Ishmaelites.” (Genesis 37:28)
Once in Egypt, Joseph was sold to Potiphar, an Egyptian captain of
Pharaoh’s guard, who soon discovered the greatness within
Joseph. Potiphar came to trust Joseph so implicitly that he placed
him in charge of all of his affairs.
Meanwhile, Joseph’s brothers returned to their father with his coat of
many colors. They dipped it in blood in order to deceive their father
into thinking that a wild animal had killed his beloved son.

JOSEPH ‫יהושע‬
Was a shepherd (Genesis 37:2) ‫יהושע‬ is the Good Shepherd
(John 10:11)
Beloved of his father (Genesis
37:3)
“This is my beloved Son, in
whom I am well pleased”
(Matthew 3:17; 17:5)
Anointed by his father (coat of
many colours) Genesis 37:3
‫יהושע‬ anointed as Messiah ben
David (Heb. 1:9)
Brothers hated him (Genesis
37:4)
‫יהושע‬ was hated without a cause
(John 15:25)
Brothers refused his rule
(Genesis 37:8)
We do not want this man to rule
over us (Luke 19:14)
Brothers jealous of him (Genesis
37:11)
It was out of jealousy that the
chief priests had handed him
over (Mark 15:10)
29
As the beloved son of the father, Joseph symbolises Messiah ‫יהושע‬.

Sent out by his father (Genesis
37:12-14)
‫יהושע‬ sent by His Father (John
5:30-36)
Brothers conspired to kill him
(Genesis 37:18)
The chief priests and the elders
of the people conferred together
against ‫יהושע‬ in order to bring
about His death (Matthew 27:1)
Brothers disbelieved him
(Genesis 37:19-20)
‫’יהושע‬s brothers did not believe
in Him (John 1:11; 3:18)
Stripped of his robe (Genesis
37:23)
‫יהושע‬ was stripped of his
garments and made to wear a
scarlet robe (Matthew 27:28)
Cast into a pit (Genesis 37:24) Spent 3 days in the heart of the
earth (Matthew 12:40)
Brothers ate a meal while he was
in the pit (Genesis 37:25)
Brethren ate the Passover while
He was in the grave (John 13:1)
Sold for pieces of silver (Genesis
37:28)
Judas was paid 30 pieces of silver
(Matthew 26:15)
Raised from the pit (Genesis
37:28)
Raised from the grave (John 20)
30

Made a slave (Genesis 37:28) Matthew 26:15; Philippians 2:7
Taken to Egypt to avoid being
killed (Genesis 37:28)
Taken to Egypt to avoid evil
Herod (Matthew 2:13)
Covered his robe with blood
(Genesis 37:31)
His robe was covered with blood
(Mark 15:17)
Made overseer (Genesis 39:4) The Father loves the Son and has
placed all things into His hands
(John 3:35; Matthew 28:18)
Made no defence (Genesis
39:19)
‫יהושע‬ gave no answers (Isaiah
53:7; Luke 23:9)
Imprisoned with two (Genesis
40:2-3)
Two others, who were criminals,
were led away to be put to death
with ‫יהושע‬ (Luke 23:32)
Falsely accused (Genesis 40:15) ‫יהושע‬ falsely accused (Matthew
27:23; Mark 15:11-15; Luke
23:21-23)
31

Judaism teaches that there will be two Messiahs
involved in delivering Israel from its exile and ushering in
the Messianic era. These two Messiahs are called
Messiah ben David (Messiah son of David, i.e. reigning
King) and Messiah ben Yosef (Messiah son of Joseph, i.e.
suffering servant).
When unbelieving Jews speak of the Messiah, they are
usually referring to Messiah ben David of the tribe of
Judah who will usher in the Kingdom of ‫יהוה‬ and rule in
the Messianic age. Messiah ben Yosef is said to come
first and Judaism teaches that this Messiah will not be
recognized. Messiah ben Yosef will war against evil and
be killed (like Yeshua). His death will be followed by a
period of tribulation for Israel, and then Messiah ben
David will appear to avenge his (Messiah ben Yosef)
death and inaugurate the Messianic kingdom. Messiah
ben David will restore the Temple, regather the exiles of
Israel, and bring peace to the earth.
We know ‫יהושע‬ is that ‫יהושע‬ already came as Messiah
ben Yosef (suffering servant). It is the same Messiah who
will return as Messiah ben David (reigning king).
32

8 But now, YAHWEH, You are our Father. We are the clay, and You
are our maker; yea, we all are Your handiwork. Isaiah 64:8
8 Nguni't ngayon, Oh Panginoon, ikaw ay aming Ama; kami ang
malagkit na putik, at ikaw ay magpapalyok sa amin; at kaming
lahat ay gawa ng iyong kamay.
9 Woe to him who fights with the One who formed him! ...Isah 45:9
12 I have made the earth, and created man on it. I stretched out the
heavens with My hands; and I have set all their host in order.
15 Truly, You are a El who hides Himself, O Elohim of Israel, the
Savior.
15 Katotohanang ikaw ay Dios na nagkukubli, Oh Dios ng Israel,
na Tagapagligtas.
6 O house of Israel, can I not do to you as this potter? says
YAHWEH. Behold, as the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in My
hand, O house of Israel.

There is a curious interruption in the narrative of Joseph’s story
here, as the Scriptures turn to the episode of Judah. Judah,
fourth son of Jacob and future ruler of the twelve tribes of Israel, led
the decision to sell Joseph rather than kill him.
“Then Judah said to his brothers, ‘What do we gain by killing our
brother and covering up his blood? Come, let us sell him to the
Ishmaelites, but let us not do away with him ourselves. After all, he is
our brother, our own flesh.” (Genesis 37:26–27)
Judah seems to be a complex character, with signs of integrity as
well as duplicity.
Keeping Hope Alive through Inheritance
At this time, Judah had married the daughter of a Canaanite,
Shua:
“There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite whose
name was Shua, and he married her and cohabited with
her.” (Genesis 38:2)
Shua conceived and had a son named Er, who married Tamar,
but Er died without giving Tamar a child because the Lord was
displeased with this son of Judah and prematurely took his life.

Judah then urged his second-born son, Onan, to take Tamar
as a wife, since it was the duty of the brother of a man who
died without children to marry his widow in order to
perpetuate his brother’s line.
“Then Judah said to Onan, ‘Join with your brother’s wife and
do your duty by her as a brother-in-law, and provide offspring
for your brother.’” (Genesis 38:8)
*** This kind of familial responsibility may seem alien to us,
but God later included it in the laws found in the Book of
Deuteronomy:
“When brothers live together, and one of them dies childless,
the wife of the deceased man shall not marry outside to a
strange man; her brother-in-law shall come to her, and take
her to himself as a wife, and perform levirate marriage.
“The firstborn son whom she bears will then perpetuate the
name of the dead brother, so that his name will not be blotted
out from Israel.” (Deuteronomy 25:5–6)

Why would God maintain a custom that predates
even Abraham?
*** One reason is grounded in eternal inheritance. The
other is “for the express purpose of keeping alive the
hope of resurrection in the minds of the chosen
people.” (Elliott’s Commentary for English Readers,
Deuteronomy 25:5)
*** This law of levirate marriage kept alive the hope of an
earthly resurrection of the family name by keeping the
inheritance within the family.
We see this in the Book of Ruth:
- the wealthy Bethlehem landowner Boaz (who
foreshadowed Yeshua) gave this hope of resurrection
and eternal inheritance to the widow Ruth (who
foreshadowed those who follow Yeshua) when he
became her bridegroom and she his bride. (Ruth 4)

*** This law of levirate marriage kept alive the hope of an
earthly resurrection of the family name by keeping the
inheritance within the family.
Deut 33:4 Moses has commanded to us Torah, an
inheritance for the congregation of Jacob.
‫מורׁשה‬ morashah – possession/ inheritance
Deut 32:8 when the Most High divided to the nations
their inheritance; when He separated the sons of man,
He set up the boundaries of the peoples, according to
the number of the cherubs of Elohim.
Deut 32:9 For the portion of YAHWEH is His people;
Jacob is the lot of His inheritance.

The hope of our spiritual, eternal resurrection and
inheritance was fulfilled when Yeshua became the
“Bridegroom” of all chosen people — Gentiles and
Jews — creating a marriage covenant with all those
who enter into that covenant with Him. Those who
become His Bride receive His eternal inheritance.
*** All Believers who put their hope in Yeshua as
Savior have the hope of the resurrection sealed into
their spirit.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua
HaMashiach! According to His great mercy, He has
caused us to be born again to a living hope through
the resurrection of Yeshua HaMashiach from the
dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable,
undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.” (1
Peter 1:3–4)

Obedience Is Rewarded
Still, we can well imagine that sin might get in the way
of this hope, and it did in the case of Judah’s second
son, Onan. In fact, the Lord was displeased with him,
too, because he refused to raise up a son for his
brother. In judgment, the Lord took his life also.
Instead of admitting that his sons died early because
of their sin, Judah blamed the widow, Tamar. And
though he promised her that his third and last son,
Shelah, would give her a son, he did not want to risk
losing him as well.
*** He told Tamar to wait as a widow until Shelah grew
to maturity. But when Shelah became a man, Judah
still did not give him to Tamar as her husband, so she
took matters into her own hands.

So she conceived and bore a son, .. Ěr. And she conceived again
and bore a son, .. Onan. And she conceived yet again and bore a
son, … Shĕlah. And he was at Keziḇ when she bore him. And
Yehuḏah took a wife for Ěr his first-born, and her name was
Tamar. But Ěr, Yehuḏah’s first-born, was evil in the eyes of ‫,יהוה‬
and ‫יהוה‬ took his life. And Yehuḏah said to Onan, “Go in to your
brother’s wife and marry her, and raise up an heir to your
brother.” And Onan knew that the offspring would not be his. And
it came to be, when he went in to his brother’s wife, that he
spilled on the ground, lest he should give an offspring to his
brother. But what he did displeased ‫,יהוה‬ so He took his life too.
Then Yehuḏah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a
widow in your father’s house until my son Shĕlah is grown.” For
he said, “Lest he also die as his brothers did.” And Tamar went
and dwelt in her father’s house. (Genesis 38:3-11)
46

Tamar disguised herself as a cult prostitute and lured
Judah into an encounter that resulted in her becoming
pregnant. Approximately three months later, when her
pregnancy became evident, Judah ordered her executed
for harlotry; but it was then that Tamar displayed
Judah’s seal, cord, and staff, which Judah had given
Tamar as pledge of payment for her services.
“As she was being brought out, she sent this message
to her father-in-law, ‘I am with child by the man to whom
these belong.’ And she added, ‘Examine these: whose
seal and cord and staff are these?’” (Genesis 38:25)
*** Judah then realized that though Tamar’s actions were
less than perfect, she had acted to fulfill the familial
responsibility to raise up a child for her husband under
the family name.
*** He realized that she was more righteous than he was,
so he set her free.

Tamar gave birth to twins, one of whom, Perez,
became a forefather of Boaz, who became the great-
grandfather of King David, who became a forefather
of the Messiah. (see Matthew 1; Ruth 4:18–22)
*** Judah is considered, in traditional Judaism and
in the Tanakh, the father of the Mashiach (Messiah),
who we know to be Yeshua (Salvation), the Lion
from the tribe of Judah.
“The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the
ruler’s staff from his descendants, until the coming
of the one to whom it belongs, the one whom all
nations will honor.” (Genesis 49:10)

From Pit to Palace
What does this story show us ?
*** It shows us that God, by His mercies, can redeem
us and take us from the depths of despair to the
heights of fulfilled dreams.
- Although Judah made some very bad decisions
that tremendously hurt people, and although he fell
into immorality, God still chose to bring forth the
Messiah of all mankind through his lineage.
*** Similarly, Joseph’s dark descent into a pit, his
betrayal by his brothers, his period of slavery in
Egypt, and abandonment in a dungeon for a crime
he did not commit served to position him to be
exalted over all of Egypt, next to Pharaoh.

In this exalted position Joseph was able to arrange
for all of Egypt to have enough food to eat during
the seven-year famine throughout the region. The
people living around Egypt, including his own
brothers who came to Joseph seeking food,
survived the famine because of Joseph’s wise
leadership.
*** We also may have to endure challenging
situations in life as we journey toward fulfilling our
calling in God.
When times are the darkest — when we have fallen
into a pit, either by those who sin against us, or by
our own sin — we can take heart because this is not
the end of the story.
“ God promises to make all things work together for
our good.” (Romans 8:28)

It is during life’s dark times that the light of
Yeshua seems brightest.
*** His light of truth and eternal love can sustain us
through the darkest times as we continue to place
our faith and trust in Him.
“Then Yeshua spoke to them again: ‘I am the light of
the world. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in
the darkness but will have the light of life.’” (John 8:12)
*** Although today is a dark time in the lives of the
people of here in Israel as we are being attacked
on streets, in stores and synagogues, and on social
media by Palestinian terrorists; in this present
darkness, Yeshua can shine His light through us.

“For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you
have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for
revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your
people Israel.” (Luke 2:30–32)
“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory
of the LORD rises upon you.” (Isaiah 60:1)
TORAH AND PROPHECY PORTION
WHAT IS THE Prophetic meaning of 7 year of
famine?
What is the famine of the Word?
(sightedmoon.com teachings)

TORAH AND PROPHECY PORTION
What is the Prophetic meaning of 7 year of famine?
What is the famine of the Word?
We read in the first two verses of Ruth some bizarre events and they
force us to stop and ask what is going on here?
Ruth 1:1 And it happened in the days when the judges ruled, there was
a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem-judah went to
live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. 2 And
the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi,
and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of
Bethlehem-judah. And they came to the fields of Moab and stayed
there.
***Why is there a famine in the land, which was supposed to be a land
of milk and honey? What happened?
*** We are told they are in the days of the judges with everyone doing
what was right in their own eyes.
Judges 17:6 In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man
did that which was right in his eyes.
*** First problem. We are also told there is a famine in the house of
bread, which is what Beth Lehem means.

The history of the judges is the cycle of oppression and then
deliverance followed by more sinning and then more oppression.
And our present generation today are no different.
Jdg 2:16 But Jehovah raised up judges who delivered them out of the
hand of those who spoiled them. 17 And yet they would not listen to
their judges, but they went lusting after other gods, and bowed
themselves to them. They turned quickly out of the way which their
fathers walked in, for they had obeyed the commandments of
Jehovah; these did not do so.
*** But read what the people at that time did after Joshua
died, unbelievable.
Jdg 2:8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Jehovah,
died, being a hundred and ten years old. ….And there arose
another generation after them who did not know Jehovah, nor
even the works which He had done for Israel. 11 And the sons of
Israel did evil in the sight of Jehovah, and served Baals. 12
And they forsook Jehovah, the God of their fathers, who brought
them out of the land of Egypt. And they followed other gods of the
gods of the people who were around them, and bowed
themselves to them, and provoked Jehovah to anger. 13 And they

Judges 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel.
Every man did the right in his own eyes.
*** There is nothing new here. Today our society does
what is right in their own eyes.
What was evil before WW II is not evil today.
*** What changed? Our Morals have changed because
we now tolerate sin and as we were warned we now call
evil good and good evil.
*** It was the same in the time of the Judges.
When strong moral leaders ruled, the people lived in
peace. When immoral leaders ruled there were
consequences exactly as we have today.
- We have immoral/idolatrous leadership elected by an
immoral/idolatrous society of which you all are apart.
Your morality is tarnished because you also tolerate sin
(LAWLESSNESS).
( the torah must be restored to the Philippines)

The same battle cry now goes out to you as it did to the
people of Israel, as Joshua was about to die.
What are you going to do?
Joshua 24:14 Now, then, fear Jehovah, and serve Him in
sincerity and truth. And put away the gods which your
fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in
Egypt, and serve Jehovah. 15 And if it seems evil to you
to serve Jehovah, choose this day whom you will serve,
whether the gods which your fathers served Beyond the
River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you
live. But as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah.
*** Whom will you serve? Are you going to serve
Yehovah, then do it. Or are you going to serve
yourselves just as it was written; everyman did what was
right in his own eyes.

Getting back to Naomi. Her husband and two sons leave
Bethlehem and go to Moab and that alone should send off all sorts of
flags. The Moabites led Israel to worship Baal Peor also known as the god
of holes. This is the god of anal sex. They tolerated this sort of lifestyle
enough that the two sons married women who worshiped this god.
Each of those men then died. The Father first and then the two sons 10
years later.
*** Naomi must be feeling bitter towards Yehovah for she no longer has
any support. She is now destitute. But they had left the land of Yehovah to
go a land of a false god.
*** The Land of Milk and Honey was suffering a famine of bread. The
house of bread was without bread. Why was this? We are told Yehovah
will bless us “IF” we obey Him.
Lev 26:3 If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments and do
them, 4 then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her
increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. 5 And your
threshing shall reach to the vintage, and the vintage shall reach to the
sowing time. And you shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your
land safely. 6 And I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down and
none shall make you afraid. And I will cause evil beasts to cease out of
the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.

Yes we read in the book of Ruth of famine in the land of Bethlehem. The
results of the curses of Lev 26 mention famines many times. Count them
for yourself.
Lev 26:18 And if you will not yet listen to Me for all this, then I will punish you
seven times more for your sins. 19 And I will break the pride of your power, and
I will make your heaven like iron and your earth like bronze. 20 And your
strength shall be spent in vain. For your land shall not yield its increase, neither
shall the trees of the field yield their fruits. 21 And if you walk contrary to Me,
and will not listen to Me, I will bring seven times more plagues on you according
to your sins. 22 I will also send wild beasts among you, who shall bereave you.
And I will destroy your cattle, and make you few. And your highways shall be
deserted. 23 And if you will not be reformed by Me by these things, but will still
walk contrary to Me, 24 then I will walk contrary to you and will punish you
seven times more for your sins. 25 And I will bring a sword on you that shall
execute the vengeance of the covenant. And when you are gathered inside
your cities, I will send the plague among you. And you shall be delivered into
the hand of the enemy. 26 When I have broken the staff of your bread, ten
women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your
bread again by weight. And you shall eat and not be satisfied. 27 And if you will
not for all of this listen to Me, but will walk contrary to Me, 28 then I will walk
contrary to you also in fury. And I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your
sins. 29 And you shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your

Why do we read the story of Ruth as we approach the Feast of
Shavuot? Do you only see the love story there with Boaz? Do you
not see this other story where Naomis family left the House of
Bread to go to the house of another god, the god of anal and oral
sex? Do you not see the same thing in our society today?
SOGI SAME SEX MARIAGE LAW TO BE LEGALISE SOON IN PH !
*** Can you not see how they left the House of Bread for another
god. What does the bread represent?
Joh 6:29 Jesus answered and said to them, This is the work of
God, that you believe on Him whom He has sent. 30 Therefore they
said to Him, What sign do you show then, so that we may see and
believe you? What do you work? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in
the desert, as it is written, “He gave them bread from Heaven to
eat.” 32 Then Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, Moses
did not give you that bread from Heaven, but My Father gives you
the true bread from Heaven. 33 For the bread of God is He who
comes down from Heaven and gives life to the world. 34 Then they
said to him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35 And Jesus said
to them, I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never
hunger, and he who believes on Me shall never thirst. 36 But I said

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the
Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and
tabernacled among us. And we beheld His glory, the
glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of
grace and of truth.
*** We are also told that it was the Levites who were
to teach the people the Torah. To teach them how to
eat this Bread of Life.
2Chr 35:3 And he said to the Levites who taught all
Israel, who were holy to Jehovah, Put the holy ark in
the house which Solomon the son of David, king of
Israel, built. It shall not be a burden on your
shoulders. And serve Jehovah your God and His
people Israel,
.

Do you have teachers going from city to city teaching the word of
Yehovah?
We now go from the days of the kings to the days of Nehemiah and
again it is the Levites that are teaching the people and helping
them to understand the Torah.
Neh 8:7 And Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai,
Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the
Levites, caused the people to understand the Law. And the
people were in their place. 8 And they read in the Book of the Law of God,
clearly. And they gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.
9 And Nehemiah, the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites
who taught the people, said to all the people, This day is holy to Jehovah
your God. Do not mourn or weep. For all the people wept when they heard the
words of the Law.
Now today we all have come out of our pagan churches. Many of you
continue to hold on to your Christianity with its many false and wrong
teachings. You just add Torah observance to those traditions. You get mad
when people like me come along and show by the scriptures where you are
wrong and we tell you to repent. There is no way you could be wrong of
course, what were we thinking? So you curse us and belittle us as they did
the prophets of old.

And yet you are wrong because you hold on to your pagan roots. You mixed the seed of truth with
the seed of good and evil and you do not know the difference most of the time.
So you end up looking for teachers to prove you right instead of those
who teach the truth and tell you to repent and show you why.
You just read how the Levites helped the people to understand the Torah,
which many of you want and need.
Nehemiah then goes on to say something very profound.
Neh 13:10 And I saw that the portions of the Levites had not been given to
them; for the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had fled each one
to his field. 11 And I contended with the rulers and said, Why is the house
of God forsaken? And I gathered them together and set them in their
place. 12 And all Judah brought the tithe of the grain and the new wine
and the oil into the treasuries.
*** The Levites were no longer able to teach because they had to
go and work their own land in order to survive. That means that
they did not have time to ‘sepher’ the word of Yehovah and draw
the needed conclusions to their teachings. It means their
teachings became like pabulum. There was no time to do the extra
study needed to find the meat teachings. It means the people were
not being taught the Torah on any levels and this is why they forgot
about the miracles of Moses.
It is no different today.

Amos 8:10 And I will turn your feast into mourning, and all your
songs into weeping; and I will bring up sackcloth on all loins, and
baldness on every head. And I will make it like the mourning of an
only son, and the end of it like a bitter day. 11 Behold, the days
come, says the Lord Jehovah, that I will send a famine in the land;
not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the
Words of Jehovah. 12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and
from the north even to the east; they shall run to and fro to seek
the Word of Jehovah, and shall not find it.
*** Have you ever thought why there was a famine of the word?
May I suggest it was because the people did not support those
teaching them?
May I also suggest the people really did not believe and were only
going through the motions pretending as they used to do for one
hour on Sundays and flipping some loose change in the offering
basket?
And may I also suggest the people never truly repented and want
to serve Yehovah.
You and I are to serve Yehovah and do His will. Not your will be
done but His will be done.

You all want to be fed the truth of the Torah. You want teachers to
teach you. But you will not support those teaching you. And you
settle for milk teachings like the peace and prosperity message out
there, or the name it and claim it teaching and you do not ever get
the meat teachings your souls desire. And when you do you are
not ready for them and you reject them, because you are still
babies on a milk diet.
Here we are Counting the Omer. We begin this season with the
First Fruits that you were to give to Yehovah before you took
anything else from the land. The First Fruits went to Him. And we
end this Counting of the Omer with the First Fruits of the Wheat.
Again referring to the Bread of Life Yehovah and Beth Lehem.
Before any Wheat could be harvested the first fruits were brought
to the Temple and the Levites.
Deu 26:1 And it shall be, when you come into the land which
Jehovah your God gives you for an inheritance, and possess it,
and live in it, 2 you shall take of the first of all the fruit of the earth
which you shall bring of your land that Jehovah your God gives
you, and you shall put it in a basket, and shall go to the place
which Jehovah your God shall choose to place His name there.

You all want to be fed the truth of the Torah.
You want teachers to teach you.
But you will not support those teaching you.
***And you settle for milk teachings like the peace and
prosperity message out there, or the name it and claim it
teaching and
*** you do not ever get the meat teachings your souls
desire. And when you do you are not ready for them and
you reject them, because you are still babies on a milk diet.
“ Therefore leaving the elementary principles of the
doctrine of the Messiah, let us go on unto perfection; not
laying again the foundation of repentance from dead
works, and of faith toward Yahweh, Of the doctrine of
baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of
the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do, if
Elohim permit.”
(Heb 6:1-3)

They will write and say they do not have a farm and have no crops so they have
nothing to tithe. Others will write and say we have no temple so how do we bring
it to the Temple? And others still will write and say who are the Levites, and we
can’t know for sure who they are so how do we tithe?
*** If we had the Temple today, they would not send anything to it. If we knew who
were Levitical Priests were, they would still not send them tithes.
They can find 101 or more excuses why they will not help to support something
they both want and need in having teachers to teach them.
They will not support the Jewish rabbi because he does not believe in Jesus or
Yehshua. They do not support the Karaites for the same reason. They do not
support those who do believe in Yehshua because they can’t prove they are
Levites.
Because the people were not being taught the Torah, there
came a famine to Bethlehem and this is why Naomi and her
family left for Moab.
Yehovah said;
Num 18:20 And Jehovah said to Aaron, You shall have no inheritance in their land,
neither shall you have any part among them. I am your part and your inheritance
among the sons of Israel. 21 And behold, I have given the sons of Levi all the
tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, the service of
the tabernacle of the congregation.

Does this say only the crops or does it say ALL IN ISRAEL?
I have given the sons of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an
inheritance
In the past I have written against tithing to those who do not
support the temple work. I have not changed this position. Are
those who teach you the deeper levels of the Torah doing the
Temple work? If they are then you had better be supporting
them.
Are those teaching you, telling you not to keep the Sabbath nor
the Holy Days nor the Sabbatical years and if so are they doing
the Temple work? The answer is no. Anyone telling you, that
you do not have to keep the Sabbath or Holy Days or the
Sabbatical years is not doing the work of the Temple.
- Then why in the world are you supporting them? These people
who ask for millions for their leer jets and penthouses, you
know are false teacher.
Those who do not teach you to obey the Commandments
including the Sabbatical years and the third tithe year;
- Why are you helping them lead others astray?

The Famine in Egypt. Long ago in the days of Pharaoh
and Joseph, a time of plenty was followed by a
devastating shortage. Joseph counseled Pharaoh to
store up for the time of shortage. He warned the
following:
So the abundance will be unknown in the land because
of that subsequent famine; for it will be very severe.
Genesis 41:31Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of the
storage and later disbursement. As a result, the people
spent all their money for the shortage. The next year,
they had no money, so they paid for the food by selling
all of their livestock.
Then Joseph said, "Give up your livestock, and I will
give you food for your livestock, since your money is
gone."Genesis 47:16The next year, they had no money
nor livestock. They were forced to sell their land and
themselves to serve on it.

The next year, they had no money nor livestock. They were
forced to sell their land and themselves to serve on it.
And when that year was ended, they came to him the next
year and said to him, "We will not hide from my lord that our
money is all spent, and the cattle are my lord's. There is
nothing left for my lord except our bodies and our lands. So
Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for every
Egyptian sold his field, because the famine was severe upon
them. Thus the land became Pharaoh's. So they said, "You
have saved our lives! Let us find favor in the sight of my lord,
and we will be Pharaoh's slaves."Genesis 47:18,20,25
This is what happens when there is a great shortage of
something essential. The same is coming to the world. The
shortage will be oil and energy. First, it will take everyone’s
money. Then all of the equipment and companies will be sold.
Then national sovereignties will be sold along with the
citizens of that country. A new Pharaoh will emerge.

I believe he will be the antimessiah and fulfill the words of the prophets
Zechariah in the role as the shepherd of the "doomed flock for slaughter."
*** I believe there is going to be another famine, a shortage of needed
things. I believe the world will then follow the pattern of the Egyptians
with Joseph. They will spend all their money (it will be severely devalued).
They will sell their assets and other things of value (they won’t be worth
much more than their money – remember everyone is selling). And finally,
they will find that they are subject to their governments and rulers of their
governments will be forced to give themselves and their nations over to
the final ruler.
Thus says the Lord my God, "Pasture the flock doomed to slaughter.
Those who buy them slay them and go unpunished, and each of those
who sell them says, ‘Blessed be the Lord, for I have become rich!’ And
their own shepherds have no pity on them. For I shall no longer have pity
on the inhabitants of the land," declares the Lord; "but behold, I shall
cause the men to fall, each into another's power and into the power of his
king; and they will strike the land, and I shall not deliver them from their
power." Then I said, "I will not pasture you. What is to die, let it die, and
what is to be annihilated, let it be annihilated; and let those who are left
eat one another's flesh.“ Zechariah 11:4-6,9

This is how Pharaoh owned Egypt and this is how the
antimessiah will gain power over the world. Some have
suggested that the antimessiah will be a very charismatic leader
with great ideas. I don’t think he will accomplish all that he does
because of his charisma or ideas. I think the world be in such
need that they will sell themselves to him.
This generation has been around since Israel was formed in
1948. How long can this generation of baby boomers last? It
appears that ominous things are coming our way. The days of
abundance are about to end. The famine will be very severe. The
world as we know it will change dramatically.
***Just as Joseph stood in his day and warned of what was
coming, God used him to preserve the House of Jacob. God has
promised us that we too will be saved in the tribulation of the
days coming. Like our ancestors, we will leave Egypt, endure
the Great Tribulation, and ultimately go to the promised land
(the Messianic Kingdom).
When do we leave? When does the Great Tribulation begin?
Answer: When the altar is shut down on the temple mount and

Are you not sure how to “walk”? ‫יהושע‬ invites each
of us to “yoke up” with Him:
"Come to me, all of you who are struggling and
burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke
upon you and learn from me, because I am gentle
and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your
souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.“
(Matthew 11:28-30 CJB)
75

Being in YHVH’s will
Making choices is part of life.
We can choose the country we live in, the suburb, the house.
We can choose how we raise our children.
We choose our friends and we choose what we eat or don’t
eat.
We can choose a career, the clothes we wear.
Some choices have a greater impact on our life than others.
*** All choices have consequences, good or bad.
As believers, we want to make choices that would be in
YHVH’s will.
*** If what we choose is not within YHVH’s will for us, we will
suffer the consequences of that wrong choice.
How do we know if our choices are in YHVH’s will?
YHVH reveals His will to us
YHVH has revealed His will for us in His Word.

Being in YHVH’s will
YHVH reveals His will to us
YHVH has revealed His will for us in His Word.
Psalm 19:7–11
7 The law of YHVH is perfect, restoring the soul; The
testimony of YHVH is sure, making wise the
simple. 8 The precepts of YHVH are right, rejoicing
the heart; The commandment of YHVH is pure,
enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of YHVH is clean,
enduring forever; The judgments of YHVH are true;
they are righteous altogether. 10 They are more
desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the
honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them Your servant is
warned; In keeping them there is great reward.

If what we do is in line with Scripture, we are in His will, we will
have wisdom, our eyes will be enlightened, we will live righteously
and will be warned when necessary. In keeping YHVH’s
commandments is great reward.
- So, if we want to make a choice according to YHVH”s will, our
first test should always be to search the Scriptures to see if our
will is in line with what is in YHVH’s Word.
- YHVH’s Spirit also indwells us. He is our guide and helper.
However, if we believe YHVH has revealed something to us
through His Spirit, we are to test it against His Word.
- He will never reveal anything through His Spirit to us that is
contrary to His Word.
We also cannot expect YHVH to reveal certain details of our lives
to us, if we are rejecting what He already revealed in Scripture. He
gave us clear instructions on how to live our lives.
We may not be perfect in keeping YHVH’s commandments, but we
are to have an obedient heart. Our intention and attitude should be
towards doing it perfectly, not use “He knows my heart” as an
excuse not to do His commandments.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT?
PERFECT PRACTIC MAKES PERFECT
BY DOING HIS COMMANDMENTS OUT OF AN
OBEDIENT HEART
OVER AND OVER AGAIN – LIKE IN CYCLE
YOU WILL BE ON TRACH OF HIS PERFECT WILL
YHVH IS MY SHEPHERD HE WILL LEAD ME IN
CYCLES (PATHS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS :
PSALM 23

We may not understand why we need to do some of the
commandments, however, seeking understanding should not be
our thing, but seeking obedience. That is what it means to have
an obedient heart.
YHVH said His commandments are not too difficult for us.
Deuteronomy 30:11
11 “For this commandment which I command you today is not
too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach.
Y’shua said we are to take His yoke upon us, for it is easy and
His burden is light. Let us look at the context of this phrase, to
see what Y’shua meant by it.
YHVH’s yoke
Matthew 11:29–30
29 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle
and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 “For
My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
What was Y’shua referring to here?

YOKE OF HEAVEN/THE YOKE OF OBEDIENCE TO TORAH
28–30 Judaism speaks of the “yoke of Heaven,” the commitment any
Jew must make to trust in God, and the “yoke of the Torah,” the
concomitant commitment an observant Jew makes to keep the
generalities and details of halakhah.
**** Yeshua speaks of his own easy yoke and light burden.
These two are sometimes contrasted in a way implying that in
comparison with Judaism, Christianity offers “cheap grace.”
But this saying of Yeshua’s must be put alongside remarks such as at
10:38 (Lukep 9:23–24). The easy yoke consists in a total commitment
to godliness through the power of the Holy Spirit. It at once requires
both no effort and maximal effort—no effort, in that the necessary
moment-to-moment faith can not be worked up from within but is a
gift of God (Ep 2:8–9); and maximal effort, in that there is no pre-
determinable level of holiness and obedience sufficient to satisfy God
and let us rest on our laurels. 2
-- If Y’shua’s yoke is referring to a total commitment to godliness
through the power of the Holy Spirit, then opposed to this would be a
life of lawlessness or sin. *** Those Y’shua referred to who were weary
and heavy-laden, had the yoke of sin on them.

A yoke of iron
We read more about this yoke of sin, or yoke of iron as it is called
in Deuteronomy.
Deuteronomy 28:48
48 therefore you shall serve your enemies whom YHVH will send
against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in the lack of all
things; and He will put an iron yoke on your neck until He has
destroyed you.
This verse is preceded by this:
Deuteronomy 28:45
45 “So all these curses shall come on you and pursue you and
overtake you until you are destroyed, because you would not obey
YHVH your Elohim by keeping His commandments and His
statutes which He commanded you.
*** This yoke of iron was their punishment for not
keeping YHVH’s commandments. This yoke was put on
them by YHVH for their disobedience.

A yoke of iron
Jeremiah 28:13–14
13 “Go and speak to Hananiah, saying, ‘Thus says YHVH, “You have
broken the yokes of wood, but you have made instead of them yokes of
iron.” 14 ‘For thus says YHVH of hosts, the Elohim of Israel, “I have put a
yoke of iron on the neck of all these nations, that they may serve
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they will serve him. And I have also
given him the beasts of the field.” ’ ”
*** To have a yoke of iron on their necks meant that they were to serve
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. We see again that YHVH has put this
yoke of iron on them. *** The word yoke is often employed in Scripture in
the context of obedience to an authority figure, either YHVH or an evil
ruler. Another reference to yoke in the context of rules oppressing the
people, is found in 1 Kings 12:14 and 2Chron 10:4.
*** To take YHVH’s yoke upon ourselves, means to accept His authority
over us and to obey Him. It is interesting that we can choose to put
YHVH’s yoke upon ourselves, thus, be obedient to Him, or He would put a
yoke of iron on us for being disobedient. When we choose disobedience,
we will have the yoke of iron put on us by YHVH, because He wants us to
return to Him.

When one comes to the Tannaitic material (the rabbinic materials from
approximately 200 B.C.E. to 200 C.E.), one finds in place a new and
dynamic liturgical and personal employment of the term “yoke.” When the
Shema was recited twice daily and when tefillin were used, the Jew took
upon himself the yoke of God’s kingship. He hereby declared God’s
sovereignty in his choice, direction, discipline, and blessing of Israel. He
also declared the oneness of God in contrast to the many gods of the
idolaters and polytheists, and, perchance, with the developing
proclamation of the divinity of the Christ of the Christians.
It is also likely that the statements concerning taking up one’s cross are
to be associated with the Jewish practice of reciting the Shema each day
as the sign and symbol of God’s sovereignty. Indeed, the use of the term
“daily” in association with this Christian concept would make this
suggestion even more likely. When one realizes that the term for the
cross beam which Y’shua is pictured as having carried to the place of
execution is the same term frequently used for the cross beam known as
the yoke, and when one realizes that at least some of the early Christian
interpreters of Y’shua’s words saw a specific relationship between cross
and yoke, the likelihood of there having been a daily assumption of the
“Yoke of the Kingship of God”3

*** From this we learn that having YHVH’s yoke on us means
to accept His Kingship and authority over us and to obey His
commandments. To have a yoke of iron on us means we have
disobeyed and are being disciplined by YHVH. YHVH requires
obedience and He does this to get us to return to Him in
obedience to His commandments.
The yoke of men
The commandments of men are also referred to as a yoke, which
proves that the concept of yoke is always referring to authority and
commandments.
Acts 15:10
10 “Now therefore why do you put Elohim to the test by placing upon
the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have
been able to bear?
*** This yoke that is put on the people is all the rules and prescriptions
that were added by the Pharisees. Y’shua had much to say about this.
Matthew 15:9
9 ‘But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the precepts
of men.’ ”

YHVH never promised us His will would be easy
These are so many examples in Scripture of how difficult is could be
doing YHVH’s will.
Y’shua is our greatest example. Y’shua was in YHVH’s will, yet
suffered terribly. The night before He was crucified, He prayed that
YHVH would take the cup from Him, He sweated blood while praying
that. The easy way for Y’shua would have been to go against YHVH’s
will, He could command myriads of angels to fight on His behalf, yet
He submitted to YHVH’s will.
Luke 22:42–44
42 saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not
My will, but Yours be done.” 43 Now an angel from heaven appeared
to Him, strengthening Him. 44 And being in agony He was praying
very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down
upon the ground.
Y’shua said we will be persecuted
John 15:20
20 “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than
his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they
kept My word, they will keep yours also.

2 Timothy 3:12
12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Messiah Y’shua will
be persecuted.
Steven was the first martyr. He was in YHVH’s will, but was
stoned for it.
Acts 7:59–60
59 They went on stoning Stephen as he called on YHVH and
said, “Master Y’shua, receive my spirit!” 60Then falling on his
knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “YHVH, do not hold this
sin against them!” Having said this, he fell asleep.
Eliyah was persecuted by Jezebel – he had to flee – yet he
was in YHVH’s will
1 Kings 19:1–4

Eliyah was persecuted by Jezebel – he had to flee – yet he was in YHVH’s
will 1 Kings 19:1–4
1 Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the
prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying,
“So may the gods do to me and even more, if I do not make your life as the life
of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” 3 And he was afraid and arose and
ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his
servant there. 4But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and
came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he
might die, and said, “It is enough; now, O YHVH, take my life, for I am not better
than my fathers.”
Jeremiah was thrown into a pit for speaking YHVH’s word.
Jeremiah 38:6
6 Then they took Jeremiah and cast him into the cistern of Malchijah the king’s
son, which was in the court of the guardhouse; and they let Jeremiah down with
ropes. Now in the cistern there was no water but only mud, and Jeremiah sank
into the mud.
Paul was persecuted and he and some of his followers were thrown in jail
for preaching YHVH’s word.

*** Paul was persecuted and he and some of his followers were thrown in
jail for preaching YHVH’s word.
YHVH’s will for Josef was to make sure a remnant would survive, yet he
suffered much in accomplishing that.
*** There are many more examples of how being in YHVH’s will is not the
easy way or the way of least resistance.
Conclusion
*** Making choices is unavoidable in life. Making the right choices,
according to YHVH’s will can be a challenge.
*** From this study, we have learned that we are to make our choices
based on YHVH’s word (His yoke or commandments)and His Spirit
leading us. His Spirit would never instruct us to do what is contrary to His
word.
We are also, not to follow our own desires, emotions or other people.
When we avoid this, teamed with being obedient to YHVH, we will be in
YHVH’s will. *** It may not be easy, it will likely be the difficult way, but we
are to endure and continue and not get sidetracked. Do not follow men,
follow YHVH, His way is the best way. He has a plan for every one of us.
Jeremiah 29:11–13

It may not be easy, it will likely be the difficult way,but we are
to endure and continue and not get sidetracked. Do not
follow men, follow YHVH, His way is the best way. He has a
plan for every one of us.
Jeremiah 29:11–13
11 ‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares YHVH,
‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future
and a hope. 12 ‘Then you will call upon Me and come and pray
to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 ‘You will seek Me and
find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
When we do this, we will have peace in Y’shua.
John 16:33
33 “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may
have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take
courage; I have overcome the world.”

The events of the life of Jacob stare us in the face as if we are looking
in a mirror. Why? Because they chart our own course in life as well.
We also must have faith and the will to persevere while we are being
restored to a proper relationship with the Father.
Jeremiah equates this future time of “Jacob’s Trouble” with the
restoration of Israel: ( TORAH and PROPHECY)
The word that came to Yirmeyahu from ‫,יהוה‬ saying, “Thus spoke
‫יהוה‬ Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, saying, ‘Write in a book for yourself all the
words that I have spoken to you. ‘For look, the days are coming,’
declares ‫,יהוה‬ ‘when I shall turn back the captivity of My people
Yisra’ĕl and Yehuḏah,’ declares ‫,יהוה‬ ‘and I shall bring them back to
the land that I gave to their fathers, and let them possess it.’ ” And
these are the words ‫יהוה‬ spoke concerning Yisra’ĕl and Yehuḏah. “For
this is what ‫יהוה‬ said, ‘We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear,
and not of peace. ‘Ask now, and see if a man is giving birth. Why do I
see every man with his hands on his loins like a woman in labour, and
all faces turned pale? ‘Oh! For great is that day, there is none like it.
And it is the time of Yaʽaqoḇ’s distress, but he shall be saved out of it.
(Jeremiah 30:1-7)
91

Being an overcomer and receiving the reward
There are many references in Scripture about being an overcomer. There
are also promises given to those who overcome. In this study, we shall
look into what it means to be an overcomer in the eternal sense. We will
also look into what is required of us and what was promised to those who
overcome. Life is like a race and we are to run with endurance and finish.
Hebrews 12:1
1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us,
let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily
entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
Before we continue, we need to know what the word “overcome” means
in Biblical context.
When you do a search of the English word “overcome,” the first reference
found is in Numbers 13:30. This is indeed a splendid example. You will
understand later why.
Numbers 13:30
30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “We should by
all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it.”

Being an overcomer and receiving the reward
The Hebrew word “yakol” was translated as overcome.
3523 ‫ֹל‬‫כ‬ָ‫י‬( yā·ḵōl): v.; ≡ Str 3201; TWOT 866—
1. LN 74 (qal) be able, be capable, attain, succeed, not fail,
i.e., have the ability or capacity to experience something (Ge
13:6);
2. LN 39.52–39.61 (qal) overcome, prevail, have victory, i.e.,
conquer a foe or opponent and so have victory, as an
extension of being able or capable to actually accomplish
something (Ge 32:26[EB 25]);
3. LN 25.156–25.166 dare, be bold, i.e., have an attitude or
confidence that one can do something (Dt 12:17);
4. LN 32.1–32.10 understand, i.e., be able to grasp the
meaning of something by processing information about a
subject (Ps 139:6), note: NIV translates “attain”2
Here is a breakdown of how the word “yakol” is used in
Scripture.

fsadfas
Here is a
breakdown of
how the word
“yakol” is used
in Scripture.
From the use of the word, we learn that to overcome is to have victory, be able to
prevail, to be bold and to have understanding. We can be overcomers every day of
unrighteousness, sin, fear and many more. However, we will study this in the
eternal context to see what we are to do to be overcomers at the end. Looking at
overcoming from this perspective, necessitates us looking at the book of
Revelation. The word “overcome” is used a few times in Revelation and every time
a promise is given to those who overcome. Let’s look at what was said to the
seven assemblies to see how we can apply this in our lives.

Promises to overcomers
Each of the seven assemblies in Revelation is facing some kind of challenge. We
can learn a great deal from this. I believe this was not just written as a historical
account of what was happening in Asia Minor, it was written for each of us. YHVH
said “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” I
believe YHVH is speaking to us here. We are the ones who have to have an ear to
hear. Each of the assemblies was also given a promise of what they will receive if
they overcome. Let us break it down per assembly to see what we can learn from
this.
Ephesus
The assembly of Ephesus was commended on a number of things, yet it is said
that they have left their first love (Rev 2:4.)
What or who is this first love?
You have lost the love you had at first—not the strong emotions, which cannot be
expected to last, but the zeal for God, which can be renewed by repentance and
rededication.
Stern, D. H. (1996). Jewish New Testament Commentary : a companion volume to
the Jewish New Testament (electronic ed., Re 2:4). Clarksville: Jewish New
Testament Publications.
To him who wins the victory (or: “to him who overcomes”). The victory is over
evil, temptation and apathy. According to 3:21&N Yeshua himself is our role-
model. 3

Matthew 24:12 confirms this interpretation.
Matthew 24:12–13
12 “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow
cold. 13 “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.
To love YHVH is to place Him first, not just part of a routine or lip
service. We can each ask ourselves this question: do we place
YHVH first or has our relationship with YHVH become part of a
routine or dead religion?
There is still hope. We can overcome this.
Revelation 2:5
5 ‘Therefore remember from where you have fallen,
and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to
you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you
repent.
*** We are to remember what YHVH has done for us, repent and
have the zeal we had when we first became believers.
The promise if we overcome.

The promise if we overcome.
Revelation 2:7
7 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the
churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the
tree of life which is in the Paradise of Elohim.’
To eat from the Tree of Life means to have eternal life.
Genesis 2:9; 3:22, 24 shows that this was true in the original
Gan-Eden (“Garden of Eden” or “Paradise,” Lk 23:43N). It is
also true in God’s Gan-Eden, which is the New Jerusalem
(21:2; 22:2, 14, 19). In the Tanakh the term “tree of life” is
used at Proverbs 3:18, 11:30, 13:12 and 15:4 to describe
wisdom, the fruit of the righteous, desire fulfilled, and a
wholesome tongue—all of which may be seen as aspects of
eternal life. 3
The next assembly is Smyrna.

Smyrna
Smyrna did not receive a rebuke. They were being persecuted.
How are they to overcome this?
Revelation 2:10
10 ‘Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is
about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested,
and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death,
and I will give you the crown of life.
*** When we carefully read the book of Revelation, we learn that
there will be persecution of believers in the end times. In fact,
when you follow what is going on in the world, you would
understand that it has started. Persecution is a test and when
persecuted, we must remain faithful.
We often suffer a form of persecution because we are different.
People want to categorize us as fanatical, just because we
choose to be obedient to YHVH’s Word. Those who think that we
are fanatical extrimists are so far removed from YHVH’s truth
and his ways that those of us who do His ways seem strange or
fanatical. They may even feel threatened by our dedication.

Conclusion/The Heart of the Matter
We are to choose whom we want to serve. YHVH is holy
and want us to live holy lives. He gave us the instruction
manual and it is not difficult to do. On the contrary, it is a
blessing to serve YHVH by being obedient to Him.
- We are to be obedient to YHVH out of love for Him.
- The King and Creator of the universe is our Father, that
makes us His royal family.
- Best is we can make the choice to be part of His family
and when we are, we will inherit eternal life through our
Savior Y’shua Messiah.
2 Corinthians 7:1
1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse
ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting
holiness in the fear of YHVH.

And he made him a long robe. (Genesis 37:3)
Verse 3 also tells us that Israel made Joseph a “ketonet” spelled “kaf-
tav-nun-tav”. It is Strong’s #3801 comes from an unused root meaning
to cover ; a shirt: - coat, garment, robe.
A “tunic” or an “inner or mid layer garment” made of woven linen, or
wool, sharing the same root word as “kee’tan” (kaf-yud-tav-nun)
meaning “woven linen” or “woven wool” according to Gesenius‟
Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon. “Ketonet” and “kee‟tan” share the same
root word, which is “kaf-tav-nun” or “katan”, as in “tallit katan” and
means “small” or “under” as in “small tallit” or “under tallit”, which
represents our prayer covering. They can also display a future rank and
honour of position in the family. Those who wore the katan were
usually ones that studied Torah and were sons of the Covenant. The
numeric value of the letters “kaf-tav-nun-tav” is 870, which equals
“heet ha‟lu‟ah kahtee” or “I have followed” from B’reshith 24:40 and
from Leviticus 22:32, “v‟nee qadash tee” or “And I will be Set-apart”. 100

We have a picture in our heads of “Joseph’s coat of many colours” as
the King James Bible says so? The King James translates it as “colours”
with (many) italicized and in brackets denoting that it was added, in
the Hebrew Torah we find simply the word “pasim”, “pey-samech-yud-
mem”, Strong’s #6446 meaning “to the wrists” and/or “ankles” by
implication (plural) a long and sleeved tunic (perhaps simply a wide
one; from the original sense of the root, that is, of many breadths): -
(divers) colours denoting both a pattern of interwoven lines and
different colours, i.e. a tartan-type design.
According to Gesenius‟ Lexicon, a “ketonet pasim” was a long tunic
worn by those of noble or priestly rank.
The following picture of the “priestly tunic” worn by the Kohen
HaGadol (the High Priest) is ready and waiting for the next Priest who
will serve in Mashiach‟s Temple.
101

We have a picture in our heads of “Joseph’s coat of many colours” as
the King James Bible says so? The King James translates it as “colours”
with (many) italicized and in brackets denoting that it was added, in
the Hebrew Torah we find simply the word “pasim”, “pey-samech-yud-
mem”, Strong’s #6446 meaning “to the wrists” and/or “ankles” by
implication (plural) a long and sleeved tunic (perhaps simply a wide
one; from the original sense of the root, that is, of many breadths): -
(divers) colours denoting both a pattern of interwoven lines and
different colours, i.e. a tartan-type design.
According to Gesenius‟ Lexicon, a “ketonet pasim” was a long tunic
worn by those of noble or priestly rank.
The following picture of the “priestly tunic” worn by the Kohen
HaGadol (the High Priest) is ready and waiting for the next Priest who
will serve in Mashiach‟s Temple.
102

Jacob (Israel) made Joseph the Kohen Gadol of the family. He
made him High Priest, after the order of the Melek Tzadik. The
Levitical priesthood wouldn’t be set-apart, or sanctified, for
another 300 years or so. Joseph studied under his father and was
set-apart as Israel’s High Priest in his generation. No wonder his
brothers couldn’t handle it.
David Rohl’s book “The Test of Time”. In it, he shows the
archaeological evidence that Joseph was indeed in Egypt when
the Torah states that he was. This is a picture of the statue of
Joseph, in his royal Governor’s “coat of many colors”. This statue
was found in his tomb in Egypt. His name, both as Joseph (in
Hebrew) and his Egyptian name “Zaphnath-Pa’neah” (meaning
“Saviour of the Age”) were written in numerous places within
this tomb.
From the book Joseph by Yair Davidi, “In Scotland, one’s rank
was shown by the number of colors one wore on the kilt, one
color being the lowest rank, seven colors being the highest.” 103

Jacob (Israel) made Joseph the Kohen Gadol of the family. He
made him High Priest, after the order of the Melek Tzadik. The
Levitical priesthood wouldn’t be set-apart, or sanctified, for
another 300 years or so. Joseph studied under his father and was
set-apart as Israel’s High Priest in his generation. No wonder his
brothers couldn’t handle it.
David Rohl’s book “The Test of Time”. In it, he shows the
archaeological evidence that Joseph was indeed in Egypt when
the Torah states that he was. This is a picture of the statue of
Joseph, in his royal Governor’s “coat of many colors”. This statue
was found in his tomb in Egypt. His name, both as Joseph (in
Hebrew) and his Egyptian name “Zaphnath-Pa’neah” (meaning
“Saviour of the Age”) were written in numerous places within
this tomb.
From the book Joseph by Yair Davidi, “In Scotland, one’s rank
was shown by the number of colors one wore on the kilt, one
color being the lowest rank, seven colors being the highest.” 104

As a token of his great love for him, Jacob gave Joseph a coat of many
colors, so light and delicate that it could be crushed and concealed in
the closed palm of one hand. The Hebrew name of the garment,
Passim, conveys the story of the sale of Joseph. The first letter, Pe,
stands for Potiphar, his Egyptian master; Samek stands for Soharim,
the merchantmen that bought Joseph from the company of
Ishmaelites to whom his brethren had sold him; Yod stands for these
same Ishmaelites; and Mem, for the Midianites that obtained him
from the merchantmen, and then disposed of him to Potiphar. But
Passim. has yet another meaning, "clefts." His brethren knew that the
Red Sea would be cleft in twain in days to come for Joseph's sake, and
they were jealous of the glory to be conferred upon him. Although
they were filled with hatred of him, it must be said in their favor that
they were not of a sullen, spiteful nature. They did not hide their
feelings, they proclaimed their enmity openly.
105

But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his
brothers, they hated him and were not able to speak peaceably to him.
(Genesis 37:4)
We have several English translations of this last phrase “v‟lo yachlu
dabro l‟shalom.” . They include; “They could not speak peaceably to
him” ~ “They could not speak a kind word to him” ~ “They could not
speak to him on friendly terms”. But, the Hebrew translates literally as,
“they could not speak him to peace”.
What does this mean? Rabbi Yonatan Eybeshutz refers us to the
command in Leviticus 19:17, which states, Do not hate your brother in
your heart. Reprove your neighbor, for certain, and bear no sin because
of him. Had the brothers told Joseph how they Joseph might have
come to understand their feelings. It might have made him more
modest, or at least more thoughtful. As Nachmanides writes, on the
command: “Do not hate your brother in your heart”: “Those who hate
tend to hide their hate in their heart”.
106

As the “body” of Messiah, we have the love and favour of the Father. It
is a part of the Father’s plan that this love will provoke our unbelieving
brothers to jealousy:
But Elohim proves His own love for us, in that while we were still
sinners, Messiah died for us. (Romans 5:8)
“They made Me jealous by what is not Ěl, They provoked Me with their
worthless matters. But I make them jealous by those who are no
people, I provoke them with a foolish nation. (Deuteronomy 32:21)
But I ask, Did Yisra’ĕl not know? First Mosheh says, “I shall provoke you
to jealousy by those who are not a nation, I shall enrage you by an
unwise nation.” (Romans 10:19)
Now take note of the awesome consequences of the Father’s plan of
“provoking to jealousy”:
I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Let it not be! But
by their fall deliverance has come to the gentiles, to provoke them to
jealousy. (Romans 11:11)
107

And Yosĕph dreamed a dream, and told it to his brothers. So they hated
him even more. And he said to them, “Please listen to this dream which
I have dreamed: “See, we were binding sheaves in the midst of the
field, and see, my sheaf rose up and also stood up. And see, your
sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.” And his
brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Shall you indeed
rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his
words. And he dreamed still another dream and related it to his
brothers, and said, “See, I have dreamed another dream, and see, the
sun and the moon and the eleven stars bowed down to me.” And he
related it to his father and his brothers. And his father rebuked him and
said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall we,
your mother and I and your brothers, indeed come to bow down to the
earth before you?” And his brothers envied him, but his father guarded
the word. (Genesis 37:5-11) 108

Then Joseph dreamed another dream, how the sun, the moon, and
eleven stars bowed down before him, and Jacob, to whom he told it
first, was rejoiced over it, for he understood its meaning properly. He
knew that he himself was designated by the sun, the name by which
God had called him when he lodged overnight on the holy site of the
Temple. He had heard God say to the angels at that time, "The sun has
come." The moon stood for Joseph's mother, and the stars for his
brethren, for the righteous are as the stars. Jacob was so convinced of
the truth of the dream that he was encouraged to believe that he
would live to see the resurrection of the dead, for Rachel was dead,
and her return to earth was clearly indicated by the dream. He went
astray there, for not Joseph's own mother was referred to, but his
foster-mother Bilhah, who had raised him.
109

Jacob wrote the dream in a book, recording all the circumstances, the
day, the hour, and the place, for the holy spirit cautioned him, "Take
heed, these things will surely come to pass." But when Joseph repeated
his dream to his brethren, in the presence of his father, Jacob rebuked
him, saying, "I and thy brethren, that has some sense, but I and thy
mother, that is inconceivable, for thy mother is dead." These words of
Jacob called forth a reproof from God. He said, "Thus thy descendants
will in time to come seek to hinder Jeremiah in delivering his
prophecies." Jacob may be excused, he had spoken in this way only in
order to avert the envy and hate of his brethren from Joseph, but they
envied and hated him because they knew that the interpretation put
upon the dream by Jacob would be realized.
110

And his brothers went to feed their father’s flock in Sheḵem. And
Yisra’ĕl said to Yosĕph, “Are not your brothers feeding the flock in
Sheḵem? Come, I send you to them.” ..(Genesis 37:12-13)
Yoseph’s brothers go to Shekem to feed their father’s flock. Shekem
means “upper back” or “shoulder” and is the part of the shoulder that
carries the weight of a burden or a load. In fact it has come to be
identified with “bearing burdens”. It is also the area of the back where
scourging's were concentrated since that was the “burden” of
punishment. It was here that Shimeon and Levi took out their anger on
the men and animals of the whole city because of the kidnapping and
rape of their sister Dinah. The other brothers also looted and took
slaves from the women and children of Shekem. Plus, Jacob had
purchased a field from Hamor, Shekem’s father there too. So, they
owned the land of Shekem and they return there, the place of their
revenge, to plot the killing of Joseph. 111

… And he said to him, “Please go and see if it is well with your brothers
and well with the sheep, and bring back word to me.” So he sent him
out of the Valley of Ḥeḇron, and he went to Sheḵem. (Genesis 37:13-
14)
Verses 12-14 read a little different in the Hebrew. As Israel sends
Joseph to see his brothers, he tells him to look into the “peace‟
(shalom) of his brothers and the “shalom‟ of the flock and report back.
Israel is telling Joseph to “go make peace with your brothers”.
Legends of the Jews: Though he knew that the hatred of his brethren
might bring on unpleasant adventures, Joseph, declared himself ready
to go on his father's errand. Later Jacob would say to himself, "Thou
didst know the hatred of thy brethren, and yet thou didst say, Here am
I.“ Jacob dismissed Joseph …saying, "Go now, see whether it be well
with thy brethren, and well with the flock; and send me word"--an
unconscious prophecy. He did not say that he expected to see Joseph
again, but only to have word from him. 112

..So he sent him out of the Valley of Ḥeḇron, and he went to Sheḵem.
(Genesis 37:14)
In the Hebrew it says that he sent him “out of the depth” of Hebron.
The Hebrew word here is “m‟emeq”, spelled “mem-ayin-mem-kuf”.
From the letters, mem = water, ayin = eye or fountain, mem = water
and kuf = to surround, we see the connotation of being in the “eye” or
“centre of the fountain” and “surrounded by the waters”; like in an
immersion or in a mikvah. Hebron isn't in a valley, it's on a hill. It's
literally a city on a very steep hill. So, what's at the “depth of Hebron”?
Machpelah, the “Cave of the Patriarchs”. Hebron means “joining” or
“conjunction”. Israel sent Joseph from the “cave of conjunction”, the
“depth (m‟emeq) of Hebron”, the very meaning of Hebron,
representing Kol Israel (past, present and future) to make peace with
his brothers at Shekem, the “shoulder of the burden”. With his royal
priestly tunic he went as “Sar Shalom”, the Prince who would make
Peace and restore the nation, Israel. Sounds familiar; a fore-shadow of
Mashiach. 113

And a certain man found him, and see, he was wandering in the field.
And the man asked him, saying, “What do you seek?” And he said, “I
am seeking my brothers. Please inform me where they are feeding their
sheep.” And the man said, “They have left here, for I heard them say,
‘Let us go towards Dothan.’ ” So Yosĕph went after his brothers and
found them in Dothan. (Genesis 37:15-17)
Joseph reaches Shekem and is wandering about, looking for his
brothers and the sheep, he is found by a “certain man”. From the
Hebrew, it sounds like Joseph found this “iysh” or “man”. The phrase
here is “v‟ye‟matzahoo” (“and he found” a man). The connotation
here is that Joseph “received” or “found knowledge” in this man. This
“man with knowledge” was a messenger of Elohim (Gabriel, legends of
the Jews), sent to make sure that Joseph found his brothers. This man
tells him that his brothers chose to go to Dothan.
114

Legends of the Jews: "What seekest thou?" And he answered, "I seek
my brethren." Whereto the angel replied, "Thy brethren have given up
the Divine qualities of love and mercy. Through a prophetic revelation
they learned that the Hivites were preparing to make war upon them,
and therefore they departed hence to go to Dothan. And they had to
leave this place for other reasons, too. I heard, while I was still standing
behind the curtain that veils the Divine throne, that this day the
Egyptian bondage would begin, and thou wouldst be the first to be
subjected to it.”
Dothan literally means “two wells”. It also comes from the root word
“dat” which is “religious law”. A prophetic symbol of how the brothers
would hold court and seek to kill Joseph, just as the Roman appointees
among the Sanhedrin would do to ‫יהושע‬, Mashiach ben Yoseph,
according to “dat” or “religious law”.
In the remez level it is hinted that they had “two wisdoms” or “two
paths”. One path to murder and another to selling their brother into
slavery, good or evil. 115

And they saw him from a distance, and before he came near them,
they plotted against him, to kill him. And they said to each other, “See,
this master of dreams is coming! “Now, then, come and let us now kill
him and throw him into some pit, and shall say, ‘Some wild beast has
devoured him.’ Let us then see what comes of his dreams!” But Re’uḇĕn
heard and rescued him from their hands, and said, “Let us not take his
life.” And Re’uḇĕn said to them, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit
which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him” – in order to
rescue him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father.
(Genesis 37:18-22)
Legends of the Jews: He hoped his reward would be pardon for the
transgression he had committed against Jacob. Reuben was rewarded
by God. As he was the first of the brethren of Joseph to make an
attempt to save him, so the city of Bezer in the tribe of Reuben was
the first of the cities of refuge appointed to safeguard the life of the
innocent that seek help. Furthermore God spake to Reuben, saying:
"As thou wast the first to endeavor to restore a child unto his father, so
Hosea, one of thy descendants, shall be the first to endeavor to lead
Israel back to his heavenly Father."
116

So it came to be, when Yosĕph had come to his brothers, that they
stripped Yosĕph of his robe, the long robe which was on him. And they
took him and threw him into a pit. And the pit was empty, there was no
water in it. (Genesis 37:23-24)
When Joseph approached his brothers to bring them shalom, they
stripped him of his Cotonet pasim - just as Yeshua was stripped
of His priestly garment and threw Joseph into the empty cistern.
Legends of the Jews: "Brethren, let us not slay him, but let us cast him
into one of the dry pits, which our fathers dug without finding water."
That was due to the providence of God; He had hindered the water
from rising in them in order that Joseph's rescue might be
accomplished, and the pits remained dry until Joseph was safe in the
hands of the Ishmaelites… Not satisfied with exposing Joseph to the
snakes and scorpions, his brethren had stripped him bare before they
flung him into the pit. They took off his coat of many colors, his upper
garment, his breeches, and his shirt. However, the reptiles could do
him no harm.
117

“And He shall sit as a refiner and a cleanser of silver. And He shall
cleanse the sons of Lĕwi, and refine them as gold and silver, and they
shall belong to ‫,יהוה‬ bringing near an offering in righteousness.
(Malachi 3:3)
During his time in the PIT, Joseph was a ‘Prophet in Training’.
He needed to undergo the fires of purification in order to be refined
into a vessel God could use. We may wonder, “What am I doing stuck
in this PIT?” How could the people so close to us, those who we trusted,
hurt and betray us?
The answer is simple. We are being prepared, purified, refined, and
made ready to rule and reign with Yeshua as kings (melachim) and
priests (cohanim) with Him in His Kingdom. If Yeshua baptizes us with
the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) and with fire, should we be
confounded by the preparation?
“I indeed immerse you in water unto repentance, but He who is coming
after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to bear. He
shall immerse you in the Set-apart Spirit and fire. (Matthew 3:11)
118

Vayeshev Trials in the Lives of the Patriarchs

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