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The Torah reading ויחי Vayechi (“he lived,” Gen. 47:28–50:26) concludes the account of Yosef (Joseph), which spans much of the second half of the first book of the Bible (Genesis 37–50).
Following the events of his life, we have witnessed the descent of the people of Israel into Egypt. And next when we start into the book of Exodus with the Torah reading שמות Shemot (“names,” Exodus 1:1–6:1), we will track the ascent of the people of Israel back to the Promised Land.
Just as the Torah gives us a foundation of how to live as citizens of Heaven, the United States of America’ Declaration of Independence and Constitution give its citizens guidelines on how to govern ourselves.
May your will and testament be done
Vayechi and parallel passages 1Kings 2:1–12; John 13:1–19; and 1Peter 1:1–9 recount wise farewells from Ya’akov (Jacob), Yosef (Joseph), David and Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus).
These men (Jacob, Joseph, David and Yeshua) were kind enough to give their spiritual heirs some final wise teachings1תּוֹרָה torah is Hebrew for “instruction” to guide them as they prepared to put on the mantle given to them.
Some great lessons that all of them gave us is not just ancient poetry, but enduring guidance.
Reconcile: Get over it
The first piece of advice can be summarized as “build a bridge and get over it” which means we need to get over and stop holding onto whatever grievances we carry against another. We need to reconcile — reach atonement, at-one-ment — with others. If we don’t feel “at one” with someone, we need to be reconcile and remove whatever is blocking our relationships with other believers.
Yosef is such a leader in how to get over a legitimate grievance. He could have sought revenge against or written off his brothers, but he learned obedience to what later became a Torah maxim: “Vengeance is mine, says the LORD” (Deut. 32:35).
David also learned obedience to Shaul, to God’s timing for his anointing. He refused to raise a hand of violence against Shaul, even though Shaul was seeking to kill him.
Yeshua, the Son of David, “learned obedience from the things He suffered” (Heb. 5:7-9)
The lesson that comes down to us in the example of all these great men and the Messiah, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men” (Romans 12:18). Don’t be the reason that reconciliation is not forthcoming and give it to God to restore the relationship.
The Bible gives us the example of the burning coal to the lips as a way to deal with our vulgar words. If we did this literally, it would burn the flesh and require medical attention. But the metaphor on the spiritual level, is when we allow God to burn the flesh away, then we have freedom in the spirit to speak good words and to remove the desire to commit sin in our words.
There are people who don’t realize that their loose lips can sink ships but there are some who knowing speak evil and God is the one who can sort out the ignorant from the wicked.
Jacob, David and Yeshua passed on the legacy of the King of God that the many must become one.
‘Quiet quitting’ is toxic to the body of Messiah
The lessons of Heaven’s messages to the seven ἐκκλησίαις ekklesiais (“assemblies”) of Revelation 2–3 are warnings not only to those congregations of believers but also to us. For example, we must watch out for in ourselves the sin of lukewarmness that plagued Laodicia (Rev. 3:14–22). This lukewarmness that Yeshua warns about is the danger of apathy and indifference. They were treating the words of Yeshua with indifference.
Leviticus 26 contains a phrase repeated seven times: תֵּלְכוּ עִמִּי קֶרִי tēlḵû ꜥimmı̂ qerı̂ (Lev. 26:21, 23–24, 27–28, 40–41). The New American Standard Bible translates it as “act with hostility against Me”
Imagine if the chief employees only did the bare minimum to not get fired, that company would not be successful. It’s easy to fire the cold employee and it’s easy to promote the on-fire employee but the “lukewarm” become a drag on the organization and just as this is a danger to a company, it’s also a toxic danger to the body of Christ.
What you were doesn’t have to be who you are or who you will become. Yosef started out as the younger son of a nomadic patriarch, and then became a slave, a prisoner falsely accused of a heinous crime and then the Prime Minister of a world superpower.
The blessings that Jacob gave to his sons, in chronological order of their birth, were given to each son individually, but some of these sons used their blessings in heinous ways. Jacob does not sugar coat how his son’s spiritual gifts and burdens would play out in the future.
Reuben (Gen. 49:3–4; 1Chronicles 5:1–2) who was demoted because of pride, selfishness and lust for power.
Shimon & Levi (Gen. 49:5–7; 1Chronicles 6), who were the original “Sons of Thunder.”
Jacob cursed them because of quick temper, which was personified when they decided to be judge, jury & executioner against Shechem after the sexual assault on their younger sister, Dinah. They took incredible vengeance against the entire town for the crime of one man. We see how this came about later when the tribe of Levi were spread out amongst the tribes serving the priestly role.
As the Levites were disbursed among the tribes, they became associated somewhat with the tribe they were sent to sojourn, such as the case with Elkanah and Hannah in the book of 1Samuel. Elkanah and his family lived in Ephraim and he was referred to as an Ephramite even though he was a Levite because that is where he lived. He may have picked up the dialect, colloquialisms of Ephraim, but he was clearly a Levite. However, Levi’s priestly duties protected them from assimilation. The tribe of Simeon however, was quickly disbursed and absorbed by neighboring tribes, most notably, Judah.
That ability to quick action based on the Torah is great when needed, such as when Aharon rushed in to atone during a plague (Numbers 16) and later when Pinchas’ ended a blasphemous escapade in the Mishkan (Numbers 25).The lesson of the high priesthood’s learning to balance justice and mercy is a model for what the Ultimate High Priest practices perfectly.
Jacob’s fourth son, Yehudah (Gen. 49:8–12) is prophesied to become the preeminent tribe of Israel, which Jacob refers to as the scepter over Israel. Yehudah showed his leadership qualities for bad, when he convinced the others to sell Joseph away. He also exhibited his leadership qualities for good when he defended Benjamin. He was the ringleader of those who sent Joseph away into slavery but later, after his repentance, he was willing to give his life for Benjamin’s sake.
Reuben also offered to give up his own sons for Benjamin’s sake but because of his indiscretion with one of Jacob’s wives, Jacob trusted Judah more than Reuben.
Jacob prophesies that a son of Judah will receive the kingship over Israel, which we see come to pass through David to Solomon to the Messiah.
And in Gen. 49:10, Jacob says that this scepter will be Yehudah’s role “Until Shiloh comes”, which refers to Messiah Yeshua. The big test for Yehudah today is will they even be willing to surrender pre-eminence to Yeshua Son of David?
‘Happy are you…’
The blessings that Jacob prophetically gives to Yosef is the longest of all the blessings.
“Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a spring; Its branches run over a wall.
“The archers bitterly attacked him, And shot at him and harassed him; But his bow remained firm, And his arms were agile, From the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel), From the God of your father who helps you, And by the Almighty who blesses you With blessings of heaven above, Blessings of the deep that lies beneath, Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
“The blessings of your father Have surpassed the blessings of my ancestors Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills; May they be on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of the one distinguished among his brothers.”
Genesis 49:22–26 NASB 1995
We see in this prophesy over Joseph a description of a righteous man being planted by streams of water mirrors this prophecy and the life of Yosef.
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
Psalm 1:1 NASB 1995
In other words, the path to happiness is the one that does meander, but goes straight toward the goal. Are we paying attention to where the destination for our lives and each action in them are? Taking the lead of the Psalms, some translations use “happy are” instead of “blessed are” for the Beatitudes in Matthew 5.
There is such a thing as true happiness, even in the midst of suffering, even in the midst of terrible things that are going on to you, you can still be happy. The Apostles, as recorded in the Book of Acts, were were imprisoned and locked in chains were able to sing praises to God and to be truly happy even in humiliation.
The blessing compares the attacks and harassment against Yosef to arrows. While Yosef’s brothers and harassers in Mitsraim “let fly,” Yosef cocked his arrow but held the bowstring at the ready without firing.It takes a lot of physical and mental strength to be that restrained.
Yeshua uttered little against the arrows that leaders of Israel shot at Him. Yeshua had all sort of power at his fingertips, yet He refrained from unleashing it. He could have fired back, but He refused because He was obedient to Heaven. Yeshua did not come to destroy, but to preserve life and accept humiliation.
“But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name’s sake. It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony.
“So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves; for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute.
“But you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death, and you will be hated by all because of My name. Yet not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.”
Luke 21:12–19 NASB 1995
In John 3:16–17, we are told that Yeshua came to the world to save it, not to condemn it. His mission was to preserve life, to preserve Israel.
There will come a time when Yeshua will fire back, the Book of Revelation shows us that there will come a day when those who bring death on the world will be vanquished once and for all. The enemies of life can’t go on and the former things will end. There’s going to be come a time when those who are attacking, not just the Messiah, but attacking all life on Earth, that reign of terror will be brought to an end.
The world tells us to look for our own advantage and pursuit it. Heaven teaches us that the arrows will come at us but to not fire back, but Heaven will fire back in the right time. In the Prophets, you see the arrows of the LORD are the sons of Israel, “fired” out into the world.
“For I will bend Judah as My bow, I will fill the bow with Ephraim. And I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece; And I will make you like a warrior’s sword.”
Zechariah 9:13 NASB 1995
The expansion of the territory of Israel in the days of David and Solomon was not for the sake of oppression and conquest but for the sake of blessing not only Israel but the entire world with the Presence of Heaven. These blessings are not only for those who lived in the ancient days. These blessings are for us and our children too.
Summary: Tammy