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The Torah reading ויצא Vayetze/Vayetzei (“he went out,” Gen. 28:10–32:2) on the surface is about sibling rivalry (Jacob vs. Esau, Rachel vs. Leah). But more than that, it is a continuation of the lesson running from the beginning of the book of Genesis on the correct way to seek wisdom and a connection to Heaven.
We learned earlier in Genesis about the two trees that were in Eden — the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge.
The Tree of Life was not the tree of good vs. bad but of true vs. false. It represents Heaven’s directed path, which is based on faith in the One Who is true, and everything else is false. It represents the Spirit Who reminds us that, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom/ knowledge” (Psa. 111:10; Prov. 1:7; 9:10).
Conversely, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad is the path we choose when we spurn what Heaven wants for us. It’s based on desire — what apostle Paul calls “the flesh.” Remember how Eve described this source of knowledge as “good for food, a delight to the eyes and desirable to make one wise” (Gen. 3:6)?
The true wisdom to make one wise comes from God, not from the Tree of Knowledge. True wisdom leads you to God (higher), while the “wisdom” of the world leads away from God and towards your own flesh (lower).
Romans 1 warns us that when we focus on the things of this world — on the created, rather than the Creator — then we start the slide into foolishness that leads to death. We no longer trust in the Creator but rather trust in our own power and in creation. We trust in what does not last, rather than what is permanent and eternal.
Our Rock (the LORD and the Messiah) is not like their rock. The tower of Babel was made with bricks, while the altar of God is made with rocks. This is what Jacob rested his head upon. The bricks were mass produced while the rocks each have a unique signature.
We read about the story of Jacob’s ladder in Genesis 28. First we read that Jacob used a rock as a pillow under his head, which is certainly a unique pillow. Once he was asleep, Jacob dreams of a ladder. The unique feature of this ladder represents heaven itself is reaching down towards mankind. We also learn later that this ladder shows us how heaven descends/ascends on Messiah.
In Gen. 28:12–13, we see that God was “above” the ladder but He was also “on” the ladder. This is a interesting in the connection with what Messiah Yeshua said upon meeting the future apostle Nathaniel:
Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote — Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And He said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
John 1:45–51 NASB
The Messiah Yeshua is the ladder connecting mankind to God, connecting the pinnacle of creation to the Creator. Yeshua connected Ya’akov’s vision of the ladder between Heaven
and Earth and the term “Son of Man” to Himself.
Yeshua encouraged Nathaniel by calling him a “true Israelite” as his forefather Jacob was. Nathaniel knew the scriptures and Yeshua is telling Nathaniel and the other disciples that His mission is to act as the ladder connecting heaven and earth.
“Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD; We have blessed you from the house of the LORD.”
Psalm 118:26 NASB
Do we cry out to the Lord and ask Him to be a part of us and take the “fear of Isaac” into the world?
When Yeshua saw Nathaniel studying the Torah under the fig tree, what He saw was a person who was praying for and longer for a closer connection with HaShem.1Hebrew: “The Name,” a circumlocution for YHWH. And Yeshua answered that prayer.
Commentaries often note that Nathaniel was studying Torah under the tree. That idea comes from the rabbinical idiom “gathering figs.” In the Mishna, the “tree of knowledge of good and evil” in Genesis 3 is described as a fig tree:
Fig tree, associated with abundance, as well as with the eschaton; “gathering figs” was an expression that in later sources means “studying,” apparently because the tree of knowledge in Gen 3 was believed to be a fig tree (b.Berakhot 40a).
The Jewish Annotated New Testament
As we continue with Jacob’s story, he initially sees heaven from afar (camps of angels), then we will see him meeting with Heaven (ladder) and later we will see him actually wresting with Heaven.
‘What is truth?’
Right now, we are in the realm of knowledge of good and bad and having to continually work out and discern what is right and wrong. We long for a time when we can see what is true and what is false and for it to be as easy as seeing the difference between life and death.
The apostle Yokhanan (John) tells us that there are sins that lead to death (1John 5:16–17) and warns us not to walk that path. We are told in the world that sin is a spectrum, but this is not what God tells us. Rather, we have a High Priest Who knows our struggles but never succumbed to sin (Heb. 4:15). The Messiah shows us that we can move towards the Creator and we can choose life and reject death.
As we get closer to the Creator and learn more of His Torah, we are able to more clearly discern what is life and what is death, what is true and what is false.
Sadly, we live in a time where most people seem to be willing to ignore basic truths, like what is a man vs. a woman. When you are close to Heaven, it is easy to know what is male vs. female. There is no confusion when you are close to the Creator. People have to be taught to actively blend the two.
Some are born with confused genetics that skew the body towards one expression or another, but those chromosomal conditions are very rare and hinder reproduction. Those who want to live in a sea of grey use those rare occasion as an excuse to ignore the male-female binary.
At one of Yeshua’s trials, Pilate asked Him, “What is truth?” (John 18:35–38). Yeshua had been communicating to him, “I am the truth.” God’s Word is the truth.
This question is not unique to Pilate. It’s is still asked disingenuously by those who prefer to see reality in shades of grey, rather than what is really black and white, false and true. We live in a world that desperately needs a lifeline. Fortunately, some people are waking up to how these shades of grey is driving the world crazy.
People today are seeking answers, and Heaven’s best answer is to choose life rather than death. There are thing that are objectively true and objectively false. What is true will live on in eternity and what is false will die.
We have the choice to ignore the pain in the world or wrestle with it. The world wants us to ignore he distinction between right and wrong, while God wants us to actively choose what is true and to actively choose to refrain from doing what is false.
Summary: Tammy