The title says it all–vayechi–“and he lived”. But this is not just true of Jacob spending his last 17 years in Egypt but really of the entire generation of two nations that lives because of Joseph. Jacob’s preparations to leave this earth, as well as those of his son’s Joseph that we will get at the end, range from the sensible to the surprising. Why does Jacob feel the need to adopt two of Joseph’s own sons as his own? Why is it that the way Jacob’s body is treated in Egypt gives us clues to Jacob’s real status as one of the greatest funeral processions ever recorded sojourns to Canaan to let the patriarch rest? And how is it that the most important prophecy Joseph ever gives is right at the end of his life? Find out as we explore Egyptian archaeology and history to reveal the truth!
After 22 years, grieving father and son are finally reunited this week, and it literally could not be closer to being too late. Jacob, long weakened by the loss of Joseph, has barely been hanging on for more than two decades. And Joseph has already gone through enough false imprisonments and accusations to last several lifetimes, and now only has one more foe to master: himself. As the drama with his brothers reaches its climax this week, Joseph may be on the verge of a near breakdown. Can he hold it together long enough to restore his family and save the lives of millions? Also, a member Q&A on a controversial topic once again creates an unexpected opportunity to set the record straight on what may be the most contentious calendar topic of them all. Enjoy!
As they always seem to say this time of year, “Nothing like being home with the family”–except of course if that family is planning to murder you, dispose of your body in a pit and lie to Dad for 22 years about what really happened. Then they tamper with physical evidence of a crime scene, commit fraud, and that’s just the first chapter. Then the same woman presides over the death of TWO of her husbands while she is sequestered by the patriarch to wait for a third one, only to contrive to have an affair with her father in law to move things along. That and, oh yeah, almost forgot, Joseph is enslaved in Egypt where various bedroom intrigues land him in prison, but totally NOT in the way things of that nature seem to happening today. And if that’s not enough, the President this week acknowledged Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, so could this be more ripped from the headlines than that?
In the opening lines we find that Jacob may have the power to command, or at the very least persuade, heavenly messengers to do his will. Then, before we can even catch our breath, we find that Esau is coming to his little family reunion with 400 friends and yet he may be the one who really feels threatened. Be that as it may, what follows is the “Greatest Apology Ever Sold” in Scripture; a true template for how to make amends on so many levels. But just when things seem at their happiest in 20 years, disaster strikes with the rape of Dinah with everyone around that tragedy thinking they know what she needs and utterly failing, not just Dinah, but their father and the entire family unit is literally in mortal jeopardy. Tough? Absolutely. But this is what the people of Elohim have to go through sometimes to eventually get to the right place. See for yourself, and discover why there’s nothing like a Good Book to really deliver on human drama.
Showdown! He conned his father. He conspired with his mother. And then, he cheated his brother. Jacob has been used to being “the smartest guy in the room” but this week, he’s about to meet his match in the formidable Laban. And this time, it’s not just about birthrights, blessings and stew. This time true love is on the line as a crafty father manipulates both of his daughters and his son-in-law to his advantage. It will take all the courage and genius of Jacob, along with no small part of divine intervention, to free him and his family from a 20 year prison. Also please check out the new “featured” video of ApologetiX singing about the Real Thanksgiving. Enjoy!
Brother betrays brother and revenge is plotted by a powerful archer. Vital secrets are concealed for decades. Murder is threatened. It’s the story of Isaac and Jacob, and their struggles are just getting started. Find out what is at the heart of the most famous family in human history. Will they find a way to reconcile or will all their good efforts be gone in a flash?
A righteous man who finally completed his long quest loses the love of his life. He wants to bury her but if he takes a sweetheart deal he might just end up creating an international incident. And a servant is sent on a dangerous mission to a people he never met with only the hope of miracles to make him successful. Not bad for about 30 lines, so what about the rest of the parsha? Trust me when I tell you that Chayei Sarah has far more going on than meets the eye.
Talk about family problems! This week Abraham seems to have enough worries with his kindred to fill an entire lifetime. First he has to attempt to negotiate with his Heavenly Father to try and spare Sodom, where his nephew Lot is living. When the “auction of souls”–going from 50 righteous down to 10–ultimately fails, Father Yah sends two angels to help Abraham’s nephew, and two of Lot’s future sons in law refuse to take the threat to Sodom seriously while Lot himself offers his two daughters to an unruly crowd to keep them from getting intimate with his guests. Lot’s own wife though won’t make it however due to her “salty” personality, while in the meantime Abraham is sending away his eldest son at the behest of his wife Sarah. Then we climax with Abraham feeling compelled to kill his remaining son Isaac, with the distinct possibly that the aftermath of that incident had Sarah perhaps die of a broken heart. Or did she? Either way, you are not likely to find a more “family intensive” parsha than this one, and I haven’t even gotten to the bonus teachings yet! This parsha proves to my mind at least that to miss one week is to miss a great deal.
First He created the physical universe and the entire human race. Then Father Yah wiped out nearly everyone in a devastating Flood He promised would never happen again. And now, our Heavenly Father has waited ten whole generations for one man after His heart to be born, and his name is Abram, later renamed Abraham, the father of many nations. See the covenant emerge from the greatest disaster ever to hit the human race as Abraham deals with struggles as great as the cosmos and as close to home as his own bedchamber. I hope you will also enjoy our very special focus this week on Biblical Archaeology and discover the amazing discoveries coming out of the ground that prove the Scripture correct.
It’s the worst day ever for the human race–a day like no other when the world of humanity is destroyed in a devastating global flood that is so bad Father Yah promises never to do it again. But Noah’s flood is about so much more, as this year long disaster reveals so much information about history, astronomy and timekeeping. It is a window into the ancient world like none other in the entirety of Scripture. See the Torah open up its mysteries like never before with several bonus teachings along with the linguistics and historical analysis to tie it all together.
Welcome back to the beginning! What a joy it is to be allowed to hear the Torah all over again from the very start. May this year’s Torah cycle bear much more fruit than what we just completed and I pray you will enjoy the journey as much as I enjoy bringing it to you. I also hope you enjoy a special opening prayer of thanksgiving for the occasion.