Now we enter the last great story of Genesis–the Joseph saga–which has always been a personal favorite of ours. This story has it all. Family betrayal, classic mnisunderstandings, illicit carnal relations, and family intrigues of the cruelest kind, only to end with a final betrayal that causes Joseph to get thrown into prison and languish for two years for something he did not do. And unlike so many dramas that we see all the time on TV and in the movies, this story is all true–as we will also see how Scripture and archaeology often work very well together.
One brother seems to control a camp full of heavenly messengers while the other brother brings 400 soldiers to make his point about how he feels. Then brother #1 wrestles (probably) with Y’shua in pre-incarnate form and that’s just the first chapter. Then we move on to the “Greatest Apology Ever Sold” as Jacob reconciles with Esau, followed by shameless rape of Dinah and terrible revenge enacted by Jacob’s sons without their father’s permission. Put simply, it does not get more dramatic or poignant than this!
If Jacob thought fleeing Esau was tough, he has no idea what awaits him. While Laban allow Jacob to marry his daughters, the price for the one he truly loves is fourteen years of hard work, only to be outmaneuvered again by Laban to force another six years of labor for his flocks. But after that time, Father Yah Himself sends Jacob a prophetic dream that paves the way for his emancipation. Yet even when on the road, Laban has one more trick up his sleeve to bring Jacob and Family back to him–but Father Yah stands in the way of that plan once again, because now Jacob must face the reunion with Esau, who comes with 400 men to face him! Keep Reeding
Here’s a perfect reason why experts say you should not favor one child above the other. In this case, we see that each parent favored a different child, with Isaac favoring Esau while Rebecca favored Jacob, making matters much worse and tragic. This parsha is full of betrayal of the bitterest kind as Jacob cheats Esau, but as we will soon learn starting next week, Father Yah is far from letting Jacob off the hook for what he has done.
This parsha is literally “bookended” with the passing of two mighty biblical figures. First Sarah dies in the opening line, possibly of a broken heart in the wake of the near loss of her son Isaac at the ends of her husband. But as Abraham settles into a decades long retirement, the next generation comes of age with the amazing love story of Isaac and Rebecca. The parsha then ends on a poignant but hopeful note with the reunion of Isaac and Ishmael, but only because their father has now died and they both face an uncertain future.
Father Yah finds a threat is so dangerous, He sends Himself and two messengers down with him to sort it out with Abraham as the lives of five cities lay in the balance. Abraham then finds he has to struggle mightily even to save people he never met but the cities are actually doomed. And by the way, Father Yah and the angels do not follow rabbinic kosher rules at their meal with Abraham! Then Lot and family are visited by the same two angels who were with Abraham to save them from wicked rapists in the city and the destruction of the city as a whole as Sodom is wiped off the earth. As if that is not enough excitement we have another international incident with the “Say you are my sister, Sarah” files part 2, followed by Abraham nearly sacrificing his most beloved son Isaac on Father Yah’s command. When it comes to being action packed, few other parshas can compete with this one, but also witness the “world premiere’ of a brand new feature–Beyond the Torah–beginning with Joshua chapter 1. Enjoy!
Ten generations after Noah, the next great righteous man arises. He begins life as Abram, the exalted father, but in the span of a few chapters of this parsha he will becomes Abraham, the father of many nations. Along the way he will experience enough personal challenges and the odd international incident or two to fill several lifetimes for anyone else. A leader is born. Now, watch him prevail.
Meet the original “disaster of Biblical proportions”–a flood so massive even Father Yah says it will not be repeated! But the account of Noah’s Flood is so much more than a good example of epic story telling. It is an even so traumatic even the pagans left 600 versions of essentially the same story behind but in the Torah the Flood has prophetic, Scripture math and calendar applications that are unprecedented anywhere else. Enter the mystery and see what floods back!
Welcome to the beginning all over again. First the Universe is made, then the first humans. Join us as more than sixteen centuries of time passes in early human history. And we also have some new changes and other surprises to announce as well. Enjoy!
Chag Sameyach! From early hints in Genesis linked to Jacob to some of the last parts of Revelation, so Feast has the range and depth of Sukkot. Enjoy this second of two in-depth feast teachings, this one covering more on the special Shabbat during the Feast and the last two special days of the Feast along with the last parsha of the year, Ve-Zot Ha-Barachah. For those looking for a taste of what heaven or the Millennial Kingdom is to be like, look no further than Sukkot. May you all rejoice before YHWH greatly during this Set-Apart time! Keep Reeding
Chag Sameyach! From early hints in Genesis linked to Jacob to some of the last parts of Revelation, so Feast has the range and depth of Sukkot. Enjoy this first of two ind-depth feast teachings, this one covering the first two days and a bit about the upcoming Shabbat in the midst of the Feast. Next week there will be the follow up on that actual special Shabbat and then covering all the rest of the intricate and numerous joyful aspects of this Feast. For those looking for a taste of what heaven or the Millennial Kingdom is to be like, look no further than Sukkot. May you all rejoice before YHWH greatly during this Set-Apart time! Keep Reeding
It’s the most Set-apart day of them all, the great fast of Yom Kippur. Find out all the fascinating foreshadowing and biblical future of this appointed time, from the Flood of Genesis all the way to our far prophetic future in the Messianic Age as we prepare for Messiah’s return, Yom Kippur is at the the heart of it all. Keep Reeding