FEAR AND THE RED SEA...from portion BESHALACH (Exodus 13:17 – 17:16)

“Moshe answered the people, ‘Stop being so fearful! Remain steady, and you will see how ADONAI is going to save you. He will do it today – today you have seen the Egyptians, but you will never see them again! ADONAI will do battle for you. Just calm yourselves down!’”
Ex 14:13-14

Fear can cause us to say and do some pretty stupid things. Here, with Pharaoh facing the Israelites down at the Red Sea, the Hebrews acted in fear. In fear they blamed Moses. In fear they questioned why he brought them out, why they couldn’t have just remained slaves, and why they should die here as opposed to in Egypt. What they did not know is what we also fail to see when fear grips us. Freedom was knocking on their door, for it is God who fights for us just as He fought for them. God was their man of war, their ISYH MILCHAMAH (Ex 15:3), and He was about to prove Himself. So then, with the word of the LORD, Moses worked to calm the people’s fears by announcing that this would be the last day the Egyptians would ever be seen. “Moshe answered the people, ‘Stop being so fearful! Remain steady, and you will see how ADONAI is going to save you. He will do it today – today you have seen the Egyptians, but you will never see them again! ADONAI will do battle for you. Just calm yourselves down!’” (Ex 14:13-14). God was about to roll up His sleeves and do battle on their behalf.
Let me pose a thought here, though, perhaps maybe a challenge. The manner in which Pharaoh pursued the Israelites is a great example of how the enemy pursues us. For the Israelites, the difficulty in which they had in breaking free from Pharaoh’s slavery can be compared to the breaking free we experience from our own addictions. We make strides to break free, and perhaps see some release. Yet with each little moment of success the enemy is simply planning his chase to re-slave us. As the First Fruits of Zion's Torah Club puts it, “The devil does not willingly let go of his thralls, nor does he allow them to escape without pursuit.”
But on the flip side, the people of Israel also prove an important point that we must be weary not to mimic. Seeing Pharaoh coming, their first reaction was to complain to Moses and question why they couldn’t have just stayed slaves in Egypt. I heard this same concept shortly after I remarried and came face to face with blending a family. Life becomes set in its way as a single parent, and then the challenge of the blending comes. The typical response in these moments can be to wish you were single again, to wish you were back in Egypt again instead of trying to work through the challenges that are staring you in the face. Trust me, I know this firsthand. However, why should we consider going back to slavery when we know that true freedom, the Promise Land, is only a Red Sea away?
Within all the surrounding panic of Pharaoh closing in on the Hebrews, as well as the Hebrews blaming Moses for what looked like a bad day, God spoke to Moses. The words may not have been what Moses was expecting, but they were the words advised. “’Lift your staff, reach out with your hand over the sea, and divide it in two’” (Ex 14:16a). I am pretty sure they didn’t teach that miracle in Leading the Nation 101, yet still Moses obeyed. And why not, each of the other times God had told Moses or Aaron to stretch out their hand in Egypt God followed through. So once again Moses’ hand was outstretched and the waters parted.
With parted waters, the people of God walked across on dry ground. As the Torah reads, “Moshe reached his hand out over the sea, and ADONAI caused the sea to go back before a strong east wind all night. He made the sea become dry land, and its water was divided in two. Then the people of Isra’el went into the sea on the dry ground, with the water walled up for them on their right and on their left” (Ex 14:21-22).
The weather patterns that God had placed in front of those being delivered now, the fire and the cloud, moved from the front to the back to prevent Pharaoh and his army from pressing in further. It stationed itself to where the Egyptians were in the darkness and the Israelites were in the light. Then, with the light from the fire of God shining a path for them, they watched as a strong wind pulled back the waters, congealing them and dividing them in two walls of water. Dry ground covered the land for the nation to walk across.
The Torah speaks that Pharaoh and the Egyptians continued their pursuit, but were seen by God. To this, Moses was then commanded to reach out his hand again, now from the other side, and watch the sea return to its original form. It was God who caused the waters to split. It was God now who also allowed the chariots, horses, and cavalry to get stuck in the passage way. Wheels were broken off, stuck, and rendered useless. In even this, as with the plagues, Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened while his people saw clearly that the battle was one sided. God was fighting for His people, they had no reason to fear any longer. And neither do we.

THE CALLING OF MOSES...from Torah portion Shemot (Ex 1:1 - 6:1)

"When the LORD saw that [Moses] had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, 'Moses! Moses!'
And Moses said, 'Here I am.'"
Exodus 3:4

Have you ever noticed that many of the men God called were shepherds? Think about this with me for just a moment. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were all shepherds. Before David became king he too was a shepherd. And in reading Exodus 3:1 we see that Moses was tending the sheep of his father-in-law. It was during one of these times that Moses was leading the flock to the far side of the desert that he came to the mountain of God, Mount Horeb. He saw there a bush that was on fire but not consumed. With curiosity, he approached this strange sight.
Moses was being called out, not because he was any better than anyone else, not because he was holier, stronger, smarter, or more eloquent with words. Moses was being called out because he was ordinary, and God uses the ordinary. God uses the ordinary, and transforms them into the extra-ordinary. Moses didn’t see himself as anything special, and who knows that perhaps he was still dealing with the guilt of his sins while in Egypt. But his view of himself made him the perfect candidate for God to use and do something beyond his own thinking. Moses may have been just a shepherd, but God was purposing in him the ability to care for the sheep. God was using one who maybe even in some aspects had given up on himself, and He was about to use him to bring His people out of Egypt.
What beckoned Moses to the bush? Was it uncommon to think with the heat and dried up vegetation that a bush could not be on fire? Probably not in a desert. But what grabbed his attention was that the bush was on fire yet not consumed. So Moses approached the sight, as to investigate this rare occurrence.
From out of this fiery bush a voice called, “Moses, Moses.” Moses responded, perhaps with fear or timidity, “Here I am.” This response in the Hebrew is HINENI, translated literally as “Here I am, ready to listen, ready to respond, and ready to obey.” This same word is used in Genesis 22:1 when Abraham is paused from sacrificing Isaac. It is also used in Isaiah 6:8, when Isaiah responds to the question of who will be sent. Moses heard the voice from the unconsumed bush and replied “Hineni!” With this response, the voice continued, “Don’t come any closer! Take your sandals off your feet, because the place where you are standing is holy ground.” I can almost picture Moses recklessly and speedily working to get his sandals off. Continuing on, the voice spoke. ”I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Notice that while God claims himself as the God of Moses’ forefathers, he also notes Himself as the God of Moses’ father, Amram, in saying He is the God of your [Moses’] father. Moses now covered his eyes as best he could, for he was standing in the presence of the one true God, and reverence for Him overtook him. God spoke, “I have seen how my people are being oppressed in Egypt and heard their cry for release from their slavemasters, because I know their pain.”
As God continued in His introduction and purpose, He called Moses out as the one who would go before Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Now I know for myself, if I was to hear these words, I would have a few questions. The first would be are you sure, and the second would be are you really sure? Maybe Moses handled it a little better than I would have in asking, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and lead the people of Isra’el out of Egypt?” But to this, God announced that He would be with Moses on this mission. Although that was welcomed, it didn’t answer all the questions. The Egyptians had many gods, all with their own supposed strengths. If Moses walked into this battlefield of redeeming God’s people, he needed to know more about God. To this Moses questioned, “Who should I tell them has sent me?” The answer was clear, “God said to Moses, ‘Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh [I Am or I Will Be] has sent me to you.’ God said further to Moses, ‘Say this to the people of Isra’el: ‘Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh [ADONAI], the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’”
So here is the question, the pondering moment of this devotional. When God calls us, how do we answer? Do we answer with a flippant "here," as if God is taking roll call? Or do we answer with "Hineni God! I am ready to listen, ready to respond, and ready to obey!" The rest may or may not come based on our response to His calling, but what exactly is your response?

VAYIGASH

“Then Ya’akov called for his sons and said, ‘Gather yourselves together, and I will tell you what will happen to you in the acharit-hayamim (last days).’”
Genesis 49:1

In Genesis 49, Jacob now calls for all his sons, and adopted sons, so that he may give his final blessings before passing away. This was a special time. This was the time when the father would give the double blessing out to the men in his clan, when he would pass the baton, and when the next generation would rise up. So with expectancy, Jacob’s sons came to his side to hear his final will and learn what would happen to them concerning the acharit-hayamim, the end of days.
While with each son a depth of their lineage can be traced and proved, I will only hit on key aspects. And so we begin with Reuben. Reuben was the firstborn son, and it was expected that he would receive the double portion. As Jacob had twelve sons, the tradition would be to split all the father’s possessions into thirteen segments in this case, and give Reuben two segments. Yet Reuben’s actions caused him to miss out on this blessing. Instead, Jacob addressed the fact of what he had done with Bilhah, Jacob’s concubine and mother of Dan and Naphtali. This defilement so angered Jacob that he spoke of him being as unstable as water, poetically meaning that he lacked self-control. Let us then be warned of the dangers of sin when we recall the life of Reuben. So how did these words come to pass? In Numbers 16 it was Reuben’s tribe that joined in the rebellion of Korah the Levite, questioning the leadership of Moses and being swallowed by the earth. It was this same tribe that chose to not move forward but take land on the east side of the Jordan in Numbers 32. And it was this tribe who was sung about in Judges 5 as searching their hearts instead of engaging in the battle against Sisera. This single act of sleeping with his father’s concubine led the line of Reuben to not only miss the double portion, but live in instability. In R. H. Charles work titled, The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs, according to the Book of Reuben 4:6-7, Reuben states while on his deathbed, “The sin of promiscuity is the pitfall of life, separating man from God and leading on toward idolatry, because it is the deceiver of the mind and the perceptions, and leads youths down to hell before their time. For promiscuity has destroyed many. Whether a man is old, well born, rich, or poor, he brings on himself disgrace among mankind and provides [the devil] with an opportunity to cause him to stumble.”
Next Jacob addressed Simeon and Levi, stating they were brothers. This is true, as they were both also born of Leah. But in this context what is meant is that they were two peas in a pod. They were always getting in trouble together, always seen together, and always hanging around each other. They thought like brothers. It was this mutual thinking that they would not be commended for as Jacob recalled the sin of murder they performed against the men of Shechem. These partners in crime received the word of being divided in Jacob and scattered in Israel. When later they received their inheritance in the Promise Land, Simeon received pockets of arid and barren land within Judah’s piece. Additionally, the numbers of this tribe decreased in each censes from 59,300 in Numbers 1, to 22,200 in Numbers 26. The leading cause is thought to be idolatry and plague as recorded in Numbers 25. Of Levi we also read of scattering as it was the Levities who would not be given specific land, but would rather have a portion of each to live off of as instructed by God. While having certain allotments and benefits may be a plus for the Levities, the tribe of Levi never had a place all their own, nor does even still today. But anger was their downfall, and of anger Paul warns us that we accomplish the deeds of the flesh (Gal 5:19-21), and James writes that anger does not achieve God’s righteousness (Jms 1:20).
To Judah the double portion is given, while not the birthright. I Chronicles 5:2 records that while Judah became the leader, Joseph received the birthright. As was custom, along with the additional blessing came the respect of all the brothers as leader. Since this was taken from the first three brothers based on their actions, the title of leader rested on Judah and was spoken of in stating, “Your brothers will acknowledge you” (Gen 49:8). Contrasting to the words of doom spoken to the first three brothers, the words to Judah are of blessing. Judah means praise, and here he was in essence being praised. It is also where we see the shortened version Jew, also giving way to leadership as the entire race was named after him. The greatest claim to fame for Judah, however, is seen in the words of the scepter not passing from him, for it is from this line that first King David rose and later our Savior, Yeshua himself. It was in Judah that people would obey, but this fact would be seen in all his descendants for it would be a kingly line. Yet let us not overlook the final words in this blessing over Judah that speak of his robes, his eyes, and his teeth, for they too depict for us an illustration of our savior.
Zebulun would live at the seashore. Four hundred plus years later this prophecy would be seen truthful as Joshua would allot to this tribe the area between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sea of Galilee. This allowed for trading routes, in which Zebulun was heavily involved, and as was also declared on them by Moses in Deuteronomy 33:19, stating they shall take the abundance of the seas and the treasures hidden in the sand. It is awesome to see, though, all the pieces come together. Jacob spoke also that the border of Zebulun’s territory would be at Sidon. When Joshua divided the land, Sidon was not included in the piece given to Zebulun. In fact, it was not theirs until the tribe of Asher was unable to defeat remaining Canaanities and the tribe of Zebulun began attacking and defeating the Canaanities. This victory allowed them the land.
Of Issachar it is said he was a strong donkey. I am not sure we would read that as a complement these days, but the truth in these words in that Issachar was valuable, as were donkeys at this time. It was the donkey that carried the burden, and it was the donkey that would later carry the Messiah. But it was said that this donkey would bend his back to the burden and submit to forced labor (Gen 49:15). The idea here is that the tribe would be one to fight for what it had, preventing evil from coming in and stealing from it. This is seen in the account of the judge Tola in Judges 10 who led for twenty-three years as a brave leader. We see this idea again in I Chronicles 7 where the tribe was said to be valiant men of might in their families and generations. They were laborious, but also invincible in war, burden bearing, and valiant. Perhaps the best compliment for this tribe comes in I Chronicles 12:32 where they were spoken of as men understanding the times, knowing what Israel must do.
The name Daniel means ‘God is my judge’. The name Dan, however, means judgment. Who was the most famous descendant of this line? None other than the judge named Samson. It was through the Danites that the Philistines would find judgment. However, the tribe of Dan also shows a heavy reverting to idolatry, thus the spoken reference to the snake in Genesis 49:17. History shows in Judges 18 that the tribe of Dan grew tired of its allotted land and went looking for some place new. Scouts found the town of Laish and decided to conquer it. Six hundred men and one Levite from Ephraim, who brought with him a graven image, marched to Laish and defeated the town with ease. They named the town Dan and set up an image for themselves. In time, Dan became the cult center for idol worship. The final words over Dan by Jacob, however, are a prayer. “I wait for your deliverance, Adonai.” The idol worship of Dan would continue until its capture and only then, when the people were humbled, would things change. In time, true salvation would be found in the Messiah, but until then Jacob would wait in prayer for his son to see the way and stand as a strong pillar. Again looking at R. H. Charles’ fictitious work, The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs, according to the Book of Dan 6:1-4, Dan admits, “and now fear the Lord, my children, be on guard against Satan and his spirits…The enemy is eager to trip up all who call on the Lord because he knows that on the day in which Israel trusts, the enemy’s kingdom will be brought to an end.”
Genesis 49:19 is concerning Gad, and Jacob jumps right to the point with one sentence. “Gad – a troop will troop on him, but he will troop on their heel.” This verse doesn’t seem to make sense, yet four of the six words in the Hebrew for this blessing are variants of Gad’s name. Gad means troop. So a troop will troop? Although written with the same words in English, in Hebrew it reads that a GADUWD (army) will GUWD (invade) him. In the end, however, Gad would GUWD them back. In this we piece together that Gad would be attacked but in the end would find victory. In Judges 10 we see this truth as for eighteen years the Philistines vexed the children of Israel before finally having their justice served. It was this constant state and declaration of war that kept the men of God ready with the faces of lions. Even Moses blessed the tribe of Gad, stating that they dwelled like a lion and tore the arm with the crown of the head (Dt 33:20). Although no one famous person in the Bible is shown to derive from the tribe of Gad, one main theme is. As stated in I Peter 5:8, we are to be ready at any moment for the enemy to attack us. He may indeed guwd us, but in the end we will be victorious and guwd his heel. The men of Gad acquired a warrior reputation just as the prophecy of Jacob suggested.
To Asher also Jacob is quick and to the point, stating that Asher’s food is rich, fit for a king. In saying little Jacob was stating that Asher would enjoy the rich products of the fertile land, teeming with items to sustain life, and find himself serving his food before royalty. While the sign for this tribe is a jewel, we should not also rule out that the richness may not be food, but also mining. The tribe of Asher failed to remove the Canaanite/Phoenican inhabitants once in their Promised section, though, and perhaps forewent their military capability. There is thought that based on the words of Moses in Deuteronomy 33:24, oil was present with the land of Asher, be this an idea of an oil such as olive oil or in the manner of Texas tea. In the end we read that Asher will be blessed, despite the precious form.
To finish Jacob’s list of one-liners we find Naphtali. The words from his father again are to the point, declaring Naphtali as a doe set free, bearing beautiful fawns. The term ‘doe set free’ is also translated as hind. In Psalm 18:33, David speaks of having hind’s feet when escaping his enemy. As David ran from his pursuers, so Naphtali would run from his hunters, but run also with the word of God. Beautiful fawns seem to be symbolism for beautiful words. And consider this. The region of Naphtali’s inheritance included Galilee, where in Matthew 4:13-15 Yeshua picks out a few of His disciples. Could it be that these men sharing the good news were in some way related to Naphtali’s tribe? These feet, or hind, are beautiful according to Romans 10:15, for with them comes the Good News.
The final two sons to be blessed are the sons of Rachel, with Joseph receiving the lengthier of the two. Joseph is a fruitful plant by a spring with growth climbing over the wall. What is being said here is that Joseph is fruitful, and living with excess in all he does. When evil comes it is no concern to Joseph as he has already learned to follow God. Writers have found that some words spoken over Joseph are parallel with those spoken concerning the Messiah. The first parallel is in Joseph being his father’s favorite. Other parallels consist of being sold for money, withstanding temptation, and rebirthing as Joseph was raised to life after prison while Yeshua was brought to life after the grave. Still, Jacob goes on to say that although Joseph was attacked, his bow is taut and arms are nimble because of God’s hand. In other words, the harm his brothers and Potiphar’s wife meant were for God’s glory. In verses 25-26 the word bless/blessing is found six times, showing us that God did have more in store for Joseph. And as we have already reviewed, the double portion reserved for the firstborn was split up between Judah and Joseph, giving Judah the leadership and Joseph the two spots of land for Ephraim and Manasseh. If nothing else can be learned from Joseph, let us leave with the truth that with a life of humility God is able to promote us.
Lastly, let us look at the son named Benjamin. Of this son Jacob stated he was a ravenous wolf, devouring his prey in the morning and dividing the spoil in the evening. Benjamin would go forward with the characteristic of a vicious warrior. One instance of this warrior wolf-like character is found in Judges 3. Ehud, a Benjamite, was a fearless warrior who alone assassinated Eglon the Moabite king for oppressing Israel. Other warriors would rise and carry on in the declaration made by Jacob. And finally we know of King Saul coming from the tribe of Benjamin. He too would rise up with his army to attack as a wolf those who opposed the people of God.
So now, after looking at all the sons of Jacob, you may wonder why it is so. I beg you to keep in mind that the word of God always comes to pass. These blessings and rebukes were passed from God, to Jacob, then spoken over the sons. These words held within them life or death. And each one of these words came to pass. So then, the question comes to mind. What has been spoken by God over you? His word for you will come about, and His blessing or rebuke will follow you and your line. Let it be true of us that we found favor in His eyes and as such, received His blessing

VAYIGASH...Genesis 47:28 - 50:26

HANUKKAH'S FINAL NIGHT

Tonight we celebrate the final night of Hanukkah. Over the past few days I have looked at Hanukkah as in the Bible, from Jesus celebrating it, to Daniel prophesying it. I have looked at the story itself as seen in the pages of the Maccebees. I have learned of the dreidle, and of the reason for it being an eight day celebration. Today, though, I want to share a piece I recently heard from Rabbi Curt Landry

There are eight candles placed on the menorah this final night, excluding the Shamash (servant) candle. But what if instead of looking at these candles as candles, we look a little deeper into a potential meaning of them all.
Candle 1 - This candle represents God. In Duet 6:4 we read, "Hear O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one." Giving God the first place, be it in the menorah, or more importantly in our lives, is a good place to start.
Candle 2 - This candle represents Jesus. John 5:19 states that Jesus did only what He saw the Father do. We would be wise to walk in this same example and do only as we see Jesus doing, knowing that He mirrored His Father.
Candle 3 - The candle represents the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:1 reminds us that the Holy Spirit fell when the disciples were all in one accord. While the disciples had to be in one accord, so also the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all had to be in one accord. This is the same concept behind the wording that the "...LORD is one." In Hebrew it would be ACHAD - the merging of many into one.
Candle 4 - Four is the new of Creation. Putting this in a practical sense, if I want to be a new creation, I have to be linked into the ACHAD, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Candle 5 - Five is the number of Grace. I need the grace of God filling my life and making me into the new creation I want to be in the ACHAD.
Candle 6 - Six is the number of man. I am a man, sinful at best, but who finds the grace of God washing over me, transforming me from a sinful nature to the nature of the new man of whom I can only be when I am in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Candle 7 - Seven is the number of perfection. I cannot be made perfect until first I forego my sinful, fleshly man nature, allowing God's grace to wash me and transform me into the new creation He wants me to be. And how is this possible? By being in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Candle 8 - Eight is the new of New Beginnings. I want to find myself at a place of new beginnings. Is this possible? Yes. How? I find new beginnings when I allow God to perfect me, stripping off my sinful man, bathing me in His grace, and transforming me into the new creation He has destined for me. This, however, can only happen when I am founded, not wavering but founded, in the ACHAD.

So how about you? Are you wanting to experience a new beginning? Then this season of miracles is for you. Allow yourself to come in order like the candles, allowing God to light a new one each night. It begins with being founded in God, but it ends with Him giving you a brand new beginning.

VAYESHEV

“But she kept pressing him, day after day. Nevertheless, he didn’t listen to her; he refused to sleep with her or even be with her”
Genesis 39:10

The account of Joseph begins with the giving of a coat, the jealousy of brothers, and the eventual selling of him to a caravan of Ishmaelites. The account continues in Genesis 39, where we find in verse 2 and following that the LORD blessed Joseph. So blessed was he that “…[Potifar] left all his possessions in Yosef’s care; and because he had him, he paid no attention to his affairs, except for the food he ate” (Gen 39:6a). While Potiphar was not paying attention, knowing he could trust Joseph, Potiphar’s wife was paying attention, and not in the right way. Potifar’s wife saw him as a well built desire, and a possession to be had. When Potifar’s wife confronted him and gave her offer of a one night fling, he refused (Gen 39:7-8). She, however, was resilient. Day after day she kept coming to Joseph with her offer, and day after day he kept saying no. The desire and lust for what she could not have continued to grow toward Joseph. But it was this lust that continued also to feed. “But she kept pressing him, day after day. Nevertheless, he didn’t listen to her; he refused to sleep with her or even be with her” (Gen 39:10).
What Potifar’s wife most wanted to hear was “Yes”, but what she kept hearing from Joseph was “No”. Seeing she was constantly being denied, she tried another more forceful approach. With the house fully empty, she waited for Joseph. Catching him in her trap, and catching him by the cloak, she offered again, “Come to bed with me.” No matter how many times she approached him, his answer was always the same. Leaving his cloak behind, he left her once again.
Think about it this way. A leech makes a special type of saliva which allows them to drink quickly and painlessly. As they spread this saliva over the area where they will feast, they also spread an anesthetic which stops any pain. This anesthetic then keeps the host from feeling the bite. It is common for leeches to be connected to a person for hours before they are ever noticed or realized. But a second agent is also found in the saliva, one called anticoagulant. This agent prevents the blood from clotting, which in turn becomes like a flowing waterfall of blood for the leech to drink freely from. Once filled, the leech will drop off and be filled for months.
When I think of this portion of Joseph’s life where daily he was hounded by Potiphar’s wife, I think of how she was in essence, a leech. She came to him with her saliva of anesthesia working to convince him that no one would ever know. She also came to him with her anticoagulant in the offering more and more and more, just like the waterfall of blood. But Joseph came with one item she was not expecting. He came with God on His side. In one of her attempts prior, Joseph had even replied to her advance saying, “How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against Adonai?” (Gen 39:9)
On this final advance made on Joseph by Potiphar’s wife, Joseph stood his ground, said “No!,” and ran out. He didn’t care about his cloak, he only cared about getting out. When Potiphar returned home, she lied to her husband and Joseph was placed in prison. But even with all that had happened already, from the bitterness of his brothers, to his being sold into slavery, to now being placed in prison for additional lies against him, Joseph saw God’s hand.
I question of us, do we have this same passion to obey? Do we have the urgency to get out? Are we too concerned with our coat instead of being concerned with getting out? Joseph could have had one night of fun, but what more would that have cost him? What is it costing us?

VAYISHLACH

“’Please accept the present that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.’ And because Jacob insisted, Esau accepted it.”
Genesis 33:11

The day had finally come when the two camps would reunite. Jacob was moments away from seeing his brother again after an estimated twenty years. But the deceitful man that Esau may have remembered was no more. God had worked in Jacob to change him. In some places the change had had time to set in, but in others the change was recent. In fact, it was only hours before that Jacob wrestled with the man. So moving forward, he stepped with a limp. “Ya’akov raised his eyes and looked out; and there was Esav coming, and four hundred men with him. So Ya’akov divided the children between Le’ah, Rachel and the two slave girls” (Gen 33:1).
It is in this humility and change of character that Jacob marched out to meet his brother Esau, but not before sending a number of gifts to him first.. Following all the presents of livestock, and the parade of wives and children, Jacob approached and prostrated himself on the ground seven times before his brother. A meeting that could have been set in anger seemed to subside with compassion as the brothers embraced one another. Then, Jacob formally introduced his children and himself as ‘your servant’ (Gen 33:5). It is noted by scholars that in addressing himself as ‘your servant’, Jacob made a plea to show a heart of humility.
Jacob told Esau that the livestock that had gone before him was now his, and encouraged his brother to accept. “’Please accept the present that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.’ And because Jacob insisted, Esau accepted it.” Yet within this verse is found a nugget of missed information. The word present, or gift, here in this text is the Hebrew word BERAKAH. The translation goes beyond just the word gift. It translates as ‘blessing’. It was in this act of giving these gifts to Esau that Jacob was in some form trying to give Esau back the blessing that he had once stolen. Unable to change the past, he was able to at least share a portion of the blessing God had given him.
As the meeting lingered, Esau felt the move to continue with his brother on to Seir. However, after an already long trip, a night spent wrestling, and perhaps the emotional and physical toils of the stress of meeting his brother now being relaxed, Jacob and his caravan needed a rest. Watching Esau in the distance headed for Seir, Jacob headed toward Sukkot. It was here that he pitched tents and made shelters for his animals. It is here that we see the first use of Sukkot, which is where we derive the background for what we now understand is wrapped up in one of the High Holy days.
Still moving forward, Jacob landed at Padan-Aram before finally settling within sight of Shechem. It was at Shechem that Jacob put up an altar and named it El-Elohei-Yisra’el. The translation of this is “God, the God of Israel” or” mighty is the God of Israel”. In questioning as to why he may have named it this, I think on what all he had been through. Maybe the obvious is his recent name change. Just a few nights back he had wrestled and been renamed Israel. But this man had also truly seen God’s might. He had been protected by God’s hand from his angry brother. He had been blessed by God’s hand in the brown, spotted, and speckled livestock he possessed. And he had been kept in God’s hand despite the trickery that once defined him. Jacob had lived to know God’s might, and for that God was the God of Jacob.

VAYETZE

“…What kind of thing is this that you‘ve done to me? Didn’t I work for you for Rachel? Why have you deceived me?" (Gen 29:25).

The old saying that what comes around goes around may not be too far from the truth. I would venture to say, though, that God says it a little different. You reap what you sew. Yet still, maybe an even better way to put it is be sure your sins will find you out. With the same trickery that Jacob had once played on Esau, now Jacob was getting played. Originally Laban had agreed that if Jacob worked in his field for seven years, he could have the prize of his daughter Rachel. So smitten with Rachel was he, that he worked for those seven years. To him the Torah records they felt like only a few days. When it came time to collect the wages for his tarry, Jacob asked for Rachel’s hand in marriage.
When the agreement between Laban and Jacob was made, I am guessing the small print wasn’t read. The small print stated that within the area of Laban’s clan, the youngest could not marry before the oldest. That would have been good to know beforehand. But maybe it was read and just excused, after all he was smitten. Nonetheless, Jacob married and took his bride into the marriage chamber. In the morning he realized it was Leah he had wed and became upset with Laban, asking, “…What kind of thing is this that you‘ve done to me? Didn’t I work for you for Rachel? Why have you deceived me? (Gen 29:25).” Laban worked to explain the details of their culture, the fine print so to say, and in the end Jacob agreed to finish the wedding week with Leah and then marry Rachel the following week in exchange for another seven years of toil.
It didn’t seem to end there, though. The Torah records that Leah had weak eyes. Let us not read that wrong. The Hebrew word here is RAK. I have been taught this description of weak eyes means she wasn’t cute. But the true term here is ‘tender’. While Rachel had a sparkle in her eyes, Leah had gentleness in hers. But Jacob’s heart was for Rachel. Seeing that Leah was unloved, lacking sparkle in Jacob’s eyes, God opened Leah’s womb and hindered that of Rachel. Could we again be seeing the deceiver becoming the deceived? Was he just doing the marital duties with Leah to fulfill an agreement only, and not out of love? If so, it seems as though God was aware of this and closed the womb of the one Jacob truly loved. Yet, the battle for Jacob’s love and devotion which was proved through the birth of sons was underway.
In time the nation of Israel was being birthed just as God had promised, as not only did Leah and Rachel engage in the child war, but they brought their maidservants into the battle as well. In just a short time Jacob was father to a number of sons. Let us briefly look at these sons and learn a little about them.

REUBEN - Re’uven – birthed of Leah. His name means “See a son!” Leah believed that with a son, that she would be loved finally, or at least a little less than she was compared to Rachel. She also believed that the LORD had seen her affliction and had had mercy on her.
SIMEON - Shim’on – birthed of Leah. His name means “The LORD has heard”. Still knowing she was not as loved as Rachel, she believed the LORD had again heard her cry, and this time had had pity on her in giving another son.
LEVI – Leivi – birthed of Leah. His name means “joined”. With now three sons, Leah hoped that she would now be joined with her husband, Jacob.
JUDAH - Y’hudah – birthed of Leah. His name means “praise,” saying that with the birth of this son, praise would be given to the LORD.
DAN - Dan – birthed to Bilhah (Rachel’s maidservant). His name means “God has vindicated”. Rachel felt that since she was unable to have children, she too would have them through her servant, and in this she would be honored as a mother.
NAPHTALI – Naftali – birthed to Bilhah. His name means “wrestling”. This name stems from the wrestling over Jacob’s love between Leah and Rachel.
GAD – Gad – birthed to Zilpah (Leah’s maidservant). His name means “fortunate”. Once Leah stopped having children, she used Zilpah to continue her family, declaring how fortunate she was to continue her sons through her servant.
ASHER – Asher – birthed to Zilpah. His name means “happy”. In naming him Asher, her thought was that women would see her as blessed.
ISSACHAR – Yissakhar – birthed to Leah when traded with Rachel for mandrakes, believed by many to be an aphrodisiac and fertility drug. His name means “God has given me my wages”.
ZEBULUN – Z’vulun – birthed to Leah. His name means “dwell, living together”. In this meaning, Leah felt that Jacob would now want to dwell with her.

However, not one of these ten sons came from the woman Jacob had wanted to marry from the start. What we find in the end is that God had compassion on Leah, the one who seemed not to be so loved. But this same God who had compassion of Leah is recorded as having compassion on Rachel as well in Genesis 30:22. “Then God took note of Rachel, heeded her prayer and made her fertile.” Through Rachel would come the final two sons of Jacob.
JOSEPH – Yosef – birthed to Rachel. His name means “may he add”. With the birth of Joseph, Rachel finally felt as though God had taken her disgrace away, and in time would add other sons.
BENJAMIN – Binyamin – birthed to Rachel. His name means “son of my right hand”. As Rachel lay failing in health with the delivery of her final son, she named him Ben-Oni (son of my grief). However, Jacob changed his name to Benjamin (Gen 35:16-20).

What stands out to me in this list of children is that while Jacob did not have children with the wife he longed to have them with till the end, God was still in control. God, putting all the pieces in order, allowed Jacob's line to expand and thus fulfill the promise he had given to Abraham years before. Let this stand as an encouragement to us also that while at times what we are in may be different than we hoped and expected, God is still...and always...in control.