Par’shah Vayechi

[alon]

From Mark:

Next week’s reading schedule:
Date of reading: 30 December 2017/12 Tevet 5778
Name of Par’shah: Sh’mot (Names)
Par’shah: Exodus 1:1-6:1
Haftara: Isaiah 27:6-28:13, 29:22-23; Jeremiah 1:1-2:3
Brit Chadashah: Matthew 22:23-33, 41-46; Mark 12:18-27, 35-37; Luke 20:27-44; Acts 3:12-15, 5:27-32,
7:17-36, 22:12-16, 24:14-16; Hebrews 11:23-26

This week’s readings:
Date of reading: 23 December 2017/5 Tevet 5778
Name of Par’shah: Vayechi (He lived)
Par’shah: Genesis 47:28-50:26
Haftara: 1 Kings 2:1-12
Brit Chadashah: Acts 7:9-16; Hebrews 11:21-22; 1 Peter 1:3-9, 2:11-17

D’rash: The end of Genesis marks the end of the story of the lives of the Patriarchs but not of their memory and godly influence, which will be the very foundation upon which the nation of Israel will be built. In looking back, we can see in biblical culture that, although significant importance is placed on the status of the firstborn, it is sometimes the younger or lesser whom G-d chooses to accomplish His will. Proverbs 17:2 states this clearly:

“An intelligent slave will rule a shameful son and share the inheritance with the brothers.”

We can see many examples of this principle in scripture:
*Abel leaves a righteous legacy over Cain’s (Proverbs 10:7; Hebrews 11:4);
*Isaac was chosen over Ishmael (Genesis 17:18-19);
*Jacob was chosen over Esau (Genesis 25:23; Malachi 1:2; Romans 9:10-13);
*Joseph earned more favor over his brothers (Genesis 49:26; Deuteronomy 33:16b);
*Both Rahab and Ruth made the choice to be joined to Israel and their G-d (Joshua, chapters 2, 6 and the book of Ruth) and became part of the line of the Messiah (Ruth     4:13-22; Matthew 1:5; Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25);
*David was anointed king of Israel over his brothers (1 Samuel 16:1-13);
*Likewise, his son Solomon was chosen king over his older brothers (1 Kings 2:22; 1 Chronicles 3:1-5).

So, we can see that G-d does not necessarily accomplish His will according to seniority but through those who have a heart after Him. In Matthew 3:7-9 Yochanan the Immerser rebukes the religious leaders who come to him having confidence in their bloodline relationship to Abraham but are devoid of repentance and the accompanying fruits of righteousness. He emphasizes the point that G-d can easily raise up righteous sons for Abraham from the very stones that were on the shores of the Jordan river. In a sense, G-d has already done that; In Isaiah 56:3-7 those that would normally be considered inferior are given great promises:

“A foreigner joining Adonai should not say, ‘Adonai will separate me from His people’; likewise, the eunuch should not say, ‘I am only a dried-up tree’. For here is what Adonai says: ‘As for the eunuchs who keep my Shabbats, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant: in My house, within my walls, I will give them power and a name greater than sons and daughters; I will give him an everlasting name that will not be cut off. And the foreigners who join themselves to Adonai to serve Him, to love the Name of Adonai, and to be His workers, all who keep Shabbat and do not profane it, and hold fast to my covenant, I will bring them to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer; their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples.’”

So it is for us today, those of us who choose to follow Adonai and be part of His covenant. We may not receive all the promises of G-d in this lifetime, but we certainly can have the inward peace that comes from following His as is recorded in Psalm 119:165:

“Those who love Your have great peace; nothing makes them stumble.”

And who would not want to have such a blessing in these days of trouble and turmoil?

MRD

[alon]

My D'rash:The common themes here are our trust in the promises of El-him and how we are to treat those promises:

Hebrews 11:21-22 (ESV) By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff. By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.

Genesis 47:29- 30a (ESV) And when the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh and promise to deal kindly and truly with me. Do not bury me in Egypt, but let me lie with my fathers. Carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burying place.”

Genesis 49:29- 33 (ESV) Then he commanded them and said to them, “I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, in the cave that is in the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah— the field and the cave that is in it were bought from the Hittites.” When Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed and breathed his last and was gathered to his people.

These men longed for their bones to be taken to the land of their inheritance; a land they believed in trust their descendants would one day inherit. We also have the promise of an inheritance from G-d:

1 Peter 1:3-4,8-9 (ESV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, .… Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

And what are we to do with this inheritance?

1 Peter 2:11b-12,15-17 (ESV) abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. … For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants [Gk doulos] of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

Vine's Expository Dictionary: Strong’s entry G1401 doulos: Bondman, Bondmaid:
from deo, "to bind," "a slave," originally the lowest term in the scale of servitude, came also to mean "one who gives himself up to the will of another," e.g., 1Cr 7:23; Rom 6:17, 20, and became the most common and general word for "servant," as in Mat 8:9, without any idea of bondage. In calling himself, however, a "bondslave of Jesus Christ," e.g., Rom 1:1, the Apostle Paul intimates
(1) that he had been formerly a "bondslave" of Satan, and
(2) that, having been bought by Christ, he was now a willing slave, bound to his new Master.

We are as slaves to El-him. Before we were slaves to the world; which is to be slaves of a’satan. Those are our only choices. Slves to our own desires, our own intellect, or to any perverse theology that comes along; or slaves to a loving G-d. Slaves to death, or slaves to life. And if we choose life, we choose the way of life, which is .

We also see the theme of the older serving the younger repeated:

Genesis 48:14-16 (ESV) And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands (for Manasseh was the firstborn). And he blessed Joseph and said,
“The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day, the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys; and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

The Hebrew here is prophetic, as “multitude” is translated from the idiom “let them be like fish for multitude.” This idea would later be seen in the person of Yeshua who fed the multitude with three fish, whose disciples were taught to be fishers of men, and who Himself drew the multitudes to Him.

Genesis 48:17-20 (ESV)  When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he took his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. And Joseph said to his father, “Not this way, my father; since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head.” But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. Nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.” So he blessed them that day, saying,“By you Israel will pronounce blessings, saying,‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh.’” Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh.

The difference here is that there was no animosity between the brothers. Manasseh willing submitted to the will of G-d and served his younger brother without rancor. And to this day Jewish fathers say that blessing over their sons, “G-d make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh.”

alon

Resources: JPS Study TNK, Rav S, my father and others