Genesis 50:11, Beyond the Jordan. Beyond is the Hebrew word eber meaning “across.” This was the roundabout way of reaching Machpelah. The Jewish and Christian commentaries I have studied don’t give a good reason for Jacob’s burial entourage taking this most indirect route to the burial cave of the patriarchs. It’s possible that Jacob was, out of faith in the promises of Elohim, prophetically tracing the steps that his descendants would take several generations later in entering the Promised Land. It’s almost as if Jacob was showing the future generations of Israelites the route he wanted them to take from Egypt to the Promised Land to fulfill biblical types and shadows.

If Jacob’s intent was to show future generations of his descendants the route to enter the Promised Land, this begs a question for us. Do you have righteous parents? How about righteous spiritual fathers—the fathers of our faith such as the biblical apostles and prophets, Yeshua himself, and, of course Moses and the patriarchs? They have laid out the route for us to take to reach the Promised Land of our spiritual inheritance—the kingdom of Elohim or heaven. Are we following this path, or have we chosen another path? 

Malachi was the final prophet to close out the Old Testament or Tanakh before the coming of the promised Messiah. He uttered a strong warning to all who have ears hear and a heart to understand lest the fiery judgments of YHVH Elohim come upon you and your ashes be trampled under the feet of the righteous.

Remember the Torah-law of Moses, My servant, Which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, With the statutes and judgments. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of YHVH. And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse. (Mal 4:4–6)

These are the final warning words and wise admonitions that close out the Tanakh. Let’s heed these wise words and turn our hearts back to the righteous fathers of our faith. Maybe they knew something that we don’t—the way to Elohim!