Genesis 37–41: The Life of Joseph—A Foreshadow of Messiah Ben (Son of) Joseph

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The spirit of Antimessiah (Antichrist) is on a dramatic rise in our day. It is even rampant among those who are returning to the Hebraic, Torah-centric roots of the Christian faith where some people are losing their faith in Yeshua the Messiah. A few are even converting to Rabbinic Judaism, which denies the messiahship and deity of Yeshua and the divine inspiration of the Testimony of Yeshua. Some of the blame for this can be laid at the feet of a few of the modern-day descendants of the non-believing Pharisees (i.e. the Rabbinic Jews), who use clever arguments to beguile unstable and unlearned souls into humanistic reasoning devoid of a living faith in Yeshua their Savior and the Redeemer of man. Because of a spiritual blindness that Scripture prophesied would come upon the Jews producing a hardness of heart toward Yeshua the Messiah, unbelieving Jews ignore the numerous prophetic shadow-pictures pointing to Yeshua the Messiah contained in their own Tanakh.

May the following study strengthen your faith in Yeshua the Messiah, in his divine origination in the very heart, mind and essence of Elohim, and in the fact that he was foreordained to come to this earth to reconcile sinful man to his Heavenly Father through his self-sacrifice on the cross. All this was prophesied long ago in the Tanakh. The ancient Jewish sages speak of a messianic figure coming called Messiah son of Joseph (Mashiach ben Yosef), the Suffering Servant, whose life and ministry would parallel that of Joseph, yet these same Jewish sages fail to see the connection between Joseph’s life and that of Yeshua. Let’s now chronicle the striking and uncanny parallels between Joseph and Messiah the son of Joseph, the Suffering Servant. (Many of these comparisons come from the book, Gleanings in Genesis, by Arthur W. Pink ).

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Please take this survey

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Dear Friends and Readers of this Blog,

I have a friend who is a pastor, a Torah-keeper and a lover of Yeshua who is conducting a survey of Hebraic-minded folks. She is trying to ascertain the effect that the Torah has had on people’s life, on their relationship with Yeshua, on their spiritual walk and on their understanding of the Bible. The more people that respond to this survey, the more accurate the data will be. The survey will take about 15 to 20 minutes to complete. I’ve asked her to share the results with us. Please consider taking the time to respond to this survey, which will help us to understand better the spiritual state of those folks who are a part of the so-called Hebrew Roots Movement. Thank you.

Here is the link to the survey. It is completely anonymous.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GeneralP8W659T

 

Here’s how to have a “religious” experience

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Psalm 63:2, Looked…sanctuary. To see is the Hebrew word chazahi meaning “to see as a seer in an ecstatic state, to perceive with intelligence, to prophesy, to perceive with inner vision, to see a vision (see also Ps 27:4). 

Sanctuary is Hebrew word kavod and refers to the holy of holies in the Tabernacle of Moses where the glory of Elohim abode and was an earthly representation of Elohim’s throne room. 

Glory is the Hebrew word kavod and refers to the manifest, weighty presence of Elohim, which can be experienced by humans. 

With the meaning of these words in mind, this verse is bursting with a full treasure chest of meaning. What can we learn from this verse? Simply this. When we thirstily seek Elohim as if we were trekking through a waterless desert (v. 1), and come into his throne in a spirit of worship and prayerful surrender (v. 4), while recognizing YHVH’s lovingkindness and seeking him first above anything else in life (v. 3), we can expect a divine revelatory and supernatural experience (v. 2).

 

Take you your cross—the way down is the way up

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Mark 8:34, Deny himself.The inordinate love of self is the greatest obstacle to following Yeshua wholeheartedly and to becoming great in his kingdom. The chief characteristic of a life dominated by self is selfishness, pride, self-righteousness, self-centeredness and possessiveness. Such a person, to one degree or another, has forced Elohim out of the center of their life and has crowned themselves as their own king and has given themselves over to the coveting of things and the exaltation of self. 

To a person who has placed themselves at the center of their lives instead of Yeshua and his Word, self-life has become their main focus and fiercest passion. Such a person tends to be extremely self-invovled, self-centered, self-focused and selfish. They tend to always be talking about themselves, always wanting attention, always wanting people’s approval, their feelings are easily offended or hurt, they tend to be possessive, and they want to be in control of people and situations around them, that is, they’re bossy.

Possessiveness can take on several forms. One example is surrounding oneself with many physical possessions, which causes one to feel elevated in that it makes one the ruler of one’s own kingdom—the kingdom of stuff and self. Such people have a hard time giving their physical possessions away, even if they no longer need or use them. Physical things are an extension of themselves, and because they’re self-absorbed, their also selfish in that they have a hard time giving what belong to them to others.

With such a person, the pronouns I and me are constantly heard from their lips, and they have, to one degree or another, become their own god and the leader of their own religious sect—the religion of self. 

In response to the tyranny of self and material possessions that largely dominates and even monopolizes the endeavors of most self-centered and carnally (fleshly) minded people (which to one degree or another includes all of us), Yeshua says “Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me.” Elsewhere he says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 5:3). Finally, our Master leaves us with these words to ponder.

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. (Mark 8:35)

In Yeshua’s kingdom, the way down is the way up; to give is the way to riches; to become a servant is the way to greatness. These all involve self-negation, not self-exaltation. How Yeshua lived and what he taught is diametrically opposite to what this world teaches us. Observe, learn from and follow his example.

 

Blog Scripture Readings for 12-15 Through 12-21-19

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Parashat Vayeshev — Genesis 37:1 – 40:23
Haftarah — Amos 2:6 – 3:8
Prophets — 1 Samuel 11:1 – 17:58
Writings — Psalms 63:1 – 69:36
Testimony — Mark 8:1 – 11:18

Our new annual Scripture Reading Schedule for 2019-2020 with daily readings is available to download and print. If you are still working through 2018-2019’s Scripture Reading Schedule, the link will still be available on the right sidebar under “Helpful Links”. If you are using a mobile device or tablet, the link may be below, meaning you’ll need to scroll down instead.

Most of this week’s blog discussion points will be on these passages. If you have general comments or questions on the weekly Scripture readings not addressed in a blog post, here’s a place for you to post those. Just use the “leave a reply” link or the “share your thoughts” box below.

The full “Read Through The Scriptures In A Year” schedule, broken down by each day, can be found on the right sidebar under “Helpful Links.” There are 4 sections of scripture to read each day: one each from the Torah, the Prophets, the Writings, and from the Testimony of Yeshua. Each week, the Torah and haftarah readings will follow the traditional one-year reading cycle.

Weekly Blog Scripture Readings for 12/15/19 through 12/21/19.

 

Yeshua a pork eater? Yeah right!

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Many Christians misread Mark 7:19 to mean that Yeshua was okaying them to eat pork in direct opposition to the eternal laws of Elohim as spoken from the mouth of Elohim in his Torah. How can people believe such lies? It’s because they don’t know the Word of Elohim, including most pastors, Bible college professors and Bible teachers in the mainstream church. They are willingly ignorantly and foolish and are misleading YHVH’s people. Shame on them all! People need to start reading their Bibles instead of listening to these false teachers. Spiritual power to the people!

Mark 7:19, Thus He declared all foods clean. Many mainstream Christians believe that in this verse Yeshua is sanctioning the eating of all food not matter what. Thus he is categorically rejecting the biblical dietary prohibitions against eating…drumroll please…beloved pork. Is this what Yeshua is really saying here? Before jumping to conclusions, let’s take a step back, demonstrate a modicum of logic and ask ourselves some questions.

First, would a Torah-observant Jew like Yeshua really be advocating the eating of anything the Torah forbids such as pork and shellfish? Second, would Yeshua the Messiah, the one destined to be the sinless Lamb of Elohim Messiah be advocating sinning by going against the biblical dietary laws? Third, what is the biblical definition of food? Does the Creator of the universe even consider something to be food that he forbids people from eating? Fourth, if Yeshua had been advocating the eating of unclean meats, what would have been the reaction of his Torah-touting audience of Pharisees? With the answers to these questions dancing around in the reader’s mind, let’s now discuss this potentially enigmatic passage in depth and in its logical context to see what it’s really saying.

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Are you looking upward or downward?

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Psalm 61:2, Rock that is higher. When our heart affections and spiritual focus is on something that is higher, loftier  and more solid and substantial than ourselves, then our focus will naturally be higher than ourselves and we will be elevated in all areas of our lives as a result. 

Conversely, when our focus is on something that is at the same level or lower than ourselves, then we will sink to that level. 

This is a fundamental difference between following or worshipping Baal (the world, flesh and the devil) versus following or worshipping Elohim: the former is the downward path that leads to spiritual death and separation from Elohim, while the latter is the upward path that leads to Elohim and eternal life in his presence The choice is ours as to which path we will take. Every day we are faced with many small and sometimes large decisions as to which direction we will go. Choose wisely and do the right thing by choosing the path that will bring blessing and life!

Psalm 61:4, Tabernacle…shelter of your wings. Over the mercy seat on the ark of the covenant were the over-shadowing wings of the two cherubim, which is representative of Elohim’s throne and glorious Presence on earth (see Isa 37:16; Ezek 10:1–22; 11:22–23). It was in this place of intimate worship before the “Rock that his higher than me” (verse 2) that David sought shelter or refuge and deliverance from his enemies (verse 3). 

Biblical phrases such as, “under the shadow of your wings” is a Hebraism meaning “before YHVH in the place and state of worship” (see also Pss 17:8; 36:7; 57:1; 63:7; 91:1, 4). 

It was also in this place—between the cherubim—that Moses heard the voice of Elohim (Num 7:89), and that David would see the power or might strength and glory or manifest Presence of Elohim in a prophetic, ecstatic or spiritual vision (Ps 63:2).

As saints of YHV Elohim, we can come into his presence, into this actual throne room (as represented by the holy of holies in the Tabernacle of Moses through our spiritual relationship with Yeshua our Messiah, Master and Savior.

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Yeshua, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of Elohim, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. (Heb 10:29–22)

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Heb 4:16)