2023-24 Parsha 7.Vayetze-and he left Page of 1 10 PARASHA VAYETZE (And He Left) by Raphael ben Levi Gen. 28:10–32:2; Hos. 11:7–14:10; Matt 3:13–4:11 “And Jacob went out (left) from Beersheba.” (Gen.28:10) We are approaching the season of Hanukah, a time associated with Divine miracles. One of the major themes of Hanukah is light and here we are introduced in an unlikely connection with the torah portion of ‘Va’etzei’ (“and he left…”) Jacob deceitfully obtained Isaac’s blessing of inheritance from his father that had been reserved for his elder brother Esau. Isaac would never knowingly have agreed to this so Rebekah and Jacob hatched an elaborate plan deceitfully that succeeded. But although the manner in which they did so was deceitful, the birthright legally did belong to Jacob. Some time before, Esau sold his birthright to Jacob after a hunting trip for a bowl of stew demonstrating his disdain for that which was sacred. Legally, Jacob was the rightful heir but Rebekah knew full well that Isaac would always favour Esau over Jacob, and thus it was she who had devised the deception that in the strangest of ways was aligned to God’s eternal purposes. This led to the establishment of the Jewish people to come through the line of Jacob from whom would be birthed Yeshua the promised Messiah. This was maybe not the ideal way to do so (through deception) but God still used it to fulfil His eternal plan. Jacob received an amazing blessing albeit deceitfully obtained from his father Isaac which he had reserved for Esau, one of “Heaven’s dew and earth’s richness, an abundance of grain and new wine” and so much more. Jacob was told that nations would serve and bow down to him and to his descendants. The whole family was in turmoil after the incident had been exposed. Once a blessing had been given, it could not be revoked. This whole scheme, contrived and controlled by Rebekah, had succeeded, but at a great cost. After Jacob’s deception had been exposed everything went haywire and Esau vowed to take his revenge on Jacob the moment Isaac died. Isaac was distraught because Esau was his favourite son who was the eldest and entitled to his father’s inheritance. However, Esau had treated his birthright with contempt in the heat of the moment and sold it to his brother Jacob for a pot of stew although he had probably forgot about the whole incident until now. Never in all of history was something so valuable purchased for so little – to sell-out for “a pot of stew” in a moment of weakness led to eternal consequences for Esau without possibility of a reversal. The Bible is full of examples like this (Judas Iscariot) but with Esau we see one of the strongest. Yeshua said: ”For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt 6:21). What was Esau’s sin? It was to treat common something that was sacred. He forfeited an inheritance of inestimable value, in exchange for satisfying his carnal desires – God’s inheritance that had first been established and promised to Abram in Gen.12:3. The covenant birthright contained both physical promises and spiritual 2023-24 Parsha 7.Vayetze-and he left Page of 2 10 promises: “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” The Bible warns us that “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.” It continues, “Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?”” (Heb 10:26-29) This was the character trait ingrained in Esau as demonstrated in his lifestyle; as opposed to a one-off sin committed in a moment of weakness. For example, Esau’s marriage with the daughters of the Canaanites was a deliberate act of rebellion and an abomination to God (Gen 36:2) and there are countless other examples in Jewish literature. It is clear that God will judge every person who claims to be a believer not only by the profession of their faith, but by the evidence of their faith. Matt 25:34-40 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’” Yeshua taught that our choices will determine our reward. And so He urges us to, “…seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and whatever our Father knows we need He will give us.” (Matt 6:33) We have to make the Kingdom of God—our inheritance the primary goal of our lives our all consuming desire. A godly hunter is so fixated on the pursuit of their goal that they are willing to go without food and rest to attain it. And the same should be for us instead of the counterfeit as represented by Esau. To pursue God wholeheartedly leads to Life but to pursue our carnal desires leads to death. Esau had been humiliated and vowed to take his revenge on Jacob the moment Isaac died. And yet the Bible never criticises Jacob for desiring both his brothers birthright or his blessing. This is very important to understand because most commentators wrongly translate Jacob as “trickster” used as a ploy to promote anti Semitism throughout the ages. The only person who criticised Jacob for his actions 2023-24 Parsha 7.Vayetze-and he left Page of 3 10 was Esau who was understandably became bitter and resentful. (Gen. 27:36) The name Jacob literally means, “May God be at your heels”, that paraphrased means “May God be your rear guard,” or “God is my refuge and my strength.” (Ps.46:1) The whole situation became dysfunctional but there are two references in the New Testament which helps to clarify things. Heb.12: 16-17 “16 Also see to it that there is no immoral or godless person—like Esau, who sold his birthright for one meal. 17 For you know that later, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected. He found no chance for repentance, though he begged for it with tears. Paul here exposes something of significance with regard to the character of Esau described him as a godless person who treated the things of God with scant interest. And the text also mentions that Esau was immoral. In rabbinic tradition, these negative character traits are fully exposed. Rom.9:11-15: “Yet before the sons were even born and had not done anything good or bad—so that God’s purpose and choice might stand not because of works but because of Him who calls—12 it was said to her, “The older shall serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. 14 What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! 15 For to Moses He says, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy!” The Bible warns us that “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.” It continues, “Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?” (Heb.10:26-29) This was the character trait ingrained in Esau as demonstrated in his lifestyle; as opposed to a one-off sin committed in a moment of weakness. For example, Esau’s marriage with the daughters of the Canaanites was a deliberate act of rebellion and an abomination to God. (Gen.36:2) It is clear that God will judge every person who claims to be a believer not only by the profession of their faith, but by the evidence of their faith: “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 2023-24 Parsha 7.Vayetze-and he left Page of 4 10 “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’” (Matt.25:34-40) Yeshua taught that our choices will determine our reward. And so He urges us to, “…seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and whatever our Father knows we need He will give us.” (Matt 6:33) We have to make the Kingdom of God—our inheritance the primary goal of our lives our all consuming desire. A godly hunter is so fixated on the pursuit of their goal that they are willing to go without food and rest to attain it. And the same should be for us instead of the counterfeit as represented by Esau. To pursue God wholeheartedly leads to Life but to pursue our carnal desires leads to death. In God’s eternal plan, the Jewish line of the Messiah had to come from the line of Jacob. So why did not God make things so much more simple and just ensure that when the twins were born, Jacob would come out of the womb first instead of Esau? There are many mysteries and unanswered questions, each one of us are actively encouraged to pursue through searching His Word, seeking His face and pursuing knowledge with integrity, placing Him as the central motivation for all that we do. No doubt even when all is said and done and our understanding remains partial, or it should nonetheless draw us to Himself rather than apart because when we see everything in perspective He overwhelmingly possesses infinite credibility! He is the omnipotent and omniscient God, creator of the universe and all that is within it. And as the apostle Paul declared: “22 For we know that the whole creation groans together and suffers birth pains until now— 23 and not only creation, but even ourselves. We ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Ruach, groan inwardly as we eagerly wait for adoption—the redemption of our body. 24 For in hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, then we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. 26 In the same way, the Ruach helps in our weakness. For we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Ruach Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words. 27 And He who searches the hearts[e] knows the mind of the Ruach, because He intercedes for the kedoshim according to the will of God. 28 Now we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose… 31 What then shall we say in view of these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how shall He not also with Him freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is the one who condemns? It is Messiah, who died, and moreover was raised, and is now at the right hand of God and who also intercedes for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Messiah? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? … 2023-24 Parsha 7.Vayetze-and he left Page of 5 10 37 But in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Messiah Yeshua our Lord.” I look forward to discover the many answers to various questions I have on arrival in Heaven, but in view of the biblical promises that are ours in Messiah Yeshua I have resigned myself in the interim to allow God be God knowing that in the fullness of time, that which remained unclear will become clear. Are there things which God has promised us in this life that awaits fulfilment? There may be still a lot of ground to travel between the promise and the fulfilment. This was exactly the situation with Jacob. Things did not look good for him as he set out for Haran where his grand-father, Terah had settled. Everything seemed in reverse. At this point all that Jacob had was God’s promise. (Gen. 27:28–29) Jacob left his home in Beersheva with basically the clothes on his back. His family relationships were in tatters and all that remained was an unfulfilled blessing from his father Isaac deceitfully obtained. There are many powerful messages that resonate here for each one of us. In Hos.12:6-7 referring specifically to Jacob’s circumstances, we read: “Adonai Elohai Tzvaot; Adonai is His name! So you, (Israel) return to your God; hold fast to (His) grace and justice; and always put your hope in God.” Jacob’s flight to Haran was all part of God’s design that transformed him from Jacob (Lit: “May God be at your heels” meaning, “May God be your rearguard, or refuge.”) to an Israel – “Prince of God” fulfilled in the Divine promises through his line manifested in the coming Messiah. Jacob had to face his predicament alone, without human comfort or support , but it was here with all the creature comforts and securities stripped away where he experienced his deepest and life-changing spiritual encounter with God. God invaded the darkness at the lowest moment of Jacob’s life. Jacob met God when he least expected, when his mind was on other things, when he was in a state of fear and on the brink of despair. God, who knows our deepest needs and innermost thoughts, came to Jacob in a dream that night and it was here that Jacob’s life took a radical turn for the better. “And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.” (Gen. 28:12) Standing at the top of a ladder that reached into the heavens, with angels going up and down, God repeated His promise given to his forefathers Abraham and Isaac— the real estate upon which he was laying: “And, behold, the LORD [YHVH] stood beside him, and said: ‘I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. The land upon which you lie, to you will I give it, and to your seed.” (Gen. 28:13) Then God continued with the following words: 2023-24 Parsha 7.Vayetze-and he left Page of 6 10 “I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants.Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (Gen 28: 14-15) In the future he would look back and testify to the faithfulness of the Living God: “Surely the LORD is in this place-and I did not know it!” Yet, it was a slow and painful process and negative things he had sown in his life would be things he himself would now experience that dogged him at different stages later in life: Laban would deceive him into marrying Leah after he had worked the seven years for the love of his life, Rachel. (Gen. 29:21-23 21) His wife, Rachel, would deceive him by carrying the pagan gods of her father with her when they leave Laban’ s house to return to Canaan. His ten sons would deceive him into believing that some wild animal had killed his son Joseph Reuben and Levi deceived Jacob and the entire city in the incident with regard to his daughter Dinah who had been raped by some neighbouring pagan tribes. Despite everything, God was hard at work within Jacob to transform him into the person He had created him to be. Jacob encountered the living God in the, “Howling wasteland of a wilderness.” (Deut. 32:10) It could never have happened in the familiar surroundings of the environment he was immersed in. God had to take him out of his comfort zone to mould him into the person He had created him to be. Even when Jacob thought he had lost everything, it was at that point that he acquired something of infinite and eternal value – that, ‘pearl of great price’ more precious than anything else or any lost treasure. In it all, he discovered that, “The LORD is in this place-and I did not know it!” We may well ask ourselves, “Why did God choose a person like Jacob?“ He wasn’t a righteous person like Noah, a person of great faith like Abraham, or a humble person like Isaac. Yet he is named as one of the three Patriarchs from whom the children of Israel were birthed and the recipient of the covenant promises of God for His people. God ‘trapped’ Jacob and brought transformation at the point where to go back was impossible. Even though going forward was fraught with unknown dangers it was the only viable option! He remained far from home, alone and vulnerable. But God who knows our deepest needs came to Jacob in a dream that night and it was here that Jacob’s life took a radical turn for the better. Jacob committed himself to forever remember this definitive life-changing event through a memorial which he built for the Lord: 2023-24 Parsha 7.Vayetze-and he left Page of 7 10 “This stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will give You a tenth.” (Gen. 28:22) Jacob basically told God: “Look, I have no possessions at the moment to give you, but whatever you bless me with, I will give back to you 10%!” At this stage he still did not understand the principle of giving his entire life to God but it was a quantum leap in what would be a long journey with many hard lessons to learn. God was having His way in Jacob’s life as He seeks to do with each one of us. And in the end Scripture informs us that, “21 By faith as he was dying, (he) blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and he bowed in worship while leaning on the top of his staff.” (Heb.11) Jacob ended as a hero of faith and one of the 3 patriarchs of the Jewish people. God transformed him from a nobody into a hero of faith – unbelievable but true! Again, I ask ourselves a vital question: Why did God choose such a flawed person like Jacob to fulfil His plans since he wasn’t a tzadik like Noah, or a person of great faith like Abram, or a person of humility like Isaac? Jacob is someone who gives us hope, because he is an illustration of a no-hoper who made good when he allowed God the smallest of small openings. God brought transformation at the point where to go back was impossible and to go forward was fraught with the unknown and many dangers as he was about to enter the household of his uncle Laban. He was far from home, alone and at a point of maximum vulnerability. Night fell. Jacob lay down to a troubled sleep, and it there that He received a vision from God with an astounding promise: “12 And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! 13 And behold, the Lord stood over and beside him and said, I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father [forefather] and the God of Isaac; I will give to you and to your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14 And your offspring shall be as [countless as] the dust or sand of the ground, and you shall spread abroad to the west and the east and the north and the south; and by you and your Offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed and bless themselves. 15 And behold, I am with you and will keep (watch over you with care, take notice of) you wherever you may go, and I will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done all of which I have told you. 16 And Jacob awoke from his sleep and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place and I did not know it.” The word translated “behold,” in Hebrew is ‘ve-hinei,’ which expresses complete surprise. Nothing prepared Jacob for this encounter, which is emphasised by his closing comment, “Surely, the Lord is in this place and I did not know it.” As a sign of God’s sovereignty over his life, Jacob made a commitment: “This stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will give You a tenth.” (Gen.28:22) The stone was a memorial to God, in remembrance of a pivotal moment. 2023-24 Parsha 7.Vayetze-and he left Page of 8 10 Jacob did more than demonstrate his thankfulness to God in word but also in deed. Tithing in ancient times was a common thing to do as a one-time act of gratitude, such as with Abraham when he offered a tithe from the spoils of war after the defeat of the kings (Gen.14). Here, Jacob, may have wanted to play things safe and was basically saying to God: “Look, I have no possessions at the moment to give you, but whatever you bless me with, I will give back to you 10%!” Smart deal? He still did not understand the principle of giving his entire life to God and had many hard lessons to learn before he could eventually reach that state. He did the same thing twenty-one years later, when fleeing from his uncle Laban and preparing to re-unite with his brother Esau. God had promised to protect him but he wanted to play it safe, just in case, so offered up a tithe to Him. I would like to close by reflecting upon the link between the calling Nathaniel and the story of Jacob in Jn.1:47-51: “45 Philip found Natan’el and told him, “We’ve found the one that Moshe wrote about in the Torah, also the Prophets — it’s Yeshua Ben-Yosef from Natzeret!” 46 Natan’el answered him, “Natzeret? Can anything good come from there?” “Come and see,” Philip said to him.47 Yeshua saw Natan’el coming toward him and remarked about him, “Here’s a true son of Isra’el — nothing false in him!” 48 Natan’el said to him, “How do you know me?” Yeshua answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Natan’el said, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Isra’el!” 50 Yeshua answered him, “you believe all this just because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than that!” 51 Then he said to him, “Yes indeed! I tell you that you will see heaven opened and the angels of God going up and coming down[a] on the Son of Man!” Yeshua made a stunning prophetic comment to Nathaniel which is easily overlooked unless we understand the context which is contained here in this torah portion. Yeshua had spoken something into the heart of Nathaniel which pierced his heart in a way that changed his life irrevocably. Nathaniel (also known as Bartholomew) who was a Galilean himself, from Cana made a derogatory statement about the notorious town of Nazareth where Jesus had grown up. This was because Nazareth, as a cross-roads and trade route for travellers, intermingled with both Jews and Gentiles something unthinkable for the Judeans and those from Jerusalem. But, what was more significant was that Nazareth held a reputation for being a feeding ground for radicals. Nathanael had not met Yeshua previously, yet Yeshua claimed to have already known him. He commended Nathanael for being transparent, testing things and being cautious. Was this Yeshua just another one of the Nazareth radicals? Yeshua honoured him with the words, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” (v. 47). By saying this, Jesus made a direct reference to the patriarch Jacob and contrasted Nathanael as an honest “Israel” rather than a deceitful “Jacob.” Nathaniel responded by enquiring, “How do you know me?” Yeshua then responded with these mysterious words: 2023-24 Parsha 7.Vayetze-and he left Page of 9 10 “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” This immediately caused Nathaniel to respond: “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Isra’el!” 1 Yeshua had spoken something into the heart of Nathaniel which stirred him and pierced his heart in a way that changed his life irrevocably. The fig tree is one of the emblems of the Jewish nation and a favourite tree which Jewish people would seek God in prayer under its shelter – not in public places to be seen by others, but in the quiet shade and privacy of his home. We do not know what Nathaniel was actually praying that made him respond in the way he did, but it pierced his heart so deeply as to provoke him to respond with his amazing declaration. Sometimes God speaks a Rhema word that pierces our hearts yet it would appear insignificant to any other person because our God is personal. It was when Yeshua spoke Mary’s name that she recognised Him. It was when Yeshua touched the blind man that He received His healing. It was when Yeshua told Matthew simply to leave his tax booth and follow Him, that Matthew unhesitatingly responded. Yeshua then added added, “…You believe all this just because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than that!” 51 Then he said to him, “Yes indeed! I tell you that you will see heaven opened and the angels of God going up and coming down on the Son of Man!” Yeshua now made clear reference to Jacob’s ladder and the angels who were descending and ascending, implying that He himself was the ladder by which all future generations could discover redemption through Him and be transformed from Jacobs’ to Israel’s (‘Princes of God’). Though we were once afar off from God (‘achor le achor’ – “back to back”) we now reconciled through His precious blood shed for us, (‘paneem le paneem’ – “face to face”) The title deeds for the Homeland is contained in the name of Israel: “I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.” (Gen.18:14-15) Returning to the promises of God given to Abraham and now to Isaac, we see how these are promises which are equally valid both physically and spiritually. God has unequivocally provided the land of Israel to the Jewish people based upon covenant relationship, which is repeated time and again throughout the Bible. After the Babylonian Exile the fig tree became a messianic symbol, and bearing fruit signified the 1 coming of Messiah, as figs feature prominently in many biblical prophecies: “But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and none shall make them afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken it.” (Micah 4:4) “In that day, says the Lord of hosts, you shall invite each man his neighbour under his own vine and his own fig tree.” (Zech.3:10) 2023-24 Parsha 7.Vayetze-and he left Page of 10 10 The two strands of covenant and relationship interplay but it is important to distinguish between them. God’s covenant is entirely reliable and will always be upheld no matter what, because God is entirely faithful to His promises. However, the blessings or judgement we experience from God are entirely based upon relationship and the consequences of choices we make. God promised the land of Israel to the seed of Jacob (the Jewish people) not to the seed of Esau, represented by the Arabic people. The current conflict in the Middle East today is with the same groups of people: Israel and the descendants of Esau. The hatred of ‘Esau’ towards ‘Jacob’ is today no less intense now than it was during this period of time as recorded in this torah portion. The homeland belongs to Israel because of God’s covenant promise made repeatedly to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and later to the prophets. But, it was not because of the righteousness of the people. And on a final note: Abraham was the patriarch who is known by his immense faith in God. Isaac is the patriarch who was willing to surrender his life completely to God as a self-sacrifice (Rom.12:1-2) What about Jacob? He is the patriarch who is an illustration that God never gives up on us and will fulfil His purposes in our lives when we allow Him access even just a tiny crack. How much more when we provide Him full access! www.mekudeshet.co.za
