 11-17-2007, 2:28 PM
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LovingNeighbor
 
Joined on 02-10-2006
Washington
Posts 397
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Those who are Mine - Proof of who you are
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Those who are Mine
For Parasha Vayetze
By Lovingneighbor 11-17-2007
This weeks Parasha is in the book of Genesis also called B'reisheet, and is called Vayetze which means 'And he went out'. In this weeks parasha:
- On the way to Charan Ya'akov had a dream, he saw a ladder to heaven and YHWH told him he would give him the land he was in
- Ya'akov set up a pillar and poured oil on it and made a vow to YHWH
- Ya'akov saw a well on his journey and there were 3 flocks by it
- Ya'akov asked why the men weren't watering the flocks and they said they won't move the stone over the well until all the flocks are gathered
- Rachel approached with Lavan's flocks and Ya'akov moved the stone and kissed Rachel
- Lavan came to meet Ya'akov and asked him what his wages should be if he works for him
- Ya'akov said I will serve 7 years for Rachel
- Ya'akov finished his years and asked for his wife so Lavan made a feast
- In the morning Ya'akov realized Lavan tricked him and gave him leah instead of Rachel
- Lavan offered Rachel also if Ya'akov would work another 7 years
- When YHWH saw Leah was hated he opened her womb and Rachel was barren
- Leah had Re'uven saying, YHWH has seen my affliction
- Leah had Shimon saying, YHWH has heard I was hated
- Leah had Levi saying, now my husband will be joined to me seeing I gave him 3 sons
- Leah had Yahudah saying, now I will praise YHWH
- Rachel said to Ya'akov give me children lest I die and this angered Ya'akov
- Rachel gave Ya'akov Bilhah her maid to have children and she had Dan saying, YHWH has judged me
- Bilhah had Naftali and Rachel said, I have wrestled with my sister and have prevailed
- Leah gave Zilpah her maid to Ya'akov to have children and she had Gad saying a troop comes
- Zilpah had Ashur and Leah said Happy am I
- Re'uven found mandrakes in the field and Rachel offered a night with Ya'akov to Leah for the mandrakes
- Leah had her 5th son named Yissakhar saying Elohim has given me my hire
- Leah bore her 6th son Zevulun saying now my husband will dwell with me
- Leah bore a daughter and named her Dinah
- Elohim opened Rachel's womb and she had Yosef saying Elohim has taken away my reproach
- Ya'akov tells Lavan he is going to leave but Lavan asks him to stay
- Ya'akov says he will stay if Lavan will give him all the speckled and spotted cattle and goats, and brown sheep
- Lavan agreed and removed the spotted, and speckled from his herd and gave them to his sons
- Ya'akov peeled white streaks in rods and put them where the animals were watered and they bore speckled and spotted babies
- YHWH told Ya'akov to return to his father's land Ya'akov told Leah and Rachel what happened
- Rachel and Leah said all they had of their father for inheritance Ya'akov now has and to obey YHWH
- When Ya'akov was getting ready to leave Rachel stole her fathers idols
- Ya'akov took all he had and left without telling Lavan
- When Lavan found out he took his brethren and went after Ya'akov
- Elohim came to Lavan in a dream and told him not to harm Ya'akov
- Lavan asks Ya'akov why he stole his idols and Ya'akov says let him die whoever has your idols
- Rachel sat on the idols and when they searched she told her father she could not get up because she was unclean
- Ya'akov was angry with Lavan and told him that it was him who was not fair
- Lavan said let's make a covenant not to harm each other and they set up stones for a sign
- They agreed and in the morning Lavan blessed his sons and daughters and left
- When Ya'akov went his way the angels of YHWH met him
- Haftarah Efrayim is lost but shall be saved if he returns to the ways of YHWH
In this weeks parasha we see a common theme of those things who are mine. The concepts starts with Ya'akov not recognizing the place he had come to as the very gate to heaven and the gate of the house of Elohim. When he realized it he was very afraid. He says something very interesting that we will see runs through this whole parasha. We see him recognizing the place of Elohim, we see the different flocks being talked about by the well, we see Ya'akov chosing Rachel, we see the trickery over which one he gets for a wife, then we see them competing over which children they give Ya'akov, then we see the marking of what animals will be Ya'akov's. All through the portion we see the concept of determining those who are mine. It's about possession. It'a about the signs and traits of these verses those. It's about who are who's.
Let's look at the first verse because we are going to see many things in this verse:
Gen 28:20 And Ya'akov vowed a vow, saying, If Elohim will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,
Gen 28:21 So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall YHWH be my Elohim:
Here we see it's about relationships. This relationship of being with, keeping or protecting, feeding, clothing, and delivering to the father in peace, look like the relationship of a husband and wife. He is responsible to be with, protect, feed, clothe, and return to her father's house in peace meaning not polluting her but inproving her from when he took her from her father's house. See Ya'akov was saying in my opinion that if YHWH would do these things that He would be his Elohim. I think we can learn alot from this verse about what we need to do to be a husband. The second meaning of the last verse is to be brought to the Father's house in peace shich is the same as presenting her blameless to the Father.
What is also interesting here is that there are things that should be able to be seen to know the relationship. Once Ya'akov saw the vision he knew it was the house of Elohim. If he would see all these traits he would know YHWH was his Elohim. Ya'akov it says saw Rachel and the flocks of his mother's brother and kissed Rachel. He saw Rachel and desired her. Ya'akov affered to work for 7 years for Rachel. Just as he asked YHWH to do certain things for their relationship, he also was willing to work for his wife. Lavan thouht he was tricking him, but what he really did was give Ya'akov even more. He might have thought I will get more work out of Ya'akov but he was actually giving away his daughters. Just as we see later Ya'akov offered to take the weak or presumably blemished of the herd and Lavan didn't even want him to have that but it ended up being a blessing. We can see this in him giving the lessor of his daughters and ended up giving not just th lesser but both. Ya'akov worked even more for Rachel. We see this same pattern in the unprofitable servant who not only worked in the field, but then served his master, and then received his wages or food.
Next we get the two women competing over what kids they can have to give Ya'akov. In the end they named them after what they had been through. These kids started out with the baggage of their mothers who were trying to show kids as a sign of them being the chosen wife. Then this continues with Lavan and the animals having the marks or being identified by traits to show who were who's. The overall message we can see is that even between Leah and Rachel they both produced only 6 children including handmaids. The animals that were thought to be weak ended up being strong. It reminds me of the parable of the wheat and tares. We just don't know from the beginning who will end up being who's but we do know their are traits to measure it. So how does this impact us? Well, It shows husbands that their are traits you should have as husbands that prove you are a husband, and wives there are traits that you should have to prove you are wives. I nkow Ipound this over and over again, but it's not good enough to say I am that man's wife if you can't show it in action, and the pattern is that his mark will be on you. Ya'akov put the reeds in the water and his came out a certain way with certain traits and that was his inheritance. So likewise Wives should have the traits of their husbands and the children also. It takes double work like Ya'akov did for Rachel. It's not enough wives to say you have tried or you did this or that, Like the unprofitable servant who did work then more work after, the first work was not enough. We can all see this in the text. Not just hearing but doing is required. Not just seeing th promised land, but going in and taking it. Not just the letter of the law but the spirit of the law. Not just the outside of the cup but the inside of the cup. Not just the water baptism but the fire baptism. Like it says if the righteous man turns to do evil his righteousness will be forgotten. We have to see the pattern that doing a little work or doing the bare minimums is not enough. So when you think highly of yourself, when you think you have done well, when you want to sit down and rest, maybe it's time to do more. Men we have alot of work, double work to do, women don't tell yourself how great a job your doing. We can all and should all do more and go beyond what we think we need to. The results will be better relationships, better work ethics, better children, better bible studies, better friends, and greater rewards. As Mashiach says:
Mat 5:39 But I say unto you, That you resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Mat 5:40 And if any man will sue you at the law, and take away your coat, let him have thy cloak also.
Mat 5:41 And whosoever shall compel you to go a mile, go with him two.
Mat 5:42 Give to him that asks you, and from him that would borrow of you turn not you away.
Mat 5:43 You have heard that it has been said, You shalt love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.
Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Mat 5:45 That you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
Mat 5:46 For if you love them which love you, what reward have you? do not even the publicans the same?
Mat 5:47 And if you salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
Mat 5:48 Be you therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Many times he says things like you'll know a tree by it's fruit, you'll know my disciples by the love they have for one another, He gives traits for you to identify who is who. Let's start living by and recognizing the traits we shouls have. Let's call ourselves on the title we already claim but lack the traits. Let's find out the traits of those relationships and start having the evidence to prove who and what we are. Let's not speak it, let's live it. Shalom!
A disciple should diligently search for the truth and humbly deny and reconsider it's possession.
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