 12-15-2007, 10:03 AM
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LovingNeighbor
 
Joined on 02-10-2006
Washington
Posts 397
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The Cost of Life - Giving all you Have
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The Cost of Life
For Parasha Vayigash
By Lovingneighbor 12-30-2006
This weeks Parasha is in the book of Genesis also called B'reisheet, and is called Vayigash which means 'And came near'. In this weeks parasha:
- Yahudah reminds Yosef how he told them not to return unless they had their youngest brother with them
- Yahudah tells Yosef how it will kill his father if they don't return with Benyamin
- Yahudah offers himself to stay as a slave if Yosef would let Benyamin return home
- Yosef sent all of his servants out of the room
- Yosef revealed himself to his brethren and they were afraid but he comforted them saying it was Elohim's will
- Yosef tells his brethren to go and bring back their father and dwell in the land of Goshen
- Yosef hugged Benyamin and wept and kissed all his brothers
- Pharaoh also commended them to go and gather their father and he would give them the best of the land
- Yosef commands them to take wagons and bring their people and not regard their stuff
- He gave them provision for the trip and new clothes but Benyamin received 300 pieces of silver and 5 changes of clothes
- They told Ya'akov Yosef was alive but he didn't believe them until he saw the wagons
- Yisra'el went to Be'er-Sheva and Elohim told him to go to Egypt and he would bless him
- Yisra'el came to Egypt with all his people, 70 total including Yosef and his family in Egypt
- Yosef met his father in Goshen and told his brethren to say they dealt in cattle to Pharaoh
- Yosef's brethren told Pharaoh they were shepards and Pharaoh still gave them the best of the land
- Ya'akov met Pharaoh and blessed him
- Yosef put his family in Goshen and fed them during the famine
- Yosef gathered all the money in Egypt from people buying grain
- When money ran out Yosef gathered all the cattle for grain
- In the next year they came to him and sold all their land for grain
- Yosef gave them seed and told them to give 20% of their increase every year to Pharaoh
- Haftarah - YHWH will rejoin Yahudah and Efrayim and be their Elohim
In this weeks parasha we are going to find a common theme and that is the cost of life. We start with the meaning of the word for this weeks parasha vayigash which is the root word nawgash meaning to draw near. Spelled Nun, Gimel, Shin in the ancient Hebrew this could be the pictures, Seed or heir, foot or walk, tested or pressed. I see this potentially having the meaning of the flesh being tested or earthly commandments. Let's see how this applies to this weeks parasha.
In this weeks parasha it starts with the conversation between Yahudah and Yosef about how Yosef expected them to return with their brother whose name means son of the right hand which implies Mashiach and in my opinion represents the spirit of the commandments. Yahudah states how hard this will be and how it will kill their father. But the real issue I believe wasn't that their father would be grieved because if they returned with their brother then got the grain and returned home this would actually be fine. The only part not fine is if the boy didn't return after being in the care of their brethren. Sound familiar. Like with Yosef who went with to his brethren and didn't return because of their wickedness. So we see the same pattern. And was it the wild beast that tore him or mischief befall him on the way. No it was the wickedness of his brethren. So now the father kept Benyamin close to him. But the time comes when he will have to let him again be subject to being away from him in the care of his brethren. I think this paints a picture of Mashiach the first time he left the heavenly Father and the second time. But this time when he rejoins with his father it will be with the whole house.
But what wast the cost of this big reunion? They started together but then were separated. And now the ones claiming to be close to the father were going to be tested. I believe Yahudah and the brothers are being tested to see if they will again bring grief to their father and slay the beloved son. The first time the sold him off and were going to kill him was from jealousy and they weren't worried about how they would harm their father with the loss of his most beloved son. This also illustrates the point Mashiach said when he said the same as you have done to them you have done to me. Also illustrated in you will know my disciples by the love they have for one another. And finally when he says if you receive him you receive the one who sent him. So we see the pattern is that they not only sinned against Yosef who by spiritual means they did murder because they were angry with him without cause, but they also sinned against their father and were not acting as him and thus not really being his sons. He loved Yosef who I would guess acted most like him. This whole story is a maze of mystery of who is who and family. So it goes with the saying of Mashiach that you will know a tree by it's fruit. He also says if you were Avraham's seed you would have Avraham's works. So here also the ones calling themselves sons were dead and yet in the end they will be resurrected as sons who are like their father once again.
Yosef goes through a series of test for his brethren and repeatedly send them back to their father. See the pattern. We have sinned and so we are sent back to our Father ie the Torah and tested until we pay the cost of our sins. Do we pay the full cost? I believe we pay our portion. Ultimately Yosef who could have them killed instead seeks to restore them to righteousness and life. But is it just handed to them. On the first visit did he say I am Yosef don't worry Elohim had a plan and I have saved you. No he didn't. This is the Christian interpretation of Mashiach who came suffered and then just calls it good. Yet I see a different pattern. One of a return to Torah and testing until we have paid our portion of suffering through testing and when our spirit is right and like Yahudah willing to give up himself for his father and brother which is a model Mashiach willing to give up himself for his Father and brothers, then and only then will he be revealed in us and will be restored. Who did they have to return with? Benyamin the son of the right hand. Yosef's brother. Who did Mashiach say his brothers are? Those doing the will of his Father. He also did the will of his Father and this is the reason they would be his brother because they also are like him. This seems like a simple concept but if we remember that Mashiach said none has seen the Father except him because he came from the Father. So if we are to be like the Father we can only go through the son by being like him we will be like the Father because he is the only real example of the Father. This also means the only way to be his brother is to be like him because he is like the Father. Being like him means keeping both the spirit and letter of the law. His brothers may have thought doing this thing of bringing back their brother would be too hard and tried not to until they had not other option. I see this also as prophetic. People can get away with living by their own interpretation and justifying themselves but when Mashiach returns they will be faced with the truth and the only option then will be will you obey or not. You won't be able to interpret the scriptures to fit the way you want to keep them. Ultimately the cost of their food and the cost of their life was to return to Yosef his brother. The has a double meaning as it was the returning of his brethren to being like him and like his father which was the real test to receive the life giving seed which is also the word and also Mashiach.
Notice also that him who was least or youngest among them became the source of life. This fits many other scriptural references. Much like Efrayim who was an adopted son and not even the firstborn will in my opinion be the one who brings life and Mashiach back to Yisra'el. He will also be like his brother and see the spirit of Torah. This pattern is repeated with Yosef who like Mashiach was not esteemed by his own brethren and yet would be lifted above them by Elohim and who they cast down would be life for them.
I see this pattern also follow with the wives. Their sin has cast them down and yet it is through them that need now to act as servants that new life comes from. It is our duties as husbands to test them and cause them to return to their roles as godly help meets to their husbands to do our part so that they may be reunited to their husbands and praised. They must accept their role and serve with their whole heart changing their old ways and being like their husband, only then can they receive the blessings that await them. And little do they know that if they don't do this even if they can get away with it for awhile, there will come a time when they will simply have to because their life depends on it. This is like the stubborn son. In our society they can get away with it like when the brothers returned and didn't get Benyamin and return right away. But the time will come when if they continue to stay the same and it is contrary to Elohim's Torah they will be cast out. This goes for th holy days, and all of Torah. I believe a day is coming when we will be fully accountable for torah and it is better to learn not to gather kindling on the sabbath now while we have the mercy of time to learn. It's likened to knowing that the 7 years of famine is coming instead of it just showing up and having to deal with the harsh realities of it.
The final point I am going to make about this parasha this year is a pattern I see in the last half. It is about the cost of life. See when faced with life or death people make the choices needed for life. Who stores up for tough times in times of plenty? not many. Who worries about loss when they are abundant? not many. Who thinks of the cost of their sin and judgment when they have been told it's paid for. Not many. There is one who thinks ahead and sees a time of famine when there is plenty.
Pro 6:1 My son, if you be surety for your friend, if you have stricken your hand with a stranger,
Pro 6:2 You are snared with the words of your mouth, you are taken with the words of your mouth.
Pro 6:3 Do this now, my son, and deliver yourself, when you are come into the hand of your friend; go, humble yourself, and make sure your friend.
Pro 6:4 Give not sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids.
Pro 6:5 Deliver yourself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
Pro 6:6 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
Pro 6:7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
Pro 6:8 Provides her food in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.
Pro 6:9 How long will you sleep, O sluggard? when will you arise out of your sleep?
Pro 6:10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
Pro 6:11 So shall your poverty come as one that travails, and your want as an armed man.
Pro 30:24 There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:
Pro 30:25 The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;
The word ant is nem'aw'law which is spelled nun,mem,lamed,hay which in the ancient Hebrew pictographs can mean heir or seed, womb, teaching, revealed The interesting thing here is the root word of ant nawmal means to be clipped which some interpret as circumcision. But lets look at the ants, The verse above talks about the trap of being a surety for another person. When have we seen this. People vouch for another when people are faulty so it is a snare because you have gaurenteed something you don't have control of. You are to then humble yourself if it is called on. Then it talks of the ant who gathers when their is plenty, and does what they should even when they don't have to as they have no ruler over them. It isn't their strength that delivers them, but that they consistently do the right things even when and exactly when they don't have to before it is expected of them. Because they will not be able to do it of their own might when it is needed. This reminds me of Karate training. You practise, practise, practise because when in the situation you won't have time to think, it needs not already be there. The thing with the ants is they are self disciplined. They are proactive and not reactive. I would put my money on great preparation over great reactive skill any time. It's like relying on your talent vs. relying on your training. The ant is small but prepared. While everyone else is having a good time just like in the days of Noach when they gave to mairrage and ate and drank while Noach built an ark where there was no need. He like Yosef were ants. This does not come without a cost. They sacrificed when they didn't have to so that they would be prepared when everyone else would be scrambling to react. While others didn't worry they prepared. I see this in Christianity and the messianic movement. bad teachings focused on Salvation have righteousness all but worthless or just something for extra blessings. They fold their hands and rest in Mashiach and his righteousness. I believe the day will come when they will be scambling and it's hard to build an ark in the rain.
The people gave up their money, cattle, and land for the grain they didn't have. I see this pattern in the words of the Master as he talks about the rich man. He went away grieved because he had much possessions. But the day will come when you will have to give up these things or perish. The rich man had a chance to give them up and gain life by following Mashiach. We don't know what he did only that he was grieved, but the fact is the possessions of Egypt were given back to Egypt and the cost of following mashiach may be giving all you have including your flesh or land. Your money, the cattle represent things of Egypt, and the land was not the inheritance of Elohim but belonged to the world. What they didn't give was the thing they retained life and the life is in my opinion their soul and spirit. Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and give to Elohim what is Elohim's.
To summarize, we see that Yosef's brothers sinned and there was a cost to be paid and they were given mercy to pay and correct themselves and receive life, It was not free but the cost was low considering the sin they had done. They returned to their father ie the Torah and brought back the fruits of repentance represented by benyamin. They paid the cost of their sin to be made right and had to leave behind all they had to gain life from Yosef. The people paid and had to give all they had to gain life. The cost of life is giving all you have even your life. So look at yourselves and your life and ask yourselves the question. Will you give all you have? Will you store up the word and learn from your sins. Will you be like your brother our only expression of the heavenly Father? Will you be wise and work diligently now on these things? Prepare yourself now to give all you have to obeying Torah. The cost of life is giving all you have. Shalom!
A disciple should diligently search for the truth and humbly deny and reconsider it's possession.
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