Shalom and good morning. Our teaching will be from Genesis 41.1-8.
READ GENESIS 41.1-8
We see that GOD is drawing Joseph closer to fulfilling His prophecy He made with Abraham in Genesis 15 some 200 years earlier. GOD’s prophecy to Abraham, Joseph’s Great-Grandfather was this. The Children of Israel would be strangers in a land not theirs. And they would serve them and they would be afflicted and made slaves 400 years. That land of course was Egypt, and it was Joseph whom GOD used as His instrument to bring the Children of Israel into Egypt.
That was Joseph’s mission for The LORD GOD, and also for the Children of Israel, and also for all mankind. For The LORD, His plan was to make Israel a great nation in Egypt, and to show His great wonders and miracles, and bring them out with great wealth. For the Children of Israel, the Jewish People, GOD chose them to be a holy people unto Himself, and to be His servant and witnesses, to reveal the One GOD of Creation to the world. To declare His truth to mankind, and bring forth His Messiah in human nature to the nations. For the nations, GOD has brought Salvation to all mankind from the Jewish People, through the Jewish Messiah, Yeshua Ha Mashiakh, Jesus The Messiah, Who is above all.
Joseph had a huge mission and he accomplished it perfectly through the work of The LORD. And part of his mission was to meet Pharaoh, King of Egypt face-to-face.
GENESIS 41.1 In Pharaoh’s dream, he stood by the River Nile.
41.2 WELLFAVORED – YAHFEH – beautiful
KINE – Pahrote – cows
FATFLESHED – BAHREE – fat and plump
41.3 ILL FAVORED – RAHOTE MAHRET – ugly to look at
LEANFLESHED – DAHKOTE BAHSHAR
thin and lean bodies, emaciated, bony, half starved
41.4 EAT UP – devoured (not a pretty sight)
41.5 RANK AND GOOD – solid and healthy
41.6 THIN – DAHK – small and thin
BLASTED – scorched and burned
41.7-8 VERSE 8 – His spirit was troubled, his thoughts were distrubed.
So Pharaoh called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men of Egypt to interpret his dreams, but none could. Today, Egypt has a population of about 70 million peope. I don’t know what their population was back then, some 4,000 years ago, but Pharaoh had a whole lot of magicians and wise men before him, and none could interpret his dreams. But The Bible says, magicians are an abomination to The LORD. Let’s see why.
MAGICIANS – KHARTOME – magicians.
Webster’s defines magic as a sorcerer. A sorcerer is a wizard or person who practices sorcery which is the use of power gained from the assistance or control of evil spirits, especially divining. Magic is also, according to Webster’s Dictionary, the use of means as charms or spells believed to have supernatural power over natural forces, etc., etc., etc.
Let’s look at GOD’s thoughts on magic. DEUTERONOMY 18.9-14
DEUTERONOMY 18.9 The abominations of those nations
toeahvote ha goyim
ABOMINATIONS – TOEAHVOTE – disgusting, abhorent to GOD. He hates the abominations of those nations.
18.10 – Divination is witchcraft. The use of magic and sorcery.
OBSERVER OF TIMES – practice magic
AN ENCHANTER – practices magic spells.
A WITCH is a woman practicing black witchcraft, often with the aid of a devil or demonic spirit. A male witch is a wizard.
18.11 A CHARMER is a medium who consults with demons.
A CONSULTER with familiar spirits consults with demons.
A WIZARD is a male witch.
A NECROMANCER – consults with the spirits of the dead and practices magic and sorcery with evil spirits.
18.12-14 Thus magic is an abomination to The LORD your GOD, and you should avoid it at all costs. The LORD has called you to be perfect, obedient to The LORD your GOD.
BACK TO
GENESIS 41.9-16 Joseph at this time is 30 years old and has matured into a godly man. And he said to Pharaoh, “GOD will give Pharaoh an answer of peace”, GOD will put your mind at rest.
41.17-25 Both dreams are one, meaning, they are one and the same. They both have one meaning, or the same meaning.
Before continuing with Pharaoh’s dreams, I thought this would be a good time to explain the word or the number ONE as in, “Hear, O Israel, The LORD our GOD, The LORD is ONE. (Deuteronomy 6.4)
This word ONE in Hebrew is (ehkhad). Ehkhad means one, but it is a number that means more than one being one. Such as the two dreams being ONE and THE SAME.
And GOD is ONE, meaning GOD is ONE, but He is MORE THAN ONE. GOD is The Father, He is The Son, and He is The Holy Spirit. The Father is The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. THEY ARE ONE AND THE SAME. Yeshua, The Son is The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. GOD IS ONE. They are not distinct from one another, nor are they separate or different from one another. THEY ARE ONE AND THE SAME. The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit are THE ONE GOD of Creation, Jehovah, Yahway, El Shaddai, The Holy One of Israel, Yeshua The Messiah.
DEUTERONOMY 6.4, ISAIAH 44.6, ISAIAH 45.5-7, 14, 18, 22
JOHN 14.9, 1 PETER 1.10-11, ISAIAH 9.6, JOHN 1.3-4
There is only one GOD. He is The Father, Yeshua and The Holy Spirit.
ZECHARIAH 12.10 When we see Yeshua on His Throne in the Millennium and in Heaven, we will be looking at GOD, Face to face, The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit.
BACK TO
GENESIS 41.25 GOD has told Pharaoh what he is about to do, in those dreams. And how does GOD tell Pharaoh what he will do? He sends His servant Joseph to tell the King what the dreams mean. Somehow, at some time, perhaps when Joseph was face to face with Pharaoh, GOD gave Joseph the interpretation, and what Pharaoh should do when he finds out what the dreams mean.
Since, as The Bible says in Proverbs 16.1, “Though a person may plan what he or she wants to say, GOD determines what he or she will actually say”. And in Proverbs 16.9, “Though a man or woman may plan their course of life, it is The LORD GOD Who directs our steps and designs our life.” And in Proverbs 20.24, “It is The LORD and not us Who determines our journey through life.” And “It is The LORD Who turns the heart of the King, or any head of state wherever He will to do His will.” Proverbs 21.1
Thus it is GOD Who gives us dreams, though most dreams have no value. But there are some dreams in our lives that have merit and importance, as the dreams of Pharaoh. GOD used dreams in Pharaoh’s life to save his country, and to bring Joseph to him. Part of GOD’s plan. GOD works in mysterious ways in our lives, also.
GENESIS 41.25-36 GOD reveals through Joseph what Pharaoh should do to save his country. And GOD through Pharaoh will make Joseph second in command in Egypt. And that is how GOD performed His plan through Joseph to bring the Children of Israel into Egypt from Canaan during the great famine. Thus accomplishing in part the prophecy He spoke to
Abraham 200 years earlier in Genesis 15.
GENESIS 41.37-40 VERSE 38. In Verse 38, Pharaoh said, can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of GOD is.
At this time I would like to do a little Biblical research on The Holy Spirit, Who was in Joseph and Who is in all true Believers in Messiah Yeshua.
Who is The Holy Spirit? He is GOD. How do we receive Him? And what are His characteristics and qualities?
1. Who is The Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is GOD.
GENESIS 1.1-2
2. It is GOD Who gives us The Holy Spirit to live in us.
NUMBERS 11.16-17
UPON – AL – in and upon
3. The Holy Spirit can remain with us forever or depart because of disobedience to GOD.
1 SAMUEL 16.12-14
4. Who are those, let’s talk about today, whom GOD gives The Holy Spirit to? Those who obey Him.
ACTS 5.32, EZEKIEL 36.26-28
5. Here are some of the qualities and characteristics of The Holy Spirit.
ISAIAH 11.1-2
COUNSEL – AYSTAH – advice and counsel of GOD
MIGHT – GEHVOORAH – excels, valiant, gains the victory, also might and power.
6. Some other qualities we receive from The HOly Spirit of GOD are: We may prophecy the truth. We will change and become another person, holy to GOD. The Holy Spirit puts His true word in our mouth. He teaches us obedience, not to sin against GOD and His Law. Only with The Holy Spirit can we know The LORD and Messiah, and know His Word. The Holy Spirit gives us life, eternal life. The Spirit is truth. We understand we are to live by GOD’s Truth. His Word, Torah, and Commandments. The Holy Spirit guides us in all Truth, and He comforts us. The Spirit may give us the ability to speak in other languages and much more. And gives us spiritual gifts of ministry.
7. David referred to GOD’s Spirit as The Holy Spirit.
PSALM 51.8-12
8. Those who are led by GOD The Holy Spirit are the Children of GOD.
ROMANS 8.14
9. Yeshua explains to us, better He teaches us, those who believe in Him, how to receive The Holy Spirit. Hint. Obey GOD, His Word, His Law of Moses and His Commandments.
JOHN 14.21-23, 24
So in summary:
magic, all kinds of magic is an abomination to The LORD GOD.
GOD is one, and there is only one GOD and none other. GOD is The Father, He is The Son and He is The Holy Spirit. The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit are not separate from one another, nor are they different from one another. The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit are The One GOD of Creation. They are Jehovah, Yahway, El Shaddai, The Holy One of Israel, Yeshua The Messiah, The one GOD of Creation.
The Holy Spirit is GOD, and it is GOD Who gives us The Holy Spirit to live in us, to those who believe in Messiah Yeshua and obey GOD, His Word, His Law of Moses, and His Commandments, and as Paul wrote in Romans 8.14, “For as many as are led by The Spirit of GOD (Who is GOD) they are the children of GOD”.
Month: July 2011
GENESIS 40.1-8; JOSEPH’S MISSION FOR THE LORD, CONTINUED…
Shalom. Our teaching this morning is from Genesis 40.1-8.
read Genesis 40.1-8
Genesis 40.1 After these things: After Joseph was tossed into prison for a crime he never committed. The crime in fact was committed by the wife of Potiphar whom Joseph worked for. Potiphar’s wife set her eyes upon Joseph to lay with her but Joseph rejected her advances and ran out of the house, leaving Potiphar’s wife mad and spurned. Thus, she concocted a stroy of lies that landed Joseph in jail. This was fully part of GOD’s plan for Joseph.
The BUTLER – MAHSHKEH – The butler was an officer in the household of the king who had charge of the wines and other drinks. His responsibility was to guard against poison in the king’s cup, perhaps even tasting it first himself. Thus the king’s life was in the butler’s hands who obviously was a trusted man and presumably of high rank. And perhaps able to advise the king in matters of state. But this particular butler did something wrong that offended the king.
The BAKER – AHFAH – He was the baker of breads and cakes. And he also offended the king.
OFFENDED – KHAHTAH – to sin, in this case, breaking the law of the king of Egypt.
40.2 Both were officers and chiefs or captains in Pharaoh’s household. AND both were part of GOD’s plan and mission for Joseph.
40.3 WARD – MEESHMAHR – prison
THE PRISON – was a dungeon, a dark underground prison.
Where Joseph was bound: Where he was kept in prison.
40.4 Charged or appointed Joseph to be with them, and Joseph served and attended to them. All part of GOD’s plan for Joseph to bring the Children of Israel into Egypt. GOD works in mysterious ways.
40.5 INTERPRETATION – PEETRONE An explanation. Their explanation of their dream.
40.6-8 VERSE 8 – Do not interpretations belong to GOD? That is, does not GOD interpret dreams? Even the dreams by these 2 men are part of GOD”s plan for Joseph to bring the Children of Israel into Egypt.
40.9-13 VERSE 13 Lift up your head and restore you to your place, the butler will be released from prison to again do his work for Pharaoh.
40.14-17 VERSE 17 BAKEMEATS – food and fruit, the work of a baker.
40.18-23 After 3 days, the chief baker was hanged, as Joseph interpreted their dreams, and the chief butler was released to do his work again for Pharaoh. Precisely part of GOD’s plan for Joseph to bring the House of Israel into Egypt. The interpretation of these dreams were certainly from GOD as Joseph said.
GENESIS 40.1 Now GOD has given Pharaoh dreams for Joseph’s mission. GOD had a mission for Joseph and Pharaoh’s dreams played a key role in GOD’s plan. And Joseph had no knowledge that GOD was working through him to fulfill a prophecy The LORD had made to Abraham some 200 years earlier.
GOD at times in your life and mine might also be working a plan through us for His purpose, and we probably will have no knowledge of what’s going on. And like Joseph, His plan for us might bring some hardship and pain along the way.
GOD”s prophecy that He had made with Abraham was that Abraham’s descendants, the Children of Israel, will be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and they shall serve them, and they shall afflict them 400 years (Genesis 15.13). The land that was not theirs, of course, was Egypt where the Children of Israel, after Joseph’s death, were subjected to slavery by the Egyptians for 400 years. But first, how to get the Children of Israel into Egypt? That was Joseph’s mission for GOD, and Joseph had no knowledge that GOD was working His plan through him. Pharaoh’s dreams were very much part of GOD’s plan to bring Joseph’s family, The House of Israel, into Egypt, all 70 of them at the time. GOD”s plan for Joseph was working perfectly.
The story of Joseph is truly amazing, truly supernatural. Why? Because GOD determines everything. That is, GOD controls, dictates and directs all things. He influences and brings about history and history’s outcome and results. And He guides and determines our lives from start to finish and throughout eternity. And Joseph’s life is perfect evidence of GOD’s supernatural power in history and in life, everyone’s life. That is why GOD can declare the end from the beginning, because GOD made the end and He also made the beginning, and He made everything from beginning to the end and to eternity and throughout eternity. GOD determines everything. Thus the things that are coming will come because GOD appointed them.
ISAIAH 46.9-11
ISAIAH 46.9 The former things of old. Things that happened long ago. The Creation, the Exodus, the opening of The Red Sea, etc.
ISAIAH 46.10 MY COUNSEL shall stand; My purpose is LAW; it will be ACCOMPLISHED, it will be PERFORMED, and it will SUCCEED.
I will do ALL My pleasure: ALL My DESIRE, ALL My WILL and ALL My PURPOSE.
ISAIAH 46.11 GOD even calls birds, and man and sends them to wherever He will.
I HAVE PURPOSED it PURPOSED – YAHSTAR
Squeezed into shape; all things, GOD has squeezed into shape like a potter making a piece of pottery. That is, GOD has made, and determined, even shaped our life and our purpose on earth, even predestined it, the world and its history and all life. GOD will do it.
ACTS 17.24-26
ACTS 17.24 GOD has made the world and all things in it.
MADE – POY-EH-O – made, directed and appointed, that is, GOD has arranged and determined everything in the world, even prearranged it, and preordained it. His works, all His works were planned and completed before the Creation of the world, and everywhere, in Heaven, in space, everywhere.
ACTS 7.25 It is GOD Who gives to all life, and breath, and all things, everything.
ACTS 17.26 GOD has made of 1 blood, Adam, all nations of men.
MADE – POY-EH-O – GOD has MADE all people. He has prearranged all lives, determined our lives, and directed all lives. GOD has decided and assigned to us our path of life, He has directed our steps from beginning to end and beyond.
GOD has determined the times before appointed. GOD has determined all EVENTS, all experiences, all the days of the week, Sabbaths, the Festivals, etc., all seasons, winter, spring, summer and fall, all conditions, history, the ways of the world, the state of affairs, births, deaths, etc. GOD has appointed and made all times before the Creation.
The bounds of their habitation, that is the boundaries of all countries.
DEUTERONOMY 32.8
GOD has created, made and designed every step of our life.
PROVERBS 16.1, 9, PROVERBS 20.24, PROVERBS 21.1
JEREMIAH 10.23, HEBREWS 4.3, EPHESIANS 1.4-5
2ND THESSALONIANS
2.13
(Proverbs 16.1) The preparations of the heart.
PREPARATIONS – MAHAHRKHEE
“Man may arrange his thoughts in his heart, but what he says is from The LORD”.
So yes, man’s journey through life is created by GOD, made by GOD, and directed and determined by GOD. Everything you see and have seen, everything you have experienced and will experince, GOD has purposed it and predetermined it, for His purpose. And sometimes, GOD’s plan in our lives may cause pain and sorrow and hardship, but He will always deliver the righteous from all their troubles, and restore us to joy and rejoicing. The righteous is one who believes in Messiah, and obeys His Torah.
JOB 8.20-21
Let’s talk briefly about dreams. Are they of GOD, or do we manufacture them ourselves in our sleep?
I know that some dreams are from GOD and have a purpose and meaning.; and most others may come from GOD but have absolutely no value.
ECCLESIASTES 5.3 BUSINESS – EENYAHN –
Business, which may also mean activites and commotion during the day.
Most dreams come from an overabundance of thoughts during the day. And as a fool speaks many words, perhaps most dreams are of no value, as is the fool’s words that are also of no value.
However, yes, there are some dreams that come from GOD, and have a purpose. The dreams of the butler and baker. The butler was released, the baker hung (Genesis 40.9-23). The dreams however were used by GOD to bring Joseph to Pharoah.
Another dream that had a purpose. GOD warned the wise men who visited The Child Yeshua, not to return to Herod.
MATTHEW 2.1, 12
GOD gave Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, a dream about the last days.
DANIEL 2.31-46
DANIEL 2.44 The GOD of Heaven will set up a Kingdom which will never be destroyed. That is The Messianic Kingdom in Israel, and The Kingdom of Heaven, New Jerusalem in eternity. And it, the stone Who is GOD, The Messiah Yeshua will destroy all the nations of the world at His Return.
DANIEL 2.45 The stone, Who is GOD The Messiah Yeshua, will destroy all the kingdoms and nations of the earth, and He will set up a Kingdom, The Messianic Kingdom in Israel, the Great GOD has made known to the king what will come to pass in the final days, and the dream is certain, and the interpretation is sure.
DANIEL 2.46 I think the king was a little impressed.
I had a dream also. A voice repeating over and over again, 2 Corinthians 6.3, 2 Corinthians 6.3, 2 Corinthians 6.3.
2 CORINTHIANS 6.3
We had a lesbian, a transvestite in our Congregation years back.
NO OFFENCE – no occasion to sin
NOT BLAMED – not discredited, not disgraced, not damaged. The person left after I told her the dream.
Most dreams, I believe, come to us because of so many activities and commotion in our lives during the course of the day, and have no value, they are worthless.
However, there are other dreams that may be from GOD. The Bible is filled with them. The dreams may be in words, or visions, like a short movie, and there might be a message from The LORD GOD, and MAYBE in time, in GOD’s time, you will find out what that message means.
So whatever your dream might be, GOD has made you, and has made your entire life. He directs it, He has purposed it, and He has predetermined it and prearranged it for His will, and for His purpose. And He has assigned to you your path of life from beginning, to end and beyond.
And your life must include Yeshua The Messiah, Who is GOD. And your life must include righteousness, which is being right with GOD. And that is accomplished by obeying Him, His Commandments, His Word, His Law of Moses, His Statutes and His Judgments.
There are many who are taught to receive Jesus, and then taught to lead a LAWLESS life, a life that rejects GOD’s Law of Moses. Then there are the few like yoursleves who have received the Gift of Salvation Who is Yeshua The Messiah, and lead a law-abiding life, pleasing to GOD, obeying Him by obeying Torah, The Law of Moses. And your reward? GOD has appointed you for Heaven to live with Him forever.
GOD WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS. GENESIS 39.1-7
Shalom. This morning’s teaching is from Genesis 39.1-7.
READ GENESIS 39.1-7
It has been rightly said that GOD works in mysterious ways. And the journey of Joseph, Jacob’s younger son was exactly one of those mysterious ways of GOD.
The entire adventure and experience and yes, the sufferings also of Joseph were all part of GOD’s plan to bring the children of Israel into Egypt where GOD would make of them a great nation. With all Joseph’s heartache and pain, Joseph nor anybody else had any idea or thought that GOD’s Hand was in that moment, and GOD was working His plan to perfection. GOD works in mysterious ways, and sometimes His plan may cause some hurt, some sorrow. It brought troubles to Joseph because GOD’s plan for him to perform would unfortunately cause him pain and hurt. However, Jospeh would fulfill everything GOD planned for him. In time, Pharaoh made Joseph 2nd in command in Egypt, and it was Joseph who brought his father and his brothers and their famileies, 70 in all, which at that time consisted of the whole house of Israel into Egypt from Canaan during a fierce famine. That was GOD’s plan for Joseph.
But prior to that, Joseph’s brothers hated him. They threatened to kill him but instead, tossed him into a deep pit empty of water. And while his brothers sat down to eat, Midianite merchantmen passed by and drew Joseph out of the pit and sold him for 20 pieces of silver to a caravan of Ishmaelites that brought Joseph into Egypt. Part 1 of GOD’s plan was complete and perfect, and mysterious.
GOD’s mysterious ways were working in Joseph’s life for GOD’s purpose, and for our benefit. Not only to accomplish GOD’s plan to get Joseph into Egypt for Him to bring the children of Israel into that country, but also to accomplish His plan of Salvation for all the world through the children of Israel, the Jewish people. For as Yeshua said, “Salvation is of the Jews”. And how would the world know the truth if it were not for the children of Israel whom GOD chose to be His servant and witnesses to all the world? And how would the nations have a Savior, a Messiah if not for the Jews?
JOHN 4.22-26
JOHN 4.22 WORSHIP – to reverence GOD and to adore Him to honor and respect Him and to adore means to pray to, to speak to GOD with loving admiration and devotion.
Salvation is of the Jews.
1. Yeshua in Hebrew means Salvation. He is Jewish and comes from the Jewish people.
2. Salvation is given to the nations by the GOD of Israel from the Jewish people through Yeshua The Messiah whose ancestors are Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah and David.
3. Salvation, or Yeshua means deliverance from the penalty of sin, deliverance from death and hell, and troubles. Salvation, or Yeshua also means health, safety, to be rescued, it means victory and eternal life and so much more.
4. Salvation comes from belief in Messiah Yeshua. Not from obeying The Law. For by GRACE are you SAVED. It is a gift of GOD. BUT THEN, we are to live our life according to The Law, GOD’s Law of Moses that GOD put in your heart the moment you came to belief in Messiah. (Hebrews 8.10)
JOHN 4.23 The true worshippers shall worship The Father in Spirit and in Truth.
Worshipping in Spirit means worshipping The Father in The Holy Spirit, having The Holy Spirit living in you.
We receive The Holy Spirit when we believe in Messiah Yeshua, and repent of our sins. That is we turn to GOD and obey His Word, His Law of Moses, and His Commandments. Listen, by turning to GOD and obeying Him, you turn away from sin which is breaking Torah, GOD’s Law of Moses. That’s how you receive The Holy Spirit. Believe and obey.
Worshipping in truth, that is, when you worship GOD, when you tell the world you are a Believer in Yeshua, you are living your life in Truth. You are living your life according to GOD’s Law of Moses, His Commandments, His Statutes and Ordinances, His Judgments. And by being baptized in The Name of Yeshua The Messiah for the remission of sins. That is for forgiveness and deliverance from your sins. That is what GOD requires of you. To worship Him in Truth. Then you will be GOD’s people, and He will be your GOD.
(Acts 2.38, Ezekiel 11.19-20)
JOHN 4.24 It is a requirement of GOD. We must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. And GOD is a Spirit.
GENESIS 39.1 Back to Joseph
PHARAOH – PAHROW – king, a common title for the ancient kings of Egypt.
GOD’s plan for Joseph continues to work perfectly. Joseph could have been sold to anybody, but he was sold to one of Pharaoh’s officers, a captain of the guard. And Joseph became the officer’s slave and servant. Precisely GOD’s plan.
39.2 PROSPEROUS – STAHLAKH – succeed, to go well.
The LORD was with Joseph. Everything he did, GOD prospered. And all went well even for those he worked for, because GOD was with him.
I would think that one of the great comforts in life is to know that GOD is with us. That GOD will always help us and support us. And that is one of Yeshua’s Names. GOD with us, because Yeshua is GOD.
MATTHEW 1.23
EMMANUEL – EEMAHNOOEL – with us is GOD.
I believe that GOD is with everybody who worships GOD in Spirit and in Truth.
JOHN 4.24
For example. GOD was with Yeshua. He not only worshipped The Father in Spirit and in Truth, He did not sin. He did not break GOD’s Law of Moses. That’s why He is our example to follow.
JOHN 16.32, 1 PETER 2.21-24, PSALM 46.7
THE LORD was with Samuel.
1 SAMUEL 3.19, 1 SAMUEL 15.22-24
GOD was with David, who loved GOD, and he loved His Law and Commandments.
1 SAMUEL 16.18, PSALM 119.1-8
GOD is with those who worship GOD in Spirit and in Truth.
MATTHEW 28.19-20
And GOD is with the children of Israel, the Jewish people.
ISAIAH 43.1-7 (read first)
VERSE 1 – REDEEMED – GAHAL – delivered you, married you.
VERSE 3 – SAVIOUR – MOSHEEAH – GOD is The One Who SAVES, SETS US FREE from the penalty of sin which is death, FREES us from death and hell. Defends us, delivers us, helps us, preserves us, rescues us, and gives us Salvation and victory and eternal life and so much more.
VERSE 7
Everyone that worships The Father in Spirit and in Truth, GOD is with them, Jewish or non-Jewish.
There is no greater comfort in life, I believe, than knowing that GOD is with you. And GOD is with you when you worship The Father in Spirit and in Truth. That is GOD’s promise.
BACK TO
GENESIS 39.3-4 Joseph found grace in the sight of his boss Potiphar, means that Potiphar liked him. He put Joseph in charge of everything in his house.
GENESIS 39.5, GENESIS 12.3
BACK TO
GENESIS 39.6 He knew not ought – meaning, Potiphar paid attention to nothing in his house except the food he ate.
JOSEPH was a goodly person. – YAHFEH TOEAHR
– Joseph was beautiful in appearance, and had a good body.
– and well favored VEEYAHFAY-MAHREH
And he was beautiful to look at.
39.7-8 WOT NOT – with my being here, my Master gives no thought to anything in this house.
39.9-14 Let’s talk a little bit about who is a Hebrew. Hebrew, EEVREE, or Hebrews, EEVREEM, is a term that describes the children of Israel. It was used when some Israelites referred to themselves when speaking to others. JONAH 1.9.
And when others may refer to those of the House of Israel as Potiphar’s wife did in GENESIS 39.14.
And sometimes when Israelites are differentiated from other ethnic groups. EXODUS 2.11
Some believe the origin of the word Hebrew comes from Eber, the Grandson of Shem and one of the ancestors of Abraham, while others trace the word Hebrew to the Hebrew word “Ever” meaning, the other side, referring to the region on the other side of The Jordan River, or perhaps, the other side of the Euphrates River. Although Israelite and later Jewish became the usual names, some people still refer to the Jewish people as Hebrews. We prefer to be called Jewish. But no matter by what name we are called, GOD is with us.
EXODUS 7.16, ROMANS 3.29, ISAIAH 54.5
After the return to Israel following the two exiles by the Assyrians in 722BCE, and the Babylonians in 586BCE, the Children of Israel took on the Hebrew name Yehudi meaning Jewish, which also means “praiser of GOD”. Yehudi or Jewish originally came from the tribal meaning of a member of the tribe of Judah. Yehudi or Jewish became synonomous with the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And was first used in The Bible referring to Mordecai, who was from the tribe of Benjamin. It is found in the Book of Esther, Esther 2.5 which was written around 465 to 424BCE.
With that said, let’s complete this chapter on Joseph.
BACK TO
GENESIS 39.14-20 Joseph was not tossed into any common prison, but the prison where Pharaoh’s prisoners were kept and bound. This was also GOD’s mysterious plan, so that Joseph in GOD’s perfect will and timing would in time meet Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, face to face.
39.21-24 GOD’s plan for Joseph is coming closer to fulfillment, to the day he meets Pharaoh, to the time he meets his brothers, to the time he brings the children of Israel into Egypt. GOD works in mysterious ways.
So perhaps when you are experiencing sorrow and trouble in your life, and you can say in your heart with all honesty, I’m not in sin, I’m not breaking Torah, GOD’s Law of Moses, I’m leading a righteous and holy life for The LORD my GOD. Well, maybe GOD is using you for His purpose. Maybe like Joseph, you are involved or will be involved in a mighty plan of GOD. And like Joseph, The LORD is with you. He will see you through it, and your mission for The LORD will be accomplished, and He will set you on high with blessings you never dreamed of.
So think about it, GOD is with you. He is Yeshua The Messiah, The LORD of Hosts, The GOD of Jacob is your refuge, your defense, your fortress and high tower, your Rock and security, your shelter, your refuge, because like Joseph, GOD is with you today and forever, and He works at times in mysterious ways.
Shalom, Ira Weinstein
Judah and his Dauther-in-Law Tamar. What is the importance? Genesis 38.1-11
Shalom. Our Study this morning is from Genesis 38 about Judah and his Daughter-in-Law Tamar. It’s a story of great importance and also could be rated “R”.
Our Scripture verses are Genesis 38.1-11
READ GENESIS 38.1-11
This is a story about Judah, the son of Jacob, and Tamar. Tamar was Judah’s Daughter-in-Law. And this Chapter about Judah and Tamar and their sons suddenly comes from out of the blue during a sequence of events about Joseph, Judah’s younger brother. So what is the importance of this story about Judah and his Daughter-in-Law Tamar and her 2 sons? We’ll find out from our teaching.
38.1 At that time. That time was the time Jacob’s sons, that is Joseph’s brothers planned to kill Joseph because they hated him. But instead, they took hold of Joseph, stripped him of his coat of many colors, tossed him into an empty pit that had no water in it. And while his brothers sat down to eat, a group of Midianite merchantmen passed by, lifted Joseph out of the pit, sold him to some Ishmaelites for 20 pieces of silver, and the caravan of Ishmaelites brought Joseph into Egypt.
When Reuben, the oldest brother returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was gone, he rent his clothes and returned to his brothers and told them, Joseph is not in the pit, and what am I to do? So the brothers took Joseph’s coat of many colors, and killed a kid of the goats and dipped the coat into the blood. And they brought the coat to their father Jacob and said to him, we found this coat, does it belong to your son? And Jacob broke down in tears thinking an animal had killed his son. And he rent his clothes and put sackcloth on his loins, that is his waist. And he mourned for his son for many days. Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph into Egypt to Potiphor, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.
These are the things that had happened at the time when Judah, the son of Jacob left his brothers and went to visit a certain person whose name was Hirah.
A CERTAIN ADULLAMITE – the Adullamite was from the city of Adullam, a city in Canaan.
JUDAH – keep in mnid that King David descends from Judah, and the Messiah Yeshua also descends from the tribe of Judah.
HIRAH the Adullamite was a Canaanite.
38.2 So Judah, the son of Jacob, married a Canaanite woman who was the daughter of Shuah.
38.3 Judah’s wife became pregnant, had a son, and they named him Er.
38.4 They had another son and named him Onan.
38.5 She had another son and they named him Shelah.
38.6 Er married Tamar.
38.7 But GOD killed Er, Judah’s son, because he was wicked.
38.8 This is called today in Judaism, The Levirate marriage and is found in Deuteronomy 25.5-10.
DEUTERONOMY 25.5-10
VERSE 6 SUCCEED KOOM – Establish or accounted – the first child she bears to him will be counted as the child of the dead brother so that his name will not be forgotten in Israel.
This custom was practiced in Jacob’s family before GOD made it law, or Torah.
BACK TO
38.9-10 DISPLEASED THE LORD
vah yay rah be aynee yehhovah
and it was evil in the eyes of The LORD.
So GOD killed Onan also for his wickedness. Now Judah has one son left, Shelah who is probably much younger than the first two sons.
38.11 So Tamar, the wife of Judah’s two sons; Er, and after his death, Onan, took Judah at his word. When Shelah his 3rd son grows of age, Judah will give her to him to be his wife.
38.12 Years later, Judah’s wife, the Daughter of Shuah died. And after Judah mourned for a period of time, he went to a place called Timnath to shear his sheep.
38.13-14 Judah neglected his promise to his Daughter-in-Law Tamar that she and his son Shelah would get married when he came of age. But Tamar did not forget.
38.15 Tamar went to Timnath where her Father-in-Law Judah was, and now she’s playing the role of a harlot. And Judah lays eyes on her.
38.16-18 Tamar gets pregnant by her Father-in-Law Judah.
VERSE 18 SIGNET – his signature ring, his seal.
BRACELETS – bracelets
STAFF – perhaps his walking stick.
38.19-20 Tamar returned home. Judah fulfilled his promise. Sent her the female goat, but the mysterious harlot was nowhere to be found.
38.21-23 Look, I fulfilled my promise to her.
38.24 So Judah finds out the harlot was his Daughter-in-Law, Tamar, and she is pregnant. And the first words out of Judah’s mouth, “Bring her out and let her be burned”.
38.25 Sort of like, “You are the man”, when GOD sent the Prophet Nathan to King David and told David, you are the man that got Bathsheba pregnant and had her Husband Uriah killed. Tamar said, you are the man Judah. You are the one who got me pregnant.
38.26 Judah acknowledged them. He admitted they were his. And he knew why she played the whore. Because he promised her his son Shelah to be her husband and he didn’t produce. And that was her payback to him, her way of embarrassing Judah. And The Bible says, he knew her again no more.
38.27-30 So Tamar had twins by her Father-in-Law Judah. The firstborn was Pharez, and the second was Zerah.
So what’s the importance of this story of Judah the son of Jacob having two sons by his Daughter-in-Law Tamar, Pharez and Zerah?
1. King David and the Messiah Yeshua must come from the Tribe of Judah. And obviously, GOD was not pleased with Judah’s first two sons Er and Onan. GOD killed them because they were wicked, and his 3rd son is not heard from after 1 Chronicles. Perhaps GOD had a problem with him also.
2. Which leaves Pharez and Zerah, the twin boys from Judah and his Daughter-in-Law Tamar. THUS THESE BOYS ARE ORDAINED BY GOD TO BE IN THE LINEAGE OF KING DAVID AND THE MESSIAH YESHUA; AND NOT ER, ONAN OR SHELAH.
Pharez, the firstborn son of Judah’s Daughter-in-Law Tamar, is in the lineage of King David, and not Judah’s first three sons, Er, Onan and Shelah.
RUTH 4.18-22
And all four, Judah, Pharez, Zerah and Tamar are in the lineage of Messiah in the Matthew account. And NOT Er, Onan and Shelah.
MATTHEW 1.1-6, 16
And again, Pharez is in the Luke account, in the genealogy of David and Messiah. Not Er, Onan or Shelah.
LUKE 3.23, 31-34
As a point of information, Jacob prophesied in his old age that The Messiah will come from the Tribe of Judah. And obviously, The LORD GOD was not pleased with Judah’s first three children and replaced them with the children from Judah and his Daughter-in-Law Tamar.
GENESIS 49.1, 8-10
VERSE 8 Judah means praise, and at a time in the future, all Israel, the 12 tribes of Jacob, and all the world will praise the special descendant of Judah, Yeshua The Messiah, King of Israel and King over all the earth, in The Millennium and throughout eternity. And all Israel and all the world will bow down to Him.
VERSE 9 Jacob is speaking of the unique and special descendant of Judah as a lion. And Messiah Yeshua is The Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Revelation 5.5).
VERSE 10 The sceptre will not depart from Judah, meaning, the promise that the kingship of Messiah will be from the Tribe of Judah.
Nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh come. I think this means, when Messiah returns, He will rule by Torah, the Law of Moses, and not some foreign law such as Roman law when Messiah first came.
Until Shiloh come – Shiloh is another name and title for Messiah.
To Him shall the gathering of the people be.
GATHERING – YEE KAH HAH – obedience, submission, gathering.
All the peoples of the world, those remaining after His return, will gather to Messiah, submit to Him and obey Him.
Thus, Messiah must come from the Tribe of Judah and His lineage had to be acceptable to GOD. Tamar, Pharez and Zerah were.
Did GOD ordain Tamar, Judah’s Daughter-in-Law to become the female ancestor of King David and Messiah Yeshua because Judah’s sons from his wife were not acceptable to GOD because of their wickedness? Obviously yes, GOD did ordain Tamar.
Thus the distasteful union of Judah and Tamar. There are times, I assume, GOD uses our shortcomings and mistakes for His purpose. And this is one of those occasions. Because GOD’s wisdom and knowledge are unsearchable, His ways past finding out.
JOB 11.7-9, ISAIAH 55.8-9, 1 CORINTHIANS 2.16
So GOD says, our ways are not his ways, for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are His ways higher than our ways. Yet GOD is always righteous, and all His ways are according to His Torah, The Law of Moses. But yet, there are times The LORD uses our shortcomings, our mistakes and errors, even at times our sins for His purpose, and for His will.
Thus, the account of Judah and his daughter-in-Law Tamar in Genesis 38, reveals the beginning of the lineage of King David and Messiah Yeshua.
Shalom, Ira Weinstein
GOD’S MISSION FOR JOSEPH. GENESIS 37.1-11
Shalom, this morning’s message will be about Joseph, Jacob’s son and Abraham’s Great Grandson. GOD’s mission for Joseph was to bring the children of Israel into Egypt from Canaan, but first The LORD by some means had to get Joseph into Egypt at the age of 17 years old. Our teaching this morning is from Genesis 37.1-11.
READ GENESIS 37.1-11
37.2 Their evil report was their hatred toward their brother Joseph.
37.7 SHEAVES are bundles of grain.
OBEISANCE – bowed down
37.11 They ENVIED him – jealous of him with bitter hatred.
OBSERVED the saying – Jacob never forgot Joseph’s words about his dreams.
The LORD GOD is The One telling this story about Joseph and his brothers to Moses to record in the Torah, the first 5 books of The Bible. And also, The LORD is revealing to us how He proceeded to accomplish His prophecy to bring the children of Israel into Egypt from Canaan. Let’s look at that prophecy again.
GENESIS 15.13-16
From the time GOD spoke this prophecy to Abraham and Joseph’s arrival in Egypt was about 200 years.
And we also learn an important lesson from this story about Joseph. There can be pain and suffering at times when GOD has a plan for us to perform. I am not saying there is always pain when GOD has a mission for us, but there might be at times, as we learn from this story of Joseph, that some suffering may be part of GOD’s plan. Joseph suffered pain and heartache and family division. But GOD promises those who are righteous, and I believe Joseph was a righteous man, that He, The LORD GOD will deliver us from every affliction, every sorrow and every intense and heavy hurt. And Joseph was hurting. And GOD’s Hand was in it. He was moving the events.
GENESIS 37.3-4 This was of GOD. It was time to get Joseph into Egypt. It was time to bring the children of Israel into Egypt, and it was time for GOD to start the making of a great nation that He promised Abraham. (Genesis 12.2)
GENESIS 37.5-11 Sometimes there is pain and sorrow when we work for The LORD. Joseph was starting to experience that at an early age. It was all part of GOD’s plan to get Joseph to Egypt from Canaan.
So what happened next? It’s all part of GOD’s plan.
GENESIS 37.12-18
They were planning to kill their kid brother. That’s intense, but it was also part of GOD’s plan to get Joseph into Egypt, quickly.
So what happened next?
GENESIS 37.19-28
GOD’s prophecy that Abraham’s descendants will be a stranger in a land that is not theirs is starting to come into view, and it’s moving fast.
GENESIS 15.13
Let’s see what happened next.
GENESIS 37.29-36
Some 200 years after GOD gave Abraham the prophecy that his descendants would be strangers in a land that is not theirs, The LORD GOD used Joseph to put His prophecy into motion. In Egypt, GOD would make of Abraham a great nation, and that great nation, of course, is Israel. GOD also made the children of Israel a holy people unto Himself, and The LORD chose Israel to be a special people unto The LORD their GOD, to be His witnesses to the world, and His servant whom He has chosen. Yeshua says in John 4.22, “Salvation comes from the Jews”. Why? Because Messiah Yeshua is Himself Jewish, and He is Salvation; thus Salvation is given to the nations from the Jewish people through Yeshua The Messih Who is Jewish Himself today, yesterday and forever.
Not only does the message of Salvation come from the Jewish people through The Bible which is written entirely by Jewish people, the Jewish people have also brought to the world, again through The Bible, the Word of GOD, The Gospel or the good news, the commandments, the truth and GOD’s Law of Moses of which Paul writes in Romans 3.20, “The Law of Moses reveals to us what sin is”. Thus Joseph played a huge role in the history of Israel and in the history of the Jewish people. His suffering and pain as GOD planned were well worth it.
JOHN 4.22
Salvation is of the Jews because Salvation is given to the world from the Jewish people through the Jewish Messiah, Yeshua Ha Mashiakh.
ROMANS 3.20, 31
Yes, Israel and the Jewish people over our 4,000 year history have had their share of failings and sins and trnasgressions, but GOD’s Covenant with His Chosen People Israel stands forever. No man and no religion will ever pluck His people out of His Hand, or replace Israel. It will never happen.
Thus Paul wrote in Ephesians 2.20, “We are built upon the foundation of the Apostles, and Prophets and Yeshua The Messiah Himself being the chief cornerstone”. They were all Jewish, and they all obeyed GOD’s Word, His Torah, The Law of Moses, and they all obeyed GOD’s Commandments.
I think of the sufferings and pain Joseph experienced in most part because GOD chose him to perform a very, very important mission. He was hated by his brothers, threatened with death, tossed into a deep pit, sold to the Ishmeelites, bound and taken into Egypt as a slave, and later on, thrown into jail for 2 years for a crime he never committed. And after as GOD promises His righteous ones, He delivered Joseph from his distress and pain. GOD had Joseph interpret some dreams. Pharaoh was impressed. He made Joseph 2nd in command in Egypt under Pharaoh and because of a great famine on the earth, that was also of GOD, Joseph asked Pharaoh to allow him to bring his family, the children of Israel into Egypt from Canaan. All 70 of them, and Pharaoh consented, Joseph’s role in GOD’s prophecy to Abraham had been accomplished. And GOD delivered him from his sufferings. Joy comes in the morning, and that is of GOD also.
GENESIS 41.37-43, EXODUS 1.1-5,
ISAIAH 19.24-25 However these verses are interpreted, GOD will bless Egypt for blessing Joseph and his family. And he will also bless Assyria because Ur of the Chaldees where Abraham was born is in today’s Iraq which was part of Assyria in Abraham’s day.
PSALM 34.15-19, ISAIAH 57.15
AFFLICTIONS – RAH – adversity, distress, misery, sorrow, trouble and heavy hurt.
You know, not only are we told in Scriptur
e that we must be partakers of Messiah’s sufferings from time to time, I also think we must suffer at times in the fellowship of the pain and sufferings of GOD Almighty. He suffers because His Creation almost entirely rejects His Word, they reject His Laws and Commandments. They reject His Sabbaths and Festivals, and replace His Laws with their own laws, and their own message. Thus, His heavy judgments of floods, fires, wars, tornadoes, earthquakes, great recessions and so on that He brings on His Creation. We see it every day.
And that’s why The Millennium in Israel, and eternity in Heaven willl be so special and different and glorious. Sin will be eradicated, the curse will disappear, GOD will wipe away all tears from our eyes, there will be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain or suffering, for the former things, the old order of today of sin and grief, hardship and pain will have passed away. Gone forever.
ZECHARIAH 8.3-8, MATTHEW 6.25-34
(MATTHEW 6.23) SEEK first the Kingdom of GOD which is GOD and His righteousness.
SEEK – INQUIRE of GOD, ASK Him about Him from The Bible. STUDY HIM, EXAMINE HIM FROM THE BIBLE. Not from so-called Bible teachers.
HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS – His character of being right which comes from him living his life by His Word, His Law of Moses, His Commandments, His message. That’s how He lives. That’s how He wants you and me to live.
It’s safe to say from GOD’s teachings of deliverance from all our troubles and sufferings, these words: GOD will always deliver the righteous, those who love GOD and Messiah and keep His Laws and Commandments. Thus Messiah says, seek first The Kingdom of GOD and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. And that includes deliverance.