Parashah: “Miketz” (at the end of) Gen 41:1-44:17
When we look into this parashah study, we see Yosef, who was, in a way of speaking, in the “pit” He was cast into the prison for something he did not do, yet he continued to trust YHVH for his needs. This reminds us of Melech David's words “You will not leave my soul in Sheol” This was a time of testing for Yosef. It was out of his hands.
He came to Egypt as a slave, got a good position in Potiphar’s house, and went from a common slave to the comfort of a house, from house to the prison, and from prison to fame and fortune. All in YHVH's perfect timing and planning. We might ask ourselves if Yosef could have managed an escape from the house of Potiphar, or even from prison, he probably would have headed straight back to his home in Canaan. No one would have been in Egypt to interpret Pharaoh's dreams, and thus, save the world from starvation.
Yet we see that Yosef did submit himself to the perfect will of HaShem, and he was finally taken out of prison via the “cupbearer” (Oh yes, now I realize my shortcomings, there IS a guy in prison that can interpret your dreams, your majesty...) Yet Yosef gives all glory to God, “God will give the interpretation” which is a positive witness to YHVH. Pharaoh probably saw the shortcomings and weakness of the Egyptian priests who were “supposed” to get their wisdom from Egyptian gods, yet this foreign “Hebrew” gets his wisdom to interpret dreams from an “invisible” God.
Another thing we see is that Yosef not only gives the interpretation but also the “solution”. For what good is an interpretation of a dream that speaks “calamity” if there is no solution to the problem? It is kind of like saying; “Hey king, your country is doomed, 7 years of famine, starvation, death...well OK.... nice meeting you Mr. King.” yet Yosef is faithful and brings a solution, through YHVH's wisdom and perhaps the experience he already had in agriculture and livestock when he was in Canaan as a teen.
Now, he is elevated to “assistant in command” to Pharaoh and goes from “rags to riches” He is now in a position to sort of “run the country” and we see that in time, Yosef's brothers come in search of food, of course, they do not recognize him, in Egyptian clothing, some 20 years later, no beard, etc. The brothers have to be tested to see if they are really sorry for what they did to Yosef, Yosef needs to see “true repentance”. Yosef is now in the position as “judge” yet when he tested them, using Benjamin, he sees true repentance through Y'hudah, now that he sees this, he reveals his true self, “Ani Yosef!!” (I AM Yosef) He is no longer in the position of “judge” but “family”
Yosef wanted to see if his brothers were really repentant. Judah offered himself as a replacement for Benjamin; "Take me instead and let Benjamin go." In the name "Y'hudah" we see the sacred letters "YHVH" YHUdaH. The plan of the Father was to send the Son in exchange for our own lives, and thus He did. "Let me die in place of THEM (the whole lost world)"
When we were lost sinners, Yeshua was in the position as our “judge” As many who will continue to reject the free gift of salvation, will be “judged” guilty by Messiah Yeshua at the Great White Throne Judgment, yet once we come to Yeshua and accept Him as our Savior and LORD, then, we become “Family” members, and we will be treated as “family”. “Y'hudah” symbolizes “Israel” who, in the future, will recognize “HE who was pierced” and those in Israel will say, “Blessed is He who comes in the Name of YHVH” as Yosef then “Talked” with his brothers, so YHVH desires to “talk” with us, through prayer and fellowship. As Yosef invited ALL his family to Egypt, so ALL who come to recognize Yeshua as Mashiach, are invited to join the “Heavenly family”
Yosef is a “Messiah type” who saved the local world from physical famine, and Yeshua saves the world from “spiritual famine” to all those who come to HIM and accept him as Savior and LORD!
How does this all tie in with Hanukkah? Tonight, we are in the 7th lighting of the candles. How does Yeshua Ben Yosef (Jesus, Son of Joseph) relate with Yosef Ben Israel (Joseph, the Son of Israel (Jacob)? How are these two persons similar? What is the symbolism?
Both were elevated by someone greater; Joseph was elevated by Pharoah to be his right hand over Egypt. Yeshua was the right hand of Adonai, The Father. Both started their ministry at 30 years of age. Both went "down" to Egypt at a young age. Both went "up" out of Egypt.
The center candle on the special Hanukkah menorah is elevated above the other 8. This is the "servant candle." Both Yeshua and Yosef were "elevated" with the purpose to "serve and save". Yosef, as already mentioned, saved the local countries around Egypt from physical starvation, and Yeshua saved the world from spiritual starvation and death.
We can look at the 8 candles that are beside the servant (9th) candles as the nations of the world that receive their "light" from the servant candle, being Yosef who is Israel who brings the light of salvation to the Gentiles. Also, we can look at the servant candle as "Yeshua" who brings "salvation" to all those on either side of Him. We receive the light from HIM.
Lastly, we light the Hanukkah menorah from right to left, of course starting from the "Shamash" (the servant candle). One light is lit the first night, then two lights the second night, then three lights the third night all the way up to the 8th day, 8 lights. The menorah at first sheds little light, then on the 8th night, all 9 lights are shining brightly.
We can compare this with the saying; "from "galut" to "g'ulah" we have come a long way" (from exile to redemption). In exile, we saw our future dimly lit, but through Yeshua/Jesus who brought us redemption through His blood, we now see a "bright future" Before, we were "exiled" from a personal relationship with God because we were lost sinners, but now, being "born again" we have a bright everlasting future, "8" is the number of a "new beginning" it also means something "eternal." where does the number "8" start and end? it does not have a beginning or an end.
We all have a bright future with our Messiah, who was "Yeshua Ben Yosef" the servant, the Lamb of God, and "Yeshua Ben David" our KING who is the "Lion of Judah"
Ben Avraham
Happy Hanukkah
When we look into this parashah study, we see Yosef, who was, in a way of speaking, in the “pit” He was cast into the prison for something he did not do, yet he continued to trust YHVH for his needs. This reminds us of Melech David's words “You will not leave my soul in Sheol” This was a time of testing for Yosef. It was out of his hands.
He came to Egypt as a slave, got a good position in Potiphar’s house, and went from a common slave to the comfort of a house, from house to the prison, and from prison to fame and fortune. All in YHVH's perfect timing and planning. We might ask ourselves if Yosef could have managed an escape from the house of Potiphar, or even from prison, he probably would have headed straight back to his home in Canaan. No one would have been in Egypt to interpret Pharaoh's dreams, and thus, save the world from starvation.
Yet we see that Yosef did submit himself to the perfect will of HaShem, and he was finally taken out of prison via the “cupbearer” (Oh yes, now I realize my shortcomings, there IS a guy in prison that can interpret your dreams, your majesty...) Yet Yosef gives all glory to God, “God will give the interpretation” which is a positive witness to YHVH. Pharaoh probably saw the shortcomings and weakness of the Egyptian priests who were “supposed” to get their wisdom from Egyptian gods, yet this foreign “Hebrew” gets his wisdom to interpret dreams from an “invisible” God.
Another thing we see is that Yosef not only gives the interpretation but also the “solution”. For what good is an interpretation of a dream that speaks “calamity” if there is no solution to the problem? It is kind of like saying; “Hey king, your country is doomed, 7 years of famine, starvation, death...well OK.... nice meeting you Mr. King.” yet Yosef is faithful and brings a solution, through YHVH's wisdom and perhaps the experience he already had in agriculture and livestock when he was in Canaan as a teen.
Now, he is elevated to “assistant in command” to Pharaoh and goes from “rags to riches” He is now in a position to sort of “run the country” and we see that in time, Yosef's brothers come in search of food, of course, they do not recognize him, in Egyptian clothing, some 20 years later, no beard, etc. The brothers have to be tested to see if they are really sorry for what they did to Yosef, Yosef needs to see “true repentance”. Yosef is now in the position as “judge” yet when he tested them, using Benjamin, he sees true repentance through Y'hudah, now that he sees this, he reveals his true self, “Ani Yosef!!” (I AM Yosef) He is no longer in the position of “judge” but “family”
Yosef wanted to see if his brothers were really repentant. Judah offered himself as a replacement for Benjamin; "Take me instead and let Benjamin go." In the name "Y'hudah" we see the sacred letters "YHVH" YHUdaH. The plan of the Father was to send the Son in exchange for our own lives, and thus He did. "Let me die in place of THEM (the whole lost world)"
When we were lost sinners, Yeshua was in the position as our “judge” As many who will continue to reject the free gift of salvation, will be “judged” guilty by Messiah Yeshua at the Great White Throne Judgment, yet once we come to Yeshua and accept Him as our Savior and LORD, then, we become “Family” members, and we will be treated as “family”. “Y'hudah” symbolizes “Israel” who, in the future, will recognize “HE who was pierced” and those in Israel will say, “Blessed is He who comes in the Name of YHVH” as Yosef then “Talked” with his brothers, so YHVH desires to “talk” with us, through prayer and fellowship. As Yosef invited ALL his family to Egypt, so ALL who come to recognize Yeshua as Mashiach, are invited to join the “Heavenly family”
Yosef is a “Messiah type” who saved the local world from physical famine, and Yeshua saves the world from “spiritual famine” to all those who come to HIM and accept him as Savior and LORD!
How does this all tie in with Hanukkah? Tonight, we are in the 7th lighting of the candles. How does Yeshua Ben Yosef (Jesus, Son of Joseph) relate with Yosef Ben Israel (Joseph, the Son of Israel (Jacob)? How are these two persons similar? What is the symbolism?
Both were elevated by someone greater; Joseph was elevated by Pharoah to be his right hand over Egypt. Yeshua was the right hand of Adonai, The Father. Both started their ministry at 30 years of age. Both went "down" to Egypt at a young age. Both went "up" out of Egypt.
The center candle on the special Hanukkah menorah is elevated above the other 8. This is the "servant candle." Both Yeshua and Yosef were "elevated" with the purpose to "serve and save". Yosef, as already mentioned, saved the local countries around Egypt from physical starvation, and Yeshua saved the world from spiritual starvation and death.
We can look at the 8 candles that are beside the servant (9th) candles as the nations of the world that receive their "light" from the servant candle, being Yosef who is Israel who brings the light of salvation to the Gentiles. Also, we can look at the servant candle as "Yeshua" who brings "salvation" to all those on either side of Him. We receive the light from HIM.
Lastly, we light the Hanukkah menorah from right to left, of course starting from the "Shamash" (the servant candle). One light is lit the first night, then two lights the second night, then three lights the third night all the way up to the 8th day, 8 lights. The menorah at first sheds little light, then on the 8th night, all 9 lights are shining brightly.
We can compare this with the saying; "from "galut" to "g'ulah" we have come a long way" (from exile to redemption). In exile, we saw our future dimly lit, but through Yeshua/Jesus who brought us redemption through His blood, we now see a "bright future" Before, we were "exiled" from a personal relationship with God because we were lost sinners, but now, being "born again" we have a bright everlasting future, "8" is the number of a "new beginning" it also means something "eternal." where does the number "8" start and end? it does not have a beginning or an end.
We all have a bright future with our Messiah, who was "Yeshua Ben Yosef" the servant, the Lamb of God, and "Yeshua Ben David" our KING who is the "Lion of Judah"
Ben Avraham
Happy Hanukkah
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