PARASHA "VaYIGASH" (and he drew near) GEN 44:18-47:27

[Jacob Ben Avraham]

PARASHA: "VaYIGASH" (and he drew near) (Joseph's brothers draw near "again" but this time, with hearts renewed"

GEN 44:18-47:27.................EZEKIEL 37:15-28.................LUKE 6:9-16

We are approaching the climax of the reunion between Yosef and his brothers, "Y'hudah
approaches Yosef and really pours out his heart to him, Remember that Y'hudah will be the blessed tribe from who will come Messiah Yeshua. chap 44:18 until the beginning of chap 45, Judah shows a contrite heart, tells it like it is, he is even willing to be a "bond slave" instead of Benyamin (vs 33) this touches Yosef's heart, he now knows that his brothers have a change of heart, they are in the mode of "Teshuvah" (a change of heart, attitude, mind, way of thinking, etc) ...........THEN.....in chapter 45, we see a change of heart in Yosef.

45:3 "ANI YOSEF, HAYOD AVI?" (I AM JOSEPH, DOES MY FATHER LIVE?) Yosef acts no more as a judge, but as a family member, their "brother" when his brothers were before him, he had to act as a "judge" to test their hearts, when he saw their repentance, he changed roles and acted as their "forgiving brother" and all of chapter 45 reveals the "Yosef, the brother" and no longer "Yosef the judge" before he was "dayan" (Judge) now he is "mishpocha" family. He will, take care of them, will send for father Jacob, will give his family the best of Egypt (Goshen)

We can parallel this so much with Messiah Yeshua, and our relationship with Him. BEFORE our change of heart, before being "born again" God is our "judge" if we die in our sins, we will be judged guilty, and spend eternity separated from God, however, when we come to Him as repentant sinners, with contrite hearts, and receive Messiah Yeshua as Savior and LORD, ....THEN....His position changes, He will then be "Goeleinu" and not "dayaneinu" (our redeemer and not our judge) Well yes, in a way, he will be our judge, He will judge our works, our deeds in Heaven, but it will not be a salvation issue.

Yosef revealed himself to his brothers now as "family" Yeshua reveals himself to us as "family" Yosef sent for his father and brought all his "family" to the land of Egypt, to the good land of Goshen. God has provided for all of us, "mansions" in His Kingdom, and He will send for us in HIS good timing, this is "going the way of all the earth" all that have died in Messiah Yeshua, are now in HIS presence, and he will care for us ALL, in HIS Kingdom

This is the eternal hope, we are part of his family, we are members of the "Commonwealth of Israel" citizens of all races, yet trusting ONE master, ONE God, ONE LORD (YHVH)
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EZEKIEL 37:15-28

when we study scripture, we learned of the division between Israel, Judah was divided from the rest of the tribes of Israel, because of the evil son of Solomon, yet, even though e tribes were divided, they will become ONE (Echad) again, many millions of descendants of Abraham, will be joined together as ONE PEOPLE, today, we have the descendants of the divided tribes in many lands, the Ashkenazim of Germany and Eastern Europe, the Sephardim of Spain and the middle east, the Falashim of Africa, and in every corner of the world, there are the remnants of the divided tribes, yet, we are still ONE in Yeshua,
We are "bnei Yisrael baGoyim haOlam" (the children of Israel in the nations of the world)
yet we are joined together in faith and in the Torah, and in One Messiah, Messiah Yeshua
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LUKE 6:9-16

Yeshua heals a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, The Pharisees, were stuck on "tradition" no work was to be done on the Sabbath, well then, you shouldn't even get out of bed on the Sabbath, because your leg muscles have to "work" to get out and up out of bed, if you want to get really technical, yet Yeshua (who is the author of the whole Torah)

defines Sabbath ethics, performing a "good deed" a "mitzvah" to help another is indeed permitted. For this reason, we are saved "unto good works" so that we may store up riches in Heaven. Some ask, what kind of "work" should not be done on the Sabbath, well, any thing that is really not essential, or something that can wait until the next day, The Sabbath is for resting and relaxation, worshiping HaShem and studying Torah (well, worship and study Torah is an everyday thing, wouldn't you say?)

Shabbat Shalom........Rabbi Ben Avraham