Parashah 09 VaYeshev

Genesis 37:1 – 40:23

By Dr. K. Blad  ©

Second edition 2013-14

Lucrative copying not permitted.  

Torah Readings:

1.      37:1-11

2.      37:12-22

3.      37:23-36

4.      38:1-30

5.      39:1-6

6.      39:7-23

7.      40:1-23

8.      Maftir: 41:20-23

Haftarah: Amos 2:6 – 3:8

VaYeshev

Means “and he settled”.

Comments

The First Aliyah, 37:1-11

37:1 “And Ya`akov settled in the land in which his father had lived as a stranger, in the land of Kana`an.”(Auth) – To settle is not the same thing as living as a stranger or being a pilgrim. A pilgrim does not consider himself as having a permanent dwelling place. He is always on his way to another place. Here Ya’akov wants to settle and stop being a pilgrim. This was a mistake. When a righteous man wants to stop struggling in order to enjoy life, he is trying to take that which is coming to him in the next world ahead of time. But HaShem did not allow Ya’akov to do this, because at this time the sad episode with Yosef took place.

Struggles are necessary in this life in order for us to stay spiritually healthy. When there are no conflicts and everything is going well, it is easy to relax or fall asleep spiritually. Problems and battles keep us alert and force us to constantly seek the Eternal. God’s Son learned obedience through suffering, as it is written in Hebrews 5:8,

“though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered.”(HNV)

This means that those who want to escape suffering and problems, therefore, will never learn obedience. The suffering that we go through in the olam hazeh, this age, produce a glory that will remain in the olam habah, the coming age, as it is written in 2 Corinthians 4:17,

 “For our light affliction, which is for the moment, works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory.”(HNV)

In Romans 8:16-18, it is written,

“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God; and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Messiah; if indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed toward us.”(HNV)

“that the proof of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes even though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Yeshua the Messiah”(HNV)

 In 1 Peter 4:13, it is written,

 “But because you are partakers of Messiah’s sufferings, rejoice; that at the revelation of his glory also you may rejoice with exceeding joy.”(HNV)

In Hebrews 11:35b, it is written,

“Others were tortured, not accepting their deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.”(HNV)

In 1 Corinthians 15:41, it is written referring to the resurrection,

“There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory.”(HNV)

37:2a “This is the history of the generations of Ya`akov. Yosef…”(HNV) – A person’s history continues through his children. This is not Yosef’s history, but Ya’akov’s. The history of Yehudah’s life is found in chapter 38. These two, Yosef and Yehudah, are Israel’s most significant sons. The entire salvation plan of the Eternal stands in relation to these two. Yosef became the father of Efrayim, who is the forefather of the head tribe of the house of Israel, which makes up the ten tribes of the North. They would later separate from the two tribes of the South. Yehudah is the forefather of the Jewish people and of the Messiah. The birthright went to Yosef’s sons, as it is written in 1 Chronicles 5:1-2,

“The sons of Re'uven the firstborn of Yisra'el (for he was the firstborn; but, because he defiled his father’s couch, his birthright was given to the sons of Yosef the son of Yisra'el; and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright. For Yehudah prevailed above his brothers, and of him came the prince; but the birthright was Yosef’s)”(HNV)

 This is the reason that the histories of Yosef and Yehudah are woven together in this section of the Scriptures.

The Eternal fulfills his purposes in the earth through Ya’akov. The people of Israel and the Messiah are the Eternal’s channels for blessing the rest of mankind. The events that are recounted here are preparations for the Messiah to be launched into Israel and the world. If we separate the Messiah from the accounts of the Torah we will have a pseudo-Messiah, a hybrid being without any historic reality or anchor. The Messiah is intimately connected with the history of Israel. We can, therefore, find prophetic foreshadows that point toward the Messiah Yeshua in the accounts of Yosef and Yehudah. These texts open the way for Yeshua to be proclaimed as the Messiah ben Yosef, Yosef’s son, and the Messiah ben David, David’s son.

37:2b “Yosef, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. Yosef brought an evil report of them to their father.”(HNV) – As we mentioned earlier, the name Yosef means “he shall remove” and “he shall add”. This refers to the Messiah who came to die in order to remove the sins of Israel and the world as well as its consequences and also to be raised from the dead in order to add gentiles to the chosen people.

“feeding the flock” – Just as Yosef was a shepherd, Yeshua was also a shepherd, but in another level, according to John 10:11, where he said,

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”(HNV)

“Yosef brought an evil report of them to their father.” – The son’s of the concubines were not behaving well, and Yosef spoke ill of them to his father. This is a sin called lashon harah, the evil tongue. The rabbis teach that Yosef had to sit in prison for 10 years because of this tongue of evil.[1]

37:3  “Now Yisra'el loved Yosef more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a coat of many colors.”(HNV) – There are several reasons why Israel loved Yosef: he was born to him in his old age, he was the son of his favorite wife, and he had much in common with him. According to a Midrash[2], Ya’akov knew prophetically that Yosef would become a great person. Ya’akov and Yosef were similar in several ways:

·        Both were born of a barren mother by divine intervention.

·        Both were hated by their brothers.

·        Both experienced their brothers trying to kill them.

·        Both became wealthy.

·        Both were married outside of the Land.

·        Both were led by angels.

·        Both fathers-in-law were blessed for their sake.

·        Both traveled to Egypt.

·        Both requested that their bones be brought to the Promised Land.

·        Both died in Egypt.

37:4 “His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, and they hated him, and couldn’t speak peaceably to him.”(HNV) – Struggles between siblings are caused, to some degree, by tension between the parents. Children reflect their parents. The “small” envy between the mothers was multiplied in the children and it turned into jealousy unto death. The reason that this jealousy went so far was the favoritism that Ya’akov had for one of his sons. Acknowledging good characteristics is not the same thing as showing favoritism. It is important that parents point out the good characteristics of all their children, without comparing them with each other. Comparison creates much unnecessary strife. Each child is unique and has different gifts and characteristics. Some have more than others. But that does not mean that one is better than the other. The one who is more gifted has a greater responsibility and more is required of him, as it is written in Luke 12:48b,

“To whoever much is given, of him will much be required; and to whom much was entrusted, of him more will be asked.”(HNV)

Good parents treat their children in the same way that the Heavenly Father treats his children, as it is written in Ephesians 6:4,

“You fathers, don’t provoke your children to wrath, but nurture them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

And in Hebrews 12:7-11, where it is written,

“It is for discipline that you endure. God deals with you as with children, for what son is there whom his father doesn’t discipline? But if you are without discipline, whereof all have been made partakers, then are you illegitimate, and not children. Furthermore, we had the fathers of our flesh to chasten us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live? For they indeed, for a few days, punished us as seemed good to them; but he for our profit, that we may be partakers of his consecration. All chastening seems for the present to be not joyous but grievous; yet afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been exercised thereby.”(HNV revised)

It is important to bring out the good sides in our children, according to the areas that HaShem has gifted them.

In spite of the critical family situation at that time in Israel, and even on account of these tensions in the family, HaShem fulfills, through his infinite wisdom, His plan of salvation for Israel and the world. He can use our carnal nature to fulfill his plans. Blessed be his Name!

Leah’s children were born with an inferiority complex and feelings of rejection, which they had inherited from their mother. Leah felt inferior, since Ya’akov preferred Rachel to her and these feelings carried over into the children.

When someone has this kind of complex, they feel that others are loved but they are not. Others are appreciated, but they are not. Others are accepted, but they are not. An inferiority complex will lead to self-hatred. No matter how much they try, they will never be content with themselves. This complex can originate from the attitudes and words of parents, already before birth. A child that has been conceived by parents who did not want children, will have a complex already before it is born. A child who hears the words, “You can’t do anything”, “You are so stupid”, “You are so annoying”, “I don’t want to see you”, “Now I don’t like you”, and so on, will have a complex because of his parents. The words of the parents have great influence over the forming of their children’s character, especially during the early part of their life.

The first six years of a child’s life are of vital importance for the rest of their lives. That is why it is important that parents do not give the care of their children over to others during the first years.

During the first years of a child’s life, the absence of parents, and especially the absence of a mother, creates an emotional vacuum within the child that cannot be filled by anything else in the world. The only thing that can restore that vacuum is a supernatural intervention by the Eternal so that the wounded soul can be healed.

Parents form the child’s picture of God. A child perceives the Eternal according to his parents’ treatment of him. If a parent is never at home or never takes time to spend with his children, then those children will believe that the Eternal is distant and not interested in their lives. If a parent treats his children harshly and punish them for every wrong step, then the children will think that the Eternal will punish them for any and every mistake. There are parents who spank their children when they make a mistake, and not when they are being rebellious. This creates a trauma within the child that is very hard to undo. Those children will have a difficult time in their relationship with the Eternal. They will think that God will punish them for any reason at all. They have not learned that there is a connection between rebellion and punishment, between disobedience and curse. They believe that the bad things that happen to them happen because the Eternal is punishing them at random.

If the parents do not have clear and consistent standards, the children will learn that the Eternal is erratic and changeable and that his commandments change from one time to the next, from one age to another. If parents promise their children something, and then do not keep the promise, it will teach the children to doubt the promises of the heavenly Father, who cannot lie. If parents lie to each other or to their children, their children will think that the Bible is not true and that the Eternal can deceive people.

If parents do not appreciate and reward their children’s efforts, their children will eventually lose interest in going forward in life. They will think that they do not have the ability to serve the Eternal. If parents make comparisons and show favoritism among their children, they will think that some of the children of the Eternal receive more favor than others, and this creates envy, strife, and idolizing of leaders within the people of HaShem.

When children receive love, attention, instruction, correction, motivation without being compared with their siblings or other friends, and appreciation first of all for who they are, and SECONDLY for what they produce, then they will learn to appreciate themselves. In this way they will be able to appreciate others without envy, even when things are going better for others. The solution for envy is love, as it is written in 1 Corinthians 13:4b,

“love doesn’t envy.”(HNV)

If someone does not love others, it is because they do not feel loved, as it is written in 1 John 4:19,

“We love him, because he first loved us.”(HNV)

If someone gives love to others, it is because that person has received love. You cannot give something that you have not first received. Therefore the solution for envy is to receive the love of the Eternal, personally.

In order to be set free from rejection and inferiority complexes, one must be able to receive love. Some people have been so wounded emotionally that they do not have the ability to believe in the love that they are given, as it is written in 1 John 4:16,

“We know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and he who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.”(HNV)

According to this text, there are two ways to relate to the love of the Eternal. The first is to get to know this love, not intellectually, but by experience. The other way is to believe the love that the Eternal has for us. There are times when we do not feel the Eternal’s love. At those times our emotions are lying to us. At those times we must come out of the prison of our emotions and believe the love that the Eternal revealed to us by letting his Son die for each and every one of us in a personal way, as it is written in Galatians 2:20b,

“That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.”(HNV)

But, if a person’s emotions are very wounded, he will create a wall of protection inside that will neither let that person come out, nor will it let another person in. Not even the love of the Eternal can reach that person’s wounded heart. No matter how much that person hears that he is loved, they cannot know or believe in the love of the Eternal. Since his feelings say that no one likes him he will not believe the person who says that they love him. He prefers to believe his feelings rather than the truth, and this is very serious, especially concerning the Word of the Eternal. In the Scriptures, HaShem has revealed his love to the whole world, as it is written in John 3:16,

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”(HNV)

The greatest revelation of the Eternal’s love is his Son’s death and resurrection for everyone personally, as it is written in 1 John 4:9,

 “By this was God’s love revealed in us, that God has sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.”(HNV)

Someone with this kind of complex has a very hard time receiving this love. There is only one thing that can come into their soul and break the wall that has been built up around their false emotions. That is the Eternal’s Word through a revelation by the power of the Spirit. In other words, only Yeshuah the Messiah, who is the living Word of HaShem, can heal the soul, as it is written in 1 Peter 2:25,

“For you were going astray like sheep; but are now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”(HNV)

In the Messianic age, which we are in right now, HaShem has given his Son Yeshua the power and ability to care for the souls of mankind. Yeshua is the only one that can heal the soul, as it is written in Matthew 11:27-30,

“All things have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows the Son, except the Father; neither does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and he to whom the Son desires to reveal him. Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”(HNV)

Yeshua has also delegated the power to deal with this kind of complex within people to his servants, as it is written in 2 Corinthians 10:3-6,

“For though we walk in the flesh, we don’t wage war according to the flesh; for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds, throwing down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Messiah; and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience will be made full.”(HNV)

The imaginations that are mentioned here are the psychological defense mechanisms that a person with a complex has built up inside. These defense mechanisms have been formed by false statements, such as, “No one loves me”, “I am stupid”, “I am ugly”, “I am poor and I will always be poor”, “I always fail”, etc. All these statements are false and they stand in opposition to the divine truth that has been revealed in the Scriptures. Rejection and inferiority complexes are emotions. These emotions are not always based on reality. These statements can be broken through the Scriptures and the power of the Spirit of the Eternal.

The other thing that is mentioned in this text is “every high thing that exalts itself.” Conceit and pride are psychological reactions that we use to try to get past our rejection and inferiority complex. Since my emotions say that I am nothing, I try to do everything in my power to prove to myself and everyone else that I actually am something. Thus we seek out all our own good points and bring them out to show them to others, trying to prove to ourselves and to others that we are really not as bad as our emotions tell us that we are. “Look, I am actually good at this!” “Look how I managed this!” Self-exaltation and pride are symptoms of a person with an inferiority complex and it shows that deep inside their heart they don’t really feel loved by anyone, not even by the Eternal.

Another way that we try to get past the feeling of rejection is to make friends by giving gifts. If I give them this or that, they will love me. We see a clear example of this in Leah, who said, according to Genesis 29:32,

“Le'ah conceived, and bore a son, and she named him Re'uven. For she said, ‘Because HaShem has looked at my affliction. For now my husband will love me.’”(HNV revised)

We see another example in Genesis 30:20, where it is written,

“Le'ah said, ‘God has endowed me with a good dowry. Now my husband will live with me, because I have borne him six sons.’ She named him Zevulun.”(HNV)

Leah believed that she could win Ya’akov’s affection through her own efforts. That is not the right way. The way to be healed from rejection is to receive the love freely given by the Eternal. His love does not depend on us, but on Him. He does not love me because I am a certain way, but because he has decided to love me.

The Eternal has two kinds of love. One is unconditional and the other is conditional. His unconditional love does not depend on man, whether he is good or bad, or whether he does what he should or not, as it is written in Hosea 3:1,

“HaShem said to me, ‘Go again, love a woman loved by another, and an adulteress, even as HaShem loves the children of Yisra'el, though they turn to other gods, and love cakes of raisins.’”(HNV revised)

In Matthew 5:44-45, it is written,

“But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.”(HNV)

In Romans 5:6-8, it says,

“For while we were yet weak, at the right time Messiah died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man. Yet perhaps for a righteous person someone would even dare to die. But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Messiah died for us.”(HNV)

This unconditional love is what heals us of our inferiority complexes.

The conditional love of the Eternal is developed when man responds to the unconditional love of the Eternal, as it is written in Deuteronomy 7:11-13,

“You shall therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which I command you this day, to do them. It shall happen, because you listen to these ordinances, and keep and do them, that HaShem your God will keep with you the covenant and the loving kindness which he swore to your fathers: and he will love you, and bless you, and multiply you; he will also bless the fruit of your body and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your cattle and the young of your flock, in the land which he swore to your fathers to give you.”(HNV revised)

And in John 14:23, it is written,

“Yeshua answered him, ‘If a man loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our home with him.’”(HNV)

Ya’akov loved Yosef more than his other sons. He loved all of them, but he loved Yosef more that the others since he had an intimate relationship with him, which depended, in part, on the love that was reciprocated. His special love was also based on the prophetic revelation that he had of his son’s future. The conditional love is always based on the unconditional love.

It is very important as a father to say to your son or daughter, “No matter what you do, I will always love you just as much”. This way the son or daughter will feel safe in the father’s love, and can have a proper relationship with his or her heavenly Father. However, if the son or daughter behaves badly, they must know that even though the father does not love the bad behavior, he still loves him or her and wishes that he or she would forsake the bad behavior

A person with an inferiority complex will project this complex on others. A mother who feels rejected will reject her children and can even say, “Now I don’t like you anymore”, “I don’t want to see you anymore”. Love is the healing for all of this.

A person who feels belittled will belittle others and cannot accept that another person is exalted above them. They are filled with envy, suspicion, and power struggles. They cannot acknowledge the good characteristics of their brothers and sisters because they feel that they are a threat.

Leah’s sons and the concubines’ sons rejected their step brother Yosef, because his father had given him the birthright. Through archeological discoveries that have been made in Egypt, we know that the Semitic chiefs had colorful garments as a sign of their leadership.[3] It is clear that it was in this way that their father revealed that Yosef would inherit the birthright, which we also saw in the text in 1 Chronicles 5:1-2. According to Deuteronomy 21:15-17, Ya’akov did not have the right to take the birthright from Re’uven and give it to Yosef; but because of the sin that Re’uven committed, he lost his birthright, see Genesis 49:3-4. It was given to Yosef, not because of personal preference, but because of the prophetic revelation. There are several examples in Scripture that show us how the natural order of things is replaced by the prophetic order, see Genesis 48:17-20.

There are two Messiah-characters spoken of in the Talmud.[4] On the one hand it speaks of Mashiach ben Yosef, who is the suffering Messiah. He is Yosef’s son, which does not necessarily need to be interpreted literally to mean that he is Yosef’s physical descendant, but figuratively, as a follower and disciple. On the other hand it speaks of Mashiach ben David, who is the triumphant Messiah and a direct descendant of the house of David.

In Yeshua both of these characters are fulfilled. When he was revealed for the first time he came as Mashiach ben Yosef and when he comes back he will come as Mashiach ben David.

“Now Yisra'el loved Yosef more than all his children… their father loved him more than all his brothers”(HNV) – The heavenly Father says of Yeshua in Matthew 3:17b,

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”(HNV)

37:7 “For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves came around, and bowed down to my sheaf.”(HNV) – The sheaves speak of the harvest that has a lot to do with both Yosef and the Messiah. Harvest it the product of the new life, which comes from the death of the grains.

“my sheaf arose” – This is referring to Yosef being exalted and to Yeshua being raised from the dead. A harvest is a product of the seeds that have first died in order to become new life.

“your sheaves came around, and bowed” – This reveals that Yosef would rule after having been exalted, and that Yeshua would rule after his resurrection. It also reveals that all of Israel’s tribes will gather around the Messiah and obey him with reverence.

37:8 “His brothers said to him, ‘Will you indeed reign over us? Or will you indeed have dominion over us?’ They hated him all the more for his dreams and for his words.”(HNV) – Yeshua was also hated for his words. In John 15:22-25; 17:14, it is written,

“If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates me, hates my Father also. If I hadn’t done among them the works which no one else did, they wouldn’t have had sin. But now have they seen and also hated both me and my Father. But this happened so that the word may be fulfilled which was written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause.’… I have given them your word. The world hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.”(HNV)

37:9 “He dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brothers, and said, ‘Behold, I have dreamed yet another dream: and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me.’”(HNV) – The sun is referring to Ya’akov, the moon is referring to Yosef’s mother, and the eleven stars are referring to Israel’s children, see Genesis 15:5; 22:17; 26:4.

This dream was not fulfilled with Yosef. First of all, his mother, Rachel, was no longer alive. Bilhah took care of him and of his brother Binyamin after Rachel’s death.

His father tells him that it is impossible that he and his mother should bow before him. This means two things. On the one hand, Rachel was already dead and therefore she could not bow before Yosef. On the other hand, it was an absurd thought that a father should bow before his son, and this did not happen in Egypt. This dream is, therefore, proof that Yosef is a prophetic picture of a future Messiah.

This message reveals that all of Israel’s descendants, who are stars, will come to bow down before the Messiah, even the patriarchs, Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya’akov. Here the Torah shows that the Messiah is greater than the fathers.

This prophetic dream is also proof of the resurrection of the dead. If now Ya’akov and Bilhah, and least of all Rachel, could not bow before Yosef in Egypt, there has to be a resurrection of the dead in order for this prophecy to be fulfilled. Then, Yosef’s mother, Rachel, will bow before Mashiach ben Yosef, who is Yeshua, the son of Yosef.

 The resurrection is connected to the sun, moon, and stars, according to 1 Corinthians 15:41-42a, where it is written,

 “There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead.”(HNV)

In Revelation 12:1-2, 5-6, it is written,

“A great sign was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child. She cried out in pain, laboring to give birth… She gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. Her child was caught up to God, and to his throne. The woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that there they may nourish her one thousand two hundred sixty days.”(HNV)

The woman symbolizes the people of Israel that gave birth to the Messiah, who was caught up to the throne of God, just before the Jewish people were dispersed by the devastations caused by the Romans during the years 70 and 135.

37:11a “His brothers envied him”(HNV) – Matthew 27:18 says,

“For he (Pilate) knew that because of envy they had delivered him up.”(HNV)

 The Second Aliyah, 37:12-22

37:13 “Yisra'el said to Yosef, ‘Aren’t your brothers feeding the flock in Shekhem? Come, and I will send you to them.’ He said to him, ‘Here I am.’”(HNV) – Yosef was sent by his father to the children of Israel. He was willing to obey his father, in spite of the fact that it would entail suffering and rejection. The same thing happened with Yeshua, as it is written in Luke 20:13-15a,

“The lord of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. It may be that seeing him, they will respect him.’ But when the farmers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.’ They threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.”(HNV)

37:14 “He said to him, ‘Go now, see whether it is well with your brothers, and well with the flock; and bring me word again.’ So he sent him out of the valley of Chevron, and he came to Shekhem.”(HNV revised) – The Hebrew word that is translated as “it is well with” is shalom[5], which means “peace”, “well being”, “success”, “health”, etc. The Messiah seeks the shalom of Israel, he seeks its peace, well being, success, and health. The Messiah is the messenger who comes with shalom to the children of Israel who are near, as it is written in Ephesians 2:17,

“He came and preached shalom to you who were far off and to those who were near.”(HNV)

“he came to Shekhem” – Shekhem means “shoulder” and symbolizes the wooden beam that was placed on Yeshua’s shoulders. When he sought after his Israelite brothers in his shalom assignment, he had to go to Shekhem, he had to die on a tree.

37:16 “He said, ‘I am looking for my brothers’”(HNV) – Yeshua came to seek and to save that which was lost, the lost sheep of the house of Israel. In Matthew 15:24, he says,

"But he answered, ‘I wasn’t sent to anyone but the lost sheep of the house of Yisra'el.’”(HNV)

37:17b “Yosef went after his brothers, and found them”(HNV) – After he had been in Shekhem, which represents death and resurrection, the Messiah goes to seek after the children of Israel until he finds them. We are a result of his seeking.

“and found them” – All of Israel’s children will be found by the Messiah in the last days.

37:18 “They saw him afar off, and before he came near to them, they conspired against him to kill him.”(HNV) – They did the same thing to Yeshua.

In Matthew 26:4 it is written,

“They took counsel together that they might take Yeshua by deceit, and kill him.”(HNV)

The Third Aliyah, 37:23-36

37:23 “It happened, when Yosef came to his brothers, that they stripped Yosef of his coat, the coat of many colors that was on him”(HNV) – The coat represented royalty and authority. They did not even recognize him as the leader that their father had placed over them. Yeshua’s brothers, his “leader-companions,” did not recognize the authority that the Father had given him either, as it is written in Matthew 21:23,

"When he had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, ‘By what authority do you do these things? Who gave you this authority?’”(HNV revised)

In Psalm 22:18, it is written,

“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”(HNV)

In Matthew 27:35, it is written,

“When they had crucified him, they divided his clothing among them, casting lots”(HNV)

37:24 “and they took him, and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty. There was no water in it.”(HNV) – The pit represents death, see Psalm 30:3, where the same Hebrew word is found, bor [6]. According to Rashi, there were scorpions and snakes in the pit.

The word “pit” is found twice in the story of Yosef; here and in 41:14, where it is translated as “dungeon”. The Torah, therefore, mentions two pits in the life of Yosef. The first one is in the land of Israel, and the second is in Egypt. That teaches us that the death of Messiah ben Yosef was both for the people of Israel and for the whole world, which is represented by Egypt.

37:25a “They sat down to eat bread”(HNV) – Right after they had thrown Yosef into the pit, they sat down to eat bread. The Jews who had turned Yeshua over to be killed, sat down to eat the Passover meal, in the evening shortly after he had been buried, as it is written in John 18:28,

“They led Yeshua therefore from Kayafa into the Praetorium. It was early, and they themselves didn’t enter into the Praetorium, that they might not be defiled, but might eat the Pesach.”(HNV)

37:26-27 “Yehudah said to his brothers, ‘What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come, and let’s sell him to the Yishma`elites, and not let our hand be on him; for he is our brother, our flesh.’ His brothers listened to him.”(HNV revised) – Yehudah was the initiator of Yosef being sold. The same thing happened with Yeshua’s disciple, Yehudah, as it is written in Matthew 26:14-16,

"Then one of the twelve, who was called Yehudah IshK'riot, went to the chief priests, and said, ‘What are you willing to give me, that I should deliver him to you?’ They weighed out for him thirty pieces of silver. From that time he sought opportunity to betray him.”(HNV revised)

37:28 “Midyanites who were merchants passed by, and they drew and lifted up Yosef out of the pit, and sold Yosef to the Yishma`elites for twenty pieces of silver. They brought Yosef into Egypt.”(HNV revised)

“drew and lifted up” – This speaks of the resurrection.

“and sold Yosef” – Yosef was likely sold at least three times before he reached Egypt. The Midyanites, the Yishma’elites, and later the Medanites, v. 36, represent the gentiles who came on the scene of the Eternal’s salvation program in connection with Yeshua’s resurrection. And in the same way that the gentiles made commerce with Yosef, there is much money made on Jesus Christ today in the world.

Yeshua was first of all sold by Yehudah (Judas), and then by the Sanhedrin, the High Court, to the gentiles. In the same way that the gentiles received Yosef, the gentiles received the message of the risen Messiah.

“into Egypt” – The Messiah was brought to the gentiles in order to become king of many of them.

37:31 “They took Yosef’s coat, and killed a male goat, and dipped the coat in the blood.”(HNV) – Since Ya’akov had deceived his father with the skin of a goat, his own children now deceived him with the same thing.

Here we see a substitutionary death in connection with Yosef’s disappearance. The Messiah’s death was also a substitutionary death.

“male goat” – This is the animal that was chosen by God for a sin offerings. The blood of a goat is the most similar to human blood, according to Rashi. It also refers to the animal used on Yom Kippur, see Leviticus 16.

 “dipped the coat in the blood” – This speaks of two things:

·        The Messiah had to die because he was rejected by his brothers.

·        The Messiah’s death is the precondition for his lordship, which is represented by the coat.

There is a connection between blood and a mantel in Genesis 49:11; Isaiah 63:2-3 and Revelation 19:13. The blood speaks of a priestly ministry and the mantel speaks of royalty. The Messiah has both of these ministries, see Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 7:1.

The Fourth Aliyah, 38:1-30

38:1-2 “It happened at that time, that Yehudah went down from his brothers, and visited a certain `Adullamite, whose name was Chirah. Yehudah saw there a daughter of a certain Kana`anite whose name was Shu`a. He took her, and went in to her.”(HNV revised) – Yehudah had been chosen to become the forefather of the kings of Israel, including the Messiah. Therefore it was very important that his family situation was accepted by the Eternal. Now he pulls away from his brothers and goes into a spiritual decline. He marries a woman with a questionable background. Rashi quotes Targum, which says that she was the daughter of a merchant, since the word “merchant” has the same root as “kana’anite”. Rabbi Ibn Ezra, however, says that he married a Kana’anite woman. The Kana’anite people had been cursed by Noach, and therefore were not suitable to intermarry with.

38:7-10 “Er, Yehudah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of HaShem. HaShem killed him. Yehudah said to Onan, ‘Go in to your brother’s wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her, and raise up seed to your brother.’ Onan knew that the seed wouldn’t be his; and it happened, when he went in to his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest he should give seed to his brother. The thing which he did was evil in the sight of HaShem, and he killed him also.”(HNV revised) – According to Rashi, the word “also” in verse 10, shows that they died for the same reason. Both spilled their seed on the ground so that his wife would not become pregnant. According to Rashi, Er did it so that Tamar would not lose her beauty. HaShem killed both of them.

We have to understand that all of this relates to the Messiah. Neither of these sons qualified as forefathers of the Messiah, and therefore they had to be removed from the plan of salvation for the world.

The same way that Yehudah caused his father the pain of losing a son, since he had suggested that Yosef should be sold, he now had to experience the consequence of losing two sons and feeling the same pain that he had caused his father.

It is interesting to see that the law about restoring the dead brother’s name was already in practice before the Torah was given on Sinai. In Deuteronomy 25:5-6, it is written,

“If brothers dwell together, and one of them die, and have no son, the wife of the dead shall not be married outside to a stranger: her husband’s brother shall go in to her, and take her to him as wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. It shall be, that the firstborn whom she bears shall succeed in the name of his brother who is dead, that his name not be blotted out of Yisra'el.”(HNV)

Here is an example of the people of Israel following the commandments before Sinai.

38:17a “He said, ‘I will send you a kid of the goats from the flock.’”(HNV) – Here Yehudah is deceived with the same animal that he used to deceive his father when he participated in putting blood on Yosef’s garment[7], see 37:31.

38:18 “He said, ‘What pledge will I give you?’ She said, ‘Your signet and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand.’ He gave them to her, and came in to her, and she conceived by him.”(HNV) – Rashi quotes Targum that writes that the three things were: his signet, his mantel, and his staff. The signet speaks of personality. The mantel speaks of distinction and the staff speaks of position. Handing these three things over is an act very similar to what happens in a wedding, and therefore there is a Midrash[8] which says that they were married before witnesses at this point. Another Midrash[9] says that the signet ring prophesied of the kings that would come from this union. The mantel symbolizes the Sanhedrin, which always bore tallit and tefillin. The shepherd’s staff symbolizes the Messiah who would be born of the tribe of Yehudah. The Torah later prophesies of a scepter in relation to Yehudah, see 49:10.

The purpose for Tamar’s action was to have children so that the Messiah could be born. Her motive was pure, but her actions were not right. In spite of that, HaShem used the situation to fulfill his plans, as always.

38:24 “It happened about three months later, that it was told Yehudah, saying, ‘Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has played the prostitute; and moreover, behold, she is with child by prostitution.’ Yehudah said, ‘Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.’”(HNV) – According to the book of Jasher, Tamar was the daughter of Elam, who was the son of Shem, Noach’s son. Since Shem was a priest and bore the title Malki-Tzedek, this judgment for the fornication that Tamar had committed was in agreement with Israel’s law, as it is written in Leviticus 21:9,

 “The daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by playing the prostitute, she profanes her father: she shall be burned with fire.”(HNV revised)

Yehudah’s decision was not made on the spur of the moment, but according to the standards that the Eternal gave his children. He passed a judgment as a judge in Israel. Here we have another example of a commandment being practiced before the Torah was given.

There are different opinions among the rabbis concerning whether or not Tamar’s action should be understood as adultery, since she was engaged to Shelach, Yehudah’s youngest son, or as the fornication of a priest’s daughter. The punishment for adultery is stoning, and the punishment for the daughter of a priest who commits fornication is that she be burned by fire.

There is an additional interpretation[10], which says that it was not a question of burning Tamar in fire, but to give her a shameful burn mark with a red hot iron. We can also note that the Hebrew word, baesh, “in fire”, is not found in this text. It is found, however, in almost all the texts which describe execution by fire, see Levitivus 20:14; 21:9. This translation agrees with Hamurabi’s[11] law, where it says in section 126,[12]

“command that the unfaithful wives should be marked in the forehead with a red hot iron.”

38:25 “When she was brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, ‘By the man, whose these are, I am with child.’ She also said, ‘Please discern whose are these - the signet, and the cords, and the staff.’”(HNV) – She did not make her father-in-law’s name official. Neither did she go to him directly and humiliate him. Talmud[13] says,

“Rabbi Yochanan said in Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai’s name, ‘It is better to be thrown into a burning oven than to shame one’s next of kin officially, and we learn this of Tamar.’”

38:26 “Yehudah acknowledged them, and said, ‘She is more righteous than I, because I didn’t give her to Shelach, my son.’ He knew her again no more.”(HNV) – According to Rashi, the Hebrew text should be understood this way, “She is right, it came from me”. The last phrase means, “she is pregnant by me.”

38:29 “It happened, as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out, and she said, ‘Why have you made a breach for yourself?’ Therefore his name was called Peretz.[14]”(HNV) – Peretz[15] means “breach”.

A Midrash[16] teaches,

“He is the savior, King Messiah… Yehudah won in the end, because from him came Peretz and Chetzron, from which later David would come and King Messiah who will come to save Israel.”

In Ruth 4:18-22, it is written,

“Now this is the history of the generations of Peretz: Peretz became the father of Chetzron, and Chetzron became the father of Ram, and Ram became the father of `Amminadav, and `Amminadav became the father of Nachshon, and Nachshon became the father of Salmon, and Salmon became the father of Bo`az, and Bo`az became the father of `Oved, and `Oved became the father of Yishai, and Yishai became the father of David.”(HNV)

Another Midrash[17] says,

“This one is greater than all those who makes the breach, and before whom you shall be raised up, about whom it is written, ‘He who breaks open the way goes up before them.’”[18]

In Micah 2:13, it is written,

“He who breaks open the way goes up before them. They break through the gate, and go out. And their king passes on before them, with HaShem at their head.”(HNV revised)

The birth of Peretz speaks of the Messiah who would be born in order to open a breach. This means, first of all, that he came to break (make a breach in) death and sin.

In the midrash Shemot Rabbah 30 you can read:

“This is the history of Peretz and its deep meaning… When the Blessed One created the world, there was not yet an angel of death… but when Adam and Eve fell into sin, all future generations were ruined. But when PERETZ was born, history began to be fulfilled through him, for through him Messiah would be raised up. And in his days the Blessed One will cause death to be swallowed up, as it is written, ‘He shall destroy death forever’ (Isaiah 25:8).”

This is in line with Romans 5:12, where it says:

“Therefore, as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin; and so death passed to all men, because all sinned.”(HNV)

And with 1 Corinthians 15:21, 22, 26, 54, where it is written:

“For since death came by man, the resurrection of the dead also came by man. For as in Adam all die, so also in Messiah all will be made alive… The last enemy that will be abolished is death… But when this corruptible will have put on incorruption, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then what is written will happen: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’”(HNV)

The other thing that the Messiah would come to do was to open a breach in the wall which hindered other people from coming into the heavenly Israel, as it is written in Ephesians 2:14,

“For he is our shalom, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of partition”(HNV)

The Messiah came to make a breach in the wall that separated Jew and gentile, so that salvation could reach out to the farthest borders of the earth and so that the prophetic word could be fulfilled, which said that all nations of the earth would be blessed through Avraham’s, Yitzchak’s, and Ya’akov’s descendant, see Genesis 22:18; 16:4; 28:14.

The Messiah is also able to break down the inner walls that hinder peoples’ emotional lives from being touched by God’s love.

The Fifth Aliyah, 39:1-6

39:2a “HaShem was with Yosef”(HNV revised) – Yeshua is spoken of in the same way in Acts 10:38, where it is written,

“(you know) even Yeshua of Natzeret, how God anointed him with the Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.”(HNV revised)

In John 3:2, it is written,

“The same came to him by night, and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him.’”(HNV)

39:4 “Yosef found favor in his sight. He ministered to him, and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.”(HNV) – In the same way, the Eternal has handed his whole house over into the Messiah’s hand, as it is written in Hebrews 3:5-6,

“Moshe indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were afterward to be spoken, but Messiah is faithful as a Son over his house; whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the glorying of our hope firm to the end.”(HNV)

39:5  “It happened from the time that he made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that HaShem blessed the Egyptian’s house for Yosef’s sake; and the blessing of HaShem was on all that he had, in the house and in the field.”(HNV revised) – Just as a gentile was blessed for Yosef’s sake, so the gentiles are blessed for the Messiah Yeshua’s sake, in spite of the fact that they do not always identify him as Israel’s Messiah, but call him “Jesus Christ”.

39:6  “He left all that he had in Yosef’s hand. He didn’t concern himself with anything, except for the food which he ate. Yosef was well-built and handsome.”(HNV) – This is in line with Matthew 28:18-20, where it is written,

“Yeshua came to them and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Therefore go, and make disciples of all nations in my name[19] and teach them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.”(HNV revised)

Rashi says that the word “food” is an expression, which in this case means “wife”, see 39:9.

The Sixth Aliyah, 39:7-23

39:9  “He isn’t greater in this house than I, neither has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”(HNV) – Yosef resisted the temptations because he lived in the presence of HaShem. In the same way, the Messiah was tempted in everything, but without sin, as it is written in Hebrews 4:15,

“For we don’t have a high priest who can’t be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin.”(HNV revised)

In Acts 2:25, it is written,

“For David says concerning him, ‘I saw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved.’”(HNV)

 In Psalm 16:8, it is written,

“I have set HaShem always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.”(HNV)

39:17 “She spoke to him according to these words, saying, ‘The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought to us, came in to me to mock me,’”(HNV) – Yosef was called “Hebrew servant”. Yeshua was also a Hebrew servant, as it is written in Philippians 2:7,

“but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.”(HNV)

In Mark 10:42-45, it is written,

“Yeshua summoned them, and said to them, ‘You know that they who are recognized as rulers over the gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you, but whoever wants to become great among you shall be your servant. Whoever of you wants to become first among you, shall be bondservant of all. For the Son of Man also came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’”(HNV revised)

39:20b “and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were bound, and he was there in custody.”(HNV) – Just as Yosef was falsely accused and put in prison, so Yeshua was sentenced to death unrighteously.

39:23b “HaShem was with him; and that which he did, HaShem made it prosper.”(HNV) – In the same way, the will of the Eternal had its way through the death of the Righteous Messiah, as it is written in Isaiah 53:10,

“Yet it pleased HaShem to bruise him; he has put him to grief: when you shall make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of HaShem shall prosper in his hand.”(HNV)

The Seventh Aliyah, 40:1-19

40:6-7 “Yosef came in to them in the morning, and saw them, and saw that they were sad. He asked Par`oh’s officers who were with him in custody in his master’s house, saying, ‘Why do you look so sad today?’”(HNV) – Just as Yosef was concerned with the wellbeing of the Egyptians, so the Messiah is concerned with the good of the gentiles. He seeks after the wellbeing of his Israelite brothers first, in 37:14, and here he is seeking the wellbeing of the gentiles as well, as it is written in Romans 1:16,

 “For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Messiah, for it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes; for the Jew first, and also for the Greek.”(HNV)

40:8  “They said to him, ‘We have dreamed a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it.’ Yosef said to them, ‘Don’t interpretations belong to God? Please tell it to me.’”(HNV) – Notice that they do not say that they had two dreams, but just one dream. That gives us a hint that both dreams lead us to the same prophetic message. It is speaking of the Messiah’s death and resurrection.

40:9  “The chief cupbearer told his dream to Yosef, and said to him, ‘In my dream, behold, a vine was in front of me’”(HNV) – In John 15:1, Yeshua said that he is the true vine.

40:10a, 12 “’and in the vine were three branches…’ Yosef said to him, ‘This is the interpretation of it: the three branches are three days.’”(HNV) – The three days speak of the Messiah’s resurrection after three days.

40:11 “Par`oh’s cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Par`oh’s cup, and I gave the cup into Par`oh’s hand.”(HNV) – The word “cup”, is mentioned three times here. In verse 13, it is mentioned a fourth time. These four cups are reminiscent of the Pesach meal, which is eaten in the memory of the redemption from death by the blood of the Lamb. The names of the four cups are: Kiddush (consecration), judgment, redemption, and praise. The blood of the grapes speaks of the Messiah’s death, see Genesis 49:11. Yeshua had to drink the second cup, the judgment, according to Matthew 26:39; 20:22; John 18:11. The third cup on the Pesach table is taken after the meal is eaten, which, during the time of the temple, consisted of roasted lamb. This was the cup that was established as a memory of Yeshua, as it is written in Luke 22:20,

“Likewise, he took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.’”(HNV)

40:13 “Within three more days, Par`oh will lift up your head, and restore you to your office. You will give Par`oh’s cup into his hand, the way you did when you were his cupbearer.”(HNV) – Yeshua was raised up from the dead after three days, and placed in the position which he had before the foundation of the earth was laid, as it is written in John 17:5,

“Now, Father, glorify me with your own self with the glory which I had with you before the world existed.”(HNV)

This text teaches us that right now the Messiah Yeshua is the servant of the Highest King in heaven. He is pouring out his blood as a high priest before the Father, as it is written in Hebrews 9:23-26,

“It was necessary therefore that the copies of the things in the heavens should be cleansed with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Messiah hasn’t entered into consecrated places made with hands, which are representations of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest enters into the consecrated place year by year with blood not his own, or else he must have suffered often since the foundation of the world. But now once at the end of the ages, he has been revealed to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.”(HNV revised)

40:14 “But remember me when it will be well with you, and show kindness, please, to me, and make mention of me to Par`oh, and bring me out of this house.”(HNV) – Because he placed his trust in a man, he had to remain in prison for two more years. This kind of corruption is not acceptable for a servant of the Kingdom. The type of manipulation that uses “contacts” to get around the lawful way that things are done, deserves two years in prison. If you do not do things the lawful way, you deserve to sit in prison for two years, according to divine righteousness.

On the other hand, we can find similar words in the circumstances around the Messiah’s death in Luke 23:42, where it is written,

“He said to Yeshua, ‘Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ Yeshua said to him, ‘Assuredly I tell you today, you will be with me in Paradise.’”(HNV revised)

40:16 “When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Yosef, ‘I also was in my dream, and, behold, three baskets of white bread were on my head.’”(HNV) – The bread symbolizes Messiah, who was born in Beit-Lechem, “the house of bread”.

In John 6:35, 51, 58, it is written,

“I am the bread of life.”

40:18 “Yosef answered, ‘This is the interpretation of it. The three baskets are three days.’”(HNV) – The three days speak of the resurrection of the Messiah.

40:19 “Within three more days, Par`oh will lift up your head from off you, and will hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat your flesh from off you.”(HNV) – Here the Torah is speaking of how the Messiah would die, he would be hung on a tree.

40:20-22 “It happened the third day, which was Par`oh’s birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants, and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. He restored the chief cupbearer to his position again, and he gave the cup into Par`oh’s hand; but he hanged the chief baker, as Yosef had interpreted to them.”(HNV) – Yosef’s prophecy to them was fulfilled. In the same way, the prophecy was fulfilled that Yeshua made in Mark 9:31, where it says,

“For he was teaching his disciples, and said to them, ‘The Son of Man is being handed over to the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, on the third day he will rise again.’”(HNV revised)

The baker died, which refers to the death of the Messiah, and the cupbearer received new life, which refers to the resurrection of the Messiah. These two dreams, which are considered as one dream, were interpreted by Yosef who himself is a prophetic picture of Mashiach ben Yosef, the suffering Messiah.

One who does not see that Moshe speaks of Yeshua as the Messiah, is blind, as it is written in John 5:46,

“For if you believed Moshe, you would believe me; for he wrote about me.”(HNV)

And in 2 Corinthians 3:14-15, it is written,

“But their minds were hardened, for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains, because in Messiah it passes away. But to this day, when Moshe is read, a veil lies on their heart.”(HNV)

In Luke 24:44-47, it is written,

"He said to them, ‘This is what I told you, while I was still with you, that all things which are written in the Torah of Moshe, the Prophets, and the Psalms, concerning me must be fulfilled.’ Then he opened their minds, that they might understand the Scriptures. He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning at Yerushalayim.’”(HNV revised)

In John 1:45b, it is written,

“Pilipos found Natan'el, and said to him, ‘We have found him, of whom Moshe in the Torah, and the Prophets, wrote: Yeshua of Natzeret, the son of Yosef.’”(HNV revised)

Dear Reader, have you found him too?