12.10.24 ~ Two-faced, or Two as One?
Good morning!
We live in a world governed by crooked politicians, social media, high tech, and Hollywood that promotes a two-faced society. It's a world where the left act as though they are right. And they are persistent in pressing their agenda until the resistance becomes exhausted and throws in the towel or raises the white flag.
However there is a group of people rising up, spiritually and physically that want to take the two-faced reality of all our lives and make them unified as one face; one that is the same inside as it is outside.
Commercial: Last night's zoom call: The death of Rebecca's nurse (Gen. 35:8). "Seeing life from behind the scenes through the eyes of the woman who sets the tone for all women, standing by their man"
In a world where people are desperately looking for answers, we don't have to look any further than the foundational truths from the Patriarchs, our forefathers who went before us (1 Cor. 10:1). Through Abraham we learn mercy and hospitality. Through Isaac we learn strength, judgment and the fear of the Lord. In Jacob we learn the balance/tiferet between the two and we learn the merit of truth (Micah 7:20).
These men are like the chariots of God in this present world. They maximized their human potential. They carried God's presence and purpose into this world. No, they didn't transcend beyond their human existence, but they reached their potential in spite of their setbacks and early life choices. They teach us valuable lessons on how to become the best we can be and how to overcome the two-faced society that saturates us daily.
There is more written of Jacob, in the book of Genesis, than any other character. Out of the 'big three' we can identify with him the most. His adventures, expressions of emotions, his setbacks and his ability to model a complete person. Literally, he became the legacy of Adam and what it means to be human.
Jacob is one of my favorite characters in all of Scripture. Why, you ask? He learned how to confront his life issues face to face; something that is not easy for me.
Though he is famous for his deception with his father Isaac, Scripture testifies that he truly is a man of truth (Mic. 7:20). He made what appears to be a bad decision towards Esau and his father, but from that point forward each decision he made rectifies that bad choice. No, it doesn't undo the choice, but he worked diligently for 22 years to resolve that decision; knowing all the time that the brother he offended was out to kill him...not an easy task!
After Joseph's birth, Jacob was emboldened to face Esau (Gen. 30:25). Prophetically, he was empowered with the physical presence of an individual in his life, which strengthened him to face his largest nightmare (Obad. 1:18). He didn't rush in where 'angels' fear to tread, but he acted on the wisdom he learned from his father and grandfather on how to confront the situation with Esau.
This week, we will continue our study in the Torah portion Vayishlach/and he sent and throughout this section of Scripture we will see faces/panim appearing all over the place. The most prominent example is when Jacob sent 3 flocks of gifts to appease the face/pani of Esau (Gen. 32:21) and afterwards Jacob would be able to face/pani him and be forgiven for his previous deception.
Once Jacob set this rectification of the past in motion, he had to wrestle with issues within himself (Gen. 32:22ff) where, through overcoming through submission, his name was changed from Jacob/yaakov, the crooked one, to Israel, the one who walks upright and overcomes with God. It was here that he saw God face to face/peniel and his walk would never be the same (Gen. 32:31).
His encounter with the divine presence altered the way he viewed his arch enemy, Esau. When Esau arrived with 400 men, instead of violent war they embraced, kissed, wept, and Jacob spoke to Esau as one who had the face/pani of an angel (Gen. 33:10).
The relationship was rectified, the past was forgiven and both went their separate ways. When Jacob arrived in Shechem, the site of a future blood bath, he encamped in the face/pani of the city, where he would have to face more challenges.
Jacob's story of truth starts with his encounter at the house of God/Bethel with the ladder in Genesis 28. The ladder starts at the earth and reaches to heaven where the angels are going up and down "in" the ladder. What does this mean? What is the significance of this angelic ministry within Jacob's life? Hebrews 1:14 gives us a great insight.
"Are they not all ministering Spirits sent forth to minister for those who are about to inherit salvation"?
There are two views within this story, which is an important lesson for each of us. There is how Jacob's face is viewed from above and how his face is viewed from below. The ladder is really about our ability to connect the earth with heaven and bring heaven down to earth, which is revealed in our faces/panim and in our behavior (Matt. 6:10).
Each of us has two faces. There is one on the inside and there is one that we portray on the outside. One is spiritual and the other physical. The purpose of the angels ministering in us is that the two faces of our lives would become one.
Ultimately, that the outward expression of our behavior would match the inner man (Rom. 8:29). Our goal in being men of truth is to unveil the inner face in all external circumstances. This is the secret of the faces/panim. It is this reality that reveals the secrets of the world.
As we've discussed in previous studies, Yeshua is the ladder (John 1:50,51). Jacob is the ladder (Gen. 32:1,2). We have the potential, through conforming our lives to our Messiah Yeshua, to be the ladder. Is it possible for us to express the inner/panut man to the world around us? Is it possible for us to reveal the divine spark in each of us (John 1:9)? Will we let our light shine during these winter months where invisible roots are growing deep and visible leaves are absent?
The destiny of all mankind is to reveal the hidden things of this world. To help people look past the facade of the superficial. We are responsible for making this planet a better place to live, aka tikkun olam. We are to take responsibility for the betterment of the world and it begins with us.
And one day, because of the truth lived out in our lives, we will go to the temple of the God of Jacob, where the Truth of the Torah will flow to all of the nations (Isa. 2:1-4). This will be the reality for those who have clean hands and a pure heart and seek the face of the God of Jacob (Psa. 24:1-6).
The Aaronic blessing which is prayed at the end of many services is a constant reminder that God wants his face to shine upon you! He doesn't hang his head in shame of us, he lifts his face upon us to give us peace and he places his name upon Israel so we will live the two-faced lifestyle as one (Num. 6:23-27).
This is the answer for overcoming the world. Focus on getting your two faces as one and then let your light shine that they may see your good works and glorify our Father in heaven (Matt. 5:13-16).
Shalom!
We live in a world governed by crooked politicians, social media, high tech, and Hollywood that promotes a two-faced society. It's a world where the left act as though they are right. And they are persistent in pressing their agenda until the resistance becomes exhausted and throws in the towel or raises the white flag.
However there is a group of people rising up, spiritually and physically that want to take the two-faced reality of all our lives and make them unified as one face; one that is the same inside as it is outside.
Commercial: Last night's zoom call: The death of Rebecca's nurse (Gen. 35:8). "Seeing life from behind the scenes through the eyes of the woman who sets the tone for all women, standing by their man"
In a world where people are desperately looking for answers, we don't have to look any further than the foundational truths from the Patriarchs, our forefathers who went before us (1 Cor. 10:1). Through Abraham we learn mercy and hospitality. Through Isaac we learn strength, judgment and the fear of the Lord. In Jacob we learn the balance/tiferet between the two and we learn the merit of truth (Micah 7:20).
These men are like the chariots of God in this present world. They maximized their human potential. They carried God's presence and purpose into this world. No, they didn't transcend beyond their human existence, but they reached their potential in spite of their setbacks and early life choices. They teach us valuable lessons on how to become the best we can be and how to overcome the two-faced society that saturates us daily.
There is more written of Jacob, in the book of Genesis, than any other character. Out of the 'big three' we can identify with him the most. His adventures, expressions of emotions, his setbacks and his ability to model a complete person. Literally, he became the legacy of Adam and what it means to be human.
Jacob is one of my favorite characters in all of Scripture. Why, you ask? He learned how to confront his life issues face to face; something that is not easy for me.
Though he is famous for his deception with his father Isaac, Scripture testifies that he truly is a man of truth (Mic. 7:20). He made what appears to be a bad decision towards Esau and his father, but from that point forward each decision he made rectifies that bad choice. No, it doesn't undo the choice, but he worked diligently for 22 years to resolve that decision; knowing all the time that the brother he offended was out to kill him...not an easy task!
After Joseph's birth, Jacob was emboldened to face Esau (Gen. 30:25). Prophetically, he was empowered with the physical presence of an individual in his life, which strengthened him to face his largest nightmare (Obad. 1:18). He didn't rush in where 'angels' fear to tread, but he acted on the wisdom he learned from his father and grandfather on how to confront the situation with Esau.
This week, we will continue our study in the Torah portion Vayishlach/and he sent and throughout this section of Scripture we will see faces/panim appearing all over the place. The most prominent example is when Jacob sent 3 flocks of gifts to appease the face/pani of Esau (Gen. 32:21) and afterwards Jacob would be able to face/pani him and be forgiven for his previous deception.
Once Jacob set this rectification of the past in motion, he had to wrestle with issues within himself (Gen. 32:22ff) where, through overcoming through submission, his name was changed from Jacob/yaakov, the crooked one, to Israel, the one who walks upright and overcomes with God. It was here that he saw God face to face/peniel and his walk would never be the same (Gen. 32:31).
His encounter with the divine presence altered the way he viewed his arch enemy, Esau. When Esau arrived with 400 men, instead of violent war they embraced, kissed, wept, and Jacob spoke to Esau as one who had the face/pani of an angel (Gen. 33:10).
The relationship was rectified, the past was forgiven and both went their separate ways. When Jacob arrived in Shechem, the site of a future blood bath, he encamped in the face/pani of the city, where he would have to face more challenges.
Jacob's story of truth starts with his encounter at the house of God/Bethel with the ladder in Genesis 28. The ladder starts at the earth and reaches to heaven where the angels are going up and down "in" the ladder. What does this mean? What is the significance of this angelic ministry within Jacob's life? Hebrews 1:14 gives us a great insight.
"Are they not all ministering Spirits sent forth to minister for those who are about to inherit salvation"?
There are two views within this story, which is an important lesson for each of us. There is how Jacob's face is viewed from above and how his face is viewed from below. The ladder is really about our ability to connect the earth with heaven and bring heaven down to earth, which is revealed in our faces/panim and in our behavior (Matt. 6:10).
Each of us has two faces. There is one on the inside and there is one that we portray on the outside. One is spiritual and the other physical. The purpose of the angels ministering in us is that the two faces of our lives would become one.
Ultimately, that the outward expression of our behavior would match the inner man (Rom. 8:29). Our goal in being men of truth is to unveil the inner face in all external circumstances. This is the secret of the faces/panim. It is this reality that reveals the secrets of the world.
As we've discussed in previous studies, Yeshua is the ladder (John 1:50,51). Jacob is the ladder (Gen. 32:1,2). We have the potential, through conforming our lives to our Messiah Yeshua, to be the ladder. Is it possible for us to express the inner/panut man to the world around us? Is it possible for us to reveal the divine spark in each of us (John 1:9)? Will we let our light shine during these winter months where invisible roots are growing deep and visible leaves are absent?
The destiny of all mankind is to reveal the hidden things of this world. To help people look past the facade of the superficial. We are responsible for making this planet a better place to live, aka tikkun olam. We are to take responsibility for the betterment of the world and it begins with us.
And one day, because of the truth lived out in our lives, we will go to the temple of the God of Jacob, where the Truth of the Torah will flow to all of the nations (Isa. 2:1-4). This will be the reality for those who have clean hands and a pure heart and seek the face of the God of Jacob (Psa. 24:1-6).
The Aaronic blessing which is prayed at the end of many services is a constant reminder that God wants his face to shine upon you! He doesn't hang his head in shame of us, he lifts his face upon us to give us peace and he places his name upon Israel so we will live the two-faced lifestyle as one (Num. 6:23-27).
This is the answer for overcoming the world. Focus on getting your two faces as one and then let your light shine that they may see your good works and glorify our Father in heaven (Matt. 5:13-16).
Shalom!
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