12 30 25 – With This

The daughter of a pagan priest, two adopted sons, a marriage contract, and an Israelite who walked like an Egyptian… what do these seemingly random things have to do with us in the twenty-first century? 

This setting within our Torah portion, Vayechi ("and he lived"), makes for a nice Bible study, but is there more for our practical walk in Messiah to glean? Inquiring minds want to know :-). The question many ask is, "Why would Jacob/Israel ask, 'Who are these?'"

Jacob was 147 years old at the time of Genesis 48. He realized his life on this earth was coming to an end. He called Joseph to himself and made him promise that he would not allow his bones to remain in Egypt, but that he would take them back to the land of Canaan and bury them with his family (Gen. 47:29–31)—what I call the prototype Exodus before the first Exodus took place (more on that during Friday night's Zoom call at 8:00 p.m. EST, 699 858 9149).

Joseph understood the severity of his father's request. Knowing that his father would soon die, he brought his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, to his father so he could bless them (Gen. 48:1).

"And now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are. And the children that you father after them shall be yours. They shall be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance."
(Gen. 48:5–6)

How did Israel not recognize these boys?

"Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age so that he could not see."
(Gen. 48:10)

However, the Torah offers a deeper answer—one that can help us see a beautiful picture of what Yeshua has done for us. Most of our Bibles translate Joseph's response as "They are my sons, whom God has given me here" (Gen. 48:9). However, the original Hebrew is slightly different and contains unusual wording. It says they are my sons whom God has given me with this (bazeh). Huh?

Sounds like a study we did last week—can I get a "with-ness"? :-)

What is this? The text does not tell us, but whatever it was, it made all the difference in the world and permitted Israel to adopt these two Egyptian children. According to many insightful people, it is a marriage contract. Huh? At first this seems a little absurd. Why would Joseph hold out his marriage contract in response to his father's question about his children? Inquiring minds want to know :-)

Jacob knew Ephraim and Manasseh were not about physical recognition, but one of identity. If we remember, Joseph had married the daughter of Potipherah, the priest of On (Gen. 41:45). Joseph's marriage, in particular, was to the daughter of a pagan priest, which would have undoubtedly been a concern for Jacob and the future of the seed of Abraham. Jacob most likely saw Ephraim and Manasseh as Gentiles and not as descendants of Abraham's covenantal blessings. If Joseph showed Jacob his ketubah (marriage contract), however, then Joseph would be saying that his wife was no longer the daughter of a pagan priest but had given up her pagan identity for a new one. This would allow Jacob to see his grandsons differently and give him the confidence to adopt them as his own.

With "this" on display, Ephraim and Manasseh were considered to be the offspring of Abraham and heirs to the promise of Abraham—just as Joseph was. Very interesting, Professor Dumpling :-)

Yeshua does something similar for those outside of His family who come to Him. He told His disciples:

"I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice, so there will be one flock, under one Shepherd."
(John 10:16)

Once we come to Yeshua and renounce our former identity, we take on a new identity as new creations in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). Yeshua's Father looks at us not as pagans but as one of His own! I like that!!

The apostle Paul said, in parallel fashion, that the Gentiles who accepted Yeshua are grafted into the nourishing root of the olive tree of Israel (Jer. 11:16; Ps. 52:8; Rom. 11:17); that they are fellow heirs, members of the same body, partakers of the promise in Messiah Yeshua (Eph. 3:6):

"That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel."
(Eph. 3:6)

And they are Abraham's offspring according to the promise of Galatians 3:29:

"And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
(Gal. 3:29)

If we are in Messiah, we have a place at the table offered to us, so to speak. We do not have to worry that our Father will not recognize us or claim us as His own.

On the third day of this week and the thirtieth day of December, on the fiscal calendar, this is good news for all of us. Can I get a "with-ness"?

Have a shalom-filled day!

Alan

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