Shabbat 18th December 2021 | Comment on Genesis 47-50

The future of the world was settled between YHVH’s prophecy to ABRAM in Gen 15:13-16 about “the fourth generation” of his seed which would make an Exodus; and His prophecy to JACOB in Gen 46:3&4 about the scale of that national Exodus, as described later in Deut 4:32-40.

One God. One household. One adopting nation. One church – “members of the same body” as the righteous remnant of the Tribes in antiquity (Acts 7:38; Eph 3:6). One faith. The Nazarene ‘sect’ entrusted with the knowledge of “the (uncompromised) Way which Y’shua would expound as Moses predicted (Deut 18:18,19; Acts 3:21-26; 24:5,14). One Messiah. One inheritance of the world, for it to be a world without end belonging to the heirs of the House of Jacob (Is 45:17-25; Rom 4:13,16).

Genesis 47 through 50 is the concentrated account and principal deposit in the Torah of YHVH’s prophetic decision, for the sake of HIS righteousness, to exalt the House of Jacob for whom He created the Universe (and setting Shabbat as the seal of their ORDER-in-election as firstborn and therefore of their PRIMACY of PURPOSE-in-election – Ex 31:13,16), for rulership of the world through the reign of the once- suffering, resurrected Messiah (Is 9:6,7; Lk 1:32,33; Mk 11:10) Whom Joseph foreshadowed as the ‘hidden one’ who was revealed to preserve THIS dynastic household, to be forever chief of nations.

It is said of Messiah and of those who obey Him, whose delight is in His law, that He is “not ashamed to call us brothers” (Heb 2:11; 5:9; 10:36; 1 Jn 2:28,29).

Joseph revealing himself to his eleven brothers AS A BROTHER in his father Jacob’s household (the household of YHVH), foreshadows Y’shua as LORD over all AND as the Brother Who rules IN JACOB, revealing himself to US in the same household through our adoption, to join and cleave to Jacob’s remnant (Ps 59:13; Rom 11).

Because of His total identification with humanity, it is not familiarity to call Y’shua ‘one of us,’ PROVIDED we are walking deferentially “in Him,” by keeping covenant to be established amongst the House of Jacob on the path to perfection of the love command, to be pure as He is pure, to be exalted “in thee (Jacob)” as seed of Abraham, in due time (Gen 28:14; Ex 19:5-8; Deut 7:6-15; 28:1-3,9; 26:16-19; 29:9,12-15; Lk 6:40; Col 1:22,23,28,29; 2:6; 4:12; 1 Jn 2:3-6,17,28,29; 3:3-10,24; 4:17; 5:2,3; 2 Jn 5&6)

Here, in Gen 49:10,24 (Is 49:5-8) we read how Messiah our hope of glory, formerly hidden in the Echad as the mystery of Godliness (Col 2:2; 1 Tim 3:16), is the Stone of Israel, the Shepherd and Helper of Jacob FROM “the Mighty One of Jacob,” Who would become the Head of the redeemed remnant of Jacob (forever the church of YHVH) and their co-heirs (Eph 2:11,12,19; Heb 12:23) as the prophecies spoken over each of the covenant sons of Jacob would play themselves out, to bring us to fulfilment of Matt 19:28 and Rev 21:12, which categorically affirm ownership of the FUTURE by the house of prayer for all nations (Is 56:6-8) which is methodically identified as the remnant of the household of Abraham reckoned through Isaac and then Jacob, to whom was entrusted the knowledge of the Way of YHVH which would become the Messianic faith of the nation of Israel (Gen 18:18,19; 26:5; Acts 7:38; Lk 1:33; Acts 24:14; Gal 3:29).

Jacob awaits fulfilment of the promise to him that the New Covenant will bring Israel to their fulness (Gen 28:14; Is 29:22-24; Lk 1:33; Rom 11) so that grandfather Abraham’s promise can be fulfilled by a faithful remnant of Israel, and from the nations (Gen 12:1-7; 18:18,19).

Gen 47-50 is rich testimony of YHVH’s love for the fathers (Rom 11:25-29), His assurance of their inheritance of the nations, in Messiah (Ps 2:7,8; Is 14:1; 54:3; 55:5; Zech 2:10-12; Eph 2:11,12; Rev 21:12), with the promise of restitution when all is said and done, when He glorifies His set apart nation in the sight of the world (Is 46:13; 60-62; Haggai 2:5-9; Lk 2:32).

None of the three fathers of the faith were ever left “destitute of mercy and truth” (Gen 24:27; 32:9,10), because their paths were illuminated and undergirded by intimate personal prophecy for the nation’s sake, for YHVH’s Name’s sake.

Likewise, all eleven sons of Jacob AND the house of Joseph (nominally represented by his two sons born in captivity) were recipients of detailed prophetic information upon which to rest themselves, going forward. Always helpful to have prophecy in order not to be tempted to lean unto one’s own understanding.

As adopted seed of Jacob, surnamed by the God-King of Jacob (Is 41:21,27; 45:4; Lk 1:33) OUR houses within the dynasty of Jacob, are no less eligible for Spirit-led reproof where necessary, and the necessary guidance to fulfil our household rôles in the glorification of the nation, its commonwealth and its church, as “one new man” (Eph 2:11,12,16,19; 5:26,27).

All of history is heading for exaltation of the more glorious latter house of Jacob (Haggai 2:5-9). It’s our spiritual home, for eternity (Lk 1:33).

These four chapters stand out as the strongest proof that YHVH is fittingly called the Helper of Jacob Whom WE too can trust to the uttermost at all times, for hope of realizing the promises made to the House of Jacob (Ps 146:5,10; Rom 15:8)

YHVH held Jacob’s hand to Mesopotamia and back, to prosper him with “witty (husbandry) inventions” (Gen 30&31; Prov 8:12) while producing the full slate of heirs who as the Twelve Patriarchs would shape the destiny of the world through their multiplication as a great nation, in Egypt.

By Voice instruction, Jacob was given the same Firsthand Divine Assurance to go down to Egypt to find sanctuary (Gen 46:3,4), as the Divine Authority (confirming his father’s instructions) that impelled him to leave Canaan in the first place all those years earlier (Gen 28:1-4,10-22) to seek his destiny through marriage, abiding faithfully in his uncle Laban’s household for 20 difficult years (Gen 31:41), his faith successfully tried waiting on YHVH for his appointed time of recall to his father Isaac’s household, with SAFE PASSAGE (Gen 31:1-13,29; 32:1,2,24-32).

And so Genesis sets us up for the greatest drama of NATIONAL preservation for infinite rewards, in all eternity. And they’re all especially credited to Jacob’s integrity and fortitude (Is 58:14).

We can choose to be part of it, to experience the redemption of our bodies by being righteous, blessing and not cursing the House of Jacob (Gen 12:2,3; 27:29; Rom 8:4,23), or renounce our graft into Y’shua’s household (Lk 1:33) and sever ourselves from the good olive tree by denying our adoption as Hebrews as Hebrew as “Abram the Hebrew” the father of our faith (Gen 14:13; Rom 11; Gal 3:29)

Weekly, using the ancient reading plan endorsed by the Messiah, we delve into the plumbline of the Torah and the Prophets as Y’shua-Jesus and Paul did (Matt 5:17-19; Acts 24:14; Rom 3:20b,31), to corroborate our interpretation of the New Testament, to ensure that we “fully know doctrine,” because only impartial study of the full counsel of the Word of YHVH can promise that our doctrine will be sound. And the doctrine according to Godliness is everything, if we desire to attain the unity of the faith (Eph 4:12-14,23,24; 2 Jn vs 5&6,9-11). This exciting discipline, essential for our ongoing sanctification by the truth (Jn 17:17,19; Acts 20:25-32; 26:18,20; 1Thess 5:23; 2 Thess 2:13,14) by greatly increasing our familiarity with and respect for the Hebrew Scriptures with constant use by its application by the Spirit, to be fully assured that we are grounded in truth and righteousness, has been described as ‘the Berean test’ (Acts 17:11; 2 Cor 13:1,5; 2 Tim 3:10,14-17).

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