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Heshvan 10, 5762 /
Oct 27, 2001
Heshvan 8, 5765 /
Oct 23, 2004
Heshvan 8, 5768 /
Oct 20, 2007
Heshvan 8, 5771 /
Oct 16, 2010
Heshvan 8, 5774 /
Oct 12, 2013
Heshvan 11, 5777 /
Nov 9, 2016
Heshvan 11, 5780 /
Nov 9, 2019
Heshvan 11, 5783 /
Nov 5, 2022
Vayishlah
/ Then he sent
SCRIPTURES should be read first
In
ancient Hebrew teaching, we have a great messianic
interpretation of this passage:
“. . .
this is the chapter of Israel’s subjugation to Edom. Jacob’s
behavior in the face of a mortal threat from the stronger
Esau is to guide our conduct in similar circumstances, and
his salvation is our assurance that God will save Israel
from destruction by Esau’s powerful offspring until the
eventual complete redemption by Messiah.” (Ramban /
Artscroll Tanach)
Edom is Esau: Edomites are his
descendents (Genesis 25:30, 36:43). The ancient land of Edom
roughly coincides with the present day Jordan. The Edomites
refused passage to Israel in the Exodus.
Edomites are Arabs; they are
not Pelishtim (Philistines / Palestinians), and
present-day so-called “Palestinians” are Arabs, not
Philistines. In the sixth century BC, the Babylonians
conquered Edom, and many fled to southern Israel, where they
were called Idumeans. Babylon eventually conquered Israel
also.
Rome later conquered the land
of Edom, and in the first century AD was seen in Judaism as
the world power that God’s kingdom would imminently replace.
Paul says, “These things were
written for our admonition” (1 Corinthians 10:11) –
“to guide our conduct in similar circumstances.”
Today, every day’s news
headlines deal with Edom’s attempt to destroy Israel: the
so-called “Palestinians,” the Taliban, Iraq, Syria, etc. The
U.S. and others keep trying to “make peace” by yielding to
Edom.
_____________________
Koenig's
International News · http://watch.org/ · October 24, 2001
The three
largest insurance claims in United States history all have
direct connection to American involvement in the Middle East
peace talks when Israel was pressured to give up God's
covenant land in exchange for peace.
On the front
page of the Business Section in today's Washington Post was
“Putting a Price on ‘What Ifs’,” a story which contained the
dollar amounts, along with accompanying photos, of these
insurance events.
These three
largest insurance claims are listed here. In parentheses, I
have noted the connection to the ongoing Middle East “peace
process” in which the issue of land for peace was a key
factor.
·
Hurricane Andrew: $19.6
billion. (This event happened on August 23, 1992, the day
the Madrid Peace Conference re-convened in Washington to
discuss the Israeli-Palestinian crisis.)
·
Northridge Earthquake: $16.2
billion. (This event happened on January 16, 1994, as
President Clinton and Syria's President Haffez el-Assad
called for Israel to give up the Golan Heights to Syria at a
public meeting in Geneva. As the ancients have understood
for thousands of years, God will preserve His elect until
the final redemption by Messiah.
·
Terrorist Attacks at the World
Trade Center and Pentagon: $30-$50 billion. (The September
11 event happened at the moment that the Bush Administration
was putting the final touches on a Middle East initiative,
which included recognition of a Palestinian State,
endorsement of the Mitchell Plan, and position statements
about Palestinian refugees and the status of Jerusalem. This
initiative was to be shared with the Saudi Ambassador to the
United Nations on Sept. 13, with a formal presentation to
the U.N. General Assembly by Secretary of State Colin Powell
on September 23.)
Putting this
information into perspective, the three largest events in
U.S. insurance history all took place on the same day or at
the same moment (in the case of the WTC/Pentagon terror
events) that Israel was being pushed by the United States to
give up God’s covenant land.
The odds
against these events happening at the same time are
astronomical. These are not mere coincidences.
___________________
Obadiah said, “Thus says
Yahweh Elohim concerning Edom – ‘We have heard a report from
Yahweh, and an envoy has been sent among the nations saying,
“Arise and let us go against her for battle.” ’ ”
* * * * * * * *
Note: (Definition) God’s
Kingdom (or the Kingdom of Heaven) is the total arena of His
subjects over which He is Lord – His people.
Jacob
called Esau “My Lord” eight times. Esau consequently
produced eight kings before Jacob produced one. [Gen
36:31-39 And these are the kings that reigned in the land of
Edom, before there reigned any king over the children of
Israel: Bela, Jobab, Husham, Hadad, Samlah, Saul, Baalhanan,
and Hadar.]
It will cost us – to consider
the enemy’s power more significant than God’s. David said, “Yahweh
is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? Yahweh is
the defense of my life; whom shall I dread? (Psalm 27:1)
Note that there is a
difference between trusting in God’s power to defend us from
spiritual and physical enemies of our service toward Him,
and tempting God by doing foolish dangerous things with the
expectation that He will protect us from harm. We should
trust God for protection when we decide to follow His
commandments in this perverse world; we should not drive a
car where we cannot see if the way is clear, thinking that
God will protect us.
Jacob acknowledged his
unworthiness, and prayed to Yahweh for the fulfillment of
His promise (V.9-12).
We should pray for the things
that are for building God’s Kingdom (that is the essence of
praying in Yeshua’s name, as “ambassadors for Christ”). And
if we lack wisdom, we should “ask God, who gives to all men
generously” (James 1:5). We have great promises for a
peaceful, prosperous future: we should be praying for grace
and wisdom to walk in a path pleasing to God, and should be
cognizant of the prize which we are working towards.
Jacob made preparations for a
possible battle.
We
should take earthly actions toward building and protecting
God’s Kingdom. And when we are attacked, we should “consider
it joy . . . knowing that the testing of our faith produces
endurance” (James 1:2-3). “Blessed is a man who
perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he
will receive the crown of life, which Yahweh has promised to
those who love Him (James 1:12). We need the girding of
truth – not dogma, the breastplate of righteousness over the
heart, our feet shod with the gospel of peace-with-God, the
shield of faith to protect against enemy attacks, the helmet
of salvation from sin, and the sword of the Spirit – which
is the Word of God, not our feelings (Ephesians 6:14-17).
We
need to understand, as the ancients have understood for
thousands of years, that God will preserve His elect until
the final redemption by Messiah. This applies both
collectively, and individually.
Our
salvation depends upon Yeshua’s work – if we are “of the
faith.” But our individual condition here, and our reward
eternally, depend upon our walk. Paul said, “I pray God
your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless
unto the coming of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah” (1 Thess
5:23).
Thus
Yeshua said, “Whoever then breaks one of the least of
these commandments, and so teaches others, shall be called
least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and
teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of
heaven.” We are to grow in understanding and
faithfulness, and instruct and encourage others to do the
same.
Our
goal should be to build the Kingdom of God: our destiny is a
renewed earth wherein dwells righteousness!
Readings:
"Blessed are You, Yahweh our God, King
of the Universe,
Who chose us from among all peoples by
giving us Your Torah.
Blessed are You, Yahweh, giver of the
Torah."
Reader 1*
Amen. 3 Then Jacob
sent messengers before him to his brother Esau in the land
of Seir, the country of Edom. 4 He also commanded
them saying, "Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: 'Thus says
your servant Jacob, "I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed
until now; 5 I have oxen and donkeys and flocks
and male and female servants; and I have sent to tell my
lord, that I may find favor in your sight."'" 6
The messengers returned to Jacob, saying, "We came to your
brother Esau, and furthermore he is coming to meet you, and
four hundred men are with him." 7 Then Jacob was
greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people who
were with him, and the flocks and the herds and the camels,
into two companies; 8 for he said, "If Esau comes
to the one company and attacks it, then the company which is
left will escape."
Reader 2*
Amen. 9 Jacob said, "O
God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O
Yahweh, who said to me, 'Return to your country and to your
relatives, and I will prosper you,' 10 I am
unworthy of all the lovingkindness and of all the
faithfulness which You have shown to Your servant; for with
my staff only I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become
two companies. 11 "Deliver me, I pray, from the
hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him,
that he will come and attack me and the mothers with the
children. 12 "For You said, 'I will surely
prosper you and make your descendants as the sand of the
sea, which is too great to be numbered.'" 13 So
he spent the night there. Then he selected from what he had
with him a present for his brother Esau: 14 two
hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes
and twenty rams, 15 thirty milking camels and
their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys
and ten male donkeys.
Reader 3*
Amen. 16 He delivered
them into the hand of his servants, every drove by itself,
and said to his servants, "Pass on before me, and put a
space between droves." 17 He commanded the one in
front, saying, "When my brother Esau meets you and asks you,
saying, 'To whom do you belong, and where are you going, and
to whom do these animals in front of you belong?' 18
then you shall say, 'These belong to your servant Jacob; it
is a present sent to my lord Esau. And behold, he also is
behind us.'" 19 Then he commanded also the second
and the third, and all those who followed the droves,
saying, "After this manner you shall speak to Esau when you
find him; 20 and you shall say, 'Behold, your
servant Jacob also is behind us.'" For he said, "I will
appease him with the present that goes before me. Then
afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me."
21 So the present passed on before him, while he
himself spent that night in the camp.
Reader 4*
Amen. 22 Now he arose
that same night and took his two wives and his two maids and
his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.
23 He took them and sent them across the stream.
And he sent across whatever he had. 24 Then Jacob
was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.
25 When he saw that he had not prevailed against
him, he touched the socket of his thigh; so the socket of
Jacob's thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him.
26 Then he said, "Let me go, for the dawn is
breaking." But he said, "I will not let you go unless you
bless me." 27 So he said to him, "What is your
name?" And he said, "Jacob." 28 He said, "Your
name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have
striven with God and with men and have prevailed."
Reader 5*
Amen. 29 Then Jacob
asked him and said, "Please tell me your name." But he said,
"Why is it that you ask my name?" And he blessed him there.
30 So Jacob named the place Peniel, for he said,
"I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been
preserved." 31 Now the sun rose upon him just as
he crossed over Penuel, and he was limping on his thigh.
32 Therefore, to this day the sons of Israel do
not eat the sinew of the hip which is on the socket of the
thigh, because he touched the socket of Jacob's thigh in the
sinew of the hip.
Reader 6*
Amen. 33:1 Then Jacob
lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and
four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among
Leah and Rachel and the two maids. 2 He put the
maids and their children in front, and Leah and her children
next, and Rachel and Joseph last. 3 But he
himself passed on ahead of them and bowed down to the ground
seven times, until he came near to his brother. 4
Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, and fell on his
neck and kissed him, and they wept. 5 He lifted
his eyes and saw the women and the children, and said, "Who
are these with you?" So he said, "The children whom God has
graciously given your servant." 6 Then the maids
came near with their children, and they bowed down. 7
Leah likewise came near with her children, and they bowed
down; and afterward Joseph came near with Rachel, and they
bowed down. 8 And he said, "What do you mean by
all this company which I have met?" And he said, "To find
favor in the sight of my lord." 9 But Esau said,
"I have plenty, my brother; let what you have be your own."
10 Jacob said, "No, please, if now I have found
favor in your sight, then take my present from my hand, for
I see your face as one sees the face of God, and you have
received me favorably. 11 "Please take my gift
which has been brought to you, because God has dealt
graciously with me and because I have plenty." Thus he urged
him and he took it.
Reader 7*
Amen. 12 Then Esau
said, "Let us take our journey and go, and I will go before
you." 13 But he said to him, "My lord knows that
the children are frail and that the flocks and herds which
are nursing are a care to me. And if they are driven hard
one day, all the flocks will die. 14 "Please let
my lord pass on before his servant, and I will proceed at my
leisure, according to the pace of the cattle that are before
me and according to the pace of the children, until I come
to my lord at Seir." 15 Esau said, "Please let me
leave with you some of the people who are with me." But he
said, "What need is there? Let me find favor in the sight of
my lord." 16 So Esau returned that day on his way
to Seir. 17 Jacob journeyed to Sukkot, and built
for himself a house and made booths for his livestock;
therefore the place is named Sukkot.
"Blessed are You, Yahweh our God, King
of the Universe,
Who in giving us Yeshua, the Living
Torah, has planted everlasting life in our midst.
Blessed are You, Yahweh, giver of the
Torah."
______________________
"Blessed are You, Yahweh our God, King
of the Universe,
Who selected good prophets, delighting
in their words which were spoken truthfully.
Blessed are You, Yahweh, Who chose the
Torah, Your servant Moses, Your people Israel,
and the prophets of truth and
righteousness."
Obadiah 1:1
Reader 8*
Amen. 1 The vision of Obadiah. Thus says
Yahweh God concerning Edom – We have heard a report from
Yahweh, and an envoy has been sent among the nations saying,
"Arise and let us go against her for battle."
Psalm 27
(To be sung.)
A Psalm of David.
1 Yahweh is
my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? Yahweh is the
defense of my life; whom shall I dread? 2 When
evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, my adversaries
and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. 3 Though
a host encamp against me, my heart will not fear; though war
arise against me, in spite of this I shall be confident.
4 One thing I have asked from Yahweh, that I
shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of Yahweh all the
days of my life, to behold the beauty of Yahweh and to
meditate in His temple. 5 For in the day of
trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; in the secret
place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a
rock. 6 And now my head will be lifted up above
my enemies around me, and I will offer in His tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing
praises to Yahweh. 7 Hear, O Yahweh, when I cry
with my voice, and be gracious to me and answer me. 8
When You said, "Seek My face," my heart said to You, "Your
face, O Yahweh, I shall seek." 9 Do not hide Your
face from me, do not turn Your servant away in anger; You
have been my help; do not abandon me nor forsake me, O God
of my salvation! 10 For my father and my mother
have forsaken me, but Yahweh will take me up. 11
Teach me Your way, O Yahweh, and lead me in a level path
Because of my foes. 12 Do not deliver me over to
the desire of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen
against me, and such as breathe out violence. 13
I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would
see the goodness of Yahweh in the land of the living.
14 Wait for Yahweh; be strong and let your heart take
courage; yes, wait for Yahweh.
James 1:1-12
Reader 9*
Amen. 1 James, a bond-servant of God and of
the Lord Yeshua the Messiah, To the twelve tribes who are
dispersed abroad: Greetings. 2 Consider it all
joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3
knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so
that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Reader 10*
Amen. 5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let
him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without
reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But he
must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who
doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the
wind. 7 For that man ought not to expect that he
will receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a
double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Reader 11*
Amen. 9 But the brother of humble
circumstances is to glory in his high position; 10
and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because
like flowering grass he will pass away. 11 For
the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass;
and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is
destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits
will fade away. 12 Blessed is a man who
perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he
will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised
to those who love Him.
"Blessed are You, Yahweh
our God, King of the Universe,
Rock of Ages, righteous
throughout all generations.
You are the faithful God,
promising and then performing, speaking and then fulfilling,
for all Your words are true
and righteous.
Faithful are You, Yahweh
our God, and faithful are Your words,
for no word of Yours shall
remain unfulfilled;
You are a faithful and
merciful God and King.
Blessed are You, Yahweh our
God, Who are faithful in fulfilling all Your words." |