Judah and Joseph - Part 2: Brothers Reconciled

Jacob had twelve sons, but two of those sons, Judah and Joseph, end up with the birthright and the blessing of Abraham. As Judah and Joseph are introduced and begin to play a more prominent role in the Bible, the primary story line follows that of Joseph, but Judah’s story is inserted into the narrative. The story, then, reverts to Joseph. Finally, as the story of Joseph reaches a conclusion, Judah once more plays a prominent role. In part one, we examined Judah’s story. We followed along as Judah’s character was shaped by the loss of two sons and the unexpected gift of two others. Judah learned empathy and compassion for others. Now, in this second part of our teaching, we will examine Joseph’s story and how the refining of Judah and Joseph’s characters allowed them to be reconciled.


 

Judah and Joseph - Part 1: Brothers at Odds

Jacob had twelve sons, but two of those sons, Judah and Joseph, end up with the birthright and the blessing of Abraham. As Judah and Joseph are introduced and begin to play a more prominent role in the Bible, the primary story line follows that of Joseph, but Judah’s story is inserted into the narrative. The story, then, reverts to Joseph. Finally, as the story of Joseph reaches a conclusion, Judah once more plays a prominent role. How do the stories of Judah and Joseph compare? What does inserting Judah’s story into that of Joseph’s reveal about these two brothers?

 

Jacob Struggles with God and with Men - HD

As Jacob returns to the Promised Land after twenty two years of exile, he has a visitor in the night. Jacob was almost into the Promised Land; one or perhaps two more days of travel and Jacob would be able to cross the Jordan and enter into the land of his inheritance. But, he learns that his brother Esau is coming to meet him with four hundred companions. So, Jacob sent his family on across the Jabok River while he stayed behind by himself in the camp. That night, a man confronted Jacob and wrestled with him throughout the night. What is the significance of this wrestling match? Was the man he wrestled with just a man, a manifestation of God, or just a metaphor for Jacob’s own conscience?

 

Jacob Rose up Early - HD

As Jacob left the Promised Land, he had an encounter with God. Jacob was fleeing an enraged Esau leaving the land that was part of the blessing and promise he had just received from his father Isaac. Jacob was supposed to receive the land, yet he was on his way out of the land. Had he truly received the blessing? Would it really come to him instead of his brother Esau? When Jacob stopped for the night, God appeared to him in a dream. What does it mean that Jacob rose up early the next day? Why is this an important element in the account?

 

The Blindness of Isaac HD

Near the end of Isaac’s life, his plan was to bless his oldest son Esau and pass on to him the blessing and promise that God had made to Abraham. Isaac was getting older, and his eyesight deteriorated to the point where he could barely see. Isaac’s blindness allowed his wife Rebecca and his younger son Jacob to deceive him. We see the deceptive act of Rebecca and Jacob, but what was the real deception? The story is one of deception hidden in deception!

 

Hebron: The City of the Patriarchs

Abraham was a sojourner in the Promised Land. He didn’t have a permanent home, nor did he build cities. However, significant events in Abraham’s life happened in and around the city of Hebron. One of the most significant events is the death of his wife Sarah and her burial in the cave that Abraham purchased for that purpose. Abraham also purchased the land around the burial site. Later, he, his son Isaac with his wife Rebecca, and his grandson Jacob with his wife Leah would all be buried together in the same cave. What is the significance of the city of Hebron? Why is it important that Abraham purchased this land? Who were some of the famous residents of Hebron?

Abraham's Encounter with Yeshua

The LORD revealed Himself to Abraham seven times after Abraham had come into Canaan. At one of these occasions, God is described as appearing in the form of a man. The story begins with the appearance of three men after Abraham and his household were circumcised. As the story progresses, we learn that these men are not as they appear. Two of them are angels of the LORD and one of them is the LORD Himself. What is the purpose of this special visitation? In what way did Abraham encounter Yeshua?

 

The Seven-Fold Promise to Abram HD

Genesis chapter 12 begins as God calls Abram to leave his life behind and begin a new one in the land that God would show him. God promises to bless Abram when he leaves his old life behind. The promise has seven elements. The first three are what God will do for Abram. The fourth and middle element is a command to Abram; he is to be a blessing to others. The last three are towards others as they come into contact with Abram. What can we learn about Abram’s relationship with God and others through this promise?

 

Noah Walked with God HD

After God exiled Adam from the Garden of Eden, man’s rebellion continued. The first murder was when Cain killed his brother Abel. From there, mankind’s evil continued to grow until God repented that He had made man. The story of the flood follows, setting up the theme of the sinful nature of man and the judgment that must follow as a result of that sin. But the story is also one of hope and redemption. It is structured in such a way that it begins and ends with hope. At the center of the story, we find the death and resurrection message.

 

The Garden of Delight

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. He spoke into existence the first plant life, the sun, moon, and stars. He spoke into existence the birds, fish, and land animals. Then God did something different! God created Adam in His image. After creating Adam, God prepared a special place for Adam to live. He planted a garden specifically for Adam! God planted this garden in Eden. The name Eden, from #5730, means pleasure, delight, and delicate! This was a garden designed by and for delight! But, what is the significance of this garden? What was Adam’s role there? What was life like in the Garden of Delight?

The Last Great Day of the Feast - HD

In the Gospel of John, we read in great detail of Yeshua’s traveling back and forth between the Galilee region where he lived and Jerusalem. Yeshua always traveled to Jerusalem during the Feast days. On one particular Feast day, the last and greatest day of the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths, Yeshua stood up in the temple and declared that He was the Living Water. What is the significance of Yeshua speaking these words during the Feast of Tabernacles, and especially on the last day which is considered the great day of the Feast? What other events happened during this feast when Yeshua declared that He was the Living Water?

 

You Shall Dwell in Booths HD

The Feast of Tabernacles is celebrated by building and living in a hut or booth for seven days. During those seven days, special branches are combined with the Etrog or citron fruit and waved around. What is the significance of waving fruit and branches? Why remember that God had the children of Israel live in booths?

Yeshua: Passover Lamb or Goat of Atonement? HD

Tuesday evening October 11^th at sunset, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement begins. On this day, the high priest would have entered into the Holy of Holies to make atonement for the priesthood and the entire nation of Israel. One of the goats brought before the LORD at this time carried away the sins of the nation of Israel. When Yeshua was baptized, John the Baptist proclaimed that He was the lamb who takes away the sins of the world. But Yeshua was crucified on Passover not on Yom Kippur. How can He be both the Passover Lamb and the Goat of Atonement?

Celebrating the Fall Feast Days

This coming weekend, we kick off the Fall Feasts of the LORD with the Feast of Trumpets, also known as Rosh Hashannah, the Jewish New Year. The sound of the shofar on the Feast of Trumpets signals the beginning of three weeks of festivities and the first day of the month of Tishri. Oddly enough, the Jewish New Year begins on the first day of the seventh month, not the first day of the first month. Or perhaps, not so oddly, because it is the beginning of the seventh month, The Jewish New Year and the Feast of Trumpets and the entire fall feast season echo of the seventh day Sabbath of rest. But what do these feasts have to do with the believer in Yeshua the Messiah? Aren’t these feasts Jewish feasts?

Raising the Tabernacle of David HD

Acts 15 records the meeting of the leading disciples of Yeshua as they discussed the phenomenon of the Gentiles coming to faith in Yeshua and the problems that rose because of it. First and foremost, was determining whether Gentiles must convert to Judaism to be saved. Paul, Barnabas, and Peter testified that the Holy Spirit fell on Gentiles just like it did on the Jews supporting the idea that Gentiles didn’t need to convert to Judaism to be saved! This rocked the theology of the Jews! What was God doing? God had specifically set apart the Hebrew people to be his own special people, and, now, He is granting salvation to the Gentiles! How can this be? How can anyone properly worship God without becoming a Jew?


 

What is the Gospel of Salvation? - Part 3 HD

Acts 15 describes the meeting of the leaders of the followers of Yeshua when they debated how to handle the sudden influx of Gentile believers. They first thought that Gentiles needed to convert to Judaism to receive salvation, but, based on the testimony of Paul, Barnabas, and Peter, they accepted that salvation was for the Gentile as well as the Jew.

What is the Gospel of Salvation? - Part 2 HD

Does a person have to be a Jew to be saved? What is required to obtain salvation? Finally, what are the requirements of behavior for a Gentile who believes? 

What is the Gospel of Salvation? - Part 1 HD

For the first fifteen years after Yeshua’s resurrection, the message that Yeshua was the long awaited Messiah of the Jewish people spread throughout Judea, the Galilee, and to Jewish Communities throughout the Roman world. Some accepted the message with joy; others rejected the message and even attempted to kill those who proclaimed Yeshua as the Messiah. But there were God-fearing Gentiles worshiping in the Synagogues alongside of the Jews. Paul spoke to both Jew and God-fearing Gentiles at the synagogue in Pisidia recorded in Acts 13:16. Acts 13:16 NKJV 16 Then Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, "Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen: What meaning, if any, did Yeshua have for the Gentiles? This is the question that faced the early leaders of the followers of Yeshua and was the subject of the meeting Luke described in Acts 15.

 

The Woman Caught in Adultery HD

John 8:2-11 tells the story of Yeshua being confronted by the Pharisees and teachers of the law with a woman caught in adultery. When questioned about what He would do, Yeshua stooped down and wrote in the earth. When they continued to question him, He stood and replied that the one without sin should throw the first stone. He then bent down and resumed writing in the earth. We can figure out what Yeshua probably wrote by looking at the overall context of the incident.

Prepare the Way of the LORD HD

Last Saturday, August 13th, was the 9th of Av on the biblical calendar. It is a national day of mourning for all Israel wherever they are scattered throughout the world. On this day, the Temple of God was destroyed…twice! First by the Babylonians and then by the Romans. It is a day of lamentations and mourning for all that the Jewish people have lost. Jeremiah mourns over the destruction of the temple and city of Jerusalem in Lamentations.

Lamentations 1:1-3 NKJV 1 How lonely sits the city That was full of people! How like a widow is she, Who was great among the nations! The princess among the provinces Has become a slave! 2 She weeps bitterly in the night, Her tears are on her cheeks; Among all her lovers She has none to comfort her. All her friends have dealt treacherously with her; They have become her enemies. 3 Judah has gone into captivity, Under affliction and hard servitude; She dwells among the nations, She finds no rest; All her persecutors overtake her in dire straits.

But now, these days are past, and God is the one who comforts His people.

Yeshua the Prophet like Moses HD

In the days following the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the apostles testified frequently about Yeshua’s identity. After healing the lame man, Peter told the assembled crowd that Yeshua was the prophet like Moses in Acts 3:22-23 NKJV 22

"For Moses truly said to the fathers, 'The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. 23 'And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.' Peter is quoting the words of Moses in Deuteronomy 18.

What does it mean that Yeshua was a prophet like Moses? How was this prophet to be recognized?

The Dire Straits: A Time for Mourning HD

The biblical calendar is packed with events and times of the year that those of us on the Gregorian calendar have no knowledge about. The three week interval of time that began this year on July 23rd is called the dire straits. This is a time of intense mourning for what might have been if only the children of Israel had demonstrated more faith in God. It is a time of introspection as each person examines their relationship with God. It is a time of repentance and return leading to hope and confidence that God never abandons His people.

 

Jew and Gentile - Part 3: One New Man HD

Jew and Gentile - Part 2: Abolishing the Enmity HD

Jew and Gentile - Part 1: Covenants of Promise HD

In a discussion with a friend, the passage in Ephesians 2:14-16 came up to support the idea that the commandments of the Law (Torah) were done away with in Christ. In a superficial reading, this sounds true. Ephesians 2:14-16 NKJV 14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. To really understand these three verses, we need to ask, “What is the overall context of this passage?

 

A Covenant of Peace - Restoration of All Things HD

Isaiah writes about a covenant of peace that will last forever. The context of this verse is the return of the children of Israel to the Promised Land. Isaiah 54:10 NKJV 10 For the mountains shall depart And the hills be removed, But My kindness shall not depart from you, Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed," Says the LORD, who has mercy on you. What do you think of when you hear the words “A covenant of peace?” Do you think of tranquility and the absence of strife? This is part of the covenant of peace, but not all that it refers to.

 

The Priestly Blessing - Numbers 6:22-27

Singleness of Heart HD

Grace for a Fallen People HD

A Covenant for a Redeemed People HD

Water for a Thirsty People HD

Manna For a Dying People - HD

Does God Have Our Best Interest at Heart? - Part 2 HD

Does God Have Our Best Interest at Heart? - Part 1 HD

Peter's Passover Adventure HD

Why Celebrate the Passover? HD

Why Do We Eat Unleavened Bread? HD

Celebrating Passover - The Bread and the Wine. HD

What is Holiness? - Part 2, A New Testament Perspective HD

What is Holiness- Part 1, A Torah Perspective HD

Got Fire Insurance? - The Lesson of Nadab and Abihu

The Lesson of Purim HD

Will the Real Passover Please Stand Up! HD

Why is Passover a Month After Easter this Year?

The Transforming Power of God

If You Do Well, You Will be Accepted

What Exactly is the New Covenant? - Part 2

What Exactly is the New Covenant? Part 1 HD

What Does it Mean to Fulfill the Law? HD

Lighting the Ancient Pathways HD

The Shadow in God's Purpose for Women HD

The Shadow in the Creation of Adam and Eve HD