Tag: faith

Joseph’s Sheaves 

On By Bp. Justin ElwellIn Applied Theology, InspirationLeave a comment

Joseph, the son of Jacob, will save his family. Joseph is the beloved son, even the favored son. This causes division in the house among the sons of Jacob. From the outset of this week’s Torah portion, וַיֵּשֶׁב/Vayeshev, “and he settled,” Joseph is arrogant, even naive. He dreams dreams (Gen. 37:19) of his family bowing to him. He is designated by Jacob as the heir apparent by the “robe of many colors” (Gen. 37:3). Finally, the family is shattered by the actions of Jacob’s other sons. 

Jacob sends Joseph out to his brothers who are tending the flocks at Shechem (Gen. 37:13). Joseph, however, begins to wander (Gen. 37:15) in the fields, losing his way. Suddenly “a man” found Joseph wandering and points him in the right direction (Gen. 37:17). The man who found Joseph sends him for where his steps were ordered to go: a pit (Gen. 37:24). 

The family fractured further as the brothers conspire against their Joseph. This decision, while birthed in anger and bitterness, would lead Joseph to the place where those initial dreams of greatness and prominence would be realized; and in their realization, the salvation of his family, and the brothers who rejected him.

Imagine for a moment the heart of Joseph. His brothers conspire against him, first throwing him into a pit, and then selling him into slavery. They bloody his “robe of many colors” with deception, breaking Jacob’s heart, and Joseph goes off into the unknown. 

Over many years Joseph will travel from his prominent position at home in relative safety, into a pit, in order to be raised and sold, carried away into exile, sold again to find himself imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. He would spend twelve years in the darkness of prison, favored though he be, he was still waiting for his purpose in life to begin. 

Then, seemingly in an instant he is raised from the prison to the presence of pharaoh, and just as quickly he is set upon a throne. From this throne Joseph would save his family, and the known world, just as his dreams indicated all those years ago. 

Even while Joseph was being sold, accused, and imprisoned, he kept faith in God. In Genesis 39:9 Joseph says to Potiphar’s wife, “There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” A sin against God? So the Lord was present in Joseph’s heart and mind, even in the midst of his long trial? 

Years later Joseph recognizes that the Lord used the disfunction of the family, his own arrogance, and his brothers rage to ultimately save their family and the known world (Gen. 50:19-20; cf. Ro. 8:28-29). The Lord worked their sin and heartlessness all for their good, and transformed them in the process. 

In his darkest hour, the young, naive and arrogant Joseph seems to realize that he is part of the covenant Lord’s plan, something greater than himself. He saw the end of that plan in the safety of his father’s house, but it took exposure to the crushing harshness of hostility to bring forth the measure of the man who would forgive his brothers, and step into the reality of that dream of salvation. 

Dear reader, at times it can be extraordinarily difficult to see the point, the purpose, or meaning in the Lord’s plan when we are in the thick of the valley overshadowed by death. The Word teaches us from the lives of those faithful saints who came before to remember in the midst of trial, whether it be a moment or a season, that it will all work out for His glory. 

I know. To say there are difficult, hard, trying, exhausting, and depressing seasons seems to somehow belittle that time. Still, I have yet to find a time in those seasons when faithfulness to the Lord in the midst of it was wasted. How does the apostle Paul encourage us? 

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 4:16). 

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Gal. 6:9). 

Joseph never gave up, and he never gave up faith. What did Joseph see bowing to him in his dream? “Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf” (Gen. 37:7). What are sheaves but stalks of reaped grain. What did Joseph reap because he never gave up faith? His family, and there they stood gathered together long since the hope of seeing that day had faded, and now they stood in safety once again. This time in Joseph’s house.

We do not know why we are enduring trial while we endure it, but in due season the Lord will reap a mighty harvest because He continued to faithfully tend to the grain of wheat that fell to the ground (Jn. 12:24). 

Maranatha. Shalom. 

With Us Is God: New Podcast!

On By Bp. Justin ElwellIn podcast, Torah AudioLeave a comment
Tap pic for link!

The incarnation and birth of Messiah Yeshua/Jesus often gets caught up in commercialization or theological debate, rather than drawing us into the prophetic promise of His birth. In this episode, we unpack prophetic writing, and textual translation and witnesses to bring forth the hope expressed simply: “for unto us a Child is born; for unto us a Son is given.” What do we make of this vulnerable Child born in a manger? Give a listen. 

The Limping 

On By Bp. Justin ElwellIn Applied Theology, InspirationLeave a comment

Genesis 32:22-33 records a rather unusual event in the life of Jacob. While in exile, Jacob had grown into a great house filled with wives and children. However, after Jacob hears the new of Esau’s approaching, we read: וַיִּוָּתֵר יַעֲקֹב, לְבַדּוֹ, “And Jacob was left alone.”

While Jacob was with Laban, the blessing of choosiness began to take shape in his life, even though it manifest through the mess that was his family life (Ro. 8:28). Yet, he now stands alone. Why? וַיִּשְׁלַח יַעֲקֹב מַלְאָכִים לְפָנָיו, אֶל-עֵשָׂו אָחִיו, “And Jacob sent messengers/angels from before him to his brother Esau,” (Gen. 32:4) and what did these messengers report? Esau is approaching with 400 men, an army. Jacob becomes afraid and distressed (Gen. 32:8) and begins to divide his house in order that some might survive the attack. Then he prays to the Lord. 

Jacob’s error: he panics, then prays. 

It’s not just Jacob’s error, it’s an error many of us are guilty of. Jacob prays, but he does not wait for an answer. He executes his plan, sending his family forward.

וַיִּוָּתֵר יַעֲקֹב, לְבַדּוֹ; וַיֵּאָבֵק אִישׁ עִמּוֹ, עַד עֲלוֹת הַשָּׁחַר, “And Jacob was alone, and he struggled with a man, to the rising of the dawn.” This is one of the most unusual moments recorded in the Torah, and perhaps the most profound. Jacob wrestles/struggles, he has a “dust up,” the meaning of “wrestle” here, with an אִישׁ, a man. Where did this man come from when the Torah clearly states that Jacob was alone? 

When we meditate on this text, we often take note of Jacob’s strength as he was able to wrestle with the man until the dawn. Yet, the “man” was holding back. Why?

וַיִּגַּע, בְּכַף-יְרֵכוֹ; וַתֵּקַע כַּף-יֶרֶךְ יַעֲקֹב, “And he laid his hand in the power of his thigh, and dislocated the loins/thigh/hip of Jacob.” The man laid his hand on Jacob’s inner thigh, where the power of the loins, muscles and body’s foundation meet, and reset Jacob. He limped Jacob with only a touch. צָלַע, to limp, literally, He curved Jacob with a touch, He changed not just how Jacob walked, but how Jacob appeared with a touch. He demonstrated the power of His touch, as He touched the same place where Eliezer placed his hand when he promised Abraham that he would find Isaac a bride. In the pain, Jacob recognizes the power of this man to bless. He has wrestled everyone for blessing – Esau, Isaac, Laban, his wives – and he never received what he longed for – the blessing – and now he wouldn’t let go until he received it.  

 The Man has Jacob acknowledge who he has been by asking his name: Ya’akov, the supplanter. He then changes Jacob’s name to Israel. Why? With Abraham, the Lord added the Hebrew letter “ה” to breathe new life into him, from Abram to Abraham – for him to become a father. With Jacob, the Lord completely changed his name from supplanter (Ya’kov) to Israel – fighter for God. The Lord’s strength was exchanged for Jacob’s fear, anxiety, and weak character. Why? “My grace is sufficient for thee. My strength is made perfect in weakness.”

 Blessings are always spoken; but Moses does not record the blessing spoken to Jacob/Israel. Why?

Just like Leah felt unloved, while Jacob was loved by Rebecca, he felt unloved by Isaac (Gen. 25:28) his father. The man does not give His name. Why? The blessing revealed His name, and who He was, and it also revealed to Jacob/Israel that he was loved by his Father in Heaven – that was the blessing, as He had already promised to bless him in Genesis 28:13-15, and He did.

 Jacob acknowledges that he has seen “God face to face (פָּנִים אֶל-פָּנִים),” and he calls that place פְּנִיאֵל, “face of God.” Moses then calls the name of that place פְּנוּאֵל, “turn to God,” if you want to see God “face to face” you must “turn to Him.” 

 Who is this Man? In Genesis 28, in Jacob’s dream, the Lord was above standing upon the ladder in heaven. He promised to bless Jacob and be with him. In Genesis 32, the “Man” who stood above, was now below with him, just as in John 1:51 when Yeshua was with Nathaniel. Jacob then wrested, got into a dust up, with the Man for the blessing – the dust was flying/floating – the same dust that man was formed with. From vision/dream to physical reality. 

The wrestling is the reformation of Jacob, by the original Former – Yeshua/Jesus – Whose powerful hands formed Adam. The Hebrew word אִישׁ, is the clue. Not only does it mean “man,” but it also means “husband” and “steward.” This was the True Husband that Leah saw prophetically, and it was the Steward that visited Adam and Eve in the Garden in the Ruach HaYom (the spirit of the day). What was the Spirit of Jacob’s Day when Yeshua visited Jacob? Darkness and despair. Which is why Yeshua had to depart before the sun came up – Jacob needed to know the Lord was with him in the darkness, not just the blessing or the day.

 The Lord had promised to be with him – Emmanuel – and rather than turning to Him, Jacob wrestled with Him. How often do we struggle with the God who is with us when fear and anxiety find us?

 The Man had the power: to appear out of nowhere; to change Jacob with a touch; to bless; and to change his walk, nature, identity, and appearance.

What the Lord did to Jacob, He does to all of us. The Lord gives us a “laming” to remind us of our weakness before Him. Each of us have our own laming, a permanent reminder of His revelation to us, and our dependence on His grace. With Paul it was a “thorn in the flesh,” “a messenger of satan,” that kept him from exalting himself. And even though he prayed for it to be removed, the Lord said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is perfected in weakness.”

Paul was not a weak man, and neither was Jacob, but they were made weak by His Presence, in order that they be strengthen by His Presence. It was not their weakness that His strength was perfected in, but the apparent weakness of the Cross, where the strength of God was manifest most profoundly. 

The Cross was the place where the terror that overcome Jacob, the terror that grips all humans, was defeated, death. The Cross is the place where every human will wrestle with the Bridegroom, the Steward, the Shepherd, the King. It is where every descendant of Jacob will wrestle with the אִישׁ/the Man that Jacob wrestled with, the place where we are all “limped” and we all begin to walk in His grace and strength that is sufficient for life. It’s only when we limp that we can truly “walk with the Lord. 

Maranatha. Shalom.