Parasha VaYigash
" וַיִּגַּש אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה וַיֹּאמֶר בִּי אֲדֹנִי יְדַבֶּר-נָא עַבְדְּךָ דָבָר בְּאָזְנֵי אֲדֹנִי וְאַל-יִחַר אַפְּךָ בְּעַבְדֶּךָ כִּי כָמוֹךָ כְּפַרְעֹה׃"
Last week Pharaoh appointed Joseph (Yosef) administrator over all of Egypt after he correctly interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams regarding the seven years of plenty and seven years of famine. During the seven years of famine, Yosef’s brothers, who about 22 years earlier had sold him into slavery, came to Egypt to buy grain. At the end of last week’s Torah portion, Yosef had not yet revealed his identity to his brothers. Nevertheless, he did test the brothers by planting his silver cup in the sack of his youngest brother, Benjamin. After it was found in Benjamin’s possession, Yosef announced that Benjamin would be his slave. This is where we pick up the story….
My wife and I live in the rinky-dink place of Manchester, Georgia. And here in Phenix City, Alabama, Adonai had me set down the foundation of Beit HaShaar. I see clearly the hand of God around us in His call and in the wonderful people He has placed here. I often am amazed at were this ol’ Messianic Jew has come to in life. Why am I serving in Alabama? Why has God taken my path here? What does God seek to accomplish here? Have you ever tried to plot or how things would be? As a young boy I grew up all over the world as an Amry brat and as a young man in the military, I had a vision of doing my time in the military, retiring and going home to a job in law enforcement or public service. And I did just that. I am amazed that God protected me in my youth to allow me to be able to join the military in the first place. The way God drew me into a recruiter’s office with the intention of joining the Army and I ended up joining the Navy, and now I realize that Adonai was directing my path to Israel. My career didn’t start off stellar, and if it weren’t for my wife correcting my behavior, I imagine that I surely would have ended up in jail on multiple occasions. I ran with a group of young men that were called “potheads”, and drugs were the order of the day on most days. There were a lot of reasons I decided to get involved with this particular group of guys; it seems that they were involved in about everything and anything going on—especially if it involved risk and the promise of adventure. At sixteen my high School Agricultural teacher, Wayne Coker told me I needed to get serious and get my life in order. Mr. Coker said, “you do not know where you will go or what you will do.” I told him I was going to do that in the military, just like my father. I know that God placed Mr. Coker in my life and several other significant people in order for me to be where I am today. I praise God for the path He has led me on and to the place we are now walking, and for the future He has promised me and this congregation.
Let’s walk with Yosef again this week and discover what most of us know already. We plot and we plan, and we often reap the rewards of our plots and wonder why. Much as if we ask in prayer amiss—if we plot without seeking God’s will in our lives—then we shouldn’t be surprised when the outcome is different from what we are truly seeking. Let’s start by looking at some plotting and planning by Yosef.
Genesis 44:1-2 & 15-17 tells us… (Then he commanded the one over his household saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they are able to carry and put money in the opening of each man’s sack. Put my cup, the silver cup, in the opening of the sack of the youngest along with his grain money.” So, he did as Yosef told him… 15 “What’s this deed you’ve done?” Yosef said to them, “Didn’t you know that a man like me can discern by divination?” Then Judah said, “What can we say to my lord? What can we speak? How can we justify ourselves? God has exposed your servants’ guilt. We are now my lord’s slaves—both we as well as the one in whose hand the cup was found.” But he said, “Far be it from me to do this. The one in whose hand the cup was found—he will be my slave. But you, go up to your father in peace.”
You may know that we all plot and manipulate to some extent. To plan for you future in a wise and stewardly manner is a blessed thing that is upheld by the bible. You manipulated to some extent to get your mate and/or you were willingly manipulated by your mate as he or she sought you. This again is in keeping with the word of God. What is not in keeping with God’s word is when we plot and manipulate to the sole foundation and with the sole intent of making yourself happy or fulfilled. This type of feeling indeed becomes destructive of personal, intimate, friends, and community relationships. Yosef does choose to test the sincerity of his brothers’ intentions towards his family once more. Yosef has his cup, a silver cup put in Benjamin’s bag, after which, when daylight comes, they are dismissed and sent on their way. They are scarcely out of the town when Yosef’s steward is ordered to overtake them and charge them with stealing the cup. “Whereby indeed he divined.” Divining by cups, we learn from this, was a common custom in Egypt. It is here mentioned to enhance the value of the cup. I would say that Yosef has proven over and again what his source of knowledge comes from, and it is indeed not a cup—but God himself that Yosef says answers all. Have you ever, perhaps in pride or arrogance, stated something that you could not possibly hope to bring about? Here the brothers make a promise or challenge without the possibility of knowing the future—instead of having learned from the wise Steward Ya’Akov (Jacob) —seek and pray for the leadership of God. Instead, they try to mitigate and make a decision; “Spoke unto them these words.” He with whom the cup is found shall become a slave for life, and the rest be acquitted. The steward searches from the oldest brother to the youngest for the missing cup. The cup is found where it was put in Benjamin’s bag… “They tore their clothing;” the natural token of a sorrow that knows no remedy. “And Judah went.” He had pledged himself for the safety of Benjamin to his father. And here he was waiting for the life sentence to be given to Benjamin. I find it amazing that sometimes even we as Messianic Believers look for the negatives in life instead of seeing them as the promise of God. I guess I could say “Praise God for the problems, it means He is testing me.” If we had no people, we would have no problems—but God has called us to witness Him personally to people—so in all things we should praise God for the things that He is bringing about to complete his good and perfect will.
The brothers, “They fell before him on the earth.” It is no longer a bending of the head or bowing the body, but the posture of deepest humiliation. How deeply that early dream penetrated into the stern reality! I also think it significant that this is the third time that they are bowing before him—shortly he will reveal himself to them. I just find it interesting that they bowed to the triune power to which Yosef owed his skill of discerning dreams—God. “Didn’t you know that a man like me can discern by divination?” Yosef keeps up the show of resentment a little longer and brings out from Judah the following plea: “What can we say to my lord? What can we speak? How can we justify ourselves? God has exposed your servants’ guilt”, in our dark and treacherous dealing with our brother. “Behold, we are servants to my lord.” He resigns himself and all to perpetual bondage, as the doom of a just God upon their still-remembered crime. Yosef allows a slight vision of Yeshua in that he allows Benjamin to remain in bondage for all. “So now, please let your servant remain as my lord’s slave in the boy’s place, and let the boy go up with his brothers.” Now this is the true test. Will they sell my brother into bondage as they did me? Do they harbor ill will towards my family are or we truly brothers now? Now is a moment of agony and suspense to Yosef. Will my brothers prove true? Will Judah prove adequate for the occasion? His pleading with his father augured well. Judah did not mince words when he stated that to leave Benjamin would be the end of Ya’Akov—for Ya’Akov had himself made the statement. What about you? Have you been plotting and pleading on how to make it in this world? How might you become rich and live the life of luxury to which you feel you have been called? Have you been seeking that life of ease? We can see that in life our plotting for things can bring about changes. Will you have to sit in suspense as Yosef here or are you willing to seek and do only God’s will in your life. This will necessarily mean that you give up plotting. When we live by God’s leading, we seek, see, and move. We seek God’s leading through his holy word, prayer, synagogue fellowship, we see in the circumstances only God can open up for us, and then we take the action that God has called us too. We do see Judah start to plead. This is a good example. We should always plead before our God and Savior—for He alone is able to bring about his good and perfect will in our lives.
We read in Genesis 44:18 & 33; Then Judah approached him and said, “I beg your pardon, my lord. Please let your servant say a word in my lord’s ears, and don’t be angry with your servant, since you are like Pharaoh. So now, please let your servant remain as my lord’s slave in the boy’s place, and let the boy go up with his brothers. For how can I go up to my father and the boy is not with me? Else I must see the evil that would come upon my father!” He is going to surrender himself as a slave for life, in order that Benjamin might go home with his brothers, who are permitted to depart. This is quite a change in the Judah that allowed Yosef to be sold into slavery. When people see you today do they see the change in your life brought about by Yeshua being in your heart? “Please let your servant say a word in my lord’s ears and don’t be angry with your servant.” Judah approaches Yosef with humility. How do you approach the thrown of God today? How do you speak and act towards your parents and those appointed above you? It should be in respectful humility. We are here to accomplish one thing—God’s good and perfect will by calling people to accept the “Good News” that Yeshua offers for and in their lives. You can notice that the form that Judah approaches Yosef is not that different from the way that Yeshua said we should come to God in prayer. We should start with a simple statement of fact. Pray in like manner, “‘Our Father in heaven, sanctified be Your name…” In this situation Judah expects to have its native effect upon a contrite heart. In our situation, what should we expect? God is light, in Him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5b) We should expect God’s very best if we are truly striving to accomplish His will. Judah then asks Yosef to take him in place of Benjamin. I think another great vision of Yeshua. He came and took our place on the cruel tree, He who was sinless gave himself freely for all who would believe and call upon His name. Oh, what a Savior we have. Yeshua himself talks of the paternal bond, seen even in such sinners. Judah points out that the bond between Judah and Benjamin is great, much greater than any of the other brothers—and this time they are not jealous and envious—they are concerned. “So now, please let your servant remain as my lord’s slave in the boy’s place” Such is the humble and earnest petition of Judah. He calmly and firmly sacrifices home, family, and birthright, rather than see an aged father die of a broken heart. Are you prepared today to make whatever requirement God lays on you in your life? What shall you make of your life? William Alexander, in his book “The $64 Tomato”, asks the question, “If you were doomed to live the same life over and over again for eternity, would you choose the life you are living now?” It’s a thought-provoking question, but not so much as the implied follow-up question: “If the answer is no, then why are you living the life you are living now?” William Alexander says, “Stop making excuses, and do something about it.” But that’s the 64-million-dollar question: what do I do about it? If I don’t like the life I’m living now, what do I do to change it?
Well, so far, we see Yosef’s brothers undergoing some very real change in their own lives. They have been jealous and bitter for most of their lives. Their families are starving, and now for the second time, they have gone to Egypt to buy food from a very powerful Egyptian ruler. They don’t know that this Egyptian ruler is their brother, Yosef, whom they betrayed and sold into slavery more than 22 years previously, and they don’t know what he’s up to. He has accused them of being spies, but he fed them from his own table. Now, he sends them away with some very unusual instructions for his steward. He had his servants fill the men’s sacks with as much food and put each man’s silver in the mouth of his sack. Understand, this is the silver they used to buy food. Yosef set ol’ Benjamin up good… Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. Then the steward proceeded to search, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. Benjamin was their father’s new favorite son since Yosef had disappeared. Are they going to betray him too and go free at Benjamin’s expense? No. Instead of returning home with another lie for their father, they all returned to the city with Benjamin to face the music together. Yosef was still in the house when Judah and his brothers came in, and they threw themselves to the ground before him. Yosef said to them, “What is this you have done?”, and Judah replied. “What can we say? How can we prove our innocence? What Judah was doing was submitting.
If we want our lives to be different, then we must stop resisting and start accepting God’s loving correction. Stop crying “fowl” every time hardships come. Instead, welcome the change God is working in us through the hard times. Hebrews 12:4-11 says, “In your struggle against sin… do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as a son.” “Endure hardship as discipline,” “Submit to the Father of our spirits and live,” because God disciplines us for our good that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” That’s God’s promise to us as his children. So, when the hard times come, don’t resist them. Instead, submit to their purifying influence in your life. None of us like pain but trying to avoid it can actually lead to greater suffering. You “foozball, men in tights” fans will appreciate this. Years ago, the Chicago Tribune ran a story about William “the Refrigerator” Perry. He was a defensive lineman for the Chicago Bears when they won the Super Bowl back in 1985. He was so big and wide he looked like a refrigerator running down the field. That’s why they called him “The Refrigerator.” Perry was also a friendly man with a wide grin. Now, Perry was not afraid of anybody on the football field, but unfortunately for his grin, he apparently was afraid of the dentist. He was so afraid that he hadn’t gone to the dentist for 20 years! He didn’t go to the dentist even though his teeth and gums hurt terribly. He didn’t go to the dentist even when his teeth started falling out. Eventually he lost half of his teeth – some he pulled out himself! – and his gums suffered chronic infection. He was suffering! Finally, as he neared the age of 45, he went to a dentist, who had to pull out all of Perry’s remaining teeth. He had to insert screws in Perry’s jaw and implant new teeth. All of this would have cost Perry $60,000, but the dentist did the procedure without charge for a little publicity. After it was all said and done, William Perry said of his new teeth, “It’s unbelievable… I love them… I got tired of my mouth hurting all the time.” Are you tired of your life hurting all the time? Then stop trying to avoid the “minor” pain of God’s healing discipline. Instead, let him put a new smile on your face as he puts new peace and joy in your heart through the hardships he allows in your life.
We must acknowledge that we have indeed done wrong. We must confess our own wickedness and depravity. Judah could have protested his innocence. He didn’t steal the Egyptian ruler’s cup. Instead, he remembers stealing Yosef’s freedom and says (vs.16), “God has uncovered your servants’ guilt.” We are sinners, all of us. Judah admits it, and that’s what we must do if we want to see real change for the better in our own lives. The problem is most of us think, “We’re not that bad.” In fact, if we’re like most people, we’re all way above average at almost everything, at least in our own minds. Psychologists call this the state of “illusory superiority.” It simply means that we tend to inflate our positive qualities and abilities, especially in comparison to other people. Numerous research studies have revealed this tendency to overestimate ourselves. For example, when researchers asked a million high school students how well they got along with their peers, none of the students rated themselves below average. As a matter of fact, 60 percent of students believed they were in the top 10 percent, and 25 percent rated themselves in the top one percent. The same thing happened with college professors. Just two percent rated themselves below average; 10 percent were average and 63 were above average, while 25 percent rated themselves as truly exceptional. Of course this is statistically impossible. One researcher summarized the data this way: “It’s the great contradiction – the average person believes he is a better person than the average person.” But that’s not the way to get better. That’s not the way to experience real change in our lives. Rather, it starts when we admit our own sinfulness. It starts when we admit that we have failed. True change for the better begins when we admit that we are going in the wrong direction.
That’s what Captain Cézar Garcez failed to do and it led to a terrible tragedy. He was piloting Varig Airlines flight 254 out of Brazil’s Maraba airport on September 3, 1989. Under normal circumstances the hop to nearby Belém would only take 48 minutes. Captain Cézar Garcez consulted a computer-generated flight plan and read the number 0270 which corresponded to the magnetic heading from Maraba to Belém. But Garcez inadvertently dialed 270 into the Horizontal Situation Indicator. Minutes later, flight 254 took off and climbed to an altitude of 29,000 feet. Instead of heading northeast toward the Brazilian coastline and the city of Belém, the plane turned west and headed straight toward the Amazon forest. Captain Garcez sensed something was wrong. At this point in the flight plan he expected to be able to have visual contact with Belém airport. Frustrated, the captain executed a 180-degree turn, not recognizing the absurdity of his due west/due east course. Having been notified by the flight attendants that the passengers were wondering what was happening, Garcez lied. He announced there was a power failure at the Belém airport, and that he would circle the area waiting for the power to be restored. Despite not knowing where he was, Captain Garcez informed the Varig flight coordinator on the ground he estimated the plane would be landing in Belém in five minutes. He then ordered the flight attendants to serve a fresh round of drinks to the bewildered passengers. At 7:39 p.m., when the flight was 68 minutes overdue, the first officer identified the problem and started to explain to the captain his mistake. But the captain dismissed his explanation. Refusing to ask for help, he began counting the minutes until the plane would run out of fuel. All the while he searched the ground hoping to find an airport where he could land the plane. About an hour later, out of fuel, Garcez made a remarkable crash-landing in total darkness in a dense tropical forest. The plane was 700 miles from the intended destination. Although all six of the crew survived, 13 of the 48 passengers were killed. Both Captain Garcez and the first officer had their commercial licenses revoked. They never flew again. This happened all because Captain Garcez refused to admit his mistake and accept correction. My dear friends, before you crash land your own life, please don’t be too proud to admit your own mistakes and accept correction. If you are about to crash land your marriage, don’t be too proud to own up to your part in the failure of that relationship. If you are about to crash land any of your relationships with your children, your friends, your co-workers, or whoever, don’t be too proud to admit, “I was wrong.” Even if you have already crash landed your relationship with God, don’t be too proud to admit, “I have sinned.” For God has promised, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). That’s because Yeshua “is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). Yeshua paid the price for all our sins on the cross. Now, God can forgive us our sins when we admit them to Him. And that’s where real change for the better starts. It starts when we admit our sin and God takes over.
We must turn around from going in the wrong direction and start heading in the right direction. To use a good biblical term, we must repent. In total and complete dependence upon Yeshua, who died for us and rose again, we must change our ways. That’s what Judah and his brothers did. They offered to become Yosef’s slaves. We read in Genesis 44:17, “But Joseph said, “Far be it from me to do such a thing! Only the man who was found to have the cup will become my slave. The rest of you, go back to your father in peace.” Yosef gives them an opportunity to go free at the expense of their younger brother, but Judah won’t allow it. Look at him as he pleads for the release of his brother – one of the finest and most moving petitions in all of Scripture. More than 20 years previous, Judah sold his younger brother into slavery. Now, he pleads to be enslaved himself so another younger brother can go free. Judah is a different man. By God’s grace and work in his life, he is no longer jealous and bitter; he is no longer selfish and self-centered. Instead, he is willing to give up his own freedom to preserve the freedom of another favored son. Judah has changed his ways, and that’s what we must do if we want to see real change in our own lives for the better. We must not only admit our sin, but we must also quit our sin. Now, if admitting our sin is difficult at best, then quitting our sin is well-nigh impossible. That’s what a 2006 medical study revealed. Roughly 600,000 people have heart bypasses a year in America. After their bypasses, their doctors tell them that they must change their lifestyle. The heart bypass is a temporary fix. They must change their diet. They must quit smoking and drinking. They must exercise and reduce stress. In essence, the doctors say, “Change or die.” Well, you would think that a near-death experience would get their attention, and these patients would make the appropriate lifestyle changes. Sadly, that is not the case. Ninety percent of the heart patients do not change. They remain the same, living the way they always lived. Study after study indicates that two years after heart surgery, the patients have not altered their behavior. Instead of making changes for life, they choose death. Change can be that difficult for people even when their lives depend on it. That’s why Yeshua died on the cross. He died not only to deliver us from the penalty of sin, but also from its power in our everyday lives. So, if you don’t like the life you’re living, put your trust in Him. Depend on Yeshua to help you make the changes you know you need to make. If you want to experience real change in your life, just submit to God’s discipline. Then with Adonai’s help, admit and quit your sin.
In August 2003, Europe’s biggest-ever lottery, the Super Enalotto, stood at 66 million euros; almost 70 million USD. The amount was too much for an Italian man living on his old-age pension to resist. Hoping he would be the long-shot winner, he purchased a ticket outside of Milan. But on the day lottery officials revealed the winning number, the man was so preoccupied with the details of his daughter’s wedding, that he didn’t redeem his lottery ticket. According to Italian news agencies, by the time he realized he had the winning ticket, the deadline for claiming the largest jackpot in Europe’s history had passed. What was in his grasp and reserved for him, passed him by. Feeling faint, the man, who wished to remain anonymous, was hospitalized.
Dear friends, a new life with Yeshua is in your grasp right now, and it’s much better than winning any lottery. Please, don’t get so preoccupied with your old life that you miss the opportunity to serve the God of Israel. Repentance isn’t when you cry, it is when you change. Trust Yeshua with your life today and let Him give you the life you really want to live forever. Begin with repentance and Adonai will make the changes…
b’Shem Yeshua, haMelech v’haMashiach Shelanu! Amein.
(“in the name of Yeshua, our King and the Messiah! Amein.”)
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