Torah Trails
Rabbi Yehudah “Tochukwu” ben Shomeyr
Kristopher Shoemaker
#11 Vayigash
Gen.
44:18-47:27
Ezk.
37:15-28
Acts 7:9-16
Memory
Verses: Ge. 45:8. Ezk. 37:28, Acts. 7:9-16
Gen. 45:1,
3, 4, Acts. 7:13
How did
Joseph make “himself know” to his brothers? After all he was older, clean
shaven and did not have the customary beard of Hebrews, his hair was covered and
he was clad in Egyptian garb. He spoke Egyptian to them and had an interpreter
translate. He looked like an Egyptian Ruler! There was no way they could have
known it was Joseph, he was completely transformed!
So, how did Joseph
make “himself known” to his brothers? He likely began speaking Hebrew, took off
his head covering to reveal the wavy dark Hebraic hair. To totally convince
them he might have opened his robe to reveal his circumcision, something Egyptians
did not have.
When we
humble ourselves and allow God to transform us and make us a new creature and
when we encounter loved ones from our former life, they might not recognize us and
look upon us as a foreigner or a stranger. To convince them it’s really us, we
need to de-robe ourselves, become naked and genuine and bear our souls before
them.
Ezk. 37:21
Yeshua has
the same problem we and Joseph have. His brothers, His loved ones, didn’t recognize
Him. Like Joseph whose soul was Hebrew and dedicated to God, but whose body was
clad in Egyptian garments, so too Yeshua whom Gentiles call Jesus is a Jew
through and through, but looks like a Greek philosopher than a Jewish Rabbi or Messiah.
We must “de-robe” and take this Jesus from among the heathen and bring Him back
into His proper Hebraic context and return Him, Yeshua, to the Land of His
People and make Himself known as Savior, the Jewish Messiah to His brethren.
“Abba YHWH
Elohim, equip and empower us to correctly and successfully make Yeshua known to
His brethren, the Jewish People. In Yeshua’s Name, Amen!”
