By Joseph Shulam // Jerusalem Israel
The reading on this Shabbat is the Torah portion: Vayishlach, Genesis 32:4 – 36, 43.
From the prophets, the Haftarah reading is from Obadiah 1:1-21.
The New Testament reading is from Matthew 2:13-23.
The Hebrew name of this week's Torah portion is Vayishlach. The names of the Torah portions are usually connected with the first words of the reading, based on the fact that there were no names to the books of the Bible and no numbers of chapters and verses until much later with the printings of the first bibles. An Irish priest added the names of the books, the numbers on the chapters, and possibly the numbers on the verses. If you compare translated Bibles in different languages, you will notice that the numbers of chapters and verses don't always match.
Our reading on this Shabbat is from Genesis 32:3 to Genesis 36:43. Jacob and his two wives are sisters and daughters of Laban, the uncle of Jacob, and brother of Rebecca, Jacob's mother. Jacob became a wealthy, successful shepherd with large flocks, two wives, and servants. He is leaving Laban and Mesopotamia on his way back to the land of Canaan, which was given as an inheritance to Abraham and Isaac, his forefathers. The name of our reading is based on the first word in the Hebrew reading from Genesis 32:3 – Vayishlach=, "And He sent." Our reading starts with the following words: "Then Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom." (Genesis 32:3 NKJV)
Now, the prophet Obadiah is the smallest book in the whole Bible. It is 21 verses. Although it is a small book, Obadiah packs an enormous punch for our history as a nation, especially for the Sephardic Jewish population in our world. The book is ignored in Christian circles. I have been a disciple of Yeshua since the age of 16, and now I am 78 years old, and next March, the Lord willing, I will be 79 years old. That means that I have been a disciple of Yeshua for more than 62 years. I have been around the world preaching and teaching and helped to build the Netivyah Bible instruction ministry in Israel long before all the present leadership was born. I have never heard of one teaching from the book of Obadiah in any Western country or Asia.
However, for me, the book of Obadiah is very important. You see, my family on both sides are what is called Sephardic Jews. They were exiled to Sephard, today's Iberian Peninsula, Spain, and Portugal. You might not know that the golden era of Jewish history in the last two thousand years is the 500 years of Jews living under Islamic rule in Spain. (Another large ethnic group of Jews that exists in our world is what is called Ashkenazi Jews. Their origins are from Jews exiled to northeastern Europe.)
The term "Sepharad" appears in the Hebrew Bible, specifically in Obadiah 1:20, where it is mentioned in the context of the exiled Israelites. The verse states that the exiles from Jerusalem who are in Sepharad will possess the cities of the Negev. The precise geographical location of Sepharad is the subject of much scholarly debate.
In the period of Obadiah, Sepharad is believed to refer to a region associated with exiles from Judah following the Babylonian conquest in the 6th century BCE. Due to later Jewish tradition, it is often linked to the lands of Spain, particularly in the context of dispersions from Jerusalem.
Some scholars argue that Sepharad could refer to a location in ancient Mesopotamia or southern Turkey, while others advocate for its identification with areas in the Iberian Peninsula.
Over time, Sepharad has been explicitly associated with Spain, particularly after the expulsion of Jews in 1492.
Today, the term "Sepharad" is commonly associated with Sephardic Jews, who are descendants of those Jews who lived in the Iberian Peninsula before the Inquisition. Today, Sepharad often symbolizes these Jewish communities' heritage, culture, and traditions. The Sephardic Jews today identify culturally and religiously with traditions originating from Sepharad. The language of the Sephardic Jews is Ladino, which is a Judeo-Spanish language, and cultural and culinary traditions reflect a rich heritage of what is called the Golden Age of the Jews in Europe. The communities identified as Sephardic were spread to various parts of the world, including the Ottoman Empire (modern-day Turkey, Greece, and parts of North Africa), the Americas, and beyond, after their expulsion from Spain and Portugal in 1492. Like the prophecies in Isaiah Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, Obadiah also predicts that the Sephard Exiles will immigrate to the Land of Israel and settle in the Negev Desert. These prophetic promises of God's Spirit are spread in these prophets as a part of the restoration promised by God to the prophets of the 8th Century B.C. and up.
1. Sephardic Diaspora: After their expulsion from Spain and Portugal, the Sephardic Jewish community spread to various parts of the world, including the Ottoman Empire (modern-day Turkey, Greece, and parts of North Africa), the Americas, and beyond.
2. Religious Practice: Notably, Sephardic Jews have a different cultural history, but we are brothers and sisters and one with Ashkenazi Jews in Israel, who have their roots in Central and Eastern Europe. Sephardic traditions often include different prayer rites, customs, and interpretations of Jewish law.
3. Cultural Influence: The Sephardic community has contributed significantly to Jewish thought, philosophy, and culture, influencing various aspects of Jewish life.
In conclusion, Sepharad, referenced in the Book of Obadiah, historically symbolizes a geographic area associated with Jewish exile. Its modern connotation primarily relates to the cultural and ethnic identity of Sephardic Jews, spanning various regions and communities worldwide. The term embodies a rich heritage thriving within the Jewish diaspora today.
In the last verses, Obadiah prophesies that the Jews from Sepharad will immigrate to Israel and settle in the Negev Desert in the south of Israel. The Negev Desert is waiting for God's fulfillment of this promise, and Netivyah in Jerusalem, Brazil, and the United States are working toward it.
The prophet Obadiah begins his speech with prophetic condemnation against Edom, our neighbor on the other side of the Jordan River, who refused to allow Moses and the children of Israel to pass through their land. Moses and the leadership of Israel proposed that they even pay a passage fee for the water they drank on their way to Canaan. The King of Edom refused to allow them to pass through their miserable desert land. Edom is also one of Esau's children, which means that the connection between Jacob and Esau was still relatively fresh, and that is why the tradition of the Torah and prophets reading joins the prophecy of Esau with the people of Edom. The prophet Obadiah was not chosen by accident to accompany the reading of our Torah portion, which deals with the encounter between the two sons of Isaac, Esau, and Jacob. Most of our Torah portion deals with this encounter and reconciliation between Esau's sons and Jacob's sons. Obadiah is prophetically predicting some very harsh future for Edom i.e., Esau's descendants.
"The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; You who say in your heart, "Who will bring me down to the ground?'. Though you ascend as high as the eagle, and though you set your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down," says the LORD. "If thieves had come to you, If robbers by night— Oh, how you will be cut off! — Would they not have stolen till they had enough? If grape-gatherers had come to you, would they not have left some gleanings? "Oh, how Esau shall be searched out! How his hidden treasures shall be sought after! All the men in your confederacy Shall force you to the border; The men at peace with you Shall deceive you and prevail against you. Those who eat your bread shall lay a trap for you. No one is aware of it." (Obadiah 1:3-7 NKJV)
Go back in history and see what happened to the enemies of Israel who rejected and sought to destroy Israel and persecuted Israel and the Jewish people. We will see an interesting pattern that has been repeated over many centuries. Whatever the prophets of God spoke a long time ago has either happened to these nations, or it didn't happen because they repented and changed their ways toward Israel. Just think of the nations that at one time were very powerful in our region: Edom, Moab, Amon, Jebus, Hatusa, Amalek, and Philistia, who were Greek and not Arabs. The Philistines are not the Palestinians of today. The Palestinians are Arabs, not Greeks, like the original Philistines who came from the island of Crete. The name was revived in modern times when the League of Nations mandated Britain to administer the region after World War I (1920–1948). The mandate referred to the area as "Palestine," but this referred to a geographical and political territory, not an independent state.
The Land's biblical name is Canaan/Israel. In the Bible, the land was primarily called Canaan before the Israelite conquest and Israel after it became the homeland of the Israelite tribes. Other historical names for parts of the land include Judea, Samaria, and Galilee.
The name Palestine was imposed by external powers, starting with the Romans, to replace the historical and biblical names associated with the Jewish people, especially after the destruction of the Second Temple. It was not associated with a sovereign nation-state but rather as a regional designation under successive empires.
There was never an independent state between the river and the sea called Palestine, and Bible believers ought to stay faithful to God's Word and promises. God's promise to Israel that this land belongs to them and their descendants as an inheritance was never reversed or changed to anything other than the land of Israel.
I have been writing something every week on the weekly reading of the Torah portion on every Shabbat worldwide in every synagogue. Today, I heard that there is a non-Jewish church, not necessarily messianic Jewish congregations, that is also committed to the restoration of the New Testament Church that is beginning to obey the command of the Apostles to the non-Jews in the Body of Christ and read the Torah in their services. Dr. James Tabor, an old friend and a great scholar, introduced the reading of the Torah and the Prophets in his Church outside Chicago in the 1970s. Dr. Tabor obeyed the command of the Apostles for our non-Jewish brothers and sisters in Acts 15:20-21. It is the last strong recommendation of the Apostles:
"For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath." (Acts 15:21 NKJV)
Every week, our congregation in Jerusalem opens the Torah and reads the same texts that every other Jewish synagogue reads on the Sabbath. We also add a reading from the New Testament. Every time I read and or hear the reading in our congregation from the Torah and from the Prophets and the New Testament, I feel refreshed, and new ideas pop up and, like fire-works spin and shine against the black sky of the present situation in Israel and the Middle East. Every week, when I read the Torah portion, even after more than 50 times reading the exact Torah text as Jews around the world read, you could think that I have squeezed this lemon so many times that there is nothing fresh and refreshing left in these old words of the Torah and the prophets. On the contrary, dear brothers and sisters, it is still true that every time I reread the text, something that I didn't notice in the past stands out and touches my consciousness and mental clarity like a laser beam. I have never taken drugs or been drunk in my life, but the small morsel of pure excitement lights up my mind and heart and takes me beyond the daily health challenges that I have and that my wife faces now.
I find refreshment and excitement because every time, without exception, there is something new and refreshing in my soul. Something that speaks not only of the far past of our nation but the living word of God is living and powerful, and "sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.". (Hebrews 4:12 NKJV). My problem is that sometimes, reading the Torah and the Prophets and the New Testament on Shabbat, I enjoy it; other people like the text from the Book of Hebrews, which says, "It pierces even divides my soul and my spirit and goes deep all the way to my joints and the intents of my heart."
I hope that not only I feel this way toward the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation. People in Japan used to ask me why the Jewish nation is so intelligent. My usual answer is that they read the Word of God weekly and talk about it with their children on Friday evenings around the Sabbath table and during their meals. The words of the Bible are messages from the Creator to either warn, reprimand, or comfort, or sometimes all three things at once, assuring us that God, the Creator of this universe, is still the same loving FATHER that so loved the world that He sent his beloved son, Yeshua the Messiah so that everyone can have an opportunity to receive and repent and wash symbolically in fresh water.
Notice Jacob's wisdom before encountering the camp of Esau, his brother. Jacob's preparations before encountering his brother Esau after crossing the river Jabbok and wrestling with the angel of the Lord are meticulous and multifaceted. Genesis 32:1–32 and Genesis 33:1–15. demonstrates Jacob's wisdom and the same strategic thinking as he had some decades earlier when he purchased Esau's birthright for a bowl of lentil soup.
1. Upon hearing that Esau is approaching with 400 men, Jacob becomes greatly afraid and distressed. He divides his people, flocks, herds, and camels into two camps, reasoning that if Esau attacks one camp, the other might escape. (Genesis 32:7-8)
2. Jacob prays to God, acknowledging His covenant with Abraham and Isaac and His promise to prosper Jacob and protect him. He approaches his brother Esau and his camp with humility and gratitude, saying, "I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness You have shown Your servant."
3. Jacob reminds God of His promise to make his descendants as numerous as the sand on the seashore and asks for deliverance from Esau's anger. I see this when Jacob opens his bag of documents and pulls out the insurance policy God gave him while sleeping on the ground, dreaming of the ladder from Heaven. God promises Jacob to return to the land and the possession of the land given to Abraham, Isaac, and now to him. For this reason, it is essential for us to know our scriptures and stand on the promises of God, our Savior! God's Word is our insurance policy and the foundation of our hope for the future of our family, nation, and path.
4. Jacob's next step before the meeting with Esau, his brother, is a classic Middle Eastern protocol for a successful business event. Take good, expensive, and meaningful gifts with you.
5. In terms of appeasement, in my opinion, and the opinion of some Rabbis, Jacob paid Esau the actual value of the inheritance he purchased from him for a bowl of red lentil soup.
a. 200 female goats, 20 male goats,200 ewes, 20 rams, 30 female camels with their young, 40 cows, ten bulls, 20 female donkeys, and ten male donkeys.
b. If I had to translate these gifts with today's standards, it would be something like this: 200 of the latest Hermes ties, a Bugatti Chiron sports car, Jacob & Co. Tourbillon Sapphire Crystal Watches, and some Richard Mille's RM 50-03, watches, A McLaren F1 sports car, and a McLaren F1 watch to match, and a 12-bedroom beach house in Malibu, California, with private parking for 24 vehicles. All this would only be a beginning starter at comparable prices to what Jacob gave his brother Esau as gifts.
The most important gift, however, didn't have a monetary value. Jacob told Esau, "I am at your service.", to appease Esau and gauge his reaction before their meeting. Did this strategy work – it worked only for one generation. All these maneuverings and gifts did not pacify the descendants of Esau. I can witness that this same strategy was used by Shimon Peres and inherited by a few of the ministers of our present government. The idea was to give the people in Gaza employment, money, and cement to build beautiful, rich houses. Provide them with electricity, water, and medical treatments for their children for free in the Israeli hospitals. The wars of today between Arabs and Jews, between our neighbors and our enemies are a direct outcome of that ancient hate that was planted between our ancestors, brothers – children of the same father and mother, who began their competition in the womb of Rebecca, their mother. Gifts and humanitarian aid could not heal it. In my opinion, the way to heal this religious-political problem is for the spiritual leadership of both parties to invite God to sit with them, open the books, and find what unites us and what ties us together as the children of Abraham. It started right with the Emirates and Bahrain.
Crossing the Jabbok River from East to West and Wrestling with the Angel (Genesis 32:22–32)
Jacob is crossing what would be called a creek in the United States. The Bible calls the body of water a river, Jabbok in the Bible. Maybe I am too harsh on that river. In Jacob's time, perhaps it was a river. Jacob sends his wives, children, and possessions across the Jabbok River but remains alone on the other side. During the night, he wrestles with a "man" (identified as an angel or the Lord Himself). Jacob prevails in this battle, refusing to let go until he is blessed; in itself, it is a profound demonstration of how serious it was to be blessed by a "holy" character, a Messenger of God, and the consequences this could have for our future. I have been blessed by individuals I considered holy servants of God, and I have seen that blessing work in me as a source of strength and encouragement when I needed it most. We don't take blessings or curses seriously in our postmodern world.
The angel renames Jacob as Israel, meaning "he struggles with God," acknowledging Jacob's perseverance. As a result of that struggle, Jacob started to limp. His hip must have been dislocated and maybe even broken.
The reunion between Jacob and Esau, his brother, is the most dramatic part and the most unexpected. (Genesis 33:1-15)
From this reunion, I have learned so much about my own life and wisdom.
1. Blood doesn't turn into water, no matter what bad things happened in the past. If there are painful issues from the past, the only way to heal them is humility, honest confession, and recognition of the pain caused in the family. Scandals in the family can and do happen, and sometimes, they are healed with the restoration of unity and love in the family if there is a sincere and honest heart shared between the brothers.
2. Yes, Jacob still doesn't trust Esau, his brother, 100% because of his character. Still, he is willing to take a chance by stacking the cards and putting his maidservants and their children first, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last, showing the chain of Jacob's loved ones and their importance.
3. Jacob goes ahead of the group, bowing to the ground seven times as he approaches Esau.
4. Esau unexpectedly greets Jacob with an embrace, tears, and reconciliation rather than hostility.
5. This principle is of turning the other cheek with strength and humility or walking the second mile together to find the middle ground of reconciliation rather than war. But, if you are going to war, speak softly and take a big stick.
What do I learn from this encounter that I can apply to today's situation with our Arab neighbors?
1. Be smart and prepared for any and all possibilities, from the best to the worst, and always have an ace up your sleeve.
2. Hedge your possibilities, and don't show all your cards before you know what the others have in their hands.
3. Protect your most important assets and your family, and ensure they are safe. Be generous with your enemies with candy and Coca-Cola, but keep your gold rings and Rolex gold watch in your pocket.
4. Faith and Dependence on God are the ultimate preparation—pray for wisdom and guidance, seek God, and recommit your life before all major decisions.
5. Do all stressful and challenging tasks with Humility and Reconciliation in mind:
a. Jacob's approach, calling Esau "my lord" and presenting himself as Esau's servant, reflects his willingness to humble himself to mend their relationship.
b. Expect the unacceptable and be open to divine intervention and guidance. God is the ultimate ace in your hands. Be prepared for God's help from places and sources you have never heard of before. God is really in my life, the ace in my sleeve.
c. In Jacob's case, wrestling with the angel is pivotal. Jacob had to grow up from a trickster into Israel, a transformation not only of his name but of his identity. We know the end of the story. Jacob paid a very high price for his past because his children "fed him on the same plate he fed his father," Isaac, a local Arab proverb in the Middle East. With what you feed your father, your children will feed you. Jacob's translocation in the waters of the river Jabbok didn't spare him the suffering from his children and their dealing with Joseph. Israel, up to today, has to learn to control the Jacob in us and celebrate the Israel that we must become.
d. This preparation illustrates Jacob's wisdom in combining human effort with faith in God's guidance. It also emphasizes themes of repentance, reconciliation, and divine intervention.
Dear brothers and sisters, our work is not over. There are still the poor of Jerusalem to be fed, the good news to be spread, publications to be published, and battles to be raged against the lies and deception of the antisemites of this world. Netivyah International and Netivyah Bible Instruction Ministry in Jerusalem are working as one to keep on keeping on, paving the way and providing spiritual and biblical guidance and support until Yeshua returns and lands what Ezekiel calls "a wheel within a wheel". We await Yeshua's return to the Mount of Olives and walk to Mount Zion to be crowned not with a crown of thorns but with the crown of David as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Yes, dear brothers, the road is long, and the time is short. Help us physically help others in Israel with food and our soldiers' physical needs, and to be spiritual road signs and direction pointers for the narrow road that leads to eternal life. We do it without barriers of color, race, or religious affiliation! God is the father of all creation and people on the face of this Earth. The commission is all nations. The challenge is also for people from all countries to take part in this unique, memorable opportunity to be a part of the restoration of God's Kingdom from Jerusalem again to the ends of His world.
Israel has had a profound role and function in the developments and changes in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza. We need to appeal to the throne of God to open the doors for an end to the hostage crisis in Gaza.
Also, I Appeal to God for doors to open for financial help for the Hamotzi Food distribution program in Jerusalem and for scholarship funds for disciples of Yeshua who are students in Israeli institutions of higher education. We need financial support to continue our witness of faith and lift the message of Yeshua with deeds of God's grace and blessings.
I keep asking people worldwide to pray for Marcia's healing, my healing, and a season of God's grace so that I can finish what God has given me before He calls me home!
Sister Suleima Cury in Brazil has severe kidney failure and needs God's healing hands of grace to touch her body with healing.
Please pray for S.T., who is a prisoner in Arizona. He is a disciple who has fallen into sin and is in prison for many years. He asked for special prayer because he confessed that he was suffering and that we wanted to intercede for him before God's throne.
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