Vayetze וַיֵּצֵא - And He Went Out
Genesis 28:10-32:3
Haftarah: Hosea 12:13-14:10
Apostolic Scripture: John 1:41-51
My Thoughts:
In Chapter 32 verses 1 and 2 we read, “Jacob went on his way, and the angels of Elohim met him. When he saw them, Jacob said, “This is Elohim’s army.” How amazing is this? Angels from the throne room of Elohim come to the earth to present themselves to Jacob. They are Hashem’s army! You hear stories from various wars in Israel, past and present, where angels presented themselves and protected Hashem’s people.
Have you ever seen an angel? I believe I have seen a few, but can’t verify it. We seemed to have met an angel when we were picking up my sons at the airport in Chicago (they were flying in from South Korea to be adopted by our family). We had gotten lost in the airport and a woman came up to us and helped us find our way. When we got in the right direction we turned around and she had disappeared. I could name a few other times too! Have you ever seen or felt like you had seen an angel?
Challenge:
Do you have a “Laban” relative in your life? One that kind of stressed you out? Do you respect him/her or do you disrespect them? Do you take time to listen and be patient with this relative or are you impatient and contentious with them? Take time to think how you can be like Jacob and work through your issue. Be determined to have peace in your relationship and not turmoil. Remember to respect your elders whether you think they are right or wrong. It is a commandment to love one another. Obey it.
Reading #7 - Genesis 31:43–32:3
31:43 Laban answered Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine! What can I do today to these my daughters, or to their children whom they have borne? 44 Now come, let’s make a covenant, you and I. Let it be for a witness between me and you.”
45 Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar. 46 Jacob said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” They took stones, and made a heap. They ate there by the heap. 47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed. 48 Laban said, “This heap is witness between me and you today.” Therefore it was named Galeed 49 and Mizpah, for he said, “Hashem watch between me and you, when we are absent one from another. 50 If you afflict my daughters, or if you take wives in addition to my daughters, no man is with us; behold, Elohim is witness between me and you.” 51 Laban said to Jacob, “See this heap, and see the pillar, which I have set between me and you. 52 May this heap be a witness, and the pillar be a witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and that you will not pass over this heap and this pillar to me, for harm. 53 The Elohim of Abraham, and the Elohim of Nahor, the Elohim of their father, judge between us.” Then Jacob swore by the fear of his father, Isaac. 54 Jacob offered a sacrifice in the mountain, and called his relatives to eat bread. They ate bread, and stayed all night in the mountain. 55 Early in the morning, Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them. Laban departed and returned to his place.
32 Jacob went on his way, and the angels of Elohim met him. 2 When he saw them, Jacob said, “This is Elohim’s army.” He called the name of that place Mahanaim.
3 Jacob sent messengers in front of him to Esau, his brother, to the land of Seir, the field of Edom.
THIS WEEK’S HAFTARAH:
Hosea 12:13-14:9
My Thoughts:
We read in verse 14:1 “Israel, return to Hashem your Elohim; for you have fallen because of your sin.” This message is a common thread throughout Scripture. Many times we read that Hashem is asking us to return to Him. So why don’t we? We try sometimes. But, if He is asking us to love Him with our whole heart, soul and strength - we must devote our entire selves to Him. We are in a time where there is no room for being “lukewarm”. He wants ALL of us. Return today, to Him. And never go back.
Challenge:
Continuing in verse 14:2 we read, “Take words with you, and return to Hashem. Tell him, “Forgive all our sins, and accept that which is good, so we offer our lips like bulls.” In order to return to Hashem, we must repent of our sins. That means we say we are sorry with all that we have and offer up the sacrifice of prayer and praise. I challenge you to do this today. Take a moment to get quiet, repent and return. Then praise Him. It will change your life - forever.
Hosea 12:13-14:9
13 By a prophet Hashem brought Israel up out of Egypt,
and by a prophet he was preserved.
14 Ephraim has bitterly provoked anger.
Therefore his blood will be left on him,
and his Lord will repay his contempt.
13 When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling.
He exalted himself in Israel,
but when he became guilty in Baal, he died.
2 Now they sin more and more,
and have made themselves molten images of their silver,
even idols according to their own understanding,
all of them the work of the craftsmen.
They say of them, ‘They offer human sacrifice and kiss the calves.’
3 Therefore they will be like the morning mist,
and like the dew that passes away early,
like the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the threshing floor,
and like the smoke out of the chimney.
4 “Yet I am Hashem your Elohim from the land of Egypt;
and you shall acknowledge no god but Me,
and besides Me there is no savior.
5 I knew you in the wilderness,
in the land of great drought.
6 According to their pasture, so were they filled;
they were filled, and their heart was exalted.
Therefore they have forgotten Me.
7 Therefore I am like a lion to them.
Like a leopard, I will lurk by the path.
8 I will meet them like a bear that is bereaved of her cubs,
and will tear the covering of their heart.
There I will devour them like a lioness.
The wild animal will tear them.
9 You are destroyed, Israel, because you are against Me,
against your help.
10 Where is your king now, that he may save you in all your cities?
And your judges, of whom you said, ‘Give me a king and princes’?
11 I have given you a king in my anger,
and have taken him away in my wrath.
12 The guilt of Ephraim is stored up.
His sin is stored up.
13 The sorrows of a travailing woman will come on him.
He is an unwise son;
for when it is time, he doesn’t come to the opening of the womb.
14 I will ransom them from the power of Sheol.
I will redeem them from death!
Death, where are your plagues?
Sheol, where is your destruction?
“Compassion will be hidden from my eyes.
15 Though he is fruitful among his brothers, an east wind will come,
the breath of Hashem coming up from the wilderness;
and his spring will become dry,
and his fountain will be dried up.
He will plunder the storehouse of treasure.
16 Samaria will bear her guilt;
for she has rebelled against her Elohim.
They will fall by the sword.
Their infants will be dashed in pieces,
and their pregnant women will be ripped open.”
14 Israel, return to Hashem your Elohim;
for you have fallen because of your sin.
2 Take words with you, and return to Hashem.
Tell him, “Forgive all our sins,
and accept that which is good:
so we offer our lips like bulls.
3 Assyria can’t save us.
We won’t ride on horses;
neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, ‘Our gods!’
for in you the fatherless finds mercy.”
4 “I will heal their waywardness.
I will love them freely;
for my anger is turned away from him.
5 I will be like the dew to Israel.
He will blossom like the lily,
and send down his roots like Lebanon.
6 His branches will spread,
and his beauty will be like the olive tree,
and his fragrance like Lebanon.
7 Men will dwell in his shade.
They will revive like the grain,
and blossom like the vine.
Their fragrance will be like the wine of Lebanon.
8 Ephraim, what have I to do any more with idols?
I answer, and will take care of him.
I am like a green cypress tree;
from me your fruit is found.”
9 Who is wise, that he may understand these things?
Who is prudent, that he may know them?
For the ways of Hashem are right,
and the righteous walk in them;
But the rebellious stumble in them.
THIS WEEK’S APOSTOLIC SCRIPTURE:
John 1:41-51
My Thoughts:
Yeshua said to Nathanael “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” How powerful is this? Yeshua “saw” him. And He sees us too! Sometimes we feel like we are invisible to Hashem, but I believe we are not. We serve an infinite, omnipresent Elohim - He can be anywhere at any time. So - He does see us! Now this should be pretty amazing. It means we are never alone and we can depend on Him. Even if we are in a bad or distressing situation - Hashem is working on it for us. He can turn the worst thing into the best. Only if we let Him.
Challenge:
How can there be no “deceit” in Yeshua? Maybe because He is the exact representation of Hashem. He is perfect. I am convinced that Hashem sent His emanation Yeshua, so that we could better understand Hashem! If Yeshua totally represents Hashem - then it helps us to become more familiar and acquainted with the Holy One. Maybe now we have a better understanding of how Hashem loves and cares for us? Think about this today. Yeshua always points to Hashem. He wants us to know our Elohim better. So, let’s try to do that.
John 1:41-51
1:41 He first found his own brother, Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah!” (which is, being interpreted, Christ). 42 He brought him to Yeshua. Yeshua looked at him, and said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is by interpretation, Peter). 43 On the next day, he was determined to go out into Galilee, and he found Philip. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, “We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, wrote: Yeshua of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
46 Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?”
Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
47 Yeshua saw Nathanael coming to him, and said about him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!”
48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?”
Yeshua answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of Elohim! You are King of Israel!”
50. Yeshua answered him, “Because I told you, ‘I saw you underneath the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these!” 51 He said to him, “Most certainly, I tell you all, hereafter you will see heaven opened, and the angels of Elohim ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
