Vayetze: He went out — ויצא

Thoughts on Torah for Last Week:

Genesis 25-28
​[As God reveals an expanding view of His work, old paradigms fall away and new ones emerge.]
 
One of the repeating concepts that we see in Genesis is the birthright son. The birthright son had the responsibility to be a provider and protector of the family if the father was unable.  This role as a type of “backup” father assumed also, and as we see with Isaac, obligations or responsibilities that the father had made with his god.  And as a continuing practice in Genesis, this birthright with its responsibilities and benefits past to Jacob then to Joseph/Ephraim.

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Even though Judah overtakes Joseph in leadership – is that the end of Israel’s birthright lineage – Joseph/Ephraim?  (1 Chronicles 5:2) What happened to the covenant Abraham made with God and the responsibility of the birthright son to fulfill the covenant terms to its full consummation?  We see Abraham’s covenant with God continue with Isaac in this portion at chapter 26.  How does God bring a fulness and completeness to the promises he made to not only Abrahams descendants but the promises and responsibilities of the birthright son – Joseph/Ephraim, and with His covenant with King David and his descendants.  As we will see, Abraham’s covenant, which is everlasting, continues to unfold throughout time and eternity – from a fallen world, through Paradise (Millennium) and into Heaven.
 
As a work in progress, Abraham’s covenant and David’s covenant with God advances to a fuller fulfillment with an Endtime alliance between Judah and Joseph/Ephraim – Isaiah 11:12-13, Ezekiel 37:15-19.  Some may see these scriptures as the process of uniting the two Houses; however, other applications are appropriate as we consider a lineal context.  Moreover, this alliance is to be Kings and Queens for the Endtime gathering of the House of Israel Isa 49:22-23, Rev.7:3-8, and the rulers during the Millennial reign of the Messiah.
So conceptually, we have the scheme depicted below.

​So how might this Endtime alliance manifest itself?  The two probabilities are through lineage and/or covenant.  
 
Lineage
Throwing off old paradigms that Yeshua/Jesus had no offspring, what emerges is a Messianic lineal descent (Isaiah 53:10), and the primary candidate of the matriarchal line originates with Mary Magdalene. Moreover, for Mary to be of the tribe of Ephraim, makes sense from the following points:

1.  A marriage between Yeshua/Judah and Mary/Ephraim would help to heal the rift between the two Houses – House of Judah and House of Israel (Ephraim).
2. A marriage between Yeshua/Judah and Mary/Ephraim would bring a fuller fulfillment of the covenant promises to the Birthright Heir and King David. 
3. A marriage would bind the two roles of Judah and Joseph/Ephraim into one complete sovereign. “Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver. Psalms 60:7

Covenant
The other method to facilitate a provision for these Endtime/Millennial Kings and Queens is through a covenant relationship, who qualify under the Davidic Covenant.  See Matt 12:50, Rev.20:4.

Isaiah 6
The purpose of the earth is to end up with an Elect category of people.
 
Isaiah sees God physically and has his “calling and election made sure”.  He receives a commission to call Israel to repentance.  Some do repent.  Israel is exiled and is destroyed but a righteous tithe (10%) of the people are preserved.  From an Endtime context, a tithe of the mingled lineages of Israel are preserved.  This situation now allows the Gospel to be taken to the literal or ethnic House of Israel.

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Resource Links for this Week's Portion

TORAH: GENESIS 28:10-32:2
GOSPELS: John 1:41-51

Listen and Read the Portion
First Fruits of Zion

​​Commentary with Nehemia Gordon


HAFTARAH: ISAIAH Chapter 7

Commentary with Avraham Gileadi, PhD