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Parashah #10: Mikketz “At the end”
B’reshit (Genesis) 41:-44:17
By: Yehudah ben Shomeyr
In Parashah Mikketz Pharaoh has 2 dreams in which the interpretation is one and the same. The first dream of which he sees 7 healthy cows are cannibalize by 7 sickly cows. The second dream Pharaoh sees 7 full ears of corn or wheat (depending on which translation you use) are consumed by 7 withered dried up ears. Meaning there will be 7 years of bounty and them immediately followed by 7 years of famine so severe that the years of plenty will not even be remembered.
These two dreams are like two confirming witnesses and follows Torah protocol where by the word of two or three witnesses let everything be established.
Yosef (Joseph) is summoned and interprets the dreams and is taken from rags to riches, from prison to the palace. He is appointed second in command of Egypt, and in charge of stockpiling foodstuffs for the famine which was to come. The once the famine has ensued Yisrael/Israel (Ya’akov/Jacob) sends his sons minus Benjamin (the last of Rachel’s children) to go to Egypt to buy food to sustain Yisrael’s entire household. Of course they must see Yosef who is unrecognizable to his brothers, because he is clothed as an Egyptian ruler.
Just like Yeshua today, he has been clothed in pagan Christian apparel and has become unrecognizable to His Jewish kin and is one of but many reasons Jews to not accept “Jesus” as Messiah.
Yet Yosef immediately recognizes them. His brothers bow down to him and fulfill Yosef’s teenage dream of their sheaves bowing down to his. Yosef accuses them of being spies and makes them divulge the welfare of their father and youngest brother. To prove they are not spies, Shimon (Simeon) is imprisoned while the others return home with full packs of food. They were not to return until they fetched Binyamin to undoubtedly prove they are not spies. Reluctantly Yisrael permits Binyamin to return with the others to Egypt to get food. When they arrive Yosef’s emotions in seeing his one true full brother overwhelms him and he goes away and weeps. He shows favor to Binyamin in food and gifts. Shimon is released and they are given food and sent on their way. But Yosef hides his drinking goblet in Binyamin’s saddle bag and then sends his guards to apprehend his brothers and bring them back to Egypt, with the intentions of making Binyamin stay with him since he is the one in whose bag the cup was found.
HAFTARAH #10
I KINGS 3:15-4:1
I Kings 3:15 And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.
Here Solomon Ha Melek (The King) shows God thanks and gratitude for the answer to prayer which he received, namely the gift of Chockmah (Wisdom) and he celebrates and gets others to celebrate and praise God for his Goodness. For we see in the pasukim (verses) to follow that he’ll need all the wisdom God gave him.
I Kings 3:16 Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.
I do not believe these women were whores, because proven so they would have been condemned to death by Torah. The Hebrew word translated “harlots” can also be translated “innkeepers,” This is clearly who I believe these women were, just as also I believe Rahab was who kept the spies safe when Joshua sent them out.
BRIT CHADASHA #10
Acts 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
I can testify personally how God has spoken to me and to the people through me via dreams. Granted, He doesn’t communicate to everyone in this manner. He speaks to us universally through His Word. But He speaks to us as individuals too in unique ways in regards to our personal relationship with Him. He spoke to the Patriarchs in dreams, He spoke the Kings in dreams (and through the Prophets) and it says in the last days ADONAI will again speak to His people in dreams.
More times than naught the dreams will have a two-fold interpretation: One for you the dreamer and one for the Body of Messiah at large. Elements and principles in regards to the dream will always be found in the Torah. This is how you will know if your dream is from God or the sirta archa (the other side: evil). Take your dream to mature, trusted elders whom you know will believe you and has the Spirit of God in them. For many times God will keep the meaning of the dream from you and consult (according to the Torah) two or more elders and the interpretation of the dream is hashed out. Other times as soon as you wake up you will immediately have the interpretation for the dream. As in Yosef’s case, dreams warn. As in Solomon’s case it encourages. It was after the dream God bestowed wisdom on him and he was able to render a wise verdict in the case of the two women who claimed the one living baby was there’s (I Kings 3:16-4:1).
Shabbat Shalom and Shavuah Tov!
-- Yehudah ben Shomeyr
MEMORY VERSES:
- And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace. – Gen. 41:16
- And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment. – I Kings 3:28
- And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: - Acts 2:17