The life of Joseph demonstrates God's sovereign hand in human lives. Though the world seems to follow a completely random course around us, God is actually working out His purposes in the midst of it. From Joseph's point of view, there was no reason to suspect that God had his best interests in mind.
Joseph had been kidnapped and betrayed by his own brothers, sold into Egypt as a slave, falsely accused of attempted adultery and imprisoned in a dungeon. His life seemed to be following Murphy's Law of “if anything can go wrong, it will.” So far, everything had gone wrong.
Joseph stubbornly clung to an unshakable confidence in the God of his fathers. Even though everything had tumbled down around him, He kept looking to God and believing that God was working through the chaos. He never fell into depression or despondency because he always believed that he was right where God had placed him.
The late first-century compendium of instructions to Gentile believers entitled the Didache says, “Accept the things that happen to you as good, knowing that apart from God nothing comes to pass” (Didache 3:10). Similarly, Paul says, “We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
This can be compared to the story of a rabbi from the days of the Apostles named Nacham. Everyone called him “Nacham This-Too” because, no matter what happened, he would always say, “This too is for the good.” Amazingly, God honored his faith by continually providing miracles for Nacham.
Once it happened that Nacham This-Too was serving as an ambassador to Rome. He was presenting the Roman Emperor with a gift from the people of Judea in an attempt to bribe him into reversing some anti-Jewish legislation. While en route to Rome he stopped at an inn. While he slept, the inn-keeper stole the precious treasures meant for the emperor from Nacham's chest and replaced them with sand! Nacham went to Rome, unaware that he was carrying a box of sand. When the emperor opened the chest and saw the sand, he ordered Nacham to be put to death. Nacham simply replied, “This too is for the good.” Just then Elijah the prophet appeared in the guise of a Roman officer and suggested that perhaps the sand was “magic sand.” The emperor agreed to test the theory, and indeed, when his troops hurled the sand at their enemies, they prevailed in battle. The emperor immediately released Nacham, reversed his decree against the Jews and rewarded Nacham with great wealth.
The story of Nacham This-Too is a good illustration of Joseph's story. Like Nacham This-Too, Joseph refused to be pushed around by life's circumstances. Instead he looked to God for strength and encouragement, and he kept on believing.
In this week's Torah reading, we will see how Joseph's this-too-is-for-the-good type of faith was rewarded and how his fortunes changed.
Miketz – מקץ : “At the end” Torah : Genesis 41:1-44:17 Haftarah : I Kings 3:15-4:1 Gospel : Luke 4:16-31
DECEMBER 17, 2022 Deuteronomy 4:1 Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe, that you may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers is giving you. There are many occasions where Messiah is quoted as saying, “Let him who has an ear, hear.” […]
DECEMBER 16, 2022 Deuteronomy 3:26 But the Lord was angry with me on your account and would not listen to me. So the Lord said to me: “Enough of that! Speak no more to Me of this matter.” This verse fascinates me — the LORD got angry with the man He had chosen to speak with, face to face. […]
DECEMBER 15, 2022 Deuteronomy 3:24-25 O Lord God, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your mighty hand, for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do anything like Your works and Your mighty deeds? I pray, let me cross over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, those pleasant mountains, and Lebanon. After recounting the battles that […]
DECEMBER 10, 2022 Deuteronomy 1:39 Your little ones and your children, who you say will be victims, who today have no knowledge of good and evil, they shall go in there; to them I will give it, and they shall possess it. Certainly, it is natural for parents to be concerned about their children and, at times, […]
DECEMBER 14, 2022 Deuteronomy 2:25 This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the nations under the whole heaven, who shall hear the report of you, and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you. As Moses continued retelling the story of their journey, he recounted how Israel was prohibited […]
God is our shelter and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. (Psalms 46: 1 GNT)
This week, I have been meditating on this thought. There is so much to this small statement that can be unpacked. It is a revelation that can set our hearts free from all the fears, worries, and anxious thoughts we face day after day. In Deuteronomy God told the people of Israel, Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified…for the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave you or forsake you. What a powerful promise that we can claim.
In James chapter 4 we find hope in knowing that at any time, anyplace we can draw near to God, and He will draw near to us. He is as close as the mere mention of His name. Just whispering His name turns His gaze to us. In Psalm 116 it says because He bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath! He is never too busy. His eyes are over the righteous and His ears are open to their prayers. As we abide in God’s Word and spend time with Him each day, His presence surrounds us, and we can experience life-giving hope and love throughout the day. No matter what we are facing, we have peace in knowing that the LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. We are His! His desire is for us to be close to Him so that He can hide us under the shadow of His wings. He paid the price so that we can be called His children. Oh, what manner of love the Father has given unto us, that we should be called the sons and daughters of the Highest (1 John 3:1).
So, in closing, let us be reminded that nothing can ever separate us from the love of God our heavenly Father. Whisper Jesus!
DECEMBER 13, 2022 Deuteronomy 13-14 So we crossed over the Valley of the Zered. And the time we took to come from Kadesh Barnea until we crossed over the Valley of the Zered was thirty-eight years, until all the generation of the men of war was consumed from the midst of the camp, just as the Lord had sworn to them. Thirty-eight years […]
DECEMBER 12, 2022 Deuteronomy 2:7 For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand. He knows your trudging through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing. In the very first part of Moses’ discourse in Deuteronomy, the great teacher emphasized the reward of doubt, fear and […]
When Tamar’s pregnancy advanced to the point where she could no longer conceal it, “she would tap upon her stomach and boast, ‘I am big with kings and redeemers!’” (Midrash Rabbah). At the very least, she was big with twins.
While Tamar struggled in labor, the first of her two sons extended his hand. The midwife tied a scarlet string around his wrist to identify the firstborn, but he then retracted his hand and apparently retreated back down the birth canal—a stunt that does not seem biologically probable. Tamar gave birth to his brother before him in a traumatic labor. She named him Perez (Peretz, פֶּרֶץ), which means “breach,” saying, “What a breach you have made for yourself” (Genesis 38:29).
That Perez pushed ahead was part of the Divine plan. Zerah desired to emerge first but God declared: “Messiah is destined to descend from Perez; is it right, then, that Zerah should emerge first? Let Zerah return to his mother’s womb, and Perez shall be born first!” (Aggadat Bereshit)
The rabbis closely identified Perez, the son of Judah and Tamar, with King Messiah. Perez heads the genealogy of David in Ruth 4:18. The sages sometimes call Messiah by the name Son of Perez. The twins in Tamar’s womb portend the two messiahs: Messiah son of Joseph and Messiah son of David. That is to say, the birth of Perez and Zerah signify the first and second coming of Yeshua.
Perez, whose name also means “breaker,” represents Messiah in His first coming. He broke open the way into the kingdom of heaven. Tamar named him Perez to indicate that King Messiah, “the Breaker,” would one day come forth from him:
Tamar meant, “This one is greater than all those who make breaches, for from you will arise the King Messiah [of whom it is written in Micah 2:13], ‘The breach-maker goes up before them; they break out, pass through the gate and go out by it. So their king goes on before them, and the LORD at their head.’” (Genesis Rabbah 85:14)
Zerah (Zerach, זֶרַח), whose name means “dawning,” represents Messiah son of David, i.e. Yeshua in His second coming. The prophet Isaiah spoke of the great redemption of the Messianic Era as the dawning:
Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen (zarach) upon you. For behold, darkness will cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples; but the LORD will rise upon you and His glory will appear upon you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising (zarach). (Isaiah 60:1-3)
