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Matthew 5:48
You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Jacob left the house of Laban. He reckoned with the Messianic Angel as well as with his estranged brother (yes, meeting Messiah should generally provide us with the humbler attitude necessary to improve our relationships with our family, friends, and neighbors). The events at Sheshem left a bitter taste in the patriarch's mouth (Genesis 34), but now Hashem calls unto Jacob (Genesis 35:1). The God of Heaven initiates a rendez-vous with the patriarch at Beth-El, the very same place Jacob laid his head on a stone and received the vision of the ladder (Genesis 28). See now the heart of an unassuming man, of a man who knows how to humble himself before his God. Like Abraham before him and like Moses after him, Jacob does not assume that the Creator of the universe calls unto him because of any sense of personal virtue. Jacob fears his God and in view of this awesome event decides to go on a spiritual house-cleaning. ”Oh no!” he says. “The Father wants to see us; He summoned us to His Presence. We must prepare; we must get ready; come on everybody; let’s get the house cleaned up, let’s wash up and put clean clothes on”. It’s a little bit like before you go on a date! We will see later that the way Jacob prepared for this very important encounter with the ‘Greatest V.I.P’ of all times, was the same way the Children of Israel’s prepared by Mt Horeb, and also corresponds to the way a priest would later sanctify himself before entering the Holy of the Temple. Preparing for the special encounter Jacob also said, "Put away the foreign gods that are among you (Genesis: 35:2)”. We must not assume here that Jacob and his tribe had fallen into idolatry. Jacob’s whole family came from the household of idolatrous Laban, and whereas Jacob certainly did not consciously permit the worship of idols, as we saw in the case of Rachel (Genesis 31), people always carry extra ‘baggage’ with them. So it is with us. The Messiah calls us. We are on a spiritual journey to Beth-El (the House of God). One day we will meet Him there on Mt Moriah when he reigns over the whole world. In the mean time, we are meant to prepare for this awesome rendez-vous. We are meant to purify and sanctify ourselves in the waters of the word; to clothe ourselves with humility and put away the foreign gods from among us. We live in an idolatrous world where instead of worshipping God, celebrate His feast days and live in His ways, people create unto themselves religions which fit more into their personal perverted sense of right and wrong. Whether we like to admit it or not, like Rachel and the people in Jacob’s tribe, we all carry a little bit of that baggage with us. In our walk towards the Messianic Age, let us all like Jacob learn to always keep with us the wounding blessing from the concealed Messiah; reconcile with former enemies; clean and purify ourselves with the waters of the Word; and clothe ourselves with the humility of His righteousness. As we ready ourselves to physically meet with Messiah at the end of the age, let us also not forget to ‘put away the idols’, the worldliness, the vanity, the pride and the selfishness of the god of this world ‘from among us’.
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2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man is in Messiah, he is a new creation. As he makes ready to face Esau his brother and to enter the Promised Land, Jacob has another encounter to make. This will probably be the most important encounter of his life, the one that will change him forever and confirm his Messianic destiny. While Jacob is by himself, an angel, the Angel of the Lord, the Messiah who previously appeared to Abraham in the Plains of Mamreh, attacks him concealed in the dark of night. Jacob feels Its blows but does not see Him. He hears Him but cannot make out the face. Jacob is the victim of a wild man attacking him under the cover of night and probably presumes it to be Esau but when he hears the voice, it is the voice of God: (In the womb he took his brother by the heel, and in his manhood he strove with God (Hoseah 12:3)). It is almost like the words of his old father who said in the darkened sight of his old age, "The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau" (Genesis 27:22) is returning to haunt Jacob in the form of this concealed adversary. Jacob’s attitude towards this Angel would determine the next day’s encounter with Esau. The Angel finally reveals Himself by changing Jacob’s name (something the Messiah does) and Jacob names the place: ‘Peniel’ which means: the Face of God (Genesis 32:30). For 2,000 years our people have fought against a Messiah concealed in the dark of cultural misconceptions, a Messiah who like Joseph hid Himself under an ‘Egyptian’ cloak, who like Jacob hid himself under Esau’s disguise in front if his father. There comes a time though when the Messiah identifies Himself to ‘Jacob’. Can Jews be accused of refusing the Messiah also called, the ‘Word’ made flesh (John 1:14)? What ‘Word’ are we talking about? Yes; it is the Word of Torah. To be allegeable, the Messiah must be Torah observant, which Yeshua was. He said that He did not come to cancel the Torah, and that whoever teaches against it is called least in the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 5:17-19). But today Yeshua is described to Jews as one who cancels the very Torah who says that any prophet who talks about disobeying the Torah is to be put to death (Deuteronomy 13:5). Jacob fought for what he knew was right and finally surrendered, inheriting a wound in his thigh. When Jacob met his ‘match’, it changed his life forever and sent him into his Messianic destiny (Genesis 32). It is one thing to hear Messiah, but it is another to meet Him. You know you’ve met Him when your life changes, when ‘Jacob’ (the heel) is changed to ‘Israel’ (the Prince with God), a person who yields to God’s Word. When someone meets Messiah, he does not need to confess it with loud words, personalized T-shirts, or bumper-stickers in order to make the point to others; his altered very life is the loud testimony of the event. Have you heard Messiah? Have you also met Him? If so, can people around you testify of the event by just watching your changed life? Luke 21:29-31
And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees. When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Does history must always repeat itself (Ecclesiastes 1:9)? Let’s hope it does! When Abraham arrived in the Land with his family he was unpleasantly surprised by its Canaanite inhabitants. Even though divinely promised to him, Abraham could not possess the Land without warfare. Later, due to a famine the patriarch left for Egypt where after the captivity of his wife he returned to the land with great wealth. The text doesn’t reveal it to us, but since the Canaanite still lived in the Land, they might have made a compromise with Abraham. Maybe the fact that Abraham was now a wealthy and powerful enough to defeat five Amorite kings could have something to do with it (Genesis 13). Our father Jacob also left the Land for a long exile at Laban’s house. When he returned with his big family, his brother who had adopted a Canaanite way of life only had evil intentions towards his returning wealthy and blessed brother Jacob. Esau intended to kill Jacob as soon as they meet. Before the fatal show down, Jacob has a surprise encounter with the Messiah against whom he is not able to prevail. The Messiah blesses Jacob and gives him a new name: Israel. The patriarch is now able to use the wisdom and humility he acquired during his long exile to win his brother’s heart who then kisses him and allows him to come to settle again in his homeland. When Moses, following in footsteps of Abraham and Jacob led the children of Israel from Egypt towards Canaan, the Amalekites pursued them from the rear (Exodus 17:8) and later in Kadesh Barneah Edom would not allow passage through his lands (Numbers 20:14-18). Eventually, each time God’s plan succeeded and Israel settled in Canaan. Like Abraham, Jacob, and the Children of Israel in the desert, from around the world the Jewish people are now returning to the Land from where they have been exiled. Again, Esau the Canaanite (also Amalekite and Edomite) who is fully knowledgeable of Jacob’s inheritance (even the Koran mentions that this Land belongs to the Jewish people) lays in wait for his brother to do him arm. Thank God that we know the end from the beginning: Jacob does settle in the Land. We must only pray now that God’s will be done. Only we must pray that Hashem gives ‘Jacob’ the wisdom that comes from the Messiah and His Word which ‘Esau’ will not be able to resist. In the mean time, we learn from history that the soul of the Jewish people is like that of a homing pigeon. From wherever he is in the world, through hell and high water, he returns home to his ‘ground zero’, to the Land. So it is with the soul of man, the soul of all humanity. In the end, it must return to its Creator. Like a verse in a song I heard puts it, "the soul of man is like a waiting falcon; when it’s released, it’s destined for the sky." Matthew 5:45
"That you may be sons of your Father who is in Heaven." As Eliezer arrived in Padam-Aram, he asked the God of Abraham to help him identify she who would be the next matriarch of Israel. He stopped by the municipal well expecting the chosen maiden to remove a very heavy stone from the mouth of the well, and then water his ten camels loaded with the bride price with hundred fifty gallons of water. This was a very unlikely sign but the calling was high. The chosen one needed to have the right heart, the heart of a servant. Many years later Jacob, who was that same maiden's son would stand by that same well and return the favor to the House of Laban. This time he would roll the stone from the well and water Rachel’s flocks (Genesis 24:12-20; 29:1-11). The Torah teaches us the notion of measure for measure. It says, But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe (Exodus 21:23). We may tend to conclude that type of 'tit for tat' as God’s ‘Old Testament’ modus operandi, but our Master Yeshua expected us to also live within the notion of 'measure for measure'; He said, For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you (Matthew 6:14). The Master idea was not for us to demand the exact measure of justice for ourselves, but rather to realize that on that Great Day the God of Heaven will balance the scales of justice for all. In His teaching about ‘Measure for Measure’, Yeshua affirms the tenets of some of the great luminaries of Israel who said, “Whoever refrains from exacting his measure, the heavenly courts forgives its sins (b.Rosh Hashana 17a)”. Another one also teaches that “Regarding those who are insulted but do not return an insult, those who are rebuked without replying, they are the ones who do good out of love for God and rejoice in their suffering …He who passes over an opportunity to retaliate has all his transgressions passed over (b.Yoma 23a)”. May we also like these great sages learn to live by our Master’s idea of measure for measure, by the Sage of all sages who said, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Judge not, that you be not judged, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.” Here is how the Master taught us to apply measure for measure; He said, “You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you … that you may be sons of your Father who is in Heaven (Matthew 7:1; 6:12; 5:38-45).” 1 Corinthians 3:13
But each one's work will be shown for what it is; the Day will disclose it. The knowledge that every act whether good or bad carries its own reward or punishment should create in us a certain fear of Hashem. When I say 'fear of Hashem' I do not mean just respect, but the actual fear of the consequences of breaking His rule. This system of 'measure for measure' is actually meant to be a form of soul-policing imposed on us by the Holy Spirit. There are many who claim that since the time they have applied the blood of Yeshua upon their souls they are regenerated into sinless being and therefore are impervious to sin. They claim that through this process the Torah of God is written in their heart as it is said in Jeremiah (Jeremiah 33:31-33). I have no problem with that except that if it were true, with the amount of people in this nation, and in the world, who claim to have been regenerated, we should see a substantial decline in crime and immorality, which is not the case. Instead, man seems to be receiving upon its own head the fruit of his own rebellious nature and unchecked actions. Only one hope remains. In the End, at the time when judgment calls and the books are opened, we will each stand before God. In the presence of the Ancient of Days who created the heavens and the earth and all that is in it, we will stand on the scales of judgment and our lives will be measured and weighed for virtue (1 Corinthians 3:13). As the scales drastically tip to a negative balance, the accuser and prosecutor of our souls will shout, 'middah k'neged middah' or, 'measure for measure', this is the law of all the Heavens. In the deep silence and awe of the courtroom, the Defender and Redeemer of our soul will then approach to step on the other side of the scales adding to the balance the righteousness earned by virtue of His stripes and innocent suffering. As the scales now tip to the other side, He will also claim, 'middah k'neged middah', 'measure for measure'. With a knock of His gavel, the Judge of the earth will then proclaim the final sentence: "the measure has been met". I get saddened when I hear people talking flippantly about sin. Just because they don't pay for it they think that their redemption is so-called free. It is only free for them because someone else pays for it. In this case, Yeshua paid the price in the measure of His dedicated life and cruel suffering on the cross. John 1:51
"Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man." In the days of the Master, Galilee was a center for Torah learning where many rabbis taught their disciples in Yeshivas (Religious schools). It was the dream of every parent for their child, especially the oldest boy, to be given the favor of being accepted as the disciple of a rabbi. Yeshua broke with the traditional way of his contemporaries. Instead of waiting for potential disciples to pop the question, He Himself did the choosing and proposing with the words: “follow Me” (John 1:43). It seems that Yeshua did not look for disciples who were already learned in the current teachings. He wanted folks who came straight from the ‘streets’, people who had never really learned at the feet of other rabbis. This way, He could start them from scratch without having to undo a lot of teachings. Yeshua's disciples did not have the ways and the mannerism of the disciples of other local rabbis; that’s why some wondered at the religious ethics of some of them (Matthew 9:14-17). It is the problem with many of us today; we have so much to unlearn, so many ‘rocks’ of false teachings to rid the ground of before the truth can take root in our hearts! When in Judea, Andrew left John the Immerser to follow the Master. Andrew then ‘fished’ his brother, Peter. When the Master returned to Galilee to establish His itinerant Yeshivah of disciples, He found Philip who then Nathanael. These were all local boys who roamed the streets of Bethsaida as young boys. Yeshua chose all sorts. Hated tax collectors Roman collaborator; main stream working folks; zealot political activists; even religious fellows. When He saw Nathanael, Yeshua had a very particular comment for him, He said, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit (John 1:47)"! Whatever He was referring to, it was a great compliment to receive from He who is the Messiah! It seems that Nathanael was a religious man, a ‘just’ or ‘righteous’ man like Yeshua’s own earthly father (Matthew 1:19), which in Judaism referred to what would be called today an ‘Orthodox Jew’. When Yeshua saw Nathanael, He told Him what he was doing. Some suggest that perhaps Nathanael was studying the Torah, which people would often do in the shade of a fig tree. Some even said that he was reading the section about Jacob’s Ladder, and that it is why Yeshua referred to that prophecy about Himself in His comment to Nathanael (John 1:51). Whatever it was that Nathanael was doing by the fig tree, he received a very nice compliment from the Master. Whereas we may not all be given that sort of accolade of being found without deceit or guile, may we all be told at the end of this age, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master (Matthew 25:21)”. COLossians 4:6
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. Rachel our beloved matriarch dies shortly after Jacob foolishly swears to Laban, "Anyone with whom you find your gods shall not live (Genesis 31:32)". This should teach us about the power of words. Even though Jacob loved Rachel, this is the second record of his harsh speech to her, thus the saying 'We often hurt most the people we love most' might be true! Rachel was certainly not guilty of idolatry while married to Jacob. The 'gods' she had stolen were family heirlooms to which she could have been entitled. Tradition also teaches that they could have been used as means of divination by Laban, and that Rachel was keeping them away from her father so he could not consult them about Jacob's whereabouts. Whatever these 'gods' were, this story should teach us about the power of words, especially under oath. Even though innocent of idolatry, Rachel dies in childbirth shortly after Jacob's foolish vow. Like toothpaste out of a tube, it could not be taken back. I do not agree with the adage, 'Sticks and stones can hurt my bones but words can never never hurt me!' Words are real things; they can kill or they can give life. Words pronounced in anger can leave indelible scars in someone's heart. People who get hurt because of words are accused of being 'sensitive', but where does it say that it is wrong to be sensitive? The truth is that we have to be sensitive enough if we want to be attuned to God's Voice in our hearts and aware of the needs of those around us. When people have to constantly protect themselves from verbal harshness and abuse, they naturally develop a shield of protection around themselves, which in turn makes them callous and insensitive even to God's Voice. The world needs not to be a place ran by the 'law of the jungle' where only the strong survive and the weak live in fear of the strong; this reminds me of the school yard in the boarding school I was raised in. The world needs instead to be a place where the strong exerts his power in the protection of the weak. Mathematician Edward Lorenz posited that a small change at one place in a complex system can have major effects elsewhere. In his famous example of the "Butterfly Effect”, he tells us that the beating of a butterfly’s wing in Brazil can cause a series of much greater changes in the weather, such as a cyclone hitting Japan, or a tornado touching down in Texas. In the same way, small acts, or even small words (positive or negative) can have large outcomes. Even the flickering of a candle can be seen very far when it is very dark. With positive actions and words as small as the fluttering of a butterfly wings or the flickering of a candle we have the power to change the world. Let's do it, one good deed, and one word at a time! Matthew 28:19-20
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations …. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Jacob has to go alone into exile for 20 years; that's looks like bad news. By Divine Mandate and Destiny, Jacob returns to the Land with a large family, that's good news. In the Oracle in the desert, Hashem not only Jacob is reassures him that his exile will not be forever, but also that he will not be alone there. Hashem tells the patriarch, Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you (Genesis 28:15)." This is the promise that following the Great Exile comes the Great Ingathering of Jacob. In his Deuteronomy prophecy had already spoken about it. He says, "Adonai will bring you and your king whom you set over you to a nation that neither you nor your fathers have known. And there you shall serve other gods of wood and stone (Deuteronomy 28:36). Chassidic teachings refer to this 'king' as the presence of Messiah with His people in exile. When Isaiah spoke of the exile, by the Spirit He said, But now thus says Adonai, He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am Adonai your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior … Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth (Isaiah 43:1-6). Though expositors like to take this passage and apply it to the universal redemption of the Gentiles, the original context of the prophecy follows Moses' theme of the return of the actual Children of Israel/Jacob to the Land promised to them by Adonai through Abraham. Similarly, knowing the Great Exile of all Israel was at hand, our Master sends His apostles away along with Israel with the assurance of His forever Presence with them, even in exile, just as He did with Jacob. He tells them, Go therefore and make disciples of all nations … And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age (Matthew 28: 19-20)." So you see, we have never been alone in our exilic state. Adonai has been with us all along and He promises to bring us back as He certainly is doing in our days. It is a long and tedious process, but angels are waiting for us to lead us in the way in which we should go (Genesis 32:1-2) At that time, Esau will also quit seeking revenge against God who from the beginning had given Abraham's inheritance to his brother Jacob (Genesis 25:23; 33). May it be soon Abba, even in our days! Matthew 28:19-20
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." As Jacob fled his brother's wrath, Hashem comes to our patriarch to reveal His overall plan. The Almighty Planner of the destiny of Israel said, "I am Adonai, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you (Genesis 28:13-15)." Anyone who believes in the Bible has to accept that by Divine Mandate, the Land which is now called 'Israel' (Jacob's future name (Genesis 32:28)), belongs to his descendant. Jacob fled Esau, but also he was following in his father and grand-father's footsteps in getting a wife from within the family clan. Tradition says that as he left Canaan, Hashem protected Jacob from Esau's son who pursued after him, and now Hashem declares to Jacob that He will accomplish through him all the words He previously spoke to Abraham (Genesis 12:3; 28:14). The spreading of the Children of Israel to the four winds is often referred to as the present-day great Exile. This exile may appear as a curse to the Children of Israel, but it is the instrument Hashem uses to bless the nations. The first post-second Temple Jews to go in exile were the Messianic believers who brought the teachings of our Master to all the nations of the Roman Empire. Later, as all Israel went in exile, it filled the rest of the pagan world with the knowledge of the One true God who created the universe. Thanks to the Great Exile, the majority of the world today is monotheistic, lives by a seven-day week, and derives its basic moral notions of right and wrong from the tenets of the Torah. Judaism has therefore become the most influential form of belief in the world. It is also fair to say that the whole world has heard of Messiah, so in that regards, one can also conclude that the whole world has been blessed in the descendants of Jacob, the grand-son f Abraham to whom this prophecy was first given. Jacob receives this Oracle as he himself goes to exile. His exile is a foreshadow of the future Great Exile of his descendants. Hashem assures the patriarch that the Divine Presence goes with him in this exile to also bring him back to the Land Promised to Abraham. In the same manner, Yeshua our Mashiach has been with us all throughout this exile and today brings us back to our Land. Though as in the case of Jacob, God's heavenly purposes do not find their earthly fulfillment without troubles and tribulations, we are thankful to be a part of His great plan of blessing the earth. Revelations 12:12
Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!" Jacob is in exile (he is not called Israel yet). His exile could seem as the result of simple feuding rivalries at home, but it is also part of a greater Divine plan to create the foundational family that is to become the gates of the Kingdom of God for the rest of the world (Revelations 21:12). The heavenly purposes of Hashem do not settle on earth without struggle. The deceit and rivalries that brought him to this 'Babylonian' exile would follow Jacob to Laban's house. There he would be deceived by a man who swapped his younger sister for the older one (like Jacob did with his father) creating a feud between Rachel and Leah as they tried to 'out-birth' each other to win Jacob's favor. But Jacob's heart was set on Rachel. Laban for his part saw the favor of God on Jacob during his exile. Whatever he did turned to gold, which made his Babylonian task-master jealous and want to keep Jacob no matter what the price. Whatever Laban did to out maneuver Jacob, God blessed his chosen-one. This infuriated Laban (Genesis 30). As Jacob went in exile for twenty years fleeing from Esau who was also called 'Edom', present-day Israel has been in exile for twenty-centuries. The Sages of the Talmud actually surnamed this exile the 'Edomite' exile. As Hashem prospered Jacob while in exile, God also always prospers the Jewish people while in exile. We see it in Jacob and Laban, the Children of Israel in Egypt, and now in the world. In every age, this has caused the 'Labans' and the 'Pharaohs' to despise the Children of Israel. As it was Jacob, the world often envies Jewish success. Esau's problem was that of a sibling rivalry, but Laban's attitude embodies the heart of Anti-Semitism throughout the ages. Till this day, the 'Jacob' shrewd and heartless Jewish businessman stereotypes as found in Shakespeare's work 'The Merchant of Venice' and even in the famed 'Christmas Carol' Ebenezer Scrooge and Jacob Marley lingers on. Today, as the divine Plan of universal restoration comes to its completion, the devil screams and shrieks in fear. Anti-Semitism rises its ugly timeless head again as both 'Esau' (the Arab world), and Laban (the world at large) seem to mount an endless propaganda war against Israel and Jews worldwide. Don't they know the story? Haven't they read it in the Book? No matter what anyone may do or say in of the great governmental institutions of man, time may demand its due, but as it was before, Jacob returns to its dear Promised Land under the name of Israel. There he lays the foundations of a kingdom that will eventually rule the entire world through one of his descendant: Yeshua. May it be soon Abba, even in our days! |
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