Sin and Unrepentance
In this weeks reading from Parashat Miketz (Bereshit / Genesis 41:1-44:17) Joseph interprets Pharaohโs dreams and provides the prophetic interpretation that was given to him from God (Bereshit / Genesis 41:25-32).ย Pharaoh is impressed with Josephโs interpretation and states saying ืืย ย ืึทืึผึนืืึถืจ ืคึผึทืจึฐืขึนื ืึถื-ืขึฒืึธืึธืื ืึฒื ึดืึฐืฆึธื ืึธืึถื ืึดืืฉื ืึฒืฉืึถืจ ืจืึผืึท ืึฑืึนืึดืื ืึผืึน:ย 41:38 Then Pharaoh said to his servants, โCan we find a man like this, in whom is a divine spirit?โ (NASB)ย As a result, Pharaoh places Joseph in charge over all of Egypt (Bereshit / Genesis 41:40-45).ย While reading through this weekโs Parashah, during adversity or during times of prosperity, Joseph consistently gives credit to and calls upon the Lord God Almighty (Bereshit / Genesis 41:14-16).ย Interestingly, reading through this weekโs and last weekโs Parashah, both Joseph and Jacob (Bereshit / Genesis 43:11-15) make references to the Lord God.ย Josephโs brothers however do not.ย They do however acknowledge the fact of their sin against their brother Joseph and selling him into salvery.
ืืชืื ืืงืืืฉ / The Holy Scriptures
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
ืกืคืจ ืืจืืฉืืช ืคืจืง ื
ืืย ย ืึทืึผึดืฉืึฐืึทื ืคึผึทืจึฐืขึนื ืึทืึผึดืงึฐืจึธื ืึถืช-ืืึนืกึตืฃ ืึทืึฐืจึดืืฆึปืืึผ ืึดื-ืึทืึผืึนืจ ืึทืึฐืึทืึผึทื ืึทืึฐืึทืึผึตืฃ ืฉึดึนืึฐืึนืชึธืื ืึทืึผึธืึนื ืึถื-ืคึผึทืจึฐืขึนื: [ืฉื ื] ืืย ย ืึทืึผึนืืึถืจ ืคึผึทืจึฐืขึนื ืึถื-ืืึนืกึตืฃ ืึฒืืึนื ืึธืึทืึฐืชึผึดื ืึผืคึนืชึตืจ ืึตืื ืึนืชืึน ืึทืึฒื ึดื ืฉืึธืึทืขึฐืชึผึดื ืขึธืึถืืึธ ืึตืืึนืจ ืชึผึดืฉืึฐืึทืข ืึฒืืึนื ืึดืคึฐืชึผึนืจ ืึนืชืึน: ืืย ย ืึทืึผึทืขึทื ืืึนืกึตืฃ ืึถืช-ืคึผึทืจึฐืขึนื ืึตืืึนืจ ืึผึดืึฐืขึธืึธื ืึฑืึนืึดืื ืึทืขึฒื ึถื ืึถืช-ืฉืึฐืืึนื ืคึผึทืจึฐืขึนื:
Bereshit / Genesis 41:14-16
41:14 Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and they hurriedly brought him out of the dungeon; and when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came to Pharaoh.ย 41:15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, โI have had a dream, but no one can interpret it; and I have heard it said about you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.โย 41:16 Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, โIt is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.โ (NASB)
The Scriptures from the Torah do not give us the details on exactly how Josephโs brothers are dealing with their sin against their brother, and their relationship with God.ย Though, in Bereshit / Genesis 42:22, it appears that they had discussed what they had done and that Reuben believes they are reaping the consequences of their sins ืืย ย ืึทืึผึทืขึทื ืจึฐืืึผืึตื ืึนืชึธื ืึตืืึนืจ ืึฒืืึนื ืึธืึทืจึฐืชึผึดื ืึฒืึตืืึถื | ืึตืืึนืจ ืึทื-ืชึผึถืึถืึฐืืึผ ืึทืึผึถืึถื ืึฐืึนื ืฉืึฐืึทืขึฐืชึผึถื ืึฐืึทื-ืึผึธืืึน ืึดื ึผึตื ื ึดืึฐืจึธืฉื:ย 42:22 Reuben answered them, saying, โDid I not tell you, โDo not sin against the boyโ; and you would not listen? Now comes the reckoning for his blood.โ (NASB)ย Had they prayed to the Lord for forgiveness for their sin?ย Did they have the right to ask help from God living unrepentent lives before their Father in Heaven and on earth?ย According to Tehillim / Psalms 7:12 David says ืืย ย ืึดื-ืึนื ืึธืฉืืึผื ืึทืจึฐืึผืึน ืึดืึฐืืึนืฉื ืงึทืฉืึฐืชึผืึน ืึธืจึทืึฐ ืึทืึฐืืึนื ึฐื ึถืึธ: 7:12 If a man does not repent, He will sharpen His sword; He has bent His bow and made it ready. (NASB)ย In the Psalms it is written ืึดื-ืึนื ืึธืฉืืึผื โif he does not repentโ the one who doesnโt repent is like the man who puts the finishing touches (ืึดืึฐืืึนืฉื) on his sword and bow and prepares for war.ย The unrepentant man prepares himself for war with God and is unable to seek help from the Lord.ย The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 17แผฮดฮนฮฑฮปฮตแฝทฯฯฯฯ ฯฯฮฟฯฮตแฝปฯฮตฯฮธฮต, 5:17 pray without ceasing; (NASB)ย The Greek text says literally to โoffer prayers continuously.โย Ephesians 6:18 states 18ฮดฮนแฝฐ ฯแฝฑฯฮทฯ ฯฯฮฟฯฮตฯ ฯแฟฯ ฮบฮฑแฝถ ฮดฮตแฝตฯฮตฯฯ ฯฯฮฟฯฮตฯ ฯแฝนฮผฮตฮฝฮฟฮน แผฮฝ ฯฮฑฮฝฯแฝถ ฮบฮฑฮนฯแฟท แผฮฝ ฯฮฝฮตแฝปฮผฮฑฯฮน, ฮบฮฑแฝถ ฮตแผฐฯ ฮฑแฝฯแฝธ แผฮณฯฯ ฯฮฝฮฟแฟฆฮฝฯฮตฯ แผฮฝ ฯแฝฑฯแฟ ฯฯฮฟฯฮบฮฑฯฯฮตฯแฝตฯฮตฮน ฮบฮฑแฝถ ฮดฮตแฝตฯฮตฮน ฯฮตฯแฝถ ฯแฝฑฮฝฯฯฮฝ ฯแฟถฮฝ แผฮณแฝทฯฮฝ, 6:18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, (NASB) Romans 12:12 states 12ฯแฟ แผฮปฯแฝทฮดฮน ฯฮฑแฝทฯฮฟฮฝฯฮตฯ, ฯแฟ ฮธฮปแฝทฯฮตฮน แฝฯฮฟฮผแฝณฮฝฮฟฮฝฯฮตฯ, ฯแฟ ฯฯฮฟฯฮตฯ ฯแฟ ฯฯฮฟฯฮบฮฑฯฯฮตฯฮฟแฟฆฮฝฯฮตฯ,ย 12:12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, (NASB) The text in Romans says literally โฯฯฮฟฯฮตฯ ฯแฟ ฯฯฮฟฯฮบฮฑฯฯฮตฯฮฟแฟฆฮฝฯฮตฯโ โto be devoted to prayer that is directed towards God.โย Josephโs brothers did not and could not petition the Lord for help because they refused to confess their sins before God, before their father Jacob, and their brother Joseph.ย In fact, they couldnโt pray at all until this sin has been taken care of.ย Is there sin in your life today that goes unrepentant like Josephโs brothers?ย Is it possible to seek help from the Lord in prayer in Yeshuaโs name without first turning from sin and unrepentance?ย BTT_Parashat Miketz-2012
