In this weeks reading from Parashat Vayigash (Bereshit / Genesis 44:18-47:27) the sons of Israel return to Egypt with the cup of Joseph. They explain that they must bring their brother back or their father will die. Joseph then reveals himself to his brothers (45:1-8) and declares וְעַתָּה לֹא-אַתֶּם שְׁלַחְתֶּם אֹתִי הֵנָּה כִּי הָאֱלֹהִים וַיְשִֹימֵנִי לְאָב לְפַרְעֹה וּלְאָדוֹן לְכָל-בֵּיתוֹ וּמשֵׁל בְּכָל-אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם 45:8 ‘Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt. (NASB) Joseph asks Israel and his brothers to move to the land of Goshen to live because the famine was will continue for another five years (45:9-15). Pharaoh ordered that his family come and he gave them the best of the land (45:9-24). On hearing that his son lives, Jacob makes an offering to the Lord God Almighty and travels to Egypt (45:28-46:26). We learn Jacob is 130 years old (47:9) and the people were settled in Goshen (47:11-13). The famine grew severe and the people gave all their money to obtain food (47:14-15). The people then brought their livestock and cattle to pay for the food (47:16-17). After this the people sold their land and themselves into slavery to buy grain for food to survive (47:18-21). In the opening verse from this week’s reading we learn that Joseph’s brothers say “Joseph is dead” (44:18-20).
כתבי הקודש / The Holy Scriptures
ספר בראשית פרק מד
יח וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה וַיֹּאמֶר בִּי אֲדֹנִי יְדַבֶּר-נָא עַבְדְּךָ דָבָר בְּאָזְנֵי אֲדֹנִי וְאַל-יִחַר אַפְּךָ בְּעַבְדֶּךָ כִּי כָמוֹךָ כְּפַרְעֹה: יט אֲדֹנִי שָׁאַל אֶת-עֲבָדָיו לֵאמֹר הֲיֵשׁ-לָכֶם אָב אוֹ-אָח: כ וַנֹּאמֶר אֶל-אֲדֹנִי יֶשׁ-לָנוּ אָב זָקֵן וְיֶלֶד זְקֻנִים קָטָן וְאָחִיו מֵת וַיִּוָּתֵר הוּא לְבַדּוֹ לְאִמּוֹ וְאָבִיו אֲהֵבוֹ:
Bereshit / Genesis 44:18-20
44:18 Then Judah approached him, and said, ‘Oh my lord, may your servant please speak a word in my lord’s ears, and do not be angry with your servant; for you are equal to Pharaoh. 44:19 ‘My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father or a brother?’ 44:20 ‘We said to my lord, ‘We have an old father and a little child of his old age. Now his brother is dead, so he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him.’ (NASB)
Joseph’s brothers say “Now his brother is dead” (וְאָחִיו מֵת) referring to Joseph, were they simply trying to convince him that this one son (Benjamin) needed to be returned to their father? Did they believe the lie they had perpeturated for so many years to their father and to each other? When we speaking and living a lie, is this synonymous with taking pleasure in wickedness? How dangerous is it to live a lie like Joseph’s brothers? The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians speaking on lies and wickedness. He says that the mystery of lawelessness is already at work. The one who comes in lies comes in wickedness and is in accord with the activity of Satan (שטן) “the deceiver.”
2 Thessalonians 2:7-12
2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. 2:8 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 2:9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 2:10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 2:11 For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 2:12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. (NASB)
The Scripture says 10καὶ ἐν πάσῃ ἀπάτῃ ἀδικίας τοῖς ἀπολλυμένοις, ἀνθ’ ὧν τὴν ἀγάπην τῆς ἀληθείας οὐκ ἐδέξαντο εἰς τὸ σωθῆναι αὐτούς. stating literally “and in every deception of unrighteousness among the ones being destroyed, because of the love of the truth they received not, for them to be delivered.” Joseph’s brothers took pleasure in the lie they told, and in order to keep one lie going they needed to continue to heap lie upon lie. This is the very nature of deception and wickedness in the life of one who lives to tell lies. In the last days, God said that He will send a powerful delusion upon those who live in lies and wickedness so they will continue to believe what is false. Like Joseph, even in the midst of a lie, Joseph lived! Today, even though some say that Yeshua is dead, the Truth is our savior Yeshua the Messiah lives! Without this Truth, there is no deliverance from sin or assurance of life everlasting. Do you believe the Lord according to His Word (the bible) or do you take pleasure in lies and choose to walk in wickedness? BTT_Parashat Vayigash-2012
