Vayigash 2012

B. Scott 12/21/12

This weeks portion, Vayigash/And he drew near brings us close to the end of Genesis, covering Genesis 44:18 47:27, sharing with us how Joseph revealed himself to his brothers and the restoration of the whole house. But it also falls in a new month on the Hebrew calendar. After closing out the festival of Hanukkah, we now find ourselves having entered into the month of Tevet, the 10th month on the calendar. This month becomes one of paradox. It is interesting to note that this month begins in the midst of a celebration dealing with the light of Yahweh (Hanukkah) yet it was also on the 10th day of this 10th month that the Babylonian armies of Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem the light being removed/hidden. *It is traditionally observed as a day of fasting, mourning, and repentance (one of the 4 fast days associated with the destruction of the Temple: 1) 17th of Tammuz walls were breached, sacrifices ceased 2) 9th of Av Holy Temple destroyed 3) 3rd of Tishri the leader of the remnant that was left after the Babylonian captivity is assassinated 4) 10th of Tevet Jerusalem comes under siege). Tevet: Strongs #2887 Tebeth goodness; according to Kleins Etymological Dictionary month of sinking, to sink; from #2883 taba to sink, sink into/down, to pierce, press in to any soft material such as clay, hence to impress a seal so it would seem as a vessel made of clay that whatever we are sealed with/impressed with (whatever Word seals our hearts) becomes the determining factor of whether the light is hid or revealed in us! *10 = atom/spark/light of all life, it is part of every letter and therefore every word; 10 also becomes synonymous with the idea of a covering because on the 10th day of Nisan the Passover lamb is selected and its also on the 10th day of Tishri that we have the Day of Atonement/Yom Kippur. Its during this month that we are reminded that His Word/every letter of every word that issues forth from the Creator/His Light literally the language of Yahweh should be our covering (just like the lambs blood on the doorpost and the covering of Yom Kippur) this is what becomes the seal for His people! The constellational sign that rules during this month is commonly known as Capricorn, the goat or in Hebrew Gedi its seen in the heavens as a half goat/half fish, quite strange unless we remember that the fish is the picture associated with the Hebrew letter = seed and life So during the winter months of darkness, were reminded of the sacrifice (goat of Yom Kippur) that covers and protects the seed so that we can have life! What exactly is 1

being preserved and protected? Gematria of Gedi = 17, the 17th letter is the the mouth/the language; He promises to preserve His language because its the vessel of His life/seed! Yet it is during this month as well that the light is removed. Nebuchadnezzar: Strongs #5019 Nebuwkadnetstsar may Nebo protect the crown = prophet, from the root meaning to prophesy, or to speak, also the Babylonian deity that ruled over writing/letters and learning; = jar, vessel, also a play on words with meaning one or unity; = to guard, watch, keep, observe, to hide Israel had become echad with one who fomented another speech/writing/and letters, and because of that their seal that was on their vessel is changed and it becomes guarded or hid from them! *Gematria = 423 same value as #2106 zaviyth corners of the altar; from #2099 ziv brightness connecting Nebuchadnezzar to the brightness/light on the altar; in other words, he became the vessel used to put the altar fire out and it becomes the pattern for this 10th month the potential for the light to be hid/the Word removed! Leviticus 6:13 The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out. This same pattern plays out in this Torah Portion as well. At the beginning Joseph (represents the light) is hid from his brothers, yet through a seemingly strange turn of events he is made known/revealed. *Remember Joseph was given a coat of many colors. Colors: Strongs #6446 pas and it shares the same root as Pesach/Passover Hes the covering of the house. Could this be the significance of the month of Tevet? That we have the potential to either have the light and the increase (Joseph) revealed to us (to have light on the altar) by having the proper seal, or it can be hidden and removed leaving us in confusion (Babylon) if we choose to reject it! As you will see, this depends upon whom we choose to draw near to (vayigash) in the days ahead!

The Famine
The setting of this portion is in the midst of a famine that would last 7 years (another connection to the light via the 7 branched Menorah! Could it be referring to a famine of the light/Word of Yahweh?) Famine: Strongs #7458 raab famine, hunger; = to shake & ) #5646) an architectural term meaning a threshold, from an unused root meaning to cover; the famine will shake and expose what is covering the

threshold! *The proper covering is the light of Yahweh, Adam and Eve are first covered with the light, after the fall the light takes on the form of blood, its slowed down. Without the proper covering in the midst of the famine ( ra) evil enters into the house ( )and this becomes the light source (same letters form famine form /baar to kindle, consume, be brutish, stupid, dull hearted) This is why Joseph becomes so important during the famine! Joseph: Strongs #3130 Yowceph Yahweh has added; 2 letter root (#5592) 1) a spreading out, basin, bowl 2) threshold, sill; from #5605 caphaph to stand at or guard the threshold Hes the one able to guard the threshold, keeping the evil out of the house during the famine! Caph is first seen in Exodus 12:22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip [it] in the blood that [is] in the bason/caph, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that [is] in the bason/caph; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. *Hes the one that will apply the blood covering to the threshold! Restoring the covering of light in the face of one who would attempt to remove it! Notice that this is dealing with the 10th plague in Egypt just as this is connected to the 10th month! The 10th plague was the death of the firstborn sons. Exodus 12:29-30 Firstborn: Strongs #1060 bekowr firstborn, firstling; gematria = 228, same value as the phrase veuwriyah And Yahweh is my light/flame the light went out unless they had the covering provided by lamb *Later Israel was told to have something else upon their doorposts as well. Deuteronomy 11:20 And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates: referring to the Words/commandments of Yahweh connecting for us that the covering that will seal us is the Living Torah! Write: Strongs #3789 kathab to write, record, enroll; gematria = 422, same value as Nebuchadnezzar! Genesis 44:18 Came near: Strongs #5066 nagash to draw near, approach, be brought near; it carries within it the idea of approaching for intimacy or of approaching as a priest would to the altar Judah: Strongs #3063 Yehuwdah

praised; from #3034 yadah

to

throw, shoot, cast; the primary meaning of this root is to acknowledge or confess sin, same term is used to describe how the sins of the children of Israel were confessed over the scapegoat. *Notice the picture that is beginning to emerge! The house of Israel approaches as a priest would approach the altar in order to acknowledge and confess their sins in order to have them removed and receive a kaphar/a covering! Notice the statement: For though art even as Pharaoh. Pharaoh: Strongs #6547 Paroh great house; 3 letter root para (#6544) to let go, let loose, it refers to how a woman accused of adultery would have her hair let down by the priest when partaking of the bitter waters of jealousy in Numbers 5. The same letters form haaphar the dust, the very thing used to make the bitter waters! We find that there was a choice in who to approach, and that same choice will be presented again the days ahead we can draw near to either the light of the Word/Messiah, choosing to approach Him in order to confess and be covered or well have the option of approaching another Pharaoh, one who will cause the hair of the bride to be let down/cause her to fall into the category of the adulteress woman and partake of the bitter waters! *The aphar/dust is associated with the absence of light; it is only after Adam and Eve lose the light of Yahweh as their covering that they are told for dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return. (Gen. 3:19); so just like this month of Tevet when Jerusalem is attacked/the light is hid by Nebuchadnezzar, the light is also in jeopardy by Pharaoh and the future antimessiah! It is interesting to note that this is the 11th portion of the year, 11 is the number associated with disorder, disintegration, imperfection, and disorganization describing the state of the house until they approach the one that can restore the light/cover them. The 11th letter of the Hebrew Alephbet = Kaf which represents a covering, kaphar, the hand that covers. 11 is also the value of #335 ay where & #2244 chaba hid; Genesis 3:9-10 And YHVH called unto Adam, and said unto him, where art thou/ay? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid/chaba myself. *Just as Adam and Eve hid themselves upon being separated from the light source, so we find the house of Israel in the same condition! In need of one who can cover them, hence the reason they approach as one would an altar! Who are they approaching? Joseph! Yet remember, they dont know that this is Joseph, instead they would have known him at this point as Zaphnathpaaneah. Genesis 41:45 And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of 4

Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over [all] the land of Egypt. Zaphnathpaaneah: Strongs #6847 Tsophnath Paneach treasury of the glorious rest, revealer of a secret, savior of the age 1st part is connected to #6845 tsaphan to hide/hide from discovery, to keep secret, treasure & 2nd part to decipher, decode making the new name of Joseph to literally mean the discoverer of the hidden things! They come to the one whose very name means the discoverer of the hidden things, the savior of the age the one who would be able to reveal the Bride again, not in the sense of exposing her like Pharaoh but the one that would kaphar/cover her yet reveal her from her place of shameful hiding! How does he reveal the house? The cup! Genesis 44:1-2 Cup: Strongs #1375 gebiya cup, bowl, calyx of flowers; used numerous times in the description of the Menorah! Exodus 25:31 And thou shalt make a candlestick [of] pure gold: [of] beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls/gebiya, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same. *The bowls of the Menorah were what held the oil/shemen (representing the seed) and it is also the calyx of the flower that protects the delicate inner parts of the flower while it is developing! Gematria = 85, same value as #6310 peh mouth His mouth spoke the Word that held and protected the seed of Yahweh, in other words the unadulterated/uncompromised form and because of that the light/shemen was able to be restored to the whole house in the face of Pharaoh, one who had the ability to remove it/to let their hair down/make the bride naked! Its no accident that on each branch there were 3 bowls/gebiya (3 x 6 = 18) & 4 bowls on the center shaft, 18 + 4 = 22! Representing the 22 letters of the Hebrew Alephbet, the language and Word of Yahweh that would function as the covering of the house and the light on the altar. Psalm 119:105 Thy word [is] a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. *The feet were represented by the altar in the Temple the Word is the lamp/fire on the altar of His people! It is that same Word that becomes the seal preserving and protecting us in the coming famine as well!