Miketz (At the End of)
Torah: Genesis 41:1 – 44:17 Haftarah: I Kings 7:40-50 Brit Chadasha: II Peter 3:1-16
And we know that all matters work together for good to those who love Elohim, to those who are called according to His purpose. Because those whom He knew beforehand, He also ordained beforehand to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, for Him to be the first-born among many brothers. And whom He ordained beforehand, these He also called, and whom He called, these He also declared right. And whom He declared right, these He also esteemed. What then shall we say to this? If Elohim is for us, who is against us? Romans 8:28-31
Not Sure What He is Saying
There is so much in this portion. This is the portion of Yosef interpreting Pharaoh’s dream and being restored. Here we see how Yosef’s attitude affected the outcome of his life. What would have happened if Yosef did not pass the tests from YHVH? We can only speculate, but I am so thankful that he did pass the test and he leaves us a great example to live up to.
As we recall in last week’s portion a very young inexperienced Joseph was given the dreams about the sun, moon, stars and sheaves bowing down to him.
And Yosĕph dreamed a dream, and told it to his brothers. So they hated him even more. And he said to them, “Please listen to this dream which I have dreamed: “See, we were binding sheaves in the midst of the field, and see, my sheaf rose up and also stood up. And see, your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.” And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Shall you indeed rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. And he dreamed still another dream and related it to his brothers, and said, “See, I have dreamed another dream, and see, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars bowed down to me.” And he related it to his father and his brothers. And his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall we, your mother and I and your brothers, indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?” And his brothers envied him, but his father guarded the word. Genesis 37:5-11
I assume that he felt like these were from the Creator and that he was going to be very successful and it would happen exactly like Yah said it was going to happen. Well one would hope that it would be that way in our lives, right? It was the opposite for Joseph and seemed as if everything was going against him.
How many of us heard what the Father said and we thought we were walking exactly in His plan but yet it seems to be played out exactly the opposite than we were told? We need to read the story of Joseph very slowly paying attention to the details and events that Yah allowed to take place in his life. I believe this story can bring some understanding to those of us who are wondering why this and that is taking place in our lives and why the promises aren’t manifesting yet.
And Pharaoh said to Yosĕph, “I have dreamed a dream, and there is no one to interpret it. Now I myself have heard it said of you that you understand a dream, to interpret it.” And Yosĕph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me, let Elohim answer Pharaoh with peace.” Genesis 41:15-16
I would like to compare Genesis chapter thirty-seven to chapter forty-one and I think we can see one thing that was possibly hindering the promise from coming forth. I see in chapter forty-one a totally different attitude in Joseph or I could say a greater level of maturity in him now than back in chapter thirty-seven. Joseph when asked by Pharaoh could he interpret the dream; Joseph responded by saying hey man I learned my lesson and it is not in me to interpret your dream so let Elohim do it. I believe it is at this point where Joseph passes his finals, if you will, in that he learned his lesson and had grown in maturity. I bet he was thinking I missed it on the last go around when I just knew I was going to be the big man around the house so who am I to interpret dreams.
So with that said even though his interpretation was correct about his brothers and family: I believe that Yah wanted him to be able to manage the truth but not out of a spirit of superiority. How about our lives today as pertaining to the message that we bring forth to others? We would all say that we have ‘truth’ now since returning and becoming obedient to our Father’s commandments. I am not taking anything away from that statement but I believe the issue with you and me is how are we handling that truth. Do we use it to exalt ourselves or shred our brothers and sisters who might not have come to the same conclusions or truth as you and I? Do we use it to shred them to pieces and honestly the more blood the better? We might laugh at that but honestly this is how I did it at one time and still see others doing in our movement today. Just get on Facebook if you don’t believe me. It will not take you long to find that attitude out there.
Do we use the truth we’ve found now to establish our superiority above those who aren’t walking the same way we might walk? Are we acting like a young Joseph or the mature Joseph who had been through the fire? Only we can answer that and it takes us examining our own selves or looking in the mirror if you will. I know we could point out everyone else who is at fault but why not focus on ourselves and get the inside of the cup cleaned up first and then worry about the outside, if you will.
I find it very interesting that we don’t see Joseph acknowledging verbally in the beginning that his dreams were from Yah even th0ugh I feel like he knew who they were from, but in the end he clearly verbally acknowledges who can interpret the dream. I think the slavery, pit, and jail experiences prepared Joseph and were allowed in his life as a reminder for him to never forget where he came from so to speak when his moment finally arrived. Those experiences brought forth maturity in Joseph. I believe also that these trials not only taught humility but prepared Joseph to be a servant even though he was going to be promoted to number two throughout the land of Mitsrayim.
Let’s continue looking at what Joseph had learned by going through the fire. Now we see Yosef putting the ball over into Yah’s court by telling Pharaoh that it is Elohim’s responsibility to interpret Pharaoh’s dream. What a great opportunity that Yosef could shine now and use this to manipulate his way out of prison right? No, he clearly had learned from his immaturity and wanted to give honor to which honor was due. What do we see here? We see Yosef being many years older now and showing what the years in prison had done for him. He was a mature man whom the Ruach of Yah dwelled in and he was not about to make the same mistake over again. He gave all the glory to the Creator and thus represented the Father in a way that you and I should represent the Father.
Relying on a man
I do not want to get ahead of myself here in this portion but in the next portion we see that Yosef has an epiphany. He tells his brothers that they do not have to feel bad for what they did to him because YHVH meant for it to happen the way it did in order to preserve life.
“And now, do not be grieved nor displeased with yourselves because you sold me here, for Elohim sent me before you to preserve life. Genesis 45:5
I see how many of us in our lives have depended on man in some form or fashion. What do I mean? What I am saying is that YHVH set His man up in order to preserve life and folks were depending on Yosef. What if today we will have to go through the same process as Yosef? I do not see us depending on one man today because the world is a whole lot bigger now than back then and clearly Scripture teaches that there will be one who comes on the scene and will draw many to Him. I would not encourage anyone to go a running to this person either. What I am trying to say here is I feel that we are all going to have a Yosef experience of some sort or kind. Seems like a lot of folks whether obedient commandment keepers or xtians who do not keep the commandments are going through a phase now where they are having trouble ‘hearing’ the Father. Why? I believe we have entered into the Yosef process. You know the place in the pit and prison where we begin to question everything. Questions like, Yah did you ever really speak to me before or was it just all made up? Yah do you speak to your people anymore? Yah is what we have been doing over the last … years all in vain? What are we doing? Is there something wrong with me? Is there something wrong with my walk with You? I see a lot of folks having these questions today.
Again I do not claim to have all the answers here but one thing I believe is happening is that many folks have been relying on ‘the spirit’ instead of His Word. This ‘spirit’ sure has been saying a lot of things contrary to what His Word says. I believe Scripture teaches clearly that the Word and the Ruach (Spirit) are the same and they cannot contradict one another. They will always be in agreement. So I am just throwing this out there. Could it be that it seems that the lines of communication with Yah have been severed in order to accomplish something? Could it be that the reason that He is not ‘saying anything’ (although I believe YHVH is always talking, we just are not listening) is because He has already said it? What do I mean? I feel like YHVH is trying to get our attention where we will no longer rely on one man or ourselves in order to get answers. Since many feel the ‘spirit’ is not saying anything could it be that He is trying to bring us back to what His Word says. For many years in xtianity I was taught that now we have the ‘spirit’ and it will lead and guide us and I was even pretty much taught that it trumps what is written in the Word if you really want to get technical with it. I now consider this teaching false because as I stated above the Spirit of Yah will never tell us something different than what is written in the Word because the Ruach was given to lead and guide us into ALL TRUTH and what is all truth according to the man after Yah’s heart?
Your righteousness is righteousness forever, and Your Torah is truth. Psalms 119:142
So if the ‘spirit’ contradicts Torah then it cannot be the Set-Apart Ruach of Yah that is talking.
So could it be that the ‘reason for the drought’, if you will, is because it has already been said? Better stated it has already been written from Genesis to Revelation! The problem is many have not studied Genesis to Revelation. I would even go further out on a limb and say that most folks have not even studied Matthew to Revelation and just relied on what their leader has told them. Just something to chew on for a while but one thing is clear that there sure does seem to be a lot of questioning going on these days. Will we wake up and not get offended or bitter at Yah and return to Him through not only the study of His Word from Genesis to Revelation but in obedience of what It says or will we continue in the same ole same ole which has brought us to the place of where most of us are at today almost always responding, “I do not know what is going on or happening or what Yah is saying.”
Where’s the background check
And the word was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Could we find another like him, a man in whom is the Spirit of Elohim?” Then Pharaoh said to Yosĕph, “Since Elohim has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. “Be over my house, you yourself, and at your mouth all my people shall kiss – only in the throne I am greater than you.” And Pharaoh said to Yosĕph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Mitsrayim.” And Pharaoh took his seal-ring off his hand and put it on Yosĕph’s hand. And he dressed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. And he had him ride in the second chariot which he had. And they cried out before him, “Bow the knee!” And he set him over all the land of Mitsrayim. Genesis 41:37-43
I’ve never seen this before until this year. Seems as if the minute that Pharaoh has been given the interpretation from Joseph, he exalts him to second in charge without a background check or what Joseph believes or which group is he a part of or what celebrations does he uphold. I mean come on guys Joseph was called from prison and brought to interpret the dream. He could have been an axe murder for all Pharaoh knew. The text doesn’t tell us that Pharaoh did or didn’t examine Joseph to see who he was and what he had done. We just see the witness that Joseph put forth and glorified Yah and it touched something in Pharaoh so much that he said hey this guy needs a promotion bring me a ring, necklace and a robe.
I never thought I would say something like this before but man can we learn something great in my opinion here from Pharaoh. Today in our movement seems as if everyone puts everyone under a microscope just looking and hoping to find something that they can disagree with so a fight or argument can get started. I do believe that we should know those who we allow into our ‘garden’ as Jeff says so I’m not saying anything goes. The point I am trying to make here is that Pharaoh saw the one who Joseph represented, Elohim. Why can’t we as brothers and sisters stop trying to dig up skeletons out of the closets of each other and stop tearing each other down and running smear campaigns and throwing out warnings/alerts about this one or that one and stop placing each other on a blackball list as if we were terrorists or something along those lines?
Again Pharaoh didn’t interview Joseph or make him take a test or have him put forth his statement of beliefs. He saw who he represented and made his decision based off of that. Are we all going to agree on everything? No but our heart and motive should be to love one another and bring glory and honor to our Father’s name instead of nit picking and straining gnats. May we be echad and stop persecuting each other because we may feel a bit more righteous than someone else or have firmer doctrines than others? May our focus shift from tearing down each other to living for Him on a daily basis because honestly in the end that is what you and I will give an account for.