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RECOGNITIONTHE MESSIANIC PROPHECY BIBLE PROJECThttp://www.messianicbible.com

HEAR O ISRAEL www.hearoisrael.orgSHEEPFOLD GLEANINGS WRITTEN BY JULIE PARKERwww.sheepfoldgleanings.com

MESSIANIC ISRAEL ALLIANCEhttp://www.messianicisrael.comAZAMRA TORAH FOR OUR TIME – RABBI AVRAHAM GREENBAUMhttp://www.azamra.org 2

TOLDOT “Generations”

TORAH: Genesis: 25:19-28:9HAFTORAH: Malachi 1:1 to 2:7 

B’RIT CHADASHAH: Romans 9:6-16, Hebrews 11:20; 12:14-17

All references: The Scripture 1998+ unless otherwise noted 3

BIRTHING The Hebrew word “Toldot” according to Strong’s or Wikipedia means: genealogy, generations, chronicles, history, etc. In  Hebrew  “Toldot”  means  more.  “Toldot”  also  includes  results, outcomes  and  consequences. More  than  “generations”  or  “history”,  it means “fruit”. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say, “birthings”. The  root  of  “Toldot” (or  “toldah” in  the  singular)  is  “leidah” or “birthing”. “Toldah” is the result, the outcome of a “birthing”. If “leidah” is the act of birthing, “toldah” is the “fruit” of birthing, or that which is birthed. There’s  a  phrase  in  Judaism;  “Toldot’ei’hen shel Tzadukim massim tovim”, meaning: “The fruit (children) of righteous people are their good deeds”. Children  are  not  just  an  extension  of  ourselves;  nor,  just  our future,  or  our  heirs.  They  are  fruit  that will  bear  fruit  forever.  As  you step back in time all the way back to  Isaac and Rebecca, Abraham and Sarah,  even  Adam  and  Eve;  we’re  all  part  of  one  unbroken  chain  of “Toldot”, of “birthings” and “fruits.  manifested in the flesh, inserted Himself in this chain of “fruit” so ,יהוהthat we can be righteous and bear good fruit for eternity.  4

TOLDOT  In  the  first  verse  of  our  parsha  this  week  and  in  six  other  verses, “Toldot” is  spelled  “Tav-vav-lamed-dalet-tav”. The  word  “toldot” appears 39 times in the TaNaK, and with 7 variations in spelling. In  Genesis 2:4,  when  Torah  speaks  of  the  “toldot” (births  or generations) of the heavens and the earth, “toldot” is spelled “tav-vav-lamed-dalet-vav-tav”. The other variations have diminished spelling, or omitted letters; that is, until we get to Ruth 4:18, where the spelling of “toldot”  is  restored  to  its  full  spelling.  In Hebrew thought  it  is  taught that in Torah the spelling of toldot / generations was diminished after the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, because the generations of man were diminished by Adam’s disobedience.  Further,  it was  restored  to its  fullness  in  Ruth 4:18,  as  it  is  here,  that  the  Scriptures  detail  the toldot  /  birthing’s  leading  up  to  King  David,  who  is  a  picture  of Mashiach, who restores the fullness of the generations of man, at His coming.  Thus,  we  have  “Tav-vav-lamed-dalet-vav-tav”  as  the  full expression of “Generations”.

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TAV VAV – VAV TAVAt one end we have “tav-vav” and at  the other end we have “vav-tav” pointing to the two middle letters, “lamed-dalet”. “tav” means “sign” or “mark” of the “covenant”. The “vav” is the “hook” or “connection”. “lamed” is the “shepherd‟s staff” and “dalet” is the “door”. This diagram or  picture  shows  a  connection  between  “two signs of the covenant” being the “shepherd‟s staff as the door”. “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter through the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up by another way, that one is a thief and a robber. “But he who enters through the door is the shepherd of the sheep. … And the sheep follow him, because they know his voice. … “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. “All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. “I am the door. Whoever enters

through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and shall go out and find pasture. “The thief does not come except to steal, and to slaughter, and to

destroy. I have come that they might possess life, and that they might possess it beyond measure. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd

lays down His life for the sheep. (John 10:1-11) 6

NUMERIC VALUESThe numeric value of the letters in “Toldot” adds up to 846, which equals •“Ta’mot” which is found three times in the Torah (Genesis 2:17, 23:2 and Leviticus 10:6) and means “you shall die”;•Deuteronomy. 21:22, “v’ taleetah” or “and you shall hang”. •Deuteronomy 6:7, “v’ sheen na’ tam”, “and you shall teach”.  lived that life. He was born to die, to hang on a tree and to better יהושעteach  us  the  Torah.  He  is  the  Torah  and  He’s  at  the  “Centre”  of  the “generations”, at the centre of the “Fruit” and, as Elohim’s “chosen”, and as יהושע’s “taught ones”; we are to follow Him. Then יהושע said to His taught ones, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his stake, and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake

shall find it. “For what is a man profited if he gains all the world, and loses his own life? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his life? “For

the Son of Adam is going to come in the esteem of His Father with His messengers, and then He shall reward each according to his works.

(Matthew 16:24-27) 7

HAS A FAVOURITE יהוהIn our parasha, twin brothers enter the picture and before they’re even born, it is clear that יהוה has a favourite:

“I have loved you,” said יהוה. “But you asked, ‘In what way have You loved us?’ “Was not Ěsaw Yaʽaqob’s brother?” declares יהוה. “And I

love Yaʽaqob, but I have hated Ěsaw, ... (Malachi 1:2-3)Yet, before they were born or had done any good or evil – in order that the purpose of Elohim, according to choice, might stand, not of works but of Him who calls – it was said to her, “The greater shall serve the lesser,” as it has been written, “Yaʽaqob I have loved, but Ěsaw I have

hated.” (Romans 9:11-13)

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WICKED BEFORE BIRTHScripture  tells  us  that  character  traits  and  purpose  can  be  set  even before birth:The wrong have been estranged from the womb; These who speak lies

go astray from birth. (Psalms 58:3)“Before I formed you in the belly I knew you, and before you came out

of the womb I did set you apart – I appointed you a prophet to nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5)

So why does Isaac “love Esau”? Why did the aged Isaac seem to want to bless Esau over Jacob when   hated Esav”? To“ יהוה attempt  to understand  these  complicated  relationships,  we  will  begin  with Rebecca’s barrenness and her subsequent pregnancy. 

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CHILD OF PROMISEAnd Yitshaq was forty years old when he took Ribqah as wife, the daughter of Bethu’ĕl the Aramean of Paddan Aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean. And

Yitshaq prayed to יהוה for his wife, because she was barren. And יהוה answered his prayer, and Ribqah his wife conceived. (Genesis 25:20-21)

Considering the terrible shame attached to barrenness, Rebecca would have been  on  her  knees  regularly  praying.  Yet  God  chose  not  to  act  until  her husband, Isaac, got on board and entreated God on his wife’s behalf.Isaac, even though he was not the first-born, was the “child of the promise” that יהוה gave  to  Abraham  and  Sarah.  In  this  parsha we  are  introduced  to another  child  that was  not  the  “first-born”;  but,  the  one  chosen  by  Elohim and given the “promise”. Isaac was 40 years old when he took Rebecca as his wife. In Hebrew thought, 40 is the number of learning, trials and testing, as in the 40 years the children of  Israel spent  in the wilderness. 40 is the numeric value of the letter Mem, which means  “water” or  “fountain”  as  in  “fountain of knowledge” and  the “living water”.

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MARRIED 20 YEARSGenesis 25:26 –  Isaac and Rebecca were married 20 years before she bore  children.  Now  in  Hebrew  thought,  20  refers  to  being  in יהוה’s Hand. It is the numerical value of the letter “Kaf”, which means “palm” of the hand. It  is also the numerical value of the word “Yadoh” which means his hand. So, we see a time of learning and testing, then Isaac prays to Elohim for a child and Rebecca becomes pregnant with twins. Legend of the Jews: Their united prayer was heard. Yet it was chiefly for the sake of Isaac that God gave them children. It is true, Rebekah's piety equalled her husband's, but the prayer of a pious man who is the son of a pious man is far more efficacious than the prayer of one who, though pious himself, is descended from a godless father.The prayer wrought a great miracle, for Isaac's physique was such that he could not have been expected to beget children, and equally it was not in the course of nature that Rebekah should bear children.

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ESUA AND JACOBLegends of the Jews

She suffered torturous pain, because her twin sons began their lifelong quarrels in her womb. They strove to kill each other. If Rebekah walked in the vicinity of a temple erected to idols, Esau moved in her body, and if she passed a synagogue or a Bet ha-Midrash, Jacob essayed to break forth from her womb. The quarrels of the children turned upon such differences as these. Esau would insist that there was no life except the earthly life of material pleasures, and Jacob would reply: "My brother, there are two worlds before us, this world and the world to come. In this world, men eat and drink, and traffic and marry, and bring up sons and daughters, but all this does not take place in the world to come. If it please thee, do thou take this world, and I will take the other." .. Even the quarrel between the two brothers regarding the birthright had its beginning before they emerged from the womb of their mother. Each desired to be the first to come into the world. It was only when Esau threatened to carry his point at the expense of his mother's life that Jacob gave way.

TWO NATIONSAnd within her the children struggled together, and she said, “If all is right, why am I this way?” So she went to ask יהוה. And יהוה said to

her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples shall be separated from your body. And one people shall be stronger than the

other, and the older serve the younger.” (Genesis 25:22-23)Now, Rebecca feels a struggle going on within her. She seeks יהוה, as she  is  naturally  worried  about  what  might  be  happening  within  her body. To “inquire of יהוה” is an expression which, in similar contexts, refers to an appeal to a prophet to explain the future. And יהוה tells her that “two nations” are  in her womb and that “two peoples” will  be  “separated”  from her body. Now,  the word used  for “nations”  here  is  “goyim”.  We  know  that  “goyim”, Strong’s  #1471, means; “nations” or “peoples”. 

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GOYIM“Goyim” is spelled “Gimmel-Yud-Yud-Mem”. • The “Gimmel” is to “lift up” or “bridge”. • The double “Yud”, as “Yud” is  “hand”; making  it  “two hands”.  Since there were twins born, the two boys (the two goyim) are the “double yud”. 

• “Mem” means  “water” or “fountain”,  as  in  “water of the Word” or “fountain of knowledge and Truth”;  both  being  euphemisms  for Torah. 

It  took  40  years  in  the  wilderness  to  learn  Torah,  and יהוה brought forth  “water” (mayim or mem)  from  the  Rock  throughout  their journey.  What  we  have  in  “goyim”  is  “the bridge between the two hands is Torah”.  These  hands  are  “Israel”  and  “the world”.  So  the “Bridge between Israel and the world”, or “the way the world becomes Israel” is the “Torah”, the Fountain of Knowledge and Truth. 

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PROPHECYLegends of the Jews

Rebekah .. betook herself to Mount Moriah, whereon Shem and Eber had their Bet ha-Midrash. She requested them as well as Abraham to inquire of God what the cause of her dire suffering was. And Shem replied: "My daughter, I confide a secret to thee. See to it that none finds it out. Two nations are in thy womb, and how should thy body contain them, seeing that the whole world will not be large enough for them to exist in it together peaceably? Two nations they are, each owning a world of its own, the one the Torah, the other sin. From the one will spring Solomon, the builder of the Temple, from the other Vespasian, the destroyer thereof. These two are what are needed to raise the number of nations to seventy. They will never be in the same estate. Esau will vaunt lords, while Jacob will bring forth prophets, and if Esau has princes, Jacob will have kings. They, Israel and Rome, are the two nations destined to be hated by all the world. One will exceed the other in strength. First Esau will subjugate the whole world, but in the end Jacob will rule over all. The older of the two will serve the younger, provided this one is pure of heart, otherwise the younger will be enslaved by the older.”

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THE BIRTHLegends of the Jews

Esau was the first to see the light, and with him all impurity came from the womb; Jacob was born clean and sweet of body. Esau was brought forth with hair, beard, and teeth, both front and back, and he was blood-red, a sign of his future sanguinary nature. On account of his ruddy appearance he remained uncircumcised. Isaac, his father, feared that it was due to poor circulation of the blood, and he hesitated to perform the circumcision. He decided to wait until Esau should attain his thirteenth year, the age at which Ishmael had received the sign of the covenant. But when Esau grew up, he refused to give heed to his father's wish, and so he was left uncircumcised. The opposite of his brother in this as in all respects, Jacob was born with the sign of the covenant upon his body, a rare distinction. But Esau also bore a mark upon him at birth, the figure of a serpent, the symbol of all that is wicked and hated of God.

SEPARATIONThese two peoples “separated” from her body. The word for separated used  here  is  “parad”  and  means  “to divide”.  In  addition  to  being separated  from her body at birth,  these two peoples, goyim, were to be “divided”; there was to be a division between them.Legends of the Jews: The names conferred upon the brothers are pregnant with meaning. The older was called Esau, because he was 'Asui, fully developed when he was born, and the name of the younger was given to him by God, to point to some important events in the future of Israel by the numerical value of each letter. The first letter in Ya'akob, Yod, with the value of ten, stands for the decalogue; the second, 'Ayin, equal to seventy, for the seventy elders, the leaders of Israel; the third, Kof, a hundred, for the Temple, a hundred ells in height; and the last, Bet, for the two tables of stone.

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COMMENTRY - RAV HIRSCHThe thrashing about within her womb was not simply physiology of a typical twin birth; but rather was to be regarded as the start of a great future  struggle,  of  hostility  and  confrontation  between  two  nations. The  one  nation  would  build  up  its  greatness  based  on  spirit  and morals,  while  the  other  nation  would  seek  its  greatness  through worldly  strength  and  violence.  Spirit  and  violence,  manifesting themselves  in  Jacob  and  Esau,  from  birth  onwards  and  in  diametric opposition to each other. Future nations would be built based on these ideologies which CANNOT EXIST IN ONENESS! To quote Rav Hirsch: “The whole of world history is nothing else than a struggle as to whether spirit or sword has the upper hand.”Now, can you imagine the expectant Rebecca receiving this revelation of the future struggle that is beginning in her very own womb?!! 

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COMMENTRY - RAV DAVID MILSTON’S

On another level of teaching, Rav David Milston comments that this is in fact a story that each of us lives every day. He says, referring to the worldly versus spiritual struggle, that the agenda of the body (flesh) is diametrically opposed to that of the soul, and visa versa. Here is more of Rav David Milston’s quote:“Just as we believe that Esau should be subservient to Jacob, so our bodies should be subservient to our souls. Just as Esau physically preceded Jacob, so the body precedes the soul. Just as at the start of their relationship Esau had the upper hand over Jacob, so too, at the start of life, our physical power seems to rule over our spirituality. Just as at the end of days Jacob will finally rule over u so too our aim is that by the end of our lives our soul will control our bodies and not visa versa.”

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COMMENTRY – APOSTLE PAUL For we know that the Torah is Spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold under sin. For what I work, I know not. For what I wish, that I do not practise, but what I hate, that I do. But if I do what I do not wish, I agree with the Torah that it is good. And now, it is no longer I that work it, but the sin dwelling in me.

For I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwells no good. For to wish is present with me, but to work the good I do not find. For the good that I

wish to do, I do not do; but the evil I do not wish to do, this I practise. And if I do that which I do not wish, it is no longer I who work it, but the sin

dwelling in me. I find therefore this law, that when I wish to do the good, that the evil is present with me. For I delight in the Torah of Elohim

according to the inward man, but I see another law in my members, battling against the Torah of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the

law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from this body of death? Thanks to Elohim, through יהושע

Messiah our Master! So then, with the mind I myself truly serve the Torah of Elohim, but with the flesh the law of sin. (Romans 7:14-25) 20

COMMENTRY – SAGES“If Ya’acov is to overcome Esav, this will be a life long struggle, it will involve planning and strategy, it will involve constant awareness of every situation, and a need to foresee how that situation will develop. If we succeed then we become worthy of the name ‘Yisrael’. As human beings, each and every one of us was born into this reality. Each one of us is on our own personal front line. Our bodies have genuine needs, as do our souls. Our objective is categorically not to destroy ‘Esav’, it is to control ‘Esav’. We are commanded to live in this world, to actively involve ourselves in the physical reality of the world, yet our physical behaviour, must be under the direction of our souls. To succeed in this mission of life requires constant effort and ongoing strategy. We cannot live ‘in both worlds’ and succeed. If the body is in control then the soul will be subservient, if the soul is in control then the body will be subservient.”

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THE OLDER SHALL SERVE THE YOUNGER

Although in the English the translation reads “the older shall serve the younger”, this is stated rather ambiguously in the Hebrew. The phrase “the older shall serve the younger”, the Hebrew should be written like this: ry[i(c'-ta, dboï[]y: br:Þw>Instead, the Hebrew appears without the -ta, in Torah scrolls:ry[i(c', dboï[]y: br:ÞwThe purpose of the -ta, (-et) would be to introduce the object, without a doubt making the “older” the subject and the “younger” the object of the phrase. However, in the absence of “-ta”, one may just as easily interpret the phrase to say “the older shall be served by the younger”! In Biblical Hebrew  it  is  typically  the  subject  that  is mentioned first  in such  a  statement,  however,  there  are  also  places  where  they  are reversed.  Could  we  say  that  the  deliberate  vagueness  is  there  to emphasize  the oscillating nature of  the relationship between the two nations?  Therefore  we  see  that  the  purpose  of  Rebecca’s  painful pregnancy is to announce the emergence of two nations that will be in perpetual  discord  and  disagreement….until  eventually,  the  “younger” (Jacob/Israel) will win out. 22

NAMES - ESAUAnd the first came out red all over, like a hairy garment, so they called

his name Ěsaw. (Genesis 25:25)“Esau”,  means  “hairy”  and  is  spelled  “Ayin-shin-vav”. The  numeric value of his name is 376 and is equal to the word:• “ha’shmali” or “the left hand”, which represents his father’s attribute of Gevurah (strength & severity) which Esau demonstrates in his own life; but, to excess. 

• “v’ee‟ satam‟ hoo” or “and he hated him”. Esau hated Jacob and his own birthright; and, YHVH said that He hates Esau. 

• “l’ashamah” or “he is guilty”, which is why יהוה said He hated Esau. Esau was guilty of hating his birthright and his own brother. 

Esau  is  associated  with  the  “left hand” the  side  of  “strength”, “restriction”, “severity” and “judgment”

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NAMES - JACOBAnd afterward his brother came out, with his hand holding on to Ěsaw’s

heel, so his name was called Yaʽaqob. And Yitshaq was sixty years old when she bore them. (Genesis 25:26)

We’re told by most lexicons that Jacob’s name means “Supplanter”. We’re led to believe that this may not be so good, that Jacob might have been a little shady during the “early years”. His name also means to “circumvent” according to Strong’s and Gesenius’ Lexicon. Edom  shares  the  same  spelling  as  Adam  and  means  the  “world”. Now, Jacob would become “Israel”. So, Jacob grasped the heel of the “world” in order  to  supplant,  or  circumvent  it,  because יהוה said  the  older  would serve  the younger.  First, Elohim created  the world;  then, He chose  Israel (the younger), who came after the world. In Deuteronomy 33:27-28 Moshe also prophesied that Israel is the fountain of Jacob. In Jacob we see the “right hand”. while on the “right hand”, we have the side  of  “chesed”, “mercy” and “loving-kindness”,  the  attributes  of  his grandfather Abraham. 24

182The numeric value Jacob’s name is 182. In this number, we see two very different prophecies about his descendants. 182  equals  “with my staff”  or  “maq‟qel”  from  Genesis 32:10, where Jacob is praying to יהוה just before he is to meet Esau after his 21 years with  Laban:  “I do not deserve the least of all the kind acts and all the truth which You have shown Your servant, for I passed over this Yardĕn with my staff, and now I have become two groups. “Maq‟qel” also means “to germinate”. When he left, he had only the seed in his loins; but, has come back with wives and children enough to have become two groups. Numbers 24:17, Balaam's final words while prophesying about  Israel, “I see Him, but not now; I observe Him, but not near. A Star shall come out of Yaʽaqob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Yisra’ĕl, and shall smite the corners of Mo’ab, and shall destroy all the sons of Shĕth.

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ANTI MESSIAH182  also  equates  to  “aqeb” (or “heels of”) from  Genesis 49:16-18 where we see Jacob as an old man blessing and prophesying over his sons  and we  see  “heel” or “aqeb” mentioned  again  in  the  prophecy that from Dan would come the “anti messiah”; 

“Dan rightly rules his people as one of the tribes of Yisra’ĕl. “Dan is a serpent by the way, an adder by the path, that bites the horse’s heels so that its rider falls backward. “I have waited for your deliverance, O

!יהוהNow,  “aqeb”  means  “heel”,  also  to  “supplant”  or  to  “circumvent”, showing  that Dan,  called here  the  serpent, would  supplant Him who rides the horse. “Aqeb”  is one of the root words, along with “Yah”,  in the name “Jacob”. 

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60 YEARS OLD… And Yitshaq was sixty years old when she bore them. (Genesis 25:26)After the description of  the birth of Esau and Jacob, we are told that Isaac was 60 years old when they were born. Why? We were already told that Isaac was 40 when he took Rebecca as his wife and that it was twenty years after that, that Esau and Jacob were born. Why remind us now that he was 60? Well 60 is the numeric value of the letter/word “samech”, which means “continuity” and “ordination”. That’s  why  the  letter  is  shaped  like  a wedding  ring.  It  represents   s’יהוה continuing  plan,  as  yet  another chapter  unfolds.  We’re  seeing  in  this  that  Yah  has  ordained  these events as part of the restoration of all things. Note: The boys’ grandfather Abraham would have lived to see Esau and Jacob well into their teen years. Shem, Noah’s son, and Eber, the great-grandson of Shem, were also still alive. Shem lived another fifty-two years and Eber for eighty-one years after the twins were born.

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HUNTER AND STUDENTAnd the boys grew up. And Ěsaw became a man knowing how to hunt,

a man of the field, while Yaʽaqob was a complete man, dwelling in tents. (Genesis 25:27)

Here we see that Esau becomes a “hunter” or “tsa’yid”. In fact, the KJV calls  him a “cunning” hunter.  The only other person  in  scripture  that was called a “hunter” was Nimrod in Genesis 10:9. Esau was also called a man of the “field”, or “sadeh” which means a “tiller” or “cultivator” of the land, like Cain, Abel’s brother. With Jacob we see that he was a “complete” man, or “tamiym” which means “perfect” or “innocent”, “dwelling in tents”. The word used here for  “tents”  is  “ohel’im”  which  means  “wilderness tents” or “Tabernacles”. The Book of Jasher states that Jacob studied the Word of Elohim in the tent of Shem (the Melek Tzaddik). However, as we see, this word is “ohel’im”, plural. The rabbis teach that he also studied  in his    father and grandfather’s tent.  Jacob was 13 when Abraham died. He would have learned “severity”, “strength” and “judgment” in Isaac’s tent and “chesed” or “loving kindness” of Abraham tent.  

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PARENT AFFECTIONSAnd Yitshaq loved Ěsaw because he ate of his wild game, but Ribqah

loved Yaʽaqob. (Genesis 25:28)The interesting thing about this verse is there are two different tenses for the word “love”. In the Hebrew, it literally reads that “Rebecca loves Jacob”. This  is  present  tense  and  highlights  the  on-going, unconditional, and eternal value of her love. Isaac’s love seems more conditional and is directly connected to Esau’s game, a very perplexing reason for stating love. Could there be more to the story? From the blessing we see given to Jacob we note the connotation to worldly wealth and power:

And Elohim give you of the dew of the heavens, of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and wine. Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be master over your brothers, and let your mother’s

sons bow down to you. (Genesis 27:28-29) Highlighted by the second blessing given to Isaac studied later. 

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FOR AND AGAINST GODVerse 28 of chapter 25 tells us that Isaac loved Esau because he ate of the game Esau hunted. We are also told that Rebecca loved Jacob. Legends of the Jews:  ..When they reached their thirteenth year, and were of age, their ways parted. Jacob continued his studies in the Bet ha Midrash of Shem and Eber, and Esau abandoned himself to idolatry and an immoral life. Both were hunters of men, Esau tried to capture them in order to turn them away from God, and Jacob, to turn them toward God. Esau possessed the art of winning his father's love. His hypocritical conduct made Isaac believe that his first-born son was extremely pious. "Father," he would ask Isaac, "what is the tithe on straw and salt?" The question made him appear God-fearing in the eyes of his father, because these two products are the very ones that are exempt from tithing. Isaac failed to notice, too, that his older son gave him forbidden food to eat. What he took for the flesh of young goats was dog's meat. 30

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DEATH OF ABRAHAMLegends of the Jews

Though Abraham reached a good old age, beyond the limit of years vouchsafed later generations, he yet died five years before his allotted time. The intention was to let him live to be one hundred and eighty years old, the same age as Isaac's at his death, but on account of Esau God brought his life to an abrupt close. For some time Esau had been pursuing his evil inclinations in secret. Finally he dropped his mask, and on the day of Abraham's death he was guilty of five crimes: he ravished a betrothed maiden, committed murder, doubted the resurrection of the dead, scorned the birthright, and denied God. Then the Lord said: "I promised Abraham that he should go to his fathers in peace. Can I now permit him to be a witness of his grandson's rebellion against God, his violation of the laws of chastity, and his shedding of blood? It is better for him to die now in peace."The men slain by Esau on this day were Nimrod and two of his adjutants. The garments of Nimrod had an extraordinary effect upon cattle, beasts, and birds. They would come and prostrate themselves before him who was arrayed in them. Thus Nimrod and Esau after him were able to rule over men and beasts.

LENTIL STEWAnd Yaʽaqob cooked a stew, and Ěsaw came in from the field, and he

was weary. And Ěsaw said to Yaʽaqob, “Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary.” That is why his name was called Edom.

(Genesis 25:29-30) called יהוה him  Edom,  “Edom”  (Aleph-dalet-mem)  means  “red” or “mankind” or “the world” and, as stated earlier, is from the root word “Adam”. Both Edom and Adam are spelled the same and/or, represents the world;  and,  that  the world  is  separate  (remember  divided)  from Israel. Legends of the Jews: On this occasion he was cooking lentils for his father, to serve to him as his mourner's meal after the death of Abraham. Adam and Eve had eaten lentils after the murder of Abel, and so had the parents of Haran, when he perished in the fiery furnace. The reason they are used for the mourner's meal is that the round lentil symbolizes death: as the lentil rolls, so death, sorrow, and mourning constantly roll about among men, from one to the other. 32

THE NEGOTIATIONLegend of the Jews

Esau accosted Jacob thus, "Why art thou preparing lentils?"Jacob: "Because our grandfather passed away ..Esau:  "Thou fool! Dost thou really think it possible that man should come to life again after he has been dead and has mouldered in the grave?".. "Lift up thine eyes, and thou wilt see that all men eat whatever comes to hand--fish, creeping and crawling creatures, swine's flesh, and all sorts of things like these, and thou vexest thyself about a dish of lentils."Jacob:  "If we act like other men, what shall we do on the day of the Lord, the day on which the pious will receive their reward.."If thou art of opinion that there is no future world, and that the dead do not rise to new life, then why dost thou want thy birthright? The scorn manifested by Esau for the resurrection of the dead he felt also for the promise of God to give the Holy Land to the seed of Abraham. He did not believe in it, and therefore he was willing to cede his birthright and the blessing attached thereto in exchange for a mess of pottage.

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SELLING OF BIRTHRIGHTBut Yaʽaqob said, “Sell me your birthright today.” And Ěsaw said, “Look, I am going to die, so why should I have birthright?” Then Yaʽaqob said,

“Swear to me today.” And he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Yaʽaqob. (Genesis 25:31-33)

In  the  Hebrew,  Esau  tells  Jacob  that  he  has  “walked to the point of death”. It’s interesting that from the Hebrew, this phrase could also be read to say that “his walk was killing him”. Because  of  this  price,   hated יהוה Esau  because  he  despised  his birthright;  it  counted  for  less  than  a  bowl  of  pottage.  The world  has indeed sold its birthright for much less.Legends of the Jews: In addition, Jacob paid him in coin, and, besides, he gave him what was more than money, the wonderful sword of Methuselah, which Isaac had inherited from Abraham and bestowed upon Jacob..Nor did he fail to have a document made out, duly signed by witnesses, setting forth that Esau had sold him the birthright together with his claim upon a place in the Cave of Machpelah.

THE FIRST BORNAs Rabbi Avraham Greenbaum writes, “One of the deep mysteries of the Torah is that the natural, apparent first-born are repeatedly rejected in favor of the true, "spiritual" first-born. Cain was rejected while Abel's sacrifice was accepted. Japheth was made subordinate to his younger brother, Shem; as Shem and his descendants were the "high priests" who brought knowledge of [Elohim] to the world. Ishmael and Esau were rejected in favor of Isaac and Jacob respectively. Later on, Jacob's first-born Reuven was rejected in favor of Levi, Judah and Joseph. Ephraim was given precedence over Menashe. Kehas, the son of Levi, was given precedence over Levi's first-born, Gershon... and Moses attained leadership over the firstborn Aaron, who was three years his senior. Yet through Aaron's humble, joyous submission to his younger brother Moses, whose spokesman he became, Aaron earned the priesthood. Through the balance between the lawgiver and the priest, the trans generational struggle between brothers that started with Cain and Abel was brought to a satisfactory conclusion: as religious service (represented in Aaron) must be subject to religious law (Moses). Otherwise service turns into excess.” 35

LESSONS OF THE PASTAnd when the men of the place asked about his wife, he said, “She is

my sister.” For he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” thinking, “lest the men of the place should kill me for Ribqah, because she is good-

looking.” (Genesis 26:7)Here, we have a case of history repeating itself. We had a very similar incident  with  Abraham,  Sarah  and  Abimelek.  Only  in  that  case Abimelek actually took Sarah. And, or course, Pharaoh also took Sarah into his house. So, what really was the lesson here? It would seem that within  one  generation,  the  lesson was  lost  and  needed  to  be  taught again. But, what lesson? The  rabbis  teach  that  the kidnapping of  a married woman  is  a  crime against the universal law of the children of Noah. Abraham had taught the lesson in his generation, but it had been forgotten, and it had to be taught again  in  the  generation of  Isaac.  This  is because  the  forces of evil constantly conceal lessons learned by earlier generations.  36

ENVY OF THE FILISTINESAnd there was a scarcity of food in the land, … And יהוה appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Mitsrayim, live in the land which I

command you. “Sojourn in this land. And I shall be with you and bless you, … And Yitshaq sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold, and יהוה blessed him. And the man grew great and went forward until he became very great. .. and the Philistines envied him.

(Genesis 26:1-14)Unbothered by a severe drought, he sowed his dry fields in faith, and he  reaped  a  hundred  fold  return!  It  has  been  correctly  said  that  the harvest  of  the  planter  depends more  on  the  favor  and  goodness  of  than יהוה in the excellence of  the seed and skill of the ploughman.   I planted, Apollos watered, but Elohim was giving growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is any at all, but Elohim who gives the increase. (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). Isaac  became  very  great  and prospered despite difficulties and  the  surrounding Philistines became very envious. 37

CLOSING OF THE WELLSAnd the Philistines had stopped up all the wells which his father’s

servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, and filled them with dirt. (Genesis 26:15)

The association between "Philistine" and “Barbarian” is fitting, for the Philistines  represent  the  very  opposite  of  Chesed,  which  was  the attribute of Elohim that drove Abraham’s  life. The numerical value of the Hebrew letters of Philistim (Fey - 80,  lamed - 30, shin - 300, tav - 400, yud - 10, mem -40) is 860. 86 is the numerical value of the letters of  the  divine  name  Elohim,  alluding  to  Gevurah,  might,  power, limitation  and  concealment.  The  Philistines  equal  10  x  86,  which represent  the  forces  of  limitation  and  concealment multiplied  and  in full array. The Philistines had stopped up all the wells which his father’s servants  had  dug  in  the  days  of  Abraham his  father,  and  filled  them with dirt. The Philistines closed up the very sources of the living waters of spirituality with earthliness and gross materialism. Rashi points out that  the  Targum  of  the  word  "closed up"  has  the  connotation  of "closing up the heart" with insensitivity and foolishness.  38

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THREE WELLSBut when Yitshaq’s servants dug in the wadi and found a well of running

water there, the herdsmen of Gerar strove with Yitshaq’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” And he called the name of the well Ěseq,

because they strove with him. And they dug another well, and they strove over that one too, and he called its name Sitnah. And he moved from there

and dug another well, and they did not strive over it. And he called its name Rehoboth, and said, “For now יהוה has made room for us, and we

shall bear fruit in the land.” (Genesis 26:19-22)The  three  wells  correspond  to  the  three  temples,  the  two  that  were destroyed, and the eternal one yet to be built. The first well, named Esek, or contention alludes  to  the First Temple which  fell victim to the strife of nations  that  finally  destroyed  it.  The  second  well,  named Sitnah, or hindrance,  enmity,  a  harsher  name  than Esek,  alludes  to  the  Second Temple period, when the enmity of Israel's enemies was longer lasting and more  virulent.  The  third  well, Rehoboth,  or spaciousness,  alludes  to  the future Temple, the era when strife and enmity will be things of the past."

BOB JONES NOVEMBER 2012

The first two wells remained the same; born out of a spirit of jealousy, strife and accusation, and they could not change.  I believe these two wells represent two previous wells of revival that got polluted by works of man. There were mighty moves of God with an outpouring of  the Holy Spirit, but after a while, man wanted to own it and plugged up the well  with  human  reasoning.  Man's  fleshly  desire  will  always  stop  a move of God. The power of the Holy Spirit cannot be manufactured or manipulated.  It  can,  however,  be  imitated  and  mocked;  when  this happens, the Holy Spirit departs and the wells are left dry and polluted by human waste.A  greater  maturity  was  required  of  Isaac's  herdsmen  and  a  working together among the brethren. In the same way, I believe the Body of Christ must come together in unity in order to receive its spiritual inheritance. The Church has had opportunity to advance, but because of striving, contention, inability to reason with one another, and most importantly, not allowing the Holy Spirit to lead, the Church remained in bondage to man. 40

BOB JONES NOVEMBER 2012

Now in this season, midwives are birthing the Isaac generation. There will be a unity like the Church has not experienced in past generations. There  cannot  be  striving  and  accusation.  Instead  there  will  be agreement with the Father conceived in love. It's time to embrace the promise God  is extending to the Church.  It's our job to offer the invitation. It's up to the Church to embrace it. The Church  has  a  choice  to make  now:  to  receive  the  prayer warriors  or reject  them.  The  prayer  warriors  that  are  coming  along  now  are women.A  general  is  called  to  lead,  but  he  needs  to  lead  the  whole  Body. Intercessors  are  prayer  warriors,  and  most  of  them  are  women.  It's going to take both men and women to be warriors. They are the ones who will  take  the high ground. The time  to embrace  this  is now, and the  choice  is extended  to  the Church.  The Church  that embraces  the women and allows them to come forth is the Church that will prosper and grow in number. Let's join with the intercessors and cover them and allow the women to birth the Isaac generation. 41

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ADONIA APPEARSAnd יהוה appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the Elohim of your

father Abraham. Do not fear, for I am with you, and shall bless you and increase your seed for My servant Abraham’s sake.” And he built an altar

there, and called on the Name of יהוה, and he pitched his tent there, and the servants of Yitshaq dug a well there. (Genesis 26:24-25)

Isaac was blessed because his  intent was always  to share his blessings. And, faced  with  the  threat  of  war  from  the  Philistines,   came יהוה to  him  and assured  him  of  the  very  blessings  given  to  Abraham.  Thus  we  note  the following when we follow God’s ways:• The Most High revealed His presence. • He comforted His servant and repeated the promises. • Isaac showed thanksgiving by building an altar and publicly celebrated and worshiped  in  the midst  of  his  household.  Then  Isaac,  pitched  his  tent  and dug a well. 

When a man's ways please the Lord, He will make even His enemies to be at peace with him.

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PEACE BRINGS OVERFLOWAnd Abimelek came to him from Gerar, with Ahuzzath, one of his friends, and Pikol the commander of his army. And Yitshaq said to them, “Why have you

come to me, seeing you have hated me and have sent me away from you?” … “We have clearly seen that יהוה is with you. And we said, ‘Please, let there be

an oath between us, between you and us. And let us make a covenant with you, that you do no evil to us, as we have not touched you, and as we have done

only good toward you, and have sent you away in peace. You are now blessed by יהוה.’ ” And he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. And they rose

early in the morning and swore an oath with one another. … and they departed from him in peace. And on the same day it came to be that the servants of

Yitshaq came and informed him about the well which they had dug, and said to him, “We have found water.” So he called it Shibah. Therefore the name of the

city is Be’ĕrsheba to this day. (Genesis 26:26-33)Instead  of  fighting  his  enemies,  Isaac  practiced  the  ways  of  peace:  And  he made them a feast, and they ate and drank, swore an oath with one another, they  departed  from  him  in  peace.  And,   blessed יהוה his  newest  well  in Be’ersheva. 

WIVES OF ESAUAnd when Ěsaw was forty years old, he took as wives Yehudith the

daughter of Be’ĕri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Ělon the Hittite. And they were a bitterness of spirit to Yitshaq and Ribqah.

(Genesis 26:34-35)So, who were these women who so upset Isaac and Rebecca? Scripture uses  the  phrase  “morah ruach” for  “bitterness of spirit”;  in  other words, it grieved their spirit. • “Yehudith” means “praise” and it  is from the same root as Yehudah. She was the daughter of “Be’eri” which means “well” or “fountain” of the “Hittites” (“terror”). She was  literally “the praise of the fountain of terror”.

• “Basemath” (“spice” or “fragrance”),  daughter  of  “Elon” (“mighty man”)  of  the  “Hittites” (“terror”).  That  would  make  her  the “fragrance of the mighty terrorist”.

 throughout יהוה the  Torah  warned  His  people  not  to  take  foreign wives,  as  they  would  turn  the  hearts  of  Israel  away  from  Him.  The Scriptures  are  full  of  the  consequences  each  time  our  forefathers neglected this command.  44

PASSING OF BLESSINGLegends of the Jews

Isaac reflected that he did not know whether the age allotted to him was his mother's or his father's, and he therefore resolved to bestow his blessing upon his older son, Esau, before death should overtake him. He summoned Esau, and he said, "My son," and Esau replied, "Here am I," but the holy spirit interposed: "Though he disguises his voice and makes it sound sweet, put no confidence in him. There are seven abominations in his heart. He will destroy seven holy places--the Tabernacle, the sanctuaries at Gilgal, Shiloh, Nob, and Gibeon, and the first and the second Temple."But Isaac was stricken with spiritual as well as physical blindness. The holy spirit deserted him, and he could not discern the wickedness of his older son. He bade him sharpen his slaughtering knives and beware of bringing him the flesh of an animal that had died of itself, or had been torn by a beast, This charge was laid upon Esau on the eve of the Passover, and Isaac said to him: "To-night the whole world will sing the Hallel unto God

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THE SCAM.. Ribqah spoke to Yaʽaqob her son, saying, … “Please go to the flock and

bring me two choice young goats, … Ribqah took the best garments of her elder son Ěsaw, which were with her in the house, and put them on

Yaʽaqob her younger son. And she put the skins of the young goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. Then she gave the tasty dish

and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Yaʽaqob. (Genesis 27:5-17)

Legends of the Jews: "these two kids will bring good unto thee, the blessing of thy father, and they will bring good unto thy children, for two kids will be the atoning sacrifice offered on the Day of Atonement.“Rebecca felt justified in putting Esau's wonderful garments on him. They were the high priestly raiment in which God had clothed Adam, "the first-born of the world," for in the days before the erection of the Tabernacle all  the first-born males officiated as priests. From Adam these garments descended  to  Noah,  ..to  Shem,  ..to  Abraham,  ..  to  his  son  Isaac,  from whom they reached Esau as the older of his two sons. It was the opinion of Rebecca that as Jacob had bought the birthright from his brother, he had thereby come into possession of the garments as well.  46

SAGES - JACOB CAME NEARWhen Jacob stood before his father to receive “Esau’s blessing”, Isaac had some interesting words to say:

And he came near and kissed him. And he smelled the smell of his garments, and blessed him and said, “See, the smell of my son is like the

smell of a field which יהוה has blessed. (Genesis 27:27)The  ancient  Sages  point  to  a  deeper  meaning  of  the  text.  Have  you thought about what  Isaac  “smelled”? We know  that  in order  to  conceal his identity, Rebecca had placed goat skins on Jacob’s arms and around his neck. There could be no worse scent than the stench of the goat hides he was wearing. Yet he refers to the “smell of a field which יהוה has blessed”. We saw last week that part of  Isaac’s  identity was related to a “field” in which  he  was  praying…that  “field” was  part  of  the  land  that  Abraham bought in Hebron to bury his wife Sarah.  

And Yitshaq went out to meditate in the field in the evening. ...(Genesis 24:63) 47

SAGES - JACOB CAME NEARIt was specifically  from a “field” that  Isaac searched for  the Almighty. What was he trying to find in the “field”? The answer lies in the scent of  the Garden of Eden, which permeated Paradise prior  to  the  sin of Adam, at a time before man was relegated to work the cursed ground. So  in  our  current  parasha,  when  Jacob    entered,  Isaac  smelled  the aroma  of  the  “field”  of  the  Garden  of  Eden.  He  believed  that  his aggressive son, Esau, had succeeded in returning the scent of Paradise to  the  world.  He  believed  that  the  physical  (Esau)  had  somehow acquired  spirituality.  Of  course,  when  the  real  Esau  entered,  “Isaac trembles” and sadly realizes his error:

Then Yitshaq trembled exceedingly, and said, “Who was it then who hunted wild game and brought it to me? And I ate all of it before you

came, and I have blessed him. Yea, he is blessed.” (Genesis 27:33)n reality, it turned out to be Jacob, the one who sat and learned in the tents, and not Esau, the hunter, who radiated the scent of Paradise. 48

SCENT OF PARADISEWe find the concept of “smell” in relation to another who carried the scent of Paradise …the Messiah of Israel. The prophet Isaiah speaks of Him:And a Rod shall come forth from the stump of Yishai, and a Sprout from

his roots shall bear fruit. The Spirit of יהוה shall rest upon Him – the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of יהוה, and shall make Him

breathe (SMELL) in the fear of יהוה. And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, nor decide by the hearing of His ears. (Isaiah 11:1-3)

His  characteristic  feature  is  His  sense  of  “smell”. How  will  He  pass judgment without “seeing” or “hearing”? It appears that His sense of “smell” will  allow Him to  judge. The Messiah has  the ability  to  judge one by his internal reality, and not solely on what can be seen or heard on  the  outside.  Scent  is  that  presence  that  is  concealed  and  hidden from the eye’s view. Isaac is able to detect one sure thing. He “smells” on  the  one  before  him,  the  scent  of  the  Garden  of  Eden.  From  this alone,  he  is  happy  to  bless  the  one who  stands  before  him who  he believes to be Esau. 49

FRAGRANCE OF THE MESSIAHThus we gain more  insight  from  Isaac’s words  in Genesis 27:27… “See the smell of my son!” What  is  true  on  the  inside  cannot  be  totally concealed. The “smell” is what Isaac “saw”. Sacrifices were pictures of the Messiah that sent up “sweet aromas” to the Almighty:“And prepare the other lamb between the evenings. And with it prepare the grain offering and the drink offering, as in the morning, for a sweet

fragrance, an offering made by fire to יהוה – (Exodus 29:41)As  believers  in  the Messiah  of  Israel,  do  we  carry  the  “smell” of  the “Messiah”, the same which was present in the Garden of Eden?

But thanks be to Elohim who always leads us on, to overcome in Messiah, and manifests through us the fragrance of His knowledge in

every place. Because we are to Elohim the fragrance of Messiah among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death to death, and to the other the fragrance of life to life. And who is competent for these? (2 Corinthians 2:14-16)50

YAH’S FIELDApostle Paul  informs us that we are “Yah’s field”:

for you are still fleshly. For since there is envy, and strife, and divisions among you, are you not fleshly and walking according to man? For when

one says, “I am of Sha’ul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not fleshly? What then is Apollos, and what is Sha’ul, but servants through whom you believed, as the Master assigned to each? I planted, Apollos

watered, but Elohim was giving growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is any at all, but Elohim who gives the increase. And he who

plants and he who waters are one, and each one shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are fellow workers of Elohim,

you are the field of Elohim, .... (1 Corinthians 3:3-9)And one more verse…the prophet Amos speaks to how יהוה feels about those who are putting in the motions without a sincere heart. I hate, I despise your feasts, and I will not smell a savor or take delight in

your solemn assemblies. (Amos 5:21 AMP) 51

WORKING FOR THE GOOD - THE PICTURE

Isaac in his old age has become blind. Just like the many in Israel that are blind  today. But, יהוה had a  plan  in  this  blindness of  Isaac.  Isaac was not able  to  tell  Israel  from the world,  Jacob  from Esau; because, like the world Isaac had become blind. While he sought what the world (Edom) had to offer,  the taste of wild game (the sensual pleasures of taste, etc), יהוה had other plans. Rebecca encouraged Jacob (even said she would bear his curse, or punishment, if required) to pretend to be Esau in order to receive the first-born’s blessing, that went along with the birth-right. She prepared the meal, dressed Jacob in Esau’s clothing and  even  put  goat  skins  on  his  arms  and  hands,  in  order  to “circumvent”  Isaac’s  blessing  of  Esau.  There’s  Jacob’s  name  again, “Yah’s Supplanter”. The picture: Israel  hidden  in  Edom’s  clothing,  hidden  in  the  world’s clothing, so the blind cannot see him. 

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THE BLESSINGLegends of the Jews: The holy spirit filled Isaac, and he gave Jacob his tenfold blessing: "God give thee of the dew of heaven," the celestial dew wherewith God will awaken the pious to new life in days to come; "and of the fatness of the earth," the goods of this world; "and plenty of corn and wine," the Torah and the commandments which bestow the same joy upon man as abundant harvests; "peoples shall serve thee," the Japhethites and the Hamites; "nations shall bow down to thee," the Shemite nations; "thou wilt be lord over thy brethren," the Ishmaelites and the descendants of Keturah; "thy mother's sons will bow down to thee," Esau and his princes; "cursed be every one that curseth thee," like Balaam; "and blessed be every one that blesseth thee," like Moses.For  each  blessing  invoked  upon  Jacob  by  his  father  Isaac,  a  similar blessing was bestowed upon him by God Himself in the same words. Isaac’s blessing of Jacob’s mirrors so well the blessings יהוה promised to  Abraham  and  his  seed,  as  well  as  the  blessing   spoke יהוה over Jacob, to Rebecca, while he was still in her womb

ESAU'S TRUE CHARACTER REVEALEDLegends of the Jews

Esau arrived, he had not succeeded in catching any game, and he was compelled to kill a dog .. he bade his father partake of the meal … The words of Esau terrified Isaac greatly. His fright exceeded that which he had felt when his father was about to offer him as a sacrifice, and he cried out, "Who then is he that hath been the mediator between me and the Lord, to make the blessing reach Jacob?“ Isaac's alarm was caused by his seeing hell at the feet of Esau. Scarcely had he entered the house when the walls thereof began to get hot on account of the nearness of hell, which he brought along with him. Isaac could not but exclaim, "Who will be burnt down yonder, I or my son Jacob?" and the Lord answered him, "Neither thou nor Jacob, but the hunter."Isaac told Esau that the meat set before him by Jacob had had marvellous qualities. .." When Esau heard the word "flesh," he began to weep, and he said: "To me Jacob gave no more than a dish of lentils, and in payment for it he took my birthright. What must he have taken from thee for flesh of animals?" Hitherto Isaac .. when he heard that Jacob had acquired the birthright from Esau, he said, "I gave my blessing to the right one!“ Hebrews 12:15 154

ESAU’S BLESSING “The land”And Yitshaq his father answered and said to him, “See, your dwelling is of the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of the heavens from above.

(Genesis 27:39)Alfred  Edersheim  stated  over  100  years  ago  that  this  verse  was mistranslated when it showed Esau was to go to a fertile and blessed location. Instead, the prophecy actually stated that the descendents of Esau would live away from the dew of heaven and away from the fat of  the  land.  This  perfectly  describes  the  land  of  Edom  which  Esau inherited,  that  land  located  at  the  south  end  of  the  Dead  Sea  and stretching into the Arabian Peninsula.

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And by your sword you are to live, and serve your brother. And it shall be, when you grow restless, that you shall break his yoke from your

neck.” (Genesis 27:40)Isaac  told Esau  that he would serve  Jacob until Esau became restless and  broke  Jacob’s  yoke  from  his  neck.  Has  that  happened  yet? Well actually,  Esau’s  hatred  for  Jacob’s  descendants  is  shown  throughout Scripture.  It was  Edom who  refused  to  let  the  children of  Israel  pass through  their  land  while  in  the  wilderness  in  Exodus  20.  However, David  (the  staff  or  scepter  of  Y  Jacob)  subdued  Edom  and made  all Edom  serve  him  in  2  Samuel  8.  But,  Solomo,  David’s  son  saw  them rebel  again  and  “break the yoke of Ya’aqob from his neck” until  this day. Since then, Edom, or a remnant thereof, has dwelt  in Eretz Israel and warred with the sons of Jacob, even until now. 

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ESAU’S BLESSING “The Sword”

GENESIS 27:41-28:9SUMMARY: Here we read that Esau hated Jacob and said “in his heart” that he would kill Jacob after the death of their father. We are also told that his words were reported to Rebecca. יהוה could have told her this, as Esau spoke this  in his heart, not to others. And even if he were to have  said  something  to his wives,  they were not exactly on  speaking terms with their Mother in-law. Scripture says that she did not want to be  bereaved of  both  her  sons  in  one  day;  indicating  that יהוה might have said that if Esau were to kill Jacob, Esau would die the same day. In any event she plants the seed  in  Isaac to send Jacob to Laban, her brother,  to find a wife  from their own people.  Isaac  then tells him to go.  But,  not  before  he  confers  on  him  all  the  blessings  given  to Abraham and then himself by the Word of Elohim. In obedience, and maybe a little fear, Jacob goes to Haran (“the crossroads”) to find a wife.

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THIRD BLESSING“And Ěl Shaddai bless you, and make you bear fruit and increase you,

and you shall become an assembly of peoples, and give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and your seed with you, so that you inherit the land of your sojournings, which Elohim gave to Abraham.” (Genesis

28:3-4)The Torah speaks of  two sorts of blessings. Rabbi Menachem Leibtag calls  the  first  one  the  “bechira”  (birthright)–  i.e.  the  Almighty’s designation of Abraham and his offspring to become His special nation to inherit His special land. So far we have seen this “bechira” blessing pass from Abraham to Isaac. It is Elohim who chooses who will receive the “bechira” blessing, not the birth father. A simple blessing is called a “bracha” (blessing). It is a blessing given by a  father  prophesying  the  personal  destiny  of  his  sons.  Noah  blessed each of his sons, and later we will read the account of Jacob blessing his 12 sons. Before Isaac goes, his father gives him the “bechira” blessing. 58

JUMPING THE GUNNow what about Rebecca? When  she  heard  Isaac  instruct  Esau  to  hunt  game  and  return  for  a blessing, did she fear he was about to give the “bechira” blessing, not a simple  “bracha”? Did  she  take  matters  into  her  own  hands  to  fulfil prophecy, as did Sarah. As a result of Sarah’s mistake, we end up with Ishmael.  Because  of  Rebecca’s  faulty  reasoning,  we  end  up  with  an angry and revenge-filled Esau. Eventually both of these tribes will join together in marriage and become enemies of Israel. Look  at  the  damage  that  can  occur  as  a  result  of  our  own  faulty reasoning  and  our  own  attempt  to  push  the  promises  of   to יהוהfulfilment!  Even  if  it  was   intention יהוה for  Jacob  to  receive  Isaac’s intended  blessing  for  Esau,  the  morally  questionable  act  would  not pass  by  without  consequences.  Jacob  would  receive  his  destined greatness, but he would pay a price  for  the dubious way  in which he received it. One  can only wonder what would have happened  if  everyone would have communicated, been honest, and trusted the Father.  59

BLESSING OF ABRAHAMIsaac blessed  Jacob with  the “blessing of Abraham”….the covenantal, spiritual  blessing  he  had  always  intended  to  give  him.  It  was  the “power blessing” that  Isaac was  attempting  to  give  Esau.  Apparently Isaac felt that his spiritual son needed only spiritual blessings, while his physical son needed the physical blessing. Did Isaac believe that maybe “the older shall serve the younger” meant  Esau  should  protect  his younger brother as Jacob did his part  in pursuing the Word? Because of Rebecca’s  Jacob inherited both the power and spiritual blessing.

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ESAU TAKES ANOTHER WIFESo Ěsaw saw that the daughters of Kenaʽan did not please his father

Yitshaq, and Ěsaw went to Yishmaʽĕl and took Mahalath the daughter of Yishmaʽĕl, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebayoth, to be his wife,

besides the wives he had. (Genesis 28:8-9)Esau just doesn’t get  it. He sees that the daughters of Canaan do not please his parents and he sees the obedience of Jacob. So, what does Esau do? He takes as a wife Mahalath, Ishmael's daughter and sister of Nebayoth. “Mahalath” is Strong’s #4257 & 2470 and means; to “make sick” or “grieve”. Why would  Scripture  also mention her  brother Nebayoth? According to  Strong’s  “Nebayoth”  is  #5032  and  means;  “heights”. His descendants were the “Nabateans” who took Petra from the Horites. Petra would later be taken over by Esau, Edom. So together, Nebayoth and Esau, would help build the place that Zekaryah and other prophets would  point  to  as  a  place  of  refuge  for  returning  Israel  during “Ya’aqob’s Trouble”. Once again,  Judah’s and Ephraim’s  refuge will be hidden in Edom (hidden in the world).   61

RELEVANCE TO USWe were once inhabitants of Edom; hidden by the Hand of יהוה in the world. We were blind to Jacob, to Israel, just as Isaac was. But, even though we were of Edom; the seed of Abraham, the belief in Mashiach, was sown into us, by the One who circumvents, Ruach Elohim. Only the Ruach did not use deception. But, He did use the “blindness” of this world to hide the seed of the Word within us until He spoke to our hearts and brought it forth. There are still others, many others, who will hear and the blindness will fall from their eyes like scales, as it did with Sha’ul, you and me. Hate unrighteousness, hate what’s going on in the world; but, don’t hate Edom; he’s your brother. יהוה will rightly judge the “goyim” (nations of this world). Remember what we learned here today, at the beginning of this parsha; “the bridge between the two Hands, Israel and the world, is the fountain of Torah”.

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