Day 4: Miketz/Genesis 42:18-43:15

Our Messiah’s lineage is traced back to the tribe of Judah. This tribe was chosen by YHVH to bear the seed of Righteousness, in Whom all the world is blessed. Prior to the complete surrender of Yeshua on the execution stake, YHVH gave Himself to us as the Son of man. This is an incredible price, as YHVH Himself did, indeed, provide for the sacrifice, even as Abraham prophesied to Isaac as he was going up the mountain to sacrifice his own son.

The offer by Reuben to place his own two sons as ransom if he did not return with Benjamin, from Egypt, was rejected by Yacov. However, after the grain was gone, Judah offers himself as a substitution of surety for the youngest brother.

This is a foreshadowing of what our Father has done for us. He gave Himself as surety for us and bore the resentment of His children and brothers for the sake of redemption. While Reuben’s offer was genuine and costly, it was not as personal as Judah’s. Judah was willing to bear the brunt of personal pain and rejection for the sake of the entire household of Israel. He was laying down his own life for the consequences of what could happen. Our Messiah came to us and laid down His life knowing what would happen.

The personal sacrifice for the sake of others has much higher stakes and potential consequences than does the sacrifice of animals or singular aspects of our lives. These types of redemptive actions have serious ramifications for success and for not keep the vow. If success follows, then joy abounds; yet, there will still be scoffers and those that are not ever appeased. Like Judah, though, we must still be willing to lay our own lives down for the sake of our brothers and families. Moreover, like Yeshua, we must be willing to do the same for the sake of friends and strangers.

We have been called to walk as Yeshua. We see a pre-example of what Yeshua did for us in Judah’s actions for the sake of Benjamin and Simeon. These two brothers represent the guilt of a nation, who’s anger is cursed (Simeon: Gen. 49:7) and, as a nation (Israel/Judah), killed Messiah by turning Him over to be executed and by the sin of the world. Benjamin is comparable to the youngest to come into the faith and the innocence of not living through the past history of his own family.

This sounds like modern-day Christianity and, even more, like the Messianic movement. Ignorance is not an excuse for us, since we have Torah and the Prophets, along with the coming of Messiah and the giving of the Ruach. Yeshua fulfills all of this on our behalf, for our past, our ignorance, and our necessity to show ourselves astute to the Judge of all judges.

Our personal sacrifices are not unnoticed by our Creator. He is constantly placing tests before us to see where we are willing to sacrifice and where we need to show more faithfulness. If all of us were to read Matthew 5:3-10 from the point-of-view of how we are to love each other, as well as YHVH, we may find ourselves making personal sacrifices of fleshly desires and needs much more often.

What is required of you this day? Take the time to ask the Father what sacrifices He requires of you for the sake of His love being poured out to those around you and in order to be drawn closer to Him.

Dwell upon John 15:13-14, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you.”