Parasha Vayetze: Day 7—Shabbat

B'reisheet/Genesis 28:10-32:2

Our abiding faith in YHVH is deeply rooted in the lives of the preceding three Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac and Yacov. This is the juncture of eternity when our Creator set in motion an ongoing account of His faithfulness to His chosen ones. After the great flood He chose a man, seemingly from obscurity, Abram, from Shem the seed of Noach. YHVH chose Abram to become the father of a great nation, for abundant blessings, and to extend an ongoing blessing to his descendents forever. We witness the faithfulness of YHVH through the written Word in the lives of the consecutive generations. Subsequently, this ongoing saga continues throughout the life of Yacov who was instructed by the voice of YHVH to go back to his mother’s land to find a wife from her relatives. The addendum to his obedience was the blessing: “May Elohim Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. May He also give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your descendants with you, that you may possess the land of your sojournings, which Elohim gave to Abraham."

Keeping in mind that Yacov represented one of two nations within the womb of Rebekah; he fled Canaan after he purposely received the first-born blessing from Isaac, which formerly belonged to Esau. Thus, the prophecy that YHVH gave to Rebekah prior to giving birth stating, "Two nations are in your womb; and two peoples will be separated from your body; and one people shall be stronger than the other; and the older shall serve the younger" was apprehended in Yacov’s obedience to YHVH as he left his father and mother to go to the land of Paddan-aram meaning field. As he was on his way there he came to a certain place and spent the night there, because the sun had set; and he took one of the stones of the place and put it under his head to sleep. This is where he had a dream and saw a ladder set on the earth with its top reaching to heaven; and angels of YHVH were ascending and descending on it. YHVH spoke and said "I am YHVH, the Elohim of your father Abraham and the Elohim of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants. Your descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Yacov’s response to this vision was "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of Elohim, and this is the gate of heaven." This is one several heavenly encounters that Yacov has with YHVH.

After the prolonged time spent with Laban, Rebekah’s brother, Yacov’s life was blessed with two wives, two more wives, and their respective children, in addition, to his livestock and all the property which he had gathered and acquired in Paddan-aram. Thus, it was time to go back to the land of Canaan. After he was on his way, and had to settling things up with Laban, Yacov continued on his journey with all that he had acquired during the past twenty. It was at the next stop that he was met by the angels of YHVH. Yacov said when he saw them, “This is Elohim's camp." So he named that place Mahanaim, meaning two camps. This name is full of manifold meaning. It encompasses the activities between heaven and earth. Yacov’s life was an impetus that brought heaven to earth. He saw and experienced heavenly activity all around him. He called his experiences the “gate of heaven” and “mahanaim.” Yacov, in his day, was a bridge YHVH chose for illumination and manifestation of Himself, since he was the seed of Abraham and Abraham’s promises were to flow through Yacov.

The seed of Yacov was the posterity promised to Abraham. However, the other nation(s) represented through the seed of Esau was at enmity with Yacov, who now had become a fledgling nation. From that time forth all the nations of the earth would find their blessings of life through the seed of Abraham. This seed is known as Yeshua, Salvation. When Yeshua arrived on the scene much later, He declared, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of YHVH ascending and descending on the Son of Man." And from that point on Yeshua began declaring, “Repent, for the Kingdom of YHVH is at hand.” As we repent and walk in obedience to His Word and are led by His Ruach HaKodesh we, too, can experience His kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven. Just as Yacov knew that his encounter at Mahanaim was the gate of Heaven, we, too, must remember that Yeshua stands at the gate and knocks. Our Messiah has both descended and ascended for us and asks us, not only to open the door, but to enter through Him as He is the Gate of Life. Now, through us as Covenant keepers, we have the Seed that blesses the nations. We have opportunity to hear the voice of the One that sends and brings back. We have the blessings and promises of Abraham, if we will keep our promises made to Him and listen to His voice as He directs our going out and our coming in.

Dwell upon Psalm 118:19-21, "Open to me the gates of righteousness; I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to YHVH. This is the gate of YHVH; the righteous will enter through it. I shall give thanks to You, for You have answered me, and You have become my salvation."