Gen 32:3-33:17
The Gen 32:3-33:17 section of Scripture forms the triennial Torah portion Vayishlach, and its own chiastic structure:
1a) 32:3-5 Jacob sent messengers to Esau in Seir;
1b) 32:6-21 Jacob’s fear + precaution + prayer + present;
1c) 32:22-25 He sent his household over the brook + a Man wrestled with him + the socket of his hip;
1d) 32:26 Jacob said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me;”
1e) 32:27 So He said to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob;”
central axis) 32:28 And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed;”
2e) 32:29a Jacob asked His name, and He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name;”
2d) 32:29b And He blessed him there;
2c) 32:30-32 I have seen God face to face + he crossed over Penuel + the socket of his hip;
2b) 33:1-11 Jacob’s fear + precaution + prayer answered + present accepted;
2a) 33:12-17 {s} Esau returned that day on his way to Seir.
In the C pair of the chiastic structure, we see that these two Scriptures are matched:
Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Gen 32:24
So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” Gen 32:30
Who did Jacob wrestle with, Man or God? It is God and Man, a pre-incarnate appearance of the Lord Yeshua haMashiach. These are the places in the Torah that taught the apostles and Paul the doctrines of the nature of Messiah Yeshua.
Gen 33:18-35:8
Compare these two verses:
Then Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan Aram; and he pitched his tent before the city. Gen 33:18 NKJV
And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padanaram; and pitched his tent before the city. Gen 33:18 KJV
The KJV translators had such respect for the word of God, that they did not change a jot or tittle of it. The modern translators feel compelled to improve the text (although the NKJV is the least tampered with). But here we find a clear discrepancy, where the NKJV and the KJV do not match at all.
Shalem is Salem. It is Strong’s H8004, and its definition is literally, “the place of which Melchizedek was king.” Melchizedek was, we learned earlier, the King of Peace, and the King of Righteousness – a preincarnate appearance of the Word of God, Messiah Yeshua. The Scripture is telling us, that Jacob came to the place where Melchizedek was king; to the place where the King of Peace and the King of Righteousness, Messiah Yeshua, reigned. Jacob built the altar, El Elohe Israel (God, the God of Israel), there. But at some time after that, he allowed himself and his household to become defiled. But this is the gospel: defilement is not the end of our story. If we repent and return to God, He will restore us to His house (Bethel).
Gen 35:9-36:43
Also God said to him: “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body.” Gen 35:11
Jacob spoke this word, that God gave to him here, again at the blessing of Joseph’s sons:
“God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
The God who has fed me all my life long to this day,
The Angel who has redeemed me from all evil,
Bless the lads;
Let my name be named upon them,
And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;
And let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.” Gen 48:15-16
“Multitude” is in Hebrew, melo hagoyim, “a fullness of Gentiles.” So the single nation which came from Israel’s body was the nation of Israel, who are today represented by the Jews. The company of nations which came from Israel’s body, is, I believe, the fullness of Gentiles of Ephraim’s prophetic destiny, who are today represented by the Gentile Christians.
Why do I say this? Here we go on a highly relevant bunny trail:
The house of Judah became the Jews. The people of the kingdom of Judah, primarily from the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, were taken captive to Babylon. They were known as Jews (of Judah) upon their return to the land. The Jews are not all there is to Israel. It is a common mistake to think that the patriarchs and the blessings and the covenants and the commandments and the feast days of YHVH apply only to Jews. Sometimes they are even called “Jewish laws,” or “Jewish feasts.” The truth is, all those things were given to the twelve tribes of Israel, and God’s teaching in His ways and in righteousness applies to all who call upon His name.
Not every Jew is a physical descendant of Abraham, or of Judah or Benjamin. Many times “foreigners” (i.e. Gentiles) joined themselves to the Jews to serve the God of Israel. Ruth is only one example. Of course, the descendants of these converts were considered full Jews (in fact it is a crime in Judaism to consider converts as second- class because they are not native- born).
The house of Ephraim, the ten tribes of the kingdom of Israel, were taken captive by the Assyrians and never returned. They were scattered among every Gentile nation – the seventy nations who had rejected God at Babel – like seed, or like leaven, until they leavened the whole lump (Amo 9:9). Thus they became indistinguishable from Gentiles over the course of the last 2700 years. That means that there are “Gentiles” walking around this planet who are really descendants of Ephraim, and to them too belong the patriarchs and the promises and the covenants and the commandments and the feast days of YHVH. To them too belongs the Torah, even if they don’t know it yet.
Not every Gentile is a physical descendant of Abraham through Ephraim. Physical descent from Abraham does not make someone of Judah or of Ephraim (of Israel or of Abraham), as Yeshua and Paul attest (Mat 8:11-12, Rom 2:25-29). In fact, it seems that the Father planned it so that physical descent in our day cannot be known. The Temple records (which included the genealogies) were destroyed in 70 AD when the Temple was destroyed, and our day is far enough removed from then, and so many migrations, invasions, and the like have taken place in the intervening years, that it is impossible to know.
It is primarily Gentiles who have become Christians in the last 2000 years. Does this mean that every Christian is an Ephraimite, i.e., is physically descended from Abraham through Ephraim? Some are and some aren’t. Enough time has passed that the only one who can know today for sure is the Father.
But no matter. It is not only physical descent that makes someone of Judah or of Ephraim. God in many places says that there is to be one law for the native- born and the sojourner (i.e. “Gentile”) alike (Exo 12:49). Besides, those who came to the God of Israel through Messiah Yeshua have been grafted in to Israel (Rom 11:17), no matter their origin. God is making one olive tree.
God is waking up His two houses in these last days. The Ephraimites, who became scattered among the Gentiles, who became the Christians, are waking up to their Hebrew roots, to their Israelite status. They are learning His ways as is commanded in Torah. Grace is not taken away from them, but obedience to the word and commandments of God is being added to them, and this nonsense of Christians doing whatever they feel like and ignoring what the word of God says because they are saved by grace is going by the wayside. Those who love Yeshua will keep His commandments (Joh 14:15).
At the same time, the Jews are waking up to their Hebrew Messiah, Yeshua our Lord. Obedience to Torah is not taken away from them, but grace and finding forgiveness of sins and everlasting life through faith by the blood of Yeshua is being added to them, and this nonsense of Jews working their way into God’s favor by keeping commandments is going by the wayside. The fact is, no man can ever, by works of the Law, become justified in God’s sight (Rom 3:20, Gal 2:16). Those who love the Father will love the Son also (Joh 8:42).
The king who will come forth from Israel’s body, of the line of David, will unite the two houses into one house with one king (Eze 37:19-24), and that king is Messiah Yeshua. There will be one faith, one people, and one ekklesia (Eph 4:4-6), just as there is one God (Deu 6:4) and one Name by which men can be saved (Act 4:12). Well, it is happening, the two houses are waking up. Can the return of Yeshua be far behind?
GENESIS 32:3-36:43 ANNUAL VAYISHLACH “AND HE SENT” OUTLINE | GENESIS INDEX of STUDIES
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