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This week’s parasha is Vayigash, which means “and he drew near” and covers Genesis 44:18-47:27.  Last week’s parasha told us of Joseph’s imprisonment, his interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams, his rise to second-in-command over Egypt, and the seven years of famine to come.  Joseph’s brothers had come to Egypt, searching for food to buy, and did not recognize Joseph, though he recognized them.  He warned them that the next time they came they had better bring their younger brother Benjamin (seemingly to prove they were telling the truth and were not spies).  Now they needed food once again, and this time they had to bring Benjamin. Judah promised his father that he would personally be responsible to return Benjamin safely.  So back to Egypt they go with Benjamin.

When they had bought the food and were ready to leave, Joseph tested them by secretly slipping his silver cup into Benjamin’s sack.  Joseph then sent out his house steward, instructing him to catch up to his brothers and stop them, to find the silver cup and bring them back.

Now in this week’s Torah teaching, Judah is pleading for the freedom of his younger brother Benjamin.  He tells this Egyptian ruler (unaware it’s his own brother Joseph) that if he does not bring Benjamin home, it will kill his father.  He also offers himself to remain in Benjamin’s place and be Joseph’s slave if he will let his brother go.  Judah offering to take his brother’s place shows how his character has changed.  What a contrast to what Judah previously had done in selling Joseph into slavery.

We should note that it is Judah that comes forward and not his older brothers.  He is showing spiritual leadership.  This is significant. We should remember that through the line of Judah will come the Lion of Judah, our Lord Yeshua.

Hearing this, Joseph ordered all of his servants to leave the room as he began to weep.  He then revealed to his brothers that he was their brother Joseph, and inquired about his father.  His brothers could not speak.  Can you imagine how they felt?  Here they had planned Joseph’s death, and sold him as a slave, and are now at his mercy.  They must have been terrified.

There’s an old saying: “what goes around comes around”.  For Joseph’s brothers, things have come full circle.  They are now at his mercy.  And, what does he do?  He shows mercy!  Here is where we can see the foreshadowing of Yeshua.  Joseph showed undeserved mercy to his brothers.  He tested his brothers and, because of Judah, they did the right thing.  When someone does us wrong, is it our inclination to show them mercy, or to want them to pay for their offense and then some?

Joseph had forgiven his brothers and would not give them what they deserved.  Joseph understood that God is so wonderful that He is able to bring good out of evil.  He tells them, “What you meant for evil, God used for my good and our family’s good, so that there may be a remnant that survives, because this famine will last five more years.  So you see, it is God who sent me here.  Now go back to our father and tell him that Adonai has made me lord of all Egypt and come here and I will provide land for you in Goshen.” He then hugged and kissed them all.  Talk about forgiveness!  I can think of only one GREATER act of forgiveness and that is, of our Lord Yeshua’s, especially when you consider how much we collectively disdained Him, and yet the lengths to which He went to reconcile us to God.

At least, Joseph’s brothers apologized to him and repented in his sight.  When Yeshua was on trial for His life, his brothers abandoned Him and Peter denied Him three times.  Even while suffering on the cross, Yeshua demonstrated incredible grace and mercy when He said “Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.”  This was the supreme example of forgiveness.  Now, of course, the Disciples did return to Adonai after Yeshua’s resurrection and went on to do great things in His name.

Pharaoh heard about this emotional reunion, and came to meet Joseph’s brothers.  Pharaoh instructed Joseph to provide wagons for his brothers to return to Canaan and bring their father and all of their family back to Egypt, and provided more than enough food and gifts to get them there and back.  So, Judah and his brothers returned to their father Jacob.

Do you think there was any uneasiness for Joseph’s brothers thinking about what they would say to Jacob about them? I’ll bet they discussed this quite a bit on the way back.  It reminds me of when I was a child and my mother would say, “Just wait till your father gets home!” and I knew I would get mine, and the time seemed to pass so slowly.  Maybe you remember those times too.

When they returned to their father Jacob, they told him that Joseph was still alive and in fact was a ruler of all of mighty Egypt.  Once he recovered from the shock, Jacob’s heart was encouraged.  He could hardly believe this amazing news!  So, Jacob commanded all of his family to pack and get ready to leave for Egypt.  As they traveled to Egypt, they stopped at Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to El Gibbor, the Mighty God, for all the good things that happened. It was there that God spoke to Jacob in a dream and told him, “Go down to Egypt and I will make you a great nation and I will surely bring you up again and Joseph will close your eyes”.

Jacob’s family traveled to Goshen near the Sinai Peninsula on the Eastern side of Egypt.  As they got near, Jacob sent Judah on to meet with Joseph to show the way.  I want you to keep in mind that, when they arrived, they were only 70 in number. Yet in a little over 400 years, they would become two million strong, when the Lord delivers them at the time of the Exodus.

Joseph, along with Judah, meets with Jacob and the family as they arrive in Goshen.  Joseph, upon seeing his father, embraces him and weeps after more than 20 years of separation.  Joseph instructs them that, when they meet Pharaoh, they should tell him they are shepherds, because the Egyptians considered shepherding detestable, and that way Pharaoh would leave them in Goshen.  From the Divine perspective, this would also prevent the family of Israel from intermarrying with the Egyptians.

Chapter 47 tells us that in the five remaining years of famine, Joseph amassed a huge fortune of cattle and land for Pharaoh, as the people eventually had to give everything they had in exchange for grain.  Of course, the Jewish nation prospered in Goshen according to God’s blessing.

So what applications should we take from this parasha?

We should be careful of our actions – Joseph’s brothers’ actions caused them to reap what they had sown, and they had to submit to their brother Joseph.

We should not hold grudges, but rather forgive those who wrong us.  If we want mercy, we must be willing to show mercy.  If we want grace, we must extend grace.  Remember, the Three-In-One God’s love for us is most keenly felt when we return to Him in repentance and experience His forgiveness.

We should remember how important it is to go to Adonai to seek His will and wisdom about what we should say or do, and not rely on our own understanding. This is what Messiah Himself did in the Garden of Gethsemane when he completely yielded to the Father’s will. Who could we possibly trust to guide us more than the Creator who gives us life, and blesses us with His indescribable grace, mercy and forgiveness?

We are at that season when people begin to reflect back on the prior year.  Today is the day to act.  What are you holding back that you need to turn over to God? What are the things you need to repent of, for which to seek His forgiveness and to be in His will?  Ask the Lord for forgiveness for your transgressions and the strength to turn from them in the future.  This will bring glory to Adonai, and He will surely bring blessing to your life! Amen.