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Brothers in Unity by Fran Regan
12/18/2010
Psalms 133:1,3b
“See how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity – …, For there Yah commanded the blessing, Life forever!” Genesis 44:18, Judah, once so proud and hateful toward his brother, Joseph, here humbles himself before Joseph and lays all on the line for his younger brother, Benjamin, because of his father. He has come quite a ways from his former self in Genesis 37:18 – 38. From leaving and betraying his family, he is now ready to give his all – to give himself, his very life – for his family. Judah has come around to the point that he cares about his brother, if for no other reason than, “his father loves him”, (Genesis 44:20c), and “his [father’s] own life is bound up in his life” (Genesis 44:30), and if he does not bring him back to his father, his father will die (Genesis 44:31), and he [Judah] “will be a sinner before [my] father forever” (Genesis 44:32). Notice, in each reason, the father is at the heart of it. This shows Judah finally realizes his love for his father and is acting on that love. Because he loves his father, he loves his brother, too. Isn’t that what we are told in 1 John 4:20,21 “If someone says, “I love Elohim,” [the Father] and hates his brother, he is a liar… And we have this command from Him, that the one loving Elohim [his Father] should love his brother too.” “The one who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother stays in the light, and there is no stumbling-block in him.” 1John 2:9-10 Love is a good place to be, as Yah is love (1John 4:8). It was Judah who had stated: “What would we gain if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?” (Genesis 44:26) Even though “his brothers listened”, (Genesis 44:27b) and they did not actually take his physical life, we know murder was committed, according to the words of Messiah in Matthew 5:21- 22. “You have heard it said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder,’ and whoever murders shall be liable to judgment. But I say unto you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be liable to judgment.” “Everyone hating his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has everlasting life staying in him.” 1John 3:15 To receive the blessing of ‘life forever’, there must be unity and love. By their deception, they did conceal his blood. By Torah, they were responsible for his murder. As far as Jacob was concerned, Joseph, the chosen son, was dead. Genesis 42:21-22 “And they said to each other. ‘Truly, we are guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the distress of his life when he pleaded with us, yet we did not listen, that is why this distress has come upon us.” [They recognized they were ‘liable to judgment’ and it had come upon them.] And Reuben answered them, saying, ‘Did I not speak to you, saying, ‘Do not sin [transgress Yah’s covenant] against the boy,’ and you would not listen? And see, his blood is now required of us.” [as though it was murder] Deuteronomy 21:8-9 “O Yah, forgive Your people Israel, whom You have redeemed, and do not allow innocent blood in the midst of Your people Israel. And the blood-guilt shall be pardoned to them. Thus you purge the guilt of innocent blood from your midst when you do what is right in the eyes of Yah.” We have just seen that Judah, who spoke for his brothers, turned (shuwb’ed - 7725) and did what was right. Joseph, as a picture of the Messiah, gave Judah opportunity to do the right thing and he did. “And Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there. And they fell before him on the ground.”…And Judah said, ‘What do we say to my master? What do we speak? Or how do we clear ourselves? Elohim has found out the crookedness of your servants. See, we are my master’s slaves, both we and he also with whom the cup was found.”…. Judah confessed his sins and the sins of his brothers and accepted his punishment. This action and attitude is a first step for all of us, in clearing our sins, ourselves, before Elohim [our Father]. 1John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He (Yah) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” From there, comes the unity of the brothers. When they go to their father, Jacob, (who had believed Joseph dead all these years), and tell him that Joseph is still alive, (which would be equivalent to resurrection from the dead) Jacob died (his heart ceased) because of unbelief. “But when they spoke to him all the words which Joseph had spoken to them, …., the spirit of Jacob their father revived.” Jacob revived after receiving the ‘words of life’. The flesh had died (heart ceased) but the spirit lived (revived) because of the Word. (Genesis 45:26, 27) After Jacob died to the flesh, it was Israel who spoke. To be Israel, we also must die to the flesh. And Israel (believing the one thought dead was alive) went to Joseph (Messiah) to live and not die. Genesis 45:28, 5, 7 The Messiah will reunite all Israel, giving them life through the Bread of Life. However…. This could not come to be until all the brothers were united. Until that time, they could not “see his face”. “But Judah spoke to him (Jacob), saying, ‘The man (Joseph/Messiah) vehemently warned us, saying ‘You do not see my face unless your brother is with you.’” (Genesis 43:3) It is ALL Israel the Messiah is coming to deliver – or at least the remnant of ALL Israel – not an incomplete gathering of the brothers/tribes and not with concealed sin/hatred for one another, but for ALL those who belong to Israel, ALL Yah’s people – complete in love (for Yah, the Father and for one another) and complete in truth, having confessed our sins and accepted our punishment (for which we are forgiven). . As Isaiah (8:20) and David (Psalms 119:130,142, 151,152,160) and John (Revelation 12:17) all state, it is in the Torah and in the Messiah wherein is Truth. It is, in fact, the same thing Peter is saying in our Haftorah portion. 1Peter 1:2 states, “chosen according to the foreknowledge of Elohim the Father, set apart by the Spirit unto obedience (Torah obedience) and sprinkling of the blood of Y’shua Messiah (the witness): Favor and peace be increased to you.” In Truth, there is unity. When brothers are united in Torah (which is Truth – Psalms 119:142; John 17:17) and in Messiah (Who is Truth – John 14:6), then the blessing of Yah expressed through David, through whom the Messiah comes, is realized. In Truth, there is life. The Torah is life. (Psalms 119:92,93) The Messiah is life. (John 1:1-4; 14:6) “This One came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light that all might believe through him.” John 1:7; “And this is the witness: that Elohim has given us everlasting life, and this life is in His Son.” 1John 5:11 In Messiah and in Torah, there is Truth and there is life and there is unity! “See how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity – …, For there Yah commanded the blessing, Life forever!” Psalms 133:1,3b This is Truth. Amein
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