Scriptures for Parshat Vayeshev Nov 30- Dec 1, 2018

Messianic Jewish Teachings – Rabbi David Levine

Genesis 37:2-8

2 … When Joseph was seventeen years old he used to pasture the flock with his brothers, even though he was still a boy. Once when he was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives, he brought a bad report about them to their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph the most of all his children, because he was the son of his old age; and Israel made Joseph a long-sleeved robe of many colors, the type a prince would wear. 4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they began to hate Joseph and reached the point where they couldn’t even talk with Joseph in a civil manner.

5 Joseph had a dream which he told his brothers, and that made them hate him all the more. 6 He said to them, “Listen while I tell you about this dream of mine. 7 We were tying up bundles of wheat in the field when suddenly my bundle got up by itself and stood upright; then your bundles came, gathered around mine and prostrated themselves before it.” 8 His brothers retorted, “Yes, you will certainly be our king. You’ll do a great job of bossing us around!” And they hated Joseph still morefor his dreams and for what he said.

Genesis 37:18-30

18 The brothers spotted Joseph in the distance, and before he had arrived where they were, they had already plotted to kill him. 19 They said to each other, “Look, this dreamer is coming! 20 So come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these water cisterns here. Then we’ll say some wild animal devoured him. We’ll see then what becomes of his dreams!” 21 But when Reuben heard this, he saved Joseph from being destroyed by them. He said, “We shouldn’t take his life. 22 Don’t shed blood,” Reuben added. “Throw him into this cistern here in the wilds, but don’t lay hands on him yourselves.” Reuben intended to rescue Joseph from them later and restore him to his father.

(iii) 23 So it was that when Joseph arrived to be with his brothers, they stripped off his robe, the long-sleeved robe he was wearing, 24 and took him and threw him into the cistern (the cistern was empty; without any water in it). 25 Then they sat down to eat their meal; but as they looked up, they saw in front of them a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gil‘ad, their camels loaded with aromatic gum, healing resin and opium, on their way down to Egypt. 26 Judah said to his brothers, “What advantage is it to us if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27 Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites, instead of putting him to death with our own hands. After all, he is our brother, our own flesh.” His brothers paid attention to Judah. 28 So when the Midianites, merchants, passed by, they drew and lifted Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for half a pound of silver shekels to the Ishmaelites who took Joseph on to Egypt.

29 Later Reuben returned to the cistern, and, upon seeing that Joseph wasn’t in it, tore his clothes in mourning. 30 He returned to his brothers and said, “The boy isn’t there! Where can I go now?”

Colossians 3:3

3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with the Messiah in God. 

Judah (Jude) 24-25

24 Now, to the one who can keep you from falling
    and set you without defect and full of joy
    in the presence of his Sh’khinah —
25 to God alone, our Deliverer,
    through Yeshua the Messiah, our Lord —
be glory, majesty, power and authority
    before all time, now and forever. Amen.

Mark 8:34-38

34And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, Yeshua said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35For whoever would save his lifewill lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37For what can a man give in return for his soul? 38For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”