Shabbat, 26 Kislev 5994 / December 9, 2023
Day 343 Readings
VAYESHEV (And He Lived)
Genesis 37:1–40:23; Amos 2:6–3:8
“Jacob lived [yeshev] in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan.” (Genesis 37:1)
Torah: Vayeishev, 7th Portion Bereshit (Genesis) 40:1-23
Genesis 40
Joseph Interprets Dreams
1 Then it came about after these things, that the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt offended their lord, the king of Egypt. 2 And Pharaoh was furious with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. 3 So he put them in confinement in the house of the captain of the bodyguard, in the prison, the same place where Joseph was imprisoned. 4 And the captain of the bodyguard put Joseph in charge of them, and he [a]took care of them; and they were in confinement for [b]some time. 5 Then the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, both had a dream the same night, each man with his own dream and each dream with its own interpretation. 6 [c]When Joseph came to them in the morning and saw them, [d]behold, they were dejected. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were with him in confinement in his master’s house, “[e]Why are your faces so sad today?” 8 And they said to him, “We have [f]had a dream, and there is no one to interpret it.” Then Joseph said to them, “Do interpretations not belong to God? Tell it to me, please.”
9 So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph, [g]saying to him, “In my dream, [h]behold, there was a vine in front of me; 10 and on the vine were three branches. And as it was budding, its blossoms came out, and its clusters produced ripe grapes. 11 Now Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; so I took the grapes and squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I put the cup into Pharaoh’s [i]hand.” 12 Then Joseph said to him, “This is the interpretation of it: the three branches are three days; 13 within three more days Pharaoh will [j]lift up your head and restore you to your office; and you will put Pharaoh’s cup into his hand as in your former practice when you were his cupbearer. 14 Only [k]keep me in mind when it goes well for you, and please do me a kindness [l]by mentioning me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this [m]prison. 15 For I was in fact kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing that they should have put me into the [n]dungeon.”
16 When the chief baker saw that he had interpreted favorably, he said to Joseph, “I also saw in my dream, and behold, there were three baskets of white bread on my head; 17 and in the top basket there were some of all [o]kinds of baked food for Pharaoh, and the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.” 18 Then Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days; 19 within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head from you and will hang you on a wooden post, and the birds will eat your flesh off you.”
20 So it came about on the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he held a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. 21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his [p]office, and he put the cup into Pharaoh’s [q]hand; 22 but he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23 Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
Haftarah Vayeshev: ‘Amos (Amos) 2:6–3:8
Amos 2
Judgment on Israel
6 This is what the Lord says:“For three offenses of Israel, and for four,I will not revoke its punishment,Because they sell the righteous for [a]money,And the needy for a pair of sandals.7 These who [b]trample the head of the helpless to the dust of the earthAlso divert the way of the humble;And a man and his father [c]resort to the same [d]girlSo as to profane My holy name.8 And on garments seized as pledges they stretch out beside every altar,And in the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined.
9 “Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them,[e]Though his height was like the height of cedarsAnd he was as strong as the oaks;I also destroyed his fruit above and his roots below.10 And it was I who brought you up from the land of Egypt,And led you in the wilderness for forty yearsSo that you might take possession of the land of the Amorite. 11 Then I raised up some of your sons to be prophets,And some of your young men to be Nazirites. Is this not so, you sons of Israel?” declares the Lord.12 “But you made the Nazirites drink wine,And you commanded the prophets, saying, ‘You shall not prophesy!’
Amos 3
6 If a trumpet is blown in a city, will the people not tremble? If a disaster occurs in a city, has the Lord not brought it about?
7 [o]Certainly the Lord [p]God does nothing Unless He reveals His secret plan To His servants the prophets.
8 A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken! Who can do anything but prophesy?
B’rit Hadashah suggested reading for Parashah Vayeshev:
Acts 7:9–16;
9 “The patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt. Yet God was with him, 10 and rescued him from all his afflictions, and granted him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he made him governor over Egypt and his entire household.
11 “Now a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction with it, and our fathers [a]could find no food. 12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers there the first time. 13 And on the second visit, Joseph [b]made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family was revealed to Pharaoh. 14 Then Joseph sent word and invited his father Jacob and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five [c]people in all. 15 And Jacob went down to Egypt, and he and our fathers died there. 16 And they were brought back from there to [d]Shechem and laid in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of [e]Hamor in [f]Shechem.
Romans 8:18–39
From Suffering to Glory
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of [a]corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession [b]for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
God’s Everlasting Love
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:
“For Your sake we are killed all day long;We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Bible Study Together
1 Chronicles 12
16 Then some of the sons of Benjamin and Judah came to David at the stronghold. 17 And David went out [c]to meet them, and answered and said to them, “If you have come peaceably to me to help me, my heart will be united with you; but if to betray me to my enemies, since there is no [d]wrong in my hands, may the God of our fathers look and bring judgment.” 18 Then the Spirit [e]came upon Amasai, chief of the captains, and he said:
“We are yours, O David;We are on your side, O son of Jesse!Peace, peace to you,And peace to your helpers!For your God helps you.”
So David received them, and made them captains of the troop.
19 And some from Manasseh defected to David when he was going with the Philistines to battle against Saul; but they did not help them, for the lords of the Philistines sent him away by agreement, saying, “He may defect to his master Saul and endanger our heads.”
1 Samuel 29:1-11
6 Then Achish called David and said to him, “Surely, as the Lord lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my sight. For to this day I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me. Nevertheless the lords do not favor you. 7 Therefore return now, and go in peace, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines.”
8 So David said to Achish, “But what have I done? And to this day what have you found in your servant as long as I have been with you, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”
9 Then Achish answered and said to David, “I know that you are as good in my sight as an angel of God; nevertheless the princes of the Philistines have said, ‘He shall not go up with us to the battle.’ 10 Now therefore, rise early in the morning with your master’s servants who have come with [b]you. And as soon as you are up early in the morning and have light, depart.”
11 So David and his men rose early to depart in the morning, to return to the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.
John 11
9 Jesus answered,“Are there not twelve hours in the day?If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees thelight of this world.10 Butif one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”11 These things He said, and after that He said to them,“Our friend Lazarussleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”
I Am the Resurrection and the Life
17 So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about [a]two miles away. 19 And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 21 Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
Jesus and Death, the Last Enemy
28 And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, “The Teacher has come and is calling for you.” 29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but [b]was in the place where Martha met Him. 31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, [c]saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there.”
32 Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”
33 Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. 34 And He said, “Where have you laid him?”
They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.”
35 Jesus wept. 36 Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”
37 And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?”
365 Daily Kingdom Living
Fear The Lord
Psalm 128 is a wisdom psalm aimed to instruct God’s people in piety and ethics. Verse 1 makes the point that we enjoy a blessed relationship with God by obedience to His word out of awe for who He is. To grow deep in our relationship with God, we need to revere, love, and trust Him, and bend ourselves humbly and obediently to His word.
Prayer: Lord, I stand in awe of you. I praise you, Lord, with my lips. I praise you in obedient living. I praise you in a walk by faith. Amen.
Scripture
Joel 1
Joel 2
Joel 3
Revelation 1
Psalm 128
New King James Version
Blessings of Those Who Fear the Lord
A Song of Ascents.
1 Blessed is every one who fears the Lord,Who walks in His ways.
2 When you eat the [a]labor of your hands,You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.
3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine In the very heart of your house,Your children like olive plants All around your table.
4 Behold, thus shall the man be blessed Who fears the Lord.
5 The Lord bless you out of Zion,And may you see the good of Jerusalem All the days of your life.
6 Yes, may you see your children’s children.
Peace be upon Israel!
Proverbs 29:15-17
15 The rod and rebuke give wisdom,But a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.
16 When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increases;But the righteous will see their fall.
17 Correct your son, and he will give you rest;Yes, he will give delight to your soul.