Vayishlach/and He sent out
Genesis 32:3-36:43
Hosea 11:7-12:12, Obadiah 1:1-21
Today’s Torah portion begins with what unfortunately becomes a common occurrence that seems to mark a lot of Israel’s history; namely serving other gods, instead of the Holy One of Israel. Sometimes it’s just the ‘drift’ toward those evil heavenly rulers, as when you are in a boat with the motor off and find yourself in a different spot on the lake, as opposed to their intentional choice of those same dark forces. What would, or should, we say be ‘terminal’ to their existence as God’s firstborn, seems to always be mitigated by the Lord’s heart and faithfulness to His covenantal promises for them, and ultimately to the nations (Gentiles) through them. Can you even imagine what the heart of our loving Heavenly Father must feel, to see His ‘kids’ covered in the filth of these rulers of darkness? Alas, we are not dealing with a mere Man, but the Creator of Heaven and Earth! So rather than cataloguing Israel’s ups and downs (which even continue to this day), their hope, as well as ours, is in the incredible redemptive nature of the God we know and love. In reading this week’s haftorah portion, let us ‘drink’ into our weary souls, that heavenly ‘nectar’ that is so needed, to keep our hearts in this life. On to Hosea!
Hosea 11:7-9 My people are bent on backsliding from Me. Though they call to the Most High, None at all exalt Him. 8 “How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I set you like Zeboiim? My heart churns within Me; My sympathy is stirred. 9 I will not execute the fierceness of My anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim. For I am God, and not man…
As we sing at Passover: “It would have been enough…”, but God always does more than we can hope or expect: 9 I will not execute the fierceness of My anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim. The God Who is our Heavenly Father, doesn’t just ‘stop’ there; His love endures forever and throughout all eternity!
But it’s almost like He can’t help Himself. He can’t just stop there:
11:10 “They shall walk after the Lord…. 12:6 So you, by the help of your God, return; Observe mercy and justice, And wait on your God continually. Obadiah 1:17,18 “But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance, And there shall be holiness; The house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.18 The house of Jacob shall be a fire, And the house of Joseph a flame…
Before I go, I want to draw your attention to the word “shall”: personally, I have often treated that word more like a command, rather than a promise. We can see it in Deuteronomy 6:
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! 5 You SHALL love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 “And these words which I command you today SHALL be in your heart.
Let us enter this Sabbath day with the encouragement of God’s “shall” upon our hearts: not as a mere duty or command, where we wait for His correction when we fail; but rather with the power of Holy Spirit and the love of our Heavenly Father, we Shall love Him with our whole hearts…and Israel will attain to all that is in His heart for them. You might call it: “God’s holy juggle”, our sins and failures; our desire to please Him and love Him; held together in a divine tension, that never lets a ‘ball’ fall to the ground! We shall love Him with our whole hearts! He has spoken and it will be done! Enjoy the Sabbath this week as you expect His “shall” to come upon your life! by john eisner
Bonus thought: as the nations rage against not only the One True Living God, but also His firstborn; I have a weapon I use to steady my heart. It occurs in the Book of Ezekiel at the end of a long list of why the Lord should turn His back on the Children of Israel. Their behavior is beyond deplorable and devastating to His Father’s heart for them…and then in verse 61 of chapter 16 comes the heavenly antidote: “nevertheless”. God’s heart takes over! (read it for yourselves and have your heart protected from all the false arguments and conclusions)
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