Mark Call

Join Mark Call of Shabbat Shalom Mesa fellowship a study of the final parsha in the Book of Bereshiet or Genesis, Vayechi (Gen. 47:28 through the end). It sets up what follows, and what is still in-progress.

This parsha concludes the lives of both Yakov, aka Jacob, and Israel, and his son Yosef as well, years later.

And this parsha, too – like last week, ends in a bit of a cliff-hanger. A multi-generational one at that.

Arguably the most important part of that cliff-hanger is still in play, too: “Whose are THESE?” And, since we’re still in exile – Whose are WE?

The Sabbath day teaching is mostly about FAMILY, the fundamental unit of government in Scripture, and thus the most attacked in a world which hates His Word.

But even there again, that question remains unanswered. Whose are we?

The life of Joseph has been understood as a type of the Messiah to come, specifically, the ‘Suffering Servant,’ Meshiach ben Yosef. And the parallels are instructive, but perhaps also cautionary. Yosef actions, in accord with the plan of Yah, saved lives, and enabled the Sons oF Israel to continue toward the promises of the Covenant.

But bondage followed.

How do we make sense of the deceptions today, the war on family, and particularly the type of headship demonstrated in Scripture, given the warnings about “brother against brother,” the strife, the betrayal, that we also see in families, even in Scripture?

And how does the story of the ‘prodigal son’, perhaps give us some insight into where we are, “on the cusp”?

“Vayechi: Family, and Government ON the CUSP”