Chanukah sameach! Happy Hanukkah!
Miqeitz – At the End Of
B’reshiyt (Genesis) 41:1 – 44:17
Melakim Alef (I Kings) 3:15 – 4:1; 7:40-51
Matt 7:2; Luke 4:16-30; Acts 7:9-16; 1 Cor 2:1-5
How does our Heavenly Father want us to view the Savior of the world during this holiday season?’ Should we be testifying that the Messiah came to the world as a baby in a manger on December 25th? We can find the ‘reason for the season’ in the Word.
The Testimony of Yeshua on Hanukkah
What did the Messiah Yeshua say this time of year?
Then came Hanukkah (Greek: egkainia, Hebrew: Chanukah; both mean ‘Dedication’); it was winter in Jerusalem. Yeshua was walking in the Temple around Solomon’s Colonnade. Then the Judean leaders surrounded Him, saying, “How long will You hold us in suspense? If You are the Messiah, tell us outright!” John 10:22-24
Did Yeshua answer the religious leaders by saying that He came to the world as a baby miraculously born of a virgin at Bethlehem as foretold by the prophets? At the time of Hanukkah, how did Yeshua answer that proves Himself to be the promised Messiah?
Yeshua answered them, “I told you, but you don’t believe! The works I do in My Father’s Name testify concerning Me…” John 10:25
What a different reply He had than most of those who want the world to know that Jesus came to be our Savior at this time of year! At the time of Hanukkah, Yeshua challenged the belief of the religious leaders on Who the Messiah would be and what He came to do.
Yeshua came to do the works of His Father – to save and deliver His people from their sins and the works of the devil. But for many religious people, His mighty, miraculous works just aren’t good enough to believe in Him to be the Divine Messiah.
The Son of God appeared for this purpose – to destroy the works of the devil.
1 John 3:8
That sounds more like the valiant warrior, Judah Maccabeus, who was dubbed ‘The Hammer of God’, than the meek and mild baby born in a manger. Did the Son of God appear so that we can display a nativity scene and have a merry Christmas? Our Messiah came to the earth as the Messiah for this reason of the season – and for any time of the year – ‘to destroy the works of the devil’!
How about the Messiah coming to us at this time to destroy the works of the adversary that bring idolatry into our hearts and homes – into the temples of the Holy Spirit?
The Scriptures Testify of the Messiah
During another festival of the Jews, Yeshua challenged the rabbis with this view of Who He is:
“You search the Scriptures because you suppose that in them you have eternal life. It is these that testify concerning Me.” John 5:39
According to Yeshua’s own words, both His works and the Scriptures testify to Him being the Messiah. Yeshua living out the Torah testifies to Him being Ha’Mashiyach.
Not only do the Scriptures testify of Him, John testified that Yeshua IS the Word:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1,14)
When Was the Birth of the Messiah?
When did the Word become flesh? Was it after or around the time of Hanukkah?
The Greek word for ‘dwelt’ points us to another festival. The word ‘dwelt,’ skayno’o, literally means ‘to tent, or encamp’ sometimes translated ‘to tabernacle.’ Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles, fits that description.
On the first day of Sukkot the Messiah was born, and on the Eighth Day of Sukkot, He was circumcised – fulfilling the Torah. His parents traveled to Bethlehem not just to be counted in a census, but they traveled for Joseph to go up to Jerusalem for one of the three commanded festivals (Deuteronomy 16:16). Large numbers traveling to Jerusalem for this major festival gave cause for Caesar to take a census at the onset of Sukkot.
This peak travel period was why there was no room for them in the inn. Sukkot during early fall was why shepherds were watching their flocks by night. (Luke 2:7-8) That manger was most likely in a temporary booth – a sukkah brought to be put up for Sukkot.
Yeshua lived out the Word from the day that He was born, which was not this time of year. The last day the Messiah would have been born was December 25th, the celebrated day many of the ancient sun gods were supposedly born. Jerusalem has been known to have snow stick there at the end of December – not a time for shepherds staying up all night, or pregnant women giving birth to babies in an outdoor booth. For Him to be born on Sukkot means that He was conceived 9 months earlier – on Hanukkah.
The Proof of Messiahship
Of all times of the year, the proof of Yeshua being the Divine Messiah is what we are to seek out at this time during the Feast of Dedication. Find the Messiah in the Scriptures. Find Him working in our lives and restoring relationships. Find Him saving souls and destroying the works of our adversary the devil and the powers of darkness.
By our Rabbi’s own words, the Torah and all of the Scriptures testify to the works of Yeshua. His works save us from sin, death, and the power of the devil. By His grace and mercy, He grants a new, victorious life in the Ruach Ha’Qodesh (the Holy Spirit) to those who put their faith in Him. (Matthew 19:16-17; Romans 2:7; I John 5:11-20)
At this time of Hanukkah, let us especially take on the challenge of our Rabbi to search the Torah for our Messiah, to build up our faith in Him and His hand at work in our lives. Take to heart what our Messiah Yeshua said,
“For if you were believing Moses, you would then believe Me; for that one wrote concerning Me.” John 5:46
According to the Master’s own words, how can we come to believe that Yeshua is the Messiah? By believing what Moshe wrote about Him. According to our Master Rabbi, knowing Yeshua from the Torah is then essential to believing in Elohim (God).
Jacob (James) taught that ‘faith without works is dead’ Jacob/James 2:17-18 and ‘faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Elohim’. Romans 10:17 We need more than just a head knowledge of Torah, we need the Living Torah working in our lives to be the ‘just who live by faith.’ (Hab 2:4, Rom 1:17, Gal 3:11, Heb 10:38)
The Testimony of Messiah in Miketz
How do we see our Messiah through the Torah portion Miqeitz – At the end of? What is He revealing to this end-time generation? The revelation is for the ones ‘who keep the commandments of Elohim, and have the testimony of Yeshua Messiah.’ Revelation 12:17
There was famine in the land and the eleven brothers back at their father’s house were hungry. Their father asked them why they were just looking at each other so bewildered! Papa Jacob sent his boys down to Egypt for food so that they would not die, but all live.
Pay attention to the fact that the brothers did not go somewhere in the land of Israel to find food. Instead, they went west for the bread of life down in Mitsrayim (Egypt), to an Egyptian ruler, who was their concealed brother Joseph, a major type of the Messiah.
Today there’s a famine in the land for food and for hearing the Word of YHWH (Amos 8:11). The world is facing food shortages and supply chains breaking down like never before. Who do we turn to save us from a world that is collapsing around us? It didn’t turn out to be Donald Trump! Who can feed us? Who can save us?
Sometimes we just look at each other in the Father’s house with hunger in our souls, wondering what to do about the craziness in our world. Inflation is rising, famines plague the world, and food is in shorter supply… Families are broken, family members are lost, missing out in the world someplace… So many are starving to death spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and even physically… Where do we find salvation in this old world?
Where do we go for words of life that satisfy the spiritual craving in our souls? Who can meet every need of a hungering, wounded soul in our day?
The Bread of Life in Egypt
Throughout Israel’s history, our Heavenly Father sent our ancestors to the Western world, which is in many ways like Mitsrayim (Egypt). Here in exile, we have found our Messiah Ben Yoseph (Son of Joseph), Yeshua, the Bread of Life. Here in the Western world, we have heard the Gospel and have found the Messiah, Who saves us from sin, death, and the devil. Here we have found the Savior – Who feeds our souls with His words of Life.
The world knew Joseph as the savior providing the bread of life to a world dying from severe famine. This man was lifted out of a prison in Egypt, not in Canaan, to become the right-hand man ruler of the world next to Pharoah – to save the world from starvation.
Brother Judah in the West
Even among the descendants of our brother Yehudah (Judah), most Jews who believe in Messiah found the Bread of Life in spiritual Mitsrayim (Egypt), in the Western Christian world where the descendants of Yoseph are largely scattered. Remember that Brother Yehudah also went down hungry to Mitsrayim to Yoseph to live and not die.
The Bread of Life in the Torah
We can read a lot of good commentary from rabbis, pastors, etc., and talk about all kinds of insights from the Torah, but if it’s not coming from Rabbi Yeshua testifying of Himself, I come away hungry and dissatisfied. Like Yoseph was to the world, Yeshua is the only One Who we can find Who truly satisfies spiritual hunger. He is the only One we can go to so that we will not die, but become strong, living life abundantly forever in Him.
That’s why in every Torah portion, in every Bible study, I want to find my Messiah and partake of the Bread of Life. Anything or anywhere else is famine and leanness of soul to me. We need the Bread of Life and the Messiah in us to strengthen us, and to do the works of the Father in our lives. It takes partaking of our Messiah Yeshua by faith to have the power and authority that hammers down the works of the devil.
How else are our broken families going to be restored? How else will our households be saved? Are we ever led astray to go somewhere else but to our Master Yeshua for something that satisfies the soul out of the Torah? The Messiah should be a top priority.
The twelve disciples were tested with Yeshua’s hard sayings, “For My Body is truly food, and My Blood is truly drink.” and “This is the Bread which came down out of Heaven.” John 6:55, 57
When His friends thought they couldn’t handle that idea, Simon Peter had the answer that I go with in life:
Therefore, Yeshua said to the Twelve, “Do you also wish to go?” Then *Simon Peter answered Him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the Words of everlasting life. And we have believed and have known that You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” John 6:67-69
The Salvation of Simeon
I’m curious. Why here in John Chapter 6 is this disciple called *Simon Peter,” instead of just “Peter” as in other places in the Gospels? Simon is the Hebrew name ‘Sh’mon’. It is the name of the second son of our forefather Ya’aqov (Jacob) as found in Genesis.
Why was only Simeon (Sh’mon) taken and thrown in prison by Yoseph? Some surmise that it was Sh’mon who came up with the idea to kill Yoseph by throwing him into the pit. It makes sense that Sh’mon was reaping what he sowed. Sh’mon also led the charge with his brother Levi to slay the sons of Shechem with the sword. Shimon, was a man of weapons of violence as testified by his father Ya’aqov who said:
“Shimon and Levi, brothers; their weapons are instruments of violence (Hamas).” Genesis 49:5
On the other hand, the name Sh’mon means ‘heard.’ Shimon Kefa, Simon Peter, by the grace of Yah, heard the words of Life and believed on Yeshua to be the Messiah. Unlike the second son of Ya’aqov, Sh’mon Kefa stood by the Messiah when the other eleven disciples wanted to leave Him (John 6:69). Sh’mon Kefa was zealous for the Messiah.
The redeemed Sh’mon – Peter – who had cut off the ear of the servant of a high priest, repented and used a new sword – the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17) When Peter preached the Word on the day of Shavuot, the Kingdom of God was advanced; 3,000 souls were born again and baptized in the Name of Yeshua ha Mashiach (Acts 2:14-41).
Praise Yah! Yeshua forgave and redeemed even the sinister, sword-wielding sons of Simeon. For those who hear the Messiah’s Words and believe in Him, Sh’mon being redeemed means that even those who use weapons of violence (Hamas) can be saved.
As the Body of Messiah, His Word becomes our sword to ‘be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil’. (Ephesians 6:11) By the Messiah’s power and by His love –
‘in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him Who loved us’. Romans 8:37
The Hammer of God
As an offensive weapon, the Word is not only like a sword, according to the prophet Jeremiah, the Word is like a hammer:
“The prophet who has a dream, let him tell his dream. And he who has My Word, let him speak My Word faithfully. What has the chaff to do with the wheat, says YHWH? Is not My Word thus like fire,” says YHWH, “and like a hammer which breaks a rock in pieces?” Jeremiah 23:28-29
Here YHWH declares how His Word can destroy the words of false prophets, with the hammer of His Word. It is by the Word of Truth that we hammer down and destroy false narratives of who the Messiah is and does and of phony holidays in our world today.
Hanukkah for Joes and Jews
No coincidence, we are in the midst of the wonderful story of Joseph being restored in relationship to his brother Judah, as well as all the rest of his brothers. Can the Jewish festival of Hanukkah help us Joes come together to the table with our brothers the Jews?
For those who see the Messiah revealed in Joseph, that’s a real possibility, if we are willing to be broken over what breaks our Father’s heart with what broke Jacob’s – torn-apart relationships. Seeing Yeshua forgive, we forgive and love our estranged brothers.
Praise Yah there is hope for every torn-apart family – for every broken relationship! Pray for Yeshua to mend hearts, restore relationships, and regather the scattered sheep of the house of Israel. To pray according to His Word is to pray according to His will.
Here are Some Prayer Targets:
- Pray that the blessings of the last-born Benjamin be found five times more on your plate – for sustenance and strength during these last days of famine.
- Pray that the silver cup of the Messiah Son of Joseph, the cup of redemption, be found in each seeker’s sack full of grain – full of the seeds of the Words of Life.
- Pray that His Word feeds our souls to live by His spoken Word, not by bread alone.
- Pray His Word hammers down the false narratives of our adversary and destroys the works of the devil! Pray the Gospel be freely proclaimed with saving power. Pray that many in the Land of Israel are saved, even among the people of Hamas!
- Pray that the Father would show us how He would have us to see His Son.
- Pray that we experience the mighty works that Abba has purposed for this special time of year.
In the Name of the Messiah Yeshua,
David Klug