Genesis

Genesis 28 – Blessed Means

This Study is in the Loving Memory of Gertrude & Otto Devore ז”ל.

Dear Family and Friends, how long will it take for Israel’s enemies to realize that Lord has Blessed Israel and what Lord’s Blessing means? All the Matriarchs And Patriarchs understood the very great significance of Lord’s Blessing. The Matriarchs were Prophetess,’ and the Patriarchs were Prophets. Esau comprehended the highly coveted Blessing of Lord. (Genesis 27.34-38) informs us of Esau’s anger, bitterness, and hatred toward Jacob for outmaneuvering him. Esau said to Issac, ‘Jacob has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright, and, behold; he has taken away my Blessing.’

In our discussion of (Genesis 27), we learned about the Wordsשְׁמַע בְּקֹלִי – Shih Mah Bih Qoo Lee – We reviewed two usages (Genesis 27.8; 13). There is a third. (Genesis 27.43) says, ‘And Esau hated Jacob because of the Blessing with which his father blessed him, and Esau said in his heart When the days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob. And these words of Esau, her elder son, were told to Rebekah; and she sent and called Jacob, her younger son, and said to him, Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself by planning to kill you. Now therefore, my son, שְׁמַע בְּקֹלִי – Shih Mah Bih Qoo Lee – obey my voice; and arise, flee to Laban my brother to Haran; And remain with him a few days, until your brother’s fury turns away.’

(Isaiah 54.17) says,‘ Any apparatus / implement formed against you [Israel] won’t succeed! Every tongue / language that rises against you [Israel] in Judgment you [Israel] shall condemn / defeat. This is the inheritance of the Tzaddikim / the Righteous of Lord. [revealed] to His Prophets by Lord.’

Dear Ones God-Willing, I will share how Prophecy, i.e., dreams and visions, relates to blessings. The Blessings the Prophet and Patriarch Isaac spoke upon Jacob are both Blessings and Prophecies. Our goal is to comprehend their STRENGTH – POWER – PERMANENSE and that they are irreversible!!

(Sanhedrin 106a) says,‘Balaam, son of Beor, of Pethor, was a Prophet.’ Balak, son of Zippor, was king of the Moabites. Balaam was a Noachide Prophet, i.e. ,a gentile Prophet. Both Jewish and Noachide prophets receive communication from Lord, King of the universe, normally through visions or dreams. We will review a few examples.

Abraham received Prophecy through visions (Genesis 15.1) says, ‘the Word of Lord came to Abraham in a vision.’

Remember Jacob’s dream in (Genesis 28.12-220. ‘And [Jacob] dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top reached heaven, and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, Lord, stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, to you will I give it, and to your seed; And your seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west, and the east, and the north, and to the south; and in you and your seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with you, and will keep you in all places where you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done that about which I have spoken to you. (Genesis 46.2) says, ‘God spoke to Israel / Jacob in the visions of the night.’

Joseph dreamed dreams and interpreted dreams. (Genesis 37.5,9 40.8-18 and 41).

Sarah was a prophetess who could gaze into the future. R. Isaac observed why Sarai was called יסכה Iscah. יסכה Iscah is derived from the Aramaic root סכא to gaze, to look. It was because Sarah foresaw [the future] by divine inspiration; hence it is written (Genesis 21.12), ‘In all that Sarah said to you, [Abraham] hearken to her voice.’

(Genesis 29.17). ‘Leah’s eyes were רַכּוֹת Rah Coht tender’ from shedding so many tears, crying, and weeping. Leah wanted to marry Jacob instead of Esau because Esau was wicked. The Shekinah revealed to Leah that the twelve tribes would come through Jacob. Leah wanted to marry Jacob because he was righteous. She wanted her children to live in a spiritually virtuous atmosphere. Leah perceived that the priesthood would come through her son Levi and kingdom/kingship would come through her son Judah.

King Balak offered to pay the Prophet Balaam to curse Israel. King Balak referred to the force of Balaam’s words. He said, ‘For I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.’ King Balak knew there was strength and vitality in the Prophet Balaam’s deeds and words. In (Numbers 23.20) the Prophet Balaam, son of Beor, of Pethor, said to Balak, son of Zippor, king of the Moabites, ‘Behold, [Lord] Instructed me to bless [Israel]; and [when Lord] has blessed; I cannot reverse it.’

The Prophet Balaam said Balak, the king of Moab, had brought me from Aram, from the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, defy Israel. How shall I curse he whom God has not cursed? Or how shall I defy, he whom Lord has not defied? King Balak asked the Prophet Balaam, What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies; behold, you have blessed them.’

Are we accepting the point? Are we comprehending the STRENGTH – POWER – PERMANENSE of Isaac’s Blessing on Jacob? Do we see why the wicked Esau was so outraged, hostile, and volatile? Esau got the point of Isaac blessing his brother Jacob!! The purpose of our discussion is for us to get the point regarding BLESSINGS! Blessings cannot be Resend-ed or altered!! A Blessing is Permanent!! It does not matter that Jacob used deception to get that Blessing from his father. (Genesis 2.27-30) was Isaac’s first Blessing of Jacob. There is another. Genesis 28.1-4) is Isaac’s second Blessing of Jacob.

(Genesis 27.27-30) says, ‘Come near now, and kiss me, my son. And [Jacob] came near, and kissed [Isaac], and [Isaac] smelled the smell of his garment, and וַיְבָרֲכֵהוּ Vah Yih Vaw Rih Kah Hoo – blessed [Jacob] / Him, and said, ‘See, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field which Lord has blessed; Therefore God give you of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and wine; Let people serve you, and nations bow down to you; be lord over your brothers, and let your mother’s sons bow down to you; cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be he who blesses you.’

(Genesis 28.1-4) says, ‘And Isaac called Jacob, and וַיְבָרֶךְ Vah Yih Vaw Rih Kaw – blessed him, and charged him, and said to him, You shall not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan. Arise, go to Padam-Aram, to the house of Bethuel, your mother’s father, and take a wife from there of the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. And God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful, and multiply you, that you may be a multitude of people; And give the Blessing of Abraham to you, and your seed with you; that you may inherit the land where you are a stranger, which God gave to Abraham.’

Esau heard the Second Blessing. The second Blessing was a double whammy for Esau!! BLESSINGS should be so important to us because of the STRENGTH – POWER – PERMANENCE of the Word of Lord and the Prophet or Prophetess that proclaims the Word of Lord. There are many Blessings for us written on the pages of Ha Tanach. When one says a blessing or curse, one MUST be precise and careful. We, the people of Israel, are prophets and priests, So we must make sure The words we say are spoken by our Lord Creator and King of the Universe!!

May each of us enjoy good health, happiness, healing, restoration, and Lord’s Blessing, as we study and observe Ha Torah and trust in The Lord.

Good Sabbath!

Blessings,

Dr. Akiva Gamliel Belk

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