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Wellsprings of Torah,  www.TorahWellsprings.org
Rick Wills - Messianic Elder,  Mishareth@TorahWellsprings.org

Parsha 8:  Wayishlach - And He Sent


Torah:  Genesis 32:4-36:43

    Genesis 32:4 "Ya’akov sent messengers ahead of him to ‘Esau his brother toward the land of Se’ir, the country of Edom."

    Here we find Ya’akov (Jacob) ready to return to the land of his father, Yitz’chak (Isaac). He has been gone many years, and now has wives, children and flocks. He is in fear of Esau, his brother, who hates him because Ya’akov stole his blessings.

    He is now sending messengers to announce his return to Esau, and to find out how Esau will receive him. The news is not good; Esau is heading toward him with 400 men.

    Ya’akov prepares the entire camp for a possible battle, and divides his households in such a way that if attacked, one group would be likely to survive. Amidst all of this preparation, he prays for protection to Hashem.

    He then prepares lavish tributes to Esau in an effort to appease him, and sends them ahead in several columns.

    That night, Ya’akov was left alone, and a “man”, presumably an angel from God, wrestled with him throughout the night. At daybreak, Ya’akov insisted on a blessing, and was told that his name would be changed from Ya’akov, meaning deceiver, to Israel, meaning to prevail. This was later confirmed by Adonai.

    When the encounter between Ya’akov and Esau finally occurs, Esau ran and kissed Ya’akov in greeting. There is some debate regarding the sincerity of Esau’s kisses and subsequent tears. Perhaps Esau can see that Ya’akov has been changed by his encounter with God. In any case, we do see the brothers part peacefully. Ya’akov tells Esau he will meet him at Seir – and he instead travels to Succoth, and finally Shechem.

    We then read of the abduction and rape of Dinah, Ya’akovs daughter, and the following decimation of Shechem by two of his sons, Simeon and Levi.

    Chapter 35 shows God telling Ya’akov to return to Beth-el, the place that he had his vision of the angels going up and down the ladder to heaven. There, Ya’akov has the people discard all of their foreign gods.

    As they again travel, this time to Bethlehem, his last son, Benjamin, is born, and Rachel dies during childbirth. Perhaps this is to fulfill his oath to Laban, that the one that stole his idols would not live.

    At the end of Yitz’chaks life, his sons reunite to bury him. Following that, chapter 36 chronicles the descendants of Esau, also called Edom.


Haftarah:  Obadiah 1:1-21

    The Torah portion ended with the beginning of Edom, or the descendants of Esau. This Haftarah reading describes the ending of Edom, after they have mistreated Israel and Judah, the descendants of Ya’akov and Yoseph.

    Verses 1-4 say, in part …. “Here is what Adonai Elohim says about Edom….I am making you the least of all nations, you will be beneath contempt. Your proud heart has deceived you….”

    In verse 10 Obadiah declares that because of their violence towards Jacob, shame would cover them and they will be cut down forever.

    He continues to outline the evil that Edom did towards Israel, and finally in verse 15 says that “as you did, so will be done to you.” Edom will be as if they had never been.

    In contrast, we hear that there will be a remnant of the House of Jacob, and verse 18 tells us that “the house of Ya’akov will be a fire and the house of Yoseph a flame, setting aflame and consuming the stubble which is the house of Esau. None of the house of Esau will remain, for Adonai has spoken.”

    In the end, the exiles will return to the land, the house of Ya’akov will repossess their rightful inheritance. And the kingdom will be Hashem’s.


Chadasha:  Revelation 7:1-12

    Here we see John’s description of that remnant of Israel that Obadiah prophesied. In verse 3 the angel declares “Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we shall have sealed the servants of our God”

    Then John continues to list the remnant, 12,000 from each of the twelve tribes. This reading ends with an astounding worship service. Verse 11 And all the angels were standing round about the throne, and about the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, 12 saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

    So we have seen Ya’akov struggle with God. And through that perseverance, he was changed. Esau continued to struggle against Ya’akov and his descendants, and never allowed him to be changed.

    Esau is completely eliminated, while the remnant of Israel is set into a new city.

    The angels and the remnant, indeed all the multitudes, worship God.


Baruch Hashem,
George Robinson