PORTION “PARASHA” OF THE WEEK 5 OF 7
TOLDOT - GENERATIONS
By: Julie Parker- Copyright 2003-2010 - Genesis 25:19 to 28:9-1 Samuel 20:18-42-Romans 9:6-16-Hebrews 11:20; 12:14-17
Jacob, later renamed Israel, would become the father of twelve sons known as the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The two goats in this story signified prophetic events and represented the sacrifice for the corporate cleansing of the whole nation of Israel that is performed on the Day of Yom Kippur each year. Rebekah on this day offered two goats as well; one goat was sacrificed as a sin offering to Yahweh, and the other goat was designated as the scapegoat for making atonement (Leviticus 16). Ultimately, the removal of sin once and for all would come through the Messiah, the seed of the promise through the Covenant passed on to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and to those who take hold of Him. The Messiah’s blood and sacrifice removed the transgression, the veil of separation between Yahweh and man, and the barrier of hostility between the Two Houses of Israel - the House of Judah and the House of Israel – the representation of all Twelve Tribes of Jacob/Israel (Jeremiah 31:31-33; Hebrews 8:8-10, 10:10-12; Ephesians 2:14).
Rebekah put her faith in gospel of Yahweh, as He promised her during her pregnancy “two nations are in your womb, two peoples shall be separated from your body; one people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger” (Genesis 25:23).
She assured Jacob that if any curses came from their deception they would fall on her and not him. She took full responsibility for their actions.
Genesis 27:15-17 “Then Rebekah took the choice clothes of her elder son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son. And she put the skins of the kids of the goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. Then she gave the savory food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.”
Choice clothes were a reference to holy garments like the priests wore that never left the House of Yahweh. Accordingly, Rebekah had these choice garments with her in the house. They represent the authority, strength and power of a king. Jacob did not dress himself but was clothed, a reference to being clothed in the Messiah. His clothing also referred to the garment of the Bride of Yeshua. This wedding garment is the Torah and without it a believer is considered uncovered/outside the Covenant of blessing.
Revelation 3:5; 16:15 “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments. Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”
In Leviticus 7:1-8, after the priest made the guilt offering and sprinkled the blood on the altar to make atonement, the priest’s family was allowed to eat the sacrifice in the House of Yahweh. Whoever touched any of the flesh became holy. With the guilt offering, the priests were also allowed to keep the hide of those animals offered. (These same allowances applied to the sin offering as well.)
Rebekah knew that as Esau was hairy, Jacob would need a covering of hair on his arms and neck so that he would feel like Esau to Isaac’s touch. So she took the two skins from the two goats offered and placed them on Jacob’s two hands and on the back of his neck, indicating the position of power and authority of a priest.
The hand idiomatically conveys authority involving responsibility, care, and dominion over someone or something. In this case it was the birthright and blessing of the gospel Yahweh had given in Covenant to Abraham. Power, strength and possession are the common function of the hand. To stretch out one’s hand or arm was a reference to the two sticks the Torah scroll was wrapped around, as well as reaching or yearning for Yahweh. Covering the two hands of Jacob refers to the atonement offered to the whole House of Israel - the House of Israel and the House of Judah – the twelve tribes of Israel who would come from Jacob. These two Houses received the blood Covenant and received the covering atonement of the sacrificed Messiah. The Two Houses are submissive to Yahweh’s Kingdom rule, content under the covering that has been provided them. They obey and walk according to His gospel in authority and power as He moves them to fully possess their inheritance of a land, a people and a blessing (Jeremiah 31:31-33; Hebrews 8:8-10; Matthew 26:27). wedding dress for pregnant bride
Rebekah placed the skins not only on Jacob’s hands, but also on the back of his neck. This was prophetic imagery of the Messiah and gave further insight into Jacob’s inheritance. The neck symbolized strength and surrender. A yoke is worn on the back of the neck and across the shoulders. The word shoulder in Hebrew is shechem. Shechem is the town that Jacob went to after parting from his brother Esau subsequent to their reunion in Genesis 33:18. Jacob’s well is there, the same well where Yeshua later met the Samaritan woman at (John 4:5-30). Shechem was also the first place Abraham stopped at when he came from Haran (Genesis 12:6). There he built an altar and called on the name Yahweh. Looking further into Genesis, Jacob’s son Joseph received Jacob’s birthright; he also inherited the land around Shechem called the West Bank today (Joshua 24:32). The tombs of the patriarchs are also in Shechem.
Matthew 11:29 “Yeshua said, ‘Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your soul. For My yoke is easy and my burden in light.’”
“Rebekah then gave the savory food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob” (Genesis 27:17). The term savory food also refers to perception (perceiving the Word of Yahweh), as the Hebrew root word of the English equivalent to savory food not only means to taste and eat but also to perceive. Bread symbolized Yeshua, who said,
“It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4). “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst” (John 6:35).