Raise Your Eyes And Look Up

0:00 This Torah portion for everybody else's sake ASA. I'm gonna give some context. I know you studied here, but for everybody else to say just in case they haven't been following along in the tour portions this Torah portion. I'm gonna give some context here in in the fact that in this Torah portion. Jacob comes into extreme conflict. between God and himself and man and himself in a very short period of time. So let's we're going to talk about some of those conflicts he comes into conflict with Esau. So this is I'm gonna I'm going back a Torah portion to give some context here. He gets into conflict with Esau because for from two primary instances number one the manner by which he acquired the birthright and

0:46 the family Now I know that you can imagine that if you decided to do the same thing to your one of your big brothers, you can just imagine some of those consequences. Esau goes out hunting and comes back famished and Jacob who's been there. By the way at this point it seems to me that Jacob is a How shall I put this? And in a stage appropriate manner Jacob is a nice quiet little boy who likes to stay at home in the kitchen. Not this manly man who goes out hunting like his brother. But I actually think that that picture I've had in my mind for years. I actually think it's a wrong picture.

1:31 Because it's Jacob. Who wrestles with God and prevails which means that dude is a hoss. and I mean that in the strongest sense of the term the dude wrestles with God God punches him in the hip. Breaks his hip bone. And he doesn't let go that's his strength. He holds on. You guys think Rodeo is hard. Like this is an a step more. Jacob takes advantage of this situation when Esau comes back and says, I've got a bowl of soup for you. If you're hungry. You just have to give me your Birthright.

2:18 Seems like fair trade right bowl of soup, especially lentil soup. I'm not a huge lentil soup fan. Like I'm just like man who would trade it for like, I think I'll just go to the never mind. secondly the other instance where the was really the boiling in the Tipping Point for Jacob and Esau's relationship. Is the way he acquired the blessing from their father the first one blessing? Jacob deceived his way into this this blessing that Isaac had intended for Esau and then Esau gets so angry that Rebecca says get up go see my brother because I don't think you're gonna last the night here.

3:05 So Jacob flees he flees from conflict with his brother. He comes to his uncle's house. Falls in love with something sound really weird his uncle's daughter. which would make him make her his cousin but I don't know. It's a different time I guess. and then his uncle says like seemingly sweetly like you shouldn't work for me for free. Like what should be your your wages and he says I just want to marry your daughter. I'll work seven years for you. Then he gets duped by his uncle. You see something very similar. He's now reaping what he's already sowed. He is duped by his uncle.

3:53 and Mary's the sister and then says well, I guess I'll work in other seven years that way. I can I get married the one I really love and now I have a two brides and then in the process he has to maidens as well, which as I mentioned last week just bad principles. Probably should stay away from marrying sisters. He flees from before Laban see there's already so there's already this building tension and he's there serving Laban for 20 years. He flees from Laban because there's growing conflict. And he takes all of his kids and he flees gets a three-day Head Start and it takes Laban. I think it takes some 10 days to catch up.

4:40 And finally, they he's in this conflict with Laban Laban catches up. And confronts Jacob and then they decide they're going to build a pile of stones because this is what any sane person would do build a pile of stones and say here's our peace marker. You don't cross this and in with intending me harm, and I'm not going to cross it intending you harm. You know, it's kind of like when you go on road trips you put the duct tape in the seat between the the brothers. in the back You can't cross this line. you see and then yeah, and then you get the like I'm not touching you. I'm not touching you. But this is there's this pile of stones and it

5:27 seems to have brought some sort of conclusion to the conflict with Laban. But immediately from the conflict with Laban he Jacob sins. He's on his way home and he sends Messengers and he finds out as used pointed out that Esau is so excited to see him and come and greet him that he's bringing 400 warriors with him. and Jacob freaks out splits his Camp decides to put him on the safe side of the river crosses back. And at this point he it's in the dead of night. and he gets confronted by the Lord and now he has conflict with God. You see he's got he's had a conflict with his brother his uncle now God.

6:15 And in that process he had conflict with his dad also. Conflict with with God and he's there freaking out. He's Alone, by the way. and he's he's anticipating the arrival of his very angry very well armed brother. And it's in this moment where God confronts him. And wrestles with him for the remainder of the night. I imagine it was several hour period where they're wrestling. But Jacob holds on and Demands a blessing. And the man tells Jacob he's no longer being known by by Jacob but by the name Israel.

7:01 Because you have shown your strength to both God and man and have prevailed you see he's already shown his strength to God and to man at least. At this point God in the in the presence of the person who's wrestling with him and man with Laban you see Esau hasn't happened yet. But the conflict with God and Laban has now begun to change him to anticipate what he has to do with Esau because the reality is Asa. The reality is conflict with Brothers. Is way different than conflict with anyone else. Especially a twin brother. If you I mean you probably can't imagine that you years are all they're all bigger than you.

7:46 but a twin brother he leaves this wrestling match with the Lord. Touched to the point that he limps away. He's no longer able to walk. with a steady gait And he continues this process of returning what I will call to the scene of the crime. He's coming back to where his brother is. You see when Jacob met Laban he was on the east side of the Jordan River. And now he's coming and meeting him probably right around the Jordan River area. Maybe just a little bit on the west side.

8:34 And he's coming there. to see Esau And I think I I do wonder if when he originally sent his Messengers. I do think he wondered I wonder if Esau is still upset with me. I do think that was a thought that crosses mine. Maybe it's been two decades. Like I literally have 11 children 12 children. I have a 12 children, maybe something has changed. Esau has multiple wives and multiple children as well. Maybe something changed. Maybe we've grown up a little bit. We can be in the same country.

9:21 But I actually hold the notion that Esau comes with vengeance in his heart. I mean, I don't know about you. But why else would you come with 400 armed men? to greet your brother Who's been gone for so long and stole everything that you had? Except to exact his own pound of Flesh. And so Jacob makes three forms of preparation. He tries to appease him he prays and then he prepares for war. He sends Esau this huge gift of cattle and flocks. Hoping thereby to appease him. He then prays to the Lord rescue me. I pray

10:08 from the hand of my brother. And then he wrestles with God at that point just if you want to know the timeline. And then he makes preparation for War by dividing his household into two camps so that at least one will survive. After limping away from his wrestling match with the Lord. He's just imagine this to dawn has come he limps away and he looks up and he sees Esau coming now. That would be a terrifying. thing to behold He sins as I mentioned a minute ago, he sends these gifts to his brother to make sure. And in that process he makes sure to put a delay

10:55 between each group. So he sends him 200. Let me read these 200 female goats in 20 male goats. He sends 200 female sheep and 20 male sheep. He sends 30 female camels and their little ones. He sends 40 cows and 10 Bulls. He sends since 20 female donkeys and 10 Colts. He sends nearly 600 animals in total. By the way, this is not just a get a one-time gift. I don't know if anybody else has ever thought about this. It's not just a one-time gift. This is a gift that keeps on giving because there's male and female and they're meant to multiply. So this is a gift that's this is this would be like I

11:42 heard I heard one commentator put it this way. This would be like, I don't know 30 years ago one of us giving someone the gift of Apple stock. It's the gift that's gonna continue to give until you die, and then we'll give some more. You imagine that's what it was traveling. That's that's what Jacob was traveling with. a bunch of screaming children He sends gifts and then he's he's safeguards his own family. He divides up the family. He puts the children with their respective mothers. Which is interesting because I never thought about it until I was

12:29 really digging in this week. But hey, so you probably haven't noticed it or maybe you have but if you especially in nature, but also in in humanity as well when there's a mother with her child if anybody ever threatens the child Beware of the mother. You know you did there's there's the saying don't take the from the mama bear because you know, you're gonna get mauled. But I do wonder if the children were in part kept with their mothers to actually help if there was ever that instance happening. If the if they were to assault the children the moms would take care of business.

13:17 He sends the children with their respective mortar mothers. He sends them in order of importance relative to himself. So he sins the female servants and therefore children first, then he sends Leia and her family second. And then finally Rachel and Joseph. but in front of all of this group of people so you can imagine like there's animals that are continuing to go. There's I don't know if you if anybody's ever been to a wedding, but when you when everybody leaves the the when the bridal party leaves, you know, the the couple leave you count to 10 the first the maid of honor leaves in the best man, and they counted like three and then it's like, you know, it's just like waves

14:04 so that's what's going on. There's waves of gifts going and now Jacobs has set up the the final wave, but he puts himself in between. So he puts himself ahead of his family to confront Esau. And so he comes. And he humbles himself and he prostrates himself before Esau seven times. Drawing Near every time yeah, you just imagine. the goats of all come the Sheep the animals and Esau is still probably Furious. And he sees his brother limping.

14:49 Coming up and bowing you imagine someone who has a busted hip they can't get up very easily. So then he struggles to get up and he takes another few steps and Bows again. struggles to get up goes another few steps does a seven times. You see what Jacob is doing? Is the exact opposite of what he did before? Jacob before snuck his way in. and took now he's coming at it just as you said straight on but with humility you see you can come straight on with arrogance and it doesn't really do anything different. Whether you sneak around with arrogance, or you come straight on with arrogance,

15:35 it doesn't do anything different. Is just the subtlety I guess. But when you come with humility. It begins to change. And Esau has this reaction where he runs to Jacob he hugs him. He throws his arm around him and he kisses his neck. This is what I was talking about with that word. He kissed his neck with the dots over eat the six dots over each letter. And I'll use a big word for you that I didn't use for the kids. It's it's called an exegetical device so that when you're reading the text it draws your attention to it so that you know that something important is happening. So there's a there is there's some conflict in

16:20 in rabbinical commentary regarding the significance of the dots. But this was what Rabbi Shimon Barrio Kai says that at that moment you see up until that moment. I don't know that much had changed in Esau's life, but at that moment. This is what he says at that moment his Mercy was aroused. And he kissed Jacob with all of his heart. Mercy came To dwell within Esau at that moment Esau had every right by the way. To exact well, I don't know about to exact Vengeance, but to to be very upset. But it's at this moment when he decides.

17:08 To give Mercy to Jacob. Jacob is the text says Esau and Jacob wept together. You see in order for them to weep together into even hug forgiveness was a necessary action for these brothers. The first step in forgiveness is stopping the madness. Stopping the cycle of Vengeance and realizing that God is in control of the story. You see we're about to really see this in in play over the next four Torah portions. with another set of Brothers

17:54 But the first step in forgiveness is stopping the cycle of Vengeance. It requires the person to refrain from lashing out in response to the other person and generally that lashing out comes from a place of insecurity fear or even shame at what they are dealing with at the moment. I was trying to find a really good example for this. And I didn't find one. I mean I I mean I shouldn't say I didn't find one I found like A bazillion. Is that a word? I'm gonna make it up. But I thought immediately. If I just say two words, everybody's going to know what I'm

18:40 talking about here. Well, I guess that's four words. five words the Hatfields and The McCoys you see if one person would have stopped along the way it would have stopped the whole thing. By the way, that's a family feud between two families that goes back hundreds of years. And I'm sure that you guys anybody in here could probably think about any any number of other issues or instances circumstances. You can probably even think about someone in your own family because the reality is no family goes untouched. That's the reality. But it requires one party. To let go of their hurt.

19:27 And forgive the other to stop the stop the cycle of violence. Esau at this point, they're weeping you can imagine they're weeping their they're holding on each other. They're weeping. Esau And I finally I find the verbiage very fascinating because it mimics what Jacob does Esau raises his eyes and looks you see when the last time it said it said Jacob raised his eyes and looked and saw Esau coming. Now Esau raises his eyes and looks he's now finally able to see and he sees all he goes. What is this? And Jacob says this is my family. You see I wonder actually if he wouldn't have even been able to see them because his rage was so blinding up until that

20:14 point. You get in these moments. I don't know. If I don't know if you do some people I've heard it say. I should say. I've had moments where I've been so upset. Like the the vision scope goes down like this. And like I lose sight of everything, that's beside me. I lose sight of everything that could perhaps distract part of that. I think is probably a natural instinct. Maybe Esau is in that moment where his vision has? Has narrowed to the point he all he can see is his brother whom he hates. and then he Weeps in his vision opens up and he sees

21:03 the 12 children and four mothers that are behind and he's able to I mean, these are his. nephews and nieces Whom he's never met. So ASA, what do I want you to take away from this? two things which as everybody here knows when I say two things it really means like six things because there's each one of those two has like three underneath it. So this is what I want you to take away at some point you will have conflict if you haven't yet. There's just inevitable is alright, don't be afraid of it.

21:48 The reality is every person in this room at some point will have conflict. And if they tell you that that's not true. I'm going to tell you they're lying. Because everybody has conflict. So when you have conflict between you and a brother a parent a friend. Then you're faced with some choices. On what to do? these moments of conflict are actually good moments for you. Because there's a moment for you to grow and maturity and in relation to others. You see we cannot live in a society with other people. You can't even live in a house with other people without coming into

22:34 contact with them and in other words into conflict. with them So if you can learn how to grow now. It will save you a whole lot. of decades away while you're trying to figure it out like Jacob. The recovery to conflict is the most important Point not the conflict itself. So when you come into conflict. Let me encourage you do what Jacob did. Pray to the Lord and seek his counsel. now the consequence of praying to the Lord and seeking his counsel may end up being that you have to wrestle with God.

23:20 And the moment you wrestle with God. You will leave changed. Nobody leaves unchanged from a wrestling match with the Lord. You may walk with a limp for the rest of your life. But that's part of the process of praying and seeking the Lord's counsel. In a conflict, let me encourage you do not give in to the cycle of Vengeance no matter your insecurity fear or shame. Do what is necessary to bring healing and allow movement beyond the conflict get out of that moment.

24:09 Finally Asa. Follow in the footsteps of your forefather Jacob and strive to be someone that has been noticeably touched or changed. through their struggle with the Lord You want to strive to be that person not avoid becoming that person? because when we strive with the Lord when we pray when we wrestle with God History says ASA that our people struggle with the Lord. But when we fight with the Lord, we cannot leave unchanged. So don't avoid the fight embrace it let him punch in the hip.

24:56 It's Gonna Hurt probably more than any one of your brothers if they punched you in the hip But you know what you'll walk away a changed person. from the Lord avinashabasha Mayim Our Father in Heaven Lord. We we come to you on this Shabbat. Or I thank you for ASA. I thank you for this Torah portion, which we can see Jacob struggling with you Lord. I Thank you for the. circumstances that you give us from Jacob's life from the rest of our forefathers. Lord that we can learn from that we can utilize in our In our relationship with you.

25:44 Lord we bless you and we praise you and yeshua's name. I mean may the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you. And give you peace. Give a raccoon night. They smile. record Yeah, I don't I panolaaka movie who?

26:31 the car, hehe, sarunai fun of Alexa Can you in the name of our Messiah Yeshua? mazatov mazatovism