Miketz - December 5, 2021 - Torah Portion

Miketz in a Nutshell

TorahPortion for Sunday 5th December is from Genesis 41:1–44:17: Isaiah 9:6 Matthew 4:4

Recap: Last week Joseph is thrown into prison, interprets the Butler and Bakers dreams correctly but is forgotten by the Butler. Trying to get himself out of Prison cost Joseph two more years.

In this week’s Torah portion Joseph’s imprisonment finally ends when Pharaoh dreams of seven fat cows that are swallowed up by seven lean cows, and of seven fat ears of grain swallowed by seven lean ears. Joseph interprets the dreams to mean that seven years of plenty will be followed by seven years of hunger and advises Pharaoh to store grain during the plentiful years. Pharaoh appoints Joseph governor of Egypt. Joseph marries Asenath, daughter of Potiphera the Rabbi’s say this is, in fact, Potipha, (there is something political going on here!) and they have two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.

Famine spreads throughout the region, and food can be obtained only in Egypt. Ten of Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt to purchase grain; the youngest, Benjamin, stays home, for Jacob fears for his safety. Joseph recognizes his brothers, but they do not recognize him; he accuses them of being spies, insists that they bring Benjamin to prove that they are who they say they are, and imprisons Simeon as a hostage. Later, they discover that the money they paid for their provisions has been mysteriously returned to them.

Jacob agrees to send Benjamin only after Judah assumes personal and eternal responsibility for him. This time Joseph receives them kindly, releases Simeon, and invites them to an eventful dinner at his home. But then he plants his silver goblet, purportedly imbued with magic powers, in Benjamin’s sack. When the brothers set out for home the next morning, they are pursued, searched, and arrested when the goblet is discovered. Joseph offers to set them free and retain only Benjamin as his slave. That’s the end of the Torah portion this week in a nutshell.

This week’s Torah portion demonstrates the most sudden and radical transformation in the Old Testament. Joseph, in a single day, moves from zero to hero, from a prison to a palace, a forgotten, languishing prisoner to Viceroy or what we would call “Prime Minister” of Egypt, the most powerful man in the land, and in control of the nation’s economy.

Until now, Joseph has rarely been the author of his own destiny. The “done to” rather than “the doer”; passive rather than active; object rather than subject. First his father, then his brothers, then the Midianites and Ishmaelites, then Potiphar and his wife, then the prison warden. They have all directed his life thus far. Among the most important things in that life had been dreams, but dreams are things that happen to you, not things you choose.

Suddenly this changes, totally and definitively when Joseph was asked to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams. But he does far more than that. Firstly, he interprets the dreams and secondly, he visualizes them into reality.

These were not just dreams. They were about the Egyptian economy and in the course of the next 14 years, they were about to become true.

Having made this prediction, he diagnoses the problem and tells Pharaoh that the people will starve during the seven years of famine. Then, with a stroke of sheer genius, he solves the problem.

Store a fifth of the produce during the years of plenty, and it will then be available to stave off starvation during the lean years.

He was a problem solver, and we have no difficulty understanding the response of the Egyptian court: “The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials. So, Pharaoh asked them, ‘Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?’” (Gen. 41:37-38)

At the age of 30, Joseph is now the most powerful man in the region, and his administrative ability and competence is total. He travels around the country, arranges for collection of the grain, and ensures that it is stored safely. There is so much grain that, in the Torah’s words, he stops keeping records because it is beyond measure.

When the years of plenty are over, his position becomes even more powerful. Everyone turns to him for food. Pharaoh himself commands the people, “Go to Joseph and do what he tells you.” Joseph establishes the Kingdom.

So far, so good and at this point the narrative shifts from Joseph, Viceroy or Prime Minister of Egypt, controller of its economy, to Joseph, son of Jacob, and his relationship with his brothers who, 22 years earlier, had sold him as a slave.

In this story of Pharaoh and Joseph, a “political spirit” is in operation and Joseph teaches us how to arrest this spirit, bind it and prevent it from operating in the Nation.

We are experiencing a shift in the church and the world, and God is preparing for His divine order. He is preparing us to walk in the authority He has given us which is a Governmental authority to walk in victory. In Ecclesiastes 3:17 it reads “For everything there is a season” – a Kairos moment and this is a now word for this season.

The Political Spirit is assigned to block the establishment of the Government of the Kingdom of God on earth with false government and corrupt political practices. It put Joseph in prison and Satan bound him.

We must understand how this spirit operates, its intent, expression and method to equip us for spiritual warfare.

God is calling us to align with His word, His truth and His purposes, to align our hearts to His, in our marriages, relationships, finances and our character. This word is coming to us in the week of Hanukkah – the rededication of the temple, the Christmas story and the story of Joseph. They are all aligned this week and we are in alignment with God’s Word, too!

We are moving into a season of deployment and a season of fulfillment that God has ordained for our lives. Perfect alignment with the Word of God, His times and seasons with one tiny modification at a time. This Hebraic teaching is new to many of us, because we are not Jewish – we are gentiles but if we are the Gentile Bride of our Jewish Jesus, we have to understand the culture and beliefs of our in-laws – the Jewish people!

The more aligned we are to the Word, the more attuned we are to Holy Spirit, and the more clarity we have for our lives.

The church has been bound for many years – like Joseph, we have been tested and tried and now we are ready for the next phase of our lives “by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4)

Without this skill and knowledge, good men and women are fooled every day, thinking they are obeying God as they are being subtly manipulated and slowly taken off course by the slightest degree.

Understand the difference between the personal enemy opposing you as an individual, versus the deceitful strategies of Satan opposing your assignment.

How do we bind this strong man unless it can be identified? And if it’s not identified, it can’t be displaced. Remember, “Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.”

The present Government of Canada is operating under this Political Spirit. As the head so the Body is affected giving it authority to operate over the Church, over business, over our families and over the 7 mountains of influence. It has a hidden agenda that we cannot discern with our natural senses. It creates alliances with the Religious Spirit. The Political Spirit wants to kill whatever God is doing at all cost. It’s about power, control and reputation.

It protects its position, power and influence. It will use knowledge secretly to make secret alliances. On the surface it seems moral and full of integrity but its motives are different.

The Political Spirit is concerned with what people think.

The Jezebel spirit takes out the prophetic voice and the Political Spirit assigns Jezebel to do it. The Political Spirit has no loyalty whatsoever to anybody or anything. Envy is the vehicle that the Political Spirit uses to corrupt the hearts of leaders as seen in the Pharaoh’s of Egypt, Joseph’s brothers, and King Herod in the Nativity story.

The Political Spirit is a mocking and murderous spirit but gets someone else to carry out its plans. This is evidenced in mocking Joseph about his dreams and throwing him in a pit to kill him, and Potiphar’s wife’s accusations that under normal circumstances would have had Joseph executed. Herod operated under the Political Spirit killing all the babies in Bethlehem but his soldiers carried out the order. Pharoah had all the baby boys killed and thrown into the Nile. He didn’t do it but got someone else to do it for him. That’s how the Political Spirit operates.

The purpose of a prophet is to bring direction and correction to the people of God as a whole. The prophet brings insight about the times and seasons of God.

God’s government brings peace. It is written, “For unto us a child is born, for unto us a son is given and the government shall be upon His shoulders and he shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace, there shall be no end."

Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom; To order it and establish it with judgment and justice”; that is important to remember this week – RvW and the Epstein’s case! God will not be mocked! It goes on: “From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” Did you hear that? “The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this!”

The government shall be upon His shoulders.

We must continue to pray for those in authority then God will bring us to the place of divine authority. Politicians must not be in place for their own personal agenda but according to God’s corporate plan.

I want to encourage you all, that the flawed foundations here in Canada are being broken up as fallow ground. Whatever is counterfeit will be removed. A new government will be established. God is raising up people with the purest and most noblest of hearts.

The deceptive governing system sets itself up against the true Government of God just when God’s divine order is about to be established.

Just like Herod was desperately opposed the coming of the Christ Child, and afraid of losing his crown at the birth of the King of the Jews, this resulted in the death of all the baby boys two years old and under in Bethlehem. Kids, it seems, are always caught in the crossfire.

Just like Potiphar’s wife tried to bring down Joseph at that moment in his life when he is being recognised for his righteous authority / and his administrative and governmental giftings, she falsely accuses him of rape.

As far as the church is concerned, “I tell you the truth, “The Glory of the latter temple will be greater than the former." Hag 2:9 It is written “The first shall be last and the last shall be first."

According to Isaiah, The sons of Ishmael will usher in the end time harvest as I mentioned a couple of week’s ago which will cause the scales to fall from the eyes of the Jews. Just as Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, so Jesus is poised to reveal himself to his brothers the Jews and all Israel will be saved. We looked at Isaiah 60 a couple of week’s ago and saw how the sons of Keturah are coming to the rising of the church.

The Church will not be filled with the Glory until the strong man is bound and that is the Political Spirit in her midst.

Let’s pray: Father God, we thank you for this revelation through the story of Joseph. You are our strong man, and we ask you Lord Jesus to establish your kingdom here in Canada and in the Body of Christ. We ask you Father to arrest and bind the Political Spirit over this nation of Canada and over the church, over the 7 mountains of influence and over our personal lives. We confess and repent of our part in coming into agreement with this Political Spirit enabling it to operate without restraint in our nation, government, and church. Forgive us Lord.

We declare “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given and the Government shall be upon His shoulders and He shall be called wonderful counsellor, mighty God, the everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace and of the increase of His government there shall be no end"; Over the throne of David and over his kingdom, to order it with judgement and justice from this time forward even for evermore. We instruct the zeal of the Lord’s hosts to perform it through the power of Holy Spirit, for the Glory of your Holy Name which is Jesus – the Word became flesh and dwelt among us… and we have beheld His glory – Glory as the only son of the Father. Hallelujah. Amen.

Shabbat Shalom.

Miriam