Archetypes

The definition of "archetype" is: the original pattern or model of which all subsequent things of the same kind are representations or copies. The Greek roots of this word "archetype" in English are "to begin, to rule" + "type". This week's sabbath reading deals with the same thing, and is titled Toledot, meaning "generation(s)". However, the meaning of toledot is really more about "archetypes", and since we are in Genesis, or B'resheit, the Book of Beginnings, we will see the beginning of two archetypes that are still being represented today, even after many generations. Not only is an archetype the beginning of a pattern, as its Greek meaning shows, but an archetype also rules the subsequent copies. The sabbath reading of Toledot starts in Gen. 25 with the account of Isaac, Abraham's son and heir, and his wife and kinswoman, Rebekah. Rebekah had not been able to have children: "Now Isaac pleaded with the LORD for his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived." (Gen. 25:20-21). Rebekah noticed that something was strange about her pregnancy. There was a struggle within her womb. so she inquired of the LORD, and the LORD said to her: "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." (v. 22-23). Rebekah indeed gave birth to twins, Jacob and Esau, who struggled against one another before they were born, and after. Esau was the first born and the older of the two, with Jacob born holding onto Esau's heal (v. 26). The twins' personalities were different also. Esau was described as "a skillful hunter (yada + sayid), a man of the field (ish + sade)". Jacob was "a mild man (tam/tamam), dwelling in tents (ohel/ahel)" (v. 27). Here we have our two archetypes. The descriptions from the Hebrew tell us that Esau was knowledgeable in taking prey, and "making a provision for the journey", a man in contrast to God, husband, attached to the ground. He provided for himself. In the Hebrew words used, Jacob is described as "perfect, undefiled, upright, complete, morally innocent, coupled together, completely crossed over, and an inhabitant of the tabernacle, the sacred tent of Jehovah, clear, shining, and bright". The Word of God presents Jacob as one who is spiritually perfect and complete, and inhabiting the tabernacle of God. Although both men were of the same generation from Abraham because they were his twin grandsons, they were a different kind of generation from each other regarding toledot, or archetypes. Because they were archetypes, there will be copies or representations that proceed from each of these two men. Jesus would also speak regarding the generations, or toledot, of Abraham as we will see. In last week's sabbath reading, we saw that Abraham was referred to as elohim nasi, meaning "the risen God of forgiveness and atonement, who suffered and laid sin upon Himself" (see last week's post titled "Kings"). The New Testament tells us that Abraham, along with Isaac and Jacob, dwelled in tents/tabernacles, and was waiting for the city whose builder and maker is God (Heb. 11:9-10). Abraham was not "attached to the ground", as Esau was, but considered himself as a foreigner and a visitor in it (Gen. 23:4). In this same spirit, Abraham gave his nephew, Lot, his choice of land first, and Lot chose the finest land to the eye (Gen. 13:9-11). Because Abraham showed that he did not covet a place in the earth, God then gave him and his descendants all the land as far as the eye could see (Gen. 13:14-15). It is also mentioned in this part of this week's sabbath reading that the older brother Esau sold his birthright to his younger brother Jacob for a simple meal when his own hunting for provision had yielded nothing. Scripture says of this: "Thus Esau despised (baza) his birthright (bekora/bekor/bakar)." (Gen. 25:34). The birthright refers to the inheritance rights of the first born, also called primogeniture. In the Hebrew meaning, "birthright" also includes the idea of being "first fruit, new fruit, to bear early, to rise early". Esau considered being the firstborn of Isaac, who was "the child of promise/covenant", as we are also, to be contemptible and vile, from the meaning of "despised" (see Gal. 4:28). In another portion of this week's sabbath reading, the LORD clearly states: "Yet Jacob I have loved; but Esau I have hated, and laid waste his mountains and his heritage for the jackals of the wilderness." (Mal. 1:2-3). Although the LORD clearly condemned the archetype of Esau, and those who came after him, spiritually modeling themselves after him, He also has a problem with the children of Jacob, whom He favored, and to whom He gave the birthright promises. The LORD said that these generations of Jacob did not regard the LORD with respect and love in return for the love and favor that He had shown them: "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am the Father, where is My honor? If I am a Master, where is My reverence? Says the LORD of hosts to you priests who despise My name..." (Mal. 1:6). The Hebrew word for "despise" used in this verse is the same word with which Esau despised his birthright - baza. From another of this week's sabbath readings, the Book of Obadiah, a prophetic word regarding the destruction of the land of Esau, or Edom. This destruction comes on "the day of the LORD", and that "...no survivor shall remain of the house of Esau, for the LORD has spoken." (v. 15, 18). As the prophet wrote, future generations modeled themselves after their archetype Esau, in despising the covenant promise of God, the birthright. This would lead to their destruction. As we saw with Esau, birthright is not determined by the facts of the flesh, but by the spirit of a man, and the archetype of Esau is still with us. Jesus spoke about the difference between those who come from "above", and those who come from "beneath". As with Jacob and Esau, there is no similarity between the two. Esau had contempt for the model of Abraham, who was called by the term elohim nasi in scripture (see above), even though Esau was a direct descendant of Abraham. Esau was initially born with the birthright, and while it meant nothing to him, it meant everything to Abraham. The Word says this of another, Jesus, Who came in His Father's name, meaning "God is Salvation", Who laid our sins upon Himself, and became our forgiveness and atonement: "He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the power/right (exousia/exesti - power, authority, jurisdiction, strength, permission, to be lawful) to become sons/children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (Jn. 1:10-13). We see more as Jesus said to those who did not receive Him: "You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.' Then they said to Him, 'Who are You?' And Jesus said to them, 'Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning..." (Jn. 8:23-25). The account of Jacob and Esau is not about the the assuredness of the covenant and salvation by the flesh. If assuredness in the flesh existed, Esau would not have been able to sell it., because nothing could change the fact that Esau was the firstborn. However, the supernatural birthright of the covenant from "above" given to Abraham, and confirmed through the archetype of Jacob over Esau, speaks of those who are born from "above", rather than "beneath", and of the Spirit, rather than of the flesh. Do we model ourselves after our Archetype, Jesus, Who was born from Above? Or do we despise it, neglect it, and eventually "sell" it, preferring instead those things that are attached to the ground, as Esau did? Paul said to the believers in Galatia: "O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth...Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect in the flesh?...Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture...preached the Gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, 'In you all the nations shall be blessed.' So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham." (Gal. 3:1-9, excerpt). If you would like to know more about being modeled after our Archetype from Above, Jesus, and being blessed with "believing Abraham", you can join me in prayer: "Blessed and Great Father, because of Your Son, I have received the birthright of eternal life that comes from You. You sent Your Son, Jesus, to be an Archetype from which many would come. Let me be one who is modeled after Christ. I am so thankful, especially in this season of Thanksgiving, that you gave me the legal right to be called Your descendant, Your son, and I don't ever want to take it for granted, or forget the honor of that gift. Help me to not be attached to the things of the ground, the world, but to have my eyes upon You, and the things of the Above, dwelling in Your tabernacle. Having begun in Your Holy Spirit, keep me from walking after the flesh. I ask these things in Jesus' name. AMEN."

Tomorrows

This week's Sabbath readings focus mainly on the birth of twin sons. Both of them were the grandsons of Abraham, and the sons of Isaac, about whom God said to Abraham: "...in Isaac your seed (conceive, offspring, descendant, a practitioner of righteousness) shall be called (call, proclaim, summon, appoint, be chosen, call with the name of God, invite, preach)." (Gen. 21:12). Abraham gave gifts to all of his subsequent children, but he gave all that he had to Isaac, from whom the Messiah was to come. (Gen. 25:5-6). Later, Isaac's prayers for his barren wife were answered and twin sons were born named Esau, the older, and Jacob. Much later in time, to the prophet Malachi, God said of these two sons, "...Yet Jacob I have loved; but Esau I have hated (meaning utterly odious foe)." (Mal. 1:1-3). According to the meaning of the Hebrew word, God hated Esau to the highest extent. Why was Esau so hated by God? When their mother, Rebekkah had a turbulent pregnancy, the LORD told her, "...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." (Gen. 25:21-24). Esau later sold the promise of his tomorrows for what he wanted in the moment (Gen. 25:29-32). Even though he knew that he was the grandson of Abraham, with whom God had an eternal covenant, and the first son of Isaac, in whom the seed would be called, Esau sold this priceless birthright to his brother for what he desired in the moment - in this case a bowl of stew or porridge (Gen. 25:29-34). He "despised" (baza- regard with contempt, scorn, disdained, vile person, to cause to despise, make light of) the birthright inheritance found in God's covenant (v. 34), including the called Seed in Isaac, while Jacob did all that he could to obtain that priceless birthright. The world is still composed of these two nations of people: those who only want what they must have now, and those who know and desire the eternal birthright of God. That eternal birthright came through that called Seed in Isaac that God had promised Abraham: Jesus of Nazareth. God says of Himself in some dozen places in scripture, "I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" (example: Ex. 3:6), as He identified the line of the eternal Seed. Jesus also told His listeners the deeper meaning: "But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living." (Mt. 22:31-32). The eternal inheritance that was provided through the called Seed in Isaac, which we now know as Jesus, included the resurrection of the dead, and eternal life. God enfolded the power of resurrection and everlasting life into this called descendant of Isaac. Jesus said, "...I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" (Jn. 11:25). Through this called Seed, Jesus, an inheritance was passed on to us: "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men...He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right/power (power of choice, regal authority, jurisdiction) to become children/sons of God, to those who believe in His name." (Jn. 1:4, 11-12). In an interesting additional insight, as I have been taught recently by my pastor, one of the books of the Apocrypha, which had always been included in the King James Version of the Bible in the past, also has a reference to the difference between Esau and Jacob: "Then answered I and said, 'What shall be the parting asunder of the times? or when shall be the end of the first, and the beginning of it that followeth?' (see a similar question asked in Mt. 24:3). And he said unto me, 'From Abraham unto Isaac, when Jacob and Esau were born of him, Jacob's hand held first the heel of Esau. For Esau is the end of the world, and Jacob is the beginning of it that followeth.' (2 Esdras 6:7-9). The Apocrypha is not generally viewed with the same weight as scripture , but in this case it certainly bears witness to what scripture already discloses to us regarding Esau and Jacob. Because he rejected the inheritance of his birthright, Esau represents what is passing away. Jacob represents the beginning of what is new. We also know that in Christ, old things are passed away, and all things, including we who believe in Him, have become new (2 Cor. 5:17). Jesus told the people not to invest in those things which will pass away, but to invest instead in those things which are part of the eternal, the kingdom of God (Mt. 6:19-21). Esau showed where his heart's treasure was, not in the eternal inheritance promised by God, but in a bowl of porridge to satisfy a hungry stomach now. From this account we learn that there are two groups in the world: those who walk after Esau, scorning the inheritance in God and satisfying themselves and their desires today, and those who follow the pattern of Jacob, doing all to attain the everlasting promise and blessing of God. The title of this week's Sabbath portion is Toledot, which is usually translated into English as "Generation(s)". According to past and present Jewish writers, this is not an accurate meaning of Toledot. Toledot deals with more than the word "generation" brings to mind in English. Toledot deals with what we are seeing in the story of Jacob and Esau. The word toledot is also used in Gen. 6:9 in the description of Noah, but Noah's "generations" as we think of the word are not part of this verse: "These are the generations (toledot) of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations (dor- period, habitation, age, generation, dwelling class of men, evermore). Noah walked with God." Keeping in mind the meaning of toledot, Noah is described here as a type, that will affect the future after him. From Strong's Concordance, the meaning of Toledot that most agrees with the Jewish use and understanding is "course of history, account of a man and his future generations, origin (of other things)". Toledot refers to a type that becomes the origin of an ongoing course. God said of those who are of Esau's type: "But Esau I have hated, and laid waste his mountains and his heritage for the jackals of the wilderness. Even though Edom (Esau's nation) has said, 'We have been impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places', thus says the LORD of hosts: 'They may build, but I will throw down; They shall be called the Territory of Wickedness, and the people against whom the LORD will have indignation forever." (Mal. 1:3-4). The toledot of Esau is of those who will pass away because they sold their eternal tomorrow with God, for a figurative "bowl of porridge" today. Interestingly in Mt. 24, Jesus also referred to a generation that would "pass away" at the fulness of the signs of the transitional period of time before Christ's return, many of which we are seeing now. Jesus went on to compare the situation to the sudden destruction that came in Noah's day that "took them all away". To me, this sounds like a possible kind of Esau toledot reference. The Greek word genea is used here for the word translated "generation" in Mt. 24, and that Greek word includes many of the characteristics of toledot. Finally, Paul, a Jewish apostle in Messiah Jesus, seemed to be writing about the concept of toledot in Phil. 3:4-21. He viewed the proud cultural and religious identity of his past as a willing loss, in favor of his new knowledge of Christ, which was a gain to him. He wrote about forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, toward the upward call of God in Christ. He wrote of the enemies (see earlier meaning of the word "hated" which God used of Esau) of the cross of Christ: "whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame - who set their mind on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven...". Paul concludes that this transformation that Jesus accomplishes in us is directly associated to "the working by which He is able to even subdue all things to Himself." As we can see, the Hebrew meaning of toledot is very much incorporated into Christ and the teachings of the New Testament. The concept of toledot, and its connection to the meaning of the account of Esau and Jacob, has really helped me understand the two perpetual "types" of spiritual peoples that the twins represented, and the impact that it has on the choices that I must make daily in this world of "now at any cost" in which we live today. If you would like to choose the eternal things of God that He has provided for whoever will receive His Son, who holds all eternity, you can join with me as I pray: "Heavenly Father, You have called me and provided me with eternity in Your Son, Jesus. For this reason, Jesus died on the cross for my sins, and rose again to life to offer me the same. Forgive me of my sins, teach me Your Word, and fill me with Your Holy Spirit, so I can put behind me those things which are passing away, and reach for those new, everlasting things in Christ. With the same work by which Jesus transforms me, He also subdues all things to Himself. I believe and receive with thanks these miraculous things in Jesus' name. AMEN."