HEBREW WORD STUDY – AND THE DAYS DREW NEAR – YIQEREBO YEME ימי יקרבו Yod Mem Yod Yod Qop Resh Beth Vav

Genesis 47:29: “And the time drew nigh that Israel must die: and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt:”

News Years Day has passed and many Christians have committed themselves to read through the Bible in one year. Pastors distribute little pamphlets that break the Bible down into an easy to read outlines to get yourself through the Bible in one year. You just need to spend about 10-15 minutes a day to read through the Bible in one year. Of course, that is just reading. I will bet you my Hebrew Bible that if you follow this plan you will see nothing unusual about Genesis 47:29. All you are doing is reading the Bible, you are not studying the Bible, not hanging on every word as the ancient sages did.

When they read this, they studied this verse, ate it, chewed on it, swallow it they find something interesting. First, did you notice it said Israel, not Jacob, not the grabber, but the prince of God? This was not the birth name but the pet name. It had a double meaning, one who contends with God and the prince of God. Godlike it that Jacob contended with Him. Jacob did not act holy or pious and play that religious game like may believers do to impress others and to impress God. He was himself and if he didn’t like something, he let God know it. Might as well, He knows it already. But we try to fool Him.

Do you ever struggle with God or are you the type that simply says: “Ok, yes Lord.” Like a little child being told to clean his bedroom, “Ok, but I am not going to like it.” Jacob is our best example that God does not want us to do anything that we do not want to do. God did not want Jacob reconciling with his brother because he was told to do it, God wanted Jacob to do it because that is what he wanted to do and he had to wrestle with God all night to reach the point where he really felt like: “Yeah, it would be nice to have a brother again.” Sometimes we have to get into a regular knock down drag out with God until He convinces us that what He is asking us to do is really a good idea and we going to do it because we want to, not because we have to.

I mean if a wife wants to spend an evening with her husband, going out to dinner, maybe a movie and just sitting out under stars afterward and the husband says; “Alright, already, if that is what you want then we will do it, I will give up the football game, now, are you happy?” Of course, she is not happy, she wants her husband to want to do these things as well, she wants it to be more important to him than the football game.

“God, I don’t want to go to church, I am tired, I don’t want to write that check for my tithe but if that is going to make you happy, then here. I hope I get a blessing out it.” Would God not be happier if you said: “Oh Boy, I can’t wait to get to church and start worshipping you with other believers. I can’t wait to continue that discussion on the Book of John in the Bible class. You know what else, I am writing a big check. I know it is going to pay a light bill or a heating bill, I don’t care, I am doing it because I want to find some way to show you how much I love you.”

Maybe simply: “Oh, boy, it is almost time for my 10 minutes in reading God’s Word. How I love God’s Word and reading about His love for me.”

Now here is the thing we so easily miss in Genesis 47:29: “and the time drew near that Israel must die.” How sad, how tragic, the old boy has to die. However, I read something very interesting in the Midrash Rabbah. In the Hebrew this reads: “The days of Israel drew near to die.” It does not say what is usually expressed when someone dies: “He drew near to die.” It is the days that drew near, not Israel that drew near. Israel didn’t die. Ok, he died in the sense of life-ending, but not in the sense of tragedy or sadness as we in our culture view death.

What is the difference? Hebraically, days drew near to die suggest the final moments of one’s journey, the end of your tour of duty. No more battles, no more fighting, no more combat, no more crawling in the mud, suffering the discomforts, you fulfilled your mission and you can now go home. God calls him Israel, His prince, His contender or fighter. If he just drew near to die, that is tragic and sad, like the end of a wonderful vacation. But if the days drew to his death, that is like the war coming to an end, peace and homecoming awaits.