Parashat Vayishlach, The Revelation of the Messiah according to the Scriptures.

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 In this week’s reading from Parashat Vayishlach (Bereshit / Genesis 32:3-36:43) we read that Yaakov (Jacob) sent messengers before him to his brother Esav along with a gift in order to appease Esav of the things done in the past (32:3-20).  Yaakov wrestles with a man (32:24) and realizes that he has seen God face to face and lived (32:25-31).  Yaakov and Esav meet (33:1-16) and Esav returns to his place in Seir and Yaakov travels to Shechem.  Yaakov buys the piece of land before the city of Shechem (33:19) and Yaakov’s daughter Dina is raped according to verse 34:2 וַיִּשְׁכַּב אֹתָהּ וַיְעַנֶּה, Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite took her by force (against her will).  Yaakov’s sons deceive the people of Shechem (34:5-24), and Simeon and Levi take their swords and kill every male in the city while they were in pain from circumcision (34:25-33).  God instructs Yaakov to go to Bethel and dwell there (35:1).  The Lord appears to Yaakov again and confirms his name change from Yaakov to Yisrael and blesses Yaakov (35:9-15).  Traveling to Bethel, Rachael gives birth and dies (35:16-19).  Yitzchak (Isaac) lives to 180 years old and dies and is buried (35:28-29).  The Parashah ends with Esav, the land cannot sustain the flocks of both Yaakov and Esav, so Esav moves his family and all that he owns away from Yaakov (36:1-43).  The opening verses of Parashat Vayishlach reveal to us that at this point in Yaakov’s life there is a major turning point.  Yaakov realizes that encountering Esav is inevitable when he returns to Canaan and prepares for meeting his brother.  Yaakov calls out to the Lord saying קָטֹנְתִּי מִכֹּל הַחֲסָדִים וּמִכָּל-הָאֱמֶת אֲשֶׁר עָשִֹיתָ אֶת-עַבְדֶּךָ כִּי בְמַקְלִי עָבַרְתִּי אֶת-הַיַּרְדֵּן הַזֶּה וְעַתָּה הָיִיתִי לִשְׁנֵי מַחֲנוֹת that He is unworthy of God’s grace and truth (32:11).  Yaakov encounters God at Peniel (פְּנִיאֵל) and sees God (כִּי-רָאִיתִי אֱלֹהִים פָּנִים אֶל-פָּנִים).  God changes Yaakov’s name to Yisrael and strikes his hip changing both who he is and the way he walks.  Has your encounter with God changed you in both who you are and in the way you walk on this Earth today?  Read More here.

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Duane D. Miller received his Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. Degree in Chemical Engineering from The University of Akron Ohio. He is currently a Chemical Engineering Researcher. Duane’s research expertise has focused upon functional materials development for the control, conversion, and release of process gases in Energy production technologies. His R&D interests include computational chemistry, developing novel technologies for converting biomass to fuels and studying their fundamental interactions during the chemical conversion process. His past experience includes sorbent development for pre- and post-combustion CO2 and SO2 capture, selective absorption of H2S from methane streams, O2 capture for oxy-fuel combustion, photocatalytic reduction of alcohols, NOx reduction catalysis, the development of oxygen carriers to combust fossil fuels (CH4 and coal) for the chemical looping combustion processes, and the extraction of rare earth elements using patent pending sorbents. His research expertise has focused on operando-characterization using Infrared, Raman, and UV-Vis spectroscopy to observe the nature of the catalytic active sites and reaction intermediates under realistic reaction conditions, allowing direct correlation of molecular/electronic structures with catalyst performance during Gas-Solid / Liquid-Solid Adsorption and Photocatalytic Processes with real time online analysis of reaction products using ICP-MS and mass spectrometry. His current work involves a multi-disciplinary approach to developing, understanding, and improving the catalytic gasification of coal and methane, high temperature chemical looping combustion, and the catalytic decomposition and gasification of biomass and coal using novel microwave reactor.​ He has been studying the Hebrew Scriptures and the Torah for 20+ years and sharing what he has learned. The studies developed for MATSATI.COM are freely to be used by everyone, to God be the Glory!