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(The heavenly dialogue that unleashed the test of sacrifice)

5.1 Maśṭêmâh asks to test Abraham

(The challenge to sacrifice Yitschâq).
Abraham had already involved himself in the affairs of the prince Maśṭêmâh, leader of all the demons.

Berēšhīṯh (Genesis) — Chapter 22: Verses 1, 2, 9–12:

“And it came to pass after these things, that ĔLÔHÎYM did tempt Abrâhâm, and said unto him, Abrâhâm: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now your son, your only son Yitschâq, whom you love, and get you into the land of Môrı̂yâh; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell you of. And they came to the place which ĔLÔHÎYM had told him of; and Abrâhâm built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Yitschâq his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And he said, Lay not your hand upon the lad, neither do you anything unto him: for now I know that you fear ĔLÔHÎYM, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son from me.”

We all know the account of Abraham—or rather, we think we know it well—but only when we compare the account in the Book of Jubilees we can grasp the magnitude of what truly happened.

Yôbêl (Jubilees) — Chapter 17: Verse 16:

“And the prince Mastêmâ came and said before Êlôhîym, behold, Abrâhâm loves Yitschâq his son, and he delights in him above all things else; bid him to offer him as a burnt offering on the altar, and you will see if he will do this command, and you will know if he is faithful in everything wherein you do try him.”

Yôbêl (Jubilees) — Chapter 18: Verses 9–11:

“And I stood before him, and before the prince Mastêmâ, and Yahuah said, do not bid him to lay his hand on the lad, nor to do anything to him, for I have shown that he fears Yahuah. And I called to him from shâmayim, and said unto him: Abrâhâm, Abrâhâm; and he was terrified and said: Behold, here I am. And I said unto him: Do not lay your hand upon the lad, neither you do nothing to him; for now I have shown that you fear Yahuah, and have not withheld your son, your first born son, from me.”

Do we understand what truly happens behind the scenes? Maśṭêmâh is the one who asks to test Abraham, and Yahuah grants the request; and Abraham passes the test of the prince Maśṭêmâh and, by his act of faith, put Maśṭêmâh to ridicule and shame.
Let us pay close attention so our eyes may be opened to the truth and to the understanding that Yahuah sets before us.

5.2 Abraham blesses Yaqoob

(Yahuah’s promise of protection against the spirits of Maśṭêmâh)
When Abraham is pronouncing his blessing over Yaăqôb, he says this:

Yôbêl (Jubilees) — Chapter 19: Verse 28:

“And the spirits of Mastêmâ shall not rule over you or over your seed to turn you from Yahuah, who is your Êlôhîym from henceforth forever.”

Abraham knows and recognizes who the commander of all the demons is. We are the ones who have lost that knowledge—or it has been kept hidden from us so that we would not know. What a beautiful and wise blessing. But this is not all; we continue with the exploits involving Maśṭêmâh.

5.3 Maśṭêmâh tries to kill Môsheh (Moses)

(The adversary in the shadow of the exodus).
I always wondered and never clearly understood what this passage meant; truth be told, I never grasped this event in the Scriptures until I read it in the Book of Jubilees.

Šhemōṯh (Exodus) — Chapter 4: Verses 24–26:

“And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that YAHUAH met him, and sought to kill him. Then Tsippôrâh took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, surely a bloody husband are you to me. So he let him go: then she said a bloody husband you are, because of the circumcision.”

How is it that Yahuah met him and sought to kill him? However, it was Yahuah himself who sent him to deliver His people. Then how is it that He would try to kill His emissary Môsheh? Exodus says that Yahuah met Môsheh and sought to kill him. Yet if Yahuah had wanted him dead, He would not have sent him, nor would He have rescued Môsheh from childhood. Something was always missing in this story; something was not right. Let us now read it in Jubilees.

Yôbêl (Jubilees) — Chapter 48: Verses 2–4:

“And you yourself know what he spoke unto you on Mount Sı̂ynay, and what prince Mastêmâ desired to do with you when you were returning into Mitsrayim on the way when you did meet him at the lodging place. Did he not with all his power seek to slay you and deliver the Mitsrı̂y out of your hand when he saw that you were sent to execute judgment and vengeance on the Mitsrı̂y? And I delivered you out of his hand, and you did perform the signs and wonders which you were sent to perform in Mitsrayim against Parôh, and against all his house, and against his servants and his people.”

Now everything makes sense; now I can truly understand what happened. Maśṭêmâh was commanding the Egyptians, and when he saw that Yahuah had sent Môsheh to deliver His people, he tried to kill Môsheh on the way in order to free Mitsrayim (Egypt).

5.4 Maśṭêmâh with the Egyptians

(The spirit of destruction that opposed Yâshârêl).
Understand that the people of Yâshârêl were slaves in Egypt, and that the prince Maśṭêmâh stood as leader of the Egyptians, working oppression through the Egyptians against Yâshârêl.

Yôbêl (Jubilees) — Chapter 48: Verses 9–13:

“And the prince Mastêmâ stood up against you, and sought to cast you into the hands of Parôh, and he helped the Mitsrı̂y sorcerers, and they stood up and wrought before you. The evils indeed we permitted them to work, but the remedies we did not allow to be wrought by their hands. And Yahuah smote them with malignant ulcers, and they were not able to stand, for we destroyed them so that they could not perform a single sign. And notwithstanding all these signs and wonders the prince Mastêmâ was not put to shame because he took courage and cried to the Mitsrı̂y to pursue after you with all the powers of the Mitsrı̂y, with their chariots, and with their horses, and with all the hosts of the peoples of Mitsrayim. And I stood between the Mitsrı̂y and Yâshârêl, and we delivered Yâshârêl out of his hand, and out of the hand of his people, and Yahuah brought them through the midst of the sea as if it were dry land.”

We have always read that Yahuah hardened Pharaoh’s heart to display His power; however, Jubilees shows us the full panorama, how the prince Maśṭêmâh is behind the Egyptians, and Yahuah uses their pride to harden the heart of Pharaoh and the Egyptians in order to display His marvelous power.

5.5 Maśṭêmâh bound and the people delivered

(Judgment upon the adversary during the redemption of Yâshârêl).
The influence of Maśṭêmâh was so great over the people who serve Maśṭêmâh (Egypt) that it was necessary to bind Maśṭêmâh to free the people of Yâshârêl.

Yôbêl (Jubilees) — Chapter 48: Verses 15–18:

“And on the fourteenth day and on the fifteenth and on the sixt