4th Portion
[29 Oct - 4Nov 2023]
Theme of the Book of Genesis:
Desire for life, to choose life and to create!
Meaning of "vayera" = "and He appeared"
This week's Torah portions:
Sunday: Genesis 18:1-14
Monday: Genesis 18:15-33
Tuesday: Genesis 19:1-20
Wednesday: Genesis 19:21-21:4
Thursday: Genesis 21:5-21
Friday: Genesis 21:22-34
Shabbat: Genesis 22:1-24 & 2 Kings 4:21-37
Apostolic Writings:
Luke 1:26-38
Luke 24:36-53
2 Peter 2:4-11
Daily Bread for Busy Moms portions:
Joshua 21-24
Judges 1-2
Psalms 20-25
Matthew 16:1-21:22
Vayera means "and He appeared"... God appeared to Abraham.
In this parashat we read about Lot's wife that turned into a salt pillar when she looked back as they left Sodom. They were instructed to not look back. In the same way that the Israelites, when they left Egypt, were not to look back and desire the things of Egypt which they left behind. From this alone there is a lesson to be learned for us! When God calls us to "lech lecha" / go forth (3rd portion) - we should hold onto our promise and not look back.
After Lot's wife died, his daughters believed that they were the only ones left on earth and that the rest was wiped out like their mother. They desired an offspring so the two daughters decided to make their father drunk and sleep with him and they both fell pregnant. One daughter gave birth to Moab and the other gave birth to Amon. We know that the Moabites and the Amorites both at later stages became big enemies of Israel.
I always used to think that Abimelech was one person. Until I learned from Kol Kallah's teachings that just like the Egyptian king was called Pharaoh, the Philistine king was called Abimelech.
When Abraham moved to a city that was under Abimelech's reign, Abraham lied to them and told them that Sarah was his sister. Abimelech then took Sarah to his palace but God warned him in a dream that Abraham is Sarah's husband and that he should return Abraham's wife to him.
In parashat Bereshit (1st portion) we read about the order of creation. We first must have Light. We must have light entering our situations. In other words, we need revelation. But more than that - we also need a promise. When Abba gives us promises, He will reveal to us everything we need to know regarding that promise. And then we need to get onto the same page as God otherwise there will be a division - between what God knows about the situation and what we experience about the situation in the flesh. In the days of Creation the waters was separated - which is symbolic for us. The waters of the heavens symbolises what God knows. And the waters of the earth is what we see. The waters under the earth is what the enemy knows. In this instance where God showed Abimelech that Sarah was Abraham's wife - Abraham realised that it was God's confirmation. God made a promise to them and Abraham knew (through the confirmation) that He will keep it!
Later on in this parashat, Isaac is born. Over time, strife arose between Sarah & Isaac and Hagar & Ishmail. And we know that Abraham sent Hagar & Ishmail away. God saved Hagar & Ishmail in the desert by showing Hagar a water well. Once again water comes up. And we now know that water symbolises "seeing the promises of God."
This parashat also includes the part where God instructed Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, his son. What we have to realise is that Abraham at this stage was 113 years old and Isaac was 13 years old. Unless Isaac had agreed to what his father was about to do - there is no way that a 113 year old would have been able to get a 13 year old strapped down on an altar against his will. If Isaac didn't agree he would have put up a fight. Just before Abraham sacrificed Isaac, Abraham heard a voice from heaven which stopped him. And we know that Abraham then saw a ram which was stuck in a bush and Abraham sacrificed the ram. At the same time Abraham receives a message that Rebecca was born to a family member of his. And this is already the beginning of God's plan for Isaac and Rebecca's marriage.
Isaac's bride was born right after the ram (which would have been Isaac) was sacrificed. Isaac was a shadow of what's to come through Yeshua.
In the New Testament we read about Yeshua, the Lamb that was sacrificed for our sins. And when He rose from the dead - a Bride was born. We get to be Yeshua's Bride when we accept the salvation that's available to us and conform our lives according to His instructions.
The theme of this parashat is about receiving a word from God which divides what our circumstances are telling us vs what God is telling us. And enabling us to act on this word of God!
We read in Scripture that Abraham sent his servant to go and find a wife for Isaac. But what we don't necessarily realise is that Abraham already had a promise about Rebecca back from the time when he was about to sacrifice Isaac. God already gave him the word that there's a bride born for Isaac.
The Word which we receive from God will always change our situation. Our circumstances will tell us one thing, but we must hold onto the Word (promise) which God spoke over us - knowing that it WILL go into fulfillment! God's Word always brings hope!
Whenever we are faced with tough circumstances, we must ask ourselves "what is heaven declaring about my situation?" And then believe and act upon what heaven (God) says and then you WILL see miracles taking place!
The Bible constantly makes use of shadow images. A story that took place that serves as a shadow of something that's to come. Isaac and Rebecca is a shadow of Yeshua who came and the Bride being born through Him.
In Isaac's case - Sarah laughed and felt she was to old to have a child. In Yeshua's case - Mary probably thought she was way too young, she wasn't even married yet! Tiaan Nel said it so well in their Kol Kallah teachings, when he said "it's like God is in the business of impossible." How true is that?! God qualifies the unqualified! He makes the impossible possible!
Yeshua comes from the bloodline of Abraham through Mary. (Matt 1)
When we grasp this "shadow" concept that's present in the Bible, we see that Isaac was the promise of a nation that would be born. And Yeshua is the Saviour of this nation! Isaac would have been sacrificed but then there is one that comes in his place (the ram). A shadow of Yeshua that would come to die in our place. Yeshua came to fulfill (not abolish) it!
In Luke 24:36 and onwards we see that Yeshua appeared to His disciples and told them that it was necessary for Him to be crucified (verse 46). Yeshua had to die and rise again - so that we could live! Otherwise we deserve the same as Sodom & Gemora. But through Yeshua we have the opportunity to be saved! Through Him we have been made righteous!
Just like God saved Lot from the judgement of Sodom. In the same way we can be saved from the final judgment through Yeshua! Yeshua died for our sins and rose again so that a Bride could be prepared in righteousness!
We are called to prepare ourselves as the Bride through deeds of righteousness! God gave us His Word (the promise) and we have to study it and allow it to transform our lives so that we can walk in righteousness!
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Portion 4: Vayera (This blog you are reading now)
