A Matter of Circumcision or No? As I was watching Kenny Russell's (Bulldozer Faith) most recent Sabbath teaching entitled "Press On!," the text of which he based his message being Philippians 3, I became fixated on verses 2 and 3 of that chapter. It is here that Paul...
The Realities of Covenant Blessings in this World-Covenant Lessons Learned from Isaac-STAR-24
Clarify Chosen STAR-23 Post
Before we begin our reading discussion for this week, I wanted to add just a thought to last week’s post entitled “How do we know if we have been chosen to be in covenant with God.”
If you’ve not had the opportunity to read or listen to that post, I would encourage you to do so even though it was based primarily on last week’s Torah Reading. The content of that post is evergreen. So, there is no timeframe in which it must be read. And I will have the link to that post in today’s transcript for your convenience.
In that post I spent a great deal of time discussing the realities that are associated with our chosen status. And I emphasized that scripture clearly reveals that Yah chooses those with whom He will enter a covenant relationship with. So then, it can be safely understood that Yah chooses us, as opposed to us choosing Him.
What I failed to mention in that discussion, however, was the fact that one’s chosen status doesn’t mean that one gives-up or loses their free will. In fact, being chosen of Yah doesn’t mean that one can’t lose their salvation. Chosen doesn’t mean that one can’t forfeit your chosen status.
Scripture provides ample examples of those who have and will forfeit their chosen status:
Yisra’el was chosen of Yah, yet they broke covenant with Him. Yah purged many, save the remnant. In purging the many, Yah made room for the Gentile to be grafted into the Chosen People—the commonwealth of Yisra’el (Rom. 11).
Moshe was chosen to lead the people into the Promised Land. But he messed up and forfeited that opportunity.
Y’shua chose Judas to be a disciple. But in the end, Judas betrayed Y’shua.
Yochanan/John the Revelator wrote of those who were chosen, but who also failed to overcome, resulting in their names being blotted out of the Lamb’s Book of Life (Rev. 3:5; cf. 21:27).
And there are of course several other examples that support my point.
But I just wanted to bring to your attention that being chosen of Yah to be in covenant with Him doesn’t mean that one has arrived. It just means that he or she was chosen of Yah. And that chosen status is then his or hers to lose.
I trust that this has helped clarify some of the issues associated with this controversial issue of Being Chosen of Yah.
And with that, I will let this subject rest…at least for now.
So, let’s get into today’s Reading Discussion.
This is “The Realities of Covenant Blessings in this World.” It is the 24th parshah or portion of our 3-year Torah Reading Cycle. It’s found in Genesis or Bereshit, 26:12-35. We will be covering the entire reading today, as the entire reading touches upon various aspects of the realities of covenant blessings in this world, or rather, despite the evils of this world.
As in our previous STAR discussions, I’ll be referencing Robert Alter’s translation of the text, from his “The Five Books of Moses” publication.
The Themes and Keywords of our Reading
Now, our reading today consists of a number of themes and key concepts that I want us to keep an eye open for. And those themes and key concepts include:
- Covenant
- The miraculous in the life of the covenant believer
- Operating in covenant in the midst of strife
- Blessings (abundant)
- Getting along with others
- Confirming the reality of covenant in our lives
- Favor with Yah and with Men
- Calling upon Yah’s Name/Invoking Yah’s Name
- The scourge of envy and its impact on our covenant walk
- Evidence of our favored and covenant status
- Defying the elements and principles of covenant
- Being a Peacemaking and peace loving covenant people
- Prosperity
So then, let’s delve into our Reading, beginning with verse 12 of the 26th chapter of Bereshit/Genesis.
26:12. And Isaac sowed in that land and he reaped that year a hundredfold, and YHVH blessed him.
We must keep in mind the context of the overall story here involving Yitschaq. Now, we did not cover Yitschaq’s little run-in with Abimelech in last week’s Torah Reading. But suffice to say, Yitschaq’s run-in with Abimelech, king of Gerar (king of the Philistines) was eerily similar to that experienced by his father Avraham many years prior. It was during that encounter that Avraham tells Abimelech, King of Gerar, that Sarah, his wife, was his sister. And this encounter led to Sarah, as the text notes, being taken by Abimelech (Gen. 20:1-2). But Yah came to Abimelech in a dream that night and warned him that if he touched Sarah, that he would be “a dead man” (Gen. 20:3). This in turn led Abimelech confronting Avraham about the deception which Avraham ultimately confessed to. Fearing Sarah could be molested by any one of the men of Gerar, and or Avraham assaulted or killed over Sarah, Abimelech addresses an edict to his people declaring that Avraham and Sarah were protected people in his kingdom who were not to be touched by any Philistine. Abimelech then recompensed Avraham with much material wealth and so forth (Gen. 20:4-18).
And so, in our focus passage here, we see almost a verbatim repeat of this incident/encounter. This time instead of Abimelech, Avraham and Sarah it was Abimelech, Yitschaq and Rivkah.
Yitschaq along with his family, fleeing a regional famine, takes refuge in Gerar. Fearing for his life, just like his daddy before him, puts forth the story that Rivkah was his sister. This time, however, Abimelech witnesses an intimate moment between Yitschaq and his wife Rivkah (aka Rebecca) before Rivkah could be taken by him, which likewise leads to Abimelech confronting Yitschaq about the deception, making an edict in Gerar that Yitschaq and Rivkah were his protected guests. And that’s where this story ends as far as our bibles are concerned.
However, we find in the extra-biblical book of Jasher that Abimelech, like he did in Avraham’s case, recompensed Yitschaq with great material possessions in response to the encounter. This is not mentioned in our text. But if we are to believe the witness of Jasher, this would explain Yitschaq being in possession of a parcel of land in which to plant a field of crops which the text describes as bearing 100-fold returns for our patriarch here.
It must be mentioned that the blessing of the land may have come from Abimelech, but the abundant, 100-fold harvest of crops enjoyed by Yitschaq undeniably came from Yah. It was a miracle enacted by Yah during a regional famine.
And so, what we have here is a manifestation of the miraculous taking place in the life of the perpetuator of the covenant. The miraculous is often manifested in the life of the covenant-keeper, even during physical impediments such as a famine. And as we saw in the life of Avraham, Yitschaq’s covenant-attached prosperity was not of the natural, but of the miraculous.
Now, if you are of my generation, and you had any exposure to the “name it, claim it,” “health, wealth and prosperity movement” of a couple decades ago, you might recall that this passage was a very popular one used by some evangelical preachers and teachers to promote their ministry agendas, and most importantly, to line their pockets with an overflow of cash from their followers. The twisted teaching that came out of these movements, undergirded/supported by this passage of Torah, was that if a follower of their ministry were to plant seeds into their ministry, the follower would reap a 100-fold return on their sowing. In other words, if these preachers’ followers would send them money, they would be abundantly, overwhelmingly blessed in the form of jobs, income, health, material possessions, new wives and husbands, wealth and such. Needless to say, many fell for these schemes. Many gave all they had in anticipation of getting so much more back from God for their sowing of financial support of these “jacklegged ministries.” All the while, unfortunately, these false teachers became disgustingly wealthy from their manipulation of Torah. Many of these same deceivers are still at it even today. But these charlatans will ironically reap what they’ve so devilishly sown. These will no doubt have their place in the lake of fire for their intentional twisting and manipulation of Yah’s Word for purposes of enriching themselves.
It isn’t rocket science to see that this passage of our reading has nothing to do with such foolishness as the “name it, claim it,” “health, wealth and prosperity” perversion. What this passage teaches Yah’s elect is that Yah will abundantly bless those whom he establishes a covenant relationship with.
It should also go without saying that any material blessings that come to us by virtue of our covenant relationship with Yah, is overshadowed by abundant spiritual blessings. In other words, we may not receive much in terms of material wealth in this life that is directly tied to our covenant relationship with Yah. But rather, the one operating in covenant is to expect a different kind of blessing.
In fact, we are told by our Master to “lay up for ourselves treasure in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal” (Mat. 6:20; KJV). Master proclaimed that He’d come to this earth that we might have life and have that life more abundantly (Joh. 10:10). And so, our Master’s emphasis was placed on the spiritual benefits of covenant as opposed to the material. Master went so far as to tell some of those who wanted to become His disciples and follow Him, that they sell their material possessions and give their proceeds to the poor first as a witness that they’ve given their all to follow Him (Mat. 19:21).
So important was our Master’s focus on this transition from the material to the spiritual that He assured His disciples:
“Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for My sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life” (Mar. 10:30; ESV).
So, we see somewhat of a shift from the physical to the spiritual in terms of covenant-originated blessings. The patriarchs of our Faith received abundant blessings by virtue of their covenant relationship with Yah in the form of material wealth, divine health, and security (Deu. 4:40; 5:16-18; 12:25-28; 19:13). As long as they kept covenant with Yah, which included them keeping and walking in Torah, they would be abundantly blessed in all areas of their lives. And we see this manifested throughout the Tanach: Whenever Yisra’el walked in covenant, they were individually and nationally blessed. Whenever she broke covenant with Yah, she suffered famine, abject poverty, sickness, and death.
But this shifting in emphasis in terms of blessings is embodied in Shaul’s teaching that scripture teaches us kingdom concepts from a natural perspective first. And then we are led to understand the spiritual applications of those same kingdom concepts (1 Cor. 15:46). Master’s emphasis on the spiritual is further embodied in his pronouncement to the Samaritan Woman at Ya’achov’s Well that the true worshiper of Yah would transition from that of the physical or natural to that of Spirit and Truth (Joh. 4:23-24).
Now, in terms of those material blessings, the one thing that we can count on in this life is that Yah will take care of all our needs. Master informed His disciples in His Sermon on the Mount that if they sought first the Malchut Elohim—the Kingdom of Yah—then all their needs would be met by Abba Father (Mat. 6:33).
Am I saying that Father won’t bless His chosen ones with material blessings in the here and now? Absolutely not. I’m a witness and testimony to this myself. Are we materially wealthy or bountifully prosperous? Not by any stretch of the imagination. But I can say without equivocation that Abba fulfills all our needs and then some. Praise Yah!
26:13. And the man (Yitschaq) became ever greater until he was very great.
26:14. And he had possessions of flocks and of herds and many slaves, and the Philistines envied him.
We will see over the course of the next 8-verses that the Philistine’s envy or jealousy over Yitschaq’s material prosperity was manifested in his being asked to leave Gerar by their leader Abimelech and the shepherds of Gerar covering over Avraham’s wells, which were a critical source of water for Yitschaq and all that was his.
Some Torah commentators see this jealousy that Yitschaq experienced from his Philistine neighbors as part and parcel of the anti-Jewish experience. That it is illustrative of what we know today as anti-Semitism, in which it can be argued that anti-Semitism is in great part driven by envy on the part of Yisra’el’s neighbors.
Along these lines of thinking, there is a Rabbinic saying that:
“What happened to the Patriarchs, repeats itself in the life of their descendants” (J. H. Hertz; pg. 96 of Torah Haftorah). And I would certainly agree with this thinking.
26:15. And all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the days of Avraham his father, the Philistines blocked up, filling them with earth.
26:16. And Abimelech said to Yitschaq, “Go away from us, for you have grown far too powerful for us.”
26:17. And Yitschaq went off from there and encamped in the wadi of Gerar (I.e., “nahal,” which is a dry riverbed that often conceals underground water sources), and he dwelled there.
26:18. And Yitschaq dug anew the wells of water that had been dug in the days of Avraham his father, which the Philistines had blocked up after Avraham’s death, and he gave them names, like the names his father had called them.
Let me quickly acknowledge here one of Yitschaq’s wonderful character traits. In his naming these wells that his father Avraham had established many years prior, we see beautifully displayed his humility (in him not renaming them to fit his own agenda) and respect for his father. The naming of wells and other landmarks in the ANE was a pretty big deal. And we’ll get into why it was a big deal in our exposition of verse 20.
Nevertheless, operating in covenant compels us to walk in humility and exercise proper respect for those of our Faith who have gone on before us (Exo. 20:12; Deu. 5:16; 8:2, 16; Mat. 15:4-6; 18:4; 19:19; 23:12; Jam. 4:10; 1 Pet. 5:6). It keeps us grounded and our hearts properly focused on what is important and where we need to go, and ultimately lead to our inheriting the earth. This according to Master (Mat. 5:5).
26:19. And Yitschaq’s servants dug in the wadi, and they found there a well of fresh water (in some translations, “they found living water.”)
26:20. And the shepherds of Gerar quarreled with Yitschaq’s shepherds, saying, “The water is ours.” And he called the name of the well Esek (aka, “contention”), for they had contended with him.
ANE wells served a critical, obvious purpose for a village and tribe. They did require a moderate amount of upkeep to avoid a buildup of silt and collapse on itself. Because of the critical purpose that these wells served in the very existence of ANE villages and tribes, it was not unusual for conflict to break-out between competing villages and tribes for these precious water sources. This is in essence what we’re seeing played out here in this and the next couple verses.
Interestingly, the naming of wells was the primary means of claiming ownership in the ANE. And so, it followed that once the name of a well would have been fully established, as in the case of all the wells Avraham established in his day, ownership of those wells could easily be determined and respected. Or not, as in this case. Regardless, the naming of such wells also was generational in that ownership was passed down through the family line.
So, what these quarrelsome shepherds were saying in their covering over of the wells that Avraham, Yitschaq’s father had dug, was something to the effect of “if we can’t have the water, nobody should” (Alter). This is what some might call “scorched earth” mentality, especially from the perspective that water in that region meant the difference between life and death in many cases. This could also be viewed as a very early, primitive manifestation of terrorism perpetrated against Yah’s covenant people. This version of nascent terrorism was envy/jealousy driven. And we know that Torah prohibits his people being envious or jealous or covetous of others (Rom. 1:29; 1 Tim. 6:4; Tit. 3:3; Jas. 4:5).
Now, jealousy from a Hebraic perspective has to do with the suspicion or knowledge a husband might have towards his wife’s infidelity. Abba recognized that jealousy is one of the strongest passions a man, or for that matter a woman, could experience (Num. 5:14; Pro. 6:34). Interestingly enough, Abba does not prohibit such emotion. He referred to Himself as being Jealous by name (Exo. 34:14), as He was jealous over His beloved Yisra’el (Deu. 5:9; 6:14; Jos. 24:19) and the Land (Joe. 2:18; Zec. 1:14; 8:2). There is, in terms of Yah’s righteous and just jealousy, this sense of a marriage-covenant-agreement that exists between Himself and his bride Yisra’el. However, His bride often played the harlot and broke the marriage-agreement/marriage-covenant invoking Yah’s jealousy.
Yah remains jealous over us, His beloved, under the auspices of the renewed covenant to the extent that we’ve been called to have no other gods before His face (Exo. 20:3). Yochanan the Revelator instructed that his readers keep themselves from idols (1 Joh. 5:21). Shaul described him and his oversight of the Messianic Assemblies in Corinth as that of him being a husband to the assemblies and that he was jealous over them with a godly jealousy (2 Cor. 11:2). It wasn’t that he envied that which his Corinthian brethren possessed, but rather, he was protective of them from the standpoint of ensuring that they would not be misled into teaching and doctrinal errors and that they remain faithful to his teachings.
But the jealousy that we see displayed here in our Torah Reading is one that Yah prohibits His elect to engage in:
“Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor’s (Exo. 20:17; cf. Deu. 5:21). Shaul instructed his Messianic Roman readers not to covet or be jealous of one another’s possessions (Rom. 13:9).
Jealousy/covetousness/envy is probably one of the most insidious of sins. For when it is conceived in the heart of a man or woman, it has the potential of leading to greater and more serious sins such as stealing, theft, fornication and adultery, assault, and murder. And that which we see these Philistine shepherds engaging in—their sabotaging Yitschaq’s father’s wells and him being forced out of Abimelech’s region–began with envy which was born out of them seeing Yitschaq waxing great and being abundantly and miraculously blessed of Yah.
And what we see in Yitschaq’s response to Abimelech’s expelling him from his region and these Philistine shepherds’ jealous-driven acts of terrorism directed towards his father’s wells, is humility and peacemaking. Yitschaq does not retaliate, but simply searches out another source of water. Yitschaq does not resist Abimelech’s expelling of him from his region but complied with humility. He sought peace and did everything in his power to avoid strife.
Master taught that those of His who are peacemakers will be called children of Yah (Mat. 5:9).
There was an adage that one repays evil that is done to him or her with the same or equal evil. However, Master taught that His disciples must not retaliate against anyone who does them wrong. But rather, if someone hits them on the right cheek, that they let them hit them on the left cheek as well. And if someone wants to sue them for something His disciples possessed, that they give them what they coveted of theirs and more (Mat. 5:39-40; CJB).
That which Yitschaq displayed, and Master Yahoshua taught is certainly not the behavior the world endorses or practices. And the irony is that I’ve run into so-called devout Christians who have effectively said that they didn’t care what Jesus said here. According to these, if someone were to strike them, they were going to strike them back with even greater force with intent to do greater harm to them.
Truly, as a covenant people, we are called to behave in accordance with Yah’s Torah and Yahoshua’s teachings and principles. And what we see played out here in our Reading is Yitschaq (as did his father) behaving and operating in covenant, despite the natural temptation to retaliate against those that were terrorizing him. In a sense, I kind of think that Yitschaq realized that his substance and sustenance and wellbeing came exclusively from Yah. No man gives what Yah doesn’t allow, ordains, or orders. And no man can out-give or out-bless Yah. Yah’s sovereign providence and good will towards His elect will always overshadow the whims and agendas of man.
26:21. And they dug another well and they quarreled over it, too, and he called its name Sitnah (aka accusation or hostility).
26:22. And he pulled up stakes from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it, and he called its name Rehoboth (aka open spaces), and he said, “For now YHVH has given us space that we may be fruitful in the land.”
26:23. And he went up from there to Beersheba.
26:24. And YHVH appeared unto him on that night and said, “I am the Elohim of Avraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you, and I will bless you and I will multiply your seed for the sake of Avraham My servant.
What we see played out here in this verse between Yah and Yitschaq is Yah repeating what took place between Him and Avraham many decades before. For it was immediately after Avraham had overwhelmingly routed the Assyrian hoards that sacked the cities of the Plain and kidnapped his nephew Lot that Yah’s Torah tells us:
Avram was no doubt at this point a “marked” man. Not only was he immensely wealthy as evidenced in Genesis/Bereshit 13:4 and in his encounter with the Melekzedek as recorded in Genesis/Bereshit 14:18-24, but he was the known leader of the band of warriors that routed the Assyrian hoards that came against the cities of the plain (Gen. 14:1-17). And it is not too much of a stretch to think that maybe Avram had some concerns being in such a vulnerable position in the region. For he had made a lot of enemies in that raid. Thus, the reason Yah may have prefaced His pronouncement to Him to “fear not” (Gen. 15:1). For Yah vowed by virtue of the covenant He was cutting with Avram, that He would be Avram’s shield, and He would be the source of Avram’s continued prosperity (15:1b).
And so, we see here in verse 24 of our reading that Yah tells Yitschaq almost the same thing, stating to him that He (Yah), the Elohim of His father Avraham, was with him, and that he would continue to prosper him and perpetuate his seed. What a beautiful encounter Yitschaq had here with the Creator of the Universe. Yah essentially tells Yitschaq that he need not worry about those who set out to undermine his blessed existence in the Land, for He (Yah) not only had His back (physically speaking), but He also intended to continue to prosper him by virtue of the covenant He’d established with his father Avraham. And not only protect and prosper him, but Yah would also perpetuate the covenant through him and his seed. All this Yah would do on Yitschaq’s behalf despite the evil of the world around him.
Another aspect of this verse that speaks so powerfully to me has to do with the phraseology Yah uses in His informing Yitschaq that he was chosen to perpetuate the covenant He’d made with his father Avraham. He tells Yitschaq that the covenant blessings he was receiving and would also later receive came by virtue of Avraham. Yah says to Yitschaq that “I will bless you and I will multiply your seed for the sake of Avraham My servant.” Indeed, in this case, the faithful obedience of the father (Avraham) was the thing that secured the son’s blessings (Yitschaq). Avraham’s faithful obedience perpetuated the covenant and all its blessing down to Yitschaq.
What does this say to us today beloved? Well, personally, as a father of three-grown children, I being in covenant with Yah, can hope to expect that the blessings I receive from my relationship with Yah will in some form or another trickle down to my children. They may not enter covenant with Yah, although I desperately hope they will at some point, but by virtue of the mantle of covenant blessings Yah has placed over Hilary and me, some of those same blessings extend over to them. And I can certainly attest to this. My children enjoy blessings that I believe come to them in great part because of our faithful obedient covenant relationship with Yah. I truly believe that.
Rav Shaul wrote of this to the Roman Messianic Assemblies:
“For Yah’s free gifts and His calling are irrevocable” (11:29).
The love Yah has for those of us whom He has chosen and established a covenant with has no bounds. Those blessings-gifts-callings-are “immutable” says Bible Commentator Matthew Henry. For Yah loves His chosen ones to the end.
And so, that love He has for us manifests in so many ways, including that of blessings being passed down to our children. “For the sake of Avraham My Servant” Yah says. May it also be read; I will bless you and multiply your seed for the sake of Rod My servant.
26:25. And he (Yitschaq) built an altar there and he invoked the Name of YHVH, and he pitched his tent there, and Yitschaq’s servants began digging a well there.
This verse informs us of three things Yitschaq does that are tied to the covenant he had perpetuated. (1) He built an altar there in Beersheba. The building of and use of an altar by Yah’s people, served as a central place of worship for them in whatever region they dwelled. It served to recognize, at least in the heart and mind of Yitschaq, the holiness—the set-apartness of the place, since it was the place where Yah affirmed the perpetuation of the covenant to and through him by Yah Himself. (2) It was here, at this place, that Yitschaq “invoked” or “called upon” the Name of YHVH.
Invoking or calling on the Name of Yah in Rabbinic circles means one’s open proclamation of the knowledge of the One True God (Talmud sources). The Targum (Jewish Commentary Translation of Torah) reads:
“And he (I.e., Yitschaq) builded there an altar, and PRAYED IN THE NAME OF THE LORD…”
The thinking here is that one in covenant with YHVH Elohim, worships, honors, and declares the reality of YHVH, the One and only true and living Elohim amid a people with opposing beliefs and the gods they worshiped. It was a sign of complete and total defiance of the people’s pagan practices and beliefs. The combination of the building of the altar along with the covenant-keeper’s worship, which effectively could be call “invoking” or “calling on the Name of Yah,” served as sort of a poke in the eye of the patron god(s) of that region.
And (3) Yitschaq pitched his tent there in Beersheba. This served to lay his claim to the parcel of land there in Beersheba, which beforehand was unclaimed land. Not only was he establishing somewhat of a home there, but by virtue of his covenant relationship with the Creator of the Universe, Yah’s presence would be established there from time-to-time as well. Yitschaq and His Elohim brazenly came into the enemy’s territory and set-up shop.
26:26. And Abimelech came to him from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his councilor (some English translations read his friend) and Phicol captain of his troops.
26:27. And Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me when you have been hostile toward me and have sent me away from you?
26:28. And they said, “We have clearly seen that YHVH is with you, and we thought—Let there be an oath between our two sides, between you and us, and let us seal a pact with you (some English translation read an oath or sworn agreement with you),
26:29. that you will do no harm to us, just as we have not touched you, and just as we have done toward you only good, sending you away in peace. Be you hence blessed of YHVH.
We must bear in mind here that these leaders were pretty old, in particular Abimelech and Phicol who we may recall dealt similarly with Yitschaq’s dad Avraham back in Bereshit/Genesis 21. During that time, Avraham too was having to contend with disputes over wells in and around Gerar. Seems this was a never ending, generational problem in the region. And so, here we go again, but this time with Yitschaq.
But there’s something about this Abimelech character that suggests he was at the very least, knowledgeable of YHVH, and maybe even feared Yah to some lesser or greater extent. I doubt he worshiped Yah and I’m almost certain he was a card-carrying pagan of the Canaanite pantheon of demigods. However, he knew which side his spiritual bread was buttered, and he recognized that, just like his father, Yitschaq had a relationship with YHVH; that Yitschaq and all that he had was protected by Yah. Abimelech obviously would have recalled that Yitschaq’s and Avraham’s God threatened his life when had taken Sarah, Yitschaq’s mom and Avraham’s wife, into his house, having been deceived into believing she was Avraham’s sister (Bereshit/Genesis 20).
And like his father before him, Abimelech could clearly see that Yitschaq, because of his relationship with YHVH, had grown into a force to be reckoned with in that region, having great material wealth and human resources at his disposal. The text denotes that Yitschaq had grown to be “very great” with possessions of flocks and herds and a great many slaves (verses 13 and 14). And of course, all this was quite apparent to the Philistines, and in particular Abimelech.
And so, fearing Yitschaq to be an existential threat to him and his friends, we see him go to the patriarch with “hat in hand” to strike a peace agreement with him. Obviously, he was taking into account how he mistreated him by previously sending him away, and now the ongoing disputes over water sources no doubt made him start to think that maybe he needed to make amends with Yitschaq before things spiraled too far out of hand between them. It’s funny how he takes credit for Yitschaq’s wellbeing, knowing full well that it was Yitschaq’s Elohim that brought about Yitschaq’s wellbeing. Thus, Abimelech caters to Yitschaq and plays into Yitschaq’s blessed of Yah status. What’s that adage: “Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer? Maybe this is what Abimelech was playing out here.
Nevertheless, even in the midst of Abimelech’s political jockeying, Yitschaq remains a peace-loving man of Yah. Which provides us an example of how we should operate in the world. Regardless how troublesome people may be towards us, it behooves us to trust Yah and operate in and promote peace.
Shaul instructed his Roman Messianic readers:
(14) Bless them which persecute you: bless and curse not. (15) Rejoice with them that do rejoice and weep with them that weep. (16) Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things (or rather, don’t think yourselves better than others), but condescend to men of low estate (or rather, associate with humble folk). Be not wise in your own conceits (or rather, don’t be conceited). (17) Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. (18) If it is possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. (19) Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath (or rather, leave the situation to Yah’s handling): for it is written, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay,” saith Yah (12:14-19; KJV).
Master instructed that we be salt in the earth. And in so doing, have peace one with another (Mar. 9:50).
And certainly, Yitschaq displayed all these virtues in his handling of the ruffians in Gerar.
26:30. And he (Yitschaq) made them a feast and they ate and drank.
The ensuing meal was a common ANE practice and tradition after business and relational deals were struck. The meal validated the agreement that was made between the participants of that agreement.
26:31. And they rose early in the morning and swore to each other, and Isaac sent them away, and they went from him in peace.
26:32. And it happened on that day that Isaac’s servants came and told him of the well they had dug, and they said to him, “We have found water.”
26:33. And he called it Shibah, therefore the name of the town is Beersheba to this day.
Staying true to the ANE practice of naming water sources, Yitschaq’s naming of this new water source is tied to the oath that Yitschaq made with Abimelech, although Shibah means seven.
But we see here that Yah honors Yitschaq and the covenant he had with him by providing him a viable, this time, undisputed water source.
26:34. (Shifting story lines here) And Esau was forty years old and he took as wife Judith, the daughter of Beeri the Hittite and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite.
26:35. And they were a provocation to Isaac and to Rebekah.
Now, the first thing that pops into my mind when I read these two concluding verses to our Reading is that Esau clearly is not following the pattern and protocols of the covenant his father had with Yah. It was just a couple readings ago that we had Avraham sending Eliezer his servant to his kinsfolk in Nahor of Mesopotamia to find Yitschaq a wife (Bereshit/Gen. 24). If you recall from that Reading Discussion, Avraham was quite explicit to Eliezer that Yitschaq was not to marry any Canaanite woman. Why this was so is not delineated in the text. But for Yitschaq to marry a Canaanite woman, it would have run contrary to the tenets and perpetuation of the covenant Avraham had with Yah. And we know that during the Conquest of the Land by Joshua (Yahshua) that the Canaanites were “Marked for Destruction” because of their abominable, pagan ways.
And here we have Esau, who according to traditional practices of the ANE, should have been next in line to perpetuate the covenant, goes off and marries, not just one Canaanite woman, but two. So, it would appear evident that he was going out of his way to disqualify himself from receiving the covenant that ultimately would go to Ya’achov. Why Moshe placed these two verses into the narrative is uncertain. But it certainly serves the greater point of showing the contrast between the one who was chosen of Yah to perpetuate the covenant versus the one who was not chosen of Yah to receive the covenant.
Practical Halachah-Thoughts and Reflections
For me, this Reading/Parshah spoke to the reality that Yah’s covenant blessings remain viable and active, even amid strife. Even in the midst of turmoil. Even in the midst of evil. His covenant blessings are immutable. They’re not here today and gone tomorrow. Yah is a constant and He does not change. His love for us is boundless.
The world throws so much at us, especially these days. As I’ve mentioned in a previous blog post, the world is not our friend. It is especially hostile to Yah’s elect.
Yet, as ominous as this may sound to some, our Torah Reading provides us a blessed assurance that the Elohim of our patriarch Avraham is with us. And despite whatever craziness may be going on around us today, we need not fear. For Yah has our back. And by virtue of the covenant He cut with the patriarchs of old, by virtue of their faithful obedience to Him and the covenant He established with them, Yah will bless us and bless our seed.
And all that He asks of us is that we remain faithful and obedient to Him. That we look not to man to prosper us. That we look not to man to establish our place in society. That we look not to man to sustain us. But instead, look to Yah, through Yahoshua Messiah, the author and finisher of our Faith, to keep and bless us (Heb. 12:2).
Master admonished us to focus on the things of the Kingdom and seek after Yah’s righteousness. In so doing, Yah will provide for our every need (Mat. 6:33). Yah will keep us and bless us.
During these turbulent times, so many of us have had to lean on this righteous Truth. Some of us have had our livelihoods threatened by the world because we refused to bow a knee to Baal. Yet through it all, Yah has brought us through and blessed us in the process. And that’s because Yah’s promises are immutable and because He loves His chosen ones.
The Psalmist wrote:
“I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread” (37:25; KJV).
Oh, the blessings that we may have realized during the storms of this life may not have been exorbitant or noteworthy by the world’s standards. But they were exorbitant by Kingdom standards. If not but for the peace of Yah that reigns in our lives that “passeth all understanding” (Phi. 4:7). If not but for Yah meeting our needs when there were no visible realized resources to do so. If not but for Yah’s Ruach (Yah’s precious Holy Spirit) filling us with His joy (Rom. 15:13). If not but for Yah’s divine health and healing, even when those around us are failing. If not but for Yah keeping and blessing our children despite their refusal to hearken to Yah’s salvation, covenant call.
Despite the world seeking our demise, Yah’s Ruach/Spirit dwelling within us compels us to operate in peace and uphold the tenets of the covenant He established with our forefathers and with us.
Our Torah Reading also emphasizes to us that when we Trust Yah and are obedient to His instructions and His leading, we can expect Yah to bring about a 100-fold return in our sanctioned efforts and endeavors. No, I’m not talking about sending Yah’s money to those who promise great wealth, prosperity, and health in return. I’m talking instead about those things that Yah sanctions and leads us to do.
In the midst of a regional famine, Yah directed Yitschaq to not go to Egypt (I.e., not go the route that the world would expect him to take to escape the famine), but instead to “dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of; sojourn in this land, and I will bless thee…” (26:2-3). And Yitschaq was faithful and obedient to do what Yah instructed Him to do. And look what happened to him. Yah prospered him. Yah prospered him so much that it spurred envy amongst his Philistine neighbors. Yitschaq’s faithful obedience led to his reaping a hundredfold in his planting endeavors (vs. 12). It led to Yitschaq becoming exceedingly wealthy in the Land (26:13). It led to him amassing flocks, cattle, and a great household as well (26:14). And most importantly, it led to Yah perpetuating the covenant He’d made with Avraham through him (26:24).
Did Yitschaq’s blessings come about without any challenges? Of course not. In fact, it came with a great deal of strife and contention with his Philistine neighbors. These went out of their way to make Yitschaq’s life challenging at best.
But Yitschaq remained at peace and rested, not in the ways of man which would have been to recompense evil with evil, but he rested and operated in the Ways of Yah, which brought Him even greater blessings.
This says to us that if we are willing to walk and operate obediently and faithfully in covenant, we stand to realize blessings, some of which we can’t even imagine. Those blessings do not come by virtue of how wonderful a person we may be, although Yah does require us to be obedient and trusting of Him in the process. But He will bless us (materially and spiritually) because He promised to do so.
We are Yah’s chosen, set-apart ones. Once wild olive branches that have now, under the auspices of the renewed covenant, become grafted branches into the commonwealth of Yisra’el. In so being, we are eligible to partake of the root and the fatness that is the covenant promises and blessings Yah established with Yisra’el. So let us walk in that reality and expect the blessings which are part and parcel of our great inheritance. All praises to Yah from whom all blessings flow.
I pray that you were encouraged and empowered by this Reading Discussion today. And it is my hope, trust, and prayer that you will endeavor to higher heights and deeper depths in your walk with Yahoshua Messiah. May you take full ownership of the covenant that has been perpetuated to and through you, all the while glorifying and imaging our heavenly Father in all the earth.
And so, until next time, may you be most blessed fellow saints in training. Shabbat Shalom. Shavu’tov. Take care.
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