How do we Know if We’ve Been Chosen to be in Covenant with God? –STAR 23

by | Mar 4, 2022 | Blog, Podcasts

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer's Sabbath Thought & Reflections

This is “How do we Know if we Have been Chosen to be in Covenant with God?” It is the 23rd parshah/reading of our 3-year Torah Reading Cycle. It’s found in Genesis or Bereshit, 25:1-26:11. It’s a longer reading than most in the 3-year reading cycle. But because the topic content I want to discuss with you today is primarily contained in only a portion of our reading, we’ll only be referencing those verses. So fear not beloved. We will make every effort to be focused on our topic for today.

 

And as in our previous STAR discussions, I’ll be referencing Robert Alter’s translation of the passage, from his “The Five Books of Moses” publication.

 

Now: This week’s Torah Reading basically consists of 5 parts or separate stories:

 

  1. It documents Avraham’s latter years where he marries Keturah and has six children through her. And let’s not forget that Avraham at that time was well over 140-years of age.

 

This portion of the reading goes on to mention Avraham’s conferring his wealth to Yitschaq his son: Yitschaq being the “son of promise;” the chosen one to perpetuate the covenant Yah made with Avraham. And the text makes sure we the reader knows the names and numbers of Avraham’s biological descendants, in great part to show that of the 8-children Avraham sired through Sarah, Hagar and Keturah, only one was chosen to perpetuate the covenant that Yah established with daddy Avraham.

 

And finally, this part of the reading briefly mentions the death of Avraham. Avraham was buried next to his wife Sarah, in the cave of Machpelah (25:1-11). And he died at the ripe old age of 175. What a life he lived, heh?

 

  1. Moshe provides a lineage of Ishma’el (25:12-18).

 

  1. Then we get into the story of the birth of Ya’achov and Esau, the sons of Rivkah (Rebecca) and Yitschaq (25:19-23).

 

  1. The exchanging of the birthright from Esau to Ya’achov (Jacob) over a bowl of lintel stew, popularly referred to as Esau despising his birthright (25:24-34).

 

  1. A second famine hits the Land of Canaan and Yitschaq relocates His family to Gerar where he has a slight run-in with Abimelech, king of Gerar/Philistines. (You may recall him from Avraham’s days, as recorded in chapter 20). It is here that Yah affirms to Yitschaq that he was chosen to perpetuate the covenant He’d made with His father Avraham (26:1-13).

 

Now, we won’t be examining this reading as we’ve done with other readings, where we do a verse-by-verse exposition of the reading and such. But for today, our focus passages will be 25:19-23 and portions of 26:1-13.

 

Our primary theme of focus will be on the essential concept of Yah’s sovereign providence, part of which has to do with Yah choosing those with whom He will be in covenant with.

 

Now, we teach, discuss and preach covenant quite a bit on this platform: the importance of covenant; the power of covenant; the blessings of covenant; the workings of covenant; even how to function and operate in covenant. But there is one aspect of covenant that we’ve not discussed, at least not here on this program. And that has to do with Yah establishing or determining who He will be in covenant with. Some call this concept “predestination,” a term Shaul used in some of his letters to the assemblies he oversaw, to describe the status or state of those who come into a true covenant relationship with Yah.

 

When I was meditating on this Reading early this week, seeking Yah’s direction on what He wanted me to glean the most from it, it was this essential concept of predestination—chosen status—that Father emphasized to me through His Ruach. And I’m so blessed to share this with you here today.

 

The Role of Torah in Revealing Yah’s Sovereign Providence

 

Among a great many things, Torah serves as a record and example of how covenant works as well as expressing covenant’s ultimate purpose.

 

How covenant works from the perspective of what’s involved in Yah entering into a covenant relationship with His chosen ones.

 

Covenant’s ultimate purpose from the perspective of Torah expressing the purpose of covenant. The bigger, 40,000 foot picture view of covenant being Yah’s Plan of Salvation, Restoration and Redemption for His human creation. We often view Torah only from a personal perspective and that’s generally fine. However, Yah’s overall purpose for covenant is to facilitate the bringing of many sons and daughters into the Kingdom; providing a pathway to salvation.

 

The Torah concept of covenant cannot be truly understood without first gaining an understanding of Yah’s Providence and Will. We may have our own personal agendas as it relates to our coming into covenant relationship with the Almighty. However, there can be no covenant relationship unless Yah wills it to be. That it fits into His divine Plan.

 

Covenant only operates within the framework of Yah’s divine providence. In other words, despite “all the best laid plans of mice and men” so to speak, it is Yah’s providence that dictates covenant. That dictates the terms of any and all covenants. That creates and maintains covenants. And Torah clearly reveals this Truth to us.

 

Contrary to the pride and error-ridden understanding of so many, human endeavors (aka, acts; plans; agendas; thinking; concerns; even that which they believe to be works to help Yah out) have no direct impact on Yah’s sovereign providence. Our best efforts, whether good, bad or indifferent, do not influence Yah’s sovereign providence. It is what it is. And again, our Torah Reading in many ways bears this Truth out.

 

Ya’achov was not chosen because he was a better person than Esau. For certainly we clearly see in our Torah reading that he had a “trickster” or “deceptive” heart, which we will see, comes back to bite him in his behind in the next Torah reading.

 

Ya’achov was chosen by Yah because of Yah’s sovereign providence, or what Messianic author and commentator Tim Hegg describes as “God’s mysterious providence.” And Ya’achov’s choosing was established well before his birth. How long before his birth? Possibly before the foundations of the earth were laid by our fearsome and powerful Elohim.

 

Yah’s Providence Defined

 

Providence (Gr. “Pronoia”) is defined in Fausset’s Bible Dictionary as simply “forethought.” The term is used only once in the so-called authorized English versions of the Bible in Acts 24:2.

 

When we refer to the topic of “Yah’s Providence,” what we’re really talking about is Yah’s omnipotence. Yah’s power. His supremacy and to a lesser extent, Yah’s uncontested sovereignty. And it is Yah’s providence that oversees all elements and workings of His creation. In every respect, Yah’s providence may be viewed as a “universal constant,” especially in the hearts and minds of Yah’s elect.

 

Nothing escapes Yah’s providence. Nothing is too small as it relates to His providence (e.g., a sparrows fall), although His providence does give greater value and attention to certain elements of His creation such as those who are His chosen ones:

 

“And not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before Yah? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: Ye are of more value than many sparrows” (Luk. 12:6-7; KJV modified).

 

And so we find revealed in this passage the Truth of Yah’s providence having an element of love and caring. This loving and caring aspect of Yah’s universal providence is conveyed to His chosen ones.

 

Yah’s providence cannot be appreciated without taking into account some of Yah’s immutable character traits which include His omnipotence; omniscience (all knowing); His omnipresence (his providence is not limited to time, and place; it’s everywhere); His holiness; His justice; His grace; wisdom; and mercy.

 

Nothing is too great nor too minuscule for Yah’s providence.

 

It can be said that the full extent of Yah’s providence is beyond human comprehension and explanation.

 

And this whole concept of Yah’s providence is based upon an understanding of Yah’s sovereignty. Yah is the Creator of all things:

 

“By the Word of Yehovah were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth…Yehovah looketh from heaven; He beholdeth all the sons of men from the place of His habitation He looketh forth upon all the inhabitants of the earth; He that fashioneth the hearts of them all, that considereth all their works. There is no king saved by multitude of a host: A mighty man is not delivered by great strength” (Psa. 33:6, 13-16; ASV).

 

And because He is Creator, He has the right and wherewithal to do what He wills with His creation. He has the right and wherewithal to order things as He sees fit to do so:

 

“But now, O Yehovah, thou art our Father. We are the clay, and thou our potter. And we are all the work of thy hand” (Isa. 64:8; ASV).

 

Shaul wrote of this in his letter to the Roman Assembly of Messianic believers, paying particular attention to the content of our Torah Reading for today:

 

“For this is what the promise said: “At the time set, I will come; and Sarah will have a son.” And even more to the point is the case of Rivkah (aka Rebecca); for both her children were conceived in a a single act with Yitschaq, our father…(skip verse 11, which is a scribal parenthetical insertion)—picking up at verse 12—it was said to her, ‘The older will serve the younger’” (Rom. 9:9, 10, 12; CJB).

 

 

We fall into very dangerous spiritual territory when we in one form or another deny Abba’s providence. For when we venture to reject or deny Yah’s providence, we are dismiss His immutable attributes, which are the very things that we are to image in the world. We dismiss His mercy and justice and right to judge and punish as the righteous and holy One of Yisra’el. We scoff at His wisdom, such as to say that He doesn’t know what He’s doing in the earth and in our lives. We throw into question His holiness; His set-apartness, even in the midst of an unholy, sinful world.

 

Chosen Versus Called

 

When we get into this discussion and idea of Yah and His [sovereign] providence, especially as it relates to covenant, we must come to terms with the concept and reality of being chosen of Yah. Being selected by Yah to be in covenant with Him.

 

Regardless how pure of heart one may be. Regardless how well-intended one may be. Regardless how it may seemingly contradict the conventional wisdom of the Church Triumphant, Yah choses who He will and who He will not enter into covenant with. And this reality is based primarily upon His holy and righteous and wise [sovereign] providence. Even His perfect Will and Plan of Salvation, Restoration and Redemption.

 

And as I previously mentioned, our Torah Reading pretty much bears this reality out.

 

(20) And Yitschaq (aka Isaac) was forty-years old when he took as wife Rivka (aka Rebecca), daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan-Aram, sister of Laban the Aramean. (21) And Yitschaq pleaded with Yah on behalf of his wife, for she was barren, and Yah granted his plea, and Rivka his wife conceived. (22) And the children clashed together within her, and she said, “Then why me?” and she went to inquire of Yah. (23) And Yah said to her: “Two nations—in your womb, two peoples from your loins shall issue. People over people shall prevail, the elder, the younger’s slave” (25:20-23).

 

Note: Do you see what I mean here as this is applied to Yah’s [sovereign] providence: “People over people shall prevail, the younger’s slave” (25:23)? Indeed, many will read this and think this was all about the prophetic on Yah’s part, and certainly it is every bit about the prophetic. But let’s not overlook that Yah can make prophetic pronouncements like this because of His [sovereign] providence. His providence would ensure that the younger son, Ya’achov (aka Jacob) would be over his older brother Esau. And in this case, we’re also talking about covenant. And we’ll get further into this in a few, but we get a glimpse of Yah affirming and by virtue of this prophetic utterance, conferring the covenant being passed down to the younger son, Ya’achov (aka Jacob). In other words, Yah was choosing Ya’achov over Esau to perpetuate the covenant He’d previously made with their grandfather, Avraham (Bereshit 15).

 

Continuing:

 

(24) And when her time was come to give birth, look, there were twins in her womb. (25) And the first one came out ruddy, like a hairy mantle all over, and they called his name Esau. (26) Then his brother came out, his hand grasping Esau’s heel, and they called his name Jacob. And Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.

 

(27) And the lads grew up, and Esau was a man skilled in hunting, a man of the field, and Jacob was a simple man, a dweller in tents. (28) And Isaac loved Esau for the game that he brought him, but Rebekah loved Jacob. (29) And Jacob prepared a stew and Esau came from the field, and he was famished. (Bereshit 25:24-29; Alter)

 

By all rights according to ANE, and Hebrew practices in general, the birthright was, with very very few exceptions, passed on to the eldest son. In this case, that son would be Esau. That birthright consisted of the wealth Avraham accumulated in his life by virtue of the covenant and covenant promises Yah established with grand daddy Avraham.

 

And so, what we’re talking about here is not just the passing on of material wealth. We’re also talking about the propagation of the covenant: Both the material (I.e., the Land) and the spiritual and prophetic and relational elements of the covenant. And who that covenant would be passed on to fell squarely into Yah’s exclusive domain.

 

In other words, Yah would choose which of the two sons of Yitschaq He would continue the covenant with. And clearly, from the Words Yah uttered to Rivkah (aka Rebecca) in verse 23, the boys’ mother, Yah had already chosen Ya’achov to perpetuate the covenant He’d made with the boy’s grandfather.

 

And this reality should not be anything new to us. Although Ishma’el was Avraham’s oldest son according to standards of the flesh and ANE practices and tradition—making him eligible for Avraham’s inheritance—Yah selected/chose Isaac/Yitschaq to receive Avraham’s inheritance, and most importantly, to perpetuate the covenant He established with Avraham:

 

(19) And Yah said, “Yet Sarah your wife is to bear you a son and you shall call his name Yitschaq and I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant, for his seed after him. (20) As for Ishma’el, I have heard you. Look, I will bless him and make him fruitful and will multiply him most abundantly, twelve chieftains he shall beget, and I will make him a great nation. (21) But My covenant I will establish with Isaac whom Sarah will bear you by this season next year (Bereshit 17:19-21).

 

And then Abba confirmed the perpetuation of the covenant through Yitschaq in our Torah Reading:

 

This is Abba speaking to Yitschaq:

 

(3) Sojourn in this land so that I may be with you and bless you, for to you and your seed I will give all these lands and I will fulfill the oath that I swore to Avraham your father, (4) and I will multiply your seed like the stars in the heavens and I will give to your seed all these lands, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed through your seed because Abraham has listened to my voice and has kept My charge (5) My commandments, My statutes and my teachings (Bereshit 26:3-5; Alter).

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And here’s something that might raise some eyebrows in and around the denominationalist arena.

 

We all know from Torah that Yah chose Yisra’el as the only people He would enter into covenant with (Exo. 34:27; Deu. 29:1; 1 Kin. 8:9). But Yisra’el broke covenant with Yah (Jer. 11:10).

 

The good news, Yah instituted a renewed covenant, not with the Baptists; nor with the Catholics; nor with the methodists; nor with the interdenominationalists; nor with this group or that.

 

The Prophet Yermiyahu (aka Jeremiah) proclaimed that this renewed covenant that Yah was making would be with the “house of Yisra’el and with the house of Y’hudah” (31:31; cf. Heb. 8:8, 13). Which again means that Yah is not in the process of establishing a new covenant with Christians or any other group of individuals who believe they’ve somehow replaced Yisra’el or that they are of the Lost Tribes of Yisra’el.

 

Which means that if you’re not of the house of Yisra’el and Y’hudah—I’m talking the true Yisra’el and Y’hudah, you are not in covenant with Yah. Yah chose the houses of Yisra’el and Y’hudah to be in covenant with. These are the only ones I’m afraid.

 

So then, where does that leave those of us who are not of these houses.

 

Well, it means that if you aren’t of either of these houses, you gotta get into one of them if you want to be in covenant with Yah. And the way this is done is through the adoption process; the grafting in process.

 

Shaul clarified this situation pretty well in his letter to the Roman Messianic Assemblies when he wrote:

 

“But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive, were grafted in among them and have become equal sharers in the rich root of the olive tree…So take a good look at Yah’s kindness and His severity on the one hand, severity toward those who fell off, but, on the other hand, Yah’s kindness toward you, provided you maintain yourself in that kindness!…” (11:17, 22; CJB modified).

 

What these most powerful verses offer us is a glimpse into (1) the awesome [sovereign] providence of Yah in action, and (2) the means by which we may enter into covenant.

 

But all of this beloved, presumes one critical element: In order to be grafted into the commonwealth of Yisra’el and to enjoy the benefits of Yah’s covenant, just like every other soul who has ever come into covenant with Yah, we must be chosen.

 

Indeed, Master taught us this vital principle in His parable of “Wedding Banquet”:

 

“For many are called, but few are chosen” (Mat. 22:14; KJV).

 

The Apostle Keefa (aka Peter) also commented on this critical element to being in covenant with Yah:

 

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light…” (1 Pet. 2:9; KJV).

 

You see, Yah through the provision of His [sovereign] providence—His grace—His mercy—put forth a general call to humanity to enter into covenant with Him. And this is what most of the so-called believing world has responded to. They’ve responded to the general call to covenant; at least those who are seeking a true and substantive relationship with the Creator of the Universe.

 

However, to finish the deal, Yah must choose each and every soul who enters into covenant with Him. And that’s why, I believe, the vast majority of souls who profess, let’s say, Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, have not come to a faithful, obedient relationship with Yah. Oh, some of them actually do possess a true conviction in terms of an abiding Faith. But most are unwilling to manifest those convictions into actions and obediently operate in covenant. And I believe this is in part due to them not being chosen to be in THE covenant relationship with Him spoken of by Ezekiel, Jeremiah and the writer of the Book of Hebrews. These often sneer at and outright reject the keeping of Yah’s instructions in righteousness and dying to self, relying upon the error-ridden “Grace Perversion” doctrine that has gripped Evangelical Denominationalism for decades.

 

So for all intents and purposes, there are two groups of individuals Yah has His eyes on: (1) Those who have answered His call to enter into a relationship with Him; those who are pure of heart. And (2), those whom He has chosen.

 

Now, what ultimately happens to those who respond to the call, but aren’t chosen of Yah? Well, that my friends, is a discussion for another Shabbat I’m afraid.

 

The Controversial Concept of Predestination

 

But this faith of ours is one where the would be elect are specifically chosen of Yah. Now, I realize that there is a lot of debate and disagreement, especially in and around denominationalism on this subject of being chosen of Yah. It is often referred to as “predestination.” And for the longest time I grappled with the concept of predestination, thinking it was contrary to Yah’s righteous character. I mean, how could a righteous God choose certain individuals out of some eternal plan He had in place from the foundations of the world and condemn the rest of the world because their names were not written on His list. It just didn’t seem fair to me.

 

But eventually I began to see evidence that indeed Yah chooses those who will be His own. In fact, this reality and Truth is supported throughout the whole of scripture:

 

  • Yah chose Abel over Cain.
  • Yah chose Noah and his family over all the peoples living in his day to save humanity from utter and total destruction.
  • Yah chose Avraham over all others in the ANE of his day.
  • Yah chose Isaac over Ishma’el and Jacob over Esau.
  • Yah chose Moshe over all of his brethren to lead His people and to dispense His Torah to humanity.
  • Yah chose David over Saul to rule over Yisra’el and to usher in the Davidic Dynasty.
  • Yah chose each prophet to deliver His Word to their covenant-breaking brethren of the houses of Yisra’el and Y’hudah.
  • Yah chose Yahoshua to be the savior of the world and to usher in His Father’s renewed covenant.
  • Yahoshua chose every one of His disciples. You see, you can only be a disciple if you are chosen.
  • And so forth.

 

In like manner, only when the would-be elect is called, and then chosen of Yah, are the scales removed from their eyes and their minds are renewed to accept the terms of a true covenant relationship with the Creator of the Universe.

 

Shaul wrote to the Messianic Assembly at Thessalonica:

 

“But we ought always to give thanks to Yah for you, brothers, beloved by the Master, because Yah has chosen you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit (Yah’s Ruach Hakodesh) and belief in the truth” (2 The. 2:13; ESV modified).

 

To the Messianic Assemblies in Ephesus he wrote:

 

“Blessed by the Elohim and Father of our Master Yahoshua Messiah, who has blessed us in Messiah with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him” (1:3-4; ESV modified).

 

To the Messianic Assemblies in Rome he wrote:

 

“And we know that for those who love Yah all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom He foreknew He also predestined (”proorizo,” or decided beforehand)) to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among may brothers” (8:28-29; ESV modified).

 

Of predestination, Shaul wrote to the Roman Messianic Assemblies:

 

(29) For whom He (I.e., Yah) did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. (30) Moreover whom He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified. (31) What shall we then say to these things? If Yah be for us, who can be against us (8:29-31; KJV modified).

 

And to the Ephesian Messianic Assemblies Shaul brilliantly explains the connection that exists between the predestination of Yah’s people and Yah’s sovereign providence:

 

(4) According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: (5) Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Yahoshua Messiah to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, (6) to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved (1:4-6; KJV modified).

 

And as with Yah’s covenant with Avraham, the predestined covenant we have with Abba has attached to it an inheritance:

 

(8) Wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; (9) having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself (I.e., Yah’s sovereign providence): (10) That in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Messiah, both which are in heaven and which are on earth; even in Him: (11) In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose (there’s that sovereign providence of Yah again) of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will: (12) That we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Yah (Eph. 1:8-12; KJV modified).

 

This predestination thing is huge and extremely important, not just to our understanding of covenant, but also to Yah who is personally investing a great deal of Himself to this amazing construct that some might feel is unfair and not in keeping with their personal concepts of God.

 

Understanding the Reality of Predestination and Chosen Status

 

One of the best ways I’ve come across to look at this controversial concept of Yah choosing those who would be His, is that because of our sinful nature, if our coming into a covenant relationship were left to our own devices, we would effectively never come into a true covenant relationship with the Creator of the Universe. We’ve spoken about the woeful human condition on this program many times in the past, especially in our Paul and Hebrew Roots series.

 

The Elect of Yah: Another Term for Chosen Ones

 

Another term that is often used to identify those who are chosen of Yah is “elect.” The term elect in the Greek is “eklectos” and it means simply: “chosen.” Imagine that!

 

Master, Shaul, Shimon Keefa and Yochanan the Revelator all used this term to stress this point about the predestined and chosen status of His beloved:

 

  • Only Yah’s elect will be gathered by His angels at the sound of a great trumpet to attend the wedding supper of the Lamb and to reign with Yahoshua for 1,000-years ( 24:31; Mar. 13:27).
  • Yah has great concern for His elect ones in the Last Days, as He will shorten the time of tribulation for their sakes ( 24:22).
  • Yah will avenge His elect who are tribulated and persecuted by His enemies ( 18:7).

 

And so forth.

 

Humanity is incapable to coming to Yah on their own accord. Humanity needs help. Humanity needs leading and direction. Humanity requires calling and dissemination of the Word of Truth to them. They require a circumcised heart that is pliable to the Will and Leading of the Ruach Kodesh. Humanity requires a leap of trusting faith in order for him/her to believe in the Person and Ministry of Yahoshua Messiah. Humanity requires the eyes to see and ears to hear that which Yah teaches, and then the heart to obediently do what they’ve been told to do.

 

So, when we factor all these things into our spiritual equation here, it should not be difficult to see why a choosing is required for Yah’s people to enter into covenant with Him.

 

But Rod, what about the unfairness of Yah’s predestining or choosing those that would be His? Well, at the end of the day beloved, it falls back to Yah’s [sovereign] providence. Yah is in charge. Yah can do whatever He chooses to do, as we’ve shown previously through scripture. And just because our woefully inadequate sense of human justice and morality tells us that what Yah is doing in His choosing and predestining those who would be His is wrong, doesn’t mean that we are right in our assessment of Him.

 

As we discussed earlier, to deny Yah’s sovereign providence is to reject Yah’s holy and righteous character. He knows what He’s doing. He is faithful to do all that He sets out and promises to do. His Ways are not our ways, as brilliantly and boldly revealed by the Prophet Isaiah:

 

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith Yehovah. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (55:8-9; ASV).

 

Shaul offered:

 

“O the depth of the riches and the wisdom and knowledge of Yah! How inscrutable (I.e., unsearchable) are his judgments! How unsearchable are His ways” (Rom. 11:33; CJB).

 

So, it stands to reason that we cannot understand why Yah chooses some and not others to enter into a covenant relationship with. And this is where trusting faith comes in for us. When we trust and love Yah with our whole heart, mind and soul, we realize that He knows what He’s doing. We rejoice then in our chosen status as Yah’s child and we make ourselves available to do His bidding. For we realize that we’ve done nothing to earn Yah’s choosing apart from saying yes to His call. Praise Yah!

 

Yochanan the Revelator wrote of those who fall into the chosen category in the End Times:

 

“They (I.e., the Enemies of Yah) will go to war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are called, chosen and faithful will overcome along with Him” (17:14; CJB).

 

You see, only those who are chosen will reign with Master Yahoshua in the Kingdom to come.

 

But here’s the critical question that we all must be able to answer: If being in covenant requires that we be chosen by Him, how would we know whether or not we’ve been chosen?

 

So How Do We Know If We’ve Been Chosen of Yah?

 

Yah Performs an Exclusive Work in His Chosen Ones Through His Ruach Hakodesh

 

We know we’ve been chosen of Yah for covenant by the change in our behavior; how we perceive and interact with Yah and our fellow human beings, especially our brethren in the Faith.

 

The Apostle Kefa gives an amazing overview of this in his second general epistle:

 

 

(2) May grace and peace abound to you through the recognition of our Master Y’shua the Mashiyach. (3) as the giver to us of all things that of the power of Elohim to life and the fear of Elohim, through the recognition of Him who has called us to His own glory and moral excellence:(4) wherein He has given you very great and precious promises; that by them you might become partakers of the nature of Elohim while you flee from the corruptions of the lusts that are in the world (I.e., while we come into and operate in covenant with Yah). (5) And, while you apply all diligence in the matter, add to your faith moral excellence; and to moral excellence, knowledge; (6) and to knowledge, perseverance; and to perseverance, patience; and to patience, the Fear of Elohim; (7) and to the Fear of Elohim, sympathy with the brotherhood; and to sympathy with the brotherhood, love. (8) For, while these are found in you and abounding, they render you not lazy and not unfruitful in the recognition of our Master Y’shua the Mashiyach. (9) For He in whom these things are not found, is blind and does not see, and has forgotten the purification of his former sins. (10) And therefore, my brothers, you be exceedingly diligent to make your calling and election certain by your good actions: for, by so doing, you will never fall away. (11) For thus will entrance be given you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Master and Redeemer Y’shua the Mashiyach. (2 Pet. 1:2-11; AENT)

 

We become different people. Shaul wrote that we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds as part of our covenant relationship with Yah (Rom. 12:2). He describes this sanctification process as our putting on “the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created us” (Col. 3:10). Our hearts are cleaned up and we receive a right spirit that operates perfectly with Yah’s Ruach that operates within us (Psa. 51:10). The things we once loved about this world over time become fading memories and in time, those former lusts and actions completely disappear because Yah’s Spirit operating within us displaces them with a hunger and thirst for righteousness (Mat. 5:6).

 

These and many other righteous changes that take place within us are inexplicable to the unconverted soul. But these changes only take place because Yah wills it to be. And Yah facilitates this through the workings of His Ruach Hakodesh.

 

This is all part and parcel of the provisions of the renewed covenant that Yah, through His anointed prophets spelled out for us:

 

“…I will put My Torah in their inward parts and write it in their hearts; and will be their Elohim, and they shall be My people” (Jer. 31:33; KJV modified).

 

“For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments and do them” (Eze. 36:24-27; KJV modified).

 

 

These are great promises and provisions that are offered and provided to the chosen ones of Yah.

 

Granted, some emphatically will assert that these renewed covenant provisions and benefits will not take place until Yahoshua returns. But I can without reservation attest for myself beloved, that the provisions of the renewed covenant are at work in me today. And I would venture to guess that the same thing is happening to many of you.

 

So, if you’re not the same person you were before you came into faith, whereby you are conforming to the image of our Master Yahoshua Messiah, everyday growing and changing and becoming, then it’s a pretty good bet that you’ve been chosen to be in covenant with Yah beloved.

 

Yah Informs Those Whom He Comes into Covenant With that they are Chosen of Him

 

Scripture reveals that every individual Yah has chosen, He has told them that they are chosen. Indeed, we could spend many more minutes going through the Holy Writ and identifying those specific incidents where Yah informed His people that they were chosen of Him.

 

We know that Yah chose our Master Yahoshua Messiah and on at least a couple of occasions He pronounced that Yahoshua was His beloved Son in whom He was well pleased (Mat. 3:17; 17:5). He declared to Avraham that he was chosen to enter into covenant with Him (Gen. 15 and 17). And so forth.

 

In our Reading here today, Yah affirmed to Yitschaq that He was the chosen one to perpetuate the covenant He made with Avraham:

 

(3) Sojourn in this land so that I may be with you and bless you, for to you and your seed I will give all these lands and I will fulfill the oath that I swore to Avraham you father, (4) and I will multiply your seed like the stars in the heavens and I will give to your seed all these lands, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed through your seed (5) because Avraham has listened to My voice and has kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My teachings (Bereshit 26:3-5; Alter modified).

 

And there are so many more instances where Yah directly told His select people that they were chosen of Him to perpetuate the covenant He originated with Avraham. And in most if all these cases, Yah directly articulated to the individual that they were chosen of Him.

 

Now, today, we may not receive an audible confirmation that we’ve been chosen for covenant. But if we are truly His, and His Ruach has come to dwell in us, He will confirm our chosen status to us. He may affirm our chosen status through Him communicating with us through our prayers. He may confirm our chosen status through our hearts being pricked or convicted of this reality. He may confirm our chosen status through His Word (2 Tim. 3:15-16). And let us not discount that he confirms our chosen status through other people/other brethren as well as the world around us.

 

Yah will in one form or another confirm our chosen status to us. It may not come as an audible confirmation beloved, but it will be an undeniable confirmation from Him personally. We just need to listen up and seek out His still small voice.

 

 

Our Faith and Obedience Affirms our Chosen Status

 

When we positively respond to the general call to Faith that Yah puts forth to all of humanity through the preaching of His Gospel, the first thing we are required to do is trust Him—Trust in the Person and Ministry of His son Yahoshua Messiah which is part and parcel of His Plan of Salvation, Restoration and Redemption. This trusting faith that we employ, if indeed genuine, must lead to actions—specifically, lead to obedience to Yah’s instructions in righteousness. Obedience to Yah’s leading. Obedience to Yah’s Word. A dying to self in the process.

 

This faith and obedience process affirms our chosen status. Because if we don’t have the faith that will lead us to a covenant relationship with Yah; and if we refuse to obey Yah’s instructions and all, then we can’t possibly be chosen of Him.

 

The chosen ones of Yah are faithful and obedient (Rev. 17:14).

 

Indeed, many are called, but few are chosen according to our Master (Mat. 22:14). And we see through the earthly ministry of our Master, that only those who faithfully responded to His invitation to discipleship; who gave all to follow Him; who left the hundreds of curious ones to sit at His feet and learn of Him and His Ways; became His chosen disciples:

 

(65) And He (Yahoshua) had said to them, “Because of this (I.e., there were some following the group that did not believe Y’shua’s teachings) I have said to you that no man is able to come to Me unless it is given to Him from My Father (I.e., unless they are chosen of Yah).” (66) And Y’shua said to His twelve, “Why do you also desire to go?” (68) Shimon Keefa answered and said, “My Master, to whom should we go? You have the words of life that is eternal. (69) And we believe and know that you are the Mashiyach, the Son of the Living Elohim!” (70) Y’shua said to them, “Did I not choose you twelve, and is it one of you an adversary” (Joh. 6:65-70; AENT).

 

It is the one who faithfully stands with Yahoshua and remains obedient to Him and His Ways, despite what the rest of the world may be saying and doing, that are chosen of Yah.

 

Another Question to be Answered Pertaining to being Chosen of Yah

 

So then, all that we’ve discussed here today regarding one being exclusively chosen of Yah to be in covenant with Him has to do with why teach and preach the gospel to the nations if this whole covenant thing has already been predetermined? And that is an extremely good question. I’ve often pondered this question myself. And there are a couple simple reasons why we are required to teach, preach, make disciples for Yahoshua Messiah for the purpose of bringing many sons and daughters into covenant with Yah.

 

  • Yah’s Choosing is Facilitated by a General Calling.

 

We’ve seen where Yah, through His chosen ones, His intermediaries, calls all humanity unto Himself.  And in our post resurrection day (i.e., Y’shua’s resurrection that is), this general calling is accomplished through the preaching and teaching and proclaiming of the Gospel.

 

Shaul wrote of this in his letter to the Messianic Assemblies of Rome:

 

(14) How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? (15) And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! (16) But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Master, who hath believed our report? (17) So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of Yah (10:14-17; KJV modified).

 

So then, the chosen of Yah come to Faith through the preaching, teaching and proclaiming of the Gospel-of Torah-of Yah’s Word. This is the means by which Yah brings potential sons and daughters into faith in Him. But Yah chooses those with whom He will enter into covenant with. Master makes this point clear:

 

“For many are called, but few are chosen” (Mat. 22:14; KJV).

 

 

  • Yah is an Elohim of Justice and Rightness.

 

When the books in the Court of Heaven have all finally been written and closed, it can never be said that Yah was unfair in His treatment of humanity and His creation. As with our ancient Hebrew cousins in the Sinai wilderness, Yah gave His chosen people every opportunity to keep covenant with Him. But their stiffneckness would not allow for it:

 

“Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness” (Psa. 95:8: KJV).

 

Shaul shows us that Yah gives humanity every opportunity to turn to Him. He wrote of this thing:

 

(1) Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself, for thou that judgest doest the same things. (2) But we are sure that the judgment of Yah is according to truth against them which commit such things…(5) But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of Yah; (6) Who will render to every man according to His deeds: (7) To them who by patient continuance in well doing (I.e., those who are in covenant with Yah and who are chosen) seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: (9) But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, (9) tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the jew first, and also of the Gentile; (10) but glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: (11) For there is no respect of persons with Yah (Rom. 2:1-2, 5-11; KJV modified).

 

When all has been said and done, Yah will be proved righteous and just, even in terms of His choosing His children:

 

“For what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith of Yah without effect? (4) Yah forbid: Yea, let Yah be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, “That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. (5) But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of Yah, what shall we say? Is Yah unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (6) Yah forbid: for then how shall Yah judge the world (Rom. 3:3-6; KJV modified)?

 

 

  • Yahoshua our Master instructed us to Make for Him Disciples.

 

As chosen-elect-predestined disciples of Yahoshua Messiah, we are required to do that which Yah and our Master instruct us to do. I becomes the chosen ones’ nature to obey the voice of their Elohim and Master. Throughout the books of Exodus and Deuteronomy we are commanded to obey the voice of Yah.

 

Yahoshua faithfully obeyed the voice of His Father Yah. Conversely, He requires His disciples to obey His voice.  In fact, He commanded:

 

“If you love me, keep My commandments” (Joh. 14:15; KJV).

 

Master commanded us to go forth into all the nations and teach and baptize those who would potentially become Yah’s children; to make unto Him disciples (Mat. 28:19-20). And so, however Yah has led you to manifest that commission—in whatever form you accomplish that instruction—we as Yah’s elect and chosen ones respect and honor and obey His sovereign providence. He’s doing a work in the earth and we are His hirelings and servants. It’s not up to us to question why, but to do!

 

And with that, we will bring this installment of TMTO’s Sabbath Thoughts and Reflections to a close.

 

I pray you got as much from this discussion as I did and that it will not only inform you, but also encourage and empower you to higher heights and deeper depths in Yahoshua Messiah.

 

May you have an overcoming week in Messiah. And until next time, may you be most blessed fellow saints in training. Shabbat Shalom. Shavuatov. Take care.

 

Paul Establishes the Law-Part 1 of the New Testament Validates the Necessity of Torah-Living for God’s People Series

Paul Establishes the Law-Part 1 of the New Testament Validates the Necessity of Torah-Living for God’s People Series

by | Feb 25, 2022 | Blog, Podcasts

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer

Goal:

We spent the better part of the last half of 2021 discussing the Apostle Paul’s concerns related to his kinsmen, first-century Rabbinic Jews. If you recall, in the latter half of Romans chapter 1, over into most of the first-half of chapter 2, Shaul expends a great amount of his precious parchment laying out to readers the woeful, condemned state of unredeemed, unconverted humanity, that he warns is subject to Yah’s righteous judgment and wrath. And then in the second-half of chapter 2 through the entirety of chapter 3, he turns his attention to his kinsmen and lays out, in an allegorical sense, using a literary tool called a diatribe to forcefully illustrate his points, he meticulously lays out an evangelical case against them. And in his laying out this case against them, he systematically shows that his Rabbinic kinsmen were subject to receive the same judgment and wrath from Yah that unconverted non-Jewish humanity was set to receive.

The case the apostle laid out against his kinsmen in this letter was based on what he observed as his kinsmen’s reliance upon their Jewishness (which we defined and described in detail in our series entitled “A Question of One’s Jewishness”), they insisted served as proof of their relationship with the Elohim of Avraham, Yitschaq and Ya’achov, as well as a guaranteed golden ticket admittance to the “Malchut Elohim”/“Malchut Shamayim,” or the Kingdom of God.

Despite the bulk of his rhetoric being directed at the Roman Assembly Judaizers, the most significant indictment he levels at his kinsmen, second only to what he saw as his kinsmen’s shameful hypocrisy in their faith profession and living, was that none of their Torah-keeping and Torah-living could actually save them from the wrath and judgment to come. In fact, their only escape from judgment and admittance into the Kingdom came only by way of them having a trusting faith in the Person and Ministries of Yahoshua Messiah. And this reality was universal in scope and nature, applying to both Gentile and Jew alike (3:22-26).

In all that the apostle put forth here in his elaborate diatribe, he forcefully drove home this “bombshell” doctrine that it is faith that saves, not Torah (3:28). Bombshell because to the Jew, one’s adherence to Torah (this included a combination of their Rabbinic-created oral Torah and Yah’s written Torah) was, in addition to a few other things, the determining factor for one to be deemed Jewish. And one’s Jewishness determined whether one was accepted of God and ultimately admitted to the Kingdom of God.

Shaul’s pronouncement here would have been a literal shock to most of the Messianic Jews of the Roman Assemblies. Again, to the Messianic Jew of Shaul’s day, salvation was exclusive to the Jew, which meant any Gentile seeking to be saved had to become a Jew (accomplished through proselytizing). And of course, Torah was viewed as absolutely central to Judaism.

So then, what was Shaul saying in this pronouncement of his? Well, it becomes obvious that the uninitiated ones of the Faith, in particular Jewish Messianics, would conclude that the apostle was declaring Torah replaced by faith in Yeshua Messiah. That Torah had for all intents and purposes been done away with.

And being the brilliant expositor of the gospel and Torah that he was, Shaul anticipated this thinking might enter the minds of the uninitiated. Thus, as he often does, he addresses that potential “spiritual elephant in the room” with a very poignant statement:

“Do we then nullify Torah by faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish Torah” (3:31).

So wait. Was Shaul, after spending so much parchment seemingly trashing Torah, was he now validating Torah for Yah’s people? I mean, how can he say that he establishes Torah having made statements like:

“We therefore conclude, that it is by faith a man is being made righteous, and not by the works of Torah” (3:28; AENT; cf. Gal. 2:16). 

“Thus, my brothers, you have been made dead with regard to the Torah through the Messiah’s body…” (Rom. 7:4; CJB; cf. Gal. 2:19).

 

“For as many as are the works of the law are under the curse…Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law…” (Gal. 3:10-17; KJV).

 

“We are aware that Torah is not for a person who is righteous, but for those who are heedless of Torah and rebellious, ungodly and sinful, wicked and worldly, for people who kill their fathers and mothers, for murderers…” (1 Tim. 1:9; CJB).

 

“Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross…” (Col. 2:14; KJV).

 

How do we rectify these and other seeming anti-Torah statements of Shaul, with his pronouncement that “we establish Torah?”

Well, that’s what we aim to do in this set of post discussions that I have entitled “The New Testament Validates the Importance of Torah Living for God’s People.”

In today’s discussion, we will attempt to define what the apostle means by “we establish Torah” in light of those seeming “anti-Torah” statements he makes in chapter 3 of the Book of Romans. In future installments of this discussion series, we will compare and contrast those seeming negative Torah statements with the multitude of pro-Torah statements Shaul makes. As well as we will examine the most important perspective on Torah-living and keeping by Yah’s people to be found in the entirety of the Brit HaDashah/the New Testament: Our Master’s perspective on this critical issue as recorded in what is often referred to as the “Sermon on the Mount.”

Attention:

I think we’d all agree that the main thing separating us Messianics from our denominationalist cousins is this false notion that the great apostle to the Gentiles, Paul of Tarsus, promoted a lawless/Torahless gospel and way of life for Yah’s people. And despite there being no such evidence to this claim in the whole of the Brit HaDashah, the Church Triumphant has happily assigned authorship of the doctrine that Torah has been done away-with to the Apostle.

And because the apostle is so venerated/revered in denominationalism, in many cases venerated above that of Jesus Christ (although most would vehemently deny such a claim), the Church Triumphant rests her entire doctrinal foundation on the apostle’s writings. And so it is that this monstrous false notion that Torah has been done away-with and is not something God’s people should be keeping and living, it essentially forms much of the Church Triumphant’s doctrinal foundation.

But Paul’s gospel was anything but Torah-less. Although clouded and even hidden in plain sight to most, the great apostle to the Gentiles taught and preached a gospel that was in every way, brilliantly on point with the gospel that our Master, Yahoshua taught and preached. And it is a fundamental fact that our Master prefaced His gospel with the pronouncement that He, through His teaching and promoting of the Gospel, had not come to “abolish/destroy/throw down the Torah and the Prophets, but to complete it. (And we will in future installments to this discussion series, address the meaning to that statement.)

Need:

Indeed, in all fairness, if one reads any appreciable amount of Paul’s writings without framing each seeming anti-Torah passage within the context of its surrounding verses and chapters, he or she could quite easily come away believing that Shaul was anti-Torah, or at a minimum, schizophrenic.

So, as I’ve mentioned in previous installments to this Paul and Hebrew Roots series, context is king and is essential to understanding the apostle’s writings. Especially when it comes to interpreting some of the apostle’s more challenging passages.

Sadly, most folks in Denominationlism receive their doctrinal training from church leaders/teachers/preachers, who base a great deal of their instruction on what I like to describe as “scriptural sound bites.” Scriptural sound bites are individual verses or even phrases taken from verses, that are used to create talking points or even whole church doctrines. In these cases, it is the Church Triumphant who tells you what to believe as opposed to allowing scripture to teach what one is to understand and believe. In this case, the Church Triumphant instructs that the Law has been done away with because the Apostle Paul said so, and the proof of that is found in this verse of Holy Writ.

Beloved, this is a tragic example of how biblical illiteracy can rob would-be people of Yah of a true and substantive relationship with Yah.

In order for Yah’s people to enter into and remain in covenant with the Creator of the Universe, they must receive and walk in the pure, untainted Word of the Gospel. Free of denominational influence and assertiveness.

Satisfaction of the need:

Bottom line beloved: Denominational doctrinal influences have absolutely no place in our covenant relationship with Yah. If scripture does not support the apostle’s disavowal and rejection of Torah-living for Yah’s people, Yah’s people should be subjected and manipulated into adopting such misinformation for the sake denominational agenda purposes, which is what this divide is all about, is it not? I mean, if Yah’s people learn that in order for them to remain in covenant with Yah that they are required to obey Yah’s instructions in righteousness, then the denominations and their leaders will lose emotional, physical and spiritual control over their members.

So then, the key to truly understanding the writings of Shaul, especially as it relates to his perspective on Torah-living for Yah’s people, is to study his writings within their internal (taking into account the surrounding verses and chapters of the letter as well as the entire letter) and external (that being the whole of scripture and an understanding of who and what Shaul was) context.

And beloved, what I’m talking about here is NOT simply Rod’s opinion. It’s a key element of responsible discipleship. Responsible disciple demands that Yahoshua’s disciples learn of Him and His Ways. Master admonished His disciples:

 

“Take My yoke upon you. Learn from Me. I am gentle and undemanding. You will find rest for your soul” (Mat. 11:29; Rood).

 

And despite denominationalism in many circumstances feloniously placing the apostle’s teachings and authority over that of our Master Yahoshua, Shaul himself testified that that which he teaches and writes, he received from his Master Yahoshua:

 

(11) “Furthermore, let me make clear to you, brothers, that the Good News as I proclaim it is not a human product; (12) because neither did I receive it from someone else nor was I taught it. It came through a direct revelation from Yeshua the Messiah” (Gal. 1:11-12; CJB).

 

Listen, Master Yahoshua Himself affirmed that He did not come to abolish Torah and the Prophets but to fulfill/make full/complete (Mat. 5:17). And He further affirmed that Yah’s Torah would remain viable and relevant for Yah’s people all the way up to the passing away of heaven and earth (Mat. 5:18), and that anyone who took it upon themselves to break Torah and teach others a false gospel that Torah has been done away with, will be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven, while those who walk in Torah and teach others to do the same will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven (Mat. 5:19). (And don’t worry, before this discussion series concludes, we will discuss in detail what all of Yeshua said here means in light of the New Testament validating the importance of Torah-living for Yah’s people.)

So then brethren, what are the chances that Rav Shaul, who claims to have received His understanding of the Gospel Message from none other than Master Yahoshua, would risk betraying his apostleship/his “sent-one” status and his place in the Kingdom by preaching, teaching and promoting an anti-Torah message? Not much chance I would hope you would agree. For him to do so would totally contradict that which he claimed to have received from his Master.

And so it is that the apostle himself affirms here in verse 31 of the 3rd chapter of his letter to the Roman Messianics:

 

“Do we then make void (or “kartargeo”) the law through faith? God forbid: Yea, we establish (or “histemi” the law)” (3:31; KJV).

 

And so the question that we seek to answer here today, beloved, is this: Is Shaul here actually validating Torah-living Yah’s people, despite what many believe to the contrary?

Visualization:

Paul Anticipate a Firestorm and Seeks to Clarify His Position on Torah

The apostle’s clarifying statement here in verse 31, was obviously made in anticipation of his readers misunderstanding, misinterpreting, misrepresenting all that he’d just previously written, from 1:1 through 3:30. And this beloved is an example of the brilliance that is the Apostle Paul, and certainly something we Messianics should become adept at: Anticipating the questions and concerns of our audience.

It was Kefa, Peter, who wrote of this:

 

(15) “in your hearts honor Messiah the Master as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, (16) having a good conscience, so that when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Messiah may be put to shame” (1 Pet. 3:15-16; ESV).

 

Shaul recognized that he would no doubt create a firestorm of epic proportions by way of all that he had previously written; not just in the Roman Assembly mind you, but also in all of the other Messianic Assemblies he had oversight of. Word of all that he had written would travel quickly and reach every Messianic Assembly of the Roman Empire.

There would no doubt be questions in the minds of his readers such as:

 

“Well, if our salvation is based on a trusting Faith in the Person and Ministry of Yahoshua Messiah, than what of Torah? Is Torah then abolished? Does this reality or Truth invalidate Torah? Does a required trusting faith in Yahoshua’s atoning sacrifice overthrow or replace Torah-living for Yah’s people? What then happens to Torah at this point?”

 

And so, Shaul anticipated the likelihood of such an uproar and confusion and masterfully clarifies for his readers that which we read in verse 31 of our focus passage here today.

Paul Possessed Great Clarity on the Balance between Faith and Torah, but His Writings Make it Hard to See for Some

Of all the Brit Hadashah (aka, New Testament) writers, Paul (aka, Shaul) is the one who looked at the relationship between Faith and Obedience [to Torah] with the greatest clarity and in depth attention. Unfortunately, Shaul’s style of writing makes any advocacy for present-day Torah-living by Yah’s elect difficult at best to defend. Arguably, the greatest percentage of the apostle’s writings on the issues of the righteousness or justification of Yah; salvation and the Law/Torah seems to be faith or trust focused. Any mention of “the law” (whatever “the law” may mean in any given Pauline passage, contextually), seems to take the form of an aggressive attack on the question of Torah-living by Yah’s people. Yes, there are those rare instances, as we see here in our focus passage, where the apostle does a “whiplash” intense about-face on the issue of Torah-living by Yah’s people in the domineering light of faith in Yahoshua, by seemingly affirming his allegiance to Torah; or rather, by validating Torah-living for Yah’s elect.

To the “uninitiated-truth-seeker,” this all but begs the questions: Was the apostle schizophrenic or something? Or was there some monkeying around with his manuscripts by the early translators to make it seem as though the apostle was against Torah-living by his first-century Messianic readers? Or was Paul’s understanding of the critical balance that exists between Torah-living/keeping and trusting faith beyond most people’s ability to grasp or even accept?

And of course the answer to all these questions is a resounding NO! The apostle was not schizophrenic. If there were any monkeying around with the apostle’s manuscripts, the core truth of what he wrote was protected by the Ruach Kodesh. In terms of the apostle’s understanding of critical balance between Torah and Faith being too confusing for his readers to understand, the lives of the first-century Messianics according to history suggest otherwise.

Paul’s True Position on the Balance Between Torah-Living and Faith Became a Victim of Constantinian Christianity

Yet, despite the apostle’s emphatic clarification on his position regarding the validity of Torah-living for Yah’s people, the vast majority of those who profess faith in Jesus Christ or Yeshua Messiah for that matter, believe Torah was summarily done away with by the cross of Christ. And these same ones go so far as to falsely accuse the apostle of laying the foundation for this horrendous doctrinal error. But the truth of the matter has and still remains that Torah was not done away with by the cross, nor did Shaul teach, preach and promote this doctrine error.

But the Messianic who has eyes to see and ears to hear the Truth of this matter, knows, understands and operates in the spirit and truth of Master Yahoshua’s and Shaul’s teachings on this matter (Deu. 29:4), despite them being as anathemas to much of the so-called Christian Faith.

We must not overlook how the True Faith once delivered got to this place. That is, how the true messaging of Torah-living balanced with a trusting faith as taught and preached by the first-century apostles became displaced as it has today. I mean, the twisted message that believers are to disavow Torah-keeping and just believe, didn’t just happen after Shaul’s letters hit the assemblies of the Roman Empire. No. This anti-Torah, uber grace version of the Faith came about on the heels of the establishment of the Roman Church. The western Roman Church, headed by Constantine, was severely anti-semitic. So much so, that she threatened physical violence against any member of the faith who dared keep the Jewish commandments (c. 325 C.E.). So, we must not turn a blind eye to the insidious role that anti-Semitism played in denominationalism’s rejection of Torah, initially replacing it with Roman Catholic rule, and now today, with the grace perversion.

Yet despite the enemy’s millennia old assault on Torah, the Truth remains and is available to any who seeks a true, and substantive covenant relationship with the Creator of the Universe. And Shaul’s writings are valuable to this end.

Torah of Works Versus Torah of Faith

Shaul acutely recognized that Faith and Torah are two essential elements of the same spiritual animal. And so, the apostle spends the first three (3) chapters of his letter to the Roman Messianics laying out a case for faith in the Person and Ministry of Messiah being that thing that justifies/saves an elect-one before the Holy and Righteous Creator of the Universe. The essential Torah or Law of Faith if you will. Torah, on the other hand, could never save one from Yah’s righteous and holy judgment and wrath. That was not the purpose of Torah. The purpose of Torah was to

But now, in the very last verse of the 3rd chapter, verse 31, the apostle, knowing better than anyone in his day what Torah is and what it means to Yah’s elect, affirms, under no uncertain terms, the relevance and validity of Torah in light of faith.

Previously in chapter three (3), the apostle described one of several purposes for Torah:

 

“…what Torah really does is show people how sinful they are” (Rom. 3:20b; CJB; cf. Gal. 2:16).

 

Later on in this same letter to the Roman Messianics, Shaul elaborates on the role and purpose of Torah by stating:

 

“What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the Law (aka Torah)…” (Rom. 7:7a; KJV).

 

To the Galatians Messianics, Shaul described Torah as being that of a schoolmaster that brings humanity or points humanity to Messiah, who through His Person and Ministries, provides humanity the means by which they may be justified before the Holy and Righteous Creator of the Universe (Gal. 3:24).

And so, in “showing people how sinful they are,” according to Shaul, Torah also shows humanity just how dire their situation is in this world and that they are in desperate need of saving and redemption:

 

“For Mashiyach is the goal of Torah for righteousness to everyone that believes in Him” (AENT) or “everyone who trusts” (CJB; Rom. 10:4).

 

Torah has always, and will continue up to the time that heaven and earth passes away, point humanity to the inevitable necessity of a Trusting Faith in Yahoshua Messiah. Torah in and of itself was never designed nor enacted to save humanity. In one sense, it was meant and enacted to inform humanity, and that reality has and will not change till heaven and earth passes away (Mat. 5:16-19). And given this critical reality, it stands to reason that Torah remains essential and valid for humanity, and why Shaul stood firmly AGAINST any though or act of abolishing Torah, but rather, he “upholding” or “confirming” Torah for Yah’s people.

What Then About The Practicality of Torah for Yah’s People

So, we’ve established from the apostle’s standpoint the validity of Torah from an “informative” standpoint: That Torah informs humanity of their sins and the dire consequences associated with sin. Torah then informs humanity as to the necessity of a trusting faith in the Person and Ministries of Yahoshua Messiah.

But does Shaul’s definitive statement of him upholding or confirming Torah mean that he supports Yah’s people engaging in a life of Torah-living/Torah-keeping despite Torah in and of itself possessing no ability to save, redeem and justify a would be child of Yah?

There is an inherent deficiency to be had in the conventional understanding of faith apart from the works of the law statement of verse 28:

 

“…We hold the view that a person comes to be considered righteous by Yah on the ground of trusting, which has nothing to do with legalistic observance of Torah commands” (CJB).

 

Now, denominationalists take this rather definitive statement to assert that justification comes only via a cognitive understanding and acknowledgment of the Person and Ministry of Yahoshua Messiah and that there are no further responsibilities that are incumbant by the would be child of the Most High. But the Truth of the matter is that one’s trusting faith naturally inclines the would be Child of Yah to act; to obey. Faith without works is dead, says James, the half-brother and apostle of our Master Yahoshua (Jas. 2:18-26). Unfortunately, Shaul does not articulate in such plain terms James’ sentiments or perspectives on the critical balance between faith and obedience that must exist in the life of an elect-one.

However, the apostle does in fact write about the viability and critical importance of obedience by Yah’s people:

In chapter one (1) of this letter to the Roman Messianics, Shaul writes of his apostleship being brought about for purposes of bringing “an obedience of faith” among the Gentiles (1:5). (We discuss what Paul likely means by the phrase “an obedience of faith” in our post entitled “Obedience Versus Faith-Paul and the Book of Romans Series.”)

Later on in this same letter Shaul admonishes his Roman Messianic readers to not obey sin which leads to sin, but rather, obey righteousness (6:26). And we know that Torah is Yah’s instructions in righteousness.

Shaul praises his Roman readers for their obedience, which he described as being well know among the brethren strewn throughout the Roman Empire (16:19).
Paul recounts for his Corinthian readers how Titus boasted to him and others of their obedience (2 Cor. 7:13).

The apostle instructs his Corinthian leaders in spiritual warfare, a component of which is an “obedience of Messiah,” the walking, talking Torah (2 Cor. 10:6).
Shaul commends Philemon for his obedience (1:21).

Obedience to what? Well, the denominationalists and the uninitiated faithful of the world might conclude the apostle is writing about Yah’s people being obedient to his teachings. And assuming this to be true, what teachings of Shaul would he require obedience to? It would have to be obedience to the righteous elements of the Faith, which is Torah, which Shaul described to Timothy as being:

 

“..breathed out by Yah and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man (and woman) of Yah may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17; ESV).

 

Indeed, everything Shaul describes here points directly to Torah and the Prophets. Thus, he affirms Torah-keeping and living by Yah’s people throughout his body of writings. He even admonishes his Corinthian Messianic readers to:

 

“Be imitators of me, as I am of Messiah” (1 Cor. 11:11; ESV).

 

It goes without saying that Yahoshua kept Torah perfectly to fulfill, as He said to his biological cousin Yochanan the Immerser, ”all righteousness” (Mat. 3:15). And if Shaul is unequivocally stating that he follows Yahoshua Messiah, then commonsense says that he, Paul, too kept and operated in Torah. Thus, in admonishing his Corinthian readers to imitate him as he imitated his Master Yeshua, he would be admonishing them to keep and operate in Torah, but to do so in a steadfast trusting faith in Yahoshua.

How does one stand upon or establish Torah?

The critical question that remains to be answered regarding our focus passage is what Shaul meant by:

 

“…we establish/uphold/confirm/support the Law.”

 

Is he actually validating or even mandating Torah-living by Yah’s people in this statement?

Let’s first examine the English and Greek terms that brings us so much uncertainty here.

The various English terms used in this verse by the most popular English translations for the Greek word supposedly used by Shaul to describe his position on Torah all seem to convey a sense that the apostle validates Torah; he acknowledges Torah importance and such. But these English terms fall short of actually mandating Torah-keeping or living by Yah’s people. They actually cause more confusion than bring clarity.

The English term “establish” as used here, in the Greek text is “histemi.”

“Histemi” is defined as: to cause or make to stand, in the presence of others, in the midst, before judges, before members of the Sanhedrin even.

Now, these definitions of “histemi” are critical to our understanding as to what the apostle’s position was on Torah and Torah-living in light of one’s trusting faith in Yahoshua. This standing upon the Torah, despite the fact that one’s justification is founded solely upon one’s trusting faith in the Person and Works of Yahoshua Messiah, is wholly in sync with our Master’s teaching on this very subject:

 

Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. (KJV)

 

Just as it was in Shaul’s teachings, Master saw that people have this natural inclination to erroneously conclude that the information they were receiving from Him would naturally preclude or nullified Torah. To these, it had to be either Torah or Yeshua’s teachings. Torah and Yeshua’s teaching could not possibly be one and the same thing. For some, Yeshua’s teachings could not collectively be a clarification, an expansion and a prophetic fulfillment of Torah.

And so, in the case of Yahoshua delivering his Sermon on the Mount, and Shaul writing to his Roman readers about justification being in response to one’s trusting faith, both had to clarify that their teachings did not in any stretch of the imagination nullify or abolish Yah’s Torah. To both, to propagate a mindset or doctrine that excluded, rejected or nullified Torah would put them at complete odds and enmity with the Creator of the Universe.

Paul’s Establishing of Torah From a Jewish Perspective

Nevertheless, it should be noted that Shaul’s perspective on faith and obedience to Torah would have been somewhat hard for religious Jews of his day to swallow, much less understand. In one vane, it no doubt appeared to the orthodox Messianic Jews of the Roman Assembly that Saul was advocating a full-press abolition of Torah, to be replaced by faith and grace. And then in another vane, it appears as though the apostle is not entirely throwing the Torah-baby out with the bathwater.

Challenging the primacy of Torah would have been tantamount to advocating the destruction of the Temple in Yerushalayim to any first-century orthodox Jew. Although, as we saw addressed in our series “A Question of One’s Jewishness,” the religious Jew of Shaul’s day would have been devoutly Torah observant, they lacked the personal, trusting covenant relationship portion of the justification equation. These were Jews, as Shaul mentioned, on the outside, but on the inside these were no different than their unconverted Greek or Gentile counterparts (Rom. 2:29).

And so, it’s conceivable that Shaul was taking somewhat of a risk in making his case for faith to the mixed assembly in Rome. A lot was riding on Shaul being able to appeal to both converted Jew and Gentile, and show that spiritually speaking, the playing field was very much level and equal. As far as Shaul was rightly concerned, gone were the days when Jewish “sectarian halachah” separated Jew from Greek. No longer could Jew boast over their advantage to the Gentile, and the Gentile could no longer look down and treat the Jew as some backwater, Roman-ruled people.

Similarities in the Teachings of Yahoshua and Paul

“Nomon oun katargoumen dia tes pisteos, whereby the verb katargeo therein means “to make of none effect” is the same phraseology used of Mashiyach in Matthew 5:17:

 

“Do not think that I came to abolish or “katargeo” the Law or the Prophets.”

 

And so, what both passages are saying in effect is that a would be elect’s trusting faith does NOT cancel out the law or Torah, or for that matter, undermine the law. Yah has always

The phrase “we uphold the law” is “nomon hisanomen,” the histemi defined as “to validate that which is in force or in practice; to reinforce validity of, uphold, maintain, validate.”

Another Way of Looking at Paul’s Establishing the Law Statement

Messianic teacher, author and commentator, J.H. McKee offers another perspective on our focus passage.

All that the apostle had been teaching along the lines of faith, justification and obedience in his writings is consistent with the foundational tenets or elements of Torah. According to McKee, the apostle’s teachings on faith is supported or confirmed by Torah. Torah includes the 5-Books of Moshe, the Prophets and the Writings. So, within the Tanach, trusting faith is pervasively mentioned, taught and required of Yah’s people in order for them to remain in covenant with Him. Look what happened to our ancient cousins when they failed to Trust Yah:

 

“Therefore, when Yehovah heard, He was angry; fire blazed against Ya’akov; His anger mounted against Yisra’el because they had no faith in Yah, no trust in His power to save” (Psa. 79:21-22; CJB).

 

Torah firmly establishes the fact that Avraham’s trusting faith in Yah prompted his obedience to Yah’s instructions, while his obedience to Yah’s instructions certified his faith in Yah (2:21-24).

So all that Shaul taught as it relates to one being justified by faith is Torah based. And so, Shaul can accurately say in this respect that he indeed established Torah.

Just another perspective on this verse that I wanted to share with you.

A Reformer’s Perspective on Torah Confirming Faith for Justification and Sanctification

It can safely be determined that Shaul acknowledged or agreed with the premise that certain ceremonial, ritualistic aspects of Torah, such as the worship/sacrificial elements, had been moved off to the side, at least for the time being. But the moral aspects of Torah would remain in place and be required of Yahoshua’s disciples, both then and now, to follow. This was actually postulated by John Calvin in his treatment of Matthew 5:17:

“The moral law is truly confirmed and established through faith in Christ, since it was given to teach man of his iniquity, and to lead him to Christ, without whom the law is not fulfilled. In vain the law proclaims what is right, yet it accomplishes nothing but the increase in inordinate desires, in order to finally bring upon man great condemnation. When, however, we come to Christ, we first find in Him the exact righteousness of the law, and this also becomes ours by imputation. In the second place we find in Him sanctification, by which our hearts are formed to keep the law…Let us, therefore…remember to preach the Gospel in such a way that we establish the law by our manner of teaching, but let the only support of our preaching be that of faith in Christ.”

McKee reports in his “Romans for the Practical Messianic” that the so-called Reformed Church, taking its lead from Calvin, has held verse 31 of our focus passage in noticeably high regard. These have been known to recognize and honor, as McKee describes, “a continuity between the Tanach and Apostolic scriptures.” The Reformers note that Torah alone can save no one, but that “Faith in Christ does not nullify the Law of God.”

Does the Torah of Faith Nullify or Void Torah-Living/Keeping by Yah’s Set-Apart People

It is quite conceivable that Shaul was answering the question of the continued validity or relevance of Torah by someone or someones in the Roman Assemblies. And given the apostle’s heavy emphasis on faith and grace in his discussion on salvation and justification, it certainly seems like a fair concern and question to be asked. But Shaul has, through his writings and example, shown that true Torah-living/keeping that is associated with a covenant relationship with Yehovah, is based wholly on a trusting faith. Torah at the end of the day always points one to a trusting faith in Yahoshua Messiah, the fulcrum or goal of Torah.

In 2:13 Shaul asserts that it is the doers of Torah as opposed to the simple hearers of Torah who are justified. So one must ask: Is Shaul schizophrenic in his assertions regarding Faith and Obedience. No. Not at all. He is simply articulating in his rather complex way (in my opinion) that one’s faithful/trusting relationship with Yehovah naturally compels one to obey and live by Yah’s instructions in righteousness. This same Torah, under the provisions set forth by Yah’s Renewed Covenant, over time, will be supernaturally inscribed upon the fleshly tables of an elect’s heart and mind such that he/she will without hesitancy or reservation walk out Yah’s Torah in their lives.

Action:

So then, if there was ever any question as to what Shaul really thought and understood and promoted about the relevancy and applicability of Torah to the life of Yah’s faithful elect, here we have it expressed in the most affirmative manner possible for the apostle’s day.

Because Torah points humanity to a trusting faith in Yahoshua Messiah, all that Shaul taught, preached and promoted regarding trusting faith and justification are based on Torah principles. Despite this reality, according to the apostle, more so than at any time in human history, Torah-living/keeping remains valid and in effect for Yah’s people.

And yes beloved, Shaul’s establishing of Torah in Romans 3:31 most assuredly is an affirmation that Torah remains a requirement for Yah’s people. It has not been done away with. It works in combination with a trusting faith in the Person and Ministries of Yahoshua Messiah.

And so, beloved, let us continue to contend for the True Faith once delivered to us by Master Yahoshua and His appointed and anointed apostles. We have nothing to be ashamed of. For our relationship with Yehovah is made possible through our trusting faith in the Person and Ministries of His beloved and blessed Son, Yahoshua Messiah. And so, as with Avraham, our trusting faith in Him is manifested in our obedience to His instructions in righteousness—His Torah.

Therefore, let us not be swayed or intimidated by those outside our Faith Community who hold to a lawless, anti-biblical Faith. But rather, let us diligently operate in our calling, knowing that we are faithfully conforming to the example and instructions of our Master Yahoshua Messiah—the walking talking Torah–and that in our conforming to his example, we like the Apostle Paul “establish Torah.”

When we return to series next, we will explore all of the apostle’s pro-Torah statements in contrast with his faith and grace statements. And then, we’ll explore Yahoshua’s bombshell statements regarding Torah-living and keeping by his disciples.

How to Effectively Operate in Covenant Using the Example of Abraham and Eliezer–STAR-21

How to Effectively Operate in Covenant Using the Example of Abraham and Eliezer–STAR-21

by | Feb 18, 2022 | Blog, Podcasts

by Rod Thomas | Sabbath Thoughts and Reflections

This is “How to Effectively Operate in Covenant Using the Example of Avraham and Eliezer.” It is the 21st parshah of our 3-year Torah Reading Cycle and it is found in Genesis or Bereshit, 24:1-41. But because the topic content I want to discuss with you today is primarily contained in only a portion of our reading, I’ll be referencing just verses 1-19.

 

And as in our previous STAR discussions, I’ll be referencing Robert Alter’s translation of the passage, from his “The Five Books of Moses” publication.

 

For those who may be new to our format, I’ll first read each verse in its recorded order, comment as needed, and then enter into a general discussion on the spiritual applications contained therein.

 

So, let’s begin.

 

24.1. And Abraham was old, advanced in years (let’s just say, he’s beyond 137-years young), and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.

 

In other words, Yah kept His promise to immensely bless him (Gen. 15). So, Avraham was very wealthy in terms of ANE standards. Not only was he wealthy in material wealth, Avraham was wealthy in terms of his health—obviously—his wisdom; and his respected standing in the region he resided.

 

 

24.2. And Abraham said to his servant, elder of his household, who ruled over all things that were his (this most likely was the Eliezer of Damascus that Avraham identified to Yah by name and position as possessor of his house back in Genesis/Bereshit 15:2), 

 

 

24.3. “Put your hand, pray, under my thigh, that I may make you swear by the LORD, God of the heavens and God of the earth (an ancient act that accompanied the swearing of an oath that some say was tied to matters of fertility, progeny, family and such), that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanite in whose midst I dwell.

 

 

24.4. But to my land and to my birthplace you shall go (Ur, of the Chaldees in Mesopotamia), and you shall take a wife for my son, for Isaac.”

 

 

24.5. And the servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman will not want to come after me to this land. Shall I indeed bring your son back to the  land you left?”

 

In other words, (and I’m pretending to be the servant Eliezer speaking here) the likelihood that this plan of yours boss will work. What are the chances that a woman is going to agree to leave her home and her family, return back here to Hebron (assuming Avraham is still living in Hebron at this time) with me, a total stranger, to marry a man she’s never met, or for that matter, seen before. So then, wouldn’t it be a more surer bet for me to simply take Yitschaq with me, show him off up there around your kinfolk, and let the fish bite naturally?

 

 

24.6. And Abraham said to him, “Watch yourself, lest you bring my son back there.

 

In other words, heavens no! (I’m pretending to be Avraham here) I’m not going to allow you to take my son back to the place that I was told to leave by Yehovah, only for the woman he marries to somehow convince him to remain there with her for the rest of his life. Not only no to that idea, but heck no!

 

 

24.7  The LORD God of the heavens, Who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my birthplace, and Who spoke to me and Who swore to me saying, ‘To your seed will I give this land,’ (a reference back to the covenant pronouncement Yah made to Avraham as recorded in Bereshit/Genesis 13, 15 and 17) He shall send His messenger before you and you shall take a wife for my son from there.

 

 

24.8. And if the woman should not want to go after you, you shall be clear of this vow of mine, only my son you must not bring back there.”

 

In other words, me still pretending to be Avraham, if what you suggest turns out to come true, that the young lady refuses to accompany you back here to Hebron to marry my son, then we’ll find another way to get him married to one my kinfolk. You’ll be absolved of your oath/vow. We’ll address the spiritual implications of this verse in our halachah, thoughts and reflections discussion in a few.

 

Whatever would come of this plan, however, Eliezer was forbidden to remove Yitschaq from Canaan and relocate him to Mesopotamia. Yitschaq remaining in Canaan was crucial to the integrity of the covenant. Indeed, we see here Avraham operating from a covenant mindset. And we’ll discuss what operating from a covenant mindset looks like in a few as well.

 

 

24.9. And the servant put his hand under Abraham’s thigh and he swore to him concerning this thing.

 

 

24.10. And the servant took ten camels from his master’s camels, with all the bounty of his master in his hand (Eliezer goes on his mission bearing gifts), and he rose and went to Aram-Naharaim, to the city of Nahor.

 

I tried to find the distance Eliezer would have to travel on this mission, from Hebron to Nahor by camel. There’s not much in the way of expressed distances, but I did run across two mentions: One individual suggested, based upon their research, that the distance was about 600 or more miles and that it would have taken the servant’s entourage roughly three (3) weeks to reach their destination. Another individual, who seemed quite sure of himself, asserted that the distance was no more than 300 miles and that it would have taken the group just about a week to complete. Does it really matter? No. But it is good from time-to-time to have a sense of distances traveled and the challenges the patriarchs faced during their lifetimes.

 

 

24.11. And he made the camels kneel outside the city by the well of water at eventide, the hour when the water-drawing women come out.

 

 

24.12. And he said, “LORD, God of my master Abraham, pray, grant me good speed this day and do kindness with my master, Abraham.

 

 

24.13. Here, I am poised by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the town are coming out to draw water.

 

 

24.14. Let it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Pray, tip down your jug that I may drink,’ if she says, ‘Drink, and your camels, too, I shall water,’ she it is whom You have marked for Your servant, for Isaac, and by this I shall know that You have done kindness with my master.”

 

I find the servant’s prayer or declaration or meditation, whatever it truly was, to be interesting. You know, when we people of Faith seek Yah’s favor in some endeavor, most will approach Abba from the standpoint of asking or petitioning Him to do that thing which we’re seeking Him to do for us. We generally ask Abba to accomplish that thing for us in generalities or in general terms. We might of course ask Father to grant us that thing we seek in specific terms, like, say, we have no money and we have a utility bill that is due and we petition father to make those funds available to us in order to pay that bill and avoid a shut off.

 

But in this particular situation, the servant lays out to Abba a very specific course of events he would have happen, leading to the ultimate desired or planned outcome. It’s an odd petition formulation to me, incorporating possibly some element of the prophetic, which is suggestive of maybe the Holy Spirit working in or on the servant here to accomplish his mission.

 

Or maybe its more wishful thinking on Eliezer’s part, such that he is simply laying out for father his ideal path to success in this mission. Sort of like, “You know Yah, You being the Elohim of my master Avraham, would you show favor to me and my master today, as I sit by this well, ready for a great thing to happen; waiting for the unbelievable to happen? And it sure would be nice if the young woman I’m scoping out for Yitschaq were to suddenly show up (which she in fact does in the next verse) here at this well to fetch water, and when I ask her for a drink, she readily provides that drink to me and then without me even asking, she offers to water my camels for me. And if this crazy thing were to happen, then I would be certain that this is the woman for Yitschaq and You will have blessed and honored your servant Avraham and the covenant.”

 

24.15. He had barely finished speaking when, look, Rebekah was coming out (yep, there it is), who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her jug on her shoulder.

 

There is an interesting aspect to Josephus’ version of this story. According to Josephus, and conceivably a sect of first-century rabbis, that Avraham was already familiar with the availability of Rebecca as a potential wife, she being a granddaughter to his now deceased brother Nahor. So, the issue from Josephus’ perspective was not so much his servant, whom Josephus does not identify by name, miraculously stumbling upon the one girl who would have the character to attend to his and his camels’ needs and agree to the marriage proposal which would require her to leave her people and return with him to Canaan. The issue instead was the servant miraculously bumping into Rebecca and Rebecca and her family agreeing to her returning with the servant to Canaan.

 

24.16. And the young woman was very comely to look at, a virgin, no man had known her (at this point, key to the integrity of the covenant, which we’ll address in a few). And she came down to the spring and filled her jug and came back up.

 

 

24.17. And the servant ran toward her and said, “Pray, let me sip a bit of water from your jug.”

 

 

24.18. And she said, “Drink, my lord,” and she hurried and lowered her jug onto her hand and let him drink.

 

 

24.19. And she let him drink his fill and said, “For your camels too, I shall draw water until they drink their fill.”

 

And of course, the rest of the story follows along the lines of him identifying himself, an exchange of gifts and the servant discussing his mission in detail with Rebekah and her family after being graciously welcomed into Milcah’s and Laban’s home. And this is where our overall text ends for this parshah.

 

Practical Halachah and Sabbath Thoughts and Reflections

 

Perpetuating the Covenant Through Isaac

 

There is no doubt that Avraham operated in covenant. And Avraham clearly recognized that the component parts of the covenant he had with Yah, which guaranteed the perpetuation of the covenant, required Yitschaq/Isaac, his son, be married and produce an heir through whom the covenant would continue.

 

Messianic author, teacher and commentator Tim Hegg best described this specific situation as follows:

 

“…the generational aspect of the covenant is the necessary bedrock upon which all of the other blessings are founded” (Parashah 21—Maintaining the Covenant notes).

 

In other words, without a proper wife for Yitschaq who would bear him a child within the confines of the covenant, that established covenant would end at Avraham’s death. And this is made all the more apparent to us with the opening verse of our reading passage:

 

“And Abraham was old, advanced in years…” (24:1; Alter).

 

And thus, we see here that Avraham was sensitive to the reality of his mortality. He recognized the importance of perpetuating the covenant which could only happen through his son having a family of his own.

 

Spiritual Truths Contained in our Reading

 

Of Torah, the Apostle Paul/Shaul, wrote that it is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man and woman of Yah may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works (2 Tim. 3:15-16). And certainly, the parshah that is beautifully laid out before us fulfills this definitive statement of truth. I believe it is filled with spiritual and halachic truths and principles, that if prayerfully and meditatively applied, can benefit, and enhance an elect one’s walk with Messiah.

 

One such spiritual and halachic principle has to do with covenant. Not covenant from the standpoint of covenant relationship with Yah being required of every Messianic, disciple of Yahoshua mind you.

 

And yes, I and other brethren such as Robert Bills of highpursuitministries have been proclaiming and discussing and teaching about covenant and the importance of being in covenant with the Creator of the Universe through the Person and Ministries of Yahoshua Messiah throughout our respective ministries. And this understanding of covenant has not and will not change in the least. We’ll continue teaching, preaching, and proclaiming the importance of covenant until Master Yeshua returns.

 

Covenant Gives the Faith Purpose and Viability

 

The aspect of covenant that this reading highlights most, at least to me, has to do with the nuts and bolts of operating in covenant. Specifically, how a disciple of Yahoshua Messiah should effectively operate or function in covenant. How he or she most effectively must live in covenant. How he or she must perceive covenant and behave in covenant.

 

Covenant is that thing that makes this Faith of ours viable or relevant. You see, without covenant, one’s profession of Faith or one’s practice of their Faith or one’s religion is without purpose.  Covenant gives one’s Faith credibility, viability and most importantly, purpose.

 

I would liken covenant, if you will, to computer software. A PC or Mac, for instance, is useless without software. Without software, it is nothing more than a block of hardware. It has no purpose. Likewise beloved, Torah-living and Torah-keeping serves absolutely no purpose without covenant.

 

Covenant is More than a Cognitive Agreement

 

Covenant is not just a cognitive agreement to walk in the Eternal’s Ways; to obey Torah and be a disciple of Yeshua. It involves far, far more than agreeing in principle to enter into an agreement with Yah to keep His instructions in righteousness.

 

The covenant that we’re involved in as Messianics, which is the renewed covenant as described in Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 36, involves a transformative existence that is made possible through the Person and Ministries of Yahoshua, our Master, and through the workings of the Ruach Kodesh, the Holy Spirit. And that transformative existence makes it possible for us to have a true and substantive relationship—a “yada” relationship with the Creator of the Universe.

 

And so, without covenant, there is no relationship with Yehovah. Without covenant (without its power and transformative affect upon humanity), there is no life abundant that Master Yeshua promised those who would be His disciple (Joh. 10:10). Without covenant there is no access to the coming Kingdom of Yah. Without covenant, there is no eternal life.

 

And for the definitive teaching on covenant, I would highly recommend you watch or listen to Messianic Teacher and author Robert Bills’ definitive seven (7) part series on covenant, that can be found on his ministry’s website, https://www.highpursuitministries.com/way-of-spirit-and-truth. Once you pull up the webpage, scroll down till you get to his podcast postings, then within the podcast posting box, scroll down to his covenant teachings dated from 5/8/2021 to 6/19/2021. Pretty much everything you’d ever need to know about the concept of covenant is contained in that series.

 

Covenant Principles Found in our Reading

 

Despite the term covenant not once being mentioned in our reading, covenant principles are firmly embedded throughout. In fact, I would go so far as to say that our reading is somewhat of an expose on effectively operating in covenant. And in my study of this reading, I was able to identify five (5) elements or principles, which when studied and implemented in a Messianic’s life, will equip him or her to effectively operate in covenant.

 

You know, it’s one thing to say and know about the importance of entering into and maintaining covenant with Yah, but it’s another thing to know how to operate or walk or live in covenant. And I believe this is what this reading reveals to those who have eyes to see and ears to hear.

 

So, for the remainder of our time together, let’s examine each one of these elements and see where they take us in our journey to be effective covenant operators.

 

  1. A Covenant Mindset (A Renewed Mind)

 

In Ephesians 5:15-30, Shaul admonishes his Ephesian Assembly readers to be diligent to walk circumspectly, or rather that they pay close attention to how they conduct themselves in life; that they should walk wisely and not as fools (vs. 5; cf. Col. 4:5). Shaul points out that indeed the times in which they were living were evil (vs. 16). And then, Shaul makes a poignant statement to his readers that they “try to understand what the will of the Lord is” (vs. 17; CJB). This is a critical piece of instruction that not only intersects this week’s reading but also underscores our central theme of effectively operating in covenant.

 

One of the main, essential elements involved in our effectively operating in covenant is (1) not conforming to this world and (2) being transformed by the renewing of our minds. In short, it’s possessing and maintaining a steadfast, proper covenant mindset. You see, Avraham could have taken the path of least resistance and found a wife for Yitschaq among the daughters of the Hittites or some other Canaanite peoples. But Avraham sought to stay true to covenant by not taking the path of least resistance and doing what otherwise would have been logically expected of him.

 

So, he has his trusted servant (most likely Eliezer of Damascus) declare via an ancient oath ritual that he would “not choose a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I live” (24:3; HCSB).

 

Now, some might think, wait a minute Rod, where do you get from this verse that Avraham was operating in covenant here? Well, maybe I should say that it is implied here that Avraham was operating in covenant AS WELL AS in the prophetic by insisting that Yitschaq’s wife come from his kinfolk and be of the land from which he was born and raised and not from the daughters of the Canaanites (24:4). And so, Avraham’s instructions to Eliezer are made within the framework of covenant. This is evident in the statement Avraham makes to Eliezar when Eliezer expresses to Avraham the concern he has that he may not be able to successfully complete his mission to find Yitschaq a wife among his master’s kinsmen:

 

“Yehovah, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my nativity, and who spake unto me, and who sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land” (24:7; ASV).

 

Now, Moshe doesn’t reveal why Avraham did not want his son to marry any of the daughters of the Canaanites. Maybe Avraham simply did not care for the Canaanite people. Or maybe Avraham simply preferred that his son marry a member of his kinsmen. Or maybe it’s because Avraham realized that for the covenant to remain viable, his son Isaac/Yitschaq could not marry a Canaanite and have children with her because it would adversely impact the covenant.

 

 

How Avraham knew that is not revealed in the text. However, we find that later on in history, Avraham’s seed, Yisra’el, would be tasked by Yah of “utterly destroying…the Hittites…the Canaanites…for purposes I’ve talked about on this platform, the discussion of which I’ll post in this post’s transcripts if you are interested in finding out what that purpose may have been. So, it would be a very reasonable assumption that the Hittites were incompatible with the covenant and somehow Avraham recognized that which I would call a covenant mindset: recognizing those things in life that are incompatible with one’s covenant relationship.

 

And as it relates to us, we must learn to operate under or through a covenant mindset. What does that mean or what does that look like you might ask. Well, just look at the conversation that Avraham had with Eliezer his servant. Eliezer expresses concerns over the task given him and the oath he pledged to Avraham over this matter. And Avraham allays the servant’s fears by repeating the overall covenant he held with Yah, with the assurance that because he would be operating under the framework of covenant, an angel would guide and lead him.

 

Well, what this says to us is that we must filter everything in our lives through our covenant relationship with Yehovah. And yes, as mundane as it may be, I’m talking everything: how we spend our money; how we conduct ourselves among our family members and out in public; how we think; how we process things; how we plan our lives; how we worship; how we pray; how we obey Yah’s instructions in righteousness as well as obey Yah’s specific instructions to us. It’s a factoring in of what things will negatively impact versus be consistent with our covenant relationship with Yah. This being the case, we will often face situations that, because of covenant, we cannot conform; we cannot act; we cannot take the path of least resistance because to do so might compromise the covenant.

 

And to some extent, this is what Shaul was talking about when he instructed the Messianic Roman Assembly that they not conform to this world or the ways of this world–in Avraham’s instance, don’t attach your son Yitschaq to your pagan neighbors, the Hittites, but rather go back to the lineage of people, your kinfolk, and marry him off to one of those women.

 

A covenant mindset requires a renewing of one’s mind because we are hardwired to operate in the ways of this world. And so, it is quite often counterintuitive for new disciples to operate in covenant the way they should. Why? Because they were born and raised to operate in the ways of this world or their former religion. Therefore, to overcome this problem–or rather in order for one to be transformed in mind, body and soul, to operate in covenant, he or she must have their minds completely renewed.

 

 

The transformative covenant mindset places the covenant above every element and aspect of a disciple’s life. This mindset doesn’t eliminate those sanctioned elements, responsibilities, and aspects of an elect’s life, such as family, health and wellbeing, security, personality, and preferences, and such. But rather, a covenant mindset helps puts these elements into a holy and proper order in an elect’s life. It should control and even enhance and make for better handling of those responsibilities and elements. We become the ideal human being, with the ultimate goal of conforming to the very image of our Master Yeshua Messiah, who was Himself the splitting image of His Father Yah. So, from a covenant mindset perspective, covenant must consume everything in our lives. And as we saw beautifully exemplified in our parshah today, covenant drives and controls every aspect of Yah’s people.

 

So then, in order to effectively operate in covenant, the child of Yah must possess and function through a covenant mindset. The covenant mindset is developed in an elect during the sanctification process. And when he or she reaches that place where they’re filtering and processing everything going on in our lives through covenant, he or she becomes an effective agent for the Kingdom of Yah. How so? Because he or she will image Yah in the earth more effectively by properly walking in His Ways and doing His Will in the earth without error. And through his or her covenant living, he or she will be as lights to a dying and condemned world, pointing that dying and condemned world towards the only answer to their dire situation.

 

Avraham highlighted this concept of a covenant mindset by his actions as recorded in our reading here today. We see he’s getting old and he recognizes that the covenant needs to be perpetuated. He’s coming to terms with his mortality, realizes that for the covenant to continue and expand, he’s gotta find an acceptable wife for his son, Yitschaq. And for that wife to be suitable to the perpetuation of the covenant, she could not be of the Canaanites. But rather, she must be of his kinsmen.

 

So, Avraham is filtering this critical concern of his life through a covenant mindset.

 

How do we then acquire this transformative covenant mindset? Well, we all know the answer to this question. But in case there are those who are new to Faith or who are out searching for Truth, let’s quickly lay this thing out for you.

 

First and foremost, we must recognize that unconverted humanity are condemned creatures because of sin. And thus, the unconverted are in dire need of a rescuing and pardon. Yah made provision for that by sending His Son Yahoshua to this earth and through His Person and Ministries, humanity has the opportunity to be redeemed from the clutches of the evil one and to receive eternal life.

 

But that’s not where our responsibility begins and ends. Our recognizing that we are in a dire situation must then compel us to take action to address that dire situation. And that action beloved is to commit to a relationship with the Creator of the Universe. That relationship is an exclusive relationship that is based on trusting faith. This exclusive relationship also comes with rules and precepts that we are compelled to abide by and follow as a covenant partner. And in that process of our trusting Father’s willingness and ability to redeem, save and provide for us, in addition to our walking in His Ways, His precepts, His Will, He provides us His gift of the Ruach Kodesh/Holy Spirit to teach us; lead and guide us; encourage and embolden us; to correct and test us. But the key to this is that we must make ourselves open to that work of the Holy Spirit in us. And the process of making ourselves open to that work by the Ruach Kodesh is that we must die to self. We must deny ourselves, pick up our crosses and follow Yahoshua; sit at His feet and receive His Father’s Words of life. Of course, we must do this, because this is an exclusive relationship whereby no other Gods are permitted. This exclusive relationship requires that we not follow the ways of the world but follow the ways of the covenant. This exclusive relationship demands that we not desire the things of this world, but instead desire the things of the Kingdom.

 

Beloved, all in all, it’s an entirely new way of thinking that the patriarchs could only envision as a future promise and hope. These all received a blessed glimpse of the covenant we possess today through the various progression of covenants that Yah established with them.

 

If we are diligent in all that I just mentioned, we will experience a powerful change within us because we would be operating through a transformative mindset. In so doing, we will resist conforming to the ways of this world, but rather our focus will be on, as Shaul worded it: “knowing what Yah wants and that that which Yah wants is proper, good, satisfying and able to succeed” beyond the intentions and machinations of unredeemed humanity (Rom. 12:2). But that transformative mindset will not come without a full commitment—obedience and trust—on our part; a disavowing of the things and ways of this world (1 Joh. 2:15); a circumcised heart (Psa. 51:10); a presenting of our bodies as living sacrifices that are holy and acceptable unto Yah (Rom. 12:1). And most importantly, simply stepping out in faith and walking in covenant to the best of our ability (Col. 3:10).

 

You know, it’s not a crime to put one’s best foot forward and operate in covenant. One does not have to go through years of training and instruction before they begin walking in covenant. Sure, we’re going to fail from time to time in our walk. And when that happens, we simply dust ourselves off, go to Yah and confess our shortcomings and failures, and then make every effort to not repeat those failures again. Indeed, Abba is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (Ref. 1 Joh. 1:9).

 

Folks, none of what I’ve discussed here with you today is easy. In fact, at times it can seem impossible. But Shaul declared to his Philippi readers that he was assured that he could indeed do all things through Him who gives him power (4:13). How we manage our time; how we spend the money Yah blesses us with; with whom we socialize and interact; the places we go and the things we do, are things in our lives that should be processed and enacted through a covenant mindset. If when done, we can effectively operate in covenant and one of the tools we have at our disposal to accomplish this is to acquire and operate from a covenant mindset.

 

  1. Maintain the Purity and Integrity (Holiness) of the Covenant

 

The second element needed to effectively operate in covenant as illustrated in our reading is maintaining the purity and or integrity of covenant. We’re talking not just maintaining the purity and integrity of the covenant and its attached relationship with Yah, but also maintaining personal and spiritual integrity. And I might add, there is serious crossover here with the previous element. You see, you cannot maintain purity and integrity of covenant without operating in a covenant mindset. Without the proper mindset just discussed, one will compromise the integrity of the covenant. And a compromised covenant is for all intents and purposes “tame” or “defiled.” And Yah is not interested in being involved in any defiled covenant relationship.

And we see this truth underscored throughout Tanach, with one of the most poignant examples being that found in Yermiyahu/Jeremiah:

 

“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Yisra’el, and with the house of Yehudah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which My covenant they brake (defiling and compromising covenant), although I was a husband unto them, saith the Lord” (31:31-32; ASV).

 

Fortunately, as we see beautifully laid out here, Yah, by virtue of His grace and mercy and Plan of Salvation, Redemption and Restoration, brought forth to us a new covenant; the opportunity to reestablish a relationship with Him, through the Ministries and Person of Yahoshua Messiah. Now, we can do this thing right and walk/operate in covenant as Yah always intended for us to do. And this time Yah is doing most of the heavy lifting by doing a work within us that makes breaking covenant with Yah less likely, as we saw happen with our ancient Hebrew cousins. And those heavy lifting actions Yah has undertaken to make our operating in covenant less challenging by virtue of the sanctification process:

 

“…I will put My Torah in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it; and I will be their Elohim, and they shall be My people” (Jer. 31:33; ASV).

 

With Yah’s Word, Yah’s covenant becoming part of our spiritual and even physical DNA, all that is left for the would-be child of Yah to do is “DIE TO SELF.” Let go and let Yah. Do as Avraham did: Whatever Abba told Him to do, he simply did it. And in him doing that which Yah directed him to do, covenant was established and maintained. We are the beneficiaries of Avraham operating in covenant. In fact, this is part and parcel of the fifth element we will discuss.

 

Now, in terms of maintaining the purity and integrity of the covenant, we’re referred right back to verse 3 of our reading:

 

“…you will not choose a wife for my son from among the women of the Kena’ani, among whom I am living” (CJB).

 

We just discussed this major concern. The integrity of the covenant would have been severely compromised if Avraham would have given in to the path of least resistance and married Yitschaq off to a Hittite woman. And apparently, by all appearances, Avraham was acutely aware of this, or so it would seem.

 

In verse 18 of this week’s apostolic reading, Shaul counsels his Ephesian readers:

 

“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to Yah the Father in the name of our Master Yahoshua Messiah” (5:18-20; ESV). In Romans, Shaul simply counsels his readers to “walk honestly” (13:13).

 

Beloved, once Eliezer embarked on his mission to find his master’s son a wife among the kinsmen of Avraham, he would not be deterred from that mission. He would not allow the carnal to mess him up. And so, when he arrived in Nahor of Mesopotamia by that city’s well, he turns to Yehovah and asks for Abba’s grace/favor, not just for himself, but also for his master Avraham (Gen. 24:12). An unselfish heart and mind indeed.

 

The integrity of the covenant was, in part, maintained by Eliezer swearing that whatever became of his mission back to Avraham’s hometown, he was by no means to take Yitschaq back there to Mesopotamia. And it made more sense to Eliezer that maybe the easiest way of finding Yitschaq a wife in his master’s hometown was to take Yitschaq with him on the mission and parade him throughout the town. That way, the chances of successfully finding his son an appropriate bride would have been substantially increased. But Avraham was acutely aware that the covenant was based in great part on him and his seed remaining in Canaan. Besides, Abba commanded Avraham to leave his kin and his kin’s land and resettle in Canaan. So, for Avraham to permit Yitschaq to possibly travel to his kin’s land and end up permanently resettling there could upset the integrity of the covenant. And this certainly plays heavily into the obedience element of operating in covenant, which is element four of list. And thus, it makes sense that Avraham’s response to Eliezer’s suggestion here was emphatic as it was: “No! You’re not to do such a thing,” or better, “heaven forbid you should do such a thing.” This is where Yitschaq was to remain and carry on and perpetuate and operate in the established covenant.

 

And certainly, one of the clearest contrasts to this can be found in the story of Ya’achov (Jacob), who fearing for his life by the hand of his betrayed brother Esau, will personally end up in his grandfather Avraham’s hometown amongst some of the same kin that Eliezer deals with in this story. But Ya’achov/Jacob, due to dubious circumstances, will end up being in exile from Canaan for some 20-years. And it would take circumstances, no doubt through the workings of the Holy Spirit, to drive Ya’achov back to Canaan.

 

The point is that Avraham knew, be it by divine wisdom or personal experience or both, that when you leave the place that Yah has instructed you to be, the enemy will do everything in his power to keep you there. It becomes extremely difficult, and at times, impossible to return to that place Father intends for you to be.

 

Again, this plays directly into the element of obedience. If Yah puts us someplace and tells us to operate in that place—to carry on and operate in covenant in a certain place, at a certain time, and under a certain set of circumstances, it is imperative that we stay put until such time Abba moves us to our next destination. In this case, Avraham had not received any notice to move him and his family out of the Land of Promise. And needless to say, Yah would not do such a thing since the covenant clearly stipulated that Avraham and his seed would possess and dwell in the land.

 

One of the important things we must prayerfully examine in our covenant relationship with Yah is its purity and integrity. What do I mean by this?

 

It behooves us to petition Yah, in addition to our conducting a self-examination of our covenant relationship with Him, to reveal to us the weak areas of the covenant relationship. And what we may find in that examination and revelation from the Holy Spirit, of course, is that the weak areas of the relationship will have nothing to do with Yah. Yah is always going to maintain His end of the covenant relationship bargain. The weak or impure areas will always come from our end.

 

So, we must determine whether or not our involvement in the covenant relationship is pure and whether or not the relationship is sound and secure. For I will tell you: If we are permitting impurities to infiltrate and influence our lives—I’m talking introducing and allowing things that we have no business being involved with as a child of Yah—and we allow those things to become part of our lives or influence our lives, then those impurities will taint the covenant relationship and compromise the covenant’s integrity. Are you following me?

 

Are we ensuring perpetuation of our covenant relationship with Yah by keeping ourselves pure and worthy of the covenant relationship in the first place?

 

Beloved, the world is filled with impurities that if the child of Yah allows into their lives, will taint the covenant relationship and cause the covenant to be compromised. I’m talking entertainment of all kinds—movies, music, books, pornography, inappropriate relationships, habits, thoughts and ideas, etc. Certain unsanctioned relationships. I’m talking shacking up with someone who is not our spouse; fornicating; adultery; homosexuality; certain unsavory business relationships; careers that a child of Yah should not be involved in; friendships and relationships that present an unequally yoke situation. Which all leads in some form or another to living lifestyles that run contrary to the holiness of the covenant way of living. These, and other impure or “tame” influences that don’t readily come to mind, compromise the integrity of our covenant relationship. They cause us to stop hearing the voice of Yah in our lives. They stymie the work of the Ruach Kodesh in our lives. They cause the child of Yah to take their eyes off Yah and place them on the things of this world. They have the distinct tendency of enticing a would-be child of Yah to return to the slop, muck and mire of this world, which might result would in an abandonment of covenant.

 

This whole concern about purity and integrity of covenant involves being able to filter out the noises and influences of this world and exclusively listen for Yah’s still small voice, which will always support and enhance and bless our covenant relationship with Him.

 

  1. Faith/Trust

 

Operating in covenant is impossible without a Trusting Faith. In verse 8 of our reading, Avraham gives Eliezer an opt out card of sorts, as it relates to his servant’s uncertainties that he will be successful in his mission. Avraham says to Eliezer:

 

“But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath of mine; only you must not take my son back there” (ESV).

 

Now, when I initially read this verse the first couple times in my preparations for this discussion, it seemed to me that maybe Avraham wasn’t sure whether his plan would work or not. I thought that maybe Avraham’s faith may have been once again slightly off-kilter.

 

But what we’re most likely looking at here is Avraham operating in covenant and in faith, but in his operating in faith and in covenant, he knows to make allowances for bumps in the road along the way. Indeed, Avraham was stepping out in faith by his sending Eliezer to his former hometown to find Yitschaq a wife. However, the route to that end may have unanticipated turns, bumps and such. And the lesson to be learned in this verse in relation to my point here is that in our respective journeys and walks, in particular when we’re stepping out in faith to do what we’ve been led to do by the Ruach Kodesh, we have to factor in to our thoughts and plans that maybe, just maybe, that thing in which we’re stepping out in faith on, may not come to fruition as we may have initially envisioned or planned. This should not be perceived as lacking faith or trust in Yah and His plans and promises for us. But rather, the ins and outs of walking and operating in covenant. And this is what Avraham was demonstrating to us in his words to his trusty servant. The important thing is being led by the Spirit, as Shaul wrote:

 

“All who are led by Yah’s Spirit are Yah’s sons” (Rom. 8:14; CJB).

 

And this being led by Yah’s Spirit is part and parcel, my friends, of operating in covenant. It’s actually being obedient to Yah’s leading, which happens to be our next element.

 

However, the pathway in which that leading actually takes place may not always work to our advantage or preference. Sometimes, the going may get downright difficult. Sometimes beloved, we may have to change course or come up with another plan. But the overall thing that we are striving for that flows from Yah’s leading is the thing we must always focus on. And in Avraham’s case, it was making sure Yitschaq remain in Canaan and his wife to be being selected from the daughters of his kinsmen.

 

  1. Obedience

 

Avraham acted in obedience by following the leading of Yah’s Spirit. He was obedient to the belief and understanding, wherever that belief or understanding actually came from, that he was not to marry Yitschaq off to a daughter of the Hittites, but rather to find his bride among the daughters of his kinsmen. He was obedient to maintain the purity and integrity of covenant by sending his servant to select a wife for Yitschaq  from the daughters of his master’s kinsmen. He had been obedient in everything Yah instructed him to do. And all those things he was instructed to do were bound-up in covenant.

 

And so it was, because Avraham was operating in obedience to the tenets of covenant, Eliezer’s prayer was quickly answered in the positive:

 

“He (he being the servant) had barely finished speaking-speaking actually meaning the servant’s prayer or exhortation to Yah that He grant him good speed and kindness with his master Avraham-when, look, Rebekah was coming out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her jug on her shoulder” (24:15).

 

So, what we see here is that often Yah will honor obedience with a stark positive answer to our prayers and inquiries and concerns. And sometimes, those stark, positive answers to our prayers, inquiries and concerns are miraculously spot on to what we were petitioning Abba for. And we see this very thing played out before us in this story.

 

  1. Swearing Oaths unto Yehovah-Committing to the Covenant

 

Committing oneself to the covenant is the last element to discuss on our list.

 

When we come to Faith and we enter into covenant with Yah, we commit ourselves to walking in covenant. In our committing to walking in His ways, we are essentially swearing an oath to do this thing we’re calling here in this installment of discussion today; we are essentially swearing an oath to operate in covenant. And what this story does for us is to show us the importance of swearing oaths and staying true to the oaths we make. In our story here, Eliezer swears an oath to Avraham, which is an indirect oath unto Yehovah, to ensure that he would not permit Yitschaq to marry any of the daughters of the Canaanites, but rather that he ensures Yitschaq marries one of the daughters of his master’s kin who were still over in Mesopotamia at this point.

 

When we’re talking about swearing oaths, in particular, in our commitment to enter into and operate in covenant, we’re not talking about making a formal declaration or profession of faith similar to that of “denominationalism’s” “sinner’s prayer,” which is not biblical by any stretch of the imagination. But rather, within the framework and authority of the renewed covenant, facilitated and instituted by our Master, that our commitments must not be as those who were acting in accordance with tradition and the flesh—swearing by heaven; swearing by earth; swearing by one’s head and such. But rather, one’s commitment must be simply:

 

“Yes, I will or No, I won’t, for anything beyond this is from the evil one” (Mat. 5:37; NLT).

 

Master’s biological half-brother James the Just agreed with Yahoshua on this, and he wrote:

 

“…let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay; that ye fall not under judgment” (Jas. 5:12; KJV).

 

Master was quite clear as to the importance that a would be elect of Yah must be in his or her weighing the costs associated with committing to a covenant life and then remaining true to that commitment.

 

“If anyone come to me and does not hate his father, his mother, his wife, his children, his brothers and his sister, yes, and his own life besides, he cannot be My disciple” (Luk. 14:26; CJB).

 

“So every one of you who doesn’t renounce all that he has cannot be My talmid” (Luk. 14:33; CJB).

 

“…No one who puts his hand to the plow and keeps looking back is fit to serve in the Kingdom of Yah” (Luk. 9:62; CJB).

 

So then beloved, all that is required to enter into covenant is to say yes to covenant, and then operate in covenant without looking back. Do what we’ve committed to do and trust Father to aid us in fulfilling our commitment to the covenant. He’ll do it and we will be victorious in the end.

 

So, again, the five elements that will serve us in our effectively operating in covenant are:

 

  1. Operate from a covenant mindset.
  2. Maintain the purity and integrity of the covenant.
  3. Possess and operate out of a trusting faith.
  4. Operate obediently in covenant.
  5. Commit to operating in covenant.

 

 

 

 

 

Should Messianics Keep Purim? A Question of Imitating Messiah

Should Messianics Keep Purim? A Question of Imitating Messiah

by | Feb 13, 2022 | Blog, Podcasts

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer

I want to talk to you today about Purim, and I’m not intending to get into the weeds about this holiday, other than to discuss with you whether or not Messianics should keep Purim.

Purim, which is a national Jewish holiday, the start of which dates back two and a half millennia, will fall this year on our Gregorian Roman Calendar on the 4th-day of this week, which is 2/16/2022.

Now, for those of you who may not be familiar with Purim or who may be new to the Messianic Faith and have no idea what Purim is about, the true story and meaning of Purim is found in the Book of Esther. Essentially, Purim marks or memorializes the deliverance of our ancient Hebrew cousins from what would have been certain extinction. And if you read the entire Book of Esther, it lays out the entire threat to Yisra’el, as well as the efforts by Esther and her uncle Mordecai to save the nation from extinction. And we find recorded in Esther 9:20-32 the details leading to the establishment of Purim for the Jewish nation.

Although Judaism lists three separate dates for Purim for reasons that we won’t get into here, generally speaking, the holiday takes place annually every 14th-day of the 12th-month of the Biblical Calendar year. And keeping in mind that some of you who may be reading or listening to this post may not understand what I mean by the Biblical Calendar, I will be following up this post in a couple weeks with a discussion on the Biblical Calendar. So, I encourage you to be on the look out for that.

Well, a question that persistently crops up in our Faith Community has to do with Messianics keeping such national holidays as Purim and Hanukkah. And I have to tell you, thoughts and feelings run high on both sides of the aisle on this issue. Many Messianics strongly feel that Yah’s people should not keep such man-made holidays as Purim and Hanukkah. And these will cite a number of reasons why. One being that Purim is not one of the seven-mandated feasts of Yehovah (Lev. 23). And so that being the case, Yah’s people cannot and must not keep such secular holidays.

Another reason given by some as to why Yah’s people should not observe or keep Purim is that the nation state of Yisra’el, and for that matter all modern Jews throughout the world, have essentially corrupted Purim and made it into a sort of Halloween. And I’d have to say as an side that this contention is pretty much true. And so, to these, Yah’s people should not observe Purim.

And then we have the other side of the aisle that believes Messianics should absolutely honor and keep Purim as they would any of the 7-mandated Feast of Yah; not that Purim was mandated by Yah, but rather, Purim is illustrative of Yah saving His people from destruction and so forth and that it memorializes an important event in ancient Yisra’el’s history. Others who enthusiastically support Messianics keeping or celebrating Purim do so out of a deep respect for Yisra’el.

Well, I can certainly see the side of the argument that says Yah’s people should not keep Purim because it is not one of the mandated Feasts of Yah and because it has been corrupted and secularized by modern Judaism. However, I’m not one to throw the spiritual baby out with the bathwater, so to speak.

Just because Purim is not one of the 7-mandated Feasts of Yah and the holiday has been corrupted, should not deter the well meaning, truth-seeking, covenant-walking Messianic from honoring and memorializing this national holiday.

Let’s be real about this. Many of us have no problem keeping this nation’s holidays each year: taking off from work; having family gatherings; partaking of some of the social events surrounding those holidays, despite some of those holidays being pagan-linked and even pagan-based. Yet those same individuals will reject the true meaning and day of Purim outright. So, when we’re talking about Purim not being one of the 7-mandated Feasts of Yah and how its been corrupted, let’s be reasonable and thoughtful about what we’re saying.

I personally respect those of our Faith who choose not to observe Purim, for whatever reason they may have. However, I draw the line when it comes to the arrogant of our Faith Community who criticize and judge those in our Faith Community who are, for whatever reason, are led to keep Purim, or for that matter, also Hanukkah. In defense of those in our Faith Community who do keep or observe or remember the day, these souls are keeping a day that holds tremendous historic, cultural, and even spiritual significance to the Hebrew Faith.

As for me, I would describe myself as one who each year remembers or honors the day as opposed to maybe, keeping or celebrating the day. And I’ll explain what I mean by this near the end of this commentary.

As for now, allow me to share with you how I filter such hot-topic items as Purim, which assists me in determining whether or not I will honor or memorialize or keep such things that may fall outside Torah mandates. And this is so simple, and it should be a prescription followed by every faithful, obedient covenant Messianic.

As it relates Purim I ask of myself the question: Did Yahoshua our Master celebrate or observe Purim? And I come up with the answer of a “qualified yes,” despite the Apostolic record being completely silent on this issue.

So, you may be asking what I mean by a “qualified yes” to my question did Yahoshua celebrate or observe Purim. Well, whether we like to admit it or not, we must recognize that our Master was born into, raised and operated in an orthodox Jewish world. And Master continued to operate as an observant orthodox Jew up to the day He was crucified. Therefore, it’s a better than likely chance that He observed, in some form or another, Purim. Yes, Yeshua rejected Rabbinic traditions and laws that had the effect of nullifying His Father’s Torah. But we’re not talking about Rabbinic traditions and laws that nullify Torah here. We’re talking about the Biblically-supported and based national holiday of Purim.

Every year, first century Yisra’el would celebrate and keep Purim, the specifics as to how they kept Purim is beyond the purpose of this post. But we can be assured that Yahoshua, along with His disciples kept Purim as did their first-century Palestinian Jewish kinsmen.

That being said, it comes down to a few things as it relates to us, disciples of Yahoshua. The first is that we are to imitate our Master in all His Ways and according to all His teachings. And we imitate Him within the framework of our Spirit and Truth based covenant relationship with Yah. If we do not imitate or follow His example and teachings, we are not His true disciple.

Master was emphatic about His disciples following His example; keeping His commandments; imitating Him:

“(24) Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me (I.e., if anyone wishes to be My disciple), he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me” (Mat. 16:24; NASB). 

 

 

“(12) “So when He (Yeshua) had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? (13) You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. (14) If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. (15) For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. (16) Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. (17) If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them” (Joh. 13:12-17; NASB).

The apostles Shaul, Yochanan (aka John) and Peter (Kefa) also promoted this understanding of imitating and following the example of Master Yahoshua.

“For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps…” (1 Pet. 2:21; NASB).

 

 

“Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1; NASB).

 

“The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked” (1 Joh. 2:6).

You see, Yahoshua rejected, in principle and in truth, the traditions and laws of the so-called sages, but because He was the walking, talking Torah, He kept and walked and operated according to all of the established and written precepts of scripture. For He certainly knew, as did Shaul that:

“(16) All scripture (in Yahoshua’s day scripture consisted solely of the Tanach; the whole of Tanach) is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training/instruction in righteousness; (17) so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17; NASB).

And so, as I and other like-minded brethren see it, we are best served to honor, keep, and guard the whole of Torah—the Torah being the whole of the Tanach—in Spirit and in Truth; keeping the Spirit and expressed truths of all Tanach instructions. And we honor such days as Purim and Hanukkah with the respect and honor that is due those who sacrificed all and secured the lineage by which our Master Yahoshua would come, as well as we praise Yah for His mighty saving arm that delivered Yisra’el from certain destruction.

If Purim would not have happened, Yahoshua’s bloodline would have been wiped out of existence. The plot to wipe out the entire nation of Yisra’el was a ploy set into motion by none other than hasatan. And it was none other than Yehovah who, through Esther and Mordecai, delivered the nation from extinction. Father made sure that His Plan of Salvation, Restoration and Redemption would take place despite the best laid plans of Haman and his ilk. So, why wouldn’t we give all the praise and glory and honor that our Father so justly deserve in relation to Purim?

So yes, we who are engrafted into the commonwealth of Yisra’el and who are in an obedient, faithful covenant relationship with the Creator of the Universe, should follow the implied example of our Master, and memorialize in some way Purim. Certainly not in the foolish manner that our wayward orthodox Jewish cousins do, but rather, in the manner in which our Master likely observed it.

How do I intend to memorialize Purim? Well, as I do each year, I give Yah praise for what He’s done, in particular what He did to deliver Yisra’el and guarantee that our Master, the serpent-head crusher, would come to complete His missions. I also read the Book of Esther to re-familiarize myself with the story and meditate on its truths. There are indeed spiritual riches to be mined from this beautiful story. And if there are online Messianic fellowships or teachings honoring Purim, I may check those out as well on the day.

Beloved, everything we do in this Faith of ours must be filtered through our Master Yeshua. Everything. Otherwise, in our keeping Torah, we are no different than our Jewish, rabbinic, orthodox cousins who seek to purchase their salvation through works of the law. And we certainly don’t want to find ourselves in that state. Because if we do, we stand to hear our Master on that terrible day say to us: “I never knew you, depart from Me, you practicer of lawlessness” (Mat. 7:23). But rather, we should look forward to hearing our Master say to us: “Well done, good and faithful servant. You were faithful with a few things…enter into the joy of your Master” (Mat. 7:23).

I pray that this post was helpful to you. Again, whether you choose to keep or honor or memorialize Purim is entirely between you and Yah. I just felt led to share my perspective on this historic and spiritually rich day of the annual Biblical Calendar.

So, for those of you who choose to have nothing to do with Purim, it’s all good. I would not be mad at you nor do I judge you. We’re all on a journey and we’re all at different places in our respective walks with Messiah.

And for those of you who choose to keep or honor or memorialize the day, have a meaningful and blessed Purim.

 

 

Lessons Learned from the Death of Sarah-STAR-20

Lessons Learned from the Death of Sarah-STAR-20

by | Feb 11, 2022 | Blog, Podcasts

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer's Sabbath Thoughts and Reflections

 

This is Lessons Learned from the Death of Sarah. It is the 20th Reading in our 3-year Torah Reading Cycle. And it is found in Bereshit/Genesis 23:1-23. And as in our previous readings, I will be referencing the Robert Alter translation of Torah entitled, “The Five Books of Moshe.”

 

So, I invite you to follow along with whatever translation you prefer and have. As in previous discussions, I’ll read the verses consecutively, and then comment accordingly. At the end, I’ll summarize my thoughts and reflections on the reading in what I call practical Messianic halachah.

 

Let’s begin.

 

 

23:1.  And Sarah’s life was a hundred and twenty-seven years, the years of Sarah’s life.

 

At this point, it can be safely presumed that Abraham was about 137-years old, he being 10-years older than Sarah (reference Gen. 17:17).

 

 

23.2.  And Sarah died in Kiriath-Arba, which is Hebron, in the land of Canaan, and Abraham came to mourn Sarah and to keen for her.

 

According to Rabbinic thinking, Kiriath-arba is the old or original name for Hebron. Some say the meaning of Kiriath-arba is “the city of four” (J.H. Hertz).

 

Now, this meaning has a clear meaning attached to it that I find fascinating.

 

But first, here’s an interesting translation from the Jerusalem Targum: “And Sarah died in the city of the giants.” What could that possibly mean?

 

Well, if we look at the Book of Joshua, we possibly find our answer: “Previously Hebron had been called Kiriath-arba. It had been named after Arba, a great hero of the descendants of Anak. And the land had rest from war” (14:15; NLT).

 

Turns out beloved, that Arba may have been a giant, otherwise known as Nephilim. We find in the Book of Joshua that Arba was Anak’s daddy (Jos. 15:13). And it was Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, who drove out (some sources say killed) the three sons of Anak from the Land. And thus, the naming of the city in that it signified this city being of these four Nephilim or giants.

 

We know from Torah that the Anakim were either giants or descendants of giants, whom the 2nd generation Hebrews in the wilderness would mark for destruction in their conquest of the Land of Canaan. Numbers describes these giants as Nephilim (Num. 13:33; NASB) and some of the Hebrews that went in to spy the land fearfully described themselves as grasshoppers in comparison to the Anakim (13:33; Deu. 1:28; 9:2). Hebron was one of the Anakim’s chief cities of the Anakim. However, we read of no encounters with Anakim during Avraham’s history as recorded in Genesis/Bereshit. I guess it’s conceivable that the Anakim either dwelt in another portion of Hebron or Kiriath-arba, or they migrated into the region years later. The text does not provide enough information to say one way or the other.

 

So, we can see that the writers of the Jerusalem Targum were preoccupied with the former inhabitants of Kiriath-arba, those being the Anakim or Nephilim or giants.

 

Beyond questions of Nephilim and so forth in the land of Kiriath-arba, is the larger question as to why Sarah died and why did she end up in Kiriath-arba/Hebron when at the time of the “Binding of Yitschaq,” the family lived in Beersheba.

 

Rabbinic thinking identifies Sarah as Yisra’el’s first “matriarch.” So, she holds a very special place in orthodox Judaism.

 

Midrash Rabbah explains Avraham’s coming to mourn Sarah phrase as being directly tied to Sarah dying as a result of grief that came over her upon learning of the “Binding of Isaac” (ref. STAR-19/Gen. 22). Thus, Avraham’s coming to mourn Sarah was Avraham returning from the land of Moriah only to find Sarah his wife dead.

 

Now, in the Ancient Book of Jasher, chapter 23, we have a very detailed addendum to last week’s Torah reading regarding the “Binding of Isaac,” leading into this week’s reading relating to Sarah’s passing and Avraham purchasing a plot in which to bury her.

 

The writer of Jasher adds what, would otherwise be found between Bereshit 22 and 23, that hasatan, disguising himself as an old man, came to Sarah there in Beersheba, while Avraham and Issac were finishing up their business in the Land of Moriah. Hasatan, as the old man, tells Sarah that Avraham had slaughtered her son Yitschaq and had offered him on an altar as a sacrifice. This false news, of course, sent Sarah completely sideways into absolute, irreconcilable grief and mourning. Even to the place of Sarah uttering that the laughter she found in being Yitschaq’s mother, had now turned into grief and mourning.

 

And despite her consoling herself, she set out to the byways, desperately searching for her son. Ultimately, she came to Hebron/Kiriath-arba, arriving at Shem and Eber’s home. But to no avail did she find her husband and son.

 

Hasatan, again disguised as the old man, approaches Sarah there in Hebron, and informs her that that which he’d told her back in Beersheba regarding her son Yitschaq being killed by her husband was incorrect: Yitschaq had not been sacrificed by her husband and he was very much alive. This news caused Sarah so much emotional stress that she died there in Hebron.

 

In the interim, Avraham and Yitschaq had completed their worship in the Land of Moriah and had returned back to their home in Beersheba. Sarah, of course, was nowhere to be found. Avraham conducted a desperate search of her, only to learn that she had traveled to Hebron in search of him and Yitschaq.

 

So, in response to that tip, Avraham and Yitschaq hastened to Hebron to find Sarah. Tragically, upon arriving in Hebron, they learned of Sarah’s sudden death. Both Avraham and Yitschaq are described as “mourning over her a great and heavy mourning.”

 

Now, I will mention here that neither Josephus nor Jubilees record any such addendum to the Genesis/Bereshit account. The only added information to the overall Bereshit account is that after the “Binding of Yitschaq” incident, Avraham and Yitschaq returned to and sojourned in Beersheba, presumably with Sarah, for many years. And so, after the passing of those years, the family pulled up stakes, for no expressed reason, and returned to Hebron/Kiriath-arba, where they sojourned 14-years. And it was after those 14-years spent in Hebron that Sarah died.

 

So, the orthodox Midrash of the passing of Sarah seems somewhat consistent with the Jasher accounting. And the interesting thing about the Jasher record is that the writer attributes Sarah’s death, although indirectly, to the devious works of hasatan, while the Bereshit, Josephus and Jubilee accounts leave us clueless as to the cause of Sarah’s death.

 

Now, I would caution us to attribute Sarah’s death simply to old age. For Avraham was roughly 10-years her senior (putting him at 137-years old here in this reading), and we will find in future readings, that he will go on to father several children beyond Yitschaq, ultimately dying at the ripe old age of 175.

 

 

 

23:3.  And Abraham rose from before his dead and he spoke to the Hittites,

 

It should be noted here that in Orthodox Judaism, when a person dies, their family and friends will engage in a ritual or tradition referred to as “sitting shiva.” This ritual or tradition involves the family and friends sitting down on the floor or ground and mourning for the deceased for seven-days. During the time of mourning, the next of kin is consoled by attending friends, relatives, and associates.

 

Now, some Jewish sources believe this tradition of “Sitting shiva” goes back to Avraham and the time of our Torah Reading here. And so, what we see taking place here is believed by some to be a nascent or early form of “sitting shiva/shiv’ah.”

 

Thus, the Abrahams and their friends and associates engaged in an unrevealed period of deep mourning and at the end of that mourning period, Avraham raises up from, let’s say his “sitting shiva/shiv’ah” and goes to take care of the business of burying his wife.

 

Interestingly, the Ancient Book of Jasher somewhat jives with this idea that maybe sitting shiva/shiv’ah has some traces back to this incident. It’s noted in the 24 chapter that Avraham went into great mourning and performed the rites of mourning for seven-days, and that all the inhabitants of the Land comforted Avraham and Yitschaq. Pretty interesting.

 

Now, other than what I’ve just mentioned, I know nothing more about the tradition or ritual of “sitting shiva/shiv’ah.” But I’m certain, like most traditions and rituals in orthodox Judaism, there are rabbinic rules attached to it.

 

The text records that Avraham “rose from before his dead,” indicating that during the time of mourning, Avraham and his family sat and slept on the ground (ref. 2 Sam. 12:16; Lam. 2:10).

 

And so, Avraham rises from his mourning and goes to one of the main inhabitants of that Land, the Hittites to acquire a burial plot for Sarah. These Hittites are and will be referred to me in this discussion on a number of occasions as “children of Heth” since they descended from Canaan and Heth.

 

23:4.  saying: “I am a sojourning settler with you. Grant me a burial-holding with you, and let me bury my dead now before me.”

 

Abraham describes his status in the land as one of “sojourner and settler.” Turns out that this is a legal term used in the ANE to designate an individual as a “resident alien.” Abraham is quite skilled at carefully articulating what he no doubt recognized the tenuousness of his legal residential status in the land. It was a reality, despite the fact that the unconditional covenant he held with Yah, contained therein was the provision that clearly stipulated that the very land, the whole of it actually, that he would be attempting to purchase just to bury Sarah belonged to him and his seed.

 

And this is the crux of our reading here today. We are sojourners in a land and world that has been promised to us as an inheritance. Yet, at the moment, this world is not our home; it doesn’t belong to us just yet.

 

The writer of Hebrews speaks to this reality when extolling the faithful virtues of the patriarchs:

 

“(9) By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise…(13) These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Heb. 11:9, 13; KJV).

 

Orthodox Jewish thinking would place the Jew in this world as a resident. Consequently, he or she is instructed by Torah—whichever Torah the sages happen to be referring to here—to deal with this reality by “inhabiting and elevating” this world as opposed to trying to evade or escape the world. The greatest reality is that the Jew is meant to provide a “dwelling for G-d in the material realm by sanctifying the everyday materials of everyday life.”

 

And so, in this sense, the orthodox Jew sees him/herself as a stranger in this world and this is primarily because his/her true home is located in the spirit realm, and he/she must exist in holiness and G-dliness (ref. Lubavitcher Rebbe).

 

 

I also want to mention here that in Avraham’s mentioning to the Hittites his legal residential status in the land, that he was affirming to them, or stating the obvious, that unlike them, he owned no real property/no land. Avraham, conversely, lived in tents and he lived the life as a Bedouin, traveling here and there with his family and servants and his flocks.

 

So, in Avraham’s opening statement to the Hittite counsel could be seen as a means of setting himself up to be officially admitted into the community as rather a permanent resident, made permanent through the acquisition of real estate, if one could go so far as calling the purchase of a burial plot real estate. But, we will see that the acquisition of the burial cave would come with a parcel of land making Avraham an official member of Hebron/Kiriath-arba. The point we will see is real life: If you don’t pay for something, you really don’t own it.

 

Regardless, the irony to be had here is that in heaven’s eyes, Avraham already owned all the land of the Hittites, yet for now, Avraham had to pay for it.

 

We draw from this verse a couple of mainstays as it relates to how the members of the original Hebrew Faith treated their dead. One, they paid respect for their deceased loved ones by mourning them for a defined period of time. And two, they buried their loved ones. The love we have for one another and members of our family as covenant members, will reflect in the way we treat those who die in our midst. Despite Avraham’s steadfast, deep, abiding relationship with Yah, the steadfast, deep and abiding love and relationship he had with Sarah cannot be overlooked.

 

Rav Shaul wrote that we men ought to love our wives as our own bodies (Eph. 5:28, 33).

 

A great many men in particular, come into this faith of ours and they, for whatever reason, lose the love they once had for their wives. But we must remember Yah’s original purpose of marriage and that was fulfill in His human creation, not only the proper method for procreation, but to create a means of complete worship of Him. What do I mean by that? Well, combined, a biblically-based, covenant-keeping husband and wife are capable as a unified couple, to worship and glorify Father beyond that of just the single man or woman. [See my post on marriage.] And so, under such a paradigm, the true-man of Yah will love his wife as much as he loves himself. Indeed, that love is at a different level than the love he will have for Yehovah. The love that he will have for Elohim is one that incorporates the healthy, loving relationship he has with his wife. And vice versa for the women. It’s not about choosing Yah over one’s spouse; the understanding being that our spouse completes us and facilitates our worship and covenant relationship with the Almighty. It’s a beautiful thing.

 

And so, we see here in our Torah Reading, despite it being absent in all our previous reading involving Avraham, evidence of Avraham’s deep and abiding love for his wife Sarah. And I say that this serves as an example and reminder of the love we men must have for our wives.

 

In terms of burial, it was and remains the primary means of caring for the remains of Hebrew loved ones. Some Jewish commentators assert that cremation is repugnant to Judaism, and that it defies both the Oral and Written Laws.

 

In terms of those of us in the Hebrew Faith, the question of whether or not cremation is prohibited as the rabbis say it is, is not supported in scripture. Yes, the unwavering tradition and practice of our ancient Hebrew cousins was burial. However, there is no discernible mitzvah against cremation. I personally lean towards burial, but I would not be one to say scripture prohibits cremation.

 

Cremation is popular in our 21st western society for a number of reasons. One of the main reasons is that cremation tends to be more cost effective than burial. Burials have become in many cases cost prohibitive. And so, we must look at this important issue from a perspective that is proper and in true alignment with scripture. The bigger point of our story here today is not so much the practice or tradition of burial. But rather, it’s about Avraham’s love for Sarah and his having to appropriately take care her remains within the framework of this ANE society.

 

________________________________________________________

 

Another aspect of this Reading that I wish to touch upon is the importance of recognizing our pilgrim status in the world. Beloved, as materially and physically depicted in Avraham’s life, he being covenanted the Land, during his life existed as a sojourner; a nomad of sorts, living in tents, having no physical possession or ownership of the Land. We are sojourners and nomads in this world. This world is not our home. Thus, we have no business delving into the affairs of this world and its governments and societies beyond our having to live and operate for purposes of sustaining and caring for ourselves and our families.

 

I find it fascinating that hardcore Messianics find themselves on the front line of the modern day social justice warrior situation that has gripped this nation. These are deep into claiming what they believe is rightfully theirs in this country, and many are claiming that which they believe to be rightfully theirs, in the name of Jesus. I guess in many ways this is part and parcel of the “dominion theology” or “dominionism” political belief system that gripped a great chunk of Evangelical Christianity about 5-years ago. Dominion theology, for those of you who may not be familiar with the phrase or title, is the mindset that certain sects of Evangelical Christian have related to taking this nation back for Christ. There is essentially a false sense that God will use the church to usher in an age where the nation will be governed by Christian principles and ideology. The problem with this wishful thinking and belief system is that those who hold to such theological thinking are evidently poor students of scripture. Even the most immature Christian will have some knowledge that this world, including this nation, is governed by the demigod of this world: hasatan (Eph. 2:2-3; 6:12; Joh. 8:44; 12:31). And the only way that this nation, much less this world will ever come into full compliance with the laws and ways of the Kingdom of Yah is when Yahoshua returns and restores paradise lost and binds and confines hasatan and his ilk for 1,000 years (Rev. 20:2-7).

 

Beloved, none of what I’m saying here is meant to be demoralizing. Dominion Theology and its various spin offs are contrivances meant to mislead Yah’s people by focusing their attention on the present kingdoms of this world instead of the coming Kingdom of Yah. We have a blessed hope which should energize us and help us focus on the tasks given us (Tit. 2:13). Master instructed us to do a few things: (1) Seek first and foremost Yah’s kingdom and Yah’s righteousness (Mat. 6:33); (2) love one another as He loved us (Joh. 13:34); (3) keep His commandments which are His Father’s commandments which are the commandments contained in Torah (Joh. 14:15; 15:10); (4) take up our cross and follow Him, which means to leave everything behind, die to self, and be His disciple (Mat. 16:24; Mar. 8:34); (5) and make disciples of all nations (Mat. 28:19). All of which means that we’ve not been called to be social justice workers.

 

 

 

 

23:5.  And the Hittites answered Abraham, saying: “Pray, hear us, my lord.

 

 

It should be noted that from a biographical standpoint, these Hittites, the text denotes were descendants of Canaan’s son Heth (Gen. 10:15; 23:3, 5, 20). Their general geographical dwelling was Hebron, which is the place where our story is taking place (Gen. 23:2, 3, 19).

 

The Hittites, no doubt the descendants of these very folks whom Avraham sojourned amongst, Yisra’el would be tasked with utterly destroying them, which they did not fully accomplish as commanded (Deu. 7:1-2). Why were these marked for destruction by Yah? Clearly these descendants of Heth were engaged in pagan worship that Yah did not approve of (Exo. 23:23-24). Yehovah described their pagan practices as abominable (Deu. 20:17).

 

But for the moment, these Hittites basically ruled the region of Hebron and Avraham had to conduct business and engage socially with them since he was sojourning in their land.

 

 

23:6.  You are a prince of God among us! In the pick of our graves bury your dead. No man among us will deny you his grave for burying your dead.”

 

Interestingly, the LXX notes the Hittites referring to Avraham as “a king from God” while the Onkelos notes the Hittites referring to Avraham as “prince before the Lord…among them.”

 

  1. H. Gottstein suggests that the actual reference these men made towards Avraham may be more in line with the Hebrew terminology of “Nasi’ ‘elohim.” It was common in formal gatherings of the ANE for folks to address people in what is described as the “superlative.” In this case, the men referred to Avraham as “mighty prince.” Some scholars attribute a meaning to that of a “tribal chief.”

 

It can’t be ignored, regardless what the so-called, self-professing scholars say, that the locals of Hebron recognized Avraham as having a special relationship with Yehovah. Thus, the given title “prince of Elohim.” It’s not that these Hittites served or worship Yehovah, but rather, these ancient ones recognized multiple gods and they were sensitive to the influences certain gods had within and outside their community. Which is a strong statement when comparing the sensibility of folks back then to now. Questions of intelligence and sophistication aside, the ancients were a bit more sensitive to spiritual things than this 21st century generation. And so, these gentlemen recognized that there was something exceptional about Avraham and Avraham’s relationship with Yehovah. These no doubt were well aware of Avraham’s many miraculous exploits and Avraham’s exclusive worship of the One God, Yehovah. Avraham’s history among the Hittites stretched back many decades (ref. Gen. 13:18).

 

And although it is likely that these Hittites did not worship Yah, or if they did, they worshiped Yah within the framework of their pantheon of gods, they held an appreciable degree of respect for the aged patriarch of the Hebrew Faith. And as a result of that respect, they generously offer Avraham, as the ESV Commentary describes, “the use of one of the choicest of their own tombs for the burial of Sarah.”

 

It’s interesting to see how beautifully laid out here the respect the children of Heth had for Avraham. So much so, that something as personal and important as procuring a burial plot for his family member, despite him being a recognized sojourner in their country, would be rendered unto him without price. In other words, you Avraham, you’re respected among our people, by all means select a burial plot from any of the families our people and bury your loved one. No one will deny you that privilege.

 

You see, although Avraham would ultimately agree to pay full price for a parcel of burial property, the heathen of the land was willing to accommodate the patriarch’s need of burying his loved one. For certainly this is a lesson in personal conduct and righteous living. When we live in accordance with Yah’s instructions in righteousness, and we treat our fellow man according to those instructions in righteousness, we become a testimony to the unconverted world. Yes, the unconverted world will persecute us and at some point, they will martyr us if Yah wills for us to remain to that time, but in the interim, when we live uncompromisingly in Yah’s Ways, even the unconverted will respect us. They may not like us. They may ridicule us. But they will be forced to respect us.

 

In responding to a theological challenge by a Jewish lawyer regarding which was the greatest Torah law, Master replied:

 

“(37) …Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. (38) This is the first and great commandment. (39) And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as they self. (40) ON THESE TWO COMMANDMENTS HANG ALL THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS” (Mat. 22:37-40; KJV).

 

Clearly Avraham honored these mitzvot and the result of him doing so was Yah’s friendship and respect from those outside his camp.

 

 

 

 

23:7.  And Abraham rose and bowed to the folk in the land, to the Hittites.

 

 

The “folk in (of) the land” in Hebrew is “Am ha-aretz,” in context here, is specifically referencing to what some biblical scholars see as an assembled Council of Hittites.

 

Now, that which was to be proposed by Avraham, that being the acquisition of a burial plot for Sarah in ANE, would require some consensus on the part of the local council.

 

Rabbinic sources state that of the 49-times that this Hebrew phrase is recorded in the Tanach, 42 of those “am ha-aretz” mentions point specifically to some political or social event. In this particular instance, “am ha-aretz” is about this ancient Hittite council or assembly.

 

 

 

23:8.  And he spoke with them, saying, “If you have it in your hearts that I should bury my dead now before me, hear me, entreat for me Ephron son of Zohar,

 

 

23:9.  and let him grant me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him, which is at the far end of his field. At the full price let him grant it to me in your midst as a burial-holding.

 

Now, regarding this Cave of Machpelah, the so-called sages cannot let even something like this go without a good story attached to it. According to some, this cave was unique in that it had an upper and lower chamber that served as the resting place for multiple couples to include Adam and Eve, Abraham, and Sarah of course, Isaac and Rebecca, and Jacob and Leah. I found such thinking to be slightly entertaining, but also revealing. For it shows us that even some of the most innocuous elements in Torah can have elements added to it by the very ones, that being sages, who should know better than to add to or take away from Yah’s Word; Yah’s instructions in righteousness. It’s one thing to surmise what something meant or looked like as recorded in scripture, but it’s an entirely different thing to make such bold assertions when no such evidence is to be had from the written word. Just thought I’d share with you this fun rabbinic tidbit.

 

So, the $21.67 question that yearns for an answer is: Why would Avraham turn down a free burial plot? He’d been offered burial property for free by the Hittites, yet he insists on not just purchasing the property, but in paying full price. Why? The most likely answer is that by him paying full price for the plot there would never be any question of his ownership of the property. If Avraham were to accept the property for free, what would prevent the original owner or his descendants from coming back and laying claim to the land. If the land were conveyed to Avraham for free, he’d have no true claim to ownership of it. However, if Avraham paid full price for the property, he’d have that claim of ownership.

 

As an aside, this verse is a testimony to the fact that it was a very common practice among many communities of the ANE to bury their dead in caves. So, Avraham’s request of the Hittite assembly or council that he acquires one of the council member’s caves to serve as burial site for Sarah would not have been an unusual one. And this tradition and practice carried over into the Hebrew Faith, at least well into the first century C.E. Recall that our Master Yahoshua was buried in a borrowed tomb which could be categorized as a cave of sorts (Joh. 19:38-42). My dear brother Robert Bills pointed me to a book entitled “Golgotha” by a Robert Cornuke. Now, despite the book’s emphasis being to bring to the reader’s attention evidence that the traditional locations for the Temple Mount and Golgotha are incorrect, the author does a fantastic job revealing to the reader the most likely place Yeshua was buried for those three-days and three-nights. And that likely place a rocky escarpment with multiple cave-like intrusions in it. And those cave-like intrusions served as burial places for many of the citizens of Yerushalayim in Yahoshua’s day.

 

So, what we have here in terms of Avraham attempting to acquire a cave to bury Sarah is somewhat of an important issue. And, later, I will comment further on this very touchy issue of Hebrews burying their dead.

 

 

 

 

23:10.  And Ephron was sitting in the midst of the Hittites, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the Hittites, all the assembled in the gate of his town, saying:

 

The mention here of Ephron sitting in the midst of the children of Heth, is suggestive to some biblical commentators that he was actually presiding over what some have described here as an assembly or council. To me, the fact that the text emphasizes that Ephron was “sitting in the midst of the Hittites” makes his leadership of council appear to be a reasonable conclusion. And why not? Avraham, who the citizens of Hebron referred to as a “Nasi Elohim,” entering into an important business transaction with one of the principal leaders of this Hittite community. It’s a very interesting story.

 

It should be noted that what we are reading here is an example of a common land ownership transaction and transfer. Virtually all such important legal business transactions customarily took place at the city’s gateway. As such, the men of the city would assemble themselves in sort of a town council and conduct their business. So, what we’re seeing here is most certainly a legal business transaction common to the ANE. Even the dialog that is recorded here between Ephron and Abraham is typical of ANE financial documents that recorded the “conveyance of property” (Alter).

 

The second half of the verse mentions that Ephron answered Avraham in the hearing of the Hittites and all the assembled in the gate of his town. Some biblical scholars suggests that this verse paints an eye-opening picture of the common practice of ANE business and political discourse being conducted, not only in open public, but also conducting those business transactions at the city’s gate, in this case, Kiriath-arba’s city gate. Certainly, Avraham’s intentions to acquire a suitable burial site for his deceased wife was of such a major concern that he wanted the transaction to be done in an open and transparent environment, witnessed by many individuals, both within and outside the Hittite council. And of course, such important transactions required witnesses and transparency, and the gate of Kiriath-arba offered that environment.

 

And we will find that indeed Avraham’s purchase was witnessed by several people in verse 18.

 

 

23:11.  “Pray, my lord, hear me. The field I grant you and the cave that is in it. I grant it to you in full view of my kinfolk. I grant it to you. Bury your dead.”

 

Alter’s translation here once again takes on the issue that we touched on in our previous reading, having to do with the exhortation insertion that translates in the English as “pray” or “I pray thee.” Depending on which Hebrew manuscript is referenced, the insertion may be that of “pray” which we see here, or “no” as we see in virtually every English translation that is based on the Masoretic Hebrew manuscript. It’s a conflict between “lu” for “pray” versus “lo” for “no.” Alter explains that what we have here is more likely Ephron employing and inserting politeness in his discussion with Abraham.

 

Alter also points out a rather interesting fact: Avraham when he first proposes purchasing property in which to bury Sarah, he endeavors to purchase Ephron’s cave, that’s it. But then Ephron throws in the surrounding land upon which the cave sits, which is curious. It would seem at first brush that Ephron was perhaps showing Abraham favor but giving him more than he’d ever bargained for. But Alter senses an ulterior motive behind Ephron’s seeming generous offer. Alter suggests that Ephron’s throwing in the land with the cave was a ploy to extract more money from Abraham, which seems to be a reasonable assertion given the final purchase price charged to Abraham. Abraham will essentially overpay for the property.

 

And again, we see in this verse another beautiful example of a common ANE business transaction practice or protocol: Ephron’s three-pronged “I grant you…I grant it to you…I grant it to you is a formal conference of the property from him to Abraham. What we see here is Ephron essentially trying to close the deal.

 

 

 

23:12.  And Abraham bowed before the folk of the land,

 

 

23:13.  Saying: “If you would but hear me—I give the price of the field, take it from me, and let me bury my dead there.”

 

 

23:14.  And Ephron answered Abraham, saying:

 

 

23:15.  “Pray, my lord, hear me. Land for four hundred silver shekels between me and you, what does it come to?

 

Ephron’s asking price here, for the cave and land, is certainly ambiguous to our 21st century western experiences and ignorance of ANE monetary values. Alter attempts to help put this price of 400 silver shekels in perspective by comparing it to the purchase price of property that is recorded in other parts of scripture. And although he doesn’t provide us insight into what passages he compared Abraham’s purchase with, he comes to the conclusion that Abraham sorely overpaid Ephron for his property.

 

As distasteful as this may seem to us—that is Ephron’s taking advantage of Abraham—we have to make allowances for Ephron. Abraham is recorded in verse 13 as stating to Ephron that he would pay him full price for his property. So, when Ephron all but robs Abraham here in this verse, we have to recognize that from a business sense, Abraham did not have much of a financial leg to stand on here. And we will see in the next verse that Abraham recognized this reality and humbly agreed to the deal without any counter offering.

 

 

23:16.  Go bury your dead.” And Abraham heeded (I.e., Abraham agreed to Ephron’s offer) Ephron and Abraham weighed out to Ephron the silver that he spoke of in the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred silver shekels at the merchants’ tried weight.

 

The terminology of 400-shekels of silver predates the use of money, which means that this 400-shekels is indicative of the payment in silver being tendered using agreed upon weights, which essentially what shekels means in ANE context.

 

So then, Ephron makes it clear that his asking price is 400 silver shekels, despite the little dance he does with seemingly throwing out the arbitrary number of 400 silver shekels, which actually is not an arbitrary price. The 400 silver shekels is what Ephron felt and or what he wanted for his property; it was indeed his asking price for the property. And it was now up to Avraham to formerly agree to the price and ante-up the silver.

 

 

 

 

23:17.  And Ephron’s field at Machpelah by Mamre, the field and the cave that was in it and every tree in the field within its boundaries all around,

 

 

23:18.  Passed over to Abraham as a possession, in full view of the Hittites, all the assembled in the gate of his town.

 

The Ancient Book of Jasher records that “Avraham wrote this transaction, and he wrote it and testified it with four witnesses” (24:7). And the very next verse lists the names of those witnesses. And Jasher proceeds to record that Avraham kept this purchase agreement, if you will, for purposes of documenting that this burial plot would be his and his seed’s possession forever (verse 10). And in confirmation of this agreement being some sort of covenant, Jasher notes that the purchase of the field and the cave “were made sure unto Abraham and unto his seed after him from the children of Heth” (24:11).

 

 

23:19.  And then Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the Machpelah field by Mamre, which is Hebron, in the land of Canaan.

 

 

23:20.  And the field and the cave that was in it passed over to Abraham as a burial-holding from the Hittites.

 

Alter concludes that what we have recorded here in these four-verses is emblematic of financial transactions involving the conveyance of property in the ANE.

 

Interestingly, secular leaning theologians view this whole transaction as Abraham, now about 137-years of age, taking decisive action to “lay future claim to possession of the land” (Alter; pg. 116). But I agree with Alter’s citing of Meir Sternberg, an Israeli biblical scholar, that this whole reading is indicative of the challenges inherent in Abraham life of covenant: sojourning in a land that is promised to him and having to buy property just to bury his wife; the covenant threatened by the proposed “binding” test of Isaac; and the nomadic and sojourning life that Abraham had to endure despite the great promises inherent in the covenant. Covenant life was not easy.

 

Speaking of covenant, some Hebrew scholars view the official transfer of the land here, from Ephron to Avraham, as a covenant. In other words, the transfer of the cave and the field from Ephron to Avraham is memorialized by way of a covenant between Avraham and the children of Heth. The term indicating this transaction was that of a covenant between the children of Heth and Avraham is the English term “passed over.”

 

How does covenant come into a real estate transaction?

 

The land was believed to be under the ownership of the children of Heth. The children of Heth agreed (I.e., covenant) with Abraham possession of the land.

 

Interestingly, this parcel of land and the cave remain as one of three-hotly contested pieces of real estate in the Land, all three of which were purchased by a patriarch: (1) this cave and attached field of Machpelah, purchased by Avraham for 400-silver shekels; (2) the alleged Temple Mount site, purchased by King David from Ornan for 600 shekels of gold (1 Chr. 21:25); and (3) Joseph’s tomb, purchased by Ya’achov/Jacob at Shechem for four-hundred pieces of silver (Gen. 33:19). (Midrash Rabbah; Genesis 33:19)

 

The other thing I’d like to point out to you is an obscure mention in the Book of Jubilees that Avraham’s interaction with the Hittites over the acquisition of the burial plot was another test put forth to him by the Court of Heaven. (If you’ve not had the opportunity listen to or read our discussion on Yah testing His loved ones, I invite you to click on this link to do so. The post was entitled “When our Covenant Relationship with God is Tested.”) This test was meant to determine how Avraham would handle this somber situation. And of course, the writer of Jubilees affirms that Avraham did indeed pass the test, showing that he was patient with the Hittites; such that Avraham patiently conversed with the children of Heth. The text describes this character trait of Avraham as a “patience of spirit.”

 

In his passing this test, the text denotes that Yah granted Avraham grace before the inhabitants of the Land and that somehow the sale of the burial plot for 400-silver shekels was somehow a good deal.

 

 

Thoughts and Reflections-Practical Messianic Halachah

 

Many rabbinic commentators and commentaries on this Torah Reading passage focus on the burial aspect of our story.

 

As many of you know, I reference Messianic teacher, author, and commentator Tim Hegg, of Torah Resources, quite often in my discussions. I honor and respect Mr. Hegg for his balanced and in-depth exposition of Yah’s Word from a Messianic perspective.

 

But, as it relates to our reading today, Hegg’s contention was that this reading was primarily about the Hebrew practice of burying one’s dead; the efficacy and responsibility of Messianics to bury their dead as opposed to cremating them. And Hegg was not the only commentator I came across in my preparations for this week’s reading who felt this reading was about burial over cremation. In fact, the title for this reading given by most rabbinic sources, including Hegg’s commentary on this passage, was “The Death and Burial of Sarah.” And so, I was surprised to see, given the other spiritual take-aways and lessons that can be learned from this reading, that so much emphasis was being placed on the practice of burying one’s dead. Some sources went so far as to stipulate that Yah commanded his people to bury their dead as opposed to cremating them.

 

But back to Hegg for a moment. Hegg in his commentary strongly advocates burial for Yah’s people, based in part, on this week’s reading. He contends that burying is the only way to preserve the image of Elohim that resides with every human at death, and he cites Psalm 139:14 as a support passage. He further contends that when one’s body is cremated, that image of Yah that humans are naturally endowed with is disrespected and lost to some extent.

 

Look, I get the maybe burying a loved one is preferable to cremating them. I personally don’t care for cremation myself. But, from a practical standpoint, ideology aside, we must recognize that when humans die and their bodies are put in the ground or in a cave for that matter, unless those bodies undergo extensive preservation procedures, they decompose and the elements that make up the human body returns to earth from which it came. And when you think about it, there are no remains to be had for any of our biblical patriarchs. As revered and loved as they may be by us, everyone of their bodies, with possibly the exception of Enoch and Elijah, everyone of their bodies, which were buried, decomposed, and returned to the dust of the earth. Nothing of them whatsoever remains.

 

Now, it seems to me, to completely disavow cremation as a means of responsibly taking care of a loved one’s remains because all the patriarchs were buried and not cremated, and that cremation erases or damages the image of Yah in man, certainly ignores what happens to the body when it is buried. Such sentiments add to the sense of great lost that one may have at the death of a loved one, the elements of guilt and stress, especially when there is no money to bury a loved one. To insist that cremation somehow compromises the image of Yah that humans have been endowed with, suggests to me that there is a great misunderstanding as to what scripture means that man was made in the image of Yah. I did a post entitled “Made in the image of God, Genesis 1:1-2:3” where I go into detail what it means to have been made in Yah’s image. And if you’ve not had the opportunity to read or listen to that post, click the hyperlink in this discussion’s transcript to be taken there.

 

But the point is that being made in Yah’s image has more to do with possessing Yah’s character traits (e.g., a will that acts; the ability to reason and think and create; the capacity to love; etc.) than the physical form of the human body.

 

Look, I am by no means advocating or promoting cremation for the people of Yah. As I just said, I don’t care at all for cremation. However, what I am saying is that burdening Yah’s people with guilt and stress during their hour of grief is unloving and uncaring. Not everyone can afford to bury their loved ones. I remember growing up in the black community in Baltimore in the 1960’s. The vast majority of folks in that community were poor or had very little in terms of finances. And I remember the tremendous stress and strain my family members endured when a family member passed away and they had to come up with funds to bury them. You see, cremation was not something that was done in that community in those days. But those family members had to put themselves in financial woes to bury their loved ones. Some had to go into debt of some type. Still others had to beg family members to either lend or give them the money for burial. I remember my mother having to scrape up large sums of money to bury each of my uncles and aunts because their respective family members did not have money to bury them.

 

Yes, the Hebrew Faith traditionally buries their dead. But what is a faithful family to do if their loved one dies, and they lack the funds to bury them? Cremation, as distasteful as it may seem to most, tends to be significantly more affordable, especially in this day and age than burial.

 

Furthermore, there is NO mitzvah that prohibits cremation, despite the historical and cultural example of burial being the traditional practices of our ancient cousins. But we must also bear in mind that burying a loved ones was not exclusive to the Hebrew community or the Hebrew Faith. We see very clearly laid out here before us that the Hittites, and no doubt the other surrounding cultures and people, buried their dead in caves. Burial was a custom and traditional practice of most ANE peoples, not just to the Hebrews.

 

 

To me, the take-aways or practical halachah to be had here in our Reading is (1) Avraham dearly loved Sarah and we see his love clearly displayed when she passed. It is a reminder that we husbands must love our wives to such an extent that she is as an indispensable part of our very being. And (2), that this world is not our home.

 

The writer of Hebrews brilliantly highlights this reality when he wrote:

 

“(14) For here (this world; this nation; this state; this city in which we dwell) we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come. (15) Through Him (Him being Yahoshua) then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to Yehovah, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His Name. (16) And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices Yah is pleased. (17) Obey your leaders and submit to them (our leaders being those Yah has placed over us as an assembly of Messianic believers in Messiah), for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you” (13:14-17; NASB).

 

Master commanded us to:

 

“Seek first His (Yehovah’s) Kingdom, as well as His righteousness…” (Mat. 6:33).

 

In giving us this most important directive, Master was by default supporting the contention that this world is not our home. We, Yah’s elect, are tasked with promoting and looking forward to the Kingdom of Yah. The Kingdom of Yah is our true home, despite the fact that we must work the fields of this mundane world; live and walk in covenant with our Elohim; love Yah and one another until our Master returns for us.

 

Beloved, we are not called to be patriots or social justice workers in this world. We are not called to involve ourselves in many of the affairs of this world. We are to focus on the affairs of the Kingdom.

 

 

Although we are children of promise or children of covenant, like Avraham, who scripture suggests was the only individual on the planet in covenant with Yehovah at that time, we must recognize that until Yah fulfills the whole of the covenant and its related and attached promises, we must (1) realize that we are sojourners in this world as this world in its present state is not our home; and (2) we are from time-to-time forced to deal with the peoples of this world. And we must learn to deal with them in accordance with Kingdom principles; shrewdly and faithfully, such that the world sees Yah in us.