1/25/2013

Parashat 4 – Portion 15. “Va yera – and he appeared”



Beresheet/Genesis 18:1-33

Blessing for the Torah:
Baruch atah YHVH, Eloheynu, Melech ha-O’lam, asher bachar banu m’kol ha-amim,
v’natan lanu eht Torah-to. Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn ha-Torah. Ameyn.”

(Blessed are you, YHVH, our Elohim , King of the Universe,
you have selected us from among all the peoples, and have given us your Torah.
Blessed are you, YHVH, giver of the Torah. Ameyn.)

This Torah portion addresses the great controversy over whether Yahshua is YHVH in the flesh. This issue concerns the doctrine of the so called trinity.
The author of this study does not wish to engage in a debate over this issue. He accepts the fact that this is an extremely divisive issue within the church as well as within the Messianic movement.
The author of this study does not believe that Yahshua is YHVH Himself. This author believes that Yahshua is the brought-forth Son of YHVH, born of the virgin Miriam almost 2000 years ago; that Yahshua has the fullness of YHVH dwelling within him and is presently seated at the right hand of the Father waiting for the Father’s instructions to return to earth and rule for 1000 years.

This Torah portion also sums up how the spirit of Yahshua is truly manifested and recognized amongst us: First there is a promise of blessing followed by the warning of judgment.

Yeshayahu/Isa 61:1  The Spirit of the Master יהוה (YHVH) is upon Me, because יהוה has anointed Me to bring good news to the meek. He has sent Me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim release to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound,
Isa 61:2  to proclaim the acceptable year of יהוה, and the day of vengeance of our Elohim, to comfort all who mourn,

Note whenever there is a true manifestation of Yahshua’s ministry there will be true deliverance from bondage and the proclamation of blessing as well as vengeance.
How can there ever be a true manifestation of Yahshua’s ministry where there is disregard for the Torah of YHVH???

Gen 18:1  And יהוה appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamrĕ, while he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day.

The sages believe that this was the third day after Avraham’s circumcision and he was most probably in a great deal of pain.

Why is it so difficult to imagine that YHVH could send a messenger to represent Himself??
When the messenger of YHVH stands before you it is just as good as if YHVH Himself stood before you because when a messenger of YHVH stands before you, he has a message from YHVH for you.

Yochanan/Joh 1:18  No one has ever seen Elohim. The only brought-forth Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He did declare.

1Ti 6:16  who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or is able to see, to whom be respect and everlasting might. Amĕn.

This first verse could almost be a prophetic reminder of and end time generation in pain because their flesh has been dealt with in a powerful way by YHVH and now they are waiting at the entrance of the Promised Land, studying the Torah. The phrase Terebinth trees of Mamre could be alluding to the kind of wood used for making yokes. Mamre means “strength.” We conclude that there is a strength that comes from waiting and studying Torah. This could be our final preparation before entering into the Messianic age – waiting for The promised Anointed Messenger of YHVH – Yahshua himself.


Gen 18:2  So he lifted his eyes and looked, and saw three men standing opposite him. And when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground,
Gen 18:3  and said, “יהוה, if I have now found favour in Your eyes, please do not pass Your servant by.
Gen 18:4  “Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.
Gen 18:5  “And let me bring a piece of bread and refresh your hearts, and then go on, for this is why you have come to your servant.” And they said, “Do as you have said.”
Gen 18:6  So Aḇraham ran into the tent to Sarah and said, “Hurry, make ready three measures of fine flour, knead it and make cakes.”
Gen 18:7  And Aḇraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hurried to prepare it.

The scriptures encourage us to entertain strangers:

Heb 13:2  Do not forget to receive strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained messengers.

Gen 18:8  And he took curds and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them, and he stood by them under the tree as they ate.

Here we see that milk and meat were mixed, this raises questions about the halacha (custom) of not mixing the two. It is possible that there was a time lapse between the consumption of the two.

Gen 18:9  And they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “See, in the tent.”
Gen 18:10  And He said, “I shall certainly return to you according to the time of life, and see, Sarah your wife is to have a son!” And Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.
Gen 18:11  Now Aḇraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age, and Sarah was past the way of women.
Gen 18:12  And Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my master being old too?”
Gen 18:13  And יהוה said to Aḇraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I truly have a child, since I am old?’
Gen 18:14  “Is any matter too hard for יהוה? At the appointed time I am going to return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah is to have a son.”

Appointed time according to the sages was the 15 of Aviv, the first day of the Feast of unleavened bread (Chag ha Matzot).

Gen 18:15  But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh!”
Gen 18:16  And the men rose up from there and looked toward Seḏom, and Aḇraham went with them to send them away.
Gen 18:17  And יהוה said, “Shall I hide from Aḇraham what I am doing,
Gen 18:18  since Aḇraham is certainly going to become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
Gen 18:19  “For I have known him, so that he commands his children and his household after him, to guard the way of יהוה, to do righteousness and right-ruling, so that יהוה brings to Aḇraham what He has spoken to him.”

The true descendants of Abraham will not have an obscure Messianic revelation and understanding of the last days. These will walk in the Torah of YHVH. They will understand that Messianic life comes only supernaturally and that this life is accompanied by intercession and taking up one’s execution stake AND THAT ONLY A REMNANT ARE WILLING TO RECEIVE AND WALK IN TRUE MESSIANIC REVELATION.

Today in our time we are once again witnessing the restoration of true Messianic life.

Gen 18:20  And יהוה said, “Because the outcry against Seḏom and Amorah is great, and because their sin is very heavy,
Gen 18:21  “I am going down now to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me, and if not, I know.”

Luk 17:26  “And as it came to be in the days of Noaḥ, so also shall it be in the days of the Son of Aḏam:
Luk 17:27  “They were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noaḥ went into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
Luk 17:28  “And likewise, as it came to be in the days of Lot: They were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building,
Luk 17:29  but on the day Lot went out of Seḏom it rained fire and sulphur from heaven and destroyed all.
Luk 17:30  “It shall be the same in the day the Son of Aḏam is revealed.

Gen 18:22  So the men turned away from there and went toward Seḏom, but יהוה still stood before Aḇraham.
Gen 18:23  And Aḇraham drew near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wrong?

This is the heart of the “waiting bride” she does not delight in the destruction of the unrighteous and she is extremely concerned about those who are trapped amongst the unrighteous who need to come out from amongst them. The heart of a Hebrew is to stand in the gap for the righteous and for the unrighteous. We know however that this time, the time of YHVH’s favour towards the unrighteous is going to expire sometime in the future.

Gen 18:24  “Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city, would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it?
Gen 18:25  “Far be it from You to act in this way, to slay the righteous with the wrong, so that the righteous should be as the wrong. Far be it from You! Does the Judge of all the earth not do right?”
Gen 18:26  And יהוה said, “If I find in Seḏom fifty righteous within the city, then I shall spare all the place for their sakes.”
Gen 18:27  And Aḇraham answered and said, “Look, please, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to יהוה,
Gen 18:28  “Suppose there are five less than the fifty righteous, would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?” And He said, “If I find there forty-five, I do not destroy it.”
Gen 18:29  And he spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose there are found forty?” And He said, “I would not do it for the sake of forty.”
Gen 18:30  And he said, “Let not יהוה be displeased, and let me speak: Suppose there are found thirty?” And He said, “I would not do it if I find thirty there.”
Gen 18:31  And he said, “Look, please, I have taken it upon myself to speak to יהוה: Suppose there are found twenty?” And He said, “I would not destroy it for the sake of twenty.”
Gen 18:32  And he said, “Let not יהוה be displeased, and let me speak only this time: Suppose there are found ten?” And He said, “I would not destroy it for the sake of ten.”
Gen 18:33  Then יהוה went away as soon as He had ended speaking to Aḇraham. And Aḇraham returned to his place.

 “Baruch atah YHVH, Eloheynu, Melech ha-‘Olam, asher natan lanu Toraht-emet, v’chay-yeh o’lam nata-b’tochenu. Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn ha-Torah. Ameyn.”

(Blessed are you Yahweh, our Elohim, King of the Universe, you have given us your Torah of truth, and have planted everlasting life within our midst. Blessed are you, Yahweh giver of the Torah – Ameyn

Please note these notes are under construction and are subject to correction and are in no way a final authority on any subject.