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,
(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.)
Even to this day many Jewish people believe YHVH would
never allow the Messiah to be offered as a pesach lamb, yet in this famous
event called the “akeidah” or binding we see that YHVH actually tests Avraham
to see whether he would offer up his only son.
Let us again consider the wonder of the Hebrew
language with regard to this week’s Torah portion.
In Hebrew grammar the Hebrew word for past tense is
“avar” (ayin,vav,reish) this is also the root word for “Hebrew”(ayin,vav,reish)
or “ivri” or “one who has crossed over”
Avraham teaches us here that YHVH will lead those who
truly have “crossed over” and never desire to return from where they came from
by putting them to this kind of test. The kind of test that is willing to let
go of everything that we consider precious and valuable for the sake of the
pursuit of His presence and pleasure.
How many today who call themselves Hebrews or Hebraic
have truly come to a place of total yielding to Him?
In Hebrew grammar the Hebrew word for present tense is
“hoveh” (hey,vav,hey) the same letters that are found in YHVH’s name – If we take the verb root “hey,
vav, hey” it can mean “to exist” when we add the “yud” prefix to the root we
have the four letter name of YHVH which translates as the “hiphyl” verb in the
future tense which means “He will cause all things to exist.” We also deduce
from this root that YHVH considers all things to exist in the present. His
omnipotence is so great that He is in no ways limited to time and space.
I believe the “ekeidah” should not focus on
“sacrifice” as this conjures up within us the idea of seeking to appease an
angry “God”; this was very much a pagan understanding of appeasing their gods.
Perhaps we should rather consider the possibility that for Avraham the most
important issue was obeying and pleasing his Master.
Sadly many sincere believers today are seeking ways to
impress YHVH and others by the “great sacrifices” they feel they should make.
We may have to make sacrifices at times, but these must be His choosing and not
ours.
Avraham shows us that he would do whatever the Master
requires he should do, even if he did not fully understand. It was in this act
of surrender that the very choice blessings of heaven become Avraham’s and his
descendants.
This was a shadow of how YHVH desires to relate to His
Covenanted Ones – He too does not hold back the very best He has in order to
give to us His great love and desire to be one with us.
It can only be in this reciprocation between Him and
us that we truly become one with Him.
Gen 22:1 And it came to be after these events that
Elohim tried Aḇraham, and said to
him, “Aḇraham!” And he said,
“Here I am.”
Hebrew word for test in “nisa” (nun, samech, hey),
a similar word pronounced the same but spelled differently (nun, shin, aleph)
means elevated. We can deduce from this that when YHVH tests us it is because
He wants to elevate us.
The Hebrew word “nisa” comes from another Hebrew
word “neis” which means banner and also carries a meaning of being exalted or
shown to the world.
Why would YHVH want to test us?
Deu 8:2 “And you shall remember that יהוה your Elohim led you all the way
these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you, prove you (Hebrew word
“nisa”), to know what is in your heart, whether you guard His commands or not.
Deu 8:3 “And He
humbled you, and let you suffer hunger, and fed you with manna which you did
not know nor did your fathers know, to make you know that man does not live by
bread alone, but by every Word that comes from the mouth of יהוה1. Footnote: 1Messiah quotes this in Mt. 4:4
and in Lk. 4:4.
Deu 8:4 “Your
garments did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years.
Deu 8:5 “Thus you
shall know in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so יהוה your
Elohim disciplines you,
Deu 8:6 therefore
you shall guard the commands of יהוה your Elohim, to walk in His ways
and to fear Him.
Gen 22:2 And He
said, “Take your son, now, your only son Yitsḥaq, whom you love, and
go to the land of Moriyah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of
the mountains which I command you.”
The Hebrew definite article is used before “Moriah”
(haMoriah) indicating it was a very definite and set apart place, most probably
Yerushalayim. There are two possibilities for its meaning: “yira” meaning
“fear” and “ra ah” meaning “to see.”
Gen 22:3 And Aḇraham rose early in
the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and
Yitsḥaq his son. And he
split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place which
Elohim had commanded him.
The midrash states that these two men were Eliezer
and Ishmael. We note also that Avraham himself splits the wood, indicating his
determination to complete the task. The Hebrew implies that Avraham was not sure exactly where to go but he would
rely on YHVH once again to show him exactly where he was to offer Yitzchak.
Gen 22:4 And on the
third day Aḇraham lifted his eyes
and saw the place from a distance.
On the third day Avraham perceived the exact place
where this offering was to take place. The sages believe there was a cloud of
YHVH’s presence hovering over the same place where the temple would later be
built – the same place where Yitzchak would be offered.
Gen 22:5 So Aḇraham said to his
young men, “Stay here with the donkey while the boy and I go over there and
worship, and come back to you.”
Note Avraham’s confidence that he and his son would
return. This implies that even if Yitzchak would be killed, he would be
resurrected again.
Heb 11:17 By belief, Aḇraham, when he was
tried, offered up Yitsḥaq, and he who had
received the promises offered up his only brought-forth son,
Heb 11:18 of
whom it was said, “In Yitsḥaq your seed shall be
called,”
Heb 11:19
reckoning that Elohim was able to raise, even from the dead, from which
he received him back, as a type.
Gen 22:6 And Aḇraham took the wood of
the burnt offering and laid it on Yitsḥaq
his son. And he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them
went together.
Gen 22:7 And
Yitsḥaq spoke to Aḇraham his father and
said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “See, the
fire and the wood! But where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”
Gen 22:8 And
Aḇraham said, “My son,
Elohim does provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” And the two of
them went together.
