In the previous chapter 25 verse 8 we read that
Avraham died and was gathered to his people. Chapter 26 of Bereshit (Genesis)
begins by stating that there was a famine in the land. Was this famine related
to Avraham’s death?
The Targum Yonatan also explains that when Yitzchak
was driven away from Gerar by Abimilech the wells dried up and the trees bore
no fruit.
During Yakov’s life there too was a severe famine not
only in the land of Yisrael but all over the world. Yakov was dishonoured by
his father in law – Laban – Yakov was dishonoured by his brother Esav - Yakov was also dishonoured by his sons because
of his love for Yosef and his sons brought great sorrow and sadness to Yakov
when they lied about Yosef’s so called untimely death. Yakov’s family had to leave their land to go
to Mitzraim/Egypt because of the severe famine.
Maybe we can draw
the conclusion that when the patriarchs were not honoured there was famine in
the land and even in the world.
When Yahshua was asked by his talmadim(disciples) to
teach them how to pray, Yahshua starts the prayer by honouring his Father - Our Father who is in the heaven, Your Name is
Set Apart…” Yahshua taught them the prayer we find in Matt 6:9-12. Some scholars
believe this was an abbreviated version of the “Amiddah” or “Shmoneh Esrei”.
Read the explanation found in website:
There are 18 sections in the Amiddah. The first
section is a prayer concerning the patriachs.
“PATRIARCHS”
or “Avot”
Blessed
are You, YHVH our Elohim and Elohim of our fathers, Elohim of Avraham, Elohim
of Yitzchak Elohim of Yakov, the great, mighty and awesome Elohim, Elohim
supreme, Who extends loving-kindness and is Master of all, Who remembers the
gracious deeds of our forefathers, and Who brings a Redeemer with love to their
children’s children for His
Name’s
sake. King, Redeemer, Savior, and Shield! Blessed are You O YHVH, Shield of Avraham.
It
is significant that this prayer starts in a dedication to the Patriachs and the
eventual Redeemer that will come through their descendants.
Yahshua
says of Avraham Joh 8:56
“Your father Aḇraham was glad that he
should see My day, and he saw it and did rejoice.”
YHVH is often referred to as the Elohim of Avraham,
Yitzchak and Yakov.
Mat 22:32 ‘I am the Elohim of Aḇraham, and the Elohim
of Yitsḥaq, and the Elohim of
Yaʽaqoḇ’? Elohim is not the
Elohim of the dead, but of the living.”
Yahshua clearly proclaims that the faith of the
patriarchs continues to live on.
These wells of our
fathers symbolically reveal the revelation of the one faith – the living water
that would bring life to a world in
desperate need of life.
Eph 4:4 one body and one Spirit, as you also were
called in one expectation of your calling,
Eph 4:5 one Master, one belief, one immersion,
Eph 4:6 one Elohim and Father of all,1 who
is above all, and through all, and in you all. Footnote: 1Mk.
12:32,34, 1 Cor. 8:6, 1 Tim. 2:5, Mk. 12:29-34.
It was at Yakov’s well
that Yahshua said to the Samaritan woman that he could give her water that she
would never thirst again.
Joh 4:6 And Yaʽaqoḇ’s fountain was there.
So יהושע, being wearied
from the journey, was sitting thus at the fountain. It was about the sixth
hour.
Joh 4:7 A woman of
Shomeron came to draw water. יהושע said to her,
“Give Me to drink.”
Joh 4:8 For His
taught ones had gone off into the city to buy food.
Joh 4:9 The woman
of Shomeron therefore said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Yehuḏite,
ask a drink from me, a woman of Shomeron?” For Yehuḏim do
not associate with Shomeronites.
Joh 4:10 יהושע answered and said to her, “If you knew the
gift of Elohim, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me to drink,’ you would
have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”1
Footnote: 1Jer. 2:13, Jer. 17:13, Zech. 14:8, John 7:37-39.
Joh 4:11 The woman
said to Him, “Master, You have no vessel, and the well is deep. From where,
then, do You have living water?
Joh 4:12 “Are You
greater than our father Yaʽaqoḇ, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, and
his sons, and his cattle?”
Joh 4:13 יהושע answered and said to her, “Everyone
drinking of this water shall thirst again,
Joh 4:14 but
whoever drinks of the water I give him shall certainly never thirst. And the
water that I give him shall become in him a fountain of water springing up into
everlasting life.”