Bless YHVH the blessed One; Blessed is YHVH, the blessed One for all eternity. 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. Amein.
ויהוה פקד
"and YHVH visited.." when the sages chose these two words I believe they were trying to provoke a certain response in the hearts of the hearers. ‘’Are we content with just a visit from YHVH or is there a deeper yearning of dwelling in His presence? And so arises perhaps the most important question of our existence:
Psa 15:1 יהוה, who does sojourn (‘’yagur’’’’dwell for a time)in Your Tent? Who does dwell(‘’yischan’’remain) in Your set-apart mountain?
Gen 21:1 And יהוה
visited Sarah as He had said, and יהוה did
for Sarah as He had spoken.
Gen 21:2 So
Sarah conceived and bore Aḇraham a son in his old age, at the appointed time of
which Elohim had spoken to him.
Gen 21:3 And
Aḇraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him,
Yitsḥaq.
Gen 21:4 And
Aḇraham circumcised his son Yitsḥaq when he was eight days old, as Elohim had
commanded him. (Yahshua was also circumcised on the eighth day Luke 2:21)
Gen 21:5 And
Aḇraham was one hundred years old when his son Yitsḥaq was born to him.
Gen 21:6 And
Sarah said, “Elohim has made me laugh, and everyone who hears of it laughs with
me.”
Gen 21:7 And
she said, “Who would have said to Aḇraham that Sarah would nurse children? For
I have borne him a son in his old age.”
Gen 21:8 And
the child grew and was weaned, and Aḇraham made a great feast on the day
that Yitsḥaq was weaned. (‘’Gamal’’ to mature.)
Gen 21:9 And
Sarah saw the son of Haḡar the Mitsrian, whom she had borne to Aḇraham,
mocking.
Gen 21:10 So she said to Aḇraham, “Drive out this female servant and her son, for the son of this female servant shall not inherit with my son, with Yitsḥaq.” (Emphasis my own).
The word “mocking” in Hebrew is “metzachek” and appears as a “piel
participle” verb -“to mock” or treat with contempt. This Hebrew word
‘’metzachek’’ first used when Yisrael committed the sin of the golden calf also
implies being sexually perverse - Exo 32:6 And they rose early on the
next day, and offered ascending offerings, and brought peace offerings. And the
people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.(Heb litzachek)
Gen 21:11 And
the matter was very evil in the eyes of Aḇraham because of his son.
Gen 21:12 But
Elohim said to Aḇraham, “Let it not be evil in your eyes because of the boy and
because of your female servant. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her
voice, for in Yitsḥaq your seed is called.
Gen 21:13
“And of the son of the female servant I also make a nation, because he is your
seed.”
Gen 21:14 And
Aḇraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, which he
gave to Haḡar, putting it on her shoulder, also the boy, and sent her away. And
she left and wandered in the Wilderness of Be’ěrsheḇa.
Gen 21:15 And
the water in the skin was used up, and she placed the boy under one of the
shrubs.
Gen 21:16 And
she went and sat down about a bowshot away, for she said, “Let me not see the
death of the boy.” And she sat opposite him, and lifted her voice and
wept.
Gen 21:17 And
Elohim heard the voice of the boy, and the messenger of Elohim called to Haḡar
from the heavens, and said to her, “What is the matter with you, Haḡar? Do not
fear, for Elohim has heard the voice of the boy where he is.
Gen 21:18
“Arise, lift up the boy and hold him with your hand, for I make a great nation
of him.”
Gen 21:19 And
Elohim opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled
the skin with water, and gave the boy a drink.
Gen 21:20 And
Elohim was with the boy, and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an
archer.
Gen 21:21 And he dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Mitsrayim.
A Treaty with
Abimelech
Gen 21:22 And
it came to be at that time that Aḇimeleḵ and Piḵol, the commander of his army,
spoke to Aḇraham, saying, “Elohim is with you in all that you do.
Gen 21:23
“And now, swear to me by Elohim, not to be untrue to me, to my offspring, or to
my descendants. Do to me according to the loving-commitment that I have done to
you and to the land in which you have dwelt.”
Gen 21:24 And
Aḇraham said, “I swear.”
Gen 21:25 And
Aḇraham reproved Aḇimeleḵ because of a well of water which Aḇimeleḵ’s servants
had seized.
Gen 21:26 And
Aḇimeleḵ said, “I do not know who has done this deed. Neither did you inform
me, nor did I hear until today.”
Gen 21:27 So
Aḇraham took sheep and cattle and gave them to Aḇimeleḵ, and the two of them
made a covenant.
Gen 21:28 And
Aḇraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.
Gen 21:29 And
Aḇimeleḵ asked Aḇraham, “What are these seven ewe lambs which you have set by
themselves?”
Gen 21:30 And
he said, “Take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, to be my witness that I have
dug this well.”
Gen 21:31 So
he called that place Be’ěrsheḇa, because the two of them swore an oath
there.
Gen 21:32
Thus they made a covenant at Be’ěrsheḇa. And Aḇimeleḵ rose with Piḵol, the
commander of his army, and they returned to the land of the Philistines.
Gen 21:33 And
he planted a tamarisk tree in Be’ěrsheḇa, and there called on the Name of יהוה, the Everlasting Ěl.
Gen 21:34 And Aḇraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines many days.
Midrash:
This passage of scripture is saying a whole lot more than what we are reading.
Perhaps the sages had much more in mind when they used phrase… ויהוה פקד
For it awaits a future fulfilment in the midst of the most chaotic time of man’s existence on earth. A time when there will be a most powerful revelation of the true identity of Messiah of Yisrael, of Torah and the very heart and jealousy of YHVH for a called-out people.
Jer 30:5 “For this is what יהוה said, ‘We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. Jer 30:6 Ask now, and see if a man is giving birth. Why do I see every man with his hands on his loins like a woman in labour, and all faces turned pale? Jer 30:7 Oh! For great is that day, there is none like it. And it is the time of Ya‛aqoḇ’s distress, but he shall be saved out of it.
Jer 30:12 “For thus said יהוה, ‘Your breach is incurable, your wound is grievous. Jer 30:13 No one pleads your cause, to bind up. There are no healing medicines for you. Jer 30:14 All those loving you have forgotten you, they do not seek you. For I struck you as an enemy strikes, with cruel chastisement, because your crookedness is great, your sins have increased.
Jer 30:24 The burning displeasure of יהוה shall not turn back until He has done and established the purposes of His heart. In the latter days you shall understand it.[b] Footnote: bSee Jer_23:20.
Yitschak and Ishmael represent two covenants – flesh and Spirit.
Gal 4:21 Say to me, you who wish to be under Torah, do you not hear the Torah? Gal 4:22 For it has been written that Aḇraham had two sons, one by a female servant, the other by a free woman. Gal 4:23 But he who was of the female servant was born according to the flesh, and he of the free woman through promise. Gal 4:24 This is allegorical, for these are the two covenants: one indeed from Mount Sinai which brings forth slavery, which is Haḡar, Gal 4:25 for this Haḡar is Mount Sinai in Araḇia, and corresponds to Yerushalayim which now is, and is in slavery with her children. Gal 4:26 But the Yerushalayim above is free, which is the mother of us all. Gal 4:27 For it has been written, “Rejoice, O barren, you who do not bear! Break forth and shout, you who do not have birth pains! For the deserted one has many more children than she who has a husband.” Isa_54:1. Gal 4:28 And we, brothers, as Yitsḥaq was, are children of promise. Gal 4:29 But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him born according to the Spirit, so also now. Gal 4:30 But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the female servant and her son, for the son of the female servant shall by no means be heir with the son of the free woman.” Gen_21:10. Gal 4:31 Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the female servant but of the free woman.
(Emphasis my own).
His people must first be brought to a complete end of themselves so that the deliverance blessing and establishing of His people and His purposes will not be the work or boast of any man or religious organization or movement – not even the messianic or Hebrew roots movement.
‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ said יהוה of hosts.
Psa 127:1 If יהוה does not build the house, Its builders have laboured in vain.
1Co 1:26 For look at your calling, brothers, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble. 1Co 1:27 But Elohim has chosen the foolish matters of the world to put to shame the wise, and Elohim has chosen the weak of the world to put to shame the strong. 1Co 1:28 And Elohim has chosen the low-born of the world and the despised, and the ones that are not, that He might bring to naught the ones that are, 1Co 1:29 so that no flesh should boast in His presence. 1Co 1:30 And of Him you are in Messiah יהושע, who became for us wisdom from Elohim, righteousness also, and set-apartness and redemption, 1Co 1:31 that, as it has been written, “He who boasts, let him boast in יהוה.” Jer_9:23-24.
Rom 11:11 I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Let it not be! But by their fall deliverance has come to the nations, to provoke them to jealousy. Deu_32:21. Rom 11:12 And if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the nations, how much more their completeness! Rom 11:13 For I speak to you, the nations, inasmuch as I am an emissary to the nations, I esteem my service, Rom 11:14 if somehow I might provoke to jealousy Deu_32:21 those who are my flesh and save some of them. Rom 11:25 For I do not wish you to be ignorant of this secret, brothers, lest you should be wise in your own estimation, that hardening in part has come over Yisra’ěl, until the completeness of the nationsa has come in. Footnote: a Gen_48:19. (Emphasis my own).
Rth 1:15 And she said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her mighty ones. Go back, follow your sister-in-law.” Rth 1:16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you, or to go back from following after you. For wherever you go, I go; and wherever you stop over, I stop over. Your people is my people, and your Elohim is my Elohim.[a] Footnote: aRuth, great-grandmother of Dawiḏ. Rth 1:17 “Where you die, I die, and there I shall be buried. יהוה do so to me, and more also – for death itself parts you and me.” Rth 1:18 And when she saw that she was strengthening herself to go with her, she ceased to speak to her.
Rth 4:13 And Bo‛az took Ruth and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and יהוה granted her conception, and she bore a son. Rth 4:14 And the women said to Na‛omi, “Blessed be יהוה, who has not left you this day without a redeemer. And let his Name be proclaimed in Yisra’ěl! Rth 4:15 “And he shall be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him.” Rth 4:16 And Na‛omi took the child and laid him on her bosom, and became a nurse to him. Rth 4:17 And the women, her neighbours, gave him a name, saying, “There is a son born to Na‛omi.” And they called his name Oḇěḏ. He was the father of Yishai, the father of Dawiḏ. (Emphasis my own).
YHVH Will Restore Yisrael
Eze 20:33 “As I live,” declares the Master יהוה, “do not I, with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out, reign over you? Eze 20:34 “And I shall bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the lands where you are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out. Eze 20:35 “And I shall bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and shall enter into judgment with you face to face there. Eze 20:36 “As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Mitsrayim, so I shall enter into judgment with you,” declares the Master יהוה. Eze 20:37 “And I shall make you pass under the rod, and shall bring you into the bond of the covenant, Eze 20:38 and purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against Me. From the land where they sojourn I bring them out, but they shall not come into the land of Yisra’ěl. And you shall know that I am יהוה.
Restore Our Fortunes, O YHVH
Psa 126:1 When יהוה turns back the captivity of Tsiyon, We shall be like dreamers. Psa 126:2 Then our mouth shall be filled with laughter,(Heb ‘’sechok’’) And our tongue with singing, Then shall they say among the nations, “יהוה has done great deeds for them.” Psa 126:3 יהוה shall do great deeds for us, We shall be glad. Psa 126:4 Turn back our captivity, O יהוה, Like the streams in the South. Psa 126:5 Those sowing in tears, shall reap with songs of joy. Psa 126:6 He who goes on and weeps, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall indeed come in with rejoicing, Bearing his sheaves.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEMleMX78lI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaKmieXj-BY
Baruch atah YHVH, Eloheinu, Melech
ha-‘Olam, asher natan lanu Toraht-emet, v’chai-yeh o’lam nata-b’tochenu. Baruch
atah YHVH, notein ha-Torah. Amein.
Blessed are you YHVH, 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, YHVH giver of the Torah – Amein.