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.)
The “church” did not invent the “Good News.” The Good News was preached and taught to Abram long before the “church” ever existed. If we want to understand the message and the impact of this “Good News” (also called the gospel by churchman) we need to go to the source of its first proclamation and note the record of how it was received and acted upon. This Torah portion takes us back to the source of our redemption and instructs us from the life of Abram on how to receive and respond to this “Good News.”
Let us note carefully that this Good News comes with the promise of the Son as well as the promise of the Land. It will serve us well to remind ourselves that we cannot pick and choose what we will receive and reject when it comes to receiving the “Good News” of YHVH’s redemption.
The great concern that Shaul had about the proclamation of the “Good News” in his day still exists in our day.
2Co 11:3 But I am afraid, lest, as the serpent deceived Ḥawwah by his trickery, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Messiah.
2Co 11:4 For, indeed, if he who is coming proclaims another יהושע,1 whom we have not proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different Good News which you have not accepted, you put up with it well enough! Footnote: 1Mt. 24:5 & 23-24, John 5:43.
For many who have begun this journey of Messianic restoration, it seems more and more “insane” that believers today can claim to know and love the truth when they disregard the ancient Hebraic roots of the faith.
Gal 3:6 Even so Aḇraham “did believe Elohim, and it was reckoned unto him as righteousness.”
Gal 3:7 Know, then, that those who are of belief are sons of Aḇraham.
Gal 3:8 And the Scripture, having foreseen that Elohim would declare right the nations by belief, announced the Good News to Aḇraham beforehand, saying, “All the nations shall be blessed in you,”
Gal 3:9 so that those who are of belief are blessed with Aḇraham, the believer.
Sidra (Teaching)
Gen 15:1 After these events the word of יהוה came to Aḇram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Aḇram. I am your shield, your reward is exceedingly great.”
YHVH encouraged Avram after his victory over the kings because He knew Avram may have feared some kind of reprisal from his enemies because of his victory.
Note also YHVH says that He Himself is Avram’s shield and exceeding great reward. YHVH said this before He gave Avram a son.
The Hebrew word for shield is “magen” and it comes from the Hebrew word “ganan” which means to “hedge around and defend.” Note this protection does come through an intermediary. We need to note that it is YHVH Himself who shields us. We see that YHVH would ultimately manifest this “shield” to us by bringing forth His only brought forth son Yahshua ha Mashiach who was endowed with the fullness of YHVH. This made it possible for Avraham’s seed to embrace the same kind of redeeming faith that our Father Avraham embraced.
Note the meaning of the name of “Yahshua” – Wikipedia.
The name Yehoshua has the form of a compound of "Yeho-" and "shua": Yeho- יְהוֹ is another form of יָהו Yahu, a theophoric element standing for the name of יהוח (the Tetragrammaton YHWH, sometimes transcribed into English as Yahweh or Jehovah- (note from us: there is no “J” in Hebrew so it should be rather Yehovah), and שׁוּעַ shua‘ is a noun meaning "a cry for help", "a saving cry", that is to say, a shout given when in need of rescue. Together, the name would then literally mean, "YHVH is a saving-cry," that is to say, shout to YHVH when in need of help or Yahshua is the one who cries to YHVH on our behalf for help (italics authors emphasis)
Another explanation for the name Yehoshua is that it comes from the root ישע yod-shin-‘ayin, meaning "to deliver, save, or rescue". According to the Book of Numbers verse 13:16, the name of Joshua son of Nun was originally Hoshea` הוֹשֵעַ, and the name "Yehoshua`" יְהוֹשֻׁעַ is usually spelled the same but with a yod added at the beginning. "Hoshea`" certainly comes from the root ישע, "yasha", yod-shin-`ayin (in the Hif'il form the yod becomes a waw), and not from the word שוע shua` (Jewish Encyclopedia) although ultimately both roots appear to be related. End quote.
Gen 15:2 And Aḇram said, “Master יהוה, what would You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eli’ezer of Damascus?”
This is the first time the title Master (Adonai) YHVH is used in Torah. YHVH is the Master of deciding how and when and for how long all things will come into existence (meaning of YHVH is “He will cause to exist”) Indicating that the covenant YHVH has set in place here He will keep and bring to its full completion. Every other time this unique combination of YHVH’s name is used it refers to the sustaining ability and promise of YHVH to keep His covenant.
David reveals his understanding of the depth of his knowledge of YHVH’s redemption when he uses this combination of “Adonai YHVH” seven times in 2 Samuel 7: 18, 19(twice), 20,22,28,29.
David seems to capture the essence of this revelation when he says in vs 19b “ve zot torat ha adam Adonai YHVH” “and this is the Torah of mankind Master YHVH.”
Eliezer’s name comes from two words- Strongs Number 410 and 5828.
“El” means mighty one and “ezer” is one who helps. This also happens to be the description of the Ruach Hakodesh (Set apart Spirit) in the apostolic writings.
How does the Ruach of YHVH help us? The Ruach of YHVH gives us the revelation that it is YHVH and YHVH alone who has the power to redeem us. This YHVH accomplished by sending His son to enter into an eternal covenant with Himself (YHVH) on our behalf. This redemption was shown and received by our Father Avraham who became the example to us of how we receive the blessing of our redemption.
Yoch/ Joh 6:37 “All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I shall by no means cast out.
Joh 6:38 “Because I have come down out of the heaven, not to do My own desire, but the desire of Him who sent Me.
Joh 6:65 And He said, “Because of this I have said to you that no one is able to come to Me unless it has been given to him by My Father.”
Gen 15:3 And Aḇram said, “See, You have given me no seed, and see, one born in my house is my heir!”
Gen 15:4 And see, the word of יהוה came to him, saying, “This one is not your heir, but he who comes from your own body is your heir.”
Gen 15:5 And He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward the heavens, and count the stars if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So are your seed.”
Gen 15:6 And he believed in יהוה, and He reckoned it to him for righteousness.
Abram believed “IN YHVH” (ve he amin b YHVH) not in the promised son, but that YHVH would produce a promised son.
This verse becomes the corner stone of Shaul’s preaching:
Rom 4:3 For what does the Scripture say? “Aḇraham believed Elohim, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness.”1 Footnote: 1Gen. 15:6, Gen. 17:1 and 26:5.
Rom 4:4 And to him who is working, the reward is not reckoned as a favour but as a debt.
Rom 4:5 And to him who is not working but believes on Him who is declaring right the wicked, his belief is reckoned for righteousness,
Rom 4:6 even as Dawiḏ also says of the blessedness of the man to whom Elohim reckons righteousness without works:
Rom 4:7 “Blessed are those whose lawlessnesses are forgiven, and whose sins are covered,
Rom 4:8 blessed is the man to whom יהוה shall by no means reckon sin.”
Note it was not Avram’s faith that was considered as a righteous deed, but it was Avram’s trust and confidence that YHVH and YHVH alone could do for him what he or no one else could ever do for him.
When we consider the impact of these statements we see the tragic impact that the so called Trinitarian heresy has had upon our faith.
Gen 15:7 And He said to him, “I am יהוה, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it.”
The evidence that we have crossed over is that those who have not will hate us.
Yochanan/Joh 15:19 “If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world (you have crossed over), for that reason the world hates you. In fact this is how I believe you can know that you have crossed over; its when the world and even those close to you begin to hate you.
Gen 15:8 And he said, “Master יהוה, whereby do I know that I possess it?”
Gen 15:9 And He said to him, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, and a three-year-old female goat, and a three-year-old ram, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”
Gen 15:10 And he took all these to Him and cut them in the middle, and placed each half opposite the other, but he did not cut the birds.
This was an ancient way of making a covenant or solemn agreement between two parties. The parties would meet together between the slaughtered animals and would declare the terms of their agreement, stating that if any party should default they would be liable to death.
This is a solemn reminder to us that there is a blessing for keeping covenant and a terrible consequence for breaking covenant. We as human beings are confronted by the stark reality that we have all sinned and have fallen short of keeping YHVH’s covenant and we are reminded that Yahshua took upon himself the penalty for our disobedience.
Gen 15:11 And the birds of prey came down on the carcasses, and Aḇram drove them away.
Gen 15:12 And it came to be, when the sun was going down, and a deep sleep fell upon Aḇram, that see, a frightening great darkness fell upon him.
Why was Abram put into a deep sleep? Because YHVH could not make a covenant with him that he would be able to keep. YHVH would make this covenant with Himself.
Heb 6:13 For Elohim, having promised Aḇraham, since He could swear by no one greater, swore by Himself, Heb 6:14 saying, “Truly, blessing I shall bless you, and increasing I shall increase you.”
This reminds us of Yahshua’s agonizing moment on the execution stake just before he died.
Luk 23:44 And it was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over all the land, until the ninth hour.
Luk 23:45 And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the Dwelling Place was torn in two.
Luk 23:46 And crying out with a loud voice, יהושע said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” And having said this, He breathed His last.
Luk 23:47 And the captain, seeing what took place, praised Elohim, saying, “Truly, this Man was righteous!”
Gen 15:13 And He said to Aḇram, “Know for certain that your seed are to be sojourners in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them, and they shall afflict them four hundred years.
Gen 15:14 “But the nation whom they serve I am going to judge, and afterward let them come out with great possessions.
Gen 15:15 “Now as for you, you are to go to your fathers in peace, you are to be buried at a good old age.
Gen 15:16 “Then, in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the crookedness of the Amorites is not yet complete.”
Gen 15:17 And it came to be, when the sun went down and it was dark, that see, a smoking oven and a burning torch passing between those pieces.
The smoking oven and burning torch remind us about the fire by night and the cloud by day that leads the children of Yisrael through the wilderness for 40 years. Once again we see that YHVH takes the initiative and responsibility by giving us His Presence (His Son) to lead those who belong to Him into the Promised Land.
Gen 15:18 On the same day יהוה made a covenant with Aḇram, saying, “I have given this land to your seed, from the river of Mitsrayim to the great river, the River Euphrates,
To your offspring I have given this land"--already given, is in the past tense.
We also note that the boundaries given in this verse are much larger than the present boundaries surrounding Yisrael.
Gen 15:19 with the Qĕynite, and the Qenizzite, and the Qaḏmonite,
Gen 15:20 and the Ḥittite, and the Perizzite, and the Repha’im,
Gen 15:21 and the Amorite, and the Kena’anite, and the Girgashite, and the Yeḇusite.”
“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 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, 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.