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.
Gen 22:9 And
they came to the place which Elohim had commanded him, and Aḇraham built an altar
there and placed the wood in order. And he bound Yitsḥaq his son and laid
him on the altar, upon the wood.
Gen 22:10
And Aḇraham stretched out
his hand and took the knife to slay his son,
Gen 22:11
but the Messenger of יהוה called to him from the heavens and said, “Aḇraham,
Aḇraham!”
And he said, “Here I am.”
Gen 22:12 And He
said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy, nor touch him. For now I know that you
fear Elohim, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”
What is our “Yitzchak” today? Here
follows a possible list:
Luk 18:29 And He said to them, “Truly, I say to you,
there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children,
for the sake of the reign of Elohim,
Luk 18:30 who shall not receive many times more in this
present time, and in the age to come everlasting life.”
Mat 19:29
“And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or
mother or wife or children or lands, for My Name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold,
and shall inherit everlasting life.
Often our relationships to our belongings
and family become the area of our greatest testing before YHVH.
Gen 22:13 And Aḇraham
lifted his eyes and looked and saw behind him a ram caught in a bush by its
horns, and Aḇraham went and took the ram and offered it up for a burnt
offering instead of his son.
Gen 22:14 And Aḇraham
called the name of the place, ‘יהוה Yireh,’ as it is said to this day,
“On the mountain יהוה provides.”
The place of total yielding is the place of total
provision.
Gen 22:15 And the Messenger of יהוה called
to Aḇraham a second time from the heavens,
Gen 22:16 and
said, “By Myself I have sworn, declares יהוה, because you have done this, and
have not withheld your son, your only son,
Gen 22:17 that I
shall certainly bless you, and I shall certainly increase your seed as the
stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore, and let your
seed possess the gate of their enemies.
Gen 22:18 “And in
your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
Here we find the very essence and definition of the good
news we are called to proclaim to the nations.
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.
Gen 22:19 Then Aḇraham
returned to his young men, and they rose up and went together to Be’ĕrsheḇa. And
Aḇraham
dwelt at Be’ĕrsheḇa.
Gen 22:20 And it
came to be after these events that it was reported to Aḇraham,
saying, “See, Milkah too has borne children to your brother Naḥor:
Gen 22:21 “Uts his
first-born, and Buz his brother, and Qemu’ĕl the father of Aram,
Gen 22:22 and
Keseḏ, and Ḥazo, and Pildash, and Yiḏlaph,
and Bethu’ĕl.”
Gen 22:23 And
Bethu’ĕl brought forth Riḇqah. These eight Milkah bore to Naḥor, Aḇraham’s
brother.
Gen 22:24 And his
concubine, whose name was Re’uwmah, also bore Teḇaḥ, and
Gaḥam, and Taḥash, and Ma’aḵah.
The Akeidah or
“binding” addresses possibly one of the most critical questions in the life of
anyone who claims to be a believer in Yahshua. Who is this Yahshua, and how
does he relate to us? We see from the scriptures that flesh and blood cannot
reveal his identity to us, only the Father.
Mat 16:13 Now when יהושע came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His taught
ones, saying, “Who do men say the Son of Aḏam
is?”
Mat 16:14 And they said, “Some say Yoḥanan the Immerser, and
others Ěliyahu, and others Yirmeyahu or one of the prophets.”
Mat 16:15 He
said to them, “And you, who do you say I am?”
Mat 16:16
And Shim’on Kĕpha answering,
said, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living Elohim.”
Mat 16:17
And יהושע
answering, said to him, “Blessed are you, Shim’on
Bar-Yonah, for flesh and blood has not
revealed this to you, but My Father in the heavens.
Mat 16:18 “And I
also say to you that you are Kĕpha, and on this rock I shall build My assembly,
and the gates of the grave shall not overcome it.
Mat 16:19 “And I
shall give you the keys of the reign of the heavens, and whatever you bind1
on earth shall be having been bound1 in the heavens, and whatever
you loosen1 on earth shall be having been loosened1 in
the heavens.” Footnote: 1Binding and loosening is Heḇrew
idiom for exercising authority (to prohibit and permit).
Mat 16:20 Then He
warned His taught ones that they should say to no one that He is יהושע the
Messiah.
Shaul understood this challenge in his day and says
the following:
1Co 1:23 yet we proclaim Messiah impaled, to the Yehuḏim a stumbling-block
and to the Greeks foolishness,
The shadow of the Akeidah being a shadow of the impaling
of Messiah remains offensive to many Jewish people to this day. “It so arrests
our attention and bruises our sensitivities”
The Greek
mindset that still deeply influences the church has allowed the pagan Greek
mythological ideas to infect their vision of Messiah. It would seem that it was
a little too simple and foolish to consider that the Messiah was an ordinary
man, son of a carpenter who became a Torah observant rabbi. Granted the
Messiah’s birth and life were exceptional and miraculous. The Roman Catholic Church
with the help of the pagan influences thought it foolishness to portray him
this way and so ascribed to him qualities that belong to YHVH alone. These
qualities are defined by the church’s erroneous doctrine of the trinity.
To the Jews
on the other hand it seemed preposterous to imagine the Messiah, the King could
be subject to such humiliation and that they would have to identify with him in
such a manner if they ever wanted to have a real and lasting relationship with
him.
The essence
of this revelation of the true Messiah then turns on us in the most profound
way imaginable because this revelation is not only to be admired and praised
but embraced into the very being of our lives. It is only this kind of life
that is acceptable and brings honour to the Father.
This kind of
life can only happen to those who have “crossed over” the very heart of what a
Hebrew does. The same heart that is not willing to hold on to anything that
will hinder him or her from obeying and pleasing our Creator.
“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.
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