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.)
This past
week we entered into our New Scriptural/spiritual year (Shemot 12); it seems
fitting that we consider the message of this week’s Torah portion in the light
of this reality.
Let us once
again consider the simplicity of our faith and build on this foundation.
Mat 18:1 At that time the taught ones came to יהושע, saying, “Who, then, is greatest in
the reign of the heavens?”
Mat 18:3 and said,
“Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become as little children, you shall
by no means enter into the reign of the heavens.
Mat 18:4 “Whoever
then humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the reign of the
heavens.
Mat 18:5 “And
whoever receives one little child like this in My Name receives Me.
I believe it’s
all about simplicity
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.
Note
Eliezer did not go to the great spiritual leaders of the city, he did not wait
for some heavenly manifestation to fall from the sky, he simply went down to
the local well where the woman gathered water for their families - simplicity in action –
We
often complicate matters.
The Message Version (paraphrasing version) of Romans
12:1 reads as follows:
Place
Your Life Before Elohim (changed from G-d)
12 1-2 So here’s what I want you to do,
Elohim helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating,
going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before Elohim as an
offering. Embracing what Elohim does for you is the best thing you can do for
him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without
even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on Elohim. You’ll be changed from
the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to
it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of
immaturity, Elohim brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in
you. End quote.
Shaul goes on to describe
how the Ruach of YHVH will lead us along this life of simplicity if we will
yield. Eliezer reminds us of the work of the Ruach of YHVH.
Rom 12:1 I call upon you, therefore, brothers, through
the compassion of Elohim, to present your bodies a living offering – set-apart,
well-pleasing to Elohim – your reasonable worship.
Rom 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you prove what is that good
and well-pleasing and perfect desire of Elohim.
Rom 12:3 For I say, through the favour which has been
given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more
highly than he should think, but to think soberly, as Elohim has given to each
a measure of belief.
Rom 12:4 For as we have many members in one body, but
all members do not have the same function,
Rom 12:5 so we, the many, are one body in Messiah, and
members each one of one another.
Rom 12:6 Now having different gifts, according to the
favour which was given to us, let us use them accordingly: if prophecy,
according to the proportion of belief;
Rom 12:7 if serving, in the serving; or he who is
teaching, in the teaching;
Rom 12:8 or he who encourages, in the encouragement;
or he who is sharing, in sincerity; he who is leading, in diligence; he who
shows compassion, joyously.
Rom 12:9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Shrink from
what is wicked, cling to what is good.
Rom 12:10 In brotherly love, tenderly loving towards
one another, in appreciation, giving preference to each other;
Rom 12:11 not idle in duty, ardent in spirit, serving the
Master;
Rom 12:12 rejoicing in the expectancy, enduring under
pressure, continuing steadfastly in prayer;
Rom 12:13 imparting to the needs of the set-apart ones,
pursuing kindness towards strangers.
Rom 12:14 Bless those who persecute you – bless and do
not curse.
Rom 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with
those who weep.
Rom 12:16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do
not be proud in mind, but go along with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own
estimation.
Rom 12:17 Repay no one evil for evil. Respect what is
right in the sight of all men.
Rom 12:18 If possible, on your part, be at peace with
all men.
Rom 12:19 Beloved, do not revenge yourselves, but give
place to the wrath, for it has been written, “Vengeance is Mine, I shall
repay,” says יהוה.
Rom 12:20
“Instead, if your enemy hungers, feed him; if he thirsts, give him a
drink, for in so doing you shall heap coals of fire on his head.”
Rom 12:21 Do not
be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
This past week I was looking into the life of Francis of
Assisi, a motion picture was made of his
life by Franco Zeffereli and one of theme songs of this film reminds us of the
power of a life lived in simplicity.
1. If You Want Your Dream To Be
(San Damiano Song)
(San Damiano Song)
If you want your dream to be
Build it slow and surely.
Small beginnings, greater ends.
Heartfelt work grows purely.
Build it slow and surely.
Small beginnings, greater ends.
Heartfelt work grows purely.
If you want to live life free,
Take your time, go slowly.
Do few things, but do them well.
Simple joys are holy.
Take your time, go slowly.
Do few things, but do them well.
Simple joys are holy.
Day by day, stone by stone,
Build your secret slowly.
Day by day, you'll grow, too,
You'll know heaven's glory.
Build your secret slowly.
Day by day, you'll grow, too,
You'll know heaven's glory.
Lyrics and music by Donovan
Yahshua had
the ability to take the very ordinary matters of life and remove from them the
boredom and monotony we associate with many of the mundane aspects of our
every- day lives.
There are
many seemingly unimportant things that pass us by every day and we often fail
to add significance or meaning as we miss the significance and meaning of
simple events.
Note here as
our Torah portion begins that Eliezer is repeating once again what has
happened, whenever the Torah repeats a matter we should take careful notice as
it possibly has some future application to us (is this too not typical of a
child repeating themselves over and over again because they are so excited?).
Gen 24:42 “And this day I came to the fountain and
said, ‘יהוה, Elohim of my master Aḇraham,
please, if You are prospering the way in which I am going,
Gen 24:43 see, I
am standing by the fountain of water, and when the maiden comes out to draw
water, and I say to her, “Please give me a little water from your jar to
drink,”
Gen 24:44 and she
says to me, “Drink, and let me draw for your camels too,” let her be the woman
whom יהוה has
appointed for my master’s son.’
Gen 24:45 “I had
not yet ended speaking in my heart, then see, Riḇqah
was coming out with her jar on her shoulder. And she went down to the fountain
and drew water. And I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’
Gen 24:46 “And she
hurried and let her jar down from her shoulder, and said, ‘Drink, and let me
water your camels too.’ So I drank, and she watered the camels too.
Gen 24:47 “And I
asked her, and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she said, ‘The daughter of
Bethu’ĕl, Naḥor’s son, whom Milkah bore to him.’ Then I put the nose
ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists.
Gen 24:48 “And I
bowed my head and worshipped יהוה, and blessed יהוה, Elohim
of my master Aḇraham, who had led me in the true way to take the
daughter of my master’s brother for his son.
Gen 24:49 “And
now, if you are going to show kindness and truth to my master, let me know, and
if not, let me know, so that I turn to the right or to the left.”
Gen 24:50 And Laḇan
answered – Bethu’ĕl too – and said, “The matter comes from יהוה, we are
not able to speak to you either evil or good.
Lavan/Laban means “white” In Hebrew when the name of
Lavan is reversed “Naval” it means “fool”. Lavan represents those who would try
and detract us under the guise of purity.
Rom 1:21 because, although they
knew Elohim, they did not esteem Him as Elohim, nor gave thanks, but became
vain in their reasonings, and their undiscerning heart was darkened.
Rom 1:22 Claiming to be wise,
they became fools,
Naval in Hebrew means to be sensless or foolish, the more intense verb
(piel) means to treat with contempt or blaspheme.
Read the story of Naval in the scriptures – 1 Samuel 25
Gen 24:51 “See,
Riḇqah is before you. Take her and go, and let her be your
master’s son’s wife, as יהוה has spoken.”
Gen 24:52 And it
came to be, when Aḇraham’s servant heard their words, that he bowed himself
towards the earth before יהוה.
Gen 24:53 And the
servant brought out ornaments of silver, and ornaments of gold, and garments,
and gave them to Riḇqah. He also gave costly gifts to her brother and to her
mother.
Gen 24:54 And he
and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night. When they
arose in the morning he said, “Let me go to my master.”
Gen 24:55 But her
brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman stay with us a few days, at
least ten, then you go.”
Gen 24:56 And he
said to them, “Do not delay me, since יהוה has prospered my way. Let me go so
that I go to my master.”
Gen 24:57 And they
said, “Let us call the young woman and ask her.”
Gen 24:58 So they
called Riḇqah and said to her, “Are you going with this man?” And
she said, “I shall go.”
Gen 24:59 So they
let go Riḇqah their sister and her nurse, and Aḇraham’s
servant and his men.
Gen 24:60 And they
blessed Riḇqah and said to her, “Let our sister become the mother of
thousands of ten thousands, and let your seed possess the gates of those who
hate them.”
Gen 24:61 And Riḇqah
and her young women arose, and they rode on the camels and followed the man. So
the servant took Riḇqah and left.
Gen 24:62 And
Yitsḥaq came from the way of Be’ĕr Laḥai
Ro’i, for he dwelt in the South.
– Beer-lahai-roi = “well of the Living One
seeing me” where Yitchak was waiting for
his bride. (This could be the same place where we will meet our Bridegroom in
the end days – the well’s location is near Petra)
Gen 24:63 And
Yitsḥaq went out to meditate in the field in the evening. And
he lifted his eyes and looked and saw the camels coming.
Gen 24:64 And Riḇqah
lifted her eyes, and when she saw Yitsḥaq she
dismounted from her camel,
Gen 24:65 and she
had said to the servant, “Who is this man walking in the field to meet us?” And
the servant said, “It is my master.” So she took a veil and covered herself.
Gen 24:66 And the
servant told Yitsḥaq all the matters he had done.
Gen 24:67 And
Yitsḥaq brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent. And he took
Riḇqah and she became his wife, and he loved her. Thus Yitsḥaq was
comforted after his mother’s death.
Wells feature significantly throughout the scriptures,
these have deep Messianic meaning as they seek to reveal to us the person of
Messiah.
Yoch/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.”
Many today
promise living waters but instead they have no life or real Messianic reality.
In our days once again the ancient wells of Torah have been opened and we are
called to come and drink freely.
Rev 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And
he who hears, let him say, “Come!” And he who thirsts, come! And he who desires
it, take the water of life without paying!
Isa 12:3 And you shall draw water with joy from the
fountains of deliverance.
Isa 12:4 And in that day you shall say, “Praise יהוה, call upon His Name; make known His
deeds among the peoples, make mention that His Name is exalted.
“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.