Bar’chu
et YHVH ha-m’vorach, Baruch YHVH ha-m’vorach l’O’lam va-ed! Baruch ata YHVH
Eloheinu
melech ha-olam asher bachar banu m’kol ha-amim, v’na-tan lanu eht Torah-to.
Baruch
atah YHVH, noteyn ha-Torah. Ameyn.”
(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. Ameyn.)
Gen 21:1 And יהוה visited Sarah as He had said, and יהוה
did for Sarah as He had spoken. (Mat 1:18-25) (Mat 1:20) ….for that which is in her was
brought forth from the Set-apart Spirit.
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. (Yahshua
was also born at an appointed time)
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.
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.”
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 Israel 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.
Gal 3:22 But the Scripture has shut up
all mankind under sin, that the promise by belief in יהושע Messiah might be given to
those who believe.
Gal
3:23 But before belief came, we were being guarded under Torah, having
been shut up for the belief being about to be revealed.
Gal
3:24 Therefore the Torah became our trainer unto Messiah, in order to be
declared right by belief.
The goal of the Torah is to bring us to Messiah – Rom
10:4 – The ‘’pedagogus’’ was the person who brought the child to school. He did
not teach the child; he brought the chid to the teacher.
When the Father draws us near to Messiah, we begin our spiritual journey towards maturity,
to the inheritance of sons and daughters of His Kingdom - 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.
In chapter four the Torah now serves as a guardian and
steward until the son becomes a heir, inherits all the blessing of the kingdom.
We are now in training being prepared to inherit all things.
Gal
4:1 And I
say, for as long as the heir is a child, (Gk – ‘’nepios’’ not yet
mature) he is no different
from a slave, though he is master of all,
Gal
4:2 but is under guardians and trustees till the time prearranged by the
father.
Gal
4:3 So we also, when we were children, were under the elementary matters
of the world, being enslaved. (Rom 12:2 – pattern or culture of
this world – the curse of all religion is that it brings upon its followers the
‘’curse of continual spiritual childhood’’ – Yitzchak was WEANED – Heb –
‘’gamal’’- Rom 8:23)
Gal
4:4 But when the completion of the time came, Elohim sent forth His Son,
born of a woman, born under Torah,
Gal
4:5 to redeem those who were under Torah, in order to receive the
adoption as sons.
Gal
4:6 And because you are sons, Elohim has sent forth the Spirit of His Son
into your hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!” (1John 2:12-13)
Gal
4:7 So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, also an heir of
Elohim through Messiah.
Torah is not just about laws and commandments but ‘’prophetic
empowerments’’ that bring us into spiritual maturity. Obedience, Belief and
faithfulness are the same concept in Hebrew. Only the Torah properly understood
and followed as Paul taught can bring us to maturity.
‘’…..our
beloved brother Sha’ul wrote to you, according to the wisdom given to
him,
2Pe
3:16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them concerning these
matters, in which some are hard to understand,[c] which those who are untaught and unstable twist to their own
destruction, as they do also the other Scriptures. Footnote: [c]See 2Co_11:6.
2Pe
3:17 You, then, beloved ones, being forewarned, watch, lest you also fall
from your own steadfastness, being led away with the delusion of the
lawless,
2Pe
3:18 but grow in the favour and knowledge of our Master and Saviour יהושע Messiah. To Him be the
esteem both now and to a day that abides. Aměn. ‘’
Heb
5:9 And having been perfected, He became the Causer of everlasting
deliverance to all those obeying Him,[b] Footnote: b Joh_3:36, Joh_14:15, Joh_14:23, Joh_15:10,
Act_3:22-23.
Heb
5:10 having been designated by Elohim a High Priest “according to the
order of Malkitseḏeq,”
Heb
5:11 concerning whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you
have become dull of hearing. Heb 5:12 For indeed, although by this
time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first
elements of the Words of Elohim. And you have become such as need milk and not
solid food. Heb 5:13 For everyone partaking of milk is inexperienced
in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. Heb 5:14 But solid
food is for the mature whose senses have been trained by practice to discern
both good and evil.
Gal
4:8 But then, indeed, not knowing Elohim, you served those which by
nature are not mighty ones. (Note Paul is talking to non Jews who
once walked in pagan ways and days)
Gal
4:9 But now after you have known Elohim, or rather are known by Elohim,
how do you turn again to the weak and poor elementary matters,[a] to which you wish to be enslaved again?
Footnote: aSee Gal_4:3, Col_2:8 and Col_2:20.
Gal
4:10 You closely observe days and months and seasons and years. (Speaking
of their pagan feasts and days and months which they observed when they
were pagans. It is FAR from Shaul to call YHVH's Feast days, months and
years ''elementary matters".)
Gal
4:11 I fear for you, lest by any means I have laboured for you in
vain.
Gal
4:12 Brothers, I beg you to become as I am, because I am as you are. You
did not wrong me at all.
Gal
4:13 But you know that through weakness of the flesh I brought the Good
News to you before.
Gal
4:14 And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject,
but you received me as a messenger of Elohim, as Messiah יהושע.
Gal
4:15 What then was your blessedness? For I bear you witness, that if
possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me.
Gal
4:16 So then, have I become your enemy, speaking truth to you?
Gal
4:17 They are ardent towards you, for no good, but they wish to shut you
out, that you might be ardent towards them.
Gal
4:18 And it is good always to be ardent in what is good, and not only
when I am present with you.
Gal
4:19 My little children, for whom I am again in birth pains until Messiah
is formed in you,
Gal
4:20 even now I wish to be present with you now and to change my voice,
for I have doubts about you.
Example
of Hagar and Sarah
Gal
4:21 Say to me, you who wish to be under Torah,(undergo rabbinic
conversion) do you not hear
the Torah?
Here Paul allegorizes the Abrahamic and
Mosaic/Sinaitic covenant with Hagar and Sarah. We remind ourselves that the
Abrahamic covenant was for our ‘’justification’’ Eph 2:8 For by favour you have been
saved, through belief, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of
Elohim, Eph 2:9 it is not by works, so that no one should
boast. (Hab 2:4). The Sinaitic or Torah was given for our
sanctification or for becoming a set apart people.
Gal
3:17 Now
this I say, Torah, that came four hundred and thirty years later, does not
annul a covenant previously confirmed by Elohim in Messiah, so as to do away
with the promise.
Gal
3:18 For if the inheritance is by Torah, it is no longer by promise, but
Elohim gave it to Aḇraham through a promise.
Gal
3:19 Why, then, the Torah? It was added because of transgressions, until
the Seed should come to whom the promise was made. And it was ordained through
messengers in the hand of a mediator.
Gal
4:22 For it has been written that Aḇraham had two sons, one by a female
servant, the other by a free woman.
The son of Hagar is produced in the flesh, while Yitzchak
come by the promise of YHVH. Flesh corresponds to ‘’works of Torah’’ ie
covenantal status depends on one’s ethnicity or upon Jewish conversion. The
‘’promise’’ corresponds to faith ie covenantal status is through faith in
Yahshua.
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,
The issue here is identity – no one seeking YHVH wants to
be compared with being in slavery. Yet this is the very point Paul is making.
Our identity is found in being grafted into Yisrael and growing into maturity –
1John 2:12-14
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.
Paul is possibly alluding here to the ingathering of the
gentiles -this comes about by YHVH and not by man (church or Judaism) Sarah and
Avraham – the mother and father of many nations, nations born from above. This
does not exclude the Jewish people, but reminds us that is only by faith, that
is complete reliance upon YHVH and His Promised Messiah that we are able to
become part of His Kingdom/Family/Mishpacha.
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.
2Co 6:17 Therefore, “Come out from among them
and be separate, says יהוה, and do not touch what is unclean, and I shall receive you.
Isa_52:11.
2Co 6:18 “And I shall be a Father to you, and
you shall be sons and daughters to Me, says יהוה the Almighty.” Isa_43:6, Hos_1:10.
Heb
12:14 … and pursue
apartness(sanctification) without which no one shall see the Master.
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, YHVH giver of the Torah – Ameyn