Parasha Chayei Sarah: Day 7—Shabbat

B'reisheet/Genesis 23:1-25:18

Life is a quest for which humanity must journey. Abraham seemingly lived out that quest for life with vigor. There was not an obstacle that would stand in his way, nor was there a challenge too great for his undertaking. YHVH, his Elohim, was with him in every challenge and at every turn. Abraham’s quests included sojourning into other nations and walking away with manifold blessings, even when pretense was employed for self preservation. Resembling the days of King David, as sin would abound, grace abounded more, not because of a sideways glance from Elohim, but something much greater. Abraham had faith.

When YHVH told Abram, “Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father's house, to the land which I will show you” his obedience was reckoned to him as righteousness through his action. These first steps were the proofing ground for the rest of Abram’s life. The bonus to Abram’s obedience to YHVH’s command came in the form of blessings. YHVH spoke, “And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." Does this mean that Abram’s life would be flawless? No, it means that the integrity of YHVH’s word is continuously flawless. The initial prerequisite for Abram to receive these blessings was to hear, believe and obey.

The vicissitudes of Abram’s life throughout the folio of Torah records a collection of adverse circumstances. At the outset, he was called out of the land of his birth to seek out a land which he did not know. Throughout his sojourning, Abram was challenged with the dilemma with Pharaoh, famine, strivings, wars with kings and infertility. Although, Abram was not perfect as he stood in the face of opposition, he never threw in the proverbial towel. He continued to be faithful to the high calling that YHVH had placed upon him. Interestingly, during the interim of these difficulties that Abram encountered, he would set an altar before YHVH and gave Him honor. Sequentially, YHVH continued to speak blessings upon Abram. YHVH, ultimately, initiated an altar of His choosing of "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." This represented the consummation of the covenant that YHVH had spoken forth to Abram.

Henceforth, YHVH renamed Abram and called him Abraham meaning “the father of a multitude of nations.” This new name and identifier did not come immediately after the significant sacrifices, but after more struggle and strife, this time with the conception of Ishmael. This was an element of his new name. From Abraham's loins a multitude of nations would render praise unto YHVH. Nevertheless all of the offspring of Abraham and his contiguous descendants would be required to come through the Righteous Seed of Promise that came exclusively through Abraham,  Isaac and Yacov causing the inherited promises of Abraham to only be realized in Messiah—the ultimate Seed of Righteousness. The quest for life that began in Abraham was the major component of the inherited promise. In order to obtain the promise, even Abraham's seed would have to journey in quest for Life.

Many parallels can be drawn between Abraham, the father of a multitude of nations and his definitive Seed—Yeshua Messiah, the giver of Life. Abram was called out of his fatherland to go to an appointed and unfamiliar land even as Yeshua was called from His Father’s bosom to an appointed time and place in a hostile world. Both went from place to place in humility and entreaty seeking the will of YHVH’s Ruach upon the earth. The blessings that had already been spoken in Abraham’s life were consummated through Yeshua’s life. The everlasting Covenant which was promised to Abraham and his seed was once and for all ratified by the blood of Yeshua, our Messiah, the High Priest of our faith. For it was through faith that Abraham was reckoned as righteous and it is through faith in Messiah that we become Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.  “The Scripture, foreseeing that YHVH would justify the Gentiles {Nations} by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, {saying,} 'All the nations will be blessed in you.'" So then those who are of Faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer. They, too, are engaged in the ongoing quest of Life—remaining in Messiah to the day of salvation, whereupon seeing Him, the reward will be made full.

Dwell upon Galatians 3:6-9, “Even so Abraham believed YHVH, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, {saying,} 'all the nations will be blessed in you.' So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.”