Parasha Lech Lecha: Day 2

B'reisheet/Genesis 12:14-13:18

When a woman is married to a man, the become one before the Father and before men. The husband has given his name to the wife and she is bound by that name, but represents it as well. The wife has submitted herself to the husband and he is to provide, shelter and protect the wife no matter what. Neither the man nor the woman is  permitted to be promiscuous or to act is if they are not married anymore.

Upon entering Egypt, Abram essentially asked his wife to pretend they were not married so that his own life would not be at risk. Seemingly, Abram thought Sarai's life would be perfectly safe. At sixty-five plus, Sarai must have been exceptionally beautiful for Abram to fear man on account of his wife. As she left his covering, she entered under the cover of another man and would be husband. The was obviously a displeasure for Elohim. Pharaoh was assuming he could take Sarai for himself and add to his harem the soon to be Mother of many nations, including Israel. She, however, was already spoken for, if not properly, and betrothed to another—Abram was her earth bound husband who was making a few mistakes and Elohim was her betrothed husband who had orchestrated the whole thing.

Since Sarai was a man of Elohim's wife, she was vindicated by Elohim as a point of cursing those who cursed Abram. Pharaoh had no rights of intimacy or mastery over one of Yah's elect. As a nation leader, Pharaoh was used to getting what he wanted. He was, then, held accountable as an individual caught in sin. His chastisement were plagues sent by the Creator upon Pharaoh and his household. Later, the entire nation of Egypt would be guilty of the same sin. They would presume a role of husbandry to Israel and mistreat her with no regard to what a husband should properly do. Moreover, Israel already would be betrothed to another, as well. Elohim was her suitor and would be husband if she would accept Him. All of Egypt would suffer plagues on account of taking Israel captive as a prisoner bride and treating her with contempt.

Later, Egypt would try to reign over Israel as a brutal husband who had no legitimate rights of intimacy or mastery to rule her. That was, after all, Yah's place and description. Elohim forced a separation between a wrong husband and His bride to be when He sent plagues upon Egypt as a warning, chastisement and punishment for their indecencies. Like Sarai of old, Israel would leave Egypt and find her purpose in sojourning with Elohim, bearing the next generation that would be named by the seed of Abraham and Isaac.

For his part, Lot was separated from Abram, as well. This left Abram to be married to the Land of Promise as a Covenant was born from Elohim to Abram and his descendants named through Isaac. Later, Isaiah would profoundly call prophesy that same Land as married to the people that are betrothed to YHVH as a bride, Covenant keepers and His own possession as helpmate.

Our lives are bound to and by Elohim if we have said yes to His Covenant and accepted His authority in our lives. As we are to be one with our earthly helpmate, our King has ransomed us to Himself as the Kinsman Redeemer. We belong to Him and He hides us in His arms, making us one with Him. As His betrothed, Yeshua will not allow us to be cursed by others and not take up for us by cursing them. We, too, must be careful not to spurn YHVH's anointed by slander. We are also responsible to love our neighbor as we love ourselves for they are to be one with the Bridegroom, therefore we are to be one with them. If we enter Egypt, Babylon or other parts of the corrupt world, our Husband looks out for us and bears us in Himself. The inhabitants of that land will have the chance to do right by us and be blessed or to act corruptly toward us and be cursed. The ultimate conclusion for this real-life scenario is that those nations and its members would be blessed by seeing and realizing Messiah in us so that Elohim's promise to Abram would continue in that the nations would be blessed in him.

Dwell upon Song of Solomon 6:2-3, "My Beloved has gone down to his garden, to the beds of balsam, to pasture his flock in the gardens and gather lilies. I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine, He Who pastures His flock among the lilies."