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Study Guide
to
Vayeira
By Daniel Rendelman
Weekly Reading
- Genesis 18:1-22:24
- 2 Kings 4:1-37
- Luke 1:26-38,
24:36-53
The Torah Portion at a
Glance
"Vayeira YHWH" are the first
two words found in this week's Torah parasha. The phrase simply
means "YHWH appeared." In this portion, YHWH
reveals Himself to Abraham three days after his circumcision at age
99; but Abraham rushes off to prepare a meal for three visitors who
appear in the desert heat. One of the three announces that in
exactly one year, the barren Sarah will give birth to a son. Sarah
laughs.
Abraham (or "Avraham" in
Hebrew) pleads with YHWH to spare the wicked city of Sodom. Two of
the three messengers arrive in the doomed city, where Abraham's
nephew, Lot, extends his hospitality to them and protects them from
the evil intentions of a Sodomite mob. The two guests reveal that
they have come to overturn the place, and to save Lot and his
family. Lot's wife turns into a salt pillar when she disobeys the
command to not look back at the burning city as they
flee.
While taking shelter in a
cave, Lot's two daughters (believing that they and their father are
the only ones left alive in the world) get their father drunk, lie
with him, and become pregnant. The two sons born from this incident
father the nations of Moab and Amon.
Avraham moves to Gerar, where
the Philistine king Avi Melech takes Sarah -- who is presented as
Avraham's sister -- to his palace. In a dream, YHWH
warns Avimelech that he will die unless he returns the woman to her
husband. Avraham explains that he feared he would be killed over
Sarah.
YHWH remembers His promise to
Sarah and gives her and Avraham a son, who is named Isaac
("Yitzchak" in Hebrew, meaning "will
laugh"). Isaac is circumcised at the age of eight days; Avraham is
100 years old, and Sarah 90, at their child's birth.
Hagar and Ishmael are banished from Avraham's
home and wander in the desert; Elohim hears the cry of the dying
lad and saves his life by showing his mother a well. Avimelech
makes a treaty with Avraham at Be'er Sheva, where Abraham gives him
seven sheep as a sign of their truce.
YHWH tests Abraham's devotion
by commanding him to sacrifice Isaac on Mount Moriah (the Temple
Mount) in Jerusalem. Isaac is bound and placed on the altar, and
Abraham raises the knife to slaughter his son. A voice from heaven
calls to stop him; a ram, caught in the undergrowth by its horns,
is offered in Isaac's place. Abraham receives the news of the birth
of a daughter, Rebecca, to his nephew Bethuel.
(adapted from
chabad.org)
The Messiah in the Torah
Portion
It is
possible for two people to look at the exact same object and see
something totally different. Some glance at a rose
and view the thorns, while others can look at the same flower and
focus on the color of the petals. Judaism, as a
whole, looks at the offering of Isaac at Mount Moriah as an extreme
test of Avraham's faith. The
Encyclopedia Judaica says that the "Akeidah has become in Jewish
thought the supreme example of self-sacrifice in obedience to the
Almighty's will." For centuries believers in the Old
Testament have spoken this Biblical account, coupled with two short
prayers every morning as a way to remember obedience to YHWH. The Jewish people call this
reciting the "Akeidah." (The prayers and the
recitation are provided below.) This daily recitation
is a reminder of the mercy and judgment of YHWH coming together in
perfect unity. "Akeidah" is the Hebrew word for
"binding." It is only
used in one verse in the entire Bible in Beresheet 22:9, when
Avraham actually bound up or tied up his son to the altar to kill
him. This specific usage of the Hebrew word is found nowhere else
in the Scriptures and appears here to stress the fact that Avraham
was willing to sacrifice
everything for YHWH.
We can read the account of "Akeidah"
and see Abraham's test of faith AND a startling
prophecy of our Master Y'shua. The story of Avraham
offering Isaac as a sacrifice is a vivid portrayal of how the
Savior offered His life and was later resurrected.
Avraham offered his only son. YHWH did the same with
Y'shua. Isaac carried the wood for the
sacrifice. Y'shua carried the wood of His
sacrifice. The similarities go on and on to show us
the Almighty's plan of the ages. The enemy didn't
surprise YHWH when he plotted to have Y'shua nailed to the
tree. This plan was already set as Y'shua is the
"lamb slain from the foundation of the earth." So, if
the prophetic death of Y'shua is so clear to us, why is it so
difficult for others to see? Why is it that many
Jewish people never consider the similarities between the Akeidah
and the sacrifice of Y'shua?
The
Apostle / Rabbi Paul states, "You should be ignorant of this
mystery, lest you should be wise in your own conceits; that
blindness in part has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the
Gentiles has come in," Romans 11:25.
Jewish Israel is blind to the Messiah. The good news
is that this blindness is only in part and is only
temporary. The scales of darkness cover the sight of
Israel until the "fullness of the gentiles comes in."
We are experiencing this very move of YHWH today. The
Gentiles, the nations, are recognizing their identity and the
emptiness of man made religion. The emptiness of the
Gentiles has caused millions throughout the world to search for the
Hebrew roots of Christianity and find fullness in the Messianic
faith of the Apostles. This move towards Hebraic
worship is allowing the Jewish people, who have accepted Y'shua, a
place to worship and be welcomed. For centuries,
conversion to mainstream Catholicism or Christianity was the only
choice if a Jewish person wanted to accept the Jewish Messiah of
the New Testament. Times are changing.
The blindness is being removed and the original faith of the
apostles is being restored. Jewish people are
recognizing that Y'shua of Nazareth is the Messiah.
Many are coming to faith in Him because of the
witness of the Scriptures that speak prophetically of
Messiah. This week's Torah portion is an eye-opening
revelation of Messiah that can change lives. As you
study, take extra time to pray for the Jewish people.
Ask YHWH for their eyes to be opened to Y'shua. Pray
that as people study the Torah that they will come to the
realization of the Living Torah Y'shua.
Below
is a chart of the various types and shadows of our Savior found in
the Akeidah. As you read and study these passages,
pause to pray for the lost. Take time to praise YHWH
for His Son Y'shua.
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Avraham
and Isaac
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Y'shua's
Death and Resurrection
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Avraham
offered his only son (Genesis 22:2-12).
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YHWH offered his only Son (John
3:16).
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Isaac carried the wood for the
sacrifice (Genesis 22:5).
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Y'shua carried the cross for the
sacrifice (John 19:17).
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Isaac cried out to his father
(Genesis 22:7).
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Y'shua cried out to His Father
(Matthew 27:46; Mark
15:34).
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Isaac escaped death after three days
(Genesis 22:4).
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Y'shua rose from the dead on the third day
(Matthew 16:21; Mark
16:2-4; Luke
9:22).
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Avraham indicated YHWH will provide
a lamb for the sacrifice (Genesis 22:8).
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YHWH provided Y'shua as The Lamb for
the sacrifice (Isaiah 53:7; John 1:29-36, Revelation 5:6, 7:17).
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YHWH provided a ram, a male sheep, as a
substitutionary sacrifice (Genesis
22:13).
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YHWH
provided a male, Y'shua, as a substitutionary
sacrifice.
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The ram was caught by its horns
(head) in a thicket
(thorns) (Genesis 22:13).
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Y'shua wore a crown
of thorns on his head (Matthew 27:29), a symbol of the sin He bore
(Genesis 3:18).
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Sacrifice offered at specific
location on Mount Moriah (Genesis 22:2,9).
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For hundreds of years, sacrifices
would be offered from the same spot inside Solomon's Temple and the
Second Temple (2 Chronicles 3:1). When Y'shua is crucified outside
the city walls on the same mountain, the veil
within the Temple is rent in two (Mark
15:38).
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The ram was YHWH's provision
(Genesis 22:13-14).
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Abraham prophetically named the
place pointing to the crucifixion where YHWH made the ultimate
provision: the sacrifice of His Son for sin (Hebrews
9:26-28).
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Abraham
believed that YHWH would raise Isaac from the dead (Hebrews
11:19).
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YHWH raised Y'shua from the dead
(1 Corinthians
15:20-23).
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Applying the Portion to Life
Today
Abraham is
known as the patriarch who showed unwavering kindness and
hospitality. This week's Torah portion demonstrates
the willingness of Avinu Avraham (Our Father Abraham) to care for
others. The reading begins by stating that Abe was
meeting with YHWH in His tent alone. Surely, this one
on one prayer time with the Creator of the moon and stars was an
opportunity not to be missed. But miss it he
did. Genesis 18 shows that while Abraham was in the
middle of his prayer time, he lifted up his eyes and saw a group of
sojourners coming towards his tent. Avraham
immediately ran to meet the visitors. (Can you
imagine running just a few days after being
circumcised?) The Jewish Talmud asserts that
hospitality should take priority even over "welcoming the Divine
presence."
Abraham
greeted his visitors with sincerity and care. He gave
them food and washed their feet. Avraham had Sarah
prepare her "world famous" flour cakes for them to
taste. Abraham showed hospitality to these visitors
before he even knew who they were. This is true
kindness. This is true chesed.
The Hebrew
word "chesed" is most often translated as "grace" or "kindness" in
English Bibles. This term implies an action of
unmerited favor in a physical manner. Grace isn't
something you believe. Grace/chesed is something you
do. Abraham showed grace to his
visitors. In a similar fashion, Lot showed chesed to
the visitors of Sodom and Gomorrah. He insisted that
they spend the night in his home and not on the
street. Perhaps it was the chesed that Lot showed to
the visitors that allowed him to be rescued from
destruction. Perhaps it was the kindness that Abraham
shared that led to the blessing of Isaac. Kindness
has reciprocal effects that set in motion chains of good
events. When you reach out to someone to meet a need,
you are in essence putting your needs in YHWH's
hands. Abraham left his own tent of meeting to
welcome guests and was never the same.
Y'shua said
the greatest commandment was to love YHWH and to love your neighbor
as yourself. One way in which we express love to YHWH
is through the kindness / chesed that we show others.
This week, look for new ways to be hospitable. Ask
the Ruach HaKodesh/ Holy Spirit to reveal to you a way to show
kindness each day of this week. Spend time in prayer
for others and spend extra time meeting the needs of
others. As you replicate Abraham's actions you will
experience the blessing of chesed yourself.
Portion Points to
Ponder
- What
does the Hebrew name of this Torah portion mean?
- Read
the Haftarah portion of 2 Kings 4:1-37. How does this
relate to this week's Torah portion?
- Read
the Newer Testament sections of Luke 1:26-38,
24:36-53. Why were these passages chosen to
correspond to this week's reading? What did you learn
from these words?
- Who
were the three people that met Avraham in Genesis 18?
- How
did Avraham greet his visitors and show hospitality?
- Avraham
prepared milk and meat for his guests. Later the
Torah says not to "boil a kid in its mother's milk" (Exodus
23:19.) Did Avraham violate the Torah?
Is eating a cheeseburger wrong?
- Avraham's
son was named Isaac or "Yitzchak" in Hebrew. What
does this name mean?
- YHWH
doesn't automatically destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of their
sin. The cry of their sinful ways reached the ears of
Heaven and YHWH sent messengers to the city. How does
this show YHWH's mercy?
- Did
Avraham overstep his relationship with YHWH when he pleaded with
the Almighty not to destroy the city? Even Abe said
"I am but dust and ashes."
- How
was Avraham's negotiations with YHWH for the cities similar to
Moshe's pleading for Israel in Deuteronomy 9:13-14?
- What
does in mean in Genesis 19 when the Torah says that Lot "sat at the
gate of Sodom"?
- Why
would Lot pressure the two messengers to stay in his home and not
in the streets of Sodom?
- What
food did Lot and the messengers eat the night of Sodom's
destruction? What could this be symbolic of?
- Where
10 righteous people found in the city of Sodom or Gomorrah?
- Did
YHWH destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of their sinfulness or
because YHWH could not find a remnant of righteousness in the
towns? Is there a difference?
- A
famous television evangelist once said that "If
God doesn't destroy the USA, he owes an apology to Sodom and
Gomorrah." Do you agree? Isn't there
more than 10 righteous people in America?
- Lot's wife looked back
towards the destruction. How does this compare to
Luke 9:62 when Y'shua said, "No one
who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in
the kingdom of YHWH"?
- The
daughters of Lot thought they were the only people left in the
world. They seduced their father to preserve his seed
and the human blood line. Did Lot's daughter's
sin? Would Lot have laid with his daughters if he had
not been drunk?
- The
Moabites and the Amorites descended from Lot's daughter's
relationship with their father. Who were these
people?
- Again,
Avraham tells Sarah to answer the authorities that she is his
sister. Was this wrong?
- A
type of plague came upon the kind who took Sarah into his home even
though he did not have relations with her.
Why? What was in the heart of the king?
- In
Genesis 20:18, the king refers to Avraham as a prophet or "navi" in
Hebrew. What does this mean?
- Avraham
reveals that Sarah is the daughter of his father but not his
mother. When Sarah said she was Abe's sister, was she
telling the whole truth? When is it permissible to
only reveal partial truth?
- How
old was Isaac/Yitzchak when Avraham circumcised him?
Why?
- In
Genesis 21:18 YHWH promises to make a nation of
Ishmael. Why? Who are these people
today?
- When
Hagar is cast out, she puts Ishmael under a tree and prepares to
die. YHWH hears her prayers and answers
her. Ishmael is saved. Was this part of
YHWH's plan?
- What
is the meaning of the covenant made between Avraham and Avimelech
that was made at Bersheva? Where is Beersheva
today?
- Genesis
22 states that YHWH tested Avraham? How many times
was Abe tested? Can you name at least 10 tests of his
faith?
- Explain
how the binding of Isaac was prophetic of the death, burial, and
resurrection of Messiah Y'shua.
- On
what mountain was Isaac offered? Why is this
important?
- "Avraham
rose very early in the morning" to obey YHWH's directions to
sacrifice his own son. Do you obey YHWH with a
willing heart?
- The
place where YHWH provided a ram in place of Isaac was called "YHWH
Yireh" by Avraham. What does this mean to
you? How has YHWH provided supernaturally for
you?
- Read and pray the Akeidah prayers below to
grow your relationship with YHWH.
Akeidah
Prayers:
"Our
Elohim and Elohim of our forefathers, remember us with a favorable
memory before you, and recall us with a recollection of salvation
and mercy from the primeval loftiest of heavens. Remember
on our behalf - O Elohim, our Elohim - the love of the Patriarchs,
Avraham, Yitzchak, an Isra'el, Your servant; the covenant, the
kindness, and the oath that You swore to our father Avraham at
Mount Moriah, and the Akeidah, when he bound his son Yitzchak atop
the altar, as it is written in Your Torah."
Genesis
22:1-19 recitation
"Some
time later Elohim tested Avram. He said to him, "Avram!" "Here I
am," he replied. Then Elohim said, "Take your son, your only son,
Yitzchak, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice
him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell
you about." Early the next morning Avram got up and saddled his
donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Yitzchak.
When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for
the place Elohim had told him about.
On
the third day Avram looked up and saw the place in the distance. He
said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the
boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to
you." Avram
took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son
Yitzchak, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two
of them went on together, Yitzchak spoke up and said to his father
Avram, "Father?" Yes,
my son?" Avram replied. "The
fire and wood are here," Yitzchak said, "but where is the lamb for
the burnt offering?" Avram
answered, "Elohim himself will provide the lamb for the burnt
offering, my son." And the two of them went on
together. When
they reached the place Elohim had told him about, Avram built an
altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Yitzchak
and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then
he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his
son. But
the angel of Yahweh called out to him from heaven, "Avram!
Avram!" "Here I am," he replied. "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he
said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear Elohim,
because you have not withheld from me your son, your only
son." Avram
looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns.
He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering
instead of his son. So
Avram called that place Yahweh Yirah - Yahweh Will Provide. And to
this day it is said, "On the mountain of Yahweh it will be
provided." The
angel of Yahweh called to Avram from heaven a second time and said,
"I swear by myself, declares Yahweh, that because you have done
this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely
bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the
sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take
possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your
offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have
obeyed me." Then
Avram returned to his servants, and they set off together for
Beersheba. And Avram stayed in Beersheba."
Akeidah
Prayers:
"Master
of the Universe! May it be Your will, Yahweh, our Elohim, and
Elohim of our forefathers, that You remember for our sake the
covenant of our forefathers. Just as Avraham our forefather
suppressed his mercy for his only son and wished to slaughter him
in order to do Your will, so may Your mercy suppress Your anger
from upon us and may Your mercy overwhelm Your attributes. May You
overstep with us the line of Your Torah and deal with us - O Yahweh
our Elohim - with the attribute of kindness and the attribute of
mercy. In Your great goodness may You turn aside Your burning wrath
from Your people, Your city, Your land, and Your heritage. Fulfill
for us, Yahweh, our Elohim, the word You pledged through Moshe,
Your servant , as it is said: 'I shall remember My covenant with
Ya'acov; and also My covenant with Yitzchak, and also My covenant
with Avraham shall I remember, and the land shall I
remember.' Awmain."
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