PARASHAH CHAYEI SARAH
(Genesis 23:1-25:18) Week 5
CHAYEI SARAH: The Life of Sarah; Sarah lived 127 years and died at The Trees of Mamre.
CHAI: Means “Life”
SARAH: Noblewoman; buried in the Cave of Machpelah, believed to be the burial site of Adam and Eve.
Sarah’s abrupt death has been attributed to the Akedah; the near sacrifice of her son Isaac.
TOSHAB: Sojourner (Temporary Resident)
ADON: Lord / ADONI: My Lord!!
Abraham called himself a stranger/sojourner in the land, as do Jews because of the Diaspora.
Abraham paid the exorbitant price of 400 Shekels of silver for The Cave of Machpelah burial site.
Abraham’s example to pay for the burial site in front of witnesses set the standard for Jewish burial law.
Abraham insisted upon a SEPARATE JEWISH BURIAL SITE which is still Jewish Law today.
ELIEZER: Means, “My God will help”
Eliezer was the long-time servant of Abraham. Without a son, this long time servant would have become the heir of Abraham.
Eliezer exemplified the results of serving Abraham whose life was devoted to obedience to God
That which is nearest HOLY FIRE… catches FIRE
Eliezer traveled 500 miles to Haran, in Mesopotamia, as instructed by Abraham, to find a bride for Isaac.
Eliezer took 10 camels laden with treasures and gifts in pursuit of “A Bride for Isaac”
Isaac would have been 37 years old at the time Eliezer left to find him a proper wife!
Laban, Rebekah’s brother was extremely interested in the gold and silver treasures. We will see more of Laban’s life, later in Torah, so remember this.
Abraham wanted Isaac to have a wife from Mesopotamia, not from Canaan (Canaan was a land of different tribes whom the Israelites were commanded to conquer because of their idol worship) Abraham wanted Isaac to have a wife who would be willing to worship the one true God, Adonai!
Rebekah passed “The Divine Test” offering to give water to Eliezer, and then water all his camels too! Upon doing this for Eliezer, he gifted her with fine gold rings and bracelets, and was then led to her home as her guest.
Abraham was the FIRST man to be referred to as a Hebrew.
Therefore, we see that in finding a wife for their long-awaited son, she would have to be a girl ‘set apart’, not of Canaan!
Eliezer recounted the entire story of his mission for Abraham, his prayers to God for a sign, and how Rebekah immediately fulfilled all the requirements!
THIS WAS A TESTIMONY He insisted on telling!
REBEKAH: Was the grand-daughter of Abraham’s brother Nahor. She was therefore a second cousin to Isaac. Rebekah was motivated supernaturally, to leave everything she knew, and her family, to follow Eliezer, to be wed to a man she had never met, yet left joyfully to be wed to him.
Rebecca’s confidence was of the Spirit! (Testing, Obedience, Blessing….Testing, Obedience, Blessing)
Abraham re-married at an old age to Keturah. Some sages believe she was actually Hagar.
6 more sons were born to Abraham and Keturah.
Abraham bequeathed grants to the sons of Keturah, but left all he owned to Isaac, the son of the Spirit of God!
He left grants for his other 6 sons and they were sent to live out their lives apart from Isaac.
HAFTARAH (Old Covenant) READING: 1 KINGS 1: 1-31
King David, upon being alerted by Bathsheba and Nathan there was anarchy for the throne in the midst of King David’s decline, reaffirms in his old age to Bathsheba, that Solomon, their son, had the blessing of the Lord to be the next King, not Adonijah who had installed HIMSELF as king at the time. (14 generations between Abraham and King David)
Adonai will orchestrate His will and His vision for our lives, and for the world at large, through those whom HE chooses! God worked through Bathsheba to inform King David of the impending overtaking of the throne by his rogue son Adonijah.
God’s plans and purposes will be accomplished! Adonai is the Divine Designer of His creation, and of His history.
BRIT CHADASHAH (New Covenant) READING: Matthew 1:1-17; 1 Cor. 15:50-57
Matt. 1:
“This is the genealogy of Yeshua the Messiah, son of David, son of Abraham…”
The names of the patriarchs and their descendants are listed all the way to Mary and Joseph
“Thus, there were fourteen generations from Avraham to David, fourteen generations from David to the Babylonian Exile, and fourteen generations from the Babylonia Exile to the Messiah.”
The beauty of the heart of God can be seen in every thread of His word, recording the history of His creation and the ultimate plan put in place before the foundation of the world: That His son, Messiah Yeshua would be born, suffer, and die for the sins of the world, and rise again to take His rightful position next to the heavenly Father as Son of God, and Son of Man!
1 Cor. 15:
“For the shofar will sound and the dead will be raised to live forever, and we too will be changed. For this material which can decay must be clothed with imperishability, this which is mortal must be clothed with immortality. When what decays puts on imperishability and what is mortal puts on immortality, then this passage of the Tanakh will be fulfilled.”
Death is swallowed up in victory, Death where is your victory, Death, where is your sting?
The sting of death is sin, and sin draws its power from the Torah: but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Yeshua the Messiah!
“So dear brothers, stand firm and immovable, always doing the Lord’s work as vigorously as you can, knowing that united with the Lord, your efforts are not in vain!”
Shofar: Means “To Bring Beauty”! When Yeshua sounds the shofar in our hearts and CALLS us unto Himself, it brings eternal beauty! The sound of the Shofar is an ALARM!
When we respond to it something new and beautiful will come from our response to the Lord’s call.
The Last Trump: Will be the sound of the Shofar blown by the lips of the Messiah Himself to illicit the raising of the dead, in Christ, to their imperishable bodies, and then for those who are alive, and in Christ, they will be changed in the twinkling of an eye. (Scientists surmise this to be 1/40th of a second.)
There will be no time left (1/40th of a second) to respond to the Lord, at the sound of His shofar!
Today, is the Day of Salvation!