Parasha Chayei Sarah 5784
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Me
Me
This week we read Parasha Chayei Sarah, Genesis 23:1-25:18, the only Parasha in the entire Torah named after a woman—and none other than the OG matriarch of the Jewish people. The Parasha begins with, oddly given the name, the death of Sarah, followed by Abraham mourning her death. He then proceeds to attempt to secure a burial place for her from the sons of Chet, in particular the cave of Machpelah and the surrounding field. He offers to purchase it, and goes back and forth with Ephron, the owner, and after Ephron sort of sketchily poses an outlandish price for the property Abraham immediately accepts and counts out the 400 shekels of silver for what we now know as the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron.
In chapter 24 Abraham sends his servant Eliezer back to Haran to find a bride for Isaac from his family, rather than have him take a bride from the people of Canaan. There’s a whole back and forth between Eliezer and Abraham about what if Eliezer is unsuccessful in finding and bringing back a bride, should he then bring Isaac back to Haran instead. To which Abraham very abruptly says no, make sure he never goes back, and that if Eliezer can’t find a bride then he is free of the oath being made.
Eliezer then goes to Haran and does comes across Rebekah and finds himself successful in his mission. Laban, her brother, and their mother attempt to delay and ultimately derail her leaving, but eventually give in and allow her to choose to go. She and Eliezer leave Haran and begin their journey to Canaan where she ultimately meets Isaac and they become married.
In chapter 25 we read of Abraham taking another wife, Keturah (who Rashi says is really Hagar under a different name) and has more children. Before he dies he blesses these sons and sends them away to the east so that they can’t take from what belongs to Isaac. Ultimately we get Midianites and other enemies of Israel because of this… Further family conflict left behind unintentionally by Abraham. Then we read of Abraham’s death, Isaac and Ishmael burying him in the Cave of Machpelah with Sarah, and the genealogies of the 12 sons of Ishmael. Lastly, we read of Ishmael’s death.
(Talk about it taking ten years just to get into the s’micha process…)
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God
God
We’re going to dig into two interesting and thematically connected pieces of the puzzle of Parasha Chayei today. First, we’re going to discuss Abraham’s buying the field and cave of Machpelah, then we’ll look at Eliezer’s interaction with Laban. As we do, I want us to keep this principle in mind...
Principle: Don’t let the enemy delay your walk with G-d and gaslight you into seeing it as a blessing.
(Repeat)
Parasha Chayei Sarah
*** Ephron and Abraham— describe Sarah’s death and Abraham going to the sons of Chet to buy a grave— outsider and sojourner among you (Gen 23:4)
*** Enemy tries to rob Abraham of the blessing of land ownership in the promised Land via Ephron offering to “give it to him” (presumably with strings attached), which was a fake offer. But Abraham pushed past the enemy’s gaslighting.
Now Ephron was sitting in the midst of the sons of Heth. And Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the ears of the sons of Heth, all those who enter the gate of his city, saying,
“No, my lord, listen to me. The field—I hereby give it to you. Also the cave that is in it—I hereby give it to you. In the eyes of the sons of my people, I hereby give it to you. Bury your dead one.”
Then Abraham bowed down before the people of the land,
and spoke to Ephron in the ears of the people of the land saying, “But if only you would please listen to me. I hereby give the price of the field. Accept it from me that I may bury my dead one there.”
So Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,
“My lord, listen to me. A land worth 400 shekels of silver—what is that between me and you? Bury your dead one.”
Abraham heard Ephron. So Abraham weighed out to Ephron the silver that he had spoken of in the ears of the sons of Heth—400 shekels of silver at the merchant’s rate.
Parasha Chayei Sarah
*** Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham: “The field I give to you, and the cave that is in it, I give it to you . . .” (23:11)
Said Rabbi Elazar: The righteous promise little and perform much—Abraham promised his guests “a morsel of bread” (Genesis 18:5) and then “ran to the herd and fetched a calf tender and good, and he hurried to prepare it” (ibid., v. 7).
On the other hand, the wicked promise much and do not perform even a little. Initially Ephron proclaimed, “A piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between me and you?” But in the end, “Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth—four hundred shekels of silver in negotiable currency.”
(Talmud, Bava Metzia 87a)
*** Describe Eliezer’s journey to find Rebekah, then discuss Laban’s “blessing” with giving Rebekah’s hand for marriage, but then gaslighting with trying to hold Rebekah back. Eliezer refuses to give in and presses on and Rebekah agrees to go with him despite her brother’s efforts. (Laban gets his payback on Jacob, Isaac’s son.)
*** Laban tried to distract Eliezer from his task with an extravagant meal, Eliezer refused to eat until he stated his business. Laban tries to hold Rebekah up for 10 days (or more) and Eliezer refused to just give in and fail his mission.
Then Laban and Bethuel answered, and they said, “The matter proceeds from Adonai. We cannot speak to you bad or good.
Rebekah is before you. Take her and go, and let her become a wife for our master’s son, just as Adonai has spoken.”
Now when Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground to Adonai.
Then the servant brought out articles of silver and gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious gifts to her brothers and to her mother.
Then they ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and spent the night. When they arose in the morning, he said, “Send me off to my master.”
But her brother with her mother said, “Let the young woman stay with us a few days—or ten. Afterwards she may go.”
But he said to them, “Don’t delay me, since Adonai has made my way successful. Send me off so that I can go to my master.”
So they said, “We’ll call the young woman and let’s ask her opinion.”
Parasha Chayei Sarah
Principle: Don’t let the enemy delay your walk with G-d and gaslight you into seeing it as a blessing.
Parasha Chayei Sarah
*** You’ll ask G-d for one thing, the enemy will try to delay your walking in G-d’s blessing by trying to convince you something other-than-G-d’s will will be a better blessing.
*** Talk about David running from Saul to the Philistines and not being allowed to go to war with the Philistines against Israel (1 Samuel 28).
Parasha Chayei Sarah
*** Connect to Judas and Peter? Both warned by Mashiach they’d reject Him. Both rejected Him and left Him to die. Judas killed himself rather than waiting to see what Yeshua would do next since He had been warned of what He would do himself. Whereas Peter waited, to some degree, he was grief stricken and broken and went back to fishing. But Yeshua came to him and brought redemption and restoration despite Peter’s rejection… Judas killed himself over the guilt, but Peter was given opportunity to repent and be restored.
*** Judas let the enemy get away with gaslighting him, Peter did not.
Then Judah, His betrayer, saw that Yeshua had been condemned. Feeling remorse, he brought the thirty silver pieces back to the ruling kohanim and elders,
saying, “I’ve sinned, betraying innocent blood!” But they said, “What’s that to us? You see to it yourself!”
After tossing the silver into the Temple sanctuary, he left. Then he went off and hanged himself.
Parasha Chayei Sarah
After these things, Yeshua revealed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. Now here is how He appeared.
Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in the Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two of the other disciples were together.
Simon Peter said to them, “I’m going fishing.” “We’re coming with you too,” they said. They went out and got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.
Parasha Chayei Sarah
When they had finished breakfast, Yeshua said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said to Him, “You know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs!”
He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Take care of My sheep!”
He said to him a third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him for a third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know everything! You know that I love You!” Yeshua said to him, “Feed My sheep!”
Parasha Chayei Sarah
Principle: Don’t let the enemy delay your walk with G-d and gaslight you into seeing it as a blessing.
Parasha Chayei Sarah
*** This is right after Paul shares about the revelation of the mystery of the Messiah, which is Salvation to the Nations as well as to the Jewish people.
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father—
from Him every family in heaven and on earth receives its name.
I pray that from His glorious riches He would grant you to be strengthened in your inner being with power through His Ruach,
so that Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
may have strength to grasp with all the kedoshim what is the width and length and height and depth,
and to know the love of Messiah which surpasses knowledge, so you may be filled up with all the fullness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do far beyond all that we ask or imagine, by means of His power that works in us,
to Him be the glory in the community of believers and in Messiah Yeshua throughout all generations forever and ever! Amen.
Parasha Chayei Sarah
Principle: Don’t let the enemy delay your walk with G-d and gaslight you into seeing it as a blessing.
Parasha Chayei Sarah
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(Call Worship Team Up & UnMute)
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