Parasha Chayei Sarah 5782

Me

Years ago, when we were still in New York, Danielle came to me one day and started telling me that she felt like the Lord was calling us to move back down south. She didn’t know where down south or anything like that. But, we had both long said we would never move back to Alabama (as a caveat, never tell God what you won’t do…). I flat out told her I was in complete disagreement with her about, I had absolutely zero desire to leave New York. I was 100% confident we were suppose to plant a Messianic Synagogue in Nyack, the area we were already living, not packing up and moving south again.

But she kept telling me every time she felt the Lord press on her about us moving… This went on and on for maybe six months or so. Finally, one day, I was driving her to work that morning and she started to talk to me about it again. As I said, I wanted absolutely nothing to do with it, but I knew the conversation wasn’t going to go away anytime soon. So I told her, “Look, I love you, and you know exactly how I feel about this… You feel He’s calling us to move and that’s great, but I’m not… So, if this is really what you feel then He’s going to need to speak to me really clear for me to get on board.”

So I told her to pray, I told her to pray with very intentional specificity, right then and there while we’re driving for God to reveal to me clearly if He was wanting us to move. I told her pray that it be extremely clear and obvious, that nothing could be misconstrued, and that I’d know for certain that day whether or not we were suppose to move back south. I don’t know if God had been speaking to me already and I missed the cues or if Danielle is just that dangerous in prayer… But, a Divine Word that day is exactly what happened.

As some of you are aware, I have specific Bible reading plan that I use called Word as a Way of Life which was developed by our rabbi in New York. Short story, it breaks the Bible down into 12 sections, nine from the Tanakh and three from the Brit Chadashah, you read one chapter from each of the 12 sections a day and basically end up reading the entirety of the Bible over three times a year. I have been using it for years… So, that morning I drop Danielle off at the law firm she worked at and I headed back to the house to spend some time in the Word before I had to head to classes and then later to work myself. Because I like to know exactly where I’m suppose to be reading that day to stay on track I have a specific way I mark what I’ve read the day before so I don’t lose my place. And if you know me, you know I am very, let’s say particular about a lot of things… Like the direction the blinds should be turned, or the way the rows of chairs should be positioned, or bank facing and ordering the cash in my wallet.

Well, my Bible reading is no different...

So, I get home and I start reading for the day. I get to Proverbs and open up to where I’m suppose to be that day and begin reading Proverbs 16 when I come across—

Proverbs 16:2 TLV

All a man’s ways are pure in his own eyes, but Adonai weighs the motives.

And—

Proverbs 16:3 TLV

Commit whatever you do to Adonai, and your plans will succeed.

And—

Proverbs 16:9 TLV

The heart of man plans his course, but Adonai directs his steps.

And—

Proverbs 16:33 TLV

The lot is cast into the lap, but their very decision is from Adonai.

I call Danielle and tell her I should have never asked her to pray… But that I kind of feel like maybe it’s possible that perhaps God might be potentially calling us away from New York and back down south…

Then I realized the next day I was actually suppose to be in Proverbs 14, if memory serves, not Proverbs 16. Some how I missed the cue of where I was suppose to be exactly and jumped out of order… Which of course caused me all sorts of other mental anxieties being out of order… But I knew without a doubt that it was God answering Danielle’s specific prayer that morning.

We

Have you ever experienced a situation like this? Not necessarily your spouse trying to convince you to do something you are dynamically opposed to… More directly the need for specificity in prayer?

Something like driving down the interstate doing “a little over” the speed limit and then spotting a cop in the tree line and knowing for certain that he was going to be lighting you up and all of a sudden praying very intentionally and specifically that he didn’t clock you and wouldn’t pull out behind you… And by the grace of God you didn’t get lit up...

Or you found a house you really, really liked and you decide to put an offer in on it, you find out there’s a number of other really competitive offers already on the table so you pray and pray with clear specifics asking God if this is His will to have it all work out a very specific way. Then later that day you get a call from the realtor that you offer was accepted.

Or you find a job you feel would be absolutely perfect for you, you put in an app, you go through the interview process, you’re waiting to hear word back and you pray for things to pan out a very specific way. Later that week you get a call from the interviewer offering you the new position exactly as you had prayed.

God

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 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.

But, I want to focus on one particular area of Parasha Chayei Sarah in Genesis 24. From this narrative we learn a key reality of prayer that I know has changed my prayer life and I hope will deepen yours as well… And that reality is—

Praying in faith with specificity makes room for God to show His might and power in amazing ways.

(Repeat)

So let’s dig into the Word together.

In Genesis 24, as we mentioned a few moments ago, Abraham sends his servant Eliezer to find a wife for Isaac. But, Abraham is very specific about how this should be done. He doesn’t want Isaac to marry a woman from Canaan if at all possible, so he tells Eliezer to go back to Haran to his own family’s town and to look for a bride there. And he sends him with many gifts to bless both the potential bride and her family should he be successful. He makes a point to tell Eliezer that under no circumstances is Isaac to leave the Promise Land to go back to Haran, even if he is unsuccessful—if this occurs then Eliezer is off the hook for the oath he is entering with Abraham.

So Eliezer gathers up everything Abraham has prepared to send to Haran and heads off on his way. He finally arrives in Aram-Naharaim, the city in which Nahor, Abraham’s brother, resides. He finds a place to settle in just outside the city at a well that everyone would use to draw water and he waits for God to move.

Genesis 24:12–14 TLV

“Adonai, the God of Abraham my master,” he said, “please make something happen before me today, and show loyalty to Abraham my master. Look, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are going out to draw water. Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please tip your jar so that I may drink,’ and she will say, ‘Drink—and I’ll also water your camels’—let her be the one You have appointed for your servant Isaac. So by this I’ll know that You have shown graciousness to my master.”

Notice how specific Eliezer is in his prayer… He has served Abraham faithful for many years now and has witnessed many miracles and acts of faithfulness of HaShem to Abraham all along. He was there when God called Abraham to pack up, leave his family, and head to the Promised Land and he went with him. He was there when Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed. He was there through the quarreling over the wells with Abimelech’s people and the miraculous provision of the well at Beer Sheva. He was there when Isaac was born in his master’s old age. He was there when Abraham came back from the mountain with Isaac after the Akeidah. He witnessed Adonai prosper and bless Abraham over and over again all along the way. So Eliezer knew, without a doubt, that Adonai is a personal God who sees our hearts, hears our cries, and answers our prayers. And he knows that without the help of God he cannot possibly be successful in find the bashert (the predestined soulmate) for Isaac and fulfilling the mission Abraham has sent him on.

So, before his search begins he finds a good place to rest and he goes before the Lord in prayer… But he doesn’t just pray randomly, he doesn’t cry out to God with a Hail Mary of a prayer like, “God of my master Abraham, please help me find a wife for Isaac.” Or, “God of Abraham, show me the right girl.”

No, he is extremely specific… He wants to know without a shadow of a doubt that God has answered his prayer and that he has found the right girl without any room for confusion.

Genesis 24:14 TLV

Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please tip your jar so that I may drink,’ and she will say, ‘Drink—and I’ll also water your camels’—let her be the one You have appointed for your servant Isaac. So by this I’ll know that You have shown graciousness to my master.”

Notice that his prayer focuses in on the hospitality of the girl he’s looking for, “I’ll ask for a little water for myself and should she give me a water to drink and also water the camels without me asking I will know she is the one You have appointed in faithfulness to Abraham.” Notice the specificity of his prayer… But why this specific sign? Because he was looking at the heart of the girl, if her heart was one of hospitality then she would be an ideal mate for Isaac because he has always witnessed the hospitality of Abraham’s heart and knows it is a gift of God. Particularly, remember last week’s Parasha when God appears to Abraham and promises a son a year later and also tells him of the coming destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham washes their feet and offers them a little bread to sustain them, yet instead of a little bread he provides a fantastic feast for them.

Eliezer knew if the girl’s hospitality rivaled that of Abraham she would be perfect for Isaac. So he prays very specifically to see God work in a very tangible and miraculous way before his eyes.

Praying in faith with specificity makes room for God to show His might and power in amazing ways.

Now, remember, camels can go for very long periods of time without drinking water because their natural habitat is the dessert. As such, when they do drink they drink a lot of water… And I’m not talking like us coming in from a hot day working in the yard and we sling back a glass or two of water to rehydrate. No, camels drink a lot of water. In fact, a single camel can drink between 30 and 50 gallons of water in as little as 3 minutes. And Eliezer has ten camels with him… So, on a low estimate, at 30 gallons each thats 130 gallons of water this girl is going to draw from the well by herself… Plus the water she draws for Eliezer.

You really can’t get much more specific than this… And Eliezer isn’t playing games. He wants to be successful in order to honor Abraham who has always been good to him. He wants to make sure that his assignment is completed perfectly. And, I think, he also wants to honor God in what he’s doing, so when he prays he doesn’t mess around. And then we read...

Genesis 24:15–21 TLV

Now before he had finished speaking, behold there was Rebekah (who was born to Bethuel son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother) going out with her jar on her shoulder. Now the young woman was very good looking, a girl of marriageable age, and she was a virgin. She went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up. Then the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me sip a little water from your jar.” So she said, “Drink, my lord,” and she quickly lowered her jar onto her hand and gave him a drink. Now when she finished giving him a drink, she said, “I’ll also draw water for your camels until they’ve finished drinking.” So she quickly poured out her jug into the trough, ran back to the well to draw water, and drew water for all his camels, while the man continued to pay close attention to her, keeping silent in order to know whether or not Adonai had made his way successful.

Before he was finished praying his prayer was already being answer… And God was showing out to the finest of details.

Up walks Rebekah who is a prime candidate. He asks her for a little water, she quickly and joyfully draws water for him and gives him a drink. Then without missing a beat says she’ll draw water for the camels too. But God shows out a little more here too, because even as specific as Eliezer was in his prayer, he only asks that the girl be willing to draw water for the camels. But Rebekah goes beyond that and says she will not only draw water for the camels, but continue to do so until they are finished drinking—remember between 30-50 gallons of water per camel.

And as she draws the water Eliezer patiently and calmly pays close attention to be absolutely certain that God has in fact answers his prayer. And as soon as she’s done he gives her a nose ring and bracelets (signs of betrothal or engagement in the ancient near east), knowing absolutely nothing about her besides the fact that God has without a doubt answered his prayer and made his mission a success.

Aside from praying in the Name of Yeshua, specificity in our prayers is one of the most powerful resources we have available to us.

Danielle loves beef and anchovy on a pizza… I don’t know why either because as far as I’m concerned anchovies on a pizza is atrocious… But, she loves them. If I really had a desire for a veggie pizza and were to say to Danielle, “Hey baby, would you order us a pizza real quick?” and went on to do something else and she comes to me an hour later and says the pizza is here and when I open it it’s a beef and anchovy pizza and that’s the only pizza she ordered, I can really only blame myself… And odds are it would be more about payback for my constant sarcasm than anything...

But if I make the same request with specificity, “He baby, would you order us a veggie pizza real quick?” Guess what we’re most likely going to have for dinner?

One of my favorite stories about my great-grandparents was that one day my great-grandmother walked in the living room and asked my great-grandfather if he would like some coffee or hot tea. His response was simply, “Yes.” So, a few minutes later she walks in and hands him a nice hot cup and he goes to take a sip and immediately realizes it is either absolutely terrible tea or coffee… Come to find out, she had filled the cup half with tea and half with coffee seeing as she asked a specific question and he gave a vague answer… And he learned a very valuable lesson on specificity...

Praying in faith with specificity makes room for God to show His might and power in amazing ways.

In Matthew 20 we again see the power of specificity in our request of God.

Matthew 20:29–34 TLV

Now as they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. And here two blind men sitting by the roadside, when they heard that Yeshua was passing by, cried out, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Master, Ben-David!” The crowd warned them to be quiet, but they cried out all the more, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Master, Ben-David!” Yeshua stopped and called out to them. “What do you want Me to do for you?” He said. They said to Him, “Master, let our eyes be opened!” Moved with compassion, Yeshua touched their eyes. Instantly they regained their sight and followed Him.

Now, we’re talking about Yeshua, God in flesh… Did He really have to ask, “What do you want me to do for you?” Or did He likely already know what they wanted?

Think about it, this is 20 chapters into Matthew’s narrative of Yeshua’s life and ministry… He’s performed many miracles already… Here sits two blind men crying out, “Have mercy on us Ben-David!” If Yeshua had handed them a tuna salad sandwich wouldn’t it be merciful? Had He dropped a few coins in their styrofoam cups, wouldn’t it be merciful? Had He given them a really good hug, wouldn’t it be merciful?

But, rather than just being sarcastic like me… Yeshua asks them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” Now, I’d likely argue perhaps a little sarcasm was in His response as I’m pretty confident He knew what they were wanting… But, I think He wanted to see if these two blind men who were likely roadside beggers actually knew what they wanted.

“Master, let our eyes be opened!” is their response. And the very specific words I believe tells us a lot about them as well. They weren’t just looking for sight, which they miraculously got, but I think they were looking to see the works of Messiah too. Because Yeshua touched their eyes, instantly they regained their sight, and what did they do? They immediately became Talmidim of Yeshua…

Yeshua knew exactly what these men wanted when they first cried out… No doubt about it… But He didn’t work a miracle for them until they were specific in what they wanted. “Master, let our eyes be opened!”

Praying in faith with specificity makes room for God to show His might and power in amazing ways.

This doesn’t mean God can’t or won’t answer vague prayers… But there is something to about the faith required for a very specific prayer that opens up doors. If we simply prayer, “God I have bills that need to be paid, please provide money.” It isn’t showing quite the same depth of faith as, “God, I have a $213.73 power bill due on Monday and I only have $27.28 to my name at the moment… Please work a miracle and provide the $213.73 cents so my family doesn’t go without power this month.” Then we get home and there’s a random check for the exact amount needed sitting in the mail box… Our prayers of specificity allows for God to show up and show off in big ways. And I’ve seen it happen time and time again in my own life.

You

So what are you praying for right now? Are you being vague or specific? What takes more faith and allows more room for God to move, asking God for a miracle or specifying what miracle is needed?

What miracles are you praying for right now?

The finances of your family?

Healing in your own life or the life of someone you love?

Your children’s salvation?

A better job?

Are you being specific in your prayers?

We

If our worship team will make their way back up to the stage. (Unmute the worship team.)

Praying in faith with specificity makes room for God to show His might and power in amazing ways.

Now, don’t get me wrong, God isn’t short order cook… But He does love to do the miraculous in our lives and when we pray with specificity we allow for that very reality to occur in big ways.

Are we matching the faith of Eliezer in our prayers? “God, I will know without a doubt that you have made my journey a success if when I ask the girl for water she give me some and then also provides 130 gallons of water for my camels.” That’s specific…

“Have mercy on us, Ben-David!” “What do you want Me to do for you?” “Open my eyes!!!” That’s specific…

“Father, make Yourself known tangibly to my children today! Restore them in faithfulness to You through faith in Messiah Yeshua! Give them eyes to see and ears to hear, soften their hearts to the truth of Your Salvation!”

We’ve gotta stop throwing up hail mary prayers and expecting powerful results. This doesn’t mean God can’t move even in our vagueness, but where’s our faith in what God can do when we are vague? If we believe then we should trust in the specificity.