Gen. 23:1-25:18
Haftorah / 2 Kings 1:1-31
Torah chapter outlines – Hebrew Insights – RCS connections (at end)
Torah – Haftorah Connection
Once again we see a ready connection. Here, the old age of two of the Jewish People’s greatest, Abraham and King David. One rabbi points out Abraham is concerned that godliness continue in his house; David is anxious about who succeeds him as king of Israel.
The rabbi goes on to correctly point out the contrast between the character of Abraham’s son and that of David. Isaac willingly is guided by his father in an important decision, that of who will be Isaac’s wife -and why. David’s son Adoniyah (“(the) Lord of me (is the) LORD”) can’t wait for his father to die so he can be king.
The LORD was obviously very close to David and David very clearly was close to his LORD, constantly seeking Him. The rabbis correctly point out that David’s life as king of Israel – David being Personally and directly chosen by the LORD to be king of Israel (cf. 1 Saml. 16) – was nonetheless never free of trials, stress, and difficulties. This was not just from outside of Israel but inside David’s own people and even within his own household.
Another weekly Torah portion particularly filled with rich content! Also one in which at least a short book could be written.
Gen. 23 Recounting the years of Sarah’s life and the significance of how the Torah lays this out in Hebrew.
- Abraham greatly mourns for Sarah.
- Abraham negotiates with the Hittites for a burial cave for his wife Sarah.
Insight: The rabbis very much notice the very particular way the Torah’s Hebrew tells us the years of Sarah’s life. The Torah does not merely say how old she was when she died. Rather the years in Hebrew are given as 100 years, 20 years, and 7 years. Each of these numbers has significance but to delve into it here takes us too far afield. The Torah does not ordinarily refer to someone’s life this way when someone dies. The Torah’s Hebrew is more deeply pointing out the tremendous spiritual life of the years of Sarah.
We notice the Torah does not say the days of Sarah’s life; but in Hebrew…”years (of) life (of) Sarah”. Again; this is no mere fact of how long Sarah lived! One rabbinic commentator astutely points out that no other woman’s age is given like this in the entire Hebrew Bible.
What more deeply the Hebrew lays out is the life – not “the days” – but the life – of those years. Years as a whole, in which she lived up to her name, Princess. (Spiritually speaking; not as we think of a princess in secular culture).
Gen. 24 One of the Torah’s longest chapters, filled with some great lessons for us!
- Abraham sends the trusted head of his household (thought to be Eliezer) back to where Abraham came from to find a wife for Abraham’s son Isaac.
- Isaac’s wife cannot be from the Canaanites among whom Abraham lives.
Insight: the obvious question: why doesn’t Abraham take a wife for Isaac from the Canaanites Abraham lives among? One of the great Torah teachers correctly points out the following: in Abraham’s homeland about 500 miles east in modern day Iraq, the people there were merely idol worshipers. The Torah great goes on to say idol worship is merely an intellectual assent to something.
The Canaanites were totally totally morally bankrupt. Paul will later write to the Corinthians about not being unevenly yoked with someone. Paul actually draws on a Torah based model for this.
The Torah teacher goes on to say that Abraham was at a high enough spiritual level above the Canaanites where they could not pull him down. Abraham lived among the Canaanites. His Hebrew in Gen. 23:4 tells us that though Abraham was a sojourner in the land and a resident “…with you”, Abraham did not see himself – and knew (!) – he was not and did not become part of the Canaanite peoples. (NOTE: Scholars say Canaanite is a generic term for about 11 different groups of people).
Again; Abraham was at a high enough spiritual level above the Canaanites that they could not pull him down. Isaac however was not yet at his father’s level. Thus, Abraham feared that rather than Isaac spiritually uplifting a woman from the Canaanites, a Canaanite wife with spiritually pull Isaac down!
A perfect perfect example of this is seen with Shimshon (“Samson’s” Hebrew name) and Delilah in the Book of Judges.
The servant asks the LORD God of Abraham to make his way successful in seeking a wife for his master Abraham’s son. The very godly attribute that Abraham’s servant looks for in a wife for Isaac. The woman who exercises this attribute towards the servant will be how he knows – she’s the right wife for Isaac!
Insight: We see that the LORD answered what Abraham’s servant asked for in finding a wife for Isaac. The LORD has a Plan for the descendants of Abraham and as we’ve already learned from the Torah, the LORD works through His Creatures.
Abraham’s servant desired that the prospective wife for Isaac exercise towards him (the servant) the very key godly attribute of lovingkindness mercy. Doing so would concretely demonstrate that she had the type of godly character traits and attributes that a wife of Isaac should have.
What is this extremely key character trait? When the LORD reveals to Moshe what’s traditionally referred to as The Thirteen Attributes of Mercy in Ex. 34:6-7, this is the one that’s repeated:
“Abounding overflowing royal lovingkindness acts of mercy; mercy translated into action”. (Typically translated “mercy/lovingkindness mercy). This attribute is exercised not – at all (!) – by just feeling kindly disposed towards someone, but rather by doing so through material means.
For much more on this we very much (!) encourage you to please see our audio teaching Lovingkindness in the Deeper Hebrew Roots and Jewish Roots of the Bible A to Z window under L Lovingkindness. (It’s the third of our eight teaching windows).
It is the taking of something material and an action done with it, that takes something material and uses and elevates it for a holy and spiritual purpose in helping someone else. This is exactly exactly exactly what our wonderful Yeshua speaks of that the Good Samaritan did. Yeshua says, “Go strive towards (a) goal and do likewise” Lk. 10:37.
On loving-kindness mercy, mercy translated into action cf. esp. Micah 6:8 and Ps. 136. David very much looks for this from the LORD in a number of the Psalms!
For those looking for Hebrew Roots and Jewish Roots in following Yeshua, and learning them from Scripture, after love this is perhaps the greatest one you could learn and learn to exercise towards others!
Cornelius in the opening of Acts 10 exercised this “much” towards the Jewish People. Paul asked the LORD to grant this to Onesimus because Onesimus went out of his way to find Paul when he was held captive in Rome cf. 2 Tim. 1:16-17.
As you’ll see immediately below, this is how the woman that would be the wife for Isaac was found to have the right godly character trait. It was not being “kindly disposed” towards a total stranger but rather not only providing water for him but also for his camels. Given how much thirsty camels can drink this was a lot of work on her part!
Rivka (“Rebecca” “(a) rope’s loop)” exercises this very very key godly attribute towards Abraham’s servant. Abraham’s servant had asked for the LORD’S help in his mission. He knows the LORD was gracious in his finding the right wife for his master’s son Isaac.
Isaac is found towards evening out in a field meditating, i.e., working on his spiritual and emotional growth.
Gen. 25 A short chapter.
- Abraham remarries and has several other children.
- Abraham gives gifts to these children but sends them away from Isaac.
- Abraham dies at a good old age.
- His sons Isaac and Ishmael bury him.
- The descendants of Ishmael are named. Only one thing is told us about them, their cities and their strongholds.
- Ishmael dies.
The Torah – RCS Connections
Gen. 23:2-20 Acts 7:16
Gen. 23:4 Heb. 11:9,11:13
Gen. 24:7 Acts 7:5, Gal. 3:16