As believers in the Messiah we have discovered the richness
of the wisdom of the sages of
Israel. These men, who devoted themselves to the
study of the Torah, have left us a rich heritage. Part of that heritage is a unique method
of learning and interpreting the Scriptures. It’s called thematic analysis. In thematic analysis we search for the
underlying theme/topic of each passage of Scripture. By studying Scriptures related by a
common theme, line upon line and precept upon precept, the Scriptures open up to
us in a unique manner that is clearly inspired by the Ruach HaKodesh. Passages that seemed obscure begin to
make sense, and numerous levels of wisdom and understanding unfold before
us.
Thematic analysis of Scripture is based on the following
premises. 1) Moses wrote the Torah
as five separate books as the Ruach HaKodesh
inspired him. 2) Since Adonai had
him separate those words into five separate books, we surmise that each book has
a unique message or theme. 3)
Within each book, the words are written with two paragraph-like divisions[7]
interrupting the flow of the words.
4) Since Adonai commanded Moshe to separate the individual books into
smaller paragraph-like sections or Parshiot, we surmise that each
Parsha was written as a separate unit because each of those Parshiot is trying
to convey a unique thought, theme, concept or understanding. Therefore, since Adonai inspired these
divisions, we think they are VERY important. We use these God-breathed divisions as
the basis of our thematic analysis of Scripture. Once you begin to interpret the
Scriptures thematically, you will immediately SEE that Adonai wrote His words in a
manner consistent with the intent that they be interpreted thematically.
Here is an
example of what the Parsha divisions look like …
s—Parsha Stumah (plural, stumot)—A
paragraph-like break inspired by the Ruach HaKodesh, still preserved on kosher
Torah Scrolls, where there are at least nine blank spaces between a word and the
next word, all on the same line of text.
~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla
~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla
~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla~yhla ~yhla
~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla
p—Parsha P'tuchah (plural,
p'tuchot)—A paragraph-like break inspired by the Ruach HaKodesh, still preserved
on kosher Torah Scrolls, where there are blank spaces extending to the end of a
line of text and the subsequent text does not begin until the next line. (Hebrew is read from right to left)
~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla
~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla
~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla
Our study is fun and interactive. Everyone contributes to the
discussion. The lesson will
incorporate information for children.
They are responsible for answering questions and completing a WordSearch or some other fun, written activity. Children are naturals at midrashing and connecting Scriptures thematically!
After the Beit Midrash, we will say good-bye to the Shabbat
with a traditional Havdalah gathering.
So come join with us as we participate in the discussion that was started
centuries ago! We feel we are
privileged to participate in this ancient discussion, which has practical
application for us today. These
weekly teachings presuppose that you understand many Hebraic thought
concepts. If you are unfamiliar
with Torah study, please start by reading the five introductory articles
pertaining to these weekly studies.
You can find them at…
http://restorationoftorah.org/
Then, just click on
the link entitled, Mishpachah Beit Midrash’s Parashat HaShavuah!
This lesson is presented in a self-study format with lots of
questions. To view my answers to
the questions, simply mouse-over the word Sarah at the end of the questions
(HTML) or the highlighted question marks (WORD). If you are viewing this in a regular
e-mail format, the mouse-over function will not work; therefore, answers are
also provided as footnotes so that you can print the article with answers. This article may also be found at the
following link, which will also allow you to see my answers simply by using the
mouse-over feature.
http://restorationoftorah.org/WeeklyParsha/MBMChayeiSarah.htm
·
Genesis 23:1 -
23:20 s
·
Genesis
24:1 - 24:67
p
·
Genesis
25:1 - 25:18
p
Understanding the Parsha
Objective—Learn how to 1) interpret the main theme of
a Parsha, 2) make thematic connections to that Parsha and 3) learn how to gain
greater understanding of the Parsha under consideration through its thematic
connections to other portions of Scripture.
Finding a Wife for Isaac
I.
Read Genesis
24:1-67. Note that there are no
other parsha divisions in this story.
We know this means that this entire narrative contains one unique and
primary theme. After reading the
parsha through, what would you say is its primary theme?[8]
A. Have you noticed anything peculiar concerning how the
Torah speaks of Abraham’s servant?[9] That’s right. Always take note of instances when the
Torah leaves out details we should expect to find. The significance of the nameless servant
will be covered in the last section, Messiah in the Parsha.
B. Read Genesis
24:15-25. How is Rivka
(Rebecca) described in Genesis 24:15-16?[10] Her lineage is obviously important
because Abraham made the servant promise to only obtain a wife for Isaac from
his relatives. Now normally, we may
gloss over her description of being beautiful. However, in the past we have learned
that if we can make thematic connections to other portions of Scripture, we will
see more of Adonai’s wisdom unfold before us. Can you think of any passages
thematically related to the statement that Rivka was beautiful?[11] Could the Torah be making a connection
between these two women? I think
so. The Torah makes this one
statement in hopes that we see the connection between Sarah and Rivka. Why? The Torah wants us to see that Rivka has
the same outward beauty as Sarah.
Think I’m stretching this too far?
Watch this.
C. Read Genesis
24:17-25. Is their any
common theme related to Rivka’s actions in these few verses?[12] As you can see, the Torah repeatedly
emphasized how quickly she acted.
Can you think of any passage thematically related to Rivka’s actions?[13] That’s right. In the description of Abraham’s actions
when he entertained the three men (Genesis 18:4-8),
Abraham’s actions were described as follows:
“…Avraham hastened…Hurry!…ran…hurried…” As you can see, both Rivka and
Abraham had an opportunity to show hospitality to a stranger! Both of them moved with quickness,
humility and servanthood to look to the needs of the
visitors. Do you think it is a
coincidence that the Torah describes Abraham and Sarah’s actions with the same
terms? Do you think it’s a
coincidence that both of them had an opportunity to display hospitality to a
stranger? Of course not.
D. Let’s backtrack for a moment. Read Genesis
24:12-14 to understand the test the servant proposed so that he could
discern whom Isaac's bride should be. The test the servant proposed may seem
trite until you realize that 1) the servant brought ten camels and 2) a thirsty
camel can drink up to twenty five-gallons of water! Now can you see the enormity of Rivka’s
act of hospitality? Remember, she
continued to run and fill the jugs until all
the camels had finished drinking!
Note, she did this for a complete stranger! Now that’s hospitality! So why does the Torah thematically
connect Rivka and Abraham through their acts of hospitality? Because, the Torah is teaching us that
Rivka has the same inner beauty of character as did Abraham. Through the obvious thematic connections
to Abraham, we see that these few verses are actually teaching us about the
lovely character of Rivka. She is
walking in the steps of Our Father Abraham. How appropriate that she should be the
mother of the future nation.
II.
Read Genesis
24:50-61. Which type of verb is
being used over and over?[14] Note how often the words go, send,
proceed, went, etc., are used!
A. Where is the servant trying to get Rivka to go?[15] From where is he trying to get her to
leave?[16] Note the blessing given to Rivka in
Genesis 24:60. Do you think the
family understood the promise given to Abraham?[17] Do you understand the significance of
the answers to these last three questions?
Based on these answers, is Rivka following in
someone else's footsteps?[18] Now why do you think the Torah has
thematically connected Rivka and Abraham concerning their willingness to leave
all behind to obtain a promise? The
Torah is teaching us that Rivka has the faith of Abraham as well
as his hospitality! Often, the
Torah does not comment directly on a person's character. Many times, we learn about a person's
character through the thematic connections made to them through the narratives
of the Torah.
B. Can you think of a descendant of Terach who chose not to
stay with Avraham?[19] That's right. Lot did not
choose to stay with Abraham. He
didn't want to wait patiently for the fulfillment of the promises; however,
Rivka is exhibiting the faith of Abraham by leaving her family to go to a land
she's never seen before so that she can fulfill her Divine destiny.
C. How is the fact that Abraham's act of hospitality
resulted in the blessing of childbirth thematically related to Rivka's life?[20]
III.
Concerning the test of hospitality proposed by the
servant, how does it testify of his great wisdom? It shows that he was well aware of
Avraham's character strength of hospitality. He had seen it in action for years. He knew that Isaac's potential bride
needed to be of equal character in order to build the nation Adonai wanted. Therefore, he chose a test of extreme hospitality as the basis for
choosing a bride for Isaac. And on
hindsight, we see that the test he proposed was truly an extremely wise choice.
☺
In summary, although this parsha
is primarily concerned with finding Isaac a wife, we see, through thematic
connections we see that it has lots to say about the character of Rivka.
Searching the Parshiot
Objective—Learn how to 1) uncover the theme of a
passage, 2) relate it to other passages and 3) gain new insight on how to
interpret the original passage based on its thematic connection to those other
passages.
The Nations of the
World and the Nation From Abraham's
Loins
I.
In the first three Torah portions, we discovered the
recurring theme of sin and judgment (Genesis Chapters 1-11). Beginning in Genesis chapter 12, the
Torah begins to focus on Avraham avinu (our
father). Through thematic analysis
it can be shown (in numerous ways) that the book of Genesis has two primary
divisions.
·
Chapters 1-11—Adonai's hopes for dealing with
mankind as a whole—The Nations
·
Chapters 12-50—Adonai's hopes for dealing with
Avraham and his offspring—The Nation.
A. What is one of the primary literary or stylistic ways
the Torah divides its stories (Read Genesis 2:4, 5:1, 6:9, 11:27, 25:12, etc)?[21] Therefore, from a thematic standpoint,
we should expect these divisions to be important.
II.
Approximately how many generations are there from Adam
to Noach?[22] From Shem to Terach?[23] How many sons did Noach and Terach
father, respectively?[24] According to Genesis 10:1-32, how many
nations were formed from the descendants of Noach's sons? According to Exodus 1:5, how many souls
of Israel went
into Egypt to
begin the nation of
Israel?[25] I have summarized these connections in a
chart below. As you can see, the
connections are clear and amazing.
|
Chapters
1-11 |
Chapters
11-50 |
|
Approximately 10 generations from Adam to Noach |
Approximately 10 generations from Shem to
Terach |
|
Noach has three sons—Shem, Ham & Japheth |
Terach has three sons—Nahor, Haran &
Avram |
|
70 nations from Noach's sons |
70 souls become
Israel |
A. Read Deuteronomy
32:8. Does this passage make
more sense now? Please note the
following thematic connections:
·
One of Noach's sons is blessed to represent
Adonai (Shem) and one of Terach's son's is blessed to represent Adonai
(Avram).
·
Nachor's offspring,
Rebecca, Rachel and Leah return to dwell within the tents of Avraham just as
Japheth is prophesied to return to dwell in the tents of Shem!
It should be very obvious that
these connections are not by coincidence.
Obviously, Adonai put these patterns in the Torah. Now, why is the ancestry of the nations
parallel to the ancestry of
Israel? I believe it is a testimony to the fact
that just as Adonai tried to work through mankind in general (Adam's
descendants), that He will now work through the offspring of Shem. We have seen that Adonai chose Avraham
Avinu to become a great and mighty nation characterized by righteousness and
justice. Through the thematic
connections above, we see that it was probably Adonai's will to establish a
world characterized by righteousness and justice through the descendants of
Adam; however, mankind failed Him numerous times. This analysis shows us how important the
descendants of Terach are (note: not just Avraham's descendants). As I stated earlier, the book of
Genesis contains two major divisions (Genesis 1-11 & 12-50). The thematic connections above are one
of many witnesses to this fact. The
generations from Adam to Noach represent his dealings with mankind as a
whole. Afterwards, through the
descendants of Shem, He begins to deal with the family of Terach, specifically
Avram. Now we see why Avraham sent
his servant back to his brother’s house (a descendant of Terach) to find a wife
for Isaac. The genealogies teach us
that the future nation of
Israel must come
from the descendants of Terach.
This also explains why, beginning in chapter 12, the emphasis is not only on Avraham. Much is said about
Lot, Rivka and others, since they are also descendants of
Terach. Remember, Genesis 12-25 is
all under the header of the generations of Terach, not Avraham!
Making the Connection Between the Parashat
HaShavuah and the Haftara
Objective—Learn
how to relate Scriptures thematically, thereby learning how to think Hebraically.
Become rooted in the importance of thematic analysis by seeing it in
action as you relate the Torah portion to the Haftarah
portion.
The Haftara reading is found in I Kings 1:1-31.
I will list some verses from the Haftarah reading. Your job will be to relate them
thematically to the Parashat HaShavuah reading.
I.
How is I Kings 1:1 thematically
related to the Torah portion?[26]
II.
Read Genesis
25:1-7. Explain why Avraham
sent his sons (through Keturah) away from Isaac?[27]
III.
Explain how Genesis 25:1-7 is thematically connected to
I Kings 1:5-10?[28]
Messiah in the Parsha
Objective—Learn how the Torah teaches about the life
and ministry of Yeshua HaMashiach.
Yeshua said that Moses wrote about Him[29]. Since the Torah never even mentions the
word Messiah, this section will help you see the Messiah in the Torah. This is primarily done using thematic
analysis and midrash.
Isaac, a Picture
of Messiah Yeshua
I.
Remembering that the lives of the Fathers are prophetic
shadows of the future of their descendants (especially the Messiah), see if you
can understand how Isaac's life is thematically connected to Yeshua's.
A. What event occurred the last time the Torah specifically
mentioned Isaac?[30] When is the next time Isaac is
specifically mentioned?[31] Note, after the binding of Isaac in
Genesis 22, he isn't mentioned again until the end of Genesis 24. This silence is intentional, as we soon
shall see!
B. Do you recall the prophetic significance of the Akeida?[32]
What activity was Isaac involved in when he reappears in Genesis 24:63?[33] What was the next big event that
occurred in Isaac's life?[34]
C. Please note the following thematic flow concerning all
of the verses that explicitly pertain to Isaac in Genesis 22-24.
·
Genesis 22—The Akeida
·
Genesis 24:63—Intercession
·
Genesis 24:64-67—Marriage
Now,
thematically relate the events listed above to the work of the Messiah. If you need help, use this hint—the
answer has something to do with the 1st and 2nd coming of Messiah Yeshua and His
ministry in the interim. Do you see
it?[35] So, through this Midrash on Isaac's
life, we see that the Torah is actually teaching us about the ministry/work of
the Messiah! The thematic
connections help us see the prophetic shadow. Once again, we see that the events in
the lives of the Patriarchs are prophetic shadows of events to occur in the
lives of their descendants, especially the Messiah.
The Servant With No Name
I.
In the previous section, we clearly saw the Messianic
picture Isaac's life represented.
In that picture, Genesis 24 (the search for Isaac's bride) is a prophetic
shadow of the time when Yeshua will function as High Priest. Let's continue to ask questions
regarding this time period of intercession for Isaac to see what we can
learn.
A. For what do you think Isaac was praying so
earnestly? Let's see if we can make
a good guess. Read Genesis
24:67. Knowing that this Torah
portion is called the life of Sarah, how does this one verse help us to
thematically link the long parsha concerning finding Isaac a bride with the
beginning parsha about Sarah's death?[36]
B. Knowing that Isaac was grieved concerning the loss of
his mother and that he was in need of a wife to fulfill the promises, and
knowing that the servant was off looking for a bride for him, what do you
suppose he was pouring out his heart about in prayer about?[37]
C. We know that the Torah purposefully thematically
connects people and events by placing them next to each other textually. What do you think is the significance of the fact that while Isaac is praying, Rivka shows up?[38]
II.
Thematically, we see that the Torah hints that Isaac was
interceding for his bride.
Therefore, the bulk of Genesis 24 occurred while Isaac was
interceding. Earlier, we saw that
Isaac is a picture of the High Priestly ministry of Yeshua between his two
advents. Therefore, let's probe
Genesis 24 to see if we can understand the prophetic significance of the
nameless servant.
A. Most people would readily agree that the nameless
servant is actually Eliezer.
Genesis 24:2 describes the servant as the elder of Abraham's household
who controls all that Abraham has.
In Genesis 15:2, Abraham stated that since he was childless, Eliezer
would be his inheritor. Therefore,
we should be safe in assuming that the servant is none other than Eliezer.
B. We already know that Isaac is a picture of Messiah
Yeshua, praying for His bride. What
is the main mission of the servant in Genesis 24?[39] We know we are the bride of Messiah
Yeshua. Whose function is it to
find His bride, convince her to marry the groom, and present her to the groom?[40] That's right. Read John
14-16. Yeshua spends a great
deal of time telling the disciples how active the Ruach HaKodesh will be in
their lives after He ascends to function as High Priest. Let's see if we can build an even
stronger case that the servant is a picture of the Ruach HaKodesh.
III.
Read Genesis
24:67. How was Isaac finally comforted after the death of Sarah?[41] Therefore, before Eliezer appeared with
Rivka, he needed comforting. Do you
see how Eliezer is indirectly connected to the work of comforting? I'm sure you know where I'm going. Now read John
14:26. Yeshua said that the
Comforter would testify of Him. See
any thematic connections to the sidra (Torah portion)?[42] Excellent. In Genesis 24:10, it states that Eliezer
had all of the bounty of his master "in his hand." Considering that it would be impossible
for Eliezer to literally have all of Abraham's possessions in his hand, I
suggest we adopt the interpretation of Rashi, who states that Eliezer held a
deed in his hand. This deed was
proof of all Abraham had deeded over to Isaac. Now that should have been quite a
convincing testimony!
A. How is John 16:13-15
thematically related to the Torah portion?[43] Furthermore, remember the deed Eliezer
brought with him “in his hand” which contained all of the bounty of his
master? He showed it to Rivka and
her relatives. This is exactly what
John 16:15 states—he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you.
B. How is John 14:26 thematically
related to the sidra (Torah portion)?[44]
C. How is John 15:26 thematically
related to the sidra?[45]
D. Does Eliezer show Rivka “things to come” as stated in
John 16:13?[46]
In summary, I think the connections above provide a
good foundation for understanding that Eliezer is functioning in the role of the
Ruach HaKodesh, sent to work in the life of the bride. The B’rit Chadasha informs us of the
important role the Ruach HaKodesh has in the life of the believer during the
time Yeshua performs His High Priestly ministry.
The
Nature of the One and Only True Elohim
I.
Last week, we saw that the Torah clearly presented the
Holy One as a plurality. Yes, it is
true that He is Echad (One); however, his oneness does not preclude a plurality
in some mysterious manner.
As I said last week, I will refrain from giving specific definitions of
the nature of the Holy One. My goal
is simply to show you that the concept of a plurality in the Godhead is clearly
taught in the Torah. It is not a
"New Testament" concept. I have
mentioned before that it is very instructive to outline the stories of the
sidras following the Parsha markings.
Furthermore, it is very instructive to interpret the Parshiot
thematically. You know, standing
back and seeing in general the thematic message underlying the text. Let’s see what happens when we apply
this concept to the last three Parshiot.
First, let’s divide the last three sidras into three sections; 1) Genesis
12:1-15:21, 2) Genesis 16:1-22:24 and 3) Genesis 23:1-25:18. Next, let’s see if we can discern the
main theme of each section.
A. Genesis 12:1-15:21—Browse over this portion of Scripture
paying particular attention to the promises Adonai makes to Abraham. Do you see a common theme?[47] That’s right. The promises all relate to him fathering
many descendants or to the land he will inherit that will be a home to the
multitude of his descendants.
However, the emphasis is that he will be the FATHER of a
great number of descendants.
B. Genesis 16:1-22:24—Browse over this portion of Scripture
paying particular attention to the promises Adonai makes to Abraham. Do you see a common theme?[48] That’s right. Almost every narrative is connected to
either the promise of a particular son, or his mistake in trying to have a son
by Hagar, or the actual birth of his son, or to events that occur in the lives
of his sons (Ishmael in the desert or the binding of Isaac). Clearly, the emphasis is on the promised
SON.
C. Genesis 23:1-25:18— Browse over
this portion of Scripture paying particular attention to the promises Adonai
makes to Abraham. Do you see a
common theme?[49] In the previous section, we saw that
Eliezer is a prophetic shadow of the work of the Ruach HaKodesh! Therefore, midrashically, we can state
with confidence that this last section of Scripture is emphasizing the work of
the RUACH HAKODESH!
As you can see, we have an
interesting picture here. The last
THREE sidras have focused our attention on three themes—events
concerning the Father, Son and Ruach HaKodesh. Do you think this is a coincidence? I think not. I think the Torah has once again
provided us with its foundational teaching concerning the nature of our
Elohim. And, if you can see this
revelation, then You’ve Got It!
Fun For All
Hidden
Message Word Search—This is a word search for older
children and adults that contains a hidden message within it. After circling all of the words, begin
using the un-circled letters to fill in the hidden message character
spaces. All of the words (25-30)
are taken from this week’s sidra (portion). Important—Adjust the text size of your browser so that
the entire puzzle and hidden message prints on one page. The software at Discovery has a tendency
to print the wrong number of character spaces (in the hidden message) whenever
it needs to print on two pages.
Word
Search for Little Ones— This is a word search for
younger children. All of the words
(9-12) are taken from this week’s sidra (Torah portion).
Calvary
Chapel's Children's Site—This site has pictures,
word searches, criss-crosses, true-false question and
answers, fill-in-the-blanks etc. It
has all of these for some of the major stories of the Scriptures!
Shabbat
Shalom!
[1]
Shabbat is Hebrew for Sabbath.
[2]
In its most limited form, the Torah comprises the first five books of Moses.
[7]
This paragraph-like division is called a Parsha (Parshiot, plural).
[8]
Finding a wife for Isaac.
[9]
Yes. The Torah never mentions the
servant’s name!
[10]
She is described as an offspring of Nahor, Abraham’s brother. She is also described as being very
beautiful.
[11]
Yes. Genesis 12:11 informs us that Sarai was beautiful.
[12]
Yes. The Scriptures state that she
“quickly lowered her jug,” “hurried to empty her jug,” and “kept
running to the well to draw water.”
[13]
Yes! This reminds me of Abraham’s
actions when he entertained the three men!
[14]
A form of the verb to go.
[15]
The land of
Canaan. The Promised Land.
[16]
From her father’s house and the land of her relatives in
Mesopotamia.
[18]
Yes, she is following in the footsteps of Abraham who also left his family and
land to go to a Promised Land where his descendants would become a
multitude.
[20]
Genesis 24:60 states that Rivka's relatives pronounced a blessing of
multiplicity of seed upon her. She
would not have been chosen to be the mother of this innumerable seed had she not
exhibited the extreme hospitality of Abraham, since hospitality was the test she
had to fulfill in order to be chosen as the bride for Isaac.
[21]
By using the phrase, "These are the generations of".
[26]
Genesis 24:1 states that Abraham was old also.
[27]
The promise that Avraham's seed would become a mighty nation was only through
Isaac. He sent them away so that they wouldn't try to usurp that role.
[28]
Adonijah has exalted himself to usurp the kingship from the chosen son,
Solomon. Avraham's actions were
taken to prevent a scenario like this one.
[29]
Yeshua said in John 5:46 that Moses spoke about him. Psalm 40:6-8, speaking of the Messiah
said that the book is written about Him.
Paul said that all of the feasts were prophetic shadows of Messiah
Yeshua.
[30] The Akeida in Genesis
22.
[32]
Yes, it is a prophetic picture of how the Father was willing to offer Yeshua,
His only begotten Son, as a sacrifice for our sins. Furthermore, Isaac symbolically gave his
life as an offering. He was
symbolically resurrected (See Hebrews 11, where it is said that Avraham received
Isaac back from the dead in a figurative sense).
[33]
He was praying. The Hebrew word is
very forceful. He was in deep
intercession.
[34]
Isaac married Rivka.
[35]
Yes. Yeshua came the first time as a prophet to die on our behalf. He was subsequently resurrected by the
power of God. Then, He ascended
into heaven to function as our High Priest, interceding for us before the
throne. Afterward, He will return a
second time to marry His bride!
Wow!!!
[36]
This last verse shows us that when Isaac was given Rivka as a wife, he was comforted concerning the death
of Sarah! Therefore, the
story about the search for a bride for Isaac is related to Sarah's life and
death. The search for a bride for
Isaac occurred because of the huge gap Sarah’s death left in the life of
Isaac. It apparently left a gap in
Avraham's life also, since he remarried and had many other children. This beautifully relates the long parsha
concerning the search for a bride for Isaac to the general theme of the title of
the Parashat HaShavuah (The Life of Sarah)!
[37]
His prayers probably concerned his bride to be.
[38]
The placing of the text concerning Isaac's intercession next to the text which
introduces Rivka to him (whom he immediately marries) hints that he was praying
for his bride to be. Rivka's
presentation to him at this time of prayer can be seen like an answer to his
prayers.
[39]
The servant is the one who actually went out, sought the bride, convinced her
that she should marry the groom and brought her to the groom.
[40]
Sounds like the work of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) to me.
[41]
He was comforted through his marriage to Rivka.
[42]
In Genesis 24:34-49, Eliezer is testifying concerning his master! He is telling Rivka (and her relatives)
about Isaac and the fact that he's there to find a bride for him.
[43]
Again, we see that Eliezer talked about his
master. He was not there to promote
Himself, only his master, just like the Ruach HaQodesh
(Holy Spirit).
[44]
Just as the Ruach HaKodesh is sent by the Father to instruct us concerning our
salvation, so likewise, Abraham (Isaac's father) sent Eliezer to instruct Rivka
(Isaac's bride) concerning her great calling to be the mother of a great
nation.
[45]
Once again, we see that the Comforter will testify of the Son. This is exactly what Eliezer did.
[46]
He obviously informed her of the promises given to Abraham and his
descendants.
[47]
Yes, almost all of the promises relate in some manner to the fact that Abraham
will be the Father of many peoples and nations.
[48]
Yes, most of the promises concern the promise of a son.
[49]
Yes, this entire section is related to the work of Eliezer as he tried to find a
wife for Isaac.
Yes. Genesis 12:11 informs us that Sarai was beautiful.
Yes. The Scriptures state that she “quickly lowered her jug,” “hurried to empty her jug,” and “kept
running to the well to draw water.”
Genesis
24:60 states that Rivka's relatives pronounced a
blessing of multiplicity of seed upon her.
She would not have been chosen to be the mother of this innumerable seed
had she not exhibited the extreme hospitality of Abraham, since hospitality was
the test she had to fulfill in order to be chosen as the bride for Isaac.
Yes,
it is a prophetic picture of how the Father was willing to offer Yeshua, His
only begotten Son, as a sacrifice for our sins. Furthermore, Isaac symbolically gave his
life as an offering. He was
symbolically resurrected (See Hebrews 11, where it is said that Avraham received
Isaac back from the dead in a figurative
sense).
Again,
we see that Eliezer talked about his master. He was not there to promote Himself,
only his master, just like the Ruach HaQodesh (Holy
Spirit).
