V’yeira
He appeared
“Testing Abraham’s Faith”
Genesis 18:1-22:24
2 Kings 4:1-37 (A); 4:1-23 (S)
excerpted from TorahScope, Volume III
By the time our Torah examination turns to V’yeira, readers find that the life of Abraham, and his personal trials, have been mounting. Having left the comfortable confines of Ur and ventured forth into the Land of Canaan, and having gone into Egypt and returned—Abraham’s nomadic journey has finally seen him settled in the region around Hebron. Abraham’s close association with his nephew has been altered, as Lot chose to move his expanding herds to the plentifully watered valleys near the wicked city of Sodom. It was from this vantage point of overlooking the distant city, that Abraham had an incredible encounter with the Living God, which affirmed his close and special relationship with Him. Perhaps the most challenging test of Abraham’s faithfulness to follow the Lord is seen in V’yeira, when he was asked to sacrifice Isaac, the son of promise. It is noted very early in our Torah portion that Abraham had a very exclusive call on his life, and that God had chosen Him. Would Abraham be able to live up to such a calling?
“The LORD said, ‘Will I hide from Abraham what I do, since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him? For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that the LORD may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him’” (Genesis 18:17-19, WMB).
God chose Abraham, for a unique role to play for all who would follow after, because He foreknew that Abraham would set a standard for his descendants to emulate. As more details about Abraham’s direct contact with the Holy One are recorded, the incredible intimacy of his relationship with Him unfolded. What might we learn, as contemporary Messianic Believers, from Abraham’s life example? How much do we need our faith in God, to be intensified from what we encounter?
Abraham Pleads
As V’yeira begins, Abraham experienced a supernatural encounter with the Lord. While Abraham wandered around his tent encampment, all of a sudden out of nowhere, three men appeared, who obviously had something special about them. Readers are not told whether there was some kind of holy aura seen or not, but without hesitation, hospitable Abraham humbly greeted them and honored them with a specially prepared meal to enjoy:
“The LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three men stood near him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth, and said, ‘My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please don’t go away from your servant’” (Genesis 18:1-3, WMB).
In the course of the ensuing conversation as the meal was eaten (Genesis 18:4-8), the three inquired of Sarah’s whereabouts. It became evident to Abraham in the course of this encounter, that he had truly been communicating with God Himself. Earlier, when he had discussed the fate of Ishmael, Abraham had received a promise that Sarah would bear a child whose name would be Isaac (Genesis 17:19-22). When this promise was repeated, Abraham had to recognize that he was speaking to the Lord:
“They asked him, ‘Where is Sarah, your wife?’ He said, ‘There, in the tent.’ He said, ‘I will certainly return to you at about this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.’ Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. Sarah laughed within herself, saying, ‘After I have grown old will I have pleasure, my lord being old also?’ The LORD said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh, saying, “Will I really bear a child when I am old?” Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the set time I will return to you, when the season comes around, and Sarah will have a son.’ Then Sarah denied it, saying, ‘I didn’t laugh,’ for she was afraid. He said, ‘No, but you did laugh’” (Genesis 18:9-15, WMB).
Abraham knew that he was speaking to the Almighty God, who had given him the promises of descendants and land. As He prepared to depart, the Lord rhetorically asked whether or not He should inform Abraham about what was about to happen to the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah:
“The men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom. Abraham went with them to see them on their way. The LORD said, ‘Will I hide from Abraham what I do, since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him?’” (Genesis 18:16-18, WMB).
After recognizing the fidelity of Abraham to Him and His ways of righteousness (Genesis 18:19), the Lord informed Abraham about the judgment He was to unleash upon Sodom and Gomorrah:
“The LORD said, ‘Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, I will go down now, and see whether their deeds are as bad as the reports which have come to me. If not, I will know.’ The men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood yet before the LORD” (Genesis 18:20-22, WMB).
Having been informed that “their sin is exceedingly heavy” (LITV), Abraham was left standing in the presence of the Lord—surely with enough faith—to begin some kind of “negotiations” on behalf of any righteous people who might have resided in Sodom (Genesis 18:23-33). It was at this juncture that a glimpse into the expanding faith of Abraham is revealed to Torah readers. For, what ensued was that Abraham had enough faith in God and His mercy, to implore Him to suspend the intended judgment. Abraham most likely had his nephew Lot in mind, as readers are informed later by the Apostle Peter, how Lot’s righteousness warranted sufficient mercy for at least himself (2 Peter 2:6-8).
At this point, let us pause for a moment and consider the faith of Abraham, and most specially his boldness to get into a negotiating session with the Lord God. Can you imagine the audacity—or at least the great courage—to actually suggest to the Creator God that He would judge the righteous along with the wicked? Abraham did say, “Will you consume the righteous with the wicked?” (Genesis 18:23, WMB)?
The thought of questioning the Lord seems somewhat daring to most of us, but have you ever gotten into a debate, or even just a “vigorous discussion,” with the Lord, in prayer, on a major issue? If you truly have faith in the Lord and look to Him for salvation, direction, and provision—is it not part of your thought process to spend time asking Him for not only your personal needs, but for the needs of others as well? If you are not seeking Him in your thoughts and prayer life, who or what are you communing with, as your thoughts rotate throughout the day? Believers have been instructed by the Apostle Paul to “Always rejoice. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Messiah Yeshua toward you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, WMB), and also to “In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6, WMB). Being able to address the Lord with a degree of frankness, is something which those who know Yeshua are to surely be able to do. The author of Hebrews further elaborated,
“Let’s therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace for help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16, WMB).
Faithful Abraham helped establish an important precedent, which true seekers of God, confident in their relationship with Him, should be able to follow. If we have established some level of intimate trust with the Lord in our relationship with Him, then we should indeed “approach the throne of grace with fullest confidence” (Phillips New Testament) when we need an answer for something important!
Lot and the Fall of Sodom
After Abraham pleaded with God for mercy to be shown on any righteous people who were living in Sodom, two angels arrived at the gates of Sodom, to find Lot among the leaders of the city. Their supernatural nature was likely withheld from many, but Lot must have inherently sensed that there was something special about these two strangers. He immediately offered his home as a place for them to spend the night (Genesis 19:1-3).
When word got around in Sodom that Lot had two visitors, the men in town made their way to Lot’s house and demanded that they be given over to them, because “We want to have sex with them!” (Genesis 19:5, CJSB). Lot pleaded with the mob to not act wickedly (Genesis 19:6-7), and even offered his two virgin daughters to them (Genesis 19:8), which does seem a bit out of place for someone regarded as “righteous” in 2 Peter 2:6-8. Readers are not given a great deal of information about Lot’s personal character, even though it was surely a contrast to those inhabitants of a city about to suffer catastrophe. Lot had some degree of “faith” in the One True God, even though it was not as strong or developed as that of Abraham.
The mob outside of Lot’s home prepared to break down the door (Genesis 19:8), totally given over to its fleshly debauchery. The angels manifested themselves at this point, blinding the sight of those in Sodom, and providing the means for Lot’s family to escape from the impending judgment of the city and its environs (Genesis 19:9-14). As Lot’s company departed Sodom, the angels specifically instructed them to not look back upon Sodom, or they would suffer the consequences. The scene is marked by Lot’s wife looking back and turning into a pillar of salt:
“When the morning came, then the angels hurried Lot, saying, ‘Get up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the iniquity of the city.’ But he lingered; and the men grabbed his hand, his wife’s hand, and his two daughters’ hands, the LORD being merciful to him; and they took him out, and set him outside of the city. It came to pass, when they had taken them out, that he said, ‘Escape for your life! Don’t look behind you, and don’t stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be consumed!’ Lot said to them, ‘Oh, not so, my lord. See now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your loving kindness, which you have shown to me in saving my life. I can’t escape to the mountain, lest evil overtake me, and I die. See now, this city is near to flee to, and it is a little one. Oh let me escape there (isn’t it a little one?), and my soul will live.’ He said to him, ‘Behold, I have granted your request concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. Hurry, escape there, for I can’t do anything until you get there.’ Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar. Then the LORD rained on Sodom and on Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the LORD out of the sky. He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew on the ground. But Lot’s wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt” (Genesis 19:15-26, WMB).
Lot’s wife disobeyed the angels’ instruction and lacked belief—most probably having thought back on all of what was left behind at the home in Sodom—and she did not avoid looking back. For modern-day Believers in Yeshua, many of whom think that the End of the Age and His return are steadily approaching, He appealed to the example of Lot’s wife turning back, on how many will surely turn away from the Lord when His judgment manifests:
“Likewise, even as it was in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but in the day that Lot went out from Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from the sky and destroyed them all. It will be the same way in the day that the Son of Man is revealed. In that day, he who will be on the housetop and his goods in the house, let him not go down to take them away. Let him who is in the field likewise not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever seeks to save his life loses it, but whoever loses his life preserves it” (Luke 17:28-33, WMB).
Yeshua is returning for a faithful group of people who have chosen to place their trust in Him, rather than in trying to preserve themselves and their possessions through their own mortal strength. The choice every seeker of God has to make is clear: one is either going to have faith (even if somewhat flawed like Lot), or have a lack of faith resulting in calamity and eternal punishment. These illustrations definitely give each of us something to seriously consider, while we meditate upon V’yeira.
Abraham and Abimelech
The Birth of Isaac
At this point in V’yeira, an episode similar to the famine-driven sojourn of Abraham to Egypt, is described. Abraham and his entourage relocated to the Negev desert area near Gerar, and while there they encountered another strong leader, who like the Pharaoh of Egypt, took Sarah into his harem:
“Abraham traveled from there toward the land of the South, and lived between Kadesh and Shur. He lived as a foreigner in Gerar. Abraham said about Sarah his wife, ‘She is my sister.’ Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, ‘Behold, you are a dead man, because of the woman whom you have taken; for she is a man’s wife.’ Now Abimelech had not come near her. He said, ‘Lord, will you kill even a righteous nation? Didn’t he tell me, “She is my sister”? She, even she herself, said, “He is my brother.” I have done this in the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands.’ God said to him in the dream, ‘Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also withheld you from sinning against me. Therefore I didn’t allow you to touch her. Now therefore, restore the man’s wife. For he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live. If you don’t restore her, know for sure that you will die, you, and all who are yours’” (Genesis 20:1-7, WMB).
Once again, Abraham employed the same tactic, to avoid problems, as he introduced Sarah as his sister (cf. Genesis 12). In this case, God providentially interceded for the migrant couple, and revealed to Abimelech in a dream that Abraham and Sarah were married. Interestingly, it is shown how Abraham and Sarah were in agreement in their dealings to avoid any problems, by saying that they were brother and sister. And, it was not totally untrue, either, for Abraham and Sarah were half-brother and half-sister to one another (Genesis 20:11-13). Even with some possible concern among readers today, that the presentation of themselves as brother and sister was deceptive, apparently Abraham and Sarah were allowed to use this strategy to remain alive. We see how in their encounters with Abimelech, they received additional wealth and freedom to settle in the area—and not only this, but Abimelech himself was blessed by the Lord:
“Abimelech took sheep and cattle, male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored Sarah, his wife, to him. Abimelech said, ‘Behold, my land is before you. Dwell where it pleases you.’ To Sarah he said, ‘Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. Behold, it is for you a covering of the eyes to all that are with you. In front of all you are vindicated.’ Abraham prayed to God. So God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants, and they bore children. For the LORD had closed up tight all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife” (Genesis 20:14-18, WMB).
After enduring this uncomfortable situation, the Lord’s promise that Sarah would conceive a child miraculously happened, and Abraham obediently named him Isaac or Yitzchak as instructed by the Lord earlier (Genesis 21:1-7; cf. 17:19). However, upon weaning Isaac, Sarah’s jealousy of Hagar’s son Ishmael erupted into a demand that Abraham cast him away. Sarah’s insistence greatly distressed Abraham, so the Lord intervened, and comforted Abraham with the assurance that Ishmael would also become a nation, but that it would be through Isaac by whom his descendants would be named:
“The child grew and was weaned. Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking. Therefore she said to Abraham, ‘Cast out this servant and her son! For the son of this servant will not be heir with my son, Isaac.’ The thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight on account of his son. God said to Abraham, ‘Don’t let it be grievous in your sight because of the boy, and because of your servant. In all that Sarah says to you, listen to her voice. For your offspring will be named through Isaac. I will also make a nation of the son of the servant, because he is your child.’ Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread and a container of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder; and gave her the child, and sent her away. She departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba” (Genesis 21:8-14, WMB).
The relationship between God and faithful Abraham was certainly maturing, as the experiences He had with Him, as he followed His guidance, steadily built upon themselves. Nevertheless, at times it does appear that the Almighty had to speak directly to Abraham, to confirm the actions he was to take. In this case, despite Abraham’s affection for Ishmael, he quickly followed God’s affirmation of Sarah’s demand. Hagar and Ishmael were sent toward the wilderness near Beersheba.
Apparently, Abraham and his entourage continued to graze their herds in the same area, as the text reveals that Abimelech was still in awe of Abraham’s blessings from the God he worshipped. In order to maintain peace among the various herders seeking water for their livestock, a covenant was made between Abraham and Abimelech by the wells of Beersheba:
“At that time, Abimelech and Phicol the captain of his army spoke to Abraham, saying, ‘God is with you in all that you do. Now, therefore, swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son’s son. But according to the kindness that I have done to you, you shall do to me, and to the land in which you have lived as a foreigner.’ Abraham said, ‘I will swear.’ Abraham complained to Abimelech because of a water well, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away. Abimelech said, ‘I don’t know who has done this thing. You didn’t tell me, and I didn’t hear of it until today.’ Abraham took sheep and cattle, and gave them to Abimelech. Those two made a covenant. Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. Abimelech said to Abraham, ‘What do these seven ewe lambs, which you have set by themselves, mean?’ He said, ‘You shall take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, that it may be a witness to me, that I have dug this well.’ Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because they both swore an oath there. So they made a covenant at Beersheba. Abimelech rose up with Phicol, the captain of his army, and they returned into the land of the Philistines. Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God. Abraham lived as a foreigner in the land of the Philistines many days” (Genesis 21:22-34, WMB).
Our Torah portion affirms how Abraham was absolutely aware that it was YHWH El Olam who had blessed Him. Abraham’s experiences of favor from his potentially hostile neighbors, and the significant grace and mercy displayed by the Holy One, were preparing him for the most significant test he was given: the command of the Lord to offer up Isaac, the son of promise.
Abraham Offers Up Isaac
Turning to the final and perhaps most noteworthy test of Abraham, which is often highlighted in this parashah, one finds the gut-wrenching command of the Lord for Abraham to offer up his beloved son Isaac as a sacrificial burnt offering. Abraham was obviously prepared for this ultimate test, by all of the previous experiences and dealings he had. Without hesitation, Abraham obeyed the command, which to human or mortal reasoning does not make that much sense:
“After these things, God tested Abraham, and said to him, ‘Abraham!’ He said, ‘Here I am’ [hineini]. He said, ‘Now take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go into the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will tell you of.’ Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his donkey; and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son. He split the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place far off” (Genesis 22:1-4, WMB).
By this time in Abraham’s walk of faith with the Almighty, he certainly knew His voice—and so when he called, he immediately responded with a resounding “Here I am.” This direct reaction is reminiscent of a future response declared by the Prophet Isaiah, when he heard the voice of the Lord, asking for someone to declare righteous judgment to wayward Israel:
“I heard the Lord’s voice, saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here I am. Send me [hineini shelacheini]!’” (Isaiah 6:8, WMB).
Unlike the call of Isaiah to prophesy to the disobedient, Abraham was commanded to take his son of promise—Isaac, the one to whom all of the blessings spoken to Abraham would be placed—and sacrificially offer him as a burnt offering (olah) on a mountaintop which the Lord would designate.
Imagine what a perplexing request this must have been to Abraham. Had he heard God correctly? After all, if the promised son was to be killed, how would His blessings be passed down to future generations through his descendants? To the human mind, this makes absolutely no rational sense at all. Yet, by this time in Abraham’s walk with God, he was so dependent upon Him, that he did not even question the command. Abraham simply set out early the next morning in obedience.
To better understand what Abraham must have been thinking, we often find ourselves turning to the Epistle to the Hebrews, to discover that Abraham had so much faith in God, that he believed He could raise people from the dead in order to fulfill His promises:
“By faith, Abraham, being tested, offered up Isaac. Yes, he who had gladly received the promises was offering up his only born son, to whom it was said, ‘Your offspring will be accounted as from Isaac’ [Genesis 21:12], concluding that God is able to raise up even from the dead. Figuratively speaking, he also did receive him back from the dead” (Hebrews 11:17-19, WMB).
Abraham was totally confident that his God would fulfill His promises He had made regarding Isaac, because he trusted in Him. If God had promised that Isaac would be the child of promise, and upon killing him Isaac remained stone dead, then God would be a total, faithless liar. But this is not what occurred.
Needless to say as this took place, the young lad Isaac was perplexed. After traveling for three days with Abraham and the servants, they arrived at the mountain together with fire and wood, but without a lamb for the offering (Genesis 2:5-6). When inquiring of his father, Abraham’s response to Isaac was that God would provide a lamb for the sacrifice. Upon reaching the designated place, Abraham built an altar, arranged the wood, and then bound his compliant son Isaac, by placing him on the altar. Abraham was absolutely willing to slay his son, and at that moment the angel of the Lord called out his name in a voice which Abraham clearly knew. The interruption must have startled Abraham, because the stretching of his knife-wielding hand, indicated that he was fully willing to sacrifice his son at the direction of God:
“Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, and said, ‘My father?’ He said, ‘Here I am, my son.’ He said, ‘Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?’ Abraham said, ‘God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.’ So they both went together. They came to the place which God had told him of. Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order, bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, on the wood. Abraham stretched out his hand, and took the knife to kill his son. The LORD’s angel called to him out of the sky, and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’ He said, ‘Here I am.’ He said, ‘Don’t lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me’” (Genesis 22:7-12, WMB).
The Lord recognized that Abraham was absolutely willing to offer his son Isaac, to the Lord as a burnt offering. Surely in his mind, Abraham had already sacrificed Isaac, and only had to carry through with the physical action. As this event took place, and Abraham was told to not harm his boy, he saw a ram caught in the thicket. Abraham immediately realized that the Lord had providentially allowed a ram to get entangled near the altar, so that the provision of a substitute for Isaac was readily available. Without hesitation, Abraham aborted the sacrifice of Isaac, gathered the ram, and offered it up as the desired sacrifice:
“Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and saw that behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering instead of his son. Abraham called the name of that place ‘The LORD Will Provide’. As it is said to this day, ‘On the LORD’s mountain, it will be provided.’ The LORD’s angel called to Abraham a second time out of the sky, and said, ‘“I have sworn by myself,” says the LORD, “because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son, that I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply your offspring greatly like the stars of the heavens, and like the sand which is on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the gate of his enemies. All the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring, because you have obeyed my voice”’” (Genesis 22:13-18, WMB).
Abraham was doubtlessly relieved that he did not have to slay his son Isaac, but he knew instead that it was the Lord who ultimately provided the substitute. After giving Him total recognition for providing the sacrificial ram, Abraham once again heard a reiteration of the covenantal blessings which God had made with him. Genesis 22:18 is certainly one of the most important verses in the entire Bible, as it carries a theme which resonates into the Apostolic Scriptures, as the Abrahamic promise of blessing has reached its pinnacle via the arrival of Yeshua the Messiah onto the scene of human history. All the peoples and nations of Planet Earth are to benefit from His sacrifice (Galatians 3:8, 16).
Historically in Judaism, this test of Abraham is referred to as “the binding” or the aqedah,[1] and it has been revered as one of the greatest tests which the father of our faith had to endure. For the multitude of holy ones or saints, who believe in Yeshua the Messiah, we recognize the binding of Isaac as a main foreshadowing of His sacrifice for us. Yeshua endured the capital punishment, on the tree, which we are all worthy of, because of our universal condition as fallen human sinners (Deuteronomy 21:23, Galatians 3:13). He absorbed this capital punishment onto Himself, so that in the post-resurrection era, those who acknowledge Him can receive forgiveness for their sins (cf. Colossians 2:14).
By our faith, trust, and steadfast belief in Yeshua (Jesus), the “Seed” of Abraham who died, we are saved from the commensurate penalties of sin (cf. Galatians 3:16). As we each consider the diversity of events witnessed in V’yeira this week, may we believe and place our ever-present hope in all of the promises made to the Patriarch Abraham. In so doing, may we not only live like Abraham with extreme faith in our Eternal Creator, but know the True Seed of Abraham ever more intimately, our Savior the Messiah Yeshua!
NOTES
[1] Marcus Jastrow, Dictionary of the Targumim, Talmud Bavli, Talmud Yerushalmi, and Midrashic Literature (New York: Judaica Treasury, 2004), 1105.
