Parasha 3: Call Upon the Name of the Lord

 Call Upon the Name of the Lord

Introduction:

When was the first time you called on the name of the Lord? What does it mean to call on His name? 

In Genesis Chapter three we have studied the fall of Adam and Eve through the deception of the serpent. Now our Torah portion deals with the murder when Cain kills his brother Abel because of jealousy. Both brothers offered and it was the first time that a man offered to God. Cain, who works in the farm, brings some of the fruit of the ground while Abel, a shepherd, brings the firstborn of his flock and the fat.

God looked with favor on the offering of Abel, perhaps He saw a pure act of worship but not of Cain that made him angry. God told him "If you do well, will you not be accepted?" And so Cain killed his brother. Here, Cain did not want to approach God through shed blood. How gracious God was to seek out Cain and to ask him with his anger. For me God wanted to see if Cain would ask forgiveness but God was rejected. 

The ground was cursed through Adam and Eve and now through Cain the earth has been stained with the blood of his brother, and that blood now cries out for fairness. The time of teshuva has passed and now the sentence is passed on to Cain  by the Judge of the earth. The remainder of chapter four follows Cain's descendants for seven generations to Lamech, who also killed a man for wounding and hurting him(v.23). 

Sin surely bursted in the line of Cain, but Baruch HaShem our Torah portion did not end without the grace of God which I want to focus more on. Another son was given to Eve and Adam whose name is Seth, which means appointed. He was the seed through whom the Savior and Messiah would be born. Seth had a son as well Enosh, which means Man or mortal and so it was that in those days men began to call upon the name of the Lord. 

The question arises, what does it mean to call in the name of the Lord? 

The meaning is to be caused, drawn, moved upon to call upon the name of the Lord. It was used also in Psa.116:13,17 which clearly means to seek the Lord's help, favor, or praise the Lord for His power. Also, to call on the name of the Lord is to approach Him in thanksgiving, worship, and petition.  In fact, in Genesis 21:33, Abraham called on the name of the Lord, “Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God.” In our previous parasha, after Eve and Adam sinned, it seems that they didn't ask for God's forgiveness. And because God is Omniscient, He knew that Cain would kill his brother, but maybe God waited for him to repent and ask for forgiveness but he didn't. This is perhaps the important message of calling in the name of the Lord.

Genesis is a book of beginnings. This records the beginning of godly people, who came into the presence of the Lord to worship Him. This should be a model for us. Why? Because now we live in an indecent society, to call on the name of the Lord is our important duty. We are concerned about the indecent society but we should be even more concerned about those who follow after us. 

Now let me jump to Gen.5:1-2 and it says "When God created man, He made him in His likeness. Male and female He created them, and He blessed them." Baruch HaShem what a great reminder after the disaster of Cain and Lamech. The Spirit of God takes us back to the beginning, reminding us of His  glorious, perfect, sinless creation. So this is the characteristic and primary activity of godly people in the midst of ungodliness and wickedness, godly people call on the name of the Lord. 

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Moving on to our Haftarah portion, why did God call Jeremiah to be a prophet? God called him to be His mouthpiece, speaking His message. Jeremiah experienced God's communication through the phrase, "Then the Word of the Lord came unto me, saying..." (Jeremiah 1:4). In verse 9, God touched Jeremiah's mouth, signifying that the words he spoke were given by God Himself. Jeremiah's words were meant to warn the people of the northern kingdoms about the judgment they would face if they continued in their wickedness. The purpose of this warning was to facilitate repentance and lead them to call upon the name of the Lord.

God's faithfulness remains steadfast for His children today, and He works in the lives of every believer to help them grow. We need not fear, for God is the source of our strength. Let us continue to speak and share His Torah.

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Our Apostolic portion addresses the conflicts between Jews and Gentiles, as well as the struggle between sin and righteousness. Some Jews at that time claimed superiority over the Gentiles, but Paul refuted this notion. He quoted verse 23, stating, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." It is at this point that we need to call upon the name of the Lord.

Indeed, all have sinned, but through the propitiation of Yeshua's blood shed on the cross, we can be justified and declared righteous. Paul concludes chapter three by emphasizing that this gift is available to everyone, both Jews and Gentiles alike.

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The connection between our Parasha and the other portions is evident. In the Torah, through Seth and Enosh, people began to call upon the name of the Lord. In the Haftarah, God called Jeremiah to be a prophet so that he could deliver God's words to the wicked people, urging them to repent and learn to call upon the name of the Lord. In the Apostolic portion, Paul reminds us that all have sinned and fall short of God's glory, underscoring the need to call upon the name of the Lord.

Romans 10:12-13 NKJV

“For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Returning to the introduction, calling upon the name of the Lord is a way of connecting with Him and acknowledging Him as our Savior. It involves surrendering to His lordship, recognizing His authority over our lives. Moreover, calling on the name of the Lord is an act of humility, asking for forgiveness and dependence on God, our Creator and Redeemer.

"Baruch Haba B'shem Adonai," as stated in Matthew 23:39, which means, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord."

Shabbat Shalom, 
Topher

Sources:

bible strong app 

themessianictorahobserver.org

aju.edu

skipmoen.com

jbqnew.jewishbible.org

steve.schramm.com