Our Torah portion continues the story of Abraham's servant after he meets the family of Rebekah. Laban and Bethuel were convinced that the thing comes from Adonai YHVH. They told the servant to take Rebekah and go to be the wife of his master's son. After he heard the decision of Laban and Bethuel, the servant of Abraham bowed down and worshiped Adonai. He gave Rebekah silver and gold. He also gave precious things to her brother and mother.
The servant and his men celebrated, stayed the night, and rose in the morning. Then, he approached them to request permission to return to his master with Rebekah. In return, Rebekah's brother and mother asked a favor to let her stay for another ten days.
We can see a similarity between Rebekah and her uncle Abraham in their faith and how they respond to Adonai's plan. When Adonai called Abraham, he was told to get out of his country, from his family and from the house of his father and go to a land that Adonai will show him (Gen.12:1). He went out even without knowing where he was going or what was in that place. By faith, he dwelt in the land as a foreigner(Heb. 11:8-9).
Regarding Rebekah, when she was asked to go with her uncle's servant, she replied "Yes". She agreed to be the bride of a man she did not know. Let's take a look at verse 58: “Then they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.” Rebecca's answer here is like a woman's answer at the altar after being asked by the wedding officiant, "Do you accept this man as your husband?”
Because of the servant's testimony, she believed that everything was part of Adonai YHVH's plan. She was willing to become the next mother in the line of promise, which involved the covenant of Adonai. HalleluYAH!!!
So, how did the family of Rebekah dismiss her? They dismissed her with an echo of Adonai's promise. To become a mother of thousands upon thousands fits Adonai's promise to Abraham that his descendants would be numerous. They also blessed Rebekah's descendants to possess the gates of those who hate them and that is to inherit the land of the Canaanites.
How about Isaac? Did he have the same faith as his father Abraham? Absolutely YES!! Isaac witnessed the faith of his father when they were in Mount Moriah for a burnt offering. He asked his father about the offering and his father said that Adonai YHVH will provide the lamb.
We see Isaac's faith when he came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi and meditated. The Hebrew word for meditation is "Hagah", which means "to ponder" (imagine, meditate, mourn). From the meaning of the word, maybe Isaac was mourning because he remembered his mother Sarah, and also meditating, imagining with a big faith that the servant of his father will bring good news.
When Rebekah saw Isaac, she took a veil and covered herself which means she's ready to be the wife of Isaac and the two of them went to the tent of Sarah. This part was very touching because the moment they did, the seed of promise(Yeshua, Gal.3:16) was now in place and this is where Isaac was comforted after Sarah's death.
The significance of our story is about the future wedding of Yeshua. Abraham wanted a bride for Isaac from his country and family the same as Yeshua in the book of Revelation, He visioned John about his bride the holy city of Yerushalayim descending out of heaven from Adonai. The bride had twelve great and high walls with twelve gates and names written on them which are the names of the TWELVE TRIBES OF THE CHILDREN ISRAEL.
Revelation 21:9-12:
Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.”
Abraham portrayed as Adonai YHVH, Eliazar the servant portrayed the Ruach Hakodesh who always testifies and convinces with the truth. And of course Isaac is portrayed as Messiah Yeshua. John 6:45 CJB says: “No one can come to Me unless the Father, the One who sent Me draws him.”
How about the Goyim? Can we be part of Yeshua's future wedding? In Exodus 12:19, it says that for seven days no leaven is to be found in each house of the Israelites. If any eats with leavened will be cut off from the Kahal(Congregation) of Israel, whether a sojourner(Ger) or a native of the land. The context is about the feast of Pesach to Unleavened bread and that's the time when Israel becomes separate from the rest of mankind. Also, we can see from the passage that the native Israelite and Ger make up the Congregation of Israel so therefore even us(Elite Gentiles, Torah observant, grafted in the true Olive tree)) could be part of the future wedding of Messiah Yeshua.
Ruth 1:16
"Your God will be my God, and your people(Israel) will be my people"
The meeting of Isaac and Rebekah offers several lessons:
1.The Importance of the guidance and direction of God.
It is noteworthy that all the characters in our Torah portion since last shabbat seem to have been guided by God. Eliazar, Abraham's assistant, peacefully arrived at his destination to find the right woman for Isaac. And so was God's guidance to Eleazar and Rebekah when they returned to meet Isaac. Above all, God's guidance to Isaac, who at this time may still be grieving the death of his mother Sarah, is amazing. And when it came to his marriage, his father himself chose his wife and this was because of God's guidance. When we let God direct our lives, we will not perish, but rather we will be made better and we will see the beauty of His plan. One of King Solomon's famous sayings is “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
2.The importance of faith and prayer.
I believe that faith and prayer cannot be separated. When a person has faith, he will pray. And when he prays, there is faith attached to it that will answer his prayer. That is why Isaac is among the characters in the Bible whose name is mentioned in Hebrews chapter eleven and they all died in faith(v.13,39).
-- H A F T A R A H P O R T I O N --
Our Haftarah portion has three chapters. In chapter 12, Isaiah speaks about Adonai's anger toward Israel, which is later turned away. This will lead them to praise and return to Him, for He is their comfort and salvation.
Chapter 13 is about Isaiah's prophecy concerning Adonai's message of judgment against the wicked nations. They will be judged not only by their wickedness, but also how they acted toward Israel. Isaiah sees that Adonai will use another nation to destroy them and they will be likened to Sodom and Gomorrah and it will never be inhabited or settled from generation to generation.
While the focus of Isaiah's prophecy in chapter 13 is about the destruction of the wicked nations, in chapter 14 prophet Isaiah visioned the deliverance of Adonai's chosen people from captivity, and His mercy on Jacob, and He will allow Israel to settle in their own land.
Jeremiah 16:15
'The Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had driven them.’ For I will bring them back into their land which I gave to their fathers.”
Ezekiel 11:17
Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.’
Psalm 106:47
“Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.”
In this final eschatological picture given to us by the prophet Isaiah, there is only one safe place—only one locus of salvation—to be numbered with the chosen people of Israel through faith in the Messiah of Israel. It is this message of the prophets that informs Paul’s teaching of the Olive Tree and the ingrafting of Gentiles (Rom 11). - Tim Hegg
Our Apostolic portion deals with making decisions or planning without Adonai. According to James, claiming that we are in control of what happens can lead to boasting because no one knows what tomorrow may bring. Time itself is in the hands of Adonai (Ecclesiastes 3:1), and boasting about tomorrow reveals a lack of yirat Adonai (fear of the Lord). ”Even King Solomon, the wisest man on earth that ever lived said in Proverbs 27:1 "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring". The metaphor of life as a fleeting vapor echoes Psalm 39:5, which says, “Behold, You have made my days mere handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing before You." Truly, each man at his best exists as but a breath.
The bottom line of James' message is in verse 15... "If Adonai wills, “Im yirtzeh Hashem”, we shall live and do this or that". This challenges us to embrace divine surrender in all aspects of life. Yeshua Himself modeled this in the Garden of Gethsemane when He prayed, “Not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42).
Proverbs 19:21
Proverbs 16:9:
Ecclesiastes 3:11
In all things, may we remember to submit our plans to Adonai, trust in His infinite wisdom, timing, and goodness.
The connection of our Parasha is about the will of Adonai. In the Torah, because of the will of Adonai, Isaac and Rebekah finally met and became one. In Haftarah, because of the will of Adonai, His mercy is on Jacob and will still choose Israel and settle them in their own land and nations will be gathered as well. In Apostolic, everything happens according to Adonai’s will.
Returning to my introduction...
Revelation 19:7
"Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready."
When we align our steps with God’s will, we become vessels of His greater plan—carrying the promise of blessing for generations to come.
“The will of God will never take you where His grace cannot sustain you.”
Shabbat Shalom,
Topher
blogs.timesofisrael.com
myjewishlearning.com
The Elite Gentiles by Roger Walkwitz
The MacArthur Study Bible
torahclass.com
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