Shemot/names

Exodus 1:1-6:1

Isaiah 27:6-28:13, 29:22-23

In this week’s haftorah I feel a ‘focus’ of the Lord upon His people as individuals; not just in their corporate identity (whether as the children of Israel; or the bride of Christ).

Exodus 6 begins with the names of those that went ‘down to Egypt’; before He saw them as a nation, He counted them as individuals, created uniquely and meant to be exclusively His. In Isaiah it’s almost like their unfaithfulness and ensuing judgment is in terms of Israel as a nation, and as the Father addresses their restoration, through the words of Isaiah; His attention is shifted to the individual: Is 27:12; “…and you will be gathered one by one, oh you children of Israel. So it will be in that day: the Great Trumpet (Yom Kippur*) will be blown, they will come…”  In a sense they ‘sinned’ as a nation; yet they are restored “one by one”; each has an opportunity to stand before the Lord and receive salvation.

*A note here is that the Great Trumpet is blown on Yom Kippur, so as I have mentioned before; “even if you aren’t on the biblical calendar, He is…”

Today, no matter what family you are in or nation you are a part of, let us remember the Lord’s pleasure with His creation; as He formed each one of us “before the foundation of the world”, for Himself. He has blessing and righteousness in mind for our lives, though our flesh and the devil may war against His personal plans for each of us, here we are with an opportunity to present ourselves personally and receive the cleansing of His blood and the ability to hear Him speak His words of forgiveness and pleasure, as He gathers us together (Jew and Gentile), His beautiful bride. Oh Lord, help us not miss out on Your desire to be intimately involved in every aspect of our lives and how you use your word to instruct our hearts and minds.  You alone, have our best in mind and are doing great things in all of our lives, You alone are the “Circumciser of our hearts; we have an Awesome Dad! Let me add here how He shows that heart of a Father:

22 Therefore thus says the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob:“ Jacob shall not now be ashamed, Nor shall his face now grow pale;
23 But when he sees his children, The work of My hands, in his midst, They will hallow My name, And hallow the Holy One of Jacob, And fear the God of Israel.  john eisner

For whatever it’s worth; just as the Lord isn’t done with His children, be encouraged today that He also isn’t done with your children…Praise God!

Vayechi/and he lived

Genesis 47:28-50:26

IKings 2:1-12

Both the torah portion and haftorah this week have some incredibly tender moments between father and son; but also give us a sense of how much the future needs to be linked; and actually is, whether we recognize it or not, to the past.  In fact, I believe it gives us ‘opportunity’ to see the great value of each of our lives.  We for years have labored under the false notion that “only those of importance (ruling class/priestly class) have lives that affect history”: wrong!  God in His word has always wanted:  

And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel. (Exodus 19:6), But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. (IPeter 2:9)

Not only does your personal history matter to the next generations; but the foundation of that history as it’s rooted in God’s word and His promises!  When Jacob (Israel) was becoming aware of his days being over, his words to his son, Joseph weren’t merely wishing him and his brothers well, but that God’s promises rested in the future outworking of His ways. Also, by requesting that his body be placed in the same location as Abraham, makes a statement to the continuity of life with God that is even expressed in the death of the righteous.  Then, David in IKings 2:2-4, in speaking to his son Salomon:

2 “I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. 3 And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn; 4 that the Lord may fulfill His word which He spoke concerning me…

This is almost ‘packed too full’ to deal with here but note: being a “man” (or fully human) is rooted in walking with the Lord!  If we would define manhood in those terms, life would look quite differently than today (consider some of the ridiculous ‘woke’ things that are foisted upon us in the name of being a ‘good’ person).  David goes on to ‘attach’ Solomon to the promises God made to him.  Each of us through the blood of Jesus are fully part of the “household of God (a holy nation/a royal priesthood) and need to allow ourselves to partner with Holy Spirit to experience and get in touch with the significance of our lives to the Living God and then by extension to our children’s future generations!  You were not meant to just sit in a pew and soak in someone’s teaching; though that can be incredibly helpful; but we were meant to be the expression of the Holy One of Israel, in flesh and blood!  Your life matters!  Also, by being rooted in the word of God for your values and purpose instead of what the surrounding culture is trying to tell you, will transform not only our lives, but the generations to follow (and is tied to previous generations: cloud of witnesses).  We must resist the temptation to blend in or be ‘relevant’…Jesus even warns about salt losing its ability to affect what it’s used for… We aren’t called to be harsh or argumentative; but be rooted in the Kingdom of God! When lured into compromise with the kingdoms of this world in order to ‘reach’ them or live peaceably; the result, unfortunately is neither, and we also ironically fail the next generation! 

Today let us begin to rejoice that the Lord God Almighty has chosen us to be counted as His Own special treasure, a holy nation and a royal priesthood.  Don’t be arrogant about it; let it wash over you today and produce the gift of the fear of the Lord; your children and the world around you may be waiting for Godly men and women to come to their rescue! Another ‘benefit’ of this reality: “…that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn; that the Lord may fulfill His word which He spoke concerning me…”  Your life can be used of God to bring forth the previous generation’s promises and unfinished ‘business’! And what does it take? Becoming a man; becoming a mensch; becoming a conscious human being!

So come with me this week and let’s ask the Lord to call forth His desire for our ‘humanity’ to be experienced; He isn’t put off by the fact that we are mere ‘dust of the earth’; He breathed His very life into that dirt, to bring us forth. He enjoys who He made you to be; let Him walk with you today and receive the inheritance of the Lord for your life. by john eisner

Ps. what if the whole notion of being “born again” isn’t so much about going to heaven; but becoming a ‘mensch’ and expressing the life of heaven here on earth, as we wait of the redemption of the earthly bodies upon His glorious return?

Vayigash/and he approached

Genesis 44:18-47:27

Ezekiel 37:15-28

This week’s torah portion is one of my favorite ‘pictures’ in the scriptures. Just imagine the drama and emotion of Joseph, appearing to be a very powerful Gentile ruler, as his estranged brothers come to Egypt in a time of great need and famine…they meant for this to be more of a business call, rather than a family situation! After some informal negotiations with his brothers, Joseph is overcome with the emotions of his love for his estranged family that he hasn’t seen in years…and in a moment filled with affection for his brethren, draws them aside and reveals his true identity as their long-lost brother! Kind of sounds like what could be lying ahead for the Jewish people, as Jesus moves toward revealing Himself to the Father’s First-Born Nation…but that would be an obvious choice for this week, so I have to ‘tear’ myself away from the easy post and see what else the Lord wants me to see. I have heard it said that “God plays twelve-layer chess”…I have a feeling that doesn’t do justice to what He is really capable of. I will start at the end of the ‘story’ to reveal the Lord of Glory’s ‘chess’ skills:

The nations (Gentiles) also will know that I, the Lord, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore. Eze 37:28.

My wife Christie has helped me be aware of a simple discipline: “Ask why”. Why does the Holy One of Israel care if the Gentiles ever notice what He is up to with His chosen ones? If you are a Gentile reading this, I would like to suggest that part of the reason you are on His heart is that He, through the Lord Jesus Messiah, has included you in His family’s ‘chosenness’! He didn’t just save you for heaven and from hell, He had more than that on His mind! Though you were found in outer darkness and separated from the household of God; He had a ‘family’; a family full of ‘heavenly affections’ upon the earth (Israel), that he not only wanted to introduce you to; but to fully adopt you into…yes, even knit the two together (Jew and Gentile): distinct, but equal, into “one new man”. You Gentiles were the ‘missing ingredient’ in His plans from before the foundation of the world. A glimpse of how important this ‘joining’ is, can be found in Ephesians 3:

3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, 5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel…9 which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things [c]through Jesus Christ; 10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known…

I need to stop here; this isn’t meant to be a book, though it easily could be: I just want Holy Spirit to open your Gentile heart to receive the revelation of not only Who He is; but who you are! I submit to you with some ‘poetic license’, that for the sake of this illustration, Jesus, the Jewish Bridegroom had you and the Jews in mind for His bride and He formed a man; Paul, to be a kind of Joseph, for the Gentiles. Paul could say, even as Joseph did: “I have suffered and come to a foreign people, to give them provision in a time of great famine and need”, and that Provision was the Lord of All Glory Himself; Jesus! The Father gave Paul the grace (the love and authority) to accomplish what He had waited for: the nations (Gentiles) to be forever included in His household of His love and form the awaited bride for His Son! 

I invite you today, to begin to ponder your standing and importance in the Body of Christ (Jew and Gentile) and live with a ‘bridal heart and expectancy’ of what is yet to come!

Ps. If you are one that has a heart to pray for Israel and the Jewish people to receive the salvation that is theirs in Jesus the Jewish Man; don’t be ‘wringing your hands’ and begging God to hear…let yourself instead be taken up into His plan, that is more sure than the sun coming up daily! Ezekiel 37:26 “Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them, I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary (not necessarily made with human hands) in their midst forevermore.”  Raise those ‘wringing hands’ and worship God for His everlasting promises that will be worked for the benefit of the entire earth, as He reveals Himself to His brothers and sisters of His flesh! If He can do that, let your heart wander into the depths of His plans for your life while you are at it.

by john eisner

Ps: before you go, I need you to consider taking a moment and clicking on the link below; especially if you are a Gentile believer! I wrote a short book on the book of Ephesians to help encourage your heart in the purposes of God and His desire to have you experience the fullness of being a member of His household. Many believers have never thought beyond the basics of going to heaven and all that is connected with that. I believe He has saved us for more, and I don’t mean more work! So if you don’t mind following the link below and even reading a bit of what Amazon will allow you; even if you don’t buy a book or kindle; He may either way want to speak to you about the riches of your inheritance in the saints, as only a Gentile can see them…Amazon: The Book of Ephesians: a love story to the Gentiles

Miketz/at the end

Genesis 41:1-47:17

Isaiah 66:1-24

“Hugging a cactus”… As usual I have to fight the battle in my mind to address the obvious great truths in this week’s torah portion…but Genesis 45:5,7 ‘jumped out” at me:

5 But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life… 7 And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

Oh, how we would all love to have a testimony like Joseph’s!  Man, can you even imagine that much power and authority?  He could choose whom to help and who to hurt!  Imagine the lifestyle of one living in the palace with such a lofty position…  Did he get there because that was his goal?  Did he get there because he was so smart and cunning?  Did he get there because he was so handsome that even the king’s wife threw herself at him? Did he get there…on his own merit?  “God sent me before you to preserve life…”  Was he even aware of this truth all along; or did the Lord of Glory; the Everlasting King of Israel reveal it to him?  Was he just trying to survive, like the rest of us?  How noble was he really? Did he think the dreams he had as a young man spoke to these days? Oh, but the wonderful grace of God; that grace that doesn’t just cover wanton sin and stupidity…but that grace that causes flesh and blood to flourish under the sovereign Hand of the Living God!  That grace that helps anesthetize your flesh when you are called on to “hug a cactus”!  Go back and read some of the earlier chapters in Genesis and consider how difficult some of Joseph’s choices were, that later, by the sovereign Hand of God, put him in this highest of positions in Egypt; from the lowest.  He needed more than endurance and good looks; he needed more than a jovial spirit to be liked by the other inmates and guards…he needed more than philosophical understanding of people and dreams…he needed God to give him grace, so he didn’t cry out in self-pity in his ups and downs; so he didn’t lose courage, but was able instead to “hug the cacti” of his circumstances. To embrace the discomfort of constant disappointments; to lay aside his own scenario of what should be and what was owed him…That grace that allowed him with full force and even in the pain, stretch out those weak and selfish arms of his, and wrap them around each situation, until the promotion that was to preserve his family arrived. No not just to preserve them, but to plant them in good soil in a time of drought and famine that would bring forth a mighty nation from a small broken family, some 400 years later. They would march out of this captivity, and make the way for our ‘Joseph’; the Lord Jesus Messiah. The One Who endured all the pain and shame on our behalf; including our sin that also sold Him, so He too could say:

5 But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life…

…let’s not stop there today, but ask for the kind of grace from the Holy One of Israel, to help us “embrace the cacti” that befall us, so we can say the same to our families and acquaintances:

5 But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life…

What if He saved us for more than heaven… He wrapped His arms around every splinter on that cross, so we could endure the pain of our circumstances and embrace our cacti! By john eisner

Ps: before you go, I need you to consider taking a moment and clicking on the link below; especially if you are a Gentile believer!  I wrote a short book on the book of Ephesians to help encourage your heart in the purposes of God and His desire to have you experience the fullness of being a member of His household.  Many believers have never thought beyond the basics of going to heaven and all that is connected with that. I believe He has saved us for more, and I don’t mean more work!  So if you don’t mind following the link and even reading a bit of what Amazon will allow you; even if you don’t buy a book or kindle; He may either way want to speak to you about the riches of your inheritance in the saints, as only a Gentile can see them…The Book of Ephesians: a love story to the Gentiles: eisner, john: 9781733758420: Amazon.com: Books

Vayeshev/and he settled

Genesis 37:1 -40:23

Amos 2:6-3:8

On the road (sometimes called Emmaus) Jesus walks…I submit to you that Jesus has been on a journey among the Gentiles for the last 2000 years giving them the riches and provision to ‘nourish’ Israel’s spiritual famine, in the future. He has more than just sustaining them; He has the restoration of His family upon His heart. He knew that the Fathers heart was for the Gentiles (see Genesis 12:1-3) to be swept up into this glorious story through His firstborn, Israel; the Jewish people (the foundation of the apostles and prophets from the Old Testament). 

Even in our reading this week we can see this pattern: Joseph has a dream and, in a sense, comes to his brethren to reveal himself as provision in the future…as Jesus comes to His brethren, to do the same. Joseph’s family puts him in a pit, he gets ‘raised’ out of it and ends up in a Gentile (Egypt) nation to work on the future provision for the famine that will affect his family that rejected him…as Jesus gets raised out of His ‘pit’, and after saving a remnant of His family, is ‘sold’ into the nations, predominantly Gentiles. Even in this as He through Paul and others lays a foundation of His household into the Gentiles, who had no standing with God (foreigners from the household of God and in the world with no hope), to prepare provision for the coming spiritual famine and again save His brethren. I don’t mean this sums up the whole story by any means, nor is an exact representation of Jesus through Joseph’s life, but I just want us to begin to see how perfectly in God’s word and by the working of Holy Spirit (Spirit and truth) is preparing us all to enjoy the glorious story that includes Jew and Gentile.

I desire us all to transition from mere theology to a journey of the heart and encounter the Living God on this road of life we are on, just as those fellows did on the Road to Emmaus so long ago. Through a combination of His word, the Leviticus 23 Feasts, the sun and moon, and all the other interactions between heaven and earth, we have been invited to the future wedding of the Messiah; but not as mere guests, but the ones He calls His bride (Jew and Gentile).

I will leave you with a line from one of Christie’s books: “Earth is preparing for war and heaven is preparing for a wedding!”  See you under the wedding canopy in the clouds, with our Bridegroom, Jesus, on that day!

Added thought: (Zechariah 3:1-4:7) Of course we need to be careful to know that there are primary meanings or applications to the word of God, yet He uniquely speaks to each of us through His living word, also. So here is Joshua the High Priest that has a special, holy set apart role in the restoration of God’s house that was to be erected.  Though the enemy of man and God; the “accuser of the brethren” might have some ‘inside’ information about this man being set aside for such holy duty; Our Father is there to give His judgments…  In the Hebrew, Joshua isn’t just wearing soiled garments but is described as being covered in human excrement in his deceitfulness!  (It might take more than a new outfit for this guy.)

God ‘reaches back’ to demonstrate His power and perspective and declares about Joshua: “Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?”; as He did for Daniel and his friends (as He will also do for the children of Israel again).  He gives this ‘soiled’ man standing with others that could have been soiled by the forces that we all live in. He then says: “Take away (abolish; behead) these filthy garments (this incredibly corrupt way of living in this world)”; for this ‘one’ will be standing before the God of the universe, for his nation, in the Holy of Holies.

Today, let us recognize our ‘soiled’ ways of functioning as we try to navigate our lives, and allow the God of Glory to clothe us with clean garments, so we can have confidence to stand before Him, daily.  Not just theology; invitation, from the One True Living God delivering us from the chaos of the fallen creation to “shalom” (authority over the chaos).  Enjoy a taste of the Garden today on this biblical sabbath…by john eisner

Vayishlach/and He sent out

Genesis 32:3-36:43

Hosea 11:7-12:12, Obadiah 1:1-21

Today’s Torah portion begins with what unfortunately becomes a common occurrence that seems to mark a lot of Israel’s history; namely serving other gods, instead of the Holy One of Israel.  Sometimes it’s just the ‘drift’ toward those evil heavenly rulers, as when you are in a boat with the motor off and find yourself in a different spot on the lake, as opposed to their intentional choice of those same dark forces.  What would, or should, we say be ‘terminal’ to their existence as God’s firstborn, seems to always be mitigated by the Lord’s heart and faithfulness to His covenantal promises for them, and ultimately to the nations (Gentiles) through them.  Can you even imagine what the heart of our loving Heavenly Father must feel, to see His ‘kids’ covered in the filth of these rulers of darkness?  Alas, we are not dealing with a mere Man, but the Creator of Heaven and Earth!  So rather than cataloguing Israel’s ups and downs (which even continue to this day), their hope, as well as ours, is in the incredible redemptive nature of the God we know and love. In reading this week’s haftorah portion, let us ‘drink’ into our weary souls, that heavenly ‘nectar’ that is so needed, to keep our hearts in this life. On to Hosea!

Hosea 11:7-9 My people are bent on backsliding from Me. Though they call to the Most High, None at all exalt Him. 8 “How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I set you like Zeboiim? My heart churns within Me; My sympathy is stirred. 9 I will not execute the fierceness of My anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim. For I am God, and not man…

As we sing at Passover: “It would have been enough…”, but God always does more than we can hope or expect:  9 I will not execute the fierceness of My anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim.  The God Who is our Heavenly Father, doesn’t just ‘stop’ there; His love endures forever and throughout all eternity!

But it’s almost like He can’t help Himself. He can’t just stop there:

11:10 “They shall walk after the Lord…. 12:6 So you, by the help of your God, return; Observe mercy and justice,  And wait on your God continually.  Obadiah 1:17,18 “But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance, And there shall be holiness; The house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.18 The house of Jacob shall be a fire, And the house of Joseph a flame…

Before I go, I want to draw your attention to the word “shall”: personally, I have often treated that word more like a command, rather than a promise.  We can see it in Deuteronomy 6:

4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! 5 You SHALL love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 “And these words which I command you today SHALL be in your heart.

Let us enter this Sabbath day with the encouragement of God’s “shall” upon our hearts: not as a mere duty or command, where we wait for His correction when we fail; but rather with the power of Holy Spirit and the love of our Heavenly Father, we Shall love Him with our whole hearts…and Israel will attain to all that is in His heart for them.  You might call it: “God’s holy juggle”, our sins and failures; our desire to please Him and love Him; held together in a divine tension, that never lets a ‘ball’ fall to the ground!  We shall love Him with our whole hearts!  He has spoken and it will be done!  Enjoy the Sabbath this week as you expect His “shall” to come upon your life!  by john eisner

Bonus thought: as the nations rage against not only the One True Living God, but also His firstborn; I have a weapon I use to steady my heart. It occurs in the Book of Ezekiel at the end of a long list of why the Lord should turn His back on the Children of Israel.  Their behavior is beyond deplorable and devastating to His Father’s heart for them…and then in verse 61 of chapter 16 comes the heavenly antidote: “nevertheless”. God’s heart takes over! (read it for yourselves and have your heart protected from all the false arguments and conclusions)

Vayetze/and he went out

Genesis 28:10-32:2

Hosea 12:12-14:10

Part of the ‘battle’ of walking with the Lord and keeping our hearts alive, partially resides in how we approach the word of God. By being on a cyclical bible reading program; whether it’s something like the weekly torah and haftorah portions, or if you are on some kind of daily or whatever system; the main thing is to be in the ‘word’ regularly and allow it to be ‘fresh’ and living. I love the feeling of seeing something for the first time in God’s word or seeing it in a whole new light. We need to ‘fight’ the western approach to ‘truth’, that forces us to defend it or cauterize it, in order to constantly legitimize our ‘truth’ or ourselves… Biblical thought is more forward rather than rearward looking; we are headed somewhere and our surroundings can constantly be changing; but foundational truths are never violated by time and circumstance. What if just being ‘right’ isn’t what saves you; but the grace and mercy of God as expressed through Jesus, does? “It’s the blood, stupid!” My temptation is to claim that of course I already know that and live that way; but do I? It’s so easy to get a false sense of security in our denominations or theologies!  Does the ‘church’ save you…does your doctrine save you…if you have been told that: run like hell!!!!!

One way we may view this is the contrast between cement culverts and a river. In my little analogy, cement culverts represent typical western thought, and a river, I believe, gives us a glimpse into how the Holy One of Israel interacts with humanity and earth-bound history. The culvert is basically well meaning; it is very efficient, predictable, and easily managed. It has a built-in consistency and can be trusted to carry water from point A to point B. Built into its ‘nature’ you might say it’s not very creative or adaptive. It’s stiff and straight (except for manufactured curves) and has a great deficiency in that nothing grows in a culvert, except maybe some algae! I know by now you are probably wondering, “What does this have to do with this week’s torah portion?”; please stay with me. The river in contrast, tends not to be efficient, predictable or easily managed. It has been known to overflow its banks and create havoc and even death…it rarely flows in a straight line, changing course and meandering in loops and various shapes, as it moves relentlessly forward. However, in spite of all this, it has a very important characteristic; it spawns life, wherever it goes! Vegetation is everywhere and people gather near and around it! Cities spring up and people are nurtured and sustained by its bounty of water and even from the life found within it. There is more, but for now let me draw us back to the reading for the week. 

In both the torah portion and the haftorah (actually throughout the whole of the word of God), we are taken on, at times a wild and even confusing ride, down this ‘river’ of God. Unfortunately, our western mindset is driven to make ‘sense’ out of it, and thus attempt to fix this ‘problem’ by creating cement culverts for it to ‘flow’ in. It may all be ‘well meaning’ at its core, but I believe, the Lord of All Glory, wants us to appreciate and learn to live with the ‘river’! So much of Israel’s behavior and God’s response to it seems to overflow the riverbanks and cause ‘damage’ to our nice neat tidy western thinking, in our ‘cement culvert culture’. He seems like He wants to wipe His people out at any minute, and then, without even taking a breath, He has surrounded them with all of His love and promises, and all their bad behavior is forgotten! If we didn’t know better, we would say that He is a lousy ‘Parent’! In this week’s reading we see a lot of that, and it would do our emotions and intellect a real service if we would adopt the river model in our thinking. 

I want to invite you all to at least consider giving the Lord some opportunity to begin to reveal the contrast of these two elements and possibly deconstruct some of our ‘culverts’ and learn to enjoy and appreciate the ‘river’! Let’s get over our timid response; get your toes out of the water’s edge and just jump all the way in!  You won’t drown, and if you do, it must be your ‘time’. Father, thank you for loving us enough to share your ways and graciously helping us beyond our cultural and social limitations with Your word and Precious Holy Spirit. by john eisner

Toldot/Generations

• Genesis 25:19-28:9
• Malachi 1:1-2:7

This week’s torah portion contains a story of two brothers that prompted me to come up with a slogan that I have used for years and will explain as we go: “Don’t eat the Porridge!”.  I can already ‘see’ my wife Christie’s face when I tell her what I have written…she won’t be able to hide her ‘knowing’ smile.  It’s such a blessing to have such a special wife that can communicate appreciation and love in a little glance and smile: God is so good!  Anyway, onward through the portions this week!  I will start at the end of the ‘story’ rather than the beginning; in Malachi we have our two protagonists viewed through the lens of history, so to speak, as the Lord God Almighty appraises their heritage, as expressed in their descendants lives; not a very ‘happy’ picture!  Not surprisingly, for reasons I hope to later explain, Esau or Edom as his family is referred to by the Lord, doesn’t exist in a very good light, and in fact the Holy One of Israel, in verse 3 of Malachi 1 says: “…But Esau I have hated.”.  Not a great tattoo or headstone slogan to be remembered by.  Yet though God says, “…Jacob I loved”, he and his later offspring didn’t live up to the ‘billing’ that the Lord God of Israel had given him. We probably can’t even begin to feel the Lord’s disappointment and even frustration (if He were a mere mortal, of course), with Jacob’s ‘downstream’ family.  God even, in a way ‘slaps’ him by saying: Malachi 1:11 “My Name shall be great among the Gentiles; in every place incense shall be offered in my Name”.  A little context here; Gentiles were considered so unclean that a Jew couldn’t even have a meal with one; let alone they ‘name’ the Name of the One and Only True God, and further to even consider seeing them burning incense to Him; which only the most holy of Jews, as priests, could do. Wow, what a punch in the gut!  There are numerous of these ‘punches’ and ‘slaps’ in the text, but I have to move on; or rather, move back to the beginning of the torah portion.  So where did I get this idea of the porridge?  The ‘short’ version is that since Esau was the firstborn, he got the father’s blessing; Jacob however (with his mother’s prodding) felt that it should have been his.  Jacob even tried to get out of the womb first (twins) but had to settle for second… Esau was more of a ‘man of the earth’ type character and in some ways was probably less concerned with spiritual matters that the father’s blessing conveyed.  I may be taking some ‘liberty’ here with the text, but one day Esau was hungry and desired a hearty stew (porridge) for his manly appetite.  This opened what seems like an unlikely opportunity for Jacob to essentially ‘steal’ the birthright from his twin brother.  Jacob thus cunningly offers to make Esau one of his favorite meals, in exchange for the father’s first son’s blessing. You might even be wondering, how that would even work, but that is another part of the intrigue of the text that I have to skip for now.  Anyway, in an incredibly self-centered moment, Esau agrees to the ‘exchange’.  I will now, cut to the chase for the sake of time and space.  Why would an individual give up a spiritual blessing, for mere food?  Exactly!  What does that ‘speak’ to us?

Basically, as I see it; Esau couldn’t appreciate the ‘unseen’ (things of the Spirit) and was ‘mired’ in valuing only the tangible things of this life!  It was more than just being hungry that tripped him up; he couldn’t ‘see’ the blessing of the Holy One of Israel, he couldn’t ‘weigh’ in the scales of his heart, what really mattered and had eternal value. So, my ‘word’ to us all: “Don’t eat the porridge!”  Don’t just focus on our cravings and desires and miss the blessing of the Spirit of God… by john eisner

Chayei Sarah/the life of Sarah

Genesis 23:1-25:18

IKings 1:1-31

Boy the themes this week for the torah portion were just ‘all over the place’!  Even fitting the torah and haftorah portions together, seemed to escape me.  There is, however, the obvious problem of succession from one generation to the other; especially for David and his sneaky rebellious sons…whereas Abraham’s ‘son problem’ was a little more complex in later generations…and fortunately for us all; the Holy One of Israel uses it all for His glory! Even if we at times, don’t understand the ‘why’.  The idea of succession is however important in all of our lives, even if we aren’t the ‘father of faith’ or the king of Israel.  God has purpose and destiny for all of us; including our offspring, and maybe we should ‘wake up’ to that and be more conscious of how we can be involved in the promises of God over our lives.  In a way David and Abraham are a contrast in at least ‘style’, when it comes to this issue. David, on the surface, was basically a disappointment.  I realize he was old etc., but he had promised that Solomon would be the next king but was passive and didn’t prepare Solomon nor the other leaders for that fact.  The resulting ‘vacuum’ caused upheaval and rebellion in his family and kingdom, while he ‘cuddled’ with a younger woman for warmth in his old age: not a good look for the man of God… Next up, let’s look at Abraham: though he almost sacrificed Isaac in last week’s reading, he may have gotten a bit of the ‘fear of the Lord’ after that, in terms of God’s promises to him and his heirs.  The story of Abraham getting a wife for his son, Isaac is actually very tender and one of my favorites.  For there to be genuine succession; you need offspring, of course!  Isaac was single and he needed a wife; so, dad decided to look after this ‘endeavor’.  He called on his trusted servant, Eliezer, who knew and respected Abraham’s heart and desire for the right wife for his son; Eliezer was not just a ‘hired hand’.  It was so important to Abraham that he prays with Eliezer (I am taking some liberty here), but Abe has him testify (basically putting his hand on Abraham’s testicles) and swearing to do this for all the generations promised to him. He had Eliezer swear that he wouldn’t look among the people that served other gods.  So, this special servant went forth carrying the promises of not only his master; but the promises of God, which we are the recipients of today.  “Lord, thank you for the way you used Eliezer!”

I want to ‘jump’ ahead a bit and get to the return journey with Rebekah.  Christie, my wife, has helped me see how special their traveling back to meet Isaac was.  Eliezer was not only a servant to Abraham, but was around Isaac as he grew up, and knew in a very personal way.  So can you just imagine how that long trek was filled with stories and insights of who this prospective husband she had never met was.  By the time she got off her camel and Isaac came out to greet her; she ‘knew’ him.  It’s kind of like our ‘story’ as we look forward to Jesus coming for us as His chosen bride. We have been given Holy Spirit and His word to ‘tell’ us about our Bridegroom God on our journey through this life, so we will know Who He is and what He is like, causing love to grow in our hearts, on our ‘journey’ to see Him, at His return.  Our Father is so amazing; He didn’t just leave us with truths and rules; but He has given us Holy Spirit to prepare our hearts for the day we are caught up with our Bridegroom, Jesus! As we have moments that we feel that Jesus is distant or unknowable; we have an ‘escort’ like Eliezer (Holy Spirit) on this wilderness journey. He talks to us about the One that He personally knows and loves, so our hearts can grow ever more tender and not become bitter in the ‘waiting’ for His coming. Thank You Lord, that You haven’t left us to ourselves… 

Ps. I felt I just leave you with another thought: Regardless of how Abraham was intentional about the promises of God being fulfilled in his lineage; contrasted by David’s seemingly ‘disconnect’ in his old age, the Holy One of Israel, the Lord God Almighty, is the One looking after His promises and plans (including for us); so we can regularly ‘take a breath’ and not just hold our breath as we wonder if we can mess things up with our occasional poor choices or decisions…”Praise God, the Sovereign One!” by john eisner

Vayeira/God appeared

Genesis 18:1 – 22:24

II Kings 4:1-37

As usual I want to avoid the ‘obvious’ insights or thoughts on the torah portion, but sometimes the ‘well of my heart’ is a bit dry.  I had to read the torah and haftorah a few times to see if anything stirred me or if I could even make a connection between the two; so here it goes.  Both stories involve a barren couple in their latter years.  Abraham and Sarah are well beyond childbearing age, and it appears that at least on the surface so is the woman in II Kings 4, who has no son and her husband is older (though she may be also).  I just noticed in reading both passages again, that they both involve hospitality, which initiates a dialogue between ‘heaven and earth’ you might say.  So let us use that to alert us in our day to day, to be aware of opportunities to entertain angels, as the word says. Thus, don’t be so ‘meeting oriented’ that you don’t allow your/our life to be a doorway for the presence of God… Anyway, on to connection number two: I would call it “God watches over not only to perform His promises but also cares about the testimony of His nearness”.  Isn’t it amazing that we know a God that doesn’t just ‘dazzle’ us with miracles but also cares about our hearts and lives.  Both of these couples experience the joy and splendor of God’s faithfulness to His word (through His servants) and are also encountered by the potential or real loss of what seemed like a significant expression of God’s heart and care for them.  Even on the surface; especially for Abraham and Sarah; God’s eternal purposes seem to be in jeopardy with the prospect of Abe’s son Isaac being sacrificed. Yikes! And yet as we are reminded in Psalm 2:4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh…God seems to be saying “Don’t worry; I have this!”.  Abraham moves ahead in ‘obedience’ to God, and has Isaac carry the wood for his personal sacrifice, up the mountain, tired, I’m sure; but oblivious.  Can you even imagine what Abraham’s internal dialogue must have been like?  Was he praying, or just pondering to make sense of it all?  Does that sound familiar to some of our processes?  I wonder if there are times when we should be praying, instead of processing… We like to say “God’s ways are perfect”; especially when they don’t disrupt my life and plans! The ‘nameless’ man and woman (the barren couple Elijah prayed for to have a son: II Kings 4:16) didn’t have that luxury; their kid just died, right in front of them!  Yet again, God has this one under control!  So, on a practical level; whether our dreams are threatened or come completely to an end and collapse; if they were initiated by the Lord God Almighty: “Don’t worry; I have this!”. Let that ‘peel off’ those layers of disappointment and even anger or consternation with the Lord; that which He has promised, He will do!  Allow Him the honor of being glorified in your life.  I have a ‘little’ saying: “We all want a miracle; but we don’t want the circumstances that require one!”.  Let’s say yes to God’s faithfulness and His laughter and begin to watch for those miracles, without personal damage, while we are in the His ‘waiting room’…He is a very happy Father, and we are at the center of His heart…by john eisner