Parashat Vayera ~ and He [Adonai] appeared

Saturday 8 November 2014                      Cheshvan  15  5775

Parashat Vayera ~ and He [Adonai] appeared                                            Shelley Wood Gauld
Gen 18:1-22:24, 2 Kings 4:1-37, Luke 1:26-38, 24:36-53, 2 Pet 2:4-11, John 3:16~17

One of the underlying themes found in Vayerah and its related Haftarah and Brit Khadashah portions, is that of death or impending death ~and supernatural intervention: “He [Adonai] appeared.”

When conflict arose between Hagar and Sarah, Adonai told Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away. This mother and child then wandered alone in the desert near Beersheva. When their water ran out, Hagar left Ishmael under a bush and walked “about a bow’s shot distance from him” ~ because she could not bear to hear the cries of her dying child. It was then that Ishmael was heard “from heaven” and an angel was sent to comfort and encourage Hagar ~ and to “open her eyes” so that she saw a well of water and they were able to drink and live.

In this portion we also read about the binding of Isaac, ‘Akedat Yitzchak’. Again it was Adonai who told Abraham to go to Mt Moriah and sacrifice his son ~ and again it was He who rescued this son at the eleventh hour by sending an angel to stay the hand of Abraham. This, the supreme test of Abraham’s faith, is recounted daily by Orthodox Jews during morning synagogue services and also during Rosh HaShanah.  The account of Akedat Yitzchak has very strong Messianic undertones and some Rabbis teach that Isaac did indeed die, but was resurrected ~ as there is no mention of Isaac in Abraham’s return journey from the mountain. 

This belief is also alluded to in the choice of scriptures in the Haftarah portion; specifically, the death and resurrection of the son of the Shunamite woman. This too was an especially precious child promised to a barren woman, in this case, as a reward for her kindness to the prophet Elisha. When the child died suddenly one day, she immediately went in search of Elisha and asked for his help. Elisha lay on top of the boy twice; the second time Elisha’s body appeared to serve as a conduit through which life returned to the child’s body.  Here is another ‘type’ of Messiah: one who has the power to raise people from the dead ~ ‘techiyat hametim’.
There are two more stories in the Brit Khadashah that relate to the dead being raised to life; in these instances by Yeshua. One is that of the son of the widow of Nain and the other, Jairus’ daughter. In both cases, as with the son of the Shunamite, the children had been dead for some time when they were restored to life.

One more incident of great importance relates to this subject. Yeshua himself died and was brought back to life. How was His resurrection different to the above incidents of people brought back to life? He prophesied that He would die and be raised to life. Like Isaac, He went willingly to His death, because it was sacrificial. After He had risen, His resurrection body was different to ours.  Although He ate and drank and told His talmidim that he was not a ‘ghost’, He appeared and disappeared at will ~ as at the supper at Emmaus, and when he appeared to His talmidim in the upper room…  And after 40 days, in the full view of His talmidim, He ascended into heaven …

Yeshua was not brought back to life, only to eventually die again; as with the other sons. When He rose from the dead, Yeshua was filled with the Sh’khinah (heavenly glory) and after 40 days physically rose from the earth and ascended into heaven...  to eternal life.  Ten days after this ascension, His Jewish followers received the Ruach HaKodesh at Shavuot… and thus the gift of eternal life. HaShem’s  Ruach cannot die…

While he was ministering to His people, the Jews, Yeshua had the power to bring the dead back to life. But after He died and was resurrected, He became the ‘conduit’ through whom all people from all nations could receive life ~ eternal life.  The name ’Yeshua’ means ‘Salvation’, and Isaac and Elisha are often viewed as being types of Mashiach, for differing reasons. But who was it that halted the actions of Hagar and Abraham? Could it be that it was Yeshua who was ‘the Angel of the Lord’ sent to rescue Ishmael and Isaac? Has He always been ‘the Saviour’; the One who ‘appears’, saves, rescues, when we come to an end of ourselves…?

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
John 3:16~17
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