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The Torah Portion for Sunday 7th November is Genesis 25:19-28:9 called Toldot meaning “Generations”. I’ve chosen Isaiah 42:19-21 for the prophetic portion and Romans 11 from the New Testament and will aim to dove tail it all together.
In Genesis 25 Abraham dies and Isaac’s wife Rebekah, who was barren, became pregnant with twins Esau and Jacob representing two Nations the Arab and the Jew. Esau sells his birthright for “soup and a sandwich” and misses out on the Blessing of the First Born that was given to Jacob who tricked his father, Isaac, by impersonating Esau his older brother. “Esau despised his birthright” Gen: 25:34. And no one who despises his birthright can be the trusted guardian of a covenant intended for eternity.
In Genesis 26, we are going to look at the spiritual meaning of the three wells dug by Abraham in the valley of Gerar and what they mean to us today.
‘‘There is a famine in the land and Isaac moved away and camped in the valley of Gerar and settled there. Isaac re-opened the wells that had been dug in the time of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died, and he gave them the same names his father had given them.
Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well of freshwater there, but the herdsman of Gerar argued with Isaac’s herdsmen and said “The water is ours! “So he named the well ESEK, because they disputed with.
‘Then they dug another well, but they quarrelled over that one also so he named it SITNAH (because of the opposition). He moved on from there and re-dug another well and no one quarrelled over it. He named it REHOBOTH, saying “now the Lord has given us room and we will flourish in the land”.
Today, there is a famine in the land of the Wheat of His Word. When we dig into the ancient wells of Israel, the wells of living water, and study the Word from the Hebraic root, we discover that the original sources have been hidden and buried from the Christian Church through argument and dispute.
We know that the Torah, the first 5 books of the Bible, is likened to a well of living water and it has been hidden from many Christians and filled with dirt and now it’s time to re-dig the ancient wells that Abraham dug and bring the “Living Word”.
Chapter 27 reads “Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see”. Physical blindness is often a metaphor for spiritual blindness in the Bible. Inherited blindness comes to both Isaac and Jacob, who was later called “Israel” after his wrestling match with the Angel who dislocated his hip. (That’s a story for another day)
When we re-dig the well of Sitnah meaning “Opposition” we find that Israel is still partially blind and that’s because we have presented a blue-eyed, blond-haired Messiah to the Jews! What Jew in his right mind would accept that, as a true representative of their Messiah? No, of course not – they were opposed to such a suggestion.
Not only that, but followers of this Jesus also disregarded the Torah by just keeping New Covenant – The New Testament and regularly killed Jews in Jesus’ name in the Crusades, the expulsions from nations, the Spanish Inquisition and not to mention Hitler and the holocaust!
What is more, this illuminates our own blindness to the Messiah. Even though we have possessed the gospels for 2000 years, most Christians are still largely blind to the fact that Jesus was Jewish, and we don’t even know or use his real name “YESHUA”. There is partial blindness on both sides. Isaiah 42:19-21 speaks of Israel’s blindness: They could see but they couldn’t see beyond seeing. Isaac could see but he couldn’t see God’s plans and purposes for Jacob and Jacob could see but he couldn’t see his destiny. Israel today cannot see the shadow of Messiah in the Old Testament and the Church can see but really can’t see or even understand God’s plans and purposes for Israel and the Church. Rev: 3 says “The Laodicean church is wretched, pitiful, poor, naked and blind”.
Even on the road to Emmaus, in Luke 24:13 two of Jesus’ disciples were talking to each other about the Crucifixion. Remember, they were Jewish! Then Jesus came up and walked with them; but their eyes were kept from recognizing Him – they were blinded to see who He truly was. It wasn’t until he broke bread with them that they recognized Him.
As we re-dig the Well called Rehoboth it fills us with hope as it removes the veil from the eyes of both Jew and Gentile as we recognize YESHUA, the Jewish Jesus as our Messiah and flourish and expand our territory.
Isaac’s eyes were blinded from recognizing God’s call on Jacob’s life in order to birth Messiah through the blood line of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
When we re-dig the Well of Rehoboth, a mystery will be revealed to the Church that will lift off our partial blindness so we can understand God’s plans and purposes for Israel and the Gentile Church because, and I quote, “His purpose is to create in Himself “One New Man” out of the two” – (Ephesians 2:15b) The Messianic Jew and the Born Again Christian. And it’s a mystery, and that is what God wants us to see today that we are heirs together with Israel.
Ephesians 3 records this mystery which was revealed to Paul as he preached to the Turks in Ephesus, who are Gentiles. “This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus”.
In Romans 11 Paul speaks to the Gentiles in Rome who believed God had rejected His people Israel after the crucifixion. But Paul says, “Absolutely not!” God is a covenant keeping God. If He breaks covenant with Israel He can break covenant with us – but He will not because He is a covenant keeping God.
It reads: 13 I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry 14 in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people, The Jews, to envy and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection (of Jesus) brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead for Israel? 16 If the part of the dough offered as first fruits is holy then the whole batch is holy – that means their forefathers were the first recipients of the promise, and “the whole batch” the Jewish people are also holy. They are a kingdom of priests and a holy nation as we are, too, when we understand this mystery.
The Olive Tree is a symbol of the Nation of Israel. Paul says, “if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17 If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, Church, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, - the Jewish root,18 do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root of Israel, but the root supports you.
19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that (The Church) could be grafted in.” 20 Granted. But they (Israel) were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, (Church) but tremble. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either”.
22 “Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in His kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. 23 And if Israel does not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 After all, if you, Church, were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!”
25” I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, Church, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, 26 and in this way[ all Israel will be saved”.
If you can see it, this is a Rehoboth moment where we have “Room to move and to flourish in the Land” and it’s a key to our success.
The Church has begun to make the shift from “being a Gentile church” to a Messianic Church - one grafted into Israel by understanding The Torah, our Hebraic Roots, the Jewish Feasts of the Lord and the Times and Seasons of God. This does not mean we become Jewish, only that we are willing to make this shift.
As it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; He will turn godlessness away from Jacob” – a picture of Israel. 27 “And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins. (Romans 11:26-27) ”(Isaiah 50:20 Isaiah 40:9 Joel 2:32
28 “As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) 29 for God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable”.
30 “Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, 31 so they, too, have now become disobedient in order that you too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you”.
32 “For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that He may have mercy on us all."
Shabbat Shalom
Miriam
Notes taken from El Shaddai Ministries: Teaching by Jed Robyn HoP Barnstaple, UK and Succot Hallel Jerusalem: and Hebrew4Christians
