The title of this Bible study, or Torah portion, is “Sarah lives” or “Sarah lived”. Yet Sarah is dead, so how does she live? She lives on in the memory of Abraham; her legacy lives on, her influence lives on, and this is what the patriarch wants for Isaac.
We find this in Genesis 23:1-25:18
So even after death, Sarah continued to live on as a godly wife and mother; Abraham no doubt wanted to bless Isaac with a similar wife. Torah says that Sarah lived 127 years. The Torah rarely records women's ages, but Sarah is the exception. From the original Hebrew text, it reads: "Sarah lived one hundred years, and twenty years, and seven years." We wonder why it is worded separately. The sages comment that Sarah, at one hundred years, was as beautiful as when she was twenty, and at twenty, she was as innocent and Holy as when she was seven. Sarah was the example of the "virtuous woman" in Proverbs 31. She honored her husband and honored God, submitting to both husband and Creator. However, Sarah had her times of sorrow and bad choices (giving her servant, Hagar, to Abraham as a concubine). All marriages go through good times and bad times. Abraham and Sarah were no different.
Abraham and Sarah loved each other, and in death, Abraham showed his love towards Sarah by purchasing an overpriced piece of real estate for 400 silver shekels was a lot for a cave on a piece of property in Hebron, but He didn't mind paying for it. It had to be “written down, and documented” legally, not just “words”; we see that today, words are nothing, but if it is signed, sealed, written down, you can take it to court!
So Abraham honored his wife both in life and in death. One of the biggest and most drastic changes in one’s life is the “death” of a spouse. We see the words in the Torah that recount the time of Sarah’s death.
“And Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke unto the sons of Heth saying…”
There is a time for mourning and weeping, and a time for joy, a time for continuing with life, as life does go on, with or without a spouse. Abraham had the right to mourn and weep, since Sarah was part of his life for many, many years. We do not know when they got married, but when Abraham was called by Adonai, he was 75 years old, and he was married at that time. We could say that for about 50 years, Abraham had Sarah by his side. The Adonai called her home.
There will be a time when Adonai calls home our spouses; how will we respond when that happens? Will we cry out to God? Why? But are our spouses our own? Or do we all belong to Elohim? What are we but souls inhabiting finite bodies which will eventually cease to function and return to the earth?
A baby enters the world with clenched fists, yet leaves the world with open hands. We all want to hold on to everything, even spouses, yet we have to let go and let God have his way. A spouse, a wife or husband, is like a library book. We will take the library book and read it cover to cover; do we understand what we read? We have “x” amount of years to do it. But the master Librarian will call for his book to be returned someday, and we will have to deal with that.
A spouse is like a jewel to be worn and cared for, for “x” number of years, but the Jeweler will call for his gem someday, and we will have to take “her” or “him” off and return “her” or “him” to the Jeweler of all creation. I think that the more we love our spouse, the more difficult it will be for us to let go someday when our spouse is at death’s door. It wasn’t easy for Abraham, and it will not be easy for us.
I think that the time for caring, for loving, for giving flowers is now that our spouses are alive, not at the gravesite. One wonders what the surviving spouse will say. “May he (or she) rest in peace!” …or…” Now that he (or she) is gone, now I can rest in peace!!” Abraham wept and mourned, but then, he got up and “buried his dead out of his sight.” He continued with life, searched out a wife for his son Isaac, and eventually Abraham got remarried to Keturah, who bore him six children (Chap 25).
There is life after the departure of a loved one. The most difficult part of losing a loved one, especially a spouse, is if the spouse is an unbeliever, lost, without salvation. THEN we shall never see that spouse again, EVER! All the more reason to be “equally yoked.” To lose a spouse in death is to be separated for “a season” but be reunited with her (or him) later on in heaven. That is the way we have to look at it, because it is the truth. Abraham loved Sarah with true love; they stayed by each other's side and supported each other, even in the bad times, the time of "drought" and "Egypt" times, the "Ishmael" times, and the long waiting, for the time of the promised son: Isaac.
Abraham sent his servant Eliezar (My God helps) to look for a wife for Isaac. He carried 10 camels with gifts, the “bride price” for the “bride to be”. He had to go to Mesopotamia, to Abraham's family. He did NOT want a Canaanite woman for the bride of Isaac; a pagan Canaanite woman would have been an “unequal yoke.” That is wisdom for us today: a “born again believer” should only marry another “born again believer” where the two worship and serve the “same God YHVH/Yeshua”
Eliezer observed “Rebecca's actions”: Rivka watered the thirsty camels, sought not her own comfort, but had a servant's heart. This is what Elazar was looking for; Abraham would be happy, and so would Isaac. The “engagement jewelry” was a nose ring and gold bracelets; today in our society we give an engagement ring.
Abraham wanted a wife like Sarah for his son Isaac. We might think, what kind of wife (or husband) would one believer look for? Well, there are certain qualities to look for in looking for one’s “life mate”. If a man is looking for a woman to be his wife. I would think that he might want a woman whose first love is for God, for Yeshua, and to obey and follow the Torah. That the woman also be humble, who will run the home with wisdom, and with money in her hands, she will spend it wisely. She should be a woman who will raise her children according to the Word of God, and not waste time with “fairy tale reading” but with “Torah Tale reading” if she is to read “Bed-time stories.
Just as “Riv’kah” was willing to follow Eliezar to Isaac’s home, so should the wife be willing to follow her husband. Where he is, she should be as well. UNLESS there is some sort of danger or unwise decision-making on the husband’s part, then the wife needs to help the husband “re-think” the decision.
Now “Rivka” had to be “willing to go with Eliezar to be Isaac's wife”. We can see this is our relationship with Yeshua. Yeshua/Jesus is the “bridegroom,” and we, the “Kehillah” (Congregation of “called out ones”), are the bride. We have to be a “willing bride” to go with our “heavenly bridegroom”.
Rebecca's (Rivka's) parents wanted her to stay behind 10 days, yet the decision to "go follow" had to be "now." They asked her, "Are you willing to follow this man?" and she answered, "Yes." Yeshua is calling us to follow him, but he means "NOW" because there might not be a "later." We can see some symbolism here; We can look at Abraham as God who has sent his Spirit to call his children, and those who will "answer the call of repentance" to go and meet the bridegroom (Isaac), who could symbolize "Yeshua".
We can also look at other couples who met at a "well"; a water well can symbolize "living water of life." Yeshua is that "living water" who gives us "eternal life. "Jacob also met Rachel" by a well (Gen 29:1-12). Moses met Zipporah by a well (Exodus 2:15-21). Yeshua met the Samaritan woman by Jacob's well. It revealed to her that HE was the promised Messiah. The WORD of God is like "living water" that will quench our thirst with spiritual food.
Just as Eliezar brought gifts to the bride-to-be, Yeshua has given “gifts” to us as HIS Bride: salvation (Yeshuah), an eternal home/mansion in Heaven, spiritual gifts to do service and minister with. Healthy bodies (for the most part) in which to inhabit, spouses and children, jobs to earn a living; if we think about the list, it could go on, as to the “Blessings” we have through Yeshua. How do Isaac and Rebecca remind us of Yeshua? Isaac was a Tzadik (a righteous man). He was chosen to be a "sacrifice," a "korban." He was obedient to his father. Yeshua was a Tzadik (righteous in all ways). He was chosen to be "The Sacrifice Lamb." He was obedient to his Heavenly Father in all ways.
Rivkah (Rebecca) showed "servanthood" (as Yeshua came to serve). She trusted the chosen "Messenger" (Eliezar) and followed him). Yeshua sent the "chosen messenger," The Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh), for US to follow and be guided by. Rebecca became the bride for the bridegroom (Isaac) as we are the "Bride" for the "Bridegroom" (Yeshua)
We find this in Genesis 23:1-25:18
So even after death, Sarah continued to live on as a godly wife and mother; Abraham no doubt wanted to bless Isaac with a similar wife. Torah says that Sarah lived 127 years. The Torah rarely records women's ages, but Sarah is the exception. From the original Hebrew text, it reads: "Sarah lived one hundred years, and twenty years, and seven years." We wonder why it is worded separately. The sages comment that Sarah, at one hundred years, was as beautiful as when she was twenty, and at twenty, she was as innocent and Holy as when she was seven. Sarah was the example of the "virtuous woman" in Proverbs 31. She honored her husband and honored God, submitting to both husband and Creator. However, Sarah had her times of sorrow and bad choices (giving her servant, Hagar, to Abraham as a concubine). All marriages go through good times and bad times. Abraham and Sarah were no different.
Abraham and Sarah loved each other, and in death, Abraham showed his love towards Sarah by purchasing an overpriced piece of real estate for 400 silver shekels was a lot for a cave on a piece of property in Hebron, but He didn't mind paying for it. It had to be “written down, and documented” legally, not just “words”; we see that today, words are nothing, but if it is signed, sealed, written down, you can take it to court!
So Abraham honored his wife both in life and in death. One of the biggest and most drastic changes in one’s life is the “death” of a spouse. We see the words in the Torah that recount the time of Sarah’s death.
“And Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke unto the sons of Heth saying…”
There is a time for mourning and weeping, and a time for joy, a time for continuing with life, as life does go on, with or without a spouse. Abraham had the right to mourn and weep, since Sarah was part of his life for many, many years. We do not know when they got married, but when Abraham was called by Adonai, he was 75 years old, and he was married at that time. We could say that for about 50 years, Abraham had Sarah by his side. The Adonai called her home.
There will be a time when Adonai calls home our spouses; how will we respond when that happens? Will we cry out to God? Why? But are our spouses our own? Or do we all belong to Elohim? What are we but souls inhabiting finite bodies which will eventually cease to function and return to the earth?
A baby enters the world with clenched fists, yet leaves the world with open hands. We all want to hold on to everything, even spouses, yet we have to let go and let God have his way. A spouse, a wife or husband, is like a library book. We will take the library book and read it cover to cover; do we understand what we read? We have “x” amount of years to do it. But the master Librarian will call for his book to be returned someday, and we will have to deal with that.
A spouse is like a jewel to be worn and cared for, for “x” number of years, but the Jeweler will call for his gem someday, and we will have to take “her” or “him” off and return “her” or “him” to the Jeweler of all creation. I think that the more we love our spouse, the more difficult it will be for us to let go someday when our spouse is at death’s door. It wasn’t easy for Abraham, and it will not be easy for us.
I think that the time for caring, for loving, for giving flowers is now that our spouses are alive, not at the gravesite. One wonders what the surviving spouse will say. “May he (or she) rest in peace!” …or…” Now that he (or she) is gone, now I can rest in peace!!” Abraham wept and mourned, but then, he got up and “buried his dead out of his sight.” He continued with life, searched out a wife for his son Isaac, and eventually Abraham got remarried to Keturah, who bore him six children (Chap 25).
There is life after the departure of a loved one. The most difficult part of losing a loved one, especially a spouse, is if the spouse is an unbeliever, lost, without salvation. THEN we shall never see that spouse again, EVER! All the more reason to be “equally yoked.” To lose a spouse in death is to be separated for “a season” but be reunited with her (or him) later on in heaven. That is the way we have to look at it, because it is the truth. Abraham loved Sarah with true love; they stayed by each other's side and supported each other, even in the bad times, the time of "drought" and "Egypt" times, the "Ishmael" times, and the long waiting, for the time of the promised son: Isaac.
Abraham sent his servant Eliezar (My God helps) to look for a wife for Isaac. He carried 10 camels with gifts, the “bride price” for the “bride to be”. He had to go to Mesopotamia, to Abraham's family. He did NOT want a Canaanite woman for the bride of Isaac; a pagan Canaanite woman would have been an “unequal yoke.” That is wisdom for us today: a “born again believer” should only marry another “born again believer” where the two worship and serve the “same God YHVH/Yeshua”
Eliezer observed “Rebecca's actions”: Rivka watered the thirsty camels, sought not her own comfort, but had a servant's heart. This is what Elazar was looking for; Abraham would be happy, and so would Isaac. The “engagement jewelry” was a nose ring and gold bracelets; today in our society we give an engagement ring.
Abraham wanted a wife like Sarah for his son Isaac. We might think, what kind of wife (or husband) would one believer look for? Well, there are certain qualities to look for in looking for one’s “life mate”. If a man is looking for a woman to be his wife. I would think that he might want a woman whose first love is for God, for Yeshua, and to obey and follow the Torah. That the woman also be humble, who will run the home with wisdom, and with money in her hands, she will spend it wisely. She should be a woman who will raise her children according to the Word of God, and not waste time with “fairy tale reading” but with “Torah Tale reading” if she is to read “Bed-time stories.
Just as “Riv’kah” was willing to follow Eliezar to Isaac’s home, so should the wife be willing to follow her husband. Where he is, she should be as well. UNLESS there is some sort of danger or unwise decision-making on the husband’s part, then the wife needs to help the husband “re-think” the decision.
Now “Rivka” had to be “willing to go with Eliezar to be Isaac's wife”. We can see this is our relationship with Yeshua. Yeshua/Jesus is the “bridegroom,” and we, the “Kehillah” (Congregation of “called out ones”), are the bride. We have to be a “willing bride” to go with our “heavenly bridegroom”.
Rebecca's (Rivka's) parents wanted her to stay behind 10 days, yet the decision to "go follow" had to be "now." They asked her, "Are you willing to follow this man?" and she answered, "Yes." Yeshua is calling us to follow him, but he means "NOW" because there might not be a "later." We can see some symbolism here; We can look at Abraham as God who has sent his Spirit to call his children, and those who will "answer the call of repentance" to go and meet the bridegroom (Isaac), who could symbolize "Yeshua".
We can also look at other couples who met at a "well"; a water well can symbolize "living water of life." Yeshua is that "living water" who gives us "eternal life. "Jacob also met Rachel" by a well (Gen 29:1-12). Moses met Zipporah by a well (Exodus 2:15-21). Yeshua met the Samaritan woman by Jacob's well. It revealed to her that HE was the promised Messiah. The WORD of God is like "living water" that will quench our thirst with spiritual food.
Just as Eliezar brought gifts to the bride-to-be, Yeshua has given “gifts” to us as HIS Bride: salvation (Yeshuah), an eternal home/mansion in Heaven, spiritual gifts to do service and minister with. Healthy bodies (for the most part) in which to inhabit, spouses and children, jobs to earn a living; if we think about the list, it could go on, as to the “Blessings” we have through Yeshua. How do Isaac and Rebecca remind us of Yeshua? Isaac was a Tzadik (a righteous man). He was chosen to be a "sacrifice," a "korban." He was obedient to his father. Yeshua was a Tzadik (righteous in all ways). He was chosen to be "The Sacrifice Lamb." He was obedient to his Heavenly Father in all ways.
Rivkah (Rebecca) showed "servanthood" (as Yeshua came to serve). She trusted the chosen "Messenger" (Eliezar) and followed him). Yeshua sent the "chosen messenger," The Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh), for US to follow and be guided by. Rebecca became the bride for the bridegroom (Isaac) as we are the "Bride" for the "Bridegroom" (Yeshua)
