Where is the solution to the problem?

And he appeared

Genesis 21:22-34

Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink

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(Gen. 21:19 ESV)

Where is the solution to the problem?

Avraham had divorced Hagar and sent her on her journey with his teenager son, Ishmael. They had trouble in the desert because they couldn’t find water. Ishmael was about to die because he was ill. Hagar went away from him because she didn’t want to see him die. They both cried, but the Eternal only heard the voice of the boy and sent an angel with a message for her. The angel didn’t tell her where the water was but that she had to help her son because he was to become a great nation. In that moment, the Almighty opened Hagar’s eyes so she could see the well and that’s how they survived this potentially mortal crisis.

We can learn several things from this narration in the Torah. First, Avraham sent Hagar and their son Ishmael away even though it hurt him. He did so because the Eternal had ordered him to do it. We have to obey the Eternal even if it is painful. The path of obedience is not the easiest path. Most of the times it is hard and many times we have to suppress our feelings; but if the Eternal commanded it, it is for the best and we simply have to obey.

The second teaching is that Hagar wasn’t a good mother leaving her son by himself. She was more engrossed in her own suffering than in the boy’s. She didn’t want to see her son die, but in case he had died, he would have needed his mother more than ever during his last moments in life.

We also learn that Hagar didn’t put the promise about Ishmael’s future in her heart. She knew what the Eternal had said about the future of her son (17:20), but when the crisis came she didn’t care for that promise. Instead of trusting the Eternal who gave the promise, she acted and spoke totally in the opposite direction believing that her son would die. That was one of the reasons why the Eternal didn’t hear her cry but only the boy’s.

When the angel spoke to Hagar, he didn’t give her the solution to the problem, but dealt instead with something more important, the reason why she didn’t get help before. Her way of treating her child prevented the Eternal’s intervention in her life. Her disbelief and rejection of the promise were obstacles for the Eternal’s hand during the crisis. When she paid attention to what the angel said – to take care of her child and focus on the divine promise for his future, then she was in the right condition for receiving help. In that moment, the Eternal opened her eyes to let her see that exactly in the place where they were, there was a well.

Where was the solution to the problem? In this passage we learn that:

- The solution to all problems is always in the Eternal.

- If we mistreat those who are around us, the Eternal cannot send help.

- If we don’t pay attention to what He has said, He cannot help us.

- When we repent of our lack of love to our neighbour and we pay attention to the divine message, we will be in the condition of finding the solution to the problem.

Help is not far away. It is actually close to where we are, we only need to open our senses in order to perceive whatever is within our reach.

Cry out to heaven when you are facing a crisis. Look around you to check if you haven’t mistreated your neighbour. Trust what the Eternal told you and obey what He says now. Open your eyes and look around, help is within reach. Act, meet the needs of those who are under your care and the Eternal will be with you.

May the Eternal make us sensitive to perceive his hints and act accordingly, and not according to our own hearts.

Ketriel

What is the best way to hold back sin?

VaYerah 4-5

And he appeared

Genesis 21:5-21

And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place, and they will kill me for my wife's sake.

(Gen. 20:11 MKJV)

What is the best way to hold back sin?

King Avimelech had taken Sarah as his wife because Avraham had said that she was his sister. Avraham knew that if only a key ingredient was missing in these people’s souls, he would be in danger of death for his beautiful wife’s sake. That key ingredient was fear of the Most High.

In the Hebrew text it is written: rak ein yirat Elokim ba makom haze רק אין יראת אלקים במקום הזה - “

only there is no fear of the Almighty in this place”. There was only one thing needed for that society not to surrender to unlimited sin – fear of heaven.

Fear of heaven is the best way to hold sin back in human beings. Where there is no fear of heaven sin can spread and multiply freely.

In Exodus 20:20 it is written: “Moses said to the people, "Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin." (ESV) And in Jeremiah 32:40 it is written: “I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me.” (ESV) And in Deuteronomy 10:12-13 it is written: “"And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good? (ESV)

The Eternal intervened in this critical situation by speaking to the Philistine king in dreams. He told him that if he didn’t bring Sarah back to Avraham he would die along with all his people. This caused a lot of fear in him and his men.

The one who understands that the Almighty who is in heaven can do everything, sees all and judges the entire world; becomes aware that if he doesn’t do the right thing he is in danger of death. The one who doesn’t know that “...the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” (Rom. 1:18 ESV); and the one who doesn’t know that “God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day.” (Psal. 7:11 ESV) does not mind his thoughts, nor controls his tongue, nor holds his hand from evildoing. The one who knows that “...no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Heb. 4:13 ESV) is afraid of sinning. He who knows that sin carries grave consequences minds his behaviour.

When the men at Gerar found out that the Eternal was watching everything and that He rebuked the king’s behaviour, even if he acted out of innocence, trusting Avraham and Sarah’s half truth, they were very afraid. A seemingly innocent incident against an anointed prophet of the Eternal caused sterility in the whole people and the risk of dying before time.

In Psalm 147:11 it is written: “The LORD is pleased with those who fear him, with those who wait with hope for his mercy.” (God´s Word)

Let’s serve the Eternal with fear and trembling,

Ketriel

How was the Messiah taken from Sedom?

VaYerah 4-4

And he appeared

Genesis 19:21 – 21:4

Thus both the daughters of Lot became pregnant by their father. The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab. He is the father of the Moabites to this day. The younger also bore a son and called his name Ben-ammi. He is the father of the Ammonites to this day.

(Gen. 19:36-38 ESV)

How was the Messiah taken from Sedom?

The Eternal doesn’t want anybody to perish but that all are saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. He doesn’t take pleasure in the death of the wicked. He always desires the repentance of the sinner in order to rescue him from his misery and give him a new life.

When the children of Israel came into the promised land, they received orders to destroy the seven nations who were descendants of Kenaan, because of their depravation. But there was an exception among them: a prostitute named Rachav (Rahab) repented of her sins (Heb. 11:31, Yaacov (James) 2:25) and was received in the people of Israel in such a way that she became one of the mothers (women in the genealogy) of the Messiah. (Matt. 1:5)

This teaches us that the door wasn’t closed for Kenaan’s descendants to enter into the people of the salvation, Israel. Through repentance and faithfulness to the Elokim of Israel, any gentile, no matter how far away from the Eternal he is, can receive an inheritance among those who are sanctified.

Rachav, descendant of a cursed and depraved people was honoured to be mentioned in the genealogy of the Messiah, Yeshua. How great is the Eternal’s grace to a repented person!

This means that there are Kenaan’s genes in the Messiah. When the body and soul of the Messiah were formed, a part had to come from the people of Kenaan in order to be able to redeem them of their sins, because he is not only the redeemer of the Jewish people, but of the whole world (1 Jn. 2:2). The Messiah had to reunite in his own being, all men on earth and Rachav’s example shows that the most cursed people in history were also included in the salvation plan that takes effect through the Messiah, Yeshua. If these people could fit in the Messiah, also all the other peoples can.

Now, there is more in this sense. Lot’s daughters had a mother from Sedom, also a daughter (descendent) of Kenaan. Both of them got pregnant of their father after making a drinking plot taking advantage of him. In spite of not having a high moral standard, they had a good motivation behind that act of fornication. They wanted to have descendants and that’s why the Eternal granted them to be mothers of two peoples. The oldest had a child and shamelessly named him Moav – from the Hebrew meav

מאב

“from father”. The younger one, a bit more discreet, called her son Ben Ammi – בן עמי “son of my people”. From Moav came the Moabite people and from Ben Ammi, the Ammonites.

Further on, we find a Moabite woman, Ruth, that makes the decision of leaving her gods and her people and enter the people of her mother in law, Naomi, the people of Israel where salvation is found. Ruth the Moabite was accepted by the judges, because they had established the halachah – practical law – that the prohibition of entering the people of Israel against the Ammonites and Moabites applied only to men, and not to women (Deut 23:3). Boaz was the head judge in Israel at that time and he established this halachah. This also teaches us that a large part of the written Torah has to be interpreted and understood by the oral torah, transmitted from leader to leader of the people of Israel throughout history.

Ruth came from the Moabites, who in turn came from Lot’s wife, who came from Sedom that came from Kenaan (Gen 10:19), the cursed people.

Later on, there was a king, Rechavam (Rehoboam), son of king Shlomo (Solomon) who was born from Shlomo and an Ammonite woman named Naamah (1 Kin. 14:21, 31; 2 Cron. 12:13). This king Rechavam is also one of the ancestors of the Messiah Yeshua (Matt. 1:7).

In other words, we see that through three women, genes from Kenaan came into the Messiah Yeshua and that by his merit, his suffering and atoning death, these women were rescued from curse and death that had befallen upon their peoples. Repentance and faithfulness toward the Elokim of Israel set on this redemption plan for them. All the descendants of Kenaan had this opportunity to repent but very few took advantage of it.

This shows us that there is no curse too big that cannot be removed through the work of the Messiah. He became a curse in order to redeem from the curse those who trust the Eternal and his redemption plan in the Messiah Yeshua, our Lord (Gal. 3:13).

This is why we understand that the angels had to take Lot and his daughters out of Sedom, because indirectly, they were taking the Messiah from there. He needed part of the genes from that people in order to be able to represent them before the Almighty and take them in his body to rectify what they had twisted.

How wonderful are the plans of the Eternal! He can use evil and wickedness to carry out His purpose and He can deliver us from all consequences of sin through His Anointed one Yeshua. Blessed be His name forever!

Yom tov – have a good day,

Where did Lot’s wife come from?

VaYerah 4-3

And he appeared

Genesis 19:1-20

Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man. I pray you, let me bring them out to you, and you do to them as you see fit. But do nothing to these men, for this is why they came under the shadow of my roof. And they said, Stand back! And they said, This one came in to stay, and must he judge always? Now we will deal worse with you than with them. And they pressed hard upon the man, Lot, and came near to breaking the door

(Gen. 19:8-9 MKJV)

Where did Lot’s wife come from?

When the two angels came to Sedom to save Lot and his family, all the men in the city wanted to abuse them sexually. Lot refused to bring them out and offered them his two virgin daughters instead.

We can learn two things from this: first, it was very important for Lot to treat his guests well, to give them shelter, food and safety in every way. This was a very positive feature in Lot.

The second thing we can learn is that Lot’s level of morality was very low. How could this righteous man be willing to deliver his virgin daughters to these beasts that lacked any sense of sexual morality? Free sex and homosexuality are results of having apostatized from the Creator and His commandments. Homosexuality is in the lowest level in the scale of depravation, down on the road of apostasy and perdition. (see Rom. 1:18-32).

According to the context (v12), it seems that Lot had more children that were already married to people from Sedom. Now he just had two girls left at home (v.15) and he didn’t seem to care much that they would be degraded in their bodies and souls by this free sex practice. Where did these values come from? Not from Avraham avinu, who had very high moral standards.

The Hebrew text shows that these evil men said that Lot had come to Sedom alone, meaning single, because he had indeed come with many servants. What was translated in 19:9 as “This one came in to stay” says literally in Hebrew: “This one came to sojourn”– haechad ba lagur האחד בא לגור – which teaches us that Lot had taken a woman from Sedom. She was a descendant of Kenaan – the one who treated Noach in such an evil manner when he was drunk and therefore was cursed. Depravation in Kenaan’s descendants caused them to surrender to all kinds of immoralities, especially the sexual one.

Avraham was very careful not to mix his seed with Kenaan’s descendants due to their low moral standards (24:3), but Lot didn’t have that inner strength to refuse the values of the world that surrounded him. This made him surrender little by little, to the pressure of his wife and the other inhabitants of Sedom. It is true that his righteous soul suffered because of the sin of the sons of Kenaan, as it is written in 2 Peter 2:7-8: “and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard)”. (ESV) However, Lot didn’t have the spiritual strength to guide his sons and daughters in the path of high moral values, as did our father Avraham (18:19). This was one of the reasons why Avraham had to split from Lot.

The Eternal had mercy of Lot and saved him from destruction, but he lost most of his family, his wife turned into a pillar of salt for turning back – possibly because of her motherly instinct when thinking of her children who stayed behind, and her love to the world in which she lived until then. Lot also lost all his possessions and all he had left was his two daughters, daughters of Sedom, whose moral principles weren’t higher than the rest of Kenaan’s descendants.

Avraham refused to be influenced and guided by the values of the world around him, and that’s why he was chosen and blessed. His moral strength keeps blessing the world until today. But Lot gave in to low moral values and lost pretty much everything. The Eternal however, had mercy of him and saved him along with his daughters, because he had a wonderful plan for the girls’ future. We’ll talk about that in tomorrow’s manna.

Let’s reject Lot’s behaviour and follow our father Avraham’s example, refusing to stain our souls with sin of the world around us. Let’s teach our children and grandchildren to walk in the path of the Eternal, doing judgment and justice so that they can remain in the line of blessing that comes from heaven; not only for the physical offspring of Avraham, but also for those who follow the steps of his faith, because all those who are the Messiah’s are seed of Avraham and heirs according to the promise (Rom. 4:9-13; Gal. 3:29).

Chazak ubaruch – be strong and blessed,

What effect do family relationships have for future generations?

Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned backward, and they did not see their father's nakedness

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(Gen. 9:23 ESV)

What effect do family relationships have for future generations?

Cham (Cam) saw his father’s nakedness. But instead of honouring his father and cover him, he took off to spread the news. That’s why his son Kenaan (Canaan) did something so evil that the Torah can’t even narrate it. Cham’s brothers did the opposite and honoured their father, covering him without looking. These things brought very important consequences not only in the lives of Noach’s children, but also in his future generations.

Noach knew how to use the power of the word. By a prophetic word, he cursed his grandson Kenaan for what he had done. Cham wasn’t cursed; he had already been blessed (9:1). Both Shem and and Yefet received a powerful blessing. The words uttered by Noach were so powerful that they still influence the development of the world today.

How important it is to use our tongue correctly, especially when we speak about our children! Parents’ words have great power over the life and development of their children. In many cases, they will be decisive for their future.

In a family with a high moral level it is incorrect that its members expose themselves naked, except between husband and wife. Parents should not expose themselves to their children just as their children should not expose themselves to their siblings or parents, except when they are very young. Young children must be taught to cover themselves and not to expose their private parts to others. It is not correct for children to bathe naked in public.

Cham brought a terrible curse upon his son due to his lack of a high moral level relationship with his father. The Eternal commanded the children of Israel to exterminate the children of Kenaan when they conquered the Promised Land, in which Kenaan’s children lived under very poor moral standards.

Shem and Yefet’s high moral standards brought such strong blessings upon the world that these still benefit us today as they will forever.

Keep a high moral standard in your family and you will receive blessings for you and your children forever.

May the Eternal always help you have a good relationship with your parents,

Ketriel

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What are the implications that the covenant between The Eternal and Noach have nowadays?

And God said: “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.

(Gen. 9:12-13 NKJV)

What are the implications that the covenant between The Eternal and Noach have nowadays?

A covenant is the strongest bond between two or more parties. In a covenant, there are privileges and conditions for all the parties involved. After the Flood, the Eternal established a covenant with Noach and his descendants including all future generations. All men are the offspring of Noach so this covenant applies to all humankind.

Further on, the Eternal made several other covenants with the children of Israel. However, it is important to remember that a later covenant cannot revoke a previous one.

In the covenant with Noach there is a blessing for all mankind (9:1). The Eternal committed Himself to protect the children of Noach so there will never be a flood upon the earth again. The sign of the covenant is the rainbow.

The conditions of the covenant for Noach and his children have been decoded by the rabbis through logical deduction of this passage. They are known as the seven Noahide laws or laws of Noach, and they are the same number as the colours of the rainbow. These seven laws are the main rules and they are mandatory for all sons of men for all generations.

They are the following:

1. Prohibition of Idolatry.

2. Prohibition of Blasphemy.

3. Prohibition of Murder.

4. Prohibition of Fornication (illicit sexual intercourse).

5. Prohibition of Theft.

6. Prohibition of eating blood or flesh taken from an animal while it is still alive.

7. Requirement to have law courts that regulate men’s behaviour according to the first six laws.

The Eternal didn’t grant men permission to eat animals until after the Flood. When the Scriptures refer to clean and unclean animals before the Flood, it doesn’t mean animals that were meant to be eaten or not, but ritually clean animals that could be offered to the Eternal. In Genesis 9:3 we see that The Eternal gave Noach and his children permission to eat all kinds of animals with no distinction between clean and unclean.

Further on, when the people of Israel were set apart from the rest of the nations to become a priestly nation for the rest of the nations, He restricted the animals that they would be allowed to eat. Thus for the children of Israel there are different dietary laws compared to those for the rest of the nations. A son of Noach can eat all kinds of animals, but the children of Israel cannot eat ritually unclean animals.

Dear disciple of the Messiah: Commit yourself not only to fulfill these rules given through the covenant with Noach, but to teach them to others because they apply to all mankind. In this way you will contribute towards the betterment of the world.

May the Eternal grant you strength to be faithful,

Ketriel

How can the Eternal rejoice in the burning of innocent beings?

Genesis 8:15 – 9:7

And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done

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(Gen. 8:20-21 MKJV)

How can the Eternal rejoice in the burning of innocent beings?

What kind of Supreme Being is presented in the sacred Scriptures? How is it possible that He can rejoice in the offering of cruelly sacrificed innocent animals? Isn’t this a very primitive way of serving the Eternal, with animal sacrifices?

First, we have to understand that sacrifices of the innocent weren’t part of the original creation in which everything was very good. (Gen. 1:31). Innocent animal sacrifices were introduced by the Eternal on the day men sinned. To cover their nakedness, He sacrificed one or more animals and covered them with the animals’ skins. So, innocent bloodshed is part of a world in which sin was introduced. In this fallen world bloodshed is necessary to be accepted before the Eternal. This truth is what moved Hevel (Abel) to sacrifice animals before the Eternal. It was due to innocent bloodshed that he was accepted as pleasant before the Almighty.

Now, Is the Almighty pleased by the death of innocent lives? No, it isn’t so. He is not a bloodthirsty Supreme Being. He doesn’t rejoice in the suffering of the precious creatures He has made. He isn’t cruel at all, nor does He want the death of the innocent, whether it is men or animals.

Then, how is it possible that it is written that the Eternal considered the smell of entirely burnt animals pleasing? Is it that He likes the smell of burnt flesh? Or, is it that He needs to eat from those sacrifices? No, it has nothing to do with that.

From what we learned before about Cain and Hevel’s sacrifices, we can draw an important truth. It isn’t the sacrifice itself what pleases the Eternal, but what is behind that sacrifice. Behind Noach’s sacrifice offering was a grateful heart for the salvation he had received. It wasn’t the smell of flesh what reached the Eternal, but the smell of Noach’s heart. Noach’s gratitude was expressed in the sacrifice of those clean animals that were suitable for sacrificing before the Eternal. That gratitude expressed in innocent animal burnt flesh rendered a pleasing smell to the Eternal.

The only way to the Eternal is through sacrifice. The Eternal’s justice demands the death of the sinner, but when there is a substitute sacrifice, the sinner, obviously repented, is forgiven and accepted. All animal sacrifices point out to the atoning death of the Messiah. The Eternal does not rejoice in the sacrifice of a man, but His justice demands the sinner’s death. An animal isn’t enough to pay for men. That is why the sacrifice of Yeshua, the Messiah, was introduced in order to complete animal sacrifices and perfect men’s redemption.

All those who want to be pleasing before the Eternal will have to sacrifice something they have. In the burnt offering the whole animal is sacrificed. That animal represents men. In a burnt offering, or ascent offering – olah in Hebrew – a man expresses that he had to be sacrificed because of his sin, but the animal takes his place. He also expresses that he has no right over his own life but that his life belongs to the Eternal. With the ascent offerings of these clean animals, Noach showed that his life belonged entirely and exclusively to the Eternal, and it was this that produced a pleasant smell in heaven.

Dear disciple of the Messiah, give yourself entirely to the Eternal as an ascent offering. Don’t let any part of your life be reserved for yourself or others, but only and exclusively for the Eternal. Be a living, set apart and pleasant sacrifice for the Eternal and in this way you’ll be of a sweet savour for Him.

May the Eternal help us be pleasant sacrifices all the days of our lives,

Ketriel