How to get, endure and keep so much wealth?

Generations

Genesis 26:13-22

And the man became rich, and gained more and more until he became very wealthy.

(Gen. 26:13 ESV)

How to get, endure and keep so much wealth?

The Torah says that our father Avraham was very rich in livestock, gold, silver, male and female servants (13:2; 24:35). His riches were one of the results of the divine blessing. Scarcity is a result of the curse. The Eternal’s blessing frees from poverty.

Now, Avraham was very rich and at the end he gave all his riches to Yitzchak (25:5). Yitzchak was blessed after his father’s death and he kept getting richer and richer until he got so powerful that the philistines envied him and expelled him from their land. Then, how wealthy was Yitzchak! How is it possible that the Eternal trusted him with so many riches if the love of money is a root of all evils? (1 Tim. 6:10)

It is obvious that Yitzchak had such a character that he could be a good administrator of material riches in such a way that the Eternal had no problem with enriching him so. Yitzchak could endure a rich man’s life because he was trustworthy.

One of the conditions that he fulfilled to be able to endure such wealth is that he didn’t love money. He loved the Eternal more than anything. That one who loves money cannot be a good manager.

Another condition he fulfilled is that he didn’t put his trust in his wealth but in the One who gave him all that wealth. That one who trusts his possessions cannot be a good manager of many riches.

Another condition that helped Yitzchak endure such wealth is the way he treated his fellowman. In this text we see that the philistines were envious of his many riches. And instead of defending himself or fighting them and use all his power to crush them, he walked away humbly. Even though he had dug the wells, the philistines said that the water was theirs. Yitzchak could have used his power to face them and take the water by force from the wells he had dug. He could have even faced them in war and expel them from the land. But he didn’t; instead, he moved to a different place to solve the problem. How noble was our father Yitzchak’s character!

Water is essential for the existence of life on earth. The well represents prayer in our spiritual lives. In order to be rich with the Eternal we must know how to bring water from the well. If there is no water, we die and if there are no wells we have to dig and dig until we find water. We see again the importance of being strong in prayer to reach water in the spiritual depths. If you can’t find spiritual water you die and if you cannot maintain the wells that give you water, you die. Don’t give up until you find water. Be strong and courageous, take time, search, move from one spot to another until you find those waters that will quench your spiritual thirst. This is the only way of prospering spiritually.

The philistines represent all those enemies that want to impede our prayer life. If the enemies have blocked a well in your life, dig there again. Don’t allow your wells to be blocked. Keep your intimate relationship with the Eternal alive always. In this way, you will get, endure and keep wealth, both spiritual and material.

May the Eternal help us have clean water abundantly and always, in order for our lives to be powerful for His glory,

Ketriel

To what people was Avraham gathered?

The lives of Sarah

Genesis 25:1-11

Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people.

(Gen. 25:8 ESV)

To what people was Avraham gathered?

If our father Avraham had come out of his native land and he didn’t live near his relatives anymore, how is it possible that the Torah says that he was gathered to his people when he died?

The expression “gathered to his people” doesn’t refer to the soul that possibly exists after death in an unknown and unreachable place for the living. So this is not about Avraham’s soul being gathered to the people of the righteous ones that had died.

This expression is a Hebraic form that refers to the ancient way of burying the dead. Ancient tombs had enough room for several bodies because they were usually family tombs. Inside the tomb, which could be a cave, chambers were excavated on the walls that were large enough to put the bodies in. In the middle of the tomb there was a place on a lower floor called “valley”, where the bones of already decomposed bodies were placed. (cf. Ez. 37:1).

In ancient times, there were two burials. On the first one, the body was placed in the chamber on the wall. Then, they waited until the body decomposed, and the second burial would take place, generally a year after the first one. On the second one, they would take the bones out and gather them in the valley.

In a cemetery of the first century of the Common Era, located on the Mount of Olives, a custom of that time can be seen. It was to put the longest bone, the femur, in a small stone coffin, with inscriptions that identified the body, which was kept by the family.

In the time of the second temple the inheritance was given out on the second burial when the relatives gathered (cf. Matt. 8:21-22).

What we can learn from this is that the expression “he was gathered to his people” has to do with the custom of putting the bones of the deceased family members together in the same tomb.

Avraham buried his wife, Sarah, in a cave that he bought from the children of Chet. He was buried later in that same cave by his sons, Yitzchak and Yishmael (25:9) and in that way he was gathered to the bones of Sarah who was part of his people. Later on, his children Yitzchak and Yaakov were buried in the same cave, and also their wives Rivkah and Leah. In total, there are six bodies of the patriarchs and their wives buried in that cave. It is still known where that tomb is because its location has been passed down by tradition.

The Scriptures teach that a dead body has to go back to the earth from where it was taken (Gen. 3:19), which means that cremation is not an option for those who fear the Eternal.

Follow the example of your father Avraham and do not accept being cremated.

May the One who blessed Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov bless you so that you can fill your days according to His purpose for your life and does not allow you to die before time. May it please Him to do so, and let us say “amen”.

Ketriel

Who understands the power of a blessing?

The lives of Sarah

Genesis 24:53-67

And they blessed Rebekah, and said to her, Our sister, be the mother of thousands of millions, and let your seed possess the gate of those who hate them.

(Gen. 24:60 ESV)

Who understands the power of a blessing?

Rivkah’s relatives said their farewell with a powerful blessing. A blessing full of prophetic words about her offspring. By these words that were backed by heaven, Rivkah’s descendants multiplied in such way that nowadays the whole world depends on them. Firstly, it refers to the Jewish people. But it is also a reference to all those who from among the gentiles embrace Avraham’s faith.

Some two thousand years later, Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov and king David’s main descendant, he who was the recipient of all the promises given to the fathers, rose and proclaimed: “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against her.” (Matt. 16:18 LITV)

This blessing does not refer to the Christian church, as it has been mistakenly interpreted, but to the messianic congregation within the physical people of Israel. The expression “the gates of Hades” – in Hebrew shearei sheol שערי שאול – is a Hebraic form that speaks of the governmental power of the gentiles. The elders that judged the ancient cities gathered at the gates to judge and make decisions about the city ruling. When we say that Rivkah’s descendants, the people of Israel, shall possess the gates of their enemies, it refers exactly what the Rabbi says about the gates of the sheol. This means to have political and spiritual control over those who have dominion of the gentiles. This is the mission of the people of Israel and specifically the mission of the messianic congregation, a limited portion among the physical people of Israel.

The messianic congregation will not be dominated by gentile governments but it will finally take over the gentiles’ cities. May that day come soon and in our days, Amen!

The descendants of Shem, son of Noach, knew very well what a blessing meant. They knew that the power of a blessing guides the future of a person and their offspring. That is why Rivka’s relatives wanted to bless her with powerful words so they would influence the whole world forever. Who understands the power of a blessing?

Dear disciple of the Messiah: learn to use your mouth to bless, not only the Eternal – a hundred times a day – but also your wife, your children and those around you. Your words have the power to influence their future.

Blessed be the Elokim and Father of our Lord Yeshua HaMashiach that has blessed us with all spiritual blessing in the Messiah!

Kol tuv – all the best,

Ketriel

Can the truth be a way?

The lives of Sarah

Genesis 24:27-52

Then I bowed my head and worshiped the LORD and blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way to take the daughter of my master's kinsman for his son.

(Gen. 24:48 ESV)

Can the truth be a way?

When Avraham avinu’s servant saw that the Eternal had guided him exactly to the home of the woman that was destined to be the wife of his master’s son, he wasn’t ashamed of bowing down to the floor and worshipping the Eternal in front of everyone there. His boldness and courage came from the spiritual atmosphere in the house of Avraham where he had been raised.

This servant was very careful to tell only the truth about Avraham with no exaggeration and exactly what happened before his trip and his encounter with Rivkah (Rebecca). It is obvious that he was a man that loved truth and righteousness. It’s not surprising that Avraham trusted him completely. His honesty is clearly seen in this chapter. He was a man that not only knew the Eternal’s grace but also His truth (24:27) and he expected men to reflect these two very important aspects of the Eternal’s character (24:49).

Now, Eliezer said that the Eternal had led him in a way of truth (derech emet דרך אמת) according to the Hebrew text. An angel was sent before him to prepare circumstances so that the divine encounter between Eliezer and Rivkah could take place beside the well.

We can learn two important things from the expression “way of truth”; first, that the truth is a way. A way in the Scriptures symbolizes the life style. There are those who walk the way of lies and others that walk the way of truth. There are those who think that white lies are not serious and don’t know that any lie belongs to the way of lies and are the product of the influence of the father of lies of this world (Juan 8:44). Anyone who resorts to lies and falsehood connects with the enemy of the Eternal, the satan. It is true that we don’t always have to say the whole truth, but it’s not the same to say part of the truth than a lie. A lie is a distortion of the truth and that comes from the evil one.

The Elokim of Avraham is the Elokim of truth as it is written in Psalm 31:5: “Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.” (KJV) and Jeremiah 10:10a: “But HaShem Elokim is truth”. (Darby revised) If He is an Elokim of truth, there is no room at all for lies in Him. So, too are His true children, as it is written in Psalm 51:6a: “Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts” (MKJV) Eliezer loved the truth and walked the path of truth.

The second thing we can learn from this text is that the way of truth takes us to a destination prepared by the angel of the Eternal. If we walk around in lies thinking that it is the way to solve problems, we won’t reach the destination of the Eternal. We will only be successful in the way of truth.

Dear disciple of the Messiah. Since our Rabbi is the way and the truth (John 14:6), we can only walk with him and through him if we love truth in our inward parts and we hate every false way, small as it may be (Psalm 119:104, 128). “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” (3 John v.4 ESV)

Peace upon all who walk in truth with love,

Ketriel

How are Avraham’s followers?

The lives of Sarah

Genesis 24:10-26

And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the LORD.

(Gen. 24:26 KJV)

How are Avraham’s followers?

Avraham’s most trusted servant went to Mesopotamia to look for a wife for Yitzchak. He carried with him ten camels loaded with all kinds of goods. With Yitzchak’s birth, Eliezer had been displaced from Avraham’s plans. Before Yitzchak, Avraham was planning on leaving him all his possessions (15:2) but the Eternal changed Avraham’s plans and said that Yitzchak would be the heir (15:4; 21:10,12). The inheritance included not only material goods but also something much more important, an immovable faith and eternal promises and blessings.

Eliezer had grown up with the faith and within the spiritual atmosphere of his master. Avraham trusted him completely because he knew that he was absolutely loyal. This servant wasn’t after his own interests while serving in his mission as a shaliach – emissary. The only thing he cared for was to fulfill the will of the one who had sent him, and in this particular case, he knew that it was not just a regular mission but an important part of the divine plan for the world’s future redemption. It was very important that Yitzchak had a heavenly sent wife. That’s why the servant didn’t trust his own discerning abilities but he trusted the Eternal and acted by faith, as he had learned from his master.

When he arrived in his destination, he made the camels kneel by a well (24:11). Camels need to kneel in order to rest. The fact that the Torah mentions this can teach us something in an allegoric manner. The Hebrew word for kneeling is barach, ברך - which is related to berech ברך – knee. The word barach also means “to bless” (24:1). It is the word we use when we bless the Eternal: “Baruch HaShem”. Baruch means blessed. The interesting part is that blessing is closely related to knee. Avraham had learned this truth and had also taught it to those who lived in his household. He who knows to bend his knee is able to receive blessings; the one who humbles himself will be lifted up.

The fact that Eliezer made the ten camels kneel teaches us, in allegoric form, about what Avraham had been teaching his followers. The same way Eliezer had his servants, the camels, kneel, so Avraham had been teaching his followers to humble themselves and to kneel before the Eternal. Avraham was the friend of the Eternal and he knew what the Eternal liked and what He wanted most from men. He knew that The Eternal is seeking for worshipers as is it written in John 4:23: “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to worship Him.” (MKJV)

Avraham had won many souls (12:5) and he taught all of them to be worshippers. The only desire in his soul was to satisfy the desires of his Lord and that’s why he took time to teach his people to become worshippers that knew how to incline their hearts and bend their knees before the Eternal.

When Avraham’s servant had received a clear answer to his mission of taking a wife for Yitzchak from among his master’s relatives, he bowed down to earth and worshipped the Eternal.

Be a worshipper of the Eternal. Get used to bend not only your knees but also to incline your heart before Him. In that way, you’ll be a son, follower of Avraham who follows his faith because it is those of faith who are sons of Avraham. (Rom 4:12; Gal 3:7).

May you be blessed together with Avraham your father,

Ketriel

Why couldn’t Yitzchak go to the land from where Avraham had left?

The lives of Sarah

Genesis 23:17 – 24:9

Abraham said to him, "See to it that you do not take my son back there…only you must not take my son back there."

(Gen. 24:6, 8b ESV)

Why couldn’t Yitzchak go to the land from where Avraham had left?

Yitzchak was 40 and the time to find him a wife had come. The Eternal didn’t want him to marry a woman from the daughters of Kenaan, nor a woman from Egypt. Avraham made his most trustworthy servant, Eliezer, swear by the sign of the circumcision covenant, and sent him to find a wife for his son in the land where his relatives, the descendants of Shem, son of Noach, lived. When Eliezer asked him if he could take Yitzchak there, in case the woman didn’t want to come, Avraham said a firm “no”, and he did so twice. Why couldn’t Yitzchak go to the place from where Avraham had come?

On the one hand we can see that Yitzchak couldn’t leave the promised land. Further on, when he tries to go down to Egypt, the Eternal forbids him to do it and orders him to stay in the land (26:2). Yitzchak was the only one of the three patriarchs who wasn’t allowed to go to a foreign land. His life was attached to the land of the promise and he had to remain there until the resurrection.

On the other hand, we have to ask ourselves, why didn’t Avraham want his son to go visit his cousins and other relatives? What was wrong with that?

The Scriptures reveal that the family Avraham had left was an idolater family (Jos. 24:15). Avraham made the decision to leave all kinds of idolatrous practices and live solely for the Creator of heaven and earth (24:3). He knew too well the influence family members can have, and it is very possible that he didn’t want to expose his son, Yitzchak to the pressure that comes with family bonds. Yitzchak would be in danger of adopting their pagan customs which would corrupt his soul and damage the redemption plan for the world. Yitzchak was the son of the promise and he had to be protected from any kind of evil corruption.

Avraham avinu’s example shows us that we have to be very careful if sending our children to a world that we have left so they are not corrupted by their ways. Now that we have left behind contexts and relationships with those who engage in worldly practices, it is important to prevent our children from going back there. Because, why then did the Eternal bring us out of there? All the process of redemption and restoration that we are living would be stopped and aborted with the next generation.

May the Eternal give us grace to guide our children correctly so they can continue on the line of blessing and redemption that we received from our father Avraham and our Lord Yeshua, the Messiah,

Ketriel

How did Avraham weep for Sarah?

The lives of Sarah

Genesis 23:1-16

A

nd Sarah died at Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.

(Gen. 23:2 ESV)

How did Avraham weep for Sarah?

Our mother Sarah suddenly died in Chevron. All the joy that Avraham avinu was experiencing from his victory and blessing on the tenth test was changed into sorrow. Avraham went to mourn and cry for her.

However, the written Torah hides a secret regarding our father’s weeping. In the word livkotah לב

כותה that has been translated as “to weep for her”, the masoretic text displays (on purpose) the letter chaf כ smaller than the rest of the letters. There are eight – probably nine – smaller letters in the Chumash – Pentateuch – and this is the second instance in which we see this phenomenon. If we start from the standpoint that these are not copyists’ mistakes since Moshe wrote the Torah, we have to ask ourselves what is the purpose for this? Why the letter chaf כ is smaller than the other letters in this word? Obviously the Eternal wants to teach us something because not even the smallest letter of the Torah will pass until all is accomplished (Mat. 5:18). Normally, it is understood that this letter is smaller than the rest because Avraham’s weeping was smaller than normal. The Torah doesn’t show us that Sarah’s death had a big impact on Avraham either. Why?

One of the reasons why Avraham didn’t cry that much is because he was going to meet with Sarah again on the resurrection of the death. This totally agrees with Shaul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 where it is written: “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Yeshua died and rose again, even so, through Yeshua, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Messiah will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words. (ESV revised)

Avraham was expecting the heavenly city to come to the land of Kenaan where he lived as a foreigner as it is also written in Hebrews 11:13-16: “These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth (here, the land of Kenaan should be understood). For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.” (ESV)

Here, it is not about the soul going to the heavenly city when one dies because no one has received the promise of the world to come yet, according to what is written in Hebrews 11:39-40: “All these people won approval for their faith but did not receive what was promised, since God had planned something better for us so that they would not become perfect without us.” (ISV)

Those who died haven’t received the promise yet. They will when the Messiah comes back and raises those who died in faith.

So, our father Avraham didn’t weep very much for his beloved wife, knowing that he was going to see her again in the resurrection of the dead.

It is a custom among the Jewish people that when someone passes away, the immediate family fasts on that day. The burial should take place on the same day of the death or as soon as possible. According to the halachah – practical rabbinical set of laws – there are three mourning periods after the burial of a close relative: a week, a month and a year. There are ten specific rules for the first week:

1. Both to sit down, and to eat on the floor.

2. No wearing leather shoes.

3. No greeting others.

4. No working.

5. No cutting one’s hair or shave (for the first 30 days).

6. No washing the whole body and no wearing perfumes (7 days, but according to a more strict opinion 30 days).

7. No washing or ironing one’s clothes (7 days, but according to the above mentioned opinion, 30 days).

8. No studying the Torah.

9. No sexual intercourse.

10. No taking part in feasts (12 months).

At the beginning of the 7th and of the 30th day, the community gathers at the mourner’s home to pray minchah – the afternoon prayer – and arvit – the evening/night prayer – and to study Torah. The mourner recites the kadish – sanctification of the Name of the Eternal – in community prayers (in specific moments) during twelve months less one week. After 30 days and during the first year a headstone can be erected in remembrance of the deceased relative. Many do this in the anniversary of the death.

The mourning period should end on the 30^th day. However, if a yom tov – a festival ordered by the Scriptures – comes during that period, the mourning can end as of this day.

In the anniversary – yartseit – it is a custom to fast, light a remembrance candle, give tsedaká – alms – to have guests and to host a special session of Torah study, between minchah and arvit at the beginning of the anniversary day. Avraham avinu didn’t weep a lot for his beloved wife, because he knew that the blessing that the Eternal had given them included a wonderful share for them both in the world to come.

May the Eternal allow us all the privilege of reaching the world to come and the heavenly city that will descend to earth.

Shavua tov,