Walk in the Bible - Genesis 22

 Walk in the Bible - Genesis 22

     In chapter 22, the Torah scholars aren't really sure if the Bible jumps forward in time or backward. This is because they're not really sure what "some time afterward" is referring to. When we look at the the Jerusalem Targum (a targum is a translation of the Bible from one language to another - be aware that this is being written during the second temple period where the Hebrews started speaking Aramaic rather than Hebrew, which was the language of Babylon, their captors, therefore this Targum was a translation from Hebrew to Aramaic) the same verse states "And it was after these things that the Lord tried Abraham.." whereas the Targum of Jonathan goes into more detail and says that it was after Isaac and Ishmael had an argument about who was really Abraham's first born son (and thus who should get the double portion of his inheritance, as was customary). The Talmud, Sanhedrin 89b:8 also refers to this argument as well. Other commentators, like Rashi cite that same argument, but also cite an argument between GOD and Satan, similar to what would happen with Job!

     Further, the Targum of Johnathan has Isaac stating that he's thirty six years old while this argument is happening. Since Abraham is reported to have died when he was 175 years old (per Genesis 25:7), it's theoretically possible, however, by this time, Isaac was already married (this is shown in Genesis 24:67) and Abraham would not have been able to have bind him on altar as Genesis 22 says he did. Further, the words used to describe him were fairly vague, in most verses the word "ben" (meaning son of, or just son) is used. When GOD refers to him, he uses the word "naar" which means "a youth", however, per Nachmanides, Rashi and Ibn Ezra, this word can be used to describe someone that's acting like a youth for example, Joshua is described as such when he served and learned from Moses.

     Even though the scholars can't decide what "some time afterward" was, they all agree that GOD asked Abraham to sacrifice his son as a burnt offering. A burn offering was used as part of a treaty, and was not done with a human sacrifice,except among the pagans, it was done with an animal which was butchered and cut into pieces on an altar, a vow was said, then the sacrifice was burned as a physical agreement with the treaty as well as a promise that if this person broke the treaty, that they should be slaughtered and burned just like this animal was. This is what GOD was asking Abraham to do, as a test, to his son Isaac.

     Or HaChaim makes an interesting comment about GOD's choice of words in verse 2 where HE refers to Isaac as "His son, his favorite one, the one whom he loves". He states that these three set of adjectives refers to the three levels of love that GOD demands each Jew (and by extension, each Christian)  practice towards GOD and others. That they love GOD with all their heart, with all their soul and with all their finances. When HE tells Abraham to take his son to the land of Moriah, HE is literally speaking of Jerusalem. Rashi tell us so in his commentary of Genesis 22:2, he notes that 2 Chronicles 3:1 also mentions Moriah as the being in Jerusalem.

     We see that Abraham gets up early and saddles his own donkey and splits his own wood, rather than ask his servants to do it for him. It also shows him taking two of his servants with him. The Targum of Johnathan states that Ishmael went with him as well. Rashi points out that according to the Midrash Tanchuma Balak 8, a man of high standing shouldn't travel alone, he should have at least two men with him, in case one of the men has to answer the call of nature, that way, he won't be alone. This is likely part of the inspiration for Ecclesiastes 4:9-12.

     In Genesis 4, Abraham's left his well, Ber-Sheeba and has come to the mountain that GOD wanted him to sacrifice Isaac on. Some Torah scholars claim that he knew this was the right mountain because he saw a column of fire on the mountain, but neither of his servants saw it. Radak mentions this, and he quotes from Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer, chapter 31, and he notes this isn't the only Midrash that says this either. Abraham had the servants stay with the donkey, possibly to keep them from trying to stop him from sacrificing his son.

     In a foreshadowing of what was to come, he had his son, Isaac, carry the wood for the sacrifice, just like JESUS would do centuries later. In a further foreshadowing, when Isaac asks Abraham where the lamb is for the offering, Abraham tells him God will provide the lamb. Some Torah scholars even believe that Isaac got the idea that the sacrifice might even be he, himself! Some sources even take this further and state that Abraham didn't have to overpower Isaac, but rather that he offered himself and asked to be bound so that he wouldn't try to run or flinch.

     When Abraham arrived where GOD told him to go and he built an altar, the Targum of Jonathan tells us that this is the place Adam built his altar, and the same place Noah re-built the altar after it had been destroyed by the flood. We see Abraham raise the knife, in verse 10, then in verse 11 an angels of the Lord calls out to Abraham by calling him twice. Chikzuni tells us that this was done to show that the call was urgent. He states that this was used in other languages the same way.

     When the angel called Abraham's name twice, his name wasn't repeated because Abraham didn't hear him the first time. In biblical Hebrew, a name or a adjective would be repeated twice to show intensity, for example, when Jesus said "Verily, verily..." in John 6:53 HE was calling those listening to HIM to listen very closely to HIM because what HE was saying was very important and HE wanted them to pay close attention. The same thing was happening here with Abraham, the angel wanted him to pay close attention to him!

     In our bible, we read that the angel tells Abraham not to slay Isaac and he does what the angel requested. However, in a Midrash, called simply "Tanchuma" Abraham is shown challenging the angel, pretty much asking who he is and then telling the angel that GOD said sacrifice his son and if HE wants him to not sacrifice his son, HE needs to tell him HIMSELF. In either reading, Isaac is certainly not offered as a sacrifice, a ram is. According to Rashi, when Abraham saw the ram, he actually saw it become entangled by it's horns, Abraham took the ram and offered it in Isaac's place. A ram is shown as being acceptable for a sin offering, a burnt offering or a peace offering in Leviticus 9:4.

     Daat Zkenim makes an interesting comment that because of this sacrifice, a ram's horn was blown in memory of this on days GOD would set aside for this practice so that the Jews could receive atonement for themselves. This is likely the origin of the practice of blowing a Shofar (Ram's horn) in Jewish Temple services. In verse 14 we see Abraham name this mountain "Adonai-yireh". The name "yireh" has multiple meanings including "vision","understand","appear" and "provide". The definition of "provide" comes from the Torah, and most bible translations of this verse where it's explained that GOD had provided the lamb.

  From verse 15 - 18 we see GOD add to HIS blessing that he gave to Abraham. Rambam points out that HIS original blessing (in Genesis 15:5 and Genesis 13:16) still stands, that his offspring would be as numerous as the stars and the grains of sand. HE now states that not only is that still going to happen, but now, his descendants will inherit the land of his enemies AND all the nations of the Earth will be blessed because they will be a descendant of Abraham. We see, later on, in Matthew 3:8-9 that this became something JESUS scolded the Pharisees and the Sadducee's about. They would come to claim that they were somehow superior because they were sons of Abraham. GOD never intended that blessing that he gave Abraham to indicate any kind of superiority whatsoever!

  In verse 19 we see Abraham returning to his servants, but not Isaac. Some of the Torah scholars state that Isaac stayed behind and studied the Torah. The problem with this is that the Torah wouldn't have been written until Moses wrote it the first time, so he wouldn't have been able to study that. Some actually state that Isaac really did get slaughtered, however, the Bible contradicts that up a few verses higher!

  The last few verses show that GOD is starting the process of enlarging Abraham's family line, and is also setting up Isaac's future wife for him ( up in verse 23). We'll see the name Nahor later on in verse 24, and it's the same person as well.

  In this passage, we see GOD asking Abraham to give back to him something he'd been waiting for his whole life, his son.Bear in mind, his SON was going to be his security when he got older and could no longer work, it would be who he would pass on his estate to, so that it would remain in his family, and it was, according to the culture of his day,his blessing from GOD. He'd waited all of his adult life, and when he and Sara became too old, by their culture's standards, and for that matter, any medical standards, to be parents, GOD provided. Now GOD was asking Abraham to give Isaac back to him.

  I completely understand this. I mentioned how I came to become a worship leader, what I didn't tell you was I've always been what people call "musically gifted", I don't say this out of arrogance or to parade myself. I can hear a song, and play it back, sometimes note for note. I can hear a note and can tell you what note that is on the music scale right away.

  I can write music and lyrics without any music instrument, and have been writing since I was fourteen years old. I play four instruments but have been taught formally only one on of them. Almost all of that is ability from GOD.

  I, like Abraham, had wanted to be a worship leader for a very long time. I lead here and there at other churches, but never at my own. I didn't, until I was willing to stop trying to be a worship leader and only serve. If it meant never being a worship leader, so be it. If that's what GOD wanted, then I was fine with it.

  Once I gave any thought of being a worship leader back to GOD in exchange for service, I started being asked to lead in my own church. I had to give up leading in my church due to a change in my schedule, and now that I've moved away from that city, I'm now in the process of finding another church.

  In the meantime, GOD has blessed me further by allowing me to start studying to be a minister, and to get further into Bible Study, and to improve my standing at work and with my family. I got back more than I gave up and I couldn't be happier.

  How about you, are you holding on to something that's keeping you back? Do you need to let it go for GOD? If that's the case and you just can't seem to let it go, feel free to reach out, I'll be happy to talk with you!