Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] I was born this way. We all say it, but God told Abraham. That's only where your story begins. I need to cut away what's holding you back so you can become who I created you to be. Sometimes faith means letting God redefine us. Join me to discover how in this week's five Minute Torah Shalom and Blessings from Shalom Macon, the place where disciples of Yeshua learn, connect and grow. I'm Darren, and before I get into the five minutes of my five Minute Torah commentary, let's cover a few quick facts about this week's Torah portion. This week we are studying the third portion of the Torah cycle, which is also the third portion of the Book of Genesis. We're in the portion of lech Lechad Genesis 12:1 through 17:27. Here are the three things that you need to know about it. Number one Avraham Avinu the Calling of Avram out of all the people on earth, God chose a man named Avram to become the father of a great nation, one that would lead leave an indelible mark on the world. God promised him a son whose offspring would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation and I will bless you. This is Genesis 12:1 3. From that moment, the world has envied the people of promise and sought to erase them. May we always stand with Avraham's children, the Jewish people.
[00:01:26] Number two Melchizedek, the mysterious priest of God. When strife arose between Avraham's herdsmen and Lot's herdsmen, the two parted ways. Lot settled in the fertile land of Sodom, but was later captured when invading kings attacked the region. Avram pursued the armies, defeated them, and rescued his nephew. On his return, he was greeted by Malkitzedek, the King of Salem, who blessed him in the name of the Most High God. This mysterious priest king has intrigued readers for millennia, especially because the Book of Hebrews later connects Yeshua to the priesthood of Melchizedek.
[00:02:04] 3. Circumcision the sign of the covenant When Avram was 99 years old, God appeared to him again, changed his name to Avraham, the father of multitudes, and sealed his covenant with a sign, circumcision. Every male in Avraham's household and every generation after him was to bear this mark as an everlasting sign of their relationship with Go.
[00:02:29] Scripture calls it an eternal covenant. Genesis 17:13 one that still identifies the descendants of Abraham today Hey, the new Torah cycle has begun. Are you ready? The Five Minute Torah series is your guide to uncovering Messianic connections within each week's Torah portion. Pulling together the Torah and the teachings of the apostolic scriptures in just five minutes, you'll discover how the Torah connects to your life as a disciple of Yeshua when with insights that are both practical and deeply spiritual. The Five Minute Torah books are the weekly Torah portion with the Messianic connection in just five minutes. Don't wait, order yours today.
[00:03:05] This week's Torah commentary is called Partnering with God and comes from a book, Five Minute Torah, Volume 1.
[00:03:11] In the Torah portion of Lech Lecha, we begin learning about a character by the name of Abram or Avram, as we know his name will eventually be changed to Abraham, Avraham or Abraham, and our knowledge of his life is pivotal to our understanding of God's plan for humanity. In fact, the entire scriptures hinge around this one person. When we read this week's portion, Abraham's courageous faith immediately becomes apparent when he leaves everything behind and moves to the land of Canaan in order to obey God's command. This is the first of several of Abraham's trials we read about in this small section of Genesis. The next trial we learn about is his encounter with Pharaoh and how he attempts to protect his family from the Egyptians. Then we read of the dispute between his nephew Lot's shepherds and his own, and the trial of dividing the land between his nephew and himself. We also read about his trial of rescuing Lot when he and his household were captured by invading armies. The next trial is overcoming the pain of being childless and results in the taking of his wife's servant Hagar as an additional wife through which his son Ishmael is born. The last trial in this portion is the commandment to Abraham to circumcise himself and all the males of his household. But there's something unique about how this particular trial is introduced. When the Lord instructed Abraham in regard to circumcision, he first said, I am God Almighty, walk before me and be perfect, that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly. This is Genesis 17:1 and 2. When God made his covenant of circumstances circumcision with Abraham, the intention was to make Abraham something greater than what he was already.
[00:04:53] Somehow this act of obedience through altering his physical nature would produce in Abraham a partnership with God that could not be achieved otherwise. This concept is difficult to grasp, but it's one that deserves our Attention Circumcision is a volatile topic these days. The secular world sees it as a barbaric and cruel practice, and many Christians view it negatively as well due to Paul's statement that in regard to salvation, it is mutilation of the flesh According to Philippians 3. 2. But we have to remember that the God of the universe is one who instructed Abraham and all future generations of his descendants to undergo this transformation. But why would God want man to do such a thing if he created us uncircumcised to begin with? The answer connects us back to the introduction of his covenant of circumcision. I am God Almighty. Walk before me and be perfect. Our sages said that before his circumcision, Abraham was not whole. In other words, he wasn't perfect. Once he was circumcised, however, he became whole. This is from Midrash Tanhuma on Genesis 17:1 God desires to partner with man in order to bless him and to do great things. In this world, when man partners with God to accomplish wonderful things, even in seemingly minute things, we are fulfilling our calling to walk before him, striving toward perfection, just as Abraham did. For instance, God did not create trees that produce bread, though it'd be nice, wouldn't it? Instead, God provides only the grain for the bread. Man must do the rest. We must harvest the grain, thresh and winnow it, grind it, mix it with other ingredients, and then bake it before we have a delicious loaf of bread. By doing so, man partners with God to create something beautiful and beneficial for humanity. The same is true in our spiritual lives. Although we may be born a certain way, we must realize that we are not supposed to remain that way. We should never be satisfied with the way we are, but should always strive to become something more than how we were created. Just as we work together with God to create bread, and just as Abraham worked with God to circumcise all the males of his house, so should we work with God to alter ourselves in ways that make us more like our Creator. It's not an easy task, but through much patience and diligence we can partner with the Lord to become the person he envisioned when he created us. If you enjoy diving into the Torah each week with me, you're going to love what we've just launched for the little ones in your life. It's called Socks on youn Table, a brand new series where Rabbi Socks brings the weekly Torah portion to to children in a fun, faith filled way they'll never forget. Each short episode helps kid connect the stories of the Scriptures to everyday life, all from a messianic Jewish perspective. So after this video, head on over to Socks on youn Table playlist and share it with your kids, your grandkids, or your Shabbat group. Let's help the next generation fall in love with God's Word one sock at a time.
[00:08:01] Ra.
