Episode Transcript
[00:00:04] Speaker A: The Fountain of Youth. I'm sure you've heard of it. The Fountain of Youth is a legendary spring that supposedly grants renewed youth to those who drink or bathe in its waters. This mythical claim spurred explorers, particularly in the 16th century, to seek it out as a cure for aging and a means to immortality. The legend is most famously linked with Juan Ponce de Leon, the Spanish explorer and first governor of Puerto Rico, who was believed to be searching for the Fountain when he traveled to Florida in 1513. And despite this seemingly pointless quest, there's a means by which we can, in this world, not merely in the Resurrection, defeat mortality have I got your attention? Then please join me for this week's 5 Minute Torah Shalom and welcome back. I'm Darren and I'm excited to be with you again for another video on the weekly Torah portion. Before I get into my five minute Torah commentary, here's a few facts about this week's Torah portion. This week we are studying the portion of Vayera. This is Genesis 18:1, 22, 24 and here are the three things that you need to know about it. Number one angels unaware Abraham's heavenly guests Just days after Abraham had circumcised himself and Ishmael, he encountered angelic visitors in the heat of the day, disguised as Bedouin travelers. Abraham's hospitable nature overcomes his physical ailment and he runs to meet them and serve them. Soon he realizes that they are messengers sent from the Lord and they tell Abraham and Sarah they would have a child of their own in their old age. They also tell Abraham that they are about to head to Sodom to destroy it and the surrounding cities because of their wickedness. Abraham pleads on behalf of the cities that they would be spared if they find enough righteous people living within them. The angels head out and and Sodom and the surrounding cities are destroyed, but Lot and his daughters are spared. Number two Child of Promise the Birth of Isaac Just like the angels had said, Sarah gave birth to a baby boy a year later, Abraham circumcised him on the eighth day, just as God had commanded him in last week's tour portion. He was called Isaac from the Hebrew word Sechok, which means laughter. It was a reminder that Sarah had laughed when the angels had said she would bear a son. After Isaac was born, she took it even further by saying, God has made laughter for me. Everyone who hears will laugh over me. Truly, God is a God of miracles. And number three, the Akedah, the binding of Isaac. The word Akedah means binding. When Isaac was In his probably mid-30s, God put Abraham through his most difficult test. He told Avraham, take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Morea and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you. This is Genesis 22:2. Rather than arguing with God, Abraham and Isaac got up early in the morning to make the trip. At first, Isaac wasn't aware of what was going on. He asked his father, we had the fire and the wood, but where's the lamb for the burnt offering? Abraham responded by telling him, God will provide for himself. The lamb for a burnt offering, my son. Even more surprising than Abraham's alacrity in taking the task is that Isaac, a grown man, willingly went with him, even after realizing that he was the gift that would be sacrificed. According to legend, Isaac even asked his father to bind him tightly to the altar so that he wouldn't flinch as his father took the knife. As we know, God intervenes by sending a ram in place of Isaac, and Abraham passes his most difficult test with flying colors. You've made it to the new Torah cycle. Congratulations. Now all you need to do is grab a copy of one of my Five Minute Torah Commentaries. With three volumes to choose from, you can't go wrong. Help promote Messianic Judaism and Shalom Makan by picking up your own copy and sharing it with your family and friends. Once they see the depth and beauty of the Torah from a Messianic Jewish perspective, you might end up with a new study partner. Grab your copy today using the link in the description below this video. This week's Torah commentary is called the Secret to Immortality and comes from my book, 5 Minute Torah Volume 3. As followers of Yeshua, we believe in life after death. Our eternal hope is the resurrection of the dead and the life we will enjoy in our immortal bodies. Yeshua speaks of this eternal Life in Matthew 25. Paul explains this reality by saying, for this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.
Our eternal resurrection will be the defeat of the ultimate enemy, death. This is the understanding many have of immortality and how we enter into it. However, there may be another aspect of immortality and a way we can achieve it now, even while we live in this world, let's turn to our portion to help us understand this concept. In the Torah portion of Vaira, Abraham and Sarah were visited by three men who turn out to be angelic messengers. They came for at least Two specific purposes. The first was to deliver the good news to Abraham and Sarah that Isaac would be born to them the following year. But they also came to bring judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah in their neighboring towns. At first, they appear to forego letting Abraham in on their plans. However, as they set out toward Sodom, the Lord says, shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? This is Genesis 18:17. 18 he chose to reveal his plans to Abraham in the very next verse, the Lord gives the reason he chose Abraham to occupy a special place in his mission among all mankind. For I have chosen him that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him. This is Genesis 18:19. Although this statement seems to be related to the reason the Lord told Abraham his plans about destroying Sodom and Gomorrah, it's also related to the angel's first mission, the news of Sarah's pregnancy. God chose Abraham and was now blessing him with children because he would teach his children to keep the ways of the Lord. The end of this verse, however, doesn't seem to make sense. Agreeing with the Midrash, Rashi finds a deeper significance in this phrase. One would think it should say so that the Lord may bring to Abraham's children what he has promised him, because eventually God would give Abraham's descendants the land of Canaan. But Abraham would never receive this promise. So, commenting on this verse, Rashi says that because the Torah asserts the promises would be given to Abraham himself rather than to his offspring, a deeper meaning must be intended. Abraham will indeed receive what he has been promised on account of the actions of his descendants long after he has departed. Therefore, it must mean that Abraham still lives through his children in some way. Rashi concludes by saying that a person who raises a righteous son is as if they never died. This is the secret to unlocking immortality. For those of us who have children, we have the opportunity to invest in our offspring to produce righteous children who would carry on the work of the kingdom in our place. For those of us who do not have physical offspring of our own, we still have the opportunity to disciple others so that they can carry on in our stead. Either way, we have an opportunity to step into immortality by investing in others, just as Abraham did. Abraham lives on because his descendants, both physical and spiritual continue to live out their faith, pursue Torah, and walk toward the realization of the Messianic Kingdom. Messianic pioneer Rabbi Isaac Lichtenstein understood this principle. He taught, only in our descendants, in our children, are we imperishable and immortal on earth, for they continue complete and fulfill that which we begin and undertake and strive for. May we each find immortality in this life through teaching others to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice. Eternity is waiting on you. Are you investing what's temporary or are you investing in what will outlive you? What kinds of investments have you made and what advice would you give to others in your shoes? I would love to hear from you and I'm sure others would as well. Let me hear your story in the comments below. Also, just a reminder, we are back in the series Repaving the Romans Road at Shulemakin and you don't want to miss any episode. If you missed any of their previous lessons, you can check them out right here. I'll see you next week for another Messianic insight into the Eternal Torah of God. Blessings from Shalom Macon, the place where disciples of Yeshua learn, connect and grow.
[00:09:02] Speaker B: Please Visit our website shalommakan.org to learn more about us. Join our live Services, Access other teachings, Sign up for our newsletter, join our private network that will connect you with our greater community from around the world or contribute to the work of Shalom Macon. Thank you for watching and we look forward to connecting with.
