Vayerabiblestudyresourcecenter.com

Vayera

VayeraGenesis 18:1 22:24Haftarah: 2 Kings 4:1-47Gospel: Luke 2:1-38Vayera = And he appeared

The 4th Torah Portion Reading4th reading in the Book of Genesis

Genesis 18 The Lord appears to Abraham Sarah is reproved for laughing at the strange promise Abraham makes intercession for his people

Genesis 18:23 23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

Genesis 19 Lot entertains two angels The vicious Sodomites stricken with blindness Lot is sent for safety into the mountains Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed Lots wife became a pillar of salt Lot dwells in a cave

Genesis 20 Abraham at Gerar Abimelech takes Sarah Abimelech is reproved for her in a dream and rebukes Abraham He restores Sarah

Genesis 21 Isaac is born Hagar and Ishmael are expelled Abimelech and Abraham make a covenant

Genesis 22 God, testing Abrahams faith, commands him to sacrifice Isaac Abraham gives proof of faith and obedience The angel stops him Abraham is again blessed The generation of Nahor to Rebekah

Luke 2:1-31 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. 2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

Luke 2:4-7 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

BethlehemWhy would Joseph have to leave Nazareth and travel to Bethlehem to participate in a census? Why not just register in Nazareth? Although Joseph lived in Nazareth, his ancestral property rights remained in Bethlehem, David's hometown.

Luke 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. Greek Strong's Number: 2646Greek Word: Transliteration: katalymafrom (kataluo); properly a dissolution (breaking up of a journey), i.e. (by implication) a lodging-place :- guestchamber, inn.

Luke 2:8-12 8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

A SignAnd this shall be a sign unto you; The angel offers a sign by which the shepherds will be able to identify the newly-born king: "You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger" (2:12). The swaddling cloths are incidental. Finding a baby "wearing a diaper" could hardly be construed a sign. The "sign" part is that the baby will be lying in manger.

Luke 2:13-16 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

men of His favorThe traditional King James Version "good will toward men" is a misunderstanding of the Greek, but the angels did not sing in Greek. According to the Hebrew and Aramaic parallels, the phrase should be read as "men of His favor," i.e., men upon whom He has chosen to bestow His favor.45 Thus the angelic announcement about the birth ofMessiah is not necessarily good news for everyone.

Luke 2:17-20 17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Luke 2:21-2421 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. 22 And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; 23 (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) 24 And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.

Leviticus 12:1-51 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean. 3 And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. 4 And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying three and thirty days; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled. 5 But if she bear a maid child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her separation: and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying threescore and six days.

Leviticus 12:6-86 And when the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtledove, for a sin offering, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest: 7 Who shall offer it before the LORD, and make an atonement for her; and she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood. This is the law for her that hath born a male or a female. 8 And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean.

Luke 2:25-2825 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. 26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, 28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,

Luke 2:29-3529 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: 30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, 31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; 32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. 33 And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him. 34 And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; 35 (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

Isaiah 8:14-15Then He shall become a sanctuary; but to both the houses ofIsrael, a stone to strike and a rock to stumble over, and a snare and a trap for the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Many will stumble over them, then they will fall and be broken.

Sixth OracleSimeon's oracle contains strong allusions to the Hebrew Scriptures:

Luke 2:36-4036 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; 37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. 39 And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth. 40 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

Luke 2:41-4541 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. 43 And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. 44 But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. 45 And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.

Luke 2:46-4846 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. 47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. 48 And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.

Luke 2:49-5249 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business? 50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. 51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

Luke 2:52Luke 2:52 (KJV) 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.The one isolated incident from the boyhood of Jesus is recorded by Dr. Luke to let us know that Jesus had a normal human childhood. Wisdom Mental (soul)Stature Physical (body)Favour Spiritual (spirit)

A Study of VayeraVayera

Torah ClubWritten Commentary $25.00Group Commentary $15.00Written & Audio $45.00

Lech Lecha

Genesis 22

Genesis 22

Genesis 22

Luke 2

***"And he appeared" because the first story describes how the LORD appeared to Abraham one day as he sat outside his tent. Section Vayera continues with the series of tests of faith for Abraham, concluding in one great and final trial. *In Genesis 18, we read that the Lord appeared to Abraham in Mamre, and also, in the same verse, that three men visited him. This has to be one of the most debated passages of all time. The big question is whether these three were divine beings (and if one of the three was the Lord, Yahweh), and if so, why are they described in these verses as men engaging in very human activities such as washing their feet and eating regular food (Gen. 18:48)? we are specifically told in Gen. 18:1 that the Lord (YHWH) appeared to him (Abraham) near the trees/oaks of Mamre. The Hebrew makes it perfectly clear that Yahweh himself appeared, at least at some point in the story. The Greek translators confirm, albeit somewhat more generically, that it was God (ho theos) that appeared.******The Greek word for world, oikoumene, means "inhabited earth" and referred to the civilized world of that day.Caesar Augustus was the adopted son of Julius Caesar. Actually his name was Octavianus and he took the name Caesar - he had a right to it. The name Augustus was not a name but a title. When the senate submitted to him certain titles like king, emperor, and dictator, he was not satisfied. Instead he chose the title Augustus. It had a religious significance, and it was an attempt to deify himself.*Joseph and Mary came out of Nazareth in Galilee and went into Judea to Bethlehem, the city of David. Joseph did this because he was of the house and lineage of David. Why did Mary have to go to Bethlehem? She also was of the lineage of David.I am thrilled when I read this simple, historically accurate passage with tremendous spiritual truth behind it. Caesar Augustus attempted to make himself a god. He wanted to be worshiped. He signed a tax bill which caused a woman and man, peasants, living in Nazareth, to journey to Bethlehem to enroll. That woman was carrying in her womb the Son of God! This is tremendous! This Caesar Augustus tried to make himself God, but nobody today reverences him or pays taxes to him. But that little baby in Mary's womb -- many of us worship Him today and call Him our Savior.Caesar Augustus was merely the tool in God's hand to bring to pass the prophecy, "But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting" (Mic. 5:2). This is a remarkable account..*Joseph probably had legal title to property around Bethlehem which he might have forfeited if he did not register his name with it for property tax purposes. Moreover, Joseph and Mary were not planning on returning to Nazareth. Instead, they intended on relocating to Bethlehem permanently. Perhaps they wanted to leave the scandal of their betrothal and the last six months behind in Nazareth. The prophet Micah predicted that Messiah, the son of David, was to come from Bethlehem, the hometown of David where the Davidic family still maintained their ancestral property: "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah ... from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from *The early Christians adopted a very wonderful word for the burying places of their loved ones -- this Greek word which means "a rest house for strangers, a sleeping place." It is the same word from which we get our English word cemetery. The same word was used in that day for inns, or what we would call a hotel or motel. A Hilton Hotel, a Ramada Inn or a Holiday Inn -- they are the places where you spend the night to sleep. You expect to get up the next day and continue your journey. This is the picture of the place where you bury your believing loved ones. You don't weep when you have a friend who goes and spends a weekend in a Hilton Hotel, you rejoice with him. The body of the believer has just been put into a motel until the resurrection. One day the Lord is coming and that body is going to be raised up. However the spirit is now with God.

*The shepherds in the vicinity allude back to David who watched his father's flocks in the wilderness around Bethlehem. "Flocks were kept outside in this way from April to November and occasionally in suitable locations during the winter.,,41 Edersheim suggests that the shepherds watching over the flocks might have been in the direct employ of the Templeperhaps Levitical shepherds watching over Temple flocks.42 The shepherds also allude to Micah's prophecy of the birth of Messiah in which he mentions a place near Bethlehem called Migdal Eder ('1V '1m), the "Watchtower of the Flock." **Our Authorized Version gives the wrong impression here. The angels did not say, "on earth peace, good will toward men." What they actually said was, "peace to men of good will," or "peace among men with whom He is pleased." The angels did not make the asinine statement that many men make today which goes, "Let's have peace, peace, peace." My friend, "There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked" (Isa. 48:22). We live in a day when we need to beat our plowshares into swords -- not the other way around. We live in a wicked world. We live in a Satan-dominated world, and therefore there is no peace. There is, however, peace to men of good will. If you are one of those who has come to Christ and taken him as Savior, you can know this peace of God. Romans 5:1 states: "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." When Christ came the first time, this is the kind of peace He brought. At His second coming He will come as the Prince of Peace; at that time He will put down unrighteousness and rebellion in the world. He will establish peace on the earth. But until He comes again, there will be no peace on this earth. The shepherds did not stop to question. I like the simplicity of their faith. They did not say, "Let us go and see if this thing has come to pass." They said, "Let us go and see this thing which has come to pass." They were persuaded even before they saw.*The short couplet employs the common biblical word pair "heaven" and "earth," using "highest" as a synonym for heaven, i.e., "the highest heaven." The birth of the Messiah glorifies God in the highest heaven, and it brings peace on earth to men whom God chooses.

*Luke tells us, "Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart" (2:19). This may suggest that Luke's knowledge of the incident came from Mary's own personal recollection.

*Mary and Joseph offered turtledoves as a sacrifice, which were an evidence of their poverty. The sacrifice was for Mary and not for the Child. As far as we know, Jesus never offered a sacrifice.

In keeping with Torah law, Joseph circumcised the child on the eighth day, and in keeping with Jewish custom He named Him that same day. They gave Him the name the angel announced to Mary at the time of the conception, the same name an angel revealed to Joseph in the dream.

The birth of Yeshua left Mary in a state of ritual impurityY A woman who gives birth to a son is ritually unfit to enter the Temple or eat of the sacrifices for forty days. Anytime after the forty-day term is completed, she may return to a state of ritual purity by immersing and bringing sacrifices to the Temple. Luke points out the scrupulous Torah observance of Mary and Joseph. Though the law of purification required forty days only as a minimum, Mary and Joseph appeared at the Temple to offer the prescribed sacrifice at the first opportunity.

In addition to offering the sacrifices for Mary's purification, Joseph and Mary wanted to fulfill the commandment of redeeming a firstborn son. When a woman's firstborn was a boy, the child belonged to the LORD as property of the priesthood. The father must pay five silver shekels to a priest in exchange for his firstborn son.52 Mary and Joseph could have fulfilled the redemption ceremony anywhere and at any time after the baby's first month, but no other place was more appropriate than the Temple precincts.

*Mary and Joseph offered turtledoves as a sacrifice, which were an evidence of their poverty. The sacrifice was for Mary and not for the Child. As far as we know, Jesus never offered a sacrifice.

In keeping with Torah law, Joseph circumcised the child on the eighth day, and in keeping with Jewish custom He named Him that same day. They gave Him the name the angel announced to Mary at the time of the conception, the same name an angel revealed to Joseph in the dream.

The birth of Yeshua left Mary in a state of ritual impurityY A woman who gives birth to a son is ritually unfit to enter the Temple or eat of the sacrifices for forty days. Anytime after the forty-day term is completed, she may return to a state of ritual purity by immersing and bringing sacrifices to the Temple. Luke points out the scrupulous Torah observance of Mary and Joseph. Though the law of purification required forty days only as a minimum, Mary and Joseph appeared at the Temple to offer the prescribed sacrifice at the first opportunity.

In addition to offering the sacrifices for Mary's purification, Joseph and Mary wanted to fulfill the commandment of redeeming a firstborn son. When a woman's firstborn was a boy, the child belonged to the LORD as property of the priesthood. The father must pay five silver shekels to a priest in exchange for his firstborn son.52 Mary and Joseph could have fulfilled the redemption ceremony anywhere and at any time after the baby's first month, but no other place was more appropriate than the Temple precincts.

*Mary and Joseph offered turtledoves as a sacrifice, which were an evidence of their poverty. The sacrifice was for Mary and not for the Child. As far as we know, Jesus never offered a sacrifice.

In keeping with Torah law, Joseph circumcised the child on the eighth day, and in keeping with Jewish custom He named Him that same day. They gave Him the name the angel announced to Mary at the time of the conception, the same name an angel revealed to Joseph in the dream.

The birth of Yeshua left Mary in a state of ritual impurityY A woman who gives birth to a son is ritually unfit to enter the Temple or eat of the sacrifices for forty days. Anytime after the forty-day term is completed, she may return to a state of ritual purity by immersing and bringing sacrifices to the Temple. Luke points out the scrupulous Torah observance of Mary and Joseph. Though the law of purification required forty days only as a minimum, Mary and Joseph appeared at the Temple to offer the prescribed sacrifice at the first opportunity.

In addition to offering the sacrifices for Mary's purification, Joseph and Mary wanted to fulfill the commandment of redeeming a firstborn son. When a woman's firstborn was a boy, the child belonged to the LORD as property of the priesthood. The father must pay five silver shekels to a priest in exchange for his firstborn son.52 Mary and Joseph could have fulfilled the redemption ceremony anywhere and at any time after the baby's first month, but no other place was more appropriate than the Temple precincts.

*In those days, an old priest named Simeon lived in Jerusalem. Luke does not tell us he is a priest, but the context of the narrative implies it. Luke describes him as righteous (tzaddik, P~1~) and devout (chasid, 1~On), adjectives he commonly uses to describe the scrupulously Torah observant and priest.

*Notice that Luke calls them "Joseph and his mother," not His father and mother.Mary paid a tremendous price to bring the Savior into the world. She paid an awful price to stand beneath the cross of the Lord Jesus and watch Him die. You might have expected Simeon to reverse that order, for it was prophesied in the Old Testament that the Messiah was coming first to bring blessing to Israel and then, through Israel, to the Gentile world. Simeon realized and recognized that there would be a change in God's way of dealing with men, so he put the Gentiles first and Israel second. The Spirit of God knew that when our Lord Jesus Christ came that first time in lowly grace, His own people would refuse Him. They would not receive Him as their Messiah, so their hour of blessing would be deferred. *Simeon warns Mary that the child "is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel" (2:34). He alludes to an important prophecy in the book ofIsaiah: *Simeon follows the blessing with a short prayer which he utters in the form of a prophetic oracle called Nunc Dimittis.56 His prayer falls into three concise, poetic couplets, and "thus has the most obviously poetic from of any of the 'hymns' in the birth narrative." 57 As with Magnificat and Benedictus, scholars suggest that Nunc Dimittis may have been used liturgically by the early believers. *Still amazed over the oracles ofSimeon and pondering what his words might mean for the future, Mary and Joseph turn to leave the Court of the Women, but an old woman stops them. Anna the prophetess rose up and uttered yet another prophetic oracle over the child in the form of a thanksgiving prayer. Unfortunately, Luke did not include her prophecy in his narrative.

For eighty-four years, the holy widow Anna prayed fervently for the coming of the Messiah. Anna was over 100 years old.*I believe that it is possible it is to take for granted that Jesus is in our company while He is not truly present. It is so easy to go on in an outward form of religiousness and not really enjoy the presence of Christ. It is possible to sit at the table of the Lord and conduct services for the Lord and not have the presence of the Lord with us. It is possible to go on day by day thinking everything is all right when in reality things are very wrong because we are out of touch with Him. We are not enjoying communion with Him.**Jesus always referred to God as his Father except on the cross. In this incident as in all else the Lord Jesus has given young people an example that they should follow. We are given an example of Christ as a child so that children who have been brought to know their God and Father may follow in His steps. Let me impress on our youth the importance of following the example of Jesus by familiarizing themselves with God's Word. What you learn of this blessed Book in childhood will abide with you through the years.

********