31
October 2015 ~ 18 Cheshvan 5776
Torah
Parashah - Vayera ~ (He appeared)
B’re’shiyt
18:1- 22:24 RSTNE p 19
Guardian
Angel by Skip Moen
Torah
- Vayera (He appeared)
-prophecy
of Yitzchak and his birth
- destruction
of Sedom and Amorah
- Avraham’s
mediation to save righteous in the cities
- Lot’s
families escape
-the
Akediah of Avraham
- Hagar and
Ishmael sent away
**
Avraham’s
Akedah =
B’re’shiyt
22:16
“And
said, ‘By Myself have I sworn, says YHWH, because you have done this thing, and
have not withheld your son, your only son.”
This
is the verse the KEY verse.
Here
we have to go back to Hebrew... (of course! :) )
=
The English “you have done”
In
... “because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only
son.”
In
Hebrew “you have done” is “ASAH”
ASAH
is an ayin, a shin, and a hey.
This
word means =
to
make or create...
it is A DEED FULLY DONE and is in past tense. !!!
With
that understanding...
What
B’re’shiyt 22:16 - better translated would say something close to....
“because
you did this completely - giving your only son”.
What’s
the big deal about this anyway?? - “If this were true....”
Why
wouldn’t the Masoretic text say this?...
Because this is LIKE Y’shua!!
**************************
Let’s
go to our word study from Skip Moen’s Guardian Angel -
Today
we are going to start by looking at the word - “where”.
Let’s
start this by reading
B’re’shiyt
3: 1-13
RSTNE p 10
Let’s
look at YHWH’s opening question to Ahdahm after the sin...
B’re’shiyt
3:9
RSTNE p 10
“And
YHWH Elohiym called to Ahdahm, and said to him, ‘Where are you?’”
Rabbi
David Fohrman points out that there are 2 words in Hebrew for “where”.
“eypoh” and “ayyeh”
(it’s ai’ke in Interlinear)
“Hebrew
is a language with “a rather sparse vocabulary, so when it includes more than
one word for the same idea, there is usually a very good reason. The
reason is usually because there is some important difference between the 2
words. -- Something so important that
the separate ideas cannot be covered by a single word.”
Love
is
like this.
In
Hebrew it is -- ahava, dodh, and rayah.
And
if we just read B’re’shiyt 3:9 in English and it says “where”... we miss a ton
of stuff!
What
stuff?
Let’s
go to ...
EYPOH =
B’re’shiyt 37:16
= covers the general idea of “where”
when it comes to geography. This the
“where” of location.
AYYEH
=
B’re’shiyt 22:7 -
Yitzchak is not asking about the LOCATION of the sheep for the sacrifice.
-He is asking , in surprise, why
the sheep is not WITH THEM. His use of
AYYEH indicates that he expects the offering to be with them, but for some
reason it is not.
Once
you see the difference between these 2 words, the verse comes to life.
YHWH
is NOT asking about the location of Ahdahm - His question is a surprised
concern about the unusual circumstances ...
This
question in B’re’shiyt 3:9 is the first question in Torah.
(Because the serpent did not ask a question -
he had only made statements! - despite
English translation!)
- The
serpent states a fact with an implied suggestion. The serpent actually says “YHWH said” and
then implies “so what”.
YHWH
asks the first question in B’re’shiyt
3:9 - “Where are you?”
He’s
not asking for Ahdahm’s location!
He’s
asking - why Ahdahm is not where he is supposed to be - and Ahdahm is to be WITH HIM (YHWH)!!
The
difference in the meaning of “where” makes an enormous difference in our
understanding of the real situation.
Ahdahm
is supposed to be in the presence of YHWH.
As
a reflector of YHWH’s glory.
Ahdahm
should desire to be with YHWH.
NOTICE
IN
B’re’shiyt
3:8
“Ahdahm and his wife hid themselves from the presence of YHWH Elohiym...”
-
Ahdahm's allegiance has shifted, and Ahdahm is very aware of this shift.
His
idolatry has
forced him to flee YHWH’s glory.
Remember
last week we talked about the Hebrew word for loin covering - hagore with the
root hagar - means “to make private by
fencing the pride of a person” - (idolatry).
So
Ahdahm was putting on a covering that covered up his idolatry!
As
we have looked at this whole story -
- traditionally
the woman - Chava is blamed -
- and of
course the serpent...
- but not
Ahdahm....
But
what we don’t see clearly in English is that Ahdahm is involved in two sins.
These two sins are the backdrop for the tragic collapse of male-female relationships.
“His
sins propel us into the world where role fulfillment and transparent
relationships are a daily struggle.” - Moen says.
G. K Beale,
in “We become what we Worship” - makes a
remark that moves us toward the examination of Ahdahm’s reaction to YHWH’s
punishment.
He says.. “Ahdahm’s shift from trusting
YHWH to trusting the serpent meant that he (Ahdahm) no longer reflected YHWH’s
image but must have begun to mirror the serpent’s image.”
B’re’shiyt
3:10
“And
he said I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was
naked; and I hid myself.”
better
translated - this reads:
“And
he said, I sh’ma Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid
because I am naked; and I hid myself.”
Sh’ma
means both the :
1.
Sh’ma prayer - Hear O Yisra’el ... which Sh’ma means....listen and
obey!
2. But here in B’re’shiyt 3:10 - the
first time Sh’ma is used in Torah is about FEAR.
When
Ahdahm says “I heard your voice” he isn’t declaring the sovereignty of YHWH nor
is he declaring his loyalty to YHWH’s instructions... He is running scared.
Scripture
describes the dual nature of our reality....we can turn nearly any action into a declaration of YHWH’s goodness or a
statement of our depravity.
Sin
always results in a shift away from YHWH’s order toward DISORDER.
Ahdahm
heard YHWH’s command --
= He listened but he did not obey.
As
Zachar -
he was created to remember.
His
single obligation was to remember what YHWH said and live accordingly!!!
Zachar
/Zakar - “To hear/ remember what YHWH says and do it.”
YHWH
told Ahdahm every thing he needed to know in order to maintain a perfect
relationship with YHWH.
- But
Ahdahm listened to the naked snake.
Ahdahm
became the first idolater.
He knew what he was supposed to do -
but he picked his idea over YHWH’s instruction... this he placed himself higher
than YHWH.
The
text makes it very clear that Ahdahm was right there while the conversation
between the serpent and Chava occurred.
B’re’shiyt
3:6 “her
husband with her”
The
Hebrew word translated “with her” is “immah”
It
doesn’t mean he was just standing there.
It means he was agreeing with everything as it happened.
The
preposition “‘im” carries the meaning of something done together or in
common.
This
is NOT the exclusive sin of the ezer.
This
is mutual culpability.
It
is not surprising that Ahdahm and Chava were together...
What
is surprising is that Ahdahm DOESN’T SAY A WORD!!
Isn’t
he the Zachar - the one whose job it is - to remember what YHWH says and do
it??!!!
Yes,
of course he is the one called to remember....
but
wait - there’s more...
YHWH
asks him in B’re’shiyt 3:11 and then in 3:12 the man says.....
“And
the man said, The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the eytz,
and I did eat.”
or
basically - and probably sarcastically......
“I
just did what the woman you gave me, told me...
she is the one who is supposed to guide me - You said ....”
Which
first places blame on the woman Chava - but ultimately places the blame on
YHWH!!
But
Ahdahm is right... in that she is supposed to guard him. Ahdahm did what Chava said because he trusted Chava.
Chavah
failed to maintain the boundaries.
She
failed as neqevah - as the boundary setter, the counselor and the priest - the
EZER.
She
failed to recognize the difference between how she is made and how she might be
made.
As
the boundary keeper, she fails to recognize her own boundaries.
She
steps over the line because she does not see the difference between being
equipped by YHWH and being self-sufficient.
And
Ahdahm follows.
He
forgets that YHWH told him something else.
Both
the man and the woman violate their essential YHWH - created character.
But
that is what sin does - it violates who we really are. That is why sin is a form of insanity.
So
we should ask -
Did
Ahdahm make a mistake to trust Chavah?
NO.
Mishle
(Proverbs) 31:11 p 565
“The lev of her husband does
safely trust in her, so that he shall
have no need of spoil.”
“trust” = batach.
This
is the only place this is used between humans.
In
every other case of the use of the word “batach” - it is a positive declaration
of trust between a man/person and YHWH.
Ahdahm
was not wrong to trust her. Spouses are
supposed to trust each other like they trust YHWH.
Ahdahm’s
problem is not trust - His problem is not remembering!
When
Ahdahm failed to be who he was - the one who remembers - then there are no
standards for trust.
Remembering
implies upholding YHWH’s instructions.
“Remembering
means measuring TRUST against TRUTH.”
Trust
without truth lead to sin.
Sha’ul
was dead-on when he said... “As by one man, sin entered the world.”
Ahdahm
was right there, forgetting how YHWH made him and what he was supposed to
be.
The
woman was deceived but Ahdahm wasn’t.
He
made a deliberate choice.
We
trust YHWH because HE is unwavering, true and reliable.
That
is the divine standard of the ezer - reliability based on unwavering
truthfulness.
But
it is not reliability based on MY unwavering faithfulness.
-The
ezer must demonstrate reliability based on YHWH’s unwavering faithfulness.
In
other words - she is the guardian of the borders. She is responsible to hold the boundaries in
place AS YHWH HAS PRESCRIBED THEM.
We
can see here - it is not about what WE think.
We need YHWH to guide us!!
As
Moen says “We need a compass that is not influenced by OUR idea of True North.”
Ahdahm
forgot the truth - and his disregard killed him.
Chavah
ignored the boundaries - and overstepping them killed her.
Standing
next to his ezer, Ahdahm participated in the rebellion.
His
silence brought about the Fall just as much as Chavah’s conversation did.
Ahdahm
is the first example of the principle that ‘the only thing necessary for the
triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.’
This
is not the only time that Ahdahm’s silence causes generational disaster.
Silence
is not “golden”. “Sometimes it is godless.”
“When
we are faced with the temptation to not remember who YHWH is, who we are and
the difference between the two, we must speak up!”
We
must listen and obey = hear and do =
Sh’ma!
“We
must object to any serpents that suggest our own feelings are the final arbiter
of moral behavior -- we must respond as the Second Ahdahm
responded... “It is written....””
Afraid
B’re’shiyt
3:10
“And he said, I heard (Sh’ma) Your
voice in the garden, and i was afraid, because I am naked; and i hid myself.”
“yare”
= “to fear, to respect, to reverence and to be afraid.”
At
the time of the b’re’shiyt (the beginning) yare was ONLY about fearing
YHWH. But after sin - everything is
twisted...
and
Yare is about fearing other things....
When
we read this - I think we think - well Ahdahm just messed up and he is
afraid... perhaps like we were when we were in trouble as a little kid - not
wanting to be found because we knew we’d be in trouble.
BUT
Ahdahm doesn’t say he is afraid of YHWH ....
Ahdahm
says he was afraid - “because I am
naked” !!
Why
would he be afraid because he is naked?
He
was naked before... He’s never had clothes!
in
fact - naked was normal for him!
Why
is he now afraid of what was normal just minutes before??!!??
It
doesn’t make any sense - unless we read it in Hebrew. :)
“ki
eirom anochi”= literally means “because naked I.”
In
Hebrew, present tense equivalents are implied.
So
the Hebrew text tells us that Ahdahm said, “I am naked” - not “I was
naked”
{“Hebrew
does not see a difference between the subject and the conditions that describe
that subject. The conditions are the
subject. In this instance, Ahdahm is not
simply described as naked.
Ahdahm’s very essence is nakedness.
It is not possible to conceive of Ahdahm apart from this state of
being. Ahdahm has become what he
manifests - nakedness - the manifestation of chaos. In other words, he is becoming like the
serpent, the projection of an image opposed to the truth.”}
Ahdahm
is not describing a past condition that has not been corrected. Yes, he attempted to cover himself with fig
leaves, but his effort made no difference to his real concern.
He
is still naked in spite of the fact that he wears a man-made covering!!
His
nakedness is not an external condition!
Ahdahm
is naked on the inside.
Naked
on the inside? - What does that mean?
It means - Ahdahm realizes he is now like the naked snake.
In
B’re’shiyt 2:25 (“They were both naked, the ish and his ishsha and were
not ashamed.”)
“Naked”
= arumim.
There
is a direct link between the nakedness before disobedience and being
unashamed.
In
order to see why Ahdahm is suddenly afraid of being naked, we need to know what
this connection really means.
The
verb is “bosh” with an attached particle “hoo”
The particle adds emphasis and clarity tot he meaning. It suggests specificity. It’s like underscoring the subject. Specifically, these two were naked and NOT
ashamed. What the text says is
shocking. We don’t expect this. We expect nakedness to bring shame. That is the overwhelming association in the
rest of the biblical writings... but not here - WHY?
let’s
look at “bosh”
Bosh
is not something to do with sex.
This
statement doesn’t imply that they were sexually naked but not embarrassed.
Any
translation that suggests embarrassment in this phrases misses the point. The word bosh is used in the prophets and
Psalms to describe DISGRACE that comes
from undertaking something that fails.
It is used to describe humiliation, loss of status and exposure as
fools.
In
many occurrences, “bosh” is tied to the catastrophe that befalls Yisra’el when
they forget YHWH.
Tzephanyah
(Zephaniah) 3:11 p 351
“In that yom (day) you shall not be
ashamed of all your doings, in what you have transgressed against me; for then I will take away out of the midst of you those that gilah (rejoice) in your
pride, and you shall no more be haughty because of My kadosh (holy) har.(mountain)”
the
parallels of this word shame/ashamed - are “proud” and “haughty”.
Yisra’el’s
false pride brings shame upon them.
What
is shame?
Shame
is being discovered without a relationship with YHWH.
Why
is that shameful?
- From
YHWH’s perspective, shame leads directly to a false view of life, to alienation
and to destruction. It is ultimate foolishness.
- It is
public humiliation - being found lacking.
- Shame is really life without YHWH.
So
why were Ahdahm and Chavah originally naked and NOT ashamed?
Because
the only “covering” they needed was their intimacy with YHWH who walked with
them int he cool of the evening.
They
were utterly transparent - no false
pride....
Then
they met the snake - who was not transparent - they were invited to become
aware of the possibility of “hidden agenda”
The
serpent suggest that even YHWH may have hidden agenda.
The
serpent invited them to wear a covering, not of clothes, but of concealed
desire.
In
other words - they were invited to become like the snake who appears as one
thing on the outside but is really something else on the inside.
The
snake uses his appearance of nakedness to seduce Chavah. (she thought she could
trust him.)
The
snake is twisted nakedness.
In
this sin - Ahdahm and Chavah discover - that one can appear one way - but
really the true identity / agenda can be totally hidden.
Nakedness
is turned upside down - and becomes the vehicle for concealment rather than
transparency.
What
is shame? - It is to be found out! Shame is being exposed as two-faced, being
reveals so others see my hidden persona.
Why
is Ahdahm afraid of being naked?
Because
now Ahdahm knows the difference between transparency and hypocrisy and, for the
first time, he sees himself as two different people - one who is expected to be
with YHWH walking in the Garden and the other who knows that he has failed and
cannot openly walk with YHWH.
Ahdahm
is not afraid of YHWH’s punishment.
He
is afraid of himself for now he knows that he is alienated from himself, a dual
personality. He knows that he is capable
of rejecting YHWH.
Just
as he intuitively understood the truth of perfect culpability of the ezer, now
he knows in his bones that he is broken.
There
is no going back.
He
has discovered the yetzer ha’ra (evil impulse) within and allowed it to shape
his being in the world.
Now
he knows that something in the world is terribly wrong - and he made it that
way.
Now
he is in a twisted world he can no longer trust because he has discovered that
he cannot trust himself.
That
is real shame.
The
experience spills over into his relationships. He no longer trusts his wife and
he no longer trusts YHWH. That is why he
can blame YHWH for this fiasco.
AMEIN
