The Messianic Journal

A Message of Faith

themessianicjournal — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:10:30 +0000

Galatians 3:11-12 “Now it is evident that no one comes to be declared righteous by G-d through legalism, since “The person who is righteous will attain life by trusting and being faithful.” Furthermore, legalism is not based on trusting and being faithful, but on [a misuse of] the text that says, “Anyone who does these things will attain life through them.”

“Anyone who does these things will attain life through them” is a quote from Leviticus 18:5.
What is Paul teaching us about the relationship between the Law and Faith and how have these words been misused?
It is usually understood that the commands of G-D does not produce faith therefore the “Law” and Faith are at odds with one another.
I believe Paul is making a strong statement against the notion that the Law of G-D envisions anything different than a life of faith by Israel.
Let me clarify; the commandments of G-D do not produce life saving faith, but testifies to the presence of faith.

Romans 4:1-5 “Then what should we say Avraham, our forefather, obtained by his own efforts? For if Avraham came to be considered righteous by G-d because of legalistic observances, then he has something to boast about. But this is not how it is before G-d! For what does the Tanakh say? “Avraham put his trust in G-d, and it was credited to his account as righteousness.”p Now the account of someone who is working is credited not on the ground of grace but on the ground of what is owed him. However, in the case of one who is not working but rather is trusting in him who makes ungodly people righteous, his trust is credited to him as righteousness.”

James 2:19-23 “You believe that “G-d is one”? Good for you! The demons believe it too – the thought makes them shudder with fear! But, foolish fellow, do you want to be shown that such “faith” apart from actions is barren? Wasn’t Avraham avinu declared righteous because of actions when he offered up his son Yitz’chak on the altar? You see that his faith worked with his actions; by the actions the faith was made complete; and the passage of the Tanakh was fulfilled which says, “Avraham had faith in G-d, and it was credited to his account as righteousness.” He was even called G-d’s friend. You see that a person is declared righteous because of actions and not because of faith alone.”

Our father Avraham was found righteous because of what?
His trust in G-D!
But was not the faith of Avraham tried when he was called to bring his only son up to Mt. Moriah and offer him as a burnt offering unto G-D? He had faith that G-D would bring his son back from the dead. Was not Avraham tried when he was called to leave everything he knew from his fathers house to follow G-D to a new land? Was not Avraham tried when he was called to send his son Ishmael away from his house not knowing what would become of him?
These trials were not for G-D’S knowledge but for the character of Avraham. Each and every trial he experienced was so that he would be the man of faith through which the world would be blessed.

The covenant given unto Israel is no different than the covenant given unto Avraham accept that Israel now stands as a nation, the beginnings of the fulfillment G-D will would unto His promise to Avraham, but the calling is the same; Israel is to be the source through which the world would be blessed. As a nation G-D would not forsake Israel her own trials. Let’s examine 3 stories that this weeks Parsha weaves together to portray a beautiful illustration of the proper relationship of Torah and Faith.

A. The crossing of the sea of Reeds.
Exodus 14:1-4 “AD-NAI said to Moshe, “Tell the people of Isra’el to turn around and set up camp in front of Pi-Hachirot, between Migdol and the sea, in front of Ba’al-Tz’fon; camp opposite it, by the sea. Then Pharaoh will say that the people of Isra’el are wandering aimlessly in the countryside, the desert has closed in on them. I will make Pharaoh so hardhearted that he will pursue them; thus I will win glory for myself at the expense of Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will realize at last that I am AD-NAI.”The people did as ordered.”

Israel is on her way from Egypt when G-D calls them to turn around and camp in a place that would make them completely vulnerable to Pharaoh and his men. This was in order to bring a final destruction upon Egypt by luring them into pursuing Israel. From Pharaoh’s perspective Israel looks as if she has lost her way, maybe G-D had abandoned these Hebrews so know is the prefect time to bring them back into slavery.
To turn back against the wall of the sea does not make any strategically sense. Nevertheless the choice was obvious; to go were G-D leads.
The Hebrew word in this Parsha for lead is “Nachah”. It is the same word found in Psalm 23:2-4 “He has me lie down in grassy pastures, he leads me by quiet water, He restores my inner person. He guides me in right paths for the sake of his own name. Even if I pass through death-dark ravines, I will fear no disaster; for you are with me; your rod and staff reassure me.”
This most popular Psalm reminds us that in the hour of our greatest need His outstretched arm is most obvious. When G-D leads Israel into what seemed like certain doom between Pharaoh and the sea He would use that very sea to bring freedom for Israel and death for Egypt.

B. Manna from Heaven
Exodus 16:3-7 “The people of Isra’el said to them, “We wish AD-NAI had used his own hand to kill us off in Egypt! There we used to sit around the pots with the meat boiling, and we had as much food as we wanted. But you have taken us out into this desert to let this whole assembly starve to death!” AD-NAI said to Moshe, “Here, I will cause bread to rain down from heaven for you. The people are to go out and gather a day’s ration every day. By this I will test whether they will observe my Torah or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they have brought in, it will turn out to be twice as much as they gather on the other days.” Moshe and Aharon said to all the people of Isra’el, “This evening, you will realize that it has been AD-NAI who brought you out of Egypt; and in the morning, you will see AD-NAI’s glory. For he has listened to your grumblings against AD-NAI – what are we that you should grumble against us?”

Again is Israel not put through a trial for the sake of her faith?
The whole issue of gathering Manna was an exercise in faith. Israel was to be content in tomorrow by trusting today that G-D would provide the manna as He promised. This same principle is doubly applied on the Shabbat for on every other day if manna not used on that day would spoil and become uneatable. The double portion gathered before Shabbat however would not spoil. Withholding form gathering on Shabbat was a test of there faith.
As we spoke of earlier a life in G-D’S instructions is a testimony to faiths existence. A life of Torah is a life of faith; it means being lived out daily, trusting G-D for what we cannot see and what is beyond our control.
Is this not what Y-shua meant when we said that we should expect G-D to provide our daily bread?

C. The Battle Against Amalek
Exodus 17:8-13 “Then ‘Amalek came and fought with Isra’el at Refidim. Moshe said to Y’hoshua, “Choose men for us, go out, and fight with ‘Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with G-D’s staff in my hand.” Y’hoshua did as Moshe had told him and fought with ‘Amalek. Then Moshe, Aharon and Hur went up to the top of the hill. When Moshe raised his hand, Isra’el prevailed; but when he let it down, ‘Amalek prevailed. However, Moshe’s hands grew heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aharon and Hur held up his hands, the one on the one side and the other on the other; so that his hands stayed steady until sunset. Thus Y’hoshua defeated ‘Amalek, putting their people to the sword.”

The final story I want to speak about on our Parsha is Amalek’s attack upon Israel and the fact that this battle was won on two fronts. Joshua and his men were to confront the Amlekites in battle but their victory could not be won unless Moshe’s hands remained faithful. The victory is won by the outstretched hands of G-D but it is done so by the efforts of those who engage the enemy in His name.
Faith recognizes that the battle is fought on these two fronts: at the sphere of our own existence as well as in the heavenlies. The battle is won on faith that is tried and found true.
We can now begin to understand the words of Rav Shaul more clearly in Galatians 3:11-12 “Now it is evident that no one comes to be declared righteous by G-d through legalism, since “The person who is righteous will attain life by trusting and being faithful.” Furthermore, legalism is not based on trusting and being faithful, but on [a misuse of] the text that says, “Anyone who does these things will attain life through them.”

The Torah does not produce faith but testifies to faiths existence, for the Law is born out of faith. During each trial Israel faced her victory is won when she follows the “leading” of G-D. Following G-D’S lead in faith would produce good works of righteousness.
I will close by giving you a Hebrew definition of faith. “To receive the revelation of G-D and stand firm in it.”

The Heart of Jewish Prayer

themessianicjournal — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:01:50 +0000

In the aftermath of tragedy Synagogues and Churches alike are filled like no other time. Hymnals are sung and Liturgies are chanted by those who at any other time would be enjoying the weekend Football games. It is in the midst of tragedy that people are shown to be vulnerable and in need of the comfort and help from the Almighty. We so often mistakenly believe that when G-D hears our cries He will come running at the convenient time to our aid, only to be put back on hold once again when our comforts are restored to us.
I have always believed that there was something more to prayer than seeking the aid of G-D when my comforts were taken away but it was the words of a Reb David Rogers of blessed memory that opened my eyes for the first time to the true Jewish understanding of prayer. His words were remarkably simply and yet incredibly profound. “Prayer is not our means of conforming the Almighty to our will, but prayer is our means of conforming us to the will of the Almighty.” In other words our Prayers should not an attempt to convince G-D to do something that he has not already willed, but it is our means of knowing more of who G-D is and his will in our life.
The Talmudic sages expressed the same idea of prayer throughout their teachings. This belief is traced all the way back to the first relationship of
G-D and man. According to Rashi, the 11th Century commentator, G-D did not bring rain upon the Earth from its very beginning because man had not asked for it. It was only when Adam recognized the need for rain that he would petition G-D. G-DS will from the beginning was to shower the Earth with rain but it received when Adam asked for it. Just as Adam, when we pray we are acknowledging our need for a relationship with G-D and his divine will to be revealed in our lives.
Prayer should not be motivated by selfish concerns alone. A look at traditional Jewish prayers finds that the petitions unto G-D are on behalf of the community. There are very few examples of “I” or “me” in the siddurim but countless examples of “we” and “us”. So should our hearts be before
G-D. “Whoever prays on behalf of a fellow man, while himself being in need of the same thing, will be answered first” B.K 92A.
The most prominent example of Jewish prayer is found in the Amidah prayed 3 times daily by observant Jews. The Amidah follows a pattern of prayer of praise and worship of the Almighty followed by prayers of repentance and right standings before Him. Before we can petition our needs before G-D we must first acknowledge his majesty over all his creation and than over our lives. Once a proper relationship is secured we seek the face of the almighty for all of our needs. The Amidah continues with prayers on behalf of the community of Israel finally closing with prayers of thanksgiving for his perfect will in our lives and strength to be the vessel through which His wills are performed. I believe we can find a great similarity between the Prayers of the Amidah and the “L-rd’s Prayer” given to us by the Master.
The most important point that the Talmudic Sages express in terms of prayer is the need for the prayer to emanate from the very depths of our hearts. Prayers should be an earnest seeking of a relationship with the creator of the universe. This is the heart of what our Messiah taught us about prayer. Whether our prayers are in the form of liturgy, song, dance, recitation of psalms, or free flowing words of expression it must not be vain or empty but filled with our very being. The shortest prayer in the Tanakh is from Moshe on behalf of his sister Miriam when she was afflicted with Tzarat, “Please, L-RD, heal her now.” Moshe’s prayer is simple and powerful because it contains his very heart.

Messianic Implications of Psalm 45

themessianicjournal — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:00:51 +0000

Psalm 45:1-7 “My heart overflows with a pleasing theme; I address my verses to the king; my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe. You are the most handsome of the sons of men; grace is poured upon your lips; therefore G-d has blessed you forever. Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one, in your splendor and majesty! In your majesty ride out victoriously for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness; let your right hand teach you awesome deeds! Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies; the peoples fall under you. Your throne, O G-d, is forever and ever. The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness; you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore G-d, your G-d, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions; your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia. From ivory palaces stringed instruments make you glad; daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor; at your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir.”

The Psalm opens with a superscription that occurs in all of the earliest manuscripts. It is a love song in praise of the King of Israel. The context of the Psalm is that of a bride awaiting her bridegroom. We are not told which king is being described but tradition has associated him with Solomon. Ibn Ezra, the great Jewish scholar and philosopher of the middle ages understood the king as King David. Rashi draws a connection to Proverbs 8:15 and claims the king as Torah scholars. All of these sages fail to consider the full implication of the text. The description of the king goes far beyond David and Solomon, or the Great Assembly. While it is not without difficulties the most fitting explanation as to the identity of the king is given from the Targum Jonathan translation of Psalm 45:3. It is important to note that Targum Jonathan is considered the most authoritative Aramaic translation of the Tanakh, often being read in conjunction with the Hebrew text during the Talmudic age.

Targum Jonathan Psalm 45:3(2) “Your beauty, O’ King Messiah, is greater than the sons of men; the spirit of prophecy has been placed on your lips; because of this, Ad-nai G-D has blessed you forever.”

The implications of this translation are nothing short of astounding. Jonathan ben Uzziel is so assured of the author’s inspiration that he inserts the person of King Messiah into the translation. We can clearly see the heart of Jonathan ben Uzziel and his Messianic hope. This Messianic hope was shared by many of his contemporaries as well.

Genesis Rabbah 99:8 “he scepter shall not depart from Judah” (Gen. 49:10): this refers to the throne of kingship — “thy throne O’ G-d is forever and ever; a scepter of equity is the scepter of thy kingdom” (Psa. 45:7). When will that be?… “Until Shiloh cometh”: he to whom kingship belongs (shelo). “And unto him shall the obedience of the peoples be.” This alludes to him who will set on edge the teeth of all the nations, as it says, “The nations shall see and be put to shame for all their might; they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be dead (Micah 7:16). Another interpretation of “and unto him shall the obedience of the peoples be”: him to whom the nations of the world will flock, as it says, “The root of Jesse, that standeth for an ensign of the peoples, unto him shall the nations seek” (Isa. 11:10).”

Here we see that the Midrash Rabbah conjoins Genesis 49:10 with Psalms 45:7 (5) and Isaiah 11:10 which are each Messianic prophecies. At first glance it seems that the beauty of the king in Psalm 45 stands in contrast to prophecies of Y’shua found in Isaiah 52 and 53, “he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.” A closer look reveals that the beauty of the Messiah King is not found in his appearance but in his words. Did anyone speak words so beautiful as Y’shua of Natzaret? Luke 4:22 “And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth.”

Hebrew transliteration of verse 5. “kis’aka ’El-him ‘olam va‘ed shevet mishor shevet malkhutheka”

Parsing: kis’aka = “your throne” ’

El-him = “G-d” ‘

olam va’ed = “forever and ever”

shevet = “a scepter of” or “a rod of”

mishor = “uprightness, integrity”

shevet = “the scepter of” or “the rod of”

malkuteka = “your kingdom”

English translation, Hebrew text: “Your throne, O’ G-d, is forever and ever; the scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness.”

Not all translations agree. For many the association of King Messiah and G-D in versus 3 and 5 make them all too uncomfortable. “Thy throne given of G-d is for ever and ever; a sceptre of equity is the sceptre of thy kingdom”.

The Mechon Memra Tanakh translation renders “El-him” as “given of G-D”. Aside from the fact that “…given of G-d…” makes absolutely no sense in English, the passive participle required for this translation would be “natun” , meaning “given of”, yet no such word is present in the Hebrew text. The Artscroll translation which renders “El-him” as “judge” rather then G-D. This translation is purely anti Messianic polemic, for what earthly judge can rule forever accept for the Son of G-D.

Hebrew translation of verse 7 ’ahavta tzedeq vattisna’ resha‘ ‘al-ken meshachaka ’El-him ’El-heika shemen sason mechavereka

Parsing: ’ahavta = “you loved”

tzedeq = “righteousness”

vattisna’ = “and [you] hated”

resha‘ = “wickedness” ‘

al-ken = “therefore”

meshachaka = “has anointed you with” ’

Elohim = “G-d” ’

Eloheika = “your G-d”

shemen = “oil of”

sason = “gladness

mechavereka = “above your fellows”

English translation, Hebrew text: “You loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore G-d, your G-d, has anointed you with oil of gladness above your fellows.”

The words of the Psalmist are unmistakable. Verse 5 clearly indicates the King of Israel as G-D. Verse 7 is not speaking in the double emphatic but to G-D as the King who will be anointed by His G-D. This understanding is so strong that it is agreed upon by virtually all translations. It can only be understand as referring to Y’shua as the Son of G-D and in Himself baring the very perfect likeness of the Father. John 14:11 “Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.

Notice how the Psalm ends. A wedding procession is being described. In Jewish tradition the prospective bride and groom would meet with their families to announce a formal betrothal. Once this betrothal was announced the marriage was legally binding. The groom would then return home to prepare a place of honor for his bride. On the day appointed by the groom’s father, the groom would lead the procession that would make its way to the home of the father of the bride. The bride would then be lead from her fathers house as the entire procession would makes it way to the home of the groom for a wedding celebration. This is the picture that is presented in versus 12-17. It is a wedding procession for a king and his bride.

Psalm 45:12-17 “The people of Tyre will seek your favor with gifts, the richest of the people. All glorious is the princess in her chamber, with robes interwoven with gold. In many-colored robes she is led to the king, with her virgin companions following behind her. With joy and gladness they are led along as they enter the palace of the king. In place of your fathers shall be your sons; you will make them princes in all the earth. I will cause your name to be remembered in all generations; therefore nations will praise you forever and ever. The people of Tyre will seek your favor with gifts, the richest of the people. All glorious is the princess in her chamber, with robes interwoven with gold. In many-colored robes she is led to the king, with her virgin companions following behind her. With joy and gladness they are led along as they enter the palace of the king. In place of your fathers shall be your sons; you will make them princes in all the earth. I will cause your name to be remembered in all generations; therefore nations will praise you forever and ever.

Notice the tense used here. It is the Hebrew imperfect, used for incomplete action. It is used here to express the future tense. The bride groom has announced His betrothal to His bride and has returned to His Fathers house to prepare a place for her. Today we wait for the coming of the King. On that day He will gather His Bride unto Him and their will be a great and mighty procession as King retunes to His throne.

Mashiach Malkenu bo!

Is the Mishnah Anti-Messianic?

themessianicjournal — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:55:10 +0000

“The great text-book of Rabbinism, the Mishnah, is almost entirely un-Messianic, one might say un-dogmatical. Where not a record of facts or traditions, the Mishnah is purely a handbook of legal determinations in their utmost logical sequences, only enlivened by discussions or the tale of instances in point. The whole tendency of this system was anti-Messianic.” Alfred Edersheim-Sketches of Jewish Social Life” p.67

According to Alfred Edersheim the legal logic of the Mishnah is anti-Messianic in nature, arguing that it is purely a handbook of legal determination and un-dogmatic. Edersheim further argues that the Rabbi’s had little power left them and consequently the Mishnah is an attempt to secure their safety in light of the authority of the Levinim and Cohanim.
While I believe he has some valid points in regards to content his anti-rabbinical theological positions has somewhat clouded his judgments. The Mishnah being a handbook of legal determination does not by default make it anti-Messianic. The famous Talmudic debate as to what to do with a chicken egg that has been labored on the Shabbat is a classic example. It is easy to get lost in the minutia of rabbinical debate and Halackah, however, would that all believers had the heart of such that they would concern themselves with an egg in regards to honoring Hashem’s Shabbat. In other words concern about that intimacies of the Torah can be honoring unto our Messiah who is the author and fullness of the Law if done by the leading of the Ruach of Hashem. It is through one of the teachings of our Messiah that we can find service in the minutia.

Matiyahu 23:23 ”Woe to you hypocritical Torah-teachers and P’rushim! You pay your tithes of mint, dill and cumin; but you have neglected the weightier matters of the Torah — justice, mercy, trust. These are the things you should have attended to – without neglecting the others!”

How often we stop after having read “but you have neglected the weightier matters of the Torah”. If we continue with our Messiah’s teaching we discover a great concern over the less weightier matters of the Law. But why would He be concerned over these smaller matters? Little weight is given over to man’s interpretation of Justice, Mercy, and Trust for they are outlined in detail through the less weightier matters of the Torah. If you lose Justice, Mercy, and Trust than these smaller matters becoming meaningless. Without these then one might as well tithe a rock in it’s stead.
Can not the same be said for the Mishnah’s legal determination? Can concern over the Kashrut of an egg labored on the Shabbat be a great Mitzvot if seen in the light of the weightier matters of Justice, Mercy and Trust?

A Bride for Isaac

themessianicjournal — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:46:54 +0000

After the death of Sarah the Chumash changes focus from Abraham to his son Isaac. Though he would live on for many more years and have many more sons and daughters it is obvious that without Sarah in his life Abraham was not complete. Sarah was his soul mate and without her a part of him was lost.
How many of us have heard the phrase “behind every man is a good woman?”
I take acception to this comment for if I am to be the man or the leader G-D has empowered me to be I need my wife beside me. Not behind me or in front of me but walking with me step by step.
It is only when we are equally yokes and working together that we can be faithful to leave a legacy of the eternal covenant of Abraham to our children.

Genesis 24 1-4 “By now Avraham was old, advanced in years; and AD-NAI had blessed Avraham in everything. Avraham said to the servant who had served him the longest, who was in charge of all he owned, “Put your hand under my thigh; because I want you to swear by AD-NAI, G-d of heaven and G-d of the earth, that you will not choose a wife for my son from among the women of the Kena’ani, among whom I am living; but that you will go to my homeland, to my kinsmen, to choose a wife for my son Yitz’chak.”

Why does Abraham believe that a spouse would be better off found amongst his own family rather than in Canaan?
Does not the Chumash read that Abraham came from a family of idolaters?

Genesis 24:5-9 “The servant replied, “Suppose the woman isn’t willing to follow me to this land. Must I then bring your son back to the land from which you came?” Avraham said to him, “See to it that you don’t bring my son back there. AD-NAI, the G-d of heaven – who took me away from my father’s house and away from the land I was born in, who spoke to me and swore to me, ‘I will give this land to your descendants’- he will send his angel ahead of you; and you are to bring a wife for my son from there. But if the woman is unwilling to follow you, then you are released from your obligation under my oath. Just don’t bring my son back there.” The servant put his hand under the thigh of Avraham his master and swore to him concerning the matter.”

Abraham sends his beloved servant Eliezer to find a wife for his son Isaac. What an incredibly awesome task that speaks volumes of the trust that Abraham had in his servant. Abraham had blessed Isaac with everything but this was all for nothing if the covenant ended with him. Even more significant was that without the continuation of the Abrahamic Covenant in Isaac the Messiah would not come. Finding a bride for him meant finding someone with the same spirit who would truly become one flesh with Isaac, anything less was unacceptable for it would be their son that would continue the eternal covenant. Was this not what Eliezer was looking for in versus 12-14 were it reads…..?

Genesis 24:12-14 “He said, “AD-NAI, G-d of my master Avraham, please let me succeed today; and show your grace to my master Avraham. Here I am, standing by the spring, as the daughters of the townsfolk come out to draw water. I will say to one of the girls, ‘Please lower your jug, so that I can drink.’ If she answers, ‘Yes, drink; and I will water your camels as well,’ then let her be the one you intend for your servant Yitz’chak. This is how I will know that you have shown grace to my master.”

I believe this is the reason that Abraham sent his servant amongst his own family but specifically amongst Sarah’s family to find a bride for Isaac. It was of utmost importance that the wife of Isaac be of the same spirit of Sarah just as Isaac is of the same spirit of Abraham. He knew that Isaac and his bride must be equally yoked.
Let’s continue with Eliezer’s journey to find a bride for Isaac. Is their any mistaken that Hashem is the one behind this marriage? When Eliezer find in Rebekkah the spirit of Sarah he knows without a doubt that this is G-D’S doing.

Genesis 24:54-61 “He and his men then ate and drank and stayed the night. In the morning they got up; and he said, “Send me off to my master.” Her brother and mother said, “Let the girl stay with us a few days, at least ten. After that, she will go.” He answered them, “Don’t delay me, since AD-NAI has made my trip successful, but let me go back to my master.” They said, “We will call the girl and see what she says.” They called Rivkah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?” and she replied, “I will.” So they sent their sister Rivkah away, with her nurse, Avraham’s servant and his men. They blessed Rivkah with these words: “Our sister, may you be the mother of millions, and may your descendants possess the cities of those who hate them.” Then Rivkah and her maids mounted the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rivkah and went on his way.”This passage speaks a great deal of Rebbekah’s faith. She is a woman who has committed herself to doing what G-D wants. Though going with Eliezer would mean leaving behind her family and all sense of familiarity to marry a man she has never met Rebekkah is ready to leave right away. Sarah too was willing to give up everything to support and follow her husband as they enter into uncertainty.

In the marriage of Isaac and Rebekkah we find a beautiful word picture of what happens when we submit ourselves to the care of a G-D who has nothing but good in store for his children.
We also find a perfect example of a godly role of ones parents in helping to choose a bride.

Statistically marriages which have been blessed by the parents have a much higher success rate than those who have not. This I believe is because parents who have been faithful to the covenant of G-d are in an advantage to give council and advice to young people in regards to marriage that they could never find on their own.

When our children are born they are completely under our nurture and care.
They depend on us for the very sustenance of life.
We decide the foods they will eat, the cloths they ear, the time they go to bed, the movies they will watch, and the music they listen too.
As they grow older we slowly give them more responsibility about some of these things. But yet we are still intimately involved with the most important decisions in their life.
Soon they will be getting a drivers license, choosing a career, and going to college. All of these decisions are parents are intimately involved with.
So why is it that when it comes to finding a soul mate it is a personal decision that does not involve are parents?
Why is it that we have lost the need for our parent’s approval?
Why is it no longer important for the young man to seek the fathers’ approval before beginning a courtship?
How arrogant for me to believe that I can come to my parents with help for my first car, for college tuition, or for bail money and not value the importance of their council on the most important decision of my life.
I have born witness to too many bad marriages that could have been avoided if they would have sought their parent’s advice and consent.
To often we are influenced by the Goosebumps and butterfly’s that accompany today’s dating scene

Parents let me say to you that If we are faithful to teach our children the importance that their soul mate be of like heart and spirit, equally yoked, than you and your children together guided by the divine hand of G-D will find someone who exceeds all expectations. Someone from the spirit of Sarah and Rebekkah. This is why we bless our children every Erev Shabbat with the words “may G-D may you like Sarah, Rebekkah, Rachael, and Leah.
of love. Are we not told to “love our neighbor as we love ourselves”? As a couple bind themselves to G-D’S covenant they will find that their love will grow leaps.

Let me change gears briefly and talk about today’s dating scene.
From the beginning of time you were created to become one with only one other person. Your body, your heart, and your soul has been set aside as a beautiful feast for this one person.
The dating scene is like a bee buzzing from one flower to another. We are taught by this pattern to bail on a relationship when it gets boring or difficult.
The results of dating are that for the first time in our nations history over 50% of children in our public schools go home to a step parent. Divorce has not only become an acceptable outcome of marriage but even an expected one.
How do we provide an alternative to dating and help our children find their soul mate?
The first step is to teach our young the value of traditional courtships. In the courtship model physical and emotional entanglements are postponed until they meet the probable husband or wife. In this model the parents are very supportive in helping choose the person they desire to court.
I know that for most teenagers this seems very restrictive and unnecessary but we must understand the benefits of such self control.
The second step is to teach our young men the value of a wife. Every Erev Shabbat we gather our wives near to us and bless them with the words from Proverbs 31.

Proverbs 31:10-12 “Who can find a capable wife? Her value is far beyond that of pearls. Her husband trusts her from his heart, and she will prove a great asset to him. She works to bring him good, not harm, all the days of her life.”

Eliezer immediately clothes Rebekkah with gifts of precious jewels as soon as it becomes obvious that she is the one as a token of her incredible value. He than give gifts to her brother and mother recognizing that her lose would be of inestimable value. Young men, of what value have we given them when we treat them as a toy that we throw away when we get bored?
When our soul mate comes into our lives we are to treat them as the most precious precious gift.

Ephesians 5:52-28 “As for husbands, love your wives, just as the Messiah loved the Messianic Community, indeed, gave himself up on its behalf, in order to set it apart for God, making it clean through immersion in the mikveh, so to speak, in order to present the Messianic Community to himself as a bride to be proud of, without a spot, wrinkle or any such thing, but holy and without defect. This is how husbands ought to love their wives – like their own bodies; for the man who loves his wife is loving himself.”