Tehillimandpoetry

Genesis 12:1-17:27 Isaiah 40:27-41:16

"Trials, Faith, and Blessing"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Our Torah portion for this week, Lekh-Lekha, begins with some very important words, which will guide a great deal of the Biblical story and narrative from this point onward:

“Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father's house, to the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed’” (Genesis 12:1-3; cf. Galatians 3:8).

After the first two Torah readings have jumped through multiple millennia of human history, Lekh-Lekha begins to focus on Abraham, the father of faith (Romans 4:12-16). In this reading, we are told that God has chosen one man and his descendants to be either a blessing or a curse to the rest of humanity. We read that Abram experienced trials, exercised faith, and received the blessings of faithful obedience. His life, in many ways, exemplified a standard of how each of us should approach our loving Creator. We ultimately discover how in Abraham, “all the families of the earth shall bless themselves by you” (NJPS).

As you will recall, we were briefly introduced to Abram as last week’s Torah portion, Noach, concluded. Interestingly, as you read about Abram’s immediate family, you might conclude that it was actually his father Terah who was called out of Ur:

“Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife; and they went out together from Ur of the Chaldeans in order to enter the land of Canaan; and they went as far as Haran, and settled there” (Genesis 11:31).

Abram, his wife Sarai, and his nephew Lot, were supposed to go to the Land of Canaan. But as the text indicates, they went as far as Haran, which was the crossroads in the upper Euphrates east of Assyria, and part of the trade route that connected Egypt with those in the Tigris and Euphrates River valleys. They all settled there until the death of Terah. In a cursory reading of these statements, it appears that Terah “took” (Heb. laqach, xql) Abram and his other relatives. However, the Scriptures give us three specific testimonies of how the call to come out, from among the people and circumstances of Ur, was definitely made to Abram.

First, we read Nehemiah’s testimony, summarizing how God chose Abram, bringing him out of Ur, and later renamed him Abraham:

“You are the Lord God, who chose Abram and brought him out from Ur of the Chaldees, and gave him the name Abraham. You found his heart faithful before You, And made a covenant with him to give him the land of the Canaanite, of the Hittite and the Amorite, of the Perizzite, the Jebusite and the Girgashite—to give it to his descendants. And You have fulfilled Your promise, for You are righteous” (Nehemiah 9:7-8).

Second, the testimony of Stephen includes more specific information regarding Abraham’s departure from Ur:

“And he said, ‘Hear me, brethren and fathers! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, and said to him, “Leave your country and your relatives, and come into the land that I will show you” [Genesis 12:1]. Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. From there, after his father died, God had him move to this country in which you are now living. But He gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot of ground, and yet, even when he had no child, He promised that He would give it to him as a possession, and to his descendants after him’ [Genesis 12:7; 13:15; 15:18; 17:8]” (Acts 7:2-5).

Here, the martyr Stephen says that Abraham himself had the “God of glory” appear to him when he was in Mesopotamia, “before” he lived in Haran. The command that he was to “Depart from your land and from your kindred and go into the land which I will show you” (RSV), is spoken to Abraham when he was living in Ur.

Third, the author of Hebrews completes our Scriptural understanding of this great “father of our faith,” as it relates to the mission that God gave to Abraham:

“By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:8-10).

With this confirming evidence, we discover that the Holy One was most concerned about His choice of Abram/Abraham to be the recipient of His blessings. The Lord knew that this man would exhibit a heart of faith and the proper obedience to Him that was required. As the Prophet Isaiah points out in our complimentary Haftarah reading, He has called for men and women to be used by Him from the very beginning:

“Who has performed and accomplished it, calling forth the generations from the beginning? ‘I, the Lord, am the first, and with the last. I am He’” (Isaiah 41:4).

As you read this week’s narrative, it begins with Abram hearing a command from the Most High, which appears to be a repeat of the first appearance that occurred while the family lived in Ur. This time, Abram heard the voice of El Shaddai and obeyed, after the death of Terah. After reading Stephen’s statement in Acts 7:4, it appears that Abram did not continue on his journey into Canaan until after his father’s death:

“Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father's house, to the land which I will show you’” (Genesis 12:1).

Abram hears the command to “Get thee out” (KJV) or “go forth.” The Hebrew is lekh-lekha (^l-%l), the title of this Torah portion. This is not only a command for Abraham to get out of the place where he lived, but also to remove himself from his countrymen and his own relatives. Here in this parashah, the trusting Patriarch begins his walk of faith. As we will learn, Abram soon realizes that representing the One True God among people is filled with trials. But because he listened, believed, and obeyed, his obedience to this God is realized by blessings he will later experience in his lifetime.

Faith Trials

As I have pondered the opening chapters regarding the life of Abraham, I am struck by the fact that he, just like the rest of his “faith-filled” descendants, was not spared the trials of life that we all must endure. Perhaps there is a direct connection between faith and trials? After thinking about it, it dawns on me that perhaps there really is a direct correlation between faith, trials, and the blessings of responding to life’s trials by faithful obedience to our Father. After all, the walk of faith we are transversing is certainly beset with personal and corporate trials. Is it possible that the Lord gives us trials so that we can exercise our faith in order to receive more of His blessings?

These concepts are so elementary, yet so profound to our faith in practice. After all, are not tests, trials, and even tribulations, designed by the Lord to see if we are living and walking by faith? And does not God respond by blessing us, when we react to trials by faithfully following His instructions? Certainly, when one considers the inevitability of trials, many Scriptures come to mind. One of the most quoted of them brings a smile to my face:

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4).

James the Just encourages his audience in the midst of the trials that they are facing. He states that responding with faith will produce an endurance that will have its perfect result in the saints. Talk about a blessing! Can you imagine the blessing of lacking in nothing? This is not a bad reward for joyfully considering the trials of life, and that God often uniquely uses them for each person, as he or she is being perfected in faith.

The Apostle Peter had a similar approach to handling trials:

“In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Yeshua the Messiah; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:6-9).

Peter understood that the trials of life should be handled joyfully by Believers, because we have faith in Yeshua as the Messiah. The ultimate blessing of this is that it will result in the consummation of our salvation. Hopefully, you can readily see that there is a direct correlation between the trials you encounter, how you respond by faith, and the blessings associated with proper faith based responses.

As I consider this spiritual axiom, I think about the magnitude, severity, and frequency of trials. Is it possible that the greater the trials we encounter, and the more faithful the response we demonstrate, the greater the blessings we will receive? I hope this serves as encouragement for you to continue through whatever difficulties you may be facing.

Certainly, the trials endured by Abraham as narrated in the Torah, and his faithful responses, were definitely rewarded with huge blessings. Is it possible to detect some parallels in the balance of Scripture that might confirm this observation?

The entire Bible is replete with testimonies about how people have been challenged with various trials, and have responded by faith. You can go to Hebrews 11 and read about just some of the champions of faith who were blessed in a variety of ways as a result of responding to trials, tests, and tribulation. But even the author of Hebrews reminds us that there is a “cloud of witnesses” that are too numerous to try to humanly list:

“And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect” (Hebrews 11:32-40).

The Biblical axiom of experiencing trials, responding in faith, and receiving the blessings of the Almighty is foundational in both Judaism and Christianity. As I reflect on this truth, I am also reminded of the trials and persecutions that the Apostle Paul endured during his walk of faith. He writes the Corinthians, encouraging them to endure some trials, listing some of the afflictions that he had endured in his ministry for the gospel:

“Since many boast according to the flesh, I will boast also. For you, being so wise, tolerate the foolish gladly. For you tolerate it if anyone enslaves you, anyone devours you, anyone takes advantage of you, anyone exalts himself, anyone hits you in the face. To my shame I must say that we have been weak by comparison. But in whatever respect anyone else is bold—I speak in foolishness—I am just as bold myself. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Messiah?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern? If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Yeshua, He who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. In Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me, and I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and so escaped his hands” (2 Corinthians 11:18-33).

As I think about all of these trials, and Paul’s faithful response to his accusers and those who personally abused him, I am again reminded of the blessings that he has received. The Apostle Paul, as a faithful servant of the Most High, will be receiving his rewards for eternity for how his writings have been used by the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) to bring untold millions to a saving knowledge of the Messiah Yeshua! Once again, we see how a correlation between trials, faith, and blessings are all interrelated.

Personal Application

While thinking through our Torah portion this week, and these verses I have referred to, another viable form of trial kept coming to my mind. This was the inevitability of the persecution that comes with the walk of faith that has been exercised by people like Abraham, and many other faithful followers of God throughout the ages. We know from Scripture that God’s people have been persecuted throughout the ages, and many have remained steadfast to Him resisting temptation.

But now that the revelation of His Son and His completed work on the cross have been accomplished, belief and proclamation of the gospel is guaranteed to bring persecution and trials. After all, if you are going to walk by faith in the knowledge of Yeshua as the Savior of the world, you will be persecuted according to the very words of the Messiah Himself:

“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:10-12).

Yeshua encourages His followers to “Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven” (HCSB). So have you been enduring any trials lately? Do you consider them to be great trials of the magnitude experienced by Paul, Peter, James, or any of the other Apostles? How about trials that rival the persecution experienced by the Prophets of old? Have you been stoned, filleted with a sword, or sawn in two?

For the most part, many of us have to endure an occasional mocking or putdown, but life-threatening events are few and far between for most (Western) Believers. And yet, we all do experience some tests and trials during our Earthly lives. Is it possible that those trials are specifically designed by our Creator to give each of us an opportunity to exercise our faith?

When the trials or tests come, do we exercise our faith by turning to the Scriptures to find the prescriptions for the trials? Do we follow God’s Word, as opposed to the inclinations of our flesh? If we do, then according to the patterns established by Abraham, we will receive the blessings of faithful obedience. I think we definitely ought to look at these tests and trials as an opportunity to exercise our faith. We should examine just how well we respond, to what we might perceive as great tests or trials, gauging them against what we read in the Scriptures.

Do we follow God’s instructions that are given to us in His Word? If the answer is yes, then His blessings should flow. And do you know what else? Rejoicing will follow in due course. When you realize that you have been chosen to endure certain trials and tests, and that by your faith you choose to follow the admonitions of His Word—you truly have something to rejoice about!

We should all be rejoicing that our faith results in the salvation of our souls. Salvation is the ultimate blessing that follows the walk of faith originally established by Abraham. May we all be found thankful for the trials, and rejoice with the blessings of the faithful!

Mark Huey (B.A., Vanderbilt University in History and Graduate Studies at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University) is the Director of Outreach Israel Ministries (ww.outreachisrael.net). He is the author of several books, including: TorahScope, Volumes I & II, and Counting the Omer: A Daily Devotional Toward Shavuot. He is also co-author of Hebraic Roots: An Introductory Study.

http://www.outreachisrael.net/torahscope/2012-2013/01_genesis/03_le...