HolySpirit

 

     This Sabbath's reading portion is titled Chayyei Sarah, meaning "the life of Sarah". The title comes from the first verse of Genesis 23: "Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah." The Hebrew used here for "life" is the word and roots hay/haya/hava, which not only mean "life", but also "save, quicken with life, revive, restored to life or health, continue in life, revive from death, to declare, to show, to breathe, breathe out." It also contains the meaning "flowing (fresh) of water". Breath or breathing out are the root of life and the return to life as we see above.  "Breath" is the word ru-ach, or "spirit". Ru-ach HaKodesh is the Holy Spirit of God and is also the Spirit of life and revival of life. Jesus said: "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." (Jn. 6:63).

     Although the beginning of this Sabbath's reading portion deals with the death of Sarah, Abraham's wife, throughout all of the assigned reading for this week, including Gen. 23, Gen. 24, Prov. 1, 1 Kings 1, and Ruth 2, I found a common thread running through all of these sections: the qualities of the Holy Spirit leading to "the life of Sarah."

     In Gen. 23, Abraham must find a place to bury his wife, Sarah, and insisted on a deed, a legal guarantee, from the sons of Heth, also known as the Hittites, from whom he purchased the burial place for four hundred shekels of silver. He paid the full price for the piece of land: "...the field and the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, which were within all the surrounding borders, were deeded/made sure (qum - raise, raise up, establish, confirm, sure, be set and fixed in place, make binding, endure) to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city." (v. 17-18). And there Abraham buried (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Sarah (meaning "noble woman, princess, wife of the king, queen, prince, rule reign, have power, govern").

     The importance of Abraham's obtaining of the deed is found in the meaning of the Hebrew word qum as shown above. Not only is the deed a binding guarantee, but the Hebrew word qum is also associated with being "raised up". Abraham was establishing the fixed precedent that Sarah would be raised up with this deed. The apostle Paul wrote about the Holy Spirit being the same guarantee to us, and also the Spirit's role in resurrection from the dead: "...you were sealed (sealed for security, marked, confirmed) with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee (price paid in security for something) of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His (Christ's) glory." (Eph. 1:13-14, see also 2 Cor. 1:21-22).

     In regard to the Holy Spirit and resurrection, Paul wrote: "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death...if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life (zoopoieo/zao - produce alive, make alive, give life, restore to life/to breathe [see hay/haya/hava above]) to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you." (Rom. 8:2, 11). In the Greek language, "Spirit" is the word Pneuma, meaning "breath of the nostrils, a life-giving Spirit, the vital principal by which the body is animated." When this Sabbath portion became titled Chayyei Sarah, or "Life of Sarah", we can see the promise of God of resurrection through Christ by the Holy Spirit that Abraham established at her death. It is a brilliant example of revelation faith on Abraham's part, and the genius found in the depths of the Word of God.

     After Sarah's death, old Abraham sent his most trusted servant to secure a wife from his relatives for his son Isaac in Gen. 24, another reading portion from this Sabbath. Abraham promised his servant that the angel of the LORD would go before him on this mission. As we read the family members from Abraham's brother, Nahor, we see that Bethuel begot (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Rebekah. (Gen. 22:20-23). The servant traveled to Abraham's distant relatives in Mesopotamia with ten camels carrying precious goods and riches for the future bride and her household. In order to find the yet-unknown bride for Isaac, the servant asked the help of the LORD in revealing the ordained bride. The servant asked the LORD to reveal the bride who will draw water from a well for himself and his camels. The servant made the camels kneel outside the city of Nahor (breathing hard) by a well of water (Gen. 24:1-14). It was Rebekah who came to the well, and not only gave Abraham's servant water to drink, but all of the camels as well until they were finished drinking. Camels drink a great amount of water, especially after traveling in the desert. One camel can drink forty to sixty liters of water in just a few minutes, and Rebekah filled the thirst of all ten camels from the water of the well. Abraham's servant knew by this sign from the LORD, that he had found the bride for Isaac. Rebekah also told him that she was indeed related to Abraham's family. She agreed to leave her family immediately and travel to Abraham's son Isaac. When Isaac saw Rebekah and heard all that had taken place from the servant, "...Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent...and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death." (v. 15-67, excerpt).

     The prophet Isaiah connected the Holy Spirit with water. The LORD said to Israel: "For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring." (Isa. 44:3). Jesus also stood and cried out to the crowd, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart/belly/soul will flow rivers of living water.' But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive..." (Jn. 7:37-39).

      The verses above tell us that Rebekah comforted Isaac who was still mourning his mother, Sarah's, death. Jesus told His disciples that He would send the Helper/Comforter (parakletos - called to one's side for aid and succor, an advocate, consoler, intercessor) from His Father to them after He leaves them. Jesus identified the Comforter as the Holy Spirit (see Jn. 14:16-17, Jn. 15:26, Jn. 16:7).

     Rebekah's name means "to ensnare by beauty, a rope for a noose". This sounds like a negative meaning, but it is also the character of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, and therefore their need for Jesus as Savior (Jn. 16:8-11, 1 Cor. 12-13). It is the Holy Spirit that convicts and draws a person to Christ. We see this again in another reading portion from this Sabbath, where we read that Wisdom cries out in the streets to those who are heading to destruction: "Turn at My rebuke; Surely I will pour out My Spirit on you; I will make My words known to you." (Prov. 1:20-23, Jn. 14:25-26).

     In another Sabbath reading portion, we see a connection between water and life as mentioned above when David had his son, Solomon, anointed as King in order to foil the plans of another son who was trying to usurp the throne. David ordered Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet to take (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Solomon to the Gihon ( meaning "labor to bring forth, draw up, take out, break forth of light, burst forth with babe") River (a geographic place also known to some as "the fount of the Virgin"), anoint him king, blow the trumpet (shofar), and sit Solomon on the throne, "and he shall be king in my place. For I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah." (1 Kings 1:32-35). According to the meaning of this river of water where a king was established and anointed, which also includes a connection to "the Virgin", and the bursting forth of a babe, we can connect this river to the Holy Spirit as the angel spoke to the Virgin Mary: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God." (Lk. 1:35). There is no life, and no resurrection to life, especially associated with the Messiah/Christ line of the royalty of God, including our title Chayyei Sarah, "the life of Sarah", without the Spirit of life, who is the Holy Spirit. This is the source of our title Chayyei Sarah, "the life of Sarah/Princess/Prince".

     In another reading portion from this Chayyei Sarah, or "Life of Sarah" Sabbath, we see another precious quality of the Holy Spirit from the Book of Ruth. Naomi and her two Moabite daughters-in-law all became destitute widows. Naomi's deceased husband, Elimelech's, name means "My God is King." Would Elimelech's death and the deaths of his two only sons mean the death of the ordained royal line of the Messiah/Christ? We will see how God's prophetic plan never fails.

      The widow Naomi planned to go back to her deceased husband's family in Israel, near Bethlehem, for their support. Her daughters-in-law wanted to go with her and did not want to stay in their native Moab, but Naomi urged them to stay since they had family there. One daughter-in-law, Orpah, kissed her mother-in-law good-bye, "but Ruth clung to her", and movingly swore to dwell with Naomi and to never leave her (Ruth 1:14-17). In describing the Holy Spirit to His disciples, Jesus said, "And I will pray to the Father, and He will give you another Comforter/Helper, that He may abide with you forever - the Spirit of truth...for He dwells with you and will be in you." (Jn. 14:16-17). When Naomi and Ruth (meaning "friendship, companion, pasture") returned to Israel and the Bethlehem area, Boaz, a relative of Naomi's deceased husband and a man of great wealth, noticed Ruth gleaning the leftovers of grain in his field, as the poor are allowed to do, while his harvesters gathered the main grain crop. He then heard the report of how Ruth came with Naomi and had stayed with her and helped her. Boaz favored Ruth and told her she was to remain in his field where she would be safe and not go to another field. He also blessed Ruth "by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge." (Ruth 2:11-12).  Boaz then said to Ruth: "...when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) the young men have drawn." (Ruth 2:1-9). We see another reference to drawn water here as we saw above, perhaps another mention of the Holy Spirit.

     Boaz's name means "strength, swiftness" according to Strong's Concordance, but I also see the Hebrew words bo + 'uz in his name which mean "enter, come in" + "bring into refuge or safety". One of the pillars in front of the temple of Solomon was named "Boaz" (see 1 Kings 7:21), I believe for this very meaning, in order to say to all "Enter into the refuge and safety of the LORD." Boaz became that pillar pointing to the entrance to the place of refuge and safety for Ruth.

     Boaz married Ruth and "the LORD gave her conception" of a son. The women around her declared at this time: "...And may he (the child) be to you a restorer of life (nepes/napas - breath, that which breathes, soul/to take breath, to be breathed upon, refreshed) and a nourisher of your old age..." (Ruth 4:15). Their child would be the grandfather of King David, and the ordained royal house of the Messiah/Christ to come. (see Ruth 4:17). The promise of the royal lineage of Messiah/Christ did not end with the deaths of Elimelech, Naomi's husband and her sons, but was fulfilled by one of his relatives, Boaz.

     The Holy Spirit plays a necessary and blessed role in the life of every believer in Jesus Christ. He is the fountain of the waters of life and resurrection. He is the breath, the Comforter, and the Helper who makes miracles happen in and through our lives. He teaches and reminds us, as the Spirit of truth, all that we must know in our walk with Christ and His salvation from the Words of Christ.

     If you would like to know more about the Holy Spirit or to receive Him in your life, you can pray with me: "Heavenly Father, You sent Your Son, Jesus, to save us, and to baptize us with the fire of the Holy Spirit. This same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, raises us also, and also seals and guarantees our inheritance in Him. Baptize me to the full in the water and fire of Your Holy Spirit, who is Your promise to me as a believer in Jesus as Lord. Fill my life with the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Fill my mouth with the words and language of the Holy Spirit, who speaks the words of Christ. I ask this in Jesus' name. AMEN."

     *NOTE: aleph-tav written in Hebrew as אֶת, are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The meaning of the two pictographic Hebrew letters can also be interpreted "Adonai (Lord) of the Cross/Covenant". In the New Testament, these letters are translated as Alpha and Omega written as ΑΩ , the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. These letters are those by which Jesus Christ identifies Himself in the Book of Revelation: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13.