21 Doubting God
 |
|
בייה Genesis 21 Doubting God This discussion is offered in the loving memory of TJ and Olive Norman ז”ל. Dear family and friends, humanity is sometimes riddled with insecurity, instability, fragility, uncertainty, doubt, and a LACK OF CONFIDENCE.
It is understandable why individuals are indecisive, hesitant, HOT AND COLD, fluctuating, oscillating, and vacillating back and forth. Dear Ones, People struggle with doubt. (Numbers 23.19) says, ‘God is not a man, that He should lie; nor the son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and shall He not do it? Or has He spoken, and shall He not make it good?’ (Genesis 21) teaches us lessons in security and prevailing over doubt. Given various upheavals in our world, we may be challenged to doubt what Lord has said. Our first parents, Adam and Eve, faced questions from the serpent. Our arch enemy, our evil inclination, tries to cause us to doubt, Lord our God says. The serpent’s words in (Genesis 3.4) echo, ‘surely you shall not die.’ We, who are the children of that first couple, receive constant messages of doubt at every turn. Our evil inclination constantly works to cause us to feel unsure, apprehensive, or suspicious about some or all of what is written in Ha Tanach/The Holy Scriptures. It is not unusual for humans to struggle with degrees of doubt. Yet, (Genesis 21) culminates with a powerful message of truth, confidence, and reassurance in Lord our God. (Genesis 21.1-2) says, ‘Lord visited Sarah as He had Said, and Lord did to Sarah as He had Spoken. For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.’ Illumination of these Holy Scriptures helps strengthen us. Abraham and Sarah were confronted with child-bearing issues early in their marriage. (Genesis 11.30) informs us that ‘Sarah was barren. She had no child.’ (Yevamot 64b.2) Rav Naḥman said Rabba bar Avuh said: ‘Our mother Sarah was initially a sexually underdeveloped woman [aylonit], as it is stated: ‘and Sarah was barren; she had no child,’ (Genesis 11:30). The superfluous words: ‘She had no child’ indicate that she did not have even a place, i.e., a womb, for a child.’ וַתְּהִי שָׂרַי עֲקָרָה אֵין לָהּ וָלָד: ס וַתְּהִי Vah Tih Hee – And it happened, שָׂרַי Saw Rahi – Sarai – עֲקָרָה Ah Qaw Rawh was barren/sterile.’ [Why?] אֵין Ayn ‘She had no [womb]’ Lawh ‘for her’ וָלָד Vaw Lawd – ‘to have a child.’ ‘The statement that she was barren refers to her present status, whereas the reference to the fetus was meant to predict something in the future. This is analogous to (Genesis 21,2) ותהר ותלד שרה, ‘Sarah became pregnant and gave birth, etc.,’ Daat Zkenim on Genesis 11:30:1 Radak illuminates further: ותהי, Vah Tih Hee – ‘And it happened,’ Ha Torah makes it clear that Sarai was barren, and that even if at a much later stage in her life she did give birth to a son, Yitzchok, this was not a natural development but [rather] a miracle which could not be explained scientifically. That is why Ha Torah did not contend with the words ותהי שרי עקרה, ‘Sarai remained barren.’ When Sarah eventually bore a child, not only was the fact that she gave birth a miracle, but her age at the time, long after she had passed the child-bearing age, was an additional miracle. Understanding the illumination enhances the promises Lord made. (Genesis 21) is the fulfillment of God’s Promises to Abraham beginning with (Genesis 11.30) ‘And Sarah was barren; she had no child.)’ (Genesis 12.2) says, ‘I will make of you a great nation.’(Genesis 13.14-16) ‘Lord Said to [Abraham] all the land you see, I Give it to you and your seed forever.’ (Genesis 15.5) says, ‘[Lord] brought [Abraham] outside, and said, Look toward heaven, and count the stars, So shall your seed be.’ (Genesis 17.1-8) says, ‘You shall be a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you.’ (Genesis 18.10) says, ‘And he said, I will certainly return to you at this season; and, lo, Sarah, your wife shall have a son…For I know [Abraham]. He will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the Way of Lord, to do justice and judgment; so that Lord may Bring upon Abraham that which He has spoken of him.’ When (Genesis 11.30) says, ‘And Sarah was barren; she had no child.’ The chronology of this comment is better understood when we are aware that Abraham was 52 years of age and Sarah was 42 years of age. They were married for decades without realizing their individual deformities. Dear Ones, again (Genesis 21), Culminates with a powerful message of truth, confidence, and reassurance in the Lord our God. (Genesis 21.1-2) says, ‘Lord Visited Sarah as He had Said, and Lord did to Sarah as He had Spoken. For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.’ Studying to receive illumination is how we develop while following the path of Ha Torah. Our goal is to help repair our world with Truth and illumination. May each of us be blessed with Torah Learning to encourage us, enlighten our way, help ourselves, and help others become stronger and better equipped to deal with doubt. Good Sabbath, Dr. Akiva Gamliel Belk |
