Join Mark Call of Shabbat Shalom Mesa Fellowship for the two-part study of parsha “Chayei Sarah” (Genesis 23:1 – 25:18).
This is the Torah portion whose stories may set more “law precedent” than any other in Scripture.
The Erev Shabbat (Friday evening) overview and intro begins with the first recorded land contract in human history. Everything that later became and element of what ‘contract’ is about in ‘common law’ is demonstrated here. And that is followed up by the story of ‘a bride for Isaac,’ which not only shows us THE template for marriage, but for what it means to be a “good and faithful servant,” and to come “in the name of” the master.
As a nation and a world slide into lawlessness, the foundational nature of the events described in such detail in this parsha become ever more important. But the level of DETAIL about these events gives us an even greater insight into the promises of Yah.
And that is the focus of the Sabbath Day teaching. Abraham is THE original example in Scripture of a “man of faith.” The promises we inherited through him are still at the heart of what Covenant is about. Yet they only became manifest in his life when HE took personal action and responsibility. There is a lesson in that for us. And, yes, again – ESPECIALLY ‘in such a time as this!’
“Chayei Sarah: Got faith? DO Something with it!”
The combined two-part teaching is here: