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Daily manna from the Torah by Dr Ketriel Blad

Lech Lechah 3-2

Go for you

Genesis 12:14 – 13:4 

And he journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the LORD.

Gen 13:3-4 ESV

How to overcome crises in our lives.

There was famine in the land because of lack of rain. This came as a result of the sin of men who lived in the land of the Eternal. Kenaan's descendants settled there. And famine forced our father Avraham to move temporarily to Egypt where there was enough pasture and food. When he arrived in Egypt, Sarah was taken as Pharaoh’s wife. Not only Avraham's life was in danger, but also Avraham's descendants divine plan was about to be aborted. What did our father do in that situation? How could he come out in victory from that great trial? There are three truths that we must take into account in order to overcome crises of life:

  • The Eternal manages circumstances that surround every person.

  • The Eternal intervenes in circumstances of every person that trusts Him.

  • The Eternal causes critical situations in order to forge each person’s soul and create an acceptable character in each one of us.

The Eternal stopped the rain on the land because men were sinners. The hand of the Almighty is behind everything happening around us. He allowed these circumstances in Avraham's life in order to force him to leave to Egypt. At that moment, Avraham could choose to complain or to trust. He could complain about the depraved conduct of the inhabitants of the area that caused such divine judgment. But instead of complaining, he turned to Egypt and tried to find a temporary solution to this problem.

 There are moments in life in which we have to make decisions that we don't like and due to circumstances we are forced to do things that don't agree with our ideals.

However, there is a Mighty One in heaven who guides the steps of men and He meant our father Avraham's feet to step into Egypt, because in the future, He wanted to give every place where he had stepped on to his descendants. The Eternal had plans that were much higher than what Avraham could imagine then. If he had placed his life in the hands of the Eternal, and He in turn, had promised to keep him and bless him, then He had to keep His promise and take care of Avraham avinu – our father. Our soul's worries want to drown peace, to cause us pain and to complain. Avraham had to learn to overcome all those feelings and trust Him, who was in control of everything.

When arriving in Egypt, they had to go through a much stronger trial than famine in the land. His wife was taken away and he was in danger of death. What a distress Avraham felt when his beloved one was taken to Pharaoh's palace to become his wife! Did he go through a sleepless night? Did he cry out to heavens for them both? Now their lives were in danger and the Eternal's plan for their lives was about to be broken. Certainly, it was the moment to cry out, to pour his soul before the Eternal and release all his anxiety. Or, maybe Avraham trusted the Eternal so that he could live above fear and distress without crying out to heaven. I don't think so, because for fear of being killed he said a half-truth when he assured the Egyptians that Sarah was his sister. His fear made him to be disloyal to his marriage covenant, to expose his wife to a possible adultery and to put her in a very dangerous situation.

Avraham didn't fight Pharaoh. He couldn't prevent Pharaoh's men from taking Sarah. When he saw this abuse of authority, he didn't fight in rage but overcame his anger and frustration as he turned up to the One who ruled over all circumstances. I believe that Avraham thought: "If the Eternal has allowed us to be in this situation, He, who is responsible for our lives, is powerful enough to deliver us from this."

And the Eternal was faithful and helped those who cried to Him not fighting in their own strength to change circumstances that couldn't be changed in a natural way. All that happens in the physical world is a result of what has already happened in the invisible one. That is why Avraham and Sarah decided to change, through prayer, whatever was happening in the invisible world. They made the decision of trusting the Eternal and He responded sending a heavenly messenger, and turned defeat into victory in a moment. Avraham and Sarah came out of Egypt without bodily harm and with many riches.

However, the anguish their souls had been through demanded a renewed intimate encounter with the Eternal. That is why Avraham didn't rest until he got back to one of the places in which he had experienced such an encounter before going to Egypt. He went non-stop to the altar that was between Bethel and HaAy. Bethel means "House of the Mighty One" and HaAy means "The heap of ruins". In that place, Avraham had had a very intimate encounter with the Eternal and he now wanted to deepen in his relationship with Him, after overcoming Egypt's crisis.

I think that his new encounter with the Eternal consisted of two outcries: gratitude for having being saved and a strong desire for renewed strength in their souls.

Dear disciple of Yeshua: If you've placed your life in the hands of the Eternal, you must know that all circumstances and every single happening are under His control. Don't complain, just trust, cry out to Him and search for a solution from Him; He will send everything you need in His own terms and time. You must also know that everything, absolutely everything that happens to you is within His plan for your life and He allows it in order to shape your character and to forge your soul into perfection. So don't lose courage. Keep looking up to the heavens and he will do his work. After having overcome the crisis, go back to the place of your encounter with Him. You will need it.

May the Eternal grant you patience and joy to come out of any trial in victory.

Ketriel

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