Parashat Chayei Sarah (The Life of Sarah)

Beresheet (Genesis) 23:1–25:8
Haftarah: I Kings 1:1–31

I previously wrote a similar commentary on this Scripture portion. This time, I'd like to expand a little on some of the richness that I have discovered in these portions since.

In both the Parasha and Haftarah portions this week, we find an interesting connection between Abraham and David, which I believe, reveals the consistency of God's plan, and the fact that His plan will not be thwarted. His plan is bigger than what you and I may see and understand. He may reveal parts of His plan clearly, while other parts may take time before we can see and understand them. I personally believe that this is intended to keep us humble and dependent on God in all things. It is also to help us to realize just how mighty He is.

In Genesis 24:1a, it is written:

Now Abraham was old, advanced in age…

and in 1 Kings 1:1, it is written:

Now King David was old, advanced in age…”

It is interesting that the Bible clearly states that both men were “old, and advanced in age…” It is a phrase that I believe should grab our attention.

As I searched for this phrase in the Scriptures, I found it occurs four times. Twice in the verses above and twice in the book of Joshua. There I believe we find the meaning of the phrase “advanced in age”. In Joshua 13:1 we read:

Now Joshua was old and advanced in age when the Lord said to him, “You are old and advanced in age, and a very large amount of the land remains to be inherited.

And in Joshua 23:1 we read:

Now it came about after many days, when the LORD had given rest to Israel from all their enemies on every side, and Joshua was old, advanced in age.

and then in verse 5 we read:

And the LORD your God, He will thrust them away from you and drive them from you; and you will take inheritance of their land, just as the LORD your God promised you.

It seems, then, that the phrase “advanced in age” is connected to inheritance that is continued or fulfilled. Isaac inherited the seed of blessing promised to Abraham and carried it forth. Solomon inherited King David's kingdom and continued the prophetic line all the way through to Messiah. Both Isaac and Solomon also inherited their fathers' knowledge of God and the importance of walking with Him. With Joshua, it was the children of Israel's inheritance of the Land as well as the importance of walking with God according to His plan.

The rest of the story in Genesis 24 tells one of the most beautiful stories about how God purposed Rebecca to be Isaac’s wife (I recommend that you read the entire chapter of Genesis 24!). I find it interesting that Abraham was the one who cared about the continuation of the line through which the Seed of Promise would one day come to be. Abraham knew that God's promise would ultimately be fulfilled through someone of his family, i.e. from the same group of people that he came from and not a concubine. This specific line was to continue through Isaac and not Ishmael, regardless of the fact that Ishmael was Abraham’s first born. In terms of the culture, Ishmael was the one who was supposed to inherit Abraham’s place, but God's plan always takes precedence over anything else.

In the Haftarah portion of 1 Kings, we read of Adonijah the son of Haggit, and King David's fourth son, who exalted himself saying the he would be the king. Yet, we read that:

Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.
1 Kings 1:8

The LORD’s anointing was not on Adonijah to become king; it was on Solomon. Nathan came to BatSheva (Bathsheba), the mother of Solomon, and told her about Adonijah's secret plot, and exhorted her to go to King David and tell him that he promised her that Solomon would be king. Nathan also told her that after she goes, he would come and confirm her words. Here is David's response to her after she did as Nathan had instructed her to do:

Then King David responded and said, “Summon Bathsheba to me.” And she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king. Then the king vowed and said, “As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress, certainly as I vowed to you by the LORD, the God of Israel, saying, ‘Your son Solomon certainly shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place’; I will indeed do so this day.” Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground, and prostrated herself before the king and said, “May my lord King David live forever.”
1 Kings 1:28–31

Both Abraham and David were wholly committed to God's lineage through which His Seed of Promise — the Messiah — would come! In Matthew 1:1–6 we read:

The record of the genealogy of Yeshua the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham fathered Isaac, Isaac fathered Jacob, and Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers. Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez fathered Hezron, and Hezron fathered Ram. Ram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, and Nahshon fathered Salmon. Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab, Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth, and Obed fathered Jesse. Jesse fathered David the king. David fathered Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah.  

It is amazing to see that, throughout the Word of God, there are clues regarding the One who will inherit everything from the Father — our Messiah. I love seeing the continuity of God's plan from beginning to end in the Scriptures; may it encourage you in your walk with the Him.

Shabbat Shalom,
Moran