This week’s Torah portion Vayera —And He Appeared (B’resheet [Genesis] 18:1-22:24) relates to us, among other things, many of the times God appeared to Avraham. These were miraculous occurrences. God spoke to Avraham. Avraham spoke to God. Avraham had conversation with God and God responded.
The suggested Brit Hadashah reading includes these portions from Hebrews (6:13-20):
For when God made his promise to Avraham, he swore an oath to do what he had promised; and since there was no one greater than himself for him to swear by, he swore by himself and said, “I will certainly bless you, and I will certainly give you many descendants”; and so, after waiting patiently, Avraham saw the promise fulfilled. Now people swear oaths by someone greater than themselves, and confirmation by an oath puts an end to all dispute. Therefore, when God wanted to demonstrate still more convincingly the unchangeable character of his intentions to those who were to receive what he had promised, he added an oath to the promise; so that through two unchangeable things, in neither of which God could lie, we, who have fled to take a firm hold on the hope set before us, would be strongly encouraged. We have this hope as a sure and safe anchor for ourselves, a hope that goes right on through to what is inside the parokhet, where a forerunner has entered on our behalf, namely, Yeshua, who has become a cohen gadol forever, to be compared with Malki-Tzedek.
Throughout the Bible we see Adonai’s promise and provision for Israel. So it is with us. God has also revealed His promise and provision to us through His Word. We are encouraged by Avraham’s example. He did not give up while waiting for God’s promise to be revealed. We also are encouraged in Ya’akov (James) 1:2-8, and verse 12:
Regard it all as joy, my brothers, when you face various kinds of temptations; 3 for you know that the testing of your trust produces perseverance. But let perseverance do its complete work; so that you may be complete and whole, lacking in nothing. Now if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all generously and without reproach; and it will be given to him. But let him ask in trust, doubting nothing; for the doubter is like a wave in the sea being tossed and driven by the wind. Indeed that person should not think that he will receive anything from the Lord, because he is double-minded, unstable in all his ways.
How blessed is the man who perseveres through temptation! For after he has passed the test, he will receive as his crown the Life which God has promised to those who love him.
May you be encouraged and your faith strengthened as you wait for God to reveal His plan and provision for you today.