Haftorah Chayei Sarah This week's Haftorah is from the first chapter of Kings 1. Dovid Hamelech (the King) is old and must confront the inevitable succession of the throne. His 40 year reign as King of Israel had been blessed with great success, and he had secured the security and sovereignty of the nation. Yet, in his personal life he had suffered great tragedies and hardships. Having already survived the rebellion of his son Avsholom, he must now confront the rebellion of his son Adoniyahu, and his trusted General, Yoav. The Haftorah relates the foresight and courage of Batsheva, the mother of Shlomo, and the help of Nasan the Navi, in guaranteeing the succession of Shlomo to become the next King. The relationship of this story to our Parsha is the planned succession of the throne. Just as Dovid must plan for the next stage of Israel's leadership; so too must Avraham accept the inevitable end and look to Yitzchak's future. Just as Dovid oversees the succession while still living, and steps aside to guarantee a proper and secure change; so too does Avraham take the necessary steps of securing Jewish national development while he is still alive and in a position to continue teaching and directing.

Mark 1:8

I indeed have (f) baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.

(f) He shows that all the power of baptism proceeds from Christ, who baptizes the inner man. 

The account of the ministry of John the Baptist is the briefest in the Gospel of Mark. A few sentences only describe his testimony in the wilderness and his person. All the land of Judea and they of Jerusalem went out to him. The baptism of John in the river of Jordan was the outward sign of repentance. They confessed their sins. A comparison with the record of the Baptist’s ministry in Matthew, Luke and John is very instructive. In Mark all the preaching of John concerning the state of the nation is omitted, for the Holy Spirit describes in Mark John’s ministry only as a necessary preliminary to introduce the Servant and His ministry. Of the baptism which Christ is to bring Mark mentions “the Holy Spirit;” “and with fire” is left out. The fire baptism is His judgment work stated in Matthew and Luke. Christ as the humble Servant does not execute judgment, but the coming King (Matthew) and the Son of Man coming again (Luke) will judge and burn the chaff with unquenchable fire.

aptize

1.     A Christian sacrament signifying spiritual cleansing and rebirth

Webster’s 1828 Dictionary

Baptism

1. The application of water to a person, as a sacrament or religious ceremony, by which he is initiated into the visible church of Christ. This is usually performed by sprinkling or immersion.

Fausset’s Bible Dictionary

Baptism

Baptisms in the sense of purifications were common in the Old Testament The "divers washings" (Greek "baptisms") are mentioned in Heb_9:10, and "the doctrine of baptisms," Heb_6:2. The plural" baptisms" is used in the wider sense, all purifications by water; as of the priest's hands and feet in the laver outside before entering the tabernacle, in the daily service (Exo_30:17-21); of the high priest's flesh in the holy place on the day of atonement (Lev_16:23); of persons ceremonially unclean (Leviticus 14; 15; Lev_16:26-28; Lev_17:15; Lev_22:4-6), a leper, one with an issue, one who ate that which died of itself, one who touched a dead body, the one who let go the scape-goat or buried the ashes of the red heifer, of the people before a religious festival (Exo_19:10; Joh_11:55). The high priest's consecration was threefold: by baptism, unction, and sacrifice (Exo_29:4; Exo_40:12-15; Leviticus 8).

Act 13:24 When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

Vayeira, Vayera, or Va-yera (???????? — Hebrew for "and He appeared," the first word in the parashah) is the fourth weekly Torah portion (?????????, parashah) in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. It constitutes Genesis 18:1–22:24. The parashah tells the stories of Abraham's three visitors, Abraham's bargaining with God over Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot's two visitors, Lot's bargaining with the Sodomites, the flight of Lot, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, how Lot's daughters became pregnant by their father, how Abraham once again passed off his wife Sarah as his sister, the birth of Isaac, the expulsion of Hagar, disputes over wells, and the binding of Isaac (??????????, the Akedah).

Baptize

1.     A Christian sacrament signifying spiritual cleansing and rebirth

Fausset’s Bible Dictionary

Baptism

Baptisms in the sense of purifications were common in the Old Testament The "divers washings" (Greek "baptisms") are mentioned in Heb_9:10, and "the doctrine of baptisms," Heb_6:2. The plural" baptisms" is used in the wider sense, all purifications by water; as of the priest's hands and feet in the laver outside before entering the tabernacle, in the daily service (Exo_30:17-21); of the high priest's flesh in the holy place on the day of atonement (Lev_16:23); of persons ceremonially unclean (Leviticus 14; 15; Lev_16:26-28; Lev_17:15; Lev_22:4-6), a leper, one with an issue, one who ate that which died of itself, one who touched a dead body, the one who let go the scape-goat or buried the ashes of the red heifer, of the people before a religious festival (Exo_19:10; Joh_11:55). The high priest's consecration was threefold: by baptism, unction, and sacrifice (Exo_29:4; Exo_40:12-15; Leviticus 8).

Hebrews 3:13

one another — Greek, “yourselves”; let each exhort himself and his neighbor.

daily — Greek, “on each day,” or “day by day.”

while it is called To-day — while the “to-day” lasts (the day of grace, Luk_4:21, before the coming of the day of glory and judgment at Christ’s coming, Heb_10:25, Heb_10:37). To-morrow is the day when idle men work, and fools repent. To-morrow is Satan’s to-day; he cares not what good resolutions you form, if only you fix them for to-morrow.

lest ... of you — The “you” is emphatic, as distinguished from “your fathers” (Heb_3:9). “That from among you no one (so the Greek order is in some of the oldest manuscripts) be hardened” (Heb_3:8).

deceitfulness — causing you to “err in your heart.”

sin — unbelief.

 

Acts 17:11

These were more noble than those in Thessalonica — The comparison is between the Jews of the two places; for the triumphs of the Gospel at Thessalonica were mostly among the Gentiles. See on Act_17:2-4.

in that they received the word with all readiness of mind — heard it not only without prejudice, but with eager interest, “in an honest and good heart” (Luk_8:17), with sincere desire to be taught aright (see Joh_7:17). Mark the “nobility” ascribed to this state of mind.

searched the scriptures daily whether those things were so — whether the Christian interpretation which the apostle put upon the Old Testament Scriptures was the true one.

Lech-Lecha, Lekh-Lekha, or Lech-L'cha (????-???? le?-l??a — Hebrew for "go!" or "leave!", literally "go for you" — the fifth and sixth words in the parashah) is the third weekly Torah portion (?????????, parashah) in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. It constitutes Genesis12:1–17:27. The parashah tells the stories of God's calling of Abram (who would become Abraham), Abram's passing off his wifeSarai as his sister, Abram's dividing the land with his nephew Lot, the war between the four kings and the five, the covenant between the pieces, Sarai's tensions with her maid Hagar and Hagar's son Ishmael, and the covenant of circumcision (??????? ??????, brit milah).

Sir_2:16 They that fear the Lord will seek that which is well, pleasing unto him; and they that love him shall be filled with the law.

Sir_35:3 To depart from wickedness is a thing pleasing to the Lord; and to forsake unrighteousness is a propitiation.

Sir_48:16 Of whom some did that which was pleasing to God, and some multiplied sins.

Bar_4:4 O Israel, happy are we: for things that are pleasing to God are made known unto us.

Confidence

1.  full trust; belief in the powers, trustworthiness, or reliability of a person or thing: We have every confidence in their ability to succeed.

2.  belief in oneself and one's powers or abilities; self-confidence; self-reliance; assurance: His lack of confidence defeated him.

3.  certitude; assurance: He described the situation with such confidence that the audience believed him completely.

 Pro_14:26 In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.

Heb_3:14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;

Heb_10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.

Ecclesiasticus 26:7-8  An evil wife is a yoke shaken to and fro: he that hath hold of her is as though he held a scorpion.  :8  A drunken woman and a gadder abroad causeth great anger, and she will not cover her own shame.

Shame   1 a: a painful emotion caused by consciousness of guilt, shortcoming, or impropriety b: the susceptibility to such emotion

2: a condition of humiliating disgrace or disrepute : IGNOMINY 3 a: something that brings censure or reproach; also: something to be regretted

Proverbs 30:20-23  Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.  :21 For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear:  :22  For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;  :23  For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.

Odious  : exciting or deserving hatred or repugnance  

repugnance  1 a: the quality or fact of being contradictory or inconsistent b

 : an instance of such contradiction or inconsistency  2: strong dislike, distaste, or antagonism