Parsha Vayera – Apostolic Readings, Commentary, and Video

Readings

• Genesis 18
  • Matthew 10:11-15
  • John 15:15-16:15
  • Hebrews 13:1-2
  • 2 Peter 3:7-9
• Genesis 19
  • Luke 14:12-14
  • Luke 17:28-37
  • Luke 24:13-30
  • 2 Peter 2:6-14
  • 2 Peter 3:10-13
  • Revelation 6:9-17
• Genesis 20
  • Matthew 27:15-26
  • Mark 1:12-13
  • James 5:14-16
  • 1 Peter 3:1-7
• Genesis 21
  • Romans 9:1-8
  • 1 Corinthians 6:1-11
  • Galatians 4:21-5:1
  • Philippians 4:2-3
  • Hebrews 11:11-14
• Genesis 22
  • Matthew 26:52-54
  • Luke 24:5-7
  • John 1:35-37
  • John 19:16-18
  • Hebrews 5:7-8
  • James 2:17-24

Additional Reading

• Soil from Stone
• American Torah

Videos Related to Parsha Vayeira

• Abraham’s Five Character Traits in Genesis 18:1-8 – On the basis of Abraham’s faith and character, God made a covenant with him and promised to preserve his descendants forever. All of Scripture emphasizes his great character, even calling him the Friend of God! The story of Abraham entertaining three men in #Genesis 18:1-8 reveals five important characteristics that God values in his people.
• Father, Son, and Spirit in Matthew 3:16-17 – The anatomy of God is hinted at throughout Scripture, but never directly discussed. I don’t think “YHWH is one” is relevant, because both sides agree on that and it isn’t talking about God’s anatomy. Most of the passages that fuel the Trinitarian vs Unitarian debate can be reasonably interpreted to favor either side. Matthew 3:16-17, for example, shows Father, Son, and Spirit in three forms in the same place and time, but that’s only evidence for one side or the other if you presuppose your own conclusions.
• Job, the Laborer, and the Sojourner (Job 31:31-32) – Job didn’t run a public welfare system–he wasn’t handing cash out to people who refused to work–but he still used God’s blessings to bless the people around him. He paid his employees generously and sheltered the homeless in his own town.
• The Gracious Angel in Judges 13 – Manoah, Samson’s father, was a good man, but he didn’t always follow the rules regarding sacrifice. He probably didn’t even know what all the rules were. None-the-less, the Angel of YHWH didn’t reprimand him or take the opportunity to lecture him on Altar Etiquette, but accepted his sacrifice graciously. This is a good example for guests to follow. If someone offers hospitality, accept if you’re able, and don’t be a bad guest.
• The King’s Heart in Proverbs 21:1 – This proverb and many examples in Scripture seem to indicate that the more power you have over other people, the less power you have over your own life. God uses kings, governors, and other powerful people to both guide and judge nations.
• Lot’s Righteous Character in Genesis 19:1-11 – Lot gets a lot of bad press in Christian teaching, but Peter clearly wrote that he was a righteous man (2 Peter 2:6-9). Despite his sometimes foolish choices, the prelude to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:1-11) shows that Lot had some qualities that God values very highly.
• Jesus and Lot in Luke 24:14-31 – In Luke 24:14-31, the risen Savior reveals himself to two despondent disciples on the road to Emmaus, but he reveals something else too and follows a surprising pattern set at Sodom and Gomorrah.
• Divine Genocide in Joshua 11 – God said, “Thou shall not kill”, but he told Joshua to kill every living person in Canaan. What’s up with that?
• Supporting God’s Anointed – Be Better than Sodom – Yeshua said, “A prophet gets no respect in his own country.” If you worship the God of Abraham, you should want to be like Abraham, generous and hospitable, especially to those God has anointed for a divine mission. Yeshua said that a community who refused to support his teachers and prophets will be blessed, but those who don’t will be cursed worse than Sodom in the final judgement.
• Joshua 10: The Amorite Alliance Against Gibeon – The enemies of God have no real friends, even among themselves. Any hint of repentance, and they will turn on you like cannibals.
• The Two Donkeys of the Triumphal Entry in Matthew 21:1-11 – The text almost reads as if Yeshua road two donkeys at the same time, but that’s just silly. There were two donkeys present for prophetic and symbolic reasons, and there are other symbols in the passage that are important to see.
• No New Covenant Annuls an Older Covenant – God made covenants with Eve, Noah, Abraham, Israel, Aaron, the Levites, David, and many others. The Bible is the story of covenants made and fulfilled; that is its central theme. Yet not one new covenant ever annulled an older one. That’s just not how covenants work.
• Proverbs 1:7 and the fear of the LORD – What does it mean to fear YHWH? Hint: It doesn’t mean that he’s waiting to smite you for any mistake.
• The Fear of Our Fathers – When you understand the fearful love of a small child for his father, you will begin to understand the fear of YHWH. Earthly fathers set the stage for our relationship with the Heavenly Father. If we have a loving, wise father on earth, then it is so much easier to have a healthy relationship with God.
• They (and we) are Israelites – Romans 9:3-8 – In this passage, Paul says a very curious thing: The Jews are descended from Abraham, but they aren’t all children of Abraham. On the other hand, many people from the nations are not descended from Abraham, but they are children of Abraham and of God. How can this be so? There are two kinds of “father” in Scripture: genetic fathers and spiritual fathers.
• The OTHER Proverbs 9 Woman – As in the case of Wisdom, the description of Folly in Proverbs 9 reveals a lot about her character that isn’t explicitly laid out in the text.
• Where Is Jesus Now? Romans 6:8-9 – What does it mean that Christ was raised from the dead? Can he have a physical body in Heaven? What exactly is Heaven?
• They (and we) are Israelites – Romans 9:3-8 – In Romans 9, Paul says a very curious thing: The Jews are descended from Abraham, but they aren’t all children of Abraham. On the other hand, many people from the nations are not descended from Abraham, but they are children of Abraham and of God. How can this be so? There are two kinds of “father” in Scripture: genetic fathers and spiritual fathers.