“And the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Genesis 18:13-14 NKJV

This week’s Torah portion is as exciting as it is perplexing. In Synagogues worldwide, the question will be asked, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” I watched as an Orthodox Rabbi avoided the greatest miracle in the story. Genesis’ plain reading, it seemed for him, was simply too difficult for the Lord to have performed. What miracle, you ask? Was it the opening of a barren womb? No, he believed that was possible. Was it that a promised child would change the course of history? No, that too, he believed. So, what was too hard? He could not accept that it was the LORD who appeared physically, visibly, to eat a meal with Abraham. He argued all three men were angels and proceeded to give their names. Yet, the text clearly says, “The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh…?” But before we judge harshly, let us examine our own unbeliefs.  Perhaps there is more to the Genesis account.

Is anything too hard for the Lord

Who then ate lunch with Abraham? The text calls the man who spoke with Abraham Jehovah. Another clue is given after the meal, however, for those who need more. Jehovah walked with Abraham toward Sodom to discuss the impending judgment.

“And the Lord (Jehovah) said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing…?” (Gen. 17:17) Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord.” Genesis 17: 22 NKJV

Abraham pleaded for the cities of the plain, Sodom and Gomorrah. At the end of his intercession, The Lord (Jehovah) told Abraham that if just ten righteous are found, He will spare the cities. (Genesis 18:32) When ten could not be found, we see another impossible verse, one noted as early as the 2^nd Century by followers in Yeshua, as a clue to who ate lunch with Abraham.

“Then the Lord (Jehovah) rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord (Jehovah) out of the heavens.” Genesis 19:24 NKJV

There are two named Jehovah in this verse! Jehovah on the earth rained fire down from Jehovah in heaven. How can we explain this? Could it be that the One who ate lunch with Abraham was the “Word” made flesh?  Justyn Martyr, as early as the 2^nd Century, argued that this Jehovah was the very same who had spoken with Abraham, while the other two in human form are identified as angels.

The Eternal Father and Son

What miracle still makes people laugh? That the Creator limited Himself to a form that could be seen and even eat a meal with Abraham. Yet this miracle is not too hard to accept when you understand the nature of the Father and Son.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” Genesis 3:16-17 NKJV

It isn’t the miracle of God giving a child to an old couple, opening her closed womb, that causes laughter today.  It is that Yeshua came from a closed (virgin) womb, and was the Word made flesh and dwelled among us which engenders derision. Many laugh when they read the prophecies that God will dwell with men, and that He desires to share His covenant meal of salvation with us.

What challenges the limits of your faith? Have you labeled something too big for God? Like Sarah, are you chuckling over a promise? I encourage you to believe for the impossible. And, if you have not personally met Him, allow Yeshua, the exact representation of the Father, to fellowship with you, as He did with Abraham so long ago. Even now He stands at the door of your heart.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20 NKJV

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“And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered. Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.” Genesis 13:14-17 NKJV

For a moment, we want to focus on God’s powerful promise to Abraham, “Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.” Recently I purchased a custom walking stick. At its top sits a beautifully carved pomegranate, recreating the ancient priestly staffs displayed in the Israel museum. Engraved along the side are the Hebrew words “Lech Lecha” (Go forth) that begin this week’s Torah portion and God’s first words to Abraham in Genesis 12:1. Our family loves to walk the land of Israel, stepping through forgotten paths winding across the Judean hills. Hidden gems abound around each curve, like shepherd caves, carved winepresses, and ancient immersion pools fed by natural springs.

Israeli citizens love to explore their inheritance, as God’s Abrahamic promise propels them to rise and explore its rich beauty. But what initially prompted God’s command to “arise and walk”?

Abraham initially set out from Ur and Haran. Once in the Promised Land, he built an altar between Bethel and Ai. (Genesis 12:1-8) However, when famine came, he went down to Egypt, a people, and place beyond Abraham’s promised borders, and there, things did not go well. (Genesis 12:10-13:7) Unfortunately, we do not have time to camp on the dangers of going beyond what God has given us. For now, let us peek over Abraham’s shoulder as he returns to the altar at Bethel to call on the name of the Lord. (Genesis 13:4) You might think that revival came from his prayer time; instead, conflict broke out.

“And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock.” Genesis 13:7 NKJV

I imagine Abraham sitting on a rock, the wind taken out of him as he watches Lot’s disappearing form, likely knowing that Lot was making a terrible decision. And in that moment of discouragement, the Lord spoke these words.

“Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.” Genesis 13:17 NKJV

I believe that the Lord has a word for us today. It is time to arise. We have sat discouraged for far too long. There is work to do! Yet, it isn’t enough to arise, we need to lace our boots and walk the length and breadth of our inheritance in Yeshua, our Messiah! What has God promised you?

I. Arise, walk in the Land

The first words to Abraham when leaving Haran were “Go forth” (lech Lecha) – Literally, “going you shall go”. Therefore, it implied that Abraham was actively journeying. Now, Abraham’s posture is one of sitting. Thus, the Lord commanded Abraham to arise.

Similarly, Yeshua spoke to many who had found themselves immobilized. As was said to Abraham, Yeshua said – Arise and walk!

• To the paralytic, He said, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” (Luke 5:24).
• To the man with a withered hand, He said, “Arise and stand here…stretch out your hand” (Luke 6:8).
• To the deceased young man being carried, He said, “Arise,” restoring him to his mother. (Luke 7:14-15).
• To Jairus’ dead daughter, He said, “Little girl arise”. (Luke 8:54).
• And to the foreign leper, He said “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:19).

I believe the Lord is speaking to many that the time for sitting has ended. It is time to arise. But it is not enough to simply stand; the Lord calls us to walk forward.

II. Arise, walk through its length and width

Around 1980, Archaeologist Adam Zertal surveyed the region near Mt. Ebal and Gilgal. There he found ruins dating to the time of Joshua with an enclosure wall. When photographed from above, they saw that it was shaped like a sandal. Subsequently, more sandal-shaped enclosures were found. But what could they mean?

One theory connects the sandal enclosures to the Abrahamic promise reaffirmed later to Joshua at the time they entered Canaan. “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you”? (Joshua 1:3)  Those footprints declared ownership.

Spurgeon, that great preacher of the 19^th Century, noted that the Land of Israel is “The whole earth in miniature”. He is correct! I can drive west from the lush, mountainous, rain-soaked Jerusalem to the Mediterranean Sea coast in just 45 minutes. However, if I travel the same amount of time east of Jerusalem, I find myself in the hot, barren wilderness of the Dead Sea, which receives just 2 inches of rain a year! North, south, east, and west each bring one to a different climate, all found in this tiny strip of land. It truly is a microcosm of the whole earth, and God called Abraham to explore it all.

Until Abraham heard the command to arise, he likely had explored more of Egypt than his own Promised Land. Yet, do you know the length and breadth of the promises God has given you? Have you explored the glory of His Word, the riches of His Holy Spirit? Do you walk in the power and authority that He has invested in you for your family and community?

In Yeshua, you have a great inheritance

Yeshua’s disciples wondered if they had lost in the bargain to follow Yeshua.

“See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?” Matthew 19:28 NKJV

Yeshua gave to them this promise.

“And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.” Matthew 19:29 NKJV

The Lord wants to give you and your descendants salvation, restoration, healing, and eternal life. But two things are necessary – we must arise and walk into that inheritance.

I have met some friends in Israel who prefer to live in the desert and rarely leave. To me, that is boring. And yet we do the same thing in our Spiritual inheritance.   We camp in a fraction of what God wants us to receive.

But now let us look at what has been called Abraham’s “Title Deed”.

III. Arise and walk…for I give it to you

Here we come to what one preacher called the “Title Deed” to Israel. Israel’s claim to the Land is irrevocable and written by the Law Giver and Lord Himself for eternity. But the boundaries have been widened through Yeshua, and the territory expanded. This promise does not replace Abraham’s promise to the natural descendants of Israel. Instead, it expands the promise to the commonwealth of Israel to go into all the world.

The Lord called Abraham to “Go Forth”, saying to you and your descendants I give this land. But Yeshua, the Son of Man, who God has given every tribe and tongue, told His disciples,

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15 NKJV

Look at the beauty of this promise to the Son of God, the ultimate inheritor of Abraham’s Promised Land.

“Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’” Isaiah 49:6 NKJV

And further, the Lord has said of Yeshua, His servant.

“I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession.” Psalm 2: 7-8 NKJV

Conclusion

Yeshua’s inheritance extends far beyond the borders of Eretz Israel to all the world. There are no boundaries or barriers to Him. His gift of salvation is for “whosoever will call on the name of the Lord”. (Romans 10:13)  But how will they call unless they hear, and how shall they believe unless the messengers of that Good News are sent! (Romans 10:14-15).

Followers of Yeshua have an inheritance. Our families have an inheritance. The question is, have we heard the Lord’s call to arise and walk the land?

The first step is to follow Yeshua. You see, He is the ultimate inheritor of the promises of Abraham. And it is too small a thing that He should simply rule the twelve tribes. The Father has given unto Him the nations, and we are called to be Ambassadors of His kingdom. Many in far-off places are still waiting to hear. Now is the time for His people to “Arise and walk the land!

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Lot took the lush, well-watered plain of the Jordan River Valley and left Abraham with the dry, barren, rocky hills of the wilderness that surrounds the valley. But, “All that glitters is not gold” is an old saying that sums up Lot’s choice in Genesis 13:10-11.

“And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere…like the garden of the LORD…Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan…and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom. But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD.”

My grandmother had a cow named Brownie who would stand at the gate and bellow and moo for the lush, thick, green grass that grew over the septic tank just outside her pasture fence. One day my Dad let her out and she immediately started nibbling on those juicy tufts of grass. But after a few mouthfuls, and the scent that wafted up from under the ground, she realized that the grass inside the fence tasted much better and was happy to return to her enclosure.

Sometimes what looks like the most obvious choice is not what is best for us. But if we trust God, even if the way seems hilly and stony like the land Abram received, He will not only lead us to the good pastures, but He will also give us a great inheritance that exceeds all we could ask or think. The Lord told Abraham, “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are–northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever.” (Genesis 13:14-15) Do you understand that Lot’s “choice” land was included in that promise? Abraham could see all the good that Lot chose when he looked around himself. This meant that God was going to give Abraham all he could see, what he couldn’t see beyond the hills in front of him and even what he thought he had given away.

God has great promises to all those who are content to dwell with Him in the inheritance He delights to give them. He is telling you, too, to look wide and long and deep and high at what He has awaiting you, for He has the ability to grant you what you can see, what you can’t even dream of, and even what you thought you lost.

“…that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height–to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:16-19)

And indeed, He “is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us...” (Ephesians 3:20) Claim His promises today! Stand confidently in your faith with a smile on your face because you know that He has a good inheritance in store for you and nothing the devil can do will snatch that away from you.

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Do you ever feel small or insignificant in your faith? Do you think that you can’t measure up to the level of devotion that you see in other believers? Neither you nor I can allow the devil to lie to us that we are undeserving of ALL of God’s wonderful promises and blessings. Yeshua, our High Priest, has mediated a better covenant which was established on better promises. He fulfilled Jeremiah’s prophecy in Jeremiah 31 that says,

“I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. None of them will need to teach his neighbor or his brother saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the LEAST to the GREATEST of them. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” (Jeremiah 31: 33-34 & Hebrews 8:10-12)

Whether you are the least or the greatest (or somewhere in between) in your faith walk, ALL of God’s mercy is available to you. None of your sins are remembered if they are under the blood of Yeshua. The Lord God is your God, and you are His people. He is at work, even in you right now, to transform your mind and write His laws on your heart. Don’t give up! All you are doing, from the smallest deed to the greatest act of faith, is noticed and appreciated by the Lord. He has put all the resources of Heaven at your disposal to help you in your work, and He will reward you for your faithful service when you stand before Him one day.

“For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.” (2 Corinthians 1:20 NLT)

ALL of Yeshua’s promises for YOU are “Yes! And Amen!” Embrace His love and blessings today!

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