Vayeira
Genesis 18:1 - 22:24

          In the book, A Tail of Two Cities, The first sentence reads “It was the best of times and worst of times…”   This week, our Torah portion is about the best of times and the worst of times for two people and one city in particular.  This week, we have the narrative of the three visitors to Abraham, the judgment on Sodom , the announcement of the birth of Isaac and the Akedah of Isaac (the “sacrifice of Isaac”).  We will focus our attention on the comparison of Lot and Abraham.  At the beginning of the portion, Abraham and Sarah entertain the three visitors.  One of the visitors is understood by most bible commentators as the “Angel of the Lord.” . These visitors come to announce a great blessing on Abraham and Sarah.  They tell them that Sarah will have a son who will be the “child of promise” who will inherit the covenant calling and responsibilities that God gave to Abraham.  When Abraham was first given this news back in chapter 17 he “fell on his face and laughed”. Now when Sarah hears the news she too cannot contain herself but bursts into laughter as well.  What seemed impossible, God had promised to do. In this narrative, Abraham is pictured as a man of blessing  who will teach his children about righteousness and justice. 

          The scene quickly changes as two of the three messengers from the Lord  go to Sodom to investigate the “great outcry”. This “great outcry” is defined as “exceedingly great sin”.  In the exchange between Abraham and God, Abraham intercedes for any righteous people who may be in Sodom . In the entire book of Genesis the word “righteous” is used ten times. Seven of those times is in Ch. 18. Great emphasis is placed on saving whose who may be righteous.  Once again we see how Abraham is identified with the righteous.

           In the city of Sodom we find Lot ,  the nephew of Abraham, who was a leading man in the city.  When Lot chose to go to Sodom it was already known to be a sinful place.(Gen. 13:13).  While Lot himself does not engage in sinful  activity (although the sacrifice of his daughter could be considered questionable), his wife and daughters certainly do disobey the Lord.  The daughters get their father drunk and have  sexual relations with him.  Lot ’s wife was turned to a pillar of salt for looking back on their way out of town. 

          One of the great lessons we learn here is that when our focus is on the things of God and his righteousness, there is more opportunity for blessing.  We also learn that God will indeed judge unrighteousness. Yeshua said to “remember Lot ’s wife!”  She represents people who are more interested in the things of this world than the things of God. She represents those who will be judged at the end. More specifically she represents “religious people” who may think that they are right with God because of family history or general beliefs. But in reality, do not know the Lord and who find their satisfaction in material things of this world and are not concerned with His coming.   Yeshua said “It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building;  ²⁹ but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.  ³⁰ "It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. “Luke 17:28-30

          Although we all live in a metropolitan city that could in some ways be compared to Sodom (as can all cities), the question becomes “how are we affected by the culture that surrounds us?”  Judging by what we know from the text, Lot and his family were certainly affected by the culture of Sodom . Lot was raised for the most part by his Uncle Abraham. Even with all of the influence of Abraham. Lot still was negatively effected by the culture.  The contrast with Abraham becomes more distinct as we read about the faith of Abraham in taking Isaac up the mountain.  Abraham epitomizes faith and righteousness. As you read the text for this week, take a personal inventory to see just how much you may be affected y the culture around us. Whom do you identify with in the text, Abraham or Lot ?  Shabbat Shalom!