Weekly D'rash Bereshit

This week our Torah portion tells the story of creation and brings us all the way to Noah. This early history of humanity helps us understand why the world is so chaotic and dark. God desired that humanity live in an idyllic setting in which He Himself would dwell among them. Sadly, Adam and Eve defied the boundaries that God had set for them which resulted in alienation. This is what we see in the world. Human relationships are difficult; nature can be destructive; people harm one another; warfare is prevalent; and death and disease occur everywhere. This is the result of humanity’s alienation from God that we read about in the beginning of Genesis. From creation to Noah, the world became darker and darker. The consequence of this early history takes us to this very day. The New Covenant Scriptures call this world the “domain of darkness” (Col. 1:13).

The overarching story of the Bible is a return to the idyllic life that God desires for humanity. God has always desired to bless humanity, but human alienation continues to get in the way! We will see, as the Torah unfolds, how God has put a plan in place to lift the alienation and deliver humanity from sin. The rest of the Bible is the outworking of this plan.

The Haftarah portion brings a word of Good News! In Isaiah 42:1–4, we are introduced to the Servant of the Lord who is described in this way: “Behold My servant, whom I uphold, My Chosen One, in whom My soul delights. I have put My Ruach on Him; He will bring justice to the nations. He will not be disheartened or crushed until He establishes justice on earth. The islands will wait for His Torah.

This is Good News! God will send His Servant to undo the chaos and bring “justice” to the nations. He will make the world right. He will undo the curse on creation. The text continues by saying that the Servant of God will succeed because He is the creator and sustainer of everything. (This is the link between the Torah portion and the Haftarah portion). The Servant is the Messiah of Israel, and He will be a light to the nations. In Isaiah 42:9–10, this prophetic word is called new things: “Behold, the former things have come to pass; now I declare new things. Before they spring forth I announce them to you. Sing to ADONAI a new song, His praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea with all its fullness, islands, and their inhabitants”.

The new things are all things related to the new covenant. “Therefore, if anyone is in Messiah, they are a new creation. The old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Messiah and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:17–18). The Messiah has removed the alienation. We can now be reconciled to God!

God, who created the heavens and the earth and is all powerful to sustain the world, has inaugurated a new creation in the lives of all who embrace Messiah Yeshua. We are a new creation living in an old world. We are light living in darkness. The day will come when the entire world will be light and all things will become new (see Revelation 21–22). The Servant is the embodiment of God who is the creator and sustainer of the world! It is through Him that we have been transferred from the domain of darkness to the Kingdom of His beloved Son. (John 1:1–3; Col. 1:13–16)

This is our hope for this dark, chaotic world. Let us sing a new song to the Lord—a song of hope! May there soon be a new heavens and a new earth!

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Howard