The Land of Moriah

Genesis 22:1-2 Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “ Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.”

Last Wednesday, I audaciously alerted y’all to my daughter, Nicole Bat Donald’s, Bat Mitzvah. It was just plain amazing! (You can watch it for yourself on Facebook – Beth El Shalom, Houston, TX – on Saturday 11/16/19… you can also see it on the community’s website – bethelshalom.org – on or after Saturday 11/16/19) From an unbiased Mama, she did AWESOME! The whole service was impressive, as it usually is, but for those of us who are not trained in synagogue ways, it sometimes takes someone, baby stepping us through, for us to get the “AH HAH!” moments most synagogue insiders take for granted.

I was tempted to plagiarize her entire sermon this morning (would it really be plagiarism if she gave me permission?), but I decided to just take the AH HAH! moment I personally had on Saturday and use only those parts where she does a better job than me (which of course is most of it!).

Nicole’s portion was from Genesis 18:1 through 22:19. Four chapters that center around Abraham’s journey. A journey that started with his calling in Chapter 12:1-3 Now the Lord said to Abram, “ Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

I have always separated myself and those who grew up under the New Testament, from the Old Testament and the Jewish lives recorded there, thinking that “those people” were so much different back in the OLD days. Thinking that God was different then too.

What have I to do with Jews? And what have Jews to do with me?

Only the SAME God!

God said to Moses, “ I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘ I AM has sent me to you.’” God, furthermore, said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘ The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations. Exodus 3:14-15

Having Nicole called out (like Abraham) from the cocoon of our modern Christian church and planted in Judaism – Messianic Judaism to be exact, we have both been called by God to the land which He shows us. The Land of Moriah, translated, The Lord is my teacher! And called to the same mountain upon which Abraham takes the test given by God… the mountain Abraham names, “Adonai Yireh,—as it is said today, “On the mountain, Adonai will provide.” Genesis 22:14 TLV

The place, as Nicole pointed out, that usually follows our response of “Here I am!”, meaning “I am all in Lord, take me where you want me to go.” Even if it is a place that demands my complete faith and trust in the One leading us there.

Maybe this is exactly why I separated myself from The Old Testament… maybe this is exactly why so many of us do and the churches encourage the same. We’d like to think that Jesus did ALL OF THE hard work! That we would no longer be tested like Abraham and the majority of our descendants were. There would be no testing for us… no altars to sacrifice our beloveds on!

And then we find out it’s not that easy peasy!

Abraham’s call, instructions, journey, destination, test, and provision is the same as ours. We are not different – we are joined!

Remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. Ephesians 2:12-16

Even more thrilling… God has not changed either! Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:17-19 

Nicole pointed out, our answers to God’s call in our lives, answers of “I am here” and “Here I am”,  are similar if not the same as Abraham’s. Just as our forefathers did, sometimes we simply acknowledge where God has us (I am here) and sometimes we run to Him for His GPS map to the Land of Moriah – the place of The Lord is my Teacher. HERE I AM!!!!!!!! And just as with our forefathers, ALL of our moments/events are planned and used by God to get us to the mountain called, The Lord Will Provide.

While there are no longer blood sacrifices for salvation, there is one sacrifice that Jesus WILL NOT do for us.

The sacrifice of ourselves.

The giving of ourselves to God on the altar of our own desires for self gratification. As hard as taking Isaac to the altar, preparing him as a burnt sacrifice, knowing he is your only son who had been promised by covenant, the calling on each of our lives requires the same faith as Abraham on the journey to the land of Moriah… Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself a lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” The two of them walked on together. Genesis 22:8 TLV

God did indeed provide His Lamb…

Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.  

We have to place ourselves with Him on the altar!

He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. Revelation 3:20-21

My AH HAH moment… the events in the life of Abraham are more than the history written in the Old Testament. The Torah, the first five books of our Scriptures, are more than just the details of God creating the nation of Israel.

All of it is the Story of God, all of it is His directions and leading to the land of Moriah.

The place where, The Lord is my Teacher.  The place where we are trained up in the way we should go as children of the Most High God. The place where we give ourselves completely to God. The place where we journey to with all those who came before  us.

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

The Land of Moriah!

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.