Our Sages see connections between the covenantal ceremony at
the end of this week’s parsha and the Akedah (Binding of Isaac). In both
stories a group of people await at the bottom of the mountain while others
ascend. In our parsha, Moses says “wait here for us until we return to you.” In
the Akedah, Abraham says the same to his servants. In the Akedah, Abraham rose
early in the morning. Likewise, Moses rose early in the morning. In both stories
an altar is built. When Moses ascended the mountain, it says “Now the sight of
the glory of Adonai was like a consuming fire (aish ochelet).” In the Akedah,
Abraham used a knife (ma’achelet). Both of these words come from the same root
word. God tells Abraham not to raise his hand against the boy and this week’s
parsha says that God did not raise His hand against the leaders of Israel.
Most importantly, however, is the fact that both events
include the offering of firstborn sons. In the Akedah, Abraham offers Isaac. At
Sinai, it says that Moses “sent young men of the people of Israel” to offer
burnt offerings and peace offerings. Onkelos, Rashi, and Ibn Ezra all interpret
these young men to be the firstborn sons from each tribe, representing Israel
as a whole (This is based on an assumption that it was only later that the
priests and Levites replaced the role of the firstborn in presenting offerings).
In the Akedah Abraham sacrifices a ram in place of Isaac. At Sinai the
firstborn of the tribes of Israel make sacrifices in their stead.
Our Sages felt that the Torah wants us to connect these two passages together. In fact, they see these as different aspects of the same covenant! One midrash says that Hashem betrothed Israel at the Akedah and married her at Sinai. The Mosaic covenant is seen as an intensification of the Abrahamic covenant, rather than merely being another covenant.
There are contrasts between the two, however. The Akedah is an event fraught with anxiety, sadness, and even terror at the prospect of killing one’s own son. The tone at Sinai is celebratory. Moses and the elders seal the covenant by eating a meal with Hashem (Ex 24:11).
As Messianic Jews we can see connections between these two events in the Tanach with two described in the Besorah. Yeshua’s death is much like the Akedah. It is a grim event, which he approaches with great dread. His disciples are thrown into confusion; they flee or outright disown him. And yet his is the offering of the firstborn son where no ram is substituted. Yeshua as the firstborn Son of God is the offering. In Revelation, we have a different scene altogether. Revelation 7 describes 144,000 representatives of Israel. (Perhaps these are the “firstborn” of Israel?) They are joined with multitudes of the nations of the earth, whose robes have been washed with the blood of the Lamb. Just like at Sinai, they are all before the throne of God and ultimately will feast with Him at the Great Messianic Banquet.
Just as Sinai was an intensification of the covenant made at the Akedah, so too, Yeshua’s death intensifies both of these covenants by dying once and for all not only for the sins of Israel, but also for the sins of the nations of the earth, bringing them into the Commonwealth of Israel. And at the end of time, Israel and the Church will feast with Hashem, finally sealing God’s covenant with the world to make us His people once and for all. Yeshua referred to this as the Wedding Feast, which we can see as a connection to the wedding at Sinai.
Today the world celebrates Love. This chain of covenants
expresses Hashem’s great love for us! Rather than abrogating previous
covenants, each new covenant God makes intensifies the previous ones, making
them more complete. On Rosh Hashanah we recall the Akedah. On Shavuot we recall
the covenant of Sinai. When we commemorate these events let us keep ever in our
minds that these point forward to the Binding of Yeshua and the Great Wedding
Banquet which brings all covenants to their ultimate glorious fulfillment. May
we pray for this to come speedily and soon!
No comments:
Post a Comment