Then the Lord appeared to him and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you.
-Genesis 26:2
Let’s take a close look at the phrase “and the Lord appeared unto him“.
This is interesting.
How exactly did the Lord appear to him?
Was it in visible form?
Was it in a dream?
The only way to know for sure is to look at the original Hebrew.
The word “appeared” in the original Hebrew is “va-yerah“.
This is the most frequently used word when expressing how God appeared to the patriarchs.
The nuance of this word refers to a very strong and undeniable message received from God.
It could be in a vision but not necessarily.
However, it is definitely not audible.
It is NOT divine speech.
There is a specific Hebrew phrase used for divine speech.
That phrase is “Va-yomer“.
In order to alleviate Isaac’s fears and worries, God again reassures him that everything is going to be okay.
When we’re feeling beset on all sides by troubling circumstances and worry, sometimes all we need is a word of reassurance from God.
Our circumstances may not change, but how we feel inside in response to the circumstances change and sometimes that is all that is necessary.
Notice verse 4 that says “in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed“.
Even at this early stage in the Jewish scriptures we are given a prophetic pronouncement that a descendant from the seed of Abraham would be a blessing to the whole world.
As history progresses, I believe it will become increasingly clear that the well-being of every nation and people group in the world is or will be connected to Israel.
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