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Torah: Genesis 23:1-25:18 It is good to be alive! This might seem like an obvious fact to most, but in troubling times like ours today, some might think otherwise. As followers of the Messiah Yeshua we know that life is indeed a precious gift and, whether or not the quality of your life is what you might want it to be, we know and trust that God has us alive for a purpose beyond what we might be feeling at the moment. With this in mind we need to be challenged with the simple thought, "Are we making the most of our lives?" The Torah portion for this week confronts us with the truth that death is a reality for all people regardless of their status; you cannot cheat death! Certainly Sarah and Abraham must be considered some of the greatest people who ever lived. Their passion for God and their willingness to step out in faith to follow God is even now a tremendous encouragement and challenge to us in our time. Yet all good things must come to an end, and such also is life. Life has a limit in this world, and so they died, first Sarah and then Abraham many years later. Yet how does it say that Abraham died? "Then Avraham breathed his last, dying at a ripe old age, an old man full of years; and he was gathered to his people" (Gen. 25:8, CJB). The text tells us clearly that Abraham lived his life to its fullness; he died because it was time for his life to end. The text also implies, and Rabbinic commentaries express this understanding, that this fullness was due to his faithfulness to God. Because of this, he was ushered into the reality of Olam haBa, God's World to Come, and reconnected with God's faithful who had preceded him. Now that's dying! In the Haftarah portion we learn of the near coup of the Davidic throne through the actions of David's son Adoniyah. The portion walks us through the potentially disastrous situation to show us God's power to intervene, with the outcome that Shlomo becomes king in David's place. How did this situation come about in the first place? It seems to me that it was the result of poor planning. Evidently David didn't plan to die! He had no clearly published succession plan and so his eldest son assumed the right to the throne, which is only natural among kings, and thus set up the entire incident. How often do we live our lives without our end in view? There is no guarantee as to the length of our days, so live each day faithful to God's instructions and plan for your life, making the most of your life. Prepare today for what is really inevitable: your death. Now that's living! Our Brit Chadasha portion teaches us that death is just a door into eternity, and that as followers of Messiah Yeshua we should not fear death. First of all, we must remember that our Messiah broke the power of death through his own resurrection. Because he rose, so shall we! Yeshua's resurrection is a first glimpse of our own future resurrection. Secondly, we need to gratefully recognize that Yeshua's death purchased for us complete atonement from our sin, which, without forgiveness, would have brought us eternal separation from God. Because our Messiah Yeshua died and then rose from the dead, we who accept his death by faith now have assurance of a resurrected life after death, as well as an eternal relationship with God! Consider for a moment now how this information should be affecting the way you are living your life today. Are you living your life on earth with a proper resurrection perspective? Our Messiah Yeshua's resurrection is indeed a great encouragement for us to make the most of our lives for God, knowing that it is only what we do for him that will last for eternity. Now that's reality! Do you understand that life is fleeting? Have you got your eternity all planned out? God has provided through Messiah Yeshua life after death for those who accept him. If you have accepted Yeshua, how have you allowed your faith in him to change and affect the way you are living your life today? It is always good to be alive, able to have one more opportunity to impact this world for our Messiah. Give yourself fully to the work of God with your life. That is real living!
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By Kirk Gliebe 
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