Genesis 16-18
"OK. I get it, God. You need us to help You out in this whole "father of a great nation" business, eh? So let's get another woman involved in all this. What could go wrong?"
Hagar. A maidservant of Sarai who was thrust into a tough situation. She's not exactly blameless here though. By 16:4, she was getting nasty to her mistress -- apparently holding her pregnancy over Sarai's head, as it were. She probably didn't begin all the bitterness, but she gave it its first voice. From there, the roof begins to cave in. Sarai complains to Abraham, Abe washes his hands of the whole problem and Sarai mistreats Hagar until she runs off. I found it interesting that in 18:3 it says that Sarai gave Hagar "to her husband to be his wife." Bigamy. Not just an out-of-wedlock birth. I'd like to look in the the translation of that verse.
What a comment to make about a person: "He will be a wild donkey of a man," said the angel of the Lord to Hagar about Ishmael. The Bible doesn't tell us a lot about Ishmael, but his story is probably very interesting. The Westerner in me wonders if the Middle Eastern trouble isn't rooted in a conflict between a stiff-necked people (Jews) and the descendants of a man whose "hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers." Doesn't sound like a promising situation, does it?
Chapter 17 screams one question: Why circumcision? Of all the signs God could have come up with, why would the removal of penile foreskin be the chosen sign? Does this speak to male pride and sexual dominance? Maybe God taking men down a peg? I get the image of a slave being purchased by Abraham, then being told what had to happen to him to be a part of Abraham's household!
Abraham laughed, Sarai laughed... names were changed. When God changes your name, watch out! Abraham had Ishmael at the age of 86, yet he thought that being 100 was over the hill? How long had it been since the days of Genesis 5, when people lived to be 900 and were having children into their 600s? The perspective on Sarai/Sarah I can understand though.
At chapter 18, the three visitors arrive. The text announces them as "the LORD" and Abraham hurredly is making preparations to feed them. Part of this could be the culture to take care of travelers, but somewhere early on Abraham realizes he is speaking with God. I'd be tempted to call the three "men" Father, Son and Holy Spirit except that chapter 19 begins by talking about "the two angels" who go to Sodom. The angel of the Lord is usually agreed to be a reference to the Second Person of the Trinity -- a pre-incarnate Jesus. I'm not sure exactly why the Second Person is singled out rather than the Third or First. In any case, Abraham addresses the angel of the Lord as deity.
The "bargaining session" looking for a few good men in Sodom is fascinating. Abraham realizes that there aren't many good folk in that town. The Lord knows it too. Abraham doesn't go down to four people which would have covered Lot, his wife and two daughters.
Hagar. A maidservant of Sarai who was thrust into a tough situation. She's not exactly blameless here though. By 16:4, she was getting nasty to her mistress -- apparently holding her pregnancy over Sarai's head, as it were. She probably didn't begin all the bitterness, but she gave it its first voice. From there, the roof begins to cave in. Sarai complains to Abraham, Abe washes his hands of the whole problem and Sarai mistreats Hagar until she runs off. I found it interesting that in 18:3 it says that Sarai gave Hagar "to her husband to be his wife." Bigamy. Not just an out-of-wedlock birth. I'd like to look in the the translation of that verse.
What a comment to make about a person: "He will be a wild donkey of a man," said the angel of the Lord to Hagar about Ishmael. The Bible doesn't tell us a lot about Ishmael, but his story is probably very interesting. The Westerner in me wonders if the Middle Eastern trouble isn't rooted in a conflict between a stiff-necked people (Jews) and the descendants of a man whose "hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers." Doesn't sound like a promising situation, does it?
Chapter 17 screams one question: Why circumcision? Of all the signs God could have come up with, why would the removal of penile foreskin be the chosen sign? Does this speak to male pride and sexual dominance? Maybe God taking men down a peg? I get the image of a slave being purchased by Abraham, then being told what had to happen to him to be a part of Abraham's household!
Abraham laughed, Sarai laughed... names were changed. When God changes your name, watch out! Abraham had Ishmael at the age of 86, yet he thought that being 100 was over the hill? How long had it been since the days of Genesis 5, when people lived to be 900 and were having children into their 600s? The perspective on Sarai/Sarah I can understand though.
At chapter 18, the three visitors arrive. The text announces them as "the LORD" and Abraham hurredly is making preparations to feed them. Part of this could be the culture to take care of travelers, but somewhere early on Abraham realizes he is speaking with God. I'd be tempted to call the three "men" Father, Son and Holy Spirit except that chapter 19 begins by talking about "the two angels" who go to Sodom. The angel of the Lord is usually agreed to be a reference to the Second Person of the Trinity -- a pre-incarnate Jesus. I'm not sure exactly why the Second Person is singled out rather than the Third or First. In any case, Abraham addresses the angel of the Lord as deity.
The "bargaining session" looking for a few good men in Sodom is fascinating. Abraham realizes that there aren't many good folk in that town. The Lord knows it too. Abraham doesn't go down to four people which would have covered Lot, his wife and two daughters.
posted by rev-ed @ 11:54 AM
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