17:1-18 God tells Abraham that he’ll be the father of
many nations. Abraham is good with that. God tells Abraham that he will keep
the covenant by circumcising all the males. Abraham says nothing. God tells
Abraham that his wife, Sarah will have a child. Abraham cracks up and makes a
big deal of it.
Sure, Abraham probably liked the “father of many nations”
bit, but why no reaction to the second bit? Perhaps he was in shock. I think if
I heard the sign of the covenant that God had in mind, I might have protested. “Is
that really necessary, God?” Perhaps he just didn’t understand . . . yet. So,
he cracks up about his old woman having a baby, instead. As if THAT was too
hard for God.
Then, in chapter 18, God visits Abraham again. Perhaps
Abraham forgot to mention to Sarah that God had told him that they were going
to make a baby. God pops by to give a friendly reminder. What does Sarah do?
She laughs. Imagine your grandparents having a baby. I laughed. Why is it a
surprise that Sarah laughs? We somehow expect her to be more in-tune with God’s
plan and power because, she’s a Bible character. Both Abraham and Sarah were
almost 100 years old! The idea that people that old could have a baby, I find
that laughable, too.
18:32 Lot was ineffective. He knew about God, but his
presence in Sodom did nothing to improve its depravity. Sodom would have been
spared for 10 righteous people. Lot. Lot’s wife. Lot’s two daughters. Lot’s two
sons-in-law. That adds up to 6 people. It’s not quite 10 people, but surely Lot
interacted with people outside of his family. Indeed, in 19:1 we learn that Lot
was sitting in the gate of Sodom. The gate was where the city’s leaders,
officials, and judges sat. These were the powerful, influential people of the
city, and Lot was one of them. However, for all his power and influence, there
were not even 10 righteous in the city. I wonder if Lot’s own family could have
been counted among the righteous. Not to mention the others in Lot’s own
household. When he went to Sodom, he had “flocks and herds and tents” (13:5)
and herdsmen (13:7). Surely some of his servants would have heard him talk
about God? The only ones saved were his immediate family. His wife didn’t end
up making it, and later his daughters got him drunk to impregnate themselves.
Sounds like Lot was really effective. (Please note the sarcasm.)
We know that Abram was 75 when God established His first promise
and Abram left home (Gen. 12). Then next mention of Abraham’s age is when
Ishmael was born (Gen. 16). Abraham was 86. After that, we know that he is 99
at the introduction of circumcision (Gen. 17), and following that we have the
destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham and Lot separate somewhere between them
leaving home and Ishmael’s birth. That means it was somewhere between Abraham’s
75th year and his 86th year that Lot went to Sodom. The destruction of Sodom
was after (or at) Abraham’s 99th year. Thus, we can estimate that Lot spent
between 24 and 13 years in and/or around Sodom. In all that time, he had
approximately no godly influence on the people.In Gen. 13:13 they are “exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD,” and in Gen. 18:20, “the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave.” This doesn’t sound like anything has improved. The words “sinful” in chapter 13 and “sin” in chapter 18 are related. “Chatta’ah” and “chatta” come from the same word “chata,” meaning, “to sin; by inference to forfeit, lack, expiate, repent, (causatively) lead astray, condemn: - bear the blame, cleanse, commit [sin], by fault, harm he hath done, loss, miss, (make) offend (-er), offer for sin, purge, purify (self), make reconciliation, (cause, make) sin (-ful, -ness).” (Strong’s) The sin factor here has not changed. This sin is not unheard of, either. The “wicked” in 13:13 is the same word “ra’ah” in 6:5, when God decided to destroy mankind with the Flood. So, even in chapter 13, the city was ripe for destruction. Perhaps Lot’s stay delayed the destruction, but it was not enough to prevent it. There weren’t even 10 people to show for Lot’s involvement.
20:2 Okay, so now this old lady, who is “too old to bear
children” is appealing enough for King Abimelech to take her. Interesting. She’s
almost 100, but she’s still good looking. I could live with that.
20:18 All of Abimelech’s women were barren while Abraham
and Sarah were there. They must’ve been there long enough for someone to notice
that fact. Yet, for all that time, Abimelech had not come near Sarah. Perhaps
they stayed so long because Abraham couldn’t figure out a way to reclaim his
wife/sister since the king had taken her. Then, I find it interesting that
Abraham prays and Abimelech’s family is healed and they can bear children
again. Exactly after this, Sarah conceives and bears a son. Perhaps she was
healed along with Abimelech’s household.
21:7 Sarah is thrilled that she could bear a son for her husband,
“in his old age.” However, he wasn’t anywhere near too old to have kids. After
Sarah dies, 37 years later, Abraham remarries and has 6 more sons (25:2),
before dying at the age of 175.
21:8 I think it’s kinda funny that they decide to have a feast
when Isaac is weaned. That doesn’t sound like a fun day for Isaac, but everyone
else is having a party. Also, perhaps it was a rough day for Sarah, and so when
she sees Ishmael scoffing, it sets her off so much more easily. Plus, now her
son has made it through some pretty risky childhood, it’s more important to get
rid of anyone who might rival her son. So, Ishmael, who’s maybe around 16, gets
the boot with his mom.
21:22-34 Abraham makes a pact with Abimelech about the
water resources. Is this the same Abimelech, perhaps?
22:12 Classic story of faith. Abraham believed God and
acted. Abraham didn’t withhold his only son. If you think about it, God Himself
didn’t withhold His only Son, either.
23:3-18 There’s such a cultural dance here as they decide
on price in all politeness.
24:2 “Please, put your hand under my thigh . . .” Does
anyone else find this kinda awkward? I know it’s cultural, but it’s just so
foreign to me. I wonder what they’d think of pinkie promises.
24 In some ways, I think it would be rough to be Rebekah
and to leave my home and family to marry a stranger. However, you gotta keep in
mind that she was marrying the only son of a very wealthy man. I bet that
helped.
25:25 Esau was a hairy, hairy baby. Now, sometimes
premature babies have a lot of body hair, but it usually falls out within a few
months. Ears, back, knuckles, chest. However, Esau’s seems to have lasted his
whole life. Perhaps he had Hypertrichosis.
25:29 Esau has been out hunting for food. This isn’t an
afternoon job, either. It could take weeks out, alone, in the wilderness. He
probably ran out of food and ended up fasting. (A few verses later, in 26:1, we
learn that there was a famine, perhaps it was already having an effect.) So,
when he returned and was weary and starving, it’s safe to assume that he didn’t
catch anything. I used to think he was silly for selling his birthright so
easily. However, he might have literally been starving. He even says that he’s
about to die. If it was a choice between my birthright and my life, I think I
would take the stew, too.
26:1 Here is Abimelech, the King of the Philistines in
Gerar again. The same guy? This time, it’s Isaac who lies about Rebekah, and the
king discovers the deception. (Did nobody notice their two sons? Or, did they
not come?) If I was Abimelech, I’d be tired of their whole, lying family.
However, Isaac lives and thrives in the land, until the Philistines get
jealous. They stop up all the wells (probably the ones in chapter 21 that were
a part of Abimelech and Abraham’s pact). Then, Isaac leaves. Some bickering
over wells ensues, and Abimelech goes with Phichol to meet with Isaac in
Beersheba to make a pact. This is very similar to Abraham’s meeting at Beersheba
with Abimelech and Phichol. Are these the same people?
Chapter 27
Rebekah fits right into this family. Abraham lied, Isaac
lied, and now she’s teaching her son to be tricksy. It’s not surprising to see where
Jacob’s later life and his dealings with Laban came from.
28:6-9 Esau notices that his parents don’t like the
Hittite women. He already had two Hittite wives (26:34). So, in order to solve
the problem, he takes another wife. This time it’s a relative, Ishmael’s
daughter. If he’s trying to please his father, I don’t think that marrying the
daughter of his father’s rival will get him any points.
28:20 Jacob pledges that if God will be with him, keep
him safe, give him food and clothing, and that he will come back to his father’s
house in peace, then God will be his God. There seems to be a lot of conditions
here in this pledge. He’s expecting a lot from God.
No comments:
Post a Comment