Genesis 17:1-27
Summary
God approaches Abram and establishes his covenant with him. This covenant involves a name change for Abram and Sarai, and what seems to me to be a rather inordinate amount of focus on the foreskins of Abram's family's penises. God tells the newly-named Abraham that his son Ishmael will be the father of many princes and a great nation, but that it is with Isaac that God will make his covenant.
Commentary
As anybody who has ever worked at, gone to, or been in the general vicinity of Huron Church Camp can tell you, a covenant is a big deal. Often written in crayon on funky paper (well, at Camp, at least). A covenant is a solemn promise made between people, and in the Bible often between people and God, in which both parties agree to perform some sort of action.
God's side of the covenant is pretty impressive. God tells Abram that she will make him "the ancestor of a multitude of nations," (Gen 17:4), and further goes on to change Abram's name. The footnotes for the online Bible say that "Abram" should be taken to mean "exalted ancestor" and "Abraham" (the new name) should be taken to mean "ancestor of a multitude." Which makes sense, as God goes on to tell Abram that he will be the "ancestor of a multitude of nations," and "exceedingly fruitful," and that he will be the father of kings (Gen 17:6).
Yeah, there's a pretty impressive amount of repetition in this chapter, but I think part of that is an attempt to emphasize how important this covenant really is. This isn't the sort of promise that God makes every day to just any ancient patriarch. It's a grand covenant, that bestows on Abra(ha)m all the glories of being the father of nations who is in an everlasting covenant with God. And all it costs is a little bit of skin, from every male.
Ah yes, the eminently reasonable requirement of circumcision. That's only partially a joke, because at the time I'm sure it made sense. A circumcised penis is easier to keep clean, and with actual cleanliness tends to come ritual cleanliness. I haven't seen a lot of it yet, but I do know that a huge emphasis on being ritually clean is upcoming, and this appears to be the very start of it.
God requires that every male, including the slaves born into the household and the slaves purchased from elsewhere, must be circumcised at the age of eight days. Presumably any slave older than eight days when purchased would be circumcised that day (or at least reasonably, it's sometimes hard to tell how much leeway you get with something like this). It must be done, however, because "[a]ny uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken [God's] commandment" (Gen 17:14).
It kind of strikes me as a slightly odd place to start with requirements for a covenant with God, but I fully admit straight up that I don't really know what pleases God all the time. Maybe it's the cleanliness, maybe it's the unquestioning loyalty that he later forces Abra(ha)m to display with his son, but taken at face value God clearly needs this for a reason, I just don't know what that reason is.
In the next bit, God also changes Sarai's name to Sarah, and tells Abra(ha)m that she will bear him a child. In response to this, Abra(ha)m "fell on his face and laughed" (Gen 17:17). I love that moment, because it speaks powerfully to the humanity of Abra(ha)m; he just can't believe that his ninety-year-old-wife can bear him a son, and who can blame him?
I enjoy seeing the reactions of people in the Bible who are experiencing God's power for the first time, because I know that were I to witness the same raw power and majesty, I'd probably have a hard time believing it as well. My ninety-year-old wife bear me a son? Preposterous! Maybe it'd be better if God just established his covenant with Ishmael, Abra(ha)m suggests, but God won't allow it.
Ishmael doesn't get left with nothing, though, God hears Abra(ha)m's plea for his bastard son to be blessed as well, and says that he will be made "fruitful and exceedingly numerous; he shall be the father of twelve princes and [God] will make him a great nation" (Gen 17:20).
In the end, though, Ishmael is still denied the greatest gift, the sweetest pot in the whole deal. God says that though Ishmael is to be blessed, "[God's] covenant will be established with Isaac" (Gen 17:21). I don't know the specifics of how inheritance law really worked back then, but as Ishmael was considered a legitimate heir, it was probably a bit of a kick in the pants when Isaac showed up on the scene and became the heir-designate. I wonder if being the son of the patriarch's wife would supersede being the eldest? I don't know, either way, I imagine there was some bad blood, even if it didn't get recorded in the Bible (to be honest, it might have been, I don't know much about Abraham's sons, it's Isaac's sons I know a little more about).
The last few verses of the chapter tell us that Abraham and Ishmael and all their slaves and male family members were circumcised. It doesn't tell us that God said it was good, but I think we can assume that God was approving.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
The Book of Genesis, Chapter 16
Genesis 16:1-16
Summary
Sarai, Abram's wife, has borne no children, so she sends her husband to Hagar, her slave girl, to bear Abram a child. Hagar conceives, and gives Sarai dirty looks, so Sarai "deals harshly with her". The Angel of the LordTM finds Hagar on the road to Shur, and sends her back to Sarai with the knowledge that her son will be named Ishmael, and he will be a "wild ass of a man" (Gen 16:12). Isn't that just heartwarming.
Commentary
So, some interesting interplay here at the beginning of this chapter. Sarai owns a slave-girl named Hagar, and because Sarai is not conceiving a child, despite God's promises, she suggests Abram have a child with Hagar, so that she "shall obtain children by her." (Gen 16:2) Clearly there is nothing unwise about this plan at all. Clearly.
So Hagar conceives, and that pretty well illustrates to her that the problem isn't Abram, but Sarai, which causes Hagar to look upon her "with contempt." (Gen 16:4) Sarai, in purely logical fashion, blames Abram for causing her slave to look upon her with contempt. She even asks the Lord to judge between them. This doesn't end up happening, though, because Abram simply replies that Hagar is "in [Sarai's] power, do to her as you please." (Gen 16:6) Sarai does something harsh enough to make Hagar decide to run, though the chapter doesn't go into further detail than to say that Sarai "dealt harshly with her" (Gen 16:6).
It's hard for me to say how I feel about this, because there's a lot of difficult stuff in there. I can only imagine how hard it would be for a woman to be in Sarai's position, with the patriarchal society requiring children to further the family line. In what seems to be desperation she suggests Abram should try things with Hagar, and Sarai discovers in the process that the problem seems to be her. This would be a very difficult way to find out a very difficult thing. There's a lot of hurt going around and like most people she lashes out at the people near her. It seems a rather reasonable, if unfortunate, outcome.
Regardless of this, Hagar runs from the ire of her mistress and stops at a spring of water in the wilderness, where she is found by The Angel of the LordTM. I think it's fascinating how many things happen at interesting land forms in the wilderness. A spring, a grove...even a rock used as a pillow. The Angel of the LordTM tells Hagar to return and submit to Sarai, agreeing to "so greatly multiply [Hagar's] offspring that they cannot be counted for multitude" in return for her obedience (Gen 16:10). The theme of fertility and having a crap-ton of children rears its head again here.
What interests me most here is my own reaction to the themes of fertility and plenty-o-kids. I know, intellectually, that when you don't expect all of your children to live to maturity and when you live in an agrarian society that children are life and future, but it still feels weird to see these people obsess so much about something that I've barely considered.
The very last bit of this chapter is a quick peek ahead into the life of Ishmael, son of Hagar and Abram. According to Wikipedia, Ishmael is considered to be the progenitor of the northern Arab peoples by Islamic tradition and much of the Jewish traditions as well. It's understandable, I suppose, that the Hebrew scripture would describe him as a "wild ass of a man, with his hand against everyone, and everyone's hand against him" (Gen 16:12). It's also appropriate that, according to Wikipedia, he is more positively regarded and given a much larger role in the Islamic tradition, so we'll just chalk this up to good old-fashioned intolerance.
The last two verses of the chapter are quite formulaic:
Hagar's baby. Just in case it wasn't clear.
Summary
Sarai, Abram's wife, has borne no children, so she sends her husband to Hagar, her slave girl, to bear Abram a child. Hagar conceives, and gives Sarai dirty looks, so Sarai "deals harshly with her". The Angel of the LordTM finds Hagar on the road to Shur, and sends her back to Sarai with the knowledge that her son will be named Ishmael, and he will be a "wild ass of a man" (Gen 16:12). Isn't that just heartwarming.
Commentary
So, some interesting interplay here at the beginning of this chapter. Sarai owns a slave-girl named Hagar, and because Sarai is not conceiving a child, despite God's promises, she suggests Abram have a child with Hagar, so that she "shall obtain children by her." (Gen 16:2) Clearly there is nothing unwise about this plan at all. Clearly.
So Hagar conceives, and that pretty well illustrates to her that the problem isn't Abram, but Sarai, which causes Hagar to look upon her "with contempt." (Gen 16:4) Sarai, in purely logical fashion, blames Abram for causing her slave to look upon her with contempt. She even asks the Lord to judge between them. This doesn't end up happening, though, because Abram simply replies that Hagar is "in [Sarai's] power, do to her as you please." (Gen 16:6) Sarai does something harsh enough to make Hagar decide to run, though the chapter doesn't go into further detail than to say that Sarai "dealt harshly with her" (Gen 16:6).
It's hard for me to say how I feel about this, because there's a lot of difficult stuff in there. I can only imagine how hard it would be for a woman to be in Sarai's position, with the patriarchal society requiring children to further the family line. In what seems to be desperation she suggests Abram should try things with Hagar, and Sarai discovers in the process that the problem seems to be her. This would be a very difficult way to find out a very difficult thing. There's a lot of hurt going around and like most people she lashes out at the people near her. It seems a rather reasonable, if unfortunate, outcome.
Regardless of this, Hagar runs from the ire of her mistress and stops at a spring of water in the wilderness, where she is found by The Angel of the LordTM. I think it's fascinating how many things happen at interesting land forms in the wilderness. A spring, a grove...even a rock used as a pillow. The Angel of the LordTM tells Hagar to return and submit to Sarai, agreeing to "so greatly multiply [Hagar's] offspring that they cannot be counted for multitude" in return for her obedience (Gen 16:10). The theme of fertility and having a crap-ton of children rears its head again here.
What interests me most here is my own reaction to the themes of fertility and plenty-o-kids. I know, intellectually, that when you don't expect all of your children to live to maturity and when you live in an agrarian society that children are life and future, but it still feels weird to see these people obsess so much about something that I've barely considered.
The very last bit of this chapter is a quick peek ahead into the life of Ishmael, son of Hagar and Abram. According to Wikipedia, Ishmael is considered to be the progenitor of the northern Arab peoples by Islamic tradition and much of the Jewish traditions as well. It's understandable, I suppose, that the Hebrew scripture would describe him as a "wild ass of a man, with his hand against everyone, and everyone's hand against him" (Gen 16:12). It's also appropriate that, according to Wikipedia, he is more positively regarded and given a much larger role in the Islamic tradition, so we'll just chalk this up to good old-fashioned intolerance.
The last two verses of the chapter are quite formulaic:
"Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram named his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael." (Gen 16: 15-16)Funny moment. Due to the age inflation in Genesis, when I was reading the above quote I inserted the word "only" before Abram's age. It's a sad day when you're starting to think eighty-six is young. I find the reptetition of Hagar's name a little amusing; it's like the author wanted to be extremely clear that this child was not from Abram's wife.
Hagar's baby. Just in case it wasn't clear.
Once More Into The Breach
Well, it's been almost a year, so it's time to dust off the cobwebs and get this rolling again. There's a Facebook page for the blog now, but I can't give the page a username until it gets 25 fans, so once we're there I'll update this post with a link to the page. Genesis 16 to follow shortly!
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