Some cycles continue. Rachel is barren, or at least seems to be. Maid servants are given to Jacob to produce children. The promise of a nation from Abraham’s line looks now to be a real possibility. When you consider the children Abraham had with Keturah, Esau’s children by his many wives, and all of Jacob’s children, the family has grown greatly. This also means that many of the people who cause trouble and even war against Israel are their own relatives.
Jacob must be one of the greatest shepherds to live! Not one of Laban’s sheep miscarried, in twenty years! Not one was lost to predators. And, he could manipulate the colors and patterns of the lambs! God holds true to his promise to protect and prosper Jacob. The model and tradition of shepherd leaders takes root. In Jacob’s footsteps will come Moses, David, and the Good Shepherd.
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Stories from our childhood Sunday school classes. It’s almost refreshing to read them again. Jacob and Esau and all their sibling rivalry. Or does it go a little beyond typical sibling rivalry? God’s prediction (or mandate?) from chapter 25 sees some fulfillment now – Jacob is becoming greater than Esau, who will in some ways serve his brother. We have seen Esau’s brashness and nearsighted impulsivity. We saw this when he sold his birthright for some soup. The birthright was the inheritance and status usually reserved for the oldest son – a double portion of the land and possessions, head of household as the elder, etc. These ideas seem foreign and archaic to us, but in early years, and even still in some societies, this was not such an unknown tradition. But Jacob’s deceit! And even more, Rebekah’s eavesdropping and meddlesome involvement! With her prompting, Jacob does steal Esau’s blessing. One might argue that it was rightfully his because it came with the birthright, but the two aren’t entirely the same. Blessings were considered pronouncement, and in the Bible they do work this way. Jacob flees his bigger brother and heads back to the homeland. On the way, passing through Canaan, he sees the “stairway to heaven”. Once again, this area is promised to Israel by God himself. He continues to Haran and finds Rachel. Love at first sight may be real! But what are weak eyes? There are a few possibilities, and I can’t say for sure which is correct. Leah may have had bad eyesight. She may have been not very pleasing to the eye. Once again, Laban shows that deception and dishonesty are family traits. Cycles begin to appear as we move into the life and events of Isaac. He marries a relative as his father had. Rebekah would be his second cousin, the daughter of his cousin. Like his mother, she also is considered barren. Barrenness also becomes a consistent and recurring theme amongst the Old Testament people. By continuing his covenant promises and advancing his plans through barren lines, God shows us his faithfulness, the value of trusting in his great power, a theme of provision especially when all seems hopeless. Even more, this cycle of divine intervention in the womb prefigures and prepares us for Mary’s virgin birth of Christ. Other patterns also emerge in Isaac’s life. He shows a similar bent for deception, in outright lying about Rebekah being his sister. Surely he learned the tactic from his parents, but theirs was not truly a lie.
There is also a continued relationship with Abimelech, and tension over land and wells. One purpose in all this is to establish Israel’s claim of rightful possession of the land of Canaan. Abraham, in a somewhat unexpected break from tradition, gives everything he owns to Isaac, and nothing to his other children. This means everything gained in the treaty with Abimelech, especially the well, belongs to Isaac’s descendants. The field he bought, which contained the cave Machpelah where Abraham and Sarah were buried, belong to Isaac, and Israel after him. The wells Isaac dug, and any other land he purchases belong to his descendants. We also see that God is with Isaac as he was with Abraham and desires to continue his covenant relationship through Isaac and his line. The thought of God testing Abraham is a difficult one, at least for me. It is concerning to think that God would do this, especially in such a way. What does it say about God that he sees the need to test someone like Abraham? What does that mean for us today? But then I realize, God already knew Abraham’s heart. He already knew what would happen. This was not a test to prove something to God, this was a test to prove something to Abraham, two things really. First off all, this test showed Abraham how much he has grown. He realizes himself that his heart is steeled in devotion to God – a devotion so strong that he now has absolute trust in God. That wasn’t the case 14 years earlier when he felt the need to produce an heir in his own way. Now he has learned to trust God so greatly that he is willing to sacrifice the child of promise. Everything is in God’s hands and he no longer believes he can do anything himself. And that brings us to the second lesson Abraham, and we, learns from this. When we are fully devoted and trusting in God, he will show astounding grace by providing for all our needs. In this case he supplies a ram for the sacrifice – a substitute for Isaac on the altar, just as he supplied Christ as a sacrificial substitute for us all.
Sodom and Gomorrah present a difficult tale. God destroys cities; he brings death upon hundreds. That isn’t easy to hear. The legacy of these cities spark controversy even today. Is theirs specifically a warning against homosexuality, or is something else involved? When we first hear of what is coming, God says the cries against these people is great and their sin grievous. Who cries out against them? I can only deduce it is their neighbors. And what sins of theirs so grieve God? I imagine it is not “a” sin, but several forms of sin, and the primary root being an absolute rejection of God in favor of following any and all of their own passions. Modern interpreters would have us believe that the sin of Sodom of Gomorrah which warranted their destruction is solely egregious inhospitality, or rape, and not homosexuality. But the singular identifying behavior of the people is homosexuality. They refuse Lot’s daughters, even when offered to them to save the visitors. And the implication is that such aggressive, depraved, and violent behavior is persistent and has been endured for some time by their neighbors. I don’t think they are guilty of one sin, but of many, typified by sexual perversions.
And what do we make of this business with Abimelech? Why does he give all these gifts to Abraham, who had wronged him? Shouldn’t he have required something of Abraham for the deception and the trouble? God warned Abimelech of the situation and the danger he was in. This caused alarm and concern, but also great fear of and respect for Abraham. He was obviously a man who was close to God and whom God blessed and protected. These gifts were a sign of his repentance for offense and to make peace with God and his man. God’s promise is fulfilled! Abraham has a son, Isaac! Abram, Sarai, and Hagar – what a mess we make of things when we get impatient, presume God isn’t in control, and try to make things happen on our own plans! The practice of laying with servants and maids was not uncommon or even frowned upon in earlier days, especially when your wife was barren. But for Abram, this was the easy shortcut to make God’s promise come true but in his own power and insight. Do you see why I said yesterday that almost nothing in Abram’s character, or his descendants, which seems to warrant God’s favor? He is at the same time noble, faithful, respectable and also weak and self-centered. He acts rashly and in his own interest, and then in the next moment he shows great concern for others (especially Lot) and pleads on behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah. This is what I love about the Old Testament stories of Israel’s heroes and founders, of the biblical accounts of God’s chosen and his interactions with them (us). The stories are not whitewashed, the people are not sterilized or romanticized. They are brought to us as they were – sins, stains, weaknesses, ugliness and all. And that is also a compelling reason to believe the accounts are true and accurate.
In between these two stories sits the information of the covenant between Abram and God. It was ratified earlier, but without the details or the special sign and seal. Ancient covenants generally followed recognized and established formula (outlines), and we see those depicted throughout the Pentateuch. Covenants identified the suzerain and what he had done for the vassal (“I am God Almighty”). They spelled out what the suzerain would do for the vassal (many descendants, fruitful, land, protection). They enumerated what is expected of the vassal (faithfulness, devotion). Sometimes the greater king gave a new name to the subject (Abraham, Sarah). In addition to the ritual of ratification (animal sacrifice) there were often also marks of the covenant – something which signified and sealed the covenant, often a physical act or mark (tattoos, piercings). The sign of God’s covenant with Abraham and his lineage was circumcision. The practice was known throughout Mesopotamia, and was especially practiced in Egypt, where Abraham had already spent time. But this circumcision was a little different – complete, unlike the practice of others, and for all males, not just the highest caste. In this is symbolized so much: sacrifice of self in service of God, the promise of children, singular devotion, blood sacrifice… We return to Genesis and pickup with this person Abram. The genealogical information at the end of chapter 11 tells us that we are now 8 generations removed from the flood; Abram, a descendant of Shem, was born 292 years after the flood. His story begins for us when he is already 75 years old, 367 years after the great flood. During this time, Noah’s sons have separated, spread out from Ararat and spawned many people groups. Some of their descendants, probably fairly soon after the flood, tried to build a tower to reach to the heavens, to the realm of God. Their aim, like that of Adam and Eve, was driven from the prideful aspiration of becoming like God. They wanted to be gods themselves, and as a result, God confused their speech (bringing various languages to separate mankind) and scattered them further across the earth.
In these first four chapters of Abram, a lot happens. There are so many events I could discuss and elaborate, but there isn’t room for all of it. Should we talk about his accounts in Egypt and the “lie” of Sarai being his sister? I put lie in quotation because Genesis 20:13 explains this isn’t a lie, and the ruse was one they had pre-arranged. Do we discuss the 9 kings and Abram’s strategic victory to rescue Lot? Or is our time best spent delving into the mysterious (Christological?) person Melchizedek? All of this would be interesting and intriguing. But I think the most important story line is God’s relation with Abram. This divine relationship begins when God calls to Abram. Why did he choose Abram? Why did he single out this man, from all the people on the earth? I have no idea, and there is nothing in Abram’s character (or almost any of his descendants for that matter) that can explain this. Yet God establishes a very unique relationship with Abram, more than a friendship. He “cuts” a binding and eternal covenant. The ancient term for making a covenant is “cut” because of the sign and seal which usually ratified the relationship. These were most typified in the arrangements between conquering kings (suzerain) and the defeated subject kings (vassals) who now persist in a subordinate fealty to the ruling lord. Many times in the ancient world, these covenants were ratified by cutting animals in two, symbolizing the punishment for breaking the covenant, and requiring the vassal to crawl between the parts, through the trail of blood. Something unusual happens in chapter 15 when God cuts his covenant with Abram. Instead of Abram, the vassal, crawling between the animal parts, God himself assumes the punishment of the covenant when he appears as the smoking pot and burning torch (recognized symbols of divine presence) and himself passes between the animals (a judgment and punishment which he does fulfill in the death of Christ)! Now we come to the happy ending of Job’s tale, with an unexpected twist and reversal of positions. Before we get there though, God is not finished with Job, who has doubted and challenged the Almighty. “You have rebuked me. Answer now and correct me.” Job realizes his folly and replies accordingly. He has spoken against God and he was wrong; but, he will not multiply his errors by saying any more. So God speaks again with, perhaps, the ultimate question for all men. “Can you save yourself? Are you more powerful than God? Take his place and show true justice. Show how great and capable you are and God himself will acknowledge your great power.” What a wake-up call to each of us. Of course we cannot save ourselves! Of course we are not above sin or able to escape death! Of coursewe are not holy as God is holy! This is all why Christ was needed, why his death and his resurrection are such an amazing display of the love of God. He did for us what only he was able to do!
To drive home his point with Job, God draws on the example of the Behemoth and the Leviathan. With great detail, he describes both mighty, powerful, large, strong beasts, demonstrating that no man is a match for these. Yet it was God who created them, who can subdue and conquer them. Some believe these to be dinosaurs. Behemoth also seems likely to be a hippopotamus, or some similar animal. Leviathan we have seen before in Job, likely associated with a mythical pagan god, representative of pride as he is shown again here. Leviathan may have also been a real creature, who likeness was used as representative of the pagan god. It is possible he was a real creature; surely God’s description seems to portray a living being – a dinosaur, a dragon (there is more evidence than you might think to support that dragons actually existed at one time), or maybe a crocodile. However we understand these beings, God’s point is proven. Brought to his knees in shame, Job repents for his attitude and words against God. The story ends with vindication. Job is shown to be the righteous man he had claimed, loyal servant of God, loved by his Lord. The other four are rebuked for their grave misunderstanding of God and presumption to speak for him. It is only through Job’s intervention and prayer on their behalf that they are pardoned. What humbling that these who had accused Job of so many things should now have to come to him as their mediator before God! This is almost a picture of Jesus who was humiliated, despised, and dejected yet now stands as the savior and mediator of those who scorned him. The saga ends with satisfying resolution. Job is restored to his place of prominence and blessing. This demonstrates the primary message of the story: faithful followers of God may experience hardship in this life, all of mankind knows the sufferings of this world, but in the end God will restore and bless the righteous who serve him and repent before him. The reward may not be immediate, may not be in this lifetime even, but it is assured. God speaks! For us who have been following this conversation and struggling, with Job, to understand the why of all this, it is a welcome relief for God to join the story. Now we will have answers. Now it will all make sense. In the whirlwind (compare to his address to Elijah out of the whisper) he finally answers Job. But first, he thunders against all 5 characters and their ignorant words. Verse 2 does give some reason to wonder, is all this addressing Job alone, or the others as well? Certainly his question and accusation applies to them all. Yet, the opening makes it clear, at least to me, that this mainly for Job. His ignorance of God and the deeper workings of the cosmos is made clear as God questions where Job was as he brought the universe into being. God’s questions begin with the furthest-most aspects of creation and progresses toward the simplest and most easily studied – the birds and animals. And even in these, God raises questions concerning their habits and instincts which today’s most learned scientists couldn’t truly answer. His point is well made – Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar, and Elihu were correct in warning Job about challenging God and questioning his power. In his answer to Job, God begins by establishing his majestic place above all creation. Elihu continues his reprimand of Job. After half-way listening to Job, he believes Job to be self-righteous, arrogantly ignoring wise counsel and thinking himself above God. He goes on to accuse Job of implying that sin was insignificant and apparently makes no difference. But his answer – Elihu who claimed to know better than the other three and have a different answer – is the same as the others have already said. God is too high and too great to be overly concerned with the troubles of one sinful person. What comfort! Not to mention, this thinking is literally the opposite of everything presented in Scripture. The truth of God is exactly the contrary; he cares and he intervenes to provide help and salvation. That’s the Easter message of Jesus’ coming and his death.
At least he is correct in encouraging men to remember God and cry out to him in their good times, and not just in their distress. He must not have known Job well, for Job was one known to pray regularly and spend time with God long before calamity struck him. But his wise counsel, few as they may be, are lost in the midst of so much parroting the others. Most of all of chapter 36 is saying the same things the others had already said – this is Job’s fault for his sins; if he would just repent, God would turn favor on him again. Elihu ends his speaking with a reaffirmation of his belief that God is distant, somewhat uninvolved, with no reason or compulsion to answer any man. I see some contradiction in Elihu’s logic. First he says God sees and rewards the righteous. Then he says God is aloof with no reason to care for the troubles of one man, or even of this world. |
AuthorDonovan Campbell, pastor of Greenville Presbyterian Church in Donalds, SC. Archives
June 2020
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