1.4.07
Father Abraham
There was a man called Thera, who, although commanded to go west, settled en route in Mesopotamia. God then spoke to Thera's son, Abraham, familiar to Jews, Christians and Muslims alike, telling him to leave his kin and his land, to go some place God had decided to give him and his descendants.
The well-known stories of Abraham and his wife Sarah are said to come from different traditions sewn together and edited in episodes taking a few chapters of Genesis.
Other people got scattered across the Earth, and God allowed them to become nations, but God himself chose a land for this man and the future nation of Israel, a nation apart from the rest.
The first episode found in our Bibles is the one in which Abraham is called to journey to Canaan with his wife, his nephew Lot and their servants. God tells Abraham that all people on Earth will be blessed through him. The route these people follow corresponds to the one that will be followed when their descendants invade the same land under the leadership of Joshua, after the death of Moses and a long long time erring in the desert.
Speaking of the desert, there is an episode in which Abraham and Sarah go dwell in Egypt because of a famine in Canaan. Pharao wants to make Sarah his wife but God won't allow it and sends some plagues. So, Pharao gives treasures to Abraham, summing him to depart at once.
One can't but see the shadow of the time Abraham's descendants will be slaves in Egypt. Then too will God send plagues against Pharao, and make his people start their long Exodus to the Promised Land through the leadership of Moses.
Genesis indicates that Abraham was a powerful man: Back to Canaan, there's an episode in which Abraham and friends defeat neighbouring cities' leaders. This time he doesn't count on a man's treasures, like he did in Egypt. He got the lesson. This time, Abraham puts his trust in his God. In return, he is blessed by the King Priest of [Jeru]Salem. Another symbol, since King David will also be a Priest in Jerusalem.
Later, Abraham and his nephew Lot part because their herdsmen can't settle disputes. Abraham lets his nephew choose the part of the land he wants. Abraham was entitled to choose first, but he lets his nephew select the green and fertile land and leave the desertified part to his uncle.
Abraham takes a look at all the land around him... He follows God's direction and walks and walks... Deep in his heart, Abraham knows the Most High is working to give him this land. He knows God is taking care of things for him. God speaks with him in his dreams. The Creator tells him that all the land, as far as he can see, will belong to his descendants.
And Abraham trusts the Lord, although he's getting old and has no child...
The well-known stories of Abraham and his wife Sarah are said to come from different traditions sewn together and edited in episodes taking a few chapters of Genesis.
Other people got scattered across the Earth, and God allowed them to become nations, but God himself chose a land for this man and the future nation of Israel, a nation apart from the rest.
The first episode found in our Bibles is the one in which Abraham is called to journey to Canaan with his wife, his nephew Lot and their servants. God tells Abraham that all people on Earth will be blessed through him. The route these people follow corresponds to the one that will be followed when their descendants invade the same land under the leadership of Joshua, after the death of Moses and a long long time erring in the desert.
Speaking of the desert, there is an episode in which Abraham and Sarah go dwell in Egypt because of a famine in Canaan. Pharao wants to make Sarah his wife but God won't allow it and sends some plagues. So, Pharao gives treasures to Abraham, summing him to depart at once.One can't but see the shadow of the time Abraham's descendants will be slaves in Egypt. Then too will God send plagues against Pharao, and make his people start their long Exodus to the Promised Land through the leadership of Moses.
Genesis indicates that Abraham was a powerful man: Back to Canaan, there's an episode in which Abraham and friends defeat neighbouring cities' leaders. This time he doesn't count on a man's treasures, like he did in Egypt. He got the lesson. This time, Abraham puts his trust in his God. In return, he is blessed by the King Priest of [Jeru]Salem. Another symbol, since King David will also be a Priest in Jerusalem.
Later, Abraham and his nephew Lot part because their herdsmen can't settle disputes. Abraham lets his nephew choose the part of the land he wants. Abraham was entitled to choose first, but he lets his nephew select the green and fertile land and leave the desertified part to his uncle.
Abraham takes a look at all the land around him... He follows God's direction and walks and walks... Deep in his heart, Abraham knows the Most High is working to give him this land. He knows God is taking care of things for him. God speaks with him in his dreams. The Creator tells him that all the land, as far as he can see, will belong to his descendants.
And Abraham trusts the Lord, although he's getting old and has no child...
Runaway Bride
Because Abraham trusted God, he found favour in him. The Lord promised Abraham's descendants would receive the land. There was an oath, or a covenant, that had taken place between the two of them, through a ritual involving cutting some animals in two: An agreement to what would become of Abraham if he did not keep his part of the covenant.
A decade later, Abraham is still childless... Sarah, his wife, takes the initiative. She becomes the main character in this episode in which Abraham gets but one sentence. Sarah offers her servant, Hagar, as a second wife to Abraham.
This practise was regular in the ancient world: If a woman cannot bear a child to her husband, he is to take a servant as an additional wife, so she can bear him a son.
Still, in a culture in which moterhood is so prized, Sarah can't help but feel down once Hagar is pregnant with Abraham's child.
Because her self-esteem is stained, Sarah demands justice from Abraham and he lets her do as she pleases, until the mistreated pregnant servant-wife runs away into the desert...
This is where an angels appears to Hagar. Angels, like we have seen before, are "regular", if otherworldly beings, who act as courtiers for God. This one comes to Hagar, probably on the road leading back to her native Egypt, to deliver this message:
She is to go back to her mistress; she is to name her son Ishmael, meaning: "May God hear", who will be quarrelsome, yet dwelling at the edge of the land promised to Abraham's and Sarah's child.
This visitation leaves a very deep impression in Hagar's heart and she calls God: "The One who sees me", the one who saw and rescued her.
A decade later, Abraham is still childless... Sarah, his wife, takes the initiative. She becomes the main character in this episode in which Abraham gets but one sentence. Sarah offers her servant, Hagar, as a second wife to Abraham.
This practise was regular in the ancient world: If a woman cannot bear a child to her husband, he is to take a servant as an additional wife, so she can bear him a son.
Still, in a culture in which moterhood is so prized, Sarah can't help but feel down once Hagar is pregnant with Abraham's child.
Because her self-esteem is stained, Sarah demands justice from Abraham and he lets her do as she pleases, until the mistreated pregnant servant-wife runs away into the desert...
This is where an angels appears to Hagar. Angels, like we have seen before, are "regular", if otherworldly beings, who act as courtiers for God. This one comes to Hagar, probably on the road leading back to her native Egypt, to deliver this message:
She is to go back to her mistress; she is to name her son Ishmael, meaning: "May God hear", who will be quarrelsome, yet dwelling at the edge of the land promised to Abraham's and Sarah's child.
This visitation leaves a very deep impression in Hagar's heart and she calls God: "The One who sees me", the one who saw and rescued her.
Promises
Ishmael is now 13. Abraham believes he's the son God had promised. But God appears to Abraham to make another covenant with him and inform him that the blessings he had promised are not related to Ishmael but to another son that will be born of him and Sarah. Although Abraham is face down on the dust, as a mark of utter respect and reverence for the Lord, he laughs. How could he, an old man, and his old wife have a child now? But God tells him to name the unborn child Isaac, which means "He laughs".
As for the covenant, it is the circumcision. This part of the text is deemed to be a later extension of the story, probably written when the Israelites were deported. With no land and no temple, the circumcision was the sole mark of their identity. The practise was widespread in the ancient Near-East but not in all nations there. Scholars think that this ritual, as well as the feast of Passover were inserted into the Patriarchs' lives in order to reinforce the link between Israel and their forefathers.
In the text, God informs Abraham that Ishmael wil be greatly blessed with his offspring, but he, Abraham, will be father of many great nations, and kings will be among his descendants. God changes his and his wife's name: Abram and Sarai, as they were known until then, will now be called: Abraham, "Father of a multitude" and Sarah, "Princess".
After 23 years since God first promised Abraham land and offspring, a miracle is about to happen... I think that God's timing is sometimes puzzling, but his unconditional love and any of his promises are never to be doubted...
As for the covenant, it is the circumcision. This part of the text is deemed to be a later extension of the story, probably written when the Israelites were deported. With no land and no temple, the circumcision was the sole mark of their identity. The practise was widespread in the ancient Near-East but not in all nations there. Scholars think that this ritual, as well as the feast of Passover were inserted into the Patriarchs' lives in order to reinforce the link between Israel and their forefathers.
In the text, God informs Abraham that Ishmael wil be greatly blessed with his offspring, but he, Abraham, will be father of many great nations, and kings will be among his descendants. God changes his and his wife's name: Abram and Sarai, as they were known until then, will now be called: Abraham, "Father of a multitude" and Sarah, "Princess".
After 23 years since God first promised Abraham land and offspring, a miracle is about to happen... I think that God's timing is sometimes puzzling, but his unconditional love and any of his promises are never to be doubted...
