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Background to the Book ofGenesis: This is the same as last week: to go direct to Context click above. Literary: xxxvGenesis is a fascinating book which begins with two creation accounts of the world in Gen 1-3, continues with stories about humanity in general through to the end of Gen 11 before we come to the specific journeys of Abraham. Gen 1-11 is often referred to as universal history or primeval history and is applicable to all of humanity. The genealogies enable Abraham to be descended from Adam and Eve. Indeed, another purpose of the genealogies is to divide these eleven chapters as follows into a 5-fold division:
Besides the suggested division above, scholars have proposed different recurring literary patterns such as sin, speech, punishment - Gen 1-3, 4, 6-9,11 (Westermann) in Gen 1-11: von Rad includes forgiveness: sin, speech, forgiveness, punishment. Whether one wants to go along with any of the above suggestions about the literary divisions or patterns in Gen 1-11, there is almost unanimous agreement that there is a tightly formed literary pattern and we are meant read it as a unity. Creation of the world and humans is torn apart when the relationship between God and humans is told in Gen 3 and between humans and humans in Gen 4. One of the literary patterns which may be considered to not only be present in Gen 1-11, but extend through into the remainder of the book of Genesis is that connected with the command in Gen 1:28 - ‘be fruitful and multiply’. Not only does the phrase occur in a number of places, but the lists of genealogies show that indeed the people have been fruitful and multiplied - Gen 5, 10, 11. The genealogies continue in Gen 12-50 at particular points: Gen 25:12 (These are the generations of Ishmael), Gen 25:19 (These are the generations of Isaac), Gen 36:1, (These are the generations of Esau), Gen 37:2 (These are the generations of Jacob). The genealogies not only show that God's command in Gen 1:28 has been followed, but the promises to Abraham in Gen 12:1-3, Gen 15:5 have come true. That is, Abram will have many descendants and become a great nation. At the point where each of the genealogies are listed we have the story of that person in the following chapters. Abraham in Gen 11:27-25:18: Jacob in Gen 25:19-36:43: Joseph, Judah and Jacob's family in Gen 37:1-50:26. There are a number of covenants mentioned in the Book of Genesis all of which come into the category of unconditional or promissory. Unlike the condition covenant in Exod 19 in which God seeks a response of obedience from the people, the covenants in Genesis are based on first person pronouncements by God. In Gen 9 it is an universal covenant with all living creatures, but once we move into Gen 12 the covenants are specific to Abraham and his descendants. The relationship has been set up from creation when humans were created to be in special relationship with God (Gen 1:26-27). Attempts have been made since the 18th century to explain such things as: a different word used for God -Yahwist or Elohim: multiple versions of the same story = Abraham’s pretence, Gen 12:10-20, 20:1-18, 26:6-16: repetition within the same story = Gen 6:5-7, 11-12: contradictions - for example, Exod 20:24 gives permission to offer sacrifices at numerous altars v Deut 12:13-14 which forbids this and restricts sacrifice to one place only or Gen 7:17 in which the flood remains for 40 days v Gen 7:24 in which the flood remains for 150 days and other examples. The classic theory suggests that the Pentateuch has a number of written sources as well as the early oral traditions which account for the sort of differences mentioned above. In Gen 1-11 there is the Priestly source which can be seen in Gen1:1-2:4a, 6:9-22, some verses in Gen 7-8, 9:1-17, 10:1-7, 11:10-27 and the remaining texts come from the Yahwistic source. Some characteristics of what is know as the 'P' source are: the use of the Hebrew term toledoth/generations, the writing is sophisticated and often in a liturgical style (Gen1:1-2:4a), in the creation account God speaks and it happens, humans are made in the image of God, the covenant is unconditional and can be made with the animals, and an abiding concern to state numbers and years. The Yahwistic source uses myths and sagas to tell the story, God and animals speak (anthropomorphic), the world is very small (Gen 2:10-14) compared with the universal world of the 'P' source (Gen 1:1-2:4a). Historical: (History within the text). xxxxxGen 12-50 tells the stories about Abram and his descendants as they move from Haran into the land of Canaan and begin wandering around the land and then into Egypt. These stories began as oral traditions passed down within the tribes long before they became part of the written tradition. It is the way many cultures remember their history, but in the Western world we became influenced by the enlightened definition of 'history' which understood 'history' as written facts from an objective viewpoint. This has caused many scholars to debate whether the Patriarchs can be proven to be true people through archaeological means. Other scholars say that this is not possible and therefore they cannot be historical people. If this argument was applied to Bedouin tribes or Australian Aboriginal people we deny them any history. History as oral tradition passed down is the history of a people, and does not need to be justified by Western values. The people are portrayed as very human with all their faults and strengths - they lie, deceive, steal, test God, they have courage, journey into the unknown, seek God, question God and are obedient. These traits apply to men and women, and many of the women (Sarah, Rebecca, Tamar) play a significant role in the working out of the promises of God. I encourage people to read these stories for themselves. After the story of Abram in Gen11:27-25:18 the next block, Gen 11:19-36:43, tells us about Jacob and finally about Joseph in Gen 37:1-50:26. At the end of the book we are placed ready to begin the story of Moses, the release of the Hebrews from Egypt and their wanderings in the wilderness. |
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Context of Gen 12:1-9 Gen 11:27 encloses the material with Gen 25:1-18, which narrates the story of Abram and his descendants. The genealogies in Gen 10 and Gen 11:10-26 tell us the Abram was a descendant of Noah via Shem. Abram married Sarai and in a stark way, v.30 explains that she was barren. This statement is crucial to the way the plot unfolds from Gen 12 onwards. Gen 11:31-32 explains how Abram came from Ur of the Chaldeans and his father had settled in Haran in Canaan. We have no idea why Terah moved his family from the Euphrates basin which is regarded as a rich and fertile region to Haran which is north of Syria and quite close to the Hittite (Turkey) border. It is in Haran we read of Abram's call in the verses from the Lectionary before the story of Abram's and Sarai's journeys into and around the land of Canaan. Gen 12:10ff speaks of a famine that drove Abram and Sarai into Egypt, and we have the account of Abram passing Sarai off as his sister because he is afraid. She gets taken into the Pharaoh's house and Abram receives great numbers of livestock and servants in return for this sacrifice of Sarai. Somehow Pharaoh connects the onset of plagues with the realization that Sarai is Abram's wife. They are sent on their way much wealthier than when they went into Egypt. The narrative continues describing the various places visited and Lot is included now in the story. Because it is one continuous narrative we find connecting phrases at the beginning of chapters which move us to a new time and incident throughout Gen 12-25. |
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Insights/Message of Gen 12:1-9
Message:xxxxxThe promise given in Gen 12:1-3 is shown to come true in this story of Abram and Sarai. The great adventure is about to begin based on complete trust and obedience to God. We will discover later how Abram will be a blessing and a curse to other nations. A promise of land, a promise of nationhood who are blessed and others can find blessing through them, - all part of a divine relationship personified by the emphatic, ‘I’. Gen 12:4-9 names some of the places which are important in the history of the Patriarchs and especially if Abram is seen to have established them. The journey which began into the land of Canaan in v.4 will continue towards the Negev at the end of these verses (v.9). The links made through the genealogies from universal creation to the journey of a particular nation, gives authority to Abraham and descendants. It is part of a journey which is both physical and theological for the people of Israel. The Jews have held onto the promise of land through centuries of diaspora. Their hope was realized in the twentieth century when the Balfour Declaration gave them a homeland once again. Brueggemann (116-117) suggests the story of barrenness demonstrates how God has the power to overcome what seems an impossibility - how can you believe a promise of descendants like stars when Sarai is barren and of great age. In this part of the story we have no indication how Sarai is reacting to the move, but in later stories we get a very different picture of Sarai - one who laughs at God's messengers, and a person who can be cruel to her servant. |
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Resources/Worship for Gen 12:1-9
The Dramatised Bible: ed. Michael Perry. London: Marshall Pickering: Bible Society, 1989 Web sites with helpful lectionary resources: These links were updated 09/06/2008
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