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Background to the Book of Genesis 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 18:1-15, 21:1-7 Abram continues his journeys and associated adventures. In Gen 14 he rescues Lot from some foreign kings who had taken him capture as they fled back to their own territory. He traveled north to Dan to rescue Lot, his goods and the goods of the Kings of Sodom and Salem. The King of Salem was Melchizedek, who was also a priest of the God Most High Gen 14:17-20). He brought our bread and wine and blessed Abram which is a very unusual act by a foreign priest, unless one wants to suggest that Melchizedek was a foreign priest of Yahweh. However, one wants to explain it there are unusual features. On this occasion Abram refuses to take all of the booty which he had gained by the acceptable means of war. Gen 15 is an account of a different covenant in which God reassures Abram he will have descendants and prophecies the time in Egypt before they come into the promised land. Hagar is offered to Abram in order that he can have a son because Sarai fails to conceive. Sarai is jealous and throws Hagar out of camp into the wilderness where she meets an angel who instructs her to return and call her child Ishmael. Another covenant is spoken of Gen 17 which introduces the practice of circumcision which became one of the marks of identity for the Jews. The names of Sarai and Abram (the father is exalted) are changed to Sarah (princess) and Abraham (father of nations) and they are told to call their son Isaac. Following the visitation of the messengers in Gen 18 Abraham goes with the messengers to Sodom and the story of Lot and his wife interrupts the flow of the story about Abraham and Sarah (Gen 18:16-19:38). Part of its purpose is to explain why the Moabites and Ammonites were hated by the Israelites - they were conceived by incest. Abraham continues his journey into the Negev and for the third time passes Sarah off as his sister to a foreign king, this time the King of Gerar. God speaks to the king telling him Sarah is the wife of another man who had told him she was his sister. Abraham has two excuses for his behaviour (vv.11-12) and had instructed Sarah to say that Abraham was her brother. Again Abraham benefits enormously with more cattle, goods and money. We return then to Sarah and Abraham and finally there is a son born who has been promised back in Gen 12. After the birth of Isaac, Sarah casts Hagar and her son, Ishmael by Abraham, out into the wilderness. There God rescues them and promises that the descendants of Ishmael will become a great nation. |
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Insights/Message of Gen 18:1-15, 21:1-7
Message:xxxxxThe promise given in Gen 12:1-3 is shown to come true in this story of Abraham and Sarah in Gen 21:1-7. The tension which was set up with the statement in Gen 11:30 will now be resolved with the advent of God's visit to Sarah. This implies a blessing which results in the birth of Isaac. The play on Sarah laughing at the news she will still bear a child in her old age (Gen 18:12-15) becomes the acknowledgement that God has made laughter for her (Gen 21:6). The play on the word 'to laugh' is carried forward in Isaac's name which comes from the root 'he laughs'. It is almost as though Isaac will be a constant reminder to Sarah and Abraham that God has the power to do what seems to be impossible in human eyes. In the overall theology of the Pentateuch the promise which seemed impossible is beginning to come true. There is now a son from whom the descendants can begin to form. It is a reassurance that what God promises will come true no matter how difficult it looks by human standards. I was reflecting on this in relation to healing of people and how difficult it is when God does not cure them. Our prayers may be answered, but not in ways that we would like them to be answered. But, if God decides that a certain action will happen then God has the power to ensure it fulfillment. The scene in which God knows that Sarah is laughing inside reminds us of Jesus who had this quality of knowing what people were thinking - Nathaniel in John 1 was amazed when Jesus knew he was a person without guile. |
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Resources/Worship for Gen 18:1-15, 21:1-7 Worship:xxTThere is a rather lovely meditation on Rublev's icon of Gen 18:1-15 which takes a person through the significance of the colours and the way the figures are seated. The link below: freespace.virgin.net/sound.houses/rublev/rublev.htm = picture members.valley.net/~transnat/trinlg.html = description If these don't work simply put Rublev's icon Holy Trinity into Google and the above links are there. Resources: Commentaries
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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