Reflexion Connexion

Genesis 27

INTRO: The story in this chapter is told mostly through dialogues with little narration

It jumps quickly from one conversation to another conversation
– Isaac with Esau, Rebekah with Jacob, Jacob with Isaac, etc.
(By the way, this is not the family we would recruit if Time magazine wanted a photo for an article on “The Model Believers and Their Children”)

This week I wrote out the story in my own words to cover all of it while hopefully highlighting important details

 The Story

If we look for a family resemblance between the twins and the parents, we won’t find it in Esau–he’s nothing like his father or mother. Jacob, however, looks a little like both parents. He was a homebody like his father. But he got his conniving and grasping at things that didn’t belong to him from his mother and her side of the family.

Isaac had grown old and as often happens, his eyesight became progressively weaker until he was nearly blind. As the light dimmed, he sensed the approach of death and began wondering what would happen after he was gone. What had he done that would survive him?

In Isaac’s time, immortality was achieved through a man’s children, his children’s children, and so on for a thousand generations. Of all his children, the firstborn son received the greater share of the father’s vital energy. Isaac was pleased with this thought, because he favored his older son, Esau. The tough and outdoorsy twin was a perfect specimen of manliness. Unfortunately, Esau had frittered away his birthright. So Isaac came up with a plan to do something else for his favorite son that would give him an unique advantage.

Esau heard his father’s quavering voice call his name. He entered Isaac’s tent and announced his presence, “Here I am.” Isaac began, “Look at me, I am old and don’t know how much longer I’ll last. Take your bow, go into the field, and bag a deer or mountain goat. You know how to prepare meat the way I love it. When I’m finished eating, I’ll pronounce my soul’s blessing over you before I die.” read more…

Finding Inner Peace

Now there was a famine in the land, besides the previous famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham. So Isaac went to Gerar, to Abimelech king of the Philistines. The LORD appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt, stay in the land of which I shall tell you.” Genesis 26:1-2

INTRO: You would have to be a very creative writer to build a novel around Isaac

The storyteller doesn’t give us enough information to form interesting character
• he’s an average person sandwiched between an extraordinary father and extraordinary son
– as for Isaac, nothing he did stands out as unique or special
• he retraced father’s footsteps, relived father’s adventures, and even repeated one of his father’s mistakes
• when Isaac was blessed, it was for his father’s sake (vv. 5, 24)
– if we don’t find Isaac’s life interesting or exciting, it’s probably because it’s too much like our own

As soon as plot begins to take shape, we recognize it

We may even think, “Not again?!” — because already we have been through this twice with Abraham
– yet the storyteller is careful not to let us confuse this story with the others
• for example, Isaac was stopped from going to Egypt as his father had done

Gerar must not have been a large, built-up city
– after Genesis, it’s mentioned only one other time
• not enough of it survived to even know where it was located
– Isaac arrived there and took up farming
• his entourage would have looked really imposing
○ immediately, his was one of the largest and wealthiest families
• but if intimidating to the locals, he was also intimidated by them
○ so when they asked him about his wife, he said she was his sister read more…

Learn to Read

Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD answered him and Rebekah his wife conceived. But the children struggled together within in her; and she said, “If it is so, why then am I this way?” So she went to inquire of the LORD. The LORD said to her,
“Two nations are in your womb;
And two peoples will be separated from your body;
And one people shall be stronger than the other;
And the older shall serve the younger.”
Genesis 25:21-23

INTRO: We’ve jumped into a story already in progress

The chapter began by wrapping up Abraham’s story
– he had married a second wife and had more children
• his wisdom is revealed in the way he provided his sons enough for a good start in accumulating their own wealth
• then sent them away in the opposite direction of Isaac
– after that last piece of business, Abraham died content with his many years

Abraham’s two sons who have been featured in his story tended to his burial
– I’m curious as to when Isaac (and, perhaps, Abraham) reconnected with Ishmael
• was it after Sara died?
• had Isaac always kept in touch? or did he locate and notify Ishmael only after Abraham died?
○ at any rate, it is beautiful he could see past his mother’s hard feelings
– afterward, it was Isaac in particular that God blessed (v. 11)

Ishmael’s presence at Abraham’s burial makes for a smooth transition
– his genealogy wraps up his story
– his descendants form twelve tribes – which now seems to be a pattern
• Abraham’s brother (Ge. 22:20-24)
○ we are being prepared to see Jacob’s twelve sons as a normative development
– Ishmael’s death

This brings us to Isaac, whose account begins the same way as Ishmael’s
– therefore, what we expect is another genealogy
– but instead, we’re in for a surprise
• Isaac’s genealogy is not a list of names, but a story that begins with his prayer for his wife
• Rebekah goes from infertility to a difficult pregnancy

So the chapter begins with final days and death of Abraham, Isaac’s father and ends with the birth of his twin sons
– this is the rhythm of an individual life — birth and death, death and birth . . .
– years ago, after visiting someone in a hospital in Long Beach, I stepped into an elevator on my way out
• a woman also entered the elevator and asked, “Do you know what floor is the maternity ward?”
○ She went on, “I just watched a friend die and now I want to see new life”
– eventually, we each discover rhythm of our own lives
• and each life’s rhythm carries forward the work of God
• so in the great chain of human lives (genealogies), there is progress
○ God is moving history forward to its goal read more…

Biblical “Type-Scenes”

Stories in the Bible tend to focus on the most important events of a person’s life. Some life-events are shared in common by characters in different stories. There are instances when the description of an event in one story follows an almost identical form to a similar event in another person’s life.

When a definite pattern is used in a recurring event–such as birth, the prophetic call, meeting one’s spouse, etc.–it is a type-scene. For example, when a person was called to be a prophet, it usually included:

1. A God encounter, in which he commissions the prophet
2. The person raises an objection or tries to dodge the call
3. God resolves the problem
4. The person is divinely empowered and begins his or her service

The most important aspect of the type-scene, however, is not what these events share in common, but how they differ from the established pattern. This usually reveals something about the hero’s character or personal qualities.

The Hero Meets His Wife At A Well:

1. The hero’s journey takes him to a foreign land.
2. The hero encounters a girl at a well.
3. Either the hero or the girl draws water from the well.
4. The girl runs home to announce the presence of the “stranger” at the well.
5. The hero is welcomed into the home of the girl’s family where, usually, a meal is shared and a marriage is arranged.

A Fractured Life

Now Abraham was old, advanced in age; and the LORD had blessed Abraham in every way. Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he owned, “Please place your hand under my thigh, and I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you shall hot take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live, but you will go to my country and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac.” Genesis 24:1-4

INTRO: This chapter marks a transition in Genesis

We move from the story of Abraham to the story of Isaac
– so this episode that begins with Abraham in his tent will end with Isaac in an open field

The story goes at a rapid pace that creates a sense of urgency
– Abraham’s servant is anxious to quickly complete his mission
– Rebekah will run back and forth from the well to “quickly” provide water for the servant and his camels
• she will also run home to announce the stranger’s arrival
– Laban: will run out to the well to greet the servant
– the servant: will refuse to eat until he’s revealed his quest
– Laban and his family: will be compelled to give their immediate consent
– the servant: will refuse to delay his departure to return home
There is no travelogue
– although the distance between Canaan and Mesopotamia was great and required a lot of travel time
• as a result, leaving on a journey and arriving at the destination occur instantly
– all the way through, we feel we’re being rushed
• and yet this is the longest chapter in the story of Abraham and rich in details

Storytelling is an art-form, with its own tools and techniques
– one of the literary tools of the Hebrew Scriptures is the “type-scene”

[For readers of this blog, see the “Type-Scene” notes that were handed out when I gave this talk]

This is a recurring “Boy meets girl” type-scene read more…

When to Practice Slow-Motion

Now Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. Sarah died in Kiriath-arbah (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan; and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. Then Abraham rose from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying, “I am a stranger and a sojourner among you; give me a burial site among you that I may bury my dead out of my sight.” Genesis 23:1-4

INTRO: You know how, when hiking or riding a bike up a steep hill, you have to stop and catch your breath?

That’s how I feel at this point in Abraham’s story
– after all he’s been through recently, he needs space to breathe
– but that is not how the story goes

We just read of his shocking ordeal with Isaac, now we turn the page and Sarah dies
– no one’s been with him longer or knows him better
• now she’s gone and Abraham is left to mourn and weep

The storyteller doesn’t linger over the details

There’s no pathetic bedside scene, no last words uttered with her final breath
– only her lifespan briefly stated (in two lines, the second in reverse order from the first)

The life of Sarah, 127 years;
years were life of Sarah.

• then the simple statement, “Sarah died”
– the same succinct style is used of Abraham–he went to mourn and weep–that’s it

But we know these losses leave their mark on us

A few years after my brother-in-law died, I sat with my sister, Janette, and our folks around their table. We knew that Janette grieved his lost, but we never saw it. I won’t say that she handled it stoically, but that it was perhaps too personal to let others see and possibly intrude on her sacred wound. She also threw herself into caring for her grandchildren and to being strong for others.
It was Christmas day and roughly the same time of year that Greg had passed. We were missing Greg and reminiscing on his life when Janette said, “They say time heals, but I don’t believe that. I think you just get used to living with the pain.” read more…

When God Calls Your Name

Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” Genesis 22:1-2

INTRO: I’m going to give you a pointer about reading the Bible:

When you come to something disturbing, assume it’s supposed to be disturbing
– some things we learn best by extreme examples
• the lesson becomes clearer
• a disturbing visual image or extreme emotion makes a very strong impression on our memory
– so don’t get frustrated with the disturbing passages, get curious and probe them

The Story

Vv. 1-2, “After these things” – an important time reference
– after the miracle birth when God’s promise was at last fulfilled, God came to Abraham with a new demand
• at least we are warned that this is a “test”

Abraham answered, “Here I am” – and he says this three times in this chapter, to God, Isaac, and the angel of God
• each time he says this, his response is followed by a dramatic interaction
• we could almost say that Abraham’s “Here I am” is what moves the plot forward
– “Take” (or “took”) is a key word in the story, occurring six times
• although he acts at God’s command, Abraham is the one doing the “taking”

Note how God zeroes in on Isaac: your son – your only son – whom you love – Isaac
– like concentric circles around a bull’s-eye
• the details are meant to exclude anyone else or permit any confusion
• two more times in the story God will refer to Isaac as “your son, your only son” (vv. 12, 16)
○ the storyteller does not allow us to forget what Isaac is to Abraham
– “and go” (Hebrew: lek lakah) a rare expression that first appeared in Genesis 12:1
• it connects these two episodes: the first and last time God spoke with Abraham
• there God had zeroed in on his home:
○ “from your country, / And from your relatives / and from your father’s house”
○ then it was his father he had to give up and now it is his son

This is the first time that “love” is mentioned in scripture – as it turns out, Isaac will be a lover

V. 3, “So Abraham rose early in the morning”
– nothing is more baffling in this story than Abraham’s silence
– child sacrifice was practiced in his part of the world
• perhaps he assumed he had offended God and now the deal was off
• remember, Abraham’s theological knowledge was limited

But doesn’t he even have any questions?! – cf. 15:2; 18:23, where he immediately responded with questions
• what goes on within Abraham’s heart and mind is hidden from us — his thoughts or feelings
○ when Sarah wanted Hagar gone, Abraham was greatly distressed
○ where is the haggler who bartered with God over the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah?
• it’s almost eerie how he saddles donkey, splits wood and gets up and goes in silence

“The result of this style is a terrible intensity, a story which is so stark as to be almost unbearable.” Everett Fox

– as they travel, who carries the greater burden?

Vv. 4-8, After three days, “Abraham raised his eyes”
– this means more than he merely spotted the place
• he had been looking for it
○ maybe hoping he would never see it
– that’s as far as the servants will go
• he transferred the wood to Isaac’s back
• “he took in his hand the fire and the knife”
○ Von Rad, observed that Abraham carried “the dangerous objects” — the instruments of death and sacrifice

On the way, Isaac raised the obvious question
– this is a very important moment
• it brings to surface what Abraham had been hiding
○ but it also reveals what Abraham could not see for himself
○ i.e., how all of this would work out,
the point of this horrible ordeal
– “God will provide” – lit. “see” (as in the phrase where he raised eyes and saw)
• “God will see to that”
• God sees and he’ll take care of it

Vv. 9-14, The way their arrival at Mount Moriah is described matches their departure
– after lots of action (verbs), Abraham had left – now after his arrival there is again lots of action
• but the action slows down in verse 10 when details are spelled out
○ the high point of the suspense
○ the key word, “took,” tells us that we have reached the climax of the story

“Abraham, Abraham!” repetition helps us hear the urgency in the angel’s voice
– “Don’t hurt him. I know what I needed to find out”
• “fear God” – is an abbreviated way to describe devotion to God
• that God means everything to you
○ God must come first
– again Abraham “raised his eyes and looked and behold”
• he saw what he told Isaac to expect
• the first “take” created the tension in this story (v. 2)
○ now this final “took” resolves the tension
– Abraham named the place “Yahweh will see (to it)”
• proverb, “In the mount of Yahweh it will be seen”
○ this would be a good proverb to spend some time with in meditation

Vv. 15-19, Abraham has passed the test
– when God swears an oath to Abraham, he swears by himself! (Hebrews 6:13-18)
– “greatly bless” and “greatly multiply” are literally “bless you, bless you” and “multiply, multiply”
• it is as if the words do not carry enough force
○ they have to be repeated to grasp the magnitude of what God will do
– Abraham had become the man God wanted to bless
• and through him, bring a blessing to the whole world

• God won’t speak to Abraham again
○ he doesn’t need to–Abraham is what God wants him to be

A Personal Study Note: In the New Testament we are told that Abraham received Isaac back from the dead “as a type.” That is to say, Isaac’s story include themes that foreshadow persons or events that would occur later on in history. Thinking of Isaac as a type of Jesus, return to this chapter and go through it on your own, looking for the ways that events in Isaac’s life are mirrored in Christ’s life. You will find this to be a fascinating exercise.

CONC: I think we leave this story with a sigh of relief

Not only for Isaac’s rescue, but for our own sakes

“I’m glad God doesn’t still do this to people”
– but he does – he still asks us to hand over our Isaac — that which means most to us
• he doesn’t ask us to kill or burn it
• but he does ask us to surrender it to him

It’s typical that when we come to these points, our spiritual journey stops making sense
– it suddenly becomes really difficult to keep going, like climbing a vertical wall at a high altitude
• everything that used to feed our spirit dries up
• in fact, we feel like we’ve gone as far as possible

How to keep going? It takes a moment by moment surrender to God
– “Here I am” – this is how people answered when God called
• it is a way of saying, “I present myself to you, Lord”
• we make ourselves present to God – a state in which: we are responsive, receptive, and ready
– we do not have to be wise, or pious, or perfect
• we can only give God who we are right now and what we have right now
○ that is all God ever asks for — whatever we have to offer in this moment; even our pain and sorrow if that’s all we have
○ God wants us, not our promises or IOUs
• we present to him what he wants when we say, “Here I am, without pretense or ulterior motives, but in transparent surrender to You”

“With just a little bit of grace, I can be here, really exist here, present, open, available, immediate. With just a little grace I can see the sunset, feel the cold air, sense the beauty, feel my reactions, experience my thoughts arising and the emotions they engender, perceive my little attempts at control, experience my commentary, notice my leaving.”
Gerald May, The Wisdom of Wilderness

A World of Weirdness

“Now behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your lovingkindness, which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, for the disaster will overtake me and I will die; now behold, this town is near enough to flee to, and it is small. Please, let me escape there (is it not small?) that my life may be saved.” Genesis 19:19-20

INTRO: This is another flood-type story – an act of divine judgment that “cleans the slate”

In fact, specific details link the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah to the earlier flood event
– these don’t make for best-selling stories or sermons in our culture
• they remind us of the ugliest expressions of judgmental religion
– but if we’re going to take scripture seriously we have to must look at them
• acts of divine judgment tell us:
○ it does matter to God how we treat him and others
○ there are consequences to human choices and actions

Nevertheless, only a believer with a sick mind could relish the anguish of people who are punished by God
– God certainly doesn’t enjoy it, “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked . . .” (Ezekiel 33:11)
– in fact, he has placed his people in the world to prevent its decay into judgment
• that’s what it is to be the “salt of earth” and “light of the world” (Matthew 5:13-16)
• so the way we want to approach stories like this, is with great humility

These events are a continuation of last week’s story read more…