I knew what circumcision meant before I read this so I couldn’t help but read it with a bit of a shock. I thought the Bible no matter what, kept these types of topics of its pages. I mean I guess it’s something really normal but it’s just weird to think that God wants guys to be circumcised. The fact that it exists because God said “it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you” is kind of weird. I mean how can cutting a piece of flesh of someone’s body make them closer or create a bond between him and God? And why does it have to be that particular piece of flesh? God works in mysterious ways.
I’ve noticed that all through these chapters God gives things to Abraham and Sarah in exchange for them completing certain objectives. An example of this is:
“Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.”
God gives Abraham things ranging from children all the way to vast kingdoms. He probably does this so his word, the words of the Lord, will roam all over and let Abraham be one of his Sheppards. You know how they call priests Sheppards of Gods people because they “take care of us” I guess Abraham was part of this first generation of Sheppard to expand Gods words.
“And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our Father.And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day. And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.”
Apparently keeping the seed of the family alive is really important for the people of the time. Ok first of, they lay with their really old father. Besides the fact that it was their father it was an old man! The other thing is that they took advantage of their old father in a drunken state. He probably had no idea what was going on around him and had no idea he was “laying with his daughters”. Earlier it was mentioned that some angels came to visit Lot and the town’s people wanted to hurt them. To prevent this from happening Lot told the people to “do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof”. Yes they were angels but the fact that he offered his daughters and then they slept with him is kind of disturbing.
The part when Isaac and Abraham go up the mountain to make an offering to God is the most known tale of Abraham. I’ve seen comic strips and cartoons of this scene when faith is tested. I don’t understand why it is that only one part of each prophet’s life is shown. The only one who’s complete life was shown was Moses (they made a movie) but for Abraham they don’t show his true story of his many travels. Isaacs’s moment was symbolic but when someone reads this and learns the true life of these men and their families you see there was more to them that meets the eye.
My favorite part of this section we had to read was the one of Rebekah and Isaac. Even though she was kind of sold off and went to marry a man she had never met. I guess God knew that Rebekah was the one for Isaac and led the servant in the promising direction. The love at first sight that they shared was sweet and then she provided comfort to Isaac who didn’t know her but fell completely in love with her.
No comments:
Post a Comment