The idea of many gods, one for each people, leads to war and death.
Monotheism is, perhaps, a cry for peace. But it only works in the absence of empire.
One God: the God of Nomads.
אֱלֹהֵ֨י אַבְרָהָ֜ם וֵֽאלֹהֵ֤י נָחוֹר֙ יִשְׁפְּט֣וּ בֵינֵ֔ינוּ אֱלֹהֵ֖י אֲבִיהֶ֑ם וַיִּשָּׁבַ֣ע יַעֲקֹ֔ב בְּפַ֖חַד אָבִ֥יו יִצְחָֽק׃
May the God of Abraham’s [house] and the god of Nahor’s [house]”—their ancestral deities—“judge between us.” And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac’s [house].
Genesis 31:53 (The Contemporary Torah, JPS 2006)
In Genesis 31:53, Laban presents a covenant with Isaac, calling upon a god that does not exist: “The god of Nahor.”
Laban, an idolator, the son of an idolator, doesn’t know that the God of Abraham is not merely an idol to manipulate, so he profanes the title of God (אלוהי) by making it level with his own idols.
It’s such a profanity that Jewish commentaries state “אלוהי אביהם: here too the word “elohey” is profane and may be erased from a Torah scroll if the occasion demands it.”
If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night he rebuked you.
Genesis 31:42 (NIV)
In Genesis 31, Jacob describes God in a way that is not fully understood:
The God of my father
The God of Abraham
The Fear of Isaac
For starters, Isaac is Jacob’s father, so it first seems redundant. Therefore, it’s assumed that “The God of my father” means “The God of my father’s house.” Like “family.”
“The God of Abraham” makes sense; the beginning of the people of God starts with Abraham.
But why “the Fear of Isaac?” Why not “the God of Isaac?”
One rabbinical view is that Isaac is still alive, and it is inappropriate to refer to God as “the God of so-and-so” if that person is still alive. Who knows if that person turns away from God, and then besmirches God’s name? Only the righteous dead (such as Abraham) are granted this relationship.
However, God actually took on the title of “the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac” back in Genesis 28:13.
I wonder if Jacob holds God’s words in tension with his relationship with his own father. Isaac loved Esau more than Jacob – this is clear in the text, and Esau is associated with wickedness. So rather than referring to God as “the God of Isaac,” Jacob uses a slight diminuative: God is “the one Isaac fears.”
The story of Abraham occurs during a time when nations had their own local “greatest deity.” That god was supposed to be the most powerful, thus “many gods.” As a kingdom grew, it “proved” the greatness of a particular deity.
But the story of Abraham starts with being called to wander. Away from empire, to view many empires and to see the absolute irrationality of a theology built upon it.
The God of Abraham only makes sense to those who wander. An empire is an idol.
Now all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of his father Abraham, the Philistines stopped up by filling them with dirt.
Genesis 26:15 (NASB)
One rabbinical teaching: a well is a metaphor for the heart. Abraham digging wells is an allegory of God’s living water flowing within us when one is converted by God into belief.
The Philistines filled the wells with worldliness; dirt is cursed ground.
Then Isaac dug again the wells of water which had been dug in the days of his father Abraham, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham; and he gave them the same names which his father had given them.
Genesis 26:18 (NASB)
When Isaac digs the wells, he digs up the same ones that his father had already dug, and gives them the same names that his father did so the same living water could flow.
Isaac resembles Abraham, doing the work of his father so his father’s work is remembered.
This is rooted in Abraham in Egypt, Isaac in Gerar, and (later) Jacob in Aram.
When Abraham goes to Egypt in Genesis 12, the rabbis teach that everything that happens gives us a pattern of the Exodus: it is seen as a prophetic journey, such that whatever Abraham does, so too will the children of Israel later on.
Here, Isaac goes to Gerar.
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. And 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 (NASB)
You might think that Gerar, being the land of the Philistines, points to the time of the Judges and the Kings, when Israel struggles against the Philistine kingdoms.
But the rabbis say that Isaac’s journey here is actually about the Babylonian exile.
We already saw Babylon being obscured with names like Shinar and Chaldea. It’s quite possible that Babylon is again being obscured with the name Gerar.
This is the line of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s slave, bore to Abraham.
Genesis 25:12 (The Contemporary Torah, JPS 2006)This is the story of Isaac, son of Abraham. Abraham begot Isaac.
Genesis 25:19 (The Contemporary Torah, JPS 2006)
Genesis 25:12 reinforced Ishmael’s mother’s identity. It is Hagar.
But Genesis 25:19 repeats Abraham’s role, rather than identity Sarah.
Why?
According to a teaching in the Midrash, it’s because nobody disputed Ishmael’s parents: it was Abraham and Hagar. But there were questions about whether or not Isaac was really the son of… Abimelech.
We, the readers, know the answer, but the people in the story needed to be convinced.
The sages say that a clue is in the word הוֹלִיד (holid) which we translate “sired” or “begot.” The numerical value is identical to דּוֹמֶה (domeh), which means “look alike.”
So the teaching is that when people saw Isaac, they all noted that he looked exactly like Abraham. There was no question: Abraham begot Isaac.
Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children; and the Lord answered him, and his wife Rebekah conceived.
Genesis 25:21 (NASB)
A notable contrast between Isaac and Abraham, as it relates to their barren wives, is that Isaac prays for Rebekah. We never saw Abraham pray for Sarah.
But even more, “on behalf of his wife” is literally “in front of his wife.”
Isaac prayed for Rebekah. Who knows? The text may be telling us that he prayed with her.
After the death of Abraham, God blessed his son Isaac. And Isaac settled near Beer-lahai-roi. This is the line of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s slave, bore to Abraham.
Genesis 25:11-12 (The Contemporary Torah, JPS 2006)
After Abraham dies, Isaac moves to the place that is sacred due to Hagar, Ishmael’s mother.
It’s fascinating that Torah immediately goes into Ishmael’s genealogy here, as though it wants to remind us that Ishmael is blessed by God. God sees him, so we should see him.
When Sarah demanded that Hagar and Ishmael be kicked out of Abraham’s house, Isaac was only a child, barely weened. He couldn’t be rightly accused of harboring ill-will against his half-brother, or for being directly responsible for his exile.
Isaac isn’t to blame, but Hagar and Ishmael were kicked out because of Isaac.
When Isaac makes his home near the Sacred Well, I wonder if this teaches us how we are meant to make amends, even for harms we did not cause, but were caused because of us.
“Am I my brother’s keeper?”
It’s an odd question; Isaac isn’t the oldest. But Isaac is living out the special blessing, so it’s like he is the older brother, imbued with carrying the Messiah forward.
When you carry the torch, you are meant to light the way for others.
The rabbis say that Ishmael’s presence at Abraham’s funeral points to Ishmael’s repentance, as though he had done something wrong.
I think Isaac is the one who bridges the gap in this story. I think it tells us to bridge that gap as well, even for harms we didn’t cause.
These are all the years of Abraham’s life that he lived, 175 years.
Genesis 25:7 (NASB)
In Hebrew, Abraham’s years are listed this way: 100 years, and 70 years, and 5 years.
There are only a few people in Scripture who are listed this way. Up to now, the only people written out this way are Adam, Sarah, and Abraham. Every other time, it would have said: five and 70 years, and 100 years.
The sages say that Abraham’s life showed continued refinement and blessings.