Tag: Abraham

Repairing the Harm

Posted on by jovial_cynic

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.

Abraham’s Years

Posted on by jovial_cynic

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.

A Daughter for Abraham

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There’s a teaching in the Midrash that says Abraham had a daughter, based on Genesis 24:1.

It is based on this word “bakol.”

It means “with everything.”

A certain rabbi considered this word bakol and concluded this: for a man to have everything, he can’t only have a son. He must also have a daughter; her name was Bakol.

This is figurative, but the root of the teaching is lovely.

One of the attributes of God is “All.” This is “kol” in Hebrew. It is this principle that God is both the foundation and creator of “all things,” captured here in Isaiah:

This is what the Lord says, He who is your Redeemer, and the One who formed you from the womb:

“I, the Lord, am the Maker of all things,
Stretching out the heavens by Myself
And spreading out the earth alone,
Isaiah 44:24 (NASB)

But we also read that all the earth benefits from bakol. It is because of bakol.

Moreover the profit of the land is for all; even the king is served from the field.
Ecclesiastes 5:9 (NKJV)

The literal rendering of this verse in Ecclesiastes is “the profit of the land is bakol.”

If creation itself and all the land in it is blessed by kol, and then we go back to the beginning of creation and see that God made us male and female and in God’s image, bakol must hint at both a son and a daughter.

But these same rabbis say that this doesn’t need to be understood literally. It is a picture.

But also… the story brings in Rebekah, who will be like a daughter to Abraham in this chapter.

Run!

Posted on by jovial_cynic
There’s a lot of running in Genesis 24.

This Hebrew word רוּץ (rootz) means to run. The first two times this word appears in Genesis is when Abraham runs to serve the 3 men who visited him. He runs twice – once to meet them, and once to get a choice calf to cook for them.

In Genesis 24, we have the following:

v17: Eliezer runs to meet Rebekeh
v20: She runs to refill the water jugs
v28: She runs to tell her family
v29: Laben runs to meet Eliezer

Perhaps there’s a lesson here.

We spend a lot of time running FROM things that scare us or worry us. We are trying to outrun the things we fear.

But the people of God are given this example: Run to serve. Run to meet. Run to tell everyone the good news.

Run!

Faithfulness or Foolishness

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There’s a fascinating and robust conversation in the Jewish commentaries about Eliezar, and whether or not his “test” (I’ll ask for water; she’ll offer to water my camels) is appropriate.

Look carefully Abraham’s oath requirement:

…but you will go to my country and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac.
Genesis 24:4 (NASB)

It’s clear from the text that Abraham’s intention is to find a wife from among his kinsman. From his “relatives.”

But when the servant goes to the well, he’s outside of town, where all manner of young single women can show up. He lays out his petition there.

…now may it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let down your jar so that I may drink,’ and who answers, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels also’—may she be the one whom You have appointed for Your servant Isaac; and by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.”
Genesis 24:14 (NASB)

The question the rabbis ask is this: Is this a demonstration of faithful trust that God will fulfill the oath to Abraham through his own desire to be obedient, or is this a foolish vow?

What if the woman wasn’t kin?

Depending on your view, the answer leads you to either believe that “testing” God like this is appropriate and faithful, or that it is definitely NOT appropriate, because foolish vows have dire consequences later in the text.

It’s a fascinating discussion.

Seeking Treasure

Posted on by jovial_cynic
When you think of the story of Abraham’s servant seeking a bride for Isaac, we tend to focus on Rebekah’s overwhelming service, which involved repeatedly drawing from a well in order to water 10 camels.

That’s special, but I don’t think “service” is the point.

Rebekah later becomes the mother of Jacob & Esau, and if you know the story (we’ll cover in greater detail later), you’ll know that Rebekah is a bit… tricky. I think we can even say she’s a little manipulative and self-serving in the story. That’s built into her character.

It seems odd that we should see her as being this almost angelic servant here in her introduction. I’ve heard multiple sermons outlining how much work she did out of the “goodness of her heart” to water the camels, but I’ve never heard a good explanation for why she did it. What was it about her, other than “just being a good person with a servant’s heart?”

Translation is part of the problem. In Genesis 24:10, most translations indicate the servant took SOME of Abraham’s goods with him. But the literal read, captured here by the NKJV, is “ALL OF HIS MASTER’S GOODS.”

He brought 10 camels and LOADED them.

Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed, for all his master’s goods were in his hand. And he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor.
Genesis 24:10 (NKJV)

When Rebekah shows up, she doesn’t just see some man with 10 thirsty camels. She sees… TREASURE! She’s a GOLD DIGGER!

But… aren’t we all? If somebody rolled up with a caravan of 10 Lamborghinis and asked for help filling up car #1, wouldn’t you be quick to offer to fill up the other 9 cars, too? Because… what if they like that you helped? What if they give you a big tip?

If the image is of God extending an invitation to us to join God’s household, doesn’t God “tempt” us with treasures as well?

If God’s treasures are heavenly promises – love, joy, peace, rest… are you not tempted? Wouldn’t you edge closer to water the camels, too?

God of Heaven and Earth

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Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household who was in 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 not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live.
Genesis 24:2-3 (NASB)

For the first time in Scripture, we see this phrase: “the God of heaven and the God of earth.”

The rabbis note that Abraham says this while in the Promised Land, but never says it while in Egypt or in Haran. Perhaps it’s a statement about the Holy Land. It is specially designated as God’s special place.

But there is a hint of divine parable in the phrase. In Genesis 1, God “created the heavens and the earth,” so we understand that God made them… together. To be together, like a man and his wife.

This chapter is about marriage and covenant, and how God establishes a union over an impossible distance.

Under Abraham’s Thigh

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Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household who was in 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 not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live.
Genesis 24:2-3 (NASB)

Some rabbis wondered if “under my thigh” meant for the servant to grab hold of Abraham’s circumcision, as that was tied to covenant.

But many disagree, and suggest that “sitting on the hands” was symbolic of binding the servant to an action.

All Things

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Abraham was now old, advanced in years, and יהוה had blessed Abraham in all things.
Genesis 24:1 (The Contemporary Torah, JPS 2006)

I sometimes wonder if the Hebrew gematria (the system for finding numeric values of words based on the letters) is merely a helpful aid for memorizing scripture, or if it is also a part of the story.

ברך את אברהם בכל [THE LORD HAD] BLESSED ABRAHAM IN ALL THINGS — The numerical value of the word בכל is equal to that of בן (a son) — suggesting that God had blessed Abraham with a son and since he had a son he had to find him a wife.
Rashi on Genesis 24:1

For Abe to be blessed with “all things” and “a son” is fascinating.