Day 1 Genesis 30-33
Day 2 Genesis 34-37
Day 3 Genesis 38-40
Day 4 Genesis 41-43
Day 5 Genesis 44-46
Day 6 Genesis 47-50
Well, we will be finishing Genesis this week. I hope everyone is getting as much out of this as Jen and I. Here are some things to consider this week as you read (I'll be adding more during the week):
1. Difficult stories. There are some disturbing stories in Genesis. Women, in particular, often get treated badly. For example, the story of Dinah's (Jacob's daughter) rape and Jacob's subsequent negotiation for her marriage to the rapist just baffles me. Put yourself in Jacob's position. How could a father do that?
2. Polygamy. Polygamy is common in Genesis and we see multiple accounts of infertile wives having their husbands sleep with their maidservants to produce children. Why was polygamy commonplace then? Why didn't God condemn it? Is it okay to have more than one wife? Why or why not?
3. God's sovereignty. In the story of Joseph, his brothers betray him by selling him into slavery. Yet, as you'll see, God uses this horrible act to save entire nations of people. Years later, Joseph himself tells his brothers that he doesn't hold a grudge against them and that he realizes that it was God's plan for him to be sold into slavery. Stories like this can remind us that in difficult times, we have to have faith in God's plan, that he will bring about good things from bad things. Sometimes it's hard for us to see the forest for the trees, but God sees everything.
4. Common mistakes in reading Genesis and other narrative/history books in the Bible. This advice comes from How To Read The Bible For All Its Worth by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stewart (very good book!).
- Old testament narratives/history books are not allegories or stories filled with hidden meanings. There may be aspects of some individual stories that are hard to understand, but you should assume that they had meaning for their original hearers.
- Individual Old Testament stories are not meant to teach moral lessons unless they explicitly say so. The purpose of the stories is to tell what God did in the history of humankind, especially Israel, not to offer examples of right or wrong behavior. You might note in Jacob and Esau's story the negative impact of parents playing favorites, but that is not the point of the story. The main point is to tell us how Abraham's line was carried on through Jacob, not Esau. Similarly, the story of Dinah that I referenced above is not an example of how fathers should treat their daughters.
Question 1: Jacob did not negotiate for her marriage to the rapist - his sons did (as a ruse to kill them). Here is the passage:
ReplyDelete"They were shocked and furious, because Shechem had done an outrageous thing in Israel by sleeping with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be done (God commanded the families of Abraham NOT intermarry with the "foreigners"). But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem has his heart set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife. Intermarry with us; give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves. You can settle among us; the land is open to you. Live in it, trade in it, and acquire property in it.” Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and I will give you whatever you ask. Make the price for the bride and the gift I am to bring as great as you like, and I’ll pay whatever you ask me. Only give me the young woman as my wife.”
Jacob did not negotiate; he only listened. Jacob's sons did the "negotiation."
Question 2: The question of polygamy is an interesting one. Most people today view polygamy as immoral. However, the Bible does not explicitly condemn it. The first instance of polygamy in the Bible is in Genesis 4:19. It was about Lamech (of Cain's descendants, which is significant because they were a sinful line). Several prominent men in the Old Testament were polygamists. Abraham, Jacob, David, Solomon, and others all had multiple wives. In 2 Samuel 12:8, God, speaking through the prophet Nathan, said that if David’s wives and concubines were not enough, He would have given David even more. In 1 Kings 11:3, it states Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines - wives of a lower status. There are three questions I would like to answer to the best of my ability: 1) Why did God allow polygamy in the Old Testament? 2) What is God's view of polygamy today? 3) Why did it change?
ReplyDelete1) Why did God allow polygamy in the Old Testament? The Bible does not specifically say why God allowed polygamy. As we speculate about God’s silence, there are a few key factors to consider. First, there have always been more women in the world than men. Current statistics (2009) show that approximately 50.5 percent of the world population are women, with men being 49.5 percent. Assuming the same percentages in ancient times, and multiplied by millions of people, there would be tens of thousands more women than men. Second, warfare in ancient times was especially brutal, with an incredibly high rate of fatality, especially the men. This would have resulted in an even greater percentage of women to men. Third, due to the patriarchal structure of society, it was nearly impossible for an unmarried woman to provide for herself. Women were often uneducated and untrained. Women relied on their fathers, brothers, and husbands for provision and protection. Unmarried women were often subjected to prostitution and slavery. The significant difference between the number of women and men would have left many, many women in an less than desirable situation.
So, it seems that God may have allowed polygamy to protect and provide for the women who could not find a husband otherwise. A man would take multiple wives and serve as the provider and protector of all of them. While definitely not ideal, living in a polygamist household was far better than the alternatives: prostitution, slavery, or starvation. Polygamy also enabled a much faster expansion of humanity, fulfilling God’s command to “be fruitful and multiply" (Genesis 9:7). Men are capable of impregnating multiple women in the same time period, causing humanity to grow much faster than if each man was only producing one child each year. [continued on next post].
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ReplyDelete2) What is God's view of polygamy today? While God allowed, the Bible presents monogamy as the plan which conforms most closely to God’s ideal for marriage. Genesis 2:24 says that God’s original intention was for one man to be married to only one woman: “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife (not wives), and they will become one flesh (not fleshes).” While Genesis 2:24 is describing what marriage is, rather than how many people are involved, the consistent use of the singular should be noted. In Deuteronomy 17:14-20, God says that the kings were not supposed to multiply wives (or horses or gold). While this cannot be interpreted as a command that the kings must be monogamous, it can be understood as indicating that having multiple wives causes problems. The life of Solomon is a case in point if you read 1 Kings 11:3-4.
ReplyDeleteIn the New Testament, 1 Timothy 3:2, 12 and Titus 1:6 give “the husband of one wife” in a list of qualifications for spiritual leadership. There is some debate as to what this qualification specifically means. The phrase could literally be translated “a one-woman man.” Whether or not the Bible passage is referring exclusively to polygamy, in no sense can a polygamist be considered a “one-woman man.” While these qualifications are specifically for positions of spiritual leadership, they should apply equally to all Christians. Should not all Christians be “above reproach...temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money” as it says in 1 Timothy 3:2-4? If we are called to be holy (1 Peter 1:16), and if these standards are holy for elders and deacons, then they are holy for all. [CONTINUED]
Ephesians 5:22-33 speaks of the relationship between husbands and wives. When referring to a husband (singular), it always also refers to a wife (singular). “For the husband is the head of the wife (singular)...He who loves his wife (singular) loves himself. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife (singular), and the two will become one flesh....Each one of you also must love his wife (singular) as he loves himself, and the wife (singular) must respect her husband (singular).” There is another passage, Colossians 3:18-19, that refers to husbands and wives in the plural, but it is clear that Paul is addressing all the husbands and wives among the Colossian believers, not stating that a husband might have multiple wives. Looking at Ephesians 5:22-33, it is specifically describing the marital relationship. If polygamy were allowable, the entire illustration of Christ’s relationship with His body (the Church) and the husband-wife relationship falls apart. [CONTINUED]
ReplyDelete3) Why did it change? It is not so much God’s disallowing something He previously allowed as it is God’s restoring marriage to His original plan. Even going back to Adam and Eve, polygamy was not God’s original intent. God seems to have allowed polygamy to solve a problem, but it is not the ideal. In most modern societies, there is absolutely no need for polygamy. In most cultures today, women are able to provide for and protect themselves, thus removing the only “positive” aspect of polygamy. Most modern nations outlaw polygamy. According to Romans 13:1-7, we are to obey the laws the government establishes. The only instance in which disobeying the law is permitted according to the Bible is if the law contradicts God’s commands (Acts 5:29). Since God only allows for polygamy, and does not command it, a law prohibiting polygamy should be upheld by Christians.
ReplyDeleteWe might want to remember something: what God allows and what God wills are two different things. Do we think God wills that any should perish? Of course not. Does He allow some to go to Hell? Yes. Do you think God wills that you sin? Of course not. Does He give you the freedom to do that? Yes.
Are there some instances in which the allowance for polygamy would still apply today? Perhaps, but it is unlikely there would be no other possible solution. The “one flesh” aspect of marriage, the need for oneness and harmony in marriage, and the lack of any real need for polygamy, makes it MY firm belief that polygamy does not honor God and is not His design for marriage.
Question 3: I agree with the Sovereignty of God. And I submit it is again predicated through our FELLOWSHIP with God. FELLOWSHIP is companionship. Companionship cannot survive without trust, faith, reliance, dependence, love, loyalty, friendship, and support. The more we fellowship with the Lord, the less we will question His methods.
ReplyDeleteRomans 8:28 is quite powerful and should give all Christians a feeling of relief and contentment. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God..." This passage was significant for me to refrain from worry, stress, and anxiousness. Having a loving fellowship with the Lord helps us maintain an inner peace. If things "seem" to be going awry, if you love God, continue relying on Him and fellowshipping (did I just coin a new word? LOL) with Him, you will stop second-guessing what goes on in your life.
I am not preaching at all. This is an aspect of my Christian walk I am a bit deficient in. But Gary's comment brought it to the forefront for me to remind me to continue a deeper fellowship with Christ Jesus.
Question 4: I agree with Gary. The narratives are TRUE stories of Old Testament people. I believe those stories provide insight to the fallibility of humankind and God's profound love for us even in the face of wrongdoing. It also shows how God still used a bad occurrence and turned it into something of His will. Case in point: Sampson. He broke just about every part of his Nazarite vow. God punished him through humility and blindness yet God used him in the end (yes, Sampson asked for forgiveness and truly repented) to destroy more Philistines in a single event than over his entire lifetime. I believe many of the Old Testament stories help us to understand we need not analyze God but have faith in His ultimate plan, ministry, and mission for us. Gee, does that sound "RADICAL" or what? You bet - radical for the Lord!!
ReplyDeletePete- You're making my writing all of this stuff worthwhile! You have some great insights in there and I know we are both benefiting from this dialog every week.
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ReplyDeleteI thought Jen had a very good question yesterday with Scriptural support that Jacob indeed DID wrestle with God.
ReplyDeleteIt is a delicate interpretation. The Hebrew has many words that have more than one meaning. But let's look at the Scripture for a second.
As you read, the Scripture does not say that Jacob wrestled with an "angel" but with a "man". The man does not tell Jacob his name but the Bible says Jacob had "struggled with God", and says Jacob believes he "saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared." Because of this, many think this was actually God, the Son, who had appeared before to both Abraham (Genesis 12:7; 17:1; 18:1) and Isaac (Genesis 26:1, 24) in the form of a man.
Jacob’s wrestling with an angel (or God in anthropomorphic form, or Jesus) epitomizes the whole of Jacob’s life. He had struggled with his brother Esau (Genesis 25 & 27), his father (Genesis 27), and his father-in-law (Genesis 29-31), and now he struggles with God (here in chapter 32). Jacob’s own words express the substance of these stories about him: “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” Here is a phenomenal picture of Jacob struggling for the blessing – struggling with God and with man (Genesis 32:28). Whether it was a "man", as the Bible first puts it, an angel, or the anthropomorphic God, it was definitely a spiritual occurrence. I tend to believe it was an angel, one of God's representatives. In the Hebrew, seeing an angel was mirrored with seeing God Himself.
The unexpected and sudden introduction of this "man" (Genesis 24) who wrestles in the dark with Jacob, captures something of the event itself. By the time their contest comes to an end, Jacob is convinced that his opponent is God himself (Genesis 30). This is not improbable, given that God had previously come to Abraham in human (anthropomorphic) form (Genesis 18:1-15).
Significantly, Jacob emerges victorious in his struggle. His victory, even in his struggle with God, came when he was ultimately “blessed.” The importance of the name “Peniel” is that it identifies the one with whom Jacob was wrestling as God. Jacob’s remark that he had seen God face to face did not necessarily mean that the “man” he wrestled with was in fact God. Rather, when one saw the “angel of the Lord,” it was appropriate to say that he had seen the face of God.