Genesis 34:18-23

2009.Jun.05 09:30

Speaking Power to Fools

Their words pleased Hamor and Hamor’s son Shechem. And the young man did not delay to do the thing, because he delighted in Jacob’s daughter. Now he was the most honored of all his father’s house.
(Genesis 34:18-19, ESV)

In last week’s episode, Dinah’s brother had just pulled off a bit of deception, convincing Hamor and Shechem to make not just themselves but their whole city vulnerable, having all the males trained in fighting being down and out recovering from circumcision. Hamor falls for it hook, line and sinker, even to the point that he’s feeling his people are getting the best deal. At the cost of short-term pain, he reasons (as seen in verse 23, below), Jacob’s family will be assimilitated into the group Hamor rules. His power will increase.

Shechem’s reasons seem to have little to do with political or economic power, but power none the less. His gain for circumcision will be over Dinah. He has already raped her, but his lustful appetite has only grown with that act. Now he wants her to be his wife, and I don’t think in the way, say, that I am delighted that my wife is married to me. I can’t say for sure, but I don’t believe Shechem is seeking a relationship, a partnership, a family. Rather, he is seeking the sort of power and fame that high school boys think they are to gain by having sex with the hot virgin. Shechem–I am inclined to assume–wants to possess Dinah and thereby to proclaim himself as her master and a man of power. Even though he already is the most honored in the household of a local ruler.

So Hamor and his son Shechem came to the gate of their city and spoke to the men of their city, saying, "These men are at peace with us; let them dwell in the land and trade in it, for behold, the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters as wives, and let us give them our daughters. Only on this condition will the men agree to dwell with us to become one people–when every male among us is circumcised as they are circumcised. Will not their livestock, their property and all their beasts be ours? Only let us agree with them, and they will dwell with us."
(Genesis 34:20-23, ESV)

We now watch their plea to the people, and the reasoning is much the same: more for us (Note they fail to mention the reason why this has all come up). We will suffer a little to gain. Actually, that’s not an inherently bad thing if you leave it general like that. After all, we followers of Jesus are called to accept suffering for his sake, knowing that our reward is beyond anything this world can offer. It’s the details that are the problem. The gain here is \ just worldly power, and that hope blinds the people to wisdom.

In their rush to gain, the men of this town make themselves vulnerable, and die for their foolishness. The sons of Jacob acted deceptively, but the men (and perhaps women) of Succoth are really deceived by the promise of wealth and power. Again, these things are not inherently evil. But the love of them, the lust for them and pursuit of them at the expense of greater things–love, faith, obedience, wisdom–is truly destructive.

Genesis 24:49-67

2008.Mar.21 02:30

Wedding in Canaan…Sort of

Read Genesis 24:49-67 | Full Chapter

Now please tell me if you are willing to do the right thing for my master. Will you treat him fairly, or do I have to look for another young woman? Laban and Bethuel answered, "The LORD has done this. We have no choice in the matter. Take Rebekah with you; she can marry your master's son, just as the LORD has said."
(Genesis 24:49-51, CEV)

The servant has told his story, now it’s “deal or no deal” time. Looking at these arranged marriages is a bit odd (although I gave that a lot of thought at one point in my life and may regale you dear readers with some of it…later) insofar as neither Rebekah nor Isaac is at all involved at this point, but, hey, what are cultural shifts for? The response of Laban and Bethuel is that this is pretty clearly the will of Yahweh (or whatever they called him in those days), so who are they to so no? Knowing that Rebekah will be financially well off and married to a (someone distant at this point) relative is probably encouraging to them (and they get some money out of it, as well). I think their response is, well, sensible. They are responding to the apparent will of God, and checking that response with wisdom.

This precedes a second set of negotiations regarding when Rebekah and the servant will leave. Understandably, Rebekah’s dad and brother would like to have a few days to say good-bye. Also understandably, the servant wants to go home. Laban and Bethuel refer the question to Rebekah, who decides to head on. That’s a nice moment in an “old patriarchs deciding the destiny of others” story. And so, after a bit of preparation, off they go.

At that time Isaac was living in the southern part of Canaan near a place called "The Well of the Living One Who Sees Me." One evening he was walking out in the fields, when suddenly he saw a group of people approaching on camels. So he started toward them. Rebekah saw him coming; she got down from her camel, and asked, "Who is that man?" "He is my master Isaac," the servant answered. Then Rebekah covered her face with her veil. The servant told Isaac everything that had happened. Isaac took Rebekah into the tent where his mother had lived before she died, and Rebekah became his wife. He loved her and was comforted over the loss of his mother.
(Genesis 24:62-67, CEV)

Actually, I don’t know that I have anything to say on that point. It’s a nice feeling that Isaac and Rebekah seem to have sort of emotional connection from the first moment they see each other, but that’s just my spin on the reading. The point is that they do marry. Another point is the Yahweh did indeed make the servant’s journey successful, indeed working things far better than the servant probably anticipated.

Genesis 19:1-3

2007.Jun.24 02:50

Hospitality II

Read Genesis 19:1-3 | Full Chapter

The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed himself with his face to the earth and said, “My lords, please turn aside to your servant’s house and spend the night and wash your feet. Then you may rise up early and go on your way.” They said, “No; we will spend the night in the town square.” But he pressed them strongly; so they turned aside to him and entered his house. And he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.
(Genesis 19:1-3, ESV)

So, the two angels who had gone with Jehovah to meet Abraham arrive at the gate of Sodom. Jehovah, who, as I understand it, had appeared incarnate alongside with these angels, apparently doesn’t continue on to Sodom in such incarnate form. Anyway, the company recorded is now two. And who should they encounter, but the nephew of the very Abraham whom earlier had given them a meal at his tent. Lot’s biggest Biblical appearance up to this point is his parting of ways with Abraham, and the issues that preceded it.

Lot, I’ve noted, seems to have benefited greatly from the blessings on his uncle and aunt, but there’s no indication that he developed any kind of relationship with Jehovah, or strove for obedience and faith as his relatives have (generally) done. And when Abraham offered Lot his choice of the land, Lot chose the cities of the plain, despite their notoriety for sin, happy to stay there even after being pummeled in war. But he did seem to learn some hospitality. Although, perhaps because I know the end of this story, Lot’s hospitality strikes me as maybe less genuine.

Lot invites the angels to spend the night at his house. Honorable enough (well, maybe). They initially refused, but "he urged them greatly" (Genesis 19:3, ASV) and they relent. Like Abraham, Lot prepares and/or has prepared a meal for his guests. So, he does seek to do bless them, and to do the right thing. I can however think of two things that contribute to the unsavory taste Lot leaves me with:

My reading is that Lot pressed them against their plans until they gave in. Maybe that was the right thing to do, but had I been in their shoes, it would have greatly annoyed me. That might be a personal problem with me, though. Not sure. In either event, Lot does keep them from their intended business, which was to observe the city. Then again, the city does manage to make itself observable in the end.
Speaking in hindsight, Lot ought to anticipate what will come. He is a poor host in that he has lived in Sodom and is familiar with their acceptance of sin, and lack of hospitality. On the other hand, he has two daughters who at least haven’t been raped yet (Genesis 19:8), as one might expect they would have been, judging by the crowd later in this chapter. So, maybe he didn’t have full warning.

If anything, the passage is a reminder that hospitality and kindness are more than just a set of rules. Lot does all the right things, but somehow he misses the (possibly glaring) issue of protecting his guests. Hopefully without sounding too trite, one of the reasons we so need God’s wisdom is because it can be so easy, in the moment, to miss what in hindsight was so obvious.

Genesis 8:6-12

2006.Oct.12 21:06

Send out the birds

Read Genesis 8:6-12 | Full Chapter

[Noah] sent out a raven, and it flew here and there until the water was dried up from the earth. Then he sent out a dove from him, to see if the water was abated from the face of the land; but the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot.
(Genesis 8:7-9a, NASB)

Okay, so the folks on the boat have done a nice job of being patient so far, but let’s face it, Noah and family are probably ready to disembark. To get a measure of things, Noah decides to send out a bird, and see if it comes back.

He first sends out a raven. The raven, possibly sick of the ark, just flies around for a while. So, the raven was not a good idea. Next he sends out a dove three times, once a week. The first week the dove comes back. The second the dove also returns, this time with a leaf from an olive tree. So things are looking up. Finally, the next week, the dove does not return.

What I want to say about this all has to do with wisdom and patience. Sending out birds seems to me the best course of action. After all, they can fly above the water, and you get an idea of how the water is receding based on when the bird returns. Which is to say, it’s not what I naturally would have done. Yes, I would have opened the door and maybe fashioned a pole to see if I could find the bottom. And then, as soon as I knew there was an olive tree out there, I’d be trying to land the boat. And so what if a few rats jump overboard in the meanwhile?

It can be a huge pain to, well, wait. To make sure my course of action is wise instead of just jumping into action (that’s not to say I should never act unless I’m certain of the results, but just to not act rashly). Jehovah is the source of wisdom, and when I am stressed I can try to act on that stress or I can turn to him (or probably, some third option). Guess which one I usually do.

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