Covenant, Hospitality and Hello, Sodom and Gomorrah

 

Dear Bible Challengers,

 

It's been quite a week. Thank you all for your great questions and wonderings along the way. Your active engagement in this journey keeps it real.
 
The last two days we've been getting to know Abra(ha)m and Sarai(h), and yesterday we read the Yahwist's account of the covenant between the Lord and Abram. Abram provided the sacrificial animals, which were "cut" (the Hebrew for enacting covenants is that one "cuts" a covenant with another, likely referring to the sacrifice). Ordinarily (if one can say such a thing) the two individuals cutting the covenant would walk between the cut pieces of the sacrifice. In this story, Abram falls into a deep sleep, and the Lord makes the promise of the covenant, and walks between the sacrificed animals, symbolized by the smoking vessel and fiery flame. In this, the Lord takes responsibility for the covenant.
 
Today we read the Priestly version of the covenant, and in this story, the sign is not the sacrificed animals or smoking vessel and fiery flame, but circumcision of all males, with both parties taking responsibility for the covenant.  This shared responsibility plays well with the Priestly perspective that the bad things that happened to Israel in the destruction of Jerusalem and Babylonian exile were because of their dishonoring of the covenant.
 
We read also of Sarai's arranging for Hagar to bear an heir to Abram. While this whole story may be appalling to a modern reader, this practice was very common in the Ancient Near East, and we need not see Sarai as being unfaithful to God's promise, because God has promised only that Abram's line will be blessed-- and when Sarai makes this arrangement God has not yet indicated that Sarai will be the mother of this great peoples.  When that conversation happens, God renames Abram and Sarai, a common practice when one of greater power claims authority or possession over another. We will see this again when Jacob is renamed Israel, and in the Gospels as Simon is named Peter and Saul is named Paul...
 
And Again, we get two versions of this promise to make Abraham and Sarah the parents of countless people, with the second being the visit of the three angels, or three men.  These three were later seen as a visitation of the Trinity by orthodox Christians, with this icon by Andre Rublev being the most famous portrayal of the visit.  Later in this story we discover that one of these men is the Lord, in the conversation about whether or not Sodom and Gomorrah has 50, 45, or even 10 faithful people worth saving.
 
 
 
The three angels/men/divine visitors and Abraham's hospitality extended to them are a crucial part of this story. In the Ancient Near East, in the modern Near East, hospitality is a significant value. Guests are to be treated with grace and generosity. In part this is because in a desert climate we all want to be assured that if we are in need someday, someone will similarly help and protect us! 
 
More on Sodom and Gomorrah when we get there on Monday...
 
Meanwhile... in the Psalms we have encountered an important concept that runs throughout the Bible, in both the Hebrew Scriptures and New Testament... namely, God's steadfast love and faithfulness. The word in Hebrew is hesed, and we encounter hesed in highest concentration in the Psalms, but also incarnate in Jesus.  Whenever someone refers to the "Old Testament God" I do two things... cringe internally and then bring up hesed. Yes, God is portrayed in some wild ways in the Old Testament. But the New Testament has some pretty hair raising portrayals as well-- we'll get to that when Jesus starts talking about the outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth...
 
Hesed is the love of God that endures despite our bad choices, that is with us in bad times as well as good. Steadfast. Faithful. Love.  God doesn't save us from the consequences of our bad choices, but God's steadfast love and faithfulness mean that God never leaves us alone in these places, but is always ready to offer us grace and the next better choice...
 
Thanks be to God.
   
Peace!
Paige+

  

  


Contact Us

 

the Rev. Paige Blair

Office (858) 755-1616 Ext. 101 * Cell 858-248-7247