Women of the Word, Oct. 14 and 21

Genesis 10:5-11
Written by the Non-priestly or J writer, Chapter 10 begins by enumerating mostly the male descendants of Noah’s sons Shem, Ham and Japheth, “children who were born to them after the flood.” They became the coastland peoples of the Fertile Crescent stretching from Egypt to Babylon, from the Nile to the Tigris and the Euphrates. This genealogy served as an explanation to themselves and to others around them of their world as they knew it. They did not know that the world extended beyond what they knew. Often a person’s name was interchangeable with their home town or place of birth; the name of a tribe could the name of a nation. In essence they were saying, “We are Mesopotamia.” It is interesting that these creation stories were not about Israel, the Holy Land, but about an entirely different area.
The non-priestly writer continues in Ch. 11 explaining that all the people of the earth spoke the same language and some of them migrated to the east settling in Shinar. Because this area does not have natural stones for building, they made bricks in order to build a city and “a tower with its top in the heavens.” This tower was actually a ziggurat, many of which were built in this area. Ziggurats were large monuments, maybe temples or shrines, with stepped, receeding tiers having a flat shrine on top. The people’s purpose was to “make a name for ourselves.” This did not please God so he scattered them over the face of the earth and confused their language so that they no longer understood each other. They quit building the tower which was called Babel for this was where their language was confused.
In previous stories, such as Adam and Eve and Noah, there has been redemption; but not here. However, in the New Testament at Pentecost, everyone can understand each other’s language. It takes a long time to get redemption in this case. The Towel of Babel and Pentecost become bookends in the Bible.
In 11: 26-32 we dealt with the descendants, wives and progeny of Terah who was a son of Nahor, a descendant of Shem. As written, this family tree is confusing. It includes Abram, son of Terah, who had a wife Sarai who is childless.
In Genesis 1-11 there is no indication that God created the world for Israel. The world has a universal beginning; it was created for everyone. Next we will become focused on one tribe with one leader, Abraham. This tribe did not have a name for themselves.
Submitted by Rene Clark




Women of the Word, Oct.21




This week we looked at Genesis 12 & 13. Specifically we learned about God’s call to Abram who was originally called Avram. God called him to leave his country and his people and go to “the land I am going to show you.” There were promises of many descendants and of Abram becoming a “great nation.” You would think that Abram was some sort of holy man but in fact he wasn’t. As my mother would say “he was no better than he had to be.” A bit of a loser. And so in calling Abram, God did something new. Instead of calling upon a holy and blessed man like Moses, God called on an unholy man and by doing so made him blessed.

It may at first seem like no big deal but back then you didn’t leave your family. You stayed together. Food and other natural resources were scarce and it took a tribe to keep things going. So this leaving home was a very big deal. Abram took his wife Sarai (later Sarah) and his nephew Lot. Why? Who knows why Lot went along? But we all know that doesn’t end well.

So there they are traveling through Canaan and God said to him “This is the place.” And Abram built an altar and made a sacrifice. Then he moved onto Bethel and did the same thing. Then he moved onto the southern part of Canaan and built yet another altar. He was a traveling fool. At one point he is in a part of Canaan that is famine stricken so he went all the way down to Egypt. And therein lies our first true glimpse at what a toad he was. Sarah was pretty. Abram knew that Pharaoh would desire her and if she were a married woman he would kill her husband so that she would be free for the taking. So Abram said (and I am paraphrasing here) “If anyone asks, you are my sister. This way I get to live and you will bring us a good fortune.” Which Sarah did. Whilst she was in the harem, her “brother” Abram was showered with gifts of gratitude for bringing such a beautiful woman to court. God was upset. Abram had strayed from the mission. To show His displeasure He sent terrible diseases. Pharaoh realized he had been duped so he turned Sarah and Abram out into the desert but let them keep all the wealth that Abram had accumulated during Sarah's indentured servant stint there at the palace.

Things get even stranger.

First, Lot shows back up in the desert there. He has a lot of wealth and livestock as well, the source of which we are not told. Things seem to be going good but, as we know, things are never as they seem. Lot’s men and Abram’s men are quarreling. Abram says that they should separate out their property and part friends. He lets Lot chose his piece of land first. Lot took the entire Jordan Valley and headed down to Sodom.

Abram stayed in Canaan. God told him to look around and that as far as he could see this was now his. So Abram built an altar to God and moved his camp near the sacred trees of Mamre.

We never hear from Sarah what she thinks of all this. Did she suffer in silence? Did she actually enjoy her time away from Abram and was sorry to have to go back with him? In reading Genesis as an adult I find all the wonderful songs I was taught at VBS to be lacking in the whole truth. Sure they are catchy but they leave important things out like Noah going on a bender; Giants living on the earth who are descendants of human woman and heavenly creatures; Abram being a complete scumbag. These are really important things to know and understand as we begin to weave the tapestry of our story from Genesis to Revelations. Maybe we can work this into the curriculum somewhere. Or not.

Then Noah he went on, he went on a drunky, drunky
Noah he went on, he went on a drunky, drunky
Tan Que Ray and Asti Spamante, mante
Children of the Lord

*****

Father Abraham has many sons and many sons has Father Abraham
I am one of them, and your mother too, so lets all be confused

Submitted by Diana Leavengood