Genesis 25

Summary: Abraham marries. He has children. Genealogy listed. Jacob and Esau are born. Esau sells his birthright to Jacob.

Personal Reflection: This is an interesting story to think about, but it gets more interesting as we get a little bit further into it (read the next several chapters). I often wonder if families today are really any more strange than families were back then. Abraham marries and has children when he is really old. These days we would consider a man Abraham's age marrying someone young enough to bear children really strange. I wonder if there was anything like that back then.

I wonder why it was that only Rebekah got the news that Jacob was to be served by Esau. In later chapters, it becomes apparent that Isaac doesn't really know that Jacob is supposed to be the birthright son.

I also often wonder what the events were around the selling of the birthright. It seems like it was probably a more complicated story than we are privy to. If it was just a trivial thing how would they still have the information. Or perhaps it's one of those stories that just happens to survive. Or maybe Jacob kept a journal. Or maybe the story was re-revealed by God.

Marriage

Since the last post was really a rewrite of a post I was supposed to write before, I thought I would post the short paper that I had to write for my Old Testament class about this chapter of scripture you'll find it (unedited) below.

I have had a lot of good examples of marriage (and family) in my life, and I count myself very lucky. In fact, it wasn't until I moved away from home that I really knew that I knew anybody who had really hard family experiences that could easily turn them away from the idea of marriage. Since then, I thought about marriage a lot, what makes a good marriage, and how I could do my utmost to add to the stability of my future marriage, but I never came to any particularly concrete conclusions. Mostly, I came to the realization that it couldn't be done alone and had to involve both partners equally to sustain such a marriage. So, I was really glad to see these insights.

Number one, for me, seemed self-explanatory. Marrying within in the covenant (another Latter-day Saint) seemed a foregone conclusion. To work strongly together, a couple must have the same foundation on which they are built. For example, if a house were built right on a fault line, it would have the tendency to shift and pull apart. I think that's a good analogy for why it is important to marry within the covenant.

I think one of the harder concepts for me, is the concept of making myself as attractive as possible. I can also see why this would be an important element. I sincerely believe that although the Lord looketh on the heart, we ought to make our outward appearance as reflective of our "inward parts" as possible, and in some ways they can't help but be inextricably connected since our mental, spiritual, and physical health are connected. However, my mother is a person very concerned with outward appearance. I am the only girl in the family, and I seem to have caught the brunt of that concern. When I was growing up, the arguments between my mother and me centered on four areas: my weight, my hair, my makeup, and my clothing. In all of these areas, as far as my mother was concerned, I fell short. This focus has caused me some to deal with some self-worth doubts. So when I feel that I ought to make a change in any of these areas of appearance, it is hard for me to know if it is truly a change that needs to be made, or if it is part of my early education about appearance. In other words, I am still working on finding the most attractive me.

All in all, though, I find it comforting that God has promised to guide the process, and that he is involved in this very important decision. Most of the process seems to be, really, a fulfillment of the covenant between God and man. We promise to remember God (e.g. pray for his spirit, try to involve him), he promises that we will always have his spirit to be with us (e.g. miracles will occur, the spirit will bear witness of the rightness of the choice), and our choices will have bearing on future generations.

Genesis 24:

Summary: Abraham commands his servant to find a wife for Isaac who is of the covenant. The servant travels to a certain town. He prays for the Lord to send the person who should marry Isaac, and to have her water his ten camels so that he will recognize her. Rebekah shows up and waters his camels. He tells her his mission. She takes the servant to meet her family. They want her to stay a little while, but the servant says they need to leave. Rebekah agrees with the servant, and they leave. Isaac marries Rebekah.

Personal Reflections: I’m not in the habit of doing this anymore. I realize it’s coming up on a month now since I last posted. My short hiatus turned out rather longer than I had expected it to. That’s what happens when you decide to write 150 pages in two weeks and also have finals going on, then go on a two week vacation without internet access. When you get back you realize just how behind you’ve fallen on your goal. But I promise to repent and refocus.

It seems to me like this chapter gets talked about a lot. It is an amazing story of work and of faith. Rebekah is a hard worker; that much is clear. No one in his right mind would want to water ten thirsty camels. I don’t want to quote a number, but camels drink a lot of water especially if they’ve been going through the desert and are thirsty, which these camels would have been. Nahor isn’t just a short jaunt down the road from where the servant started out.

Also, Rebekah is a great example of faith. If it had been me, I would have wanted to stay at home with my family, at least for a short time. I would want to prepare myself for whatever might be coming. Rebekah had enough faith to go with the servant immediately.

Finally, I think it’s really cute that Rebekah “lighted off the camel” when she saw Isaac. I like that picture of her being so excited to meet Isaac and wanting to prepare herself.
My Old Testament teacher says that he thinks this chapter is a great example of the principles that should guide our courtship and marriage practices and how we should prepare for marriage. Perhaps, if we are already married, we can think of this chapter as a guide to qualities that will make our marriages happier and better.

(The original Post Below)

Summary: Abraham commands that Isaac shall not marry a Canaanite—The Lord guides Abraham’s servant in choosing Rebekah as a wife for Isaac—Rebekah blessed to be the mother of thousands of millions—She marries Isaac.

Personal Reflection: Guzik.

Note: I suppose if I always point you to Guzik you'll stop reading me, but I'll use him as a stop-gap for now. Busy night.

Genesis 23:

Summary: Sarah dies at the age of 127. Abraham buys a field and cave to bury Sarah in.

Personal Reflection: Okay, I don't have too much to say here. David Guzik gives us some interesting insight into Sarah's character in general. There are a couple of things he brings up that I want to emphasize. First, the manner in which Abraham and Ephron interact is very Arab today. The land is offered as a gift, Abraham names a price, and Ephron names a different price.

Also, Guzik doesn't mention this, but it is important that Abraham buys the land and doesn't accept it as a gift. Because he buys it, he owns it and it won't be given to Ephron's sons after Ephron's death.

Note: Phew. I was glad to have a break today. Back into more great stuff tomorrow.

Genesis 22: Sacrifice

Summary: Abraham is commanded by the Lord to sacrifice his son Isaac on Mount Moriah (traditionally the mountain where the Jew's temple stood, and where the Dome of the Rock stands today). Abraham and Isaac journey to Mount Moriah. Abraham's hand is stayed by an angel of the Lord before he can actually sacrifice Isaac. The Lord provides a ram to be sacrificed in Isaac's place. The Lord's renews his promise of infinite posterity. Abraham and Isaac return. The Lord tells Abraham that his brother has had children.

Personal Reflection: This chapter is really full of good stuff. Let me link you immediately to David Guzik, and to the LDS Institute Manual.

I talked about Christ types a few chapters back. This experience may be the greatest and most detailed Christ-type in all of scripture:

Sacrifice is a representation of the atonement of Christ.

vs. 2 "thine only son" Abraham had more than one son. Christ was the "only begotten."

vs. 2 "Isaac, whom thou lovest" Christ is referred to as the "beloved son."

vs. 2 Mt. Moriah is in Jerusalem, and is near the place where Christ is crucified.

vs.4-5 There is a pause before Abraham and Isaac ascend Mt. Moriah. Jesus pauses before entering Jerusalem (Matt. 21:1-5).

vs. 5 Isaac carries the wood for his sacrifice. Jesus carries the cross.

vs. 8 "God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering" Christ is the lamb that is provided.

vs. 9 Isaac doesn't resist. He would have been able to overpower his centenarian father. Christ doesn't resist. He could have called on the powers of the hosts of heaven, but he doesn't.

vs. 13 The ram is offered in the stead of Isaac. Christ is offered in the stead of Isaac.

vs. 14 "In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen." An alternate translation could be "In a mount the Lord shall be manifest," referring to Christ.

Think of the faith that it must have taken for Abraham to be willing to sacrifice the son through whom the promises of the Lord was supposed to be fulfilled. Abraham must have known that it was through Christ that Isaac's resurrection was possible.

Guzik brings up the point that in the chapter just previous to this one, Ishmael is sent away, and then in this chapter the Lord asks for Isaac's life. I don't know quite what the implications are of that, but it does seem interesting, and could provide food for thought.

I think that it is significant that the Lord once again renews his promise. The Lord will always bless us with a witness of the spirit after we overcome trials in our life.

Finally, I like that the Lord tells Abraham that his brother has had children. Way back in the day, there wasn't even really mail. The Lord knew that Abraham would want to have that information and be able to rejoice. Also, knowing about Nahor's family set the stage for future events to occur as Abraham sends for a wife for Isaac.

Note: I am really glad I had this chapter on a Saturday so I had time to really flesh out my commentary. There is much more that could be said, but I'll leave it for another time.

Genesis 21:

Summary: Sarah bears Isaac—He is circumcised—Promises to Abraham preserved through Isaac—Hagar and her son cast out of Abraham’s household—The Lord saves Hagar and Ishmael—Abraham and Abimelech deal honorably with each other.

Personal Reflections: It's late at night, but here's what I think. Once again, we have a situation brought about by mistakes on both sides. The Lord is looking out for everyone though.

Isaac is born. I like that his name means "he laughs" which mirrors Sarah's disbelieving laughter when told she would bear a son, and also shows the joy that Isaac brought to his parents. This also reminds me of a conference talk from October of this year where Joseph B. Wirthlin said that one of the keys to surviving rough times is to laugh. I like to think that Isaac had a really good sense of humor. Maybe as we go throughout talking about Isaac, I'll try to see if I can catch glimpses of it.

Okay, this is a hard chapter. I can't find much LDS commentary on it. The only conference talk that refers to the hard part of the chapter (the part about Hagar and Ishmael being forced to leave) was given in 1995 by Aileen H. Clyde who was second counselor in the General Relief Society presidency, and she doesn't mention who threw Hagar out or why, only the fact that the Lord provided for Hagar in the desert.

I'll link you to David Guzik's commentary, because it's very comprehensive about the matter. I don't agree with a couple things, however. First, did the Lord really agree that Hagar needed to be dismissed from the camp only to appear to her in the desert? I don't know if I believe that Hagar deserves the treatment she gets, no matter what Guzik thinks. If you have any thoughts on the matter, I'd surely appreciate them, as I'm a bit stumped.

I do like the fact that the Lord is still looking out for Hagar. This could mean two different things. Either the Lord looks out for even his wayward children. Or, the Lord is looking out for his righteous children even when unfair and terrible things happen to them. You can look at it either way, depending on what role you see Hagar filling.

Finally, in this chapter there is a treaty signed between Abraham and Abimelech (the same one?) about a well of water. This well came to be known as Beer-Sheba, which means "well of the oath" or "well of seven" (like the lambs that were given as a token of the covenant). Don't let the mention of "grove" fool you in this verse. Abraham didn't make a shrine to Ashtoreth (which is what this term usually signifies) this word is translated from 'eshel which is translated as "tree" elsewhere in scripture, not 'asherah which is the name of the main goddess of the Canaanites.

This account shows that Abraham was a great statesman. Interestingly, Abraham was allowed to interact with many more of the peoples of his time. Later, Israel would be commanded to get rid of the Canaanites.

Note: I am so sorry about how pitiful this post is. It came down to a matter of trying to juggle too many things at the same time. Some day I will come back to this post and fix it, because honestly there is a lot going on here.

Genesis 20: Deja vu

Summary: Abraham leaves the land in which he is living. He introduces Sarah in the next place they stay as his sister. Abimilech takes her into his Harem. Abimilech is visited in a dream and told that he is a dead man. He protests that his heart is pure; he didn't know Sarah was Abraham's wife. He returns Sarah to Abraham, rebukes him for saying she was his sister, and gives Abraham gifts. Abraham prays for Abimilech.

Personal Reflection: See my Genesis 12 entry for a more complete discussion of the some of the points in this chapter.

Mostly what I want to say about this chapter is that I think Abimilech is an awesome person. I think we should say more about him. He was a really good guy. He didn't know that Sarah was Abraham's wife, and when he found out, he made the right decision. I think Abimilech is one of coolest non-Israelites in the whole of scripture.

One question that could be asked in this chapter is "Why is Abraham traveling around again?" I'm not sure of the answer to that question. David Guzik suggests that it may be because he doesn't want to live overlooking the destroyed cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Genesis 19: Fire from Heaven

Summary: Lot is visited by two messengers who he invites in and cares for. The men of Sodom surround his house, and demand that the messengers be brought to them. Lot refuses. The men of Sodom are smitten with blindness. The messengers tell Lot to take his family and leave the city. Lot's sons-in-law won't listen. He escapes with his wife and two daughters. Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed by fire from heaven. Lot's wife is turned into a pillar of salt. Lot's daughters get Lot drunk. They lie with him and bear children.

Personal Reflection: Alright, this chapter is a super-awesome chapter (fire from heaven), and a really disturbing chapter (Lot's daughters). In fact, I would probably label the story of Lot's daughters as the most disturbing thing recorded in the Old Testament. So, in order to address the bigger issues first, I want to start with Lot's daughters and then move back to Sodom and Gomorrah.

Let me explain why I think the story is disturbing. First, the act itself is disturbing, but there are many other places in scripture where terrible things happen (e.g. Judah and Tamar, Amnon and Tamar), but in these verses the detail is pretty graphic in comparison to many other accounts, and you actually hear the daughter's words as they speak them. Also, these are the people who were just saved from the city of Sodom; these were, we assume, the good people. Finally, the verses don't moralize on the point; they only describe what happened, and not what God thinks about it.

I think these verses put us in a kind of trap. I assume the biblical author thought that it would be so obvious that this act was a sin that he didn't have to put that in their (I mean, duh!), but because Lot and his daughters have just been saved from Sodom, a reader may be led to think. Up until now, these people have been the good people that the Lord saved; was this act then justified because the scriptures just say that it happened, not that it was wrong?

I'm certain it was a wrong choice. Some scholars have suggested that Lot's daughters thought that they and their father were the last people on earth, but that doesn't make sense to me, since they had just been in the city of Zoar (David Guzik also points this out, and I thought it was a good catch). It's hard to believe that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah could have been making much worse choices than these, even with the portrayal of them at the door of Lot's house. Here are a couple of thoughts. First, one of the reasons that Lot was saved was for Abraham's sake (see vs. 29), and Abraham was an undeniably righteous man. I think that we would also consider Lot a righteous man, though with obvious faults. I think we can put Lot on a long list of people, who were mostly good, but just didn't have it quite all together (like Eli who didn't stop his sons from defiling the temple). He moved to Sodom and thought that he could keep it together and the city wouldn't affect him. Well, though he may have escaped mostly unscathed, his daughters, probably raised in sodom most of their lives, couldn't escape the depravity that they saw all around them. Lot's poor decisions affected those around him, and not only himself.

Sodom and Gomorrah could be seen, from one point of view, as God taking revenge on a wayward people. I think I covered this topic well enough in the my flood entries, so go check out chapters 5-7 to see what I think about God removing wickedness from the earth by miraculous means.

Finally, Sodom was a terrible place. I think Guzik's commentary on this chapter is very insightful. If I were you, I would check out the link above. But I will say one things about Guzik. I often think he speaks with more certainty than we can have about anyone. He is very judgemental of the characters we read about, and certain in his judgements, whereas I am not so certain. One thing that Guzik talks about in his commentary is homosexuals, which is a natural topic to discuss, since that was one of Sodom's most obvious sins.

Yes. I just said sins. I do believe that homosexual activities are sins, and I agree pretty much one-hundred percent with what Guzik says about homosexuality (although I do question his statistics, and haven't verified him). I do, however, have the following to say. Only God has the power to condemn. I believe deep down in my heart that there are people who are acting homosexuals who are mostly good people, just as I believe that, at heart, almost all people are mostly good, but I do not think that what they choose to do is right. I think that each of has to find the balance between hating the sin and loving the sinner.

As I write this, Proposition 8 looks like it is going to pass in California. I think this is a step forward. I know some people that struggle with homosexuality, and I love them deeply. I also believe that our government should not allow itself to become an accessory to sin by condoning it in its laws.

Deep subjects today. Feel free to comment. Less inflammatory stuff tomorrow.

Genesis 18:

Summary: Abraham entertains three holy men—They promise that Sarah shall have a son—Abraham will command his children to do justice and judgment—The Lord appears to him—They discuss the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Personal Reflection: Once again. It's a late day. My favorite part of this chapter is the conversation between the Lord and Abraham at the end. Abraham progressively asks the Lord if he will destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah if less and less righteous people are found. The Lord promises that he will not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah if even ten righteous people are found. But in the end of the chapter, it becomes obvious that Abraham could have asked for less. The Lord is aware of even a single righteous individual. He sends his servants to bring Lot and his family out of Sodom. When not even ten can be found in the city, the Lord brings the few that are righteous out of the city.

The Lord cares for individuals.

Genesis 17: Back to Singles Tomorrow

Summary: Abram is commanded to walk righteously before God. God promises Abram the land of Canaan, numberless posterity, and that he will continue to be the God of Abram's children. Abram's name is changed to Abraham. Sarai's name is changed to Sarah. Abraham is promised a son through Sarah. Abraham is given the ordinance of circumcision. He and all his house are circumcised.

Personal Reflection: There is only one real connection that I made when reading this chapter. God promises that he will be the God to Abraham's posterity even before he promises Abraham that he will have a child through Sarah. This struck me because I have often wondered how Islam fits into my religious world. I understand how Judaism is related to my beliefs. I think that somehow the Lord made himself accessible to Abraham's descendants through Ishmael. Now, I don't know why Islam is the way it is. Because I am Christian, I can't believe many of the things that Muslims believe, but I do believe that somehow God provided a way for all of Abraham's children to have access to him.

I should probably also take this opportunity to talk about circumcision, but I don't completely understand the principles behind it. It is a token of the covenant, and it is interesting that Abraham is given his new name at the same time as this ordinance is instituted since circumcision was often related to the naming day of a child. (Sorry no reference here yet.)

I haven't actually read Guzik's commentary on this one, but I'll link it here for you.

Genesis 16: Two Worlds, One Family

Summary: Abram and Sarai had waited a long time for the Lord to give them a child, and they have not had any children. Sarai has Hagar, her maid, stand in for her. Hagar conceives. There is some tention between Hagar and Sarai. Hagar runs away. The Lord sends an angel to tell her to return, and who prophesies about her son. Hagar bears Ishmael.

Personal Reflection: There is definitely a lot of emotion built up in this chapter. Often, I feel like, at least in the area of polygamy, that there is a lot we don't understand, and there is a lot that is never really commented on in the Old Testament because that's just the way things were in those days.

I'm going to link you here to David Guzik's commentary again. Whether I agree with him or not, I often find his commentary thought-provoking.

Guzik does a lot of talking about sinning in this chapter, about not trusting in God, and about the consequences. While, I agree with him in an abstract sense that sin often leads to unwanted and painful consequences, I'm not convinced that he's write in his specifics here.

First, what Sarai did was a perfectly legitimate practice of the time. I don't know whether God was sanctioning her decision or not, but I don't think she was doing anything way out of line. Perhaps Guzik is right in that Sarai did not trust in the Lord, and therein was her sin.

If we want to continue that line of thought. The contention between Sarai and Hagar may have been caused by this same mistrust. Sarai regretted her decision (I think most women today would feel the same). We never get to really hear Hagar's side of the story, and I wonder if Sarai was more at fault than we are told in their arguments. The Lord is said to have heard Hagar in vs. 11 and she is visited by an angel of the Lord, so I can't believe that she was entirely at fault in this situation.

Also, I tend to disagree with Guzik where he says that the conflict between the Jews and Arabs is all part and parcel of Abram's sin. That's rather rediculous actually. Often the Arabs have treated the Jews much better than Christians have, the present day, of course, excluded.

I think that what we really have in this chapter is a lot of good people, put in a hard situation, where they each make their own mistakes (as human beings are prone to do). In the end, though I believe that the Lord used them, human though they were, to bring about his purposes. I believe that Ishmael too was an integral part of the prophecy that Abram would be the father to children as numerous as the stars.

Note: I'm really excited to get to chapter 17 tonight. Finally I can stop having to catch myself when I write "Abraham" because it will be right.

Genesis 15:

Summary: Abram desires offspring—The Lord promises him seed in number as the stars—He believes the promise—His seed shall be strangers in Egypt—Then, after four generations, they shall inherit Canaan.

Personal Reflection: Okay, okay, I totally stole that summary from the KJV, but I'm very tired. I'm participating in NaNoWriMo this month, and still have approximately ten pages to write. My friend kept me up until 1:30 playing Cities and Knights of Cataan. I am bushed, but still I'm here blogging for my faithful audience, although I suspect the only people who have really been reading are God and myself. On to the real meat.

This chapter really resonated with me. Notice that at the beginning of the chapter that it is after the things that have been recorded that the Lord tells Abram not to fear. Abram trusted in the Lord enough to say that he only wanted it to be possible to say that God had made him rich, but I wonder if there wasn't a little bit of fear in his heart, especially about the fulfilling of the prophecy, that is, that God would give him posterity greater than the stars in the sky. Still, when the Lord speaks he believes him.

There is a Joseph Smith Translation (JST)* that I really love starting in the 9th verse. Abram asks how he the Lord will give him the land. The Lord answers by showing him the life of the savior. Now, technically this isn't doctrine for anybody, but it makes a lot more sense to me why Abram offers sacrifice to the Lord. If you believe that sacrifice is a reminder of the atonement of Christ, it makes a lot more sense that Abram's joy at God's words leads him to offer sacrifice.

There is a lot of revelation and trial going on in this verse. First, Abram speaks with the Lord, is promised many things, and is taught many things. Then "a great darkness [falls] upon him." After this, more is revealed to him by the Lord about his destiny. We will see this pattern later, so don't let me forget about it (e.g. with Joseph Smith).

* I think this is the first time I've mentioned the Joseph Smith Translation. Since I may be reaching a wider audience than members of my faith, here is my quick explanation of the JST. After Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon, he decided to translate the Bible. This didn't mean that he picked up the original texts of the Bible and translated them like a book is translated today. Basically it means that Joseph relied on his own understanding and the feelings he received from the Holy Ghost (or Holy Spirit) to make changes he felt were applicable. Technically the JST isn't scripture, but it's just about as close as you can get without being doctrinal.

Note: One more day of double posts tomorrow.

Genesis 14:

Summary: Several kings attack the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. The kings lay waste to the countryside, sack Sodom and Gomorrah, and take Lot captive. Abram pursues them to Damascus with an army of his servants, recovers their booty, and saves Lot. They return. Melchizedek, king of Salem, takes a tithe from Abram. He refuses any of the loot from the fight.

Personal Reflection: It seems like the kings that come against Sodom and Gomorrah are from various areas in Mesopotamia (Elam and Shinar are what gives this away. Where the other kings come from I think is unknown). They would have traveled up through Syria and then back down to the South of the Dead Sea (where it is thought Sodom and Gomorrah were located). That's why Abram would have pursued them up all the way to Damascus instead of straight toward Mesopotamia (the reason people didn't travel straight across is because it is all desert between).

Melchizedek is an enigmatic figure. He is the king of Salem which, we can assume, is the ancient Jerusalem. There isn't much information about him, but his name means "King of Righteousness" and he seems to be a kind of spiritual leader for Abram since he tithed Abram.

Genesis 13:

Summary: Abram leaves Egypt. There is contention between Lot's people adn Abram's people. They separate from each other and divide the land. The Lord renews his promise of land to Abram. He is also promised a great posterity.

Personal Reflection: I feel absorbed in my own thoughts this evening and not really able to give this chapter the attention it deserves. I gave David Guzik a lot of credit in the last chapter, but I think he goes a little overboard in his commentary on chapter 13. He talks about all the time in Egypt being wasted. He says that Abram sinned, and he only went into Egypt because he didn't trust God enough, etc. I don't think there is really support in the scriptures for that, though I did mostly agree with Guzik on the point in the previous chapter.

I think it is sad that Abram and Lot end up parting. I honestly believe that Abram was a good influence on Lot. Lot looked up to him, and the two of them got along really well. I think if their herdsmen hadn't fought that the whole Sodom and Gomorrah story may have turned out a lot differently (get it? "A Lot." Oh wow, that was a bad joke). I do agree with Guzik that Abram was very selfless to give Lot his choice of land. I also agree that Lot was foolish to pitch his tent "toward Sodom." He will later end up in Sodom.

Finally, I find comfort in the fact that God renews his promises to Abram. In my life it seems like I only feel prompted once to do something, but that God is always willing to comfort me and reassure me of his presence and his love.

Genesis 12: Sister

Summary: Abram is commanded to leave Haran. He leaves with Sarai, Lot, and the believers of that time. They come to Canaan. Abram is promised the land of Canaan. Because of famine, Abram moves on to Egypt. He tells the Egyptians that Sarai is his sister so that they won't kill him in order to make her available. The pharaoh realizes Sarai is his wife, returns her to him, and orders his people to let Abram leave with all of his possessions.

Personal Reflection: It always seems strange to me that we seem to feel like we have to justify Abram's actions here. Here are some of the justifications for his deception. First, Sarai really was his sister (in a 2nd millenium BC, Jewish culture kind of way). Back then in that culture, "sister" or "brother" simply meant a relative of some kind. Note how Abram calls Lot his brother in Genesis 14:16 as well as in other places when Lot is his nephew. Also, note Genesis 20:12 to see that Sarai is related to Abram. Second, it has been said that "Whatever God requires is right, no matter what it is, although we may not see the reason thereof till long after the events transpire" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith pg. 255). I agree that this is true. God won't command us to do things that are wrong, but I also don't think that this necessarily means that Abram was in tune with the Lord at this point. In fact, I have always thought that the pharaoh of Egypt was a pretty good guy in this whole story. I wonder if Abram just went on his own here. I really like David Guzik's commentary on Abram's deception. Which brings me to something I heard from my Old Testament teacher. He said, and I paraphrase "Catholics know that the pope is infallible, Mormons know that the prophet is fallible, and neither one really believes it." I think in the LDS church we could be more forgiving of faults we might see in leaders. This story about Abram may be one such instance, where a great and good prophet of the Lord behaved as a human being.

This brings up another important point. The Old Testament often doesn't moralize on issues. Sometimes, it leaves us to decide for ourselves whether something was good or bad. This is one of those cases. Just because the Bible doesn't come right out and say, Abram shouldn't have lied, it doesn't mean that he was right in doing so. I find the Bible a little obscure in that way. Sometimes we have to decide for ourselves, with the help of God what the moral of the story is.

Also, I want to point out the fact that Abram is travelling again in this chapter. Wandering is an interesting theme we could bring up. The Lord promises Abram the land, but, in the end, Abram and his family don't really possess it for long, they end up in Egypt and elsewhere, but Abram shows great faith and trust in the promises of the Lord as he waits for all of the Lord's promises to be fulfilled.

Genesis 11: Rambling Babel

Summary: The people build a tower to reach heaven. The Lord confuses their languages. Shem's genealogy follows. Abram's brother, Haran, dies, and Abram his wife, Sarai, and father leave Ur.

Personal Reflection: There are several interesting things to talk about in this chapter. First, we can talk about the tower of Babel. First of all, it is amazing how like a ziggurat this explanation is. I don't really believe that they were actually trying to build a ziggurat that was tall enough to reach to heaven, but I think that man believed that the ziggurat got him to heaven. The Ziggurat in Babylon was called "Etemenankia" which means "the house of the platform between heaven and earth" (see the ziggurat link above). What's really going on here, is that man is creating gods for himself that he can reach by building a tower. I have heard it said that what the builders of the tower were trying to do was to reach God and slay him; perhaps, but I think it more likely that they were building their own god that would be within their reach.

Also, I looked up the English word "babble" in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) since my major is linguistics after all. It turns out that there is no identifiable connection between "babble" and "Babel," but the OED does say that the existence of "Babel" may have affected some of the ways in which we use the word today. It's kind of a cool coincidence though.

Second, Abram really appears for the first time in this chapter. There are two possible locations for Ur, where Abram comes from. It may either be in Mesopotamia or somewhere in present-day Turkey. I think the Ur in Mesopotamia is a better fit. Here's why: First, in Mesopotamia at the time Abram probably lived, it would have been around the third dynasty of Ur (Ur III). This is significant because during Ur III education would have been widely available, meaning that Abram would have been well-educated, and also, he would probably have lived near the end of Ur III. At the end of Ur III, many people were migrating away from Mesopotamia (because Mesopotamia was being attacked by various outsiders). It wouldn't be surprising, then, for Abram to be part of that mass exodus. Second, the entire first half of the chapter is talking about the tower of Babel, which almost definitely occurred in Mesopotamia; it makes a lot more sense for the author to be talking about Mesopotamia in the beginning of the chapter if they are preparing to talk about Abram coming from Mesopotamia than if they are preparing to talk about Abram coming from Turkey.

Finally, Abram and company end up in Haran at the end of this chapter. It seems a little too odd that Abram's brother would be named Haran and the place they move to after Haran died would be named Haran. I think the best way to deal with this is to assume that Abram's family named the place where they settled after Abram's brother.

Resources:
Map of the Biblical world
Explanation of Haran (the place)

Note: I didn't post on Monday (sorry), or on Thursday night so I'll be posting double for the next few days to make up for the time I didn't post while I was in Jordan. This post is Tuesday's post. Tonight, I'll post for Wednesday. I'll be caught up again by Monday.

Genesis 10: Names

Summary: So and so begat so and so, so and so begat so and so, etc.

Personal Reflections: Not that much I find of interest here. There are only two of the people listed who have anything said about them beyond who their father, male siblings, and sons were. The two are, first, Nimrod, who is described as a mighty hunter. It is suggested that he was a hunter of men, not a hunter of game and therefore not a good man. The second is Peleg, who, it says was called that because he lived in the time the earth was divided. I suppose this could mean pangaea split in his time, but I don't think it would be unreasonable to suggest that, instead, it was the time when people began to break apart into different communities instead of living all together. In the last verse it talks about the various dwelling places of the different peoples.

Note: I leave for Jordan tomorrow. I'm going to try to post one more chapter before I leave tomorrow morning, but I definitely won't be able to post Tuesday or Wednesday.

Genesis 9:

Summary: The Lord blesses Noah and his sons. He renews the "multiply and replenish the earth" commandment that he gave to Adam and Eve. The rainbow is the symbol of his covenant not to destroy man. Noah curses Canaan because of the event that transpires at the end of this chapter (The event is a little strange, so I'll talk about it in the reflection section.

Personal Reflection: First, it seems like we once again have to authors depicting the same scene. In chapter 8, the covenant between God and man is described, and then it is described again in chapter 9. Chapter 9 is the "zoomed-in" version of the story. We are told that the rainbow is a sign of the covenant, and we are told lots of other things that God requires at the hands of Noah after he leaves the ark. We have the same kind of thing happening back at the very beginning where chapter one describes the sweeping creation of God, and chapter two goes more into detail about the story itself.

The rainbow: here I just wanted to say that it is pretty much awesome that God chose the rainbow as a symbol of this covenant.

The story at the end of this chapter about Noah being uncovered, etc. etc. Is a little bit odd. Since, as the story is told, no one seems to be really at fault here, except maybe Noah. There have been several suggestions of what this story means. First, it may be that Ham saw the nakedness of his father and was happy about it (he told his brothers about it when he simply could have taken care of it himself). Or perhaps it is confusing because verse 21 leaves the situation ambiguous as to why Noah was uncovered. Someone else may have done the uncovering. On source suggests that Noah's garment was stolen. Whatever your personal thoughts on the matter, here are some links to commentary for you: David Guzik, Matthew Henry, LDS Institute Manual.

Genesis 8: Disembarking

Summary: The Lord remember Noah. The ark beaches on the top of Mt. Ararat. Noah sends a raven out of the ark. It comes back. He then sends a dove. First, it just comes back; next, it brings an olive leaf back with it; finally, it doesn't come back. Noah and his family leave the ark. The Lord makes a covenant with Noah that he will never destroy all mankind by flood again.

Personal Reflection: The Lord remembers Noah, and all the animals that are with him. I wonder if the Lord really ever forgot Noah. Sometimes, though, I think that we believe God has forgotten us. We think that he doesn't care anymore, but no matter how long the floods in our lives endure, the Lord will remember us too.

In later scripture there are a lot of incidents where people build boats and take them on the seas, trusting in the Lord to guide their journey. I think there must be times in all of their stories where they wonder if the Lord has forgotten them. I think of the fact that Noah's first act when he exits the ark is to build an altar and sacrifice to the Lord. He is so grateful for his life and the intervention of the Lord in his life.

Finally, the Lord covenants with Noah that he won't destroy man off the face of the earth again. Noah and his family were given plenty of time to develop their sea-legs before the Lord covenanted with them. I know that God will make sacred covenants with us if we will remember him during the times of our greatest trials. He will bless us when we prove our trust in Him.

Genesis 7: ACT II

Summary: Noah and is family enter the ark with every beast (or perhaps not, see here). It rains forty days and nights. The water remains on the earth for 150 days (which incidentally will be how long I spend on the Psalms when I get there, there being 150 chapters and all).

Personal Reflection: Not much I feel like talking about here, but maybe try and imagine what it would be like to be the last people on earth. You could think of it now as if there was some kind of nuclear holocaust, and there you are, just you and your immediate family. Hard to imagine, isn't it?

I guess there is probably one other point here. Man has been given a chance to start over in these chapters. It only really, really happens this once. I am often struck by the fact that people seem so bitter toward God when the scriptures record him as destroying everyone off the face of the earth, or striking someone down. Why, they ask, would God strike this person down and not that person. God seems so vindictive in the Old Testament. My response would be that at all times God has the lives of his people in his hand. Now, on a daily basis we don't talk about the Lord striking people down, but the truth of the matter is that he does. It's not because he's vindictive, and 99% of the time it isn't punishment for sin; it's just the way the world works. Adam was cast out of the garden of Eden and sent to a world where man would return to the dust from which he was created. In the end, it is God that has given us life, and it is God that will decide when it is time to leave this life. The same was true in the time of the flood. God allowed those people to die, and we can no more look at their deaths and blame them on God than we can look at any single death today and blame God.

Genesis 6: If All the Raindrops Were Lemon Drops and Gum Drops

Summary: The "sons of God" marry the "daughters of men." The world becomes wicked. God decided that he wants to start over. Noah is a righteous man. God tells him to build a boat, gather his family, and two of each animal to weather the flood that God is sending. Noah does so.

To be continued . . .

Personal Reflection: There is some really strange commentary, at least to me, about who the sons of God are vis a vis the daughters of men (see Chuck Smith's Commentary. This feels like reaching to me, although I do like what he says about "it repented the Lord"). Now, I really do not mean to denigrate anyone's ability to understand the scriptures, and I know part of it is my own religious doctrice showing, but I would contend that the sons of God are simply those who follow God, and the daughters of man are the children of those men who do not (see Journal of Discourses 25:227).

Imagine how much harder it would be for God's people to follow him if they were marrying those who weren't of their faith. God was always commanding his people to marry those within the covenant in later times, and it was a problem when they married outside the covenant (see Gen. 26:34-35). It would be perfectly logical for this to be the problem here in Noah's time.

Also, the great flood is another great example of a story that has a lot of parallels in other cultures. Here are links to a few sites that talk about the various stories: livius.org, nationalgeographic.com, mystae.com, nwcreation.net.

Dimensions of the ark: 450 ft long x 75 feet wide x 45 feet tall, with three stories and a window.

Genesis 5: Old as the Hills

Summary: Genealogy set forth.

Personal Reflection: It seems quite fantastic to me that people lived as long as this chapter indicates, but why not? Other very old creation- or religion-type records also record kings that live (or reign) for hundreds of years (notably the Sumerian King List). I take this as evidence of the fact that Adam did in fact exist, and that the truth mutated as it traveled further and further from its source.

Also interesting is that Methusaleh (according to those willing to do the math) died the same year as the great flood. Some have suggested he died before the flood, and others, that he died in the flood. I like to think that the longest-lived man in the world was a good man.

Note: Not much to say about this chapter. Tomorrow there should be some good stuff again.

Genesis 4: How Long Did Cain Hate His Brother?

As long as he was Abel.

Summary: Cain and Abel are born to Adam and Eve. Cain is a farmer. Abel is a shepherd. Cain is warned by the Lord to do good or else he will have a bad end. Cain kills Abel, tries to hide his crime, and is cast out. Cain's posterity is set forth. Adam and Eve have another son, Seth, who is righteous.

Personal Reflection: I find this story truly sad. It is the first account of pure hatred in the Bible (though there are many more to come). It is hard for me to fathom how someone could become depraved enough to despise their own brother, but there it is.

Once again we run into the theme of the Lord asking questions that he already knows the answer to. I'm not sure whether Cain could ever have redeemed himself even if he guilelessly answered the Lord's question about where Abel was, but as it turned out, Cain condemned himself even further. Where in Adam's case Adam's answer to God's questions showesAdam's good intentions in general, Cain's answer condemns him further.

Another thing that I want to bring up is the fact that Abel seems to be a type of Christ in the Bible. Abel is a shepherd; Christ is referred to as the good shepherd. Abel offers an acceptable sacrifice; Christ is the acceptable sacrifice. Abel is innocent of a wrong worthy of death; Christ is innocent of any wrong. Abel is killed by his brother; Christ is "wounded in the house of [his] friends" (Zechariah 13:6). Abel may be the first really close tie-in to Christ that can be found in the Bible. It might be worth bearing in mind throughout how the Bible points to the coming of Christ.

Perhaps it would be a good thing to note here that Enoch, son of Cain and all-around bad guy with a city named after him, is not the same person as Enoch, son of Jared and all-around good guy with a city named after him, who is eventually translated for his righteousness.

Note: One of these days I really will get around to consulting commentaries, but for now, you'll just have to do your own commentary readings on the side. The references I have listed are really very good sources that you can go to.

Genesis 3: How the Serpent Lost Its Legs

Summary: The serpent tells Eve to eat of the fruit. She does so, and Adam also eats. They become aware of their nakedness. The Lord banishes them from Eden. The snakes legs are taken away.

Personal Reflection: First of all, I was struck by how much this story reminds me of an African folk-tale like how the elephant got its trunk. This chapter could be entitled "How the Serpent Lost Its Legs." It is interesting that snakes have vestigial legs and also that there are paintings of serpents with legs in Egyptian art. (I feel that I have linked you to some interesting sites there at least).

I have to insert a note here. My main reading of the text comes from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV). I also reference the New International Version (NIV) often so I can get a better handle on what is actually going on in the story. In the KJV the language can get in the way a bit. Sometimes, though, I like my reading of the KJV better.

The Lord tell Adam in verse 17, "cursed is the ground for thy sake" (my emphasis). I truly believe that life is better when we are forced to endure the trial of work. When we have work to do we are happier. Truly, the Lord cursed the ground for us; to make the most of us. My best friend believes heartily in the power of pain. She says that the Lord knows just the right amount of pain that we can endure that will help us to grow the most. We wouldn't pick that pain for ourselves, but He knows what we need and is intimately involved in our lives (what we choose to do with the pain is our own choice, but that's another matter altogether).

Question: Why does the Lord ask Adam so many questions? Doesn't he know the answers to the questions he is asking already?

Yes; I'm sure God knew all the answers to his questions, but I think when God asks questions of his children He doesn't want to know the answer; He wants them to discover the answer, to look around inside themselves and find out who they, to make a choice about whether they're going to be truthful or deceitful. God knows who we are inside and out; He knows our potential, but we don't. If he doesn't ask us the questions and give us the room to act, we will never have the chance to learn about ourselves and grow to reach that potential.

This chapter holds a lot of meaning for me. Here's the last thing I want to talk about. At the end of the chapter, the Lord sets up means so that Adam and Eve can't come back to the Garden of Eden. He says he does this because "Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever" (vs. 22). So man is like God in the fact that he has knowledge and consciousness, but he can't live forever. He also doesn't have the power of God. To give man an eternity with only the knowledge to distinguish right from wrong and wandering the earth as it now is would be a Hell of sorts. Gods mercy is shown by the fact that he prevents Adam and Eve from being able to choose an eternity of wandering the earth.

Note: If you ever have any profound (or not so profound) questions you would like me to consider, or if you ever have extra information you would like to provide, I'd be happy if you dropped me a comment.

Genesis 2

Summary: God has finished the creation and rests on the seventh day. The creation story is retold(?). Man (Adam) is created and placed in Eden, plants and animals come forth, among all the animals no mate is found for Adam. Eve is created. Adam and Eve are innocent.

Reflection: Sorry guys, I didn't get a chance to really look at commentary, but I'll give you some of what I remember from studying this before. Unfortunately, no references. First, it's a little strange that two chapters in a row describe the creation of the world. Some scholars have suggested that there are two authors to these chapters. They are referred to as the El author and the Jehovah author because they use two different Hebrew terms for God.

I really like this particular chapter because it seems to get closer to the actual process of what's going on in creation. Man has a name. He looks through all the animals, names them, and realizes he has no mate. Eve is created from his rib. There is much more in depth character development than in chapter 1. Steven Walker, one of my professors, suggested that Adam reviewing all the animals and not finding a mate is really quite sweet because as he searches through the animals he realizes that all of them have a second half but that he is alone. Only after he realizes this is Eve created.

Finally, I like the following quote.

"From the rib of Adam, Eve was formed (see Gen. 2:22; Moses 3:22; Abr. 5:16). Interesting to me is the fact that animals fashioned by our Creator, such as dogs and cats, have thirteen pairs of ribs, but the human being has one less with only twelve. I presume another bone could have been used, but the rib, coming as it does from the side, seems to denote partnership. The rib signifies neither dominion nor subservience, but a lateral relationship as partners, to work and to live, side by side." ~ Elder Russel M. Nelson. "Lessons from Eve."Ensign, Nov. 1987, pg. 86.

Adam and Eve were created as partners. Can you imagine being the only two people on the face of the earth and one of you dominating the other. Think how lonely it would be with no one at your side, only someone under your heel or over your head.

Genesis 1

Summary: The earth is created by God in six days. Day one: light is created, and divided from darkness. Day and Night named. Day two: The heavens are created. Day three: water and earth are divided. Vegetation comes into being. Day four: sun, moon, and stars created. Day five: water and air animals. Day six: Land animals including man and woman. The creation is pronounced "very good."

Questions:
1. How long did it take God to create the earth?
It depends on who you ask. It could be that the earth was actually created in six days. God is omnipotent after all. It could be that the original Hebrew translated here as "day" indicates an indeterminate length of time and not a day. A scripture in the LDS Pearl of Great Price suggests that one of God's days is a thousand years which would mean that the creation took six days (plus the day of rest)(Abraham 3:4). None of these times coincides with a geological understanding of how old the world is (except if the time is indeterminate). I'll come back to this question in my personal reflections.

2. Why this particular order of creation?
Mostly I think that it's important that mankind is created last of all, and it is only after they are created that creation is proclaimed very good; before that it is merely good. I also have to wonder what the meaning of "dominion" is. There isn't really any insight into this in Strong's Concordance, but it would be nice to think of us having to have care over the world, rather than ruling it. It seems to me that too many people feel as though they rule the world without feeling that they should also care for and "replenish" it.

Personal Reflection: It has never really bothered me that the age of the earth is unknown and that our best guesses don't jibe with scientists' guesses. I believe that God is all-powerful and I also believe that we don't understand everything he does. I think we can deal with this discrepancy by simply trusting God and waiting for more information.

Note: Sorry, I didn't cite anything really or put in much as far as outside commentary goes. I'll try to do better tomorrow.

Blog Mission Statement

I am taking an Old Testament class this semester while I am on study abroad in Jerusalem. Today in class we talked about using various study aids to help us understand the scriptures. These aids would include footnotes, bible dictionaries, and various other commentaries on the script. All of this talking about commentaries gave me an idea: this blog.

My plan is fairly simple. I will take a chapter of scripture a day, study it as thoroughly I can on my tight budget of time, and post the results of my findings here. Hopefully this can become a resource both for myself, and (perhaps) for others.

Also, as I go through with this, I hope to gain a more thorough knowledge of the scriptures, and become adept at finding answers to questions I might have about the text.

I suppose I ought to let anyone reading this blog know a little bit about myself, so that you will know the lense through which I am viewing the scriptures. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which means that I will include some more of my own religion's doctrine than another person undertaking the same task would. But I will attempt to give a fair representation of what everybody is saying as far as I am able. If I run into a conflict of opinion on a topic, I won't push it under the rug. I like (friendly) conflict; it makes me think about things more deeply. As far as being qualified to make commentary on the scriptures, I have taken several college level religion classes, including those on the Old Testament, and the first half of the New Testament. I also took a Bible as literature class a couple of years ago, and have had gospel instruction for my entire life. I am an English Language major, and should graduate this April from Brigham Young University. I am living in the Holy Land at the moment, and visiting places of scriptural significance, which is also helping me better grasp the meaning of the scriptures.

That isn't to say that I am a particular wealth of gospel knowledge. However, I hope through this experiment to eventually become one.

That's that. I plan to begin with the Old Testament tomorrow. We'll jump in with Genesis 1, and see how it goes. If all goes as planned, I will have completed an analysis of all chapters of scripture by the end of 2012. It seems a long journey right now, but I will be glad if I can make it a reality.

Sincerely,

Piper Armstrong