Seder 14: Genesis 16---Setting the Record Straight on Ishmael

 In their book Urban Legends of the Old Testament, David Croteau and Gary Yates discuss 40 common misconceptions about biblical passages.  One of the misconceptions they address is the idea that today's Middle East conflicts have their roots in strife within Abraham's family, and that today's jihadists are motivated by a "spirit of Ishmael."  

To our ears, the angel of the Lord's prophecy about Ishmael in Genesis 16:12---"He shall be a wild donkey of a man:---does not sound like a blessing.  However, Croteau and Yates point out that it is similar to Jacob's blessings for the tribes of Israel recorded in Geneis 49.  There, for example, Judah is compared to a lion's cub, Issachar to a strong donkey, Dan to a serpent, and Benjamin to  a "ravenous wolf."  The imagery of the wild donkey probably connotes independence and strength.  The descendants of Ishmael would not be city dwellers, but desert nomads, not following other people's rules.  Hagar was a slave, but her children would not be anybody's slaves.  

Certainly there was friction between Sarah and Hagar, leading to a parting of the ways (Gen 21), but there are also indications that Abraham and Isaac maintained a close relationship with Hagar and Ishmael.  For example, Isaac and Ishmael came together to bury their father (Ge 25:9-10).  

A certain amount of conflict between Israel and Ishmaelites is mentioned in the Bible.  It was to Ishmaelite traders that Joseph was sold (Ge 37:28), although of course it was Joseph's brothers who were responsible for the sale.  Gideon's forces did battle with some Ishmaelites (Jdg 8:24).  And Ishmaelites are among the antagonists enumerated in Psalm 83 (see verse 6).  But in the end there will be a coming together of Israel and Ishmael in the messianic kingdom (Isa 60:6-8).  

Seder 14: Isaiah 54---The Barren Woman Gives Birth

 An important biblical motif is that of the woman who has been unable to give birth and is finally granted a child.  This theme starts with Sarah and continues with Rebekah, Rachel, the mother of Samson, Hannah, and Elizabeth.  

In the prophecies of Isaiah, the experiences of these individual women represent the experience of Israel as a whole.  The nation would endure hard times of exile, but God would one day make them fruitful again.  For example, we read in Isaiah 49:21, "Then you will say in your heart:  'Who has borne me these? I was bereaved and barren, exiled and put away, but who has brought up these?  Behold, I was left alone; from where have these come?' "

There is similar imagery in Isaiah 54, a song of rejoicing that comes immediately after the sacrifice and triumph of the Servant in Isaiah 53.  It is the work of the Servant that is the basis for this rejoicing.  The chapter begins,  "Sing, O barren one, who did not bear; break forth into singing and cry aloud, you who have not been in labor!" 

The promise in verse 3 ("For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left, and your offsptring will possess the nations and will people the desolate cities.") reminds us of the blessing of Jacob in Gen 28:13-14.  Israel is pictured as a bride who has endured "the shame of her youth" (slavery in Egypt) and "the reproach of her widowhood" (later exile).  But she has a powerful husband---the creator and ruler of the whole world (v 5).  And that husband is faithful to his commitments (vv 9-10).  

Verses 11-12 describe the restoration of Zion in terms that anticipate the description of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21.  The New Jerusalem comes down from heaven "prepared as a bride adorned for her husband" (Rev 21:2).  All the sufferings of the past will be forgotten in a time of blessing (Rev 21:4).  

Seder 14: Sarah and Hagar in Gal 4:21-31

There are at least a couple of New Testament passages that refer to both a section from the Pentateuch and the corresponding reading from the Prophets in the Semiseptennial Cycle (see chapter 10 of  Lois Tverberg's Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus for further discussion).   One of those is Gal 4:21-31, where Paul presents an analogy involving Sarah and Hagar from Gen 16 and 21 and also quotes Isa 54, which is linked with Gen 16 in Seder 14.

To understand Paul's analogy, it will help to review the probable historical setting of the epistle to the Galatians.  Here I will follow the work of Mark Nanos and the insights of the scholars in the "Paul within Judaism" school of interpretation.

The primary venues for Paul's preaching of the Gospel were Diaspora synagogues (see Acts 13-14, e.g.).  These were the places where he could find the people who were most interested in the message of the Bible.  He announced in the synagogues that the promised Messiah had come and inaugurated the Kingdom of God.

His audiences consisted of (1) Jews and (2) Gentiles who were interested in the Bible, in adopting some parts of the Torah, and in supporting the synagogue.  These Gentiles were known as "God-fearers."  Synagogue communities didn't make great demands upon these Gentiles, but on the other hand didn't accept them as full-fledged members.  Socially they were on the fringes of synagogue communities.

After Paul visited a particular synagogue, a subgroup of Christ-followers---people who accepted Paul's Gospel message---formed within that synagogue community.  Within that subgroup the Gentile God-fearers were full-fledged members.  On the other hand, more was required of them by the Christ-followers.  They were expected to completely renounce the pagan activities that were expected of Gentiles in the Roman Empire, the everyday ways of honoring the many gods that were all around them in the Greco-Roman world.

Outside the community of Christ-followers, the Gentile Christ-followers didn't fit in.  They weren't completely accepted by other Jews in the larger synagogue community, and their Gentile friends and relatives didn't like the fact that they had begun ignoring their civic duty to honor the gods.

In Galatia, some Jews (Nanos uses the neutral term "influencers" to describe them) were promoting a way for the Gentile Christ-followers to resolve their precarious social situation.  Rather than sitting on the fence, why didn't they just go ahead and become full proselytes to Judaism?  (For males, this would mean, in particular, being circumcised.)  Then they would be fully accepted by the whole synagogue community and would have a legitimate reason to neglect the gods.  (In the Roman Empire, Jews were exempt from obligations to the gods.)

The influencers may have told the Gentile Christ-followers that in their present situation, they were sort of in the position of Ishmael in the family of Abraham---blessed to some degree, but outside of the chosen people.  Becoming full proselytes would give them the status of Isaac.

Paul strongly objected to the message of the influencers.  The Gentile Christ-followers were already full-fledged subjects of the Kingdom of God.  God had shown that by granting them the Holy Spirit (Acts 15:1-11).  They had been accepted by God on the basis of faith, as Abram had before the covenant sign of circumcision had been introduced (Rom 3-4).  For them to go on and become proselytes would be like denying what God had already done in their lives.  They were already part of God's New Covenant people.  They didn't need to do anything additional to earn covenant status with God.

Also, Paul believed that the days spoken of by the prophets had arrived when people from the nations would seek the God of Israel (e.g., Isa 2:1-4; Zech 8:20-23).  The prophets pictured people from all nations following God, not people giving up their national identities to follow God.  He wanted to follow God's will as revealed to the prophets.

In his analogy in Gal 4:21-31, Paul turned the tables on the influencers.  He told the Gentile Christ-followers that they already had the status of Isaac, the son of promise.  They were part of the New Covenant community, associated with Mt Zion and the future heavenly Jerusalem.

But if they through human effort decided to join the Sinai covenant, they would be like Ishmael, born through human effort, and connected to the present earthly Jerusalem, which was enslaved to Rome.

In Gal 4:27 Paul quoted Isa 54:1, seeing the prophecy as addressed to Sarah.  Just as Sarah could rejoice when Isaac was born, the Gentile Christ-followers could rejoice because they were the true children of Abraham through faith in Jesus the Messiah.     

In a sermon on Seder 14 on June 20, 2020, Kyle Kettering shared further thoughts on Gen 16, Isa 54 ,and Gal 4.

Seder 14: Gen 16---the Angel of the Lord

When Hagar fled the household of Abram, she was headed back toward Egypt when God sent a messenger ("the angel of the Lord") to intercept her (Gen 16:7).

The identity of this messenger has been the source of much speculation.  The angel seemed to distinguish himself from God ("the Lord has given heed to your affliction"--v 11--and also identify himself with God ("I will so greatly multiply your offspring..."---v 10).  After the incident Hagar believed that she had survived  an encounter with God (v 13).

Some Christians believe that this appearance of the angel of the Lord was a Christophany, an appearance of Jesus before his Incarnation.  Others argue that this angel spoke as God in verse 10 because he was authorized to do so as God's agent.  (See this article for further discussion.)

Seder 14: Gen 16---Sarai and Hagar

As Genesis 16 opens, Abram and Sarai have lived in Canaan for 10 years. Abram is 85 years old, Sarai is 75, and they have not been able to have children.  God has promised that Abram will have many descendants, and they have faith in this promise (Gen 15:3-6).  But God has not told them who the mother of Abram's children will be.

The wait is difficult.  In that culture, a woman who could not have children was seen as a failure, and a woman of means would sometimes decide to have children through a surrogate wife.  Abram and Sarai eventually decide to try to have a child through Sarai's servant Hagar (Gen 16:1-3).

Their plan succeeds, but success comes with some consequences, beginning with strife between Sarai and Hagar.  Polygamy always ends up causing problems, as we see in several examples in Genesis.

The book of Genesis reports what happened, with the narrator casting no explicit judgments upon the actions of Abram and Sarai.  Some commentators have noted possible implicit judgment in the parallels in language between Abram and Sarai in Gen 16 and Adam and Eve in Gen 3.

Gen 16:2--"...And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai."

Gen 3:17--"Because you have listened to the voice of your wife...."

Gen 3:6--"...she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband..."

Gen 16:3-- "Sarai...took Hagar...and gave her to her husband..."

In general, God tends to give us a lot of opportunity to try things and learn from the consequences of our actions.  This is one example.

Overall, God was committed to working through Abram and Sarai in his plan to restore blessing to the world.  The choices Abram and Sarai made could be incorporated into that plan.  In particular, Hagar could be a part of that plan if she was willing to submit to Sarai (v 9).

Seder 14: Psalm 2--A Royal Psalm of Hope

Psalm 2 is a royal psalm that affirms the Davidic covenant and looks forward to the reign of the Messiah, the ultimate Davidic king.  This Psalm is attributed to David in Acts 4:25.

The psalm begins by picturing vain attempts of the nations to oppose God and his anointed king (opposition to one means opposition to the other).  "Why do the nations conspire, and the peoples plot in vain?", verse 1 asks.  The word for "plot" is from the same root as "meditate".  Psalm 1:2 says that the wise meditate on God's instruction.  Psalm 2:1 says that the foolish meditate on how to oppose God.

Such opposition to God is fruitless.  God rules the whole universe, and he is also keeping close track of what is happening on earth and dealing with these events through the king of Israel (vv 4-6).

When that king is anointed and installed in office, he is raised in stature, authorized and empowered to act as God's representative.  As in Sam 7:14, the Davidic king is considered a son of God.

The Messiah, the ultimate king of Israel, will rule over all nations (vv 7-9).  The nations are therefore advised to submit to God and his appointed king (vv 10-12).

This psalm has long been a source of hope to the people of God, and in particular to the first disciples of Jesus.  Here are some important examples of the ways Psalm 2 is used in the New Testament:

(1) In the early days of Christianity the apostles Peter and John were arrested by the Sadducees for preaching the Gospel and brought before the Sanhedrin (Acts 4). After giving a powerful witness, they were given a warning and released.  The early Christ-followers then prayed Psalm 2:1-2.  As they saw it, this psalm predicted that they would face opposition, but that the Kingdom of God under Jesus the Messiah would prevail (vv 23-31).

Today we can continue to pray this way for and with the persecuted church.

(2) When Jesus was baptized, a heavenly voice quoted Psalm 2:7 (Mark 1:9-11).  In effect, Jesus was being anointed with the Holy Spirit as King of the Kingdom of God, which was then breaking into the world.  A heavenly voice again quoted Psalm 2:7 at the Transfiguration (Lk 9:35).

(3) Hebrews 1:5 identifies Psalm 2:7 as one example of passages in the Hebrew scriptures where God is speaking to Jesus the Messiah and showing that Jesus is superior to the angels:

"For to which of the angels did God ever say, 'You are my Son' today I have begotten you' ?"

Indeed, angels are referred to in the Bible as sons of God (Gen 6:2; Job 38:7), but Psalm 2:7 singles out the Messiah as a unique son of God.

(4) The book of Revelation pictures Jesus ultimately ruling the earth "with a rod of iron"--Rev 12:5; 19:11-15.  He tells the church at Thyatira that those who overcome will rule with him (Rev 2:26-27).

In the MT, Psalm 2:9 says, "You will break them with a rod of iron", while the LXX says, "You will shepherd them with a rod of iron."  The rule of the Messiah is both powerful and gentle.