Sunday, July 10, 2011
A send off for Linda Gettig Skurnik
Linda Gettig Skurnik, co-facilitator of our Women's Bible Study is moving to Salt Lake City, Utah with her family. We thank her for being our co-leader, for her insight into the Women of the Bible, and for her faith. She is an example of "a woman God can use". We had a send off in the Parish Hall courtyard when Linda Marchmont brought a new butterfly, born the day before, for Linda Skurnik to release. With words of encouragement, and wishes for a happy journey, she sent the butterfly aloft and we send Linda on her way to her new home. God bless you always.
Samson, warrior subdued by the barber's razor!
We learned in our discussion of Judges that judges could be military leaders, lone warriors, religious missionaries, prophetesses, or priests. Samson is the lone warrior who waged war on the Philistines, current oppressors of God's people. These judges could be "chieftains" or "rulers" according to the Hebrew "shapat= to judge, or shapet=one who can adjudicate but also can rule.
The thirteen judges in the Historical books are presented to show the longing of the people for a Judean King; they want a consecutive, continuous and stable leadership and this will be found later in the story of David.
We knew of Samson's many heroic achievements and that he was a giant in physical strength but a dwarf in will power and moral resistance. He is a slave to passion, but that was the morality of the time. We determined his blindness is also figurative since he gives his wife the answer to his riddle and she tells her courtiers who cheat him of the prizes offered; he then tells Delilah the secret of his strength even though she has tried to trick him many times when he gave false answers.
Judges 5:1-2, Numbers 6:5, and Acts 18:18 helped us understand Samson's long hair: He is a Nazirite and follows the vow of growing his hair. In Proverbs 5:3 we read "...the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil". That is Delilah. When she reveals Samson's strength to the Philistine leaders for 1,000 pieces of silver, she is no longer in the picture. Samson's hair is gone, but God has left him also.
Surely Samson had plenty of time to hope for deliverance and perhaps said Psalm 27-9 "Leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation". We must rely on God not ourselves as we see what happens when one relies on self. Man's estrangement from God means no hospitality with Him, no conversations with Him, no friendship with Him. There must be fellowship or God will depart. Revelation 3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock".
"In our modern world, powers--economic, political, and military- push blind and senseless pressures against the columns which hold up our society, those finer aspects of civilization: education, culture, and spiritual life. The contending forces of power politics and power economics press against these pillars, and can ruin our structures by blind and impassioned forces which know no method and acknowledge no master save power. Strength must be humbled, mellowed, and controlled by the direction of a wise and loving God."
Assignment for July 21st: Read Naomi and Ruth Pages 130 to 145. Also, in study book, read Page 129, write your letter to God, seal in an envelope and address it to yourself. Bring it to the session and give to the facilitator. She will mail it to you at the end of our 52 week study.
Also, think of a name for our group!
The thirteen judges in the Historical books are presented to show the longing of the people for a Judean King; they want a consecutive, continuous and stable leadership and this will be found later in the story of David.
We knew of Samson's many heroic achievements and that he was a giant in physical strength but a dwarf in will power and moral resistance. He is a slave to passion, but that was the morality of the time. We determined his blindness is also figurative since he gives his wife the answer to his riddle and she tells her courtiers who cheat him of the prizes offered; he then tells Delilah the secret of his strength even though she has tried to trick him many times when he gave false answers.
Judges 5:1-2, Numbers 6:5, and Acts 18:18 helped us understand Samson's long hair: He is a Nazirite and follows the vow of growing his hair. In Proverbs 5:3 we read "...the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil". That is Delilah. When she reveals Samson's strength to the Philistine leaders for 1,000 pieces of silver, she is no longer in the picture. Samson's hair is gone, but God has left him also.
Surely Samson had plenty of time to hope for deliverance and perhaps said Psalm 27-9 "Leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation". We must rely on God not ourselves as we see what happens when one relies on self. Man's estrangement from God means no hospitality with Him, no conversations with Him, no friendship with Him. There must be fellowship or God will depart. Revelation 3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock".
"In our modern world, powers--economic, political, and military- push blind and senseless pressures against the columns which hold up our society, those finer aspects of civilization: education, culture, and spiritual life. The contending forces of power politics and power economics press against these pillars, and can ruin our structures by blind and impassioned forces which know no method and acknowledge no master save power. Strength must be humbled, mellowed, and controlled by the direction of a wise and loving God."
Assignment for July 21st: Read Naomi and Ruth Pages 130 to 145. Also, in study book, read Page 129, write your letter to God, seal in an envelope and address it to yourself. Bring it to the session and give to the facilitator. She will mail it to you at the end of our 52 week study.
Also, think of a name for our group!
Jael
JAEL
Hospitable, Brave,
Acting, Daring, Deciding,
HEROINE
Our group carefully chose these words to describe Jael, whose story is found in Judges, the second Historical book in the Bible. We learned in Judges that throughout the Historical books (Joshua through Esther), the chosen people are in a cycle of sin, punishment, deliverance and then days of calm when a judge ruled. When a judge died, the cycle would repeat itself as the people lusted after idols and did what displeased the Lord. Thirteen judges are mentioned in these cycles, yet the people would relapse each time.
We reviewed a bit of Deborah, the current judge's story, when she urged her commander, Barak, to go after King Jabin's ruthless military general, Sisera. Jabin and Sisera oppressed the Israelites cruelly for twenty years and the Lord was going to deliver them in battle to Barak, but at the hands of a woman. Thinking Deborah is that woman, they go to battle.
We speculated that Jael is perhaps watching events from her tent when she sees the nine hundred iron chariots falter in the rising water of a flash flood. Sisera flees the massacre of his troops and looks for refuge in what he believes is a safe house, Jael's tent. Where is Jael's husband, we wondered? Is he off fighting, but the Bible records that King Jabin is at peace with Jael's husband's tribe, the Kennites. She seems to be acting independently and is very daring in her actions. Once again divine intervention comes with ordinary things to bring about the extraordinary events that unfold. Curdled milk in a skin bottle and a rug are the best that hospitality demands from Jael and she offers these to the fleeing commander. But he asked for water and she gave him milk. We thought warm milk will make him sleepy. The rug could hide him, or perhaps make him comfortable and complacent.
Jael promises to direct any pursuers from him, yet she uses a tent peg and a mallet to kill her visitor! She does this without her husband's permission or protection since he seems to be away from the tent. How poignant to read Deborah's poetic "song" about Jael and contrast how Sisera's mother watches and waits for her son to return with the spoils of war. Today we are reminded that there are winners and losers alike in war and the words of Henry Wordsworth Longfellow are timely: "If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility."
Hospitable, Brave,
Acting, Daring, Deciding,
HEROINE
Our group carefully chose these words to describe Jael, whose story is found in Judges, the second Historical book in the Bible. We learned in Judges that throughout the Historical books (Joshua through Esther), the chosen people are in a cycle of sin, punishment, deliverance and then days of calm when a judge ruled. When a judge died, the cycle would repeat itself as the people lusted after idols and did what displeased the Lord. Thirteen judges are mentioned in these cycles, yet the people would relapse each time.
We reviewed a bit of Deborah, the current judge's story, when she urged her commander, Barak, to go after King Jabin's ruthless military general, Sisera. Jabin and Sisera oppressed the Israelites cruelly for twenty years and the Lord was going to deliver them in battle to Barak, but at the hands of a woman. Thinking Deborah is that woman, they go to battle.
We speculated that Jael is perhaps watching events from her tent when she sees the nine hundred iron chariots falter in the rising water of a flash flood. Sisera flees the massacre of his troops and looks for refuge in what he believes is a safe house, Jael's tent. Where is Jael's husband, we wondered? Is he off fighting, but the Bible records that King Jabin is at peace with Jael's husband's tribe, the Kennites. She seems to be acting independently and is very daring in her actions. Once again divine intervention comes with ordinary things to bring about the extraordinary events that unfold. Curdled milk in a skin bottle and a rug are the best that hospitality demands from Jael and she offers these to the fleeing commander. But he asked for water and she gave him milk. We thought warm milk will make him sleepy. The rug could hide him, or perhaps make him comfortable and complacent.
Jael promises to direct any pursuers from him, yet she uses a tent peg and a mallet to kill her visitor! She does this without her husband's permission or protection since he seems to be away from the tent. How poignant to read Deborah's poetic "song" about Jael and contrast how Sisera's mother watches and waits for her son to return with the spoils of war. Today we are reminded that there are winners and losers alike in war and the words of Henry Wordsworth Longfellow are timely: "If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility."
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Dance With Joy and Thankfulness!
Our time line is now 1209 BCE or the late Bronze Age and moving from Genesis to Exodus we enter the "Age of Liberation" or "Israel's Heroic Age". Written evidence of the Israelite people in Egypt is found on a stele from that period. Moses is returned to Pharaoh's Daughter when he is 7 years old and he begins his education in what must have been the Oxford of Ancient Egypt. He becomes a statesman and commanding presence at court, yet he never forgets his heritage or the teachings of his mother and refuses to take an Egyptian name.
He has compassion for his fellow Hebrews as he becomes a man, and in anger he kills an Egyptian taskmaster for abusing a Hebrew slave. Moses flees to Midian and takes a wife, Zipporah, chosen from seven daughters. Moses has twelve women in his story, and Zipporah will make a difference in Miriam's life when she returns with Moses years later.
It is Miriam who is our focus and we learn she is a prophetess, or one who is inspired to teach the will of God. She is respected among the people as is her brother, Aaron. It is Miriam who leads the women across the Red Sea (also known as the Sea of Reeds) as they flee the Egyptians. Our group wondered if they were following behind Moses and the Hebrew men as women usually did in that culture. If so, how afraid they must have been as horses and chariots thundered after them, perhaps soldiers hurled spears at them, increasing their terror. How brave they were.
Moses and Miriam led their people to safety on the other side, celebrated the closing of their dry path as they watched their enemies enveloped in the angry waters. Moses sings, "The Song of Moses",the first lyric poetry found in the Bible and perhaps the first example of a National Anthem. Miriam's song follows and is found in Exodus 15:21 We can imagine her with her timbrel, leading the women to dance and singing as they celebrate their liberation:
"Sing to the Lord,
for he is highly exalted.
The horse and its rider
he has hurled into the sea."
Miriam and Aaron continue to assist Moses as they wander in the desert all those years. The grumblings of the people and their longing for a home begin to wear on everyone and Miriam has a spiritual fall before God by making her complaints against Moses public. There is speculation among scholars that Zipporah, Moses' wife, has something to do with Miriam's actions. His "Cushite" wife is mentioned, and we are not sure if Zipporah died and he took a wife from Cush or Ethiopia. Either way, Miriam is unhappy and Aaron makes the same complaints public, causing God to call all three before Him.
Why does Miriam get the brunt of God's anger? She is stricken with white flesh, that may be leprosy. Aaron is spared. Is it like Eve tempting Adam to sin? Aaron may be spared since he is needed to perform priestly tasks for the people. Moses intervenes on Miriam's behalf, and God sends her away from the people for seven days. She does some soul-searching and must repent during that time; when she returns, she is cured of her disease.
One must read James 3:2-18 and remember what "the tongue" can do through idle gossip, anger, and other verbal sins. One of our group marked that passage many years ago when she displeased a friend and spoke hurtfully. Like Miriam, we can displease God when we say unkind or hurtful words, but we can ask forgiveness. Like Miriam, once we throw our enemies i.e. sins away, we can sing her hymn of praise and thanksgiving and DANCE WITH JOY!
Read Psalm 103:2-3, Micah 7:18, and 1 John 1:9
Next meeting is June 23rd. Read Rahab Pp. 100-107 and Deborah Pp. 108-114.
He has compassion for his fellow Hebrews as he becomes a man, and in anger he kills an Egyptian taskmaster for abusing a Hebrew slave. Moses flees to Midian and takes a wife, Zipporah, chosen from seven daughters. Moses has twelve women in his story, and Zipporah will make a difference in Miriam's life when she returns with Moses years later.
It is Miriam who is our focus and we learn she is a prophetess, or one who is inspired to teach the will of God. She is respected among the people as is her brother, Aaron. It is Miriam who leads the women across the Red Sea (also known as the Sea of Reeds) as they flee the Egyptians. Our group wondered if they were following behind Moses and the Hebrew men as women usually did in that culture. If so, how afraid they must have been as horses and chariots thundered after them, perhaps soldiers hurled spears at them, increasing their terror. How brave they were.
Moses and Miriam led their people to safety on the other side, celebrated the closing of their dry path as they watched their enemies enveloped in the angry waters. Moses sings, "The Song of Moses",the first lyric poetry found in the Bible and perhaps the first example of a National Anthem. Miriam's song follows and is found in Exodus 15:21 We can imagine her with her timbrel, leading the women to dance and singing as they celebrate their liberation:
"Sing to the Lord,
for he is highly exalted.
The horse and its rider
he has hurled into the sea."
Miriam and Aaron continue to assist Moses as they wander in the desert all those years. The grumblings of the people and their longing for a home begin to wear on everyone and Miriam has a spiritual fall before God by making her complaints against Moses public. There is speculation among scholars that Zipporah, Moses' wife, has something to do with Miriam's actions. His "Cushite" wife is mentioned, and we are not sure if Zipporah died and he took a wife from Cush or Ethiopia. Either way, Miriam is unhappy and Aaron makes the same complaints public, causing God to call all three before Him.
Why does Miriam get the brunt of God's anger? She is stricken with white flesh, that may be leprosy. Aaron is spared. Is it like Eve tempting Adam to sin? Aaron may be spared since he is needed to perform priestly tasks for the people. Moses intervenes on Miriam's behalf, and God sends her away from the people for seven days. She does some soul-searching and must repent during that time; when she returns, she is cured of her disease.
One must read James 3:2-18 and remember what "the tongue" can do through idle gossip, anger, and other verbal sins. One of our group marked that passage many years ago when she displeased a friend and spoke hurtfully. Like Miriam, we can displease God when we say unkind or hurtful words, but we can ask forgiveness. Like Miriam, once we throw our enemies i.e. sins away, we can sing her hymn of praise and thanksgiving and DANCE WITH JOY!
Read Psalm 103:2-3, Micah 7:18, and 1 John 1:9
Next meeting is June 23rd. Read Rahab Pp. 100-107 and Deborah Pp. 108-114.
Using the Ordinary to Bring About the Extraordinary
Exodus 2:1-10 A basket, a simple, ordinary basket meant all the difference in the world to Jochebed (Hebrew: Yoheved), the birth mother of Moses. Lining the papyrus basket with clay inside and tar on the outside, she cleverly ensured her three-month-old son had a better chance of surviving once she set the basket into the crocodile infested Nile River. All Hebrew male babies are to be drowned according to the Pharaoh at that time, Ramses. The Nile--a source of life has become a source of death.
We all know the outcome. Moses is rescued by Pharaoh's Daughter (the only name we have for her) when she comes to the river to bathe. Meanwhile, hidden in the bulrushes at the edge is Miriam, the seven-year-old sister of baby Moses. Pharaoh's Daughter recognizes the child as a Hebrew slave's baby (perhaps because the three month old boy would be circumcised) and is aware of her father's decree. With compassion, she gives the baby to his sister when Miriam offers to find a wet nurse and Moses is safely returned to his birth mother and will remain with her for seven years.
But wait,there are more women than these three who make the outcome possible. Before we read how Moses was saved, we must read Exodus 1:1-22! Two important women worked tirelessly to save many children from genocide. Two professional Hebrew midwives, Shiprah and Puah, defied Pharaoh's decree because of their faith in God. Ordinary women doing extraordinary things in the background of this often-told story of Moses. They tell Pharaoh that Hebrew mothers are stronger and give birth before a midwife can arrive, then hide their children. What risk these women take and what brave mothers who must crouch over a birthstool of two clay stones to bring their babies into the world.
The world Moses was born into was one of fear, suspicion, arduous labor for the slaves, and for Hebrew mothers, one of terror. The false logic of Pharaoh, to destroy male babies, is insane. Who will do the future work in Egypt of building monuments, steles, pyramids, and great cities? With strong young men wiped from a generation, slaves would have to be imported and Pharaoh does not want any more immigrants in Egypt!
We recall the parallel in the New Testament when Herod decrees all male boys must die. In today's world, we think of cultures who must limit the number of children to one, and prefer a male over a female, or give away any child with an imperfection in order to try for perfection.
Because of Jochebed's ingenuity, wisdom, planning and faith, as well as her teaching Miriam and Moses during their most formative years, God provided a path for his chosen people to be led out of Egypt into the promised land. He remembered his covenant and we remember He has a plan for us! Psalm 33:11,18 and Jeremiah 29:11-14.
We all know the outcome. Moses is rescued by Pharaoh's Daughter (the only name we have for her) when she comes to the river to bathe. Meanwhile, hidden in the bulrushes at the edge is Miriam, the seven-year-old sister of baby Moses. Pharaoh's Daughter recognizes the child as a Hebrew slave's baby (perhaps because the three month old boy would be circumcised) and is aware of her father's decree. With compassion, she gives the baby to his sister when Miriam offers to find a wet nurse and Moses is safely returned to his birth mother and will remain with her for seven years.
But wait,there are more women than these three who make the outcome possible. Before we read how Moses was saved, we must read Exodus 1:1-22! Two important women worked tirelessly to save many children from genocide. Two professional Hebrew midwives, Shiprah and Puah, defied Pharaoh's decree because of their faith in God. Ordinary women doing extraordinary things in the background of this often-told story of Moses. They tell Pharaoh that Hebrew mothers are stronger and give birth before a midwife can arrive, then hide their children. What risk these women take and what brave mothers who must crouch over a birthstool of two clay stones to bring their babies into the world.
The world Moses was born into was one of fear, suspicion, arduous labor for the slaves, and for Hebrew mothers, one of terror. The false logic of Pharaoh, to destroy male babies, is insane. Who will do the future work in Egypt of building monuments, steles, pyramids, and great cities? With strong young men wiped from a generation, slaves would have to be imported and Pharaoh does not want any more immigrants in Egypt!
We recall the parallel in the New Testament when Herod decrees all male boys must die. In today's world, we think of cultures who must limit the number of children to one, and prefer a male over a female, or give away any child with an imperfection in order to try for perfection.
Because of Jochebed's ingenuity, wisdom, planning and faith, as well as her teaching Miriam and Moses during their most formative years, God provided a path for his chosen people to be led out of Egypt into the promised land. He remembered his covenant and we remember He has a plan for us! Psalm 33:11,18 and Jeremiah 29:11-14.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Bad Girls of the Bible?
We read two stories for this session of our Bible study: Tamar, Judah's daughter- in-law, and Potiphar's wife. It is suggested that these two stories are always read together because they show the weakness of Judah and the strength of Joseph,the men involved respectively in Genesis 38 and 39.
In the story of Tamar, the best example of levirate marriage law is found. Strange to the modern reader, this is the ancient custom of marriage between a man and the widow of his brother required by the Mosaic law when there was no male issue and when the two brothers had been residing on the same family property. The law takes its name from the noun "levir" meaning a husband's brother. The story is found in Genesis 38. Tamar is first married to Er, who is "wicked in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord slew him". Next she marries Onan who "displeased the Lord; wherefore he slew him also".(vs.7-10) We are never told why these men are wicked or bring displeasure to the Lord. There is one more son, Shelah, but he is too young, but promised to Tamar later when he becomes of age. Tamar hopes to maintain the property of her husband and ensure an heir through her children.
Judah must have suspected Tamar of some sinister power since two of his sons died, so he tells her to dress in her widow's clothes, return to her father's home and wait until Shela is old enough. After a considerable time and after Judah's wife dies, Tamar longs for her rights in motherhood from her father in-law. She must devise a plan to force him to accept his responsibility as guaranteed to her by the levirate law. At great personal risk she disguises herself as a prostitute and goes to the sheep shearing in the hills of Timnath where Judah will attend. Tamar is named after the stately tropical tree of Bible lands and if she is true to her name, she might be tall, sturdy and with a graceful carriage. Judah, now a widower, is interested in this woman but does not recognize his daughter in-law who is veiled and dressed in colorful clothing. He offers a kid from his flock if she will lie with him. She asks instead for his signet, his bracelets, and his staff, which he readily gives to her for her favors.
Tamar, not a wicked woman at all, returns home afterward, dresses in her widow's clothing and waits for her future to unfold; perhaps she will get Shelah, the last brother in-law; instead, three months later, she finds she is pregnant. Judah sends a friend with the kid from his flock to find the prostitute, hoping to have his personal items returned. The friend asks for the harlot, but the men of the village tell him there is no harlot in the place--evidence Tamar is not a prostitute but a self-respecting, determined woman who demands her right to children, in a surreptitious manner, but according to the law of the time.
In Genesis 38:24 we learn Judah receives word that his daughter in-law, , is "with child by whoredom". Angered by this report, he orders Tamar be brought forward and burned if it is true. Instead, Tamar presents the personal items to Judah and he realizes what he has done. He says, "She hath been more righteous than I because I gave her not to Shelah, my son. And he knew her again no more". Thrice denied a child by a rightful husband, Tamar gives birth to twins by Judah.
Unlike Leah and Rachael, Tamar is unaware of God's plan for her. However, her courageous gamble ensured she would not be deprived of her rights to motherhood. Through her first born twin, Pharez, (who becomes an ancestor of King David), the lineage to Jesus continues.
For the modern woman reading this story, it is difficult to comprehend how one could go to such lengths. Without the protection of a husband, there were not many options for a widow in those days. A son or sons in Tamar's case, would ensure her future and show her worth in the tribe. Judah did not do the right thing under the law, so Tamar had to act boldly.
As Christians, how do we treat widows? Do we help them feel worthy in our society? Are they moved to the fringe perhaps and excluded from events due to their circumstance?
Another thought written in our study guide is, "...the beauty of this story is God's power to bring positive things from the negative, even sinful, events of our lives. This is just as much at work now as in Tamar's day. We may not see it today or tomorrow--or perhaps ever-- but we can trust the God we love to do what he loves: bring blessing to us in spite of ourselves".
A real bad girl is Potiphar's wife, who is remembered for her wickedness in the story concerning Joesph found in Genesis 39. Joseph, the brother sold into slavery in Egypt, ends up in the household of Potiphar, an important official to the Pharaoh. Perhaps neglected because Potiphar is burdened by his duties (although his only need mentioned is food!) his wife tries to seduce Joseph who is probably like his mother, Rachael, of beautiful form and face. He refuses her advances many times due to loyalty to Potiphar and says it is "because thou art his wife"! Rejected, she lies to her husband and insists Joseph behaved improperly toward her; Joseph could have been killed, but ends up in jail instead.
We can only think of Potiphar's wife as "...a hollow woman whose soul was steadily decaying through the corrosive power of lust and hate. Surrounded by luxury, she was spiritually impoverished. Empty of God, she was full of herself. This story reminds us that we must always be alert to any tendency toward becoming emotionally or physically involved in an off-limits relationship or any tendency to covet what does not belong to us. Break the habit of fantasizing about relationships or things you wish you had".
In the story of Tamar, the best example of levirate marriage law is found. Strange to the modern reader, this is the ancient custom of marriage between a man and the widow of his brother required by the Mosaic law when there was no male issue and when the two brothers had been residing on the same family property. The law takes its name from the noun "levir" meaning a husband's brother. The story is found in Genesis 38. Tamar is first married to Er, who is "wicked in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord slew him". Next she marries Onan who "displeased the Lord; wherefore he slew him also".(vs.7-10) We are never told why these men are wicked or bring displeasure to the Lord. There is one more son, Shelah, but he is too young, but promised to Tamar later when he becomes of age. Tamar hopes to maintain the property of her husband and ensure an heir through her children.
Judah must have suspected Tamar of some sinister power since two of his sons died, so he tells her to dress in her widow's clothes, return to her father's home and wait until Shela is old enough. After a considerable time and after Judah's wife dies, Tamar longs for her rights in motherhood from her father in-law. She must devise a plan to force him to accept his responsibility as guaranteed to her by the levirate law. At great personal risk she disguises herself as a prostitute and goes to the sheep shearing in the hills of Timnath where Judah will attend. Tamar is named after the stately tropical tree of Bible lands and if she is true to her name, she might be tall, sturdy and with a graceful carriage. Judah, now a widower, is interested in this woman but does not recognize his daughter in-law who is veiled and dressed in colorful clothing. He offers a kid from his flock if she will lie with him. She asks instead for his signet, his bracelets, and his staff, which he readily gives to her for her favors.
Tamar, not a wicked woman at all, returns home afterward, dresses in her widow's clothing and waits for her future to unfold; perhaps she will get Shelah, the last brother in-law; instead, three months later, she finds she is pregnant. Judah sends a friend with the kid from his flock to find the prostitute, hoping to have his personal items returned. The friend asks for the harlot, but the men of the village tell him there is no harlot in the place--evidence Tamar is not a prostitute but a self-respecting, determined woman who demands her right to children, in a surreptitious manner, but according to the law of the time.
In Genesis 38:24 we learn Judah receives word that his daughter in-law, , is "with child by whoredom". Angered by this report, he orders Tamar be brought forward and burned if it is true. Instead, Tamar presents the personal items to Judah and he realizes what he has done. He says, "She hath been more righteous than I because I gave her not to Shelah, my son. And he knew her again no more". Thrice denied a child by a rightful husband, Tamar gives birth to twins by Judah.
Unlike Leah and Rachael, Tamar is unaware of God's plan for her. However, her courageous gamble ensured she would not be deprived of her rights to motherhood. Through her first born twin, Pharez, (who becomes an ancestor of King David), the lineage to Jesus continues.
For the modern woman reading this story, it is difficult to comprehend how one could go to such lengths. Without the protection of a husband, there were not many options for a widow in those days. A son or sons in Tamar's case, would ensure her future and show her worth in the tribe. Judah did not do the right thing under the law, so Tamar had to act boldly.
As Christians, how do we treat widows? Do we help them feel worthy in our society? Are they moved to the fringe perhaps and excluded from events due to their circumstance?
Another thought written in our study guide is, "...the beauty of this story is God's power to bring positive things from the negative, even sinful, events of our lives. This is just as much at work now as in Tamar's day. We may not see it today or tomorrow--or perhaps ever-- but we can trust the God we love to do what he loves: bring blessing to us in spite of ourselves".
A real bad girl is Potiphar's wife, who is remembered for her wickedness in the story concerning Joesph found in Genesis 39. Joseph, the brother sold into slavery in Egypt, ends up in the household of Potiphar, an important official to the Pharaoh. Perhaps neglected because Potiphar is burdened by his duties (although his only need mentioned is food!) his wife tries to seduce Joseph who is probably like his mother, Rachael, of beautiful form and face. He refuses her advances many times due to loyalty to Potiphar and says it is "because thou art his wife"! Rejected, she lies to her husband and insists Joseph behaved improperly toward her; Joseph could have been killed, but ends up in jail instead.
We can only think of Potiphar's wife as "...a hollow woman whose soul was steadily decaying through the corrosive power of lust and hate. Surrounded by luxury, she was spiritually impoverished. Empty of God, she was full of herself. This story reminds us that we must always be alert to any tendency toward becoming emotionally or physically involved in an off-limits relationship or any tendency to covet what does not belong to us. Break the habit of fantasizing about relationships or things you wish you had".
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Sisters! or The Desperate Housewives of Haran!
Women's Bible study continues in Genesis with the story of two very different sisters, Rachael and Leah, who are married to the same man, Jacob. One can imagine the relationships strained in this close knit tribal family when the girls' father, Laban, tricks Jacob on the long-awaited wedding night. The next morning he finds weak-eyed Leah, the oldest daughter, next to him and not the love of his life, shapely and beautiful, Rachael. Dysfunctional? You bet! Conflicts? Of course! Just like today's modern families, the ancient human condition is fraught with similar problems.
Leah bears Jacob's children in quick succession while Rachael remains childless. Jealousy rears its ugly head as in this culture sons are important to the clan, and one sister's joy is another sister's misery. Always hopeful she will garner Jacob's love, Leah names her first three sons with specific names such as "see" (Reuben), "hears" (Simeon), and "attaches" (Levi). With three sons, surely Jacob (and God) see her misery; surely Jacob (and God) hear she is not loved; and surely her husband will desire and feel attached to her after these births! Life just doesn't work like that!
With the birth of the fourth son, Leah turns her focus from Jacob to God and names the child, Judah, or "praise the Lord". She is resigned in her position as first wife, but second in love, so she is grateful for what she has. Then she names the boys of her handmaiden, Zilpah: Gad (fortunate), and Asher (happy). Her faith in God's plan for her is found in these names. Her last children with Jacob are: Issachar (reward), Zebulun (honor) and a daughter, Dinah. Content at last, in the end she will be the one buried next to Jacob in the ancestral tomb of Macpelah with Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Rebekah.
Jacob is in the background of all this household drama; he is earning a living in animal husbandry, working off the bride price of two wives and a chance to return to Canaan. It is the women's story and childbearing in the forefront of the Genesis chapters read. Rachael finally conceives and bears Joseph; her handmaiden, Bilah, brings two more sons to the clan with Jacob through Dan (God vindicated me) and Naphtali (wrestles). Rachael's choices of names continue to carry her bitterness; her final son is named Ben-Oni (son of my sorrow) and she dies in childbirth. The name she chose is later changed to Benjamin by Jacob.
Four women and thirteen children later, the twelve tribes of Israel are established with the sons. The saga contains elements of jealousy, treachery, competition, duplicity, anger, and tension,(Rachael). But also there is hope, loyalty, and faith (Leah). "What if" Jacob received Rachael on his wedding night as Jacob planned? She is not the wife who established the lineage for Jesus. Judah is the tribe of Jesus our Messiah and Judah came from the union of Jacob and Leah.
We reviewed:
Genesis 3:16b
Isaiah 55:8,9
Deuteronomy 22:28-29
Today when life isn't the romantic or happy vision we hoped for, when daily life is consumed with changing diapers, cleaning up children's messes after the dog knocks over the lamp, or husbands are a bit too focused on their jobs, women can change their focus to God's love and plan for them. Be grateful!
As written in Alice Matthews' A Woman God Can Use, "God often works in our lives not by giving us a perfect situation but by showing His power and love in our very imperfect situations. He works for our ultimate good by allowing us to struggle in less than perfect relationships."
Please read for May 26th:
Tamar and Potiphar's Wife Pages 71-85
Leah bears Jacob's children in quick succession while Rachael remains childless. Jealousy rears its ugly head as in this culture sons are important to the clan, and one sister's joy is another sister's misery. Always hopeful she will garner Jacob's love, Leah names her first three sons with specific names such as "see" (Reuben), "hears" (Simeon), and "attaches" (Levi). With three sons, surely Jacob (and God) see her misery; surely Jacob (and God) hear she is not loved; and surely her husband will desire and feel attached to her after these births! Life just doesn't work like that!
With the birth of the fourth son, Leah turns her focus from Jacob to God and names the child, Judah, or "praise the Lord". She is resigned in her position as first wife, but second in love, so she is grateful for what she has. Then she names the boys of her handmaiden, Zilpah: Gad (fortunate), and Asher (happy). Her faith in God's plan for her is found in these names. Her last children with Jacob are: Issachar (reward), Zebulun (honor) and a daughter, Dinah. Content at last, in the end she will be the one buried next to Jacob in the ancestral tomb of Macpelah with Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Rebekah.
Jacob is in the background of all this household drama; he is earning a living in animal husbandry, working off the bride price of two wives and a chance to return to Canaan. It is the women's story and childbearing in the forefront of the Genesis chapters read. Rachael finally conceives and bears Joseph; her handmaiden, Bilah, brings two more sons to the clan with Jacob through Dan (God vindicated me) and Naphtali (wrestles). Rachael's choices of names continue to carry her bitterness; her final son is named Ben-Oni (son of my sorrow) and she dies in childbirth. The name she chose is later changed to Benjamin by Jacob.
Four women and thirteen children later, the twelve tribes of Israel are established with the sons. The saga contains elements of jealousy, treachery, competition, duplicity, anger, and tension,(Rachael). But also there is hope, loyalty, and faith (Leah). "What if" Jacob received Rachael on his wedding night as Jacob planned? She is not the wife who established the lineage for Jesus. Judah is the tribe of Jesus our Messiah and Judah came from the union of Jacob and Leah.
We reviewed:
Genesis 3:16b
Isaiah 55:8,9
Deuteronomy 22:28-29
Today when life isn't the romantic or happy vision we hoped for, when daily life is consumed with changing diapers, cleaning up children's messes after the dog knocks over the lamp, or husbands are a bit too focused on their jobs, women can change their focus to God's love and plan for them. Be grateful!
As written in Alice Matthews' A Woman God Can Use, "God often works in our lives not by giving us a perfect situation but by showing His power and love in our very imperfect situations. He works for our ultimate good by allowing us to struggle in less than perfect relationships."
Please read for May 26th:
Tamar and Potiphar's Wife Pages 71-85
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