Gen. 24 Song of Song 2:8-13

 

The extended family of Abraham is an invitation to explore family systems ideas in families and in churches. Ron Richardson is accessible, as is Peter Steinke.
1) Isaac means Laughter. What if were an object of ridicule, one laughed at? Maybe he is a schlemiel, clumsy but ends up OK.
2) Why send the servant to get a wife? What do you think of the method of swearing an oath. Gives a new meaning to testify doesn't it?

3) How would you describe Rebekah on first meeting?

4) How is she like Abraham? What do you think of Laban as a father-in-law to be? How is he like jacob who is to come there as well?

5) What do you think of Isaac's new in-laws? do they mean it when they see God's hand in the matter?

6)Isaac And Rebeca meet in a romantic way. Or do they? It is possible that meditating in the field is going to the bathroom and getting off the camel quickly is falling off.
7)I love the part where Isaac finds comfort from the death of his mother in the arms of his new wife.

 

Song of Solomon

I just read a good book by rodney Clapp, Tortured Wonders, that addresses sexuality and the church on the grounds that we are not angels.

1) I think of the late Peter Falk and Wenders's Wings of Desire.

2) The back and forth remnds me of popular song. Taht oculd be a really involving way of entgering the text.

3( We've been analyzing the 7 deadly sins. Is lust involved here? Why or why not?

4) Clearly the springtime is the blossoming of romance here.

5) What do you think of the long tradition of making this an allegory of the love of God for God's people? Bernard of Clairvaux did hundreds of sermons on this book.

6) While the church is correct in trying to channel romantic love, why doesn;t it celebrate it more?

7) How do you handle the long tradition of seeing the body as lower than spiritual desires?