Gen. 22 Ps. 13    6/26

It is helpful for the interpreter to use the story of Hagar as an introduction to this story, of Abraham's willingness to let her and their son die in the wilderness. this really is a text of terror. Some rabbis said that this event is what killed Sarah. Still, no one dies in either chapter.
1) this story is often called the aqedah, the binding of Isaac (Laughter). What would the effect be on Isaac of the events of this story?
2)Is Abraham playing chicken with god? Note the part on the Lord providing, for instance. Do you play chicken with God? do nations knowingly play chicken with god?
3) Some say that this is an assault on the practice of child sacrifice by other religions. do you agree? In Jeremiah's time, he assaults the practice directly and has God having no thought for it.
4) As the story goes a triad a verbs slows into a group of seven. I do not think this an accident, but narrative art.
5) What is the sense of this testing of promise?
6) Of course, we can then move to a consideration of the crucifixion.
7) In the face of Abraham's response, God swears about an abundant progeny.
8) Janzen's Abraham and all the Families of the Earth p. 82 for a fascinating disquisition on hope and resurrection emerging from this story and the planting  of a tree.

9) I haven;t thought this through yet, but bear with me. What if this is a reach into the past from the exile? Even if Israel, the child of the Promise is threatened, God will not go through with the threat. After all, how much of a choice is left to Abraham? What kind of power position does he have, even if he has argued for Sodom earlier.

10) could Paul be reaching back to this story in I Cor. 10:13?

11) How do we put our children in a bind as persons and socially? think of vicarious participation in their lives. think of stage mothers and sports fathers. think of the hours of family tapes we saddle them with in view of conflicts or unresolved issues and roles.

 

 

Ps 13 is for me a good short introduction to the lament form. If you haven;t get a hold of the article, The costly Loss of lament. Migliore and Billman have a nice book on lament. Montreat ran a very good series on lament some time ago.

Just as King did in a sermon/speech, we could select items in our national life and cry how long? doesn't time take on a different quality during times of  trouble?

When is lament in danger of merely whining, complaining? When does complaint stop to have a cathartic payoff and only feed trouble?

The enemy could be personal or a personification of say, an illness.

v. 2's bear pain could be hold counsel inwardly. So it could be working through an inward struggle.

I love its imagined good future based on god's steadfast love and trust in that love.