Leah, Rachel, Jacob: Family Dynamics

 This summer, and into the fall, we are looking at men and women in the Bible who can inspire us to remember that God uses even flawed and fumbling humanity to build the Kingdom of God. We have already looked at Elizabeth and Zechariah from the New Testament in June, and Sarah with her husband Abraham from Genesis in July. We now move forward a couple generations to look at Leah and Jacob (Abraham’s grandson). Theirs was a troubled relationship, and yet God was present and active in their lives.

Isaac, the miraculous son of Abraham and Sarah’s old age, marries Rebecca. She bears him twin sons: Jacob and Esau. (Genesis 25:19-26) We hear that Rebecca receives a prophecy stating, The sons in your womb will become two nations. From the very beginning, the two nations will be rivals. One nation will be stronger than the other; and your older son will serve your younger son. As the boys grow, the sibling rivalry seems to be fostered by the parents. We learn that Isaac loved Esau because he enjoyed eating the wild game Esau brought home, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Jacob seems to take advantage of this by tricking his brother out of his birthright with lentil stew. When Isaac is old and blind, he wants to bless his sons. Rebecca convinces Jacob to trick the old man into giving him the blessing of the first-born son. (Genesis 27:1-40). Esau is, understandably, enraged and Jacob flees to Haran where he meets his mother’s brother Laban and his two daughters. In Genesis 29, we read how Jacob loves Rachel, the younger daughter, but is tricked into marrying the elder one, Leah.

When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to have children, but Rachel could not conceive. Bearing children was important in tribal cultures because it ensured the lineage. Because she cannot conceive, Rachel starts a sort of ‘birthing competition’ by giving her maid to Jacob to bear children she can claim. Leah, even though she has four children, responds by offering her own maid to Jacob. (Genesis 29:40-30:24)

Finally, God remembered Rachel’s plight and answered her prayers by enabling her to have children. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. “God has removed my disgrace,” she said. And she named him Joseph, for she said, “May the Lord add yet another son to my family.”

The family rivalry continues to manifest and multiply between the sons of Rachel and Leah, until his brothers sell Joseph to slave traders going to Egypt, then claim he was killed by wild animals. (Genesis 37:18-36)

What can we learn from all this dysfunctional family dynamics from four millennia ago?

It would be easy to stand apart and say, ‘that’s awful and the parents should have known better.’ Then we might be self-convicted by realizing that we have our own competitive tendencies. Perhaps not amongst our families (although every family likely has some dysfunction and competition). There are other ways we can compete and try to outdo each other. Or we simply think we are better than someone else because we can do a task better, or because we are lucky enough to have more privilege.

Think about your life and relationships. Where do you find yourself in competition with co-workers, family members, or even the trap of ‘keeping up with the Jones.’ Next week we’ll delve into that idea more deeply. 

Sarah and Abraham: Mentoring the next generation

 For the past couple weeks, we have been considering the story of Abraham and Sarah found in Genesis 18. They had waited and hoped for a child for years and now they were (they thought) too old, being almost 100. God visits the couple and promises a child despite their age.

Put yourself in the sandals of Sarah and Abraham. What would you have done if three strangers appeared to you and announced something like ‘you will have a child’? Abraham is astonished, and Sarah chuckles to herself, seeming to think it’s a joke.

God works in just the right time and right way. We don’t know why it was the perfect time for Isaac to be born when Sarah was so old. It certainly is a reminder that God’s work isn’t constrained by appearances or age. Those of us who have had children may sympathize with Sarah and how difficult it must have been to bear and care for a child at that age. In Genesis 23:1 we hear that Sarah lived to be 127, so she was able to see her son grow to adulthood. (Abraham was 175 when he died.)

There have been times in my life when I thought I was too old, or young, or not experienced enough to do the work God seemed to be putting in my path. When I was a young mother, I was asked to teach preschool Sunday School in the small church we attended. There was no curriculum for that age, and I felt a little overwhelmed. However, years of reading Bible stories as a child came to my help. I was able to develop my own curriculum using felt cutouts and flannel boards. (It was a long time ago.) That small beginning evolved into teaching and helping write preschool curriculum in a larger church. Then I was Director of Christian Ed and really felt out of my depth even as I initiated VBS and ecumenical events. That all eventually led to writing books and speaking about Bible persons. God was in each step of the way and provided mentors and helpers along the way.

Everyone has a story like that—of ways and times you have felt unprepared for what God has in store. It was not the right time for me to write books and speak to women when I first started teaching Sunday School. That only came as I matured and walked the faith journey further. I would not have gotten there if there hadn’t been women and men along the way who encouraged me.

We don’t hear about the people who encouraged Abraham and Sarah, although in the tribal setting, there would have been many other women to help Sarah with the child. Sarah and Abraham, too, would have been leaders and mentors to the younger women and men in the tribal unit. All worked together for the good of all-- most of the time, although we know that Sarah had her issues with Hagar and Ishmael. 

The key to acting in faith is to have a community of support. We are not meant to be alone, so there are always friends and companions to help and give advice. Whether it’s just answering questions or showing a young person how to do woodwork, we can all mentor someone.

Who have been the mentors that helped you progress along the path God laid out before you? If any are still alive, you might consider saying ‘thank you’.  

How can you tell the story of the way(s) God has acted in your life to encourage others on their journey?

Sarah & Abraham: Unexpected results

 Last week we met Abraham and Sarah, an elderly couple in the Book of Genesis. In a surprising turn of events, they had a child (Isaac) when they were around 100. Read Genesis 18:1-15 and Genesis 21:1-7 in a couple translations to get a picture of the whole Biblical story of this event.You might want to read it in a couple of versions to see if slight differences in wording and translation spark a new insight. BibleGateway.com is a good resource for looking up multiple versions. 

What surprised you in the story? What did you see that perhaps you never noticed before?

As I noted last week, we are often invited to participate in “new birth” in our lives. This can be an unexpected and new thing or an expansion of something we are already doing. I suggested that you think of a time when God presented you with a surprising opportunity that challenged the way you planned your life.

Did you see God’s hand in the new birth right away? Or is it more in looking back that you realize that God’s hand was present in what happened?

When I look at my married life, I see many times when God’s hand was in what happened. There have been times, especially in early married life, when money to pay bills was short and then, at just the right time and in the right amount, a special job would come up and all would be well.

For Abraham and Sarah, the right time for a son was when they were nearing the century mark of their lives. That may seem like a rather late time to start parenting, but it was God’s timing and it was perfect.

It is often a temptation to try and rush God’s hand when we want something to happen. Abraham and Sarah did this by using Hagar (Sarah’s maid) as a surrogate mother earlier in the story. (Genesis 16) That did not work out well. Even though Hagar bore a child, Ishmael, it caused hard feelings between Sarah and Hagar that resulted in the servant being evicted from the camp twice. She ran away before her baby was born and then after Isaac was born Sarah jealously sends her away. (Genesis 21)

God is in even our disastrous missteps and mistakes. God meets Hagar and provides water and guidance both times. Despite Sarah’s actions, God’s grace was present. God is also active in our personal failing and fumbling. When we do wait on God’s timing, the result is always more than we could have expected.

Birthing a new ministry or career or retirement or any change requires patience. It requires prayer and listening to God. It may demand that we set aside our personal timeline and agenda to align with God’s plan. And sometimes, like Sarah and Abraham, we may give up hope before the desired outcome happens. Then, God is able to surprise us with an unexpected outcome!

Next week we’ll consider how we might walk with one another in our discerning and waiting. 

Sarah and Abraham: New birth-Old age

 We looked at one old couple for the past few weeks as we considered the reactions and fulfillment of hope in the lives of Zechariah and Elizabeth. For the next three weeks, we’ll think about an elderly couple in the Hebrew Scriptures. Sarah and Abraham were, we are told, old when the three men visited them and promised a child.

In our own lives, we might ask ‘what can I birth’ in my old age (or my youth or middle age)? God’s work is not constrained by human measurements. David was a youngster when he killed Goliath in the name of the Living God. Samuel started his ministry with Eli when he was a child. Joseph was a grown man when he became second in command in Egypt. Sarah and Abraham, though elderly, had a part to play in God’s salvation story. And so do we.

The announcement of a child for Abraham and Sarah has a miraculous element to it, similar to the story of Elizabeth and Zechariah we looked at last month. In Genesis 18 we hear the Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.

I always like to have an idea of where the Biblical events happened. Scholars and archeologists believe that the “Oaks of Mamre” were near present-day Hebron. This is about 20 miles south of Jerusalem in what is now known as the West Bank. There is a Russian Orthodox monastery on the supposed site of the actual oaks. This well known icon interprets the three visitors in a way that helps us enter the event. 

With traditional nomadic hospitality, Abraham greets the trio of visitors. He says, Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way… In a desert land, the offering of water and food to anyone passing through was (and is) a sacred calling.

Abraham tells Sarah to prepare bread and has a servant prepare a calf with curds and milk for the guests. After the meal, one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.”

This was a rather surprising statement for a (seeming) stranger to make. Indeed, Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?”

We do not hear that Abraham has doubts, although the visitor, who is, of course, God, rebukes the couple, Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.

The narrative is then interrupted with the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, and with the interlude of Abraham with Abimelech. Then in chapter 21, we hear, Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him.

The name Isaac comes from the Hebrew יִצְחָק (Yitsḥaq), which means "he will laugh" or "he will rejoice". Sarah reinterprets her earlier doubtful laughter by stating, God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.

In their old age, Sarah and Abraham have a new life to rejoice and laugh with. At any season of our life, God may step in and point us to a new birth. A different ministry opportunity, or a change of location, or a surprising career move may pop up unexpectedly, just like the three visitors who suddenly appeared at Abraham’s tent.

Perhaps we don’t recognize God’s hand at first, and it is only in looking back that we see God’s hand. Maybe, like Sarah, we chuckle a little and ask ‘really, can this be happening now?’ Any new birth of an idea or a child or an opportunity causes change and challenges. If we get stuck looking at the potential differences and difficulties, we can miss the fact that challenge really equates with opportunity.

Has there been a time when you faced an unexpected opportunity that was also a challenge to the way you expected your life to go?

Next week we’ll look at that question more deeply.

July 4

 A pause before we continue looking at what Bible women and men can teach us in this Season of Pentecost.

Let us remember that for 249 years, the United States of America has worked to improve the rights and lives of residents and foreigners within our borders and beyond. Let us not lose that hope just because a few politicians and malcontents want to divide our focus.

As the song says, God bless America 

Elizabeth and Zechariah: Sharing the legacy

 For the past couple weeks, we’ve looked at the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth from the New Testament. They doubted that God could give them their heart’s desire (a child) because they were old. Culture and societal norms may look at age as the end of usefulness. That is not true, especially when we look at men and women, both in the Bible, and around us who have begun new and powerful ministries when “old”. For instance, newly elected Pope Leo is 70. King Charles became King of England at 73. Men and women all around us in churches and civic organizations are doing good works all their lives long. All these are sharing their legacy with those younger than themselves. Throughout the Bible are many elders called by God to do great things.

God doesn’t use a clock to say, ‘this one is too old to be useful.’ God knows the gift and talent and potential engrafted in our souls at birth. We can be like Zechariah and deny that gift, or we can be like Elizabeth and embrace the chance to offer our legacy of faith to the world.

Mark Roberts of the DePree Institute noted “Often, people discover a new sense of purpose as they get older. Remember, at 80 years of age Moses wasn’t exactly planning on leading the Israelites out of Egypt when God called him through the burning bush (Exodus 7:7). In the New Testament, Elizabeth was “getting on in years” according to her husband, Zechariah. She was not expecting that she’d soon be expecting a baby, the person we know as John the Baptist (Luke 1:18). Sometimes, as we get older, God calls us to something we never anticipated. Yet even that new calling is likely to be continuous with what we have done in the past, at least to some extent. Though your core purpose in life might remain the same throughout the years, the facets of your purpose will likely evolve over time. Yet your new facets of purpose will often be continuous with what you have done in the past, even as they are also surprising. Thus, as you are open to God’s unfolding purpose for your life, expect both continuity and surprise. See how your past experiences have prepared you for what is new, even if your new purpose is not what you ever expected.”   

I think what Roberts says is important. God builds on what you have done in the past. We aren’t called to some dramatically new direction. Even though we don’t know the ‘back story’ of Zechariah and Elizabeth, we can infer that they have been godly throughout their lives and probably were greatly loved by those around them. Consider the fact that Mary turns to her cousin Elizabeth when she learns she will bear Jesus. There must have been a deep relationship there already. Even though they lived many miles apart, Mary knew that she could turn to Elizabeth for affirmation of her calling. Imagine the relationships Elizabeth must have formed with young women living in the same village. She had a mother’s heart, before she was a mother. God built on that love, and she was gifted with her son John.

Zechariah, too, was known to be godly. In fact, the Bible notes, they [both] lived honorably before God, careful in keeping to the ways of the commandments and enjoying a clear conscience before God. He was faithful in carrying out his priestly duties and received the honor of presenting the incense in the Holy of Holies at the Temple, where he met Gabriel. We know he was learned, too, because he was able to write. Probably he was a mentor to the younger men in their hometown as he taught them to write and lectured about the Bible. He was probably a father-figure to many even before he became a father.

Sometimes it’s easy to see the ways God has moved our life forward. For instance, there was a time in my younger life when I worked a series of temporary secretarial jobs. At each one I learned something important that helped me be better in the next position. It was almost ten years before I found the ‘perfect’ fit—where I stayed for 19 years. It was the decade of learning and growing that made me ready for that administrative assistant job that became my career. I can see a similar progression in my writing ministry. From the early, unpublished, parable stories to the published books and even this blog, I see God’s hand each step of the way.

 Take some time to map out your life as a series of steppingstones to help you see how God has worked in and with you to grow in your faith and ministry. Where might this path be taking you?

Think of some older women and men in your life who have been inspirations and mentors. How might you emulate them and encourage those around you?

 Next week we’ll start looking at the story of Abraham and Sarah, another older couple who had a child unexpectedly. They can teach us about the opportunity to “birth” new things no matter our age.

Elizabeth and Zechariah: Relating to their story

 We are looking at various elders of the Bible during the season of Pentecost. Last week we met Elizabeth and Zechariah, an older couple given the astonishing gift of a child who grew up to be John the Baptist. It can be easy to slip into thinking that God can’t use our talents because of age or gender or social position. In reading about men and women in the Biblical record, we discover that God uses all sorts of people. Zechariah and Elizabeth thought they were too old for the miracle of a child to happen. God had other plans—and they were gifted with a son who became the prophet of Messiah.

We might be like Zechariah, sure that we know God’s plan for us. Then we may find it hard to accept a different revelation, even if it comes from an angel. Zechariah isn’t the only Bible person to argue with God. Moses famously argues with God at the burning bush, insisting he isn’t the right choice and that God has made a mistake. Jonah gets himself into trouble by trying to run from God. It seems it’s not a good idea to try to thwart God’s plan for us (even if it seems impossible).

Sometimes we respond like Elizabeth. After so many years of hoping for a child, the reality of her pregnancy was so overwhelming that she ‘hid away’ to ‘rejoice in the pregnancy’. When our prayers suddenly seem to be answered and all the pieces start falling into place for what you dreamed and hoped for, if can be overwhelming and rather than leaping forward into the new thing, we pause and whisper, “can this really be happening?” We might wonder if our dreams will be snatched away, just when they seem to be coming true.

The neighbors of Elizabeth and Zechariah must have been astonished by Elizabeth’s pregnancy. After all, they all knew she was too old to have a child. Also, Zechariah came back from his Temple duties unable to speak. That must have caused a lot of gossip. He couldn’t tell them what happened, so they had to make up their own stories. Perhaps some thought he was being punished for doing something wrong during his time in the Temple. Others may have whispered that he was ill or had been possessed by a demon who made him dumb. I’m sure they were the talk of their small town.

The talk didn’t stop when the baby was born. When Elizabeth said that the child would be called “John” and not named for his father, that must have caused a stir. Indeed, those gathered used sign language to ask Zechariah what he wanted the name to be. That has always puzzled me. Zechariah was unable to speak, but there is no other indication that he was also deaf. Perhaps it is a sign of how we treat those who have disabilities. We assume that because someone can’t walk, that they are also stupid; or if they cannot speak, they must be deaf. Some commentators note that Zechariah could have been hard of hearing before his encounter with Gabriel, since he was old. Others suggest that even if it isn’t stated, he was deaf and dumb after he met Gabriel.

Whatever the reason, it was even more astonishing that Zechariah was able to speak as soon as he affirmed the name “John”. The townsfolk must have been abuzz with the idea that something amazing and holy really had happened to Elizabeth and Zechariah.

I invited you to think about how you might have reacted to this event if you were Zechariah or Elizabeth or one of the neighbors. If you did so, were you surprised by what you discovered by putting yourself in their sandals?

Has there been a time when you, like Zechariah, resisted what you knew was God urging you in a new direction of ministry or career or goals? How did that resolve itself?

When has God given you what you hoped for? Was your reaction like Elizabeth? Did you feel amazed and thankful or overwhelmed and a little fearful?

What do you think your reaction would have been to all these events, if you were just a bystander and neighbor?

Next week we’ll conclude looking at Zechariah and Elizabeth by considering how they can inspire us to be open to ways the Spirit moves in our lives.