Welcome
First posted JUNE 22, 2019
Butcher the fatted calf. Bring out the lambs. Invite the honored guest. Let us celebrate the birth of my son that was promised. The tent of Abraham is filled with celebration as Isaac is weaned. Imagine the sound of mirth as the son being honored is showed to the invited guests. Then the mood suddenly changed as Ishmael and Isaac becomes the focus of Sarah. The mood of the moment suddenly changes for Abraham and he is confronted with a tough situation. At that moment, he must make a difficult choice between his two sons.
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Daniel & Davene (AKA Team D)
Links from the presentation
Bereshit/Genesis Chapter 21 part 1 – A son is born
Supporting News Items
How difficult is child birth? Might be a very difficult moment for some women. The article for this this weeks study focused on the difficulty of child birth (click here to read article), and Sarah having difficulty to even get pregnant. But The Most High prevailed for her and brought laughter to her spirit.
Whats in a name?
A second son is born to Abraham, and this time through his beloved wife Sarah. A name is chosen for the baby and Isaac is bestowed with special meaning. The name bestowed upon persons is a very valuable attribute, hence the importance getting this correct.
The Bondwoman’s Son
Ishmael has found himself in the middle of a situation much bigger than him. YHWH Elohim promised his father Abraham that he, <strong<Ishmael, would be alright. He would become a nation because Ishmael is his seed. The held view is that the Palestinians/Arabs are his descendants. This may not be the case and the study reflects an alternative. Below are references that can be accessed to learn more about the majority view on Ishmael and his seed:
References to Ishmael/Arab doctrine
- Birth of the Israeli Palestinian conflict
- The Contrast Between Isaac and Ishmael
- Ishmael’s mocking of Isaac
Additionally, Isaac may not have been mocking his brother but getting to know him better and the Greek Word used may give a different insight into the situation. The fact that many generations after, there are descendants of Isaac, through ,strong>Israel, that bears his brothers name Ishmael.
Epistles of Paul and the art of Midrash
Any topic related to Paul evoke strong emotions from the majority of adherents who live by his words. Through his epistles, Paul is using what is called Midrash to articulate a point to the people he was communicating with via his letter. In Judaism, Midrash is relied upon as a teaching device and can be misleading if not understood. Hence, JOHN K.STAFFORD, in a published paper is making the case for Paul’s use of Midrash:
Keep in mind the heavy influence being a Pharisee would have on him as referenced in the links below:
References
With this knowledge, it is prudent to rethink the letter written to the Galatians, the 4th chapter to be specific, to understand how Paul is using this situation of the bondwoman and her son to highlight an important point to those who are not of the seed of Abraham.
Strong Hebrew numbers referenced in the presentation
Strong’s Hebrew number for Isaac: 3446
Strong’s Hebrew number for “to laugh, mock, play”: 6711
The featured image was obtained from Pics Me
