April 21, 2018 - Day 13 - Genesis 13
I am writing from my desk in Seattle, WA.
Genesis 13:
Abram, Sarai and Lot head back to the Negev from Egypt, ending up in Bethel. He is now very wealthy in livestock and silver and gold. He went to his old tent and called on the name of the Lord. We are never told exactly what this means.
Apparently the possessions of Lot and Abram were so great that "the land could not support them while they stayed together." I picture a western: This town ain't big enough for the two of us! To add, their herders couldn't even get along.
Abram tells Lot that they shouldn't quarrel since they are family, and that its in their best interest to part ways.
After considerations with the realtor and eliminating the first two choices, Lot decided he needed quartz countertops and a place to entertain; so he headed east to the Jordanian plains near Sodom. It tells us that this was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, which is a hot topic, so we will spend more time on that when we get to Genesis 19. Abram was living in Canaan at this time.
We are told that the people of Sodom were wicked and "sinning greatly" against the Lord.
Lets think about this. The Lord says in Genesis 8 that "every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood." So how are the people of Sodom any different? My guess is that they aren't, but the author either doesn't like the people of Sodom, or wants to paint them as antagonists.
Once Lot is gone, the Lord tells Abram that everything he can see belongs to him and his offspring forever. Sweet deal.
If you read this literally, God is weird and plays favorites. This creates all sorts of philosophical issues if you really start to think about it.
I believe so many of us get caught up in needing the Bible to be literal. Richard Rohr says this:
"Metaphor is invariably more meaning, not less. Literalism is the lowest and least level of meaning."
Genesis 13:
Abram, Sarai and Lot head back to the Negev from Egypt, ending up in Bethel. He is now very wealthy in livestock and silver and gold. He went to his old tent and called on the name of the Lord. We are never told exactly what this means.
Apparently the possessions of Lot and Abram were so great that "the land could not support them while they stayed together." I picture a western: This town ain't big enough for the two of us! To add, their herders couldn't even get along.
Abram tells Lot that they shouldn't quarrel since they are family, and that its in their best interest to part ways.
After considerations with the realtor and eliminating the first two choices, Lot decided he needed quartz countertops and a place to entertain; so he headed east to the Jordanian plains near Sodom. It tells us that this was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, which is a hot topic, so we will spend more time on that when we get to Genesis 19. Abram was living in Canaan at this time.
We are told that the people of Sodom were wicked and "sinning greatly" against the Lord.
Lets think about this. The Lord says in Genesis 8 that "every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood." So how are the people of Sodom any different? My guess is that they aren't, but the author either doesn't like the people of Sodom, or wants to paint them as antagonists.
Once Lot is gone, the Lord tells Abram that everything he can see belongs to him and his offspring forever. Sweet deal.
If you read this literally, God is weird and plays favorites. This creates all sorts of philosophical issues if you really start to think about it.
I believe so many of us get caught up in needing the Bible to be literal. Richard Rohr says this:
"Metaphor is invariably more meaning, not less. Literalism is the lowest and least level of meaning."
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