April 29, 2018 - Day 21 - Genesis 21

I am writing from my hotel room in Orlando at the airport. 

Genesis 21:

So we start with the birth of Isaac, who was promised to be a son of Sarah.  Everyone is super excited about Isaac.  And OBVIOUSLY you know he was circumcised on day eight.  Actually Abraham did it, at age 100.

Keep your scalpel away from me old man. 

Sarah was super pumped because her worth was in her ability to have some kiddos. 

Then she gets mad because Hagar’s son is cool too, and wants to get rid of Hagar; even refers to her as ‘slave woman.’  Damn yo she’s a person too. 

Abraham is all concerned but God reminds him that even the son of a slave, because he is his offspring, will be made into a nation.  This is pretty progressive for this time.  Alone this obviously still sounds oppressive; but there’s freedom in these words if we consider the timing.  Yet another reason why reading the Bible at face value, with a modern lens, is useless.

Abraham gives Hagar some food; trying to help out ya know. 

So Hagar tries to put the baby under some bushes for him to die.  Come on man.  Not cool.

FULL STOP RIGHT HERE. 

Who left the baby under the bush to die?  NOT GOD.  HAGAR.  A human. A feeble, broken human.  An imperfect human.  A lost, confused human.

How often do we say, OH THAT IS GOD’S PLAN.  We see RIGHT HERE that it is NOT “God’s plan” for this baby to lay here and die; in fact, God steps in.

The next passage says that God hears the boy crying and says, YO, WAKE UP.  Pick up your damn son.  He’s gonna be somebody some day.

This is so relevant to a lot I’ve seen in my life lately.  I have such a variety of people in my life:  those who believe blindly, to the staunch atheist.  Many of us piss all over the name of God; preaching “God’s plan” for scenarios that we are afraid to take ownership upon.

The scriptures tell us here that sometimes it’s us, NOT GOD, that digs us fifteen feet into a deep well of shit; though somehow, God meets us down there, when we have to hold our nose to even survive.

This chapter ends with a boring treaty between Abraham and Abimelek. 

Don’t lose sight of the meaning here.  So often we use God as a scapegoat for our bad decisions or misfortune.  It’s not God’s plan that we suffer; but I promise that God will meet you in the suffering.

Think about it this way:  a best friend won’t make your bad decisions for you, but they’ll always be there to meet you in your pain and pull you out. 


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