What’s with that Abraham?

Last updated on: April 5, 2011 at 2:31 pm by Cynthia Schrage

What’s with that Abraham? 2011-04-05T14:31:21-04:00 Cynthia Schrage

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I’ve been doing some Bible reading in the book of Genesis about Abraham and Sarah. In case you’re interested exactly what I’m referencing, it’s Genesis, Chapter 16, verses 1-4. In this story, Sarah has figured enough is enough, and so she tells Abraham to go ahead and have sex with her maid, Hagar. (Just for the record, Hagar’s first name was NOT Sammy!) We read elsewhere in Genesis that Abraham was the friend of God. Get that: friend. Not sometime acquaintance. And for Abraham, his faith was accounted to him as righteousness.

But what we do not read is that Abraham put up a fight about this. I don’t understand that. Well, actually I do understand that. But I don’t like it. How is it that a God-respecting man like Abraham feels like it’s okay to just dip his wick in anywhere he can get some? And yes, I do understand the cultural mores of the time. (There’s plenty of interesting stories in the book of Genesis that you’ll never see on a felt board!)

I’m sure to get some flack on this from somebody–probably somebody who’s never read my blog before and doesn’t know me from Adam. Now’s there’s another man who didn’t do what was right, either. The chicks always get blamed!

There are two related articles below. The first is a good one. The second is just ludicrous!

And, to give credit where credit is due, the image above is a detail from the painting by Adriaen van der Werff entitled “Sarah Presenting Hagar to Abraham”.

Waiting on God to Act: The Story of Sarah and Hagar (crazygodchick.wordpress.com)
(This is a really great article. I like this lady because she thinks like me.)
The Birth of Ishmael. (greatriversofhope.wordpress.com)
(This is a dreadful article, full of just the most nonsensical interpretive comments! I DO NOT UNDERSTAND what version of the Bible this guy is reading to get these things!)

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