GENESIS: Chapters 20 & 21

Chapter 20
Summary:	Abraham moved south to Negeb and settled between Kadesh and Shur. One day while visiting the city of Gerar he remarked that Sarah was his sister, and again once the king (King Ambimelech, in this case) caught word of this and of her beauty, he had Sarah brought to his palace*. God visited the king in his dream and told him that he was doomed to die, as Sarah was a married woman. Ambimelech pointed out to God that he had yet to sleep with Sarah, and questioned whether God would slay an innocent man. He added that both Abraham and Sarah had told him that they were siblings and not husband and wife, and that he had no intentions of wrong doing. 20:12 "And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife." God replied that he already knew that, and explained that it was why he prevented the king from sinning; why he prevented the king from touching Sarah. God demands that Ambimelech release Sarah to her husband at once, and states that Abraham will pray for the king in return - threatening the king with death - to not only himself but his household as well - if he does not comply. The king woke up early the next morning and summoned Abraham. He asks Abraham why he has perpetuated this deception which could have made his kingdom guilty of a terrible sin. Abraham explains that he figured the kingdom to be a godless place* which would leave himself for dead in order to get to his wife. He adds that technically Sarah is his sister - his half sister - and that when God sends him traveling far from home, he has instructed Sarah to tell others that she is his sister. The king then gave Abraham some sheep, oxen, and slaves upon returning Sarah to Abraham along with 1,000 pieces of silver as restitution for any embarrassment he may have caused them. He tops it off with offering Abraham his choice of any land in the kingdom to live in. Abraham prayed to God to remove the curse that God had placed amongst the kingdom, as he had made the women of the kingdom barren to punish them for taking Abraham's wife.
Notes:	1.) Much like Abraham (then Abrahm) had done during his stay in Egypt. 2.) Unlike what is implied, theism and morality are wholly separate concepts.
Thoughts:	This is mostly a rehash of chapter 12 with a different spin placed upon it. We can now surmise that God may have visited the Egyptian Pharaoh in a similar manner to King Ambimelech, yet where as the Pharaoh simply threw Abraham (then named Abram) out of Egypt with some bribe offerings, King Ambimelech seems more remorseful and even tries to persuade Abraham to live amongst him in his kingdom. The other point of contention I have with this chapter is the need to link morality with theism. It's one of the most perpetuated myths that one's belief in gods is linked with morality. There are many immoral people who profess religious belief or affiliation, just the same as there are similar numbers of atheists that have high moral ethics without the need for god beliefs. The belief in gods and being morally ethical are two separate concepts.
Chapter 21
Summary:	At the age of 100, Abraham became the father of Isaac, just as God had promised. Eight days later Abraham circumcised Isaac as God had commanded. Time went by and Isaac grew and was weaned, and Abraham threw a party to celebrate the occasion. But when Sarah noticed Ishmael teasing Isaac, she turned to Abraham and demanded that he get rid of Hagar and her son, stating that she refused to let Ishmael share Abraham's property with her son Isaac. This upset Abraham, as Ishmael was his son as well. But God sided with Sarah telling Abraham not to be upset over Ishmael nor his slave-girl wife Hagar, and reaffirming that it is Isaac is the child whom God will fulfill his promise through. So Abraham packed some food and a canteen for Ishmael and Hagar and sent them both away. 21:14 "And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba." Hagar journeyed into the wilderness of Beersheba wandering aimlessly, and when her canteen ran dry she left her son underneath a bush and sat down off in the distance, not wanting to see him die, and began to sob. God called to Hagar from the sky to comfort her and remind her that Ishmael is still blessed to become a great nation. God then leads her to a well to fill her canteen for her self and the boy, and blessed Ishmael. Ishmael would grow up in the wilderness of Paran to become an expert archer, and later Hagar would arrange his marriage to an Egyptian girl. Around this time King Ambimelech came to Abraham admitting that he is aware that God is on Abraham's side and asks for peace between the people of Abraham and his kingdom. Abraham agrees, but also complains about a well that was taken violently away from his people by the king's servants. The King claims he was unaware of this incident until this moment, while Abraham gave sheep and oxen to the king as a sacrifice. Abraham put aside seven ewe and proclaimed them as a gift to the king serving as a public confirmation that the disputed well now belonged to the people of Abraham. From that point on, the well was known as Beer-sheba (meaning 'Well of the Oath'). As King Ambimelech returned home, Abraham planted a tamarisk tree beside the well and prayed to God. Abraham continued to live in the Philistine country for a long time.
Thoughts:	It's really tough to remain sympathetic towards Abraham, like I'm guessing the authors want the reader to be. God never condemned Abraham (then Abram) for sleeping with Hagar and seemed to be all for it initially, forcing a beaten pregnant Hagar to return to her "rightful place" serving her mistress (despite the fact that she dealt out the beating), and even naming Ishmael. However, now that Sarah has a jealousy complex and can't tolerate Ishmael - a child - teasing Isaac, she casts both Ishmael and Hagar out into the street and God tells a torn Abraham that Sarah is in the right(?) and that he shouldn't feel any sympathy for Ishmael (or Hagar) because Isaac is "better than him". It's even harder to empathize with Sarah, as it was her idea in the first place for Abraham to father a child with Hagar. So Hagar is left to die out in the wilderness until God lends a hand to refill her canteen and her hopes for Ishmael's future. The chapter leads out with our good pal King Ambimelech "seeing the light" that Abraham's god is powerful and with him - on his side - and that it's probably best to make sure that he himself, as well as his kingdom, aren't pissing off Abraham's god in any way. He gives away one of his wells (that Abraham claims was forcefully taken from him) and Abraham gives him some sheep so that he isn't to be looked at as a thief or and extortionist himself. Basically it's meant to show a stark contrast with how the Egyptian Pharaoh handled the same wife/sister situation. Although it is a bit strange how even at age 90 (and implied that she's probably at the expected age of menopause - even with the supposed advanced ages of the day) that Sarah still manages to be picked up by kings that want her in their harems.

GENESIS: Chapters 16 & 17

Chapter 16
Summary:	Sarai and Abram were still having trouble conceiving a child*, so Sarai took her maid - an Egyptian girl named Hagar - and gave her to Abram as a second wife. Sarai explains that since God has not given her any children, Abram may sleep with Hagar and Sarai will take the resulting children as her own. Abrahm (not-surprisingly) agrees*. Abram sleeps with Hagar and when she realized she was pregnant, she became arrogant towards Sarai. 16:2 "And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai." Sarai complains to Abram that Hagar's arrogance is his fault* and curses Abram hoping that God will judge him for this. Abram tells Sarai that she can punish Hagar as she sees fit, so she gives Hagar a good beating, and as a result Hagar runs away. An angel of God finds her besides a desert spring along the road to Shur and demands that she return to Sarai and to act as she should. The angel tells her that the child she is carrying will be a son and that Hagar is to name him Ishmael (meaning "God hears", explaining that God hears her woes). The angel further explains that Ishmael will be rebellious and will be against everyone, just as everyone will be against him, yet he will live near the rest of his kin. Thereafter Hagar spoke directly to God and was astonished to have seen God and live to tell it. Later the well was named "The Well of the Living One Who Sees Me" (it lies between Kadesh and Bered). So Hagar gave Abram a son, and Abram named him Ishmael. Abram was 86 years old at the time.
Notes:	1.) Moreover, a male child - as girls are not considered true heirs. 2.) The bible notes that this takes place 10 years after Abram first arrived in Canaan. 3.) Despite the fact that this was Sarai's idea in the first place.
Thoughts:	It's difficult not to look at this chapter as disturbing for a number of reasons: we have Abram having sex with his wife's maid (probably a slave), we have Abram's wife beating the tar out of a pregnant woman - carrying her husband's child, and we have an angel condemning Hagar for running off even though she just got beaten by her mistress (regardless of whether her arrogance justified punishment, it's hard to justify beating a pregnant woman). It's also a bit unclear as to why God tells Hagar directly to name the child Ishmael, yet it states that Abram give the child that name. Do we assume God told Abram also to name the child Ishmael, or did Abram take Hagar's word that she spoke to God and that's the name God chose?
Chapter 17
Summary:	When Abram was 99 years old, God appeared to him and told him to obey him and live as he should, and also that he had prepared a contract between them guaranteeing to make Abram's descendants into a mighty nation - and not just one nation, but a multitude of nations. Abram fell face downward to the ground as God talked with him. He continues on to tell Abram that he is also changing his name from Abram (meaning 'Exalted Father') to Abraham (meaning 'Father of Nations'). He continues to tell Abram/Abraham that he will continue this agreement forever amongst Abram's/Abraham's descendants. 17:11 "And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you." Abram's/Abraham's part of the contract is to obey God's will, and have every male amongst him circumcised on the eighth day after being born, and that this will be proof that Abram/Abraham and his people accept the covenant. God clarifies that this also applies to every foreign born slave as well as anyone born in Abram's/Abraham's household, and that anyone who refuses will be cut off from his people. God also renames Sarai to Sarah (meaning 'Princess') and proclaims that he will bless her to provide Abram/Abraham with many children*. Abraham throws himself down in worship, but was having doubts in his thoughts thinking about how ludicrous it sounded for him to become a father at age 100* and for Sarai/Sarah to give birth at 90, so he instead says to God, "Yes, do bless Ishmael!" God corrects Abraham and clarifies that Sarah will provide him with a son, and that son is to be named Isaac (meaning 'Laughter'), but decides that he will bless Ishmael also - adding that Ishmael will become a great nation and that 12 princes will be among his posterity - before stressing that God's contract is with Isaac and not Ishmael. Abraham then went home and proceeded to circumcise every male in his household - including himself and every male slave.
Notes:	1.) Which didn't seem so ridiculous when his great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather Shem had a child at the age of 100(?) 2.) Although chapter 11 states that Sarai was barren and therefore did not provide Abram any children, we can still consider that chapter correct when taking into account that God changed both Sarai and Abram's names at this point to Sarah and Abraham respectively. In that sense, Sarai and Abram didn't have any children, whereas Sarah and Abraham did.
Thoughts:	It's unclear what circumcision has to do with upholding a contract with God, and why he wants men to be circumcised in the first place. It's pretty nonsensical and seems very awkward that God is concerned with the way his people's penises look. What is to stop other tribes from circumcising their male population as well? Wouldn't the covenant be meaningless at that point? Would God strike men dead outside of Abraham's tribe for circumcising themselves? Also strange is Abraham's amusement at becoming a father at the age of 100, when the average age of the people of his time is still mentioned to be roughly around 200(!) if which taken into context with the average modern human living to be about 85, doesn't seem so strange for a man of 43 to have a child.