WHAT IS THIS. WHO AM I?!
I am bringing this back. Why? Because I need somewhere to put my thoughts as I read through the Bible.
I'm no theologian. What I write will be often wrong, and I'll change my mind later. But I am also easily distracted, and writing something that others can see has A Purpose. Maybe, someday, someone will stumble accross something I write and be encouraged by how much more they know. Maybe not. Either way, it will motivate me.
Okay, so I'm on Genesis 17: Abram becomes Abraham *trumpets sound*
God has like promised to Abraham a million times to bless him and his descendents. Abraham (still Abram here) is 99 now, and he's still waiting. I want to know how "God spoke to Abram." Is it a voice? Writing on the wall? Vision? It matters. If it's a clear voice, then Abram has something solid to hold on to. "Yep, so, God exists." Why wouldn't he belive his promises? But wait. Everyone around him had gods, too. They probably saw miracles and heard voices; heck, even witches make the same claims nowadays, and we have diagnoses of schizophrenia.
I have huge huge huge chronic doubt issues. That guy in the NT who says, "Lord, I believe, help me in my unbelief?" I'm that guy. I've 'heard' God as a powerful feeling running counter to my personality and inclinations. I've had physical experiences that are very difficult to explain unless the laws of gravity were temporarily altered for me. I've been saved from what seemed like certain death at the last minute by a coincidence (or miracle... that's less clear). I've heard so many stories of miracles that aren't so easy to explain away, from people I trust. And still, the scientist in me screams that it's all subjective. What about all the contradictions? Why does God let millions suffer and die? Why doesn't he just show up in front of all the news camerals and say, "guuuuuuuuys seriously stop being idiots already." Why doesn't he give me another miracle after the years and years I've begged, so I can really truly trust? If I actually heard God's voice and saw him as a ball of fire, wouldn't I believe, too?
Maybe not. Abram had these experiences alone. No other witnesses. The proof they were fulfilled is that the promises actually happened. The proof they happened.... is nonexistant, really. The Jewish Study Bible I'm reading assumes these are all nice stories, and the writing is such that, reading this impartially, they likely are a collection of stories, passed down for generations, finally written down. Some anecdotes repeat twice. Some contradict each other in ways not easily explained away. So, is it possible that we started with Abram being a great man who told his children, "Yeah, I had hopes that I would have kids and they would become great," and then that got blown up into these stories over the years? But then, Sarah's kids in her old age...seems like a weird thing to make up. A weird, unnecessary detail.
But let's analyze Abram anyway, assuming he did exist, and God did make these promises to him. In whatever form. It could be exaggerated later; who cares.
After all these years, Abram still worships God. Which makes me wonder... is he the only one? Did seriously none of Noah's other sons and descendents worship God? Surely they did? But certainly many didn't. They probably looked down on silly Abram, trusting in a God that hasn't given him any kids. "Dude, when I started sacrificing to Molech, my life changed. My weird bumps were cured and my wife finally had 4 sons. Just... think about it." "Sir, do you have a moment to talk about Marduk?" And yet, he still came out of all this trusting in God. He went through Egypt and other crap and made his faith in God known. After all these years and unfulfilled promises.
If he was half as faithful as these stories, and these encounters with God were isolated, and the voices he heard were questionable in any way, that's pretty amazing.
Anyway. Now God is showing up again, saying he'll bless Abram if Abram will walk in his ways and be blameless. At 99. I can't imagine Abram isn't in a bit of a habit at this point. And now God calls him Abraham, saying he'll be the father of many nations. Oh, and here's the circumcision bit!
Next, he goes on to say that Sarai is now Sarah, "princess." Considering Sarah has driven out Hagar by being mean, Abram's probably sniggering at this point. Maybe his protests of Sarah's age are partly because he doesn't think Sarah deserves offspring. I dunno.
My Jewish Study Bible says that this promise is a repeat of chapter 15 from a different source.... but this story looks awfully different to me. No sacrifices, different takes on the same promise, no circumcision in the previous.
Then Abraham circumcizes everyone. If the story is invented, why did Abraham start circumcision? Although, genital cutting is a thing in many cultures..... But why not assign it to Noah, then? Anyway.
By the way, the whole Hagar thing is kind of proof that laws depend on culture, right? It would totally be dubbed a sin today, but it was acceptable back then. Still, God is pretty annoyed, so maybe not.
I'm no theologian. What I write will be often wrong, and I'll change my mind later. But I am also easily distracted, and writing something that others can see has A Purpose. Maybe, someday, someone will stumble accross something I write and be encouraged by how much more they know. Maybe not. Either way, it will motivate me.
Okay, so I'm on Genesis 17: Abram becomes Abraham *trumpets sound*
God has like promised to Abraham a million times to bless him and his descendents. Abraham (still Abram here) is 99 now, and he's still waiting. I want to know how "God spoke to Abram." Is it a voice? Writing on the wall? Vision? It matters. If it's a clear voice, then Abram has something solid to hold on to. "Yep, so, God exists." Why wouldn't he belive his promises? But wait. Everyone around him had gods, too. They probably saw miracles and heard voices; heck, even witches make the same claims nowadays, and we have diagnoses of schizophrenia.
I have huge huge huge chronic doubt issues. That guy in the NT who says, "Lord, I believe, help me in my unbelief?" I'm that guy. I've 'heard' God as a powerful feeling running counter to my personality and inclinations. I've had physical experiences that are very difficult to explain unless the laws of gravity were temporarily altered for me. I've been saved from what seemed like certain death at the last minute by a coincidence (or miracle... that's less clear). I've heard so many stories of miracles that aren't so easy to explain away, from people I trust. And still, the scientist in me screams that it's all subjective. What about all the contradictions? Why does God let millions suffer and die? Why doesn't he just show up in front of all the news camerals and say, "guuuuuuuuys seriously stop being idiots already." Why doesn't he give me another miracle after the years and years I've begged, so I can really truly trust? If I actually heard God's voice and saw him as a ball of fire, wouldn't I believe, too?
Maybe not. Abram had these experiences alone. No other witnesses. The proof they were fulfilled is that the promises actually happened. The proof they happened.... is nonexistant, really. The Jewish Study Bible I'm reading assumes these are all nice stories, and the writing is such that, reading this impartially, they likely are a collection of stories, passed down for generations, finally written down. Some anecdotes repeat twice. Some contradict each other in ways not easily explained away. So, is it possible that we started with Abram being a great man who told his children, "Yeah, I had hopes that I would have kids and they would become great," and then that got blown up into these stories over the years? But then, Sarah's kids in her old age...seems like a weird thing to make up. A weird, unnecessary detail.
But let's analyze Abram anyway, assuming he did exist, and God did make these promises to him. In whatever form. It could be exaggerated later; who cares.
After all these years, Abram still worships God. Which makes me wonder... is he the only one? Did seriously none of Noah's other sons and descendents worship God? Surely they did? But certainly many didn't. They probably looked down on silly Abram, trusting in a God that hasn't given him any kids. "Dude, when I started sacrificing to Molech, my life changed. My weird bumps were cured and my wife finally had 4 sons. Just... think about it." "Sir, do you have a moment to talk about Marduk?" And yet, he still came out of all this trusting in God. He went through Egypt and other crap and made his faith in God known. After all these years and unfulfilled promises.
If he was half as faithful as these stories, and these encounters with God were isolated, and the voices he heard were questionable in any way, that's pretty amazing.
Anyway. Now God is showing up again, saying he'll bless Abram if Abram will walk in his ways and be blameless. At 99. I can't imagine Abram isn't in a bit of a habit at this point. And now God calls him Abraham, saying he'll be the father of many nations. Oh, and here's the circumcision bit!
Next, he goes on to say that Sarai is now Sarah, "princess." Considering Sarah has driven out Hagar by being mean, Abram's probably sniggering at this point. Maybe his protests of Sarah's age are partly because he doesn't think Sarah deserves offspring. I dunno.
My Jewish Study Bible says that this promise is a repeat of chapter 15 from a different source.... but this story looks awfully different to me. No sacrifices, different takes on the same promise, no circumcision in the previous.
Then Abraham circumcizes everyone. If the story is invented, why did Abraham start circumcision? Although, genital cutting is a thing in many cultures..... But why not assign it to Noah, then? Anyway.
By the way, the whole Hagar thing is kind of proof that laws depend on culture, right? It would totally be dubbed a sin today, but it was acceptable back then. Still, God is pretty annoyed, so maybe not.