Abraham assumes that he will be killed if the Egyptians know Sarai is his wife. Because Sarai is so beautiful, Abraham assumes that the Egyptian's will surly kill him, in order to take Sarai from him. He distrusts the Egyptians, before he even knows them. Furthermore, he is willing to risk Egyptian's trying to seduce his wife, just because he is afraid of being killed. Abraham lies, and he makes his wife lie. Lastly, he embarises, and teases Pharaoh, who thinks that Sarai is just Abraham's sister, and whom Pharaoh wishes to marry. This does not make Abraham look like a very good person at all. Cirtanly not a man of God.
3. This is the first love triangle in Genesis. What very human problems arise from this triangle? How do you analyze the story along lines such as gender, class, ethnicity? What does the story reveal about suffering (from Hagar's point of view)?
Sarai, Abraham's wife, tells Abraham to conceive a child with their slave, Hagar. This is morally strange. Sarai tells her husband to cheat on him, to have sex with another women, all for the sake of having offspring. It seems as if it was okay for a man to have sex with many women, even when married, but for a women to have sex with many men would be wrong of course. God approves of this, even though later he makes Sarai able to bare a child. Why couldn't God have just done that to begin with? Then later Sarai makes Abraham get rid of Hagar, and her son, as if she regrets her decision. Very strange. Sarai and Abraham feel as if they own their slave, the slave is lesser then them (possibly because they are Egyptian), so they can do what ever they want, even though Hagar does not agree with it. Hagar is essentially raped, and feels ashamed, true suffering. Then she is scolded by Sarai for being upset.
4. This story is almost unreadable - a father who willingly will murder his own son in cold blood because a voice tells him to do so. Why does God test Abraham here (and with such a horrific test)? Abraham has already proven his fidelity to God - he has left his homeland after hearing a 'divine voice,' moved his wife and possessions to another place. Why does God need more proof? What might this story be stating about Abraham's relationship with the divine? Go to specific points within the text to support your analysis.
It seems as if God is simply messing with Abraham in this story; seeing how much he can control Abraham, and proving that Abraham will do anything for God. God is treating Abraham like his puppet. It is almost sickening. Abraham seems crazy, hearing voices in his head, and doing what ever they say. He is very submissive, and will do anything (seemingly with out thinking "because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son"). He obviously fears and respects the Lord's power a great amount. Lucky the angel had stopped him right before he stabs his son; or did he just decide with his conscious that it was wrong, stopped him self, and decide to sacrifice the Ox instead, which had been there the whole time, and did not just mystically appear?
Sarai, Abraham's wife, tells Abraham to conceive a child with their slave, Hagar. This is morally strange. Sarai tells her husband to cheat on him, to have sex with another women, all for the sake of having offspring. It seems as if it was okay for a man to have sex with many women, even when married, but for a women to have sex with many men would be wrong of course. God approves of this, even though later he makes Sarai able to bare a child. Why couldn't God have just done that to begin with? Then later Sarai makes Abraham get rid of Hagar, and her son, as if she regrets her decision. Very strange. Sarai and Abraham feel as if they own their slave, the slave is lesser then them (possibly because they are Egyptian), so they can do what ever they want, even though Hagar does not agree with it. Hagar is essentially raped, and feels ashamed, true suffering. Then she is scolded by Sarai for being upset.
4. This story is almost unreadable - a father who willingly will murder his own son in cold blood because a voice tells him to do so. Why does God test Abraham here (and with such a horrific test)? Abraham has already proven his fidelity to God - he has left his homeland after hearing a 'divine voice,' moved his wife and possessions to another place. Why does God need more proof? What might this story be stating about Abraham's relationship with the divine? Go to specific points within the text to support your analysis.
It seems as if God is simply messing with Abraham in this story; seeing how much he can control Abraham, and proving that Abraham will do anything for God. God is treating Abraham like his puppet. It is almost sickening. Abraham seems crazy, hearing voices in his head, and doing what ever they say. He is very submissive, and will do anything (seemingly with out thinking "because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son"). He obviously fears and respects the Lord's power a great amount. Lucky the angel had stopped him right before he stabs his son; or did he just decide with his conscious that it was wrong, stopped him self, and decide to sacrifice the Ox instead, which had been there the whole time, and did not just mystically appear?
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