That's not really true, completely. I did my reading, but had to watch the Yankees in person at 47,000+ filled stadium. Alas, my boys in blue lost, but the Dbacks had a great game, good for them.
So Genesis 17-28: Abram and Sarai finally get their better known names: Abraham and Sarah. Isaac is born, almost dies, Abraham lies about Sarah being more than his sister again, Ishmael almost dies, Sarah dies... Ch 23 Sarah dies and I love the interchange between Abraham and Ephron (ancestor to Zac Efron, just kidding): 'Listen to me..." "No, please listen to me..." "Please listen to me..." and so on. It's like they're fighting over who can be most civil, most hospitable. I've been in a few of those situations. Then Isaac looks for a wife. I never really cared for Isaac. Isaac to me seems to be that kind of guy, quiet unassuming, does whatever he's told - the all around nice guy. He doesn't make too many waves (every once in a while he does... tries his father's trick of lying about his wife), but he's not really known with being original. Now Rebekah, she's got spunk. I like her. I think I like the wily ones. She tricks her husband and gets her favorite son Jacob to go along with her plan. I guess that's the rebel in me.
I was also struck by the importance of family in these passages, that Isaac must not marry the Canaanites, but go back to Abraham's family. Today we think that's weird because we don't really identify ourselves with families like that anymore. Think of it like a region, a culture, a way of life because that's what a family group was. Your religion, your morals, your ethics derived from your family group, your clan. You go across that barrier and you risk a lot of things, pretty much everything you know and possibly everything you hold sacred. It might be like regions today, identifying with the South, or Western New York, or being a Phoenician. It could go even deeper: Southern Christian or Southern Baptist or the list could go on and on. I don't really get grossed out by families marrying family members in the Bible. If it were today - um - ew! But it's not today, that was then and it was different. Maybe we need to get a better idea of family, one that goes deeper than blood, one that unites us in common purpose and morals and faith and, hmmmm, wait a minute - I think that already exists. :)
Genesis 28-40: The saga of Rachel and Leah. I really feel sorry for Leah because she really does get the bum deal. She's not as wily as Rachel and I guess I'm goin against myself here, but I really don't like Rachel. Rachel is more than wily, she's downright manipulative. In the end Leah's is the line that God chooses for his Son, so props to Leah.
Idols - Rachel stole her father's gods/idols, but she wasn't alone. In chapter 35 Jacob asks his family/clan to "get rid of all your pagan idols, purify yourselves and put on clean clothing." (NLT) Even way back in the beginning we had to deal with those things that were trying to take our attention from God and the only way to turn it back onto Him is to make that intentional choice. Clean up and clean out and focus on God. It's hard to focus on God when you've got all those other things cluttering you up.
Last but not least: I LOVE TAMAR!!!!!! (Ch38) Okay, Tamar is not a star. She dresses up as a prostitute (just the kind of person Jesus would hang out with, oh wait, he was related to Tamar ;) to make her point. She is the wiliest of the wily, I think. She just doesn't let herself fade into obscurity. She married Judah's son and he was wicked and so he died and she should have been given an heir by Judah's other son (but he too was wicked) then Judah, out of self-preservation and selfishness denies Tamar, what is her right, his last son to be her husband and give her an heir for Judah's eldest son. Cultures are weird, but it was her right and Judah knew that and then he gets caught in the most wicked way. Tamar facing death does the best thing ever. "But as they were taking her out to kill her, she sent this message to her father-in-law (Judah): 'The man who owns these things made me pregnant. Look closely. Whose seal and cord and walking stick are these?'" (verse25) Oh snap! I can see Judah's face turning bright and thinking, "Oops. Yeah, um, they're mine. Crap!" Yes I love her. No worries though, I'm not planning to dress up like a prostitute any time soon. It makes you wonder though, why does God choose the things he does. He chose to be born of Tamar's line. Fascinating. It makes me think, God appreciates wiliness too. :)
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