- levirate marriage
- levir = brother-in-law; brother-in-law of the widow must marry her to preserve the family lineage (inheritance and name of husband). Brother-in-law has right of refusal, but consequences for the man (as well as for the woman) are humiliating, mandating sandal-snatching and face-spitting.
- Deut 25:5 ff
- the story of Judah and Tamar are included here as explanations of the mixed lineage of King David. David descended from a Canaanite and Moabite (?)
- Sheol, or Hades represents a shadowy world after life, which is neither heaven nor Hell. No redemption or fulfullment was possible once a man passes into Sheol.
- Associations Exercise on Gen 50:14-21.
- Reflect on Tradition, Culture, Position, Action as an interpretive framework for this story.
14 After burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, together with his brothers and all the others who had gone with him to bury his father.
Joseph Reassures His Brothers
15 When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?" 16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, "Your father left these instructions before he died: 17 'This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.' Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father." When their message came to him, Joseph wept.
18 His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. "We are your slaves," they said.
19 But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 21 So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
- Joseph's travels and the paths of Jacob's sons. political implications and the likely Pharaoh at the time.
- Thoughts abt threatening/dangerous world events.
- How is God working through these to fulfill his purpose. Does God bring good out of evil? and solely attributable to God?
Notes on readings
- A man found Joseph wandering Gen 37:15
- "here comes this dreamer" Gen. 37:19
- they threw Joseph into the pit then sat down to eat (just ordinary occurrence!)
- Burning is the punishment for being reported as a whore. Gen 38:24
- Gen 38:26.
Judah said "she is more in the right than I.." And he did not lie with her again. -- no sh*t! was this extra bit of information necessary? if she was not in the right, she would have been burned. if she was just as right as he was, he would have slept with her again, or would he have offered Shelah to her? - midwife or Tamar said "you have made a breach for yourself!"
- breach
- An opening, a tear, or a rupture.
- A gap or rift, especially in or as if in a solid structure such as a dike or fortification.
- A violation or infraction, as of a law, a legal obligation, or a promise.
- A breaking up or disruption of friendly relations; an estrangement.
- why the crimson thread in the first place?
- Joseph: handsome and goodlooking: Moses, et. al.
- Joseph in prison, like Paul in prison. the lord showed them favor
- Gen 40:8
"Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me." - would hate to be the Pharaoh's chief baker and have the dream interpreted so that he could be hanged (put on a pole) the next day.
- Gen 41:37
Pharaoh "Can we find anyone else like this--one in whom is the spirit of God?" - Reuben -- I told you so.
- Gen 45:24
"He sent his brotheres on their way, and as they were leaving he said to them, "Do not quarrel along the way." - Hebrews (as slaves?) dining together with (Gen 43:32 ) and (Gen 46:34) shepherds are abhorrent to the Egyptians
- hand under thigh oath Jacob to Joseph
Notes on this class session
- Susan and Sam will be going on vacation.
- The economic well-being of women is a key goal of the Levirate marriage, just like contemporary Africa condones polygamy
- A secondary goal of the L. marriage is to preserve the father's name.
- Tamar is in the lineage of Jesus, though she acted like a prostitute to achieve God's wll.
- Joseph was the univeral savior portrayed as an underdog who was favorable and righteous
- The Hebrew midrash states that if you save one life, you have saved the world.
- Sons, especially the first-born, were essential to the patriarchical society.
- we still have naming traditions for sons.
- From the 3rd year students:
- eastern (constantinople) vs western (rome) definition of the trinity varied considerably.
- in the east, certain elements defined Jesus as less than divine.
- in the west, shaped by writings of Augustine, the trinity was considered as a non-analyzable unit.
- differences between the two: the understanding of the H.S. (east - proceeds from the Father. west - proceeds from the Father and the Son).
- uses a metaphoric approach to explanation
- the lover, the beloved and love itself
- memory, knowledge, will
- Theology is a way of explaning the faith. Augustine was greatly influenced by the metaphorical.
- The Nicene exists in various localized forms to fit best with doctrine of the same church.
- a recent work about biblical interpretation: From Literal to Literacy.
- conclusion of the work: you are worse off to be a literalist than to ignore metaphorical meanings.
- Theological Reflection
- points of tension, or critical turning points.
- friend seeking abortion needs help
- tradition
- what's it like living in the world?
- define an issue
- make it emotionally neutral, but one which we can identify with
- if it's emotionally charged, we get distracted by the issues
- like abortion
- generalize the issue statement, such as i believe xyz is morally wrong.
- but this removes the relevance of the issue to our personal experience.
- make it a statement from a completed problem in your life
- what are the promises vs the costs?
- I believe abortion is morally wrong, and I also have an obligation to my friend
- make this a dilemma that everyone can understand and feel
- issue
- i am morally opposed to abortion AND i have a duty to help my friend
- scriptural passages to support
- the story of adultery. David and Bathsheeba
- the story of Jesus eating meat on the Sabbath. 1Cor8
- King Solomon slicing the baby in 1/2 to settle dispute
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