Bible Challenge: Week 2 ->January 19 (Day 8) – January 24 (Day 13)

Genesis 19-36

Psalm 7-12

Matthew 7-12

To start with a few housekeeping items:

•   The Bible Challenge seems to be in stock again at Amazon in paperback, for those who haven’t yet purchased it. 
• For those who still may be working out some of the technological kinks, we’ll have a “tech night” on January 28 at 7 p.m. in conjunction with our “Off the Cuff” evening.  If you’re working out how to comment on the blog, finding the blog, downloading e-books onto your iPad, or other logistical issues, come to the St. Andrew’s Room, bring your computer or tablet if you can, and we’ll try to sort out the issues.
• As you read, if you have questions, please feel free to ask  … this is a great opportunity for collaborative learning.
• If you have a question or comment you’d like to post on the blog, but haven’t yet worked out the mechanics, just email it to me, and I’ll be happy to post it for you (wende.wheeler(at)gmail.com)

So how is it going?  I’m having a few challenges finding a rhythm for my reading …. I thought I might read each evening, but in actuality, in the first week, I read a chunk mid-week, and then caught up this weekend.  I’m hoping that I will be a little more even in the coming week.  What are you finding works for you?

This second week has us working through more of the familiar and dramatic stories of Genesis.  The important narratives of Abraham and Sarah, Ishmael and Isaac flow along, showing us the highs and lows of the patriarchs’ and matriarchs’ lives and behavior.   One of the details, though, that has struck me anew is Jacob’s name-change.  Once again, God is changing a name (like Abram-> Abraham and Sarai-> Sarah) with prophetic purpose.  Jacob is renamed Israel (32:24) after a night of wrestling with a stranger (sometimes referred to as an angel) who turned out to be God.  His identity is literally changing … he is going from Jacob - which means “supplanter,” referring to his relationship with his brother Esau - to Israel.  Not only is he given a name that will identify his descendants throughout the centuries, but it is a name which foretells the history of that people: “wrestles with God.”

I find the commentary on Day 12 from the Rev. Dr. Francis Wade particularly helpful; since I know that some still don’t have the book, I’ll include an excerpt here:

What is especially revealing about this story is that when our faith had developed to the point where it needed a name, there were many options.  The people of God could have been named for obedient Abraham or faithful Isaac or Moses the Law Giver.  But the chosen name was Israel because the people of God continually wrestle with God about almost everything in life – faith, morality, sin, forgiveness, etc.  We wrestle with God partly because, as the psalmist says, God tests the righteous along with the wicked.  We wrestle as John the Baptist did when he lost his confidence in Jesus as the messiah and sent a deputation to ask if he really, really was the Anointed One.

The name Israel was not lightly chosen but rightly chosen because the people of God must always wrestle with God.

Two images below depict that struggle: the top is by Rembrandt, the bottom by Delacroix.  I love the expressions in the Rembrandt version, but the Delacroix image certainly suggests more of a struggle.

Wende