Genesis 21:8-21 HBO just wrapped up its series called Succession, after a very popular four-year run. The story is about an aging patriarch of a wealthy and powerful family and his children. And it’s all about who will be the heir. To whom will all this power be passed on. And so, there is the ongoing battle among the offspring and other interested parties – the battle for succession. It is not pretty to watch. I gave up trying to watch the show because every single character was so unlikeable. Truly unlikeable, but unfortunately, not unbelievable. People are like that. People have always been like that, as we can see in the book of Genesis. There are times in the course of studying the book of Genesis I am very aware of what an old, old story it is. But all I have to do is read the news and I […]
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An Outstretched Hand
Genesis 22:1-14 Matthew 10:40-42 There are a few stories in the Bible that are sometimes referred to as “texts of terror.” This story from Genesis is one of them. It is the climax of the long story of Abraham and Sarah. In a way, it resembles the climax of a big disaster movie, where a disaster comes – a tsunami, a fire, a nuclear attack, or zombies from outer space – tearing through our civilization and leaving a huge swath of wreckage in its wake. Usually, in the disaster movie, we just focus on the survivors. When it’s over, the audience is washed in relief, so thankful that we made it! On the screen there are embraces and maybe a little wry humor, so we can leave the theatre feeling good. We might try to do that with the Genesis story too. Look at the survivors – Abraham and Isaac […]
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