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God may be commonly associated with the gifts of peace and unity, but this story of the struggle between Jacob and his brother, Esau, highlights family conflict as a context within which God also works. The First Lesson for this Sunday tells about the origins of Israel and its closest neighbor, Edom, through competition and … Continue reading “Genesis 25:19-34 Commentary by Esther M. Menn”

Our lectionary text for today starts with the reference that Rebecca was barren, and that after her husband Isaac prayed for her, she conceived (verse 21). This very brief, one verse account, continues the theme of the promise threatened and promise fulfilled that runs throughout the book of Genesis. Moreover, as in the instance of … Continue reading “Genesis 25:19-34 Commentary by Juliana Claassens”

Genesis 25:19-34 begins a group of narratives that biblical commentators usually call “the Jacob Cycle” and which the Hebrew Bible calls “the toledot (generations or descendants) of Isaac” (25:19). Both of these labels convey important information about the stories found in Genesis 25-36, but neither gives the full picture. Missing from these titles are the … Continue reading “Genesis 25:19-34 Commentary by Amy Merrill Willis”

What appears to be a simple account of an arranged marriage turns out to be the intersection of several faith journeys. The First Lesson for this Sunday imparts confidence that God is with those who travel to new and unfamiliar destinations, just as God is with those whose homecomings are to places changed by a … Continue reading “Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67 Commentary by Esther M. Menn”

Genesis 24 constitutes an expansive narrative regarding the quest of finding a wife for Isaac. The lectionary chooses to only include selections of this chapter, but the preacher would be well served to consider the whole of the narrative. Genesis 24 fits into the book of Genesis as a whole considering central questions such as … Continue reading “Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67 Commentary by Juliana Claassens”

After two harrowing stories — the near-deaths of both Ishmael and Isaac — today we have a love story, a love story that has been foreshadowed already in the account of the sacrifice of Isaac.  At the end of that account, there is a brief genealogy that includes the name of Rebekah (Genesis 22:20-24). Today, … Continue reading “Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67 Commentary by Kathryn M. Schifferdecker”

“Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him.” This protest from heaven halts Abraham in the horrific act of slaughtering his own son. The repeated call of Abraham’s name, “Abraham, Abraham!” when the father raises his knife indicates the urgency of this divine command. It is not God’s intention that … Continue reading “Genesis 22:1-14 Commentary by Esther M. Menn”

The near-sacrifice of Isaac, or the Akedah as it is called in the Jewish tradition, is a narrative filled with narrative suspense. In slow motion, building up frame by frame, the reader watches in horror how God commands Abraham to sacrifice his only son; how the two of them travel together to Mount Moriah where … Continue reading “Genesis 22:1-14 Commentary by Juliana Claassens”

There is a Yiddish folk tale that goes something like this: Why did God not send an angel to tell Abraham to sacrifice Isaac? Because God knew that no angel would take on such a task. Instead, the angels said, “If you want to command death, do it yourself.” The story named by Christians “the … Continue reading “Genesis 22:1-14 Commentary by Kathryn M. Schifferdecker”

This continuation of Genesis 21:1-7 describes the conflict in Abraham’s family caused by Isaac’s birth. When Sarah sees Ishmael playing with her son Isaac, she realizes the tenuous nature of Isaac’s claim on the promise. Even though the acquiring of a son for Abraham through her Egyptian slave, Hagar, had been Sarah’s idea (Genesis 16), … Continue reading “Genesis 21:8-21 Commentary by Mark Throntveit”