Genesis 12 - 50

Forefathers and Foremothers

The God of our fathers,

The God of Abraham,

Genesis 12:1 – 25:18

The God of Isaac,

Genesis 21:1 – 28:9 and

The God of Jacob

Genesis 25:19 – 49:33

{and Joseph (Gen 37:2 – 50:26)}

What is this?

Question of GenreForm Criticism

History – Recounting events as they happened

Legends – Tales of the heroes of old

cf. legenda of the saints

Saga – The community’s history personalized

compare Gen 49; Deut 33

others and/or mixed

Abraham

Genesis 12:1-9 New Beginning

Blessing for all nations Gen 12:3

Set forth not knowing where going Heb 11:8

Abraham’s Journeys

Sarai and Pharaoh Gen 12:10-17

Abraham risks losing the promise

Parallel stories

•Gen 20 Sarah and Abimelech

•Gen 26:1-11 Rebecca and Abimelech

Lot

Division of land with Abraham (Gen 13)

Visitors to Abraham & Destruction of Sodom (Gen 18-19)

cf. Qur'an 11:70-84

Moabites and Ammonites (Gen 19:30-38)

Hagar and Ishmael

Conception and birth of Ishmael (Gen 16)

Abraham & Sarai try to “help” the promise

Expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael (Gen 21:9-21)

Isaac and Ishmael bury Abraham (Gen 25:9)

Ishmael and Arabs (see Gen 25:12-18; Islam)

Pauline allegory (Gal 4:21-31)

Isaac

Shadowy figure linking Abraham & Jacob

Travels of Abraham and Isaac

Binding of Isaac

•Genesis 22:1-19

•Binding or Sacrifice?

•Compare Qur’an 37:100-114

•Role of Isaac/Ishmael for Islam?

•“Text of terror”

•Model for understanding atonement?

Jacob (The Trickster) and Esau

Birth and birthright (Gen 25:19-34)

Stolen blessing and flight (Gen 27)

Reunion (Gen 32:4 – 33:20)

Esau and Edom (Gen 36)

Jacob’s Travels

Children of Israel {Jacob}

and of

Laban’s trickery (Gen 29:1-30)

Leah, Bilhah, Zilpah, Rachel (Gen 30)

The Tribes of Israel

Joseph (Gen 37-50)

Within larger story:

Move to Egypt – tie Fathers to Exodus

compare flight of holy family

As separate story:

novella

The Ancestors

Real-life persons, not heroes

People of faith

Representatives of later groups of people

Related to, but separate from, other peoples

Sojourners in the land of promise