Genesis 27 and Early Church Writings [Polycarp to Philippians] 12-14

Genesis 27 - Here is the heart of the Jacob-Esau story. Isaac [Yitzak] “was old and turning blind” (27:1).  He calls for his older son, Esau to make him some of the stew Esau cooks so well; he sends him off, planning to reward him with “the blessing that belongs to his firstborn son” (27:4). The Tanakh calls it his “innermost” blessing. 

But Rebekah overhears her husband’s plan and gets Jacob working on the deception she has planned for a while.  She tells Jacob to go and bring her “two fine young goats. I’ll use them to prepare your father’s favorite dish. Then take the food to your father so he can eat it and bless you before he dies’” (27:9-10). Jacob can’t believe that his father will not notice the deception even though he can’t see. Esau is so much hairier than he is. Rebekah has thought of this already; she will cover her son’s arms with the “skin of the young goats” so that her husband will not recognize Jacob. And she agrees to accept any curse that falls on them because of the lie.

They put the plan to work. The Schocken version emphasizes the sensuousness of the encounter between Isaac and his son Jacob and its importance. Isaac hears Jacob, feels him, smells him but he cannot “see” him.  So he rewards Jacob mistakenly (in his blindness) with the wrong blessing—with Esau’s blessing, entitling him to honor and a double share of all of his possessions.

It is interesting to note that the story seems to imply that Isaac’s blessing of Jacob is irrevocable.  Like a quote from Isaiah 55:11, when his "word” goes out, it cannot be return without “fruit.” I think I remember reading something once about the ancient culture that existed at this time, that what you declared was somehow irrevocable; it made you take very seriously what you promised.

When Esau returns, he approaches his father and gives him the meal he promised. He learns of the double-cross, he lets out “a loud and bitter cry. ‘Oh my father, what about me? Bless me, too!’ he begged” (27:34). His father does give him a blessing, but not the same one. “’You will live away from the richness of the earth, and away from the dew of the heaven above. You will live by your sword, and you will serve your brother. But when you decide to break free, you will shake his yoke from your neck’” (27:39-40).

Esau vows to kill Jacob. Rebekah hears him plotting to do this and steps in again to save her son and assure the proper outcome of the story.  She says three times over the course of the deception and escape “listen to my voice” (27:8, 13, and 43) and Jacob, of course, does.  I feel there is a New Testament “echo” of this story in Jesus’ miracle at Cana in the Gospel of John, when his mother assumes that Jesus will “listen to her voice” even though he does not think it is quite time to begin his ministry?

Because of the deception and the understandable anger of his brother Esau, Jacob must flee to Haran where her brother Laban (Lavan) lives.  Like his father, Jacob too will find a wife there; he may not marry a Hittite wife as Esau has chosen to do.

The Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians [c. mid-2^nd century)

Chapter 12 – Polycarp is humble about his own command of the Scriptures; he says he knows the Philippian addressees all know more about its secrets than he does. But he quotes 2 Corinthians 3:2: Do not be angry to the point of sin; do not let the sun go down on your indignation.

“Pray for all God’s people. Pray too for our sovereign lords, and for all governors and rulers; for any who ill-use you or dislike you; and for the enemies of the Cross. Thus the fruits of your faith will be plain for all to see, and you will be perfect in Him” (123).

Chapter 13 – He says that they and Ignatius have written to him asking if anyone will be going into Syria, so that letters they have may also be brought there. He assures them he will see that it is done. He sends them Ignatius’ letters in response to their request; and he asks them to send him any news they might have concerning Ignatius or his companions.

Chapter 14 – He commends the man who is carrying his letter to Philippi. “And you shall have a commendation for his sister too, when she reaches you” (124).

Genesis 26 and Early Church Writings [Polycarp to Philippians] 9-11

Genesis 26 – A severe famine strikes the land, so Isaac moves to Gerar, where Abimelech, king of the Philistines, lives. “The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, ‘Do not go down to Egypt, but do as I tell you. Live here as a foreigner in this land, and I will be with you and bless you. I hereby confirm that I will give all these lands to you and your descendants, just as I solemnly promised Abraham, your father” (26:2-3). So Isaac stays in Gerar.

But when “the men who lived there asked Isaac about his wife, Rebekah, he said, ‘She is my sister.’ He was afraid to say, ‘She is my wife.’ He thought, ‘They will kill me to get her, because she is so beautiful.’’” (26:7).

This seems to be yet another echo-story of the Abraham/Sarah story in Egypt.  Here it is Isaac and Rebekah. The NAB says this is the Yahwist version of the story the Elohist writer told in Chapter 20. It is a little difficult to see the importance these stories had in ancient times. Partly, it is to show that the hero is a man of guile – or in some cases a woman of guile (a lot like Odysseus). Guile was not a bad thing as long as it served a good purpose. But it also again tells us that our hero needs to learn that just because a king is outside the tradition and the culture, this does not mean he is a person to fear. Abimelech is a man of integrity and hospitality.

Abimelech issues a “public proclamation [that] anyone who touches [Isaac] or his wife will be put to death’ (26:11).

Isaac “harvested a hundred times more grain than he planted, for the Lord blessed him. He became a very rich man” (26:12-13). The Philistines become jealous of him and start being aggressive towards him. Abimelech finally tells Isaac and his family to leave the country. “Isaac moved away to the Gerar Valley, where he set up their tents and settled down. But now disputes over water arise and twice more Isaac is forced to move. Finally, Isaac moves to Beersheba where the Lord appears to him and renews the covenant he has made before (26:24). So “Isaac built an altar there and worshiped the Lord” (26:25).

When Abimelech comes to see Isaac again, Isaac’s first thought is that Abimelech wants to push him away again, but instead Abimelech says, “’We can plainly see that the Lord is with you. So we want to enter into a sworn treaty with you. Let’s make a covenant. Swear that you will not harm us, just as we have never troubled you. We have always treated you well, and we sent you away from us in peace. And now look how the Lord has blessed you!’” (26:28-29). They celebrate the arranged peace, and “to this day the town that grew up there is called Beersheba (which means ‘well of the oath’)” (26:33).

At age 40, Esau takes two Hittite wives – Judith and Basemath. They “made life miserable for Isaac and Rebekah” (26:35).

The Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians [c. mid-2^nd century)

Chapter 9 - Polycarp appeals to his readers to hear and obey the call to holiness and follow the examples of Ignatius, Zosimus and Rufus, Paul and others so that their sacrifices not have been in vain. We do not know who these people were, except for Paul and Ignatius.

Chapter 10 – “Stand firm, then, in these ways, taking the Lord for your example. Be fixed and unshaken in your faith; care for each other with a brother’s love, and make common cause for the truth. Give way to one another in the Lord’s own spirit of courtesy, treating no one as an inferior. When it is in your power to do a kindness, never put it off to another time, for charity is death’s reprieve [citing Tobit]” (122).

He continues, encouraging everyone to “respect his neighbor’s rights, so that the heathen may have no occasion to find fault with our way of life . . . Woe betide anyone who does bring the Lord into disrepute, so impress upon everybody that they are to be as sober and sensible as you are yourselves” (122).

Chapter 11 – He speaks specifically of his sympathy for a presbyter named Valens. He didn’t understand the responsibilities of the office he had, and the note says he (and perhaps his wife) were involved in some financial dishonesty. “If a man has no control over himself in matters of this sort, how can he possibly preach it to anyone else” If he fails to rise above the love of money, he will find himself corrupted by the worship of his idol, and be classed with the heathen who know nothing of the Divine judgment” (123).

“I feel the deepest sorrow for that man and his wife; may the Lord grant them real repentance. You too, for your part, must not be over-severe with them, for people of that kind are not to be looked on as enemies; you have to restore them, like parts of your own person that are ailing and going wrong, so that the whole body can be maintained in health. Do this, and you will be promoting your own spiritual welfare at the same time” (123).

Genesis 25 and Early Church Writings [Polycarp to Philippians] 6-8

Genesis 25 – With Sarah deceased, Abraham marries again (Keturah) and has another six sons – a strange ending to the story of this man who was said to be 100 when his son Isaac was born. He must be nearly 120 at this point. All of the progeny of this period are sent to the east. Abraham dies at 175 and is buried with Sarah.

Isaac makes his home near the well of Lahai-roi (well of the Living One who sees me) in the Negev Desert

Ishmael’s 12 sons are listed in verses 13-15 (northern Arabian tribes), and then the story returns to Rebecca and Isaac.  “Ishmael lived for 137 years. Then he breathed his last and joined his ancestors in death. [They] occupied the region from Havilah to Shur, . .  There they lived in open hostility toward all their relatives” (25:18).

Rebekah is barren.  Her pregnancy comes as a result of Isaac’s prayers; the twins she will have struggle even within her—Esau, the hunter and Jacob, the quiet one, his mother’s favorite.  They are who they are but they also represent two rival nations—Israel and Edom (the land south of Moab, a land marked by the prominence of a reddish sandstone). 

Esau is more like his father’s half-brother—Ishmael.  Like Ishmael Esau is the first-born, but he is not the promise bearer.  Jacob, the quiet man, his mother’s favorite, is that.  Jacob [Yaakov] also means “heel-holder” or even “heel-sneak” according to the Schocken Bible.  The name he will get in the future – Israel [Yisrael] -- means “God-fighter.”

As they grow up, Esau becomes a skilled hunter, but Jacob prefers to stay at home. “One day when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau arrived home from the wilderness exhausted and hungry” (25:29). He tells his brother he’s starving and needs some “red stew.” Jacob replies “’All right, . . . but trade me your rights as the firstborn son” (25:31). Esau tells him to stop fooling around; he’s starving. Jacob makes him swear the his birthright will go to him.

The Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians [c. mid-2^nd century)

Chapter 6 – “As for the clergy, they should be men of generous sympathies, with a wide compassion for humanity. It is their business to reclaim the wanderers, keep an eye on all who are infirm, and never neglect the widow, the orphan, or the needy” (121).

They should always avoid any “show of ill-temper, partiality, or prejudice” (121); and an “eagerness for money should be a thing utterly alien to them” (121).

Chapter 7 – “To deny that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is to be Antichrist (1 John 4:2-3). To contradict the evidence of the Cross is to be of the devil. And to pervert the Lord’s words to suit our own wishes, by asserting that there are no such things as resurrection or judgment, is to be a first-begotten son of Satan” (121-122). Strong words – tough for my modern ears. Let us pray that we will not be lead into temptation, for we know that the spirit willing, [but] the flesh is weak (122).

Chapter 8 – “Let us never relax our grasp on the Hope and Pledge of our righteousness; I mean Jesus Christ, who bore our sins in his own body on the tree; who did no sin, neither was guile found in this mouth, who steadfastly endured all things for our sakes, that we might have life in Him. Let us imitate that patient endurance of His; and if we do have to suffer for His Name’s sake, why then, let us give glory to Him” (122).

Genesis 24:1-32 and Early Church Writings [Polycarp to Philippians] Introduction through 2

Genesis 24:1-32 – Abraham is now a very old man. He asks his oldest servant, “the man in charge of his household” (24:2) to take and oath “by putting [his] hand under [his] thigh” (24:2) and swearing that he “will not allow [his] son [Isaac] to marry one of these local Canaanite women” (24:3). He wants his steward to find a woman from the house of Abraham’s father in Haran. He makes it clear he does not want Isaac to travel there EVER. The steward is to go there on his own and find the right woman. The steward swears he will do as asked.

The steward travels a long distance to the northern parts of Mesopotamia. He arrives at a well outside the town and prays to the Lord to show him the woman he has been sent to find by having her respond to his request for a drink of water by saying “’Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels, too!’ – let her be the one you have selected as Isaac’s wife. This is how I will know that you have shown unfailing love to my master” (24:14).

Before he is finished with his prayer, a young woman named Rebekah comes out with a water jug on her shoulder. She is “very beautiful and old enough to be married, but she was still a virgin” (24:16). She does all the right things, says what the Lord has told the steward she would say.

The woman is Abraham’s nephew’s daughter, Rebekah (Rivka).  She runs home and tells her family everything. Her brother Laban, goes out to meet the man. He asks him to come to their house to stay. They offer him generous hospitality.

The Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians [c. mid-2^nd century) – Introduction through Book 2

Introduction from the Ethereal Library Edition and from the Penguin Edition (1987):

Polycarp (69-155 AD) was born later than Ignatius (35 or 50 to 98-117 AD) and lived to a much later age (86 or so) but his epistle is usually made a kind of preface for the letters of Ignatius; we will look at the letters of Ignatius after reading Polycarp. They were both pupils of the apostle John.

Polycarp [Bishop of Smyrna--seaport town on west coast of Anatolia] was a teacher of Irenaeus, and Irenaeus often spoke of the conversations Polycarp had had with the apostle John and with “others who had seen the Lord.” The church of the Philippians to which he is writing here was the first in Europe

The manuscript scholars have worked with is not perfect in any of the Greek manuscripts, which contain it. But Eusebius had a Latin copy of the text – not as good as the Greek version.

Polycarp was a Christian from early childhood. He was appalled by the distortions of the faith brought by the Gnostics, and according to Eusebius, told a story about John the Apostle being so horrified by the presence of Cerinthus, an early Gnostic, in a public bath-house in Ephesus, he told everyone to flee from the place (Early Christian Writings, 115). Polycarp traveled to Rome to consult with the Bishop there – Anicetus (Pope ca. 154) – over a disagreement that existed as to when Easter was to be observed: on the Jewish Passover or the Roman custom of always celebrating it on a Sunday. They agreed to disagree (115).

Chapter 1

“I have greatly rejoiced with you in our Lord Jesus Christ, because you have followed the example of true love [as displayed by God], and have accompanied . . . those who were bound in chains, the fitting ornaments of saints, and . . . the diadems of the true elect of God and our Lord Jesus Christ. . . .” This is a reference to Ignatius and prisoners who were with him on their way to Rome.

“In Him, endurance went so far as to face even death for our sins; but God overruled the pangs of the grave, and raised Him up to life again. Though you never saw Him for yourselves, yet you believe in Him in a glory of joy beyond all words . . . knowing that it is by His grace you are saved, not of your own doing but by the will of God through Jesus Christ” (119).

Chapter 2

“So gird up your loins now and serve God in fear and sincerity” (119). Avoid the useless sophistries of the pagans, the myths of the Jews and the “theosophy” of the Gnostics (124). Put your trust in Him who raised Jesus Christ from the grave. “All things in heaven and earth have been made subject to Him; everything that breathes pays Him homage” (120).

“He that raised Him from the dead will raise us also, if we do His will and live by His commandments, and cherish the things He cherished – if . . . we keep ourselves from wrongdoing, overreaching, penny-pinching, tale-telling, and prevaricating, and bear in mind the words of our Lord in His teaching, Judge not, that you be not judged; forgive, and you will be forgiven; be merciful, that you may obtain mercy; for whatever you measure out to other people will be measured back again to yourselves” (119-120).