[Uucf-bible] Jacob and Esau

[tarvid]

RevRonRobinson at aol.com wrote:
> One of the great ways we can reinterpret the old stories is to recapture the 
> meaning they had in their time, what moved them in the ancient world can often 
> move us again in the postmodern world. One of my former seminary professors, 
> Rick Lowery, recently gave a wonderful lecture which included the 
> interpretation of how the story of Jacob stealing Esau's birthright blessing is really a 
> story about justice. Esau was willing to squander what was most vital and 
> important in his life, the family relationship and connection, and responsibility 
> for the land and the people---the listeners at the time would have understood 
> what foolish wasting and irresponsibility that Esau represented. They would 
> have been cheering the underdog, the one who had no power, who was able to 
> overturn the dominant culture's way of awarding power. God works outside the box to 
> bring about justice for the oppressed and those outside the margins of 
> society. Another biblical story of human liberation. 
> blessings,
> Ron  
> _______________________________________________

Piece by piece:

 > One of the great ways we can reinterpret the old stories is to 
recapture the
 > meaning they had in their time

Meaning for whom?

These stories probably got little attention until Ezra and can be fairly 
characterized as the understanding of a post-post-exilic priestly caste 
drawn and evolved from deportees from Judah. In any case, a rather small 
subset.

 > the listeners at the time would have understood
 > what foolish wasting and irresponsibility that Esau represented

Perhaps, but only by the villainization of the enemy. By all accounts 
Esau was doing fairly well while Jacob was away working for his Uncle.

Despite the repeated "complete destruction", it is the Edomite "Jews" 
who survive into the Roman era.

 > God works outside the box to
 > bring about justice for the oppressed and those outside the margins of
 > society. Another biblical story of human liberation.

The "God" of Ezra and the OT canon certainly does work outside the box. 
Using the Egyptians and the Assyrians to chastise "the chosen people" is 
the work of a truly "bizarre" God. This sort of rationalization is 
extensible to the likes of Hitler and Osama.

The liberation of which you speak leads to divorcement under Nehemiah 
and the hatred of the racially impure Samaritans.

I yearn for examples of peace, compassion and cooperation.

Jim Tarvid