Emerging Africa

Recently I read two sections of the Old Testament that challenged my understanding of the person of God and the notion of "covenant". I refer to Genesis 16 and 21. In these chapters, God reveals His compassion in ways that even then should have made the authors of scripture consider carefully their position in relation to God.

In Genesis 16, Sarah uses her "domestic worker" Hagar to have a child by Abram (Abraham). She then becomes insecure and treats Hagar badly, forcing Hagar to run off into the wildreness. God intervenes (cleans up) of course and instructs Hagar to return. Before she does, however, God promises her descendants (the Arab people?) a great future. Hagar also, in gratitude it seems, turns around and gives God a name - "El Roi". I find this quite meaningful since people in the Old Testament seemed to have used the name given TO them to refer to God. All of this happens BEFORE the covenant with Abram/Abraham.

After a number of years - and significant narrative time - Sarah again becomes wary of Hagar and her son Ishmael; what would happen if Ishmael were to find favour in her husband's eye? She makes Abraham chase Hagar and her son away. He "wusses" out and gives in to her and sends off this poor woman and HIS CHILD into the wilderness! God cleans up after these to old people - again. Finding Hagar crying in despair in the desert, He enables her to find water. The chapter ends with references to her son growing up and God "being with" him. Although God sticks to His covenant with His people, His love and compassion for all people is SO clearly evident in His interaction with Hagar. Although I have always intellectually known that the God of the two testaments is the same God, like many people, I could not help but "feel" that He reveals two distinct "personae" - heresy I know.

I feel that these two chapters radically challenge the meaning of the old covenants. This is not a case of God making it rain on both the good and the evil. Instead, God's grace is revealed as being the deciding factor in how He reveals Himself to people. Neither Abraham nor Hagar is inherently "worthy" of God.