Reading for Subtlety, A Response

It has been a while since I posted “Reading for Subtlety.” In that post, I asked a few questions. I received one answer/frustration with the passage that I presented. I mentioned that I had in mind, but I wanted to see what you all had to say. In he absence of comments, here are my thoughts:

At first glance, these two stories seem to be coincidentally presented. Perhaps this is due to the fact that they happened historically in this order. I have no doubt that this is in fact the case. However, there also seems to be a thematic progression as well. The connection is brief. In the first crisis presented, 12:10-20, Abram flees to Egypt. In the midst of this crisis, God makes an appearance in this story, but not to the person we would expect. God appears to Pharaoh in order to warn him of the coming danger and offer the chance of repentance.

Moving to the next story, a second crisis is presented (13:1-18): Lot perceives a lack of space and resources for both his family and that of Abram. God appears at the end of this crisis again, but notice to whom God appears: Abram.

So here is my proposal: In each of these stories, Abram responds to a crisis. Likewise, God responds to the situation. What I suggest is that in both cases, God responds for the good of Abram, which is no surprise. But I assert further that God appears to the wronged party in each case. What this suggests is that, despite God’s undisputed choice to bless Abram, God still makes an effort to work on behalf of those who find themselves on the other side of this blessing. More can be said, but I wish to be brief.

The Strategy: I want you to be thinking about whether or not this is a good, or even a possible, way to read and understand these stories. As you read, you should be looking for patterns. As you discover these patterns, in your first reading and make note of them, you should look to see if they are consistent in your subsequent readings. This will allow you to temper and test your hypotheses.

So give it a shot, read through the story of Abram/Abraham and see if this way of reading is convincing and consistent. If it is, what are other examples this that would support it? What are further implications of this possibility? Thank you again for participating. I hope it is helping you to reconceive how you can read the Bible.