The Quest to Reestablish the Bible’s Sacred Space

Through the characters of Sarah and Rebecca, the Jewish people’s claims to the land start to take shape, and the covenantal family begins to grow, albeit through struggle and suffering.

Rebecca’s machinations to ensure that Jacob receives the covenantal blessing from Isaac reveals much about the importance of seeing properly in ensuring the covenantal destiny is made manifest.

Jacob promises to build God a house on earth, but then gets mired in the house of Laban. How does his stay in Aram affect Jacob, and how can he come to terms with his earlier experience with the heavenly house of God?

Jacob’s struggle with the angel is a physical representation of the difficulty inherent in passing along the covenantal blessing to the next generation. For Jacob, this struggle requires him to be reborn, with a reaffirmed sense of mission and purpose, free of the clutches of both Laban and his brother Esau.

Once the covenantal family grows, so do threats to its unity. Brotherly hatred puts the viability of the covenantal family at risk, and threatens to derail the realization of life on the covenantal land.

The episode of Judah and Tamar holds the key to the survival of the patriarchal family. Through his confession, Judah, inspired by Tamar, learns the powerful lesson of responsibility, thereby putting the family on the path to redemption.

Joseph, in his position of authority in Egypt, accuses the brothers of misdeeds in a way that is both true and false. In responding to Joseph’s charges, the brothers, led by Judah, learn the power of humility and service on behalf of others, keys to reconciliation and rebuilding.

The actions of Jacob on his deathbed impart to his children the key to building covenantal community in the covenantal land – inclusivity and openness to multiple voices.