Thoughts on blessing
by Sarah Melcher
[3-13-01]
The author
is the Assistant Professor of Hebrew Scriptures at Xavier University
in Cincinnati. She is an ordained minister in the P.C. U.S.A. and a
graduate of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary (M.Div.)
and of Emory
University (Ph.D.).
Shortly after receiving this extraordinary blessing from YHWH, Abram and
Sarai travel to Egypt to avoid the adverse repercussions of a famine in
Israel (Gen 12:10-20). Abram, fearful that the men of the land will kill
him because of Sarai's beauty, persuades her to pose as his sister.
Unfortunately, because of Abram's lack of fortitude, Sarai is taken into
Pharaoh's house. When Pharaoh's house is stricken with plague due to
Sarai's presence there, Pharaoh confronts Abram; "Why did you say,
'She is my sister,' so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is
your wife, take her, and be gone."
The Hebrew text is somewhat ambiguous about what transpires in Pharaoh's
house. Often the Hebrew idiom, "take as a wife," signifies
sexual intercourse. At any rate, it is clear that both the ancestral
promise and Sarai's well being are put at risk because of Abram's
cowardice. Surely his actions should be seen as sinful in this story.
Nevertheless, Genesis 22:17 reiterates the ancestral promise to Abraham;
"I will indeed bless you, and I will make your offspring as
numerous as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore.
And your offspring shall possess the gate of their enemies" . . .
Though Abram exhibited sinful behavior that placed both his wife and
future generations at risk, YHWH restates and later fulfills the
ancestral promise to Abraham.
This blessing comes from God's superabundant generosity, which is the
source of all blessings. God does not withhold a blessing from a sinful
person.
The story of Jacob and Esau in Genesis 27 demonstrates the efficacy of
their father Isaac's blessing, in spite of Jacob's sinful deceitfulness
in obtaining the blessing. Even after Isaac himself learns of Jacob's
deceitfulness in obtaining the blessing intended for the first-born,
Isaac extends his wish for YHWH to bless his son Jacob; "May God
Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and numerous, that you may
become a company of peoples" (Gen 28:3). An angel of YHWH extends
the blessing to Jacob in Gen 32:29.
Numbers 6:23-24 instructs Aaron and his sons to bless all the
Israelites, saying, "YHWH bless you and keep you; YHWH make his
face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; YHWH lift up his
countenance upon you and give you peace." Surely there were sinners
among the Israelites when they received this blessing. Nevertheless, the
blessing is extended to all.
Though there are many other examples, these passages are sufficient to
show that God did not withhold blessing from sinful persons. Such a
practice is radically opposed to many examples of blessing in the
biblical text. According to many such passages in the Hebrew Bible, God
extends blessing out of God's generosity. It is an act which comes from
God's incredible capacity to want the best for the people of God, in
spite of the fact that all persons are sinners. In fact, it is out of
God's generous nature that the gift of salvation comes -- out of God's
superabundant, overflowing love for us.
As the people of God, we are called to emulate God. We
are called to be Christ-like in our behaviors. To pick and choose who is
deserving of God's blessing and to pick and choose the specific
circumstances in which blessings are appropriate is in opposition to our
call to emulate God's generous nature.
I personally do not think that committed, homosexual
relationships -- between two consenting adults -- are sinful. But, for
those who do, it is wise to remember that we are all sinners before God.
Nothing in the biblical text encourages us, as sinners before God, to
limit our blessings to only those who fulfill our human notion of
righteousness. Without Christ, none of us are righteous before God.
