Figure2.4EgyptianCircumcisionCircumcisionwasnotuniquetotheIsraelites,asthisEgyptiantombpaintingfromsixthdynasty(2350-2000B.C.E.)Saqqarademonstrates,buttheIsraelitesinvesteditwithuniquesignificancebyusingitasthemarkofthecovenant.LinedrawingbyBarryBandstraafteraSaqqaratombpaintingfromtheSixthDynasty(2350-2000B.C.E.)[
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3.CovenantofCircumcision(17)AsGenesis12:1-3iscentraltotheYahwist'stheologyofpromise,soGenesis17isfoundationaltothePriestlytheologyofcovenant.ThelanguageofmultitudesandmultiplyingrecallstheblessingplacedonhumanityinGenesis1:28.ThePriestlywriterviewedAbrahamasthefulfillerofthepromisegivenatcreation."Fatherofamultitudeofnations"isthePriestlyequivalenttotheYahwisticpromiseofbecomingagreatnation,spoken...[
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2.HeirtothePromise(15-16)AlthoughYahwehhadpromisedthatAbrahamwouldbecomeagreatnation,byadvancedoldageheandSarahstilldidnothavechildren.Inchapter15,ahighlysignificantpassage,YahwehapproachesAbrahamandconfirmshispromiseswithacovenant.Acovenantisanoath-boundrelationshipwithdefinedexpectationsandobligations.Covenantsoriginatedinpoliticsandinternationallaw,andhaveconventionalforms.Wehavemanysurvivingex...[
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1.ToandFromCanaan(12-14)Thedivinepromisespeechin12:1-3iscrucialforunderstandingthetheologicalintentionoftheYahwistsource.AbrahamwascommandedtoleavehomeandfamilytofollowYahweh'sleadingtoanewland.1NowYHWHsaidtoAbram,"Gofromthelandofyourbirthandyourkinandyourfather'shousetothelandthatIwillshowyou.2AndIwillmakeyouintoagreatnation,andIwillblessyou,andmakeyournamegreat,sothatyouwillbeablessing.3Iwillble...[
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A.CallandCovenant(12-17)ThefirstepisodeoftheAbrahamcyclearticulateswhatGodintendedtodowithAbram.Thedivinechargein12:1-3containstheprogramofthecycle.InitYahwehmakessomeratherboldpromisestoAbraham,perhapsasincentivetogethimmoving.HavinggivenupeverythingtofollowYahweh'slead,Abrahamawaitsfulfillmentofthepromises...butasyearsturnintodecadesAbrahamvergesondisillusionment.Stillnochildren,stillnoland.Thro...[
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StoryLineGodheldoutthepromiseofahomelandandalargefamily,AbrammigratedfromUrinsouthernMesopotamia(seeFigure2.3)toPalestine(Genesis12).Becauseofafamine,heandhiswifeSaraisoughtrefugeinEgypt.AbramandLothadcompetingclaimstoCanaanandfinallyseparated(13).GodmadeacovenantwithAbramasanassurancethathewouldfulfillhispromiseofoffspring(15).Whenmanyyearshadpassedandyettheyhadnoson,AbramandSaraiarrangedtohaveas...[
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Figure2.3Abraham'sJourney.Abraham'sclanoriginallycamefromsouthernMesopotamia,thensettledinwesternMesopotamia.Abraham,Sarah,andLottraveledfromHarantoCanaan.Abraham'sprinciplesphereofactivityistheterritoryofJudah.[
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1.AbrahamCycle(11:27-25:11)TheAbrahamcyclebothcontinuestheprimevalthemeofblessingandbeginsthehistoryofIsrael.Thenewbeginningnotablycoincideswithitshero,Abram,departingforanewland.Reflectinguniversalepicpatterns,thehero'sjourney(seeCampbell1968)isplayedoutinAbraham'sstory.Heleaveshiscomfortablesurroundingswithaneagerbutsimplefaith,facesmanydangers,andoccasionallystumbles.Throughthesechallenges...[
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Whatisphilosophy?
Verybriefly,philosophymightberegardedasaconceptualenquirydealingwithfundamentalissuesrelatingtolife,knowledgeandvalues.Byconceptualenquirywemeananenquirythatreliesprimarilyoncriticalreasoning.Thisincludes:AnalysingthemeaningofconceptsIdentifyinglogicalconnectionsbetweentheoriesEvaluatingargumentsandexposingfallaciesPhilosophyandothersubjectsAccordingtosuchaconceptionofphiloso...[
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