| Dear Readers: As Mr. Graham is now quite elderly and in poor health, he is occasionally given to strange ideas, blunt language, and suggestions from his Interns that may seem uncharacteristic. Please forgive him, as God undoubtedly has. —The Mooseclean’s Editors |
Q: Genesis 16:8 seems to promote same-sex relations, infidelity, and partner abuse. Possibly BSDM. Am I reading it wrong? — S.C.
A: First of all it’s important to realize you are not alone in your confusion over this particular verse, which reads:
And he said “Hagar, Sarai’s slave girl, where have you come from and where are you going?”
She answered, “I’m running away from Sarai, my mistress.”
The angel of the Lord said to her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to ill treatment at her hands.”
As read, Genesis does seem to suggest a hot lesbian concubine being sent home to her kinky, abusive Slavemaster. And to think that some people say the Bible is boring. I get chills.
But to return to the matters of slavery, bondage, and punishment… in this matter, as in all things, God has the answer. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus suggests that this message from the Angel of God is just as it should be. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you! “Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven”. So says The Savior in Matthew 5:11-12.
And he’s not alone. Recall the wise words of Adam Ant, who once prayed:
Well tie me up and hit me with a stick
Beat me beat me
Yeah, use a truncheon or a household brick
Beat me beat me
There’s so much happiness behind these tears
Beat me beat me
I pray you’ll beat me for ten thousand years
Beat me beat me
And while being pummelled with police riot gear and construction materials has never appealed to me personally, I wouldn’t knock it until I tried it.
There is an additional context to be considered in this matter. While the Bible calls her a slave girl, other historical texts I’ve consulted alternately describe “Hagar the Horrible” as a man, and a terrible one at that: a shaggy-tuniced, scruffy, overweight, red-bearded Viking. He was given to raiding and pillaging. He loved long journeys by ship with sweaty, nasty men of ill repute. He kept a family and children on the side, in addition to his illicit carryings-on with Sarai. Clearly, this is not a person worthy of our sympathy. If the angel of the Lord sent her/him/it back to ill treatment at the hands of another, it was surely as atonement for her/his/its slovenly and sinful acts.
I pray this has been helpful. And remember — God loves you, and life’s greatest joy comes from knowing Him. Open your heart and life to Jesus Christ today.
| Send your queries to “My Answer,” c/o Billy Graham, Billy Graham Evangelistic Corporation, 101 Billy Graham Boulevard, Charlotte, N.C., 28202; call 1-(888) 2-GRAHAM, or visit the Web site for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Corporation: www.billygraham.biz. |
| For complaints on factual and editorial matters, write to Dr. Graham’s Intern: Jimmy Swaggart, c/o Jimmy Swaggart Ministries, PO Box 262550, Baton Rouge, LA 70826 |