Afracentric Spirituality

Sunday school lesson eight teaches us about the Nazarite vow and its preparation. The hair in particular should never be cut. The 21st century school often quotes these verses as valid grooming rationale. Some people actually prefer their hair natural while others option toward maintenance. Samson's mother fulfilled her role in preparation of her son's mission to judge. Womanist in her relationship with her husband she most certainly filled a role in salvation history.

1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When either men or women make a special vow, the vow of a nazirite, F15 to separate themselves to the Lord, 3 they shall separate themselves from wine and strong drink; they shall drink no wine vinegar or other vinegar, and shall not drink any grape juice or eat grapes, fresh or dried. 4 All their days as nazirites F16 they shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine, not even the seeds or the skins. 5 All the days of their nazirite vow no razor shall come upon the head; until the time is completed for which they separate themselves to the Lord, they shall be holy; they shall let the locks of the head grow long. 6 All the days that they separate themselves to the Lord they shall not go near a corpse. 7 Even if their father or mother, brother or sister, should die, they may not defile themselves; because their consecration to God is upon the head. 8 All their days as nazirites F17 they are holy to the Lord. 9 If someone dies very suddenly nearby, defiling the consecrated head, then they shall shave the head on the day of their cleansing; on the seventh day they shall shave it. 10 On the eighth day they shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting, 11 and the priest shall offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, and make atonement for them, because they incurred guilt by reason of the corpse. They shall sanctify the head that same day, 12 and separate themselves to the Lord for their days as nazirites, F18 and bring a male lamb a year old as a guilt offering. The former time shall be void, because the consecrated head was defiled. 13 This is the law for the nazirites when the time of their consecration has been completed: they shall be brought to the entrance of the tent of meeting, 14 and they shall offer their gift to the Lord, one male lamb a year old without blemish as a burnt offering, one ewe lamb a year old without blemish as a sin offering, one ram without blemish as an offering of well-being, 15 and a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of choice flour mixed with oil and unleavened wafers spread with oil, with their grain offering and their drink offerings. 16 The priest shall present them before the Lord and offer their sin offering and burnt offering, 17 and shall offer the ram as a sacrifice of well-being to the Lord, with the basket of unleavened bread; the priest also shall make the accompanying grain offering and drink offering. 18 Then the nazirites F20 shall shave the consecrated head at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and shall take the hair from the consecrated head and put it on the fire under the sacrifice of well-being. 19 The priest shall take the shoulder of the ram, when it is boiled, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them in the palms of the nazirites, F21 after they have shaved the consecrated head. 20 Then the priest shall elevate them as an elevation offering before the Lord; they are a holy portion for the priest, together with the breast that is elevated and the thigh that is offered. After that the nazirites F22 may drink wine. 21 This is the law for the nazirites F23 who take a vow. Their offering to the Lord must be in accordance with the nazirite F24 vow, apart from what else they can afford. In accordance with whatever vow they take, so they shall do, following the law for their consecration.

"Blessing"

The Lord Bless you and keep you

The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.

from the bible crosswalk

Ephphatha Book Companion

Diacona Ministry: Ephphatha Book Companionhttp://www.google.com/books?hl=en&uid=10669873962227597567

Zipporah! Cushite Wife of Moses "Ephphatha Book Companion"

Daughter's of Dignity:
Zipporah narrative:

Moses rescues Zipporah and her sisters from a group of harassing shepherds. Reuel, her fathe gives Zipporah to Moses in marriage. The have a son Gershom and another Eliezer Exod. 2.16-22. Moses is under some type of spell where he is about to die and Zipporah saves him by circumcising her son Gershom. Later they are reunited in the wilderness.

Rev. Jeremiah Wright writes in "Africans Who Shaped Our Faith" emphasiizes Zipporah's role as the daughter of a priest and the wife of a preacher. Wright ascribes to her a spiritual wisdom and attentiveness to ritual and tradition that forms the foundation for her immediate response to Moses' attack by God. He paints a picture of a woman who is wise beyond her years, using the African rituals of her father to save the life of her husband. Thus McCain Gill supports Zipporah's role in salvation history. (Daughter's of Dignity, Laverne McCain Gill).
Elevated womanist status comes from domestic enterprise where they are the authority and decision making is done around the campfire in close proximity to the home site in rural areas or villages.

Moses was born a Herew slave and thrown into the water and rescued by a Egyptian princess. Later in life he kills a Egyptian task master and flees into the Midianite territory. These people were herders of Hamitic descent said to be descendants of Keturah and Abraham.

Women seem to have experience, prestige and self esteem. This status would gradually decline within a state sponsored system or centralized rule making authority; that did not value self expression.

Moses responds to God's call to be deliverer of his people. The circumsion rite is perfomed and they share a covenant with God. This text may be paralled with the blood rite of Moses in Exodus 24.3-8 and Zipporah's priestly circumsion Exodus 4.24-26
The sole exercise of POWER derives from a rite of passage; where the pattern is separation, threshold, and reintergration. Likely known as puberty rites, bith rites, martial rites and or life cycles across cultures.

Contrast this form to making prophetic proclamations on matters of public interest or direct participation in public affairs.

Described further as a social drama where there is a breach, crsis, redressive action, reconcilation or schism all processed as temporal regulation.

The woman has changed in this rite to one who makes ritual through her marginal character. Womanist priest has adopted the law from her father.

Certainly we are called and summoned by God to Awake and
help reveal sacred knowledge.

reading guide: Ackerman, Susan WHY IS MIRIAM ALSO AMONG THE PROPHETS? (AND IS ZIPPORAH AMONG THE PRIESTS?).Journal of Biblical Literature, Spring2002, Vol. 121 Issue 1, p47, 34p;

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Sarah

My princess or Sarai: the name originally meaning of the name Sarah (Genesis 11:31; 17:15). Easton’s Bible Dictionary

WOMEN’S EXPERIENCE; Sarah must have expectations to her role in life. She must have contemplated that before her marriage and what her marriage would mean to her.
Comment: Sarai changed to Sarah and Abram to Abraham when the ceremony of circumcision with God; a covenant to them and their marriage; where she was to bare the child of inheritance.

WOMEN’S EXPERIENCE: Prophecy to be the mother of nations.
Sarah
Princess, the wife and at the same time the half sister of Abraham (Genesis 11:29’ 20:12). This name was given to her at the time that it was announced to Abraham that she should be the mother of the promised child. Her story is from her marriage identified with that of the patriarch till the time of her death. Her death, at the age of one hundred and twenty-seven years (the only instance in Scripture where the age of a woman is recorded), was the occasion of Abraham’s purchasing the cave of Machpelah as a family burying-place.

In the allegory of Galatians 4:22-31 she is the type of the “Jerusalem which is above.” She is also mentioned as Sara in Hebrews 11:11 among the Old Testament worthies, who “all died in faith.” (See ABRAHAM) Easton’s Bible Dictionary

Princess: She is referred to in the New Testament as a type of conjugal obedience in I Peter 3:6. Sarah the daughter of Asher Numbers 26:46 Smith’s Bible Dictionary
Allegory

Gill Laverne McCain, “The Story of Hagar: God’s Blueprint for Justice,” in Daughter’s of Dignity Women in the Bible and the Virtues of Black Womanhood, (Ohio: The Pilgrim Press, 2000) 10-25.
Gill Laverne McCain, “Reflecting on Hagar,” in Daughter’s of Dignity Women in the Bible and the Womanhood Virtues of Black Womanhood, (Ohio: The Pilgrim Press, 2000) 26-28.

Customary Law
Sarah as principal wife of Abraham

WOMEN’S EXPERIENCE
Code of Hammurabi Section 146

If a man take a wife and she give this man a maid-servant as wife and she bear him children, and then this maid assume equality with the wife: because she has borne him children her master shall not sell her for money, but he may keep her as a slave, reckoning her among the maid-servants.

Abraham’s Dispute with Abimelech

Key terms: Beer-Sheba “well of the oath,” Abimelech guaranteed Abraham’s loyalty by an oath shown in verse 31 chapter 21; the story begins at Genesis Chapter 20. Abraham and Sarah were in Gerar and the story is parallels that of Genesis chapter 12.10-20 and comparison are 26.6-11. This is an ethical problem. Abraham’s role is that of an intercessory prophet.

Beer-Sheba “Well of seven”: Genesis 21 verses 25-26 and 28-30, a dispute over a well

Abraham is promised a son

Genesis chapter 15.7-21: God makes a covenant with Abraham. This is the covenant of circumcision. Likewise it is known as the early tradition of Jewish literature that is part of the received text of Genesis. Abraham had a vision and heard the word of the LORD. Abraham told of his concern that he was childless and had been given no offspring. The heir of his house was Elie’zer (slave)
WOMEN’S EXPERIENCE: Sarah as the principal wife of Abraham….

Twelve Tribes of Israel

Jacob and twelve sons and their mothers…

REUBEN: Genesis 29.32(See a son) the firstborn son of Jacob born by Leah... Jacob's blessing Gen 49.3(unstable as water) Judges 5.15... Deborah "By the streams of Reuben"

SIMEON: Genesis 29.33 (the LORD has heard) the second son of Jacob borne by Leah... Jacob's blessing Gen 49.5-7 "weapons of violence are their swords'...

LEVI: (this time my husband will be joined unto me) Genesis 29.34 the third son of Jacob born by Leah... Jacob's blessing was the same "weapons of violence are their swords" becomes a priestly class...


JUDAH: Genesis 29.35 (this time I will praise the LORD) Jacob's blessing "your brother's shall praise you"

DAN: Genesis 30.6 the fifth son of Jacob borne by Billah the maidservant of Rachel... (He is judged... God has judged me and also heard my voice) Jacob's blessing "Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel"

NAPHTALI: Genesis 30.8 (struggle and wrestle with) the sixth son of Jacob borne by Billah as wife to Jacob from Rachel... (Mighty wrestling’s I have wrestled with my sister) Jacob's blessing "a hind let loose; idea of freedom, agility, and vitality; one who gives beautiful words)...

GAD: Genesis 30.11(a band of good fortune) the seventh son of Jacob borne by Zilpah the wife to Jacob from Leah...Jacob's blessing "Raider's shall be a troop against him; bravery in repelling the enemy"...

ASHER: Genesis 30.12-13 (happy and happiness I am) the eighth son of Jacob borne by Zilpah the wife of Jacob given by Leah... Jacob's blessing "the food shall be rich and he shall yield royal dainties"....

ISSACHAR: Genesis 30.18 (God has given me my hire) the ninth son born to Jacob by Leah....Jacob's blessing “the mandrakes a potato like plant was thought to stimulate conception; he was to receive the covenant"...

ZEBULUN: (dwelling; habitation) the tenth son of Jacob born by Leah who says 'now my husband will honor me, God has endowed me with a good dowry'....Jacob's blessing "shall dwell at the shore of the sea and shall become a haven for ships; his border will be at Sidon"...

DINAH: a daughter was born to Jacob next...

JOSEPH: Genesis 30.23 born to Rachel and Jacob the eleventh son... (Increaser; God hath taken away my reproach; May the LORD add to me another son) Jacob's blessing was preeminent for "he was the fruitful bough by a spring, his arms made agile by the Mighty One of Jacob; with the blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep, blessings of the breasts and of the womb, receive the ancestral blessing, may they be on his head the one who was separate from his brothers"...

BENJAMIN: Genesis 35.18 last son born to Jacob and the mother was Rachel in childbirth death came, her last breath 'son of my pain' (son of the right hand) Abraham changed his name to Benjamin 'son of the south'... Jacob's blessing to the tribe of the Benjamites "Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, in the morning devouring the prey, and at even dividing the spoil.

These are the twelve tribes of Israel....
Jacob Wrestles with an Angel
Genesis 32.22-32
Jacob was renamed Israel (Israel means “wrestles (or strives) with God”.

Rachel

Jacob meets Rachel.
Genesis 29.6 He said to them, “Is it well with him?” They said, “It is well; and see, Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep!”
This verse details the first appearance of Rachel to Jacob and the “fall in love at first sight” notion toward their relationship.
Genesis 29.9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep; for she kept them.
Rachel worked by keeping the sheep, she was required to work, or she wanted to keep the sheep, Laban the son of Nahor felt it was all right and safe for his daughter to do this.
Genesis 29.11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and wept aloud.
Rachel must have been overwhelmed with not knowing who Jacob was; this man had kissed her in public. Jacob had wept aloud (moaning and muttering maybe) and she is the center of attention while the herdsmen stand there looking on.
Genesis 29.12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s kinsman, and that he was Rebekah’s son; and she ran and told her father.
Rachel probably couldn’t believe what she was hearing, however it must be true. This man Jacob was her father’s kinsman. Jacob’s mother was Laban’s sister Rebekah. Likely that Laban has told Rebekah and his other children that his sister’s name was Rebekah. There was even a real possibility that Laban knew who Jacob was from family and friends traveling passing this information along to each other’s family.
Genesis 29.17 Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful and lovely.
Leah was of a common beauty it is assumed and Rachel was full of beauty and lovely to look at. Rachel was probably accustomed to being stared at because of her good appearance. Leah was not second to Rachel for she was the older daughter. Rachel must have respected Leah and looked to her for guidance on some things. They had the bond of being sister’s that must have fostered some type of mutual relationship. They probably shared girl talk; even spoke to each other about marriage and how to prepare and how they would remain family.
Genesis 29.30 So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban for another seven years.
Rachel became officially married to Jacob and she knew him sexually and consummated her marriage. Rachel also had a covenant with her father Laban through Jacob, where he was contracted to work seven years for her also, because Leah also married Jacob; so the previous seven years had gone to Leah’s dowry. Although Leah was the first wife, Rachel remained a principal wife to Jacob. This time in life Rachel had become to know adult responsibility and was a woman responsible for her share of the home. Rachel was under the protection of Jacob also now.
Genesis 29.31 When the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.
Leah wasn’t Jacob’s favorite wife and the LORD God Almighty saw fit to give her the fruit of the womb and not Rachel. Leah enduring her pregnancy and withstanding the birth of their child; Jacob was required to be affectionate toward her. Rachel was a witness to Jacob showering attention onto his wife and new child. These actions only made Rachel want to bear children like her sister wife. Rachel was left to learn the significance of the birthright in the family. The lesson she learned most of all that family is important and getting along did matter. Apparently Leah could do something better than her sister wife that Jacob loved so well. Rachel must have been jealous, however not jealous enough to harm Leah or discredit her in any way.
Genesis 30.1 When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister; and she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I shall die!” Rachel’s Character
Rachel is completely distraught that she has no children. Leah was happy and Rachel wanted to be just as happy, yet that was impossible to Rachel without children. The words she spoke to Jacob assumed that he had control of the life giving anointing. Rachel is probably depressed that she can’t share in community with a child for Jacob.
Genesis 30.2 Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?”
Jacob hoped to get understanding from Rachel, however she was obsessed with childbirth. Jacob informed Rachel in no uncertain terms that their heavenly father was the reason she was childless. How did she expect him to change places with the heavenly father. Surely, Rachel needed prayer and would she ask the LORD God Jehovah to sustain her.
Later Rachel ask Leah for mandrakes, an aphrodisiac, which Ruben had found in the field. Whether it was used for food, drug or potion of sexual arousal later becomes clear. Leah’s price for her mandrakes is a night with Jacob as man and wife. Leah becomes pregnant and receives a new son portion when she sleeps with Jacob.

Tamar

Revised Standard Version commentary: on Judah and Tamar.
Theology or God how deal's with a woman's part in the LORD's promise that Abraham will have a great prosperity.

The marriage with Shuah's daughter reflects territorial expansion of the tribe of Judah and the consequent intermarriage with Canaanites. Shua was the mother of Er Onan and Shelah. The woman experience here is marriage and acceptance of the LORD's religion and moving away never to return to a cult worship. However her autobiography is scant and not known except her father accepted Judah as her husband. The previous worship they performed must have lead them to the new life in the Mosaic Law.
The early and childless death of Er is attributed to a divine act, almost demonic in character. Remember that the LORD God is the provider against all demonic force, whome we call Satan. Then jealousy and other things considered into the mix that lead to suspicion of poison and so on. The woman's religious experience here is being childless, a widow, accepting the Israelite religion unto death and having come from a background that worshipped Ishtar.

Mosiac Law that is called Levirate marriage (Dt. 25.5-10), the duty of a brother-in-law was to raise up a male descendant for his deceased brother and thus perpetuate his name and inheritance. Remember, the refusal of Onan to put his sperm in Tamar was refusing the levriate obligation. This is customary law in African culture also. Once again Tamar becomes a widow under circumstances that people become suspicious of her behavior whether she is virtuous or a troublemaker.

Judah feared the death of his two son's resulted from Tamar's sinister power.

Suspecting that Judah's promise (v. 11) was insincere,
Tamar took steps to make him perform the levirate duty. Tamar was taken to be a cult prostitute (v. 21), a devotee of the mother-goddess Ishtar. Prostitution was connected with the worship of the nature gods of fertility (Dt. 23.18; IKg. 14.24; 2 Kg. 23.7; Hos. 4.13; Am. 2.7). The signet was a ring or cyclinder, used to stamp one's signature. In Israel stoning was the usual punishment for a harlot (Dt. 22.23-24; compare Jn. 8.5), although burning was prescribed for exceptional cases (Lev. 21.9). So you see Judah thought all along that Tamar was exceptional.

Tamar takes on a virtue of necessity, making the most of a difficult situation. We now understand that Shelah is grown and to Tamar that is unsatisfactory to her that she be left in her father's house. Tamar is determined to go along with the levirate customs. Tamar here is conforming to the moral principles of Judah's clan. The introduction from her father made this a binding pledge that she must carry out throughout her life.

Theology of God dealing with Tamar, how she is singled out for approval, for judged by the levirate obligation, she was more righteous (see 6.9) than Judah. Tamar's morality toward Judah is seen as righteousness. Tamar is the weak link in this family circle and yet she preserves to become the the legitimate authority. Tamar has been annointed with the virtue of an order of angels.

The birth of the twins (25.21-26) portrays the rivalry of Perez and Zerah, two clans of Judah (Num.26.19-22) who were partially Canaanite, Perez, the first born, was an ancestor of David (Ru. 4.18-22). Above all Tamar's natural virtue of fortitude has attained a womanly status, a virtue of goodness. Tamar is aware of justice, temperance, prudence, and fortitude the natural virtues assimilating them to acieve her goals. Her charm will bring the power and potent force of the savior Jesus Christ