3.
Three Men/ The Lord
The
account of Abraham's Visitors is often not given the attention it
deserves. The focus is usually on the message delivered, that Abraham
and Sarah would have the child promised to them, the son who would be
the first part of God's delivery on His promise of a Savior for the
whole world. That is a wonderful and miraculous story. But Who
delivered the message is quite vital to the story. The Bible words
read, “… three men…. The LORD.” This is the Spirit in Flesh.
The Divine communicating with weak and doubting humanity. This
chapter has many interpretations (and you are welcome to your own).
The typical explanation is that one person of the Trinity and two
angels come to visit. This Person is usually said to be the Son,
(John….) who gives a message of a foreshadowing of His own
miraculous incarnation. Then Abraham talks to Him to plead for the
righteous in the wicked cities, while the “two men” are equated
with the angels of the following story events. But this isn't the
only viable interpretation. In other cultures this event is given
great honor in art works. The Three Men are all depicted as divine
and identical. The use of alternating singulars and plurals in the
text is significant. “They” speak simultaneously, as one. God
identifies Himself as the instigator and manager of the action. God
says that He will go see the wickedness of the cities, and send
judgement on them, which He does from heaven (ch 19:… ). His
angels, plainly identified and never addressed or worshiped as
dieties, carry out His rescue work in the following chapter. In the
event of Abraham's visitors, however, God plainly says He is present,
and Abraham addresses Him as the One true God. Abraham knows he is in
the presence of God, wrapped in and veiled in flesh, with His glory
hidden. Abraham has talked with God frequently before this and
obviously recognizes God when he sees Him. Over his lifetime Abraham
had his faith stretched to the breaking point with the long wait for
the fulfillment of the promised son, with the self-manipulated
“solution” to the wait in a wrong son, with the command to cast
out that first son, and with the later command to sacrifice the
promised son; but in all he could remember Who gave him the promises,
and his faith held firm. We have those words, too.
Genesis
18: 1 – 33
Sarah, are you using any theological texts in the study of these passages? If so, what ?
ReplyDeleteM¥ reply here did not post, so I will try to resurrect it.
ReplyDeleteMy text is the Bible, and some art resources. The comments pertaining to art interpretation are subjective, of course. Whether one agrees with my views or not is her opinion, but anyone is welcome to add discussion points.
The gist of my point is that angels are messengers and Someone was bringing a message to Abraham, which he took very seriously as being from God Himself, and in art history the visitors are considered to be the Trinity. In the West, the visitors are depicted with wings as embodied celestial spirit forms that are intended to depict God manifesting Himself, and in the East, the visitors are depicted as three wingless Holy men in the same function. I don't think there is anything theologically wrong with either of those depictions, (or others), but I am guessing you do. Elucidate, bitte.
Note also that God, as a trinitarian being did present Himself in some embodied form to some people in the Bible, notably Adam and Eve in the Garden, and Moses (hind parts only but Moses did see something that was not a spirit), and maybe non-Trinitarian as The Angel of the Lord to, for instance, Jacob as a wrestling opponent (Genesis 32, esp. verse 30; note mention of angels earlier and The Lord after, which could be interpreted in a couple ways and not be theological heretical).
These mentions are intended to provoke thought, which can't hurt but can lead to further study, always a good thing.
I do not have an opinion either way; I am meditating on your descriptions. This story to me has always been less than clear regarding the visitors beyond that one of them was the Angel of the Lord (Jesus- but I see now that "Jesus" had not been born and named so is more properly referred to as the Son of God.) So I have more questions- the understanding through the study of art history, with differences between east and west- do you have this information through art history books? What differentiates the study of art between the "east" and the "west"? There must be a distant source for these ideas. And I'm looking for the interpretation of the church, which I would assume one of those interpretations was at least influenced by. Or there isnt one? Thus the differences (and ambiguities in the Bible classes of my life?)
DeleteRegarding the different embodiments of God in the OT- the examples you gave are well noted, but I don't recall the Holy Spirit doing so except as a dove in the NT.
Also- regarding your difficulties posting comments with your iPad, it could be a less than strong internet connection that isn't stable throughout the duration of time it takes to post.
hmm, not sure what the Yen sign is for....
ReplyDeleteThe differences in the depictions of Abraham's visitors I have seen in person in both the East (Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, etc.) and in the West in various European venues. I am sure you can find them in art history books, too.
ReplyDeleteThe Eastern forms of the Christian religion are the various versions of Eastern Orthodox, with their highly developed use of iconography. The theme of Abraham's visitors is well established in that art form. It is less used as a theme in western painting but, obviously, as noted, is used occasionally, but with the same meaning, at least in earlier years.
As to the source of the Trinitarian interpretation, I have not studied that, but it is ancient. I will see if I can dig a bit. The not-Trinitarian version seems to be new.
As to the embodiment of the Holy Spirit, He would be included in the Trinitarian forms (very limited appearances as read from the Bible stories). Most embodiments seem to be of the Son. Not an embodiment per se, but a physical manifestation nonetheless of the Spirit was the rushing mighty wind and cloven tongues as of fire on Pentecost.
I will check about the internet connection on iPad. Thanks for the tip.