Better Than Reality TV!

In my mind, I've always painted the Patriarchs, their wives, and their families in a rather saintly light. But, as I read through the Old Testament, I see all the things that were left out of Sunday School lessons (or more likely, ignored by my Pollyanna self). These stories are way better than anything Hollywood or network television have to offer in the way of deception, lust, revenge, polygamy, incest, envy, jealousy, rage, and dysfunctional families!

• Abraham giving his "sister" Sarah to two different kings to be their wife.  
• Sarah taking her infertility matters into her own hands and giving her servant, Hagar, to Abraham.  
• Lot offering the men of Sodom his two virgin daughters so that they would leave the male "visitors" to his home alone (the men of Sodom were demanding that Lot turn over his house guests so the men of Sodom might have sexual relations with them).  
• Lot's virgin daughters sleeping with their own father in order that they might "preserve their family line."  (Genesis 19:31-38). After watching their cities destroyed, I wonder if they thought the entire world had ended...?  
• Isaac pulls the old "she's my sister" trick with the king of the Philistines, telling Abimelech that Rebekah is his sister. Abimelech finds out differently when he later sees Isaac & Rebekah making out. Abimelech becomes quite angry, knowing that if someone had slept with Rebekah, thinking she was Isaac's sister, they would have committed a grievous sin. Hmm...wonder where Isaac could have learned that one from?  
• Esau "selling" his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew.
• Esau takes two Hittite wives (who make life miserable for Isaac & Rebekah).
• Jacob & Rachel deceiving Isaac so Jacob could have the birthright which rightfully belonged to Esau.  
• An interesting tidbit that I noticed from Ishmael's life:  he also had 12 sons, which became the names of the twelve tribes. I wonder if the Arab/Muslim world considers these 12 tribes as important as the Christian world considers the 12 Tribes of Jacob? 
• Esau, after realizing that his father despised the "local" women, visited his uncle Ishamael's home and took another wife (in addition to the two he already had). This new wife's name was "Mahalath" and she was Ishmael's daughter.
• The polygamy continues in other branches of the family tree:  Jacob allows himself to be a 7-year indentured servant to Laban, his uncle, in order that he might "earn" Rachel's hand in marriage. Laban invited the entire household to a feast in honor of their "wedding." That night, when it was dark, Laban took LEAH in to Jacob's tent and Jacob slept with her, not knowing it was Leah and not Rachel. What a dirty trick! Laban then tells Jacob to wait until the "bridal week" is over and he will receive Rachel as his wife as well, in trade for another SEVEN years of Jacob's servitude.  
• Rachel, trapped in infertility, becomes jealous of her sister (Leah) who was having children with Jacob. Rachel decides to give her maid (Bilhah) to Jacob to sleep with.  She (Bilhah) became pregnant and birthed two sons. Leah was unable to have more children, so she too gave Jacob her maid (Zilpah) to sleep with. Zilpah also gave Jacob two sons. Leah, jealous of Jacob's love for her sister Rachel, bribes Jacob to have sex with her. Out of this union came another son. Finally, God opens Rachel's womb and allows her to have a son. Surprise, surprise...the favored wife has the favored son, Joseph!
• When Jacob responds to God's call to leave Laban's land, Rachel & Leah unite against a common foe - their own father. Jacob's family strikes out towards Jacob's homeland, but not before Rachel steals her father's household idols. Laban chases after them, accusing Jacob of theft. Rachel stashed the idols in her camel's saddle bags and mounts the camel. She claims to have her monthly period and therefore is unable to come down off the camel. Alas, Laban is unable to find his lost idols and assumes innocence on the part of Jacob & his daughters, their servants and members of Jacob's household, and makes a peace treaty with Jacob.

I must say, this is better than anything reality TV can serve up! The Fall in the early chapters of Genesis continues to play out on the screen of Old Testament history and the enemy continues to work his plan to this day. Many of these story lines are played out in the day-to-day lives of billions of people around the world. And, into this sinful world, God sent His one and only Son to save us from these messes, these sin-filled life paths we've walked. God loves us that much! Unbelievable! No reality TV show or movie ending can beat the hope-inspiring final scene God has in mind for all who call on His name: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world, through Him, might be saved."   (John 3:16-17)