I heard this over the weekend and I wanted to write it out to see if it checks out. I have a few examples but I wanted to see what else you all might be able to connect.
Jesus intentionally tells the story of the Prodigal Son by utilizing key phrases/words to tie the Biblically knowledgeable (Pharisees and scribes) to the book of Genesis.
Luke 15:11 - 32
And, before we jump into it, I do think it is an important to note who the audience is when Jesus is telling this parable. We have to go back to Luke 15: 1 - 3
The audience for this parable (and the others in this chapter) is for tax collectors, sinners, Pharisees and scribes. The Pharisees and scribes would be very well-versed in the Old Testament at this time, so Jesus creating a parable that hearkens back to larger points in Genesis is not "21st century Bible enthusiasts reading too much into something".
So, how does the parable mirror Genesis?
First, verse 11 gives us a hint on where to look in Genesis.
Who does this make you think of in other places within the Bible?
A "man who had two sons" - Adam (Cain and Abel).
The Bible's first family conflict is in Genesis 4. It is the envy of an older brother at the acceptance of a younger brother.
Cain/Abel is similar to the parable, in that the older brother connected with the field ("Now his older son was in the field"), younger brother with feeding of animals ("who sent him into his fields to feed pigs").
In Genesis 4: 6 - 7
God is telling Cain to respond the right way. Cain does not respond the right way, similar to the older son in the parable.
A "man who had two sons" - Abraham (Ishmael and Issac). Abraham is the first person in the Bible to run. At first glance, not noticeable but potentially memorable because of the age of Abraham (he runs at the age of 99).
Genesis 18: 2
In the same chapter, he tells Sarah to be "quick" (the first time in the Bible someone tells anyone to hurry)
Genesis 18: 6
After that? Abraham goes and gets a calf (the Bible's first calf!)
Genesis 18:7
So, as Jesus is telling this story to a scribe, "two sons, old man running, quick, calf" would potentially have them thinking about Abraham.
Abraham is also the only other person in the Bible who gave away his inheritance while he was still alive.
Genesis 25: 5
And, he gave it all to his younger son, Issac. In a cultural norm of always giving your inheritance to the older, why does Abraham give it to the younger son?
Genesis 21: 8 - 12
Ishmael laughs at Isaac. Ishmael doesn't accept his younger brother and, therefore, his inheritance is taken away.
Could this be directed at the Pharisees/scribes, who often see the tax collectors and sinners as "lower" than them. You can keep all the laws but if you won't accept that tax collectors and sinners can come to Jesus, than you can't be accepted by God.
A "man who had two sons" - Isaac (Esau and Jacob). Jacob, the younger son tricks the oldest son of of his inheritance. So, the older son, Esau, is extremely mad. Jacob runs off into a far country and feeds animals. Genesis 27 & 28.
And then Jacob comes back. And there's only one time in the Bible that someone runs, falls on someone's neck and kisses them.
Genesis 33:4
Esau, the older brother cheated out of everything, welcomes his younger brother from a far country. In the parable, a scribe may be thinking, "it should be the older brother receiving the younger brother but it is the father". A parallel to before, showing what the Pharisees and scribes must do to the sinners and tax collectors.
The only other time someone eats young goat in the Bible is when Jacob is tricking his blind father to believe he is Esau by wearing the robes of Esau and the skin of the young goat.
Genesis 27: 15
Jacob talks to his father-in-law Laban in Genesis 31: 38 & Genesis 31: 41
reflects the parable quote "Look, these many years I have served you"
A few other quotes from the parable to other things in Genesis:
Who suddenly gets a ring and a robe?
Joseph in Genesis 37: 3
Joseph in Genesis 41: 47
When does this happen? During a time of great famine.
Joseph is also the only other son that his father thought was dead and found alive again in the Bible.
What could this verse in the parable about a young goat, friend and prostitutes be reflecting?
Genesis 38 is the story of Judah and Tamar. Judah (from where Jews derive their name) is wrongly getting together with his daughter-in-law Tamar.
Genesis 38: 12
Genesis 38: 15 - 17
Genesis 38: 20 - 17
Again, this is not my own argument. I'm just summarizing a few points I heard and providing the scripture being reference.
Jesus intentionally tells the story of the Prodigal Son by utilizing key phrases/words to tie the Biblically knowledgeable (Pharisees and scribes) to the book of Genesis.
Luke 15:11 - 32
Quote:
The Parable of the Prodigal Son
11 And he said, "There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.' And he divided his property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.
17 "But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants."' 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' 22 But the father said to his servants, 'Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to celebrate.
25 "Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.' 28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29 but he answered his father, 'Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!' 31 And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'"
And, before we jump into it, I do think it is an important to note who the audience is when Jesus is telling this parable. We have to go back to Luke 15: 1 - 3
Quote:
1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them."
3 So he told them this parable:
The audience for this parable (and the others in this chapter) is for tax collectors, sinners, Pharisees and scribes. The Pharisees and scribes would be very well-versed in the Old Testament at this time, so Jesus creating a parable that hearkens back to larger points in Genesis is not "21st century Bible enthusiasts reading too much into something".
So, how does the parable mirror Genesis?
First, verse 11 gives us a hint on where to look in Genesis.
Quote:
"There was a man who had two sons."
Who does this make you think of in other places within the Bible?
A "man who had two sons" - Adam (Cain and Abel).
The Bible's first family conflict is in Genesis 4. It is the envy of an older brother at the acceptance of a younger brother.
Cain/Abel is similar to the parable, in that the older brother connected with the field ("Now his older son was in the field"), younger brother with feeding of animals ("who sent him into his fields to feed pigs").
In Genesis 4: 6 - 7
Quote:
The Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, and you must rule over it."
God is telling Cain to respond the right way. Cain does not respond the right way, similar to the older son in the parable.
A "man who had two sons" - Abraham (Ishmael and Issac). Abraham is the first person in the Bible to run. At first glance, not noticeable but potentially memorable because of the age of Abraham (he runs at the age of 99).
Genesis 18: 2
Quote:
2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth
In the same chapter, he tells Sarah to be "quick" (the first time in the Bible someone tells anyone to hurry)
Genesis 18: 6
Quote:
6 And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, "Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes.
After that? Abraham goes and gets a calf (the Bible's first calf!)
Genesis 18:7
Quote:
7 And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly.
So, as Jesus is telling this story to a scribe, "two sons, old man running, quick, calf" would potentially have them thinking about Abraham.
Abraham is also the only other person in the Bible who gave away his inheritance while he was still alive.
Genesis 25: 5
Quote:
5 Abraham gave all he had to Isaac.
And, he gave it all to his younger son, Issac. In a cultural norm of always giving your inheritance to the older, why does Abraham give it to the younger son?
Genesis 21: 8 - 12
Quote:
8 And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. 9 But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing.10 So she said to Abraham, "Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac." 11 And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son. 12 But God said to Abraham, "Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named.
Ishmael laughs at Isaac. Ishmael doesn't accept his younger brother and, therefore, his inheritance is taken away.
Could this be directed at the Pharisees/scribes, who often see the tax collectors and sinners as "lower" than them. You can keep all the laws but if you won't accept that tax collectors and sinners can come to Jesus, than you can't be accepted by God.
A "man who had two sons" - Isaac (Esau and Jacob). Jacob, the younger son tricks the oldest son of of his inheritance. So, the older son, Esau, is extremely mad. Jacob runs off into a far country and feeds animals. Genesis 27 & 28.
And then Jacob comes back. And there's only one time in the Bible that someone runs, falls on someone's neck and kisses them.
Genesis 33:4
Quote:
4 But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.
Esau, the older brother cheated out of everything, welcomes his younger brother from a far country. In the parable, a scribe may be thinking, "it should be the older brother receiving the younger brother but it is the father". A parallel to before, showing what the Pharisees and scribes must do to the sinners and tax collectors.
The only other time someone eats young goat in the Bible is when Jacob is tricking his blind father to believe he is Esau by wearing the robes of Esau and the skin of the young goat.
Genesis 27: 15
Quote:
15 Then Rebekah took the best garments of Esau her older son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son. 16 And the skins of the young goats she put on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck.
Jacob talks to his father-in-law Laban in Genesis 31: 38 & Genesis 31: 41
Quote:
38 These twenty years I have been with you.
Quote:
41 These twenty years I have been in your house. I served you
reflects the parable quote "Look, these many years I have served you"
A few other quotes from the parable to other things in Genesis:
Who suddenly gets a ring and a robe?
Joseph in Genesis 37: 3
Quote:
3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors.
Joseph in Genesis 41: 47
Quote:
42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand
When does this happen? During a time of great famine.
Joseph is also the only other son that his father thought was dead and found alive again in the Bible.
What could this verse in the parable about a young goat, friend and prostitutes be reflecting?
Quote:
"You never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!"
Genesis 38 is the story of Judah and Tamar. Judah (from where Jews derive their name) is wrongly getting together with his daughter-in-law Tamar.
Genesis 38: 12
Quote:
12 In the course of time the wife of Judah, Shua's daughter, died. When Judah was comforted, he went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.
Genesis 38: 15 - 17
Quote:
15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. 16 He turned to her at the roadside and said, "Come, let me come in to you," for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, "What will you give me, that you may come in to me?" 17 He answered, "I will send you a young goat from the flock."
Genesis 38: 20 - 17
Quote:
20 When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite to take back the pledge from the woman's hand, he did not find her. 21 And he asked the men of the place, "Where is the cult prostitute who was at Enaim at the roadside?" And they said, "No cult prostitute has been here." 22 So he returned to Judah and said, "I have not found her. Also, the men of the place said, 'No cult prostitute has been here.'" 23 And Judah replied, "Let her keep the things as her own, or we shall be laughed at. You see, I sent this young goat, and you did not find her."
Again, this is not my own argument. I'm just summarizing a few points I heard and providing the scripture being reference.
