When sounds repeat they slowly fade to the background. Living in cities, the sound of traffic is something we stop listening to. But the traffic is indicative of important realities that we should pay more attention to.
In these chapters of genesis certain patterns are established.
Abraham has two sons who aren’t together, Isaac has two sons who don’t get along.
Abraham lies to Abimelek, Isaac lies to Abimelek.
The repetitions are alerting us to the pattern but it is a pattern we can get too used to and ignore. So that brings me to the repeated story of the servant of Abraham in chapter 24.
First he prays that a specific event regarding Isaac’s future wife happens.
The event happens.
He recounts the event to the girl’s family.
There are cultural codes here which I’m no aware of. But then there are sounds that need to be made in order that trust is established. In England the first way to truly establish trust is to talk about the weather. This is a repetitive cultural code. If it is ignored then it is quite possible to be considered rude and untrustworthy.
In these three chapters we are introduced to patterns that will repeat themselves and to the people who will engage in these patterns. This is how sound lives on. It echoes the past in ways that can be oppressive. These chapters also give twists and turns within these patterns. These are the new sounds. These might upset the pattern alerting us to the hold that the patterns have on us.