The Prominence of Nomads over city dwellers!

The Prominence of Nomads over city dwellers!

A story of two brothers offering their efforts to God ends in murder and a question as to why this sin occurred because of God’s favoritism:  Cain and Abel.   

Throughout history the synopsis of why does God accept the gifts of the poor, the lonely, and the destitute before the coffers owned by rich and overbearing individuals?  To answer this in a non-problematic reasoning we must look at what God used to move his kingdom toward the final inclusion of any one who will seek God’s plan to save mankind from the evil of sin.  

Without placing a chronological order of characters in Sacred Scripture we will begin with some of the most outstanding individuals chosen by God.  The Lord said to Samuel; “How long will you grieve for Saul, whom I have rejected as king of Israel?”  “Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way.  I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have chosen my king from among his sons.”  When Samuel entered Bethlehem, the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and inquired, “Is this visit peaceful, O seer?”  He replied: “Yes! I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.”  “So cleanse yourselves and join me today for the banquet.”  He also had Jesse and his sons cleanse themselves and invited them to the sacrifice.  As they came, he looked at Eliab and thought, “Sirely the Lord’s anointed is here before him.”  But the Lord said to Samuel:  “Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him.  Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the Lord looks into the heart..”  After viewing the remaining sons of Jesse and God rejecting all of them, Samuel asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?”  Jesse replied, “There is still the youngest, who is tending the sheep.”  Samuel said to Jesse, “Send for him; we will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here.”  Once David arrived the Lord said, “There-anoint him, for this is he.”   (1 Sm 16: 1, 4 - 7, 11 - 12).   

A substantial note here:  “Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock.  The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear.  The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord.”  And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:  “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”  (Lk 2: 8 - 14)).  Shepherds, the lowest people in Jerusalem and here in Bethlehem, and not those of upper class status were the ones  to hear the good news first.  Do we begin to see the dichotomy between Cain and Abel?

A dreamer of sorts,  Joseph, a simple shepherd of the flocks, now the son whom Jacob loved the most.  Once Joseph had a dream, which he told to his brothers.  So they hated him all the more because of his talk about his dreams.  The story goes on regarding how his brothers sold him into slavery to a passing Midianite caravan and the rest is history as Joseph became the one who would save even his brothers and Jacob, his father.  Again, a simple shepherd becoming one of God’s Giants in scripture history.  Neither of these two men were the first born but their prominence in biblical history stands out as part of the scenario that leads all of us to the birth, suffering, and crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the only Begotten Son of God, who came to redeem all of us, beginning with the poor;  “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.”  (Lk 4: 18 - 19).

Our premise of being better than the next guy because of our dedicated efforts to be who we really are is exactly what Cain discovered.  It may seem to be unfair since farmers put their complete energy and sweat and blood into planting, nurturing, and raising their crops.  However with the deeper biblical scenario, even centuries before the Incarnation, the very results of Christ’s Passion to redeem humanity has its prominence in biblical scripture.  Reading throughout the Old Testament we can find hints that parallel the Crucifixion of Christ.  (1) They shall take some of the blood and apply it to the two doorposts and the lintel of every house in which they partake of the lamb.  “But the blood will mark the houses where you are.  Seeing the blood, I will pass over you; thus, when I strike the land of Egypt, no destructive blow will come upon you.”  (Ex 12: 7, 13).

(2) At Rephidim, Amelek came and waged war against Israel.  Moses, therefore, said to Joshua, “Pick our certain men, and tomorrow go out and engage Amalek in battle.  I will be standing on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.”  So Joshua did as Moses told him:  he engaged Amalek in battle after Moses had climbed to the top of the hill with Aaron and Hur.  As long as Moses kept his hands raised up, Israel had the better of the fight, but when he let his hands rest, Amalek had the better of the fight.  Moses’ hands, however, grew tired;  so they put a rock in place for him to sit on.  Meanwhile Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other so that his hands remained steady until sunset.  (Ex 17: 8 - 12).  

Two signs of the crucifixion of Jesus plainly portrayed in the Old Testament.  Therefore, there were signs of the Incarnation many years before Chist’s entry into humanity.  Some as mentioned here, and then some as the true meaning of the poor to whom Christ was about to be revealed to as with Cain and Abel.   The cross displayed in bold opulence:  Egypt with the blood in the sign of a cross, and on a hill like Calvary.  

Ralph B. Hathaway