Know the emphases and differences in the first and second accounts of creation in Genesis
First account: transcendent and powerful
Second account: intimate and emotinal
How is God show both as being transcendent and being immanent?
Through his different creation methods:
dome of waters, light,
What happens in the first three days and how is it related to days four, five and six?
First 3 days: light and dark, sky, water, earth, land and seas
Next 3 days: God populates all that was created in the first 3 days: sea creatures, living creatures, humans (6th day)
Why does God rest on the seventh day?
To signify his creation’s perfection.
Why is woman created at the end of creation in the second creation account? What happens in this?
Intimate and human-centered way:
Earth = dry and lifeless
God forms man (Adam) from the dust of the ground breathes life into him
God then plants the Garden of Eden incl. Tree of Life and Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil
Animals are created next, brought to dam to be named
God creates woman from Adam’s rib and closed it up with flesh
Why? He needed a helper on Earth.
Know the account of the Fall in Genesis 3
What are some interpretations of what occurred?
What were the punishments given and why?
Does God show mercy in their expulsion?
The Snake offered a knowledge apple. They ate and were cursed out.
Interpretations: Some see it as a way to attack women, some see it as the devil. Some see it as the free will God has given us.
Punishments: They were cast out of Eden, lost immortality, and had to endure suffering because they disobeyed God’s orders.
Man = eat the ground, thorns, thistles
Woman = cursed to endure pain in childbirth
Snake got cursed.
God does show mercy, gives them clothing, told them that things get better.
Know the Cain and Abel story
Cain and Abel = two sons of Adam and Eve living out of the garden
Cain = farmer, jealous of God choosing his shepherd brother Abel’s offerings all the time.
Cain killed Abel with a rock, cast out of the land
Why does God prefer Abel’s offering to Cain’s? Do we really know?
We don’t. Maybe because Abel offered the best of his flock while Cain only offered mediocre ones?
What is God’s reaction to Abel’s death?
Very angry
How does God punish Cain? How does God protect Cain?
Curses Cain, but then protects him by making sure no one who came upon him would kill him.
Know the Flood narrative
The world is evil, so God wants a soft reset by flooding everyone. (Earth is corrupt)
Tells Noah to build an Ark and take his family, plus two of every kind of living thing- male and female and take every kind of food as well.
Rains for 40 days and 40 nights. Ark rested on the mountain until a dove came back with an olive branch to signify safety. The Rainbow came to symbolize no more floods.
What is the covenant God makes with Noah?
That he will never destroy the Earth/living creatures/ human beings with a flood again
(symbolized by a bow in the clouds)
What happens with Noah and his sons after the flood?
Shem, Ham, Japeth
Noah- planted a vineyard
Ham saw Noah naked, told his brothers. They lay a garment over him. Noah found out and cursed Canaan- Ham’s son.
What has the cursing of Ham traditionally been misconstrued to mean?
Used to justify slavery and other discrimination against Black people.
falsely linked “Ham” with dark skin and servitude
Know the story of the Tower of Babel
The people were building a big, tall tower, so God destroyed the tower and scattered the people, giving them all sorts of languages—a reminder to stay humble.
Why does God come down to investigate?
He sees and hears commotion among the people.
How does God act in reaction to the tower?
He scatters the people, and send them to different corners of the Earth, preventing them from all speaking the same language with each other.
Who is Abram (later Abraham) and why does God call him?
Very devout follower of God with no children. He is to create a nation of Godly followers through his lineage. God will bless him and make his name great, and make of him a great nation. Went from Ur to Canaan with Lot and Sarai.
Husband to Sarai, son of Terah
What does God ask Abraham to do?
How does Abraham treat his wife, Sarah, when they arrive in Egypt?
Move and create a city with his nephew.
In Egypt, he pretends him and Sarai are siblings to spare his own life, making the Pharaoh get sexual (God then curses the Pharaoh), then kicks Abram and Sarai out
What does God tell Abraham his descendants will be like? There are several answers to this
question.
Genesis 15:
Aliens in a land not theirs, shall be oppressed there for 400 years, then come out with great possessions.
After 4 generations, they will return to the promised land.
Universal blessing
What three people visit Abraham?
God and two angels.
. What happens to Sodom and why?
It is destroyed because of its wickedness
Lot- goes to Zoar, near Sodom
Daughters of Lot: one bore Moab, ancestor of Moabites, the other bore Ben-ammi- ancestor of Ammonites
(born after laying with drunk father)
Who is Hagar and her son, Ishmael?
How is she treated by Sarah and Abraham?
What does God say to her when God speaks to her?
Hagar = Sarai’s slave girl that gave birth to Ishmael
Sarai asks Abram to conceive a baby with Hagar, but when the baby is conceived, Sarai banishes Hargar
God talks to Hagar, says that she will bore a child name Ishmael
Ishmael = wild ass of a man with his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him- father of 12 princes
Why does Sarah laugh when she is told she will have a son, Isaac?
Because she is far past menopause.
