Ch. 2 Pt. 1 Flashcards
What stories make up the first 11 chapters of Genesis? What do they mean
Creation: how the original goodness of Creation came from on God
Adam and Eve and the Fall: how sin entered the world
Can and Abel, Noah and the Flood: how evil of sin spread
Tower of Babel: how humanity was unable to save itself from its own sinfulness
How did Babylonians view Creation?
Babylonians: polytheistic; the world had come from many gods. humans were caught in the middle of the gods’ wars, and they tried to please each one.
How did Jews view Creation?
Jews: monotheistic; out of chaos, one God brings forth goodness. God calmly set the sun, moon, and stars in their proper place in “the dome.” The great sea monsters are good, innocent creates that God loves. God creates man and woman in God’s image - full of dignity, not slaves of the gods.
Why does the Creation story tell of God resting on the 7th day?
to emphasize the importance of keeping the Sabbath, a day of rest each week, holy as a day to rest.
When is the Christian Sabbath? Why?
Sunday: the day they recall the Resurrection of Jesus Christ
How do creationists and evolutionists see the creation story?
Creationists: Genesis is factually true; no contradiction exists between the biblical story and the theory of evolution
Evolutionists: universe had evolved over millions of years; Genesis is a myth meant to convey religious truth, not scientific fact
Explain the story of Adam and Eve.
- created to enjoy delightful garden and be intimate companions
- walking and talking terms with Creator
- caught up in disobedience and guilt
- ate forbidden fruit
- naked, tried to cover up
- God called Adam: excuse - nakedness, even though he’s been naked this whole time
- God asks if he ate from the tree of knowledge
- Adam blames Eve, who blames the serpent
What is Adam and Eve’s punishment?
Adam: work will be difficult and weary
Eve: subject to husband, pain in childbirth
What are the Three Parts of Original Sin?
- Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit
- They wanted to be equal to God
- Everyone is born with it “Sin of Inheritance”
Who screwed up in the Creation Story?
Free human beings
Explain the story of Cain and Abel.
- two brothers; sons of Adam and Eve
- Cain = farmer
- Abel = sheperd
- Both sacrifice gifts to God
- God only blesses Abel’s sacrifice, encourages Cain to rise above his jealousy
- Cain murders Abel
What does the Flood tell us?
How bad things can get once sin spreads
Explain the story of Noah and the Flood.
- instructed to build an ark to protect himself, his family, and some animals from destruction
- Flood comes, ark rides the waters
How does the story of Noah end?
God’s first covenant with Noah because he obeyed
What is the sign of the end of the Flood?
A rainbow
What is the lesson from Noah and the Flood?
our warm, fleshy hearts eventually turns to cold stone without even being aware of it; God wants to save us from this awful fate.
What is the Tower of Babel? What is the lesson?
- try to build a tower, summit in the heavens; make a name for themselves
- God comes down and sees the tower
- stops them by confusing their language and dispersing the people
- shows how sin spread to affect behavior of nations who seeks glory in power, might, wealth, superiority, and dominance.
Who is the Father of Biblical Faith?
Abraham
What does God bid Abram to do? The lesson?
take his family away from all that is familiar and go to a land “that I will show you.” Abram’s struggle to understand the mystery of the gods; one God is above all others
Why can’t Abram and Sarah have any children?
Abram is an old man. Sarai is barren and beyond her childbearing years
What does God tell Abram? Who is God referring to?
To look up at the stars and count them if he can. God promises Abram descendents that will outnumber the stars. Abram’s descendents are all who believe or will believe because Abram believes.
What solution does Sarai find to finally bear a child? What happens?
She proposes that Abram take her maid, Hagar, to beget a child the would legally belong to Sarai. Hagar ends up fleeing the harshness of her mistress. God tells Hagar to go back and promises that her son, Ishmael, will grow to manhood and free.
What is polygamy? Why does is happen? What is ideal?
more than one wife. Happens because 1) wife is barren, so female servant will be a childbearer or 2) husband will take a second wife to five the family children. Monogamy, one wife, is ideal.
What is the sign of the Covenant between Abram and God?
Circumcision: identifies Abram’s people as God’s people
