Exam 2 Flashcards
What internal and external reasons (i.e. from the text itself and from the cultural milieux) show that Gen 1:1–2:4 is not a natural scientific account?
It doesn’t hold together as a fact by fact account as it contradicts known and proven science. There was no such genera as natural science and there are other examples of non scientific accounts in this time such as the enuma elish.
What is “genre”? And without giving it a proper name, how might you describe the genre of Gen 1:1-2:4? What purpose does the text serve: to humor us, to instruct us how to make dinner, something else?
Genre is a rule governed form of discourse. Genesis is a non accurate account. It is to teach us the power God has and the goals he uses it towards.
According to Gen 1:1–2:4, the act of creation involves much more than just drawing things into existence—more than “Let there be X!” What more does it involve? What is key Hebrew verb that describes this?
Badal - to separate, to order
In the creation account god separates everything after creating it and that is the most important part
What does the term “image and likeness” mean in this context?
Man is like God in that he is supposed to exert domain over everything and to continue with dominion. Image and likeness just means that man is like God in that way.
What is the Enuma Elish, and how does Genesis 1 contrast with this literature? What are the principal claims of Genesis 1:1–2:4?
The Enuma Elish is a Babalonian creation account that focuses on the absolute rule of the Gods and is centered around violence and chaos. Genesis 1 contrasts this by focusing on only one god and by emphasizing the order God creates out of disorder. Additionally, the principle claims of Genesis 1:1-2:4 are that God created everything to be good and when all comes together it is very good.
Given the view laid out in Gen 1:1–2:4, why might we speak of disobedience as de-creation? (Keep this in mind as we read through Genesis 1-11.)
We note that disobedience is de-creation because it is the act of becoming less perfect than man was when God created them. He created man to be good and very good when combined with everything else, but this act shows that man as flawed because of the freewill they have.
A colleague of mine likes to say “Everything in the Bible is true, and some of it happened.” What distinction is at play in that statement? How might it apply to the first creation account? (And how might it apply to the second in Genesis 2-3?)
It is true in other ways besides being entirely true, moral lessons can be drawn from it even if it isn’t true. False facts can sometimes create a story that is more true. There is a point of origin, union, sin, and fall, but the rest of the information is beyond the story. The use of fiction is there to better convey the meaning to people.
adamah
earth
haAdam
made from earth
man is made from earth
knowledge of good and bad
the ability to make the decision for yourself what is good and bad
“[T]he commandment [in Gen 2:17],” writes Legaspi, “appears to deny something useful to the man as keeper of the soil and essential to man as a moral and rational being.” Does it? Explain;
It is not a denial, but a temporary withholding of something they will receive when they have shown they are worthy of it. It is an act of protection to make sure that man stays safe. God intends to give it eventually, but only when man is worthy. Eating from the tree is stipulating the good that is eating it, which is the role of the creator
Autonomy begins in dependence
The giving of the commandment in Gen 2:17 shows that the human person is already a moral agent, already knows “good and bad.” Eve’s judgment about the fruit in 3:6 shows the same. Yet, eating the fruit does introduce some kind of change—”And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil” (Gen 3:22). What change has been brought about? Be precise (Among other places, page 11 in Legaspi will help.)
Three possible reasons - sexual experience, good and evil representing all of knowledge therefor you know everything, knowledge associated with being almost god, ability to make own judgements
Simply put, what is the sin of Eden? It’s not eating fruit. Give a deeper description.
The sin of Eden is that she went against God’s will and made the decision for what is best for her and not the good of everyone.
What is the punishment given to Adam and Eve? How does this relate to their very identity as humans such as we saw in Gen 1:26-28;
They are banished from the garden of eden and women are given pain in childbirth and man is given pain in nature and harvest. Man and woman were given the tasks of being fruitful and exerting dominion over the earth. Those are the two things that God gave pain.
Genesis 2-3 is not historical in the sense we usually use the term. It is also not purely fictional. How might you respond to someone who asks “Is this historical? Did this happen?”
It is not the actual way that those events happened but they are a metaphor that shows how man and God both act and reason.
The snake is a symbol of wisdom. One possibility is to understand its “conversation” with Eve as an internal dialogue, as Eve’s own deliberations. Another possibility is to view the snake as a separate creature who dialogues with Eve and later bears its own punishment. Which of these is correct? How then do you fit all the evidence of the story together? (It’s interesting to note that the Targum Johnathan, which is an early Aramaic translation/commentary on Genesis, says that God made Adam and Even snake-skin clothing as they left the garden (cf. Gen 3:21). If true, that is a serious flex on God’s part.)
The snake is external because he is punished in the end.
What’s in a name? What is the difference between the builders of the Tower of Babel and Abraham? How does this contrast between Abraham and Babel relate to “The Fall” seen in Genesis 3?
A name is the purpose and task for which the human is meant to have. The builders of the Tower of Babel were being self centered and were doing everything for themselves. They tried to give themselves a name and tried to keep confined to a small area even though God gave them the assignment to spread around the world. Abraham on the other hand did everything for God. This relates to “The Fall” because Eve did the same thing as the builders of Babel: she turned inward and only made decisions in her own self interest.
What three things are promised to Abraham in Gen 12:1-3? What is the relation between these items?
God promises to make him land, offspring, and blessing. They are all a blessing that creshendows in the end. The land is there for the offspring, and the flourishing of the offspring is a blessing earned.
In the context of Genesis 15-17, how might we understand the introduction of the practice of circumcision?
This introduction can be tied to Abraham going against God by having a child with Hagar even though God had already promised him a child with Sarah - they got tired of waiting. Circumcision is a reminder of who it is that is responsible for descendents.
Why does God ask that Abraham sacrifice Isaac? In what sense is it a test? Why is the request to sacrifice acceptable in the case of Abraham? By the same logic, why would it not be today?
God asks Abraham to sacrifice Isaac because it is the ultimate sacrifice he could make. God wants to see if Abraham would trust God that he has Abraham’s best interest. God had given Abraham Isaac and he wanted to see if Abraham accepted the gift for the good of himself or the good of everyone. By being willing to sacrifice Isaac, it proves that he accepted Isaac for the good of everyone. At the time, religious sacrifice was considered a normal thing and it was the highest sacrifice you could make to God. That is not the case nowadays.
Is election earned?
Abraham is chosen freely and then he comes to earn what he has already been giving, so it is and isn’t earned.
What is the meaning of the name Jacob?
Jacob means one who strikes at the heel and it is another way to say backstabber.
What, according to the text of Genesis 32, is the meaning of the name “Israel”? (Can both be true when it comes to the scene in Genesis 32?!)
Israel means (he) strives with god.
The other meaning offered was god will rule. This can be interpreted because right before the name was given, Jacob strives with god but it was actually god who reigned. God was finally able to give the blessing and the name that he had wanted to do.
Both can be true because Jacob was both with god and being ruled by god at the same time in the wrestling match.
What is the meaning of the name “Peniel”?;
Paniel means God’s face.
The Jacob narrative has a few instances of poetic justice—Jacob gets what Jacob gave. How is this true when it comes to Jacob’s interactions with father and with Laban?;
Jacob deceived his father when he wasn’t able to see and gave him other offspring. Labon did the same thing to Jacob. He deceived Jacob when he couldn’t see and gave him the other offspring.
What evidence does the text give us that what takes place in and around the Jabboq in Gen 32-33 concerns the very things Jacob took from Esau early in the narrative in Gen 27? (That is, how does the text alert us that another instance of poetic justice is unfolding?);
Through that section of the text, Jacob refers to Esau as his lord and his master. This is in reference to how Jacob took the blessing from Esau that made him the master. By Jacob’s actions, it is his way of giving back the blessing to Esau and saying that he is the rightful master. And the same happens with the gifts. When Jacob took Esau’s birthright, he took away his inheritance, so in trying to make up for his actions he gave Esau hundreds of animals. The text also shows that since Jacob believes in God, God can now give him the things that he took before. Jacob receives his birthright as the patriarch of the line, and God gives him a blessing. Jacob took the blessing from God, but he actually wanted him to take it. This is the poetic justice.There is an instance of poetic justice that can be seen when Jacob is asked his name and this time he truthfully responds with Jacob unlike the time his father had asked what his name is.
Who wins the wrestling match? Explain;
God really wins the wrestling match because he had wanted to give the blessing to Jacob all along and he was finally in a position where he was able to do that.
