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Origins The Book of Genesis 1-11. By Chaplain Ron McCants. Six Days of Forming and Filling. God beginning heavens and earth formless, uninhabitable, watery, darkness, hovering Spirit. 1 light 2 water/skies 3 dry land w/plants. 4 filled with lights 5 filled with fish & birds
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OriginsThe Book of Genesis 1-11 • By Chaplain Ron McCants
Six Days of Forming and Filling God beginning heavens and earth formless, uninhabitable, watery, darkness, hovering Spirit 1 light 2 water/skies 3 dry land w/plants 4 filled with lights 5 filled with fish & birds 6 filled with beasts, man “Thus, heavens and earth completed… … and all their hosts.” 2:1 Notice: all these created things were also Egyptian gods. First laws of covenant: God alone, no other gods, no idols. Compare Gen 1 order to Deut 4:15-19 (Gen 1 in reverse)
The Yahwist deals with the character flaws, blatant sins, of the main characters. He exposes: • the lie of Abraham when he tells Pharaoh that Sarah is his sister (Genesis 12:10-20) • the underhanded deceit of Jacob in tricking Esau and Laban (Genesis 27; 30-31) • the dastardly trick of Simeon and Levi in killing the Shechemites (Genesis 34)
The Elohist had a special interest in the faith and obedience of the covenant people. He was concerned that the people be obedient first of all to God. • The Elohist is fond of using repetitions when God is calling someone, for example, "Abraham, Abraham" (Genesis 22) and "Moses, Moses" (Exodus 3). And the preferred response is "I'm here".
D (Deuteronomist) mostly found in Deuteronomy. Some scholars contend that it is the oldest of the four sources during the time of King Kezekiah and/or King Josiah of the Southern Kingdom.
P deals more with formal religion and worship, the priesthood and its regulations, genealogies, and sacrificial practices; in short, everything that enabled the community to maintain a right relationship with God and retain its identity in the face of changing times.
Note Table 3.1: • The apparent parallels between Genesis 1 and the Babylonian Creation Epic (Enuma Elish) on page 54
The Communal OriginsGenesis 2-3 • Catalyst: The serpent tempts the woman. • Rebellion: The woman and man eat the forbidden fruit. • Confrontation: The man and woman hide, but the LORD finds and confronts them. • Rationalization: The man blames the woman ( and by implication, God ); the woman blames the serpent. • Result (alienation): The harmony of humankind with the creator and with nature, and the harmony of male and female, is broken.
Christian theologian, Saint Augustine (354-430 C.E.) Christian doctrine “Original Sin.” The view that sin is inherited by all subsequent humans after Adam and Eve.
Class Assignment • On Page 71 – Read Genesis 3: The Garden of Eden • Divide into three groups. • Give presentation of statement and answers in class. • Group a. Focus on the portrayal … (read the rest and answer questions) • Group b. Some readers take the story literally … (read the rest and answer questions) • Group c. Some feminist readers reject the story … (read the rest and answer questions) • Be prepared to discuss in class. • Each student will turn in a written response to questions that pertain to his or her group.