Welcome to this Bible study of Genesis. Try to answer these questions reading the scripture passages given. The questions marked " * " are more advanced, perhaps, you'd like to see if you can answer them. Those questions labeled " § " are private and need only be shared when you feel comfortable doing so. Of necessity, the questions cannot be based on all translations. The Revised Standard Version and the New International Version are the primary sources, however, use whatever version you enjoy. The LORD will bless your daily commitment to the study of her word.
The previous lesson explored Christian theology as expressed in the Epistle of Romans, Paul's doctrine of justification by faith along with the concept that humans are unable to obtain righteousness before GOD, independent of GOD's Spirit. On a practical level, a righteous person, filled with the Holy Spirit, is one who loves GOD by following her commandments, chief of which is the commandment to love one another.
This lesson traces the foundations of the Jewish religion which Paul cited in the Letter to the Romans, namely Adam and Abraham. The first five chapters start with the Creation as GOD brings life to an empty world, and ends with the introduction of death brought on by the disobedience of the first two humans.
Chapters five through eleven chronicle the world after the fall of Eden, most notably the life of Noah. In addition to the Noah's life, the birth of nations and the creation of language are presented, showing the futility of seeking to elevate oneself to GOD.
The remainder of Genesis is the biography of Abraham and his descendants concluding with Joseph. The men and women of Genesis have very real characteristics and personalities which belie any effort to impose saintliness. Even so, their one common trait is an unwavering faith in GOD despite overwhelming hardship. It is this faith that is remembered in Hebrews 11 and held as an example for us to live by as Christians.
When you have completed this study of Genesis, you will understand the importance of Abraham's faith which elevates him to the position of father of the three major monotheistic religions, Judaism, Islam and Christianity. You will also see that the women of Genesis, although often neglected, were not without strength, vitality and contribution. Sarah, Rebekah and Tamar were anything but demure followers in a patriarchal society. The lives of the men and women with all of their successes and failures will aid to a realistic understanding of the life of those who chose to follow GOD. From this study you will gain strength and encouragement to succeed in your own spiritual relationship.
The next chapter explores the Gospel of Matthew. We will return to the study of the life of Jesus begun in Luke with Matthew's particular emphasis on the continuity of Jesus as the Messiah within the Jewish religion. The author of Matthew relies on the Jewish Scripture more than any other of the synoptic authors, and so, this study of Genesis will be important as you embrace Matthew.
Exodus 1:8-11
Exodus 3:7-10
Joshua 3:9
Leah
Rachel
Zilpah
Bilhah
Luke 1:54 and 55; 1:68-73; 3:8;
13:15-17; 19:7-10; 20:37 and 38
Acts 3:13
3:25 and 26
7:2
13:26 - 33
Romans 4:1-3
Romans 4:9-12
Romans 9:7 and 8
Hebrews 11:8-12
Genesis 4:25
16:11-12
27:8-10
38:29
Recommended Reading:
Plaut, W. Gunther, Editor; The TORAH, A Modern Commentary; Union of American Hebrew Congregations, New York, USA, 1981. ISBN 0 8074 0055 6
This is the fourth lesson you have completed. Are you beginning to understand more about faith, and the cultivation of your spiritual relationship? Learning to trust this relationship is a challenging, rewarding and enduring process. As you have read, it was a difficult task for everyone in Genesis.
A stumbling block for many falls under the somewhat oxymoron of "Science in Genesis". Genesis is intented to be neither a book of history nor science, especially in the twenty-first century sense of those words. Genesis tells us what people believed about their God. In The TORAH, A Modern Commentary, W Gunther Plaut tackles this issue:
"Ancient people considered the earth the center of the universe and natural law not as unalterable but as subservient to the will of God. This view is the basic principle underlying many stories, especially the opening chapters of the Bood of Genesis which have become formidable obstacle to the reading of the Bible. Why -- it is asked -- should we concern ourselves at all with stories of the six days of creation, with Adam and Eve, and the Garden of Eden? All these are unscientific, antiquated myths, and therefore appear to be irrelevant.
"In answer, many defenders of the Bible agree that while the book has indeed little to tell about scientific origins of the world and its inhabitants it does have a great deal to tell about God's relationship to His world and about human beings and their destiny. Since the Bible's scientific comprehension, they say is limited to the world view of the ancients, just as ours is to that of our own time, it would be futile to look to the Bible for references to evolution or to suggest that 'one day' in creation may correspond to millenia in scientific reckoning.
"This view, while it appears to rescue the Bible from the worst problems of an outmoded literalism, nonehteless does not do the book full justice, for it approaches it with a facile sense of modren superiority To be sure, our knowledge of science is vastly greater than that of the ancients. But that does not necessarily make our world view, based on such scientific insights, any more advanced.
"It would be better, therefore, to come to the biblical text with full respect for its intellectual convictions and to understand that these are often expressed in metaphors and always in the vocabulary and framework of antiquity. The contemporary readers thus should restrain their inclination to do battle with or look for modern comparisons to ancient notions of creation. They should read the Bible for what it suggests about the nature of human history, the meaning of existence, and the presence of God."
What does still ring true is human nature as it is portrayed by the women and men in Genesis. Their faith stands up to scrutiny, and their example can bolster our own courage as we grow our own spiritual relationship. Anyone who has moved from one place to another can understand the courage Abraham showed when he ventured from Ur to Canaan. One was his boyhood home and the other was a place he had never seen before. No matter how fierce the battles with our siblings, fortunately, very few people have been sold into slavery by their brothers as Joseph was. Yet, he maintained a steadfast faith in God, and arose out of those Egyptian chains with a heart of iron, and able to lead an entire nation through famine. The psalmist writes of this that God sent Joseph to Egypt.
The story of Joseph is broken into two pieces by the story of Tamar. The tale foreshadows Joseph in Potiphar's house, and thereby places Judah and Joseph in sharp contrast. Tamar and Potiphar's wife are also contrasted. Tamar is resourceful in fulfilling the will of her GOD. Potiphar's wife is devious in fulfilling the needs of her lust.
However, to view the story of Tamar only in its relationship to Joseph is to limit it severely. "The chief figures are Tamar and Judah," writes Plaut. "and Judah is the ultimate preserver of the house of Israel. From the union of the tribal progenitor and his daughter-in-law, Perez is born, and from him will descend the person and the house of David. The Tamar tale thus became an important part of the David saga, just as the Book of Ruth did in later days. We are told that Ruth and Boaz would be forebears of the king and that Boaz traced his line to Perez, son of Tamar and Judah. (Ruth 4:12-22)."
As you continue to grow in your spiritual relationship, it may help to remember the successes and failings of these people. Each in their own way, following the will of God. Through it all, the will of God triumphed.
In the next lesson, we will learn how this undaunted will of the LORD our GOD culminated in the Messiah The Gospel According to Matthew was written to Jews who revered the people we have just learned about. Turn to Matthew and learn how the first century followers of the Christ viewed themselves as a continuation of the historical legacy begun in Genesis.