The Old Testament: Genesis

Genesis: Creation  Light  Firmament  Earth  Day & Night—time periods;  Living creatures  Man  Sabbath

Genesis: Eden  Geography: the Fertile Crescent  God’s rule on the two trees: --knowledge & life  Man’s taxonomy of creatures  God’s creation of Eve

Genesis 3: the Serpent  The serpent’s temptation  Eve and Adam’s fall  Man’s knowledge of being nakedness  Adam’s answer to God  God’s punishment on man and the serpent

Genesis 4: the first murder  Cain and Abel  Cain as tiller of the ground  Abel as a keeper of sheep  God in favor of Abel  Cain’s murder of Abel and his subsequent exile

Genesis 6-9: The Flood  Man’s wickedness  God’s punishment: the destruction of world  God’s graces for Noah: the ark  the covenant: the bow  multiplication of man again

Genesis: The Origin of Languages  One unified language  Man’s power desire  Babel tower: (babble)  Language diversities --(communication barrier) --(communication barrier)

Genesis: Abraham & Sarah  Originally named Abram & Sarai  Origin in Mesopotamia  Father relocated at Haran though bound for Canaan at first.  God appeared to Abram and promised him the land of Canaan.  Abram moved to Canaan with Lot.

Genesis: Abraham & Sarah  Abram built an alter to worship God.  Abram moved to Egypt due to famine.  Abram’s trick for security  Pharaoh’s punishment by God  Abram went back to Canaan with wealth  Abram separated with Lot.  Abram rescued Lot.

Genesis: Abraham & Sarah  The king of Sodom’s offer & Abram’s rejection  God’s appeared to Abram & Abram’s request: the covenant  Hagar & Ishmael  God’s covenant of circumcision: renamed Abraham & Sarah  Abraham & Sarah’s disbelief in God’s power

Genesis: Abraham & Sarah  The three visitors to Abraham in the Terebinths of Mamre  Abraham’s hospitality & piety  God’s promise again and His interrogation of Sarah  God told Abraham His plan for Sodom & Gomorrah

Genesis: Abraham & Sarah  Abraham’s pleads with God: 50  45  40  30  20  10  Lot’s hospitality & piety  Sodom people’s viciousness  Lot’s willingness of self-sacrifice for the visitors’ sake  God’s attempt to save Lot & his family  The disbelief of Lot’s sons-in-law

Genesis: Abraham & Sarah  The disbelief of Lot’s sons-in-laws  The flee of Lot and his wife and two daughters  The fragility of faith in Lot’s wife

Genesis: Abraham & Isaac  God’s test of Abraham  Abraham’s total obedience & faith  Isaac’s question & Abraham’s reply  The angel appeared to Abraham.  The replacement of ram as sacrifice  God’s confirmation of his covenant again

Jacob & Esau  Rebekah’s barrenness & Isaac’s request of God  the twin brothers’ distinction in both appearance & vocation  A hunter vs. a tent dweller  Jacob’s slyness & Esau’s weak will  Isaac’s final request & Rebekah’s partiality  Isaac’s doubt of Jacob

Jacob & Esau  Jacob’s stealth of Esau’s birth right

Jacob & Esau  Question: Can you see any reason of the parent’s respective partiality? parent’s respective partiality?  Question: Do you think Jacob was an admirable person? admirable person?  Question: Why God chose Jacob as the one to pass down God’s one to pass down God’s blessings for the Israelites? blessings for the Israelites?

The Story of Jacob  Rebekah’s excuse & Jacob’s flee to Laban  Issac’s restraint and Esau’s rebellion  Jacob met Rachel.  Rachel’s father’s trick  Leah’s pregnancy vs. Rachel’s barrenness  The two sisters’ competition in acquiring the husband’s favor—the two maidservants and the mandrake plants

The Story of Joseph  Joseph as his father’s favorite son  Joseph’s dream of binding sheaves  Joseph’s dream of sun, moon and stars bowing to him  His brothers’ plot against him: Reuben’s mercy at the last minute, “Shed no blood.”  Joseph sold to the caravan bound for Egypt

The Story of Joseph  Joseph brought down to Potiphar, courtier of Pharaoh  his prosperity thereon  the courtier’s wife’s desire for Joseph and the latter’s rejection of the temptation  Joseph put into jail  Joseph’s popularity in the jail

The Story of Joseph  A Question: why God did not rid Joseph of these troubles?

The Story of Joseph  The cupbearer’s and the baker’s dream  Joseph’s interpretations of them  The cupbearer’s oblivion of Joseph  The pharaoh’s dreams two years later  The cupbearer’s belated recollection of Joseph

The Story of Joseph  Joseph’s interpretation of the Pharaoh’s dream  Joseph was assigned the highest official in Pharaoh’s court at age 30.  Joseph’s brothers’ arrival at Egypt in quest for food due to famine  Joseph’s feigned ignorance and his request of meeting Benjamin

The Story of Joseph  Joseph put back his brothers’ silver into their sacks.  The brothers’ report of Joseph’s demand  Jacob’s refusal of sending Benjamin off  Jacob’s change of mind due to shortage of food  Joseph’s trick on his brothers  The family recognition

The Story of Joseph  Joseph’s interpretation of his encounters 

Job  Job--Innocent, upright, God-fearing with tremendous wealth  The Accuser’s bet with God  The disasters befallen on Job  Job’s persistence in piety  The second deal between the Accuser and God  Job’s wife’s curse

Job  The three friends’ visit  Job’s regret of his birth  The friends’ distrust of Job & Job’s answer  Job’s challenge of God  God’s answer

Job  Question: How does the story of Job differ from that of Joseph in the idea of God’s relation to man?