CHAPTER THREE Stories for the Journey Creating and the Founding of a People

God’s Creation First Creation Story: - Creation takes place in six days before God rests on the seventh - God uses water for the creation -Humanity is created at the same time as male and female -Both man and woman are in the image of God

God’s Creation Second Creation Story: - God uses land for creation - Portrays God as more of a craftsman • God makes man out of mud and “breathes life” into him -Adam and Eve are named - Story of temptation

God’s Creation Truths of Creation: - God began everything that exists outside of Himself • He alone is the creator - God created everything through the external Word, his Son, Jesus - Creation is the common work of the Holy Trinity • God the Father made all things by the son and the Spirit

God’s Creation - We have been created by God with both a body and soul - We are made in the image and likeness of God -The soul is the innermost, spiritual aspect of man

God’s Creation - The body is intended to be the temple of the Holy Spirit - In the person and mission of Jesus Christ, God has been fully revealed -The first covenant was made with Noah

Vocabulary -Myths -Ancestor -Evolution -Covenant

Justice & Fall of Man Gifts of Original Justice: - There would be no suffering or death -Man would be at peace with himself - There would be harmony between man and woman - There would be peace between Adam and Eve, the first couple, and all of creation

Justice & Fall of Man Original Sin -All human history is marred by an original, voluntary sin committed by our first parents -The basic root of sin is man’s rejection of God and opposition to His will -The original sin was an abuse of man’s freedom

Justice & Fall of Man - The harmony of original justice was destroyed: • Human nature was weakened and inclined to sin • Tensions between men and women arose • Rest of creation become hostile to mankind - Even after the sin of Adam and Eve, God immediately offered His mercy

Renewal of Life The Noah Covenant: - After the sin of Adam and Eve, God offered the hope of salvation by promising redemption - The covenant that God made with Noah was the next stage of his revelation

Renewal of Life The Noah Covenant: - Teachings of Hebrew version: • Humanity is to be destroyed because they are evil and constantly doing violence to each other • Noah is saved because he is a righteous man • Noah takes only animals on the ark • A second creation story, Noah becomes the new “Adam”

Renewal of Life The Tower of Babel: - How the sin of pride increases to where an entire city tries to make itself God - Shows in an imaginative way how the many different languages in the world came to be - Unification of humanity under one language would have been good only for the rulers - Dividing into different peoples and languages was not punishment, but freedom

Renewal of Life - God’s will is to create a people in his image - God’s will is peace, not violence - God’s will is trust and truthfulness, not the lies and deceptions of human beings in their society

Renewal of Life - God’s will is joyful diversity, not forced unification - God’s will is care for creation, not destruction - God is not impressed with how great our material accomplishments are, but how much we care for each other

Ancestors of Faith Genesis reads like a series of short stories: -Dominant people in the book of Genesis: Abraham, Joseph, Jacob, and Isaac -Women play a significant role -Stories were told and re-told over a long period of time -Idea that there were originally two different collections of early stories

Abraham: Father of Faith - Known as the “father of faith” - First patriarch of the Jewish faith - God called him to go with his family “to a land that I will show you” -Blessings have been promised to him by God, but threats come through human weakness and doubt

Abraham: Father of Faith Signs of Abraham’s covenant with God: - His name changed from Abram to Abraham - Sign of circumcision • Physical sign of the covenant between God and Abraham

ABRAHAM’S TRAVELS http://xenohistorian.faithweb.com/worldhis/map06.gif

Blessing of Jacob - Jacob travels to the family of Laban and falls in love with Rachel - He worked seven years for Laban only to be tricked into marrying Rachel’s older sister -Tricks Laban in order to become wealthy once he finishes serving his time to marry Rachel • Considers it justice for Laban’s foul play

Blessing of Jacob - Jacob returned home, fearful that his brother would not forgive him - Their reunion is a striking example of reconciliation and peacemaking in the Bible - Jacob had stolen the blessing intended for his bother. He acknowledged this by sending gifts and blessing Esau - These stories represent the hope that Israel can live in peace with their neighbors

Joseph in Egypt - The story of Joseph is an extended, single story rather than a series of short stories - He was the preferred son of Jacob - His brothers became resentful and sold him into slavery and lead Jacob to believe he was dead

Joseph in Egypt - Joseph became a trusted advisor to Pharaoh - His story sets the stage for the main event of the Old Testament • Formation of the people of Israel by their Exodus experience and their efforts to make a life for themselves in Canaan