May 10, 2009
Genesis 17
Today we talked about the happy topic of circ*umci*sion!
This is also the passage where God changes Abram's name to Abraham, and Sarai's name to Sarah. A few of the questions we discussed are:
In what ways does baptism for Christians serve a similar function as circumcision for Jews?
Can ceremonies and rituals (e.g. sacraments) become powerless and perfunctory, or do they have power in themselves whether or not the participants take them seriously?
Next week: The Three Visitors (Genesis Chapter 18)
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Saturday, May 2, 2009
May 3, 2009 Hagar and the birth of Ishmael
Genesis 16 : The Birth of Ishmael
One commentary states that in this passage “the basic conflict is between certain specific legal rights and natural human feelings.” What are the feelings of the major characters, and how do these feelings influence their actions?
What action does Hagar take and what does she learn about the Lord in this traumatic experience (16:6-14)?
One commentary states that in this passage “the basic conflict is between certain specific legal rights and natural human feelings.” What are the feelings of the major characters, and how do these feelings influence their actions?
What action does Hagar take and what does she learn about the Lord in this traumatic experience (16:6-14)?
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
April 5: Belief, covenant, and ritual
Genesis 15
Abram is still bopping around without any kids, and in this passage he asks God what's up with that promise. This passage includes a description of an ancient covenant ritual. The Bible says in verse 6 that Abram believed, and in verse 9 Abram begins the ritual, at God's direction. If Abram believed, why did God have him perform this ritual?
Abram is still bopping around without any kids, and in this passage he asks God what's up with that promise. This passage includes a description of an ancient covenant ritual. The Bible says in verse 6 that Abram believed, and in verse 9 Abram begins the ritual, at God's direction. If Abram believed, why did God have him perform this ritual?
Friday, February 27, 2009
March 1: Abram goes on a trip
Genesis 12:1-9
Imagine yourself as a nomad temporarily camped at the edge of the urban world in Mesopotamia. How would you react to a message from God to pack up and head south to someplace yet to be determined?
How would you even know it was God who had spoken to you?
Imagine yourself as a nomad temporarily camped at the edge of the urban world in Mesopotamia. How would you react to a message from God to pack up and head south to someplace yet to be determined?
How would you even know it was God who had spoken to you?
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Babble, Babel, Babble
Genesis 11:1-9
The Tower of Babel
A few study questions:
3. In what way is the desire of the builders of the Babel tower similar to that of Adam and Eve?
5. By dispersing the people of Babel over the face of the earth, did God accomplish something more than just punishing them?
The Tower of Babel
A few study questions:
3. In what way is the desire of the builders of the Babel tower similar to that of Adam and Eve?
5. By dispersing the people of Babel over the face of the earth, did God accomplish something more than just punishing them?
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Genesis 8:21 Is evil the same as sinful?
Is “evil” the same as “sinful”? What’s your opinion?
According to that august source of all knowledge, the internet, this question is not settled. I guess it mostly depends on the meaning you assign to the English words “evil” and “sinful.” My MS Encarta dictionary gives the first definition of evil as
1. profoundly immoral or wrong
and goes on to list five other definitions.
For sinful the dictionary says
1. engaging in or characterized by behavior that goes against the law or teachings of a particular religion
2. morally or ethically wrong
So meaning 2 for sinful is the same as meaning 1 for evil.
Here’s a little investigation of the original word we were discussing in Genesis 8:21. This will probably serve to further confuse or bore everyone, but, maybe not.
Gen 8: 21 The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though [a] every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. (New International Version)
The Hebrew word used here for evil is “ra” (Strong's H7451).
This is the same Hebrew word used earlier in Genesis chapters 2 and 3, to talk about the tree in the garden: the “tree of knowledge of good and evil. Sometimes this Hebrew word is translated “wicked” or “bad.” In all, the Hebrew word is used 663 times. I didn’t look them up.
In all the English translations I checked, the word is translated as “evil,” not as “sinful”.
The Hebrew word for “sinful” is “chatta.” This is as it used in Genesis 13:13, which I picked because it uses both Hebrew words “ra” (evil) and “chatta” (“sinful”).
Gen 13:13 But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked (“ra”) and sinful (“chatta”) against the LORD.
If you even got this far, after reading about all this evil, wickedness, and sinfulness, you probably feel a great need to wash your hands. Not a bad idea.
According to that august source of all knowledge, the internet, this question is not settled. I guess it mostly depends on the meaning you assign to the English words “evil” and “sinful.” My MS Encarta dictionary gives the first definition of evil as
1. profoundly immoral or wrong
and goes on to list five other definitions.
For sinful the dictionary says
1. engaging in or characterized by behavior that goes against the law or teachings of a particular religion
2. morally or ethically wrong
So meaning 2 for sinful is the same as meaning 1 for evil.
Here’s a little investigation of the original word we were discussing in Genesis 8:21. This will probably serve to further confuse or bore everyone, but, maybe not.
Gen 8: 21 The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though [a] every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. (New International Version)
The Hebrew word used here for evil is “ra” (Strong's H7451).
This is the same Hebrew word used earlier in Genesis chapters 2 and 3, to talk about the tree in the garden: the “tree of knowledge of good and evil. Sometimes this Hebrew word is translated “wicked” or “bad.” In all, the Hebrew word is used 663 times. I didn’t look them up.
In all the English translations I checked, the word is translated as “evil,” not as “sinful”.
The Hebrew word for “sinful” is “chatta.” This is as it used in Genesis 13:13, which I picked because it uses both Hebrew words “ra” (evil) and “chatta” (“sinful”).
Gen 13:13 But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked (“ra”) and sinful (“chatta”) against the LORD.
If you even got this far, after reading about all this evil, wickedness, and sinfulness, you probably feel a great need to wash your hands. Not a bad idea.
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