Session 032: Genesis 12:1-9: Abram’s Promise

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If our story at the end of Genesis 11 can be viewed as somewhat as an epilogue, then this first story in chapter 12 can be seen as a prologue for the rest of the Bible. In many ways, these passages are tightly entwined as we saw in today’s discussion. Much of what we studied last week will apply to this week.

  • Genesis 12 [Text]

    Genesis 12 [NIV]
    Genesis 12 [ESV]

  • genesis 12 Audio:

    Genesis 12 Audio
    Genesis 12 -Click on speaker icon

  • Suggested Study Resources

    Here are a few web articles to get you started on your study.

  • The Promise to Abraham

    • This short article does an excellent job of summarizing the position and value of this text within scripture. If you want to start chasing rabbits and squirrels, the footnotes offer a great starting point.
    • Web Link

    The Call of Abram

    • A short devotional with a few interesting insights.
    • Web Link

    Commentary on Genesis 12:1-9 by Katheryn M. Schifferdecker

    • A lighter read that will cater to those of you who like a little more of a narrative in your readings. She offers a few slightly different takes on items we have already read.
    • Web Link

  • EXTRA CREDIT ARTICLES:

    If you want to dive deeper into this scripture, I have found a couple of resources that take some heavy turns from what we are used to. They are worth your time.

    GENESIS SERIES – GEN 12:1 – 12:9 – THE CALL OF ABRAHAM

    This one is short, but offers ample opportunities for expanding your research, especially if you follow the supporting references mentioned at the end.

    Web Link

    Abram: Lessons in the Call of God (Genesis 12:1-20)

    Sermon Transcript. It focuses heavily on the promise aspect of this passage.

    Web Link

  • DEEP DIVE ARTICLES:

    These are extra-biblical sources of stories about Abram. Read these with discernment. They are not canon for a reason.

    Translation Of 1Q Genesis Apocryphon II-XXII

    This is a translation of an ancient extra-biblical text that tells the story of Abram in more detail (although parts were missing from the scroll). Not canon, but interesting to add relevance to what other Jewish scholars might have been aware of at the time

    Web Link

    A Genesis Apocryphon. A Scroll from the Wilderness of Judaea.

    This link will provide you with a PDF of the book written over half a century ago that provides an initial report and opinion of the findings in this scroll. (Read the initial book explanation and then skip to page 22 at the bottom)

    Web Link

    Book of Jubilees 13 (Story of Abram) [2 sources]

    Another Extra-biblical work. This is also non-canonical but provides another version of the story of Abram.

    Web Link
    Web Link

    The Legends of the Jews by Louis Ginzberg [1909]

    This is truly a book of legends. The index link provides a short description of the source of the material. Volume V is the story … or legend … of Abraham. Please read for entertainment and educational purposes only.

    Web Link
    Web Link

We are diving headfirst into the story of Abram. Here are some things to think about while you read the scripture and start your study this week.

Here are a few questions to think about this week’s scripture:

  1. Why Abram?
  2. When it says that God ‘had said’ to Abram, what is conveyed by this past tense? Does this mean that Abram or Terah had left Ur under previous instruction?
  3. Do you think Terah dies before or after Abram left Harah?
    1. Terah had already lost many family members.
  4. Why do you think Abram left Ur when he did not believe yet in a single God (see Joshua 24:2)
  5. If we assume that Terah and/or Abram stopped in Harah despite God telling them to go to Canaan, did God bypass Terah?
    1. Was Terah disobedient to God for not continuing to Canaan?
    2. Do you think God’s promise was to Terah first and to Abram when Tarah did not fulfill what he was instructed to do?
  6. Was Lot supposed to be taken with Abram? (Looking ahead, was this a wise decision for Abram?)
  7. Is God’s promise a covenant at this point? What is the difference between a promise and a covenant, especially when we are discussing this on a Biblical scale.
  8. Personal Twist: What has God called you to do that you feel parallels this story arch in your own life?

Session 031 – Genesis 11:27-32: Abram’s Family

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If we consider the first 11 chapters being sort of a prologue to the Bible, then this last section is sort of an epilogue to the prologue. It provides our bridge between this prologue and the rest of the Bible by linking the prehistory, with the story of the nation of Israel.

This week’s passage appears simple and straight-forward on the surface. Western Christians usually take it at face value and just move on thinking “So they left Ur and were heading to Canaan….”. Once you start digging and consider societal norms, the pagan land they came from, the complex genealogical web, and what Terah experienced in Ur; the plot becomes very interesting.

Here are a few questions to think about this week’s scripture:

  1. Who were the Chaldeans? Funny they weren’t listed in the Tables of Nations.
  2. Why did Terah leave Ur to go to Canaan?
    1. Why did he only get as far as Harah/Harrah?
    2. Why did only four of the family go?
    3. Looking ahead (yep, we’re cheating), wasn’t Abram the one God told to go for Canaan?
  4. Who did Terah’s family worship (might need sources outside of Genesis)?
  5. Did Abram marry is half-sister (i.e. – was this an incestuous relationship)?
    1. Was Abram aware of the Holiness Code (rabbit hole clue)?
    2. CHEAT: Looking ahead, how will this play in the Abram – Pharaoh story (Ch 12)?
    3. Or was Sarai, Harah daughter and de to the patriarchal bindings, Abram married Sarai so that Harah’s line could continue through her. (remember our study of the patriarchal structure at the time)
  7. Was Terah’s death physical, spiritual or the ‘second death’. (Rabbit hole clue)
  8. The numbers in relation to ages and events don’t really add up. One way to make things work (and relies on us to investigate chapters after ch11 is that Abram would have left Harrah before Terah died. Meaning that he would have continued to Canaan without an heir and without an inheritance. And Terah would have effectively lost a second son. (Another rabbit hole clue). Does this fit your interpretation?

Here are a few questions to think about our Unconventional Walk Through Genesis (1-11).

  1. Do you think of chapters 1-11 differently than you did before? How?
  2. What new insights do you have of scripture do you have now?
  3. Do you view God’s plan any differently now than before?

Session 030: Genesis 11:1-9: The Tower of Babel

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This week we are looking at the Tower of Babel story from Genesis 11. This is one of the ‘tangential stories’ told when we walked through the Table of Nations outlined in Noah’s descendancy genealogy.

  • Genesis 11

    Text from The Bible Gateway

    Genesis 11

  • Scripture Audio:

    Presented as dramatizations from The Bible Gateway

    Genesis 11 Audio

  • Suggested Study Resources

    The following resources should be helpful. Of course feel free to chase down any study rabbit holes and you want to chase. This is your deep dive in the Word.

  • The World Best Preserved Ziggurat

    This is a quick four-minute video showing what the world’s best-preserved ziggurat looks like today. Feel free to skip past most of it and just look at the structure itself. A large percentage of scholars believe that the Tower of Babel would have followed this type of structure since it was common in the area as a building type.

    YouTube Video

  • Extra-Biblical Writing:

    There are several sources outside of the Bible that speak to the Tower of Babel. We are not clear what ‘their’ sources were for their information. Realize that these are not canon but are regarded by some scholars and religious sects as important. To keep you from digging on your own, I have collected three sources and included them in a PDF document and uploaded it to the web site.

    Website Link

Here are some questions and thoughts to ponder as you look into the resources for this week.

  1. In the first verse of chapter 11 “Now the whole earth used the same language and the same words.”
    • Is this verse redundant in its speech?
    • Doesn’t using the same language also mean using the same words or is there some difference in meaning here or some point it is trying to make?
  2. In verse 4 they talk about building “a tower whose top will reach into heaven”
    • Do they mean literally building a way into heaven or figuratively such as building a tall tower that reaches into the sky?
  3. In verse 4 they talk about not wanting to be scattered over the face of the earth.
    • Would scattering have happened naturally anyway due to population increase and limited supplies within a given geographic area?
  4. God after seeing what they have built specifically calls out that they are one people with one language and together there is nothing that they try to do is impossible for them. God then goes on to directly interfere with their unity by confusing the language. Given the nature of humanity, the unity of the people likely would have waned after some time anyway.
    • Why did God feel it was necessary to directly interfere?
  5. Would the tower have naturally failed anyway due to physical limitations?
  6. Why did confusing the languages stop the progress?
  7. Did God directly physically scatter the people, or did He indirectly drive them apart?

Session 029: Genesis 10:1 – 11:27: The Table of Nations & Noah’s Descendants

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This week we will be looking at some more genealogy. However this one is a little different. it is identifying the family and clan groups that have come out of the descendants of Noah. Our text covers from 10:1 until 11:27. There are several side-trips in the genealogy to tell stories. We are going to skip over the side-story of the Tower of Babel Story since we will be covering that story in more detail in our next session.

  • Genesis 10 & 11

    Text from The Bible Gateway

    Genesis 10
    Genesis 11

  • Scripture Audio:

    Presented as dramatizations from The Bible Gateway

    Genesis 10 Audio
    Genesis 11 Audio

  • Suggested Study Resources

    The following three resources should be helpful. Of course feel free to chase down any study rabbit holes and you want to chase. This is your deep dive in the Word.

  • Genesis 10 & 11 – talmidimway.org

    Good presentation (YouTube Video and Outline to review on site). Based primarily from a logical and factual perspective.

    Web Site Link
    YouTube Video

  • Genesis 10-11 – Complete Obedience – redeeminggod.com

    For those of you who like more of a narrative explanation, this article does a good job and adds a couple of interesting twists to the genealogy that you should find interesting.

    Website Link

  • EXTRA CREDIT ARTICLES:

    If you want to dive deeper into this scripture, I have found a few resources that take different views of this scripture passage. They are worth your time.

    Genesis 10-11 – 2009 – Skip Heitzig

    A sermon on these two chapters. This is an easy and enjoyable listen. There are some statements that you might find interesting in this presentation.

    YouTube Video

    The Blue Letter Bible: Genesis Chapter 10

    A very traditional Biblestudy/commentary. There are some good nuggets of info that we should take note of.

    Web Link – Chapter 10
    Web Link – Chapter 11

    The Table of Nations: The Geography of the World in Genesis 10 – Thetorah.com.

    A view of the chapter focused on more of a Jewish / Eastern perspective than we are used to. It also uses the different sources of the ancient texts to explain why some of the nations are mentioned more than once. (primarily from the J and P sources).

    Web Link

    Lesson 22: The Roots of the Nations (Genesis 10:1-32) – bible.org

    This one is somewhat repetitive to what we have already seen, but sometimes hearing the same thing in more than one way is beneficial.

    Web Link
    Audio Download Link

Here are some questions and thoughts to ponder as you look into the resources for this week.

  1. It is mentioned that many of these groups had their own language, but in the Tower of Babel story there is only one language. Explain.
  2. Is there something significant to the number of nations being 70?
  3. According to this account, we are all descendants of Noah. Just ponder for a moment.
  4. Why are the sons listed in different orders throughout Genesis?
  5. There are some groups of note. What is important in the Bible concerning
    • Magog (hint: Revelation)
    • Canaan (hint: Israel and the promised land)
    • Sheba (hint: Solomon)
    • Uz (hint: Job)
    • Tarshish (hint: Jonah)
    • Eber (hint: Hebrew)
  6. Why do we need to take note of these groups listed here?

Session 028: Genesis 9:18 – 9:28: The Son’s of Noah – Eastern and Jewish Perspective

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This session, we are going to look more deeply at what was actually done to Noah, did he have three or four sons, and how does Canaan fit in the mix. We will look at this from more of an Eastern perspective than the Western view that we are used to.

  • Genesis 9:18 through 9:28

    Text from The Bible Gateway

    Genesis 9

  • Scripture Audio:

    Presented as dramatizations from The Bible Gateway

    Genesis 9 Audio

  • Suggested Study Resources

    The following three resources should be helpful. Of course feel free to chase down any study rabbit holes and you want to chase. This is your deep dive in the Word.

  • The BEMA Podcast: A Misplaced Curse

    This podcast covers a lot of the questions that come up after Noah has left the ark. It also brings up an interesting perspective of what was done to Noah by his offspring and why was it such a big deal.

    Web Site Link
    Audio Download Link

  • Noah’s Four Sons – thetorah.com

    Is there an argument to be made that Noah had four son’s and not three?

    Website Link

  • Noah’s Sons names & Was Shem the Oldest? – revealedtruth.com

    A quick read and overviews the story with a couple of new tidbits that haven’t been covered in the other sources.

    Article Link

  • Why Did Noah Curse His Son Ham? – biblword.net

    A quick read and overviews the story with a couple of ew tidbits that weren’t covered in the other sources.

    Article Link

  • Why did Noah curse Canaan instead of Ham? – gotquestions.org

    Another look at how this story was used to mistreat a certain group of humans.

    Article Link

Here are some questions and thoughts to ponder as you look into the resources for this week.

  1. What do you think happened to Noah after reading these new interpretations?
  2. Does what was done even matter, other than the fact that Noah was ‘dishonored’.
  3. What are your thoughts on the three sons versus the four sons
    • Or how does that play into the story line that, if castrated, there was no 4th son?
  4. What do you think Noah really was mad about?
    • In Western thought would a son seeing a father naked be a big deal?
  5. Do you think that Ham wasn’t cursed, because he was already blessed?
  6. Since this is the only story of Noah after the flood, do you think that it was included to provide justification from Moses, when he wrote down these stories, as justification for moving into the land of Canaan with the ation of Israel?

Session 027: Genesis 9:18 – 9:28: The Son’s of Noah – Western Traditional Thought

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This week we look at the story of Noah and His Sons. This is rarely covered in everyday Christian sermons and Bible Studies because it is just weird to our Western ears. We will look at this from the Western perspective and the first thing that you will notice is that the variations of interpretations are mind numbing.

Major Interpretations of what happened:
– Ham sees his father naked and makes fun of him.
– Ham had sexual relations with his mother.
– Ham had sexual relations with his father.
– Ham castrated his father to prevent a fourth son, or additional brother for Ham.

Major interpretations of why Canaan was cursed instead of Ham:
– Mistranslation: Should have been translated “the father of Canaan”.
– Ham and Canaan were both involved in the event.
– Ham had been blessed by God. You can’t curse someone who has been blessed by God.
– The ‘curse’ of Canaan is more of a prophecy.
– The provides an ‘excuse or reason’ to support why the nation of Israel coming out of Egypt is justified taking over the land of Canaan.

  • Genesis 9:18 through 9:28

    Text from The Bible Gateway

    Genesis 9

  • Scripture Audio:

    Presented as dramatizations from The Bible Gateway

    Genesis 9 Audio

  • Suggested Study Resources

    The following three resources should be helpful. Of course feel free to chase down any study rabbit holes and you want to chase. This is your deep dive in the Word.

  • Got Questions: Why did Noah curse Canaan instead of Ham?

    Nicely covers several possible theories on what happened.

    Web Site Link
    YouTube Video Link

  • Verse by Verse Ministries – Genesis 9b

    Recaps all of Chapter 9, the covenant and the sons of Noah. If you want to skip over his review of the covenant he starts discussing the Son’s of Noah around the 26th minute. His analysis of the situation in my opinion is almost entirely from a Western perspective, even though he claims his basis is on the norms of Noah’s society. This will be a great contrast to the Eastern interpretation that we study next session.

    Website Link
    Audio Download

  • Genesis 9:18-29 – Noah and His Sons After the Flood.

    A quick read and overviews the story with a couple of ew tidbits that weren’t covered in the other sources.

    Article Link

  • EXTRA CREDIT ARTICLES:

    If you want to dive deeper into this scripture, I have found a few resources that take different views of this scripture passage. They are worth your time.

    The Sons of Noah

    A rather detailed look at the sons of Noah and what lands and peoples came from them. While generally good, there does seem to be a rather strong flare of ethnocentrism in places.

    Article Link

    The Curse of Ham – Wikipedia Article

    While a Wikipedia article, it covers the topic from multiple perspectives and attempts to do so in a non-biased manner. A few interesting thoughts that were not seen in the sources we listed for the class

    Web Link

    The Sons of Noah: Shem, Ham and Japheth after the Flood (A Bible Study on Genesis 9:18-27).

    Another telling which adds a few additional tidbits of interpretation. One of interest is looking at the parallel between Genesis 3 and Genesis 9.

    Web Link

Here are some questions and thoughts to ponder as you look into the resources for this week.

  1. Drinking wine verses getting drunk.
  2. We spent some time discussing the ‘shame’ of nakedness with Adam an Eve. Do you think that same shame is applicable here? Or do you think that something else is at play.
  3. What exactly was the indignity that was committed by Ham?
  4. What do you make of Ham neither being cursed or blessed by Noah? The blessings go to Ham’s brothers, and the curse to his son.
  5. Since this is the only story of Noah after the flood, do you think that it was included to provide justification from Moses, when he wrote down these stories, as justification for moving into the land of Canaan with the nation of Israel?
  6. Not a question, but a topic of thought. What of the descendants of the cursed genealogical line postulated as being of darker skin and/or of a lessor class of human? Are there still remnants of this thought alive and well today??
  7. Why do you think that the first words that we have EVER heard from Noah, are a curse?

Session 026: Genesis 8:18 – 9:17: Eastern and Jewish perspectives on the Noahic covenant.

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This week, please start by rereading Genesis Chapter 8:18 through 9:17. Since we have studied the parts of a covenant, try to identify the following sections of a covenant through this passage.
o Preamble
o Historical Prologue (absent in Assyrian Treaties )
o Stipulations
o Depositions and Provisions for reading before the people.
o Witnesses
o Oaths – Curses / Blessings – The Berit details
o Sacrifices given.
o Written record.

  • Genesis 8:18 through 9:17

    Text from The Bible Gateway starting with Chapter 9

    Genesis 9

  • Scripture Audio:

    Presented as dramatizations from The Bible Gateway

    Genesis 8 Audio
    Genesis 9 Audio

  • Suggested Study Resources

    The following four resources should be helpful. Of course feel free to chase down any study rabbit holes and you want to chase. This is your deep dive in the Word.

  • BEMA Discipleship Podcast; His Bow in the clouds

    We have already covered this podcast once, but since it is only 30 minutes long, you can listen to it while heading to work. Do the nuances of the covenant stick out more now that we have looked that the Eastern views of covenant within a patriarchal society?

    Podcast Page
    Download Link

  • Noah: The First Covenant in Tanakh

    This article is very Jewish in that it shows, in my opinion, some of the major differences in the relationship that Jews have with God compared to the relationship that Western Christians have. This will be great food for discussion in our next session discussion. While I could split hairs that the first covenant was with Adam and Eve, I will go with this authors idea that the Noahic covenant was the first. Some things to pick out of this article.

    1. Read the sidebar on the author. I’m curious what your thoughts are.
    2. What do you make of the idea of God talking to Himself?
    3. After reading this article, how do you see this Jewish author approaching her relationship with God compared to the approach you are used to hearing from most Protestant preachers/leaders?

    Link

  • The Miraculous Nature of the Covenant.

    While this is from a Jewish site, I could see this being presented by several major branches of the Christian faith. It is a short read that provides some ideas on how/why the food was handled during the flood. I’m curious what your thoughts are on this.

    Link

  • EXTRA CREDIT ARTICLES:

    Genesis 9, Noah’s Covenants and Jewish Theology of Religions

    This peer reviewed article (from what I can tell) is deep. It includes perspectives from three different individuals outside of the author and it also deals with the differing interpretations between Jews and Christians. I’ll have to be honest an confess that I personally need to look at this one more deeply. There is a lot of ideas and concepts here.

    Article Link

    The Seven Laws of Noah

    This wikipedia page provides an analysis of the seven laws that are identified from the Noah story. A very quick read.

    Article Link:

What are the major differences that you see in the Jewish/Eastern view of the Noahic covenant compared to what we usually hear or perceive in the West?

Session 025: Genesis 8:18 – 9:17: Understanding Eastern and Jewish Covenants

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This week we will be looking at the Patriarchy and Covenants from the time period of Noah. There is a LOT of material to cover. We were not able to find resources the summarized these concepts the way that we liked. So, we created our own podcast in the hopes of saving you some time without having to go through all of the material that we did. As it is, the recording still ended up being almost an hour long.

  • Suggested Study Resources

  • Understanding the Patriarchy and Covenants of Noah’s Time

    AUWTTB’s own podcast

    Podcast Web Page
    Audio Download Link

  • What is the Noahic Covenant?

    This is a very short summarization of the Noahic Covenant.

    Link

  • The Epic of Eden by Sandra L. Richter

    I would strongly recommend reading (or listening to) the book ‘The Epic of Eden’ by Sandra L. Richter. For this class, covering the first three chapters is all that is necessary, but I think you will be interested enough in it that you will want to finish it. The audio version published by audible.com is well read. Unfortunately, you will have to buy this one to access it.

    From Amazon.com
    From Audible.com

  • The Difference Between Covenant and Contract.

    I mentioned that I found a legal site that talked about contracts and covenants. Here is the link to that site. I found it very interesting.

    Link

  • EXTRA CREDIT ARTICLES:

    The following resources will each take you down a unique view of the patriarchy and covenants of Noah’s time. Enjoy.

    The Polity of Biblical Israel

    This is a rather in-depth article about the Polity in Biblical Israel. It is a very detailed look at this subject.

    Article Link

    The Twelve Tribes of Israel

    This article looks at the formation of the twelve tribes of Israel. There are two things that I liked about it. First, it provides visual representation using maps to see how things develop. Second, it ties the development of the tribes back into the patriarchal society.

    Article Link

    Covenant – Beriyth (Hebrew Word Study)

    This article is a very deep dive into all forms of covenants within the Hebrew cultural environment. A very long but very detailed and scholarly write-up.

    Article Link

    What’s a covenant? A quick definition and overview

    This article takes a slightly different view of the covenants in the Bible than we have looked at. Think of it looking into a room from a different window than we have already looked.

    Article Link:

This week we are looking at the patriarchy and covenants from Noah’s time. We wont need a lot of questions to lead discussion. There is simply so much here. Here are a few things to consider as you think through this.

1) What are the differences between a contract and a covenant.
2) Do you have a better/different understanding of covenants than you did before?
3) Do you have a different understanding of the Patriarchal society.

Session 024: Genesis 8:18 – 9:17: God’s Covenant with Noah: Traditional Thought

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This week we now move into the events after the flood. We will start with Genesis Chapter 8:18 and go through Genesis 9:17. We could probably study just this passage for five or six weeks. We will just spend three weeks. I strongly encourage you to dive into your own rabbit holes as you study this passage. There are tangential aspects of the story that can be found all over the place

  • Genesis 8:18 through 9:17

    Text from The Bible Gateway starting with Chapter 9

    Genesis 9

  • Scripture Audio:

    Presented as dramatizations from The Bible Gateway

    Genesis 8 Audio
    Genesis 9 Audio

  • Suggested Study Resources

    The following three resources should be helpful. Of course feel free to chase down any study rabbit holes and you want to chase. This is your deep dive in the Word.

  • The Bible Project – The Covenants

    This is a short 5 minute video overviewing the covenants of the Bible.

    Web Site Link
    Audio Download

  • Noahide Commands and the Covenant of Noah

    This Interesting Idea on the sacrifice after the flood. Was the sacrifice a Thank Offering or was it an offering to pacify God’s Wrath? [NOTE: requires free account with academia.org]

    Article Link

  • The Noahic Covenant – A New Beginning

    45 minute sermon on the Noah Covenant. This is what might be considered an old style sermon. It includes an interpretation of the flood and the covenant that focuses on the value of life.

    Web Page with Transcript
    Audio Download

  • EXTRA CREDIT ARTICLES:

    If you want to dive deeper into this scripture, I have found a few resources that take different views of this scripture passage. They are worth your time.

    Nature of the Covenant with Noah in Genesis 6:18

    This is a detailed review of the convenant(s) within the story of Noah. Are there two covenants? This is a deep dive into the covenant. Uses text from books outside of the protestant Bible. From academia.org which requires a free account to be created.

    Article Link

    Digging Deeper into Scripture: Genesis 9

    This is a relatively short article that brings up a few interesting ideas about the covenant.

    Web Link

    GENESIS 9 – GOD’S COVENANT WITH NOAH AND CREATION – David Guzik

    A very expositorial study of the story of the covenant with Noah. This one is well worth your time.

    Web Link
    Video Link
    Audio Download

  1. Did Noah present an offering, or a sacrifice?
  2. Was there one covenant, or two?
  3. What was the important meaning behind the covenant?
    1. …from God’s perspective?
    2. …from Noah’s perspective?
  4. What intended (or unintended) consequences came from God stating that meat could be eaten?
  5. What do you find from the concept of blood being the implied source of life? … what about the accounting when a life is taken?
  6. Was the covenant with Noah? … or with Noah and his sons?
  7. What do you think of the animals now being fearful of humans?

Session 023: Genesis 6:9 – 8:22: Noah and the Flood – Looking at Bio questions.

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This week will be our last look at the Noah and floor narrative. We will be focusing on the biological aspects of the story. While on one hand you may be thinking, why bother. This is one of the areas that is the most contentious with non-believers. Having a cursory knowledge of some of these concepts will be a value to not only our own knowledge and understanding of the issues at hand, but should also prove beneficial when we have conversations with those that believe that the biological stories in Genesis are problematic.

  • Genesis 6:9 through 8:22

    Text from The Bible Gateway starting with Chapter 6

    Genesis 6

  • Scripture Audio:

    Presented as dramatizations from The Bible Gateway

    Genesis 6 Audio
    Genesis 7 Audio
    Genesis 8 Audio

  • Suggested Study Resources

    The following four resources should be helpful. Of course feel free to chase down any study rabbit holes and you want to chase. This is your deep dive in the Word.

  • Were Humans Alive During Pangea?

    One of the questions brought up was if humans were alive when the single continent Pangea existed. The following very short article provides an answer.

    Link

  • Did We All Come from Adam and Eve? | Answers in Genesis

    The next question to look at is the plausibility that we all came from Adam and Eve.

    Link

  • Science moves closer to Adam and Eve? – Richard Buggs

    We will also look at some new thoughts on the possibility of Adam and Eve being the source for all human genomes.

    Link

    This is a link to the associated video that goes with the article. It is recommended viewing.

    Video Link

  • EXTRA CREDIT ARTICLES:

    The following three resources will each take you down a unique view of the Noah story. Enjoy.

    What Became of the Genetic Challenge to Adam and Eve?

    This article shows in some ways how wrongheaded some of the philosophy of the required minimum of a population of 10,000 being required for a viable genome, and even opened up some more scientific possibilities. This is still real science that has real merit as well. Drew finds this view to be most plausible. It places Adam and Eve at a bottleneck where the population they could have come out of was plausibly < 2000, and they could have not interbred with anyone else and we would still have the genome that we do today. The caveat was that it would have to be > 500k years ago. The thing is though, william lane craig makes it clear from other evidence excluding genetics that “humans” as we think of them were living at least that long ago.

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    Why Do Cains Descendants Show After Flood

    One of the constant questions relates to the idea f why we see Cain’s descendants after the flood and even see the Nephilim. The following article can be useful in that discussion.

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This week we will discuss how the issues of population and biological diversity play into the biological arguments around the creation story and the Flood narrative.