Session 022: Genesis 6:9 – 8:22: Noah and the Flood – Looking at the Water

Posted on by
Reply
Class OverviewClass ResourcesClass Discussion Points
We are going to continue our look at the Flood story this week. Our focus this week is going to be on the water. This is a particularly touchy subject for just about everyone. The search for suitable resources particularly troublesome, primarily because it is so difficult to find discussions that do not include hyperbole or exaggerated assumptions on the positions outside of the one being touted. This is precisely why it is a subject that Christians need to be versed in. We need to be able to have these conversations with others. We also need to be able to adequately support our own internal beliefs on the subject.

  • 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.

  • List of Flood Myths

    Our first resource is not intended for a literal read. It does provide us with a rather long list of flood stories from cultures around the globe. Just understanding how many stories are out there (even if some are just two sentences long) is valuable. This list can be found at the Wikipedia page:

    Link

  • Why Does Nearly Every Culture Have a Tradition of a Global Flood?

    Our second resource is a very short read. It is interesting because it performs some simplistic statistical analysis of the various flood stories that is rather interesting. Sadly, even though it is interesting, it’s proposed answer to its own question is not really backed with much evidence other than its own circular logic.

    Link

  • Do Creation and Flood Myths Found World Wide Have a Common Origin?

    Our third resource is a rather long read. It is from the web site academia.edu (free account required) and makes an argument as to why the Biblical Creation and Flood stories should be included in our educational systems. In making the argument, Jerry Bergman does a decent job at comparing and contrasting the Biblical versions of these stories with many of the popular myths covering the same story-lines. If you have time, I found this to be one of the more balanced arguments for this cause tan I usually run across.

    Link

  • Yes, Noah’s Flood May Have Happened, But Not Over the Whole Earth

    When looking for decent arguments for or against the topic of The Flood covering the globe or a localized flood; good articles become very few ad far between. The following resource provides a compelling scientific case for a localized flood within the Mesopotamian region. I strongly suggest that you read this one.

    Link

  • EXTRA CREDIT ARTICLES:

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

    Ancient Flood Stories and the Noah Account

    Link

    Exegetical Importance of Comparative Culture in the Context of Genesis Flood Narrative

    Article Link:

    A NEW LOOK AT THE THEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND OF THE MESOPOTAMIAN AND BIBLICAL FLOOD STORIES

    Article Link

Here are the broad ‘water’ issues that should be thought of and discussed this week.

  • Why are there a huge number of flood stories found around the globe?
    • What does that imply?
    • Are they unique or derivative works?
  • Is the flood coverage over the ‘known’ world, or the entire globe?
    • Is there a scientific argument for a localized flood that appears to be world-wide?
    • What are the arguments for a global flood?

Session 021: Genesis 6:9 – 8:22: Noah and the Flood: Eastern and Jewish Perspective

Posted on by
Reply
Class OverviewClass ResourcesClass Discussion Points
We are going to continue our deep dive into the story of Noah. we will be looking at the story from the Eastern/Jewish perspective. When doing so, one of the items that will probably surprise you, is how quickly many of the items wihtin the story that brother Western readers greatly, quickly falls away. In many cases, they were intentionally placed there.

  • 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

  • The BEMA Discipleship Podcast: E4: His Bow in the Clouds

    Our main resource for this week is going to be a session from the BEMA Discipleship podcast. It will definately plant seeds for several possible rabbit holes for you to head down. There is also a good chance that you will never look at the story of Noah and the Flood the same way ever again. Yes, these insights are that unique and powerful.

    Podcast Transcript Link
    Podcast Link
    MP3 Download Link

  • EXTRA CREDIT ARTICLES:

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

    Noah’s Repetition and Contradiction

    A quick look at the repetition and contradictions within the Noah story. This touches on the concept of an ‘E’ version and ‘J’ version of the writings in the old testement. This is something that our class will look into in more detail in the near future (much like we looked at the idea of canonization while looking at the Book of Enoch). For now, this is just wetting your appetite for wonderful gems to come.

    Link

    Genesis and the Flood: Understanding the Biblical Story

    A good thought process on how to interpret Genesis from a Western view. A good ballance with what we heard from the BEMA podcast.

    Article Link:

    The Story of Noah and the Ark in the Bible

    Read this one to the end. The last section ‘Deluge of Purity’ is an interesting perspective that will probably be completely new to you.

    Article Link

As we look at this story as seen from the perspective of our Jewish bretheren, look closely for the following items.

  • How much symetry there is between the creation story and the story of the flood.
    • An interesting person study would be to write down the items between the two stories that are similar. You will be surprised.
  • What is unique about the covenent between God and Noah after the flood. This is absolutely beautiful.
  • How does God show restraint in the flood story (and due to the symetry, also in the creation story [that we didn’t see before])
  • After tying in the Chiasm wrapped in the Jewsih thought process and the uniqueness of this covenent, what are your thoughts now about this idea of God ‘remembering’?

Write them down. These are the things we want to ponder over the next few weeks. With one of the main questions being; does it matter?

Session 020: Genesis 6:9 – 8:22: Noah and the Flood: Overview and Western Perspective

Posted on by
Reply
Class OverviewClass ResourcesClass Discussion Points
This week we will start our study of Noah and the flood. We will be covering Genesis 6:9 through 8:22. Our next session will be an overview of the entire story and a look at it from our normal Western theological perspectives. We are also going to make note of the inconsistancies and holes in the story by asking questions.

  • Genesis 6:9 through 8:22

    Text from The Bible Gatewaystarting 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 that you want to chase. This is your deep dive in the Word.

  • 9 Things You Should Know

    First, a short article from The Gospel Coalition that lists 9 things that you should pick out of the story. Make a note of the chiasm that they outline. As we have discussed before, these chiasms point to the particular point of the story that the original authors thought was important.

    Article Link

  • God’s Spirit-Flood Narrative

    This second resource is a podcast from The Bible Project. It focuses on God’s Spirit in the flood narrative. While not Jewish in nature, they do bring up some strong Jewish perspectives through this podcast

    Podcast Link

  • If God Remembers, Does He Forget?

    If we believe the chiasm in this story, then the most interesting point is that God remembers. This is an article from The Bible Project that asks he question, “If God remembers, does he also forget?”

    Article Link:

  • Article from The Guardian

    This last resource is not from a Christian perspective. It does offer several perspectives found in our society that I think it is important to be aware of. I found it to be an enjoyable read.

    Article Link:

  • EXTRA CREDIT ARTICLES:

    We are back to having extra credit. These are resources that we probably won’t spend any time discussion in our next session, but if you are wanting to get deeper into the study of this text, these should be valuable.

    Catholic Catechism

    This link points to the Catholic Catechism that mentions Noah and the Flood directly. For non-Catholics, it may be valuable.

    Link

    Noah and the Flood in the Septuagint

    A good article that outlines the issues of translating between Hebrew, Greek and other languages where the nuance of the language is lost. Discusses some concerns in the Noah story that are often glossed over in theological contexts.

    Article Link:

    The Theology of the Flood Narrative: Literary Structure, Biblical Allusion and Divine Characterisation

    An interesting academic article on the Theology of the Noah story that mixes theological, literary and Interpretive concepts together.
    Article Link:

The Flood story is one of those stories where even kids often go … Huh? As Christians, we tend to gloss over the incongruities, and questions that arise from this text. In other cases, we try to explain away these issues. Often, to hilarious result for those outside of the Christian community.

Since we will be spending additonal weeks looking at this story in the Bible the main thing you should do this week is look at it with a critical eye.

  • What things seem incongruent or inconsistant?
  • What holes are there in the story that don’t seem to have an answer for you.
  • What things in the story would make a 6 year old go … Huh?

Write them down. These are the things we want to ponder over the next few weeks. With one of the main questions being; does it matter?

Session 019: Genesis 6:1-8: What the Jews believed about Nephilim

Posted on by
Reply
Class OverviewClass ResourcesClass Discussion Points
This session will be unique. Since we do not have much explanation in the Bible to help us understand what knowledge the Jewish people had for the Nephilim for example, we are going to look at a source external to scripture to understand a little better what the Jewish people thought. We will look at part of the Book of Enoch. We will also look at what it takes to be canon in scripture and why The Book of Enoch is not considered canon.

  • What Are the Apocryphal Books and Do They Belong in the Bible?

    While the Book of Enoch is Apochryphal, it is not part of the Apocrypha. Nonetheless, it is good to understand what constitutes Apochryphal writing and why it is not considered canon. The following web article is short and to the point. It does a good job of identifying why Apocryphal texts are not canon without going into circular logic.

    Link to article

  • The Book of Enoch: Scripture, Heresy, or What? by Brian Godawa

    The following is an academic article that is readable. You won’t need a doctorate to understand it. It does a good job of explaining a good portion of the history of the book but does a very thorough job of showing where The Book of Enoch had what appears to be a strong influence on portions of the New Testament. While all of the arguments are anecdotal, they are well-documented and very convincing.

    Link to article

  • Arguments against The Book of Enoch being canon.

    “Why is ‘The Book of Enoch’ not canon?” One of the best answers to that question that I have found was found on a Q&A site. I have pulled out the appropriate answers (with what attribution is available) and placed them in a PDF on our website. I thought that two of the answers in the thread were exceptionally well written.

    PDF Document

  • The Book of Enoch

    Let’s look at the actual Book of Enoch. Here are links to three free versions of it and a free audio version. There are of course versions that you can access if you are willing to pay for them. You can search for them on your own. We want “I Enoch” and not “2 Enoch” or “3 Enoch”.

    For our discussion this next session, it is not necessary to read the entire Book of Enoch, however, you can if you would like. it is suggested that you read chapters 1 – 11 and 20.

    • The first book version found is at a site called book-ofenoch.com. You can read one chapter at a time by clicking on the links for each chapter listed at the bottom of the web page. [NOTE: It is suggested that you skip the lengthy introduction]. You can download a PDF version which appears to be a copy of an actual book printed a few minutes ago (1883) at Book of Enoch PDF. There are also versions formatted as an ebook in EPUB and Kindle formats. This book is believed to be from the original Ethiopian translated text and uses the chapter and verse identifications that most scholars reference.
    • The second book version found is a recent translation that is much easier to read, however, the chapter and verse identifications do not follow the convention for some reason. This makes us a little reticent to use it. This version can be found as The Complete Book of Enoch: Standard English Version. [NOTE: Since the chapter numbers are different read chapters 1-4 and 7 … we think]
    • The last book version found is interesting because the creator of this website has placed Biblical references within the text in the Book of Enoch. We have not spent any time proving that the listed scripture references bear any correlation or not. As an exercise, we found it compelling. This website is located at The Book of Enoch
    • If you would rather listen, there is a free version at Librivox. Chapters 1-11 can be downloaded from this link.
      Chapters 20-25 can be downloaded from this link.
This is a restatement about the four deep issues that need to be understood in this passage from Genesis 6.

  1. Who were the sons of God and the daughters of man?
  2. What is meant by the number of days being 120 years?
  3. Who were the Nephilim?
  4. The Lord’s response to the wickedness He witnessed.

After reading the Book of Enoch and understanding more about the Jewish view of things, how does this change your answers about Genesis 6 that we looked at last week.

  • What do you think of the differing views of the sons of God between Christianity and Judism?
  • Why was Noah considered to be less sinful (or even sinless) compared to others even though he descended from Adam and Eve?
  • Why do you think that Christians link the 120 years to the age limit of human life? Is this correct?
  • Which of the options for understanding the sons of God do you lean towards and why? Is this understanding crutial to your walk?
  • Which of the options for understanding the Nephilim do you lean towards and why? Is this understanding crutial to your walk?
  • Have you ever had to destroy something that you created? Why? How did you feel?
  • Why do you think that God chose the path that he did for cleansing the Earth? Were there other options?
  • Why do you think that God singled Noah and his family out. Don’t answer generically. Be specific. Would you line up?

Session 018: Genesis 6:1-8: Wickedness in the World

Posted on by
Reply
Class OverviewClass ResourcesClass Discussion Points
The first 8 verses of Genesis chapter 6 are probably one of the most confusing and difficult verses in the Bible for Christians. While only eight verses long, there are four deep issues that need to be understood.

1) Who were the sons of God and the daughters of man?
2) What is meant by the number of days being 120 years?
3) Who were the Nephilim?
4) The Lord’s response to the wickedness He witnessed.

  • Scripture Text:

    Text from The Bible Gateway (Only cover first 8 verses).

    Genesis 6:1-8

  • Scripture Audio:

    Presented as dramatizations from The Bible Gateway (only need to cover first 8 verses).

    Genesis 6 Audio

  • Traditional interpretations of Chapter 6 (only need to cover the first 8 verses)

    These two articles are rather traditional (but somewhat disagreeing) interpretations of Chapter 6. From the Blue Letter Bible web site.

    Article Link: MAN’S WICKEDNESS; GOD CALLS NOAH: David Guzik:
    Article Link: The First Book of Moses, Called Genesis: Robert Jamieson

  • Bereshit (Genesis) – Chapter 6

    A Jewish Interpretation of the passage (be sure to click on the “Show Rashi’s Commentary” and you only need to cover the first 8 verses)

    Article Link:

  • Who Are the Sons of God in Genesis 6?

    A look at two different interpretations for the sons of God.

    Article Link:

  • The Nephilim in the Bible: 4 Origin Theories

    A look at four theories on who the Nephilim represent.

    Article Link:

  • EXTRA CREDIT ARTICLES:

    A few extra credit resources. These resources wont be a direct part of the class discussion, but may prove helpful as you start looking into your own rabbit holes of study.

    Nephilim: TRUE STORY of Giants, Goliath And His Brothers

    This is an hour long YouTube video that covers that sons of God, the Nephilim as well as other references to giants in the Bible such as Sampson.

    YouTube video:

This is a restatement about the four deep issues that need to be understood in this passage

  1. Who were the sons of God and the daughters of man?
  2. What is meant by the number of days being 120 years?
  3. Who were the Nephilim?
  4. The Lord’s response to the wickedness He witnessed.

Other points to consider and contemplate onyour own.

  • What do you tink of the differing views of the sons of God between Christianity and Judism?
  • Why was Noah considered to be less sinful (or even sinless) compared to others even though he descended from Adam and Eve?
  • Why do you think that Christians link the 120 years to the age limit of human life? Is this correct?
  • Which of the options for understanding the sons of God do you lean towards and why? Is this understanding crutial to your walk?
  • Which of the options for understanding the Nephilim do you lean towards and why? Is this understanding crutial to your walk?
  • Have you ever had to destroy something that you created? Why? How did you feel?
  • Why do you think that God chose the path that he did for cleansing the Earth? Were there other options?
  • Why do you think that God singled Noah and his family out. Don’t answer generically. Be specific. Would you line up?

Session 017: Genesis 5: The Genealogy from Adam to Noah

Posted on by
Reply
Class OverviewClass ResourcesClass Discussion Points
As we look at the genealogy of Adam to Noah, I think that you will be surprised at how much more is there than the genealogies. You are probably going to enjoy this session MUCH more than you expect. Especially since the entire chapter is nothing but a genealogy.

  • Scripture Audio:

    Presented as dramatizations from The Bible Gateway.

    Genesis 5

  • 5 Reasons you should read the Bibles Genealogies

    A short but insightful defense on why you should read the genealogies in the Bible.

    Article Link:

  • Making Sense of the Numbers of Genesis. Carol A. Hill

    This is the most complete article on numerology found in the book of Genesis that I could find. It is written as an academic article, so it is a little thick in a few places. This resource selection is replacing at least three separate ones that I was going to include.

    PDF Link:

  • Richard Middleton: Interpreting Biblical Genealogies

    This podcast is a good discussion on the possibilities for interpreting words differently within the context of Biblical Genealogies.

    Transcript Link:
    Podcast Link:

  • The Gospel in Genesis: A Hidden Message

    There is a Remez hidden in the Genealogy in chapter 5

    Article Link:

  • EXTRA CREDIT ARTICLES:

    A few extra credit resources. These resources wont be a direct part of the class discussion, but may prove helpful as you start looking into your own rabbit holes of study.

    The Case for the Septuagint’s Chronology in Genesis 5 and 11. Henry B. Smith Jr.

    This is another academic article on the various views of numerology found in Genesis. What I find interesting in this one is the detail of looking at the three different primary sources for the book of Genesis.

    Article Web Page:

    The Ages of the Antediluvian Patriarchs In Genesis 5

    A thorough summation of the different views for interpreting the ages within Genesis 5.

    Article Web Page:

In addition to the questions of concern listed above, here are a few other concepts to ponder as you work through this scripture and these resources.

  • What are your thoughts on the concepts of using numerology to explain the ages in the genealogy of chapter 5?
  • We usually think of their being a single source for Genesis. What are your thoughts about there being three different sources for the years listed in Chapter 5?
  • What are your thoughts on the interpretations of words such as begotten, begat, ‘had a son’, ‘became the father of’, ‘fathered’ and their potential meaning other than what we believe they mean with our Western perspective?
  • What are your thoughts about the meanings of the names in the genealogies outlining the story of Christ?
  • Now that you have studied these various resources; what do you personally feel is the biggest take-away from reading the genealogy in Genesis 5?

Session 016: Genesis 4: Cain and Abel: Where did Cain Find His Wife?

Posted on by
Reply
Class OverviewClass ResourcesClass Discussion Points
We are still looking at the Cain and Abel story. This week we will focus on a few questions that are obvious to individuals who read this for the first time, but that the Western church just seems to gloss over as either not important, or not worth diving into since the answers are not obvious. For those who are either logical in their faith system or are literal in their interpretations of scripture, these are important questions that at least need to be addressed.

  1. If Cain was only the second generation, who was he afraid was going to kill him?
  2. Where did Cain get his wife? If a sister, was that incest?
  3. His parents were kicked out of Eden, what was he kicked out of and where did he go?

  • Scripture Audio:

    Presented as dramatizations from The Bible Gateway.

    Genesis 4

  • Where Did Cain Get His Wife?

    This is a short 2 minute video from crossexamined.org.

    Youtube Video Link:

  • Genesis 4: The Fall Continues

    A walk through the Cain and Abel story with some interesting interpolations with other Biblical scriptures. (13 minutes)

    Youtube Video Link:

  • What/where was the land of Nod in the Bible?

    What/where was the land of Nod in the Bible?

    Article Link:

  • Where did Cain’s Wife Come From?

    Bible Contexts – A five minute video arguing that our ancestors interbread with Neandertals without breaking anything within our reading of scripture.

    Youtube Video Link:

  • A LITERAL ADAM & EVE. NEANDERTHAL DNA, AND THE NEPHILIM

    Answered by Prof. Joshua Swamidass, Computational Biologist, Washington University
    Joshua Swamidass is a professor at Wahinton University and believes that the current scientific understanding of the evolutionary path of modern humanids does not conflict with Biblical literature

    Youtube Video Link:

  • EXTRA CREDIT ARTICLES:

    A few extra credit resources. These resources wont be a direct part of the class discussion, but may prove helpful as you start looking into your own rabbit holes of study.

    Cain in the Land of Nod, Terri Daniel, DMin, CT, CCTP

    Acedemic paper at Academia.edu by an alumnus of San Fracisco Theological Seminary.
    This paper started out as a rather good intellectual argument but then I felt like it started to stray. It has a few good points to pull out, but also represents the very real view of our current state of liberal theological and inclusionary thought within Western Society. Excellent read for perspectives of positions, arguments and reasonings that you will encounter in the the field when discussing Genesis chapter 4. Please read this with discernment as it holds favorable views found wihtin the acedemic and scientific communities, but does not look positively on many traditional church views. (You will need to register for academia.edu to download the article)

    Article Web Page:

    Where did Cain Get His Wife

    Good quick article from a Biblical perpsective that attempts to provide answers to these quistions without violating the enerrancy of the Bible

    Article Web Page:

    Who Were Cain and Abel’s Wives?

    Short and to the point answer from a Catholic perspective.

    Article Web Page:

In addition to the questions of concern listed above, here are a few other concepts to ponder as you work through this scripture and these resources.

  • What are your thoughts on Cain’s ‘separation’ actually being a philisophical or logical view of him being separated from his relationship with God instead of being physically or literally removed?
  • The term Nod is most often tranlated as meaning some sort of wandering. As such is this ‘Place’ more of a state of being than a physical place?
  • Does your personal belief lead you to thinking that the ‘others’ that Cain was worried about were his extended family decended from Adam and Eve or do you believe that there were other huminoids living at the same time in other locations? You can’t dodge this question. What will you answer when this comes up in conversation. Be able to articule your answer.
  • – Do you believe that the ability to articulate your answer (not necessarily even defend it) is more important than what your answer is?
  • You you believe that Cain’s wife was a sister? If so how do you argue/justify/defend the concept of incest in this case?

Session 015: Genesis: The Nature of Sin

Posted on by
Reply
Class OverviewClass ResourcesClass Discussion Points
This weeks session will be a little different than our usual fare. So far we have dealt heavily on the actual scripture. This session will be a little more topical in nature than looking at a specific scripture in an expositorial fashion. The topic is the nature of sin. We have looked at the story of Eden and the story of Cain and Abel. So far sin has been an issue in each generation of humanity.

  • Scripture Audio:

    Presented as dramatizations from The Bible Gateway.

    Genesis 1
    Genesis 2
    Genesis 3
    Genesis 4

  • How to Read Genesis Part 1

    A high level over view of what we can take from the first part of Genesis. [Note: Requires an account on RightNow Media]

    Video Web Page:
    Video Link:

  • The End of Sin

    A short article from cochurch.org

    Article Web Page:

  • EXTRA CREDIT ARTICLES:

    These resourcs wont be a direct part of the class discussion, but may prove helpful as you start looking into your own rabbit holes of study.

    Original Choice, not Original Sin

    Karen Winslow, Chair of Biblical and Theological Studies at Azusa Pacific Seminary. A very interesting read that turns the concept of original sin on its head. (You will need to register for academia.edu to download the article)
    Article Web Page:

    Loren Haarsma, Four Approaches to Original Sin

    Loren Haarsma lays out four different approaches in his book, When Did Sin Begin? and talks with us in the episode about the approaches
    Podcast Web Page:
    Podcast direct Link:

Here are some questions to ponder as you think about the nature of sin.

  • Are we sinners because we sin?
  • Do we sin because we are sinners?
  • Are Christians Sinners or Saints (both or neither one)?
  • Is there a difference between individual acts of sin and the sin nature in mankind? (If so, what is the difference between those?)

NOTE: with regard to the questions listed above that we will discuss in the context of Genesis and “Cain & Abel” in particular; time permitting, let’s also feel free to consider some other points on this subject (the nature of sin) from other portions of scripture such as parts of Ephesians & Galatians.

Session 014: Genesis 4: Cain and Abel: The Sacrifices

Posted on by
Reply
Class OverviewClass ResourcesClass Discussion Points
This week we will look at the Cain and Abel story again. We are going to focus on the sacrifices. There are many ways to look at the sacrifices. Thought: God knew Adam and Eve would sin, Cain continues the process, and this continues all throughout the Bible. It seems there is a problem with the offerings Cain and Abel brought. Is it an offering or a sacrifice? Think about this as you read the passages for this week’s lesson.

  • Scripture Audio:

    Presented as dramatizations from The Bible Gateway.

    Genesis 4

  • How did Cain and Abel know to sacrifice?

    A quick article covering how Cain and Abel knew to sacrifice.

    Article Web Page:

  • Why Did God Reject Cain’s Sacrifice?

    This article focuses on the four main theories or thoughts about why God chose one sacrifice over the other.e.

    Article Web Page:

  • Why Abel’s Sacrifice Was Better

    This article focuses on the very traditional view that Cain’s sacrifice was casual.

    Article Web Page:
    Text to Speach Audio Download:

  • EXTRA CREDIT ARTICLES:

    These resourcs wont be a direct part of the class discussion, but may prove helpful as you start looking into your own rabbit holes of study.

    Cain and Abel

    Unlike the other resources for this week, this one looks at the Grace of God towards Cain.

    Article Web Page:

    Cain and Abel: A Story of Rebellion, Judgment, and Grace

    This article looks at some of the nuance within this passage. While it requires a little interpretation, it is based on human personalities and reactions. There is some good insite here to be digested.

    Article Web Page:

    Lessons From the Garden: Why Did Cain and Abel Offer a Sacrifice to God?

    In this article the concept of faith as it relates to the sacrifices is looked at. It is another interesting look at thsis scripture.

    Article Web Page:

As you study the scripture from the point of view of the sacrifices, consider these questions:

  • Was it God’s choice?
  • A problem with attitude or motive?
  • The quality of the sacrifice, was one a sacrifice and the other an offering?
  • Was it their occupation?
  • Was it their heart?

Session 013: Genesis 4: Cain and Abel: Eastern Perspectives

Posted on by
Reply
Class OverviewClass ResourcesClass Discussion Points
Last session, we covered Genesis Chapter 4 at a high level. The story of Cain and Abel. This week we are looking at the same story but from more of an Eastern perspective. There are some good learnings to be found here, but there are also some traps, as we will try to point out. Discernment is an important factor here.

  • Scripture Audio:

    Presented as dramatizations from The Bible Gateway.

    Genesis 4

  • BEMA Discipleship Podcast: Master the Beast

    We have heard from the BEMA podcast before and there are several of us in the group who really appreciate the teachings that come from this perspective. In this interpretation, fear and shame are the main drivers of the story. There are some good concepts in this podcast.

    Podcast Web Page:
    Podcast Download:

  • Ancient Hebrew Research Center: The Untold story of Cain and Abel

    This article presents a few subtly different interpretations of situations within the Cain and Abel story based on the meanings of the original Hebrew words. It also shows how the Western version of the story (often told from the King James Version translation) has been shaped by a translation from 400+ years ago that may not have carried the nuance of the Hebrew language.

    Article Web Page:

  • Rabbi David Zaslow: WHAT’S IN A NAME: A SECRET ABOUT CAIN AND ABEL

    This article focuses on the meaning of the names given to Cain and Abel and dives into even more detail about possible meanings of these anmes than we see in our previous tow resources.

    Article Web Page:

  • EXTRA CREDIT (Will not be part of our discussion): My Jewish Learning: What Midrash Teaches About the Rabbis

    This article gives examples of ‘filling in the gaps’ that Rabbis have told to explain or fill in the blanks of the Cain and Abel story. For Christians, I think it presents an opportunity to show why we need to be careful about adding to scripture. Please only read this with discernment and prayer. However, it does open a window on how some non-scriptural beliefs come into our societies vernacular about the Bible.

    Article Web Page:

Here are some questions to prompt your study and/or discussion time:

  • What are your thoughts about fear and shame being driving factors within the Cain and Abel story?
  • Given how important names are within the Eastern culture, what are your thoughts on interpreting the defined personalities of Cain and Abel based on their names?
  • Inferences are made that the livelyhood of Cain and Abel, farming/working versus sheparding/nomading, are directly related to their reactions as well as God’s reactions to the situation; how far down this rabbit hole are you willing to go and does it influence your thoughts on the story?
  • Most of our Western ideas on this story are baised on the interpretation found in the King James Version (and it’s influence on following translations). Do you think that some of the Eastern ideas you heard are relevant or should be discarded?