~~~~~Lesson: Genesis, Chapter 4

1) It is important to note that the offerings themselves weren’t the source of God’s rejection or acceptance. God doesn’t have a preference for meat over grain. It was the “spirit” in which it was given. The Lord’s answer to Cain indicates this: “If you do well, you can hold up your head.”

In today’s day and age, we don’t offer meat and grain to the Lord. However, we can offer a “proper” spirit and behavior.

Question: Can you name some examples of “proper” spiritual feelings or behavior that the Lord would “accept as an offering”?

2) Cain receives his punishment from God, but complains that it is too great to bear. Though we receive trials and tribulations (as part of life, for God’s own reasons, not because we murdered someone), God will help us through it.

Question: Name one trial or tribulation that you have gone through. Did God help give you strength? Did you gain any spiritual benefit from the trial/tribulation?

~Reading: Genesis: Chapters 4-5

(Chapter 4: entire)  The man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have produced a man with the help of the Lord.” Next she bore his brother Abel. Abel became a keeper of flocks, and Cain a tiller of soil. In the course of time Cain brought an offering to the Lord from the fruit of the soil, while Abel, for his part, brought one of the best firstlings of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not. Cain greatly resented this and was crestfallen.

So the Lord said to Cain: “Why are you so resentful and crestfallen? If you do well, you can hold up your head; but if not, sin is a demon lurking at the door: his urge is toward you, yet you can be his master.”

Cain said to his brother Abel, “let us go out in the field.” When they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

Then the Lord asked Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”

He answered, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

The Lord then said: “What have you done! Listen: Your brother’s blood cries out out me from the soil! Therefore you shall be banned from the soil that opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. If you till the soil, it shall no longer give you its produce. You shall become a restless wanderer on the earth.”

Cain said to the Lord: “My punishment is too great to bear. Since you have now banished me from the soil, and I must avoid your presence and become a restless wanderer on the earth, anyone may kill me at sight.”

“Not so!” the Lord said to him. “If anyone kills Cain, Cain shall be avenged sevenfold.” So the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest anyone should kill him at sight. Cain then left the Lord’s presence and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

Chapter 5- List of Descendants

~~~~~Lesson: Genesis: Chapter 3

Two major points of this section:
1) The word "serpent" is actually a play on the original Hebrew for the word "naked" making an alliteration in the original text. Later tradition hold that the serpent is actually "Satan", earlier tradition simply credits the serpent as being a "mischievious creature" (see Jerome's biblical commentary for further details).

2) The second point is more relevatant to us today. The serpent promises that the fruit will open their eyes to good and evil.
The first thing they realize though is that they are naked, which brings shame to them (as they hasten to cover themselves).

Also, we are later taught that true wisdom is following God's will perfectly. And his will was quite clear that they were not to eat the fruit.

So, did the serpent lie??
If not, did man and woman gain wisdom by their act?

What do you think and why??

(The next post will also be related to this...we will discuss the concept of original sin.)

~Reading: Genesis: Chapter 3:1-7

(1-7) Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals that the Lord God had made. The serpent asked the woman, "Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?"

The woman answered the serpent: "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, 'You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.'"

But the serpent said to the woman: "You certainly will not die! No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is bad."

The woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves

~~~~~Lesson: Genesis: Chapters 1-2

Even if you haven't read the entire chapter, I'm sure you've heard the basic idea of Genesis before. I'm also sure that you've heard much of the controversy across the country (the U.S.) about teaching creationism in our schools.

First, I AM NOT TAKING SIDES. So, relax, everyone, take a deep breath (ha-ha).

I'm simply going to outline the three basic views, and let you decide for yourself. This is a great topic for discussion, so please post what you think, why, but please remain respectful of others' beliefs.

Theory 1: the bible is simply a metaphor. Or is inaccurate. Or is simply a fairy tale/legend.

Theory 2: Intelligent design. The bible is a metaphor of what God really did. It is completely compatible to believe in evolution and God in this theory. God directed evolution; Genesis is our way of understanding what he did.

Theory 3: Creationism. Read the entire chapter as entirely factual, including the time line. In this theory, this is an exact account of what occurred.

~Reading: Genesis 1-2

(1:1-8) In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss, while a mighty wind swept over the waters.

Then God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw how good the light was. God then separated the light from the darkness. God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." Thus evening came, and morning followed- the first day.

Then God said, “Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters, to separate one body of water from the other.” And so it happened: God made the dome, and it separated the water above the dome from the water below it. God called the dome “the sky.” Evening came, and the morning followed- the second day.

*****God goes on to create the earth and the oceans; plants; sun and moon and stars; living creatures of the water and air; living creatures on the earth; then man.