Tag: bsf answers to genesis

BSF Study Questions Genesis Lesson 8, Day 5: Genesis 9:18-29

by atozmom, posted in BSF Genesis 2012/2013

Summary of passage:  Noah’s sons are Shem, Ham, and Japheth and from them came the people who were scattered over the earth.  Noah got drunk and naked.  Shem & Japheth covered him up.  Noah cursed Ham (the father of Canaan and the one who told of his nakedness) when he found out he had tattled to be slaves to his brothers.  At the same time, he blessed his other sons, asking for Canaan to be Shem’s slaves and Japheth’s territory to grow and live in Shem’s tents as Canaan is Shem’s slaves as well.

Noah died at age 950.

Questions:

12a)  It seems to me Shem and Japheth loved their father more.  They didn’t tell of his situation but instead did their best to cover up their father.  Proverbs says “love covers over all wrongs” so even if getting drunk was wrong love makes it disappear.

b)  Proverbs 17:9 says “He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.”  Ham told his brothers (and not in a loving way–in a mocking way) of his father’s nakedness and what happened to him (which we don’t know) and Shem and Japheth covered their father’s offense in love.  When Noah wakes, he is so mad he curses Ham and his descendants–in effect separating the brothers because like Cain and Abel I’m sure  jealousy and dissension arose amongst them.

God does not like the man who stirs up dissension amongst brothers.  It appears there was something else going on here we just don’t know about.  I think there was dissension before this incident.  Sibling rivalry if you will.  Either way love was missing in Ham’s heart.

c)  Personal Question.  My answer:  I should respond in love.  Not engage in gossip.

13)  Noah curses Canaan to be slaves to his brothers.  Commentators say that Genesis 9:27 predicts the Messiah coming that God (Jesus) will dwell in the tents of Shem.  The land of Canaan is the land where Sodom and Gomorrah lie and is known for its evil.  It is also the land Moses will flee to and the land God gives Abraham.  So in one way it could be a warning not to mix with the Canaanites.

We don’t know why Ham was condemned and the others were blessed.  Many believe there was underlying sin here that something bad (such as sexual abuse) happened to Noah while he was sleeping and Ham boasted of it to his brothers.  However, all of this is speculation.  All we know is what the Bible says: Ham boasted; Shem and Japheth covered with love; Noah’s reaction.

Conclusions:  The lesson I got out of this is the difference in acting out of love or acting out of self and how gossip, boasting, and pride lead to dissension between close friends.  Whatever happened Shem and Japheth loved their father more and were blessed because of their actions.  This is my take-away:  love leads to blessings.

Question 13 is a challenge because even bible commentators don’t agree on what the curse means and its implications.

An interesting lengthy paper on the curse found here:

http://joelnothman.com/downloads/interpretation-gn9-25.pdf

Interesting Side Note:  This curse is what was used to justify slavery of Africans who were believed to be the descendants of Ham and thus preordained to be slaves.  This is what was believed and taught by early Americans.  I found this fascinating because early Americans (and others who enslaved) truly believed this verse justified their actions. Great example of how misinterpreting the Bible can have devastating consequences or the pitfalls of using the Bible to justify extreme behavior.

BSF Study Questions Genesis Lesson 3, Day 5: Genesis 1 & 2 and skim Genesis 3:1-10

by atozmom, posted in BSF Genesis 2012/2013

Summary of passages:  Genesis 1:  In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.  The earth was formless and void but the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

1st Day:  God made light and He saw it was good.  He separated light from dark.  He called light “day” and dark “night.”

2nd Day:  God separated the waters to create sky.

3rd Day:  He let the dry ground appear, which He named “land” and the gathered waters he called “seas”.  Then the land produced vegetation–all of which God saw was good.

4th Day:  God made the sun, moon, and stars to be used as signs to mark the seasons, days, and years; to give light on the earth; to govern the day and the night; and to separate light from darkness.  God saw that it was good.

5th Day:  God created the great creatures of the sea as well as every winged bird.  He blessed them to multiply and fill the earth.  He saw it was good.

6th Day:  God created living creatures on the land and all the wild animals and He saw it was good.  He made man in His own image to rule over all the earth and its creatures.  God blessed them and told them to be fruitful and rule.  He gave man every green plant for food and everything that has the breath of life in it.  God saw that it was very good.

Genesis 2:  By the seventh day, God had finished his work so he rested and blessed the day as holy.

After God made the heavens and the earth but before plants had sprung and only streams had watered the earth, God made man from the dust of the ground and breathed life into his nostrils and man became living.  He put the man in the garden of Eden.  He made all kinds of trees for food and in the middle were the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  A river watered this garden.

God put man in charge of the garden to work it and take care of it.  He warned the man not to eat from the tree of knowledge or he would die.  He brought the animals to Adam to name.  When God did so, He noticed no helper was found for man; so He created woman from Adam’s rib while he was sleeping so man would not be alone.

This is why man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife and become one flesh.  They were naked and felt no shame.

Genesis 3:1-10:  The crafty serpent said to Eve, “Did God really say you must not eat from any tree in the garden?”  Eve said, “We cannot eat from the tree in the middle or we shall die.”

The serpent says they will not die but they will be like God, knowing good and evil.

Desiring wisdom, Eve ate and gave some to Adam so he would eat.  Their eyes were opened and they realized they were naked.  They covered themselves with fig leaves.

Adam and Eve hid from God when they heard him in the garden.  God called to them and Adam said he was afraid because he was naked.

Questions:

12)  It addresses before man was made that God had not yet sent rain so streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground (Genesis 2:5-6).  Genesis 2:10 does mention a river that waters the garden flowed from Eden after man’s creation.

So we know there was water and the plants grew.  I’m imaging at some point the water cycle kicked in but in the beginning the earth was so new the water cycle probably didn’t have time to evaporate and form clouds so God watered where He needed to.

13a)  God did it all.  He created everything.  He created.  He said.  He blessed.  He made.  He controls.  In Genesis 2, I see God caring for his creation.  In Genesis 1, the focus was on making everything.  In Genesis 2, God cared for and perfected his creations.  He gave man a companion because man needed one.  He watered the land so it would grow.

Genesis 1:  Created & controlled

Genesis 2:  Cared for

b)  Personal Question.  My answer:  I threw in control because I think a lot of us suffer when we try to take control instead of allowing God to be in control.  I know I do this often.  Praying “God, you take this” is one of my frequent prayers.

Knowing in my heart God cares for me is something also I need to rejuvenate.  I know God is in control and he cares about me but having that in the forefront of my mind is hard.

Something I need to pray, “God you created me, you are in control, and you care for me.  So please help me sow this into my heart and remember this in my daily walk so you will be in control.”

14a)  The definition of ashamed according to Webster’s Dictionary is, “feeling shame, guilt, or disgrace; feeling inferior or unworthy”.

Man did not feel inferior or unworthy before the Fall.  Man and God seemed to me to be best friends.  God made man in His image and they walked in the Garden together.  As equals?  Probably not.  But as a proper Father/son/daughter relationship should be–full of respect and admiration.

God made man worthy of him.  Man then sinned and brought unworthiness into the world.  So Jesus had to make it right.

They didn’t know they weren’t supposed to be naked.  They didn’t have the knowledge of being naked until they ate from the tree.  The first thing God asks them in Genesis 3:11 is “Who told you that you were naked?”

[Makes me wonder if this is why we wear clothes today.  Because we are ashamed of our bodies when we shouldn’t be.  Especially since originally man wasn’t ashamed. Interesting.]

b)  I like this idea of light as clothes (never heard this before).  Could I get some of this light?  It would probably be much prettier than what I wear!

Seriously, answer is sin.  When Adam and Eve disobeyed God and partook of the fruit, the knowledge and sin removed the light.

c) Romans 3:23 “for we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God”.  Not sure what “this” is in this question.  Naked?  Ashamed?  The light being removed?  The light being the clothing?

Because of sin we fall short of the glory of God.  Since the Fall we all sin so we all fall short. Thus, we are inferior and unworthy of God unless we have Jesus who makes us worthy.

Conclusions:  Not sure of 14c.  Not sure what the point is that we haven’t already concluded from the Fall.

Great reminder that God is in control and He cares.  Even when we don’t want Him to.

BSF Study Questions Genesis Lesson 3, Day 2: Genesis 1:26-2:25 with Psalm 8 & Hebrews 2:6-9

by atozmom, posted in BSF Genesis 2012/2013

Summary of passages:  Genesis 1:26-2:25:  Finishing up the sixth day, God made man in our image (our being God the father, Son, and the Holy Spirit) and let man rule over the fish, birds, livestock, and all of earth and its creatures.  He created both male and female.  God blessed man and told him to be fruitful and multiply.

God gave man every seed-bearing plant and every fruit for food.  He gave all the other living creatures green plants for food.  God saw all He made and it was good.

By the seventh day, God had finished his work so he rested and blessed the day as holy.

After God made the heavens and the earth but before plants had sprung and only streams had watered the earth, God made man from the dust of the ground and breathed life into his nostrils and man became living.  He put the man in the garden of Eden.  He made all kinds of trees for food and in the middle were the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  A river watered this garden.

God put man in charge of the garden to work it and take care of it.  He warned the man not to eat from the tree of knowledge or he would die.  He brought the animals to Adam to name.  When God did so, He noticed no helper was found for man; so He created woman from Adam’s rib while he was sleeping so man would not be alone.

This is why man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife and become one flesh.  They were naked and felt no shame.

Psalm 8:  David sings God praises, saying how majestic He is. God set His glory above the heavens.  The praises of children silence God’s enemies. David asks the question many of us ask:  when we consider all you have made (the heavens, moon, and stars), why do you care for insignificant man so and crown him with glory and honor by making him ruler over everything?

How majestic is your name!

Hebrews 2:6-9:  Psalm 8 is quoted, “what is man that you are mindful of him…a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor and put everything under his feet.”  Everything is subject to man, even things we do not see.  Jesus, who himself was made a little lower than angels, is crowned with glory and honor (the same as man’s) because he suffered death for everyone.

Questions:

3a)  Adam:  The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being (2:7)

Eve:  The Lord God caused the man (Adam) to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh.  Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man (2:21-22)

b)  Personal Question.  My answer:  We wouldn’t exist without Him.  And He made us companions for one another so we wouldn’t be alone.  I couldn’t make it in this Fallen world without help from God and humans.

4a)  God took Adam in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.  (2:15)

b)  Personal Question.  My answer:  Yes.  We are the top of the food chain, the pyramid, the most intelligent beings, and we are formed in God’s image.  It is our responsibility to take care of our planet Earth and everything in it and to work it as God intended.

c)  In putting everything under him (man), God left nothing that is not subject to him.  Yet we do not see everything that is subject to him.  But we do see Jesus who has come to defeat death.

Main truth from these passages:  God originally gave man dominion over this earth (and the one to come) NOT angels even though man is a little lower than angels.  Man was created to rule earth.

This brings up the question:  how can Jesus rule and reign if he is not human?  Thus, Jesus became human so he (and we while Jesus is gone) can rule and reign over this world.

Thus, God gave man dominion over the earth; however, when man sinned and brought death (Romans 5:12), he gave up that power (but not the right) to rule.  The sin and death took away that power.  Thus, Jesus was sent to conquer death and restore God’s promise that humans will have dominion over the earth (Romans 5:21).  Because through Jesus man reclaims the dominion that God had originally intended for Adam (Revelation 5:10; Matthew 25:21).

Credit given to Enduring Word for explaining this to me!

5a)  To work and take care of Eden.  Basically, to care for God’s creations.

b)  Personal Question.  My answer:  To care for my family and husband; raise my kids in God’s ways.  For the world, I hope it’s through my novel.  But that’s just a hope.  At times, a very discouraging hope.  Something in my heart I can’t shake.  But one I believe is from God.

Conclusions:  Question 4c needed more background information.  I wouldn’t have been able to answer it without reading commentaries.  Piecing together the fact that one reason Jesus came as a man is to fulfill God’s promise of man having dominion over the earth is one I’ve never considered or heard of before.

In church, it’s all about how Jesus came to save us from our sins; to take them upon himself.  But this implication goes far beyond that.  Jesus came for us to rule.  Because God deigned us to (for some unknown reason).  Again, as in Psalm 8, I feel like David:  “what is man that you are mindful of him?”.

We are so little and insignificant.  But only in our eyes.  To God, we must be 10 feet tall!