More Problems and Punishment for Humanity

In chapters 3 and 4 of the Genesis, we learn about how Adam and Eve are punished and cast out of the Garden of Eden for disobeying God's laws, but we also discussed the complex facts that the serpent, who encouraged the humans to disobey God, was created by God and intentionally placed in the garden, and that God also intentionally placed the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden and then forbade Adam and woman to eat from it. Based on these facts, it seems as though God tests people with the opportunity to nearly gain divinity and then punishes them when they reach for it.

Now that you have read chapters 6 through 9, what are your thoughts on the reasons that God chose to wipe out humanity through the flood? What is the significance of saving the animals but almost none of humanity? What characteristics does Noah possess that make him worthy of salvation when no one else is? Do you see any connections between this story and the story of Adam and Eve's fall?

Two Creation Stories?

After reading chapters 1 and 2 of Genesis, you probably noticed that there are some repeated acts of creation between the two chapters. If you read carefully, you probably saw that humans were created twice--once as a large group of people on the 7th day of creation, and once as a creation of Adam. There are several other examples of the two stories narrating the same events and other moments when the stories seem to contradict one another.  In class we will discuss some of the possible explanations for these differences, retellings and contradictions, but for your blog entry, I would like you to try to describe the tone and purpose of each story and explain the reasons behind your thinking.  There is no wrong answer here. I just want you to consider each story and ask yourself what the tone and purpose of each one seems to be and do your best to describe it.

We'll use your answers to enhance our discussion of the two chapters when we meet on Tuesday.