Creation Accounts. Genesis 1-2:4 Creation story one: The word Elohim is used for God 25 times. Elohim is the generic term for God(s).

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2 Creation Accounts Genesis 1-2:4 Creation story one: The word Elohim is used for God 25 times. Elohim is the generic term for God(s). Genesis 2:5-25 Creation story two: The Hebrew uses the letters YHWH to refer to God s personal revelatory (non)name that he gave Moses at the burning bush. - I am who I am.

3 Creation Accounts What do you think is being stressed in each creation account?

4 Flood Accounts Genesis 6:9-22; 7:6, 8-9, 11, 13-16, 21, 24; 8:1-5, 7, First flood story: God = Elohim Take a pair of each animal type Flood lasts 150 days Flood begins on the day Noah enters the ark Flood is caused by rain Noah lets out from the ark a series of three doves

5 Flood Accounts Genesis 6:5-8; 7:1-7, 10, 12, 16-23; 8:6, 8-13, Second flood story: God = YHWH Take 7 pairs of clean animals Flood lasts for 40 days and 40 nights Flood starts 7 days after Noah enters the ark The waters above and below the earth are unbound Noah releases a raven once

6 Textual comparison Elohim "And to him on board the ark went one pair, a male and a female, of all animals, clean and unclean, of birds, and of everything that creeps on the ground, two by two, as God had commanded... Those which came were one male and one female of all living things; they came in as God had commanded Noah...the water had increased over the earth for a hundred and fifty days." (Genesis 7: 15, 24). YHWH "Take with you seven pairs, a male and a female, of all ritually clean animals, and one pair, a male and a female, of all unclean animals; also seven pairs, male and female, of every bird-to ensure that life continues on the earth. For in seven days I am going to send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights." (Genesis 7:2).

7 Flood Accounts What do you think is being stressed in each flood account?

8 Historical note The Genesis flood accounts also have several similarities (and some major differences) with early Sumerian and Babylonian flood myths like the 'Epic of Ziusudra and the Epic of Gilgamesh, both of which predate the writing of Genesis.

9 Authorship Moses(ish) (somewhere between 1440 to 1280 BC). Moses most likely worked from several other sources already in existence to compile the book of Genesis. It is also likely that Genesis may have been added to/updated after Moses time, with the final version possibly assembled by Ezra around 450 BC.

10 Question How does this (use of sources, varying accounts, community authorship) affect your understanding of the inspiration and the authority of scripture? Personally, it doesn t raise questions as to the inspiration of scripture, but as to how we should understand the inspiration of scripture.

11 Genesis Outline Genesis 1-11 CREATION AND PREHISTORY Genesis 11:30-25:18 ABRAHAM (Genesis ISAAC) GENESIS 25:19-36:43 JACOB GENESIS 37:1-50:26 JOSEPH

12 SEVEN MAJOR THEMES 1. The character of God. -God is the creator of all things. -God is the sustainer of all things. -God is the ruler over all things.

13 SEVEN MAJOR THEMES 1. The character of God. -Out of nothing God spoke everything into existence. -God created everything very good. -Human beings are created in God s image and given regency over the rest of creation.

14 SEVEN MAJOR THEMES 2. Sin. -Humanity chose (and continues to choose) to rebel against God and serve itself and/or God s creation. -The consequences of sin is death and separation from God and one another.

15 SEVEN MAJOR THEMES 3. Out of love God intervenes in the history of human sin by choosing (making covenant with) a man and his family. God is the hero of the story(s). Adam, Seth, Noah, Shem, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph. God s curse on the serpent who will be destroyed by the seed of the woman. - Gen. 3:15.

16 SEVEN MAJOR THEMES 4. God s covenant with Abraham. (12:2-7; 15:1-21; 17:3-8). Through the seed of Abraham: A) Abraham will become the father of a great nation. B) Those who bless Abraham will be blessed. c) Those who curse Abraham will be cursed. D) God will make Abraham a blessing to all families of the earth.

17 Galatians 3:16, 26, The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say and to seeds, meaning many people, but and to your seed, meaning one person, who is Christ. So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (NIV).

18 SEVEN MAJOR THEMES 5. God s choice of the weaker/younger. God regularly bypasses the firstborn son in carrying out his purposes (i.e. Jacob, Joseph). NT: 1 Cor. 1:27-29

19 SEVEN MAJOR THEMES 6. God regularly works through barrenness. The godly seed is frequently born of a barren woman. (Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel). NT: Elizabeth and Mary. NT: Resurrection - Rom. 4:18-25.

20 MAJOR THEMES 7. God s people are not credited for their goodness, but for their active faith/trust in God. NT: Rom. 4:18-45, Heb. 11.