GoD CREATED THE FAMILY Lesson Scripture: Genesis 2: 18-24; 4:1-2 Focus Scripture: Genesis 2: 18-24; 4:1-2 Key Verse: Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh. Genesis 2:24 (NRSV). ' GENESIS 2:18-24; 4:1-2 (NRSV) Genesis 2:18-24 18 Then the Lord God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner." 19 So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner. 21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called Woman, for out of Man this one was taken." 24 Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh. Genesis 4:1-2 1 Now the man knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, "I have produced a man with the help of the Lord." 2 Next she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a tiller of the ground. GENESIS 2:18-24; 4:1-2 (KJV) Genesis 2:18-24 18 And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. 19 And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. 20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. 21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22 And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. Genesis 4:1-2 1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord. 2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 22
KEY TERMS Helper -A peer; one who compliments the other. Partner- Companion Formed -To have given shape to a thing or person. Conceived - To become pregnant with. Bore -To give birth to; to bring forth. INTRODUCTION God has created the vegetation of the land, and God has provided animals in the air, sky, and sea. God has even brought forth a human being to tend to the ground and to exercise stewardship over establishing the structure of a family. Genesis 2 illustrates for us a vyay to understand loneliness through the story of Adam. It also provides one possible remedy to loneliness: trusted family and community. In the grand story, we are introduced to three new characters: Eve, the "helper" and "partner" that God designed for Adam, and the two children they would produce, Cain and Abel. The relationships that they model for us in the story provide us with conversation for what healthy families can look like today. TELLING THE BIBLE STORY The faithful stewardship theme that we have been tracking in the previous the rest of creation. But lessons continues in what about the human? this chapter, too. As the Who is there to assist The relationships that story evolves, Genesis the human or to join they model for us in the tells us that although alongside him in the Adam was with God, wonders of the created story provide US with Adam was alone world? The Genesis conversation for what (Genesis 2:18). God is story gives us a place not like Adam and Adam to understand the healthy families can is not like God; although importance of naming look like today. we affirm Adam to be in our world as Adam names the creatures of the earth. In today's lesson text, God also continues the grand story of creation by expanding the place of humanity in the world by creating more people, and by extension, 23 created in God's image, they are not equals and there is still a need for Adam to have companionship. Before this, however, God still ensures that Adam is maintaining care for the rest of creation. Adam is given the charge to name every
living creature of the earth. While Adam had the breath of God breathed into him (Genesis 2:7), the same is not said for the animals of the land. Humanity is still given the onus of caring for the created world. After God creates the man and puts him in the garden, God recognizes that it is best that man should haxe a helper. The Lord then causes Adam to fall asleep and then crafts a helper, or partner, for him that would complement him and his being. The story informs us that unlike Adam's relationship with God, Adam's relationship with the woman is on equal footing. Since both of them are human beings - bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh (Genesis 2:23)- the two have the space to exist in relationship together as partners. The Hebrew language that the book of Genesis was written in offers some keen insights regarding the first created humans. The two Hebrew terms ishshah, which means "woman" or "wife," and ish, which means "man" or "husband," are compatible. More than anything, the two Hebrew terms join together to express the ways in which the two complement each other and provide necessary balance for the relationship. Similarly, Abel, who is a keeper of the sheep, and Cain, who is a tiller of the ground (Genesis 4:2), also have particular roles that help the family function and flourish as a whole. SANK OFA There is an ancient philosophy and practice within many African cultures known as Ubuntu. This adage derives from a Nguni word, Ubuntu, meaning "the quality of being human." It is often expanded in the phrase, "Ubuntu ngumtu ngabanye abantu," translated roughly as, "A person is a person through other people." The philosophy of Ubuntu prevails in the life and work of many on the African continent as a way of living and being in the world, and specifically a way of relating to other people and the community writ large. This African proverb is really a world view, or a way of seeing the world in which we live. In Ubuntu, people function in the world with the understanding that they are not an island, nor are they designed to live in seclusion. Rather, Ubuntu serves as a reminder that we are created first and foremost to be social creatures and communal beings. Children are taught this from an early age; they are brought up with the understanding that the aspects of Ubuntu- warmth, openness, participation - are essentially the central aspects of life. For those of us who belong to the African diaspora, the principles of Ubuntu should undergird our behaviors and practices with other people. Ubuntu reminds us, just as the story from today's Bible lesson, that we were created to exist in community with other people, and 24
that we each have something to offer the others in our families and communities. When we choose to embrace Ubuntu as a way of life, when we choose to fully act upon racial gap adds up to more than 4, 000 lost black babies. Education and income offer little protection. In fact, a black woman with an advanced degree is more likely to lose her baby than a When we choose to embrace Ubuntu as a this deep commitment, way of life, when we white woman with less then God's act in the Ch.POSe to fully act upon than an eighth-grade creation of the family this deep commitment, education. " can become even more rich for us. CASE STUDY The following are some brief excerpts from a New York Times article, analyzing the disparities of black women in America in the health care industry, particularly in regards to giving birth. The story reveals some shocking themes that are prevalent in the experiences of many black women as they have traversed the medical industry in preparation for expanding their families. ({Black infants in America are now then God's act in the creation of the family more than twice as likely to die as white infants - 11.3 per 1, 000 black babies, compared with 4. 9 per 1, 000 white babies, according to the most recent government data - a racial disparity that is actually wider than in 1850, 15 years before the end of slavery, when most black women were considered chattel. In one year, that "Though it seemed radical25 years ago, few in the field now dispute that the black-white can become even more disparity in the deaths of rich for us. babies is related not to the genetics of race but to the lived experience of race in this country. In 2007, David and Collins published an even more thorough examination of race and infant mortality in The American Journal of Public Health, again dispelling the notion of some sort of gene that would predispose black women to preterm birth or low birth weight. To make sure the message of the research was crystal clear, David, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Illinois, Chicago, stated his hypothesis in media-friendly but blunt-force terms in interviews: "For black women," he said, "something about growing up in America seems to be bad for your baby's birth weight. ' 15 5 Excerpts taken from "Why America's Black Mothers and Babies Are in a Life-or-Death Crisis" by Linda Villarosa, April l l, 2018, The New York Times. 25
The disparity in death rates, according to the author of this article, has everything to do with the lived experience of being a black woman in America. Despite conjectures from previous decades of scientific research, the dangers that are present for bearing children in the United States for a black woman is. drastically heightened when compared to the risks of non-black mothers. How does this type of systemic inequity affect God's design for the creation of family? LIFE APPLICATION The story of the creation of Eve, Cain, and Abel - the first family - is a continuation of the grander story of the creation of all life. In this lesson, we have been given the opportunity to explore how the family was created so that family members are complementary to other members of the family. Just as Eve was created as a partner to Adam, and just as Cain was created to till the ground while Abel was created to keep the sheep (Genesis 4:2), so each member of our families have been created with this complementarity in mind. When we take the time to assess our unique gifts and graces, and take the time to honor the gifts and graces of others, we can more easily cultivate family relationships that lead to flourishing instead of fading. Family is part of creation. It is an act that God created and blessed and one that family members must maintain, honor, and cherish. Accordingly, we must also consider the diversity of familial language that we employ to represent the sundry ways in which families exist. We ought to recognize that some families consist of biological parents, while others are made up of grandparents, aunts/uncles, siblings, adoptive parents, and even chosen family. In each of these varieties, a commonality is present: to offer our gifts to the family and a commitment to care and support the family. With this in mind, it is important that we honor the fundamental human need to be in relationship with God, with other people, and with the rest of creation. Through enrichment activities, retreats, and resources, we should work to reclaim the family as part of the legacy and sustainability of our communities. These actions focus attention on the institution of the family as a key building block of the community, churches, country, and civilization. It is not only to celebrate families within our community, but to highlight the benefits of this dynamic. Moreover, we must extend the love of God through our families in the ways we Family is part of creation 26
support and care for each other, while also caring for all of creation. Some questions we might ask: 1. Although Adam was with God, because he was human, he was alone (Genesis 2: 18). Who is alone? What types of people do you know that often are isolated or excluded? What are some ways in which you ca.. 11 welcome them into family or community? 2. Family is not just defined as a man, woman, and child(ren). Many families are comprised of mother, grandmother, and child; mother and child(ren); father and child(ren), adoptive guardians, etc. What is your unique family makeup? What specific characteristics do you value in each family member? 3. The lessons of family also extend to our larger families through our ancestry and heritage. What are some ways in which your local church can help to cultivate a sense of ancestral belonging in the work of the church? How can this lesson help us to find our place in the larger family of African Methodism? CLOSING DEVOTIONS Closing Song: I Need You to Survive by Hezekiah Walker For the Beauty of the Earth, AMEC Hymnal #578 Closing Prayer: Grant us, 0 Lord, to pass this day in gladness and peace, without stumbling and without strain; that, in reaching the eventide victorious over all temptation, we may praise you, the eternal God, who are blessed, and governs all things, world without end. Amen. (AMEC Hymnal, Prayer #761 ) HOME DAILY BIBLE READINGS September 17 -September 23 Monday Tuesday Matthew 19:3-6 (Becoming One Flesh) 1 Corinthians 7:1-7, 32-35 (Married and Devoted to the Lord) Wednesday Hebrews 13:1-6 (Honor the Sanctity of Marriage) Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 1 Peter 1:13-16,22-23 (Cultivate Deep Mutual Love) 1 Peter4:7-11 (For the Sake of Your Prayers) Genesis 4:3-12 (Cain Ducks Responsibility for Abel) Genesis 2:18-24; 4:1-2 (The Family, Whole and Broken) 27