The Genesis Narrative

Narrative?! What is a Narrative?

Or who is the story of Genesis about?

Adam and Eve Noah Abraham Jacob and Esau Joseph Judah

Just kidding! The Bible is about God!

So what is the story of Genesis about?

The Question Genesis is trying to Answer:

Did Adam and Eve have a bellybutton?

Genesis 2; 3

The Story of Adam and Eve1. Let us create man in our image2. The Lord creates life3. God forms man from dust of the ground4. Put in the garden to work and take care of it5. Command: Eat of any tree; except the tree of good and evil-you will

die6. Adam names animals that God created7. The Lord makes woman (Man and Woman one flesh)8. Naked and felt no shame

Eating of the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil

8. Realization they were naked-Hiding from God out of shame7. Adam blames the Woman that God created (Man will rule over

Woman)6. Woman blames animal that God created5. The curse from the command comes true:8. Cursed ground3. From dust you were taken to dust you shall return9. God takes life to create animal skins1. The man has become like us

Wait, What? The Lord: “Let us make mankind in our image, in

our likeness. . .”

The Serpent: “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

The Lord: “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.”

The Book of Romans“But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man [Adam], how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!  Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification.  For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ! Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people.  For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.”

So what is the point?

The One Man

Verses

The One Man

The purpose of the Adam and Eve story is to tell how man became “slaves to sin” and to tell how God went about rescuing man from that slavery. It is to tell man how he can really be created in God’s image and likeness! And guess what…it is not by anything that we do (the sin of Adam). We do not earn our salvation, God gives it to all of us (The righteousness of Christ)!

THE NARRATIVE OF NOAH AND THE FLOOD

Remember?

So what is this class really about?

Answering the question “did the story of Noah really happen?”

Just kidding! I’m not going to do that…

But I will tell you this:

Sumerian Flood Story (“Eridu Genesis”)19th-18th BCE

Mesopotamian Flood story (“The Epic of Gilgamesh”) discovered 7th century BCE

Tradition! Tradition!

Google it: “Ancient Near Eastern flood stories”

Now for the cool part…

Genesis 6:1-9:28

Don’t worry we are not going to read it all….

First off, things are weird! Genesis 6:1-8 When human beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were

born to them,  the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose.  Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown. The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.  The LORD regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.   So the LORD said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.”  But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

Say, What?!

This text is the foundational text for the main argument made in the book of 2 Peter…But lets not get into that…

Genesis 6:12, 11God looked at the earth, and it was corrupted in the eyes of God, for all fleshly beings had become corrupt.  And the earth was full of injustice.

Genesis 6:8-9But Noah found favor in Yahweh's eyes.  Noah was a just man, and perfect among his generation.  He walked around with God.

Genesis 6:13And God said to Noah, 'I have decided to kill all fleshly beings, for the earth is full of injustice because of them.  I will destroy them along with the earth.'

Genesis 6:14, 7:4 'I am about to bring waters to flood the earth and destroy every living creature under the heavens.  Everything on the earth will die.  I will send rain for 40 days and 40 nights, and I will wipe out every living thing from the face of the earth.'

Genesis 6:18, 14 'But I will make my pact with you.  Make yourself an ark of gopher wood.  And you shall go into the ark: you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives.'

Genesis 6:19-20'You will bring into the ark two of every type of living creature, male and female, to keep them alive with you.  Two of every kind of livestock...'

Genesis 6:19'Two of every kind of bird.'

Genesis 6:20'Two of every kind of every creature that moves on the ground.

Genesis 7:8-9And pairs of clean and unclean animals entered the ark.

Genesis 6:13, 21God said to Noah 'Gather up and take every type of food that is eaten to serve as food for you and them.'

Genesis 7:1, 7 Yahweh said to Noah, 'Come into the ark, you and all your family.'  And Noah entered the ark with his sons, his wife, and his sons' wives.

Genesis 7:16 Then Yahweh shut him in.

Genesis 7:11In the 600th year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, all the fountains of the great deep burst forth.

Genesis 7:11-12The windows of heaven were opened and rain fell on the earth for 40 days and 40 nights.

Genesis 7:21And all the living things on earth died: the birds, livestock, wild animals, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all humankind.

Genesis 8:1Then God remembered Noah and all the living things and the livestock that were with him on the ark.

Genesis 8:3-4, 15-17 The waters gradually receded from the earth, and the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.  And God said to Noah, 'Come out of the ark.  Bring out every living thing and let them breed and multiply on the earth!'

Genesis 8:18-19 Noah went out, along with his sons, his wife, his sons' wives, and every living thing.

Genesis 9:1-3God blessed Noah, saying, 'Breed, multiply, and fill the land.  Every living thing on land, in the sky, and in the sea will be terrified of you, for every living thing I am giving you as food to eat.'

Genesis 9:8-12'Look, I am making my pact with you, your descendants, and every living thing that came out of the ark. Never again will all life be wiped out by a flood. This is the sign of the pact: I have set my bow in the clouds.'

Genesis 9:12'Whenever the bow is seen, I will remember my pact between me and you and every living fleshly creature on the earth.'

What parallels did you see?

More Repetition…

The theme of Remembrance…8:1

But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.

9:15I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.

9:16Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”

19:29So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.

30:22Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and enabled her to conceive.

Ok so what is the point?

If only there was more time…

Deuteronomy 4 is the point

The LORD was angry with me because of you, and he solemnly swore that I would not cross the Jordan and enter the good land the LORD your God is giving you as your inheritance. I will die in this land; I will not cross the Jordan; but you are about to cross over and take possession of that good land.  Be careful not to forget the covenant of the LORD your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the LORD your God has forbidden. For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. After you have had children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time—if you then become corrupt and make any kind of idol, doing evil in the eyes of the LORD your God and arousing his anger, I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live there long but will certainly be destroyed.  The LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the LORD will drive you.  There you will worship man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell. But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.  When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the LORD your God and obey him.  For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath.

The Narrative of Abraham

In the beginning… (of Abraham’s

Story…)

Genesis 15

“Abraham Believed the Lord…”

A quick jump to Paul… Romans 4:1-3

Romans 4:18-25Against all hope, Abraham, in hope, believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.  Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.  This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”  The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone,  but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.  He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

So let us look at Abrahams faith…

Genesis 16:1-4

Lets look at the parallelism…

Genesis 17:15-18Genesis 18:10-12

Genesis 12: 17-20Genesis 20:9-13

But the story ends like it began “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him.

Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.   So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.” The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time  and said, “I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son,  I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies,  and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

Sounds kind of familiar…

So what’s the point? A Display of faith: Abram leaves his homeland; the first promise 11-112

   B Abram sojourns in Canaan 12       C The stay in Egypt; Abram passes Sarai off as his sister 12           D The separation of Abram, who has the promise, from Lot, who does

not have the promise 13               E The rescue of Lot 14                   F Abram's fears of infertility are calmed by the promise of a son;

God makes a covenant 15                       G Sarai's attempt to get a son: Ishmael 16                           X THE COVENANT; Abram's new name, etc. 17:1-10                       G´ Circumcision; the rejection of Ishmael and the promise of a

son through Sarah 17                   F´ Sarah is told of the promise of a son, despite her fears of

infertility 18 E´ The rescue of Lot 18-19 C´ The birth of Isaac; the separation of Isaac, the child of the promise, from Ishmael, the child outside the promise 21

       D´ The stay in Gerar; Abraham passes Sarah off as his sister 20   B´ Abraham sojourns among the Philistines 21A´ Display of faith: Abraham is willing to sacrifice Isaac; the final promise 22

The Narrative of Jacob and Esau

What have we been talking about?

The Story of Jacob and Esau

A little hint:

This story is really about Jacob’s transformation.

In the beginning… of the Jacob storyThis is the account of the family line of Abraham’s son Isaac. Abraham became the father of Isaac, and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah . . . Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.  The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the LORD.  The LORD said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb.  The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau. After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them. The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob. Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished.  He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.”“Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?” But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright.

And then…Jacob steals Esau’s blessing…

Then he said, “My son, bring me some of your game to eat, so that I may give you my blessing.” Jacob brought it to him and he ate; and he brought some wine and he drank.  Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come here, my son, and kiss me.” So he went to him and kissed him. When Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he blessed him and said, “Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed. May God give you heaven’s dew and earth’s richness—an abundance of grain and new wine. May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed.” After Isaac finished blessing him, and Jacob had scarcely left his father’s presence, his brother Esau came in from hunting.  He too prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. Then he said to him, “My father, please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessing.” His father Isaac asked him, “Who are you?” “I am your son,” he answered, “your firstborn, Esau.” Isaac trembled violently and said, “Who was it, then, that hunted game and brought it to me? I ate it just before you came and I blessed him—and indeed he will be blessed!” When Esau heard his father’s words, he burst out with a loud and bitter cry and said to his father,

And then…“Bless me—me too, my father!”  But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.” Esau said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob? This is the second time he has taken advantage of me: He took my birthright, and now he’s taken my blessing!” Then he asked, “Haven’t you reserved any blessing for me?” Isaac answered Esau, “I have made him lord over you and have made all his relatives his servants, and I have sustained him with grain and new wine. So what can I possibly do for you, my son?” Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father!” Then Esau wept aloud. His father Isaac answered him, “Your dwelling will be away from the earth’s richness, away from the dew of heaven above. You will live by the sword and you will serve your brother. But when you grow restless,  you will throw his yoke from off your neck.” Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”

Dad?! You gave away my blessing?!

Are you seeing a theme?

A quick tangent… Jacob gets married…twice.

Point of the story? Girls do not marry a man unless he

works for it for at least 7 years…if not 14.

And we’re back.. Jacob meet’s Esau!

• Do you remember?

That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.  After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions.  So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak.  When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man.  Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”  The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered. Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.” Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there. So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.” The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip.  Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.

And then what?! Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men; so

he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two female servants.  He put the female servants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph in the rear. He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother. But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept. Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. “Who are these with you?” he asked. Jacob answered, “They are the children God has graciously given your servant.” Then the female servants and their children approached and bowed down.  Next, Leah and her children came and bowed down. Last of all came Joseph and Rachel, and they too bowed down. Esau asked, “What’s the meaning of all these flocks and herds I met?” “To find favor in your eyes, my lord,” he said But Esau said, “I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself.” “No, please!” said Jacob. “If I have found favor in your eyes, accept this gift from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably.  Please accept the present that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.” And because Jacob insisted, Esau accepted it.

Remember?“Two nations are in your womb, and two

peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.”

“I have made him lord over you and have made all his relatives his servants…”

“…and you will serve your brother.”

There is a different Jacob

He becomes the hero of the story!

“The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob”

“The Twelve Tribes of Israel”

So what is the point? Jacobs ladder is the point: Gen. 28

Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran.  When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep.  He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.  There above it stood the LORD, and he said: “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying.  Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

Guess what happens when the disciples first meet Jesus… John 1

  The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”  Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida.  Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” “Nazareth! Can anything good come from here?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip. When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.” Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.”He then added, “Very truly I tell you,

you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

We will

Come back

to th

is

Sound familiar?

Guess what the word Jacob means?

“He Deceives”

Literally ““Here truly is Israel in whom there is no Jacob.”

Jesus is the real Israel! The one who came to serve!

“ For whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,  and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—  just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”