Thanks Susan for good comments last week.
This week Tony elaborated on the time Noah and his family were in the ark, totally dependent upon God, seeing His wrath and His grace played out simultaneously. Awesome experience and the saving water, dying to unrighteousness, motifs that continue to play out throughout the Bible are established. My math comes up to 316 days on board the ark.
Tony pointed out how the seed survived. Re-creation, new world, new growth, purity but soon Ham/Noah incident. Disgraced. Quite a bit more to this story that I want to research sometime, I've heard too many conflicting statements but all come to same conclusion ... sin continues in new creation.
Babel narrative.... tower = power. Same sin as Eve, wanted to make name for self, achieve power of God, stepping behind appointed position. Variation on a theme, aka same second second verse, a little bit louder and a little bit worse....
Judgment is also a promise. "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other." (Gen 11:6-7) Unlimited potential when working in concert and understanding each other. Goal should be spreading truth, love and grace of God, doing His will - not trying to be equal or superior to Him. Problem with many self actualization/realization/empowerment philosophies. In serving God we have unlimited power, in trying to lift ourselves up to His level we end up with nothing. Another recurring theme in the overall story.
In final few minutes Tony started into the story of Abraham. Start reading Genesis 12-14 for next week. Keep the good comments flowing, and James, we were blessed to have you back in class this week after your recent heart surgery.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
1/17/2010 - Genesis 6-9 - FB Class
Tony took a different path this week, and much like Genesis introduces God and creation and gives numerous histories, Tony introduced himself and then gave the class an opportunity to introduce themselves. I had no idea what a large percentage of the class had been here less than five years. This made me think of the days when James Johnston had one family each week introduce themselves and do a poster so that we had a closer relationship as a class.
Hearing the relationship between the different families (like the Gurley’s and the Day’s) was an appropriate reference to the tol’doth (Strong’s 08435), the Hebrew word for histories, genealogies, or accounts – translated generations in the KJV.
We understand people having genealogies, but did you think about earth having one?
See Genesis 2:4. Here are the first 8 of 39 uses of that word in the Old Testament.
Ge 2:4 - These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,
Ge 5:1 - This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;
Ge 6:9 - These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
Ge 10:1 - Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.
Ge 10:32 - These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations: and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.
Ge 11:10 - These are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood:
Ge 11:27 - Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot.
It is a special word. God created the earth, created man in His likeness, Noah was perfect in his generations (open to interpretation – look up some of the online references to Nephilim, Noah might have been the only pureblood human left). We see an unbroken generational line from Adam to Abram.
Tony’s question had more to do with Noah’s faith and lifestyle than his lineage. He asked, what does it mean to be righteous and faithful?
What did it mean in Noah’s day and what does it mean personally to us, in the 21st century?
Hearing the relationship between the different families (like the Gurley’s and the Day’s) was an appropriate reference to the tol’doth (Strong’s 08435), the Hebrew word for histories, genealogies, or accounts – translated generations in the KJV.
We understand people having genealogies, but did you think about earth having one?
See Genesis 2:4. Here are the first 8 of 39 uses of that word in the Old Testament.
Ge 2:4 - These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,
Ge 5:1 - This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;
Ge 6:9 - These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
Ge 10:1 - Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.
Ge 10:32 - These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations: and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.
Ge 11:10 - These are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood:
Ge 11:27 - Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot.
It is a special word. God created the earth, created man in His likeness, Noah was perfect in his generations (open to interpretation – look up some of the online references to Nephilim, Noah might have been the only pureblood human left). We see an unbroken generational line from Adam to Abram.
Tony’s question had more to do with Noah’s faith and lifestyle than his lineage. He asked, what does it mean to be righteous and faithful?
What did it mean in Noah’s day and what does it mean personally to us, in the 21st century?
Monday, January 11, 2010
1/10/2010 - Genesis 3-5 - FB Class
Tony Parnell continued this weeks’ class with a “Variations On A Theme” statement. He elaborated upon the recurring patterns by labeling them:
1. Human Sin
2. Statement of Judgment of God
3. Theme of Grace
4. Judgment
Briefly showed first few repetitions/variations through the narratives regarding Adam/Eve, Cain, and Noah. Each time man gets further removed from God, has more rules and greater intervention by God.
Adam & Eve had one rule, were directly in the presence of God, were given coverings but were not destroyed.
Cain had a very direct warning, (Gen 4:6-7) if you do not master this sin, it is waiting to attack you, yet still committed premeditated murder, given mark to protect him while banished.
The people of Noah’s era had years of preaching and warning during construction of the ark to change from their murderous, evil ways, Noah and family were saved.
Charlie voiced a question that many have thought, regarding last weeks’ lesson – Why was the tree of knowledge of good and evil even in the garden in the first place? Kathy responded that God wanted man to obey/worship Him of his own free will and without choice/rules there is no free will.
We also got into a brief discussion on the Sons of god and daughters of men discussion that is mentioned in Genesis, Numbers and Jude.
1. Human Sin
2. Statement of Judgment of God
3. Theme of Grace
4. Judgment
Briefly showed first few repetitions/variations through the narratives regarding Adam/Eve, Cain, and Noah. Each time man gets further removed from God, has more rules and greater intervention by God.
Adam & Eve had one rule, were directly in the presence of God, were given coverings but were not destroyed.
Cain had a very direct warning, (Gen 4:6-7) if you do not master this sin, it is waiting to attack you, yet still committed premeditated murder, given mark to protect him while banished.
The people of Noah’s era had years of preaching and warning during construction of the ark to change from their murderous, evil ways, Noah and family were saved.
Charlie voiced a question that many have thought, regarding last weeks’ lesson – Why was the tree of knowledge of good and evil even in the garden in the first place? Kathy responded that God wanted man to obey/worship Him of his own free will and without choice/rules there is no free will.
We also got into a brief discussion on the Sons of god and daughters of men discussion that is mentioned in Genesis, Numbers and Jude.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
01/03/2010 - Genesis 1-3 - FB Class
Tony Parnell started the series on Genesis – Canaan Bound today by giving some excellent background material on the book.
Jim’s sermon utilized questions and answers. Made me think we should revisit the five questions Tony asked the class to think about in this study (hopefully I copied down with reasonable accuracy).
- What does it mean to believe the Old Testament is the word of God?
- What did the book of Genesis have to the audience then, and what (if any) claim does it make to its readers today?
- Was the Old Testament written only for the Old Testament people of
- Was the Old Testament written to confront its readers now as then with the imperative to live a life of faith exemplified by Abraham’s walk with God in the Old Testament?
- How can anyone today read and understand its [Genesis and/or the Old Testament] meaning for his or her life?
Tony emphasized Genesis as a resource or example of the importance of living by faith as well as being the story or origins. He also stated that time was irrelevant. He asked us to consider who creation was for, who benefited, who controlled (had dominion), and who was serving whom in the initial story of creation.
He also asked us to read the first seven chapters for next week’s class. I would like to hear some feedback from the class and carry on a simple blog of comments to enhance this study.
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