September 14, 2011

1. Post Flood
a. Noah doesnt live up to expectation
b. Story of Babbel: Spread of languages
c. Humans may kill animals now (Adam/Eve were vegetarian)
2. Covenant with Noah, Gen 9
a. Rainbow = Promise/Covenant by God to never make another flood
3. Additional Disappointments
a. Lowers moral standards of humans
b. Covenants made with whole of humanity (Adam + Noah)
i. Opts to make a covenant with a single, impeccable human being
4. Abraham (National origins)
a. Gen 12: New Beginning
i. Instructed by God to leave home
1. Promises fertility and land
b. Gen 17: The Covenant
i. Changes name from Abram to Abraham
ii. Covenant is a broad term that goes beyond agreements/pacts
1. Eg. Marriage (Taking out the trash)
iii. 17:6 Fruitful, nations, kings
1. 17:7 Everlasting bond
iv. 17:10-14 Circumcision as a sign of the covenant
c. Gen 22+18: The Covenantal
5. Relationship
a. Gen 22: Obedience
i. Sacrifice of Isaac, reaffirms Abrahams faith
ii. Lack of detail
1. No mention of Sarah, three days past with no reaction
iii. Role model behavior, god-fearing man
b. Gen 18: Partnership/loyal opposition
i. Gen 18:25 Bargains with God for Sodom and Gomorrah
ii. Part of covenant: Can challenge God
1. Conversely, God tells Abraham his intentions beforehand
6. Four main metaphors to describe relationships
a. King and Subject - Hierarchy
b. Master and Slave - Hierarchy
c. Father and Son - Mutual
d. Husband and Wife - Mutual
7. Joseph Story (Favorite, son of Rachel)
a. Themes
i. Dreams
1. Dreams of superiority over brothers
2. Interprets dreams in prison
3. Interprets Pharaohs dreams
ii. Clothing
1. Jacob gives to Joseph long robe with sleeves
a. Annoyed brothers, conspired against him
2. Pontifars wife accuses Joseph, keeps loincloth
3. New clothes from Pharaoh
iii. Reversals

September 14, 2011

1. Thrown into pit, sold into slavery
2. Rises in Pontifars house
3. Thrown into prison
4. Comes to power with Pharaoh
5. Brothers subject to Josephs power
b. The role of God
i. Small presence, doesnt take form anywhere in story
ii. Kept faith in Joseph, indirect influence
1. Eg. Favorite in prison
2. 45:5 Gods plan, Joseph saves lives
iii. Free will among humans, still acts according to Gods will
c. Joseph vs his brothers
i. Dream fulfillment
1. Brothers end up bowing down to Joseph
ii. Revenge
1. 42:9 Accuses brothers of being spies
2. 45:20 Forces return trip for Benjamin
3. Fulfills Josephs dream of superiority
4. Wishes to verify repentance?
a. Joseph recreates past experience to cause brothers
to get rid of Benjamin
b. Method to judge repentance, accepts when Judah
offers himself as slave
iii. Rest of repentance
1. Repentance keeps sons part of covenant
2. Children of Israel given that name because Abrahams
sons of Ishmael are not part of covenant
a. Whereas ass of Jacobs sons repented and remain
in the covenant with God
8. Exodus: Introduction: The Exodus Motif
a. God is the master of history
i. Has a plan for the course of history, will act in order to carry it
out
ii. Differs from other ideologies (eg. God doesnt act after creation
such as Deism)
iii. Gods of nature vs Gods of history
b. Most important theological belief: History has meaning and purpose
i. Unfolding of Gods plan and design
1. 15:13-14 Foreshadows slavery in Egypt to Abraham