genesis 1-11 © john stevenson, 2012. torah hebrew: law, instruction pentateuch greek: five-part...

Genesis 1-11Genesis 1-11

© John Stevenson, 2012

TorahTorahHebrew: “Law,

Instruction”

PentateuchPentateuchGreek: “Five-Part

Book”

NumbersNumbers Wilderness wanderings

DeuteronomyDeuteronomyLaw to new generation with special emphasis to those

entering the land

GenesisGenesis Creation to Egypt

ExodusExodusDeliverance from Egypt and establishment of covenant

LeviticusLeviticus Laws of worship

Documentary HypothesisDocumentary Hypothesis

Jehovah Elohim

Jean Astruc: Moses utilized two different source documents

Wilhelm de Wette: Deuteronomy penned by alternate author

Deuteronomy

Documentary HypothesisDocumentary Hypothesis

Jehovah Elohim

Herman Hulfeld: E-1 E-2

Deuteronomy

Julius Wellhausen: J – Jehovah

E – Elohim

D – Deuteronomy

P – Priestly

The Unity of the TorahThe Unity of the Torah

• Genesis 50:24 - Exodus 1:7.

• Exodus 40:34 - Leviticus1:2.

• Leviticus 27:34 - Numbers 1:4.

• Numbers 36:13 - Deuteronomy 1:5.

The Book of Beginnings

Genesis 1-11Events Predominant

– Creation– Fall– Flood– Tower of Babel

Genesis 12-50People Predominant

– Abraham– Isaac– Jacob– Joseph

Race as a whole Family of Abraham

Over 2000 years 250 years

Genesis 1:1

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

• The “who” of creation.

• The work of creation.

• The “what” of creation.

Genesis 1:1-2

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

And the earth was unformed and unfilled, and darkness was over the surface of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.

Unformed UnfilledDay 1: Light Day 4: Light-bearers

(sun, moon, stars)

Day 2: Water & sky divided

Day 5: Fish & birds to fill water & sky

Day 3: Dry land & vegetation

Day 6: Land animals & man

Day 7: Sabbath Rest

Genesis 1:26-27Genesis 1:26-27The God said, “Let Us make man

in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:26-27).

Genesis 1:28Genesis 1:28God blessed them; and God

said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

– In the Image of GodIn the Image of God

– Federal HeadshipFederal Headship

– Stewardship and a basis for EcologyStewardship and a basis for Ecology

Why are there Why are there two separate two separate accounts of accounts of creation?creation?

Genesis 1The heavens and the

earth are created in six days.

Genesis 2Creation of the man and woman (no time element mentioned).

Panorama of creation as a whole

Detailed focus on one aspect of creation

Centers on God creating the heavens

and the earth

Centers on man as the crowning act of God’s

creation

Creation complete: Heavens & earth created; God finished His work (1-3)

Man created: Formed from dust (4-9)

Trees & Rivers in garden given names (9-14)

Creation complete: Heavens & earth created; God finished His work (1-3)

Man created: Formed from dust (4-9)

Trees & Rivers in garden given names (9-14)

Man assigned task of guarding & keeping the garden (15)

Forbidden fruit (16-17)

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die.“ (Genesis 2:16-17)

Creation complete: Heavens & earth created; God finished His work (1-3)

Man created: Formed from dust (4-9)

Trees & Rivers in garden given names (9-14)

Man assigned task of guarding & keeping the garden (15)

Forbidden fruit (16-17)

Man in need of a helper: not good to be alone (18)

Animals in garden are given names (19-20)

Woman created: Formed from rib (21-24)

Creation complete: Man & woman naked & unashamed in presence of God (25)

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. (Genesis 3:6)

What are the results from

their actions of taking and eating the

forbidden fruit?

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel. (Genesis 3:15)

Seed of the WomanSeed of the Serpent

Cain & Abel

How is the Cain & How is the Cain & Abel narrative Abel narrative

related to the larger related to the larger story of Genesis?story of Genesis?

And Adam had relations with his wife again; and she gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, for, she said, "God has appointed me another offspring in place of Abel; for Cain killed him." (Genesis 4:25).

Seed of the WomanSeed of the Serpent

AbelCain

Lamech

Literally, “another SEED”

Genesis 1-6Genesis 1-6Creation history

Genesis 7-11Genesis 7-11Noahic history

Adam’s sons (4:1-16) Noah’s sons (9:18-29)

Technological Development of

Mankind (4:17-26)

Ethnic Development of Mankind (10:1-32)

Ten Generations from Adam to Noah (5:1-

32)

Ten Generations from Noah to Terah (11:10-

26)

Genesis 6:1-2Genesis 6:1-2Now it came about, when men

began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, 2 that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose.

Genesis 6:3Genesis 6:3Then the LORD said, “My Spirit

shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”

Genesis 6:4Genesis 6:4The Nephilim were on the earth

in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

Sons of God refer toSons of God refer toAngelsAngels

• Septuagint supports this interpretation

• Sons of God are angels in Job

• Angels in heaven do not marry, but these angels were not in heaven

• The resulting offspring produced giants

• Supported in Apocryphal book of Enoch as well as in Jude 6.

Sons of God refer toSons of God refer toDescendants of SethDescendants of Seth

• Preceding chapters set forth contrast of two lines

• Men began to call on the name of the Lord

• It is mankind that is punished in the flood

• Sonship is a common theme in the Old Testament

• Marriage of godly seed to ungodly people is a common theme in Genesis

Sons of God refer toSons of God refer toKings and RulersKings and Rulers

• Aramaic lends itself to this interpretation

• Elohim refers to human judges in Ex 21:6; 22:8-9 and in Psalm 82:1, 6

• Similar use in Babylonian texts

• Kings often referred to as Elohim in east

• Actions paralleled in Lamech

• Nephilim refer to fallen ones

Genesis 6:14Genesis 6:14Make for yourself an ark of

gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch.

tb;TeSame word is used for Same word is used for

the ark into which the the ark into which the baby Moses was placedbaby Moses was placed

Genesis 6:15Genesis 6:15This is how you shall make it:

the length of the ark three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits.

Noah’s three sons (6:10)

Noah’s three sons (9:18)

Covenant with Noah (6:18)• Promise to destroy the earth with a flood

Covenant with Noah (9:8-17)• Promise not to destroy the earth with a flood

Command to take food (6:21)

Command not to eat blood (9:14)

Noah & Family enter the ark (7:1)

Noah & Family come out of ark (8:14)

Flood on the earth (7:11 – 8:13)

The Lord shuts the door and it rains 40 days and nights (7:15-16)

At the end of 40 days Noah opens the window (8:6)

Waters increase until the mountains are covered (7:18-20)

Waters decrease until the mountain become visible (8:4-5)

150 days waters prevail (7:21-24)

150 days waters abate (8:3)

God Remembers Noah (8:1)

Noah’s three sons (6:10)

Noah’s three sons (9:18)

Covenant with Noah (6:18)• Promise to destroy the earth with a flood

Covenant with Noah (9:8-17)• Promise not to destroy the earth with a flood

Command to take food (6:21)

Command not to eat blood (9:14)

Noah & Family enter the ark (7:1)

Noah & Family come out of ark (8:14)

Flood on the earth (7:11 – 8:13)

Genesis 8:4Genesis 8:4In the seventh month, on the

seventeenth day of the month, the ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat.

Genesis 9:8-10Genesis 9:8-10Then God spoke to Noah and to

his sons with him, saying, 9 “Now behold, I Myself do establish My covenant with you, and with your descendants after you; 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you; of all that comes out of the ark, even every beast of the earth.”

Noah, his descendants,

and every living creature

Genesis 9:11Genesis 9:11“I establish My covenant with

you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood, neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth.”

Genesis 9:20-22Genesis 9:20-22Then Noah began farming and

planted a vineyard. 21 He drank of the wine and became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside.

Genesis 9:23Genesis 9:23But Shem and Japheth took a

garment and laid it upon both their shoulders and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were turned away, so that they did not see their father's nakedness.

Genesis 9:24-25Genesis 9:24-25When Noah awoke from his

wine, he knew what his youngest son had done to him.

25 So he said, “Cursed be Canaan; A servant of servants He shall be to his brothers.”

Genesis 9:26-27Genesis 9:26-27

“Blessed be the LORD, The God of Shem; And let Canaan be his servant. 27 May God enlarge Japheth, And let him dwell in the tents of Shem; And let Canaan be his servant.”

He also said,

Genesis 9:26-27Genesis 9:26-27

“Blessed be the LORD, The God of Shem; And let Canaan be his servant. 27 May God enlarge Japheth, And let him dwell in the tents of Shem; And let Canaan be his servant.”

He also said,

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Genesis 9:26-27Genesis 9:26-27

“Blessed be the LORD, The God of Shem; And let Canaan be his servant. 27 May God enlarge Japheth, And let him dwell in the tents of Shem; And let Canaan be his servant.”

He also said,

To whom does the pronoun refer?

27 May God enlarge Japheth, And let him dwell in the tents of Shem; And let Canaan be his servant.”

To whom does the pronoun refer?

Seed of the WomanSeed of the Serpent

Abel & SethCain

Lamech

Enoch

Noah

ShemHam

AbrahamCanaan

Genesis 11:1-2Genesis 11:1-2Now the whole earth used the

same language and the same words. 2 It came about as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.

● Babel

Genesis 11:3-4They said to one another, “Come,

let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly.” And they used brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. 4 They said, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

Genesis 11:9Therefore its name was called

Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth.

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BabelBabel

Genesis 11:9Therefore its name was called

Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth.

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