Genesis Interpretive Challenges

T/F: Genesis gives us two differing creation accounts.

True

T/F: Genesis gives us two contradictory, conflicting creation accounts.

False

Possible views for Old Earth vs New Earth

1. Old earth (up to 5 billion yrs), w/ humans around for 1 million

2. Young earth (1000s, not millions)

3. Old earth, but humans have only been here for 1000s of years

4. Gap theory

Thomas Chalmers

Scottish theologian who composed gap theory

Gap theory

God created the heavens and the earth, rebellion in heaven, devil and 1/3 angels thrown out, heavens and earth recreated

Hebrew word for day

Yom

Could day (yom) be an indefinite period of time?

Yes-Amos referred to the fall of the Northern Kingdom and ongoing judgement as “Yom YHWH”

Outside ch. 1-2, what “yom” refers to a _______ when preceded by a cardinal or ordinal number

24hr day

the Jewish practice established in the 7 days of creation

the 24 hr Sabbath

Greek verb for testing and tempting

peirazo

T/F: God tempts his children.

False

T/F: God tests his children.

True

Hebrew verb for “tested”, can also mean tempt

nasah

How nasah can best be translated

“to sigh”

Who is more accountable: Adam or Eve?

Adam, because God directly gave the command to him. It was his responsibility to communicate it to Eve and help her obey it.

Most significant of Noah’s sons (and why)

Shem-through him we receive Abraham and the covenant

Age of Noah when his oldest son (Japheth) is born

500

Age of Noah was when Shem was born

503

Age of Noah at the flood

600

Age of Japheth at the flood

100

Age of Shem at the flood

97

Opposing views to a global flood

Local flood or tidal wave/tsunami

Biblical oppositions to a local flood

1. why build an ark?

2. civilization may have been localized. why bring animals and insects?

3. flood waters covered the earth a long time (150 days)

4. local floods and tidal waves still occur today

Extra-biblical arguments for the flood

1. Over 600 variations of a flood story among ancient nations and tribes

2. Geological: sedimentary deposits

3. Fossils in the Himalayas and Mt. Ararat

4. Anomalies (salt in Mt. Ararat and Lake Urmia)

What type of flood does the Bible give an account of

a global flood

Where did the Ark land

Mt. Ararat

T/F: More than one flood account exists in history.

True

Hebrew word often translated “regretted” or “was sorry”

na-ham

Hebrew verb “na-ham” comes from original idea of…

to sigh-positive and negative

How narrative teaches

indirectly, by example

In narrative, the theology is…

in between the lines

Type of test Abraham underwent during the Binding of Isaac in Gen 18

Secret

How the New Covenant established by Christ connects to the fall

“took and ate”-preceded fall
“take and eat”-Lord’s supper

Translation

A word’s equivalent meaning in another language

Transliteration

A word’s equivalent phonics in a new alphabet

Indication of the ending “im”

masculine plural

T/F: The Nephilim mentioned in Genesis 6 are the ancestors of those in Numbers, when the Israelite spies surveyed the land of Canaan.

False

Other countries with a flood story

China, India, South American Incas, Eskimos

Feature of the earth that points to a global flood

75% sedimentary

Two lakes that are completely saltwater but don’t connect to an ocean

Lake Urmia (Iran) and Lake Vermia (Turkey)

Unique about Mt. Ararat

Salt clusters the size of a grapefruit

3 types of tests

scheduled, surprised, secret

What Abraham said to his servants before taking Isaac up Mt. Moriah

hithpael-we ourselves will worship and return

Meaning of verb when God said “now I know” (you believe in me-speaking to Abraham)

shared experience, intimacy, connection, same as when Adam “knew” Eve and she conceived

How Malachi 1:2-3 should be interpreted (Jacob I loved, Esau I hated)

Covenant language: context is choice, not emotions. God initiated the covenant, He decided who would inherit it.

Two results of Jacob’s wrestling the angel

Name change and permanent limping