First Year Seminar Exam

What does Genesis 1:2 mean when it says that the earth-land is "without form and void"?

Without form means there is no where for anything to live, void means there is no life

What does Genesis 1:2 mean when it says that the "Spirit of God" was hovering over the face of the waters?

The water is a symbol of chaotic nothingness. Mankind cannot live in these waters. The Spirit of God being above the waters gives hope for a place for mankind.

There are seven days described in chapter 1 and the beginning of chapter 2. What happens on each day?

Day 1: Creation of light —> day and night

Day 2: Creation of heavens and seas (splits the waters)

Day 3: Creation of Earth, dry land

Day 4: Creation of sun, stars, and moon

Day 5: Creation of birds, fish, and great sea creatures

Day 6: Creation of land animals (livestock, beasts, and crawling animals) and mankind

What connection might exist between days 1 and 4, 2 and 5, 3 and 6?

Day 1 and Day 4: darkness

Day 2 and Day 3: without form

Day 5 and Day 6: void

God rested on day 7. What does this mean? Was God tired?

God was not tired; there was just no more work to be done.

How is day 7 different than the other days?

All of the other days end with “there was evening and there was morning, the nth day” and the 7th day does not. This means the 7th day is never ending

In Genesis, what is implied if someone names something?

The namer knows everything about the object being named and has authority over it.

God talks about our image and our likeness. Who is he talking to?

He is talking to the angels

What does it mean that mankind is created in the image of God?

Mankind is made similar to the angels and his life has inherent worth.

What purpose and task does God assign to humanity?

To be fruitful and multiply the Earth, to subdue the Earth, and have dominion over all living things.

What is the serpent and where did it come from?

The serpent is Satan and he fell down from the heavens above.

What are the names of the two trees? What is the meaning of their names? Which one was forbidden?

Tree 1: The Tree of Life

Tree 2: The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil

The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil is forbidden

Where was Adam when the woman was speaking with the serpent?

With her

After eating from the forbidden tree, what do Adam and Eve do?

They cover themselves with fig tree leaves and hide

What is cursed by God and how?

Satan: cursed to crawl on the ground and eat dust

Eve: painful childbirth and hard marriage, she desires to control her husband but cannot

Adam: land is difficult to subdue and will return to dust

Satan eats dust, man is made of dust

Purposes of mankind are now difficult to achieve

Even in the curse, there is a source of hope that the purpose of mankind will be restored. What is that hope?

The offspring of Eve will crush Satan’s head with his heel

What do chapters 1-3 suggest about authority roles?

God names Adam and has authority over him. Adam names Eve and has authority over her. Authority is reversed when Eve obeys Satan, and Adam obeys Eve. It returns to normal when God addresses Adam before addressing Eve and Satan.

What do chapters 1-3 suggest about the question of morality?

Morality is defined by God, not mankind’s feelings or thoughts. God’s commands must be followed.

Genesis 16:2 says that Abraham listened to the voice of Sarai. What might this suggest in light of the curse of Genesis chapter 3?

Original sin is due to Adam listening to Eve. Abraham is sinning by listening to his wife instead of God.

Abraham listened to the voice of Sarai. What did she tell him to do?

Sarai wants him to have a child with her servant, Hagar, so she can have the child. She is not able to have kids of her own.

How does Genesis 16:10, that says I will surely multiply your offspring... echo themes of Genesis chapter 1-3?

Islam believes they are the descendants of Hagar and Ishmael. Judaism believes they are the descendants of Sarai and Isaac. Christianity believes they spiritually descend from Abraham.

In Genesis 17, God makes a covenant with Abraham. What does the word "covenant" mean?

It is a vow or promise

What is the sign of this covenant? What might this sign be appropriate?

The sign is circumcision. The covenant is related to having many children. Circumcision is related to the male sex organ, so whenever they reproduce, they are reminded of the covenant.

How old was Abraham when he had Isaac as his son?

100

The Jewish calendar starts with the month of Nisan corresponding to March-April on our calendar. Why is this the first month?

The Jewish calendar starts when the Jews are freed from Egypt, which happens in March/April

At Passover, God brings judgment on Egypt. What is that judgement?

He kills all first borns, people and animals

God strikes down some and not others. What is the distinction between these two groups?

Any house with lamb’s blood on the doorpost, God skips over.

What is the origin of the name "Passover" for this holiday?

God passes over the houses with lamb’s blood (mostly Jewish) and those houses are spared.

Passover requires Jews to eat two foods and abstain from another. What are these?

You are supposed to eat an entire lamb and unleavened bread. Anything with leaven needs to be taken out of the house and cannot be eaten.

What is the significance of the Passover ritual?

Consuming the lamb associates that person with the lamb. The lamb dies instead of the person.

Each command is also known as a "word". How many "words" are there?

10

Where do these 10 words come from?

God wrote them on stone tablets and gave them to Moses

What are the ten words?

1. Have no other gods beside God

2. Have no idols

3. Do not say the Lord’s name in vain

4. Respect your mother and father

5. Do not bear false witness

6. Do not murder

7. Do not steal

8. Do not commit adultery

9. Do not covet

10. Keep the Sabbath day holy

What are the ten words’ opposites?

1. Believe in God

2. Believe in God

3. Speak of the Lord with respect

4. Do not disrespect your parents

5. Speak of others with respect

6. Punish those who murder

7. Give and share with others

8. Get married

9. Be happy with what you have

10. Do not work on the Sabbath day

What does covet mean?

The desire to possess something that belongs to someone else

What does vain mean?

Without substance or meaningless

What sacred text does John 1:1-3 echo? [In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the word was God...]

Genesis 1:1-2

Who is John the Baptist and what was his purpose in life?

He bears witness about the light (God) and lets everyone know that Jesus is the Messiah

John describes Jesus as the "Lamb of God." How does that connect to the Tanakh?

Jesus is the passover lamb (he is crucified on Passover, like the lamb is killed on Passover)

When John baptizes Jesus, the Spirit of God descends like a dove. How might this connect to the Tanakh?

The dove in Noah’s arc is what returns to announce salvation

Christianity and Judaism believe that forgiveness of sin requires a sacrifice. What does Islam teach about forgiveness?

Islam teaches that God can forgive without sacrifice.

How should adherents live according to each religion?

Jews must follow the ten commandments to be righteous. Because Christians are forgiven, they must love God by following the ten commandments. Muslims must follow the five pillars.

What are the five pillars?

The declaration of faith in God (Shahada), ritual prayer five times per day (Salah), giving to those in need (Zakat), fasting during Ramadan (Sawm), and the one-per-lifetime visit to Mecca (Hajj).

What is the nature of God according to each religion?

Judaism and Islam teach that God is one. Christianity also teaches that God is one but that there is, within that unity, a trinity of persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.