|
|
|
 |
GENESIS
"In the Beginning GOD...." |
Overview
Genesis deals
with some fundamental questions of God and humanity using ancient narrative
stories. The selection of passages emphasizes six important beliefs about
God. Often the Bible does not come right out and discuss the nature of God.
Rather, the nature of God is disclosed to the reader through a careful
inspection of the narrative, how the stories are seamed together, and the
overall composition of the book. By paying attention to the repeating themes
in a sequence of stories we learn about God. Sometimes the stories reveal the
inner thoughts and motives of the characters, which allows us insight into what
they believed about God. Sometimes we see similarities to bigger stories in
the history of Israel, such as the Exodus or the Exile. These parallel views
of history begin to paint a picture about how God interacts with humanity and
reveal God’s overall interests for humanity.
|
| Lesson Summary |
| Unit |
Lesson |
Reference |
Study Focus |
Small Group Focus |
| 1 | “God is for us!” | Gen 3, 4, 6-9 | Observe the pattern of sin, punishment, followed by an act of God’s grace. What do we learn about God from his interactions with Adam & Eve, Cain & Abel, and Noah? | Grace – What does it mean to show grace to others. Who is in need of your grace? |
| 2 | “Promises, Promises.” | Gen 12:1-9; 15:1-21; 17:1-18:15 | Examine the multiple times that God issued a promise to Abraham. Why is it important that God is willing to issue a promise as well as a call? | Promises – What is the impact of a promise in your Christian life? |
| 3 | “Is it Me or We?” | Gen 18:1-33 | Abraham raises the challenging question about the relationship between individual morality and the group | Community – How do my moral choices impact the group. Where do I need to straighten up? |
| 4 | “Forgiveness.” | Gen 32:1-21; 33:1-20 | Jacob & Esau depict a classic broken relationship and the power of forgiveness | Forgiveness – Do you feel like Jacob or Esau? Where is forgiveness needed? |
| 5 | “Wrestling with God.” | Gen 32:22-32 | Jacob wrestles with God in the form of an angel. The wrestling parallels Jacob’s life and the life of “Israel.” What does the story depict? | Struggle - The call of God does not come without a struggle. In your call, who is the “angel” you wrestle with? |
| 6 | “God intended it for good.” | Gen 45:1-11; 50:15-21 | Joseph realizes that God has been working in his situation and gains an important perspective that God’s workings are often hidden behind life’s details. | Perspective - Gaining perspective on God’s working in your life brings peace and opens the door to forgiveness in difficult situations. |
|
|
| References Cited |
- Brueggemann, Walter. Genesis. Interpretation. Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1982.
- Brueggemann, Walter. Theology of the Old Testament. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1997.
- Eissfeldt, O. “Genesis” The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible vol. 1, ed. W.J. Harrelson. New York:Abingdon Press, 1962, pp. 222-226.
- Hendel, Robert S. “Genesis.” The Anchor Bible Dictionary CD-ROM, ed. David Noel Freedman. New York: Doubleday, 1992.
- Speiser, E. A. Genesis. The Anchor Bible. New York: Doubleday, 1964.
- Von Rad, Gerhard. Genesis. The Old Testament Library. Philadelphia, PA: The Westminster Press, 1972.
- Zimmerli, Walther. Old Testament Theology in Outline. Translated by David E. Green. Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1978.
|
|
Please report inappropriate ads to info@summitstudies.com
|
