Posts
Summary: The people build a tower to reach heaven. The Lord confuses their languages. Shem's genealogy follows. Abram's brother, Haran, dies, and Abram his wife, Sarai, and father leave Ur.
Personal Reflection: There are several interesting things to talk about in this chapter. First, we can talk about the tower of Babel. First of all, it is amazing how like a ziggurat this explanation is. I don't really believe that they were actually trying to build a ziggurat that was tall enough to reach to heaven, but I think that man believed that the ziggurat got him to heaven. The Ziggurat in Babylon was called "Etemenankia" which means "the house of the platform between heaven and earth" (see the ziggurat link above). What's really going on here, is that man is creating gods for himself that he can reach by building a tower. I have heard it said that what the builders of the tower were trying to do was to reach God and slay him; perhaps, but I think it more likely that they were building their own god that would be within their reach.
Also, I looked up the English word "babble" in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) since my major is linguistics after all. It turns out that there is no identifiable connection between "babble" and "Babel," but the OED does say that the existence of "Babel" may have affected some of the ways in which we use the word today. It's kind of a cool coincidence though.
Second, Abram really appears for the first time in this chapter. There are two possible locations for Ur, where Abram comes from. It may either be in Mesopotamia or somewhere in present-day Turkey. I think the Ur in Mesopotamia is a better fit. Here's why: First, in Mesopotamia at the time Abram probably lived, it would have been around the third dynasty of Ur (Ur III). This is significant because during Ur III education would have been widely available, meaning that Abram would have been well-educated, and also, he would probably have lived near the end of Ur III. At the end of Ur III, many people were migrating away from Mesopotamia (because Mesopotamia was being attacked by various outsiders). It wouldn't be surprising, then, for Abram to be part of that mass exodus. Second, the entire first half of the chapter is talking about the tower of Babel, which almost definitely occurred in Mesopotamia; it makes a lot more sense for the author to be talking about Mesopotamia in the beginning of the chapter if they are preparing to talk about Abram coming from Mesopotamia than if they are preparing to talk about Abram coming from Turkey.
Finally, Abram and company end up in Haran at the end of this chapter. It seems a little too odd that Abram's brother would be named Haran and the place they move to after Haran died would be named Haran. I think the best way to deal with this is to assume that Abram's family named the place where they settled after Abram's brother.
Resources:
Map of the Biblical world
Explanation of Haran (the place)
Note: I didn't post on Monday (sorry), or on Thursday night so I'll be posting double for the next few days to make up for the time I didn't post while I was in Jordan. This post is Tuesday's post. Tonight, I'll post for Wednesday. I'll be caught up again by Monday.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Genesis 10: Names
Summary: So and so begat so and so, so and so begat so and so, etc.
Personal Reflections: Not that much I find of interest here. There are only two of the people listed who have anything said about them beyond who their father, male siblings, and sons were. The two are, first, Nimrod, who is described as a mighty hunter. It is suggested that he was a hunter of men, not a hunter of game and therefore not a good man. The second is Peleg, who, it says was called that because he lived in the time the earth was divided. I suppose this could mean pangaea split in his time, but I don't think it would be unreasonable to suggest that, instead, it was the time when people began to break apart into different communities instead of living all together. In the last verse it talks about the various dwelling places of the different peoples.
Note: I leave for Jordan tomorrow. I'm going to try to post one more chapter before I leave tomorrow morning, but I definitely won't be able to post Tuesday or Wednesday.
Personal Reflections: Not that much I find of interest here. There are only two of the people listed who have anything said about them beyond who their father, male siblings, and sons were. The two are, first, Nimrod, who is described as a mighty hunter. It is suggested that he was a hunter of men, not a hunter of game and therefore not a good man. The second is Peleg, who, it says was called that because he lived in the time the earth was divided. I suppose this could mean pangaea split in his time, but I don't think it would be unreasonable to suggest that, instead, it was the time when people began to break apart into different communities instead of living all together. In the last verse it talks about the various dwelling places of the different peoples.
Note: I leave for Jordan tomorrow. I'm going to try to post one more chapter before I leave tomorrow morning, but I definitely won't be able to post Tuesday or Wednesday.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Genesis 9:
Summary: The Lord blesses Noah and his sons. He renews the "multiply and replenish the earth" commandment that he gave to Adam and Eve. The rainbow is the symbol of his covenant not to destroy man. Noah curses Canaan because of the event that transpires at the end of this chapter (The event is a little strange, so I'll talk about it in the reflection section.
Personal Reflection: First, it seems like we once again have to authors depicting the same scene. In chapter 8, the covenant between God and man is described, and then it is described again in chapter 9. Chapter 9 is the "zoomed-in" version of the story. We are told that the rainbow is a sign of the covenant, and we are told lots of other things that God requires at the hands of Noah after he leaves the ark. We have the same kind of thing happening back at the very beginning where chapter one describes the sweeping creation of God, and chapter two goes more into detail about the story itself.
The rainbow: here I just wanted to say that it is pretty much awesome that God chose the rainbow as a symbol of this covenant.
The story at the end of this chapter about Noah being uncovered, etc. etc. Is a little bit odd. Since, as the story is told, no one seems to be really at fault here, except maybe Noah. There have been several suggestions of what this story means. First, it may be that Ham saw the nakedness of his father and was happy about it (he told his brothers about it when he simply could have taken care of it himself). Or perhaps it is confusing because verse 21 leaves the situation ambiguous as to why Noah was uncovered. Someone else may have done the uncovering. On source suggests that Noah's garment was stolen. Whatever your personal thoughts on the matter, here are some links to commentary for you: David Guzik, Matthew Henry, LDS Institute Manual.
Personal Reflection: First, it seems like we once again have to authors depicting the same scene. In chapter 8, the covenant between God and man is described, and then it is described again in chapter 9. Chapter 9 is the "zoomed-in" version of the story. We are told that the rainbow is a sign of the covenant, and we are told lots of other things that God requires at the hands of Noah after he leaves the ark. We have the same kind of thing happening back at the very beginning where chapter one describes the sweeping creation of God, and chapter two goes more into detail about the story itself.
The rainbow: here I just wanted to say that it is pretty much awesome that God chose the rainbow as a symbol of this covenant.
The story at the end of this chapter about Noah being uncovered, etc. etc. Is a little bit odd. Since, as the story is told, no one seems to be really at fault here, except maybe Noah. There have been several suggestions of what this story means. First, it may be that Ham saw the nakedness of his father and was happy about it (he told his brothers about it when he simply could have taken care of it himself). Or perhaps it is confusing because verse 21 leaves the situation ambiguous as to why Noah was uncovered. Someone else may have done the uncovering. On source suggests that Noah's garment was stolen. Whatever your personal thoughts on the matter, here are some links to commentary for you: David Guzik, Matthew Henry, LDS Institute Manual.
Genesis 8: Disembarking
Summary: The Lord remember Noah. The ark beaches on the top of Mt. Ararat. Noah sends a raven out of the ark. It comes back. He then sends a dove. First, it just comes back; next, it brings an olive leaf back with it; finally, it doesn't come back. Noah and his family leave the ark. The Lord makes a covenant with Noah that he will never destroy all mankind by flood again.
Personal Reflection: The Lord remembers Noah, and all the animals that are with him. I wonder if the Lord really ever forgot Noah. Sometimes, though, I think that we believe God has forgotten us. We think that he doesn't care anymore, but no matter how long the floods in our lives endure, the Lord will remember us too.
In later scripture there are a lot of incidents where people build boats and take them on the seas, trusting in the Lord to guide their journey. I think there must be times in all of their stories where they wonder if the Lord has forgotten them. I think of the fact that Noah's first act when he exits the ark is to build an altar and sacrifice to the Lord. He is so grateful for his life and the intervention of the Lord in his life.
Finally, the Lord covenants with Noah that he won't destroy man off the face of the earth again. Noah and his family were given plenty of time to develop their sea-legs before the Lord covenanted with them. I know that God will make sacred covenants with us if we will remember him during the times of our greatest trials. He will bless us when we prove our trust in Him.
Personal Reflection: The Lord remembers Noah, and all the animals that are with him. I wonder if the Lord really ever forgot Noah. Sometimes, though, I think that we believe God has forgotten us. We think that he doesn't care anymore, but no matter how long the floods in our lives endure, the Lord will remember us too.
In later scripture there are a lot of incidents where people build boats and take them on the seas, trusting in the Lord to guide their journey. I think there must be times in all of their stories where they wonder if the Lord has forgotten them. I think of the fact that Noah's first act when he exits the ark is to build an altar and sacrifice to the Lord. He is so grateful for his life and the intervention of the Lord in his life.
Finally, the Lord covenants with Noah that he won't destroy man off the face of the earth again. Noah and his family were given plenty of time to develop their sea-legs before the Lord covenanted with them. I know that God will make sacred covenants with us if we will remember him during the times of our greatest trials. He will bless us when we prove our trust in Him.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Genesis 7: ACT II
Summary: Noah and is family enter the ark with every beast (or perhaps not, see here). It rains forty days and nights. The water remains on the earth for 150 days (which incidentally will be how long I spend on the Psalms when I get there, there being 150 chapters and all).
Personal Reflection: Not much I feel like talking about here, but maybe try and imagine what it would be like to be the last people on earth. You could think of it now as if there was some kind of nuclear holocaust, and there you are, just you and your immediate family. Hard to imagine, isn't it?
I guess there is probably one other point here. Man has been given a chance to start over in these chapters. It only really, really happens this once. I am often struck by the fact that people seem so bitter toward God when the scriptures record him as destroying everyone off the face of the earth, or striking someone down. Why, they ask, would God strike this person down and not that person. God seems so vindictive in the Old Testament. My response would be that at all times God has the lives of his people in his hand. Now, on a daily basis we don't talk about the Lord striking people down, but the truth of the matter is that he does. It's not because he's vindictive, and 99% of the time it isn't punishment for sin; it's just the way the world works. Adam was cast out of the garden of Eden and sent to a world where man would return to the dust from which he was created. In the end, it is God that has given us life, and it is God that will decide when it is time to leave this life. The same was true in the time of the flood. God allowed those people to die, and we can no more look at their deaths and blame them on God than we can look at any single death today and blame God.
Personal Reflection: Not much I feel like talking about here, but maybe try and imagine what it would be like to be the last people on earth. You could think of it now as if there was some kind of nuclear holocaust, and there you are, just you and your immediate family. Hard to imagine, isn't it?
I guess there is probably one other point here. Man has been given a chance to start over in these chapters. It only really, really happens this once. I am often struck by the fact that people seem so bitter toward God when the scriptures record him as destroying everyone off the face of the earth, or striking someone down. Why, they ask, would God strike this person down and not that person. God seems so vindictive in the Old Testament. My response would be that at all times God has the lives of his people in his hand. Now, on a daily basis we don't talk about the Lord striking people down, but the truth of the matter is that he does. It's not because he's vindictive, and 99% of the time it isn't punishment for sin; it's just the way the world works. Adam was cast out of the garden of Eden and sent to a world where man would return to the dust from which he was created. In the end, it is God that has given us life, and it is God that will decide when it is time to leave this life. The same was true in the time of the flood. God allowed those people to die, and we can no more look at their deaths and blame them on God than we can look at any single death today and blame God.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Genesis 6: If All the Raindrops Were Lemon Drops and Gum Drops
Summary: The "sons of God" marry the "daughters of men." The world becomes wicked. God decided that he wants to start over. Noah is a righteous man. God tells him to build a boat, gather his family, and two of each animal to weather the flood that God is sending. Noah does so.
To be continued . . .
Personal Reflection: There is some really strange commentary, at least to me, about who the sons of God are vis a vis the daughters of men (see Chuck Smith's Commentary. This feels like reaching to me, although I do like what he says about "it repented the Lord"). Now, I really do not mean to denigrate anyone's ability to understand the scriptures, and I know part of it is my own religious doctrice showing, but I would contend that the sons of God are simply those who follow God, and the daughters of man are the children of those men who do not (see Journal of Discourses 25:227).
Imagine how much harder it would be for God's people to follow him if they were marrying those who weren't of their faith. God was always commanding his people to marry those within the covenant in later times, and it was a problem when they married outside the covenant (see Gen. 26:34-35). It would be perfectly logical for this to be the problem here in Noah's time.
Also, the great flood is another great example of a story that has a lot of parallels in other cultures. Here are links to a few sites that talk about the various stories: livius.org, nationalgeographic.com, mystae.com, nwcreation.net.
Dimensions of the ark: 450 ft long x 75 feet wide x 45 feet tall, with three stories and a window.
To be continued . . .
Personal Reflection: There is some really strange commentary, at least to me, about who the sons of God are vis a vis the daughters of men (see Chuck Smith's Commentary. This feels like reaching to me, although I do like what he says about "it repented the Lord"). Now, I really do not mean to denigrate anyone's ability to understand the scriptures, and I know part of it is my own religious doctrice showing, but I would contend that the sons of God are simply those who follow God, and the daughters of man are the children of those men who do not (see Journal of Discourses 25:227).
Imagine how much harder it would be for God's people to follow him if they were marrying those who weren't of their faith. God was always commanding his people to marry those within the covenant in later times, and it was a problem when they married outside the covenant (see Gen. 26:34-35). It would be perfectly logical for this to be the problem here in Noah's time.
Also, the great flood is another great example of a story that has a lot of parallels in other cultures. Here are links to a few sites that talk about the various stories: livius.org, nationalgeographic.com, mystae.com, nwcreation.net.
Dimensions of the ark: 450 ft long x 75 feet wide x 45 feet tall, with three stories and a window.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Genesis 5: Old as the Hills
Summary: Genealogy set forth.
Personal Reflection: It seems quite fantastic to me that people lived as long as this chapter indicates, but why not? Other very old creation- or religion-type records also record kings that live (or reign) for hundreds of years (notably the Sumerian King List). I take this as evidence of the fact that Adam did in fact exist, and that the truth mutated as it traveled further and further from its source.
Also interesting is that Methusaleh (according to those willing to do the math) died the same year as the great flood. Some have suggested he died before the flood, and others, that he died in the flood. I like to think that the longest-lived man in the world was a good man.
Note: Not much to say about this chapter. Tomorrow there should be some good stuff again.
Personal Reflection: It seems quite fantastic to me that people lived as long as this chapter indicates, but why not? Other very old creation- or religion-type records also record kings that live (or reign) for hundreds of years (notably the Sumerian King List). I take this as evidence of the fact that Adam did in fact exist, and that the truth mutated as it traveled further and further from its source.
Also interesting is that Methusaleh (according to those willing to do the math) died the same year as the great flood. Some have suggested he died before the flood, and others, that he died in the flood. I like to think that the longest-lived man in the world was a good man.
Note: Not much to say about this chapter. Tomorrow there should be some good stuff again.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Genesis 4: How Long Did Cain Hate His Brother?
As long as he was Abel.
Summary: Cain and Abel are born to Adam and Eve. Cain is a farmer. Abel is a shepherd. Cain is warned by the Lord to do good or else he will have a bad end. Cain kills Abel, tries to hide his crime, and is cast out. Cain's posterity is set forth. Adam and Eve have another son, Seth, who is righteous.
Personal Reflection: I find this story truly sad. It is the first account of pure hatred in the Bible (though there are many more to come). It is hard for me to fathom how someone could become depraved enough to despise their own brother, but there it is.
Once again we run into the theme of the Lord asking questions that he already knows the answer to. I'm not sure whether Cain could ever have redeemed himself even if he guilelessly answered the Lord's question about where Abel was, but as it turned out, Cain condemned himself even further. Where in Adam's case Adam's answer to God's questions showesAdam's good intentions in general, Cain's answer condemns him further.
Another thing that I want to bring up is the fact that Abel seems to be a type of Christ in the Bible. Abel is a shepherd; Christ is referred to as the good shepherd. Abel offers an acceptable sacrifice; Christ is the acceptable sacrifice. Abel is innocent of a wrong worthy of death; Christ is innocent of any wrong. Abel is killed by his brother; Christ is "wounded in the house of [his] friends" (Zechariah 13:6). Abel may be the first really close tie-in to Christ that can be found in the Bible. It might be worth bearing in mind throughout how the Bible points to the coming of Christ.
Perhaps it would be a good thing to note here that Enoch, son of Cain and all-around bad guy with a city named after him, is not the same person as Enoch, son of Jared and all-around good guy with a city named after him, who is eventually translated for his righteousness.
Note: One of these days I really will get around to consulting commentaries, but for now, you'll just have to do your own commentary readings on the side. The references I have listed are really very good sources that you can go to.
Summary: Cain and Abel are born to Adam and Eve. Cain is a farmer. Abel is a shepherd. Cain is warned by the Lord to do good or else he will have a bad end. Cain kills Abel, tries to hide his crime, and is cast out. Cain's posterity is set forth. Adam and Eve have another son, Seth, who is righteous.
Personal Reflection: I find this story truly sad. It is the first account of pure hatred in the Bible (though there are many more to come). It is hard for me to fathom how someone could become depraved enough to despise their own brother, but there it is.
Once again we run into the theme of the Lord asking questions that he already knows the answer to. I'm not sure whether Cain could ever have redeemed himself even if he guilelessly answered the Lord's question about where Abel was, but as it turned out, Cain condemned himself even further. Where in Adam's case Adam's answer to God's questions showesAdam's good intentions in general, Cain's answer condemns him further.
Another thing that I want to bring up is the fact that Abel seems to be a type of Christ in the Bible. Abel is a shepherd; Christ is referred to as the good shepherd. Abel offers an acceptable sacrifice; Christ is the acceptable sacrifice. Abel is innocent of a wrong worthy of death; Christ is innocent of any wrong. Abel is killed by his brother; Christ is "wounded in the house of [his] friends" (Zechariah 13:6). Abel may be the first really close tie-in to Christ that can be found in the Bible. It might be worth bearing in mind throughout how the Bible points to the coming of Christ.
Perhaps it would be a good thing to note here that Enoch, son of Cain and all-around bad guy with a city named after him, is not the same person as Enoch, son of Jared and all-around good guy with a city named after him, who is eventually translated for his righteousness.
Note: One of these days I really will get around to consulting commentaries, but for now, you'll just have to do your own commentary readings on the side. The references I have listed are really very good sources that you can go to.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Genesis 3: How the Serpent Lost Its Legs
Summary: The serpent tells Eve to eat of the fruit. She does so, and Adam also eats. They become aware of their nakedness. The Lord banishes them from Eden. The snakes legs are taken away.
Personal Reflection: First of all, I was struck by how much this story reminds me of an African folk-tale like how the elephant got its trunk. This chapter could be entitled "How the Serpent Lost Its Legs." It is interesting that snakes have vestigial legs and also that there are paintings of serpents with legs in Egyptian art. (I feel that I have linked you to some interesting sites there at least).
I have to insert a note here. My main reading of the text comes from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV). I also reference the New International Version (NIV) often so I can get a better handle on what is actually going on in the story. In the KJV the language can get in the way a bit. Sometimes, though, I like my reading of the KJV better.
The Lord tell Adam in verse 17, "cursed is the ground for thy sake" (my emphasis). I truly believe that life is better when we are forced to endure the trial of work. When we have work to do we are happier. Truly, the Lord cursed the ground for us; to make the most of us. My best friend believes heartily in the power of pain. She says that the Lord knows just the right amount of pain that we can endure that will help us to grow the most. We wouldn't pick that pain for ourselves, but He knows what we need and is intimately involved in our lives (what we choose to do with the pain is our own choice, but that's another matter altogether).
Question: Why does the Lord ask Adam so many questions? Doesn't he know the answers to the questions he is asking already?
Yes; I'm sure God knew all the answers to his questions, but I think when God asks questions of his children He doesn't want to know the answer; He wants them to discover the answer, to look around inside themselves and find out who they, to make a choice about whether they're going to be truthful or deceitful. God knows who we are inside and out; He knows our potential, but we don't. If he doesn't ask us the questions and give us the room to act, we will never have the chance to learn about ourselves and grow to reach that potential.
This chapter holds a lot of meaning for me. Here's the last thing I want to talk about. At the end of the chapter, the Lord sets up means so that Adam and Eve can't come back to the Garden of Eden. He says he does this because "Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever" (vs. 22). So man is like God in the fact that he has knowledge and consciousness, but he can't live forever. He also doesn't have the power of God. To give man an eternity with only the knowledge to distinguish right from wrong and wandering the earth as it now is would be a Hell of sorts. Gods mercy is shown by the fact that he prevents Adam and Eve from being able to choose an eternity of wandering the earth.
Note: If you ever have any profound (or not so profound) questions you would like me to consider, or if you ever have extra information you would like to provide, I'd be happy if you dropped me a comment.
Personal Reflection: First of all, I was struck by how much this story reminds me of an African folk-tale like how the elephant got its trunk. This chapter could be entitled "How the Serpent Lost Its Legs." It is interesting that snakes have vestigial legs and also that there are paintings of serpents with legs in Egyptian art. (I feel that I have linked you to some interesting sites there at least).
I have to insert a note here. My main reading of the text comes from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV). I also reference the New International Version (NIV) often so I can get a better handle on what is actually going on in the story. In the KJV the language can get in the way a bit. Sometimes, though, I like my reading of the KJV better.
The Lord tell Adam in verse 17, "cursed is the ground for thy sake" (my emphasis). I truly believe that life is better when we are forced to endure the trial of work. When we have work to do we are happier. Truly, the Lord cursed the ground for us; to make the most of us. My best friend believes heartily in the power of pain. She says that the Lord knows just the right amount of pain that we can endure that will help us to grow the most. We wouldn't pick that pain for ourselves, but He knows what we need and is intimately involved in our lives (what we choose to do with the pain is our own choice, but that's another matter altogether).
Question: Why does the Lord ask Adam so many questions? Doesn't he know the answers to the questions he is asking already?
Yes; I'm sure God knew all the answers to his questions, but I think when God asks questions of his children He doesn't want to know the answer; He wants them to discover the answer, to look around inside themselves and find out who they, to make a choice about whether they're going to be truthful or deceitful. God knows who we are inside and out; He knows our potential, but we don't. If he doesn't ask us the questions and give us the room to act, we will never have the chance to learn about ourselves and grow to reach that potential.
This chapter holds a lot of meaning for me. Here's the last thing I want to talk about. At the end of the chapter, the Lord sets up means so that Adam and Eve can't come back to the Garden of Eden. He says he does this because "Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever" (vs. 22). So man is like God in the fact that he has knowledge and consciousness, but he can't live forever. He also doesn't have the power of God. To give man an eternity with only the knowledge to distinguish right from wrong and wandering the earth as it now is would be a Hell of sorts. Gods mercy is shown by the fact that he prevents Adam and Eve from being able to choose an eternity of wandering the earth.
Note: If you ever have any profound (or not so profound) questions you would like me to consider, or if you ever have extra information you would like to provide, I'd be happy if you dropped me a comment.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Genesis 2
Summary: God has finished the creation and rests on the seventh day. The creation story is retold(?). Man (Adam) is created and placed in Eden, plants and animals come forth, among all the animals no mate is found for Adam. Eve is created. Adam and Eve are innocent.
Reflection: Sorry guys, I didn't get a chance to really look at commentary, but I'll give you some of what I remember from studying this before. Unfortunately, no references. First, it's a little strange that two chapters in a row describe the creation of the world. Some scholars have suggested that there are two authors to these chapters. They are referred to as the El author and the Jehovah author because they use two different Hebrew terms for God.
I really like this particular chapter because it seems to get closer to the actual process of what's going on in creation. Man has a name. He looks through all the animals, names them, and realizes he has no mate. Eve is created from his rib. There is much more in depth character development than in chapter 1. Steven Walker, one of my professors, suggested that Adam reviewing all the animals and not finding a mate is really quite sweet because as he searches through the animals he realizes that all of them have a second half but that he is alone. Only after he realizes this is Eve created.
Finally, I like the following quote.
"From the rib of Adam, Eve was formed (see Gen. 2:22; Moses 3:22; Abr. 5:16). Interesting to me is the fact that animals fashioned by our Creator, such as dogs and cats, have thirteen pairs of ribs, but the human being has one less with only twelve. I presume another bone could have been used, but the rib, coming as it does from the side, seems to denote partnership. The rib signifies neither dominion nor subservience, but a lateral relationship as partners, to work and to live, side by side." ~ Elder Russel M. Nelson. "Lessons from Eve."Ensign, Nov. 1987, pg. 86.
Adam and Eve were created as partners. Can you imagine being the only two people on the face of the earth and one of you dominating the other. Think how lonely it would be with no one at your side, only someone under your heel or over your head.
Reflection: Sorry guys, I didn't get a chance to really look at commentary, but I'll give you some of what I remember from studying this before. Unfortunately, no references. First, it's a little strange that two chapters in a row describe the creation of the world. Some scholars have suggested that there are two authors to these chapters. They are referred to as the El author and the Jehovah author because they use two different Hebrew terms for God.
I really like this particular chapter because it seems to get closer to the actual process of what's going on in creation. Man has a name. He looks through all the animals, names them, and realizes he has no mate. Eve is created from his rib. There is much more in depth character development than in chapter 1. Steven Walker, one of my professors, suggested that Adam reviewing all the animals and not finding a mate is really quite sweet because as he searches through the animals he realizes that all of them have a second half but that he is alone. Only after he realizes this is Eve created.
Finally, I like the following quote.
"From the rib of Adam, Eve was formed (see Gen. 2:22; Moses 3:22; Abr. 5:16). Interesting to me is the fact that animals fashioned by our Creator, such as dogs and cats, have thirteen pairs of ribs, but the human being has one less with only twelve. I presume another bone could have been used, but the rib, coming as it does from the side, seems to denote partnership. The rib signifies neither dominion nor subservience, but a lateral relationship as partners, to work and to live, side by side." ~ Elder Russel M. Nelson. "Lessons from Eve."Ensign, Nov. 1987, pg. 86.
Adam and Eve were created as partners. Can you imagine being the only two people on the face of the earth and one of you dominating the other. Think how lonely it would be with no one at your side, only someone under your heel or over your head.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Genesis 1
Summary: The earth is created by God in six days. Day one: light is created, and divided from darkness. Day and Night named. Day two: The heavens are created. Day three: water and earth are divided. Vegetation comes into being. Day four: sun, moon, and stars created. Day five: water and air animals. Day six: Land animals including man and woman. The creation is pronounced "very good."
Questions:
1. How long did it take God to create the earth?
It depends on who you ask. It could be that the earth was actually created in six days. God is omnipotent after all. It could be that the original Hebrew translated here as "day" indicates an indeterminate length of time and not a day. A scripture in the LDS Pearl of Great Price suggests that one of God's days is a thousand years which would mean that the creation took six days (plus the day of rest)(Abraham 3:4). None of these times coincides with a geological understanding of how old the world is (except if the time is indeterminate). I'll come back to this question in my personal reflections.
2. Why this particular order of creation?
Mostly I think that it's important that mankind is created last of all, and it is only after they are created that creation is proclaimed very good; before that it is merely good. I also have to wonder what the meaning of "dominion" is. There isn't really any insight into this in Strong's Concordance, but it would be nice to think of us having to have care over the world, rather than ruling it. It seems to me that too many people feel as though they rule the world without feeling that they should also care for and "replenish" it.
Personal Reflection: It has never really bothered me that the age of the earth is unknown and that our best guesses don't jibe with scientists' guesses. I believe that God is all-powerful and I also believe that we don't understand everything he does. I think we can deal with this discrepancy by simply trusting God and waiting for more information.
Note: Sorry, I didn't cite anything really or put in much as far as outside commentary goes. I'll try to do better tomorrow.
Questions:
1. How long did it take God to create the earth?
It depends on who you ask. It could be that the earth was actually created in six days. God is omnipotent after all. It could be that the original Hebrew translated here as "day" indicates an indeterminate length of time and not a day. A scripture in the LDS Pearl of Great Price suggests that one of God's days is a thousand years which would mean that the creation took six days (plus the day of rest)(Abraham 3:4). None of these times coincides with a geological understanding of how old the world is (except if the time is indeterminate). I'll come back to this question in my personal reflections.
2. Why this particular order of creation?
Mostly I think that it's important that mankind is created last of all, and it is only after they are created that creation is proclaimed very good; before that it is merely good. I also have to wonder what the meaning of "dominion" is. There isn't really any insight into this in Strong's Concordance, but it would be nice to think of us having to have care over the world, rather than ruling it. It seems to me that too many people feel as though they rule the world without feeling that they should also care for and "replenish" it.
Personal Reflection: It has never really bothered me that the age of the earth is unknown and that our best guesses don't jibe with scientists' guesses. I believe that God is all-powerful and I also believe that we don't understand everything he does. I think we can deal with this discrepancy by simply trusting God and waiting for more information.
Note: Sorry, I didn't cite anything really or put in much as far as outside commentary goes. I'll try to do better tomorrow.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Blog Mission Statement
I am taking an Old Testament class this semester while I am on study abroad in Jerusalem. Today in class we talked about using various study aids to help us understand the scriptures. These aids would include footnotes, bible dictionaries, and various other commentaries on the script. All of this talking about commentaries gave me an idea: this blog.
My plan is fairly simple. I will take a chapter of scripture a day, study it as thoroughly I can on my tight budget of time, and post the results of my findings here. Hopefully this can become a resource both for myself, and (perhaps) for others.
Also, as I go through with this, I hope to gain a more thorough knowledge of the scriptures, and become adept at finding answers to questions I might have about the text.
I suppose I ought to let anyone reading this blog know a little bit about myself, so that you will know the lense through which I am viewing the scriptures. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which means that I will include some more of my own religion's doctrine than another person undertaking the same task would. But I will attempt to give a fair representation of what everybody is saying as far as I am able. If I run into a conflict of opinion on a topic, I won't push it under the rug. I like (friendly) conflict; it makes me think about things more deeply. As far as being qualified to make commentary on the scriptures, I have taken several college level religion classes, including those on the Old Testament, and the first half of the New Testament. I also took a Bible as literature class a couple of years ago, and have had gospel instruction for my entire life. I am an English Language major, and should graduate this April from Brigham Young University. I am living in the Holy Land at the moment, and visiting places of scriptural significance, which is also helping me better grasp the meaning of the scriptures.
That isn't to say that I am a particular wealth of gospel knowledge. However, I hope through this experiment to eventually become one.
That's that. I plan to begin with the Old Testament tomorrow. We'll jump in with Genesis 1, and see how it goes. If all goes as planned, I will have completed an analysis of all chapters of scripture by the end of 2012. It seems a long journey right now, but I will be glad if I can make it a reality.
Sincerely,
Piper Armstrong
My plan is fairly simple. I will take a chapter of scripture a day, study it as thoroughly I can on my tight budget of time, and post the results of my findings here. Hopefully this can become a resource both for myself, and (perhaps) for others.
Also, as I go through with this, I hope to gain a more thorough knowledge of the scriptures, and become adept at finding answers to questions I might have about the text.
I suppose I ought to let anyone reading this blog know a little bit about myself, so that you will know the lense through which I am viewing the scriptures. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which means that I will include some more of my own religion's doctrine than another person undertaking the same task would. But I will attempt to give a fair representation of what everybody is saying as far as I am able. If I run into a conflict of opinion on a topic, I won't push it under the rug. I like (friendly) conflict; it makes me think about things more deeply. As far as being qualified to make commentary on the scriptures, I have taken several college level religion classes, including those on the Old Testament, and the first half of the New Testament. I also took a Bible as literature class a couple of years ago, and have had gospel instruction for my entire life. I am an English Language major, and should graduate this April from Brigham Young University. I am living in the Holy Land at the moment, and visiting places of scriptural significance, which is also helping me better grasp the meaning of the scriptures.
That isn't to say that I am a particular wealth of gospel knowledge. However, I hope through this experiment to eventually become one.
That's that. I plan to begin with the Old Testament tomorrow. We'll jump in with Genesis 1, and see how it goes. If all goes as planned, I will have completed an analysis of all chapters of scripture by the end of 2012. It seems a long journey right now, but I will be glad if I can make it a reality.
Sincerely,
Piper Armstrong
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