The End of the Beginning

Our study of Genesis comes to an end this week, with our study spanning from Gen 41:41, "Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt"
through to the end of Genesis, "So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old".

In addition to continuing to study the life of Israel's sons, it is valuable this week to consider what we make of our quarter's study. What are the recurring themes? What have we learned? What application is there to our lives? And, what difference will it make to us?

To assist us in reviewing the quarter, I have copied below what I wrote at the beginning of the quarter. Take a moment to read the excerpt right at the end from Oakwood.

This is the first week of a new and exciting quarter of Bible studies,
Genesis: Creation and Redemption.

The studies are based on material written by Arthur Ferch, a Theology professor at the Adventist Seminary "down under", Avondale College. After this overview, the lessons proceed through Genesis, from creation, perfection, rebellion, violence, new beginnings, and a covenant with an individual and, eventually, with a people chosen of God.

I recently gave a Bible to a past colleague of mine who has an interest in reading the great books of human civilization. He read through Genesis, and then came back to me in total disbelief that a book full of unbelievable stories and the most torrid of human interactions can possibly be the foundation of Jewish and Christian belief. "I must be missing something", he said. And we then talked about what Genesis really says to us, once we look beyond the murder, rape, incest, sodomy, deception, child sacrifice, and the all-round dysfunctional families that populate the book's chapters. This same discussion -- what Genesis really says to us -- will be our conversation for the rest of this year.

While we have studied portions of Genesis several times recently (particularly Gen 1-3), I do hope that we can come to the book of Genesis with a fresh perspective, and ask ourselves why this book is so central to Christianity and Judaism?

Let's begin by seeking to read through the 50 chapters of Genesis. It does not take very long. And, have a look through the first study, 'Foundations', this week. The complete lesson series can be obtained from http://ssnet.org/qrtrly/adult-lessons.html

As a way of getting us thinking about the importance of Genesis to Christian thought, I have included an excerpt below. You might also find the more complete article interesting.

http://www.oakwood.edu/ocgoldmine/sdoc/27fb/chapter_6.htm

Let's commit ourselves to excellence in our prayerful, reflective study this quarter, and be blessed as a consequence, both individually and as a group.

Faith and Reason

I want to draw your attention to a growing debate that seeks to equate Christian belief with irrationality or worse -- fundamentalist predispositions toward violence and oppression.

Richard Dawkins, an evolutionary biologist, atheist, secular humanist and sceptic defines the virtue of faith as "belief without evidence". Author of "The God Delusion", he describes the God of the Bible as racist, petty and vindictive, a genocidal bully, and a control freak. Has Richard Dawkins defined your faith correctly? Is he being more honest with the Biblical evidence regarding God's character than we are? If not, how would we respond to Richard Dawkins? Interestingly, in a recent interview, he stated that "Darwin has answered all our questions about existence", which I thought was a rather brave position.

The second thing is an Op-ed in today's New York Times by a professor at Williams College. Again, he is describing Christian or religious belief as irrational and oppressive. As an aside, he provides an interesting insight into academic thought with the following statement; "For years, I have begun my classes by telling students that if they are not more confused and uncertain at the end of the course than they were at the beginning, I will have failed."

It is good to understand current debate so as to participate in it and respond as appropriate.

Op-Ed Contributor
The Devoted Student
By MARK C. TAYLOR

Published: December 21, 2006

MORE college students seem to be practicing traditional forms of religion today than at any time in my 30 years of teaching.

At first glance, the flourishing of religion on campuses seems to reverse trends long criticized by conservatives under the rubric of “political correctness.” But, in truth, something else is occurring. Once again, right and left have become mirror images of each other; religious correctness is simply the latest version of political correctness. Indeed, it seems the more religious students become, the less willing they are to engage in critical reflection about faith.

The chilling effect of these attitudes was brought home to me two years ago when an administrator at a university where I was then teaching called me into his office. A student had claimed that I had attacked his faith because I had urged him to consider whether Nietzsche’s analysis of religion undermines belief in absolutes. The administrator insisted that I apologize to the student. (I refused.)

My experience was not unique. Today, professors invite harassment or worse by including “unacceptable” books on their syllabuses or by studying religious ideas and practices in ways deemed improper by religiously correct students.

Distinguished scholars at several major universities in the United States have been condemned, even subjected to death threats, for proposing psychological, sociological or anthropological interpretations of religious texts in their classes and published writings. In the most egregious cases, defenders of the faith insist that only true believers are qualified to teach their religious tradition.

At a time when colleges and universities engage in huge capital campaigns and are obsessed with public relations, faculty members can no longer be confident they will remain free to pose the questions that urgently need to be asked.

For years, I have begun my classes by telling students that if they are not more confused and uncertain at the end of the course than they were at the beginning, I will have failed. A growing number of religiously correct students consider this challenge a direct assault on their faith. Yet the task of thinking and teaching, especially in an age of emergent fundamentalisms, is to cultivate a faith in doubt that calls into question every certainty.

Any responsible curriculum for the study of religion in the 21st century must be guided by two basic principles: first, a clear distinction between the study and the practice of religion, and second, an expansive understanding of what religion is and of the manifold roles it plays in life. The aim of critical analysis is not to pass judgment on religious beliefs and practices — though some secular dogmatists wrongly cross that line — but to examine the conditions necessary for their formation and to consider the many functions they serve.

It is also important to explore the similarities and differences between and among various religions. Religious traditions are not fixed and monolithic; they are networks of symbols, myths and rituals, which evolve over time by adapting to changing circumstances. If we fail to appreciate the complexity and diversity within, and among, religious traditions, we will overlook the fact that people from different traditions often share more with one another than they do with many members of their own tradition.

If chauvinistic believers develop deeper analyses of religion, they might begin to see in themselves what they criticize in others. In an era that thrives on both religious and political polarization, this is an important lesson to learn — one that extends well beyond the academy.

Since religion is often most influential where it is least obvious, it is imperative to examine both its manifest and latent dimensions. As defenders of a faith become more reflective about their own beliefs, they begin to understand that religion can serve not only to provide answers that render life more secure but also to prepare them for life’s unavoidable complexities and uncertainties.

Until recently, many influential analysts argued that religion, a vestige of an earlier stage of human development, would wither away as people became more sophisticated and rational. Obviously, things have not turned out that way. Indeed, the 21st century will be dominated by religion in ways that were inconceivable just a few years ago. Religious conflict will be less a matter of struggles between belief and unbelief than of clashes between believers who make room for doubt and those who do not.

The warning signs are clear: unless we establish a genuine dialogue within and among all kinds of belief, ranging from religious fundamentalism to secular dogmatism, the conflicts of the future will probably be even more deadly.

Mark C. Taylor, a religion and humanities professor at Williams College, is the author of “Mystic Bones.”

From Prison Cell to Palace

This study skips over chapters 34, 35, and 36 of Genesis, presumably on the basis of Paul's admonition to the Philippians (Phil. 4:8). While our study focuses on Genesis 37 through 41, I recommend reading straight through from chapter 34 to 41. You won't encounter anything in the earlier chapters that is any harder to stomach than that contained in the latter chapters -- and you will have Jesus' complete family history.

It is intriguing to note that a lot can happen in a person's life during the time that they think they are about to die. Recall that chapter 27 opens with Isaac feeling close to death, weak and blind. Yet, it is nine chapters and many decades later that the twins bury their father.

But this week is the story of Joseph, not Isaac or Israel. Joseph's reversals of 'fortune' (favored son to family reject, and slave to ruler) were unparalleled in history, and yet it is nothing compared with:
(a) Jesus' condescension several thousand years ago (Phil. 2:5-11), and
(b) what God has planned for us (Rev. 21:3,4; 22:3-5).

Join me in digging down into one of the Western world's most widely known stories. I look forward to us sharing our insights.

Jacob Becomes Israel

This week our study is on Genesis 29 through 33. Our discussion could focus on Genesis 32, where Jacob's name is changed because he 'struggled with God and with men and overcame.' This struggle is often linked with the great distress of end times mentioned in Daniel 12:1 and Matt 24:21, presumably because of Jeremiah 30 (esp. v. 7). You might like to give special thought to Jacob's struggle and what, if anything, it has to do with the eschatology of Daniel and John, in the Revelation of Jesus Christ. If you google "Jacob's time of trouble", you will see that the Zionist portion of the Christian world is fascinated with the political troubles facing the nation of Israel (Jacob) as the end-time analog of Genesis 32. What do you think of these widespread interpretations?

Of course, focus may well change as study progresses this week. Regardless, expect something engaging and challenging.

Good Article in Adventist Review Online

This is an article worth reading, and re-reading. It has implications for our group and its role within the wider fellowship. My vision (and that of others who seek to shape what the Study Group is) is that to be part of our group is to participate in a transformative process that touches us personally, as opposed to 'consuming' another form of Christian ministry. Have a read of this article and let me know whether you share this vision.

http://www.adventistreview.org/article.php?id=857

The end of 2006 is a good time to ask ourselves some questions regarding transformation. As a member of the Bible Study Group,
(a) do we have a deeper understanding of God's word than we did at the beginning of the year?
(b) are you more strongly drawn to God than you were at the beginning of the year?

An excerpt from the article to raise your interest.

"Generally speaking, what today’s Church is doing isn’t working," claims John White, a house church coach in Denver. "According to recent Barna statistics, during the last 50 years there has been more Christian activity than any time in history, and yet the church’s impact on the culture and quality of discipleship in the churches has continually declined. There are certainly exceptions, but overall, the system is broken."

So why is the house church model a potentially better solution for impacting the culture? For Brad Cecil, a pastor of Axxess, network of house churches in Fort Worth, Texas, that question can be answered in one word: transformation.

"Transformation is a slow, steady process that occurs as we share life with people, and a house church environment is much more conducive to this phenomenon," said Cecil. "Many churches celebrate the idea that people show up and consume their sermons, songs and ministries. But consumption is not transformative! I don’t think much transformation is occurring in many churches today—just a lot of activity."

The Price of Duplicity

This week we study the deception and estrangement in the households of Isaac and Jacob - Genesis 25:19 through chapter 29. For those of us who may have experienced deception and estrangement within their own family, it is amazing and reassuring to consider that God worked through this family to bring an end to sin, suffering and death.

It is interesting to note that this family's estrangement arose out of Rebekah's desire to see the will of God exercised in the life of her family. But, as with the generation before, seeking to do God's will using human power and intellect results in alienation and pain for generations to come.

As always, we see patterns of the controversy between good and evil. Note the following comment by Matthew Henry (1662 - 1714).

"This struggle between Jacob and Esau in the womb represents the struggle that is maintained between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan:
(1) In the world.
The seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent have been contending ever since (Gen 3:15), and this has occasioned a constant uneasiness among men. ...
(2) In the hearts of believers.
No sooner is Christ formed in the soul than immediately there begins a conflict between the flesh and spirit, Gal 5:17. The stream is not turned without a mighty struggle, which yet ought not to discourage us. It is better to have a conflict with sin than tamely to submit to it."

The Triumph of Faith

This week we are studying Genesis 20 through to Abraham's death, recorded in Genesis 25:10. We observe Abraham and Sarah getting on with life amongst those who did not know God while also living within a covenant relationship with God. We see them displaying doubt and faith, accommodating themselves to (covenanting with?) the reality of neighbors outside of a covenant with God, and experiencing intra-family conflict of their own making. We see Abraham dealing with the death of his wife and seeking a marriage partner for their son.

As we read of Abraham we are drawn to parallels between:
(a) Abraham dealing with daily life while awaiting the full reality of a covenant fulfilled; and
(b) Us dealing with life, death, faith, fear, conflict, contracting, transacting, marriage, and family estrangement, while awaiting a transcendant reality of open, unending communication and friendship with God.

What, if anything, do we learn from Abraham and Sarah? What do we learn about God?

In the middle of the relatively mundane, Abraham is asked by God to sacrifice his "only son" as a burnt offering. There is much to ponder in this story alone. Clearly, Isaac was not his "only son" since we have just observed God covenanting with Hagar in the previous chapter -- "I will make Ishmael into a great nation". And, we know that God finds child sacrifice to be an abomination (Deut 12:30,31) and that he instructs "Thou shalt not kill".

The story is presented fairly straightforwardly as a test from God that Abraham actually passes. And most sermons and children's books on this story remain at this level of understanding. While this is clearly a correct understanding of the story (Heb 11:17-19), I would encourage you to grapple with this story a little this week and dare to think more expansively about it.

Advanced study: If you have time, look at the parallels between the life of Hagar and that of Moses. We have previously noted parallels between Moses and Christ, but the more you look in the Old Testament, the more you find themes that point our minds to Christ. Here's a place to start -- there is a lot of wandering in the wilderness/desert in the Bible, and Hagar does some wandering in Chapter 20.

Faith and Frailty

This week we are studying Genesis 16 through 19, which covers
* Abram and Sarai
("This is your fault")
* Sarai and Hagar
("Do with her whatever you think best")
* Covenant restated
(Circumcision and the changing of names)
* Abraham entertains angels unawares
(Heb 13:2)
* Bargaining with God
(Reminds us of Moses -- do we really care more about humanity than God does?)
* Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
(No questions there -- all very straightforward)
* Lot's daughters attempt to maintain the family line
(Can grape juice do that?)

Each story is fascinating, giving rise to many threads of thought and discussion.

The Man Abraham

Context is an important part of our study style. Last time we studied Abraham it was in the context of the preceding and subsequent covenants that God made with His people. This time as we study Genesis 11:27 through chapter 15, our context is the Genesis account of creation, the fall, the flood, and the Tower of Babel. When we read God's promise to Abram in Genesis 12:2,

I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you;
I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.

we cannot help but notice that it follows God's specific intervention in human history in response to the men who settled in Babylon. Genesis 11:4,

Come, let us build ourselves a city,
with a tower that reaches to the heavens,
so that we may make a name for ourselves.

In subsequent studies we will read that Abraham will become a great 'name'. Genesis 17:5,6,

your name will be Abraham,
for I have made you a father of many nations.
I will make you very fruitful;
I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.

As we read through Genesis we cannot help but notice that in one chapter God intervenes to thwart human name-building, and in the next chapter God intervenes to establish a human 'name'. Perhaps the juxtaposing of these two Divine interventions is intentional? Maybe it provides a lesson or two in the principles of the Kingdom of Heaven?

The Earth After the Flood

We continue our discussion of Noah and the Flood, focusing on the second half of the story -- restoration.

Ty Gibson is leading a seminar series in Auckland this week. Last night he spoke on Lucifer and his fall, providing insights into the nature of sin. Over 100 people attended the Monday night meeting in a society where few people show up to church once a week!

Ty's talk made me think of something related to our study this week. Briefly, Ty observed that Lucifer's sin had its origins in replicating what he believed to be the character of God. He believed that God was a glory-seeker, and sought to elevate Himself by seeking His own interests over those of others. He rejected the principle of the 'Kingdom of Heaven' that greatness is found in servanthood.

In the light of these observations, it is interesting to re-read the first part of Genesis 11, where a casual reading might leave us with the impression that God came down to Earth, observed humanity trying to elevate itself, and decided that he had better handicap them before they became his rivals. The very real question raised is whether God sought to maintain His superiority by thwarting human endeavour (note NZ spelling)?

Speaking personally, I think my own answer to the above question comes from asking another question - - In my own experience, when I invite God's guidance and participation in my life, does He seek to thwart or empower my human endeavour?

Destruction and Renewal

After spending four weeks studying two chapters, this week we study four chapters;
Genesis 6 thru 9.

Jack Miles, in his Pulitzer-winning book, God: A Biography, observes (or infers) a lot about God's character in the Flood account. He notes that the story that precedes the Flood account is that of Cain slaying Abel, where in Gen 4:10,11, God says that his brother's blood cries out from the ground, and that Cain is now under a curse. He also notes that following the Flood account, in Gen 9:6, God states that he will hold Noah and his descendants accountable for the destruction of human life and for the shedding of human blood. Thus, God's wholesale destruction of human life is bookended by His prohibition of human bloodshed.

Miles concludes that, "a human being engaged in either destruction or creation becomes his rival". p.45. "Destruction is forbidden because God is a destroyer as well as a creator".

Miles also observes that following the flood, "the Lord has to be seduced out of a recurrence of his rage by the scent of Noah's offering."

In short, this scholar of our times (a former Jesuit scholar, with a PhD in Near-Eastern Languages from Harvard University) doesn't think that God comes out of these chapters looking too good. What do you think? If you were determining God's biography (and portions of Revelation suggest that we will be), what thesis would you present? Would you really be interested in being part of His administration for eternity? (Rev 22:5).

These are important questions that are worthy of more than cursory thought.

The Early Earth

I thought we would try something new -- following the study guide. So, we will discuss Genesis 2. I believe that we could study and discuss this chapter once a quarter and still get something new out of it each time.

I'd like to focus on what this chapter tells us about the life God intended for us. Compare your current life in the so-called "real world" with this brief picture of life as God conceived of it for us. What are the similarities? What are the differences?

A common sermon illustration is that bank tellers are taught to recognize counterfeit money by focusing on authentic money, not evaluating the counterfeit. Perhaps the key to walking with God is to focus on God's created paradise rather than analyzing the counterfeit life we call the "real world"?

So, with that in mind, lets revisit Genesis 2 this week.

In the Beginning

This study focuses on what the Bible says about the origin of humanity and the stellar neighborhood in which humans find themselves. I do hope you enjoy the study.

In this discussion, I would like us to continue through the Books of Genesis, identifying for each chapter of Genesis:
(a) portions of Genesis that form the basis for understanding some other portion of scripture, particularly that of the New Testament.
(b) messages that form the foundation of Christian thought and life.

So, in preparation for our discussion, please continue to read through Genesis and identify "foundations" in Genesis, of the two types noted above.

I believe that this is what we have thus far:

Genesis 1
* Matthew 1, Genealogy, Genesis is foundation of New Testament
* John 1, Jesus, Creator becomes part of His creation
* Psalms in general. Psalm 8 and 136 in particular
* Heb 11:3
* Man is not preexistent
* God is preexistent
* Evil did not always exist
* 1:28 Foundation for Human dominion of the Earth
* 1:29 Foundation for Vegetarian diet

Genesis 2
* Matt 19:3-8
* 2:4 Foundation for work as a perfect blessing (not a consequence of sin)
* 2:24,25 Foundation for marriage as part of God's created perfection

Genesis 3
* Rev 12:9
* 2 Cor 11:3
* Phil 2:5 onwards
* 3:1 Satan is active in the World (c/f Job 1:7, 2:1)
* 3:8 God wants to interact with us
* 3:9 God seeks us
* 3:23 God appears to use force sometimes

Genesis 4
* Heb 11:4
* 4:8 It is a short distance from perfection to murder
* 4:9 God seeks us
* 4:12 "restless wanderer" Curse or consequence?
* 4:15 God protects those who rebel against him
* 4:19 From monogamy to polygamy
* 4:24 Foundation of human retribution (c/f Matt 18:21,22)
* 4:26 Foundation of dichotomy; (a) God-reliance v. (b) Self-reliance

Beginnings and Belongings

This is the first of a new and exciting series of Bible studies,
Genesis: Creation and Redemption.

The studies are based on material written by Arthur Ferch, a Theology professor at the Adventist Seminary "down under", Avondale College. After this overview, the lessons proceed through Genesis, from creation, perfection, rebellion, violence, new beginnings, and a covenant with an individual and, eventually, with a people chosen of God.

I recently gave a Bible to a past colleague of mine who has an interest in reading the great books of human civilization. He read through Genesis, and then came back to me in total disbelief that a book full of unbelievable stories and the most torrid of human interactions can possibly be the foundation of Jewish and Christian belief. "I must be missing something", he said. And we then talked about what Genesis really says to us, once we look beyond the murder, rape, incest, sodomy, deception, child sacrifice, and the all-round dysfunctional families that populate the book's chapters. This same discussion -- what Genesis really says to us -- will be our conversation for the rest of this year.

While we have studied portions of Genesis several times recently (particularly Gen 1-3), I do hope that we can come to the book of Genesis with a fresh perspective, and ask ourselves why this book is so central to Christianity and Judaism?

Let's begin by seeking to read through the 50 chapters of Genesis. It does not take very long. And, have a look through the first study, 'Foundations', this week. The complete lesson series can be obtained from http://ssnet.org/qrtrly/adult-lessons.html

As a way of getting us thinking about the importance of Genesis to Christian thought, I have included an excerpt below. You might also find the more complete article interesting.
http://www.oakwood.edu/ocgoldmine/sdoc/27fb/chapter_6.htm

Let's commit ourselves to excellence in our prayerful, reflective study this quarter, and be blessed as a consequence, both individually and as a group.

Daniel 9

This week's study builds on our study of Daniel 8 last week, and then the next two dig into the same material regarding the time prophecy of Daniel 8 and 9. It is exciting material, in that Daniel is told that it will not be understood until the last days. So, it is entirely possible that as we study and pray as a group, we will gain new insight into this prophecy.

BTW, you may remember that our group studied Daniel's prayer (first half of Daniel 9) relatively recently. This week the focus is on the second half. It is also intriguing to consider why Daniel's prayer is stuck in the middle of Gabriel's explanation of the Daniel 8 vision. I have often thought that the book of Daniel is a bit disorganized -- like he needed a good book editor. But, perhaps there is a lot more in the order than might be first apparent? For example, perhaps the stories of God's people being true to His principles and being elevated from slavery to the royal court represent a personal application of what the visions represent on a national and international level?

Do Not Worry

Jesus provides us with this challenging admonition in Matthew 6:25; "... do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear." Those of us who are worriers know just how unhelpful it is for someone to say to us, “don't worry”.

Earlier this year, several of us read and discussed the Sermon on the Mount. We puzzled together over Jesus' admonition in Matthew 6:25, and why it is that Jesus would say something that appears to be an unhelpful platitude, at least in the modern world. Jim Huzzey, a professor at Newbold College suggests that the answer lies with the context of Jesus' statement ... "THEREFORE, I I tell you, do not worry ...". Jesus is building on the admonition he has just provided in verses 19 through 24; following that advice is the key to not worrying.

Fellow worriers, I hope you are uplifted by this week's study.