Genesis 1: Interpretation (Myth Genre Question)

I was taught in school that the universe is really old. I also heard that C.S. Lewis believes that Genesis 1 fits within a genre of 'poetic myth', and that its author would have never intended to be taken literally in its assertion that creation took 6 days. Moreover,

Genesis 1: Summary (Days of Week)

I decided to think about what it would be like to rename all the days of the week according to the days of creation instead of being named after norse gods.  Here's what I came up with:

Genesis 1-3: List of Questions

1. After the mess-up of his creatures, why did God not start with a clean slate?

Genesis 1-3: Summary

God created the earth and made humanity; however, humanity was banished for disobeying God.

Genesis 1-3: Study Guide

Introduction to Genesis

• Topic of Genesis: Just as the word 'genesis' means 'origins', the Book of Genesis explores the origins of many important groups including creation, humanity, the beginning nations, and Israel. The focus upon these groups is how their relationships with God were originally.
• Setting for Genesis 1: The Book of Genesis begins with a story about how the world was created. Note that most ancient cultures had creation myths, yet Genesis 1 differs from other creation myths in some important ways. For example, in some creation myths a god might have been formed out of the earth, whereas in Genesis it is the earth that is being formed and shaped by God.

Genesis 2: Highlights (Minerals in the Garden of Eden)

I noticed that the Garden of Eden had four rivers that were filled with minerals. Here is a list of them:

Genesis 2-3: Parallel (Garden of Eden in Ezekiel)

I was reading Ezekiel 28 and noticed that it likens the king of Tyre to a cherub that was in the Garden of Eden. And the cherub/king is described as being booted out of the garden, just like how Adam and Eve were booted out of the garden in Genesis 2-3.

I thought this was very interesting.

Genesis 3: Reaction (Unashamed vs Shamed being naked)

We understand that in these modern times, nakedness is not something deemed shameful between man and his wife. Why? Because nakedness is inevitable between a man and his wife when being intimate. On the other hand, most people would agree that it would be deemed shameful if a man and his wife should take their nakedness outside their bedroom out in the open. 

My question is regarding v.7:

Genesis 3: Reaction (Child-Bearing Curse)

I'm sad for women that they have been cursed to hurt while having babies.

Genesis 4: Take-Away (Inheriting Our Parents' Attitudes)

When looking at how Cain's descendant was just like Cain (but even worse), it seems like there is a principle in life that we can sometimes inherit some negative attitudes and lifestyles from our parents, who might in turn have inherited the same attitudes and lifestyles from their own parents, and so on and so on. Therefore, I should be open to reexamining my attitudes and values whenever I see myself regularly getting into conflicts with different people over the same issues. It could be that what I think is okay and normal is not really okay and normal at all.

Genesis 4-6: Summary

Adam's and Eve's children had many descendants, and while some began to remember God most became violent. So God decided to destroy mankind with a flood, yet warned a righteous man named Noah.

Genesis 4-6: Study Guide

Background

• Review of Genesis 1-3: God created the earth and made human life; however, humanity was banished for disobeying God.
• Setting for Genesis 4: The setting is somewhere outside of the Garden of Eden, at a time when Adam and Eve start to have children. A strange aspect of the setting is when Cain anticipates wandering the earth and complains that someone might find him and kill him (Genesis 4:14). This implies that there were people throughout the earth, even though Cain appears to be firstborn person of human history (Genesis 4:1).

Genesis 7-9: Summary

God destroyed all life with a flood on the whole earth. Only a small percentage of animals and Noah's family escaped destruction by residing inside an ark. After the flood God established a covenant of peace and renewed His creation blessing (albeit under graver terms).

Genesis 7: Issue (Could Noah really get all the animals onto the ark?)

Many people apparently believe that the ark wasn't big enough to fit all the animals on the earth, but others argue that they would all fit if Noah gathered only baby animals. Wouldn't it be hard to pull baby cubs away from their mothers? How would it all work?

I also heard that every culture has a flood story. Does every culture also have a Noah's ark story? Are there any good resources on this stuff? Thanks in advance for your responses!

Genesis 7-9: Study Guide

Background

• Review of Genesis 4-6: Adam's and Eve's children had many descendants, and while there were some who began to remember God, most had become violent. So God decided to destroy mankind with a flood, yet warned a righteous man named Noah.
• Setting for Genesis 7: In order to survive the impending flood, Noah had built a large ark according to God's instructions  (Genesis 6:22).

Genesis 10-12: Study Guide

Background

• Review of Genesis 7-9: God destroyed all life with a flood on the whole earth. Only a small percentage of animals and Noah's family escaped destruction by residing inside an ark. After the flood God established a covenant of peace and renewed His creation blessing (albeit under graver terms).
• Setting for Genesis 10: .The setting features a sparsely populated earth that has recently dried from flooding, and has begun to produce new vegetation (Genesis 8:10; 9:20).

Genesis 10-12: Summary

The earth became repopulated through Noah's descendants and formed the world's nations. Then God promised to form a new nation by which other nations may be blessed, and set a man named Abram apart for this purpose.

Genesis 13-15: Summary

Abram became prosperous and powerful to the extent that he was able to successfully rescue his nephew Lot from a coalition of invading nations. While Abram seemed conscious of the fact that God was his source of strength, he seemed to waver back and forth between faith and uncertainty as God would progressively reveal His intentions to bless Abram's descendants.

Genesis 13-15: Study Guide

Background

• Review of Genesis 10-12: The earth became repopulated through Noah's descendants and formed the world's nations. Then God promised to form a new nation by which other nations may be blessed, and set a man named Abram apart for this purpose.
• Setting for Genesis 13: Abram had migrated to Egypt in order to escape a famine in Canaan, but after causing trouble for the Egyptians Pharaoh asked Abram to leave.

Genesis 16-18: Summary

Although Hagar, Sarah's servant, had been used to bear a child and provide a future lineage for Abraham, God maintained that He would bless Sarah with a child in her late age and establish His covenant through him.

Genesis 16-18: Study Guide

Background

• Review of Genesis 13-15: Abram became prosperous and powerful to the extent that he was able to successfully rescue his nephew Lot from a coalition of invading nations. While Abram seemed conscious of the fact that God was his source of strength, he seemed to waver back and forth between faith and uncertainty as God would progressively reveal His intentions to bless Abram's descendants.
• Setting for Genesis 16: Abram had been living in Canaan for apparently ten years (Genesis 16:3). 

Genesis 19-21: Summary

God preserved Lot from the destruction of Sodom. God also preserved Abraham and Sarah in his journey among the Philistines and among Abimelech, who eventually sought a treaty with Abraham as he viewed him as being favored by God. Afterwards, Sarah gave birth to Isaac and sent Ishmael and Hagar away.

Genesis 19-21: Study Guide

Background

• Review of Genesis 16-18: Although Hagar, Sarah's servant, had been used to bear a child and provide a future lineage for Abraham, God maintained that He would bless Sarah with a child in her late age and establish His covenant through him.
• Setting for Genesis 19: God's attention is toward the land of Sodom. God intends to investigate whether the land is as wicked as it has been reported. 

Genesis 22-24: Summary

Abraham showed the great extent of his obedience to God when he demonstrated a willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac. Then Sarah died, prompting Abraham to obtain a burial cave from the Hittites. Afterwards, Abraham sent a servant to his country of origin so that he could obtain a wife for Isaac from his relatives.

Genesis 22-24: Study Guide

Background

• Review of Genesis 19-21: God preserved Lot from the destruction of Sodom. God also preserved Abraham and Sarah in his journey among the Philistines and among Abimelech, who eventually sought a treaty with Abraham as he viewed him as being favored by God. Afterwards, Sarah gave birth to Isaac and sent Ishmael and Hagar away.
• Setting for Genesis 22: Abraham is last seen in Beersheba where he calls upon God's name, and  then staying in the land of the Philistines for many days (Genesis 21:33-34).

Study Preparations

• Timer: Assign a timer who will focus the group on spending 15 minutes in each chapter.
• Prayer: Open in prayer and invite God to provide understanding into Genesis 22-24.

Genesis 25-27: Summary

After the death of Abraham, his son Isaac sojourned into the land of Abimelech and the Philistines in order to escape a famine. He came out prosperous just as his father had done previously, and Abimelech acknowledged that God was with him. Additionally, Isaac became the father of Jacob and Esau. Jacob was shrewd and succeeded in snatching away both the birthright and blessing that were meant for Esau.

Genesis 25-27: Study Guide

Background

• Review of Genesis 22-24: Abraham showed the great extent of his obedience to God when he demonstrated a willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac. Then Sarah died, prompting Abraham to obtain a burial cave from the Hittites. Afterwards, Abraham sent a servant to his country of origin so that he could obtain a wife for Isaac from his relatives.
• Setting for Genesis 25: During this time Abraham is experiencing the later years of his life.

Study Preparations

• Timer: Assign a timer who will focus the group on spending 15 minutes in each chapter.
• Prayer: Open in prayer and invite God to provide understanding into Genesis 25-27.

Genesis 28-30: Summary

In order to avoid the anger of his brother Esau, Jacob fled to the land of Laban his uncle where he worked for 20 years in exchange for livestock and marriage to Laban's two daughters. During this time Jacob's wives bore him 11 sons. Although Laban plotted to make himself rich by capitalizing on Jacob's blessing received from God, it was Jacob who had become prosperous.

Genesis 28-30: Study Guide

Background

• Review of Genesis 25-27: After the death of Abraham, his son Isaac sojourned into the land of Abimelech and the Philistines in order to escape a famine. He came out prosperous just as his father had done previously, and Abimelech acknowledged that God was with him. Additionally, Isaac became the father of Jacob and Esau. Jacob was shrewd and succeeded in snatching away both the birthright and blessing that were meant for Esau.
• Setting for Genesis 28: Rebekah had suggested for Jacob to flee to the land of her brother Laban for a few days, so that Esau's anger might calm down.

Genesis 31-33: Summary

When Jacob observed that his relationship with his uncle Laban had deteriorated, he gathered his family and fled back to Canaan. Laban managed to catch up to Jacob, but he was warned by God not to harm him, and so the two men agreed to a peace treaty. Along the way to Canaan, a man approached Jacob at night and wrestled him until daybreak, and afterwards blessed him and gave him a new name Israel. Upon entering Canaan Jacob was approached his brother Esau, and the two men reconciled. Jacob then built an altar to His God who had preserved him through his 20 years of sojourning.

Genesis 31-33: Study Guide

Background

• Review of Genesis 28-30: In order to avoid the anger of his brother Esau, Jacob fled to the land of Laban his uncle where he worked for 20 years in exchange for livestock and marriage to Laban's two daughters. During this time Jacob's wives bore him 11 sons. Although Laban plotted to make himself rich by capitalizing on Jacob's blessing received from God, it was Jacob who had become prosperous.
• Setting for Genesis 31: Jacob has been shepherding Laban's 'blemished livestock' away from Laban's family.