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Background to the Book of Genesis: This is the same as last week: to go direct to Context click above. Literary: xxxvGenesis is a fascinating book which begins with two creation accounts of the world in Gen 1-3, continues with stories about humanity in general through to the end of Gen 11 before we come to the specific journeys of Abraham. Gen 1-11 is often referred to as universal history or primeval history and is applicable to all of humanity. The genealogies enable Abraham to be descended from Adam and Eve. Indeed, another purpose of the genealogies is to divide these eleven chapters as follows into a 5-fold division:
Besides the suggested division above, scholars have proposed different recurring literary patterns such as sin, speech, punishment - Gen 1-3, 4, 6-9,11 (Westermann) in Gen 1-11: von Rad includes forgiveness: sin, speech, forgiveness, punishment. Whether one wants to go along with any of the above suggestions about the literary divisions or patterns in Gen 1-11, there is almost unanimous agreement that there is a tightly formed literary pattern and we are meant read it as a unity. Creation of the world and humans is torn apart when the relationship between God and humans is told in Gen 3 and between humans and humans in Gen 4. One of the literary patterns which may be considered to not only be present in Gen 1-11, but extend through into the remainder of the book of Genesis is that connected with the command in Gen 1:28 - ‘be fruitful and multiply’. Not only does the phrase occur in a number of places, but the lists of genealogies show that indeed the people have been fruitful and multiplied - Gen 5, 10, 11. The genealogies continue in Gen 12-50 at particular points: Gen 25:12 (These are the generations of Ishmael), Gen 25:19 (These are the generations of Isaac), Gen 36:1, (These are the generations of Esau), Gen 37:2 (These are the generations of Jacob). The genealogies not only show that God's command in Gen 1:28 has been followed, but the promises to Abraham in Gen 12:1-3, Gen 15:5 have come true. That is, Abram will have many descendants and become a great nation. At the point where each of the genealogies are listed we have the story of that person in the following chapters. Abraham in Gen 11:27-25:18: Jacob in Gen 25:19-36:43: Joseph, Judah and Jacob's family in Gen 37:1-50:26. There are a number of covenants mentioned in the Book of Genesis all of which come into the category of unconditional or promissory. Unlike the condition covenant in Exod 19 in which God seeks a response of obedience from the people, the covenants in Genesis are based on first person pronouncements by God. In Gen 9 it is an universal covenant with all living creatures, but once we move into Gen 12 the covenants are specific to Abraham and his descendants. The relationship has been set up from creation when humans were created to be in special relationship with God (Gen 1:26-27). Attempts have been made since the 18th century to explain such things as: a different word used for God -Yahwist or Elohim: multiple versions of the same story = Abraham’s pretence, Gen 12:10-20, 20:1-18, 26:6-16: repetition within the same story = Gen 6:5-7, 11-12: contradictions - for example, Exod 20:24 gives permission to offer sacrifices at numerous altars v Deut 12:13-14 which forbids this and restricts sacrifice to one place only or Gen 7:17 in which the flood remains for 40 days v Gen 7:24 in which the flood remains for 150 days and other examples. The classic theory suggests that the Pentateuch has a number of written sources as well as the early oral traditions which account for the sort of differences mentioned above. In Gen 1-11 there is the Priestly source which can be seen in Gen1:1-2:4a, 6:9-22, some verses in Gen 7-8, 9:1-17, 10:1-7, 11:10-27 and the remaining texts come from the Yahwistic source. Some characteristics of what is know as the 'P' source are: the use of the Hebrew term toledoth/generations, the writing is sophisticated and often in a liturgical style (Gen1:1-2:4a), in the creation account God speaks and it happens, humans are made in the image of God, the covenant is unconditional and can be made with the animals, and an abiding concern to state numbers and years. The Yahwistic source uses myths and sagas to tell the story, God and animals speak (anthropomorphic), the world is very small (Gen 2:10-14) compared with the universal world of the 'P' source (Gen 1:1-2:4a). Historical: (History within the text). xxxxxGen 12-50 tells the stories about Abram and his descendants as they move from Haran into the land of Canaan and begin wandering around the land and then into Egypt. These stories began as oral traditions passed down within the tribes long before they became part of the written tradition. It is the way many cultures remember their history, but in the Western world we became influenced by the enlightened definition of 'history' which understood 'history' as written facts from an objective viewpoint. This has caused many scholars to debate whether the Patriarchs can be proven to be true people through archaeological means. Other scholars say that this is not possible and therefore they cannot be historical people. If this argument was applied to Bedouin tribes or Australian Aboriginal people we deny them any history. History as oral tradition passed down is the history of a people, and does not need to be justified by Western values. The people are portrayed as very human with all their faults and strengths - they lie, deceive, steal, test God, they have courage, journey into the unknown, seek God, question God and are obedient. These traits apply to men and women, and many of the women (Sarah, Rebecca, Tamar) play a significant role in the working out of the promises of God. I encourage people to read these stories for themselves. After the story of Abram in Gen11:27-25:18 the next block, Gen 11:19-36:43, tells us about Jacob and finally about Joseph in Gen 37:1-50:26. At the end of the book we are placed ready to begin the story of Moses, the release of the Hebrews from Egypt and their wanderings in the wilderness. |
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Context of Gen 6:9-22, 7:24, 8:14-19 The readings for this week come from the narrative about the flood which is central in the block of material Gen 1-11. These chapters speak about the creation of the universe, the disobedience of humanity in Gen 2, the discord among brothers in Gen 4, the flood story in Gen 6-9, followed by the story of the tower of babel in Gen 11. Interspersed between these narratives are the genealogies which are part of the deliberate theological composition of Gen 1-11. Gen 5 is the list of generations (Hebrew = toledoth) which bring us from creation to the time of Noah (Gen 5:32). Immediately prior to the lectionary verses is the story of the sons of god who cohabited with humans. God was sorry that Creation had happened and decide to punish the earth and it inhabitants. The genre fits with the theology in Gen 2:4b- 3:24 and is probably from an early tradition. In fact the lectionary verses appear to be chosen from the later tradition and so Gen 7 is the repeat of the command which has already occurred in Gen 6:19-22. We find in Gen 6-9 a number of elements which are different: 1 pair & 7 pairs; flood = 150 days or 40 days; a raven is sent in one tradition and a dove in another. Following the end of the flood, Noah makes a sacrifice and God promises never to destroy the earth again. In Gen 9 we have God establishing an eternal covenant with Noah and his sons and giving the rainbow as sign of this renewed covenant. The end of the chapter records the downfall of the righteous Noah who becomes drunk and his son, Ham sees him naked. It is like an etiological saga which explains why Canaanites were later dispossessed. Noah is recorded as living to 950 years which is unlikely and is a way of recording the generations. |
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Insights/Message of Gen 6:9-22, 7:24, 8:14-19
xxxxxMessage: There are about twenty five flood stories from cultures around the ancient world. In Genesis the reason given for the flood is that humans have become corrupt and evil. Yahweh decrees there is a need to destroy these humans and begin again with a family that is deemed righteous. Two major issues arise for me when I read about the destruction of the earth. First, is the idea that God chooses to destroy creation which was accounted good in Gen 1, as though the earth has become corrupt as well as the humans. Second, is the idea that God deliberately destroys humans and I believe this is a world view which is confronted by the revelation of Jesus Christ who revealed a God who does not kill people in judgement. I am not suggesting that God has changed in this particular aspect of God's nature, rather that God's revelation comes to us within a certain time and culture and the revelation can be influenced by it. For example, as Jesus was fully human and lived with a culture that accepted slavery, so it was never an issue that was addressed by Jesus. Some people prefer to believe that we can never understand the mystery of why God would destroy the earth and we have to live with this awful picture of God. The early tradition portrays God as sad and grieving (Gen 6:6-7), together with a sense of regret, "for I am sorry that I made them". While there is no guarantee that our faithfulness will preserve the world (Brueggemann: 78) as we know it, what is clear is that the world is being destroyed by our modern technologies.
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Resources/Worship for Gen 6:9-22, 7:24, 8:14-19
The Dramatised Bible: ed. Michael Perry. London: Marshall Pickering: Bible Society, 1989 Web sites with helpful lectionary resources: These links were updated 09/06/2008
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