Class Notes from September 23

As we've studied two creation stories in Genesis chapters 1 and 2, we identified several common themes: God created cosmos (order) out of chaos, implying the universe has both design and meaning; human beings are created by God and given the responsibility of "tending" the earth; God has imposed limits on human life: God is God, and we are not!

Some obvious differences between the two stories are: order of created things -- for instance, in the first story people are created last, and in the second, people are created prior to the making of the garden; setting -- the first is global, the second is specific to what we now know as the Fertile Crescent; time reference -- the first stages creation in six days, with a seventh for rest, implying the Sabbath is a necessary component of God's order of life for people, while the second does not refer to this. Also, a little observation will note that God is referred to differently in each story -- in the first, "God", in the second, "The Lord God", or Yahweh and Elohim, respectively, indicating different ancient sources and conceptions of God.

We spent some time in small discussion groups with three questions about creation story 1: What does the story tell you about God? What does the story tell you about you? What does the story tell you about your relationship with God? Some input from the groups included the observation that we can know God even though we cannot fully understand God; and that God is "Sovereign", a great word and a concept worth further contemplation.

Next week's assignment is to read on through Genesis, chapter 3. We will take on the rest of creation story 2, which leads us to ponder the question of sin. Again, if we can read this in two separate versions that will be a plus. Harrell will lead our discussion this Sunday, September 30.

Thanks for your participation, whether you are with us in person or checking in on line!

Four Concepts for Reference

Here are four interesting concepts to keep in mind as we study Scripture:

1. FACT and TRUTH. The idea is that fact does not necessarily convey meaning. Since the enlightenment "modern" folks tend to equate fact with truth . . . that is, something cannot be true unless it is factual. Yet there is also a way of knowing "truth", or meaning, through story, such as Jesus' parables, which are not factual accounts. The equation of fact and truth is a fairly recent idea in Western culture. A lot of folks are recognizing that this idea, much taken for granted, can present us with some problems in taking the Bible stories for themselves.

2. SCIENTIFIC and MYTHIC is another comparison getting at this idea. Before the Enlightenment, just a couple hundred years ago, folks "knew" truth through what is referred to as "mythos". The word "myth" is somewhat contaminated by modern, logical thinking, so that we might think a "myth", since it isn't factual, cannot be "true". Myths, in the wider timeline of our history, provide stories and frameworks for understanding the meaning of life. A "mythos" is a framework for interpreting reality, often with a central story. What, for example, is the central story for the Jewish people? I would think it is the Exodus story. What is the central story for Christians? Orthodox Christianity would probably hold up the story of Jesus Christ as that which gives meaning to everything -- the eternal Creator incarnate in human flesh, and his sacrifice and resurrection. Of course most modern Christians would also find it essential to hold that our particular mythology is also factual, or it has no meaning. Post-modern seekers would question that requirement, or perhaps not worry about it so much as we have become accustomed to doing. Now we know that science deals with fact. Can science prove God's existence and intent? I think many modern Christians believe it is only a matter of time before we can empirically demonstrate the factual reality of our beliefs. Perhaps so, but I think we still need "mythos" as a way of knowing and giving meaning, especially in light of the amazing revelations given to us through scientific study.

3. COSMOLOGY and CULTURE are concepts vital to understanding Bible stories in their contexts.
Cosmology refers to a person's understanding of the "cosmos" -- that is, how the universe is organized. Cosmos infers order of some kind. For example, the creation stories depict God making a cosmos out of chaos. The physical description of the cosmos in the creation stories reflects a common ancient perspective, which, thanks to telescopes and space probes, we know is completely innaccurate. Yet that description, not factual, depicts profound meaning: that God is creator, we are created, and we have a responsibility to tend the "cosmos" God has given to us a stewards.

Culture can be described as the ocean of meaning we swim in . . . it helps to understand there are other oceans. Like my boy's pet fish in it's tank, I have spent my life floating in a world with a particular language and references that orient me in life. When I take the fish out to clean his bowl, he is, for a while, disoriented. If I put him in a different bowl, he will need to adjust. There are many human cultures; also many represented in the Scriptures. If I would read Scripture well, I need to develop the capacity to at least be aware that I'm looking through the glass of my own culture into another world.

4. HOW and WHY are different questions. Putting all of the above together can imply that the creation stories, for instance, cannot be accurate scientific accounts of the creation of the physical universe -- how it came to be. But if they are stories told to convey an understanding of the meaning of the cosmos, then we have a lot of gold to mine if we seek to answer the "why" questions -- such as why is there a world, why are we in it, why do we sin, etc.

PDTA

Tree of Life

Here is an exerpt from an article from Harper's Dictionary of the Bible, a great resource, on "Tree of Life", by way of critical review:

" . . . a symbolic plant whose fruit was supposed to confer immortality on persons eating it. 1) It grew in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:9, 3:22, 24), but Adam and Eve partook only of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge and thus failed to become immortal . . . All ancient civilized nations wondered why man should be mortal and explained how man lost his chance of achieving immortality. The food of the gods, insuring their immortality, was "soma" in India, "haoma" in Iran, and "ambrosia" in Greece. In the Babylonian epic of Gligamesh, Gligamesh, after obtaining the plant of immortality, lost it when it was stolen by a snake; likewise the myth of Adapa (similar to Adam's failure to attain immortality) is a story of such a failure . . . The tree of life or the sacred tree is a well-known motif in ancient art. It appears often on Assyrian bas-reliefs andmuch earlier it occurs in Near-Eastern and Cretan art as a tree surrounded by two goats eating from its branches. Persian artists represent it as a holy symbol. For the early Church Fathers it is the Cross, whose fruit is the Christ, the source of immortality.*

I find it very interesting that the "tree of life" is common sacred symbol in many cultures. Against the backdrop of a common ancient understanding, someone hearing or reading the story of Adam and Eve would probably have a feeling of what was at stake in that story, having to do with both the aspiration to be more than mortal and the consequences of reaching too far. To me the story of the tower of Babel has a similar dynamic, except in that story God (also self-referred in the plural) actively put a stop to the aspirations of people trying to become like God. All this, in my thinking, reinforces a basic point in the creation stories: that God is God, and we are not -- the created must accept limits in relating to the Creator in order for all of creation to maintain it's designed order. I think this is not just about living forever, but about who is in charge . . . who is Lord of creation, and who is assigned a role in it.

--PDTA

*Harper's Bible Dictionary, Harper & Row Publishers, c. 1952, 1954, 1956, 1959, 1961, 1973 (and many later editions!)

Class notes from September 16

Harrell Guard led us in a presentation of facts and historical frameworks for our study of Creation stories.

After noting that Genesis is a book of beginnings: the creation, a new beginning (Noah), a new people (Hebrews), and a consciousness of their (Hebrew) unique relationship with God, historical facts relative to Genesis were presented: many versions were circulating with no authorized (canonized*) version until almost 900 A.D., and authorship was multiple in nature. We also examined various view points of inspiration.** We considered questions about how the two creation stories are different -- such as order of events, and different names for God. Cultural influences would account for some differences. We noted other Biblical examples recording more than one version of the same story, such as the birth of Jesus in the Gospels. The major focus of both versions of the creation story was the key message of the lesson: the relationship of human beings to God. Next week will focus on what each creation story tells us about our relationship with God, and place in creation.

*"Canon" comes from an ancient word referring to a measuring reed; hence means a standard of measurement, in this case standards applied to the inclusion of particular ancient texts in what eventually has come to be the modern Bible. We noted the Canon of Scripture is different for Protestants and Catholics, as the latter include the Apocriphal writings as sacred text.
** Modern Christians have different understandings of "inspiration", lit. "Breathed into" or, in context, "God breathed", referring to how the Holy Spirit is involved in the creation of Scripture. Three different understandings are: 1. Every individual word is inspired, implying that God wrote the Bible more or less directly; 2. The Spirit spoke through individuals who wrote the books; thus the writers, not the particular words, are inspired; 3. The Spirit worked through communities of faithful, thus the books are products of "body life" of people of faith.

Poem of the Week

A must purchase for Old Testament readers is Jeanne and William Steig's whimsical but profound "The Old Testament Made Easy". Dust cover comment is: "The author and illustrator of "Consider the Lemming" team up again, this time for a fresh, irreverent look at stories from the Old Testament. Cain and Abel, Noah, Jezebel, Solomon, David, Jehovah Himself -- the whole Sunday-school cast of villains and heroes, rascals and romantics comes to life in Jeanne Steig's wild and witty verse. William Steig's pictures have never been more exuberant -- the perfect complement to his wife's mischievous text."

Perhaps this sample, pertaining to our creation story study, will entice you borrow my copy, or purchase your own!

And God Said, "Let Us Make Man"

"All this in just six days!" God cried.

I am supremely satisfied.

Those dainty finned and creeping things.

The ones with hooves, the ones with wings!

This world's divine. Just one thing more --

Two legged, furless omnivore.

Free will, at least to some degree.

The creature quite resembles me.

It only wants a breath of life;

And then, of course, it wants a wife.

No sooner asked, my boy, than done!

They will afford me hours of fun.

See how they blink, and stretch, and grin.

Now let the comedy begin!"

c. 1990 by Jeanne Steig, all rights reserved

Hello Old Testament Class!

This blog will be a reference site for an Old Testament Bible Study taught by Mr. Harrell Guard and Rev. Dan Thompson-Aue at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, Idaho Falls, Idaho. Check in for discussion notes, study tips, and conversation related to questions and material from our study, "The Old Testament Made Easy". If you are not able to join us in person, please feel free to read this blog and offer comments. At the outset comments will not be screened but if anyone gets unruly or inappropriate I'll put a filter on ya!

Our first class met Sunday, September 9. We missed Harrell, who had an illness and had to miss the fun! We're looking for the Prof to return next week.

The focus of our study will be primary characters and stories of the Old Testament. We hope to become more familiar with these great stories, get better at reading and understanding the Bible on our own, grow in faith and make and deepen friendships.

First assignment: Read Genesis chapters 1 and 2. These are two distinct creation stories, each with a different point. Study these in two different translations or paraphrases, with an eye to comparing and contrasting. Keep in mind this thought: these stories were not intended to be scientific explanations of "how" the world came to be, rather mythic stories conveying the "why" of human existence. How does God speak to you about "you"?