Tag: Genesis
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Studying Genesis 45 1-15
We’re studying Genesis 45:1-15 for Sunday, September 27: the climax of the story of Joseph and his brothers that we’ve been following for the past three weeks. [Some questions on the text are here.] Here are some notes on this text: BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT: We’ve been following the unfolding of the story of Joseph from…
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Reflecting on Genesis 37
We are studying Genesis 37 for Sunday, September 6. This is the first chapter in the longer, familiar story of Joseph and his brothers, and for us it’s also the first installment of a four-part series of lessons on the whole story. [Some notes on the text are here.] Here are a few questions we…
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Studying Genesis 37
We are studying Genesis 37 for Sunday, September 6. This is the beginning of the story of “Joseph and his brothers.” It’s a long and familiar story, and we can approach it several ways: as a “wisdom story” – because it fits a genre of Ancient Near Eastern literature; as a family drama – further…
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Questions for Reflection and Discussion – Genesis 19 1, 5-26, 29
We are studying Genesis 19:1, 15-26, 29 for Sunday, September 1. This is the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, which involves God’s rescue of Abraham’s nephew Lot, and a couple of his daughters, from that destruction, by means of a helpful angel. [Notes on the text are here.] Normally, this is where…
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Study Notes – Genesis 19 1, 15-26, 29
We are studying Genesis 19:1, 15-26, 29 for Sunday, September 1. Our newly redesigned curriculum also gives us the background scripture, which in this case is Genesis 18:6-19:29, the whole story of YHWH’s negotiation with Abraham over how many people it will take to spare Sodom and Gomorrah, along with chapter 19 up to Lot’s…
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Questions for Reflection and Discussion – Genesis 30 22-32 & 43
We are studying Genesis 30:22-32 & 43 for Sunday, November 26. Here are a few questions we might want to consider for class: Verse 22 reads that “God remembered Rachel.” What do we think this means? (E.g., that God had actually forgotten Rachel; that it is a figure of speech; … ?) Why do we…
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Study Notes – Genesis 30 22-32, 43
We’re studying Genesis 30:22-32 & 43 for Sunday, November 25. It is a continuation of the unfolding story of Jacob. Here are my notes on the text: BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT: Last week, we left Jacob coming to terms with his vision of a ladder reaching to heaven, as he was on his way to stay…
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Questions for Reflection and Discussion – Genesis 27
The text we’re studying for Sunday, November 11 is Genesis 27 (focus on vv 5-10, 18-19, and 21-29). Here are a few questions we might want to consider: What are our impressions of the four characters involved in this story, and what gives us those impressions? For instance, how do we picture Isaac, Rebekah, Esau…
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Study Notes – Genesis 27
The text we are studying for Sunday, November 11 is Genesis 27, with a focus on verses 5-10, 18-19, and 21-29. This is the story of Isaac’s blessing, a blessing he offers to his son Esau, but gives to his son Jacob, in a tale of deliberate deception and mistaken identity. Here are my notes…
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Questions for Reflection and Discussion – Genesis 25 19-34
The text we’re studying for Sunday, November 4 is Genesis 25:19-34, the birth of Esau and Jacob, and Esau’s sale of his birthright to Jacob. Here are some questions about the text we might want to consider: In v21 we learn that Rebekah has been barren, so that Isaac specifically prays for her. What does…
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Questions for Reflection and Discussion – Genesis 24
The text we’re studying for Sunday, October 28, is Genesis 24, and in particular the sections of the narrative that focus on what Rebekah does and says. Here are a few questions we might want to consider in class: What image do we have of Rebekah from her description in vv15-20? Where does that image…
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Notes – Genesis 24
The text we’re studying for Sunday, October 28 is Genesis 24 – specifically, Genesis 21:12-24 & 61-67. This is one way to zero in on a part of the long narrative that brings Rebecca (Rivkah) into the family story. It feels a little wrong to ignore the fact that Genesis 24 is a single, integrated…
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Notes – Genesis 18 9-15, 21 1-7
The Uniform Series text for Sunday, October 21 is Genesis 18:9-15 and 21:1-7, the portion of the story of the announcement and birth of Isaac that focuses in particular on Sarah. Here are my notes on this text: BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT: We’ve skipped over a lot of Abraham’s story to get to this point in…
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Notes – Genesis 6 5-22
We’ve moved on from creation, and even though we skipped the first murder, we’re up to our necks in evil and violence. The text we’re studying for Sunday, October 7 (which is also World Communion Sunday, by the way) is Genesis 6:9b-22, the beginning of the story of the flood. Here are my study notes…
Matters of Interpretation 