Hebrew Scripture Notes

Introduction

Before we can attempt to realistically interpret these documents, it is important to develop a framework for interpretation. A few examples may be helpful in demonstrating the point. Do you recall the movie, Back to the Future with Michael J. Fox? He had is DeLorean time machine. Imagine he took a sports page back in time 150 years and left it on the deck of a pirate ship, the headline stated: A Cubs Maul Pirates!@ What do you think the pirates would believe? Chances are they would think some bear cubs came down and tore up some pirates!

This is only 150 years ago, and communicating in the same language! The Sacred Scriptures were written at a different time and a different Culture. Interpreting the bible well is hard work. Hard work though, is often times profoundly rewarding!

The History of Interpretation

It is helpful to reflect on what others have said about interpretation. I think it is important to reflect first of all on how we interpret anything. I also think it is helpful to reflect on how the western mind has progressed through the ages.

The Development of the Western Mind

This is a thumbnail sketch of how the Church and the world has gotten to the place where it is today.

The Ancient Greek World The Greeks understood the world to be created of matter that was eternal. The A stuff@ of creation had no beginning nor end. This can still be found is some scientificA laws@ ; e.g. matter can neither be created nor destroyed. The best thing in the world of the Greeks were the gods, and man was left to their fate which was controlled by the gods.

Plato was a character in the philosopher, Socrates= writings. Ultimately Plato lost his life because he denied the gods and said there was only A The Good@ . Something that was One. Aristotle was a philosopher who followed and developed this thinking. The word truth, alethea, had the meaning to uncover. It related to something that needed to be discovered. It did not depend on the human person= s perception.

The Ancient Christian World The Greek philosophy made sense, and God, Yahweh, was clearly A The Good@ , A The One@ . God is One and the Holy Trinity is One. And it worked out well. Those dimensions of the philosophy that were went against Revelation were rejected. The World for example was Created out of nothing. God= s Word is Eternal, but His Creation had a beginning. So in the Christian World God is Other than the World because he was before the World. So unlike the pagan world where man was second to the gods in the world, man is the best thing in the created world but subject to the Eternal Triune God. God gave man dominion over the world, so man had the responsibility to be its steward.

The Middle Ages Thomas Aquinas was a scholar in the Church that brought faith and reason together. He found Aristotle, quoted often in his writings as the philosopher, to be helpful in explaining the truths of the Catholic Faith. Thomas died in the 1100's but not before writing his Summa Theologica - A summary of Theology (Theology is the Science of God) Historically most people could not read, but through the Church and the Monastic Tradition the sacred writings were preserved and passed on for the generations.

The Renaissance This is the period that gets somewhat interesting. At the risk of over simplifying the situation it was this period that was the beginning of the confusion found in the modern age. Rene Descartes was a philosopher who used the phrase, Cogito ergo sum, translatedA I think, therefore I am@ . He was pondering the question of existence, and he tried to clear his mind of all things, but he found that he could not succeed. Therefore he concluded since his brain was working, (the cognitional process was engaged), he was a rational being, he had existence.

Sadly this led others to place thinking in a new realm. It includes Hegel and his dialectic, which contributed to Marx and Engel's thinking, which spawned communism. In the late 1800's Frederick Nietzsche= s philosophy led to what can be called nihilism. There is no real objective truth. Truth is now convention, in other words something defined by man. His phase could be, A I think therefore IT is!@ In other words truth now is dependent upon what the human person thinks. If we reflect for one moment we can see how ridiculous such a perspective is, but it is widespread and commonplace.

Modern and Post-Modern Period This covers the situation today. At the earlier part of 20th century there were philosophers who reacted against this philosophy that place the human person= s idea= s above the concrete reality. In other words they rejected this strict idealism. Husserl and Heidegger would be grouped in what is now called phenomonology. Many see Pope John Paul II operating from this philosophical framework. This particular way of viewing reality appreciates the diverse perspectives of others while recognizing there can only be one truth. For example, if a group of people were sitting in a circle and in the center of the circle was a coke can, every one would have a slightly different perspective. If every one wrote down what they saw, each description would be slightly different. But if they accurately recorded what they saw they would all contribute to a deeper appreciation of the reality. If someone chose not to look at the can and decided to describe something else they would be in error and would not contribute to the insight into the reality as it is.

The Enlightenment Period

At this time the human person seemed to grow in their confidence toA know@ things. Biblical Scholarship was profoundly influenced by this period. Rudolf Bultmann was a towering figure that impacted biblical interpretation.

Humans are always trying to prove their point. They are influenced by their own formation. We all obviously are profoundly influenced by our own environment. Philosophy was reacting to a certainA overconfidence@ that could be charged. In my estimation there was an over reaction. Bultmann for example seemed to say that we really cannot get at the truth, so even are everyday experiences are A mythical@ in some sense. The truth can only be underneath the experience. So Bultmann= s attempt to A demythologize@ the scriptures seems to be the result of the philosophical framework that he was conditioned by.

Many scholars seem to have embraced the view that God cannot work outside of the natural order, so therefore miracles are impossible, and if reported are merely A stories@ to relate a deeper truth.

In one sense, if we only limit ourselves to what has been called the Historical Critical Method, we fail to take into account other valid modes of interpretation. With that said, this A scientific@ approach to interpretation is tremendously valuable in discovering a dimension of the truth found in the Sacred Scriptures. The bible alone, outside of its context, can yield some very confusing interpretations.

Source Theory

JEPD, Yahwist, Elohist, Priestly and Deuteronomical sources.

J is the first letter in German of Yahweh, typically is believed to be the most ancient and uses anthropomorphism when portraying God

E or Elohist Source use the term Elohim in their accounts.

P or Priestly source, these sections of the bible deal with the covenant relationship and emphasize how important it is to be faithful so that misfortune does not happen again. This is believed to be composed after the Babylonian Exile, 587 BC - 539 BC.

There is also a combination of these sources by some theories.

I think it is important to note that these are theories and nothing more. They can be helpful in trying to understand the context or circumstances surrounding a particular passage, but by their nature they are speculative and the level of certitude varies widely.

In my opinion many scholars lack the important virtue of humility. Humility in it true sense is merely recognizing the facts as they are and not presuming to know more than you can sensibly know.

Important note: Chapter divisions and verses are a modern addition to the text. The ancient text had no such divisions, in fact the ancient Hebrew text had A pointings@ which served as a way to help one pronounce the word. Hebrew has no vowels.

Can you read the following sentence? cnfhtrvdpmjtcht

Now if we add the vowels and punctuation and remembering that Hebrew reads from right to left: The cat jumped over the fence.

Primeval History

Genesis Chapter I - God= s relationship with His Creation - all of it - the heavens and the earth

Chapters 1 and 2 - The Creation stories. God creates from the formless void, in other words there was nothing , ex nihilo. Unlike other creation myths there was not any primordial matter or stuff, there just was simply nothing! Without shape or substance or matter, there was nothing. God= s response to this nothingness was first to provide form and then God would choose to fill the void after He had given it form. The first three days he gives form to the reality, and on the next three days God fills the void.

Many other creation accounts believe that good and evil are equally powerful and that they will be eternally in conflict. We do not believe this, God wins, He already has won, and the game is over. The contrary world view is epitomize in the Ying/Yang symbol where black and white are swirling around together with a little good in every evil and a little evil in every good. If we come to recognize our true self we will only discover the good that God intends us to be.

God is eternal and He creates out of the formless void

Day 1 Brings form, separates Light from Darkness

Day 2 Separates the fluids, sky and sea

Day 3 Separates Land/Vegetation from sea

Day 4 Makes the creatures of light, Sun and moon, speculation that includes angels

Day 5 Makes the fish and birds to fill the air and the sea

Day 6 Makes animals of the land, Man being principle among them- Male/Female

Day 7 - God takes a break and recognizes that everything He creates is very good, one could even say in today= s language, AWESOME!

This is a fundamental difference in a Catholic world view and other Christian communities. God makes only good things, so every human being is fundamentally good. We have freedom, and we can do bad things, but fundamentally we are good. If this were not the case there is a serious logical problem to confront, if we are not fundamentally good, than one must attribute to God something which is evil. This is not the case, God is all good, the source of all Good and is not the source of evil.

It is God= s Word that has the Creative Power, also notice that God is using the speech of Majesty,A We@ do these things. Christians point to the allusion to the Trinity, the multiplicity of the Unity found in the Christian Concept of God.

Chapter II - God= s relationship with the Human Person

This relates to God= s relationship specifically with the human person. Many scholars would see this as coming from the Yahwist source because God is portrayed anthropomorphically. It is important to reflect on many dimensions of the story if we hope to really gain insight into what is going on.

Before God Planted the garden, he made Man, and more specifically the male version. Then He plants the garden and then he gives him the command, do not eat of the one tree in the garden. Notice that Eve is not around when he gives the command to Adam! God then in turn makes Adam animals to keep him company, but none was suitable, finally God made Eve, a suitable partner, bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh. The Hebrew word used for deep sleep is ecstacy. God is establishing the family structure, the primacy of husband and wife.

The Garden, Adam and Eve. God creates Adam and gives him the instruction to not eat from just one tree, all the rest are available. Then God creates the animals as helpers, but none was what Adam was ultimately looking for. God creates Eve and Adam recognizes the fact that at last this isA bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh!. The text notes that they were naked and were not ashamed. This points to the profound simplicity and innocence in which God had created Man, male and female. God establishes the first covenant with Man, the marital covenant, husband and wife.

Chapter III - The Fall and the Proto-Gospel Gen 3:15

The reader presumes that Eve was informed of the command not to eat of the tree, and actually some speculate that the way the story reads was an attempt to establish the importance of A tradition@ . Eve was informed by the word on another human being. Eve= s had to trust the word of man about God= s plan. The Fall, note that tradition is already established, because it was presumably through Adam that Eve was informed of the rules not to eat of the tree of good and evil. The point is not that Eve destroyed everything for us, Adam confirmed this choice by his disobedience. Notice how every one passes the buck. Adam blames Eve, Eve blames the serpent. I think real maturity is when we can take responsibility for our own actions.

Eve sins and for that reason she will A toil@ in childbirth. Sometimes this is translated as have A pain@ , but a better translation is A toil@ . Some believe that before the fall Eve would not have had to work with additional duties. Her primary duty would be to tend and nurture the children, but her sin increased her need to toil. And for Adam= s part, his work would be hard and burdensome.

Again the proto-Gospel is interesting. This is basically what Mel Gibson= s film was trying to capture in the opening scene when Jesus crushes the head of the snake. It is interesting to note that we cannot be sure from the text if it is, A you will strike at her heel and she will crush your head@ or A you will strike at his heel, and he will crush your head@ The Hebrew language lacks the precision, so it could be translated either way. Traditional Catholics and older translations opted for theA Marian@ implications, but modern translations opt for the masculine emphasis.

I believe that the language may be less precise to be broader in its scope. In other words I think the ambiguity is a good thing that points to the vastness of God and His Word.

Chapter IV - Cain and Abel

The sad reality of jealousy rears its ugly head early in the human story. Abel offered God the best while Cain gave him that which was already rotten. The jealousy led to murder. So now you have man dividing into camps. Seth becomes the line of the Sons of God, while Cain becomes the children of men.

An interesting aside, that even God is against theA Death Penalty@ from the beginning.

Chapters V-XI The peopling of the Earth, the Flood to Tower of Babel

Scholars will often minimize this history and merely and anachronistic attempt to make sense out of the world. Others suggest that there is an uncanny accuracy to the real origins and migration of the human race.

Many cultures have flood stories, but the unique thing about the Genesis account is that the characters in it are all human. There are not Demi-Urges or gods, but humans.

The tower of Babel reflects man= s perennial temptation to master and dominate God Himself. We are made in the image and likeness of God, but we cannot overcome Him and more than something we fabricate like a glass, or cup, can somehow dominate us.

Key points in Retrospect

One of the fundamental points concerning the creation of the world that it was all good. This is a fundamental shift or difference from other accounts for creation. Typically there was a dualistic approach. The primordial forces, good and evil, were vying for control. No such dualism exists in the Hebrew Scriptures.

Also in some scholars seem to argue for an interpretation of a pre-existingA formless void@ but this has logical problems. Void implies emptiness and formless also denotes a A nothingness@ of sorts. By suggesting that there is some A existence@ that is before the God of Israel places limits on God. God does not then become a creator, but a fashioner. This is a huge difference and has huge implications about the concept of God.

Aside

Have you ever seen the television series Stargate SG1? They would seem to have a concept of God that is not really a creator, but a fashioner of sorts. Science takes on this pre-eminence and the ancient gods of the world were really myths and technological societies that fostered these mythical accounts of God.

What is the image of the God in Starwars? Or Lord of the Rings?

Some Great Questions that were raised?

What about dinosaurs?

Moses and being the author of the Torah?

Evil

It has no material existence but is very much a reality. It is the result of humans making bad choices.

General Overview of Genesis

Genesis is about origins, human origins and the origins of the world itself. Unlike other world religions, the origins of the Judeo-Christian faith is rooted in history, not some primordial myth. Some primitive faiths talk of primordial chaos, or gods of a mythical nature.

From the web address:

http://newage.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cybercomm.net%2F%7Egrandpa%2Fcretion.html

The web site suggests that the creation myths fall into 5 general classifications:1. from chaos or nothingness (ex nihilo)2. from a cosmic egg or primal maternal mound3. from world parents who are separated4. from a process of earth-diving5. from several stages of emergence from other worldsA great number of creation myths will combine two or more of these forms.

The Genesis Creation account is often compared to these mythical accounts but there are some very important differences. The Genesis account is considered to be a Historical aetiology. Simply put, that means that in a sense it is truly rooted in human history. We do not believe that Genesis is to be interpreted as a A video camera@ portrayal of how God created the world, but it does give us great insight into the reality,A that God created the world@ . Our faith is to see believe that God created out of nothing, nada, zilch, or aA formless void@ - total emptiness! Catholics interpret the Scriptures in the context of the Church.

Before we get into any detailed reflections it will be helpful to provide a brief overview of the book of Genesis. Recently someone told me that a Jewish rabbi decided to have a bible study on Genesis, and he and his class was able to finish it in merely 12 years. In our four week series we will not be able to cover it with such depth.

Genesis

1:1-11:26 Primeval History

11:27-25:18 Patriarch Abraham {2000 to }

25:19-36:43 Patriarch Isaac and Jacob { 1500 BC}

37:1- 50:26 Joseph and His Brothers

The History of the Early World

Genesis - Beginnings

Creation Stories

7 days

Adam and Eve

1st Covenant (marital)

The Fall

Man= s irresponsibility

The devil= s deceit

God forgives

Cain and Abel

Evil grows

Noah is Just

God saves Noah by the Ark

2nd Covenant (Household)

Tower of Babel - Man= s Pride

Sodom and Gomorrah

The Patriarchs

Abraham our Father in Faith

God promises descendants.

Establishes 3rd Covenant (Tribal)

Abraham waits a long time, and gets impatient

Sara and Hagar

Hagar has Ishmael

Sara is jealous.

Sara finally has Isaac (laughter)

Hagar sent away with Ishmael, Ishmael associated today with Islam religion.

Abraham asked to sacrifice Isaac, He trusts God. God stops him with an angel.

Isaac marries Rebecca and has twin sons, Jacob and Esau.

These guys fight from birth.

Esau is a hunter Jacob a farmer.

Esau gives his birthright away for a bowl of porridge.

Jacob with Rebecca= s help tricks Isaac into giving Jacob his blessing.

Jacob= s name is changed to Israel.

Jacob has 12 sons, and liked Joseph a lot. The other brothers were jealous.

Jacob gave Joseph a nice coat and the brothers were mad.

They threw Joseph into a hole and were going to kill him, but sold him into slavery instead.

The took the blood from another animal and tricked Jacob into thinking it was Joseph= s Blood.

Interesting to note that Jacob tricked his father Isaac, now he is tricked by his own sons. (What comes around, goes around)

Joseph ends up in Egypt.

Joseph was a man of God and could interpret dreams.

He became a good friend to the Pharaoh and was in second command.

Famine breaks out in Joseph= s homeland and his brothers come to Egypt looking for food.

Joseph helps them, even after what they have done. He sees God= s hand in his hardships.

The Israelites become very strong in Egypt. The later pharaohs become afraid and make the Israelites slaves.

The people cry out to God for help. God sends Moses to help them.

John Paul II and the Theology of the Body

Soon after John Paul II was selected as pope, he entered into a reflection on the theology of the body. Much of his reflection is spawned from a reflection on Genesis and the creation of man and God= s plan for humanity. There are some very important themes that we hope to develop over the next few weeks. The following is a brief overview of some of the main topics of his reflection.

Original Innocence - this is the state of man, before the fall. The fall of humanity, the experience of original sin is something that unfortunately has twisted our good nature that God created and intended from the beginning.

Shame - a reality that results from the fall of man from grace.

Original Solitude - An experience of man related in the Genesis account before the creation of woman.

Communio Personarun - this reflects the profound longing for unity

John Paul II also reflects on the ramifications of the fall and the A man of lust@ . The pope develops this concept by reflecting on the words found in Matthew= s Gospel which reflects on the interior disposition of the person as being very important. One can commit adultery by A looking lustfully at a woman or a man@ .

There is a reflection on what lust truly is and he sees lust in a threefold way:

1. Lust of the Flesh - connected with a Freudian world view

1. Lust of the Eyes - connected with a Marxist world view

1. Pride of life. - connected with a Nietzsche world view

Chapter 4 - The story of Cain and Abel, Cain does not want to give God the best.

Chapter 5 - The Geneology of Noah - the story of Enoch who was just and did not experience death in the normal course - some believe he to be the one to return at the end of the age and judgement.

Chapter 6 - Wickedness grows - Start building the ark

Chapter 7 - the Great Flood

Chapter 8 - God makes a covenant with Noah, it extends to Noah= s family.

Chapter 9 - Explanation of the nations

Shem - source of the Semitic Language regions - Mesopotamia, Syria, and Arabia

Ham - noted that he did not respect his father - source of the Mametic Speaking peoples - North Africa - the Canaanites

Japheth - the name is a play on the words meaning A to expand@ , source of the Indo-European Languages -North and Western Mesopotamia, and Syria

Chapter 10 - The expansion of the nations

Chapter 11 - The Tower of Babel - the explanation of the various languages - the origin of Lot and Abraham

Chapter 12 -Abram travels to Egypt as the result of a famine, receives the promise from God concerning the Land. and there is the misunderstanding about Sarai.

Chapter 13 - Abram and Lot separate to keep the peace - Lot chooses the fertile ground, the Jordan Valley - Lot ends up in Sodom and Gomorrah

Chapter 14 - Abram= s kinsman taken captive and fights to get him back, it is here that also the thanksgiving sacrifice of bread and wine by Melchizedek is offered.

Chapter 15 -God promises Abram's descendants to number as the stars of the heavens and the sands of the sea shore. God establishes a tribal covenant with Abram.

Chapter 16 -Sarai is impatient, and offers Hagar to bear a son, Ishmael. Ishmael is seen as the head of the Islamic peoples, even though the Muslim religion did not exist until around 600 AD.

Chapter 17 - Name change, Abram is now Abraham - the covenant is substantiated, God says there will be a great nation, even though he is 99 years old. Sarai also is to be known as Sarah

Chapter 18 - The three visitors promising that a child would be born, Sarah laughs, a play on the word for Isaac, which means Laughter.

Chapter 19 - Sodom and Gomorrah is destroyed, Lots wife is a pillar of salt. Also the origin of the Moabites and Ammonites.

Lot's daughters trick him to father these offspring.

Chapter 20 - the story of Abimelech took Sarah because Abraham said she was his sister, but God informed Abimelech of the truth and God heals Abimelech because of his integrity.

Chapter 21 - Isaac is born, Sarah casts out Hagar and Ishmael, God protects them.

Chapter 22 - Abraham's test on Mount Moriah - Isaac is spared. Unlike the other gods of the time, life is valued as precious.

Chapter 23 - Sarah dies

Chapter 24 - Isaac takes Rebekah for his wife, not a Canaanite women, but the kinsman of Abraham

Chapter 25 - Abraham fathers other children, he dies.

Isaac and Rebekah bear twins, Jacob (the future Israel) and Esau. Esau is a hunter, there was a struggle from the womb. Esau was the first born, but Jacob was holding the heel of Esau as he left the womb. But Esau gives up his birthright for a bowl of porridge.

John Paul II - Theology of the Body - Papal Audiences

The series of Audiences begin in September of 1979 and start with a reflection on the indissolubility of Marriage. Jesus responds to the Pharisees query by quoting Genesis, A In the beginning God made them male and female, for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh@ . Christ reveals to us the original intent for man and woman.

The second creation account is believed to be a Yahwist account, it is believed to be the more ancient account and also it reveals man's original innocence, his happiness and the fall. The pope makes a distinction between the time before the fall and the time after the fall.

Original Innocence is the condition which is the opposite of the state of Original Sin. It is also in the early chapters of Genesis, namely 3:15, the proto-gospel, of God= s promise to Adam and Eve that the serpent will be crushed by the offspring of the woman.

In these early audiences the pope also references man= s Original Solitude. This solitude has two meanings, one from his very nature, his humanity, and second that results from the male/female relationship. This idea of solitude is only referenced in the second creation account and not in the first.

Man is distinct as a result of his self-knowledge and awareness. The human person is given certain primacy over the other creatures, and therefore a certain responsibility as well. Original Solitude includes aspects of both self-awareness and self-determination. Man is distinct from all other creatures and is given dominion over the earth. This Original Solitude also entails the reality of the aspects of death and immortality.[Oct. 31, 1979]

God creates man and women, and there is a unity that is intended from the beginning. Man awakes from his sleep in the creation account, a word that can have connotations of ecstacy, and finally recognizes anotherA self@ . Something that at least potentially that can break into that Original solitude.

Next the holy father moves into a reflection on the communio personarum. This again is something that is distinct from the common reality of the animals (animalia). This understanding of the relationship also is a real preparation for and understanding of the Trinity as a community of persons.

As God has created this reality of Man, male and female, intended to be a unity from the beginning, it reveals to us the very center of what A Man@ is, it is very near what the pope calls the core of the anthropological reality.

In December of 1979 the holy father moves to a reflection on shame. Shame is seen as a A boundary@ experience. In other words in was not part of the original experience of man. Shame is a complex experience but serves as a means to keep separate, man from man= s other self. At its heart is fear that is experienced between the male and female. The absence of shame points to a reality of purity and openness in all aspects of communication, thus this enables a deep and profound experience of communion or unity.

The pope also sees creation as a gift, and reflects on the significance of gift and what that truly means. At the heart of theA nuptial meaning of the body@ is the capacity to be truly a gift, to be self-possessed and be able to offer oneself freely in a way that goes far beyond the level if instinct that the animals share (animalia). Genesis relates that Adam could really only discover himself, by making a gift of himself to another, bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh.

The pope notes that this is at the heart of the nuptial meaning of the body and is most naturally realize in a marital relationship between a man and a woman. He also recognizes this nuptial meaning of the body realized by a gift of one= s body for the kingdom of God, lived out in a celibate committment.

The pope returns to some themes, Original Innocence and his historical experience, Man and Woman as mutual gifts to each other .

If one begins to read much of the holy father= s writings, there needs to be an understanding of the wordA subject@ which is expanded to A subjective@ . Subject in a philosophical sense is much different than the common usage of the word > subjective= . Subjective cannot be understood to mean A relative@ or variable or evenA non-objective@ , but it strives to appreciate what everybody, each individual brings to the task of understanding what is true or A objective@ . The human person is not merely and object, but truly is a A subject@ . The human person by his or her very nature has the capacity for the infinite. So there is a distinction seemingly between man as object and man as subject. Recently a friend quoted something to me that seems quite appropriate, A God created Man to love people and use things, sadly, most people love things and use people.@ I would see and object as something to be used, while subjects are something to be loved.

In Hebrew the word for A know@ relates to many things, and among them would be sexual union. This union as it is related in Genesis results in new life and procreation. A great aspect of man as revealed in the feminine manifestation of that reality is motherhood. The offspring is the direct result of the two becoming one. God= s plan is revealed in a profound way in the relationships that He intends, every facet of the relationship that is lived in accord with God= s plan is good, and reveals something deeply profound about God= s plan for the human person. After all, God the creatorA saw... and behold, it was very good.@ [March 26, 1980]

Genesis Chpaters 26-27

Genesis 26-50

Chapter 26 Isaac builds a relationship with Abimeleck, King of the Philistines, Isaac fears for his life, (remember Abraham and Sarah) and lies about Rebecca being his wife. Ultimately the king respects Isaac and Rebecca. Isaac is successful and ultimately expelled because of jealousy.

Chapter 27 Jacob deceives Isaac, and now Esau loses his blessing as well as his birthright. This is the story of the animal skin that is used to imitate Esau= s hairy skin and Rebecca prepares an animal that is close at hand instead of the bounty of Esau's hunt.

Chapter 28 Jacob promises not to marry a Caananite woman, he has the vision (Jacob's Ladder) a portal to heaven, God repeats the promise of progeny and blessing.

Chapter 29 Jacob marries Leah and Rachel, tricked into marrying Leah first after seven years of service, then after another seven years he marries Rachel.

The Twelve Tribes and their origins

Chapter 30 - It continues with the geneology of the twelve tribes. Also Jacob tricks Laban and sets up his fortune though animal husbandry.

Chapter 31 Jacob leaves Laban with great wealth. Laban ultimately exploited Jacob, remember the 14 years of service. Laban is ticked, but God grants him a vision not to cause harm to Jacob and his progeny.

Chapter 32 He sends gifts to Esau, hoping to appease him, Jacob also wrestles with God, and is not overcome.

Chapter 33 Jacob and Esau meet. Joyous reunion, they elect not to travel together, but there seems to be peace.

Chapter 34 Dinah is raped by Shechem, the son= s take revenge by proposing circumcision, when the men were weakened they slaughtered the lot and shall we say were not endeared by this act by the locals. It is interesting to see how sin escalates and causes such desolation.

Chapter 35 Jacob builds an altar at Bethel (God spoke with Jacob there) and given the name Israel.

Benjamin is born - Benoni (son of my affliction or son of my vigor) but Israel gave him the name Benjamin which means (son of the right hand or southerner) Benjamin came to be the southern most tribe. Rachel dies.

Chapter 36 Descendants of Esau (Edomites)

Chapter 37 Joseph and his brothers - Joseph the dreamer and also the favored son of the twelve. His brothers plot to kill him, but ultimately sell him into slavery. Jacob experiences desolation - his own sons deceive him and as he himself deceived his own father.

Chapter 38 The sin of Onan is related in this chapter, often seen as a refutation of contraception. AlsoJudah gets in trouble by getting involve with who he thought was a temple prostitute, but was really was his daughter-in-law, Tamar the wife of Er who recently died

Chapter 39 An Egyptian= s official= s (Potiphar) wife tried to seduce Joseph, but he refused and suffered false accusations - Joseph is jailed

Chapter 40 - Joseph interprets dreams and endears himself to pharoh

Chapter 41 Pharaoh entrust Joseph with a administrative tasks. Egypt prospers.

Chapter 42 Joseph= s first journey to Egypt (without Benjamin). They are accused of being spies, but Joseph instructs them to bring back Benjamin. Joseph saw to it that the money the bought the rations with were put back in the grain bags

Chapter 43 The brothers return to Egypt with Benjamin after their rations ran out, they also brought back all the money that was returned the first time so that they could make sure they were not falsely accused of some misdeed. Joseph dined with his brothers and was deeply moved by the encounter.

Chapter 44 The money was returned, but also a silver goblet was planted in the bags. It was found in Benjamin= s bag, Joseph= s full brother. Joseph is to keep Benjamin as a slave.

Chapter 45 Joseph reveals the truth and sends provisions to bring the people to Egypt.

Chapter 46 The twelve tribes migrate to Egypt.

Chapter 47 They settle in the neighboring region of Goshen. They prospered with the blessing of Pharaoh

Chapter 48 Under the administration of Joseph, pharaoh= s wealth grew, all the land was owned by pharaoh and all but the priest= s land they paid a fifth tithe, 20% of the yield to pharaoh. Also Israel is dying he blesses Ephraim over Manassah, the younger is put before the elder.

Chapter 49 - Jacob= s testament - He dies.

Chapter 50 - Joseph accepts the apology of his brothers, even thought they meant ill for him, God meant it to bring about good. Joseph dies, and is laid to rest in a coffin in Egypt.

The Book of Exodus

The story of Joseph would have occurred in about 1650 BC. Some scholars suggest there is no evidence to substantiate the Exodus event, but also there is no strong evidence to refute it. However there is circumstantial evidence to suggest that there was a large group who lived and worked as slaves. Many believe that Ramsees II was the ruling pharaoh at the time of the Exodus. (1280 BC) The account suggests that after Joseph and his descendants became very numerous, and became fearful of their influence they were enslaved. It is believed that this period of slavery may have numbered as many as 300 to 400 years.

Key points:

Moses is a descended from the tribe of Levi.

Moses escapes the persecution by the basket with a pitch lining.

His own mother is his nursemaid, but finds himself being brought into the pharaoh= s household.

He sees the injustice, than God speaks to him and he is called to free His people

The signs

Aaron= s staff and the snakes

The Plagues

1 River turns to blood

2 Frogs

3 Gnats, and flies

4 Boils

5 Storms

6 Locusts

6 Darkness

7 Death of the First Born

Some scholars point to possibleA natural explanations to these events. Sometime excessive runnoff, or a bacteria can grow which has a red appearance, thus it could cause the frogs to flee the river. With out water the frogs die, and it draws excessive flies and gnats. This leads to an infection that manifests itself in boils. The storms destroy vast amounts of crops which leads the locust to search out other sources of food, and the clouds of locust cause the sky to appear dark.

Even if these event were a natural chain of events, it does not take away the fact that God was the author of such calamity.

The death of the first born is much harder to attribute to some natural phenomonon

The Passover

1. The Blood of an unblemished male lamb is used to deliver the Jewish people from their slavery.

1. Unleavened bread, and the lamb was eaten

1. The first born was spared as the result of the Blood of the lamb
1. What is different about the night? (Clip from The Passion)

1. This is the night that we are delivered from our slavery

1. Today, this is the opening dialogue when they celebrate this feast

1. Zikaron, the is the Hebrew concept that relates a covenant love meal that A makes present@ in a mystical way the theophany

1. Zikaron is translated as _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ or A anemnesis= , which in English is rendered A in memory@ or commemoration.

The Exodus

1. The pillar of Fire leads the way day and night

1. Pharaoh pursues the slave labor force and loses them in the Red (Reed) Sea

3. The people enter the waters still slaves, but come forth from the water as a free people, freed from the oppression of slavery (this is a symbol of Christian Baptism, coming forth from the waters, delivered from the oppression of sin.

Exodus

From the Bishop’s Web site:

In the third month after their departure from the land of Egypt, on its first day, the Israelites came to the desert of Sinai. After the journey from Rephidim to the desert of Sinai, they pitched camp. While Israel was encamped here in front of the mountain, Moses went up the mountain to God. Then the LORD called to him and said, "Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob; tell the Israelites: You have seen for yourselves how I treated the Egyptians and how I bore you up on eagle wings and brought you here to myself.

Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my special possession, dearer to me than all other people, though all the earth is mine. You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. That is what you must tell the Israelites." So Moses went and summoned the elders of the people. When he set before them all that the LORD had ordered him to tell them, the people all answered together, "Everything the LORD has said, we will do." Then Moses brought back to the LORD the response of the people. The LORD also told him, "I am coming to you in a dense cloud, so that when the people hear me speaking with you, they may always have faith in you also." When Moses, then, had reported to the LORD the response of the people, the LORD added, "Go to the people and have them sanctify themselves today and tomorrow. Make them wash their garments and be ready for the third day; for on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai before the eyes of all the people.

Set limits for the people all around the mountain, and tell them: Take care not to go up the mountain, or even to touch its base. If anyone touches the mountain, he must be put to death. No hand shall touch him; he must be stoned to death or killed with arrows. Such a one, man or beast, must not be allowed to live. Only when the ram's horn resounds may they go up to the mountain." Then Moses came down from the mountain to the people and had them sanctify themselves and wash their garments. He warned them, "Be ready for the third day. Have no intercourse with any woman." On the morning of the third day there were peals of thunder and lightning, and a heavy cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. But Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stationed themselves at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was all wrapped in smoke, for the LORD came down upon it in fire. The smoke rose from it as though from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently. The trumpet blast grew louder and louder, while Moses was speaking and God answering him with thunder. When the LORD came down to the top of Mount Sinai, he summoned Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up to him. Then the LORD told Moses, "Go down and warn the people not to break through toward the LORD in order to see him; otherwise many of them will be struck down. The priests, too, who approach the LORD must sanctify themselves; else he will vent his anger upon them." Moses said to the LORD, "The people cannot go up to Mount Sinai, for you yourself warned us to set limits around the mountain to make it sacred." The LORD repeated, "Go down now! Then come up again along with Aaron. But the priests and the people must not break through to come up to the LORD; else he will vent his anger upon them." So Moses went down to the people and told them this.

Kingdom of priests: inasmuch as the whole Israelite nation was consecrated to God in a special way, it formed a race of royal priests who participated in the liturgical sacrifices, even though the actual offering of the sacrifices was the exclusive prerogative of the Aaronic priesthood. The same condition exists in the New Dispensation as regards the whole Christian people and the Christian priesthood in the strict sense. Cf Isaiah 61:6; 1 Peter 2:5, 9.

Before the Golden Calf, it was all of them

Myth vs. Historical Etiology

Definition of terms:

Myth: From Dictionary.com:

myth n. A traditional, typically ancient story dealing with supernatural beings, ancestors, or heroes that serves as a fundamental type in the world view of a people, as by explaining aspects of the natural world or delineating the psychology, customs, or ideals of society: the myth of Eros and Psyche; a creation myth.

A popular sense of myth would be a fairy tale, something that has no relationship to truth. In scholarly circles there is a more nuanced position. It stems from how most people view reality today. If there is a choice between seeing things as real, or as they seem to be, this would be the less accepted view. In other words "the truth" is far more dependant on personal opinion than any transcendent reality.

Karl Rahner, a Catholic theologian describes the story of Adam and Eve as a historical aetiology, in other words the story is not necessarily intended to give us a "video camera" accounting of exactly how the events transpired, but rather the story is "rooted in history" but is intended to convey much deeper truths.

The Catholic Church would see the Bible as the inspired word of God, and is without error in expressing those things which relate the saving truths God intends to convey through His revelation. This revelation has led and leads the Catholic Church in many things that we would consider "rituals" or Rites.

Which came first the Chicken or the Egg? Or the Ritual or that which it brings into the realm of human experience?

Ancient studies of man reflect many common elements. Some argue that the rituals or the "myths" that spawned them are the convention (made up by humans), but one could argue that "one myth" could be much "truer" than others, because one is rooted in History.

Ancient fertility myth and waters of regeneration .....

Anemnesis, zikaron and memory : Connotations of "making present".

Sacrifice : etymology "to make holy"

Genesis is about origins, human origins and the origins of the world itself. Unlike other world religions, the origins of the Judeo-Christian faith is rooted in history, not some primordial myth. Some primitive faiths talk of primordial chaos, or gods of a mythical nature.

From the web address:

The web site suggests that the creation myths fall into 5 general classifications:
1. from chaos or nothingness (ex nihilo)
2. from a cosmic egg or primal maternal mound
3. from world parents who are separated
4. from a process of earth-diving
5. from several stages of emergence from other worlds
A great number of creation myths will combine two or more of these forms.

The Genesis Creation account is often compared to these mythical accounts but there are some very important differences. The Genesis account is considered to be a Historical aetiology. Simply put, that means that in a sense it is truly rooted in human history. We do not believe that Genesis is to be interpreted as a "video camera" portrayal of how God created the world, but it does give us great insight into the reality, "that God created the world". Our faith is to see believe that God created out of nothing, nada, zilch, or a "formless void" - total emptiness! Catholics interpret the Scriptures in the context of the Church.

Before we get into any detailed reflections it will be helpful to provide a brief overview of the book of Genesis. Recently someone told me that a Jewish rabbi decided to have a bible study on Genesis, and he and his class was able to finish it in merely 12 years. In our four week series we will not be able to cover it with such depth.

Genesis

1:1-11:26 Primeval History

37:1- 50:26 Joseph and His Brothers

Genesis - Beginnings

Creation Stories

7 days

Adam and Eve

Man’s irresponsibility

The devil’s deceit

Cain and Abel

Evil grows

Noah is Just

God saves Noah by the Ark

Tower of Babel - Man’s Pride

Sodom and Gomorrah

Abraham our Father in Faith

God promises descendants.

Abraham waits a long time, and gets impatient

Sara and Hagar

Hagar has Ishmael

Sara is jealous.

Sara finally has Isaac (laughter)

Hagar sent away with Ishmael, Ishmael associated today with Islam religion.

Abraham asked to sacrifice Isaac, He trusts God. God stops him with an angel.

Isaac marries Rebecca and has twin sons, Jacob and Esau.

These guys fight from birth.

Esau is a hunter Jacob a farmer.

Esau gives his birthright away for a bowl of porridge.

Jacob with Rebecca’s help tricks Isaac into giving Jacob his blessing.

Jacob’s name is changed to Israel.

Jacob has 12 sons, and liked Joseph a lot. The other brothers were jealous.

Jacob gave Joseph a nice coat and the brothers were mad.

They threw Joseph into a hole and were going to kill him, but sold him into slavery instead.

The took the blood from another animal and tricked Jacob into thinking it was Joseph’s Blood.

Joseph ends up in Egypt.

Joseph was a man of God and could interpret dreams.

He became a good friend to the Pharaoh and was in second command.

Famine breaks out in Joseph’s homeland and his brothers come to Egypt looking for food.

Joseph helps them, even after what they have done. He sees God’s hand in his hardships.

The Israelites become very strong in Egypt. The later pharaohs become afraid and make the Israelites slaves.

The people cry out to God for help. God sends Moses to help them.

(the People Leave)

The first plan was to go out in the dessert for three days and sacrifice sheep, cattle and goats (the gods of Egypt)

Pharaoh made the order to kill all baby boys.

The Jews were commanded to take the blood of a male unblemished lamb. Put the blood on the doorpost, and eat the lamb.

Pharaoh commands the people to leave. But changed his mind and chased them.

Moses, with Aaron’s staff, split the Red Sea, and Pharaoh’s army was lost in the Red See.

Moses went to pray on the mountain for forty days. The people sinned by making a golden calf.

Moses received the ten commandments, but broke them over the calf.

God told Moses he should start over and destroy the people, but Moses pleaded with God, and the people were spared, but they wandered in the dessert for 40 years. God gave them Manna (Bread from Heaven).

The people remembered this event with the Passover. They also had the Ark of the Covenant. In the Ark they kept the Commandments, the Staff of Aaron(Numbers 17:10), and a cup of Manna (Ex 16:44) See also Heb 9:4.

The Conquest of Canaan (Book of Joshua)

The history is marked with wars and battles, peoples faithfulness and unfaithfulness.

The walls of Jerico come tumbling down. (Joshua 6)

Rahab the Harlot is saved!

An accounting of the property and those who inherited it.

The Judges (The Book of Judges)

Judges 1220-1050 B.C.

5 point Sin Cycle

This cycle takes place 7 times in the book of Judges

6 major

Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon, Tola

6 minor

Jair, Jephthah , Ibzan, Elon , Abdon, Samson

(Nazarite Vow - Not cutting hair, not touching a corpse, no wine) Sets oneself apart - elevates one to service of the priests

Book of Ruth should be read in the context of Judges

Boaz and Ruth have children, they are David’s great grandparents (she forsakes the gods of Baal and comes to worship the true God.

The United Kingdom 1050-930 B.C. (1 and 2 Samuel)

Israel wanted a King, (not bad in itself) but wanted a king "like other nations") the king will come to use its subjects.

Saul was the first king, but in the end was unfaithful and lost his trust in God by even turning to occult activity. (The witch of Endor)

Israel became a world power and the promise was made to David that his kingdom would endure.

David sins!

The Divided Kingdom 930-722 B.C.(1 Kings)

Jeroboam (north-false worship) and Reoboam (south (Judah) 8 of 19 are ok) 930 BC divided (Israel and Judah) The people complained of the heavy yoke of Solomon (building projects, etc. Reoboam decided to be harsher and more demanding of the people)

Jeroboam erects shrine in Bethel.

Baasha:Ahihah’s son24 Asa (41 yrs)

Elijah confronts Ahab Jehoash (16 yrs)

Ahaziah (2 yrs)

Joram, Ahaziah’s bro. (12yrs)

Joash (40yrs)

Amaziah(29 yrs)

Azariah (52 yrs)

Hoshea (9 yrs) Manasseh (55yrs)

Josiah (31 yrs)

The book of Law is found

Jehoahaz (3 months)

Jehoiakim (11 yrs)

Jehoiachin (3 months)

Babylonian King --- Mattaniah(Zedekiah 11yrs)

The Exile 722- 538 B.C. (2 Kings)

During this exile the prophets Ezekiel, Daniel and Baruch span 70 years.

The Return 538 -430 B.C.(Ezra and Nehemiah)

The people were waiting for a Messiah (this means anointed), the Messiah was to deliver the people.

The temple became the center of their worship. In the center of the Temple was the Holy of Holies, when they had the Ark, it was kept in the center of the temple.

Before they had a temple, they kept the Ark in a tent. In Latin the word for tent is TABERNACLE. This was the center of their worship.

The Roman empire grew in strength and the Jews were tolerated, but they were not in control.

The Maccabean Revolt (1 Maccabees)

This relates the story of Judas Maccabeus who successfully recaptured the temple and reconsecrated it for sacrificial worship.

Josephus : a Jewish Historian who seemed to be a collaborator with whoever was in power: He lived in the first century. He wrote Jewish Antiquities and provides an alternate source for ancient Jewish and Roman History

sensus plenior - the fuller sense, in other words a recognition that the biblical can have implications that may be more than the original human author intended (See Wisdom 2:12 cf)

Through a reading and rereading of Scriptures one may be able to uncover some profound truths about the human person

Northern Kingdom - typically identified with Israel

Southern Kingdom - typically identified with Judah

Egyptian Ptolemies rulers in the period when Israel lost its control

Seleucids of Syria followed the Egyptian Ptolemies in control of Israel

Suffering Servent Identified with Isaiah ch 42 - often seen as prophetic foreshadowing of Christ

1^st Isaiah - seen as first 39 chapters in Isaiah

2^nd Isaiah - Chapters 40-66 - after exile

Esther: story of Esther’s courage and fidelity against Haman’s treachery.

Jesus the Messiah (Luke)

Jesus is born to Mary who was conceived without sin around 4 BC to 0 A.D. He lives with Mary and Joseph and works quietly. Jesus was presented to the Temple as a Child (4th Joyful Mystery) and was lost and found at the age of 12 in the Temple

(5th Joyful Mystery)

At about age 30 Jesus public ministry begins. John the Baptist prepares the way. When Jesus came onto the scene he said, "Behold the Lamb of God(Jn 1:29)

Jesus came to fulfill the Old Testament, He is the Messiah. He was rejected, crucified, died and rose from the dead.

The Church (The 6th Covenant -the entire world) (Acts of the Apostles)

He established the Church to lead His people. He made Peter the first leader of the Church. Peter is considered to be the 1st Pope. Peter, through the Father, recognized Jesus as the Messiah, and Jesus gave Peter the Keys of the Kingdom of God, and built His Church.

On Holy Thursday, the day before Jesus suffered, He took bread, broke it and told His disciples to eat it, so that sins may be forgiven. He commanded that we "Do This to make Him present"

At Pentecost the Apostles were given the Holy Spirit and the Church was public

Jesus is the one and eternal priest, and we are called to be part of the One Mystical Body of Christ. This is made possible through Baptism and the other Sacraments.

The prophet Malachi 1:11 says that there will be a pure offering from the "rising of the sun to its setting" Jesus’ sacrifice is that sacrifice, made present every second of every day through the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

As His people we have a serious obligation to come to Mass and pray for the World and Worship God, the only God who can save us!

In the Tabernacle, is Jesus under the appearance of Bread. Like in the Tabernacle of Old there is the Jesus the Word (the commandments are also the word of God), Jesus is also the good Shepherd and every good shepherd needs a staff (Like Aaron’s staff). Also Jesus is the Bread from Heaven (see Jn 6), (remember the manna in the Ark of the Covenant)

The Catholic Church fulfills the old covenant, and makes perfect God’s presence throughout the gift of Christ.

This is why we worship the Eucharist in the Blessed Sacrament, and why we need to respect each other in all things.

Many people do not recognize the gift God has given us.

Throughout history many have chosen to leave the true faith, usually because they do not know what God has given them.

Since the time of Jesus there has been more than 260 popes and the Catholic Church has existed from the beginning. Guiding the world through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Most if not all the New Testament was written by 90 AD. The Bible (collection of many little books) as we know it today was put together by 300 AD.

The First Church Council, the Council of Jerusalem is found in the Acts of the Apostles.

Throughout History there have been many Church councils to settle questions about various concerns. The most recent was the Second Vatican Council. It started in 1962.

There basically was unity until 1054, and there was a break in east and west, in the 1960's there was some level of reconciliation between East and West.

In the 1500's Martin Luther left the Catholic Church, and from there soon many other Protestant Churches were formed. The word comes from "protest" they disagreed with the Church and broke away from the Catholic Church.

A basic difference is the question of authority.

We as Catholics must never think we as persons are better than other Christians, we are fortunate enough to have been given the true faith, but God’s mercy is great and so long as people truly desire to follow the Truth, God will lead them to Him.

Our task is the reflect the presence of Christ in all that we do. For the Catholic it is not FAITH ALONE or WORKS ALONE, but FAITH AND WORKS.

(See James 2:24)

Usually those people who have rejected the Church take and extreme position and fall prey to pride, in thinking that the individual knows more than the Church.

For a Catholic it is not the BIBLE ALONE, but the BIBLE AND TRADITION.

(See 2 Thes 2:15)

Bibliography

Triumph,