1. How would you describe Gods personality as it portrayed in Genesis and Job? In Genesis, God is portrayed as the Creator of the world and of man and woman, and as a strict enforcer of justice ("Because you have done this, Curse are you above all livestock and wild animals") (Gen. 3:14), ("If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?") (Gen. 4:6). God destroys what is wicked, as is seen from the flood, but saves what is good, as is seen in the case of Noah. Following the flood, God makes a covenant with Noah, which shows another side of God's "personality" that He insists on establishing a "bond" between Himself and mankind, i.e., a religion. Several covenants will be established over time, all of them culminating in the one set by Christ, who really shows the personality of God. The same is true in Job: God's "personality" is mysterious, his reasons unclear: yet what is clear is that God is just, all-mighty, all-good, all-wise, and whatever afflictions he allows his creatures to suffer should be suffered in patience. Job's patience is tested but ultimately rewarded even if he cannot absolutely fathom God's ways. As God says: "Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!" (Job 40:2). Job answers wisely that he is unworthy to reply. God, in both these Books, wants to establish His authority over man, and wants man to recognize that his humble existence is owed to God.
2. According to the Bible, God, what is the
The bible teaches us many things about God. From Genesis and Exodus we can learnwhat the Judeo-Christian view of God was. Genesis shows us that God made the sun, the moon,the earth and every living thing. During the days of creation God made all things good. On theseventh day of creation God rested and declared all he made to be very good (Genesis 1:31). God created human beings in his own image. We as humans can be certain of our owndignity and self worth because we have been created in the image of God. The book of Genesisshows us that people disobey God by choosing to do wrong. Even great bible heros failed Godand disobeyed him. The bible teaches us that God is forgiving. God has many attributes. God makes no mistakes and this is wisdom. God is infinite, heknows
The view of fate the book of Job expresses, though similar in that it originates from God, differs in a few important ways. In Job, situations are predetermined to occur, but the personal choices of the people involved determine the outcome of the situation. The story of Job opens with Job's fate of suffering being planned. Satan presents himself in an audience before God. God makes example of Job, and Satan rebuffs, stating that Job's constancy is only because of God's preferential treatment. Satan tells God, "But put forth thy hand now and touch all he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face."(40). In response, power is given to Satan to torment Job as a test. Job's life and finally health are viciously mangled and destroyed by Satan. Though Job does not know the reasons behind his great suffering, we are told that "In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly."(41), and "In all this did not Job sin with his lips."(41). Self-pity creeps into Job's thoughts and words, but there is no disenchanted turn from God. Instead in Job the reader sees a turn to God for relief and
Furthermore, the history of the covenants is gone into in more depth. He continues with the story of Cain giving into the deadly sin of envy on his way to kill his own brother. God declared that Noah is also a major covenant and that
“The Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that he had made humankind on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the lord said, ‘I will blot out from the earth the human beings I have created-people together with animals and creeping things and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.’ But Noah found favor in the sight of the Lord.”(Genesis 6:5-8)
In the book of Genesis, we are introduced to everything. From the creation stories to the sagas in between Genesis is an opening to the old testament and an opening to the book of exodus. This essay will contrast each creation story and describe each stories interest, explain how Genesis 12: 1-3 links the stories of 2: 4b-11 with the ancestral narratives in 12-50 and connect the sagas of Abraham/Sarah, Isaac/ Rebecca and Jacob/ Racheal.
In both stories, the gods are respected and feared in some way, but at some point, humans displease the gods. To enforce His authority over all living creatures, the god in Genesis “saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth,” so He fashioned an immense flood to rid the world of the evil that He brought about (King James Version, Gen. 6.5). However, not all humans continuously sinned; He spared Noah and his family because he remained so devoted to God, then later made a promise that “waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh” (Gen. 9.15). Likewise, in The
God said to Noah, “And I behold, I establish my covenant with you and with your seed after you; and with every living creature with you. And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there anymore be a flood to destroy the earth.” That’s when God made an everlasting covenant between himself and every living creature of all flesh on earth. Even though, in the story of Gilgamesh, the Gods decided that it was wrong to punish mankind, they still did not make a covenant with man. Instead of making a pact with humans they granted immorality to Utnapishtim and his wife. In both stories they settled the flood in different ways separating the stories.
The relationship between man and God is a long and complex journey that has evolved for centuries. This divine and omniscient being has been a center piece for peoples' lives around the world. This single being is so powerful that he is able to make the sick feel strong and the poor feel rich. One being is worshipped around the world for his divine status. But what if he isn't as superior to humans as the world thinks? In the classic biblical works of literature, The Book of Job and Genesis, a new interpretation of God is presented in a form that is human in his relationship and actions with humans.
The biggest point that is revealed about human nature from the first two chapters of Genesis is that humans are made in the image of God. This is seen within the creation narrative since everything that God made was good which included the humans. Also, it is because of their original human nature being in the image of God as to why humans are viewed as being the pinnacle of creation, as shown since they receive the most attention of all of the parts of creation (Diffey, 2015).
Robert states in chapter one that “Genesis 1-2, the first two chapters of the bible show us God’s original, perfect creation” (27). In this chapter he goes into depth about the creation of the world. Roberts gives us four truths about creation.
“Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are” Genesis 13:14. The word genesis is the dawning of creation, and the biblical book of Genesis is the book that brings fourth the creation of our planet and the life that resides. Genesis also describes the descent of Adam and Eve and unveils the foundation that sin builds upon. Genesis introduces the origin of the holy land, Israel, and inception of holy covenants promised by the holy trinity; the son, the father, and the holy spirit. Genesis communicates the definite events of one of the most contended controversies of our current philosophical climate, the origin of all things existing. This holy book of creation faces several critical issues, such as stylistic variation, and
Genesis is the first book of the Bible. It begins with the story of God’s creation of the universe. The Lord is the Almighty Creator of the world, skies, heavens, seas, animals, man, and woman. He governs the universe and develops relationships with man. Throughout Genesis, God acknowledges the fact that human beings make mistakes, and accepts their imperfection. Throughout Genesis, God changes from one who does not tolerate disobedience, to one who shows clemency. Early on in Genesis, God punishes Adam and Eve for disobedience. After making the mistake of flooding the world, the Lord realizes that even He is not perfect, and does not allow Jacob’s deceit of his father to taint his future.
God’s role in the Bible is characterized in several different ways, with dramatically competing attributes. He takes on many functions and, as literary characters are, he is dynamic and changes over time. The portrayal of God is unique in separate books throughout the Bible. This flexibility of role and character is exemplified by the discrepancy in the depiction of God in the book of Genesis in comparison to the depiction of God in the book of Job. On the larger scale, God creates with intention in Genesis in contrast to destroying without reason in Job. However, as the scale gets smaller, God’s creative authority can be seen in both books, yet this creative authority is manifested in entirely distinctive manners. In Genesis, God as
Why does God allow Satan to cause such tragedy in Job’s life, a man whom God has already acknowledged as “my servant Job, that there is none like on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?”(1.8) From the beginning, it is known that Job is in no way deserving of his injustices, so a reason must be given. God gives Job an opportunity to prove that under any circumstances Job will still have faith. This simply a test for Job. The whole Book is a “double” journey for Job -- he shows God his faith and realizes the faith God has that Job will not stray from his path. Job knows deep down that God has not forsaken him.
The book of Genesis presents the reader with a relational God. In particular, Genesis focuses on the relationship between God and man and “thus Genesis does not present a static theology of God’s involvement with humanity, but regardless of his mode of engagement, God is present and active”. However, the sin of man arrived into the world and these relationships were fractured. Again, God exhibits judgment, but also mercy when in Genesis three He sends Adam and Eve out of the Garden for their transgression, yet provides clothes as an act of grace.