Lesson Ten: The Literary Design of Genesis, Chapter One

Directions: Respond to the study questions. (Video: Understanding the Creation Story in Genesis) ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv2mePpin6A). Are the following statements (A) CORRECT or (B) INCORRECT based on the video?

1. The lecturer states that Genesis 1:1 and 2:4 serve as echoes of the beginning of Creation. 2. These two verses serve as opening and closing summary statements, enclosing the

“creating” days. 3. The term “create” relates to the expression “to make.” 4. The speaker refers to the first three days of creation as “forming” days. 5. Based on the presentation, the separation of light from darkness, heavens from the seas, and land from the seas are “forming” days. 6. Days four, five, and six are called “filling” days. 7. On the “filling” days, the heavens are filled with lights, the seas are filled with fish and flying creatures, and the land is filled with vegetation, animals, and humans. 8. “To create” means to separate and to fill with light and life. 9. In the Creation narratives, “to separate” refers to a physical function. 10. Based on the presentation, “light and life” are metaphorical concepts. 11. The speaker proposes that Creation is a separation unto life while sin is a separation unto death. 12. Based on the speaker, rebellion produces death. 13. According to the lecturer, sin is an anti-creational action. 14. The speaker asserts that sin creates a contradiction in the hearts of fallen humans made in the image of God. 15. Contradiction in the human heart resulting from sin is a central part of the Genesis story.

For Reflection:

Compare the two accounts of Creation in Genesis, Chapters 1 and 2. Find at least three similarities and three differences in the details. Proofread your writing before posting your reflection on the discussion board. Label the reflection: Three Similarities and Differences in the Creation Narrative in the Hebrew Bible.

A Closing Thought:

“In the beginning God created man in His own image, and man has been trying to repay the favor ever since.”

― Voltaire

LESSON TEN THE LITERARY DESIGN OF GENESIS, (CHAPTER ONE)

Lesson Overview

This lesson focuses on the intentional literary design of the first chapter of Genesis and how the chapter sets the stage for the entire Hebrew Bible. The prologue (1:1-2) and the epilogue (1:31-2:3) of Genesis, Chapter One serve as a macro frame around the internal sequence of six days. Students will examine the precise structure of the chapter and the linguistic artistry that brings to life the rest of the Hebrew text. Key Concepts: literary design, epilogue, prologue, exposition, macro frame, forward symmetry, eschatology, triads, structure, themes, literary framework, triad literary framework view, framework theory, framework hypothesis

Lesson Objectives

Students will:

 understand the literary structure of Genesis, Chapter One.  explain terminology associated with the literary structure of biblical text.  distinguish between the literary expressions prologue and the epilogue.  write an effective reflection paragraph on literary design.  edit writing to correct errors.  participate in class discussions.

Learning Outcomes

At the end on this lesson, students will be able to:  explain the meaning of the literary design of the first chapter of Genesis.  distinguish between different terms related to the literary design of the biblical text.  respond to reading comprehension questions logically and accurately.  write a reflection on the literary design of Genesis, Chapter One.  edit writing to correct errors.  participate in class discussions.

Duration: 2-3 hours

Materials:

 Video: The Literary Design of Genesis: (737) The Literary Design of Genesis 1 YouTube

 Article: “COMPARISONS BETWEEN GENESIS 1 AND 2” by William H. Shea at:

Geoscience Research Institute | Literary Structural Parallels Between Genesis 1 and 2 (grisda.org)  A computer with editing capability  Internet access  A notebook/pen/pencil/dictionary

Procedure:

 View the video: The Literary Design of Genesis: (737) The Literary Design of Genesis 1 - YouTube.  Respond to the video study questions.  Read the article by William H. Shea.  Answer the study questions.  Respond to the reflection question(s).  Use an online dictionary to define and pronounce unfamiliar terms.  If you have questions or need further clarification on any assignment, e-mail me at wilmaforeman@yahoo.com or visit my website: AIBL.INFO to sign up for the online course.

Study Questions

(The Literary Design of Genesis: (737) The Literary Design of Genesis 1 - YouTube.) Based on the video, are the statements below (A) CORRECT or (B) INCORRECT? 1. The first book in the Bible focuses on beginnings. 2. Genesis, Chapter 1 is organized into a linear sequence with seven days. 3. The literary structure of the first chapter of Genesis is precise. 4. In the presentation, the lecturer compares the sets of days in the Creation narrative to a three-tiered house. 5. The sun and the moon are compared to humans in that they have rulership over God’s Creation. 6. The speaker asserts that God has an organizational pattern to His Creation. 7. The pattern of Creation has social organizational space with hierarchy and assigned duties. 8. Moral obligations are included in the Creation pattern in Genesis 1. 9. The literary structure of the first chapter of Genesis reveals the character of the Creator-God. 10. Details of the Creation narrative are subtle and require deeper thinking to uncover the plot and character development.

Study Questions:

Directions: Read the passages below from Genesis 2:8-9 and 2:15-17. Tell if the statements that follow are (A) TRUE or (B) FALSE. Passage 1

Genesis 2:8-9 (King James Version)

8

And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

9

And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Passage 2

Genesis 2:15-17 (Young's Literal Translation)

15

And Jehovah God taketh the man, and causeth him to rest in the garden of Eden, to serve it, and to keep it.

16

And Jehovah God layeth a charge on the man, saying, `Of every tree of the garden eating thou dost eat;

17

and of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou dost not eat of it, for in the day of thine eating of it -- dying thou dost die.'

TRUE (A) or FALSE (B)?

1. Each passage uses the divine name of God to introduce them. 2. Both passages mention the Garden of Eden and the human that God places in it. 3. The two passages speak of the human’s duty to till the garden and keep it in order. 4. The second passage mentions the trees in the garden. 5. The first passage refers to all the trees of the garden, including the Tree of Life. 6. The second passage makes a statement about death. 7. The mention of death is a warning against violating God’s instructions. 8. In subject matter, the two passages are evenly balanced. 9. Another word for “dost” is “do.” 10. Both passages mention that the human rests in the garden.

Directions: Read “COMPARISONS BETWEEN GENESIS 1 AND 2” by William H. Shea at: Geoscience Research Institute | Literary Structural Parallels Between Genesis 1 and 2 (grisda.org), Respond to the study questions. Use a dictionary to pronounce and define italicized words.

Based on the article are the following statements (A) CORRECT or (B) INCORRECT?

1. The narratives in Genesis, Chapters 1 and 2 have clear similarities in their literary structure. 2. Both Genesis, Chapters 1 and 2 have a chiastic construction. 3. The details in the two chapters are parallel. 4. Days 1-3 in Genesis 1 are paralleled by those described for Days 4-6. 5. The seventh day is an epilogue to both Genesis 1 and 2. 6. In Chapter 1, the epilogue balances the epilogue in Chapter 2. 7. The introduction to each chapter is the same in content and structure. 8. In the first chapter, the whole earth is empty, shapeless, and void. 9. The earth is uninhabited in Chapter 1, while in Chapter 2, the agricultural fields are empty because humans are not there to till them. 10. The second Creation narrative emphasizes the double use of words, such as “heaven and earth.” 11. In the second passage, the use of doubles is reversed to make it a chiastic marker. 12. An account of four rivers is found in Genesis, Chapter 2. 13. The second chapter of Genesis contains the first geographic descriptive of the world of humankind. 14. The location and description of the four rivers are outlined in a decrescendo form with each successive descriptions becoming shorter and shorter. 15. “Yahweh God” is an example of doubling the use of names in both passages. 16. In the first creative action, the creation of humans is described in one triplet of statements. 17. The woman is described in a pair of couplets in the second act of creation, 18. The double use of “heaven and earth” is emphasized in the second creation narrative, 19. The expression “heaven and earth” is only used once at the beginning of the first creation narrative. 20. The rivers and the garden are interrelated in Genesis 1 and 2 and cannot be completely separated.

For Reflection (1):

Summarize the literary design of Genesis, Chapter 1 (five-eight sentences). Mention the organizational structure of the prologue, the use of triads, and the design of the epilogue. If necessary, use other reliable internet Bible study tools to respond effectively. Document sources. Post your findings on the discussion board. Label the post: A Reflection on the Literary Design of Genesis, Chapter One.”

For Reflection (2):

How is literary design important to the depth of meaning in biblical text? Write-5-8 sentences. Edit your writing to correct errors. Post your response on the discussion board. Label the post: The Significance of the Literary Design in Biblical Text.

A Closing Thought:

"Suppose a nation in some distant Region should take the BIBLE for their only law Book, and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited! Every member would be obliged in conscience, to temperance, frugality, and industry; to justice, kindness, and charity towards his fellow men; and to piety, love, and reverence toward Almighty G-D ... What a Utopia, what a Paradise would this region be"

- John Adam