Jan 21st

Genesis 4-11

Chapter 5 of Genesis, which details the descendants of Adam, is in a way its own creation story, though this time independent of God’s hand. This story tells how humans proliferate due to their own free will, which ultimately results in a world full of wickedness. This parallels the 3rd creation account as in both accounts humans’ independent choices lead to evil. Noah is the key factor in redeeming the human race. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned in Genesis 3, evil was inevitable in the world, as evidenced in the story of Cain and Abel. By Genesis 6, God has lost hope in the fallen mankind and wants to destroy all humans and animals, though he chooses to save one of each species in hopes to “reset” the human race. Noah, the only remaining righteous man is chosen to carry out the human race. Kaas notes that Noah was the first man born after the death of Adam, so immediately the relationship between their stories is established. Further, Noah was the first person with no direct connection to Adam and the Garden of Eden. This may indicate that Noah was a symbol of hope after the sin that Adam and Eve instigated. Like Adam, Noah was given a command; however, Noah utilized his free will to follow God’s command obediently, allowing the goodness of humanity to be restored. 

3 thoughts on “Jan 21st

  1. I had a similar understanding of how Genesis 5-9 related to Genesis 3, especially the idea that the independent choice of greed led to de-creation. Like you alluded to at the end, I also noticed that Noah acted as his moral agent, but he is obedient, which is reflective of Adam and Eve before being tempted by greed.

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  2. I agree with what you said about how Adam and Noah were both given a command, but only one followed it, while the other reaped the consequences and was banished from the garden. This is exactly what I got from the Noah’s Ark story.

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  3. You say that evil is inevitable in the world in the aftermath of Adam and Eve’s sin, drawing upon Cain and Abel as an example. I agree that it played out that way, but I disagree with your belief that this evil is inevitable. You yourself list an individual being righteous in the case of Noah. God himself tells Cain that “Sin couches at the door;/ its urge is toward you,/ yet you can be its master”(Genesis 4.7a). Given that humans were still capable of overcoming the urge of sin and many were able to do so, I disagree that the presence of evil was inevitable.

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