THE 1310 Lecture 7

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Gen 4: Cain and Abel

• After the Fall, it gets "rated R" really quickly: from disobedience to murder
• Banishment from land is consequence of sin
• God shows preference for younger (also recurring theme)
• natural virtue of religion: offer back to God from whom we receive everything
  • Cain and Abel offer sacrifice:
    • Cain from harvest (maybe not with right disposition), Abel from choicest parts of livestock
    • God likes Abel's better... why? (not sure)
• Cain's anger actually directed at God
  • Brother repeated many times in ref. to Abel
  • Cain just flat-out lies to God "I don't know; am I my brother's keeper?"
  • "Blood cries out"
• Cain's punishment
  • banishment from ground altogether to wander the earth
  • "left the Lord's presence to found city"
  • "other people might kill me" - marked (note: Adam, Eve, Cain... who else is there? not answered)

Gen 6-11: The Flood

• God "regrets" making mankind
  • personification helps us understand God's perspective
  • plans re-creation to be "merciful" and prevent humanity from getting even worse

Re-Creation Account

Adam	Noah
Wind/Spirit over waters	(ditto) (8:1)
Land emerges from waters	(ditto) (8:1-14)
Seventh day	(ditto)
"Be fruitful and Multiply"	(ditto)
"in his image"	(ditto), prohibiting murder; capital punishment as justice (9:6)

The depiction of the ark as a temple is apparent in Michelangelo's depiction of the Flood / Noah's Ark

The Ark and the temple mirror the Jewish understanding of the cosmos.

Cosmos	Ark	Temple
Upper Heavens	3rd Deck	Holy of Holies
Lower Heavens	2nd Deck	Inner Court
Earth	Lower Deck	Outer Court
"Waters"	Sea	"Bronze Sea" (ceremonial washing pools)

Covenant

• Promise, agreement
• Sacrifice
• Personal; family bonds; new relationship (gets bigger later)
• Blessings (and curses if broken)
• Sign