Noah to Abraham

Listen in as the students discuss how acknowledging our modern experience of the cosmos is the first step to reading the first pages of the Bible well.

How did Jesus understand the flood story? Consider Jesus’ perspective on the flood, and see how the Bible is like a family quilt.

Where does the flood story fit in the larger narrative? Walk through the key themes of Genesis 1-11.

Did you know the Bible starts by setting a pattern of thematic events? Reflect on the cycle of themes from Genesis 1-11.

Trace the family of Adam and Eve through the generations to see the way the biblical authors used genealogies to illustrate the story they were telling.

Compare ancient flood stories to develop a more detailed picture of the ancient cultural context of the Bible’s flood account.

In Genesis 6, the land is ruined. But how did it get that way? Follow the literary clues to the source of this corruption.

Who are the sons of Elohim? Look into biblical themes, Hebrew idioms, and various interpretations to gain insight into what’s going on in Genesis 6.

What 120 years is God referring to? Who are the Nephilim? Continue to unpack the mysterious characters and events of Genesis 6:1-4.

What’s with all these giant warrior kings in the Bible? Study some ancient cultural context to better grasp the meaning of these imposing characters.

What reason does the Bible give for God flooding the land? Study key words and the shape of the text to find out.

God has a habit of counting the righteousness of one for the rescue of many, and Noah’s story is our first glimpse. Trace this theme as it develops in Genesis.

Examine the design of Noah’s ark and discover the symbolic connection between the ark and ancient temples.

Reflect on the design of Noah’s ark and its connection to Eden and the temple. See how the different writers emphasize this theme throughout the Bible.

Where did the flood waters come from? Glimpse the viewpoint of the biblical authors and see why their ancient cosmology is key to understanding the flood.

Trace the pattern of the righteous remnant, and see how Noah, his family, and the animals in the ark are prototypes of an important biblical theme.

Compare the post-flood renewal to the seven days of Genesis 1 and see all the ways the biblical authors have carried forward the theme of creation.

As the flood waters recede, what is different about the story? Learn two Hebrew words for “curse” that add nuance to how God responds after the flood.

Trace the pattern of the high place sacrifice through Genesis and beyond to see how Noah’s sacrifice adds new detail to this developing pattern.

What does it mean for God to make a covenant with humans? Trace the covenant theme through the biblical story to find out.

Continue to meditate on the covenant theme symbolized by God’s bow in the sky and explore how covenants shape the biblical story.

How do we relate the biblical story to the modern questions that many people bring to the text? Discover a helpful framework for moving forward.

As the narrative shifts from Noah to the next generation, trace the cycle of themes from Genesis 1-11 and carefully interpret the nature of the sin of Ham. (The following session includes discussion of sexual abuse portrayed in the Bible.)

What happened when Noah cursed Canaan? Examine the biblical theme of blessing and cursing to gain insight into God’s character.

Discover how the biblical authors use genealogy to set narrative expectations as Noah pronounces blessings and curses over his sons and future generations.

In this session, we continue to explore the theme of a hoped-for unity of the divided nations. We’ll explore Isaiah’s vision for reconciliation and also see the way Paul was driven by this hope.

Unpack the meaning of the tower of Babylon story through its ancient cultural context and hyperlinks to other biblical passages.

Trace the genealogy of Shem to Abraham and reflect on key insights from this class as a whole.