-  The Prophet Moses wrote the Book of Genesis. The book of Genesis is believed to have been written the time Moses was on Mt Sinai around 1446-1406 B.C. God revealed the words, and it is believed he used earlier oral or written records to complete the book of Genesis.  The recipients of the book of Genesis are God’s children, which means all of mankind, as we are all children of God.  The historical background of the times was as the title genesis, suggests the beginning of. The book of Genesis has 4 main historical points, which are the Creation, the fall, the flood, and how the nations are formed. In the part where the nations are formed the Covenant of Abraham is the most important as it shows how the nation of Israel came to be.  These 4 points are the main historical background of the book of Genesis.

2.     The author’s purpose of writing this book was to show how the earth and everything in it were created. The author is trying to explain how the creation of man led to the fall of man. Many of the major doctrines in the bible are introduced in the book of Genesis, such as the doctrine of creation and the introduction of sin. Genesis answers many of the life’s questions such as whom and how were we created? What am I doing here? Also the book was written to show how we came up to this point, and most importantly setting the stage for the nation of Israel to be born. The main idea of the book I believe is to show the goodness of God, and his eternal existence.  His covenant with both Noah and Abraham shows his Goodness to his children. Also the author states that god is and always was, always will be almighty.

3.     How is Gods Character and Nature revealed in the book of Genesis? One of Gods character and nature you see in the book of Genesis is he can be regretful as he regretted making humans as they were constantly sinning and breaking his heart. You can directly see his regret in the passage Chapter 6 verse 5-6, “The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they did was consistently and totally evil. So the lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart.” Another character or nature of God that is revealed is he like us humans can be pleased by his work. This can be seen after each of his creations, when the author says that god saw his work and saw that it was good.  He is especially pleased at the creation of man in chapter 1 verse 31, when it is written, “Then God looked over all he had made, and saw that it was very good. God appreciates rest as it is written in chapter 2 verse 3, “And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day he rested from all his work of creation.“

4.     God’s redemptive plan is plentiful in the Book of Genesis. Because of the fall of man and the introduction of sin man was separated from God.  God promises from the beginning that he will one day crush evil and rescue humanity from sin. “And I will cause hostility between you and the women, and between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head and you will strike his heel.” This could foreshadow the coming of the messiah as later You can read that Jesus figuratively crushes Satan on his head by being resurrected from death while Satan nips his heels with the physical death of his body. Through the covenant with Abraham God introduced the small nation of Israel. Through this nation of Israel, God’s redemptive plan for mankind was revealed and made available to all. “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” Through this nation of Israel the Messiah will come from and be the savior for all mankind.

5.     God will always bring good for those who put there faith in him just as Abraham had faith he would have a son in old age, that would lead to the birth of the Nation Of Israel. Also The fact that Joseph had so much faith in God that he never complained or cursed God even though terrible things happened to him such as being sold to slavery and being jailed innocently. He had faith in Gods plan that everything would turn out for the best. It turns out everything that happened to Joseph was in god’s plan to eventually make him the savior of Egypt and His Family which would eventually become the nation of Israel. Even when no one was looking Joseph remained steadfast in the lord showing his faith to the lord. God will always reward and bless those who have faith and are faithful to him. 

1.     The prophet Moses, who wrote it around 1440 B.C, wrote the book of Exodus. It was written for the people of Israel and I believe also for all Christians to show the strength and might of God. The Historical background was that Jacob had moved his family from Caanan to Egypt to escape the great famine over 400 hundred years ago. After Joseph’s death, as the bible states they eventually became slaves in the land where they escaped to. The Egyptians were afraid of the vastly multiplying people of Israel. The lord eventually picked Moses, and he and Aaron set out too free the people of Israel from oppression by the Egyptians.

2.     It was written to show how the Israelites were rescued from oppression from the Egyptians, by the glory of God. The book Exodus like the title suggests was about the Nation of Israel coming out of Egypt. The main purpose of Exodus I believe is to show the continued redemption that God has for man, after the introduction of sin and the fall of man. However before he does these things he wants to reveal his nature and strength for the entire world to see, so they would know that Yahweh is the one true God. For the people of Israel they are put through hardships and mistreated by Egypt. God, as to allow the situation to get worse for the Jews, hardens pharaohs’ heart. He does this so the Nation of Egypt and the People of Israel will know that it was God who brought them out of Egypt. Second part of the book explains the instruction of the tabernacle. It is meticulous and very specific as to what God wants in his tabernacle and how it is to be built. The instructions are so specific because God wants to show that his holiness is not to be scoffed at or taken lightly.

3.     God’s character and Nature are shown through out the book of Exodus. He is shown to be a Jealous God who wants complete devotion to him, and not to other false gods or idols. “Anyone who sacrifices to any god other than the lord must be destroyed.” “You must worship no other gods, for the LORD, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you.” These passages illustrate that God loves us so much that his heart would break if we were to worship other gods. He desperately wants companionship with us, and would burn with jealousy if we were to go and worship other Gods. God is also shown that he can be angry as he was close to destroying the people of Israel for turning against him so quickly even though he had displayed his majesty to the people. “I have seen how stubborn and rebellious these people are. Now leave me alone so my fierce anger can blaze against them, and I will destroy them. Then I will make you, Moses, into a great nation.” The lord was on the verge of destroying his people until another one of his characters and nature was revealed in the book. He is shown to be a listener and not stubborn, but able to change his mind for the benefit of his people. “Remember your servants Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. You bound yourself with an oath to them saying,’I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven. And I will give them all of this land that I have promised to your descendants, and they will possess it forever.’ So the lord changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had threatened to bring on his people.

4.     God’s redemptive plan is shown in the book of Exodus. His redemptive plan for the Jews, as he brought them out of Egypt. He makes a new covenant with the people of Israel and the foot of Mt. Sinai. The covenant would act to set the nation of Israel apart from all the other nations as God’s chosen people and was as equally important as the unconditional covenant that God made with Abraham “The Mosaic Covenant is a significant covenant in both God’s redemptive plan and in the history of the nation of Israel through whom God would choose to bless the world with both His written Word and the Living Word, Jesus Christ.”(Talley). Through this covenant instead of being a God in the sky distant yet powerful, he decided to come down and be in the presence of his people. “Then I will live among the people of Israel and be their God.” God also had a redemptive plan for the Egyptians. “When God sent the plagues down onto Egypt he did so as to show his glory and to show that the Gods of Egypt were no match for him and his glory. The plagues demonstrate God’s power over the many Gods of Egypt. (Nelsons 26-27)” It shows that gods of Egypt were nothing compared to the lord, and only he is worthy of worship. Because of such display of power he was in fact giving the Egyptians a chance to turn away from their gods, and to submit to him. This was an example of God’s mercy toward the gentiles. It is implied that maybe some of the Egyptians did in fact turn away from Egypt and left with the Israelites. “A rabble of non-Israelites went with them, along with great flocks and herds of livestock.”

5.     To make “God known” is one of the emphases of the book Exodus. God brings his people through difficult times so they search for who he is and the to place their faith and trust in him. God wants to be known as the almighty one, and even still to this day he is in the process of making himself known. It is his primary concern to be known, and for his creation to know that he is. This book illustrates that it is about what God is doing for the people of Israel. So in turn our life should also be about what God is doing in it, and we shouldn’t be so absorbed in what he isn’t doing because in the end God knows what is best for us. Even when it seems like this is the best were going to be able to get, God always has something greater in store for us. 

Job

1. The book of Job was written by either Job himself or somebody else. It is not exactly known who actually wrote the book of Job. The text doesn't actually reveal who wrote the book of Job. The book was written for all Christians who suffer. The book allows the readers to identify with some of Job’s pains and struggles. In the end it shows that “God ultimately vindicates those he loves. “(Nelsons) The books historical background is in the time of the Patriarchs possibly in the time of Abraham. You can conclude this by the long age that Job lived after he was blessed by the lord. Also because he was a priest for his family, which was not allowed, when The Lord gave Moses his laws. Many Scholars think the book was written between the reign of Solomon and the exilic eras.

2.  Job is a book about pain and suffering, and it relatable to all Christians. It shows God being faithful and in the end vindicated in face of hardships and suffering. “It helps us grapple with the age old question, Why do the righteous suffer?” In the end God shows that he is above human understanding, and he works in ways that we could not comprehend. God’s way is the best way and he knows best what is good for us.  It also shows that God is more concerned about his people and their righteousness, and their knowledge of whom he is more then anything. In the end Elihu who says that God can use suffering to purify the righteous is the closest thing that resembled the main point of this book I could get from the book of Job.

3. God’s character and Nature was abundant in this book. In the beginning you see God’s character as all-powerful, as even Satan had to ask god if he could tempt Job. God gives a command that Satan could not do anything about, as God is all-powerful, “Do whatever you want with everything he posses, but don't harm him physically.“ By God giving this command it highlights his authority over Satan. Another things about God’s nature and character that is revealed are that he is a proud creator. When Satan comes to God from wandering the earth, God almost boasts to Satan about his servant Job, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless- a man of complete integrity. He fears god and stays away from evil.” It shows that God was proud of who Job was and how faithful he had been to the Lord.  Lastly God shows that he can be “sarcastic”. When Job was ranting about how unjust God was, God lectures him by asking questions that only God could answer. God then gives a statement that shows his humor, and his “sarcasm”, “But of course you know all this! For you were born before it was all created and you are so very experienced. “ This was obviously impossible for Job to be born before it was all created, if he did he would be “God”.

4. God’s redemptive plan

Gods shows his redemptive plan to Job, when he reveals himself to Job in a more personal level. Job had always heard about God, but had never experienced him. When God finally speaks he reveals himself to Job in all his glory and majesty-making job exclaim, “I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I have said and I sit in the dust and ashes to show my repentance.” Because of this Job was redeemed for questioning God and his character earlier in the book. God also shows his redemption for Job by blessing him in the second half of his life more than he had previously done. “So the lord blessed job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning.” Lastly the ultimate redemption plan was the hinting of the messiah to come that would act as a redeemer, a human mediator that would be able to mediate between us man and God himself. “But as for me, I know that my redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! I will see him for myself. Yes I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought.” This passage shows that God was sending a redeemer that would be able to mediate for us on behalf of mankind. “If only there was a mediator between us, someone who could bring us together, the mediator could make God stop beating me, and I would no longer live in terror of his punishment. Then I could speak to him without fear, but I cannot do that in my own strength.”

5. Jobs learns that Lord is worth of his praise whether in good times or bad. Whether he is suffering or not he learns that God is good no matter what. In the end Job beats Satan by the not cursing God, instead it shows that His understanding and love for God actually deepened and became more real for Job. Even though Job lost everything his love and trust in the lord was actually deepened. This is show when Job says, “ I know that you can do anything and no one can stop you. You asked,” Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?” It is I- and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me. You said, “Listen and I will speak!” I have some questions for you and you must answer them. I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I have said and I sit in the dust and ashes to show my repentance.” The real question is would I still be able to say, “I love you lord”, even though I may hit rock bottom?

Philemon

1.     The Apostle Paul wrote the book of Philemon, when he was incarcerated for spreading the good news of Jesus. He most likely wrote this book in A.D 60-62. The book was written to Philemon whom Paul had converted to Christianity on one of his missions through out the lands. The historical background of Philemon has a lot done with slavery in the ancient world. Slaves were viewed as property and you could do with them what you pleased. Slaves were able to sell themselves, but were also able to buy their own freedom. The slave system in the ancient world had nothing do with American slavery. Slavery was often seen as way to advance there social positions in the time of Ancient Rome. Slavery was seen as a way to be able to purchase them from slavery and get Roman Citizenship. Philemon was not seen as a cruel slave master, but probably as a Christian a caring and loving slave owner.

2.     Paul’s main purpose for writing the book of Philemon was to try and get Philemon to forgive his runaway slave Onesimus. Paul had converted Onesimus along with his master Philemon. “He knew that Onesimus had a duty to return to Philemon, Paul sent Onesimus along with Tychicus to return to Philemon.”(Nelsons) Paul wanted to illustrate that by accepting Christ Onesimus had become a brother in Christ. Therefore they Onesimus and Philemon had essentially become brothers. Paul wanted to get the point across that in the family of God no one is superior or greater then the other. Instead they are all equal and seen as one in the body of Christ. “As Philemon wasn’t the only slave owner in the ancient world, this letter provided guidelines for other master-slave relationships.”(Nelsons)

Interview over Messenger The Believer my Friend Michael

1.     Yes there is a God, and I met him when I was saved a couple years ago. It was beautiful thing. I know him because when I worship I can feel his presence deep within myself and I just feel peace.

2.     My perception cannot be wrong because I have whole hearted faith that what the bible says is true because it direct words from God himself. I don't believe anything can make it change as I have absolute faith that these are words from God himself.

3.     There is suffering in this world simply because of the introduction of sin. In the Garden of Eden there was no suffering or pain, but after Adam and Eve ate the fruit suffering was introduced into the world.

4.     We are on earth to form relationships with one another and to pursue a relationship with God. Our main purpose is to worship God.

5.     There are right and wrong but I am not so sure there are absolutes because is the bible it says lying is a sin, but you may lie to save someone feelings from being hurt. In that case I don’t believe lying is so wrong. We know right from wrong because God gave us a moral compass, which he can use to differentiate right from wrong.

6.     After death we get judged and either we end up in Heaven or Hell.

Interview with Non-Believer my friend Josh did the interview over FB messengar

1.     There might be a God, who knows for sure, but I tend to think there isn’t one.

2.     Yah I might be wrong who knows forsure if God exists or not? I’ll change my mind if he spoke directly to me or if actually saw him. Or if I witness a miracle that would help push my opinion that maybe a god exists

3.      That's a question I don’t have an answer for. I tend to believe that since God doesn’t exist its just how the world is. People come and die, people get sick and die its just the natural process of life.

4.     We are on earth through pure luck, the right conditions were met and we evolved from our ancestors. We are messing up our earth though pretty badly though. Almost like a cancer for the earth.

5.     No I don't believe in absolutes. So therefore I don't believe in absolutes between right and wrong.

6.     After death he go into the ground and decompose, there is no after life so you better accomplish what you want to accomplish, do what you want to do before its all over man.

My thoughts

    The sets of answers from a believer and non-believer were obviously very different from one another. One set of answers I feel like there is hope and security in knowing that God exists and watches over them. The other set of answers I feel a sense of hopelessness. The way they answered the questions were greatly influenced if they actually believed in God or not. I feel that God is revealing to me how different the mindset is between a believer and non-believer. He is revealing to me how much better it is to know him and to have security in knowing him. Because the answers of the believer has so much optimism compared to that of the non-believer.  Just the contrast of the answers for the after life shows how different there world views are. In a way I feel God is revealing to me how I would of thought when I was lost and didn’t have a relationship with the father. He is contrasting how different my way of thinking has been transformed. Also just to try and reveal the truth to my friend.

Revelation Point

My mind and heart has been affected by the teachings and readings this week. My view of God has changed, I used to think that the God of the Old Testament and New Testament were the same, but had different characters. Now I know that the God from the Old Testament is the same as the one in the New Testament, God is still the same even now. He has never changed! My heart for the lord has also been affected. The one thing that stood out most was just to have more faith in the lord! Look at how faith had lead Abraham, Joseph, Moses, and many of God’s servants. The one thing that stood out most this week from the scriptures was Joseph’s absolute faith in the lord. No matter how bad things looked for him he never lost faith that the Lord knew what he was doing, and would deliver him from his tribulations. Obviously God knew what he was doing as Joseph had a direct hand in preserving and saving his Family, which would eventually become the Nation of Israel. God is definitely asking me to put more faith in him and just to know him more. Just like he wanted the people of Israel to have faith in him and to know him. I plan to just dive in during my time here doing this class, and just to put my absolute faith in him. I plan to pursue him and just to get to know him better, so in turn my faith will grow stronger in the lord. Practical steps I can take to help foster my goals, is to go spend time with God in a secret place. Read the bible more, and make sure I spend time with God, not just through my readings but through prayer as well. I will also try to stress less and put faith in God that he will take care of my burdens and worries.