In the Beginning: The Book of Genesis—sample lesson

IN THE BEGINNING

THE BOOK OF GENESIS LOOK AT A LESSON

Very Reverend Aquinas Nichols

Imprimatur

X Most Reverend Richard E. Pates Bishop of Des Moines

July 13, 2016

The nihil obstat and imprimatur are official declarations that a book or pamphlet is free of doctrinal or moral error. No implication is contained therein that those who have granted the nihil obstat or imprimatur agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.

Copyright 2016 by Turning to God’s Word. All rights reserved.

Psalms references are to The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, prepared by the monks of Conception Abbey copyright 2010, 2018 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

All other Scripture quotations are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible—Second Catholic Edition (Ignatius Edition) copyright 2006 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Cover photograph is of the Creation stained glass window at St. Augustin Catholic Church in Des Moines, Iowa, copyright 2011 by Tom Knapp. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-0-9895756-4-5

check out our online study pages for additional resources related to this catholic bible study.

And God sAw everythinG that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all his work which he had done in creation. —the book of Genesis 1:31—2:3

The First Book of Moses commonly called GENESIS IN THE BEGINNING

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters.

3 And God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

6 And God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 And God made the firmament and separated the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament. And it was so. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.

9 And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. 11 And God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, upon the earth.” And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.

14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. 16 And God made the two great lights, the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; he made the stars also. 17 And God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth, 18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.

20 And God said, “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the firmament of the heavens.” 21 So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 2 2 And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.

24 And God said, “let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. 25 And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the cattle according to their kinds, and everything that creeps upon the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” 29 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.

1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all his work which he had done in creation.

myth a literary genre

The English word myth derives from the Greek (muthos), which means “story” or “narrative.” A myth is a genre of literature that concerns itself with very ancient stories used to explain such inexplicable things as how the earth came to be. Originally these stories did not carry the same negative connotations we now associate with fables and falsehoods. Many Scripture scholars refer to the Creation accounts in the book of Genesis as myths in the same sense that the popular Christian writer C.S. Lewis referred to the story of Jesus Christ as a “true myth.” The biblical stories pertaining to Creation depict the truth about the divine origin of all things—the earth, the heavens, and humanity.

and god said, let there be light

Link to a free lesson video and other study materials at turningtogodsword.com

he Old Testament begins with the book of Genesis, which takes its name from the Greek word (genesis) that means “an origin” or “coming into being.” The word “genesis,” therefore, often is used to describe the origin or beginning of something. In the Bible, the book of Genesis contains ancient Hebrew accounts of how God created the universe. Scholars classify these accounts as myths, a literary term properly used to describe stories that explain the unexplainable. While the accounts of Creation found in the book of Genesis display many similarities to other ancient explanations about how the world came to be, they differ in some important theological ways.

Only the inspired accounts in the book of Genesis are included in the canon of Sacred Scripture that makes up the living word of God. When we read the biblical accounts about how the world came into existence, the same God who spoke to our earliest ancestors still speaks to us. As we study the book of Genesis, think about what its stories are telling us about God.

What truths do you find in these ancient biblical explanations of the origin of the universe that shape our Christian faith?

1Read the book of Genesis 1:1–2, which tells us that God existed before the heavens and the earth. How is the earth described? In this biblical account of Creation, what surprising element is present before God takes any action? What is the relationship between this element and the darkness? Where is God located relative to the darkness? What point might the author of Genesis be trying to make by describing the waters of the deep as having a face?

2Read the book of Genesis 1:3–5. What is created on the first day? What action does God take in order to bring this about? According to the biblical text, what does God think about this newly created thing? Based on this biblical account, what appears to be necessary in order for Creation to occur? Read the Gospel According to John 1:1–5. How are the first five verses of the Old Testament similar to the first five verses of the Gospel According to John? How does the New Testament description of Creation expand understanding about who God is and how God relates to humanity?

fiat lux: let there be light

In the Gospel According to John 9:5, Jesus announces that he is the light of the world, a powerful statement that necessariliy places Jesus at the beginning of Creation. In the prologue to the Gospel According to John, the Evangelist makes the equally powerful statement that Jesus is God’s Word, setting up Creation as a dialogue between God and man. At the beginning of Creation described in the book of Genesis 1:3, God speaks and there is light. In the Gospel According to John 1:4, the Word is equated with light and life. By implication of the Creation story, this light—Jesus Christ—is the framework for all of existence.

the goodness of creation

At the beginning of the Bible, what is emphasized is that God is pleased with Creation, stressing repeatedly the beauty and goodness of every single thing. At the end of each day, it is written in the book of Genesis that “God saw that it was good.” If God sees Creation as good, then we too must take this attitude. We are the guardians of Creation. When we exploit Creation, we destroy that sign of God’s love. To destroy Creation is to say to God: “I don’t care.” And this is not good. This is sin.

Creation is ours so that we can receive good things from it. We must protect it and not exploit it. God forgives always, we men and women forgive sometimes, but Creation never forgives. If we don’t care for Creation, it will destroy us.

”

3What Christian sacrament requires the same elements as those that appear necessary for Creation in the book of Genesis 1:1–5? How is this sacrament related to Creation? If necessary, refer to paragraphs 1214–1215 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. In the Gospel According to John 1:1–5, what seems to be essential for Creation? What point might the Evangelist John be trying to make about God’s ongoing relationship with humanity?

waters of the deep abyss; void

4

Read the book of Genesis 1:6–8, which describes God creating a firmament in the midst of the waters. Explain the place of the waters in the Hebrew view of cosmology. What is the firmament that God creates? What purpose does it serve? How are the waters different from the earth as it is described in the book of Genesis 1:2? How is the firmament different from the waters? According to the biblical text, how does God feel about the firmament? 5

Read the book of Genesis 1:9–13, which describes how the earth and vegetation came to be on the third day. What raw materials does God use to create the earth? What is the source of the vegetation? What action does God perform that causes the earth and vegetation to appear? How does God feel about these things? What pattern can be seen emerging regarding God’s creative process?

In some translations “face of the deep” and “face of the waters” in the book of Genesis 1:2 are called the abyss. From the Greek (abussos), abyss means “unfathomably deep” and is used to describe the waters of the deep at the time of Creation. These same waters sometimes are referred to as “the void,” a word that means “empty space,” or as “chaos” or “chasm,” words that denote “primordial formlessness.” In the book of Genesis, the waters of the deep exist prior to Creation.

a dialogue between god & man

That everything comes to be through water and the Spirit in the book of Genesis 1:1–2 draws a parallel between the first Creation and the reCreation that occurs in the sacrament of Baptism, which also relies on water and the Spirit, and on God’s Word. Even before men and women exist, God provides the means to solve the problem of sin—a problem that threatens to destroy humanity almost from the beginning of time.

The first chapter in the book of Genesis sets up a cycle of Creation. God speaks. Creation responds. God sees that the response is good. Creation is understood to come about through a dialogue between God and the world.

The prologue to the Gospel According to John 1:1–18 points to Jesus as the Word of God, establishing Jesus’ presence at the events in the first chapter in the book of Genesis. Jesus is the Word that God speaks to bring forth Creation. The Spirit of God is God’s breath. All three persons of the Trinity are present at Creation.

After the first seven days described at the beginning of the book of Genesis, however, the conversation between God and Creation becomes

one-sided. Creation does not speak the same language as God and does not have the right Word with which to answer.

When Jesus is revealed as God’s Word in the Gospel According to John, Jesus becomes the point of contact between God and Creation. Because Jesus is both human and divine, Jesus provides men and women with a means of communicating with God. Jesus is the Word that brings forth re-Creation and makes it possible for men and women to participate in the divine life of the Blessed Trinity,

The book of Genesis sets the scene for all that follows in salvation history. The Creation account in the first chapter is only the beginning of this dramatic story. Christians do not have to wait in suspense to learn the climactic ending. It can be found in the aptly named book of Revelation.

In the meantime, because of the Passion, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, humanity has the opportunity of communicating directly with God. Anyone can develop an intimate relationship with the Trinity. What we say to God matters, just as it matters that we listen to what God says to us.

fir.ma.ment the heavens or the sky

Firmament describes “something with distinct spatial boundaries.” The first Creation account in the book of Genesis tells of God separating the waters of the deep by means of a created firmament, which God calls “heaven.” In some translations this firmament is referred to as a dome. God essentially carves out a space in the midst of the waters of the deep. Prior to Creation these waters are unfathomable, without boundaries, and uncontained.

hebrew cosmology

The book of Genesis reflects the ancient Hebrew view of the world. The heavens or the sky was seen as a firmament with distinct boundaries. It was placed by God in the midst of the formless waters of the deep. This round firmament was surrounded by water. The earth appeared when God formed the seas by gathering water below the sky into basins. At the ends of the earth, land disappeared and there was only water inhabited by monsters. More waters of the deep were below the earth’s surface, which rested on pillars. Above the dome of the sky was more water, which God allowed to fall as rain through holes that he opened in the dome. Above all the water was highest heaven, the dwelling place of God.

considerations of time & space

One of the more difficult ideas that we regularly encounter when reading Scripture is that God operates outside of time and space. In the first chapter in the book of Genesis, spatial and temporal boundaries are essential regulatory features of God’s Creation. God carves out a space for the world that we live in, and he introduces celestial bodies to allow men and women to mark the passing of time. Both space and time are gifts from our Creator.

Pope Benedict XVI, commenting on the way that Psalm 136 echoes the first chapter in the book of Genesis, teaches that the gift of time is intended to draw us to worship: “In this Psalm the principal elements of the created world are summed up, with special insistence on the heavenly bodies, the sun, the moon and the stars, magnificent created things that govern the day and the night. Nothing is said here of the creation of human beings, but they are ever present; the sun and the moon are for them—for men and women—so as to structure human time, setting it in relation to the Creator, especially by denoting the liturgical seasons.”

let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens

6

Read the book of Genesis 1:14–19. On the fourth day, God creates the sun, the moon, and the stars. According to the book of Genesis 1:14, what is the purpose of these celestial bodies? How does God feel about them? Without the sun to measure time, how do is it possible that three days and three nights already have passed? What does this suggest about God’s relationship to time? What do the previous three days suggest about God’s relationship to space? 7

Read the book of Genesis 1:20–23. What does God create on the fifth day? Where are these newly created things placed? How does God feel about them? The book of Genesis 1:22 records that God blesses the things he creates on this day. What are the specific words that God uses to bless these creatures? What does this passages suggest about the nature of any blessing given by God? 8

Read the book of Genesis 1:24–25. What does this passage disclose about what God creates on the sixth day? How does God feel about it? What do the things created on the first three days have in common? What do the things created on the second three days have in common? How do the first three days relate to the second three days? What does this pattern tell us about the way that God operates?

do.min.ion sovereignty; rule

The book of Genesis 1:28 describes God giving humanity dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and every living thing that moves on the earth. It is worth noting that God grants this gift of dominion in the form of a blessing upon the human beings who have been created in God’s own image and likeness. Note that while God allows humans dominion and rule over all other living creatures on the earth, God creates the celestial bodies in the heavens to rule over time.

a view of god as a craftsman

The first Creation account in the book of Genesis views God as a craftsman who has a pattern in mind that he follows when he creates the world. This pattern consists of two sets of three days each. On the first three days, God sets up the framework for his Creation. On the second three days, God goes back and fills in that framework.

On Day One, nothing exists except God and a watery void. The materials used for Creation are water and the Spirit of God, which is alive and moving over the face of the water. The first thing that God does is shed light on his environment.

On Day Two, God gets organized by placing a firmament to serve as his workspace in the middle of the watery void, establishing spatial boundaries.

On Day Three, God causes land to appear and plants to grow.

On Day Four, God adds celestial bodies to his work environment to mark the passage of time. We sense that God is in a playful mood when he decides to throw in some stars.

On Day Five, God fills in the framework of the sea and the sky with swimming fish and flying birds. More evidence that God is having fun can be seen in Psalm 104:26, which explains that God made the sea monster Leviathan expressly as his plaything.

On Day Six, God fills in the framework of the land with the animals, and in his final act of Creation, God makes a copy of something he knows. Man and woman are created in God’s own image and likeness to rule over all of Creation. Everything else appears to have been a prologue.

Day Seven is set apart from the previous six days. God the craftsman is ready to rest. The sevenday week of Creation sets up a biblical pattern—a cyclical period of time in which the number seven represents completeness but not perfection. We instinctively know something more is coming.

Paragraph 302 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches: “The world and everything in it was created ‘in a state of journeying’ toward the ultimate perfection to which God has destined it.”

Read the book of Genesis 1:26–31, which tells us that on the sixth day man was created in the image and likeness of God. Read paragraph 705 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church to learn what it means that we are created in God’s image. How does this differ from being created in God’s likeness? Explain what the book of Genesis 1:27 teaches about the gender of God. If necessary, refer to paragraph 370 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. For what purpose does God say that he has created men and women? What words does God use when he blesses newly created humanity? How does the way that God feels about humanity differ from the way that God has felt about the other newly created things?

Read the book of Genesis 2:1–3. What does God do on the seventh day that sets it apart from the preceding six days? How is this consistent with the view of God as a craftsman? What does adding a seventh day do to the six-day pattern of Creation? What does this suggest about the ultimate goal of repetitive sevenday weeks? For what purpose did God create the world? What does the Church teach regarding this in paragraph 760 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church? What is surprising about this Church teaching? Where can evidence of the Church be seen in the first Creation account found in the book of Genesis?

hal.low to make holy or sacred; to set apart

The Hebrew word for hallow can be interchanged with the verb “to bless.” To hallow something is to “sanctify” or “consecrate” it, marking it as holy. In the first Creation account in the book of Genesis, God hallows the seventh day, establishing the concept of holiness as an act of setting apart. By hallowing the seventh day, God sets it apart as a sacred time. In the book of Exodus 20:8, God commands the Israelites to set apart the seventh day for worship. In the Gospel According to Matthew 6:9–13, Jesus gives his followers the Lord’s Prayer (the Our Father), which includes hallowing God’s name or regarding it as holy.

It is of interest that God’s acts of separating the light from the darkness, the waters of the deep with a firmament, and the land from the sea all serve to hallow or set apart the world as a sacred space—a place carved out and distinct from the formlessness of the primordial waters of the deep.

image & likeness

In the book of Genesis 1:26–27, men and women are created in God’s image and after God’s likeness. It can be easy to read over this biblical passage without reflecting on the differences between image and likeness.

Paragraph 705 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches: “Disfigured by sin and death, man remains ‘in the image of God,’ in the image of the Son, but is deprived ‘of the glory of God,’ of his ‘likeness.’

The promise made to Abraham inaugurates the economy of salvation, at the culmination of which the Son himself will assume that ‘image’ and restore it in the Father’s ‘likeness’ by giving it again its Glory, the Spirit who is ‘the giver of life.’”

God created human beings in his image and likeness, which are not one and the same. An image of God is a picture of God and looks like God. Human beings resemble God in appearance. To be like God and to bear God’s likeness is to function the same way that God does. Though all human beings are created in the image of God, only Jesus is God. Only Jesus is able to function as God. It is only through Jesus that men and women are restored to God’s likeness and able to share in the divine life of the Most Holy Trinity.

what is on the menu in paradise?

In the book of Genesis 1:29–30, God gives to men and women—and to all creatures with the breath of life—all the plants of the earth as food. The point is not that God endorses a vegetarian lifestyle based on a plant-based diet. The point is that consuming animals as food requires the animals to die. At the time of Creation, God makes no provision for killing. Death does not yet exist. It is not yet a fact of life.

index of scripture citations

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

index of scripture citations continued*

*Psalms reflect the numbering system followed in The Abbey Psalms and Canticles (USCCB). Numbering in other translations may vary.

**Genesis 31:1–55 (RSV2CE) = Genesis 31:1–32:1 (NABRE) (101–105)

**Genesis 31:51–55 (RSV2CE) = Genesis 31:51–32:1 (NABRE) 105

**Genesis 32:1–5 (RSV2CE) = Genesis 32:2–6 (NABRE) 108

**Genesis 32:1—33:20 (RSV2CE) = Genesis 32:2—33:20 (NABRE) (106–110)

**Genesis 32:6–8 (RSV2CE) = Genesis 32:7–9 (NABRE) 108

**Genesis 32:9–12 (RSV2CE) = Genesis 32:10–13 (NABRE) 108

**Genesis 32:13–21 (RSV2CE) = Genesis 32:14–22 (NABRE) 108

index of scripture citations continued

index of topics

Abomination—151

Abraham & Sarah Are New Names—59

Abraham Buys Some Real Estate—76

Abraham’s Servant Finds a Wife for Isaac (map)—81

Abram & Lot—49

Abram & Melchizedek—50

Abram Avoids Confrontation—55

Abram Leaves His Homeland & Later Rescues Lot (map)—47

Abram Questions the Lord God (51–55)

Abram’s Altars—47

All Creation Is an Image of the Covenant—37

Almighty—139

Am I My Brother’s Keeper?—25

An Almost-Paradoxical Thought—60

The Ancient Locations of Sodom & Gomorrah (map)—65

And God Said, Let There Be Light (5–11)

And in the Spring Sarah Shall Have a Child (illustration)—59

Angel—54

Angelic Aid—54

Anthropomorphic—19

Ascending & Descending Love—93

As Old As Methuselah—28

At the Start of a Long Sojourn—149

Barren—88

Be Fruitful & Multiply—100

The Beginning of the Patriarchal Line—70

Benoni / Benjamin—118

The Birth of Benjamin & the Death of Rachel (115–119)

The Birth of Isaac (67–72)

Blessing—48

Blessings Based on Knowing the Future—156

Blind Desires—114

Breach—126

Breath of God—15

Brimstone—66

Bring Your Brother—140

Brothers Esau & Jacob (84–88)

Cain & Abel Bring Offerings to the Lord (illustration)—25

Cain Rose Up Against His Brother (22–26)

The Call of Abram (44–50)

Canaan: A Slave of Slaves (38–43)

Cattle—151

Children, a Sign of God’s Love—71

The Children of Israel Go Down to Egypt (genealogical chart)—149

Christian Implications—37

Confused Language—43

Considerations of Time & Space—9

Cornering the Food Market—133

Covenant—59

Creation Undone—34

Curse—25

Deathbed Revelations—159

Death Enters into Eden—20

Deceit Runs Throughout the Book of Genesis—113

A Deep Sleep Fell on Abram—53

The Descendants of Cain—26

The Destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah (62–66)

A Dialogue Between God & Man—8

Dinah—112

Diptych—13

Disgrace—114

Divine—144

Dominion—10

Do Not Bury Me in Egypt—151

Do Not Interpretations Belong to God?—134

Dream—132

Effects of a Lack of Ethics—43

Egypt: Place of Captivity or a Safe Haven?—138

Embalm—158

Enmity—20

Esau’s Lineage—119

Exegesis—77

Faith Gives Rise to All Creation—75

The Fall of Adam & Eve (17–21)

The Family of Man: Abraham’s Children (genealogical chart)—87

The Family of Man: Adam to Noah’s Three Sons (genealogical chart)—29

The Family of Man: Noah to Abram & Lot (genealogical chart)—41

The Family of Man: The Children of Esau & Jacob (genealogical chart)—118

The Family of Man: The Line of Terah (genealogical chart)—75

Father Abraham Rejoiced—72

The Fear of Isaac—104

Fiat Lux: Let There Be Light—7

Final Thoughts—159

Firmament—9

First Birth—23

Folly—113

Genealogy—29

A Genealogy of Faith—127

The Generations of Adam—30

Geography Lesson—158

God Is the Living One—13

God, Lord, and Lord God—14

God Prepares for Them a City—59

God Preserves a Remnant on Earth—145

God Rained Down Fire from Heaven—64

God’s Covenant with Abraham (56–61)

God Tests Abraham (73–77)

God Will Demand an Accounting—35

Going Down to Egypt—49

The Goodness of Creation—7

The Great Flood & Gods’ Covenant with Noah (31–37)

A Guard Posted at the Tree of Life—21

The Hagar Diptych—71

Hallow—11

Hamstring—157

Hebrew—42

Hebrew Cosmology—9

He Did Not Spare His Own Son—76 Hospitality—61

Household Gods—103

Image & Likeness—11

Inheritance—105

Iniquity—53

In-Law Troubles—94

Introducing Terah & His Line—43

Isaac & Rebekah (78–83)

Isaac Blesses Jacob; Jacob’s Dream at Bethel (89–94)

Isaac’s Sons See the Value of the Blessing—92 Ishmaelites & Midianites—123

Israel—108

Israel Is Fruitful in Egypt—150

It Is Not Good That the Man Should Be Alone (12–16)

Jacob Adopts Joseph’s Sons—156

Jacob & Rachel (95–100)

Jacob Blesses Pharoah—149

Jacob Buys Land Near Shechem—110

Jacob Cautiously Hopes in God’s Promises—108

Jacob Did Not Know Rachel Stole the Household Gods (illustration)—104

Jacob Foresees God’s Plan for Salvation—157

Jacob Meets Rachel at a Well (illustration)—99

Jacob or Israel?—144

Jacob Returns to the Land of Canaan (map)—109

Jacob’s Children—99

Jacob Separates from Laban (101–105)

Jacob’s Final Words to His Sons (152–159)

Jacob’s Love—100

Jacob Travels to Paddan-Aram (map)—93

Jacob Wrestles at Peniel (101–106)

Jesus Is More Like Melchizedek Than Like Aaron—50

Joseph & His Brothers Are Reunited in Egypt (illustation)—144

Joseph Discloses His Identity to His Brothers (141–145)

Joseph Flees Potiphar’s Wife, Leaving His Garment Behind (illustration)—127

Joseph Is Taken to Egypt As a Slave (map)—123

Joseph Interprets Dreams (129–134)

Joseph Is Sold into Slavery by His Brothers (120–123)

Joseph Makes a Shrewd Business Pitch—133

Joseph Obtains Land & Slaves for Pharaoh—151

Joseph’s Brothers Travel to Egypt (135–140)

Joseph’s Inheritance from His Father—158

Joseph’s Sons Are Born in Egypt—134

A Journeying Church—47

Judah & Tamar; Joseph & Potiphar’s Wife (124–128)

Knowledge—16

Land of Canaan—46

The Land of Canaan at the Time of the Patriarchs (map)—170

A Laughing Matter—58

Legality versus Genetics—128

Let There Be Lights in the Firmament of the Heavens (illustration)—9

Like Father, Like Son—82

Look Toward the Heaven & Number the Starts (illustration)—53

The Lord Helps Joseph to Prosper—128

The Lord Is Sorry—29

The Lord Visits Jacob in a Dream—94

The Man & His Wife Hide from the Lord (illustration)—19

Mandrake—99

The Mark of Cain—24

Meditate—82

Moabites & Ammonites—66

More Genealogies—86

Myth—6

A Nation on the Move—48

Negeb—47

Not a Man on Earth—66

Obeisance—138

O Lord God, What Will You Give Me?—55

Omniscience—21

One Flesh—16

One Righteous Person—65

Opposing Lifestyles—49

The Original Older Woman—49

Original Sin Has Not Disappeared—42

A Pagan’s Unexpected Viewpoint—87

Patriarch—72

Pharaoh Names Joseph As Overseer in Egypt (illustraion)—133

Pharaoh’s Two Dreams Are One—132

Possible Location of the Garden of Eden (map)—14

Prayer Is a Battle of Faith—109

Preserving the Family Line—81

Priests & Land—150

A Primary Covenant—14

Prophet—69

The Protoevangelium: The First Good News—20

Putting Away Foreign Gods—119

Rachel Weeping for Her Children—118

The Rainbow As a Sign of God’s Covenant with All Flesh (illstration)—35

The Rainbow Is a Sign—36

Rebekah Encourages Jacob to Deceive Isaac—92

Reluctance to Relocate—64

Reuben, Simeon & Judah—140

Righteousness—52

Rules Change; the Covenant Stays the Same—36

Sarah Has Hagar & Ishmael Sent Away (map)—71

Sarai & Hagar—54

Satan Intends Destruction—19

Seven—35

Shekel—83

Sheol—123

Sibling Rivalry Carried to the Extreme—122

Sibling Rivalry Is Nothing New—87

The Sign of the Covenant—61

Simeon & Levi Slay All of the Men in Shechem (illustration)—113

Simeon Is Bound & Imprisoned in Egypt (illustration)—139

catechism

index of topics continued

A Single Commandment—16

Sin Lurking at the Door—23

Sojourn—49

The Spirit of Jacob Revives—145

The Story of Dinah (111–114)

Struggling with God—110

Subtle—18

Suppose Ten Righteous Are Found?—60

Test—76

Thus Israel Dwelt in Egypt (146–151)

Tithe—50

A Trusted Servant—81

Two Views of Creation—15

The Ultimate Father Figure—77

Unity Is a Gift of God’s Spirit—41

Vengeance—26

Very Different Kinds of Gods—104

A View of God As a Craftsman—10

Vindication—70

Violence—34

Waters of the Deep—8

Welcome to Cain’s Existential Crisis—24

What Did Joseph’s Robe Look Like?—122

What Goes Around Comes Around—98

What Is Esau’s Birthright?—88

What Is on the Menu in Paradise?—11

What Is Original Sin?—21

When Will Human Beings Learn?—26

Where Is Adam When Eve Is Being Tempted?—18

Where the Israelites Settle in the Promised Land (map)—157

Who Are the Nephilim?—30

Who Benefits from Covenants?—105

Who Inherits What?—105

Who Is Abimelech?—69

The Wickedness of Man Was Great (27–30)

With the Sons of Eber, the Earth Is Divided—40

Women at Wells—83

Word of the Lord—55

related church teaching

CCC 26: The Church’s definition of what it means to believe or to have faith.

CCC 37: Difficulties encountered by those attempting to know God by reason alone.

CCC 60: That Abraham’s descendants are trustees of God’s promise of a unified Church.

CCC 122: The mystery through which the Old Testament bears witness to the New.

CCC 144 (page 76): An explanation of the link between listening and obedience of faith.

CCC 144–149 (page 55): Paragraphs explaining how Mary models obedience of the faith.

CCC 146 (page 43): An explanation of why the patriarch Abraham is father of the faith.

CCC 160: A description of how the kingdom of heaven grows without coercion.

CCC 205–211: Paragraphs that provide additional information about the divine name of God.

CCC 222: The enormous consequences associated with believing in and loving God.

CCC 302 (page 10): The teaching that the world was not created in a state of perfection..

CCC 310 (page 21): Teaching that God created a world in which evil is allowed to exist.

CCC 370 (page 11): That humanity was created in the image of God and not the other way around.

CCC 385: A discussion of how Christians should approach the problem of the origin of evil.

CCC 397 (page 18): What is behind original sin and all subsequent sin.

CCC 404 (page 41): That the sin of Adam is transmitted as original sin to all humanity.

CCC 410: About the Protoevangelium, or “first gospel,” heralding the coming victory over original sin.

CCC 420: That Jesus’ victory provides more blessings than sin took from humanity.

CCC 457–460: The four positive effects for humanity that result from Jesus’ Incarnation.

CCC 475: Church teaching regarding Jesus’ human will and his divine will.

CCC 578: That Jesus perfectly keeps and fulfills the entire Law of Moses.

CCC 608 (page 23): The relationship between the Lamb of God and the Suffering Servant.

CCC 609: About the importance of Jesus’ humanity as an instrument of salvation.

CCC 612: Jesus’ human will, his obedience, and his acceptance of his death as redemptive.

CCC 616: Jesus’ sacrifice as redemption, reparation, atonement, and satisfaction.

CCC 638: Teaching that Jesus’ Resurrection is the crowning truth of the Christian faith.

CCC 694: Church teaching regarding water as a symbol of Baptism.

CCC 698: The three sacraments that leave an indelible mark or seal on Christians.

CCC 705 (pages 11 & 82): Church teaching that Jesus restores humanity’s likeness to God.

CCC 713: Additional information about how Jesus fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy of the Suffering Servant.

CCC 750: An examination of the necessity of believing in the Church as well as in God.

CCC 757 (page 16): A discussion of the Church as the spotless spouse of the spotless lamb.

CCC 760 (page 11): The startling teaching that the world was created for the sake of the Church.

CCC 767: A discussion about why Jesus sent the Holy Spirit after his Resurrection.

CCC 786: That Jesus is able to exercise his kingship through his death and Resurrection.

CCC 811: The four characteristic marks that distinguish the Church.

CCC 845 (page 37): That Noah’s ark prefigures the salvation available only in the Church.

CCC 901: Regarding lay participation in Christ’s priestly office and in consecration of the world.

CCC 975: Church teaching that the Blessed Virgin in heaven continues to intercede for humanity.

CCC 1008 (page 20): Teaching that the covenant stipulates death as a consequence of sin.

CCC 1010: A discussion of how death takes on positive meaning for Christians.

CCC 1021: An explanation of Church teaching regarding the particular judgment.

CCC 1123: The threefold purpose of the sacraments of the Church.

CCC 1214–1215 (page 8): That Baptism symbolizes dying with Christ and rising with him to new life.

CCC 1216: That the Church refers to the sacrament of Baptism as enlightenment.

CCC 1219–1220 (page 37): Teaching that water in the Scriptures can represent either life or death.

CCC 1343: Teaching about why the first day of the week remains at the center of the Church’s life.

CCC 1385: The importance of receiving the sacrament of the Eucharist worthily.

CCC 1505: Jesus’ radical approach to healing and its relationship to human suffering.

CCC 1544: An explanation of how the priesthood of the Old Covenant is fulfilled in Christ.

CCC 1601 (page 16): The two goods toward which the sacrament of Matrimony is ordered.

CCC 1831 (page 16): The Church’s list of seven gifts given to humanity by the Holy Spirit.

CCC 1850 (page 36): An explanation of how it is that Jesus is able to overcome sin.

CCC 1857–1859 (page 20): Paragraphs that explain conditions of mortal sin.

CCC 1933: About hatred of an enemy’s evil actions as opposed to hatred of the enemy as a person.

CCC 1954: Natural law and original moral ability that enable man to discern good from evil.

CCC 1996: That the free, undeserved help God gives his people is given as a divine favor.

CCC 1997: Grace explained as a participation in the Trinitarian life of God.

CCC 2003: That divine grace is made available through the sacraments of the Church.

CCC 2015: Regarding how renunciation and spiritual battle are essential to holiness.

CCC 2100: Church teaching regarding how Christians can make their lives a sacrifice to God.

CCC 2106: Church teaching in connection with the right to religious freedom.

CCC 2302 (page 112): Regarding how murderous hatred and anger constitute immorality.

CCC 2340: The things Christians have at their disposal as means for resisting temptation.

CCC 2424: That profit is unacceptable as the ultimate goal of economic activity.

CCC 2443–2447: Preferential love for the poor; the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.

CCC 2472: That Christians have a duty to act as witnesses of the Gospel.

CCC 2573 (page 109): A discussion of prayer as a symbol of the ongoing battle of faith.

CCC 2728: Suggestions about how Christians can overcome common obstacles to prayer.