Feel called to work with the Poor

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 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and
the earth.  2 Now the earth was formless and
empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep,
and the Spirit of God was hovering over the
waters.  3 And God said, "Let there be light,"
and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was
good, and He 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 morningthe first day.  6
And God said, "Let there be an expanse between
the waters to separate water from water." 7 So
God made the expanse and separated the water
under the expanse from the water above it. And it
was so. 8 God called the expanse "sky." And there
was evening, and there was morningthe second
day.  9 And God said, "Let the water under the
sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground
appear." And it was so. 10 God called the dry
ground "land," and the gathered waters he called
"seas." And God saw that it was good.  11 Then
God said, "Let the land produce vegetation
seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that
bear fruit with seed in it, according to their
various kinds." And it was so. 12 The land
produced vegetation plants bearing seed
according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit
with seed in it according to their kinds. And God
saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening,
and there was morningthe third day.  
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•  26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image,
  in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish
  of the sea and the birds of the air, over the
  livestock, over all the earth, and over all the
  creatures that move along the ground."
•  27 So God created man in his own image,       
  in the image of God he created him        male
  and female he created them.
•  28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be
  fruitful and increase in number fill the earth
  and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and
  the birds of the air and over every living
  creature that moves on the ground."
•  29 Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing
  plant on the face of the whole earth and every
  tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be
  yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the
  earth and all the birds of the air and all the
  creatures that move on the groundeverything that
  has the breath of life in itI give every green
  plant for food." And it was so.
•  31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very
  good. And there was evening, and there was
  morningthe sixth day.

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Interpretation
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When this was first written, what would the
original readers have understood it to mean?  
Exegesis
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What genre of writing is this?  
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Cosmogony
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• ANE Cosmogonies
• Many gods

• Genesis 1
• One God

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Enuma Elish

• Babylonian
• c.1800-1400BC
• Describes relationship between Marduk and other
  Babylonian gods

The Lord (Marduk) trod upon the hinder part of
Tiamat,And with unsparing club he split her
skull.He cut the arteries of her bloodAnd
caused the north wind to carry it to
out-of-the-way places.
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• ANE Cosmogonies
• Many gods
• Gods part of creation

• Genesis 1
• One God
• God distinct from creation

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The Ogdoad

• Egyptian (Hermopolis)
• c.2600-2100BC
• Describes creation of eight gods

Ra arose, either in an egg, or a blue lotus, as a
result of the creative interaction between the
primordial forces of Nu/Naunet (water),
Amun/Amunet (air), Kuk/Kauket (darkness), and
Huh/Hauhet (eternity). Ra then created Hathor,
his wife, with whom they had a son, Hor (Horus
in the form known as Horus the Elder), who was
married to Isis.
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• ANE Cosmogonies
• Many gods
• Gods part of creation
• Gods toil and struggle

• Genesis 1
• One God
• God distinct from creation
• God creates effortlessly

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Atrahasis Epic

• Sumerian
• c.1800BC
• Describes struggle toil of the gods

When the gods, manlike,Bore the labor, carried
the load, The gods' load was great,The toil
grievous, the toil excessive.The great
Annunnaku, the Seven,Were making the Igigu
undertake the toil.
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• ANE Cosmogonies
• Many gods
• Gods part of creation
• Gods toil and struggle
• Gods creation morally ambiguous

• Genesis 1
• One God
• God distinct from creation
• God creates effortlessly
• Creation good

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Epic of Gilgamesh

• Mesopotamian
• c.2150-2000BC
• The story of Gilgamesh, two-thirds god and
  one-third human, the strongest King-God who ever
  existed.

The people in the time of Gilgamesh, however,
are not happy. They complain that he is too harsh
and abuses his power by sleeping with women
before their husbands do
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• ANE Cosmogonies
• Many gods
• Gods part of creation
• Gods toil and struggle
• Gods creation morally ambiguous

• Genesis 1
• One God
• God distinct from creation
• God creates effortlessly
• Creation good

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• ANE Cosmogonies
• Many gods
• Gods part of creation
• Gods toil and struggle
• Gods creation morally ambiguous

• Genesis 1
• One God
• God distinct from creation
• God creates effortlessly
• Creation good

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