REL 101- REVELATION OF GOD IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

READING TASKS

Name: Ellyza L. Cortez Course, Yr. and Sec. BSN 1F

A. Genesis 12-25 on the story of Abraham.
1. What was essentially God’s call to Abraham? Why does his response require a greater act of
faith?
God’s call to Abraham is for him to leave his country, his relatives, and his father’s house and
go to the land of Canaan, the Promised Land. Abraham followed what God said and brought with
him his wife, his brother, his nephew, and all their possessions which they had gathered, and the
persons that they had gotten in Haran. His response requires a greater act of faith because he is
trusting his journey to the Lord. His journey is vague for the Lord did not clarify what he will be
expecting in there, but he still did put his trust in God. Furthermore, his journey means he will be
living behind his own country, a home that he grew up in to but that did not stop him. He set out for
the land he’d never seen and knew nothing about because he believed in God to the extent that he
put himself in a position of complete dependence on God.
2. How was Abraham’s faith “gift yet a doing” at the same time?
Abraham’s journey speaks the volume of his faith in God. It is a journey of faith, of hardship
and sacrifice, of disappointment and great reward. It is said that Abraham’s faith is a gift yet it his
own doing because his story presents how God reveals Himself to a man, calls and chooses him for a
daunting mission, and then tests him to see how he will respond – to see if he has the capacity to
carry out the mission successfully. Abraham’s faith might have been a gift but his action in obliging
what God had instructed him to do is entirely attributed to his initiative. He willingly left his comfort
zone to obey the voice of God.
B
1. Is faith necessary? Why or why not?
Yes, faith is necessary. It is because the power of faith brings abundance, and it helps us to
discover our purpose in our life. I would want to relate this to the story of Abraham's journey.
Through Abraham’s strong faith, he was able to build his nation. He became the Father of this great
and prosperous nation. As for us, our faith is our foundation to thrive. If we want something in life
and have a strong enough reason that we have to accomplish it, faith is the thing that helps us see it
through. It is a persistent heart at the center.
2. How are the paradoxes of faith operative in your own life of faith? Choose one and give a
specific example.
The paradoxes of faith animate my religious practices which brings me closer to God. There
are seven paradoxical characteristics of faith but what mainly operates in my life is the paradox that
we are free but morally obliging. Free in the sense that no one forces me to believe in God, but I still
follow his teachings. I still feel that God calls men to serve Him in Spirit and Truth. Just like what I
experience a few years ago. Someone asked me why I pray if there is no guarantee about the
existence of the Lord. I replied that believing in God does not speak the voice of rationality, thus it is
a voice of our spirituality. Some might say that God is not real, but I think the existence of God is
true, it is just hard to understand. He is intangible and very vague, but he does exist, and He rules the
world for He is our creator. For that belief, no one forces me to believe in them. It is my willingness to
place my trust in the Lord and that trust is what makes me morally obliging for I use my faith to feed
my spirituality.
C.
1. Why was the sacrifice of Isaac the greatest test of Abraham’s faith? Explain.
The sacrifice of Isaac is the greatest test of Abraham’s faith because it is a test between his
belief and his own son. God instructed him to take his son and go to the region of Moriah. He said
that Abraham must kill his son and sacrifice him as an offering. As a father, it would be an agonizing
situation to let your son die and give him as an offering. It would also be his ultimate test of faith
because he loves his son dearly. But still, he chose what God commanded him to do and in his
decision, it foreshadows his obedience to God and the genuineness of his faith and trust in Him.
2. Abraham’s act of faith was a response of gratefulness to God. What was he grateful for?
The moment Abraham is about to stab Isaac, his son, an angel showed up and told him not to
lay his hand upon his son for now God knows that Abraham loves Him that he is ready to give up his
son. Abraham was grateful because of this and glad to be taught that God does not desire men's lives
to be taken but loves living gifts of love and kindness.
3. Abraham gave his total “YES’ to God. Why is it sometimes difficult for us to do it?
There are many reasons to be grateful to God. By just merely waking up from my sleep is a
huge blessing and it needs to be grateful for. One way to show gratefulness is by always
remembering Him. Remembering Him means that He is a part of our thoughts, words, and deeds. It
is impossible to give gratitude to God if we never think or speak of Him. When we remember Him,
we are choosing to think, speak, and act as He would have us do.
D.
1. Why was the sacrifice of Isaac the greatest test of Abraham’s faith? Explain.
There are many reasons to be grateful to God. By just merely waking up from my sleep is a
huge blessing and it is something to be thankful for. One way to show gratefulness is by always
remembering Him. Remembering Him means that He is a part of our thoughts, words, and deeds. It
is impossible to give gratitude to God if we never think or speak of Him. When we remember Him,
we are choosing to think, speak, and act as He would have us do.
2. Are there reasons for you to be grateful to God? How do you show that gratefulness?
There are many reasons to be grateful to God. By just merely waking up from my sleep is a
huge blessing and it needs to be grateful for. One way to show gratefulness is by always
remembering Him. Remembering Him means that He is a part of our thoughts, words, and deeds. It
is impossible to give gratitude to God if we never think or speak of Him. When we remember Him,
we are choosing to think, speak, and act as He would have us do.
3. Abraham gave his total “YES’ to God. Why is it sometimes difficult for us to do it?
 There are multiple reasons why sometimes it is hard to be obedient to the Lord. Perhaps
because it doesn’t make sense. Or because of fear to face the consequence. Maybe it is too complex,
and we do not know what to do. These reasons can be valid only if we do not really know God. But I
have lived enough and read enough about the Bible to noticed that God does not think like what we
think. His tests can be sometimes difficult that makes us go question our own faith in him. But we
must still remember that God has a much greater perspective than us. We might not understand it
today, but we will eventually.
Read Genesis Chapters 25, 27, 28
E.
1. From the story of Jacob and Esau, what can hurt relationships?
Jacob and Esau were twin brothers born to Isaac and Rebekah. From their story, what hurts a
relationship is betrayal and deception. Esau was supposed to be the one being granted by his father
with blessing, but Jacob deceived Isaac so that the blessing would fall onto him. Esau is crushed after
finding this out causing the relationship of the twin brothers to be tainted.
2. What made possible the conversion of Jacob?
After some years, Jacob eventually wanted to earn his twin brother’s favor again. The desire of
Jacob to reconcile with Esau had been possible because of his several encounters with God after he
ran away. It is during one of those encounters with God at Mahanaim, that Jacob evidently realizes
his part in the broken relationship with his brother Esau and seeks to make it right and ease the
tension between them.
3. Does our faithfulness to God affect the way we relate with others? Explain.
Yes. Our faithfulness to God affects the way we relate with others because if we are faithful to
God, we also learn and practice His principles. One main teaching of God is to love our brothers and
sisters; thus, we will be also influenced by this ideology. God's faithfulness is fundamental to our
faith: we have no reason to believe if we can't believe what He says in the Bible. If he does not keep
his promise, our salvation will be shaken, and our hope will be hollow. If, however, God fulfills His
promises, our faith is meaningful, and our eternal destiny is secure. This will also affect how we
relate to other people. If we are faithful, we are content, feel secure, and confident which can lead to a
better relationship with other people.
F.
1. How did God’s providence come about in the life of Joseph?
Joseph soon realized that being a slave is not his brothers’ doing but it is God’s purpose. He
was sold as a slave to fulfill God’s mission and that is to preserve human life. Joseph is known to be
excellent in interpreting dreams. In one of Pharaoh's dreams, he saw that the world will be suffering
from famine. Because he did predict it, the land of Egypt was able to store foods and supplies. In this
scenario, it speaks of how the providence of God come about in the life of Joseph.
2. How did Joseph respond to the gentle and loving care of God?
Joseph responded to the gentle and loving care of God through trusting God all the way. On
the brink of his disappointment, he never once pointed his finger to God. He also did not hold a
grudge against his brothers. Instead, he forgave them and realized that his life exhibits the
providential nature of God’s sovereignty. He knows that his tragic experience has a reason and
purpose. His hopelessness on the horizon did not lead to crippling despair, but rather he furtherly
places his hope to God.
3. How was Joseph a forgiving brother?
Joseph is one of the sons of Jacob. He is the most favored child by his father among his
siblings. Because of this, his brothers were jealous of him and sold him into slavery. Joseph was
thrown to Egypt and there he became a slave. However, due to his knowledge about dreams, the
pharaoh had taken a liking to him and made him the governor. After some time, famine started, and
the brothers of Jacob decided to go to Egypt to seek some food because they are starving. In that
place, they saw Joseph. They did not recognize him at first because he’d grown up and was wearing
different clothes. Joseph introduces himself to them and instead of being angry because of what they
did before, he was happy to see them and announced that he already forgave them for he can see that
his brothers had changed as well. He also stated that they should bring their father and his brothers’
wives and children to Egypt to live there with him. In that sense, Joseph is a forgiving brother
because, despite the betrayal of his brothers, he still learned to welcome them with open arms and
accept them as his family.
G.
1. How is God’s providence shown in the story of Joseph and his brothers?
Joseph soon realized that being a slave is not his brothers’ doing but it is God’s purpose. He
was sold as a slave to fulfill God’s mission and that is to preserve human life. Joseph is known to be
excellent in interpreting dreams. In one of Pharaoh's dreams, he saw that the world will be suffering
from famine. Because he did predict it, the land of Egypt was able to store foods and supplies. In this
scenario, it speaks of how the providence of God come about in the life of Joseph.
2. Why is faith in God certain yet obscure?
Faith is certain because it is in our instinct to trust and believe God. This instinct is the reason
why we have religion and religious practices. Yet our faith is also obscure because the existence of
God is not easy to understand. His entirety is not clear and not really easy to grasp in our simple
minds. He conceals Himself to us and that we should be the ones to draw an effort to approach Him.
3. Joseph prefigured Christ. In what ways did he show Christlikeness?
The ability of Joseph to forgive his brothers exhibits his most Christlike features. It is filled
with brotherly kindness and charity. He interpreted that his slavery is not his brothers doing but
rather, it is God’s purpose for him to fulfill a mission.
Read Exodus Chapters 7 -15
H.
1. Describe how Moses initially reacted to God’s call for mission.
After God instructed Moses to go to Pharaoh and bring Israelites out of Egypt, he asked who is
he that he should go to Pharaoh or that he should bring the Israelites, out of Egypt. The initial
reaction of Moses is doubt. He is doubting himself if he had the ability to fulfill what God asked him
to do because he thinks he is not good enough to execute God’s mission.
2. Describe Moses’ response to the task given him by God. How are the paradoxes operative? Be
specific.
Moses response to the task given him by God is that inadequate. He feels unqualified for the
job because of his past failures and limitations. In the paradox of faith, faith is a task for a whole
lifetime, not a skill to be acquired in a matter of weeks. When Moses steps into this place, he is taken
on a paradoxical journey, both a standing still and a motion forward.
3. In the story of Moses, how did God show his fidelity to the covenant he started with Abraham?
God shows his fidelity in the story of Moses establishing with the people of Israel at Mt. Sinai
after he led them out of Egyptian slavery. With it, God supplies the Law that is meant to govern and
shape the people of Israel just like what He did in the story of Abraham.
I.
1. Describe how Moses initially reacted to God’s call for mission.
After God instructed Moses to go to Pharaoh and bring Israelites out of Egypt, he asked who is
he that he should go to Pharaoh or that he should bring the Israelites, out of Egypt. The initial
reaction of Moses is doubt. He is doubting himself if he had the ability to fulfill what God asked him
to do because he thinks he is not good enough to execute God’s mission.
2. Describe Moses’ response to the task given him by God. How are the paradoxes operative? Be
specific.
Moses response to the task given him by God is that inadequate. He feels unqualified for the
job because of his past failures and limitations. In the paradox of faith, faith is a task for a whole
lifetime, not a skill to be acquired in a matter of weeks. When Moses steps into this place, he is taken
on a paradoxical journey, both a standing still and a motion forward.
3. How is our vocation as baptized Christians similar with the vocation of Moses? Explain.
In the book of Exodus, it was shown that God called Moses to be the leader. In baptism, we are
called by name, becoming Christian and accepting the associated responsibilities. The vocation as
baptized Christians is similar to the vocation of Moses in a way that both events result in a life of
holiness, to union with God in this life and in life eternal.
J.
1. How is Passover a memorial feast of the Jews?
Passover is a memorial feast of Jews because it is a commemoration of liberation from their
slavery under Egyptians.
2. What is the significance of the crossing of the red sea? Why it climax the Exodus event?
The crossing of the red sea means freedom for Jews from their slavery to Egyptians. It is the
climax of the Exodus event because it truly shows how God loves his people. How he is willing to
deliver Israelites from suffering and evilness. People trusted in the Lord and his servant Moses after
seeing this great miracle.
3. What was the image of God that Israel experienced in the Exodus event? How did they
experience it?
The image of God that Israel experienced in the Exodus event is the parting of the red sea.
After the Israelites left, the Pharaoh had a change of heart and decided to catch them because he does
not want to lose his source of slave labor. It appeared the Israelites were stuck. To one side stood
cliffs, the Red Sea in front of them. They were frightened when they saw Pharaoh's soldiers coming.
But then, Moses reached out his hand over the shore. Throughout the night, the Lord caused a
powerful eastern wind to blow, separating the waters and turning the seafloor into dry land.