JS117 Midterm Study Guide

1.
You are responsible for rereading the following chapters in the Bible, along with the facing
commentary in FBM:
Genesis 18 NIV - The Three Visitors - The LORD appeared - Bible Gateway
Look for main points, key repeating words, and how these chapters help explain major
biblical ideas or themes.
Genesis 1, 18, 32
1: The Beginning - God is creating the world, repetition of “And God said” and then
something occurring. Sets the scene of God as an all-powerful and all-knowing being,
stronger than all other deities and master of all. Leaving no question of who is in
control/power.
18: The Three Visitors & Abraham Pleads for Sodom - Abraham is greeted by three
visitors, of whom he treats the utmost welcoming hospitality. Unbeknownst to Abraham,
these three visitors are angels of the Lord, and the Lord tells Abraham and his wife Sara
that they will bear a son which they have been unable to do previously. Additionally here
Abraham also stands up to God and rejects his idea of destroying the corrupt and sinful
city of Sodom, as he sees it unfit to punish an innocent few for the actions of others. He
begs the Lord to spare the city and readers are able to witness the Lord not only as all-
powerful, but merciful and adaptable. As well as Abraham as a spokesperson for
humanity.
32: Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau & Jacob Wrestles with God - Jacob prepares to return
home, after becoming successful with wives, many children, animals, and land. He
misses his family and longs to see them, but he is worried about reconciling with his
brother Esau as he had stolen his birthright and blessing. Ultimately the return goes well,
a theme of forgiveness is shown and the theme of a second born son being known as
minor is defeated. Jacob also runs into a stranger at night, whom he eventually ends up in
a wrestling match with. The stranger finds himself unable to overpower and beat Jacob,
once again portraying the resilience and strength of humanity as well as placing Jacob as
a successful and masculine figure. This also indicates that night is a special time in which
divine interactions occur, either physically or as some sort of dream.
Exodus 7-11
7-11: God releases ten plagues onto the people of Egypt, as they did not heed Moses’
spoken warning to let the Israelites be free from slavery. At first to display the power of
the Lord, Moses’ brother Aaron’s staff also turns into a snake as a testament to the power
of God. The repetition of plague displays a common example of a punishment put onto
humanity by God upon disobedience. Additionally it also pushes the message that God is
triumphant over other gods and deities, further framing his as all-powerful.
Leviticus 11 (plus pp. 554-5 in FBM)

11: Clean and Unclean Food: An instance of a covenant between God and humanity
again, in which the Lord specifies what animals are fit, or unfit, for human consumption.
It is implied that upon eating animals that are deemed to be “unclean” they also become
as such. It is implied that becoming unclean is a sinful action in which a punishment will
follow.
554-555 FBM:
Deuteronomy 4-6
4-6: Within this book Moses’ lengthy speech to the new generation of Israelites who are
about to presumably enter the Promised Land shortly, utilizing historic occurrences noted
in previous books such as sons suffering for their father’s sins. The history and
experiences of the Israelities on their quest to enter this Promised Land is reviewed, and
Moses is barred from the Land as well. This displays the theme of God’s own
development into a more adaptable and considerate deity. This is also a speech meant to
reel back into order and reverence of the Lord, as the people have once again strayed. A
key point that can be derived from this is the continuity of God’s instruction to mankind,
the people disappointing God, punishment ensuing, then repenting and a return to faith
and practice.
2. Be able to explain the biblical idea of covenant as we have encountered it so far.
The idea of a covenant is an agreement between God and his people, the Israelites. In
the beginning of the Bible, when humanity seemed to be just beginning with Adam & Eve, in
Genesis, the first covenant was formed. In these situations in which covenants are created the
agreement can be one-sided, for example post-flood humans were allowed to consume meat
but they must drain off the blood. Frequently the one-sided covenants involve humanity abiding
by God’s dictated rules and regulations in order to partake in certain actions and behaviors
without consequence. A key wrong in analyzing these covenants is “if”. If these covenants, or
laws are kept all will be good to those involved, if they are not kept punishment comes in various
forms. Typically, the primary punishment as a result of disobeying or breaking covenants with
the Lord are punishments of exile, the wrong-doer’s children (typically sons) suffering
consequences for their actions, or the wrong-doer’s society suffering as a result of sin. The first
instance in which we see a covenant to be dual-side in which God also has to uphold actions, is
Moses receiving the Ten Commandments. In this agreement, God provides a set of rules/laws
for his people to live by, and in return he must grant them entrance into the Promised Land. We
also see this set of laws renewed/revised in Deuteronomy through God’s interaction to the
people through Moses, as Moses’ lengthy speech. In which reasoning of the previous laws are
updated and made out to be more humanity focused, rather than centralized around solely the
Will of God without any further explanation. Alongside these revised laws are new ones more fit
to the time and situation of the people.

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1.

Leviticus 11 (plus pp. 554-5 in FBM)

2. Be able to explain the biblical idea of covenant as we have encountered it so far.

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