Summary
The Hebrew Bible, as
translated by Robert Alter, illustrates the sovereignty and omnipotent
attributes of God and other characteristics through the creation of man and the
sustainability of life. Adam and Eve stayed in the Garden of Eden where they
had authority over everything, except not to eat from the tree in the middle of
the garden. Unfortunately, Eve got deceived by the serpent to eat from the tree,
and she ended deceiving Adam to do the same.
After God refused the sacrifice of Cain, he ended up killing his brother Abel, and God punished him for his actions. Wickedness and unrighteousness multiplied on earth, and God purposed to punish people for their sins. However, before that, God used Noah to warn people and help him build an ark that would save humankind from His wrath in the form of floods. After God caused rain for forty days and forty nights, only the creatures in the ark were saved. Noah’s genealogy continued to a man named Abram, whom God promised to make father a many nation, despite not having children at old age. However, he kept his faith in God and was rewarded with a son. God tested his faith by telling him to sacrifice his only son Isaac, and Abraham passed this test.
As Illustrated in the bible, the firstborn male child is awarded with more blessings than other children. Jacob tricked Isaac, his father, and managed to get the blessings of his firstborn brother (112). The covenant of God to Abraham continued through Jacob, who was renamed Israel, and he had twelve sons who became the twelve tribes of Israel.
Response
The Bible shows that God
does not tolerate sin. The Flood is an example of how much God hates sin. His
act of saving Noah’s family shoes that God is merciful to his people. From
Abraham’s encounter with God, we note that God can test humans before
establishing a relationship. The writer of Psalms must be a friend to God,
considering the praises he sings.
Analysis
Part 1
At the garden of Eden, the
serpent turned Adam and Even against God. Despite this, since Adam and Eve were
given the freedom of choice, they were not supposed to blame the serpent for
disobeying God.
God accepted Abel’s sacrifice because it was pure and blameless. The implication of farmers and pastoral nomads is that despite the effort humans put in their work, the sacrifice for God are not what man strives to acquire but what God has provided. This is the difference between the sacrifice made by Abel and Cain. Also, God was interested in animal offerings as opposed to plants. The primogeniture in Genesis is of immense importance since the firstborn male child inherited most genealogy blessings. Jacob and Esau’s story indicates that firstborns were the legitimate heir of their fathers’ wealth.
Part 2
Pharaoh noticed Joseph for
his ability of interpreting dreams, he ended up making the governor of Egypt. Joseph
led the Egyptians in planting and harvesting food that would sustain them
throughout the drought that God had declared. The distribution of food was
under Joseph’s regulations. He also forgave his brothers and gave them the land
of Goshen to stay. The distinction between law and instruction is that the law
is enforceable. Various translations of the God’s laws have made people perceive
Him as harsh.
The metaphor in psalms
23 (119) illustrates the relationship between a Christian and God. Here, God
has been depicted as the shepherd who takes care of his sheep. The shepherd
allows the sheep to feed in green pastures and drink from still waters. Also,
the shepherd protects the sheep when in darkness. The Bible also indicates that
the shepherd is will forever safeguard the interests of his flock. The psalm
symbolizes how God provides, protects, and blesses his people who follow Him in
full faith. The metaphoric representation of psalms 104 (119-120) signifies the
glorious and sovereign God’s work of creation. “He appointed the moon for
seasons; the sun for knoweth his going down” (Psalms 104:19, 120).