Beginning to Read the Bible

Beginning to Read the Bible

Typology and Genesis: The Antediluvian Period

Typology

• A Biblical Type is a person, place, or event in the Old Testament that has its own proper significance but also prefigures a person, place, or event later in the Old Testament or in the New Testament.

• For example, Jonah emerging from the whale after 3 days is a type of Jesus emerging from the tomb after 3 days.

Typology

• Also, Moses’ parting of the Red Sea can be viewed as a type of Baptism (according to St. Paul 1 Cor 10:2)

• Typology shows us that God is the author of history and how He gradually unfolds His plan to save humanity.

• See CCC 1094

Creation

• We already discussed that there are two separate creation accounts, but now let’s look at Genesis 1 in more detail.

Genesis 1• It is easy to remember the Order of Creation:– The first three days are the creation of environments• Day 1: Day and Night (Time)• Day 2: Sky and Sea (Space)• Day 3: Land and Vegetation (Life)

– The last three days are the creation of rulers for those environments• Day 4: Sun and Moon• Day 5: Birds and Fish• Day 6: Humans and Animals

Genesis 1

• On the Seventh day God rested. This is significant because God formed a covenant with creation.

• This interpretation is based off of the Hebrew root שבע which means ‘seven’ as well as ‘to swear, take an oath’ (depending on the arrangement of vowels).

• For overview see chart on page 50.

The Adamic Covenant• A covenant has been established and the Covenant

Sign is the Sabbath Day. • When Eve was created, this started the institution

of marriage, which is the form of the covenant. • Adam’s role in this covenant is as Husband.

• Although the two creation stories are indeed separate, throughout history this was not always known, so some elements of the Adamic covenant are taken from both Gen 1:1-2:4a and Gen 2:4b – 25.

The Fall: Genesis 3• By eating from the Tree of Knowledge Adam and

Eve suffered a spiritual death and expulsion from the Garden of Eden.

• Spiritual Death means that they lost supernatural life, original holiness, and original justice.

• The human nature was wounded by Original Sin. This means we also suffer from the spiritual death that Adam and Eve experienced.

Result of the Fall

• Sin is the reason for suffering and because of Adam and Eve’s sin; they brought suffering into the world. So now everything is tainted by suffering.

• We can see how the Fall affected our daily life and cause it to include suffering:

Result of the Fall

• (1) When we carry out God’s wish for us to “be fruitful and multiply,” childbirth will be painful.

• (2) Our family life will still be an image of God’s love, but our relationships will be marred by sin.

• (3) Work - which was designed to be a joy - will be toilsome. This means it will be tiring and difficult.

• (4) Life itself ends in suffering. Physical death is now a reality.

Why Does Adam’s Sin Affect Us?

• CCC 404• “The whole human race is in Adam ‘as one

body of one man’ (St. Thomas Aquinas, De Malo 4, 1). By this ‘unity of the human race’ all men are implicated in Adam’s sin, as all are implicated in Christ’s justice.”

Why Did God Punish Us if God Loves Us?

• God’s wrath is not in opposition to His love. Rather, God’s wrath is a manifestation of His love.

• When we disobey God we are refusing His love. However, we cannot escape His love.

• God’s wrath is meant to lead us to repentance, which allows us to open ourselves again to God’s love.

• So, rather than being a punishment, the curse should be viewed as being a cure.