Genesis: Study 5
covenant: an agreement, usually formal, between two or more persons to do or not do something specified; formal agreement of legal validity; the conditional promises made to humanity by God, as revealed in Scripture.
_________________________________________________
In tonight’s study we will finish up the amazing story of the life of Noah. Why does God choose Noah? What sort of man is he? What can we take from Noah’s story and apply to our everyday lives? Tonight we will discuss God’s covenant with Noah. What exactly is this covenant? What are God’s conditions surrounding this covenant? One significant event in the life of Noah we will talk about tonight takes place after Noah has had too much wine and passes out in his tent. What does this part of the story do to our conception of Noah? What does it teach us about ourselves, as humans? What can we do to avoid pitfalls such as this? These are all questions we need to ask ourselves while we read chapter 9 of Genesis.
Genesis 9:1-29 (The Covenant with Noah, Noah and His Sons)
Questions for Discussion
God’s covenant with Noah is His first formal covenant with mankind (the first instance in scripture where God actually refers to this type of relationship as one involving a covenant). What exactly is included in this covenant? What are God’s conditions relating to His covenant with Noah?
What does this covenant tell us about our God? What does it tell us about the relationship He wants with us?
How would you describe the figure of Noah up to the point where God establishes His covenant with him? What does Noah’s life exemplify up to this point? Think about the life you lead everyday. Are you building an ark, or are you tearing one down?
It is after God establishes this covenant with Noah that we are told of his drunken night in the tent. Does this soil the image of Noah? What does this event tell us about the human condition? What is the most important lesson to take away from this? How would apply this lesson to your own life?
What did Ham do wrong? Why was Noah so angry with his son? Does Noah have the right to be angry? After all, he’s the one who became intoxicated and passed out naked in his tent.
How does your life compare with that of Noah? If God told you to do something completely outrageous, could you brush away at all the things that try to tell you you’re crazy and just do it? Can you think of a moment in your life where you stopped listening to everything else and simply did what God was telling you to do?
No comments:
Post a Comment