Gen 3

1. Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?"
Crafty를 한국어로는 간교(奸巧)라고 표현했다. 간교를 한자로 찾아보니 간奸(간음하다, 범하다, 요구하다, 침범하다, 간악하다 등) 교巧(공교하다, 솜씨가 있다, 예쁘다, 아름답다, 약삭빠르다, 재주, 책략, 작은꾀 등)의 의미로 쓰였다. 다음으로 교만(驕慢)이라는 단어의 뜻이 궁금해서 한자어를 찾아보니 다음과 같다. 교驕(교만하다, 씩씩하다, 총애하다) 만慢(게으르다, 업신여기다, 거만하다, 느슨하다, 방자하다 등). 교활(狡猾)은 어떤가 궁금해서 찾아보니, 교狡(간교하다, 해치다, 재빠르다, 미치다) 활滑(교활하다, 어지럽다, 어지럽히다 등)이었다.


2. The woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat;
3. but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'"

여기서 하나님께서 말씀하시는 죽음이란, 육체적 죽음이 아닌 영적인 상태의 죽음을 이야기 한다. 선악과를 먹음으로써, 그리고 그 행위로 인해, 인간은 하나님의 권능과 주권에 도전하게 되는데, 그것이 곧 영적인 죽음을 초래한다는 것을 의미한다.


4. The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die!
5. "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

여기서 사탄이 말하는 죽음의 의미는 두 가지로 해석해 본다.
1. 3절과 마찬가지로 영적인 죽음을 이야기 하는 것으로서, 하나님의 존재를 업신여기더라도 인간은 영적으로 죽는 것이 아닌 오히려 더 하나님과 같이 신령한 영적인 삶을 살 수 있음을 얘기한다. 이것은 곧, 오늘 날”우리는 하나님이 없어도 영적일 수 있다.”는 무신론자들의 얘기와도 일맥상통한다. 즉, 명상과 자기 반성, 심지어 차후 뇌의 인지 조작 능력까지 갖추게 되면 영적인 생활이 충분히 가능하다는 얘기다. 오늘 날 대부분의 종교가 절대적 존재에 대한 믿음이 중심이라기 보다는, 질적으로 더 나은 삶을 사는데 치중하고 있다는 것에서 (cf. Thich Nhat Hanh, Anger; Happiness etc; 부처의 자기수양; 기독교, 긍정적 사고; 성공 등등), 그리고 그것은 종교 밖에서도 얼마든지 접할 수 있고 가치있게 여겨지던 가치관들이라는 점에서 사실 영적인 삶이란 진정 무엇인지 구별이 되지 않는다. 하지만 내가 생각하는 진정한 영적인 삶이란, 영적인 삶을 살기 위한 노력에 나오는 것이 아닌, 하나님을 진정 사모하고 믿을 때 마치 향기처럼 자연스럽게 드러나는 것이라고 본다. 아무튼, 선악과를 먹게 되더라도 – 하나님의 명령을 어기더라도; 하나님을 업신여기고; 그 분을 부정하더라도 – 인간은 하나님과 같이 될 수 있고, 선악을 분별할 수 있으며, 영적인 존재로 살 수 있다는 것은, 결과에만 치중한 잘못된 착각이자 환상이라고 본다.
2. 또 다른 해석은 단순하게 육적인 죽음으로 말했다는 것이다. 즉, 선악과를 먹어도 우리는 육적으로 죽는 것이 아니라는 얘기다. 대신해서, 하나님과 같이 영적인 분별력과 능력을 가지게 된다는 의미로 해석할 수 있겠다.


6. When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.

여기서는 두 가지를 짚어 보고 싶다.
첫째, delight to the eyes : 인간에게 있어 시각이란 얼마나 중요한지 모른다. 심리학에서도 뇌연구에서도 시각은 거의 엄청난 연구를 동반한다. 왜냐면, 인간의 인지 즉 생각에 있어 – 그리고 이를 통한 행동까지도 - 시각은 엄청난 영향을 주기 때문이다. (추가적 연구 필요)
둘째, 하와가 아담에게 선악과를 주는 장면이다. 인류의 역사를 보건대, 비록 표면적으로는 세계의 역동적인 역사가 남자들에 의해서 이뤄졌다고 보여지지만, 실질적으로는 여자가 역사의 중심에 있었음을 볼 수 있다. 트로이 전쟁도 그러했고 (헬레나 여왕), 적벽대전도 그러했음을 볼 수 있다. (소교)


7. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.

여기서 왜 그들이 선악과를 먹고 난 이후에 ‘부끄러움’을 느끼고, 그리고는 ‘옷’을 지어 입게 되었는지에 대해 생각해 보자. 성경에서는 아담과 하와가 선악과를 먹고 난 후에 눈이 띄어졌다고 표현한다. 내 생각에 이것은 이전까지 하나님에 대해 아담 부부가 세상을 창조하시고, 나를 창조하신 분이라는 것에 대해 의심없는 믿음을 가지고 있다가, 하나님과 동일하게 될 수 있다는 유혹에 하나님께서 하지 말라는 유일한 명령까지 어기게 되면서, 인간은 하나님과 비교하기 시작했다고 생각한다. 즉, 나 자신이 하나님과 같아 질 수 있다는, 혹은 같다는 ‘교만함’에서 죄가 출발하였고, 또한 수치심을 느끼게 되었다고 생각한다. 우리가 수치심을 느끼게 되는 것은 비교할 대상이 있기 때문이다. 그 대상이 보통은 다른 사람이 되기도 하지만, 때로는 사물이 될수도 있고, 나 자신 혹은 하나님이 되기도 한다. 긍정적으로 생각하면 그러한 비교 때문에 인간은 끊임없이 발전해 왔고, 성장해 왔다. 국가 역시도 가까운 예로, 냉전시대에 미국과 소련이 서로를 비교하며 경쟁한 덕분에 인류가 달나라까지 가는 엄청난 과학적 발전을 일구어 내지 않았는가. 그러나 과학의 발전이 결국 인류의 행복과 직결되지 않고, 오히려 더 불행해 졌다는 점을 미루어 볼 때도, 인간이 비교하기 시작하면서 불행해졌다고 보는게 맞겠다. 비교로부터 파생되어 나오는 수치심은 인간이 옷을 지어입게 만들었다. 옷은 날개라는 말이 있다. 옷은 자기 표현의 가장 강력한 수단 중 하나이다. 예로부터 옷이란 자신의 지위와 사회적 신분을 나타냈다. 그래서 옛날 관직에서는 옷의 색깔이나 형태에 따라 지위고하를 나타내기도 했으며, 왕의 옷은 그래서 특히나 화려했다는 것을 볼 수 있다. 오늘 날에는 뒤쳐지지 않거나 높아지려고 하는 인간의 비교의식으로 인해 사람들이 사치(명품)와 브랜드에 열광하게 되었다. 하지만 역설적이게도 명품으로 많이 치장한 사람일 수록 그 내면은 더 심한 열등감에 시달리고 있으며 – 혹은 자존감이 낮으며; 그래서 옷에 매우 민감하다; 조금만이라도 부정적 비판적인 소리를 들으면 마음의 고통을 받게 된다 - 아무리 화려하게 치장했다 하더라도 마음의 평안이 아닌 공허함으로 가득차 있음을 볼 수 있다. 즉, 옷이란 – 화장도 같은 맥락이지만 - 자신의 본래의 모습을 숨기는 비교 대상보다 약하지 않으려는 본능적 행동의 결과물이다. 동물의 세계에서도 위장술은 약한 동식물에서 찾아 볼 수 있음을 알 수 있다.
결국 감히 하나님과 자신을 비교하는 인간의 교만함으로 인해 인간은 불행해졌다고 생각한다.


8. They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
9. Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?"
10. He said, "I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself."
11. And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?"
12. The man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate."
13. Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
14. The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you will go, And dust you will eat All the days of your life;
15. And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel."
16. To the woman He said, "I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you."
17. Then to Adam He said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat from it'; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life.
18. "Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field;
19. By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return."
20. Now the man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all the living.
21. The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.

여기서 하나님께서 아담과 하와를 에덴동산에서 내쫓으시면서 직접 옷을 지어 입히셨다는 말씀이 있다. 옷에 대해서는 앞서에서도 얘기했지만 인간의 수치심을 가리기 위한 방법이었다고 했다. 여기서 말하는 옷 – 하나님이 지으시고 허락하신 - 은 사회적 질서와 법을 상징하는게 아닌가 생각이 든다. (좀 더 생각 정리가 필요)


22. Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever"--
23. therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken.
24. So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.

The basic building blocks of the Jacob and Esau story

25: Oracle

26: Relation with forgiveness

27: Deception of Isaac

28: Jacob flees and spends night at Bethel

29-31: Jacob in Laban-land

32: Jacob at Peniel (Jacob vs the man)

33: Reconcile with Esau

34: Levites and Simeonites vs Shechemites (Rape of Dinah)

FF: Vow fulfilled

Before 29-31 : The story of how Jacob attains his family and descendants

After 29-31 : The story of how Jacob attains the land

God had prepared and led Jacob's life in every moment to practice the promise.

Gen 31

:1 Jacob heard that Laban's sons were saying, "Jacob has taken everything our father owned and has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father."

:2 And Jacob noticed that Laban's attitude toward him was not what it had been.

:3 Then the LORD said to Jacob, "Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you."

→ Then : People see what they want to see, and hear what they want to hear

After Jacob experiencing negative responses from his relatives, THEN he heard Lord said to him to leave.
c.f) Dream of what we’ve experienced either consciously or unconsciously.

↔ From the perspective of everything is under God's plan,

1. The negative responses were planned by God

2. The way of feelings that Jacob felt - to leave - after facing up with his relatives was forced by God

c.f> Gen20:6 Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her. - God blocked Abimelech to commit a crime against God by controlling circumstances.

Q7> Household gods(Gen 31:19 / Judg 17:5 / Hos 3:4)
*Commentary
- Used them for divination
- Could be used to substantiate legal claims to the inheritance of property
- There is nothing in the Genesis text that indicates why Laban’s teraphim were so important to him.
- Later, it was condemned(Zech 10:2)

Gen 30

:16 So when Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. "You must sleep with me," she said. "I have hired you with my son's mandrakes." So he slept with her that night.

Q> How come wife hire her husband?

→ Husband had no rights to veto his wife's request to have a sleep with her.

→ ?

→ ?

Gen 28

Jacob flees and spend the night at Bethel

:11 When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep.

Q> Why there is no name?

:13 There above it stood the LORD, and he said: "I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying.

:14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.

:15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."

- God’s promise to Jacob.

:19 He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz.

- Bethel – God’s existence : symbol

P> Church losing power
→ Closely related to psychology, humanity studies: future, self-development, discipline, etc. – most need is human itself rather than sticking to the traditional creeds or doctrines. Creeds that mostly developed in the past years when the Christianity were prevalent.

Q> What brings people to come to congregation?
→ Desperation

Gen 27

- Main theme is deception
cf> Moses was saved by the deception; Abraham, Issac deceived people

Q> Why people in the bible deceived others?

→

1. Because they had no power. (Hierarchy society)
2. They did not deceived to themselves; God. They were true to God and themselves. Sometimes, people should do whatever it takes to practice what they believe in themselves. Look at the v13. Revekah told his son, Jacob, that she will take the curse on her if the things did not go well. What an enthusiasm? That makes them to inherit the blessing, succession, leadership and lordship.

Gen 22

:8 Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together.

→ Issac is a promised Son from God that to inherit Abraham’s blessings and to keep carry on. Thus, Abrahams’ test was actually God vs. God.

:19 Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba.

→ Abraham alone? Where is Issac?

Gen 19

:1 The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground.

→ Why he was in the gateway?

1. Outsider; not get along with others

2. Righteous man - c.f> Prov 1:21 ...at the entrance of the city gates she speaks

- Proclaiming wisdom of God to the people

Gen 18

:22-25

22. The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD.
23. Then Abraham approached him and said: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?
24. What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it?
25. Far be it from you to do such a thing--to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?"

→ It’s not the only problem in the past, but still ours in 21st century.

Gen 26

Sell wife story(Three times in Genesis)
Abraham – 12:10-20, 20:1-18 / Issac – 26:6-11


26:1-5 God’s promise to Issac
- Similar to Abraham’s circumstance(12:10)

- God's promise to Jacob - 28:13-15, 46:4
→ God’s promise had been descended

Gen 25

:19 Freewill

Q>
1. Look at the first element of the Issac generation(ch.25:19-what does this element(especially the oracle) suggest as the plot of the story? How does the idea of human freedom emerge in the plot?

2. Read Gen.37:1-11 and see how the plot of this story is laid out at the beginning. Can you answer the questions of Joseph’s brothers and Jacob by the end of the story?

→ Both implies the same thing: Human freedom vs God’s predestination. The formal one, human freedom, even the word/imaginary from God tell/show the future, does not decide human history in advance. The success of Jacob and Joseph that made their dreams come true is not because of God predetermined everything beforehand but, rather, they followed God’s vision with all their hearts enduring a myriad of obstacles and temptations in their footsteps. Rebekah, for instance, took an important role to make God’s promise come true, helping Jacob to inherit the parental blessings from Issac. Rebekah followed God’s vision even though she should deceive her husband and his another child: Esau. Without her efforts and sacrifice, God's promise will probably stopped. The story of Abraham, selling his wife, Sarai, is the same that proves human's strong faith and passion that never give up – in spite of what they should paid for that – is the key to succeed God's promise in their lives. In my opinion, that devotion made those people to be written in the bible. Hence, it is concluded that the first step to be successful, or blessed, is to have a strong faith and passion like people in the bible.

:23 The LORD said to her, "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger."

- God in His sovereignty is not bound by the ‘natural’ or ‘legal’ principle of inheritance by primogeniture.
c.f) Choice of David as king of Israel(1Sam 16:1-13)
Not Ishmael but Issac was chosen
Joseph – 11th – rule over his brothers(Gen 37:5-11)
Ephraim precede over his elder brother Manasseh(Gen 48:8-20)

:27 The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was a quiet man, staying among the tents.

– Jacob and Esau, caricatured as two contrasting types : hunter – quiet man who stay at home(shepherd in later) : sedentary way of life began to supersede the hunting stage.

:28 Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Q> Why Rebekah love Jacob?
→ To carry on the God’s promise. God didn’t told His vision to Issac but to Rebekah. I think love means caring.

:32 "Look, I am about to die," Esau said. "What good is the birthright to me?"

Q> Why he is hungry as much to die? – he is a good hunter. did he really hungry?
→ I think this question is over the line. Instead, I want to look at the characteristic. Esau, compare to Issac or Abraham, is the person who is not patient, hasty, have no serious value on blessings. Even he despised his birthright.(v.34)

Gen 21

:9 But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking.
- Mocking : 1.teasing 2.threatening Isaacs’ position

Gen 16

8-10 : And he said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I’m running away from my mistress Saria,” she answered. Then the angel of the LORD told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” The angel added, “I will so increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to count.”
1. First appearance of deity to slave and Egyptian : theophany
Q> I am curious how come Egyptian was a slave at the period? I thought Egyptian had a privilege.

2. Ishmael(: He hears)
3. Slavery is God intended to

Gen 12

Adventurer Abram

“the human individual lives usually far within his limits; he possesses powers of various sorts which he habitually fails to use. He energizes below his maximum, and he behaves below his optimum”-William James
↔ But a pioneer, whether in the physical or the mental realm, shows what a life’s optimum can be.

Always the pioneer will have discouragements. The way of any man who goes out ahead is not easy. Abraham must have had his wistful moments when he looked back and wondered why he had ever come to Canaan. He was seeking the promised land. But often the land seemed more full of disappointment than of promise.

But, eventually when Abram died, he couldn’t see the so-called promised land. Apparently no where. But the fact was mightier than the appearance. Spiritually Abraham had built a city dwelling place for new hope, new purpose, new ideals, for history, and for the human race.

Abraham must turn his back on what had been the familiar and friendly and go out to the unwelcome and unknown.

Most worth a life’s desiring?
1. Prefer to stay where they are and as they are rather than to try hard to arrive at something different.
2. Live luxuriously; self-indulgence(wealth); self-aggrandizement(power: Saul, Jezebel, Herod)

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The Interpreter's Bible

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:10 Famine was severe

:11 Sarai : Abram’s wife → called as a woman

:15 Sarai was sold to Paraoh

:16 He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels

- Compensation for Sarai – properties(famine solved)

:18 What have you done to me. ≈ Adam, He could not respond to it.

Q> Why Abram abandoned his wife?

→ The answer is simple but firm: he must survived to fulfill God’s promise. Then, what was Abram’s promise as even he sold his beloved wife? If you look at the pervious lines on Genesis chapter 12, it is about Abram’s calling and God’s promise. In the scripture, the Lord said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. So Abram left, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran.”(Gen 12:1-4)

I want to look at his emotions in here. How would it feel if you leave your country? What would it be like if you farewell to everyone you know that you don’t know whether you come back and see them again or not. Even when you are 75 years old. To me, as you see, I left my country, and say goodbye to my loving family and friends, and I deleted my phone number which I used more than a decade. I dialed to see what is it like after deleting my number, and there was no signal as you can imagine, rather, there was a machinery voice saying, this number is not available. What about families. My parents had came along all the way to the boarding gate. At the last moment before entering the gate, I was smiling but my heart was breaking. I didn’t want to show tears because that will make my parent more painful. Showing my back to loving parents is such a torture. I know and they also know that I not going to die, and some time later we will going to meet again, but separation itself is that difficult. I didn’t left my country, family and friends with easy mind. Instead, with a strong will, passion, and determinedness. Moreover, I set out to USA because God had poured me His visions to go this country. Then, how strong and firm it will be. If you have the similar experience you might get the feelings.

Let’s look back to Abram. He have callings from God. And because that he left everything he loves and comfortable with, and at the age of 75, he set out to the unknown land. Just holding God’s promise. How desperate and how strong he should be? That made him even to sell his beautiful wife as well. He know that he maybe killed with his wife because Phraoh is the person who does not believe in God. Abram also gave up his most precious and saving wife, Sarai, to fulfill God’s promise. Let’s look at our life. And let’s ask ourselves that can we give up the most precious thing in my life? Do we have that strong resolution? Determined will? But Abram did it. Abram left his loving country, family and friends. Abram gave up his most loving wife, Sarai, because of the God’s calling and God’s promise. That is why Abram is the person who became the faithful man and root of the blessing. Now, I strongly speak to you all, let us have such a huge faith, determined mind, strong power. And we can also be the faithful ancestor to our children. And most of all, God will love to see that.