Genesis 6-9: Noah, The Great Flood, Rainbows, And Forgiveness

Chapter 6 -9 of Genesis tells the story of Noah, the great flood, and God's covenant to never destroy the earth through flooding.

I admit, as I was reading these chapters, scenes from Evan Almighty and the "Flood" musci video by Jars of Clay came to mind.

Image: thampapon1 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

So I reread them again and focused on the words and not on the images in my head. This time, the chapters disturbed me, especially in light of the tragedies in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City.

I trust God's covenant with Noah. I know he meant it that he will never again destroy the Earth with flood. So it stands to reason that the flooding is, for the most part, our fault. Considering how many people have died from those floods, it seems we can destroy ourselves just as easily as God can command the waters to rise.

Within the same chapter, God reiterated that man is the steward of the Earth. We have influence over all of Earth's creatures. God gave us permission to use these animals and the Earth's resources. Isn't it disturbing how much power we have over our environment? Isn't it scary that a lot of us are using that power to destroy ourseleves deliberately?


I think that with this covenant, God wants us to be aware of the impact we have on our environment. It's naive and selfish to think that we our actions don't affect every around us.

But it's not all gloom and doom. Isn't that why God created the rainbow? My baby loves rainbows. I am glad that she's old enough to understand the rainbow's relevance in our Christian life. The rainow is God's reminder and promise. It's God's way of reminding us that he put us in charge of this planet. It's also his promise that as long as we do good and take care of our home, he will never hurt us deliberately. What do you think? Is this a good explaination?

Genesis 3-5: Parricide, Progeny, Feminism and the Beginning of Civilization

Chapter 3 -5 covers the first sin, the first murder, and how prolific breeders we humans can be.

I had mixed feelings when I was reading chapter 3. As a story, it's great and as I Christian, I now understand better why God had the banish Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. It's the first chapter that clearly illustrated what sin is, why it's bad, and why going against God's wisdom has serious consequences.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

What I don't like about chapter 3 is how it's often been used to justify treating women like second class citizens. How some men claim that we can never be as good as men because we led men to sin.

I wish that people would see beyond Eve's gender and look at the true message of this chapter. Yes, Eve was used as an intrument as sin but the purpose of this chapter was to show the nature of sin and the consequences of sin. When we doubt God's wisdom, we sin. When we trust our own judgement over God's wisdom, we sin. Regardless of our gender or species (poor snakes), we are all sinners. We're all equal on that aspect. So, misogynists and snake haters, get over it.

The story of Cain and Abel made me wonder. Cain killed Able out of jealousy, because Abel's offerings were favored by God. But if he didn't kill Abel and just let it slide, would he have eventually won God's favor? Or could it be that God saw Cain's murderous intent in his heart and that's why He didn't accept Cain's offering? Makes you think, huh?

The story also reminded me of a story where God's curse on Cain actually made him immortal. Nobody wanted to kill him, afraid of God's wrath. Even Death was afraid to touch him. I think it was a story from the "Twilight Zone".

But if it were me, I'd use that story as a starting point for a graphic novel or TV series. Cain, the first murderer, immortal, seeks redemption by performing good acts. His never-ending effort to seek God's forgiveness and find redemption. Like Constantine, but hopefully with a better actor. What do you think? If any of you do develop a graphic novel or TV series, a little credit would be nice. =)

When I was younger, I did try to read the Bible. I remember I fell asleep reading Genesis chapter 5. It listed the decendants of Adam, how Adam beget Seth beget Enosh beget etc. I admit, this chapter still bored me but now it made more sense. For one, the names were familiar so I knew I'd be seeing them again soon (here's looking at you Noah). I'm also thankful that only the main sons were mentioned. Imagine if all the sons and daughters were listed down. Genesis would need its own library.

Genesis 1-2: Creation, Relativity, Body Issues, and Marriage

The first 2 chapters of Genesis basically talks about creation. We all know that story. What I didn't know was that there are actually 2 accounts on how man was created.

The 1st account is more general. The earth was created in 5 days. Earth's creatures and man were created at the same time, on the 6th day. The reason for this I think was this account serves more to emphasize God's power as shown through creation and the passage of time.

It was the 2nd account that gave greater detail on how Adam and Eve were created. It talked about how the Garden of Eden was actually created for man, after Adam was created. It also discussed in detail how Eve was created, from Adam's rib. Why women are called women, and a woman's place in a man's life.

Image: photouten / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Reading this, I couldn't help but look at it in terms of relativity and how science sometimes is actually reflected in the Bible. The Bible talks about how the entire universe was created in 7 days. We often accept this in a literal sense.

But when you compare both accounts, you can see that time is actually fluid and relative. In the 1 day it took God to create man and woman, a lot has already happened. Adam was able to name all the living created, eat, sleep and explore Eden. Could this be what scientists refer to that the days in creation may actually correspond to the millions of years it took for creatures to evolve and for earth to change into a more habitable place?

Chapter 1 also emphasized a belief that I had for a very long time. We are stewards of the Earth. We do have a responsibility to take care of it. I do what I can but maybe I should work a little harder on taking care of the planet, for me and my family.

Chapter 2 affected me more because it made me reflect on my marriage. Reading it made me appreciate my husband and how wonderful he has been all these years.

Genesis 2:25 touched me in particular because, well, I'm chubby and haven't felt comfortable in my own skin in years.

"And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed."

Despite the fact that I'm chubby, and I have this huge C-section scar on my abdomen, my husband does make me feel beautiful. With him, I feel no shame.

I also appreciated the fact that he works hard on becoming a self-made man. Genesis 2:24.

"Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh."

In our culture as Filipinos, we often cling to our parents (or they cling to us) for far too long. Long after we have jobs and become adults, a lot of us still depend on our parents, financially or otherwise. It would have been easier for my husband to do so.

But instead, he worked at becoming his own man. We're truly building our own family now. Making our own decisions, our own mistakes. Thinking about it scares me but I hope, no, I know that God will guide us. I just have to trust the fact that He'll guide us to where we should go.

What do you think? Do my musings and reflections make sense?

Why I Chose to Blog The Bible

Image: Arvind Balaraman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

For as long as I could remember, I loved reading. I would read anything I could get my hands on. And like most concious readers, I tried to read books that I know would enrich my life.

Sadly, once I had a baby, reading fell by the wayside. As my New Year's mission (we all know resolutions don't work), I've decided to get back in to serious reading again. And my first project, the Bible.

Why the Bible?

1. It's the greatest, best-selling book of all time. It's a shame that I have time to read trashy romance novels but have no time for the greatest book of all time.

2. Numbers. I used to be able to read a paperback in a week. By reading the Bible, I can honestly say I've read 74 books in a year. 74 very small books, but they're books nevertheless.

3. The Real Reason. I want to have a better relationship with God. I want to know his plans for me and the world. Ever since I had a baby, I've become more aware of my mortality and the role I play in this world. I want to raise my child with faith in the Lord. How can I raise her with faith with I don't strengthen my own? By trying to understand God's message, I hope to be a better Christian, a better wife, and mother. And through this blog, I hope to find people who will help me understand this message and share this journey with me.

Without further ado, let's start reading the Bible!