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Lesson OneThe God of the Old Testament: Problem, Approach, and Context3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson TwoJoshua: Narrative and Legal Context3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson ThreeJoshua and Jericho, Part I3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson FourJoshua and Jericho, Part II3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson FiveJoshua and Jericho, Part III3 Activities1 Assessment
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Course Wrap-UpCourse Completion1 Activity1 Assessment
Participants 113
Discussion Questions
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Explain, in your own words, what the story of the flood in Genesis reveals about God’s nature.
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It shows that God hates violence and that he is pure and holy and that there are moral laws. Even without having a written law at this time, God expects people to love each other and to treat each other fairly and just. The story of the flood shows that God will not tolerate sin forever on earth. Sin grieves Him and it hurts him that people commit violence against each other. It also shows that He is a merciful God who is willing to give humankind another chance. The Ultimate opportunity is the sacrifice that God made when he became flesh in the person of Jesus the Christ.
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Justice in the sense that sin and lawlessness will be punished. New “creation” in the sense that God destroyed the corrupted flesh that was on the earth and started again with Noah and his family. Mercy in the sense that God had to put an end to the violence and corruption on the earth before mankind wound up destroying themselves. Covenant relationship in the sense that God started with promises made to Noah and his family (will never destroy the earth again in a flood).
What seems missed in the questions about God’s justification for sending the flood is the demand for justice upon evil, corruption and violence. What is missed is the depravity of what existed during the pre-flood days. People do not want to believe that people can be that depraved and sinful. How much “blood that cries from the ground” needed to occur before a punishment? The “blood crying” is a symbol of the soul crying for its right to live (Lange).
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God is bent on preserving his good world. When he recognizes that humanity is bent upon its own destruction, he cleanses the earth and begins a covenant with a human partner. This act of renewal is fundamental to God’s nature.
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God intended the flood for good to accomplish the saving of mankind. He HAD to act to preserve the human race. He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7) yet gives mankind free will in their lives but at times, in grace, He will act to guide us along the best pathway for our lives and for His purposes in us.
In this wickedness we see the footprint of satan, the work of destroying God’s creation. God had to act to save us, just as He had to act through Jesus to save the world. -
The story shows the holiness and love of God. Mankind was totally evil and destroying itself. God stepped in to preserve a righteous man and his family to continue the human race. Though things seem one way to us, God always does right.
