UNIT 3 The Early World of Genesis Lessons in This Unit Connection to the ӹ Lesson 1: Exploring the Early World Catechism of the of Genesis with Sacred Art Catholic Church ӹ Lesson 2: The Story of Creation ӹ Lesson 3: Adam and Eve Lesson 1 ӹ Lesson 4: Cain and Abel ӹ 753-757, 760-761, 845, 1219 ӹ Lesson 5: Noah and the Great Flood Lesson 2 Scripture Studied in This Unit ӹ 279-361, 1147, 2169- ӹ Genesis 1:1-3:24 2172, 2402 ӹ Genesis 4:1-22 Lesson 3 ӹ Genesis 5:3 ӹ 374-379, 388-389, 396- ӹ Genesis 6:5-22 406, 410-412 ӹ Genesis 8:20 Lesson 4 ӹ Genesis 9:9-10 ӹ 901, 1849-1850, 1865, Genesis 7:1-24 ӹ 2099-2100 ӹ Genesis 8:1-22 ӹ Genesis 9:1-17 Lesson 5 ӹ 56-58, 71, 338, 845, ӹ Genesis 9:8-17 1094, 1219 ӹ Numbers 3:5-8 ӹ Psalm 8:4-6 ӹ Luke 21:3-4 ӹ Acts 22:16 ӹ Romans 7:15 ӹ 1 Peter 3:19-21 ӹ 1 John 4:7, 20-21 UNIT 3 OVERVIEW 193 Introduction rom the very beginning, God has desired we are free to read the story of creation Ffor the human race to come together in according to the plain meaning of the a loving relationship with each other and words on the page, it is unlikely. Rather, with Him. God created mankind with this the story of creation communicates to us truth inscribed into the human body, as important truths about God, ourselves, and male and female. He ordered the universe our relationship to God and each other. in such a way as to be a place for the We learn that God is all-powerful if He covenant between humanity and God to created all that exists. We learn that He be lived, a Temple of creation. And in this is all-knowing, because if all things came Temple, man was to be its priest and king, from Him, there is nothing that He does not prophets who speak for God as His beloved know. We learn that He transcends or goes children, who as male and female give and beyond His creation, and yet is intimately receive as spouses the very love that is God. involved in His creation. We learn that we are made in God’s image and likeness, Unfortunately, sin distorted this idyllic which means that out of all of creation, we picture. While God’s plan has never are unique and possess the breath of God changed, our ability to play our role in it within us, which makes us capable of freely was severely damaged by the Original Sin giving and receiving love. We were made as of Adam and Eve, which is transmitted to male and female, in God’s image, with these all human beings. It became necessary for very realities written into our very bodies, us to be saved from the destructiveness and brought together as one flesh to make of sin. And so, God enacted His plan of the love of God a reality on earth. salvation in human history, by which He gradually and in stages, and in words and deeds revealed Himself to us in order to Our Original Parents redeem us from sin. In Jesus Christ, God Adam and Eve were created into and fully revealed Himself and accomplished enjoyed Original Justice: there was no the work of salvation on the Cross and by suffering or death, and there was peace and the Resurrection, defeating sin and death. harmony between them and all creation. In the Church, established by Christ, we When they fell into the temptation of receive the salvation of Christ in this age the devil and at the forbidden fruit, through the Sacraments. their disobedience and rejection of God constituted the Original Sin. Suffering and In the Beginning… death entered the world, and the unity between Heaven and earth was broken. Scripture tells us that God created all Humanity’s likeness to God became that is, the “heavens and the earth” in six distorted. God punished Adam and Eve days, and rested on the seventh. While 194 © SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS This first murder led to diverging lines in the human race: those who sought to follow God, and those who followed their own wicked desires and sinfulness. The First Mourning, by William-Adolphe Bouguereau with the natural consequences of their Eventually, the two lines merged into one, actions, and He placed enmity between the and sin had engulfed the entire human serpent and the woman for all time, while family. at the same time promising that He would send His son, the “offspring of the woman,” A New Beginning to “strike at the head” of the serpent, and defeat sin and death once and for all God sought to destroy the wickedness (Genesis 3:15). of the human race by sending the Great Flood to wash away the sin on the earth. Noah alone remained faithful to God. And Sin and Death so, God told Noah to build an ark, to be a Sin infected the entire human race, as microcosm of all of creation, to be saved evidenced in the next generation of human from the destruction of the Flood in order beings. Cain killed Abel out of envy and to build a new creation, to begin again. God spite. Abel offered God the best of his entered into a new covenant with Noah, work while Cain offered his leftovers as an much the same as the first with Adam and afterthought. God accepted Abel’s offering, Eve. The Flood in essence “baptized” the but Cain’s he did not, encouraging him to earth, so that it could begin anew, through do better. Instead, Cain murdered his own Noah and his family. In this way, much like brother. This first murder led to diverging we all begin our walk along the path of lines in the human race: those who sought salvation with the sacrament of Baptism, to follow God, and those who followed God began to enact His plan of salvation in their own wicked desires and sinfulness. Salvation History. UNIT 3 OVERVIEW 195 Connections to New York Religion Guidelines Core Content Prayer and Worship ӹ The Old Testament begins with the ӹ Dramatize some significant events of Book of Genesis. Some important Genesis. stories in this book are: • The story of creation which Christian Living emphasizes that from nothing God ӹ We appreciate and respect all of God’s made all things good, to reveal God’s visible creation. We recognize the goodness and to form a single web goodness of every living creature, and of life. The story of creation also we respect the integrity of the whole shows that man and woman were of creation. We treat each human life formed in God’s image and likeness. as sacred because human beings are • The story of the fall of Adam and created to share by knowledge and love Eve, which conveys the truth of in God’s own life. our sinfulness and recounts God’s ӹ We are to use our gift of free will to promise of redemption make choices which are good. Jesus • The story of Noah and the Flood, offers us His Spirit who assists us in which illustrates the destructiveness making these choices. of sin and God’s determination to ӹ We experience the destructiveness of save us. sin in our own lives and in the world through the many manifestations of violence, injustice and evil which deprive people of their rights and dignity, and bring about ecological disasters. 196 © SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS Vocabulary ӹ The Church ӹ Priest ӹ Original Justice ӹ Salvation ӹ Prophet ӹ Concupiscence ӹ Creation ӹ King ӹ Nahash ӹ Ex nihilo ӹ Son/Daughter of God ӹ Protoevangelium ӹ Omnipotent ӹ Spouse ӹ Cain and Abel ӹ Omniscient ӹ Shamar ӹ Sin ӹ Transcendent ӹ Dominion ӹ Immutable ӹ Infinite ӹ Navi ӹ The Great Flood ӹ Leisure ӹ Original Sin ӹ Covenant Pacing Guide Note Aim to begin presenting Unit 3 in September. UNIT 3 OVERVIEW 197 Notes ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ 198 © SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS Exploring the Early World of Genesis with Sacred Art UNIT 3, LESSON 1 Learning Goals Connection to the ӹ God has always desired