Daily Question Jan. 21

After reading Genesis 1-11, it is clear that the major themes in Genesis are the acquisition of knowledge, its relation to the differentiation between good and evil, and how creation came to be. Genesis also looks at the different types of death that occur while examining sin, giving man knowledge regarding the immortality of God and the natural death of man. In the Cain and Abel story, Cain’s jealousy of his brother’s sacrifice being accepted by God leaves him wanting to gain the knowledge to understand why God has favored his brother’s offering. This idea is very similar to Genesis 3 in which Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, in hope to gain knowledge of the difference between good and evil. Abel’s death through an act of violence shows a possibility of death that opposes Adam’s natural cause of death after living for many years. This reveals to man that all men must die eventually but by very different means and reasoning. 

The story of Noah in Genesis helps shed light on the original sin that is told in Genesis 3. At this time, God has seen that the world is full of violence and evil, a product of the stories of Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel. As a response to this violence, God says he will destroy the earth with a great flood in an attempt to rid the world of violence and evil. Adam, Eve, and Cain have gained the knowledge of evil by disobeying God, which causes God to come to this realization of all that is wrong with the world. However, as mentioned in Kass’s chapter, Noah represents a contrast to the evil in the world; he is a very righteous man who wants to remain with God. Through Noah’s contrast with the knowledge of evil, Noah serves as a model of man in society whose qualities will help one remain in favor with God.