In this class period, I learned a lot about Genesis. I found this session very interesting because in the past I have only learned about the Bible from faith teachers at my school, so they taught me to think of the Bible in a very specific way and believe everything without question. I liked getting to talk about Genesis in this class because it allowed me to think of the book in a more critical light.
For example, in class, we talked about the Tower of Babel and what this could have meant. In high school, I was always taught that the Tower of Babel was a real tower in which people were trying to reach the Heavens because of their selfishness and greed. However, in class, we were told that the author is poking fun at an unfinished Zigguraut and is writing a form of fable to explain why this tower is unfinished and language. I appreciate this new view of the Biblical story as it allowed me to think differently about something that I have learned about for seven years of school.
Similarly, I appreciated the conversation we had about Abraham and why God told him to sacrifice Isaac. The story was meant to discourage people from sacrificing their children, so God tested Abraham’s belief and trust in Him and then gave him a sacrifice to offer in place of Isaac. I think this interpretation of the story makes God seem less like a puppet master and more in control because He is trying to show that He wants people of Abraham’s time to stop sacrificing their children. I am glad we took a critical understanding of Genesis today as it helped me better understand the book as a whole.