<\/p>\n
Write on the board:\t<\/p>\n
authorship
\nhistoricity
\nnumber symbolism
\ntheme: covenants
\nintertextual readings
\nmoral implications<\/p>\n
Introduction<\/strong> Authorship<\/strong> –The position thru history and of the Church today is that Moses is the author. So there is a disconnect.<\/p>\n –Possibilities: –Discuss how authorship issues affect us when we read. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll assume that your testimony of the restored gospel doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t hinge on how many animals Noah took on the ark! Big point: to some extent it doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t matter\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhat matters is what the text teaches. And be grateful that we have prophets to clarify that!<\/p>\n –Questions or comments?<\/p>\n Historicity<\/strong> –Good reasons to believe it was universal: –Poor reasons to believe it was universal: –Good reasons to believe it was localized: –Poor reasons to believe it was localized: –Cautions with either belief: –To sum: I think a faithful LDS can take either view; I think it is virtually impossible to change someone\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s mind during a SS lesson; I think focusing on making your case can be detrimental to understanding what the story can teach us. <\/p>\n –Questions or comments?<\/p>\n Number Symbolism<\/strong> three\u00e2\u20ac\u201dsymbolizes God (the Godhead has three members) –So when we encounter a number, we have to decide whether it is just a number, just a symbol, or both. Example: when Jesus tells us to forgive 7 * 70, I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think that means you get to punch someone for the 491st infraction. 7 is a symbol for completeness or totality, multiplying symbolizes, well, multiplying, and factors of 10 symbolize \u00e2\u20ac\u02dca lot.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 This means that Jesus is really emphasizing the idea of complete forgiveness.<\/p>\n –A good way to go about trying to decide whether a number is literal, a symbol, or both is to think about other uses of that number in the scriptures.<\/p>\n –One example: It rains for 40 days and 40 nights (7:4). What else are there 40 of in the scriptures? –So: is the 40 days and nights of rain literal, symbolic, or both? If it has a symbolic element, what is it? What do we learn from it?<\/p>\n –I am hesitant to ever dismiss a literal reading without a solid reason.<\/p>\n –There seems to be a symbolic level.<\/p>\n –The references involve a trial, but also God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s care during that trial.<\/p>\n –Other symbolic numbers in the story (seven animals?)?<\/p>\n Theme: Covenants<\/strong> –Notice how in 6:17-18 covenants are set in opposition to destruction.<\/p>\n Intertextual Readings<\/strong> –Parallels to the creation story:<\/p>\n Creation……………………………………………….Flood So: What do we learn from these parallels?<\/p>\n –Noah as Gabriel:<\/p>\n While speaking in 1839 to members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and some Seventies prior to their leaving for missionary service, the Prophet Joseph Smith said: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Noah, who is Gabriel, \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 stands next in authority to Adam in the Priesthood; he was called of God to this office, and was the father of all living in his day, and to him was given the dominion. These men held keys first on earth, and then in heaven.\u00e2\u20ac? . . . After his death, Noah continued his role as a great preacher of righteousness. In his role as the angel Gabriel, he visited Zacharias to announce the birth of John, called the Baptist, and to Mary to announce her calling as mother of the Savior (see Luke 1:18\u00e2\u20ac\u201c19, 26\u00e2\u20ac\u201c27). Less well known is Noah\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s appearance to Daniel to instruct him about the coming of the Messiah in the last days (see Dan. 8:15\u00e2\u20ac\u201c19; Dan. 9:21\u00e2\u20ac\u201c23). <\/em>Joseph B. Romney, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Noah, The Great Preacher of Righteousness,\u00e2\u20ac? Ensign, Feb. 1998, 22<\/p>\n These other activities of Noah\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s are intertextual events. What do they teach us about his role in this story?<\/p>\n –\u00e2\u20ac\u02dcArk\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 is a loanword from Egyptians; it has an underlying meaning of \u00e2\u20ac\u02dccoffin\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 (relative dimensions are about right!) and is the same word used for Moses\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 basket in Ex 2:3,5. (Note that it is not the same word as \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcark\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 of the covenant.) Can we learn anything from comparing Noah\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s ark with Moses\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 ark? Interesting idea of salvation through death; waters are chaos which the Lord or intermediaries (women!) protect us from. <\/p>\n –(If time) Matthew 24:37: What does this mean?<\/p>\n –(If time) Moses 7:32-47: What does Enoch\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s vision add to our understanding of Noah\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s experience?<\/p>\n –If time, read Hebrews 11:7.<\/p>\n –For further study: Ether 2:15-25: The brother of Jared builds a boat. 1 Nephi 17:8-19: Nephi builds a ship. How does he compare with Noah?<\/p>\n –These three boats are the only things in the scriptures besides the temple that has a \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcdivine blueprint.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Why?<\/p>\n Moral Implications<\/strong> (1) God will not allow wickedness to take over. This can be great comfort given current conditions. (Read 1 Nephi 3:7)<\/p>\n (2) Noah\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s obedience is a huge issue in this story. Note that he chose this despite all that was going on around him. (And he probably looked reeeeaaally stupid building a boat that big.) Ask: What is the tipping point in ensuring your own obedience? What makes it hard for you to obey and how do you overcome those things? My thought: focusing on One Specific Thing in Church can let God tell you what you need to know and improve your obedience.<\/p>\n (3) God is the creator and is in control of the creation. Ask: Does knowing this make any concrete difference in your life?<\/p>\n (4) Idea of the \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcrighteous remnant\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 (also Lehi\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s people, etc.) They will be preserved by God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hand. Ask: Do we think of ourselves this way? Should we?<\/p>\n (5) Note that this story is all about the wicked but they are barely mentioned. Why? (Maybe because we are supposed to identify with Noah.)<\/p>\n (6) Preparedness\u00e2\u20ac\u201dspiritual and temporal. Note that the whole reason this happens is because some people were not spiritually prepared, but the key to surviving it is temporal preparedness as well:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We all need to build a personal ark, to fortify ourselves against this rising tide of evil, to protect ourselves and our families against the floodwaters of iniquity around us. And we shouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t wait until it starts raining, but prepare in advance. This has been the message of all the prophets in this dispensation, including President Hunter, as well as the prophets of old. Unfortunately we don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t always heed the clear warnings of our prophets. We coast complacently along until calamity strikes, and then we panic. When it starts raining, it is too late to begin building the ark. However, we do need to listen to the Lord\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s spokesmen. We need to calmly continue to move ahead and to prepare for what will surely come. We need not panic or fear, for if we are prepared, spiritually and temporally, we and our families will survive any flood. Our arks will float on a sea of faith if our works have been steadily and surely preparing for the future. The key is to accept the invitation of our prophet, whom we sustained this morning, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153to live with ever more attention to the life and example of the Lord Jesus Christ, especially the love and hope and compassion He displayed\u00e2\u20ac? <\/em>–W. Don Ladd, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Make Thee an Ark,\u00e2\u20ac? Ensign, Nov. 1994, 28<\/p>\n Conclusion<\/strong>
\nBecause this is the first story that we study from the OT and because pretty much everyone is already familiar with it, it is a good opportunity to explore some issues that come up repeatedly in the study of the OT. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll look at several big issues and consider how they apply to our study of the flood.<\/p>\n
\n–Read 6:19 and 7:2. There are many small differences in the OT and this is how scholars explain them: The Documentary Hypothesis (i.e. JEPD). I am explaining this because you are very likely to encounter it since it is presupposition of virtually all OT scholarship\u00e2\u20ac\u201deven the kind that makes it into Newsweek.<\/p>\n
\n(1) JEPD may be flat wrong (one of its weaknesses is that at some point an editor thought 6:19 and 7:2 could exist together, so why couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t an author have thought this?)
\n(2) Traditional history could be wrong in ascribing it to Moses.
\n(3) Some middle ground. Many possibilities: either many texts before Moses and he was the editor, or Moses writes an original that goes through many other editors after him, or in bulk it is all Moses\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 with small exceptions inserted or deleted by others (i.e., end of Deut described Moses\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 death).<\/p>\n
\n–The big question is: Did the flood really<\/em> happen?<\/p>\n
\n(1) more natural reading of Genesis 7:19-21
\n(2) better to err on the side of literal readings
\n(3) traditional reading; no church leader has taught otherwise and most seem to assume that it is literal
\n(4) issue of earth\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s baptism<\/p>\n
\n(1) because the scriptures must always be read literally
\n(2) because traditional readings are always right<\/p>\n
\n(1) \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcearth\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 in Heb. Also means \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcland\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 (cf. Genesis 4:14\u00e2\u20ac\u201dCain wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t kicked off the planet!)
\n(2) Nibley said that the story was literally true from Noah\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s perspective, which explains above data points
\n(3) Moses 7:52 makes no sense unless people besides Noah\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s lineage survived the flood because Noah is the great-grandson of Enoch
\n(4) several \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcparlor tricks\u00e2\u20ac\u2122: extraterrestrial water, keeping those animals alive and fed, etc.
\n(5) Elder John A. Widstoe (an apostle and a scientist) suggested that a heavy, all-over rain could constitute immersion for purposes of flood and baptism, which suggests a willingness to tweak the story
\n(6) this story isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t mentioned by prophets much at all, and the baptism angle gets very little attention; plus, would it have to be full immersion?
\n(7) it agrees with science<\/p>\n
\n(1) Because it couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have really happened. (I believe in a God who can raise the dead\u00e2\u20ac\u201da flood is small potatoes.)<\/p>\n
\n(1) cause of contention in Sunday School
\n(2) spending time justifying your view instead of working out \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcthe moral of the story\u00e2\u20ac\u2122
\n(3) assuming that it matters
\n(4) assuming that the other side is apostate or fundie nuts
\n(5) assuming that you are right (i.e., being unteachable)<\/p>\n
\n–The idea that a number could be symbolic is very foreign for us, very normal for the Hebrews.<\/p>\n
\nfour\u00e2\u20ac\u201dsymbolizes the Earth (see Isaiah 11:12, Ezekiel 7:2, and Jeremiah 49:36)
\nfive\u00e2\u20ac\u201dsymbolizes the Law of Moses (the five books of Moses)
\nseven\u00e2\u20ac\u201dsymbolizes completeness or perfection (seven days in the Creation week)
\nten\u00e2\u20ac\u201dsymbolizes the Law of Moses (Ten Commandments, tithing)
\ntwelve\u00e2\u20ac\u201dsymbolizes all of Israel (twelve tribes)<\/p>\n
\n(a) period of embalming (Gen 50:3)
\n(b) children of Israel in wilderness (Ex 16:35)
\n(c) Moses on mount with Lord, fasting (Ex 24:18)
\n(d) spies in land of Canaan (Num 13:25)
\n(e) Jesus fasts (Matt 4:2)
\n(f) Jesus with disciples after his death (Acts 1:3)<\/p>\n
\n–Read 9:8-13 and discuss. (Note that \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcbow\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 means hunting bow. What is the suggestion?) <\/p>\n
\n–Number symbolism is a special type of this, but there are many others. This is one of the best ways of getting more out of the scriptures.<\/p>\n
\n1:2\tthe deeps (tehom)………………………….7:11 the deeps (tehom)
\n1:2\tthe wind………………………………………..8:1\tthe wind
\n1:6-7 splitting of waters……………………………7:11 reuniting of waters
\n1:14 rhythm of nature……………………………..8:22 rhythm of nature fixed
\n1:26-27 create humanity………………………….6:7 wipe out humanity
\n1:28\tdivine blessing……………………………….9:7\tdivine blessing
\n1:11-12, 21, 24-25 classification of animals…..6:20, 7:14 classification of animals
\n1:29-30 provisioning of food…………………….6:21\tprovisioning of food
\n1:28\tdivine blessing\t………………………………9:7\tdivine blessing
\n[Please forgive funky formatting and if you know how to do charts in WordPress, lemme know.]<\/em><\/p>\n
\nAsk: What moral lessons do you learn from this story? My thoughts:<\/p>\n
\nThis story is a good example of a precious treasure from the OT\u00e2\u20ac\u201dis needs special handling, but will yield great things. We should be aware of some of the critical issues, but they need not be the focus of our study. When we focus on what the text teaches (regardless of who wrote it or how literal it is), we learn that God protects those who are true and faithful. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,51,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2890","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-corn","category-lessons-all","category-sunday-school-lesson-book-of-mormon"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2890","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2890"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2890\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5568,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2890\/revisions\/5568"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2890"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2890"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2890"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}