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| Yahweh El in
Hebrew, using the personal covenantal name that God will reveal to Moses in the Exodus). God’s Covenant Relationship with His People The concept of covenant and oath is foundational for understanding God’s relationship with his people. A covenant was made by swearing an oath of fidelity, which often included an animal sacrifice as a witness to the fidelity sworn. Faithfulness to this oath brought blessings while infidelity brought curses upon the one who was unfaithful. Additionally, making a covenant could include the sharing of a covenant meal and a sign marking the covenant. To enter into a covenant is to enter into a family relationship; to enter into a covenant with God is to enter into the divine family of the Most Holy Trinity. Throughout Scripture, by means of a series of covenants, God expands his family until he establishes the “new and everlasting covenant” in his Son Jesus Christ and pours out his Holy Spirit in baptism. When we read this poem on its own terms, sensitive to the logic and symbolism of its metaphorical imagery, we cannot miss the pervasive theme of worship. What at first appears to some as a primitive account of the cosmos with a dome and pillars turns out to be a sophisticated metaphor depicting all of creation as a cosmic temple in which God sets his “image” ( selem)—man and woman, preeminent among creation in expressing God and his kingship. This metaphor culminates in the seventh day, a day marking God’s covenant with creation, set aside for worship and rest from work. In other words, the imagery of cosmic p 12 temple and the image or icon of the One to be worshiped is sealed by the seventh day, the day for worship. And all of this happens in the context of a creation story that tears down false and demeaning pagan ideas about both God and man. To hear this story within its own poetic meter, our ears must be re-tuned to catch the subtleties of the poetic language that seeks to capture the grandeur of a God who calls the world into existence for no other reason than his gratuitous love ( Catechism No. 293). A CT 2: T HE F ALL Two Complementary Stories The first creation story is a majestic poem that paints, in broad strokes, the creation of the entire world, with God saving his best work for last: the creation of man and woman at the story’s climax. Given such a complete picture, most modern readers are a bit surprised to find yet another creation story. Even more perplexing is that this second story, using a very different style, gives a quite different ordering of events than the first. This raises the obvious question: “Why begin Genesis with two stories of creation, especially if they seem to be at odds with one another?” Insight into ancient Hebrew storytelling techniques has led to a newfound appreciation for the sophistication of biblical narratives. For example, Jewish scholar Canaan Brichto suggests that the juxtaposition of two stories was not an uncommon occurrence in ancient biblical narratives. Brichto calls this the “synoptic-resumptive” technique, in which the first story looks at the big picture in a brief overview (“synoptic”), while the second story resumes (“resumptive”) and retells the first in more detail, focusing on its climactic elements. The two stories each have a distinct focal point, working together like a camera that uses one lens for a panoramic big picture and another to zoom in for a close-up. The two stories, although strikingly different in perspective, are complementary and belong together, just as the different perspectives of the camera create a sense of greater focus and interest. tải về 6.33 Mb. Chia sẻ với bạn bè của bạn:
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