Boys, Brews and Bible - March 27th 2023

Current Study - Children’s Bible Stories NSFW Version

We are back after a bit of a delay! (Sorry for that) Over the last couple of weeks we have started exploring the familiar Bible stories we heard as kids, but including all the bits that get left out. It has been a fun ride so far! The Bible is so much bigger, more mysterious and life giving than we imagine. But it takes some work on our part to peel back the layers. You will get out what you are willing to put in. Let’s continue to wade into the deep waters together.

Theology on Tap: Noah and the Flood

Last week we finally discussed the flood story, here are some key takeaways:

• The Noah story is not the only ancient flood story - Many ancient cultures actually have flood stories of their own - we looked at the stories of Atrahasis (Assyrian Story) and Gilgamesh (Babylonian Story)

  • As we saw both these stories share similarities with the flood story found in Genesis and most likely came before the story in Genesis.

  • This tells us there was likely some type of catastrophic flood event in the Ancient Near East - many scholars believe around 2900 BCE

  • Many cultures gave different reasons for why this event took place - but all of them had some sort of divine source as the reason

  • It is important again to put our ancient lenses when we read stories like this and remember that ancient writers weren’t particularly concerned with the what but the why an event like this took place.

• For ancient peoples including the Israelites, the point was to use the flood as a platform to talk about how they saw the world and their place in it. And for the Israelites it became a way to talk about their God, and how he was different from other all the other gods, and why He alone was worthy of their devotion.

• But this story is still hard to reconcile with the “God who so loved the world that He gave his only Son”. What are we to make of this"?

  For ancient Israel as for other ancient people a cataclysmic flood had to be explained somehow. And Israel’s account is no more “historically accurate” than the others, but it does tell us some interesting and important things about how they understood God and the place of humanity in God’s world by way of contrast with other cultures around them.

  Their God isn’t petty, he isn’t moody, but he has standards that humans who were made in His likeness are meant to uphold. As the story tells us “every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually”

• This is the reason given for the flood - Israel’s theological explanation for this catastrophe. It was God’s response to human failure, the failure to reflect God in the world as image bearers.

• God wipes the slate clean and starts over with Noah - notice the similar language in this part of the story with language used in the creation story(ies) in Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 - Starting in Genesis 6:9 - there are echos of creation and Adam - in day 1 of creation we read of a “deep” a chaotic mass of water that makes the cosmos uninhabitable and on day 2 God divides the waters (above and below) and creates a dome to keep chaotic waters above from crashing back down on the earth .

  In Genesis 7:11 we read all the fountains of the great “deep” (the same Deep God’s spirit hovered over in Genesis 1:2) burst forth and the windows of the heavens were opened”

  The order that God established on day 2 is reversed in the days of Noah - God re-introduces chaos - returning the cosmos to what it once was - formless and void - The message here if God’s creation behaves in a chaotic disorderly way - God will unleash the forces of chaos and wipe the slate clean to introduce a new order.

  So as morally unnerving as this may seem to us today - this answer to the why question fits with the larger story at play so far and makes sense as a response to the flood from an ancient people.

  God the commands Noah to be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and dominate the rest of creation (Genesis 9:1-2) which of course is the same directive given by God in Genesis 1:28

Devotional Thought for the week:

You are Enough

In a world that constantly tells us we are not enough, it can be easy to believe the lie that we need to do more, be more, or achieve more in order to be accepted or loved. But the truth is that we are enough, simply because we are created in the image of God. We don't need to strive for perfection or earn anyone's approval. Instead, we can rest in the knowledge that we are loved and accepted just as we are. As Psalm 139:14 reminds us, we are fearfully and wonderfully made by our Creator, who loves us unconditionally. Let us take comfort in this truth and live our lives with confidence, knowing that we are enough in God's eyes.

Prayer Focus

Let us pray that we may internalize the truth that we are enough and that we don't need to strive for perfection or earn anyone's approval. May we rest in the knowledge that we are fearfully and wonderfully made by our Creator, who loves us unconditionally. May we live our lives with confidence, knowing that we are enough in God's eyes. Amen.

Bible Study Genesis 12-22 - Looking ahead to next week: Joseph here we come - but first some context

As kids we are often taught these stories like they are moral fables, skipping from one story to the next without the context in between. Genesis is not written like a collection of fables - it is an interconnected story.

As we gear up to tackle the Joseph story we must first traverse the stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

• Discussion Questions:

• As you read through these chapters - remember what has come before - The story of Israel is set against a pretty dark backdrop where the world is clearly off

• How does this backdrop inform what you are reading in Genesis 12-22?

• What details are included and what seem to be left out? As a modern reader what blanks do you wish were filled in?

Resources to Drink in:

Beer Review:

Beer Review: Roughtail Brewing's Weiss Weiss Baby

Roughtail Brewing's Weiss Weiss Baby is a refreshing and crisp German-style hefeweizen. The beer pours a hazy, golden color with a fluffy white head. The aroma is bursting with notes of banana, clove, and wheat.

On the palate, the beer is smooth and lively with a medium-light body. The flavors follow the nose, with a pleasant blend of banana, clove, and wheat. There is a slight tartness that balances the sweetness of the banana, making it a very drinkable beer.

This beer pairs well with a variety of foods, but it's particularly delicious with a classic German dish like schnitzel. The crispness of the beer cuts through the richness of the dish, while the banana and clove notes complement the flavors of the meat and breading.

Overall, Roughtail Brewing's Weiss Weiss Baby is a fantastic example of a German-style hefeweizen. It's perfect for a hot summer day or paired with a hearty meal. Highly recommended!

A Toast

Huge thank you for being a part of this community! May God bless you and keep you, may He make His face to shine upon you and give you peace this week. You have got this and God has got you! Go crush it this week!

Cheers,

Clete