First Quarter

First Things

SEPTEMBER 1, 2013–NOVEMBER 24, 2013

The lessons for September, October, and November focus on God's creative work as seen in stories found in Genesis and Exodus. The sessions from Genesis begin with the creation of the world and of humanity in God's own image, and then go on to trace God's creation of a nation founded upon Abraham and Sarah. The lessons from Exodus explore how God prepares and liberates their heirs from slavery in Egypt.

In the five sessions of Unit 1, "First Days," we will explore Israel's earliest stories in Genesis 1–11. These sessions delve into God's role as the Creator of nature, humanity, and a covenant community. Psalm 104:5-9, 24-30 sets the stage on September 1 for the fall quarter by exalting the handiwork of God in a session titled "God Creates." On September 8 we discover more about God's creation of humanity by studying "God's Image: Male and Female" as presented in Genesis 2:18-25. The session for September 15 from Genesis 3:8b-17 investigates the consequences of choices in "Knowledge of Good and Evil." After destroying the earth with a flood, God makes "An Everlasting Covenant" with all creation, according to Genesis 9:8-17, the lesson Scripture for September 22. The first unit concludes on September 29 with a discussion of the story of the tower of Babel from Genesis 11:1-9 in which "God Scatters the Nations."

"First Nation," a four-session unit from Genesis 12–35, considers the promises that God made to Abraham concerning heirs and land, and demonstrates how these promises continue to be fulfilled over several generations. God's covenant with Abraham that includes "A Promise of Land" is the core of the session for October 6 from Genesis 15:7-21. On October 13 we learn from Genesis 17:15-17; 18:9-15; 21:1-7 that with the birth of Isaac God has kept "A Promise to Sarah." The sibling rivalry and ultimately "A Blessing for Ishmael and Isaac" is explored on October 20 as we survey lesson Scripture from Genesis 21:12b-14, 17-21; 26:2-5, 12-13. The second unit closes on October 27 with "The Blessing Passes to Jacob," which looks at Genesis 28:1, 10-22.

Over the course of four sessions from Exodus, Unit 3, "First Freedom," examines the power of God to save the Hebrew people from oppression. God raises up Moses as a leader, delivers the people from slavery, and guides them as they start life as a freed nation. On November 3, we will read Exodus 3:7-17 to hear God's call to Moses to lead the people out of Egypt and his response in "Preparation for Deliverance." Exodus 12:1-14, the lesson Scripture for November 10, describes the "Beginning of Passover," which God instituted to help the people to remember and celebrate their liberation from Pharaoh. Moving from despair to deliverance the Israelites experience the "Beginning of Freedom" as recorded in Exodus 14:21-30, the Scripture lesson for November 17. On November 24 the third unit ends with an exploration of Exodus 40:16-30, 34, 38, which reports on the "Beginning of the Tabernacle."

Meet Our Writer

DR. JEROME F. D. CREACH

Jerome F. D. Creach is the Robert C. Holland Professor of Old Testament at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (PTS) where he has taught since 2000. Before accepting his current post he taught at Barton College in Wilson, N.C. (1994–2000), the College of William & Mary (1993–94), and the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond (1991–92). In addition to his work at PTS, Dr. Creach preaches and teaches frequently in churches in the Pittsburgh area. He has also taught and lectured at many retreat centers, churches, and other academic institutions.

Creach earned his Ph.D. at Union Presbyterian Theological Seminary (formerly Union Theological Seminary in Virginia) in 1994. His work there focused on the Book of Psalms. He has published three books on the Psalms: Yahweh as Refuge and the Editing of the Hebrew Psalter (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic, 1996); Psalms (Interpretation Bible Studies; Louisville: Geneva, 1998); The Destiny of the Righteous in the Psalms (St. Louis: Chalice, 2008). He has also written a commentary on the Book of Joshua in the series Interpretation: A Commentary for Teaching and Preaching (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2003) and a book on violence in the Bible for the series Interpretation: Resources for the Use of Scripture in the Church (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, forthcoming). He is an active member of the Society of Biblical Literature and the Catholic Biblical Association.

Dr. Creach is a Minister of the Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). He is married to Page L. D. Creach, who is pastor of United Presbyterian Church in Freeport, Pennsylvania. They have two children, Adair, who is a student at the College of Wooster, and Davis, age eleven. In his spare time Dr. Creach enjoys hiking, camping, and fishing. He is an avid fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Big Picture: Creation

The theme of this series of lessons is "creation" with an emphasis on "first things." Most of the lessons come from the books of Genesis and Exodus, with one lesson from Psalm 104, a beautiful hymn about God as creator. In addition to passages that deal directly with creation, the lessons include passages about God's call of Abraham and God's rescue of Abraham's descendants from slavery in Egypt. The passages about Abraham and the Exodus may not seem to belong under the rubric of creation. A close reading of these passages, however, shows that God chose Abraham and Sarah to help fulfill God's intention to bless all humankind. The Exodus story also is told with creation language; Pharaoh appears as the anti-creator, one who opposes what God intended in creation. Therefore, God's battle with Pharaoh and the Egyptians is really an attempt to maintain the stability of creation and to continue to bless all people. Hence, the theme of creation rightly serves as the unifying subject of these lessons.

God Creates

The first unit of lessons includes Psalm 104 and selected passages from Genesis 1–11. To understand what these...