Module 2 Gods Saving 2

GEC RE 001
GOD’S SAVING ACTIONS IN HISTORY, OUR STORY: FROM ABRAHAM TO JESUS

Prepared by: Jestony B. Amtar, Wilmar B. Cachin, Ronnie B. Viray
Module 2
MIDTERM
(Weeks 3 & 4)
Introduction
This module is the continuation of the previous module, consisting of two units. The two units in
this module are also the continuation of units 1 & 2 in the previous module. This module covers
the topics such as The Divine Revelation and Stages of Revelation which are under Unit 3 and
Genesis’ Account of Creation and God’s Plan of Salvation under Unit 4.
UNIT 1
GENESIS ACCOUNT CREATION
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this module, you are expected to:
THIS MODULE IS FOR THE EXCLUSIVE USE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF LA SALETTE, INC. ANY FORM OF
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JESTONY B. AMTAR, WILMAR B. CACHIN, RONNIE B. VIRAY
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1. Give and
explain the
causes of
temptation
committed by Adam and Eve.
2. Develop their own story of creation based from the creation account from the Book of
Genesis.
1. Identify and explain the key points of creation story in relation to their life.
2. Understand and explain their being created as an image and likeness of God.
3. Understand and appreciate their having a dignity as rooted in their being an image and
likeness of God.
4. Explain the cause of the fall of the first parents.
5. Identify and understand what sin is and its consequences to man’s life.
TOPIC 1
CREATION AND THE FALL OF MAN
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Some theories about the creation of the world:
Pantheism – everything is God.
aGnosticism – the world comes from and returns to God, and Is inherently evil.
Dualism/Manichaeism – permanent conflict of good and evil.
Deism – God made the world and then left it to itself.
Materialism – world is an interplay of matter that has always existed
Creation Story: Fundamental Belief
 The world was created for the glory of God
 God is the author and origin of life. He created the world in wisdom and love. Gen 1-2, CCC
279-354
 The universe is not by chance. He created the universe out of nothing. CCC 290, 296, 318
 Creation has its good origin (versus the idea that reality as dual nature: good and evil), CCC
339-342
 God created a visible and an invisible world
 Man was created according to His image and likeness
 Man and woman: the summit of the Creator’s work. Because of this, human has three essential
qualities:
 sanctity of human life,
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 dignity
of
human
labor;
 sacredness of family love
 union of body and soul
 Man and woman have been created and willed by God: in perfect equality as human persons,
yet in their respective beings as man and woman.
 By nature, we are God’s creatures and servants and are given sanctity of life, dignity of labor
and sacredness of family love, so we can live, work and love like God. Gen 1:26-27
 Creation is not yet complete, but in a journey towards perfection.
 Fall of Man: Disobedience and Pride
 Sin is an abuse of the freedom God has given to man. Because we have the freedom to choose
“not God”, sin enters the world. Sin causes a break in our relationship with God.
 Because we have the freedom to choose “not God”, sin enters the world. Sin causes a break in
our relationship with God.
 The commandment: Thou shall not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
 God made a covenant with man in creation: a sacred kinship bond having blessings and curses,
rights and responsibilities (“[God] invited them to intimate communion with himself and
clothed them with resplendent grace and justice).
 Consequences of Adam’s and Eve’s Sin
 They lost God’s divine life – spiritual death
 Disharmony enters their relationship with each other, with
 creation and in their ability to control their own faculties
 They are wounded with ignorance, malice, concupiscence
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 and
hardship
(e.g. pain
in
childbirth and toil in work)
 They are subject to suffering and death
 They are cast out of Paradise
 Fallen human nature is wounded, not intrinsically corrupted
 Baptism “washes” away original sin, imparts God’s divine life and begins to heal the wounds
of original sin.
*Read Genesis Narrative: Genesis 1:1-30, Genesis 2:4-25
In the Old testament, The Genesis account of creation does not attempt to provide scientific
explanation or information of the origin of the world, but it gives us the truth that there is only
one God who is the source of everything. He created everything, and everything. He created is
good. The greatest of his creation is man whom He made in His own image and likeness.
Man is created in the Image and Likeness of God
Then God said, “ Let us make man in our image

and likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the
sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock,
over all the earth , and all over the creatures that
moves along the ground. “ So God created man in
his own image, in the image of God He created
Him; male and female He created them.
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The highest
point of
God’s
creation is
man: “ created in God’s image and likeness…”does not mean equal to God. But it says that God
gives man the spiritual power of thinking and willing similar to His own mind and will. In
humanity God has developed a being that is capable of developing a personal, spiritual
relationship with Him. In all of creation, we alone have been blessed with this wonderful ability
and opportunity to have a unique personal spiritual relationships that bonds us with God.
Read CFC # 310-346, CCC # 279-379
*CCC Catechism for Catholic Church, CFC Catechism for Filipino Catholic
Read Genesis 3; 4; 6:5-7:24; 11
The account describes in figurative language how man and woman began to turn away from
God in disobedience and pride and its consequences for humanity. This is a biblical religious
explanation of the presence of sin in human history and the experience of evil and suffering in
the world. The account of the fall if full of symbolism: The tree of life, The tree of the
knowledge of good and evil, the fruit, the serpent, etc.
Genesis
What the book of Genesis present to us, then, is the story of the Fall of human race within God’s
plan of creation and redemption. Genesis is describes, how at the origin of our human race, man
and woman turned away from God their creator in disobedience and pride, thus rejecting God’s
friendship. They wanted to be “ like God “ ( Gn. 3:5 ), but “without God, ahead of God and not
according to God “ ( CCC 398 )
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Behind the
disobedient
choice by
our first
parents, Scripture and Church Tradition see imaged in “the serpent” (Gn.3:1-5), an evil forced
called “Satan” or the “devil.” Jesus himself was tempted by the devil (Mat. 4:1-11) whom he
called “ murderer from the beginning . a liar and the father of lies.” ( Jn.8:44) The devil and the
other demons were indeed created naturally good by God, but they become evil their own doing.
Scripture give witness to the disastrous influence of these created personal being called also
“fallen angels.” Their power is limited by the providence of God who makes “all things work
together for the good of those who have been called according to his purpose.”( rom.8:28)
(CCC391-39500
In rebelling against God, man and woman destroyed their original harmony with:
Each other (“they realized they were naked”)
Others ( Cain murdered his brother Abel)
The community ( Tower of Babel )
Nature (“ cursed be the ground )
Finally, since man and his wife were not excluded from partaking the fruit of the tree of
Life(Gen.3:22-24) death will be theirs, “For you are dirt, and to dirt you shall return” (Ge.3:19)
The Genesis narrative presents three moments with which we are all very familiar:
temptation, sin and judgment. But we must not imagine that the author of genesis was somehow
present in the Garden of Eden. Rather his account is a divinely inspired interpretation of the
situation of sin in the world of his own day. Where did all this evil come from/ What is the origin
of this condition of universal sinfulness? ( CCC 401 )
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The Genesis
narrative of
“The Fall” is
the inspired
Scriptural response to this fundamental human question of every age. Not God, but the original
man and woman are the source of moral evil. And not just “ Everyman “ like the Medieval
plays, but the first members, the origin, of our human race. This alone can explain the
universality of evil in our race, and the moral evil which we experience in our world today. Yet
the final biblical word is not that “ human being are evil” but that “God is Savior.”
In addition to Genesis account of the Fall, St. Paul insist strongly on the fact that “All have
sinned deprived of the glory of God.”( Rom.3:23 ). But he is equally insistent that “ Just as in
Adam all die, so in Christ all will come to life again.’( ! Cor.15:22 ). “ For if by the offense of
the one person all died, much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one person
Jesus Christ abound for all. “ ( Rom. 5:15; cf. CCC 399-401 )
Church Teaching On Original Sin
From biblical source of the Church

teaches that “ Adam, the first man, by
transgressing God’s commandment in
paradise, at once lost the holiness and
justice in which he had been constituted;
and drew upon himself…death.” The
holiness and justice received from God
was lost not only for him but also for his
descendants (CCC404). We Filipino
today, as members of the race of Adam,
do not inherit his personal sin, but rather the sinful condition started by his “originating sin.” It is
a condition in which each of us is personally involved. What we inherit. The “kasalanang mana,”
is the state of sinfulness in which weall are born.
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This is
universal
sinfulness is
confirmed by the clear Gospel proclamation that all are redeemed by Christ. Put briefly, it is a
dogma of our Christian faith that we all need to be redeemed.
First of all in describing original sin today we speak the “sin of the world’ ( Jn.1:29; CCC 408 ).
This means that “ polluted atmosphere “ into which we all are born. It is a social dimension of
original sin; the “ sinful structure “ of injustice. Oppression and exploitation that PCP II so
emphasizes today in each thrust for social renewal and transformation. (cf.PCP II 261-271 )
Second, there is the personal interior dimension of original sin, the “heart of darkness within us”
which is “ in all men proper to each.” We experience this aspect of original sin especially in one
of its effects that remains even after Baptism, called concupiscence.
The sins usually identified as “capital” include: pride – exalting oneself beyond what is due and
true; lust – disordered desire for, or inordinate enjoyment of sexual pleasure; anger – destructive
aggressiveness; gluttony – excessive indulgence in food or drink, envy – begrudging others their
talents, success and wishing them evil, covetousness – desiring what belongs to others, leading to
dishonesty, stealing and injustice, and sloth – laziness and escape from exerting due effort.
Descriptive Definition Of Original Sin
Original sin can be described as the state in which we are born as a members of the human race.
We are thus situated in a sinful history that affects our capacity to love God above all, to become
our true full selves and achieve our destiny.
It is called original since it dates from the origin of our human race. This meants it is universal:
all need to be redeemed.
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It is called
“sin “ not
because it is
personal sinful thought, word, or action on our part, but because it is a state contrary to God’s
will. It is an obstacle to that positive loving relation to Him and His whole creation for which we
are created.
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TOPIC 2
GOD’S PLAN OF SALVATION
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Learning
Outcomes:
At the end of this module you are expected to:
1. Discuss the correlation between these two big ideas: God’s attributes and the salvation of
humanity.
2. Identify some factors on how you help others attain their salvation.
The Call and Promises: The Patriarchs
Patriarch means:
Head of family – a man who is the head of a family or group.
Respected Senior – a respected and experienced senior man within a group or family.
Biblical Ancestor – in the bible a figure mentioned as the ancestor of the whole human race.
Hebrew Leader – in the Hebrew Scripture especially the book of Genesis, an ancestor or
religious leader of the Hebrew people e.g. Abraham, Isaac or Jacob.
Read the book of Genesis 12: 1-20 ( Abraham’s call)
Genesis 18: 1-15 ( The birth of Isaac)
To bless “all the families of the earth” through him.
Genesis 37: 1-36 ( Call of Joseph )
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Genesis 25:
27-34,
Genesis 27:1-40 ( Call of Jacob )
The call of Abraham ( Gen. 12:1-20 )
God asks Abraham to leave his country and go to the land of Canaan. God makes 3 promises to
him:
To make of him a great nation;
To make his “name” great;
Faith is Tested ( Gen 22:1-14 )
God tests Abraham by asking him to offer Isaac on Mt. Moriah. Isaac carries the wood for the
burnt offering. Abraham assures Isaac that God will provide the lamb for the offering
“By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises
offered up his only begotten son… concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the
dead.” Heb. 11:17-19
FAITH – A gift from God, Act by which man entrust to God his whole self and offering. A
whole submission. Confidently entrusting one’s self to God saving love, present in the Holy
Spirit, and celebrating in prayer and liturgical worship.
God’s Global Plan of Salvation
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Christianity
is a message
of salvation
for all
people groups around the world. The heart of the Christian gospel is rescue, for all peoples at all
times. Yet this is often not understood. For example, a common objection to Christianity in some
parts of the world is that it is a “white man’s religion”—it is the religion of the missionaries, and
therefore irrelevant. Some have raised the question of how an African, for example, can relate to
Jesus when Jesus is not from his own tribe. Yet the same cultures seek answers to the questions
that Christianity addresses. Everyone wants to know how man, who is a sinner, can relate to
God, who is holy.
Common to all mankind is the awareness that something is wrong with the world and in our
personal lives that cuts us off us from our Creator. The Bible explains that we are objects of
God’s wrath (Eph. 2:1–3). Our greatest need is salvation from this just wrath (Col. 3:6). In his
mercy, God has set in place a plan to save us from his wrath. Through this plan of grace, God is
restoring the world to the way it was originally intended to be.
We will seek to understand God’s global plan of salvation from two perspectives: horizontally
and vertically. We will first consider the Bible horizontally, as an unfolding narrative down
through history. This will involve viewing God’s plan of salvation in terms of creation, fall,
redemption, and consummation. Then we will consider God’s plan of salvation vertically,
looking down on the Bible from above. This will be done by centering upon God, man, Christ,
and repentance and faith, in that order.
Understanding God’s Plan of Salvation Horizontally
Creation
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God made
the world
and all that
is in it (Gen.
1:1). He created Adam and Eve, the first man and the first woman, in his own image (Gen. 1:26–
28), giving them the task of populating the world and subduing it (Gen. 1:28 ). All of God’s
creation was “very good” (Gen. 1:31 ). The world is neither a haphazard collection of atoms, nor
is it inherently bad. God created the world and it was good.
The Fall
Adam and Eve rejected God’s good rule, determining to be their own lords (Gen. 3:1–7 ). This
rebellion plunged all of humanity into sin, darkness, misery, and death, for Adam represented,
and thus involved, the entire human race in his actions (Rom. 5:12; 1 Cor. 15:21–22). Since the
fall, human history has been ravaged with the carnage of sickness, selfishness, strife, and other
manifestations of Adam’s horrific rebellion—and we are unable, in ourselves, to set things right.
Redemption
Even in Eden, God began to promise that sin and Satan would not get the last word (Gen. 3:15).
And indeed, in the fullness of time, God sent his own Son to deliver his people from bondage to
sin and death (Gal. 4:4–5). Through the Son’s atoning death on the cross and resurrection from
the grave, redemption was accomplished and the decisive fulfillment of all the Old Testament
promises has been launched (Mark 1:14–15 ; 2 Cor. 1:20 ). Through the work of the Holy Spirit,
opening the eyes of the spiritually blind and bringing life, redemption is applied (Rom. 8:1–11; 1
Cor. 2:10–16 ).
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Consummation
One day God’s Son will come to earth again, this time openly and without any question as to
who he is (Phil 2:10–11; Rev. 19:11–16). He will come in final judgment and restore the earth to
what it was always meant to be, only this time without any threat of Satan, sin, and death (Rev.
21:1–22:5 ). What God intended according to the first two chapters of the Bible appears as his
final and glorious achievement in the last two chapters of the Bible. Christ will establish what the
Bible calls the new heavens and the new earth (e.g., Isa. 65:17), where the original goodness and
perfection of Eden will be restored and humanity will flourish in a renewed creation that has
been set free from its bondage to decay (Rom. 8:21).
Understanding God’s Plan of Salvation Vertically
God
God created human beings to bring him glory (Isa. 43:6–7; 1 Cor. 10:31). Anyone who seeks
his own glory, as Adam did, sins against God and is subject to God’s judgment (Acts 12:20–23).
All things happen according to God’s plan and serve to glorify him (Eph. 1:11–12). Every
culture has a view of its god or gods that affects how people conduct their lives, but the Bible
says that there is only one true God (Deut. 6:4; Jer. 14:22). It is idolatry to worship any other
god (Ex. 20:3–6). God is the absolutely transcendent governor of the universe.
God is also holy, meaning that he is utterly pure and incapable of sin or evil (Isa. 6:1–5). He
likewise calls his people be holy (1 Pet. 1:15–16). God is just, meaning that he is unswerving in
doing what is morally right. The Bible expresses this absolute moral purity and righteousness by
saying that “God is light” (1 John 1:5 ).
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The Bible
also teaches
that “God is
love”—lovingkindness is the very heart of who God is (Ex. 34:6–7; Matt. 11:29). He is “the
God of all grace” (1 Pet. 5:10). God is not only supremely other in purity but also supremely
merciful in impulse.
Recognizing who God is, we realize that there is a massive problem facing mankind. We can
understand the nature of this problem by looking at who man is in relation to who God is.
Man
Having been created in God’s image and yet having chosen to break free from trusting
submission to him, Adam rebelled, and through him sin entered the world (Rom. 5:12–14). All
human beings continue to bear the image of God in some sense (Gen. 9:5–6), though we are now
marred by sin. As God-resisting sinners we are born with an inherent spiritual blindness and
hostility to God (Rom. 3:9–19). We are his settled enemies,
We need, therefore, to be reconciled to him. We require a mediator to bridge the humanly

unbridgeable gap between our sinfulness and God’s holiness (1 Tim. 2:5–6 ). We are unable to
glorify God as he created us to do (Rom. 3:23). God is rightly angry with us, and we cannot save
ourselves from his wrath—that is, his judicial retribution (John 3:18 ; Eph. 2:1–3). If we are to
be saved at all, it will have to be by the work of someone else, someone who is qualified to save
us. Sacrificing to spirits, appeasing ancestors, and cultural rituals to ward off evil spirits cannot
save us from the coming wrath.
Jesus Christ
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In his great
mercy, God
sent his Son
to bear the
wrath that must fall on human sin (John 3:16; 1 John 4:10 ). How is it that Jesus saves us from
the wrath of God? Here we consider who Jesus is (his person) and what he did (his work).
Jesus is fully God, equal with the Father. To see him is to see God the Father (John 10:30). It is
necessary that Jesus, if he is to save us, be fully divine because the payment for sin is one that
mere mortals cannot pay—for their sin is against an infinitely beautiful and glorious God, and so
they are infinitely guilty. As God, however, Jesus is qualified to pay the penalty for sins
committed against God. Yet Jesus is also fully man (Gal. 4:4). He became like us in every way,
yet without sinning (Heb. 2:16–18). Jesus is therefore uniquely fitted to pay the penalty we owe.
This is who Jesus is.
What did Jesus do? As the second Adam, he succeeded where Adam failed (Rom. 5:12–19).
This is supremely seen in Jesus’ death and resurrection. On the cross, Jesus took our place,
suffering and dying for us, so that we might be restored to our Creator (Isa. 53:4–6 ; 1 Pet. 2:24;
3:18; 1 Cor. 15:3–4 ). God poured out all his holy wrath on his beloved Son and judged him in
our place so that we can be set free (2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13). United with him not only in his
death but also in his resurrection, we are given new life (Rom. 6:4; 1 Pet. 1:3 ). Jesus’ bodily
resurrection means that the final resurrection has, in him, already begun (1 Cor. 15:20–22).
Jesus’ earthly life, too, is relevant to our salvation.
For Jesus obeyed God perfectly in our place (Heb. 4:15), so that God sees his obedience as our
own. Because of Jesus’ perfect righteousness, those who are in Christ stand righteous before God
(1 Cor. 1:30 ; 2 Cor. 5:21 ). Jesus is the Savior we need to rescue us from God’s wrath. How then
does his saving work become reality for any one of us?
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Repentance
and Faith
The proper response to the work of Christ on our behalf is repentance and faith (Mark 1:15; Acts
2:37–38; 20:21 ). These twin heart-responses together form the healthy, biblical, Spirit-led
activity of those who have understood God, their sin, and Jesus as Savior. Repentance is a
turning from sin and idolatry to serve the true and living God (Ezek. 14:6; 1 Thess. 1:9 ). This
does not mean that believers will not struggle with sin anymore but rather that sin no longer has
dominion over us (Rom. 6:12). Sin no longer sits on the throne of the believer’s heart.
If repentance is a turning from, faith is a turning to—from sin, to Christ. Faith is trusting Christ

as our Savior and confessing him as Lord (Rom. 10:9–10). It is believing that God exists and is
near to those who seek him wholeheartedly (Heb. 11:6). Faith is our glad receiving and resting
in the work of Christ. It means that we cast ourselves on Christ alone for the forgiveness of our
sins and the fulfillment of all God’s promises for us in Christ (Titus 3:4–7 ).
Everyone must exercise faith in Christ to be saved. Even faith, however, is a gift from God (Eph.
2:8–9; Phil. 1:29 ). True faith results in a life of loving obedience (Eph. 2:8–10; James 2:14–26 )
as the Holy Spirit produces Christlike fruit in the believer (Gal. 5:22–25). This obedience never
earns God’s approval, for Christ has already earned God’s approval for us. At the same time, the
Bible is clear that while obedience does not win our salvation, the absence of grateful obedience
indicates the absence of salvation (Eph. 5:1–2; Col. 3:1).
Conclusion
In the end, God himself is supremely glorified in his great plan of salvation. One day every knee
will bow and every tongue will confess Jesus as Lord to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:10–
11). When the plan of God is complete, we will surely see God as he is and will be like him (1
John 3:2). We will join with millions of believers from all over the world, “from every tribe and
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language
and people
and nation”
(Rev. 5:9),
who have put their faith in Christ for salvation. We will all worship God forever, with the angels
saying “Amen” to our worship (Rev. 7:9–12). On that day, the glory of the Lord will fill the
earth as the waters fill the sea (Hab. 2:14).
The Promise of Salvation through all Generations
Salvation is not only the forgiveness of sin received at one point in time, but the restoration of
man to God’s image over a whole lifetime.
UNIT 2
COVENANT AND LIBERATION
Learning Outcomes:
1. Explain which areas of their life-experience in need for transformation (as experience of
liberation)
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2. Identify
personal
issues/obstacles (sinful actions) which hamper the progress in their spiritual journey.
3. Observe their covenantal relationship with God by observing the Ten Commandments in the
Old Testament and the Beatitude and the Law of Love of Christ in the New Testament.
TOPIC 1
COVENANT AND GOD’S REVELATION
The Call of Moses (Read Exodus 20:1-17)
 After the Israelites multiply in Egypt, they are enslaved by Pharaoh who makes their lives
bitter with hard bondage. Ex 1:1-14
 Pharaoh orders that all Hebrew sons be cast into the river. Moses miraculously escapes death
and is adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter. Ex 15 – 2:10
 After killing an Egyptian, Moses flees to Midian, where he marries Zipporah, daughter of
Reuel Ex 2:11-22
 The children of Israel cry out to God, and he remembers his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob. Ex 2:23-24
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God 
reveals
himself
to
Moses at the burning bush and sends him and Aaron to Pharaoh to lead Israel out of Egypt.
Ex 3:1 – 4:17
 God afflicts the Egyptians with ten plagues, bringing judgment upon their gods: 1) the Nile
turns to blood; 2) frogs; 3) lice; 4) swarms of flies; 5) cattle dies; 6) boils; 7) hail; 8) locusts;
9) darkness Ex 7:14 – 10:29
The Passover and 10th plague: every Israelite family is to kill a lamb and spread its blood on the
doorposts of their house. The angel of death kills all the firstborn of Egypt. The Israelites are
protected by the blood on their doorposts. Ex 12
Pharaoh releases the Israelites, after 430 years in Egypt. Ex 12:31
God’s story of his people Israel goes all the way back to his call of Abraham and his promise that
he will make him into a great nation and lead his descendants into the Promised Land (Genesis
12:1–3 ). Over half a millennium later, however, we find Israel chafing in Egypt, oppressed as
slave laborers for Pharaoh, King of Egypt! So what happened to God’s promise? Had it been
forgotten? At the outset of the story of Moses’ call, we read, “But God remembered his covenant
with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob” (Exodus 2:24 ).
Moses is an 80 year-old man, advanced in age

(see Acts 7:30 cf. v. 23 ) at the time of the
call. He is a mere shepherd living in exile,
keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro,
priest of Midian, near Mt. Horeb (Sinai) at the
time. Having been miraculously preserved at
birth and having grown up in Pharaoh’s (the
oppressor’s) court, he later identifies with his
y Moses. THIS MODULE IS FOR THE EXCLUSIVE USE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF LA SALETTE, INC. ANY FORM OF
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people by
killing an
Egyptian
and thus
becomes a fugitive sojourner in the land of Midian.The angel of the LORD manifests God’s
presence in a burning bush (a theophany; v. 1).
The first miracle we see is that the bush is aflame but doesn’t burn up (v. 2)! This certainly gets
Moses’ attention (v. 3). Even more miraculously, God calls Moses out of the bush—by name (v.
4)! God proceeds to impress upon Moses his holiness, telling him to take off his sandals, because
the ground on which he is standing is holy (v. 5). Identifying himself to Moses as the “God of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” (v. 6), he tell him that he is aware of Israel’s affliction in Egypt. He
has heard people’s cry and will deliver them and bring them to the Promised Land—through
Moses (vv. 7–9)!Moses responds by saying, “Who am I … ?” (v. 11), but God counters, “… I
will be with you” (v. 12). This indicates the importance, not of who Moses is in and of himself,
but of who it is who calls him! Moses then demands a second ID from the God of Israel’s
forefathers: “If … they ask me what is his name, what shall I say to them?” God’s response is
this: “I AM WHO I AM.” Tell Israel: “I AM has sent me to you.”
The Call of Moses: Some Insights
https://worldoutreach.org/study_guides/lessons_israels_journey8.5x11.pdf;
God’s Deliverer – Israel was powerless to save themselves. God sent Moses with signs and
wonders to set them free (Ex 7:1-7). Likewise, we too were powerless to free ourselves from sin
and Satan’s grip. God saved us by sending Christ who died and was raised from the dead (cf.
Eph 2:4-10)
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Delivered
by blood -
Moses told
the people to
slay a lamb and paint their door posts with the blood (Ex 12:21-28). When they did, the death
angel passed over them. Jesus Christ is our Passover Lamb. His sacrifice and blood save us (cf.
Heb 10:19-23)
God’s Cloud Led the Way
The Holy Spirit manifested as a huge cloud that led Israel

(at night it was a pillar of fire). It stood between them and
Pharaoh’s army to protect their exodus (Ex 14:19-22). The
same Holy Spirit can lead us too (Rom 8:14). Additionally,
Paul compares passing through the Red Sea and the cloud,
to water baptism and baptism in the Spirit. 1 Corinthians
10:2 says, “And they were all baptized unto Moses in the
cloud (the Holy Spirit) and in the sea (water).”
The Israelites’ Journey in the Desert:
https://worldoutreach.org/study_guides/lessons_israels_journey8.5x11.pdf
And your children shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years and shall suffer for your
faithlessness, until the last of your dead bodies lies in the wilderness. According to the number of
the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, a year for each day, you shall bear your
iniquity forty years, and you shall know my displeasure. I the Lord have spoken; surely I will do
thus to all this wicked congregation gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall
come to a full end, and there they shall die. Num. 14: 33-35
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General
Insight:
Once Moses led the people out of Egypt, the next area in their journey was the WILDERNESS
(see diagram). In reality, they could have crossed the Wilderness in about 40 days -- but the
Bible says they wandered in circles for 40 years! The people were disobedient, lacked faith, and
in general had rebellious attitudes. In every way, the Wilderness describes the aimless life of a
carnal Christian. It is a picture of “self-effort” vs. walking in the Spirit.
Further Insights:
God desires a covenant relationship - God led Israel to Mount Sinai where He declared His
desire to walk in covenant relationship (Ex 19:4-6). Israel failed to obey – thus, God sent the
Messiah, Jesus Christ, to establish a New Covenant based on His own obedience (cf. Hebrews 10
Delays due to sin - Paul tells us that Israel’s progress was delayed due to various sins. He lists
disobedience, lack of faith, rebellion, and sexual sins (1 Cor 10:5-14). These sins delayed Israel’s
progress and caused them to go in circles for 40 years. The Bible tells us to lay down our sins
too, lest they hold us back (cf. Hebrews 12:1)
Murmuring and complaining - Paul identifies these sins of Israel as important lessons (1 Cor
10:10). Israel wearied God through their constant complaining. Complaining is a form of doubt
and unbelief. It’s like saying, “God, I don’t think you’re going to come through in this situation.”
You must guard against this sin that will erode your faith (cf. James 3)
Miracle provision - Paul gives us an unusual insight. He says that a Rock followed Israel in the
wilderness, and that Rock was Christ (1 Cor 10:4). God provided water from the Rock and
manna from heaven. God has miracle provision for us today when we trust Him (cf. Ps 103:1-5)
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*Read Exodus 20:2–17, Deuteronomy 5:6–21
 Ten Commandments of God
The Promise
Promised Land: Lessons of Faith
Land of milk and honey – God promised Israel

a land abundant in all kinds of resources (Deut
6:4-12). He called it a “land of milk and
honey” – which is an idiom for prosperity. In
Christ, all the promises of God are “Yes” and
“Amen.” You have a rich inheritance in Christ!
(cf. 2 Cor 1:20 / Rom 8:31-32)
Deut 6:4-12
Enter by faith - this is one of the most

important lessons. The first generation missed their opportunity to enter the Promised Land
because they lacked aggressive faith. Only Joshua and Caleb had faith (Num 13 / 14:6). Because
of it, God allowed Joshua and Caleb to survive the 40 years of wandering and they eventually led
the second generation in. Hebrews chapter 4 is dedicated to this comparison for NT believers and
warns us to use our faith to enter our Promised Land.
Giants in the land – though the land was “promised” to Israel, they still had to “possess” it. In
other words, it was a cooperative effort between God and Israel. The Bible says that there were
various races of large people living in the land that had to be driven out (Josh 1). The lesson for
believers is obvious – we have to “fight” the good fight of faith to lay hold of our inheritance.
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Just because God promises something doesn’t mean that it will be easy. Hebrews 6:12 says that
through “faith and patience” we inherit God’s promises.
Be strong and courageous - God commanded Joshua – “Be strong and courageous” (Josh 1:7). In
Josh 1:7Caleb said, “Give me this mountain!” He said that when he was 85 years old! Your faith
must have an “aggressive” aspect to it, like a soldier determined to win the battle. This will help
you accomplish your goals and win your battles.
Possessing your promised Land: Some Insights
Live by faith in God’s Word – one of the most important keys for possessing your Promised
Land is the habit of putting faith in God’s promises. God told Joshua that the source of His
courage would be meditating in God’s Word (Joshua 1:8). God’s Word is filled with awesome
promises for every imaginable need.
Walk in the Spirit – another vital key for possessing your Promised Land is walking in the
Spirit vs. the flesh (Rom 8:1-6). Walking in the “flesh” is when you do what “you” want, when
you want, and how you want. It includes everything from what some might call gross sins to an
attitude of just “doing your own thing.”
Let the grace of God increase more and more in your life – 2 Peter 1:3 says, “Grace and
peace be multiplied unto you.” The concept of “grace” can be defined in a number of ways. Here
are two definitions that I like: 1) Grace is God’s unmerited favor, and 2) Grace is God’s ability
and enabling power.
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Trust in the promise of Heaven and Resurrection - as we conclude our study, let me say that
the biggest part of our Promised Land is heaven and the resurrection (1 Cor 15:49-58). Certainly
we want to experience God’s blessings in the “here and now” – but the older I get the more I
realize what an awesome future awaits us! Christianity is not a “self-help” program just to make
us feel better in this life. No, we have the promise of eternal life, resurrection, and heaven to look
forward to! We are promised to rule and reign with Christ over a new heaven and earth (Rev 21-
22).
God Leads His People Through Judges
The Lord raises up judges to deliver them from their oppressors. The Israelites live in Canaan
under a loose tribal system ruled by judges for the next four hundred years.
Roles of Judges
Deliverers: freedom fighters who overcome the enemies of God & of Israel and liberate their
people from oppression;
Civil Rulers: acting as magistrates, settling disputes, dispensing justice, etc.
God Chooses David As King
After King Saul’s death, Samuel anoints David, a man after God’s own heart, to be King of
Israel. The tribes of Israel proclaim David as King of Israel in Hebron. 2 Sam. 5:1-5
God Chooses Solomon As King
Solomon is anointed King of Israel by Nathan the prophet and Zadok the priest. His mother,
Bathsheba, reigns as Queen Mother beside him.
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Solomon pleases God by asking not for riches or earthly power, but for wisdom to rule the
nations. People from all the nations come to hear Solomon’s wisdom.
Solomon builds the Temple and dedicates it to the Lord. The temple replaces the tabernacle as
Israel’s place of worship. It also becomes the place of worship for all the nations. 1 Kgs. 5-7; 2
Chr 7
Israel: The Divided Kingdom
Solomon breaks the Davidic covenant by violating the “law of the king” and by building
idolatrous altars. God tells Solomon that He will take the kingdom away from him, from the
hand of his son. 1 Kgs. 11:5-8, 9-43
After Solomon dies, the Davidic Kingdom is split. The ten northern tribes follow Jeroboam and
form the northern kingdom of Israel. The tribe of Benjamin stays with Judah in Jerusalem under
the rule of Rehoboam (southern kingdom). Civil war ensues.
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UNIT 3
THE PROPHETIC LIFE OF VOCATION
Learning Outcomes:
1. Choose your most favorite prophet and make a reflection on how this prophet is connected to
you and affects you in every aspect of your life especially on human, social and spiritual
aspects.
2. Be able to discuss major theological and ethical themes in the prophetic literature and critically
evaluate their contemporary relevance.
TOPIC 1
PROPHETIC VOCATION
Themes of The Prophets
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Failure to keep the covenant will result in judgment and punishment in the form of exile. In 722
BC, Assyria conquers Samaria and deports the people of the northern kingdom. Samaria is
repopulated with foreigners who become the Samaritans King Nebuchadnezzar besieges
Jerusalem in 605 BC, takes king Jehoiachin into captivity in 597, and destroys the city and
deports the population in 586 BC. Jer. 1:14-16, 2 Kgs. 17, 2 Kgs. 24-25
The Remnant
 God preserves and purifies a remnant to bring his salvation to others
 The Messianic Hope
 God will establish his kingdom in Israel and in the world and bring a state of perfect peace and
happiness through the coming Messiah. Is 11:1-9
The New Exodus
God will use the Messiah to bring about a new and greater Exodus, bringing the tribes of Israel
out of all the nations in which they have been scattered, with gentiles with them.
 The Pilgrimage to Zion. Jer 16:14-15
 The New Exodus will bring the 12 tribes with gentiles on an eschatological pilgrimage to
Zion.
 The Restoration of the Davidic Kingdom
 The return to Zion will bring a restoration of the Davidic kingdom that will reunite all 12 tribes
and the faithful from every nation under the Davidic messiah-king. Ezek 37:21-25
 The Day of the Lord
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 God will judge his people. After he has purged them through suffering, he will restore them in
glory. Destruction and ruin will be followed by deliverance.
 The Day of the Lord
 God will judge his people. After he has purged them through suffering, he will restore them in
glory. Destruction and ruin will be followed by deliverance. Joel 2:1-2, 10-11
Crisis of Faith-Life
Unfaithfulness
Insecurity and doubt
Personal weaknesses
Social-structural influences
Consequences of Infidelity
The Kingdom Divided
After Solomon dies, the Davidic Kingdom is split. The ten northern tribes follow Jeroboam and
form the northern kingdom of Israel. The tribe of Benjamin stays with Judah in Jerusalem under
the rule of Rehoboam (southern kingdom). Civil war ensues.
Northern Kingdom (Israel)
Jeroboam erects golden calves. Every king in the northern kingdom is evil, despite prophets such
as Elijah who warn them. In 722 BC, Assyria conquers Samaria and deports the people of the
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northern kingdom. Samaria is repopulated with foreigners who become the Samaritans. 1 Kgs
12:28-33
Southern Kingdom (Judah)
Most kings are sinful, but some are righteous and bring religious reform (Asa, Jehoshaphat).
Hezekiah brings reform in Judah, but his son Manasseh does great evil, even sacrificing children
to Molech. Because of this God will bring disaster upon Jerusalem. King Josiah delays judgment
by destroying shrines to the pagan gods. 2 Kgs 18-23
King Nebuchadnezzar besieges Jerusalem in 605 BC, takes king Jehoiachin into captivity in 597,
and destroys the city and deports the population in 586 BC. 2 Kgs 24-25
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References
1. NRSV Bible
2. Christifideles Laici
3. Gaudium et Spes
4. Sacrocanctum Concilium
5. Dei Verbum
6. Evangelium Vitae
7. Evagelii Gaudium
8. Catechism of the Catholic Church
9. Declaration Concerning Sexual Ethics
10. I Believe, A Little Catholic Catechism
11. Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church
12. CODEX IURIS CANONICI
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13. Catechism for Filipino Catholics. Philippines: Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the
Philippines. (2008).
14. Flannery, A. Vatican Council II: More Post conciliar Document. (Vol. 1). Philippines: St.
Paul Publications. (2007).
15. Flannery, A. Vatican Council II: More Post conciliar Document. (Vol. 2). Philippines: St.
Paul Publications. (2007).
16. Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Manila: Episcopal Commission in
Catechesis and Catholic Education. 2005
17. Knox, Ian.,C.S.Sp. Theology for Teachers. Quezon City Philippines: Claretian
Communication Publication. 2011
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7

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GEC RE 001

GOD’S SAVING ACTIONS IN HISTORY, OUR STORY: FROM ABRAHAM TO JESUS

At the end of this module, you are expected to:

GOD’S SAVING ACTIONS IN HISTORY, OUR STORY: FROM ABRAHAM TO JESUS

4. Explain the cause of the fall of the first parents.

GOD’S SAVING ACTIONS IN HISTORY, OUR STORY: FROM ABRAHAM TO JESUS

Some theories about the creation of the world:

Pantheism – everything is God.

Dualism/Manichaeism – permanent conflict of good and evil.

Deism – God made the world and then left it to itself.

Materialism – world is an interplay of matter that has always existed

Creation Story: Fundamental Belief

 The world was created for the glory of God

 God created a visible and an invisible world

 Man was created according to His image and likeness

 sanctity of human life,

GOD’S SAVING ACTIONS IN HISTORY, OUR STORY: FROM ABRAHAM TO JESUS

 sacredness of family love

 union of body and soul

 Creation is not yet complete, but in a journey towards perfection.

 Fall of Man: Disobedience and Pride

 Consequences of Adam’s and Eve’s Sin

 They lost God’s divine life – spiritual death

 Disharmony enters their relationship with each other, with

 creation and in their ability to control their own faculties

 They are wounded with ignorance, malice, concupiscence

GOD’S SAVING ACTIONS IN HISTORY, OUR STORY: FROM ABRAHAM TO JESUS

 They are subject to suffering and death

 They are cast out of Paradise

 Fallen human nature is wounded, not intrinsically corrupted

*Read Genesis Narrative: Genesis 1:1-30, Genesis 2:4-25

Man is created in the Image and Likeness of God

Then God said, “ Let us make man in our image

GOD’S SAVING ACTIONS IN HISTORY, OUR STORY: FROM ABRAHAM TO JESUS

Read CFC # 310-346, CCC # 279-379

Read Genesis 3; 4; 6:5-7:24; 11

GOD’S SAVING ACTIONS IN HISTORY, OUR STORY: FROM ABRAHAM TO JESUS

Each other (“they realized they were naked”)

Others ( Cain murdered his brother Abel)

The community ( Tower of Babel )

Nature (“ cursed be the ground )

GOD’S SAVING ACTIONS IN HISTORY, OUR STORY: FROM ABRAHAM TO JESUS

Church Teaching On Original Sin

From biblical source of the Church

GOD’S SAVING ACTIONS IN HISTORY, OUR STORY: FROM ABRAHAM TO JESUS

Descriptive Definition Of Original Sin

GOD’S SAVING ACTIONS IN HISTORY, OUR STORY: FROM ABRAHAM TO JESUS

GOD’S SAVING ACTIONS IN HISTORY, OUR STORY: FROM ABRAHAM TO JESUS

GOD’S SAVING ACTIONS IN HISTORY, OUR STORY: FROM ABRAHAM TO JESUS

At the end of this module you are expected to:

The Call and Promises: The Patriarchs

Head of family – a man who is the head of a family or group.

Read the book of Genesis 12: 1-20 ( Abraham’s call)

Genesis 18: 1-15 ( The birth of Isaac)

To bless “all the families of the earth” through him.

Genesis 37: 1-36 ( Call of Joseph )

GOD’S SAVING ACTIONS IN HISTORY, OUR STORY: FROM ABRAHAM TO JESUS

The call of Abraham ( Gen. 12:1-20 )

To make of him a great nation;

To make his “name” great;

Faith is Tested ( Gen 22:1-14 )

God’s Global Plan of Salvation

GOD’S SAVING ACTIONS IN HISTORY, OUR STORY: FROM ABRAHAM TO JESUS