How Did Abraham Know About the City of God? How could Abraham have anticipated a coming City of God, like the author of Hebrews said? What’s the connection between the shame of Adam and Eve and that of their son Cain? Was Genesis first an oral tradition, and how did it become a written account with so many literary hyperlinks? In this episode, Tim and Jon respond to your questions from the first half of The City series. Thank you to our audience for your incredible questions!
How Did Abraham Know About the City of God?
Episode Chapters Intro
0:00 - 1:59
How Could Abraham Have Anticipated the City of God?
Brandon (Georgia)
2:00 - 2:04
One of my favorite passages in this theme is from Hebrews 11, where Abraham is described as “looking for a city which has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.” I hope the same can be said about me someday. But how did Abraham know that a city was the ideal? It wasn’t like he could pull out his Bible app and read the end of the story. He was semi-nomadic and had a front-row seat to the evils of Sodom, so what were the clues that he was seeing that told him a city was his final destination?
2:05 - 12:46
What Are the Parallels Between Adam and Eve’s Shame and Cain’s?
Isaac (Hawaii)
12:47 - 12:49
I noticed that the Hebrew word for city, ir, and the Hebrew word describing Adam and Eve’s post-fall nakedness, arum, are spelled with the same Hebrew letters in the same order (plus an “M” in arum). Given their clear association, are we supposed to draw a comparison between Adam and Eve’s shameful nakedness, which they cover with leaves, and Cain’s naked shame, which he covers with walls?
12:50 - 23:39
Was Genesis First an Oral Tradition?
Liz (United Kingdom)
23:40 - 23:47
I had always understood the Genesis scroll as growing out of an existing oral tradition which was written down later. What do the visual plays on words which could only exist in written text mean for when we understand these stories to have first formed?
23:48 - 33:48
Is There a Connection Between the Tower of Babel and Jacob’s Ladder?
Jane (Virginia)
33:49 - 33:51
Your discussion of the Tower of Babel and the people's attempt to build a tower that would reach into heaven reminded me of a later story in Genesis 28. The people in Genesis 10 were trying to build a gateway to God out of bricks and mortar, but Jacob slept with his head on a stone and saw a ladder with its top reaching to heaven, and angels ascending and descending on it. He said, "This is the gate of heaven." Do you see a connection between these two stories, and what might be the significance of Bethel in light of that?
33:52 - 49:35
Show Credits
49:36 - 51:18
Referenced Resources Interested in learning more? Check out Tim's library for a list of recommended books and other resources.
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Show Credits
“Defender (Instrumental)” by TENTS
Show produced by Cooper Peltz with Associate Producer Lindsey Ponder, Lead Editor Dan Gummel, and Editors Tyler Bailey and Frank Garza. Mixed by Tyler Bailey. Podcast annotations for the BibleProject app by Hannah Woo. Audience questions compiled by Christopher Maier.
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