Encountering the Old Testament Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Encountering the Old Testament - Assignment Example Nonetheless, as Cain called on God to provide some protection for him, as he feared being slain in his journeys, God yielded to Cain’s prayers and granted that â€Å"anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over† (Genesis 4:15 The New International Version). The Divine protection of Cain enabled him to reside safely in the eastern land of Nod, and to build the first city on the Earth, named after his first-born son, Enoch. The mercy of God thus proved instrumental in the development of human civilization (Arnold & Beyer, 2008). The case of Cain demonstrated that Lord God is simultaneously wrathful and merciful, ready both to punish and to forgive. The story of the Ark of Noah that may be found in the selfsame Book of Genesis is further testimony to this capacity of God, and, therefore, it is necessary to dwell on it in detail. According to Genesis, the Flood was caused by especial depravity of humans then living on Earth, who went as far as entering into sexual relations with â€Å"sons of the God† (i.e. the fallen angels; Genesis 6:2 The New International Version). ...The Covenant of God with Noah and his successors (Genesis 9:8-10 The New International Version) proved that Divine mercy is always quick to return to those who show their obedience to God’s will. The story of Jonah may likewise be invoked here. When Jonah declined God’s dictum to go to the city of Nineveh and preach against its residents’ wickedness, Lord God sent a great storm against the ship carrying him (Jonah 1:4 The New International Version). Eventually, Jonah was consumed by the belly of the â€Å"huge fish† sent by the Lord, and he was there for three days and three nights (Jonah 1:17 The New International Version). However, God’s mercy wathe s still shown to Jonah, as, when he gave prayer to the Lord in hope of salvation, God commanded the fish to release Jonah, and he was able to continue his way, going to Nineveh t o fulfill God’s will.