The Family Strife and Forgiveness Themes in Genesis
             The book of Genesis expresses the themes of family strife and forgiveness through the stories of the characters. Starting with Adam and Eve and continuing through the story of Joseph, readers can relate that the results of all their actions consist of the Lord's displeasurement and anger. Their punishments are similar in the sense that God makes them suffer and eventually forgives them. There are questions that arise in midst of these stories that require the reader to read between the lines and make inferences upon what they have read.
             The first characters that are presented are Adam and Eve. Living in the Garden of Eden, and being the first man and woman ever their minds are simple and guillable. Upon God's command to not eat from the tree of knowledge, Eve does just that. It is clear that God is angry with them when he banishes them from the garden. Cain and Abel are the sons of Adam and Eve. Cain was a farmer and in an attempt to please God, he brought forth an offering of his flock. However, God having no interest in this offering, sent Cain into a rage causing him to murder his brother Abel. The story is concluded with Cain's punishment sent forth from God to wander the Earth for the rest of his life. The fact that God forgave Adam and Eve for eating of the tree of knowledge and his forgiveness of Cain's actions upon his own brother, reveal that the Lord is a loving God. Even though he still punishes them, God does not take their lives, yet sets them on a lifetime of wondering. I can forsee that through this strife and forgiveness that a hermenuetic message is made clear: those that go against God's word still can be redeemed through his forgiveness.
             Abram, the son of Terah, who lived in the land of Canaan, had set out from Egypt. As they settled there, Abram experiences strife with his brother's son, Lot. The land to wh...