III)
  B) Account of the beginning
    1) Why is the creation important
       i) gave ancient people an idea of where they came from or what their purpose was for being
    2) Hebrew account of the creation
       i) says that everything was created by one god
       ii) this idea was against 99% of the populations belief
       iii) Genesis says that the world is good
       iv) genesis said that people were created good
         a) also says that woman was created good
       v) Genesis said that evil came from human choices and not from an evil god
         a) everything that is evil comes from humans bad decisions
         b) woman is dominated by man because of bad choices
    3) How to get rid of evil according to Genesis
       i) great flood- an attempt to kill off everything that is evil
         a) does not work because Noah gets drunk and is sexually assaulted by son
         b) tells people that wiping out all evil does not work because man's decisions create evil
  C) Hebrew Eschatology (Daniel)
     1) Problem of evil - how is there evil with a good god
        i) how is it that innocent people suffer
          a) before any answer is given, Daniel says that man must obey god no matter what
     2) Nebuchandezzer's Dream
        i) evil kings rule the earth
     3) Nebuchandezzer's Image
        i) sets up an image and requires people to worship the image
        ii) Friends of Daniel will not worship the image
        iii) someone tells on them, nebuchandezzer gives them once chance to worship the image
        iv) the friends say that their god can deliver but they will still pray to him even if he doesn't
        v) this tells people that they should worship God no matter what
        vi) eventually the friends are saved
      4) Belshazars Party
         i) Throws a party while the city is being attacked by invaders
         ii) partiers wanted to use the sacred wine vessels to drink out of
           a) this was their way of saying that they were gods
           b) cups were meant to be drank out of by god
           c) a finger comes down and writes on the wall a message
           d) people have to get Daniel to interpret the message
            1) The wall says "Nickel - Dime - Quarter"
            2) Daniel interprets message as "Counted - Weighed - Divided"
               i) was gods way of saying that the evil people were nothing but a joke to God
            3) Meant the empire was going to be divided to the Persians
       5) Persians
          i) treated Hebrews well
          ii) Daniel gets along with the ruler Durius
          iii) The king makes a bad law that he cant change
          iv) This law makes Daniel be thrown in jail
            a) Daniel is thrown into a cell with a lion
  b) King feels sorry for Daniel and prays that the lion will not eat him
             c) Daniel is not eaten by the lion
           v) Daniel is told that evil will always persist
             a) evil will only get worst
             b) when things are at their worst, God will step in to save the day
             c) Daniel says that a resurrection will come
                1) says that no matter how bad things are on earth, wrongs will be righted in the end
       6) Answer to why evil exists
          i) Suffering has a purpose
            a) suffering purifies
            b) suffering makes people stronger
            c) suffering is gods way to transform people into people worthy of heaven