Study Notes...

Scriptures:
Genesis 1, 2
Psalms 1
Proverbs 1
Matthew 1, 2

Notes on Genesis:

"Eden" is a Sumerian and Semitic word in the ancient world. The Sumerians implies Eden as "steppe" or "open field" while the Semitic stands for "luxury" or "delight." The precise location of Eden or Paradise is unknown though God gives us clue in the Scriptures -- the four rivers. Tigris and Euphrates that are mentioned in the Scriptures are believed to be the present rivers in Iraq. The locations of the two other rivers are unknown. The name Gihon in Hebrew means "to gush" and the Pishon means "to spring up."

There are few theories where the location of Eden was but each theory encounters problem, it would not wholly coincide with the Biblical account. This is just one of the mysteries that God hasn't revealed to us. It isn't the time yet.

Genesis 2:18 stated that God did not find it good that man is alone. Man should never be alone, he should marry for his own sake. On the other hand, God never said that a woman should marry and that it isn't good that she is alone. In the Roman Catholic, being single is one of the seven sacred sacraments -- single blessedness. Being a single woman should not make you feel that you have to get married. If you want to stay single then your life should be dedicated to serving the Lord. For Jesus is your groom and you are His bride. Singleness is a blessing to woman.
But a woman who wants to get married and is still single at the moment should know that God would answer her prayer when the time comes. "Be still and know."

Notes on Proverbs:

Proverbs is an instructive or didactic writings. It is a straightforward instruction, exhorting the reader for right behavior. It concerns about personal morality (character), work ethics, career choices and peer respect. The target audience of this book is a young person (notice the address to "my son").

Central Theme: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.

Purpose: Is to expound what it means to wholly surrender your life to God's will and to witness His Will being accomplished in the world.

Knowledge in Hebrew transliteration is "doh-ath," meaning understanding, discernment, and wisdom.

"The fear of the Lord" means in reverence, submission and obedience to God.

The Hebrew transliteration for the word wisdom is "khok-maw," a feminine noun. Noticed that in the Book of Proverbs wisdom is personified as a righteous woman.

Wisdom and Folly are both feminine nouns (each personified as a woman).

Notes on Psalms:

The Hebrew Bible has another name for Psalms - Tehillim, meaning "praises." The word psalm originated from Septuagint, Greek word "psalmoi." which means the twanging of harp strings. "Psalterion," which means psaltery is a collection of harp songs. This is the English word "psalter" came from.

Notes on Matthew 1

The fact that they don't coincide, scholars have been debating Matthew's and Luke's genealogy accounts. Some scholars believed that Matthew provides the legal line of descent" that validates Jesus' assertion to David's throne while Luke's shows Jesus' "biological line" as a descendant to king David. Others believed that Matthew's genealogy presents the biological list of the ancestry of Joseph while Luke's is from Mary's.

Notes on Matthew 2:

The story of the Magi, three wise men, or three kings is celebrated in England (and also in Philippines) every January 6. In England, it became a tradition for the nobility to offer gold, myrrh, and frankincense. These were considered very expensive during the time of Jesus. It was traditionally believed that these sustained Joseph and Mary when they escaped to Egypt from Herod the Great.

Epiphany is a Greek word for "manifestation." It is traditionally believed that Jesus manifested himself to the three Magi, who were the first Gentiles who believed in His kingship.