GENESISLESSON TWO
IN THE BEGINNING, GOD CREATED . . .
As we studied in Lesson One, the book of Genesis is the book of "beginnings." However, this book tells us nothing about the beginning of God. He was already in existence. He is Jehovah (the Self-Existent One), the Creator of all things, and has no beginning. It is difficult for the human mind to imagine such a thing, because we are so used to demanding answers for everything! However, we are not asked to understand God, only believe that He exists:
"...he that cometh to God must believe that he is" (Hebrews 11:6).
It is not important for us to know where He came from, or how He came into existence. God simply asks that we believe that He is--that He is real, that He is alive.
"For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones , or dominions, or principalities or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist" (Colossians 1:16-17).
Genesis is not a book that gives the history of God. It is the historical record that gives the beginning of God's plan of action to bring into existence a group of people who would willingly choose to love and serve Him--His bride, His church. (In several scriptural references, the church is compared to a bride, while Jesus Christ is compared to the bridegroom).
Just as the book of Genesis gives to us the beginning of that plan, the book of Revelation, the last book in the Bible, reveals to us the fulfilment of it. It pictures the bride of Jesus Christ (the church) ready and prepared for her bridegroom (Revelations 19:7, 8). Read also Ephesians 5:25-27.
THE ACTS OF CREATION
The order of the creative acts are as follows: Genesis 1:3-31 2:1-3)
1st Day --- Light
2nd Day --- Firmament (atmosphere, air)
3rd Day --- Land, plant life
4th Day --- Sun, moon, stars
5th Day --- Animal life (fowls, animals that live in the water)
6th Day --- Animal life (insects, land animals) and man!
7th Day --- Day of rest
The earth was created for man--the sun, moon and stars were created for man. The plant and animal life were all made especially by God for man. There is only one thing God created for Himself--man!
Man was created for God! If he lives only for himself, separate and apart from fellowship with God, he can never be happy, for he is in constant rebellion with his Creator. That is why so many people today are involved in many sinful things, such as drugs, alcohol, etc. They are miserable on the inside. There is an emptiness in their life. They are searching for happiness in various ways, but the only way we can be happy is when we make the Creator our Saviour!
How long were the creative days? Some say that they were normal twenty-four hour days, while others believe that each creative day was 7,000 years in length. There is much that we do not know about creation, but we do know that the earth is not a result of some cosmic accident, as some teach!
Scientists tell us that the sun is the center of our solar system. They also tell us that the sun is 93 million miles from the earth! As the earth rotates on its axis around the sun, it will complete a revolution in one year, having traveled approximately 584 million miles. This means that the earth is travelling at the speed of 66,700 miles per hour, or 1,600,000 miles per day! In order for life to exist upon the earth:
1. The earth must be a certain distance from the sun. If it is too close, we would burn up. If it is too far away, we would freeze to death.
2. The earth must revolve around the sun exactly at a certain speed, while still turning on its own axis.
These are just a few of the complications of our solar system, but enough so that it should be plain to all that there is Master Planner behind it--the true God who created all things!
David said it like this:
"The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handiwork"
(Psalm 19:3).
Those who do not know the Creator are perhaps tempted to put the so-called knowledge of men on the throne of their mind as the "god" that they trust and believe. But those who truly know God are content with no other explanation concerning the creation than that which the Bible offers:
"Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that
things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." (Hebrews 11:3)
God not only has created all things--He has created all things good! Read Genesis 1:10, 12, 18, 21 and 25. Then--after He had completed it all, He looked at it and said, "It is very good." When God does something, He does a good job. If your life has not already been completely surrendered to Jesus Christ, why not do so right now. Then you can join us singing: Something beautiful, something good,
All of my confusion, Jesus understood,
All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife
He's making something beautiful of my life
THE CREATION OF MAN
"And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul" (Genesis 2:7).
The theory of evolution is no where backed up by the Word of God. In fact, the very opposite is taught. According to this theory, a one-celled amoeba evolved into a higher form of life, and this process continued until man was the final product.
The Bible teaches emphatically that every form of animal life brought forth after their kind (Genesis 1:21, 24, 25). If the theory of evolution is true, then the process of evolution would still be taking place today. We would still have all of the so-called missing links between the ape and man. The absence of these links proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that the theory (and take notice that it has always been called a theory, not a fact) of evolution is false. No wonder that Charles Darwin, the author of it, denounced his belief in evolution shortly before he died, a fact that most science books fail to reveal.
There are many outstanding scientists in the world today who reject the theory of evolution and believe the Biblical account of the beginning of man. Every Christian bookstore carries books on this subject, so if you are interested in studying this further, there are books available for you to purchase.
Meanwhile, let us remember that we have been created in the image of God, not some lower form of animal life. Men have been "making monkeys out of themselves for years, trying to prove that man came from a monkey!"
The man that God brought into being is composed of: 1. body (flesh, blood, bones) 2. soul (seat of our emotions, God consciousness) 3. spirit (life)
REFERENCES: I Thessalonians 5:23, Ecclesiastes 8:8; 12:7, Psalm 42:1-2
Angels are composed of only soul and spirit, and animals have only a body and a spirit.
When a person gives his life to the Lord Jesus Christ, he must surrender to Him his whole body, soul and spirit (I Thessalonians 5:23, I Corinthians 6:20).
THE THREE HEAVENS
Some people in expressing their delight over something will say, "Oh, I felt like I was in the ninth heaven." Perhaps you may be surprised to know that the Bible does mention three heavens:
1. The first one is the expanse between the waters above and the waters below (sea, lakes,
rivers, etc.). In other words, the atmosphere. This is called "heaven" in Genesis 1:8.
2. The area further away from the earth outside our atmosphere is referred to by
David as "the heavens" (Psalm 8:1, 3).
3. Paul wrote of an experience in which a man was caught up to the third heaven, the
paradise of God. (He was referring to an experience he himself had, but in a
humble way). We could also refer to this third heaven as the place of the throne of God.
Read II Corinthians 12:1-4 and Matthew 5:34.
THE PERFECT ENVIRONMENT
We are told today that one major cause of bad character, immorality, lawlessness, etc., are because of the environment people are raised in. While we do not dispute the fact that environment does help shape the character of an individual, it is interesting to take notice of the place where God put the first human being, Adam, and his wife, Eve--the garden of Eden. 1. It was a beautiful place (Genesis 2:9)
2. All the food that they needed was there in abundance.
3. They had each other.
4. They had fellowship with God (Genesis 3:8).
5. There was a total absence of the many negative factors that mar our environment today: sin, sickness, fatigue, fear, pain, etc.
Despite this environment, they still fell into sin through disobedience to God. God gave them only one commandment--and they broke it! Between the two of them, Adam's sin was the greatest, because Eve truly was deceived (I Timothy 2:14). Adam willfully sinned, and so the Bible records:
"Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death
passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" (Romans 5:12).
The details of man's fall and separation from fellowship with God--and God's provision to restore man again to His fellowship--will be studied in the next lesson.
VOCABULARY:
principalities . . . . here it refers to rulers in the spirit world (angels)
cosmic . . . . of the universe
theory . . . . speculative; not proven
evolution . . . . an unfolding, process of development
environment . . . . surroundings, home; etc.
amoeba . . . . a one-celled animal that can only be seen with the help of a microscope
emphatically . . . . forcibly, positively GENESIS - LESSON TWO TEST
1. The book of Genesis tells us nothing about _________________________________.
2. We are to accept by faith the fact that __________ __________.
3. Genesis is the historical record that gives:
4. The book that gives the fulfilment of God's plan of action is _________________.
5. List what took place during the seven creative days:
6. Who alone did God create for Himself?
7. Why will man without God always be unhappy?
8. Show two reasons why our solar system is complicated (not simple).
9. It is evident that there is a ____________ _______________ behind it all.
10. Through __________ we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God.
11. God made all things ____________________.
12. Man has no right to be proud, because he was formed from ____________________.
13. The theory of evolution (tick or check one) has ______ has not _____ been proven.
14. Name one reason the theory of evolution cannot be true.
15. Man was created in the image of _______, not in the image of a monkey!
16. Man is composed of __________, __________, and __________.
17. Angels are composed of __________ and __________.
18. Animals are composed of __________ and __________.
19. Name the three heavens:
20. Show three reasons why the environment Adam and Eve was placed in was very good. |