THE SIGNIFICANCE OF GENESIS 1-3
All over our world people have wondered how the earth came into existence. Various myths have been told of the origins of the universe, the earth and man. In Genesis we have God's explanation of the matter. The word "genesis" means beginnings and the book of Genesis is the book of beginnings. It relates how the world began, how mankind began, how sin began, how death began, and also how many other things began.
The first verse of the Bible states, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." So everything had its beginning at God's command. God was not created. He has always been. Little children ask, "where did God come from?". Well, God has always been. There never was a time without God. The word "Create" is the Hebrew "bara" and means "to prepare, form, to fashion". Hebrews 11:3 states, "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." God brought all things into existence by and act of his own power. This is creation.
In chapter one of Genesis we are told how God made everything in orderly steps. At first matter itself was created. For a time it remained in an unshaped state until God began to shape it up into an orderly universe. His first step was to call for light, then came a separation between heaven and earth. Next came dry land and vegetation. Then the heavenly bodies were placed in their orbits. God called for fish and sea creatures along with the fowls of the earth to come into being. Then he produced all animal life. Finally God created man in His own image and likeness and told him to rule the earth. Everything God created was "good" and all living things were told to bring forth after their kind (Genesis1:12,21,24,28).
In chapter 2 of Genesis there are some additional details about the creation of man. At first only male man was made, and when he realized he needed a sufficient companion God took a rib from his side and made woman. She was brought to him and the statement is made, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." (Genesis 2:24). Marriage, the home, and children have been the order of the earth since then. Also in this chapter the garden of Eden is described which was man's first home. Adam and Eve lived there until they sinned against God and had to be removed.
Chapter three tells how man fell into sin. God had forbidden him to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The punishment of eating thereof was death. Eve let the serpent beguile her into eating of that tree. She gave to Adam and he ate, and so sin entered into the world. Death, pain, and all manner of sorrow followed, as a result of sin. Sinful man was removed from the garden, with the decree to work and suffer until he returned to the dust from which he had been taken.
LESSONS TO BE LEARNED AND TAUGHT
1. God is eternal, all powerful, the creator, the one who blesses, is holy, and a punisher of evil.
2. Creation is something that only God can do. Man can harness, invent, and make things from what exists here but only God can create out of things that do not exist. Man came into existence because God created him.
3. Satan exists. No ordinary snake could talk to Eve and tempt her. Satan either took on the appearance of a snake or took possession of the snake's body for the purpose of tempting Eve. In Revelation 12:9 he is called a serpent. From the beginning of the Bible Satan is man's adversary. We have to beware of him and his evil ways (I Peter 5:8).
4. Sin is disobedience to God. God said, "do not eat of the tree". Adam and Eve ate. They disobeyed God. They sinned (Romans 5:12). God tells us what to do. When we disobey we sin also. There is no moral code apart from God. The only reason anything is wrong is because God said not do it.
5. Obedience to God is the primary duty of man. Eternal salvation cannot be had without obedience to God (Hebrews 5:8,9; Revelation 22:14).
6. The first promise of Christ's coming to redeem mankind is found in Genesis 3: 15. Here, He is called the seed of the woman who would bruise the serpent's head. He destroyed Satan's power to keep man in bondage of death by His death on the cross and resurrection (Hebrews 2:14, 15). At His 2nd coming Satan will be cast into eternal hell (Revelation 20:10).
7. The first hint of God's means of cleansing the sinner is found in Genesis 3:21. Instead of slaying Adam and Eve immediately, God killed animals and clothed them with the skins. This illustrates that Christ would later die for us sinners so we can be cleansed from sin and be clothed in His Righteousness.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What does Genesis mean? _________________
2. What are some things that Genesis reveals? ___________
3. Was God created? ____________________
4. What is the meaning of God creating the heavens and the earth? ____
5. In making an orderly universe what was the first thing God called for?_______________ Second?_________________Third?_________________ Fourth?__________________Fifth?_________________ Sixth?___________________
6. When was woman created? _________________
7. Did Marriage come into existence when woman was created?_____
8. When did sin come into existence in this world? __________
9. What are some characteristics of God?_____________
10. What is unique about Creation? _______________
11. Is Satan called a "serpent"? _________________
12. What is sin? _____________________
13. What is the primary duty of man? ______________
14. What is the first promise of Christ’s coming? __________
15. What is the first hint of God's means of cleansing sinners?______
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