The Book of Genesis: Perspectives Chapters 1:1-2:25 “Introduction and The Creation”

The Book of Genesis:Perspectives

Chapters 1:1-2:25

“Introduction and The Creation”

Announcements

GenesisWeek Date Topic

1 09 Dec 09 Introduction and the Creation: 1:1-2:25 (Ben)

2 16 Dec 09 The Fall: 3:1-5:32

3 23 Dec 09 Elder Selection Discussion (Need Volunteer)

4 30 Dec 09 The Flood: 6:1-9:29

5 06 Jan 10 Tower of Babel: 10:1-11:9

6 13 Jan 10 Life of Abraham – Part 1: 11:10-16:16

7 20 Jan 10 Life of Abraham – Part 2: 17:1-25:18

8 27 Jan 10 Life of Isaac: 25:19-26:35

9 03 Feb 10 Life of Jacob: 27:1-36:43

10 10 Feb 10 Life of Esau: 36:1-43:34

11 17 Feb 10 Life of Joseph – Corruption: 37:1-38:30

12 24 Feb 10 Life of Joseph – Exaltation: 39:1-41:57

13 03 Mar 10 Life of Joseph – Salvation: 42:1-50:25

Today’s Objectives• Provide and overview of Genesis including

authorship and timeline• Provide a review of terminology• Discuss of creation• Read and discuss each day of creation found in

Genesis 1:1 through 2:3 (Creation of the World)

• Read and discuss the Garden of Eden as well as Adam and Eve found in Genesis 2:4 through 2:25 (Creation of Man)

Authorship • Bible scholars attribute Genesis to Moses

– Inspired by God, Moses was the human instrument through which God spoke

– Also attributed to writing the first five books of the bible

• Date of writing– Uncertain– Probably between 1500-1400 BC– Spans more time than any other book of the Bible– Approximately 2370 years, more time than the other 65

books combined– Oldest and most detailed record of ancient history in

existence

Terminology• Bereshith

– Hebrew name for the book meaning “in the beginning”

• Septuagint– Oldest Greek translation of the OT, around 270 BC

• Torah– Hebrew word for “the law”, refers to the first five books

• Pentateuch– Greek name for the first five books of the OT

• Dead Sea Scrolls– Ancient manuscripts found in 1947 contain parts of all

books of the OT except Esther, confirming translations

Creation - How Long Did It Take?

• God gives no conclusive evidence

• Some in the modern age speculate that it may be millions or billions of years between Gen 2 and 3

• Others take a more literal approach– To not believe it could happen is to not believe God

could have performed any miracles

• Most Biblical scholars agree that 4000 years elapsed between Adam’s creation and the birth of Christ

• Eternity is incomprehensible to the human mind– Deut 29:29

Creation of the World – Day 1

• Read Gen 1:1-5

• In the beginning God– Hebrew word for God is Elohim, which is plural– Suggesting He is the Godhead (Matt 28:19, Act 5:3-4)– Hebrew word for “create” is bara, meaning “to create out

of nothing”– Heavens, our solar system– Light was created before the sun, moon, and stars on day

four in vs. 14-16

Creation of the World – Day 2 and 3

• Read Gen 1:6-8, Day 2– Expansion of the earth’s atmosphere (Jer 15;3)– Waters above meaning cloud formations (Psa 148:4)– Waters below meaning the oceans, lakes, rivers

• Read Gen 1:9-13, Day 3– Dry land appears– All the oceans became connected as one– How could Moses have known this without divine

knowledge?

• Read Gen:1:14-19, Day 4– God creates the sun, moon, and stars– Provide light– Sun rules the day and the moon rules the night

• Read Gen 1:20-23, Day 5– God creates all of the species of life mentioned here

including fish, birds– A perfect balance– Evidence of God’s divine planning and decree

Creation of the World – Day 4 and 5

• Read Gen 1:24-31, Day 6– Creates all living creatures which roam the earth– God creates man in His own image (spirit)– Gives him dominion of the rest of creation– Man and woman would reproduce and populate the

world

• Read Gen 2:1-3, Day 7– God completes his work and rests– He blessed the seventh day– Sabbath day under the Old Law

Creation of the World – Day 6 and 7

Adam and Eve• Read Gen 2:4-25

– Streams rise out of the ground and water the earth

– God then forms man out of the dust of the ground

• God creates a garden in the east in Eden• Two special trees are there

– Tree of life

– Tree of knowledge of good and evil

• Four headwaters exist– Pishon in the land of Havilah, with gold, aromatics, onyx

– Gihon in the land of Cush

– Tigris in the land of Asshur

– Euphrates

Adam and Eve• Man is put in the Garden of Eden to work the land

– Provides him food to eat, even from the trees– But cannot eat from the tree of knowledge of good and

evil, for he will surely die– Man names all the living creatures of the earth– No suitable helper was found for the Adam

• God caused him to fall into a deep sleep– God takes one of the man’s ribs and closes the flesh– Makes woman from the rib– God brings her to Adam

• They felt no shame, although they were naked

Possible Location of the four rivers

Map

Review

• Provided and overview of Genesis including authorship and timeline

• Provided a review of terminology used in the Book of Genesis

• Discussed of creation• Read and discussed each day of creation found

in Genesis 1:1 through 2:3• Read and discussed the Garden of Eden as

well as Adam and Eve found in Genesis 2:4 through 2:25