Hi, friends. I hope you have enjoyed reading the first three chapters in the book of Genesis. As I reflect on the questions from the assignment, I want you to realize that most of the information comes from digging. My thoughts are my interpretation and those I gather from various resources. I am not a prophet nor am I steeped in wisdom and knowledge. I am a sinner saved by grace and I will convey the insights given by the Holy Spirit as I have studied. With that prefaced, here we go! The Bible is comprised of sixty-six books. Thirty-nine of those books constitute the Old Testament while the remaining twenty-seven books are included in the New Testament. The Old Testament primarily records God’s people of Israel and the covenant He made with them through His servant, Moses on Mt. Sinai. In order to delve into that information we must first re-acquaint ourselves with creation and the individuals that led to Moses. First, the author of the book of Genesis is noted to be Moses. Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible also referred to as the Pentateuch. As asked previously this week, Moses was guided through oral and written accounts and, most importantly, the Holy Spirit’s guidance in order to pen events that transpired before his birth. Various translations concur with this explanation. Chapter 1: Amazing that God created everything in six days, isn’t it? Of course there is a debate about the length of each day by some scholars; however, a day is a day to me. God is mighty, powerful and the Maker of heaven and earth….if anyone can create the world and universe in six days, with each day possessing 24 hours, it would be my Heavenly Father. I noted that in verse 27 the first mention of created humans is tucked into the chapter. Therefore, I believe Chapter 1 offers us an overall view of the order of creation. In Chapter 2 we return for specifics. Chapter 2: Now for those specifics…after God created man in His image the Bible states in verse 15 that God placed him in the Garden of Eden. (As a note, it was pointed out to me this week that God used His voice to speak into being the creation. God then used His hands to create man in His image. A loving Heavenly Father used the personal “touch” to bring man into existence! Creating man was a work of the heart, don’t you think?) God intended to give man some responsibility right from the start. In verse 16, the command is given, “You may eat the fruit from any tree in the garden, but you must not eat the fruit from the tree which gives the knowledge of good and evil. If you ever eat fruit from that tree, you will die!” Wow, sounds pretty straight forward to me! Being a teacher, this is exactly the approach you take when teaching a child right from wrong. God took man to the tree…how do I know that? There is a garden full of trees, how would man know which one God was talking about if he didn’t know specifically where the tree was located? First step, take the individual directly to the source of the teaching. Secondly, explain why the directive is given, “the tree which gives the knowledge of good and evil.” Although we might think it’s a good thing to know good from evil, God has provided everything imaginable for man’s comfort and existence. Sparing man from the pain of knowing evil would have been “paradise” as God intended it to be. Lastly, what is the consequence of disobedience? Death. Of course man hadn’t a clue what death meant or the insurmountable suffering that would come to his physical, emotional and mental well-being, but the instructions have been laid out before him. Let’s not forget that God has given man the ability to choose…freewill, if you will. This side of heaven we all have the ability to decide if we will follow the instructions and directions of our Creator or not. God is turning that capability over to man at this point. Do you realize I have been using the reference to Adam as “man”? All of a sudden, in Chapter 2, verse 20, “man” is referred to as Adam! Another little “nugget” to ponder. Is there significance in using Adam’s rib to create Eve? Absolutely! God doesn’t take any action that doesn’t bear significance. All other parts of creation, including man, were taken out of the ground. However, when woman was created God used a part of man binding them together as a unit. Remember God speaking soon after the creation of woman, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife.” Becoming as one was as God intended, man and female God created them. Now for Chapter 3 and Eve’s encounter with the snake and temptation. First of all, let’s look at the person of Eve. A beautiful woman (would God create anything less?) full of life, surrounded by the perfect diet in the ultimate paradise not even needing to go through the agony of shopping for the right size! After teaching a session on “Calling All Vessels to the Foot of the Throne” at a women’s retreat, I surmised Eve as meticulously crafted, beautifully shaped, pleasing to the eye and reflecting the warm glow of her husband’s attention 24/7. Eve never knew embarrassment, hormones, misunderstanding, hurt, PMS, envy, bitterness, menopause, grief or guilt…until…the serpent’s temptation and her choice to disobey. We are not told if the serpent came to call on Eve just once or many times, but in Genesis 3, the serpent challenged what Eve had been instructed by God. “Did God REALLY say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” Doubt planted…position needs to be defended. Eve quickly responded, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” but, Eve continued, “You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.” Clarification has been made on the instructions from God. The serpent returns with his defense. “You will not surely die…for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Satan repeats the wording of God and adds his viewpoint…his twist to cause additional doubt and confusion. Remember, Satan can quote scripture because he knows the Word. The forbidden tree now is not only looking good for food, but it’s pleasing to the eye and, the deal closer…it is desirable for gaining wisdom. So Eve succumbed to the invitation to eat of the forbidden fruit and the smallest bite changed the world’s design. After her disobedience, she offered the fruit to her husband and he ate…doesn’t say that he reminded her of God’s instructions or even that he took a few minutes to think about it. He simply took the apple and ate. Immediately, their eyes were opened and the first thing they noticed was their nakedness. There is probably an entire lesson or speaking engagement to be had with that one comment, but we must move on. They made clothing out of the availability of materials and then came the big moment when God came through the Garden calling their names. Of course, God knew what had transpired. But He wanted to hear it from his children. 1. We’re hiding. Why? 2. We’re naked. Who told you? 3. Explanations and excuses begin. Adam: “You gave this woman to me and she gave me from the tree, so I ate it.”(NCV) I guess that inevitably it was God’s fault! If that doesn’t work for Adam, let’s go with “this woman”, not Eve, not my wife, but “this woman”…that ought to cover Adam, right? 4. God turns to Eve. “How could you have done such a thing?” (NCV) 5. Eve, “The snake tricked me, so I ate the fruit.” (NCV) Guess it was the snake, right? The blame game is still going strong today. But the bottom line, we are personally responsible for the decisions we make and the lifestyle we live. God has given us all the instructions and information we need written in the Book of Life, the Bible. It’s plainly written for our understanding. We need to ask God daily, through prayer, to open our eyes that we might see; open our ears that we will hear His voice; and open our hearts to ask His forgiveness for our sins. We then need to forgive ourselves and get on with the business of loving others as God has loved us. God ends the 3rd Chapter of Genesis by giving the judgment that will fall upon the snake, the woman and mankind. A paradise of walking and communing daily with their Creator has now suffered a rift that only Jesus Christ will be able to repair through His broken, sinless body hung on a cross. God, our lovingly Heavenly Father at the moment of man’s disobedience put this plan into motion. From the NCV God speaking to the snake concerning the woman, “One of her descendants will crush your head, and you will bite his heel.” God still loves us and provides a bridge of forgiveness and fellowship through Jesus Christ! ASSIGNMENT FOR NEXT WEEK: As we enter the second week of study, please know that if you have questions or comments feel free to post them on this site by clicking on the word, “comment” at the top right hand corner of this blog. I’d love to hear from you. Secondly, I have no way of knowing if I’m requesting an assignment that is too lengthy. If you feel the reading assignment and study load needs to be reduced, let me know. I would rather take a longer period of time on one set of chapters than to rush through to the next assignment. For next week, let’s read Chapters 4, 5 and 6. We’ll continue this week with another three chapters unless I hear otherwise from you, the participants. Questions to spark your comprehension: Chapter 4: Adam and Eve begin having children. List their first two sons, their occupations and their attitudes towards those occupations. Another lie surfaces. How is this lie similar and/or different from the lie told in Chapter 2? What consequences occur as a result of the lie? Note the names in the genealogy of Cain. Is there an individual who stands out in your reading? Another son is born to Adam and Eve, please note his name. Note the length of the life span of men during this time and the various names given to these individuals. Mark similarities concerning the names of Seth’s sons with the sons of Cain. Use a highlighter to mark similar names. Using both Chapter 5 and Chapter 6: Please describe Noah in your own words. Include his age when he became a father and his children’s names. How is Noah different from his descendants? What made Noah a “stand-out” in God’s eyes? Why did God become sorrowful that He had made man? Research the phasing “the Nephilim” and see how it applies to what was happening at the time. Have a wonderful week, my fellow study companions! God bless and thank you for setting aside time in your busy schedules to study God’s Word! Father, please watch over your children as we continue to study your Word. Please open our minds that we would be able to understand the treasures written within each and every page of this precious instruction book. Aid us in learning from others and in knowing your will for our lives, in Jesus' name, Amen. CommentsJan Sun, 14 Feb 2010 14:09:34 Cookie, Kathy & any others joining in with BLBS - - Cookie Sun, 14 Feb 2010 16:15:05 Okay, my buddy, Jan. Yes, Cain was at least bringing a gift, but remember, God knows the heart. Cain, I believe, was giving because he "had" to or was "instructed" to give. He needed to give from a view of love and adoration...then he would have given his best. God knew it, Cain knew it..why would he have looked downcast? God accepts whatever we have to offer as long as the heart is right...remember the widow and the mites? All she had to drop in the offering plate was a couple of these small little coins and it meant more to God than the huge amounts the wealthy were placing in the plate. Jan Sun, 14 Feb 2010 17:51:51 Oh Cookie - you sure know how to share the message my mind (AND my heart!) need to hear! A new challenge - making sure my heart is in the right place when doing things..... DEFINITELY a "stretch goal" for me. Lots of room to grow... :) Kathy G. Mon, 15 Feb 2010 06:25:18 Here is info I found on the Nephilim: Kathy G. Mon, 15 Feb 2010 07:20:23 It disturbed me too when I read that Cain's gift was not acceptable while Abel's was...I think of how many times my heart wasn't right when doing things...just going thru the motions or complaining as I do it. Reading this gives me a much needed spiritual reminder about everything I do...to really offer it to God with a grateful heart. Leave a Reply | AuthorCome along and join the Bucket List Bible Study! Open to all who enjoy studying God's Word. ArchivesSeptember 2010 Categories |
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