God created the Heavens and Earth--all you see, all you don't see

Part of Chronological Bible Study more Here if you wish to follow along or comment

Reading Genesis Chapters 1-3
Creation of the Word, Creation of Man and Women, Temptation and Fall of Man, Judgement of God at the Fall and the story of Cain and Abel

Introduction

Each book of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament, called the Torah [instruction] by the Jews) originally received its title in the Hebrew Bible from the first word or words in the book. There are three divisions in the Hebrew Bible: The Law (Torah), the Prophets, and the Writings. The Torah was originally one book, but the Septuagint divided it into the five books that we have. The Jews regarded the stories in the Torah as divine instruction for them, as well as the commandments and sermons, since they too teach theology and ethics.  MORE ON THIS as my study continues.... 

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Creation of the World

Day 1 - God created light and separated the light from the darkness, calling light "day" and darkness "night."

Day 2 - God created an expanse to separate the waters and called it "sky."

Day 3 - God created the dry ground and gathered the waters, calling the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters "seas." On day three, God also created vegetation (plants and trees).

Day 4 - God created the sun, moon, and the stars to give light to the earth and to govern and separate the day and the night. These would also serve as signs to mark seasons, days, and years.

Day 5 - God created every living creature of the seas and every winged bird, blessing them to multiply and fill the waters and the sky with life.

Day 6 - God created the animals to fill the earth. On day six, God also created man and woman (Adam and Eve) in his own image to commune with him. He blessed them and gave them every creature and the whole earth to rule over, care for, and cultivate.

God says, “Let us make mad in our image, in our likeness…” This is the only instance in the creation account that God uses the plural form to refer to himself. It's interesting to note that this happens just as he begins to create man. Many scholars believe this is the Bible's first reference to the Trinity.

Day 7 - God had finished his work of creation and so he rested on the seventh day, blessing it and making it holy

God was very pleased with his creation. Six times throughout the process of creating, God stops, observes his handiwork and says, "It was very good." This is a great time to remind ourselves that we are part of God's creation. Even when you don't feel worthy of his pleasure, remember that God made you and is pleased with you. You are of great worth to him.

Creation of Man and Women

And the Lord God formed man out of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul..

So God created man in His own image; He commanded Adam to name all of the things of the garden and care for them.

God gave Adam great freedom of choice. He only forbade one of all the trees. God’s command also implies that He alone knows what is good and not good for man. Adam would die because of disobedience, not because of the fruit of the tree.

The Edenic Covenant required five things from Adam. He was to propagate the human race, to subdue the earth for human habitation, to exercise dominion over the animal creation, to care for and enjoy the Garden of Eden and its fruits, and to abstain from eating from one tree in the garden.

 He saw that it was not good for man to be alone. God put Adam into a deep sleep and took one of his ribs and made women.  He presented the women to him.  Adam was in delight (there is one here like me) He called women Eve.

Adam’s creation was not complete because he lacked a “helper” who corresponded to him. This deficiency led God to pronounce Adam’s condition “not good.” This follows the pattern of the triune God’s own existence in which He is surrounded by His heavenly court. Man should normally live in community even as God does. God not only evaluated Adam’s condition, He also rectified it

“In Judaism, from the very moment of origins of the Jewish people, marriage was considered to be the ideal state.” God’s provision of a wife for Adam is a concrete example of God’s knowing what is good for man. Companionship replaced isolation. For companionship to be satisfying, however, there must be oneness in the marriage (1:26-27). Self-centered living destroys oneness and companionship.

The term “helper” does not mean a servant. “The word help suggests that the man has governmental priority, but both sexes are mutually dependent on each other. The man is created first, with the woman to help the man, not vice versa (see also 1 Tim. 2:13); however, this does not mean ontological superiority or inferiority. The word helper, used for God sixteen of the nineteen times it appears in the Old Testament, signifies the woman’s essential contribution, not inadequacy.”

“Suitable to him” or “corresponding to him” means “equal and adequate.” What was true of Adam (v. 7) was also true of Eve. They both had the same nature.

“Since Adam and Eve were a spiritual unity, living in integrity without sin, there was no need for instruction here on headship.”

And God said, “A man shall leave his father and his mother and cling to his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed.”

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Temptation and Fall of Man

Here's where everything goes horribly wrong (and only 3 chapters in to the Bible!). Adam and Eve disobey God and eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. They are subsequently kicked out of Eden to prevent them from eating from the Tree of Life. They thus become mortal.

“This chapter is the pivot of the Bible . . . . With the exception of the fact of Creation, we have here the record of the most important and far-reaching event in the world’s history—the entrance of sin.” “. . . Genesis does not explain the origins of evil; rather, the biblical account, if anything, says where evil does not have its source. Evil was not inherent in man nor can it be said that sin was the consequence of divine entrapment. The tempter stands outside the human pair and stands opposed to God’s word.”

The separation that sin produces in man’s relationship with God stands out clearly in these verses. Their new knowledge that the serpent promised would make them as God actually taught them that they were no longer even like each other. They were ashamed of their nakedness and sewed fig leaves together to hide their differences from each other.

Ignorance or disregard of God’s word makes one very vulnerable to temptation (Ps. 119:11). These conditions produce distrust, dissatisfaction, and finally disobedience. Failure to appreciate God’s goodness leads to distrust of His goodness. God’s prohibitions as well as His provisions are for our good.

“The root of sin should be understood. The foundation of all sin lies in man’s desire of self-assertion and his determination to be independent of God. Adam and Eve chafed under the restriction laid upon them by the command of God, and it was in opposition to this that they asserted themselves, and thereby fell. Man does not like to be dependent upon another, and subject to commands upon another, and subject to commands from without. He desires to go his own way, to be his own master; and as a consequence he sins, and becomes ‘lord of himself, that heritage of woe.’”

God has always asked people to believe and trust His word that His will for us will result in our blessing. However, Satan has always urged us to have experiences that will convince us that we can obtain even greater blessings. He says, “Try it; you’ll like it!” But God says, “Trust me, and you’ll live.” Satan’s appeal to get us to experience something to assure ourselves of its goodness directly contradicts God’s will for us. It is the way of sight rather than the way of faith

Note that God took the initiative in seeking out the sinners to re-establish a relationship with them. Evidence of God’s love is His unwillingness to abandon those He loved even when they failed to do His will. His approach was tender as well as gracious (v.9,11,13)

The text records several effects of the Fall on Adam and Eve.

1.They felt guilt and shame (v.7)

2.They tried to change these conditions by their own efforts (v.7).

3.They fled from God’s presence out of fear of Him (v.8.10).

4.They tried to blame their sin on another rather than confessing personal responsibility (v. 12,13)

Adam and Eve were Ashamed and Hid from God

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The Judgement of the guilty

The Bible teaches that man is destroying his condition through sin. Having been thrice blessed by God the creation now experienced a triple curse  “In the Bible, to curse means to invoke God’s judgment on someone, usually for some particular offense.”

Nevertheless God also began recreation with the promise of the seed, the land, the dominion, and the rest for trust in His powerful word. Verses 14-19 reveal the terms of the second major biblical covenant, the Adamic Covenant. Here God specified the conditions under which fallen man was to live (until God lifts His curse on creation in the messianic kingdom;(Rom. 8:21). The elements of this covenant can be summarized as follows. God cursed the serpent (v. 14) but promised a redeemer (v. 15). He changed the status of the woman in three respects: she would experience multiplied conception, sorrow and pain in motherhood, and continuing headship by the man (v. 16). God also changed Adam and Eve’s light workload in Eden to burdensome labor and inevitable sorrow because of His curse on the earth (vv. 17-19). Finally, He promised certain physical death for Adam and all his descendants (v.19).

The Story of Cain and Abel

Now the man had marital relations with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. Then she said, “I have created a man just as the Lord did!”  Then she gave birth to his brother Abel. Abel took care of the flocks, while Cain cultivated the ground

At some point in time they both bring offerings to the Lord - Cain offers some of his crops while Abel offers some of the firstborn of his flock. God is pleased with Abel's offering but less than enthused about Cain's. Cain had offered God an imperfect sacrifice, keeping the better part of the harvest for himself.  
The First Murder Occurs... Out of anger Cain kills his brother in the fields. Due to this violent act, Cain is cast out of God's presence and is forced to live in the land of Nod. However, God grants Cain grace by giving him a mark that would protect him, that if anyone kills him, he shall be avenged sevenfold.
As in chapter 3, God came investigating the crime with questions (vv. 9-10). There the result was God cursing the ground and people generally, but here the result is His cursing Cain, another evidence that wickedness was worsening.

After this, Adam and Eve bear another son, Seth, who becomes part of the human lineage as well as the lineage that would bring forth the Savior of mankind, the promised Woman's Seed.

Cain's punishment consisted of his being banished from God’s presence and unable to enjoy his family’s company and the fruitfulness of a settled pastoral life (vv.11-12,14) He would have to wander from place to place seeking food rather than living a sedentary life. This punishment was just since he had alienated himself from his brother and God.

Cain was a man who did not care to please God. Because he did not, God did not bless him as He did Abel, who was a man of faith. Cain’s anger and jealousy over Abel’s blessing brought disaster on himself. God has preserved his example to help us avoid it. Those who worship God must have as their goal to please Him rather than letting envy and hatred ruin their lives

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There will always be Sin, we are all sinners God know this, but the acknowledgement of the sin and sincerely seeking forgiveness from God and the strength to overcome it in the future is all he asks. We must pray continually give thanks and ask when we do sin to make it right again.

Renew our hearts minds and spirit each and every day.
May God Bless you,

Tracy 

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Oh Lord, may we be known as those who call on Your name. Give us an awareness of our need for You. Turn our hearts from worldly pursuits, so that seeking Your will and calling on Your name would be our priority. We praise You that the blood of Christ, which was shed for our sins, cries out to us, drawing us near to You. May we answer its call and accept its cleansing power. In the name of Jesus, we pray, Amen