GENESIS STUDY

The Beginning

Genesis = Origin, or Beginning

THE BOOK OF GENESIS GIVES VITAL INFORMATION CONCERNING THE ORIGIN

OF ALL THINGS--THEREFORE THE MEANING OF ALL

THINGS.

Origin of:• Creation• Sabbath• Life• Man and Woman• Marriage• Evil, Sin, Murder• Cultures, Nations, Races• Religions• Faith• Grace: Noah, Abraham, etc.

Always be prepared….

• “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have”—I peter 3:15

• Notice it is when “asked”• And it is the reason for the hope• The word for reason =• apologia a plea ("apology"): defense

• “This is the foundation truth of all real theology. God is the great originator and initiator. It is the ignoring of this which is the basic error in all human schemes. False systems of theology and philosophy begin with man, and seek to work up towards God. But this is the turning of things upside down. We must, in all our thinking begin with God , and work down to man.”—Pink, Gleanings in Genesis

False systems of theology begins with man

Works down towards man

Seeks to work up to God

Good Theology begins with God

Genesis Refutes All False Philosophies

World Philosophies What Genesis Says

Atheism Created by God

Pantheism God is separate and Holy

Polytheism One God

Materialism Matter not at the beginning

Humanism God, not man, ultimate reality

Evolutionism God created

Uniformitarianism God interacts with creation

Watch Your Doctrine "Watch your life and doctrine closely.

Persevere in them, because if you do, you will SAVE both yourself and your hearers." 1 Tim 4:16

• Save: Sozo• “to save, to keep safe and sound, to

rescue from danger or destruction• Universally one (from injury or peril); to

save a suffering one from disease, to make well, heal, restore to health: Matt 9:22

Aldous Huxley—“It is clear that the doctrine of evolution is directly

antagonistic to that of creation….Evolution, if consistently

accepted, makes it impossible to believe in the bible.”

As Israel would make their pilgrimage to Jerusalem

they would see on the high places all the gods that were worshiped by those who didn’t believe in the

one true God. They would sing Psalm 121 to God

during their journey to keep themselves focused on the

one true God!

A Song of Ascents.

"I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps IsraelShall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore---Psalm 121

"In the beginning God created..."

• Who created God?• Why did God create at all?• What story does creation tell us

about God?• What does creation tell us about

man?• What does creation tell us about

the world?

Who created God?

• Bªree'shiyt ; the first, in place, time, order or rank (specifically, a first fruit) beginning, chief , first principal thing, or head.

• God's existence is simply stated in scripture

• "The fool has said in his heart, There is no God."-- Ps 14:1

• "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse…."--- Rom 1:20“I CAN SEE HOW IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE FOR A MAN TO LOOK DOWN UPON THE EARTH AND BE AN ATHEIST, BUT I CANNOT CONCEIVE HOW HE COULD LOOK UP INTO HEAVEN AND SAY THERE IS NO GOD”---ABRAHAM LINCOLN

Why did God create at all?

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." ---John 1:1"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life —

the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us — 3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.-- 1 John 1:1-4

20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.-- 1 John 5:20

Jesus Brought Understanding

• When Jesus came into the world He gave us the reason and understanding of our existence

• He brought real purpose and understanding for who we are created to be

• It is a different way of seeing the world, and why we are here

• It is a world view based solely in the person of Jesus Christ

"He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.---Col. 1:13-17

Every thing is here because of Jesus

HIDDEN TRUTH:

GENESIS 1:1

LITERAL TRANSLATION “In the beginning God [aleph tau] created the heaven and the earth”. ZECHARIAH 12:10

LITERAL TRANSLATION “...and they shall look upon me [aleph tau] whom they have pierced... “

THE ALEPH AND THE TAU, THE FIRST AND LAST LETTERS OF THE HEBREW ALPHABET ARE THE SAME AS THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA IN THE GREEK.

This Aleph and Tau, that created the heavens and the earth, is the same Aleph and Tau whom they pierced on the wooden cross erected in J udea almost 2,000 years ago.

“sign (marker) of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative case.”

THE DIRECT OBJECT IS GOD WHO IS THE BEGINNING AND THE END

What story does creation tell us about God?

• I JOHN 4:19---BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US!

• protos (pro'-tos); foremost (in time, place, order or importance)

• This is linking us back to the word used in Genesis 1 that before time God loved us and that’s why he created man to be in relationship with him

• "we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. (1 Corinthians 2:7) Man is not meant to think outside of our relationship with God!

• who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began (2 Timothy 1:9)

• "…hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began." (Titus 1:2)

• In creation we see the hand of God, in redemption we see the heart of God

• Creation and redemption walk hand in hand

What does creation tell us about man?

• An understanding of who man is begins with knowing that we are made in his image; man is different from all other life form.

• Man is also created different than the angels, no where in scripture are we told that angels are created in the image of God; thus angels cannot have the same kind of love relationship with God that man can

• This also means that the incarnation was truly possible because, deity and humanity are not the same, yet they are compatible with each other. Man is distinct from God as man, yet we have attributes of him in us.

• When God became man in Jesus He displayed the glory of the invisible God

• "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."--Jn. 1:14

• Man is a special creation of God and has value

• Man can know God, (Gen:3:9; John 17:3)

• Be in constant relationship to God

• Respond and obey his word: Gen 2:15-17

• God created man in His image in order to dwell in relationship with Him

What does creation tell us about the world?

• "By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible."--Heb. 11:3

• “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are on earth, visible and invisible….All things were created by him and for him.”--Col. 1:16

• PSALM 136• GLORY, PRAISE AND WONDER ARE

TIED TO CREATION• WE LOOK AROUND AND SEE GOD’S

WONDER IN CREATION• GOD’S GLORY IN DELIVERANCE FROM

BONDAGE IN EYGYPT• GOD’S GLORY IN DELIVERANCE FROM

BONDAGE AT THE CROSS• IT ALL BEGINS BY GOD’S CREATIVE

ACT.

"Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created."-- Rev 4:9-11