What Does the Bible Mean to You?

Psalm 1:2 

But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
    And in His law he meditates day and night.

As I've grown older, I've noticed that the small little things mean so much.  What do I mean?  Well, over the past few years I've had the privilege of my nephews living with me. It has been a great joy to see these two young men grow up and learn more and more about the Lord God.  Over the years of having young ones in my home, I've received well thought gifts from them.  Now, at times, I've received items that they've spent their own allowance on.  Things such as my Star Wars drinking cup, and my Star Wars notebook. Yes, I am a Star Wars nerd.  While those items are wonderful and I'll always cherish them, the items that I cherish the most are in a shoebox I keep in the upper part of my closet.  Inside that shoe box are treasures beyond measure.  No, it's not gold, silver, or any precious material.  Instead, it's items that mean a lot more than those.  They are hand drawn pictures of myself spending time with my nephews.  They are the hardly legible birthday cards wishing me a Happy Birthday.  They are the simple notes that state, "I love you uncle Andy."  

​There’s something about a person’s own words put to paper that has the power to reach deep into our hearts. It doesn’t have to be poetic, eloquent, or pretty, just truthful and sincere. The Bible is God’s letter to us. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, it was written down by people handpicked by God for that specific purpose. Through the Bible, God chose to reveal himself to us in written form so that we would be able to read it again and again, gaining an ever deeper understanding of who He is and His love for us. He wrote to us so that we would know His heart and His love for us.

But sometimes we’re all guilty of neglecting God’s words. The Bible gets a little dusty or we read it out of obligation instead of being intentional. We may listen to sermons, podcasts, and Christian radio stations, and read great books about the Bible without really studying it ourselves. We might even feel like all we do is learn about the Bible, when in reality we haven’t opened it in weeks. Christian resources are great when they supplement God’s word, but not when they replace it.

The Bible is God’s letter to us—His words. In Deuteronomy 6:6-7 God said, “And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart, and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” Maybe it takes a little more effort, and it’s not always easy to understand, but those are His words for us. In the same way a card is no replacement for the words that come from your heart; remember that just reading what someone else has to say about the Bible can never have the same impact as studying God’s word for yourself.

​That's why we here at Simply Scripture exist.  We just simply read the Scriptures, study them and go along with you.  God's Word is precious.  Love it, Learn it, Live it.   

Vacation Bible School.....What it should be and what it shouldn't be.

Vacation Bible School started out as a simple week of Bible training for children that over time has become a carnival ride of themed and live interactive learning; but let’s strip away method long enough to consider the bare bones objectives that will help us stay on course with the purpose for which we have been called. People in the community may see it as a chance for free babysitting, but we have given the directive to provide substantive and truthful answers to little minds that inquire, and the sobering reality is that we are accountable for every moment given and every resource afforded. 

1. Opportunity to Reveal God

Deuteronomy 29:29 says that “the secret things belong to God but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children…” We are entirely missing the point of the VBS exercise if the children put in our care walk away without taking home at least one revelation of who God is. We have all of creation and His written word to work with, so there is no excuse.

2. Opportunity to Present the Gospel

Matthew 19:14 says, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Children love to ask questions, and the more they learn the more they desire to learn. Statistics show that an overwhelming majority of Christians first became followers of Jesus between the ages of 4 to 14 after that numbers drop off exponentially. Behold, today is the day of salvation.

3. Opportunity for Children to Memorize Scripture

Only good things can come from hiding God’s Word in these little hearts. The Bible teaches that His word protects against sin and provides the moral compass to guard against destructive habits;it is God’s Word that sustains us and breathes true life beyond just mere physical survival, and it is God’s Word that reveals the secret to true and lasting success (Psalm 1). Don’t let them walk away without tucking away in their minds as many essentials as possible.

 4. Opportunity to Lay a Foundation of Truth

A structure built on faulty presuppositions will crack and eventually collapse, so too, a child may receive the good news with gladness, only to fall away when trials come. Here is your chance to help build a framework that will aid these kids in interpreting the world around them; something sturdy enough to build everything else in their lives upon. It is a battle for the mind that we should do everything we can to protect them from losing.

5. Outreach to Children

Keep in mind that VBS is NOT childcare. There should always be a clear intent to share the Word of God to our children and make impacts in their lives. But parents ARE looking for safe places to drop off their kids during the summer months for work or a break, so the set of objectives carefully crafted by VBS leaders might look completely different than the parents, but both perspectives are worthy of consideration. After all, the position held by both parties essentially achieves the same thing: they bring in a young audience for instruction, modeling and care.

6. Outreach to Parents

Keep the parents involved; and this isn’t just about utilizing skills, gifts and abilities either. It is about encouraging them in their call to be ministers in their children’s lives. To encourage parents to reinforce the biblical truths presented throughout the week. Consider having a kick-off meeting at the start of VBS and inviting parents, and/or a party at the end celebrating the week and reviewing all that was learned. Make an effort to let parents know you are there for them as a church, through kids and family ministries and events, as well as extending any other family resources you have available.

7. Opportunity to Teach Ministry

Here’s where you help kids convert the things they learned about God into good practical use; it’s the “How to be God’s hands and feet” portion of the week. Help them realize a greater understanding and appreciation of what others are going through to open their eyes to act in compassion and love. Nurture the inherent concern that children have and help them find ways to serve. Perhaps you could schedule some kind of community outreach during the week or share practical ways they can take home what they’ve learned in order to serve the people in their own lives.

8. Opportunity to Demonstrate Christian Life

Share what God has done in your life and what you’ve seen God do in the lives of those around you. Give kids the opportunity to share what God has done for them. Be living examples throughout the week of service, love, discipline, preparation, and organization. We need to lead by example so these children can also grow up to see the value of being good role models to others. The Apostle Paul was able to encourage Timothy to follow “…my teachings, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, steadfastness, persecutions, and sufferings”  because he was, himself, devoted to live Godly in Christ Jesus.

9. Opportunity to Build Relationships

Fellowship is as important for the little guys as it is for us. It is in childhood that many habits are formed, both good and bad. Teach them to contribute to each other’s lives, to encourage each other, and to help each other grow. VBS week is a great time for teachers and leaders to form friendships too!

10. Great Time for Fun

Children learn best by actively doing versus just sitting and listening the whole time, especially if the activity is fun. Put extra care into creating an environment where kids can enjoy learning and making life applications. Whether you use games, puzzles, acting out stories, dressing up, or singing relevant songs to reinforce the lessons, the experience will be more memorable when there is participation and interaction. And the leaders should have fun too! Joy is contagious and it’s a great way to let the kids know you love God and love ministering to them.

In the Depth of Deceit, there is Hope.

        With all of the turmoil that has happened this past weekend, many folks have decided to 

give their input on what they believe the problem is.  Many have suggested that the issue lies

within gun control laws.  Many have suggested that the issue lies within the problem of radical

Islam.  Others have suggested that the issue lies within the hate crimes against the LGBT

community.


What this boils down to is people are looking for something or someone to blame it on.  What 

appalls me the most about this issue is that no one seems to be blaming the shooter himself.

Instead, citizens are trying to again pass the buck, looking for a "deeper root" of the problem.

This is a huge layer of deceit, brought on by the enemy himself, Satan.

Many people, even Christians have become afraid to even mention that we could be deceived by 

Satan and we would like to think that our train of thought is on the right track.  How quickly

though have we forgotten who the real battle is with.  Ephesian 6:12 states, 

"12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."

So, you may be asking, "What have we been deceived to think then?"

Society today has been deceived to try to pass the blame onto something else and not take

personal accountability nor hold anyone personally accountable.  We are foolish if we think 

that any of us are without sin.  In 1 John 1:7-9 it states,

7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

We need to hold ourselves accountable as well as others.  "Passing the buck" does not work.

This has been an enemy tactic since the beginning of time.   In Genesis 3:11-13 it states,

11 And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”

12 Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”

13 And the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”

The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

These Scriptures give us the sad tale of "passing the buck" since the beginning of time.  When

Adam was confronted with his sin, he blamed others.  In fact, he did not just put blame on the 

woman Eve but ultimately he passed blame onto God Himself stating, "The woman whom YOU 

gave."  

So, what am I saying that we are ignoring?  We are ignoring the true root of the problem.  Sin.

Sin resides in the hearts of all men and has since we fell in the garden.  The only solution for the 

sin problem is through the Lord Jesus Christ. 

The solution to the sin problem is not restricting and banning guns.  Sinful people with a heart 

to do evil will still find guns to do evil with if that's what they choose.

The solution is not to ban certain people like the Muslims from living amongst us.  Muslims will 

still exist and people who believe in pagan gods will still exist.   Jesus Christ Himself walked 

among Roman's who believed in paganism.

What then is the solution?

We as the Church, the Bible believing, born again Christians, need to do what we were called to 

do.  We need to hold ourselves accountable and we need to finally get off our lazy butts and 

spread the message of Jesus Christ.

We live in a time where we can spread the true gospel of Jesus Christ in many ways and yet we 

don't take advantage of it.

We need to stop just talking about it as well and we finally need to step up and begin sharing 

the gospel.

If we share the gospel, lives will be transformed.

Sinners who once thought of using guns in an evil way would then use them in a responsible way.

Sinners who were once caught up in the lie of Islam, would turn to the true Savior in Jesus

Christ.

Sinners who were once caught up in the sin of homosexuality would be free from it's perverse 

thinking and would find love and acceptance in the arms of Jesus.

So, what is the gospel?

I find it appalling how many Christians don't know how to answer this.

Well, here is the Gospel.  Feel free to share this.  It's not a message I created.  It's a love letter, that God created.

1.  Understand that God loves you.

The Bible says, “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, [Jesus Christ], that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” — a complete life full of purpose (John 10:10).

2.  We need to realize, and that includes both you and I, that we are sinful, we have been disobedient to God and because of that, we are separated from Him.  It includes all sin from the "little white lies" to even our own unbelief.

We have all done, thought or said bad things, which the Bible calls “sin.” The Bible says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

The result of sin is death, spiritual separation from God (Romans 6:23).

So, what's this gospel, this "good news" then?

3. God sent His Son Jesus, to die in place of you, for your sins.

Jesus died in our place so we could live with Him in eternity.

“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

But it didn’t end with His death on the cross. He rose again and still lives!

That's the simple message.  Would you like to receive salvation from the death penalty of sin?  I want you to understand something.

We can’t earn salvation; we are saved by God’s grace when we have faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. All you have to do is believe you are a sinner, that Christ died for your sins, and ask His forgiveness. Then turn from your sins—that’s called repentance. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

It is only through what Christ has done that will save you.  Jesus Christ knows you and loves you. What matters to Him is the attitude of your heart, your honesty. 

The majority of the time, you are given a sample prayer to pray through.  I'm not going to give you that.  There are no precise "magic words" that you say in prayer that will earn you salvation.  It is a gift of God.  If you feel the calling of the Lord today, simply open your heart up to Him in prayer.  Tell Him that you realize that you are a lost sinner without Him and are in desperate need of His salvation.  He'll hear you, and He'll save you.

If you reached to Christ for salvation today, I would love to hear from you.  I love to rejoice just as the angels do when a new brother or sister in Christ joins the family.

I will be here to love you, encourage you, and help you in anyway I can.  Email me at josiah@simplyscripture.org and let me know.

In awe of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Trees

Hello everyone and blessings from our Lord Jesus Christ,

I promised on the last broadcast that I would discuss "The Trees" of Genesis chapter 2.  I am going to be publishing a podcast on it as well, but I felt as thought I should write a blog for you to go through it a little more.

So, when we read about the Garden of Eden in Genesis chapter 2, we come across 2 trees that God placed in the garden.

In Genesis 2:9, the Bible says;

And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

So, here in the Scriptures we have two trees mentioned by name, the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  

I want to take some time here to talk about both of these trees.  The Tree of Life is mentioned again in Scripture as we read about it being with the redeemed in Revelation.  However, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is mentioned only here in Genesis and because of that, many people have questions in regards to it.

One of the main questions I get is this, "Andy, why would God put that tree there in the first place if He didn't want us to sin?"

There are two reasons to that.

One, to establish and to show man that He has given us free will.  God in His ultimate grace, showed to Adam and to all mankind that He was not going to "program" man to automatically do His will, but in His grace, He gives us the beauty of a choice.

God in His awesome power, might, and love, desires a deep relationship with man.

God does not want robots, He wants men and women who genuinely love Him.

When I was a youth pastor, I used to describe this to teenagers this way, "Would you rather have a boyfriend/girlfriend who is forced to have a relationship with you and forced to love you or would you rather have a boyfriend/girlfriend who CHOOSES to have a relationship with you and CHOOSES to love you.

Now, I already know that there are going to be some of my friends and colleagues out there who are going to scream saying that giving man a choice would then be a "work" of man and it insults the Sovereignty of God.  I will touch on this in later blogs and broadcasts, but it absolutely does not negate the Sovereignty of God, in fact, it testifies to it, because God in His Sovereignty CHOSE to let us CHOOSE.  

Another reason why the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil was there was to give Adam and Eve a comparison so they can see how good God is.

God wanted Adam and Eve to see the true pleasure in all of what God had already provided and to depend solely upon Him.

So what was God saying in prohibiting the eating of one tree out of a million trees? He was saying, “I have given you life. I have given you a world full of pleasure, pleasures of taste and sight and sound and smell and feel and nourishment. Only one tree is forbidden to you. And the point of that prohibition is to preserve the pleasures of the world, because if you eat of that one you will be saying to me, ‘I’m smarter than you. I am more authoritative that you. I am wiser than you are. I think I can care for myself better than you care for me. You are not a very good Father. And so I am going to reject you.’ So don’t eat from the tree, because you will be rejecting me and all my good gifts and all my wisdom and all my care. Instead, keep on submitting to my will. Keep on affirming my wisdom. Keep on being thankful for my generosity. Keep on trusting me as a Father and keep on eating these trees as a way of enjoying me. There are 10,000 trees, every imaginable fruit. Just go eat. Be thankful. I have given them to you and see them as expressions of my goodness and savor them that way.”

And Satan comes along, and he takes that arrangement and says, “Hey, Eve, the meaning of that arrangement is: God is selfish. God is stingy. He is a skinflint.” So he took the prohibition of one suicidal tree and treated it as a prohibition of everything.

So the issue of the tree is this: Will we keep looking to God as the giver and lover and treasure of this garden so that all our eating is thanking and all our savoring is a savoring of God? Will we keep on experiencing every one of these tastes as a tasting of something like what God is, and in that sense a tasting of God? Will we keep on enjoying God in the enjoying of the trees?

So basically, the tree was a warning.  God was saying if you choose independence instead of God-dependence, then you would lose the pleasure of the close relationship with God.

So, what about the Tree of Life?

To sum this up, I want to paste what Dr. Henry Morris had to say about the Tree of Life;

The fruit of this tree was "good for food" and Adam was told that he could "freely eat" of it (Genesis 2:16). 

However, he was not required to eat its fruit to stay alive! He was created by God to live without dying, with only one restriction—that is, he was not to eat of "the tree of knowledge of good and evil," for that would cause him to die (Genesis 2:17). 

Later that same day, Eve was created, after Adam had first given names to each basic kind of animal—that is, specifically, only the "beast of the field" and the "fowl of the air" (Genesis 2:19), those that would be most likely to be in close proximity and possible fellowship with humans. He could easily have accomplished this in a few hours. Then Eve was created and was given the same instruction about eating as Adam had received, for she referred to these instructions when the serpent tempted her some time later. 

Despite God's clear warning, she and Adam both then rebelled against God's word and ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and thus "sin entered into the world" (Romans 5:12). As a result, death also came into the world when God—true to His word—told them that "unto dust shalt thou return" (Genesis 3:19). 

Furthermore, God's Curse was pronounced on the very "ground" itself, out of which the bodies of both animals and men had been formed (Genesis 3:17; 1:24; 2:7), so that "the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now" (Romans 8:22). Thus "by man came death," and "in Adam all die" (I Corinthians 15:21,22). 

Then God cast Adam (with Eve) out of His beautiful garden, "lest he . . . take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever" (Genesis 3:22). 

This seems to create a problem, possibly even an apparent contradiction in God's words. God cannot contradict Himself, of course, so this is our problem, not His. Many so-called "progressive" creationists, as well as theistic evolutionists, argue that Adam and Eve must already have been eating regularly of the Tree of Life in order to stay alive, even before they sinned. Otherwise they would have died physically even if they had never sinned, or so the argument goes. Then they argue that the death pronouncement by God on their sin was a "spiritual" death, not physical. 

This idea, of course, contradicts the clear statement of God that they would die physically, as well as spiritually, with their bodies returning to the dust. Furthermore, it makes a travesty of Christ's death on the cross for our sins! Why would Christ have to die physically—and such a horrible physical death at that!—in order to atone for man's "spiritual" death? 

But our accommodationist brethren are anxious to preserve the "old-earth" dogma of the evolutionists at all costs and so are willing to adjust Genesis and the gospel in whatever ways they need to do so in order to avoid conflict with modern scientism. They insist that we must accept the evolutionary ages of geology with their billions of fossils and their billion-year spectacle of suffering and death before sin entered the world, in order to be acceptable to the intellectual community.

Nevertheless, the Genesis record—supported as literal history throughout all the rest of Scripture—is explicitly clear in teaching that physical suffering and death were introduced into the world only when Adam sinned. Thus, even if Adam and Eve had continued to eat the delicious fruit of the Tree of Life after they had sinned, they would eventually have died anyway because God had said so! However, this health-promoting fruit might have enabled them to live an inordinately long time before dying. Even as it was, Adam lived 930 years (Genesis 5:5).

The solution to our problem may well be that the Hebrew word ola (translated "for ever" in Genesis 3:22) could legitimately be translated "a very long time." For example, in Isaiah 42:14 God says: "I have long time [olam] holden my peace." It is obvious that "for ever" is not warranted in this context, for God will not hold His peace forever! Similarly, note Deuteronomy 33:15: ". . . precious things of the lasting [olam] hills." The hills may last a long time, but not forever. The Hebrew olam is translated "old time" in Joshua 24:2, and is applied to the "ancient landmark" in Proverbs 22:28 and the "ancient people" in Isaiah 44:7. 

There are a number of other such examples. The word olam certainly does not have to mean "forever" unless the context so indicates. Therefore, it would be legitimate to read Genesis 3:22 as follows: ". . . lest he . . . take also of the tree of life and eat and live an excessively long time." There is thus no necessary indication in this verse that death was in the world before Adam brought sin into the world. 

How long the Garden of Eden survived in the primeval world after the expulsion of Adam and Eve has not been revealed. If not destroyed earlier, it was certainly carried away by the devastating waters of the great flood, when "the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished" (II Peter 3:6). 

But the marvelous Tree of Life will be planted once again "in the midst of the paradise of God" in the new earth which God will create some day and "they that do his commandments" will then "have right to the Tree of Life" (Revelation 2:7; 22:14). 

And note its remarkable character! "On either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations" (Revelation 22:2). 

Not just one Tree of Life as in the original Garden of Eden, but many such trees will be planted there with their beautiful and nutritious fruits, freely available to all who "do His commandments"—that is, to everyone in the holy city. The fruit will be different every month,** but always "pleasant to the sight, and good for food." Furthermore, its leaves will also be of great value, since they are for "the healing of the nations." This cannot mean that, without these healing leaves the people in these "nations of them which are saved" (Revelation 21:24) would otherwise become sick and die because God has assured us that in the holy city, "there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" (Revelation 21:4). The leaves will not be needed to heal sickness any more than the fruit of that original Tree of Life in Eden was needed to prevent death. 

It is significant that the Greek word translated "healing" in this verse (therapeia) is translated "household" in Matthew 24:45 and Luke 12:42, referring to the staff of servants employed in keeping the affairs of a great house running efficiently. It is the source of our English word "therapy." Thus, the leaves of the tree will be for the "therapy," or the effective services, of the nations in the new earth. As the fruits of the tree will surely contain many nutrients for happy vigorous service by Christ's servants in the ages to come (Revelation 22:3), so its leaves will contain a complex of chemical substances useful in the occupations and general economy of those ages. 

It is pointless to speculate as to the exact nature of the Tree of Life, for God has not told us, and there is no tree like it in the present world. The same is true with reference to the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. God is well able to create any kind of tree He wishes, and we do well to leave it at that! 

Because of the marvelous nature of the Tree of Life, however, the writer(s) of Proverbs used it (under divine inspiration of course) as a symbol of four wonderful truths. 

First, the true wisdom "is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her" (Proverbs 3:18). That true wisdom can be none other than Christ (I Corinthians 1:30, Colossians 2:3). 

Second, "the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life" (Proverbs 11:30). Indeed, "the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth" (Ephesians 5:9). A life such as that will be like a tree of life to all who encounter it. 

Third, "when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life" (Proverbs 13:12). That is, fulfilled hope, like true wisdom and righteousness is so vitalizing as to be a source of renewed vigorous life. 

Fourth, "a wholesome tongue is a tree of life" (Proverbs 15:4). Therefore, "let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man" (Colossians 4:6). 

We can eagerly, yet patiently and fruitfully, look forward to enjoying the delicious, nourishing fruit of the Tree of Life in the holy city some day. In the meantime, we can pray that God will help us to be like little, life-giving trees ourselves through growing in true wisdom, living righteously, offering hope to the lost in our midst, and using our God-given abilities of communication graciously and meaningfully to all those we meet.

I hope that this blog will help you to better understand the two trees spoken of in the Garden of Eden.  If you have any other questions feel free to reach out to me via email at josiah@simplyscripture.org.  Visit Simply Scripture on Facebook, and visit us on the worldwide web at www.simplyscripture.org

May God bless you in the study of His Word.

Bro. Josiah

Learning Outline for Genesis 1-2

 

 

 

Genesis:  The Beginning

 

        The first five books of the Bible are usually referred to by 3 different titles:

 

1. Pentateuch
2. Torah
3. The Book of the Law

 

     All 5 of the first books of the Bible are attributed to Moses as the author.  Many Scriptures attest

     to this fact.

 

    Ex 17:14; Lev 1:1,2; Num 33:2; Deut 1:1; Joshua 1:7; 1 Kings 2:3; 2 Kings 14:6; Ezra 6:18;

    Neh 13:1; Daniel 9:11-13; Malachi 4:4; Matthew 8:4; Mark 12:26; Luke 16:29; John 7:19;

    Acts 26:22; Romans 10:19;  1 Corinthian 9:9; 2 Corinthians 3:15

 

 

    Here is Part One of our study of Genesis called "The Preliminaries"

 

Section Outline One:   (Genesis 1-2)

 

1.  God's Working Schedule (1:1-2:19)

 

     A.  First day:  creation of light (1:3-5)

 

             Where did God come from?

 

 

              Why are humans so bothered by the preexistence of God?

 

 

    B.  Second day:  creation of space and water (1:6-8)

 

              How do we see the hand of God in science and discoveries today?

 

 

   

     C.   Third day:  creation of plant life (1:9-13)

 

 

               What differentiates plant life from animal life?  Do plants have "a soul"?

 

 

 

 

      D.   Fourth day: creation of sun, moon, and stars   (1:14-19)

 

 

                Hold on a second...God created space on day 2.  Why did he wait until day 4 to create the

                sun, moon, stars, and other planets?   Can space exist without those things?  Why would

                He intentionally separate them?

 

 

       E.  Fifth day:  creation of fish and fowl (1:20-23)

 

 

                Hold on, what about the theory that birds evolved from dinosaurs?

 

 

       F.  Sixth day:  creation of land animals and people (1:24-31; 2:7-20)

                 1.  The brute creatues:  livestock and all wild beasts (1:24-25)

   

                 2.  The blessed creature who is given tow things:

 

                       a. The image of God (1:26-27)

 

                       b.  The instructions from God (1:26-31; 2:15-19)

 

                              (1)  People are to rule over all nature (1:26,28)

 

                              (2)  to fill the earth with their own kind (1:28)

 

                              (3)  to cultivate and care for their beautiful home, the Garden of Eden (2:15)

 

                              (4)  to eat from any tree except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (2:16-17

 

                              (5) provide names for all the other creatures (2:19-20)

 

 

        G.  Seventh day:  God rests (2:1-6):  His creative work is complete and is pronounced good. 

                                    God blesses and sets apart the seventh day.

 

                       Is there a reason why the Almighty Creator would set apart one day of rest?  Is there a 

                       principle here that all humans should listen to?

 

 

II.  God's Wedding Schedule (2:20-25)

 

      A. The making of Eve (2:20-22):  Eve, the first woman, is formed from the flesh and bone of

           Adam's side.

 

      B. The marriage of Eve (2:23-25):  Eve is returned to Adam's side.  "This explains why a man

           leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife., and the two are united into one."

           This mark's history's first marriage.

 

                 What is the significance of marriage?

 

 

 

                 Why would God institute such a thing?

 

 

 

 

                 What about homosexual marriage?

 

 

 

 

                 What if one never marries?