GENESIS: The Beginning Was Perfect
Did the events in Genesis actually happen the way in which it is written down?
There was a competition between some scientists and God involving the creation of people. God said, “Get your own dirt.” (Didn’t really happen, just a joke!)
Written by Moses, he would have received the information from God.
It includes Creation, beginning of rejecting God, God’s promises and beginning of his chosen people.
Bible Passage: Genesis 2:15-22
15 “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
19 Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.
But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.”
Bible Passage: Genesis 1:28-2:4
"God gave them his blessing and said:
Have a lot of children! Fill the earth with people and bring it under your control. Rule over the fish in the ocean, the birds in the sky, and every animal on the earth.
29 I have provided all kinds of fruit and grain for you to eat. 30 And I have given the green plants as food for everything else that breathes, including animals, both wild and tame, and birds. And so it was.
31 God looked at what he had done. All of it was very good! Evening came, then morning—that was the sixth day.
So the heavens and the earth and everything else were created.
2 By the seventh day God had finished his work, and so he rested. 3 God blessed the seventh day and made it special, because on that day he rested from his work.
4 That's how God created the heavens and the earth."
In the beginning God created everything, he rested on the 7th day, and it was all good. It was all very good. Adam and Eve lived in perfect relationship with God for a long time.
What do you think?
We haven’t done a memory verse in a while, and this is a well known verse that is good to remember: Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
Which one is right?
a) “In the beginning God created the earth and the heavens.”
b) “In the beginning God made the heavens and the earth.”
c) “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
d) “In the beginning God created a heaven and an earth.”
Which one is right?
If you believe that God didn’t create the world, what does that mean?
It means:
you think that our God is not creator
God is not in charge of things
God is not that powerful
God is at the mercy of nature and the natural order of things
If you believe God did create the world, it also implies:
You think God is powerful and creative and in charge
God is strong and honourable
God is worthy
Because of this passage:
Bible Passage: Rev 4:11
“You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honour and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being.”
Story Time!
A good story always has 3 parts:
An introduction - who are the characters and what is happening
A complication - something goes wrong
A Resolution - everything gets sorted out in the end
When I was a kid I knew that my mum loved me, but whenever I was naughty I got punished. It was usually for annoying my older sister Naomi - hitting her or not playing the way she wanted me to.
My regular punishment was a big smack on my thigh, so big that a red hand mark would come up on my skin. I would go to my room and cry about being in trouble, about feeling ashamed and about my leg.
Without fail, every single time, it would conclude with mum coming in. We would chat and I would say sorry and we would hug and she would remind me how much she loved me. I never went a day without knowing that I was loved. Even after going through hard punishments.
There is a similar story:
God loves us. We sin/stuff up/disobey God. He punishes Jesus instead of us. We get to be loved by God.
This is the beginning of the story. God loves us. God made us. This is the introduction. And the story finishes with us being friends with God again.
Question Time!
Have you ever had a friend who you have gotten along with so well that you have never fought and always respected each other and enjoyed one another’s company?
If you’re like me and you haven’t, try to imagine you have, and describe what that kind of relationship would be like.
