"Genesis and Other Things"

Lesson One - In the Beginning

Moderated by Bob Huddlestun

Introduction

"The larger the island of knowledge, the longer the shoreline of wonder." 
Ralph Sockman, quoted in the March, 1998 issue of Reader's Digest. 

    Have you ever wondered a shoreline? One of my wife Diane's favorite things is to walk the beach along the Florida coast looking for shells. I prefer the mountain paths in the Smokies. In either place we've both learned that the more we've come to know about the area, the plants and creatures that inhabit it, the more interesting and fun it has become. I remember Diane's excitement when she discovered a cluster of sand-dollars. In spite of her fear of water (she would never get her face wet) she gladly waded out to a distant sandbar to gather some. For me, it's neat to be able to point out to a companion the small patch of dutchman's breeches blooming along the path, or the field of trillium growing up the mountain side. 

    This same principle holds true for those of you that are into athletics. If you can never hit the ball or if you have trouble catching it baseball is no fun at all. But, once you learn to hit and to catch and to make the right play at the right time baseball becomes exciting and fun. This is true with any game from checkers to ice hockey. The more you understand about the game and the greater your skill in playing it, the more fun it becomes. 

    This is just as true of the Bible. The more you learn and the better you become at handling the Word the more exciting and fun it becomes. I would add to the old saying, "The more you know, the more you know you need to know"- and the more you want to know. 

    Most people find Bible study difficult. They say it's boring, they can't understand it, or it doesn't seem relevant. There are several reasons for this. Probably chief among them is that they are trying to get the Bible to agree with their preconceived ideas, ideas they have heard all their lives. When it doesn't they quickly conclude it must be their fault, they're too dumb or the Bible too complicated. The fact is many of the popular notions about what the Bible says have little or no basis in scripture. Attempts to make the Bible agree with these teachings can be very frustrating, sometimes overwhelming. 

    Some family member or good friend may tell you, "Don't worry about it. It's all a mystery anyway and you're not expected to understand it." That is a dangerous fallacy. God hasn't given us his word to confuse us, but to enlighten us. You can understand it. In fact, you must. We hope that this discussion series will make that easier. 

Before we begin I need to lay down some ground rules: 

    1. Read all of the scriptures assigned and noted. Don't assume you already know what it says. 

    2. Try to read with an open mind. You may not always agree with my conclusions, but consider them in the light of scripture, not by what you have always believed or understood. 

    3. As you read constantly ask yourself, "What is God trying to tell me in this passage?" The Bible is written with layers of understanding. A good friend, Mike Moyer, says it's like an onion. On the surface there is a simple story, perhaps a bit of history. Peel off that layer and you'll find an application - for the nation of Israel or for the church. The next layer might be an application or lesson for your life. Below that you might see that the real lesson concerns God's plan for the age to come. Sound complicated? Perhaps a little, but that's the fun of it. 

Lesson One

In the Beginning

Where to start? It seems reasonable to begin at the beginning, Genesis. 

The name itself means beginning. Read chapter one. 

Question - Do you believe this is a literal, historically accurate account of the beginnings of our world? You do? Fine. You don't? That's O.K., too. Two facts must be accepted, however, if this book is to have any value for your life. 

    1. There is a God, a higher power that oversees this world (See Acts 17:24-28), and 
    2. the Bible is the product of His influence (Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and 2 Peter 1:20-21. 

    The events recorded in the book of Genesis may or may not be literal and historically accurate. We tend to wear ourselves out seeking reasonable explanations for talking snakes and giants. We argue among ourselves about time spans and other things having no bearing on the truths expressed. I want to look beyond those arguments to see what God is teaching us "to equip us for every good work." 

Verse 1

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

    Two facts are immediately established, the existence of God (see Romans 1:18-20) and, He created this universe. This world and all that's on it did not happen by accident, but was the result of specific action taken by our God. He made it according to His plan and for His purposes. We can't know exactly when or how He did it (He spoke and it was so), but we can know his plan and purpose. It's interesting to me that the sequence of these creation events is the same as the sequence taught by evolutionists. 

Question - What does this fact tell you about the writers of this book?

Sidebar - An Israeli friend of mine was told by a Jewish shop owner that he would give him a Tuesday deal. This seemed to please my friend, so I asked for an explanation. He pointed out to me that in the creation story, on the third day only (Tuesday), God declared His work good two times. So, among the Jews, a Tuesday deal is a double good deal.

Verse 26

"Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness.'"

    Much has been made of the plural pronouns used in this verse. Some suggest there was more than one God involved, or that God was a compound being. Others say God was speaking to other heavenly beings that were present, products of an earlier creation, perhaps angels. Still others, Jewish scholars especially, see this as an example of a royal we, indicating majesty rather than plurality, much like the editorial we use when we often mean only ourselves. We'll get into this discussion at a later time. 

Question - What does it mean to you "man is made in the image and likeness of God"? In what ways are we "a chip off the old block"?

Question - The last part of this chapter speaks of the authority God gave to man over this earth. How do you understand that? Does it also imply responsibility? (Notice - at this point man and the animals were to be vegetarian).

Points to emphasize

    1. God created the universe. It did not come about by chance. 

    2. This earth He created was very good in His eyes and the ideal environment for His creatures to inhabit. 

    3. God has given mankind (both man and woman) dominion over the earth which entails the responsibility to manage it. 

Bob Huddlestun

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