Lesson One: Creation
Reading text: Genesis 3: 1-14
In the beginning, was the word, the word was with God and the word was God (John 1:14). The story of Genesis paints the story of creation. The first word of the Bible states very boldly, “In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth.” There is no room for debate. God made the Heavens and Earth, not some random act, or cluster of deities without a purpose. After this claim, we learn how He did it. At that time darkness hovered over the face of the deep and the spirit of God moved upon the waters. Then God said, “ Let there be light!” and it was so. Over 5 days God created Day and Night, the heavens and the earth, the seas and land, the plants and animals, and everything else we see today. Everything is created with the voice of God, He speaks and mountains are formed. Moses the author of this book had intended this statement to be in stark contrast to the beliefs of the world at the time. During the inscription of Genises Chaos was a diety that went uncontrolled. The mythology at the time had several deities to make creation happen. By saying that God controlled chaos with only His voice the text is demonstrating that God is more powerful than any other deity the world worships.
As God creates in the book of Genesis we hear His opinion. After He created the light He said, “it is good” after He created Heaven and Earth He said, “It is good”. God continues to work and after each new creation He Makes the same remark, “It is good”. God continues to work until we come to the 6th day.
On the 6th day God shifts He says, “Let us make man in our image, after our own likeness...”. Then God begins to work on the man. Forming man out of the dust of the ground God uses His own hands to shape man. He bends down and breathes the breath of life into the nostrils of man. The very God of creation merely speaks and the world is formed but with humanity He crafts with His hands. God breaths into humanity the breath of life. It is important to note the care He took in creating us. When God created man He made us in His own image. We resemble the creator.
Then He blesses this creation and gives them dominion over the land that inhabits it, telling them to go forth bear fruit and populate. At the end of this day, god looks at His masterpiece and says, “It is very good”. God finished the 6th day and on the 7th day, God rested, having created all that He set out to do. This is where the concept of the sabbath comes into view. We rest once a week because God rested on the 7th day.
God made the first man, Adam setting him in the midst of the garden of Eden. After a while, God looked at Adam and said, “ It is not good for man to be alone” He put Adam into a deep sleep and pulled a rib from his side. Using this rib God made Adam a partner. Adam named her woman for she was taken from man. From then on Adam and the woman were together and dwelled in the garden. They walked with God in the cool of the day and ate every fruit excluding one. They had free reign over the garden and all inside of it, except for one tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God warns that if they eat the fruit of this tree they shall surely die, but everything else in the garden is theirs. God even gave them access to the tree of life. It is at this time that we come to this passage.
Read Passage:
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you? And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” The Lord God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.
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Pause here and make sure that they understand what we read. Answer any clarifying questions but keep them brief, it will be expounded upon.
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So, where does this leave us? What does the beginning have to do with us who are so far away from that place in time? Well, every great superhero needs an origin story and every epic needs a dramatic beginning and a promise. This passage of the bible is called, 'The Fall of Man' by quite a few people. It’s depicted as a great loss and corruption of all humanity, but is that true? Is all of mankind lost forever and inherently evil? Not quite.
Yes, there is a curse put upon us but not one of evil. The curse deals more with the ground, childbirth, and roles. There isn’t a curse put on us that makes us sin. God has always given humans free will. It is our choice to obey God or not. Remember God looked at humans and said that we are very good. He hasn’t taken that back since. There are no takebacks for God, He is committed.
Remember the warning God gave Adam and Eve in the beginning? He told them that they would surely die if they ate the food. So how come they didn’t die? Yes, they died later but not then and the statement implies an immediate death. God showed mercy on Adam and Eve, He let them live knowing there would be consequences. Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden, losing the connection they had with God. They would not get to walk with God in the cool of the day and their life would be significantly harder along with all their children. However, there is more to this story than that.
Look at the connection that God has with humans, He calls them His children throughout the Bible. He spared them when they should have died. God does this because of His love. The story of Genesis is a story of the beginning, it does not end there. In the moment that God let Adam and Eve live He set in motion to bear their sins Himself, meaning death along with it. God was angry, yes, but He never forgot that humanity was very good. He mourns the loss of innocence that came when they ate the fruit. God was teaching His children in the garden, it said they were naked and unashamed. When they ate and realized they were naked they knew shame. It wasn’t that God was hiding knowledge from the two as the serpent suggested, but more that He was protecting them. A parent doesn’t raise a child by telling them all the bad in the world. It’s there, yes, but they protect their child. Letting them grow up slowly becoming accustomed to the reality of the world beneath the shelter of their parents' wings. When they tell God they hid from Him because they were naked He responds as a parent.
“Who told you, you were naked?” God wants to know where they learned this. He hadn't told them yet, so someone else must have told them. They made them feel ashamed and stole the innocence they had. Like a parent hearing their child swear, the Lord demands answers. Only when He learns of the serpent's corruption does He make His decision. Since His child did something wrong there need to be consequences and that is when the curse is enacted. However, no child’s punishment lasts forever. There is an opportunity for second chances. God desires that which was lost in the garden, that relationship. Thus we come to the rest of the Bible. God plans to regain that which was lost.
What are some things to take from this story? After all, every narrative teaches a lesson and the origin story usually explains the character's motives and qualities. We learned God’s motive already- He wants to restore. So what does this story say about the character of Humans and God? It tells us quite a bit about God’s nature as well as about humans.
Let's focus on God’s nature for a minute, after all, He is God. This story describes God as a father, a creator who loves that which He created. He called Humans good and never retracts that statement. We see this in the care in which He molded Adam from the ground, the perfect home He provides for His children in Eden, and the effort He makes to spend time with them every day and build a relationship. We also see a responsible parent who looks after His children. Not only is He stern with His warnings but He also takes time to hear their story knowing already what happened. He also provides for them by making the land subjected to them. We even see His compassion when He covers them with animal skin hiding the nakedness they were so ashamed of. God loves His children but not in a superficial manner. He won’t turn from their flaws just to avoid the situation. He also won’t let them bear their mistakes alone. Not only did God punish them for their mistakes but He also stuck around to instruct them and help their children. God is the perfect father, He is not superficial in His instruction or shallow in His love. God does both thoroughly.
So what does this story say about humanity as a whole? Mainly it speaks on free will. We are very good, God said so. However, we all must make a choice. God does not want slaves who resent Him but children who choose to follow Him. This means we are all responsible for our actions. No one can force you to choose God or turn away. There are consequences to each action though. That's even a law of physics, each action has an equal reaction. It also means that our actions can affect other people as well. No man is an island, if this wasn’t so then our free will would be curved. This concept is even demonstrated by Eve's decision to eat the apple. It says she turned and offered it to Adam. Adam was there for the whole interaction. He could have easily turned it down or stopped Eve. Instead, He was in agreement with her. We have the knowledge of good and evil. We know both. Unfortunately and fortunately we are given the will to act on whatever we desire. The world can continue to grow with evil and sin, harming those who had no part in the matter. So where does that leave those who choose good? That is the question that God’s plan and the rest of the Bible answers.
Talking Points:
Now that the meat of the lesson is over, discuss your personal thoughts on the matter. Here are some extra talking points for good discussion.
How has God been a father to you?
When was a time that God showed His love for you?
What is your favorite part of the creation story?
Are there any questions the person you're giving the study to has?
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