Genesis 1 3

1
Genesis 1 - 3

• What Does It Mean?

2
What-Who-When-Where-Why

• The What
• Torah 1st five books of OT
• The Law of Moses
• Hebrew Title of Book One
• bresheth in beginning
• English Title of Book One
• Genesis ? Gk-LXX Generations
• ? Heb.
  toledah of 24

3
Who

• Moses recognized as the authority since
  antiquity. (Deut. 11, 5)
• Torahs authority is accepted as a whole by
  Jesus, e.g., Lk 2427, Mk 1226, Mt 194-5
• and all the NT writers. e.g., Jn 117, Lk 222
• Mosaic authorship does not mean Moses wrote every
  word without any aid of others, later editing, or
  compilation of oral accounts.
• J-E-P-D theory attempts to undercut Mosaic
  inspired authority. Refuted by Green 1890.

4
When - Where

• During Israelites exodus from Egypt to Canaan.
• Centered on Mount Sinai Covenant.
• Read the text from Mt. Sinai perspective, not as
  if in the garden of Eden with AE.
• Exodus date
• traditional 1450 B.C
• archeological 1250 B.C.
• based on Egyptian history, Rameses II

5
What - Why

• Serves as the Introduction to the Sinai Covenant
  between God and His chosen people, Israel.
• Format of ancient covenants was
• first provide historical basis for the kings
  authority to rule,
• then the covenant
• then the laws
• then examples of kings providence under covenant
  
• followed by blessings and curses for those under
  rule
• This is precisely the Torahs overall
  organization.
• A book of its time.
• not from a thousand years later
• Israelites familiar with the format

6
My Favorite Resources

• Henri Blocher In the Beginning
• E.J. Young
• Introduction to OT
• In the Beginning
• Studies in Genesis One
• F. Schafer Genesis in Space and Time
• J. Sailhammer Genesis Unbound
• Watke, Harris, Archer Theological Wordbook of
  the Old Testament (TWOT)

7
How shall we read the text?

• Figurative or Literal ?
• Question demonstrates a wholly inadequate
  understanding of Hebrew in general,
• and of Genesis 1-3 in particular.
• Usually an attempt to prejudice a study.
• I will take the text more literally than any
  literalist is willing to do.

8
The Tenfold Division of Genesis

• tol edah (24)
• this is the account of
• these are the generations of
• this is the beginning of
• 10 Jacob 372 9 Esau 361 (w/369) 8 Isaac
  2519
• 7 Ishmael 2512 6 Terah (Abram) 1127 5 Shem
  1110
• 4 Sons of Noah 101 3 Noah 69 2 Adam 51
• 1 Heavens and Earth 24
• Prologue bresheth 11 - 23

The more an author works at his form, the more
plausible it is he is stepping away from the zero
point (of the text). H. Blocher In The
Beginning
9
Two Main Theological Parts

• Part 1 Chapters 1-11
• Covenants with Adam and Noah
• Mans initiatives begat failure upon failure
• Part 2 Chapters 12-50
• Covenants with Abram
• Gods initiatives to redeem man from his failures

10
Part I Mans Failure

• 1 Six days of Creating
• 2 Man in Paradise Covenant with God
• 3 Distrust, Rebellion, Paradise Lost
• 4-11 Consequences of Broken Covenant

11
Six Days of Forming and Filling
God beginning heavens and earth formless,
uninhabitable, watery, darkness, hovering Spirit
4 filled with lights 5 filled with fish
birds 6 filled with beasts, man

• 1 light
• 2 water/skies
• 3 dry land w/plants

Thus, heavens and earth completed
and all their hosts. 21
Notice all these created things were also
Egyptian gods. First laws of covenant God alone,
no other gods, no idols. Compare Gen 1 order to
Deut 415-19 (Gen 1 in reverse)
12
Some Other Structural Elements

• 10 and God said
• 10 makings
• 3 creates (with 3rd one three times!)
• 3 let there be
• 7 and it was so
• 7 it was good
• 3 blessings
• 6 be dusk, be dawn Day!
• one, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth
• seventh day lacks the finish formula striking
  absence!

The more an author works at his form, the more
plausible it is he is stepping away from the zero
point of the text. H. Blocher In The
Beginning
13
When God Speaks, It Happens
It was very good
it was good
it was good
it was good
it was so
it was so
light was
it was so
God Is
God said make man in our image, over animals
This is the account of the heavens and earth when
they were created, in the day that the Lord God
made earth and heaven. Genesis 24
Hill Roberts, (C) 2000
14
created
created
created
15
Part I Mans Failure

• 1 Six days of Creating
• 2 Man in Paradise Covenant with God
  (thesis)
• God rests, Man goes to work
• Completed by Woman
• 3 Distrust, Rebellion, Paradise Lost
  (antithesis)
• Innocence ? Guilt Life ? Death Birth ?
  Multiplied Pain
• Helpmeet ? Ruled Land ? Toil Two Trees ? Garden
  Closed
• Where Are You? Theme for rest of the
  Bible
• God seeking His peoples trust.
• Job, Jesus, Us -- God, where are you?
• 4-11 Consequences of Broken Covenant
• Man, apart from God, goes from bad to terrible!
• Cain, Flood, Babel
• Enter Abram Part 2

16
Some Vocabulary

• Only 225 different words used in first three
  chapters
• Less than 1000 words in Torah (not a highly
  specific language)
• Less than 3500 listings in TWOT for entire OT
• Highly alliterative language, frequent play on
  words

From 314 because thou hast done this, thou art
cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of
the field
Because thou lt'attahgt hast done ltasahgt this,
thou art cursed lt'arargt above all cattle
ltbehemahgt, and above every beast ltchaygt of the
field ltsadehgt
attah asah arar behemah chay sadeh
17
Some Vocabulary

• Only 225 different words used in first three
  chapters
• Less than 1000 words in Torah (not a highly
  specific language)
• Less than 3500 listings in TWOT for entire OT
• Highly alliterative language (ex. 314b),
  frequent play on words

• create barah
• Always a divine action in OT, context implies ex
  nihilo (from nothing)
• Used only three times v1, 21, 27 (3rd
  time used three times!)
• make assah
• to transform from one state to another made
  sun, moon, stars
• be, was, became, am, exist hayah
• related to Gods covenant name, YHWH I Am
• ( X - some translate 12 became formless
  instead of was formless)
• formed yatshar build banar
  work melakah
• day yom, yohm 15a daylight
• ? 15b -
  calendar day ? 24 time when

18
crah taw ymvh ta yhla arb tyvarb
erets eth shamayim (eth) elohyim bara
breshyth

• the-earth and the-heavens God
  created in beginning

land-and-skies God created
in beginning
Notice similarity in first two words arb
tyvarb Notice plurals Elohyim, shamayim, (but
not erets) shamayim eth erets is a merism
all of the world
19
Elohyim - Spirit - Word

• v 1 Elohyim (divine nature)
• v 2 Spirit hovering over the waters (divine
  power)
• v 3 God speaks (divine will revealed)
• Hints of Trinity embedded in first three
  sentences
• Elohim the divine plural of majesty
• Let us
• John 11-3 The Word Logos The Creator

20
Creation by Separationseparation dividing,
judgment, authority

• Something separated from nothing
• Filled form separated from formless void
• Light separated from darkness
• as righteousness separated from
  sin by The Light
• Waters above separated from waters below
• expanse? SMS are in the expanse, but so are the
  birds, and Gods home.
• 
  (Will literalists be this
  literal?)
• raquia beaten out bowl, a spead out sheet, the
  heavens, Heaven
• Dry land separated from seas
• land produces plants
• normal process, but comes by Gods decree
• Will literalists be this literal with the text?

21
Naming

• Naming things is the essence of human
  self-awareness, intelligence, observation,
  abstract thought, communication, language,
  learning, ability to separate and classify,
  logic, science.
• Essence of Person-ness (image of God)
• To name is to exercise authority over
• God names day and night, dry land and seas, man
• Adam names the animals, Eve

22
And there was evening, and there was morning,
one day.

• hayah ereb hayah boqer yohm echad
• be dusk,

DAY!
be Dawn,
one

• The next day starts with morning!
• Not the Jewish view of day starting at dusk.
• But this order probably was the basis of the
  Jewish custom
• A bursting forth -- from void to full
• Emphasized by six-fold repetitions
• one, a second, a third, a fourth, a fifth,
  the sixth
• NASB more precise here than NIV, KJ, NKJ
• Will literalists be this literal?

23
Fourth Day?

• How can there be daylight before the Sun, Moon
  and Stars were created?
• Be true to the text, say what the text says.
• Text doesnt say SMS were created on day four.
• The heavens and earth were created in the
  beginning, not day four. 11
• Text is Let there be
• 114-18 says God made them (the SMS) to govern.
• Big difference from God made them.
• Will literalists be this literal?

24
Fish, Birds created

• Sentient life is created.
• Next use of bara after 11.
• Note bara was not used for the plants.
• Multiply and fill the earth.
• Have you ever thought this happened instantly?
• Within 24 hours? Days 3-6 (21 - completed)?
  A longer time?
• God commanded it, just like everything else He
  commanded to happen.
• Why Not?
• Because of something the text says different
  about this command?
• Because you believe in evolution, instead of
  creation?
• Because of what you know about life cycles and
  migrations.
• Is it being a liberal to suppose this didnt
  happen instantly?
• Is it literal to the text if not supposed
  instantly occurred?

25
Beasts from the Land

• Let the land bring forth living creatures after
  their kind.
• Will literalists be this literal?
• Plants 111-12
• Beasts 124
• Man 124, 27
• erets earth, dirt, land
• Not just dirt
• Not the planetary globe either (No Israelite
  had such a concept.)
• The Land!
• In the manner a farmer speaks of The Land
• The basic stuff of life (human humus, Adam,
  adamah)
• Where we live, who and what we are. We are of the
  Land.
• Gods providence for man (e.g., the garden)
• Gods Promise
• the promised land, where these Israelites at
  Sinai were headed

26
Man

• dirt, shaped and inbreathed with life by God
• Gods image bearer on earth
• 2 Peter 14 partakers of the divine nature
• Made, Created, Image
• all emphasize mans dependence on God
• Male and Female
• wholeness found in relationship (God-ness
  let us)
• together man woman can pro-create (more
  God-ness)
• In Jesus Christ, who is both the Son of God and
  the Image of God, we are restored to our
  humanity, as true images of our Creator, and more
  than images, we become Gods sons in His Son, by
  the bond of the new covenant.
  Henri Blocher, In the Beginning, p 94.

27
Ephesians 422-24

• In reference to your former manner of life,
• lay aside the old self, which is corrupted in
  accordance with the lusts of deceit,
• and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and
  put on the new self,
• which in the likeness of God
• has been created
• in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

28
Some Thought Questions

• Does chapter 2 contradict chapter 1?
• Animal death?
• Duration portrayed in 25-6
• In the day you eat of it, you shall surely die.
  What day did he die?
• Why woman, why not another man?
• Role of gardens in the Bible?
• Tree of Life?
• Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil?

29
Knowledge of Good and Evil

• A right reserved exclusively unto God 322
• Not just to know the difference we do that
• Not to experience good and evil God doesnt do
  that
• Meaning To define the difference by personal
  standard
• Only God does that His nature defines Good (
  hence evil)
• We want to make our own rules in place of Gods
• We still seek the fruit Adam and Eve ate.
• We still dont believe God knows best.
• We still dont believe God loves us.
• We still want to Do it myself !

30
Where do we draw the line?
Where do I decide I know best

• wrt Pentecost Sermon -- Acts 237-41
• Belief in a resurrected Jesus, as the promised
  Messiah
• Sorrowful heart at our part in his death
• Repentance
• Baptism in name of Christ for forgiveness of sin
• Receiving the gift of the Spirit
• Daily devotion
• Fellowship
• Breaking Bread
• Prayers