Genesis 2:1-8

I.                 Genesis 2:1-3 – Completion of Creation of the Heavens and the Earth “which are now”

A.    Chapter 2:1 – Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

1.     All creation was complete and set into motion, no further creation

B.    Chapter 2:2 – And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made.

1.     From this point on there is “nothing new under the sun”

2.     Ecclesiastes 1:9 - The thing that hath been, it [is that] which shall be; and that which is done [is] that which shall be done: and [there is] no new [thing] under the sun.

C.    Chapter 2:3 – And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.

1.     God finished all His work – No more creating, it is finished

2.     The correct end of Chapter 1

II.               Genesis 2:4-25 – Man Before the Fall

A.    Chapter 2:4 –  These are THE GENERATIONS OF THE HEAVENS AND OF THE EARTH when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens,

1.     Generations – family history

2.     Lord God – יהוה Yĕhovah אלהים 'elohiym - the proper name of the one true God preceding the creator God

a.      First mention of  יהוה Yĕhovah

                                                                                                                i.     YHVH, there are no vowels in the Hebrew language (and no Js or Ws)

                                                                                                              ii.     This is where both Yahweh and Jehovah come from and neither are correct pronunciations of the name Ya-he-vay

3.     “in the day” – figure of speech meaning “when” not saying all creation happened in a singular day.

a.      Synecdoche, a “part” is put for the whole, or the whole for a part.  What the “part” is must be determined by the context in each particular case

b.     In this case the whole = the entire 6 days and the part is a single day

c.      Like our present saying – “back in the day”

B.    Chapter 2:5 – And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.

1.     What is special about not having a man to till the ground, there are a lot of places on earth that man does not till the ground, yet vegetation continues to grow.

2.     Plants and herbs of the cultivated field did not grow because:

·       No rain (water)

·       No man

3.     These two items are resolved in the subsequent verses

C.    Chapter 2:6 – But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.

·       Resolves issue 1

D.    Chapter 2:7 – And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

1.     Resolves issue 2

2.     Zechariah 12:1 – The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.

3.     Here it says God forms “the man” only, but in 1:27 “…male and female created He them”

·       Here we have God “forming” the man versus “creating” mankind in chapter 1. Is there a difference?

·       What is the basis for the majority assumption that this is the same account?

4.     Breathed - נפח naphach, (verb) to breathe, blow, sniff at, seethe, give up or lose (life)

5.     Breath - נשמה nĕshamah, (feminine noun) breath, spirit

6.     John 20:22 – And when he had said this, he breathed on [them], and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:

·       Ghost - πνεῦμα pneuma - the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, coequal, coeternal with the Father and the Son

·       This verse equates the breath of God to the Holy Spirit in that the action the risen Messiah performs (breathing on the disciples) is coupled with the command to receive the “Holy Spirit” one would assume this meant to receive His breath

E.     Chapter 2:8 – (And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed.

1.     Here until v. 15 is parenthetical

2.     Who planted the garden? The Lord

a.      Who did Mary Magdaline think Jesus was when she was the first to see him?

-        John 20:15 – “Jesus saith unto her, ‘Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou?’  She, supposing Him to be the gardener…”

b.     Jesus is the gardener

3.     Eastward in Eden, eastward of what?

a.      So did God form “the man”, somewhere westward of the garden and He was using the location of “the man” as the reference point?

b.     Why wouldn’t God have just created “the man” in the garden rather than create him then “put” him there?

4.     When was Eden named? Who named Eden?

a.      Moses could not have been referring back from a known location that was named, because after Adam and Eve it was hidden from man; therefore, it had to have been named by God and revealed to Moses.

b.     Eden is referenced in the cuneiform texts as the plain of Babylonia

c.      The garden was in Eden, so Eden was not entirely the garden, most likely geographical location is the North end of the Persian Gulf

d.     Connection of “gardens”

                                                                                                                i.     Eden – Introduction of sin results in death, denial of everlasting life

                                                                                                              ii.     Gethsemane –  Sin and death conquered, re-access to everlasting life

Genesis 1:28-31

Z.    Chapter 1:28 – And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

1)     First command given to man… “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth”

·       Replenish? Same word as Fill in v. 22 above,  מלא male' fill 107, full 48, fulfill 28, consecrate 15, accomplish 7, replenish 7, wholly 6, set 6, expired 3, fully 2, gather 2, overflow 2, satisfy 2, misc 14

2)     Second command “…subdue it: and have dominion over the fish…the fowl…every other living thing that moveth upon the earth”

·       Subdue what? It…what is it à the earth

·       Why do we need to subdue the earth?

o      Subdue = כבש kabash, to subject, subdue, force, keep under, bring into bondage.

o      What do we need to do in order to subdue? Requires some sort of action on our part, right? Be fruitful and multiply…subdue the earth with progeny

o      God could have said “Rule the earth” but He didn’t He said, “subdue” it, thus territory must be taken as opposed to given

o      Who/What are we subduing? The earth, but who are we taking it from? The one whom it had been previously given?

·       Why wouldn’t God subdue it himself?

o      God had an enemy before the creation of man

o      Man is the vessel God has chosen to defeat His enemy

o      The defeat of an immortal enemy by weak and helpless mortals would obviously by the hand of God working through us, thus He receives the glory

o      God is defining the mission of mankind for his part in the struggle between light and darkness. Good and evil.

-        Light – to subdue darkness,

-        Darkness – to prevent from being subdued by light

-        I Thessalonians 5:5 - Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

·       Satan had been given dominion over the earth, God established it

o      Ezekiel 28:14 – Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so…

-        God gave Lucifer the authority over His creation

-        Obviously God did this when Lucifer was still perfect and had not yet fallen

o      Romans 11:29 - For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

-        God could not just take back this dominion he gave Lucifer or He would be in violation of His own Word

-        He enacted His plan

o      Luke 4:6 - And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.

-        Power - ἐξουσία exousia, Authority or delegated power; the liberty and right to put forth power

-        Christ never disputes the fact that Satan has this authority

o      John 18:36 – Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world…”

-        Christ verifies that this world is not His kingdom (at least not yet)

o      Matthew 6:9-10 – After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father Which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name.  Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven…

-        This is what we pray every time we pray as the Lord commanded us.

-        Do we understand what we are praying for?

·       Satan understands what God has done and he responds with his own plan, destroy man in order to preserve his life and also use man to retain dominion.

o      I Peter 5:8 - Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour

o      Ephesians 2:2 - Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

o      Matthew 22:44 (Christ quoting Psalm 110:1) – The Lord said said unto my Lord, “Sit Thou at My right hand, Until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool.”

-        The Messiah is sitting at the right hand of God until He makes His enemies His footstool

-        How is He going to accomplish this? Continue…

·       Christ is establishing His kingdom by converting “children of men” to “children of God” in order to re-establish His Kingdom.

o      John 3:5-6 - Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

o      Romans 8:19-22 (NASB) - For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.  For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.

-        We see that the creation itself is in bondage

-        “because of him who subjected it” - ὑποτάσσω hypotassō , This word was a Greek military term meaning "to arrange [troop divisions] in a military fashion under the command of a leader". In non-military use, it was "a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden".

o      Revelation 12:10-11 – And I heard a loud voice saying in Heaven “Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.  And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

-        The enemy is overcome by who?

-        By God? Yes…but with a twist

-        By the blood of the Lamb working through US!

-        This is the purpose of man! To establish God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven

o      Revelation 11:15 – And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever.”

-        Christ now takes the throne AFTER His enemies are made His footstool

AA.              Chapter 1:29 – And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which [is] upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which [is] the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

1)     Does it say animals for meat?  Did God say we could eat animals? No, we were originally intended to be vegetarian only

2)     When did we start eating meat?

BB.              Chapter 1:30 – And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein [there is] life, [I have given] every green herb for meat: and it was so.

1)     Not only was man vegetarian, but all animals were vegetarian as well.

2)     This would have allowed the Lion to lay next to the Lamb in perfect harmony

3)     The later introduction of sin not only changed the nature of mankind, but also the nature of animals as some became predators

4)     If this is how things were at the beginning, is this how they will be in the end?

·       Revelation 21:5 - And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

·       Isaiah 11:16-19 - The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

·       Isaiah 65:25 - The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust [shall be] the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.

CC.              Chapter 1:31 – And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, [it was] very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

1)     Day 6

2)     Everything He had made was very good

3)   Not yet corrupted…perfect

Genesis 1:22-27

T.    Chapter 1:22 – And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.

·       First command directed to the created beings “Be fruitful and multiply”

·       We know that in order to multiply animals must go through the reproductive process of sex.  Most animals require both a fertile, adult male and female for this process to take place.  Species are determined by the ability to reproduce with others in the same species.  If a “new” species is formed it would have to form initially with both a male and a female of that same species in order to continue that species, otherwise they would be sterile.  Obviously like every rule there are exceptions include some amphibians and sea creatures.

·       Humans can not reproduce naturally with monkeys, apes or any other primate, we are not of the same species.  Wouldn’t it seem logical that if at one time we were a member of that species that humans and primates would naturally be able to initiate the reproduction process?

·       Fill = מלא male', fill 107, full 48, fulfill 28, consecrate 15, accomplish 7, replenish 7, wholly 6, set 6, expired 3, fully 2, gather 2, overflow 2, satisfy 2, misc 14

U.    Chapter 1:23 – And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

1)     Day 5

V.    Chapter 1:24 – And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

·       “Let the EARTH bring forth”

·       Once again in threes

1)     Cattle – “domestic animals”

2)     Creeping thing – “large or small creatures that moves close to the earth, with small legs”

3)     Beast of the earth – “wild beasts”

c.   After his kind – consistent throughout each “life grouping” is is the three distinction sub-groups, and within those three sub-groups are each “kind” that which only can bring forth seed or life of its own kind.  God is establishing the natural order of things with no room for evolution.

W.    Chapter 1:25 – And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good.

·       Changes order (Domestic Beasts, Reptiles, Wild Beasts to Wild Beasts, Domestic Beasts, Reptiles)

·       Dinosaurs

1)     Were dinosaurs included in this “Re-creation”?

2)     Job 40:15-24 – “Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox. Lo now his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly.  He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together.  His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron.  He is the chief of the ways of God:  He that made him can make His sword to approach unto him.  Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play.  He lieth under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed, and fens.  The shady trees cover him with their shadow;  the willows of the brook compass him about.  Behold he drinketh up a river, and hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth.  He taketh it with his eyes: his nose pierceth through snares.

·       Some scholars indicate this is a Hippopotamus, but the description doesn’t match that of a Hippo.

o      Tail like a cedar

o      Mountains bring him forth food (Hippos rarely leave the water)

o      Drink up a river

·        Seems to fit the description of a Brachiosaurus or another Sauropod

·       This draws a few questions:

·       When would this creature have been created since science says they lived ~150-200 Million years ago would they have been created in Genesis 1:1?

·       If that is the case then Job was created (at least his soul) at the same time, which means he would have been present in that “age”

·       The Bible does say that both Job and this behemoth were created at the same time, so we have to assume either:

o      Job (or at least his soul) was created 150 Million years ago to coincide with the scientific estimates

o      The dinosaur was created roughly 5000 years ago and scientific estimates are grossly inaccurate

o      This behemoth isn’t a Sauropod, but some other unknown creature (not a Hippo)

o      Translational issue : NASB says – “…which I made as well as thee…” instead of “along with thee”

·       Science says man and dinosaur did not exist at the same time and other than this verse the Bible doesn’t seem to dispute that anywhere

X.     Chapter 1:26 – And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

·       Let US make…

1)     Who is US?

2)     God does not consult with or seek direction from the angels thus it has to be God only as the following verse clearly states

·       Was the pattern of creating in threes continued with man?

1)     Created in His image and His likeness, therefore the answer must be yes if we hold the doctrine of Trinity to be true

·       Man = אדם 'adam, no article = most frequently used mankind, humankind, all encompassing of the human species, but can also represent the singular much like the English word man can represent both mankind and singular man.

·       Adam = same as man, but with article, same word in the singular? No indication in Hebrew that this is a proper name only indicated as “the man”

·       Does the Bible specify if this is singular or plural, did God make man singular or mankind plural

1)     Why do we default to God only making One pair?

2)     Does the Bible say that God only created one pair? No, but we assume He did

·       Likeness in that God has dominion and He is giving it to man?

·       Directly created by God = Son of God

1)     Adam was therefore a son of God, all other humans son/daughter of man

2)     Jesus was BOTH Son of God AND Son of Man in that God was His Father and Mary was his mother.

·       Begat of man = Son of man, (no longer a son of God)

·       Christ then restored man through His sacrifice:

1)     John 1:12 - But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name:

2)     Romans 8:14 - For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

3)     Romans 8:19 - For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

4)     I John 3:1 - Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

·       Psalm 8:4-9- What is man, that Thou art mindful of him?  And the son of man, that Thou visiteth him?  For thou hast made him a little liwer than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor.  Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, Tea the beasts of the field; The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, And whatsoever passeth through the

Y.     Chapter 1:27 – So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.  

1)     What does this mean, “the image of God”?

·       Humans are made up of three inseparable components:

o      Body – Housing of our soul and spirit, not necessarily our flesh body

o      Soul – thoughts, intellect, wisdom, and nature of man

o      Spirit – the life force of man, the breath of God (the Spirit is what links us to God for only He provides the life source)

·       God is made up of three inseparable components:

o      The Father – thought,  intellect, wisdom and nature of God

o      The Son – The Word or the accomplisher, the body

o      The Holy Spirit – The life force, energy of God, the breath of God

2)     What does it mean to exist? The following are excerpts taken from an article written by Emmanuel McLittle, Nothing is as it Seems 7/24/2010

·       Existence is a forever living fiery Sun many times larger and much more atomically intense than any light known to Humans. This One absolute Being is the whole of all-existence, alone

·       The Master Universe is constructed inside of God, the beyond massive Being who pre-existed, designed and created all else, everywhere. So God is the only entity inside and outside of the Master Universe.

·       God is the sum total of all POWER in existence and is a perpetual Atomic Fire so bright and intense that no living person could prevent instant disintegration, even at a distance of billions of miles away. God exist behind matter, everywhere. Now we see that God is far, far more than God. God isn't hiding. He's protecting us. This is extremely important to understand.

·       He created miniature universes, all inside the Master Universe and much more miniature Beings, Angels and Humans who could all relate to a miniature version of Himself.

The Master Intelligent source of all life has a Human representative, an immortal, living in a partly physical body, ruling the Physical Universe, now. He is historically known as Jesus Christ.