Genesis 1:1
‘eres elohim bara bereshith
The Hebrews call this book “Bereshith” from the first word.
This Hebrew word is translated in the Greek Septuagint by the Greek word “genesis” which means “birth, origin”
The first two chapters are formed with three units:
1) Gen. 1:1
2) Gen. 1:2-2:3
3) Gen. 2:4-25
Genesis 1:1 refutes all idols and false philosophies through history: 1) Atheism (No God)
2) Pantheism (God is in All)
3) Polytheism (Many Gods) 4) Dualism (Good verse Evil
5) Humanism (Man is God) 6) Evolution (Material is God)
Psalm 14:1 “The fool says in his heart ‘There is no God’.”
Liberal Biblical Scholarship:
1) J = Jehovah from 850 BC
2) E = Elohim from 750 BC
3) D = Deuteronomist from 620 BC (Josiah’s reform)
4) P = Priestly from 500 BC (Ezekeil to Ezra)
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“Toledot”
According to Luke 16:31; 24:27, 44 Moses is responsible of Genesis. How did Moses write it?
1) Direct Revelation
2) Oral Stories
3) Written Documents
An important word in Genesis is “ toledot”. “Toledot” is a Hebrew noun from the root “y-l-d” which means “to bear”.
It is translated by these words in English: “genealogy,” “generations”, account,” family history,” “ancestral narrative.”
It is found in these verses:
2:4 “the account of” is Hb. “toledot” or “generations”
5:1 - Adam’s Line
6:9 – Noah
10:1 – Shem
11:10 – Terah
11:27 – Abraham, Isaac
25:19 – Isaac, Jacob
37:2 until Exodus 1:1 – Sons of Jacob
Two themes:
1) The preparation of the land
2) The blessing of the creation
(’eres is the Hebrew word translated “earth” in 1:1, 2 but land later.)
Seven Hebrew words form the first verse, Genesis 1:1 a) identify the Creator b) explain the origin of the world
2 c) connect these past events with man’s future
The Creator
“God” is “Elohim”. (plural used 2,750x in Bible, when used of pagan deities it is “gods”)
“El” is singular. The “-im” is plural.
This is spelled “God” in the English Bible
“Elohim” is not identified in more detail here.
The creation account reveals his words and actions.
The rest of the book reveals more details of Elohim and his plan as Elohim deals with Adam,
Noah, Abraham, Jacob, etc.
Genesis will identify the Creator as the one who called Abraham and promised him the “ ‘eres”
or the “land”
God is different from any other worshipped identities because he acted alone and independently
Jeremiah 10:11 “These gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth , will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.”
Psalm 96:5 “For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord (Yahweh) made the heavens.”
Isaiah 46:9 “I am God. . .declaring the end from the beginning
Yahweh (LORD) is used first in 2:4. Yahweh is the covenant name of God for Israel. Ex.3:15) This is spelled “LORD” in the NIV.
Origin Everything comes from the eternal God
God is eternal and independent of matter, time, space, etc.
Psalm 33:6
John 1:3
Hebrews 11:3
“In the Beginning” or “RESIT”
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The term “beginning” is “resit”
Through out the Bible the word “resit” is used to mark a starting point of a specific duration: a) “the beginning of the year” (resit hassanah) in Deut 11:12
By using “resist” this verse marks creation not only with a beginning but also with an end.
The concept of “the last days” of the creation is here just as the concept of the “first day” is.
There is clearly a purpose and a goal with in this verse.
Ecclesiastes 7:8, “The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.”
Isaiah 65:17
Revelation 21:1
“In the Beginning” and “In Beginning”
Hebrew does not have an article with “resit” or “beginning”.
Some would say this makes 1:1 a construct dependent on the following verses.
This is not always the case for example in Isaiah 46:10 the same word “resit” is in the absolute
state without an article again.
This is important because for years scholars feared the existence of the earth occurring in 1:1
with out the support of the rest of the chapter. This would give room for the preexistence
of matter. Or, as some would say, the existence of two eternal beings in 1:1: elohim and
creation.
With a clear understanding that 1:1 is the creation account, 1:2 the angelic rebellion, 1:3 the restoration we can interpret it as it is written and not fear evolution, etc.
Four options
1) Temporal Clause A – verse 1 is a temporal clause that is subordinate to verse 3 and connected to verse 3 by verse 2. This is very long and uncharacteristic of the book.
2) Temporal Clause B – Verse 1 is a temporal clause and subordinate to verse 2.
3) Independent Sentence A – verse 1 is an independent sentence making 1:1 the act of creation and 1:3 begins to reveal further phases of God’s work after creation of 1:1.
4) Independent Sentence B – verse 1 is an independent sentence and serves as a summary of chapter 1 and 2. Similar to 5:1, 6:9; 10:1 but is missing the “Toledot” formula which breaks the consistency.
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“Created”
“Created” is “bara”
Used in: 1:1, 21, 27 (3x); 2:3; 2:4a
The subject of “bara” is always God.
“bara” always refers to the product created and not to the material.
This leads us to conclude that “bara” is a technical term for “creation ex nihilo” (“creation out of
nothing”)
The word “asa” means to make something out of something as in Genesis 3:21. The word “asa” is found in Exodus 20:11
Consider the Creation Battle scene in Psalm 74:9-23.
Genesis 1:2
Genesis 1:2 has three lines (circumstantial clauses) each with a verb and a subject:
LINE 1: weha'arets hayetah tohu wabohu Now the earth was (became) formless and empty,
LINE 2: wchoshech al-peney tehom
darkness was over the surface of the deep
LINE 3: we-ruach Elohim merahepet al peney hamayim.
And the spirit God hovering upon the surface the waters.
See and hear Genesis 1:2 at this site - http://bible.ort.org/books/torahd5.asp
Three views:
1) Creation once perfect has now become a chaos
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2) Creation came from a ancient chaos
3) This verse makes a general statement that will be given more details as the verses progress.
LINE 1:
“Now the earth was formless and empty” (NIV)
“Now, the earth, had become waste and wild.” (Rotherham)
“The earth was formless and void.” (NASB)
“The earth was formless and desolate.” (TEV)
Tohu wabohu
1) Two words - nouns a. Tohu – “desert”, “formlessness, confusion, unreality, emptiness” b. Bohu - “emptiness, void, waste”
2) Bohu only appears 3 times in the OT and all three times with Tohu a. Isaiah 34:11 – God will stretch out over Edom the measuring line of chaos (tohu) and the plumb line of desolation (bohu).” b. Jeremiah 4:23 – “I looked at the earth and it was formless (tohu) and empty (bohu).”
3) Tohu is in the OT 23 times a. 11 times in Isaiah 24:10; 29:21; 34:11; 40:17, 23; 41:29; 44:9; 45:18, 19; 49:4; 59:4) b. Deut. 32:10 - “In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling waste (tohu).” c. Job 6:18 – as “desert” which was a place of death for travelers. d. Job 26:7 – “He spreads out the northern skies over empty space (tohu); he suspends the earth over nothing.” e. Isaiah 29:21 – as “false testimony” in Isaiah 29:21 f. Isaiah 41:29 – as the emptiness of idols g. Isaiah 44:9 – refers to the makers of idols h. Isaiah 45:18-19 – “For this is what the Lord says – he who created (bara) the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned (jatsar) and made (asah) the earth, he founded it; he did not create (bara) it to be empty (Tohu) but formed (jatsar) it to be inhabited.”
i. Bara-to create new and always done by God
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ii. Jatsar-to form, fashion, frame done by God and man
iii. Asah-to do, fashion, accomplish, make i. Rotherham’s Isaiah 45:18 translation says, “For, Thus, saith Yahweh, Who created the heavens God himself! Who fashioned the earth – And made it himself, established it, Not a waste (Tohu), created he it To be dwelt in, he fashioned it, I, am Yahweh, and there is none else.” j. NASB Isaiah 45:18, “For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it a waste place, but formed it to be inhabited), ‘I am the Lord, and there is none else.’” k. Darby Isaiah 45:18, “For thus saith Jehovah who created the heavens, God himself who formed the earth and made it, he who established it, --not as waste did he create it: he formed it to be inhabited: --I am Jehovah, and there is none else.”
Hayetah or hayah or haya – means “to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out”
In Genesis 3:22 “haya” is become - “The man has now become like one of us”
“Was” is used in the same sequence concerning Abel just like the earth in Genesis 4:2:
Genesis 1:1-2 Genesis 4:2
Noun followed by period the heaven and the earth. bare his brother Abel.
New sentence begins with… And And
Original noun repeated the earth Abel
Followed by “was” was without form, and void was a keeper of sheep
Uses of “haya”
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1) 3:1 “the serpent was wiser”
2) 29:16 “Rachel was pretty”
3) 34:5 “his sons had been in the field”
4) Exod. 1:5 “Joseph was in Egypt”
5) Jonah 3:3 “now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city”
Create, Make, Fashion
Bara-to create new and always done by God.
Gen. 1:1, 21, 27; Ps. 89:12; Is. 42:5 (Ep.2:10; Rev. 4:11; 10:6)
Jatsar-to form, fashion, frame done by God and man
Gen. 1:7, 16, 25, 31; 2:2, 22; 3:1
Asah-to do, fashion, accomplish, make
2:7, 8, 19; Job 26:13; Ps. 90:2; 94:9; 95:5
LINE 2:
vechoshech al-peney tehom
darkness was over the surface of the deep
Isaiah 45:7, “I form (yatsar) the light and create (bara) darkness (choshek), I bring (asah) prosperity (shalom, or peace) and create (bara) disaster (ra, or evil); I, the Lord, do (asah) all these things.”
Tehom – means “deep, depths, abyss, the deep, sea, primeval ocean, the grave.
1) Genesis 7:11, In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeeth day of the month, the same day were al the fountains of the great deep (tehom) broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.”
2) Genesis 8:2, “The fountains also of the deep (tehom) and the windows of heaven were stopped , and the rain from heaven was restrained.”
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3) Genesis 49:25, “Even by the God of they father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep (tehom) that lies below, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb.”
4) The Hebrew word “tehom” is feminine.
5) “tehom” is used 35 times in the Old Testament
6) “tehom” is used without the article 33 of the 35 times (Is. 63:13, Ps. 106:9) which gives it the appearance of a proper name.
7) It is associated with verbs that can be applied only to humans or animals: a. Gen. 49:25 “blessings of the deep that lies below.” Here “lies” means to crouch like an animal. b. Habakkuk 3:10 “tehom” (deep) has a voice.
8) Isaiah 51:9,10, “Awake, awake! Clothe yourself with strength, O warm of the Lord; awake , as in days gon e by, as in ggeneratinos of old. Was it not you who cut Rahab to pieces, who pierced that monster through? Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea so that the redeemed might cross over?”
LINE 3:
we-ruach Elohim merahepet al peney hamayim. And the spirit God hovering upon the surface the waters.
“weruach elohim” could be translated as:
1) the Spirit of God
2) the spirit of God
3) a wind from God
4) and awesome gale
merahepet is translated these ways :
1) “was moving”
2) “moved”
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3) “was hovering”
4) “hovered”
5) “swept”
6) “sweeping”
7) “brooding”
8) “rushing”
9) “swirled”
The verb Merahepet is used 2 times in OT: Jer. 23:9 as “all my bones shake (rahap) and Deut. 32:11 “like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that hovers (rahap) over its young.”
The idea here is that in this formlessness and darkness God is present keeping everything in his control and in his time.
Points:
Two Floods
There have been two floods.
1) Gen. 1:2
2) Gen. 7 – Noah
2 Peter 3:5-7
Age of Earth
The age of man is clearly given in scripture. The age of the earth may be roughly 5 days older than man or the age of the earth may not be given.
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Dt. 29:29 says the secret things belong to God. The Bible is written to man, for man and is about man’s time on the earth. The details before man and after the destruction of the earth are few.
To say things have always been the same scientifically is warned against in 2 Peter 3:4 where scoffers will come and say things have always been the same and so they will always be this way. We know from scripture that:
1) In the future science will change. Rev. 21:1 – a new heaven, new earth, no longer any sea. 2 Peter 3:12, 13 elements will melt in the heat.
2) The very act of creation and the apparent process of the six days of creation was writing the laws of physics.
There may be four phases of earth science:
1) The world that was (2 Peter 3:6)
2) The old world (Noah’s 2 Peter 2:5)
3) The present evil world (Gal. 1:4)
4) The world to come (Hebrews 2:5 and 6:5)
Six Days Were “Asah”
Exodus 20:11 – “For in six days the Lord made (asah) the heavens and the earth”
Exodus 31:17 – “For in six days the Lord made (asah) the heavens and the earth.”
When is earth created?
If Genesis 1:1 is a general title or introduction and is talking about the six days of creation, then when is the earth created? On the first day God creates nothing. He separates light and darkness.
If Genesis 1:1 is creation and 1:2 describes it then the whole act of creation including the solar system is in darkness and no form.
Angels
Job 38:4-7 The angels sing for joy at creation
Were they singing at the chaos, darkness, formless earth?
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The Morning Star is mentioned.
If the Morning Star sings after verse 1:1 then Lucifer is singing over a chaotic earth.
If the Morning Star sings after day 6 then Lucifer has not fallen when man was created and rebels against God after day 6 but before the fall of man.
Compare Jeremiah 4:23 with Genesis 1:2
In Jer. 4:23 “w/o form, void, darkness” are judgment.
How can the same three words be creation in Gen. 1:2?
Nahum 2:10
The Lake of Fire
Matthew 25:41 the lake of fire prepared for the devil and his angels but not for man.
If Satan falls after day 6 then the fire was prepared for Satan after man’s creation and would have been prepared for man as well. Below is diagram showing the ridiculousness of the sequence:
Not even mentioning:
TOTAL: 130 YEARS
Ez. 28:11-15 when Morning star served as anointed cherub
Is. 14:12-15 and turmoil in courts of heaven
Rev. 12:4 when a third of angels fell and there was war in heaven and Satan was hurled to the earth
Satan is called “Old Serpent”
Adam was 130 when Seth was born in Gen. 5:2-3
Before Seth was born these things happened:
1) Adam Fell and left garden
2) Cain and Abel were born
3) Cain and Abel grew up, became men and became a farmer and a shepherd
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4) Cain and Abel offered sacrifices
5) Cain kills Abel
From the Beginning
The Devil is a murder from the beginning (Jn. 8:44) and sins fro beginning (1 Jn 3:8)Is this Adams of Satan’s beginning? At Lucifer’s beginning he was innocent.
Genesis 1:3-5
1:3
Elohiym ‘amar hayah ‘owr ‘owr
And God said Let there be light (and there was) light
1:4
Elohiym ra’ah ‘owr kiy towb ‘elohiym badal ‘owr beyn choshek
And God saw the light that it was good and God divided the light from the darkness
1:5 Elohiym qara’ ‘owr yowm choshek qara layil
And God called the light Day and the darkness he called Night
‘ereb boqer ‘echad yowm
And the evening and the morning were the first day
Lexicon
1:3
Hayah – to exist, be or become, come to pass, take place, come about,
‘owr – illumination or luminary. Can include lightning and happiness and prosperity.
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Means bright, clear, morning, sun
1:4
Badal – to divide, separate, sever
Beyn –
Choshek – the dark; literally darkness, night, obscurity; figuratively: misery, destruction, death,
ignorance, sorrow, wickedness. This word is used in Genesis 1:2.
Refers to Hades in Psalm 88:13; an underground prison in Isaiah 42:7; 47:5; 49:9;
1:5
Qara – to call out to or to address by name. To utter a loud sound, to proclaim. To name, to give
a name, to call by.
Yowm – a day as refers to the warm hours. Primary meaning is to the heat of the day. a) a day as opposed to night b) a 24 hour period c) A part of a 24 hour period as in a working day or a day’s journey d) Days, or Lifetime e) Time or period of time f) A year
I believe this is a 24 hour day and not a long length of time because:
1) Whenever “yowm” or “day” is used with a number it refers to a 24 hour day. Here it is “the first day.”
2) Although the word “day” can mean a long time period the words “evening” and “morning” can not.
“Evening” and “morning” mean the time period at the end of a day and morning to the beginning of a day.
3) In Exodus 20:8-11 our human week matches the first week.
Choshek – (see above)
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Layil – night as opposed to day; gloom or shadow; figuratively adversity.
‘ereb – dusk, evening, night, sunset
Boqer – dawn as at the break of day, morning, end of night, coming of daylight
‘echad –one, each, a certain, first
The Plan – We see purpose, intent, plan and success in God’s activities.
Communication and Interaction – We see communication and room for response, consultation and distribution of power in God’s activities:
1. Response – Gen. 1:11 and 1:24
2. Consulting – Gen. 1:26
3. Distribution of authority – Gen. 1:26
Word/Deed Formula – There is the power of his Word but it is always packaged with Deeds or action.
Subdue – in 1:28 the use of the word “subdue” indicates that not all was well but it was order and control of the power of the chaos. This order and control needed to be maintained by man.
Commentators In History
1) Early commentators struggled with the fact that it took God six days to do this. Their assumption was that He should have done it instantaneously and not spent six days doing what his power could have done in a moment.
2) In the face of evolution, Modern commentators struggle with the fact that God did all this work in only six days. They feel God should have taken thousands and millions of years. It is interesting to see how both the ancient understanding and the modern understanding of the natural man both stumble through God’s truth because of the inability of their personal theology and culture’s science to comprehend God and his work.
3) John Calvin said that the six days described here was God trying to accommodate man’s understanding.
4) Martin Luther said Day One was the creation of the crude mass that would be ordered during the next five days.
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Genesis 1:3
God says two words on Day One: hayah ‘owr /haw-yaw ore/
Creation by speech
On Day Two God says “let there be. . .” and this is followed by “So God made. . . “
Here God speaks and light is. Everything else follows God’s command with some action.
Out of the chaos came order.
Out of the darkness came light.
This is also true in our lives. Where there is no order and no light then chaos and darkness reign yet today.
Genesis 1:4
The separation includes the assigning both light and darkness to their appropriate places.
The verb “separation” is used five times (1:4, 6, 7, 14, 18):
1) Light
2) “Separate water from water”
3) “Separated water under the expanse from the water above it”
4) Lights “separate the day from the night”
5) The stars “separate light from darkness”
We see this “separation” in chapter one as a separation toward order and away from the chaos of 1:2.
With the entrance of sin the destructive side of separation is introduced. The separation from God. Man is separated from the garden
Lev. 20:25 – here animals that were called “good” in Genesis 1 are separated as “clean” and “unclean”.
Isaiah 5:20 and 24 – In a culture that has rejected the light (truth) of both God’s natural and written revelation, light will be called dark, and evil will be called good.
Up until chapter 3 man had only known the light, the good, the truth. In chapter 3 man breaks rank with God and pursues the lie, the dark, the evil.
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Through this process man now becomes conscious of the evil he was to subdue.
Second Corinthians 4:6
“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” a) In 4:1-2 the truth is present b) In 4:3-4 the truth (gospel) is veiled by Satan’s blinding of the eyes of unbelievers c) In 4:5 the truth is Jesus Christ is Lord and we are his servants. d) In 4:6 Paul compares the light shining from darkness on Day One to the truth shining into our dark lives filled with sin and unbelief e) In 4:7 tells us we have this treasure (light, truth, gospel, knowledge of Jesus Christ as Lord) in our hearts. f) In 4:8-11 the conflict between the darkness and the light continues in our “jars of clay” (“earthly tent” in 5:1) g) 4:16 says “Outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”
Proverbs 8:22-31 – Wisdom (8:12-21) there in the chaos before the world began. a) Before the oceans b) Before the mountains c) Before the Heavens where set d) Before the atmosphere and the fountains of the deep (28) e) Marked out the foundations
Psalms 104:2 – He wraps himself in light at creation.
Colossians 1:15-17 – Jesus Christ first born, or the favored son with all the privileges, over all creation.
Revelation 22:5 – just like light (presence of Jesus Christ) existed before the sun in Gen. 1, at the end in Revelation 22:5 the light continues to shine after there is no sun. Light preceded the sun and also will outlast the sun.
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Light is: 1) Life giving in John 1:4
2) Truth giving in 2 Cor. 4:6
3) Gives Gladness in Ec. 11:7
4) Pure in 1 John 1:5-7
Genesis 1:5
“Qara” or “called” indicates God’s authority over the things he names.
Genesis 1:6-8
1:6
“And God said, ‘Let there be an expanse (“raqia”) between the waters to separate water from water.’”
Hebrew Transliteration:
Vayomer Elohim yehi raqia betoch hamayim vyhi mavdil beyn mayim lamayim.
“God said, ‘There shall be a sky in the middle of the water, and it shall divide between water and water.”
“raqia” occurs 18 times in 15 verses in the OT:
a. Gen. 1:14
b. Gen. 1:20
c. Psalm 19:1
“raqia” is a noun that comes from the verb “raqa”.
“Raqa” means “to spread out”. a) “Raqa” is used in Ps. 136:6; Isaiah 42:5 and 44:24 to describe the spreading out of the earth at creation and in Job 37:18 to the spreading out of the sky. b) In Isaiah 40:19 it means to overlay or plate with gold. c) “Raqia” is something that is created by spreading or stretching (like a tent) or by hammering (like a metal as in Exodus 39:3) d) Proverbs 8:28 uses “raqa” with “sehaqim” (clouds)
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“Raqia” is translated as “firmament”. It is called “sky” in 1:7 and refers to the atmosphere.
“beyn . . . . la” (“ben. . . la”) preposition “between” that occurs 30 in the OT.
In verse 1:7 the preposition “from” is “beyn. . . beyn” occurs 126 times.
The combination of “beyn. . . la” is used to point out the distinction between two non specific things such as “concept A” and “concept B”.
Once the waters are divided in 1:7 the combination of “beyn. . . beyn” is used. This is the combination used in the Bible to compare “man and wife”, father and daughter”, “Israel and Philistines.”
1:7
“So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so.
Hebrew Transliteration:
Vaya'as Elohim et-harakia vayavdel beyn hamayim asher mitachat larakia uveyn hamayim asher me'al larakia vayehi-chen.
1:8
“God called the expanse ‘sky.’ And there was evening, and there was morning – the second day.”
Hebrew Transliteration:
Vayikra Elohim la-rakia shamayim vayehi- erev vayehi- voker yom sheni.
“Called God expanse sky and there was evening and there was morning day three”
“sky” is “samayim”. This word is translated “heavens” in 1:1
Naming something shows authority and responsibility for the subject named.
God does not say “It was good.” Maybe because it will be used in the flood (Gen. 7:1)
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2 Peter 3:5-7, 10
Benefits: a) Creat a globally warm climate b) Shield the planet fro harmful radiation
Results: a) Uniform temperatures would not crate great air mass movements (wind) b) With stable temperatures and no massive air movements there is no moving weather systems. c) The world would be a global green house with uniform climate d) Longer life span of man due the absorption and deflection of harmful radiation. e) Longer life span of animals including reptiles which never stop growing through out their life f) Plant life would be large size and extreme in its coverage of earth g) A flood over this vegetation would result in a layer of coal h) No rain would occur as in Gen. 2:5-6 i) Images of rainbows would not be created until canopy was gone. j) If it ever collapsed the fallout would last for weeks maybe as long as 40 days k) Seasons are not mentioned until after the flood indicating there were no seasons until after the flood (Gen. 8:22) l) If it ever collapsed it would be impossible to repeat the resulting flood. God promises it will never happen again (Gen.8:21) m) But, yet if the water is here on the surface of the earth, it could happen again, unless the formation of the mountains and the high lands occurred after the flood. Which did happen in Peleg’s day around the time of the tower of Babel. (Gen. 10:25)
i. Click here for video (average quality): http://www.samizdat.qc.ca/cosmos/origines/hydroplaques/load.htm
ii. Pictures and images of the Hydroplate theory Here: http://www.pseudepigrapha.com/HydroPlateTheory/index.html
iii. http://www.exploratorium.edu/origins/antarctica/ideas/gondwan a2.html
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iv. http://www.creationscience.com/onlinebook/HydroplateOvervie w2.html
v. Click the image at the bottom of this web site for video of the Flood and the Continental Plates: http://www.samizdat.qc.ca/cosmos/origines/hydroplaques/engl.htm#
n) The warmer, tropical world would explain the palm trees and vegetation that are found buried in Alaska and Antarctica.
i. Woolly mammoths frozen with grass in mouth at
1. http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/mar2000/953730757.Sh.r.html
2. http://www.zetatalk.com/info/tinfo26l.htm
ii. Antarctica and its tropical past
1. http://news.softpedia.com/news/Once-Antarctica-Was-Tropical-and-Attachhed-to-Europe- 51095.shtml
2. http://www.wonderquest.com/dinosaur-shoe-sidesaddle.htm
3. http://www.doc.ic.ac.uk/~kpt/terraquest/va/science/geology/geology.html
Concerns from the skeptics: a) A canopy would prevent the stars from being seen as they are in Gen. 1;14-18 b) Where did these waters recede to after Noah’s flood? c) Gravity would bring the liquid water down d) A canopy of 40 feet thick of liquid water would double the earth’s atmospheric pressure and kill animals and humans. e) The same pressure would increase the temperature of the earth to 220 degrees Fahrenheit.
Web sites that disagree with the Water Vapor Canopy Theory: http://www.lutheranscience.org/2003-VaporCanopyTheory1.html http://www.godandscience.org/youngearth/canopy.html http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/canopy.html
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Genesis 1:9-13
1:9
-And God 'elohiym (el-o-heem') angels, exceeding, God (gods)(-dess, -ly), (very) great, judges, mighty.
-said 'amar (aw-mar') to say (used with great latitude)
-Let the waters mayim (mah'-yim) water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring).
-under the heaven shamayim (shaw-mah'-yim) air, astrologer, heaven(-s).
-be gathered together qavah (kaw-vaw') to bind together (perhaps by twisting), i.e. collect; (figuratively) to expect -- gather (together), look, patiently, tarry, wait (for, on, upon).
-unto 'el (ale) denoting motion towards, but occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or among; often in general, to
-one 'echad (ekh-awd') united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first
-place maqowm (maw-kome') a standing, i.e. a spot; but used widely of a locality (general or specific); also (figuratively) of a condition (of body or mind)
-and let the dry yabbashah (yab-baw-shaw') dry ground -- dry (ground, land).
-land appear ra'ah (raw-aw') to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)surely, think, view, visions.
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-and it was so
1:10
-And God 'elohiym (el-o-heem') angels, exceeding, God (gods)(-dess, -ly), (very) great, judges, mighty.
-called qara' (kaw-raw') to call out to (i.e. properly, address by name, but used in a wide variety of applications)
-the dry yabbashah (yab-baw-shaw') dry ground -- dry (ground, land).
-land Earth 'erets (eh'-rets) the earth (at large, or partitively a land) -- common, country, earth, field, ground, land, natins, way, + wilderness, world.
-and the gathering together miqveh (mik-veh') something waited for, i.e. confidence (objective or subjective); also a collection, i.e. (of water) a pond, or (of men and horses) a caravan or drove
-of the waters mayim (mah'-yim) water; figuratively, juice; (-course, -flood, -spring).
-called qara' (kaw-raw') to call out to (i.e. properly, address by name, but used in a wide variety of applications)
-the Seas yam (yawm) from an unused root meaning to roar -- sea (-faring man, (-shore), south, west (-ern, side, -ward).
-and God 'elohiym (el-o-heem') angels, exceeding, God (gods)(-dess, -ly), (very) great, judges, mighty.
-saw ra'ah (raw-aw') to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)surely, think, view, visions.
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-that it was good towb (tobe) good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun
Huge basins and subterranean chambers were formed to hold water.
“Seas” is plural indicating several areas of water
“earth” is “eretz” in Hebrew. The same word used in Gen. 1:1-2
1:11-13
Three types are mentioned:
1) Plants a) Grasses – ground covering vegetation b) Herbs – bushes and shrubs
2)Trees c) Trees – woody plants
These plants where fully developed and not seeds.
These had an appearance of age (like the adult male Adam).
“Seed” – “zera`” (zeh'-rah) – within each plant was the ability to produce plants of the same kind. a) within these seeds was DNA and the ability to produce a wide variety within the “kind” but never a “new kind” b) This is seen today in science. We have seen a variety of “kinds” produced but we have never seen a “new kind” produced. Only in the religious theories and philosophies of evolution does it occur. Never is a new kind seen in reality.
“Kind” – this phrase “after its Kind” occurs ten times in Genesis 1 a) this phrase refers to species or families
24 b) 1 Cor. 15:38-39 c) This verse refutes modern evolution. There is scripturally no link between one kind and another. Neither is there a link between them found in fossils or in modern science.
Above: This Does Not Happen
Below: This Does Happen
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1:11
-And God 'elohiym (el-o-heem') angels, exceeding, God (gods)(-dess, -ly), (very) great, judges, mighty.
-said 'amar (aw-mar') to say (used with great latitude)
-Let the earth 'erets (eh'-rets) the earth (at large, or partitively a land) -- common, country, earth, field, ground, land, natins, way, + wilderness, world.
26
-bring forth dasha (daw-shaw') to sprout -- bring forth, spring.
-grass deshe' (deh'-sheh) a sprout; by analogy, grass -- (tender) grass, green, (tender)herb.
-the herb `eseb (eh'seb) grass (or any tender shoot) -- grass, herb.
-yielding zara` (zaw-rah') to sow; figuratively, to disseminate, plant, fructify -- bear, conceive seed, set with sow(-er), yield.
-seed zera` (zeh'-rah) seed; figuratively, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity -- carnally, child, fruitful, seed(-time), sowing-time.
-and the fruit priy (per-ee') fruit -- bough, (first-) fruit(-ful), reward.
-tree `ets (ates) a tree (from its firmness); hence, wood (plural sticks) -- + carpenter, gallows, helve, + pine, plank, staff, stalk, stick, stock, timber, tree, wood.
-yielding `asah (aw-saw') to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
-fruit priy (per-ee') fruit -- bough, (first-) fruit(-ful), reward.
-after his kind miyn (meen) a sort, i.e. species -- kind.
-whose 'aher (ash-er') who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.
-seed zera` (zeh'-rah) seed; figuratively, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity -- carnally, child, fruitful, seed(-time), sowing-time.
27
-is in itself upon the earth 'erets (eh'-rets) the earth (at large, or partitively a land) -- common, country, earth, field, ground, land, nations, way, + wilderness, world.
-and it was so
1:12
-And the earth 'erets (eh'-rets) the earth (at large, or partitively a land) -- common, country, earth, field, ground, land, natins, way, + wilderness, world.
-brought forth yatsa' (yaw-tsaw') to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.
-grass deshe' (deh'-sheh) a sprout; by analogy, grass -- (tender) grass, green, (tender)herb.
-and herb `eseb (eh'seb) grass (or any tender shoot) -- grass, herb.
-yielding zara` (zaw-rah') to sow; figuratively, to disseminate, plant, fructify -- bear, conceive seed, set with sow(-er), yield.
-seed zera` (zeh'-rah) seed; figuratively, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity -- carnally, child, fruitful, seed(-time), sowing-time.
-after his kind miyn (meen) a sort, i.e. species -- kind.
-and the tree `ets (ates) a tree (from its firmness); hence, wood (plural sticks) -- + carpenter, gallows, helve, + pine, plank, staff, stalk, stick, stock, timber, tree, wood.
-yielding `asah (aw-saw') to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
28
-fruit priy (per-ee') fruit -- bough, (first-) fruit(-ful), reward.
-whose seed zera` (zeh'-rah) seed; figuratively, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity -- carnally, child, fruitful, seed(-time), sowing-time.
-was in itself after his kind miyn (meen) a sort, i.e. species -- kind.
-and God 'elohiym (el-o-heem') angels, exceeding, God (gods)(-dess, -ly), (very) great, judges, mighty.
-saw ra'ah (raw-aw') to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)surely, think, view, visions.
-that it was good towb (tobe) good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun
1:13
-And the evening `ereb (eh'-reb) dusk -- + day, even(-ing, tide), night.
-and the morning boqer (bo'-ker) dawn (as the break of day); generally, morning -- (+) day, early, morning, morrow.
-were the third shliyshiy (shel-ee-shee') third; feminine a third (part); by extension, a third (day, year or time); specifically, a third-story cell) -- third (part, rank, time), three (years old).
-day yowm (yome) a day (as the warm hours),
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Genesis 1:14-19
This begins the second group of three days.
Days 1-3 Days 4-6
Light – separate light and darkness Sun, moon, stars
Sky - separate waters, made Atmosphere, Fish in water, Birds in atmosphere
Land – separate water and land, Animals on land that eat vegetation Man - vegetation (food source)
This day’s importance is seen in this: a) lengthy description – second in detail only to day six b) repetition – the order reverses a. 14-15 – stars mentioned first b. 16 – the moon and sun are in the center of these verses c. 17 – sun mentioned first c) place in arrangement – it is in the middle of the seven days
Stars are mentioned only once.
Purpose: a) They are servants whose purpose is secondary to what is happening on the earth b) They are to make a distinction between day and night c) They are to be signs - For John (Gospel of John, Revelation) a sign points to a greater spiritual truth.
i. Hebrew says, “let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years” d) They are to mark:
i. Seasons
ii. Days
iii. Years e) They are to give light to the earth.
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Signs in Scripture: Matt. 2:2; Matt. 24:29-30; Luke 21:11, 26; Rev. 12:1; Joel 2:30; Acts 2:19
Pagan Differences (Strong Anti-mytical thrust) a) They are not deities that control events on earth. They are not eternal but were created. b) They are not called by their Pagan names which were the name of a god. Instead they are named by their function or their service.
i. The sun is not called “semes” but instead “greater light” (Beth- Shemesh means "house or shrine of the sun.)
ii. The moon is not called “yareah” or “lebana” but instead “lesser light” c) Other cultures
i. Mesopotamia and Egypt had their great cosmic gods.
ii. Sumerians had Anu, Enlil and Enki
iii. Babylonians had the trinity of three stars: Sin, Shamash an dIshtar
iv. Egypt had Nut, Shu and Geb under the Sun god Ra
Ezekiel 8:16 the priest face sun for worship in temple court yard.
See Isaiah 40:25-26 – “To whom will you compare Me? . . .”
See Isaiah 44:6-20
To the Pagans the Sun, Moon and Stars were deities. God calls them not by their Pagan names but instead calls them “greater light” and “lesser light”.
One of the primary purposes was to announce the times as in the Jewish feasts schedule. (Ex. 23:15; Lev. 23:4)
Reconciling Genesis 1:1 with Genesis 1:14: a) The world was not perfected and complete in Gen. 1:1. There it was an empty chaos on earth and throughout the universe. The universe was created in Gen. 1:1 but it was completed in Gen. 1:14.
31 b) The universe was completer with sun, moon and stars in Gen. 1:1 but it was not visible from the earth until day four in Gen. 1:14 due to vapor, clouds, fog, canopy, etc. c) The term “heavens” means universe and so the universe with its planets, stars, etc. was complete in Gen. 1:1. The syntax of verse 14 is different than verse 6 (Gen. 1:6) when God made the expanse or the atmosphere. In 1:6 God clearly creates the expanse on the second day in the Hebrew language. In 1:14 the Hebrew syntax is different. It does not say, “Let there be lights. . .” as if there were no lights. Instead, the Hebrew says, “And God said, ‘Let the lights in the expanse of the sky separate the day from the night.’ ” In other words the sun, moon and stars were already there God just assigned them their duties which possibly included establishing their positions and orbits.
Calvin says at this time they became the source of the light that had already been in existence since day one.
The light of the first day was the presence of the word (John 1:1) or the spiritual light of the world. Wisdom (Prov. 8) came into the world and brought order and purpose. The light of the first day was spiritual.
The light of the second day was physical and something needed by the natural world for function.
In verse 15 it says “And it was so” or “wayehi-ken”. This means it was fixed and remained that way. This marks the end of the account of Day Four.
In verse 16 there is not an account of the “creation” or how the stars were “made” but instead a comment emphasizing the point of verses 14-15. The information gained from 14-15 is stated in verse 16, “So God (and no other) made two great lights (they are not deities).
Lights Dominate or Govern these things:
Light and Darkness
Seasons
Length of Day and Year
Rotation and Oribt of Lights
Length of Day - as Earth turns on axis and recieves light from sun
Length of Month - as Moon orbits around the earth
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Length of Year - as Earth orbits around the sun
Length of Week - not controlled by orbits or rotation but by God's word
The Witness of the Stars
Psalm 19
A. 1-4. The Heavens.
B. 4-6. "In them" the Sun.
A. 7-10. The Scriptures.
B. 11-14. "In them" Thy Servant.
Stars given names by God:
Ps. 147:4; Isa. 40:26
Job 38:31, 32; 26:13; 9:9
Gen. 3:15
In Job 38:32 the Hebrew word "Mazzaroth" means the twelve signs of the Zodiac and the associated constellations.
The Zodiac has been used since ancient times and the signs remain the same in Egypt, India, Greece, Israel, China, etc.
There was revelation from God before the written scripture (Gen. 26:5; Job 23:12)
Josephus says Seth and Enoch organized the revelation from God concerning the heavenly bodies. Josephus writes: Now this Seth, when he was brought up, and came to those years in which he could discern what was good, became a virtuous man; and as he was himself of an excellent character, so did he leave children behind him who imitated his virtues. All these proved to be of good dispositions. They also inhabited the same country without dissensions, and in a happy condition, without any misfortunes falling upon them, till
33 they died. They also were the inventors of that peculiar sort of wisdom which is concerned with the heavenly bodies, and their order. And that their inventions might not be lost before they were sufficiently known, upon Adam's prediction that the world was to be destroyed at one time by the force of fire, and at another time by the violence and quantity of water, they made two pillars, the one of brick, the other of stone: they inscribed their discoveries on them both, that in case the pillar of brick should be destroyed by the flood, the pillar of stone might remain, and exhibit those discoveries to mankind; and also inform them that there was another pillar of brick erected by them. Now this remains in the land of Siriad to this day.
Negative Side and the Danger of Astrology:
1) Dt. 4:19; Es. 47:11-14; Acts 7:42, 42 2) Astrology is same as ancient polytheism (Rom. 1:23) 3) It is worship of demons and fallen angels: Is. 14:12-15; 2 Kings 21:3-6
Genesis 1:20-23
Teaching the word of God is like planting seeds. It must be done ahead of time. You can not wait until you are hungry for lunch to plant a garden.
Likewise the church can not continue to be reactionary in their Sunday morning messages.
Teach the word in season and out of season.
A basketball coach who runs a full court press will often force the other team out of their game style. The other coach will end up teaching a press break during the game and during timeouts. That coach ends up doing reactionary coaching. Reactionary coaching can only try to stay in the game not win it. The church today is letting culture press them and dictate what we teach and preach.
First Timothy 4:13
Four Points:
1) Nepes Hayya = Living creatures
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2) Bara a. 3 phases of creation b. Not dualism
3) Tannim speak of two “monsters” of the sea a. Animal life of the sea created on day five b. God’s enemy before time, during time and at the end of time, Satan, the dragon
4) Blessing a. All was blessed on day five b. When sin entered the world there were choices and blessings were now qualified
i. Matt. 5. sermon on the mount example “Blessed are those who. . .”
ii. Gen. 12 “bless those who bless you, curse those who curse you.
The creation of living creatures is done on two days.
Day Five:
1) creatures of the sea
2) creatures of the sky
Day Six:
1) creatures of the land
2) this includes man
Day one and four correspond: Light and the lights in the sky
Day two and five correspond: Water and Sky are now filled with two types of animal life
1:20
God speaks:
“And God said” – “wayyo’mer”
Water filled with “living creatures”
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1) “living creatures” is the Hebrew words “nepes hayya”
2) “living being” is the way the same phrase is translated concerning man in 2:7
3) The phrase “nepes hayya” is used in 1:21, 24, 30
4) If 2:7 is translated “living soul” as it is in many translations then 1:20, 21, 24, 30 in reference to sea creatures, birds, land animals.
5) Gen. 9:16 it refers to both animals and man.
Literally says “swarm with swarms of living creatures”
Sky filled with “birds”
1:21
God acts:
“So God created” – “wayyibra”
“created” is “bara” This is the second time it is used (first in 1:1)
“Bara” is used six times in creation account.
1) 1:1 – “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Begins the account)
2) 1:21 – “So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing.” (Introduce creation that move, interact with creation, have blood)
3) 1:27 – “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (3x) (Introduce mankind)
4) 2:3 – “And God blessed the seventh day and made (asah) it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating (bara) that he had done (asah). (Ends the account of creation)
”Bara” is used here possibly to distinguish a new phase of creation. The creation account then can be broken into three divisions:
1) the Creation of the universe beginning in 1:1 and going until Day Four
2) the Creation of the animals, which were a new type of creation since they live and move and have blood.
3) The Creation of man who was created in God’s image.
“Bara” is also used to clearly portray that God is sovereign and did not conquer a preexisting earth that was there before God was.
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This is not a copy of mythology. In fact, the Genesis account conflicts with the ancient myths (Egypt, Babylon, Canaanite).
In ancient mythology the god battle with and conquered “Tannin” or the “tanninim” The Canaanite God Baal (god of strms and fertility) struggled with Yam (the sea) for kingship.
Tannin in Ugaritic literature is a generic term fo r the mythological monster of chaos that had to be conquered by the god or gods.
Tannin = 1 monster or dragon or sea creature
Tanninim = plural monsters, dragons or creatures
The creation of the sea animals is divided into two groups:
1) “great creatures of the sea” a. Hebrew is “tanninim” b. Nine OT references to tannim c. “serpant” – Exod 7:9, 10, 12; Deut. 32:33; Ps. 91:13 d. “crocodile” – Ezek. 29:3; 32:2 e. Psalm 148 calls creation to worship YWHW. 1-6 lists elements in the sky, 8-14 focuses on terrestrial elements, verse 7 calls on the sea animals and uses “tanninim” f. “Tanninim” is also used to refer to the beast of the ancient chaos that YHWH defeated:
i. Psalm 74:13-14 with verses 15-17 describing creation
ii. Isaiah 27:1 describes the future prophetic day when God will slay both Leviathan and Tanninim (“the dragon that is in the sea”
iii. Isaiah 51:9 again refers to a past battle set in “the days of old” g. Three enemies of God in OT:
i. Tanninim (monsters, dragons, sea creatures)
ii. Rahab
iii. Leviathan h. In the New Testament we could make the connection to Satan
i. Matt. 4
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ii. Ephesians 2
iii. Revelation 12
iv. Revelation 20
v. And others i. “BARA” may be used in verse 20 to discern between the two uses of this word
i. An ancient spiritual force dealt with in the beginning and at the end of time.
ii. The new “creations” (bara) that have nothing to do with the spiritual enemy of YHWH which are also called “tanninim”
2) “every living and moving thing with which the water teems”
1:22
“Blessing” - for the first time the concept of blessing is introduced.
The blessing given to animals (1:22) is the same as the blessing given to man (1:28).
The blessing centers on the multiplication of the life they have been given: “Be fruitful and increase in number”
Man’s blessing includes the command to have dominion:
1) Subdue the earth
2) Rule over the animals
For the first time God speaks to somebody
Blessing is for all the earth beginning here with the animals.
Blessing is not only for Israel but Israel will be a vehicle to manifest and preserve this blessing.
All are blessed here since there is no sin and no other choice.
After sin is introduced the blessing remains for those who remain in it.
But a curse is also available (Gen. 12:3)
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There are criteria for the blessing after the fall of man as is seen in the Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5:3- 12)
1:25
1:26
The use of “us” is of interest. Possible interpretations of the use of “us”:
1) The creation account is a retelling of the mythological stories of the day and the editor just forgot to remove the “us” which had referred to the gods and demons of the pagan pantheon.
2) God is speaking to the angels or the “sons of God.”
3) God is speaking to a recent part of creation. In this case to the ground.
4) This is the plural of majesty which is also seen in the plural Hebrew word for God “Elohim” (the “- im” being plural). This is similar to the Queen referring to herself as “we”.
5) God is speaking to himself just like you might say to yourself, “Hmm. . . Let’s (which is “let us”) see. . . do I want to mow the yard or trim the bushes first?”
6) There is an understanding here of a duality within the Godhead. Not that there are two Gods but that there are two personalities or two levels of manifestation of the God. (This is seen in Proverbs 8, John 1, Hebrews 1, and other places.)
7) God is speaking to the Spirit introduced in 1:2.
8) The writer of Genesis understood the Christian doctrine of the trinity.
The trinity was something that existed and was active but not understood until “the time had fully come.” (Gal. 4:4) The trinity was something revealed clearly by Jesus Christ and the apostles in the age of the church. This verse is probably referring to the Old Testament understanding of the Father and the Son. (#6 above)
The Trinity
1) The word “Trinity” is not found in the Bible but is a technical term used to identify a doctrine concerning the Godhead.
2) There is not a particular verse that identifies the “trinity” but categorical study of the scriptures leads us to discover and establish this point of doctrine.
3) God, or the Godhead, is one in character, attributes, and purpose. a. “The LORD (YHWH) our God (Elohim) is one LORD (YHWH).” Deut. 6:4 b. Or “The LORD (YHWH) our God (Elohim), the LORD (YHWH) is one (‘Ehad)” NIV Deut. 6:4.
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i. YHWH is the covenant name of God
ii. Elohim is the plural form of God
iii. ‘Ehad is the same word for “one” that is used in Gen. 2:24 concerning man and woman when it says “they will become one flesh.”
4) The “oneness” refers to the Characteristics or Attributes of the Godhead: a. Sovereign b. Righteous c. Just d. Love e. Eternal f. Omniscient g. Omnipresent h. Omnipotent i. Immutable j. Truth
5) There are three members of the Godhead are: a. Father b. Son c. Holy Spirit
6) Each of the members of the trinity are coequal and coeternal. Scriptural references can be found showing each of the characteristics or attributes to be possessed by each of the members of the trinity.
7) Each member of the trinity has a role in the plan of the Godhead. A general description is: a. The Father has the plan b. The Son executes the plan
i. “I always do what pleases him” (John 8:29
ii. “I have come to do your will” (Heb. 10:9 c. The Spirit reveals or empowers the plan
8) Each member of the Trinity performs in a different phase of the believer’s life: a. Phase One (salvation) – the Son, Jesus Christ (Romans 5:6-8)
40 b. Phase Two (maturing in time) – the Spirit (John 16:13-14; 1 Cor. 2:10) c. Phase Three (eternity) – the Father (John 14:1,2)
9) Nature’s Illustration of the Trinity: a. Matter – has three states: solid, liquid and gas. Each is the same element just in a different form. b. Light – any color of light is formed from three primary colors. The color white is itself the equal combination of red, green and blue light. Three colors in one. c. Space – in our universe has three dimensions. Any point in space must be defined using three dimensions. Yet there is only one point being defined. d. Time – has three dimensions: past, present, future. Yet history is a single continuum. e. The Atom - which is the smallest and most basic unit of every element. Yet the atom has three facets: the positive proton, the negative electron, and the neutral neutron. f. Nature of Man – man is mind, body and spirit. Yet there is only one of each individual. g. Life on Earth – Life exists in the sea, in the air and on land.
10) Classic Trinitarian verses: a. Matt. 27:46, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” said by the Son on the cross referring to the other two members of the Trinity. b. Isaiah 6:1-3, “Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD (YHWH) of hosts.” Referring to the three members. c. Matt. 28:19, “. . .baptizing them in the name (singular as in “the Lord is one” in character) of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” There is one name but three members. d. Matt. 3:16, 17 at Jesus’ (the Son) baptism the Holy Spirit descended on him and the Father spoke. e. 2 Samuel 23:2-3, “The Spirit of the LORD (YHWH) spoke through me; his word was on my tongue. The God of Israel (Father) spoke, the Rock of Israel (Son) said to me. . .” f. Isaiah 48:16, “Now the Sovereign LORD (Father) has sent me (Son), with his Spirit.” g. Acts 2:33, “Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit. h. 2 Corinthians 13:14, “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” i. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.” j. 1 Peter 1:2, “. . .foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, or obedience to Jesus Christ. . .”
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Man is distinguished from the rest of creation by being linked directly to God his creator:
“in our image”-
1) This may address the fact that in Egypt and Mesopotamia the king or high ranking official were called “the image of God” but the average laborer was not. Here in Genesis mankind itself is created in the image of God.
2) The preposition “in” here is Hebrew “be”. Some have translated this preposition as “Let us make man as/in the capacity of/to be our image.”
3) The image of God refers to all of man – physical, spiritual, intellectual.
4)
“in our likeness”-
1) The use of “in our likeness” would remove the possible impression that man was exactly as God was. This is saying man was made in God’s image but only in likeness.
2) The preposition “in” here is Hebrew “ke” and is translated “in” or “as”.
After describing man’s relationship to his creator the next part of the verse identifies man relationship to the rest of creation:
“let them rule”
1) Heb. “rada” means to exercise dominion.
2) This is used in this sense in the OT a. Master over a hired servant (Lev. 25:43, 46, 53) b. Administrator over his employees (1 Kg. 5:30; 9:23) c. A king over his subjects (1 Kings 5:4; Ps. 72:8; 110:2) d. A shepherd’s supervision of his flock (Ezekiel 34:4)
3) The use of “rada” in its perfect sense is not to be harsh. Leviticus 25 says three times that a master is not to rule in harshness over a servant. The king is to responsible to care for what he rules.
1:27
42
“So God created” is now a narriation by the author of the book. This phase returns the “us” and “our” to the concept of the One God and not a divine counsel.
Man is unlike God in that man has male and female.
Man is unlike the animals in that he is not broken into species by saying “according tho their kinds” or “all kinds of.”
Sexuality is not an accident of nature
Sexuality is not only a biological phenomenon.
Sexuality is a gift and a position from God.
Both men and women are created in God’s image.
1:28
Two assignments are given:
1) Procreation a. “Be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth.”
2) Dominion a. “Subdue”
i. This is the word “kabas” and includes more force than the previous word “rada” used in 1:26.
ii. “Kabas” is used to refer to subjecting someone to slavery, to physical abuse, to assault, to treading under foot, to militarily subjecting the population of a city. All these references refer to violence or a display of force. But, all these other uses are from the time after the fall of man. b. “Rule over” the animals
In mythology from Mesopotamia in Enuma elish the earth is crated form half of Tiamat’s corpse (the ancient beast). Marduk had slain Tiamat. All the gods who sided with Tiamat against Marduk were now reduced to maintaining the earth. Because these conquered gods built Marduk a house, Marduk then created man from the blood of a fallen god to do the work for these subjugated gods. This is clearly not the source of Gen. 1 account of the creation of man.
1:29
43
“Subdue” and “Rule over” does not include killing and eating the animals.
1:30
1:31
44