What I Noticed Today (Genesis 1-3)
There is a short introduction available for the book of Genesis. You can read it here.
Genesis 1
In verse 1, are seven foundational truths upon which the balance of Scripture is based:
- God exists.
- God existed before the rest of the universe.
- God is the central character of the entire Scripture.
- God’s creation is uniquely His.
- God is mysterious.
Note: In Hebrew, the word for God is plural, yet the verb created is singular.
- God created the heaven and earth ex nihilo (out of nothing).
- God is not dependent on the universe, but the universe is dependent on God because He created it.
In verses 2-31, the creation of the universe is described:
- The earth was formless and void. Darkness covered the watery depths.
- The Spirit of God hovered over the waters and said,
- Day 1. Let there be light, and there was light. God saw the light was good and separated the light from the darkness. He called the light “day,” and the darkness “night.” Evening came, then morning, the first day.
- Day 2. Let there be an expanse between the waters, so God separated the water below the expanse from the water above the expanse. God called the expanse “sky.” Evening came, then morning, the second day.
- Day 3. Let the water under the sky be gathered, and let the dry land appear. God called the dry land “earth” and the waters “seas.” God saw that it was good. Then God said let the earth produce vegetation of every kind. God saw that it was good. Evening came, then morning, the third day.
- Day 4. Let there be lights in the sky to separate the day from the night. God made two lights, the greater light to have dominion over the day, and the smaller light to have dominion over the night. God saw that it was good. Evening came, then morning, the fourth day.
- Day 5. Let the water swarm with living creatures and let birds fly across the sky. God saw that it was good. So God blessed them and told them to multiply. Evening came, then morning, the fifth day.
- Day 6. Let the earth produce living creatures. God made wildlife according to their kind. God saw that it was good. Then God said, let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.
Note: In verse 26, the use of plural “Us” and “Our” indicates more than one entity is present. The fact that “image” and “likeness” are singular indicates they have the same essence.
- So, God created man in His image, male and female He created them. God blessed them and told them to be fruitful and multiply. Man is to rule the sea, the sky, and the earth. Every seed-bearing plant and fruit tree is given to man as food.
Note: After the flood in Noah's day, God expanded humanities' permitted food to include meats (Genesis 9:3).
- God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. Evening came, then morning, the sixth day.
Genesis 2
In verses 1-3, the creation account continues:
- Day 7. So the heavens and earth and everything in them were completed. God rested on the seventh day from all the work he had done. God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy.
In verses 4-25, the creation of man and woman is described:
Note: In verse 4, the Hebrew word t̠ôled̠ôt̠, translated as records (also translated accounts or generations) occurs 11 times in Genesis, marking a new section.
- No shrub or plant had grown on the land for God had not made it rain, and there was no man to work the ground.
- Then the Lord formed man out of the dust of the ground and breathed life into him.
- The Lord planted a garden in Eden and placed the man there.
- The Lord caused trees good for food to grow in the garden, including the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
- A river went out from Eden to water the garden.
- From there the river divided into four rivers:
- Pishon in the land of Havilah where there is gold, bdellium, and onyx.
- Gihon in the land of Cush.
- Tigris in the land of Assyria.
- Euphrates
- The Lord put the man in the garden and commanded him to work it.
Note: The Hebrew word translated work in verse 15 is ʿāb̠ad which means “to serve.” His work in the garden is to serve God.
- The man was told he could eat of anything in the garden except the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If he eats from this tree, he will die.
- God decided it was not good for man to be alone, so He decided to make a helper to compliment the man.
- God formed all the animals out of the ground and brought them to the man to be named.
Note: God did not breathe life into the animals, nor were they made in his image.
- God caused the man to enter deep sleep and took one of the man’s ribs and from the rib made the woman.
- The man described the woman as bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh. Therefore she will be called “woman.”
Note: The Hebrew word for man ’ish, and the word for woman is the feminine form ’ishshah. Woman was made, not to be subservient to man, but a compliment to man because man was not complete without woman.
- This is why a man leaves his mother and father and bonds with his wife, and they become one flesh.
- They were naked but were not ashamed.
Genesis 3
In verses 1-7, the temptation and fall of man are described:
- The serpent was the most cunning of all the animals that God had made.
- The serpent spoke to Eve, questioning what God had told her. Eve correctly repeated God’s instruction not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, or they would die. But she went beyond God’s instruction when she said God said not even to touch the tree.
- The serpent caused Eve to question God’s command, tempting her. Eve took the fruit and ate, and she gave some to her husband, who was there, and he ate.
Note: Often overlooked is the fact that Adam was there when the serpent was tempting Eve. Adam didn’t correct her when she added to God’s word, and he didn’t stop her as she was being tempted.
- Then both of them had their eyes opened, and they knew they were naked, so they sewed fig leaves together to make loincloths for themselves.
In verses 8-24, the consequences of Adam and Eve’s sin is revealed:
- Adam and Eve heard God walking in the garden, and they hid from Him.
- So God called out to them.
- Adam said he had heard God and hid because he was afraid because he was naked.
- God asked who told you, you were naked, and did you eat from the tree I commanded you not to eat from?
- Adam then blamed God for giving him the woman who gave him the fruit.
- God turned to Eve and asked her what she had done.
- Eve then blamed the serpent for deceiving her.
- God turned to the serpent and cursed him. He was condemned to crawling on his belly all his days.
- God cursed the serpent further saying there would be hostility between her seed and your seed.
- God cursed Eve, saying she would bear children in anguish. You desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.
- God turned to Adam and cursed him because he had listened to Eve, ignoring His command, to a life of hard labor to produce the food they needed to eat.
- Finally, God informed them they would indeed die and return to the dust from which they came.
- Adam named his wife Eve because she was the mother of all the living.
- God made clothing for Adam and Eve out of animal skins.
Note: Adam and Eve had attempted to cover their sin with fig leaves. God made skins for them, which required the death and shed blood of animals. It was a foreshadowing of the animal sacrifices required by God for sin.
- Then the Lord God said, “Since man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil, he must not reach out and also eat from the tree of life, eat, and live forever.”
Note: The word in verse 22 translated God is in the plural form, which is why the plural particle “Us” is used.
- So the Lord God sent him away from the garden to work the land.
- God stationed cherubim and the flaming sword at the entrance of the garden to guard the way to the tree of life.
Some thoughts for further consideration:
- Adam and Eve were supposed to dominate all the animals of the garden, yet they allowed the serpent to dominate and trick them into committing sin.
- In Genesis 3:7-8, Adam and Eve realize they have sinned, they cover-up, and they hide from God.
- Mankind hasn't changed much. We tend to do the same thing today when we sin!
What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.
The only things God CURSED were the serpent and the ground. He did not curse Adam and eve. They were punished but God never cursed them.