PENTATEUCH / GENESIS STUDY
Introduction (the following outline was compiled by Dr. Steve P. Sullivan, Th.M., D.Min.)
I. Introduction to The Pentateuch
A. THE FIRST FIVE BOOKS OF THE Old Testament
1. PENTATEUCH - comes from the Greek "pentateuchos" which means five volumed (book).
2. TORAH - comes from the Hebrew "Torah" which means Law, Teaching, or Instruction (Deuteronomy 17:11..."According to the terms of the law which they teach you, and according to the verdict which they tell you, you shall do; you shall not turn aside from the word which they declare to you, to the right or the left." (NASB)).
B. THE UNITY OF THE PENTATEUCH
1. These five books are not independent, self-contained entities, but were purposefully structured and intended as part of a larger unity.
2. Common themes found in the Pentateuch
a. Election
b. Promise
c. Deliverance
d. Covenant
e. Law
f. Land
3. From the call of Abram (Genesis12) to the death of Moses (Deuteronomy34), the focus of the Pentateuch is the movement to fulfill the original promise to Abram of Land, Seed and Blessing.
C. THE DIVERSITY OF THE PENTATEUCH
1. Its literature
a. No other Law code is like it
b. Narrative often introduces and constantly interrupts the setting forth of the Law.
2. Historical narrative
a. A story to be told
b. "These are the generations/accounts of ..."
3. Genealogies
4. Legal literature
a. Commandments
b. Case Law
c. Demonstrated a superior level of justice and mercy than found in other Law codes
5. Poetry - Usually parallelism
6. Key Verse - Deuteronomy10:12-16..."Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, {and} to keep the LORD'S commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good? "Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the highest heavens, the earth and all that is in it. "Yet on your fathers did the LORD set His affection to love them, and He chose their descendants after them, {even} you above all peoples, as {it is} this day. "So circumcise your heart, and stiffen your neck no longer." (NASB)
D. Conclusion: The Pentateuch may be accepted as true history dealing with real time/space events. But it is not just history. It is a history of REDEMPTION showing God calling out and establishing a people for His own possession. Thus God is glorified for who He is and what He has done!
II. INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS
A. THE STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK
1. The key phrase: "These are the generations of ..."
a. Introduction: The history of the cosmos 1:1 - 2:3
b. The generations of the heavens and the earth 2:4 - 4:26
c. The generations of Adam 5:1 - 6:8
d. The generations of Noah 6:9 - 9:29
e. The generations of Noah's sons 10:1 - 11:9
f. The generations of Shem 11:10-26
g. The generations of Terah 11:27 - 25:11
h. The generations of Ishmael 25:12-18
i. The generations of Isaac 25:19 - 35:29
j. The generations of Esau 36:1-43 [bis]
k. The generations of Jacob 37:1 - 50:26
2. The basic outline of the Genesis
PART I: The Primeval History of Humanity (Gen.1-11)
KEY EVENTS:
1. Creation
2. Fall
3. Flood
4. Babel
PART II: The Patriarchal History of the Hebrews (Gen.12-50)
KEY PERSONS:
1. Abraham
2. Isaac
3. Jacob
4. Joseph
3. See Chart Outline (handout)
4. The Key Verse: Genesis 3:15..."And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel." (NASB)
5. The beginning of the History of Redemption
B. THE PURPOSE OF GENESIS: To introduce the nation of Israel to its origin in ELECTION and PROMISE which unfolds God's sovereign plan of establishing His kingdom upon the earth through His program of redemption.
1. To introduce the nation to its origin in ELECTION (1-11)
a. To introduce the sovereign ordering of creation and man's dominion (1:1 - 2:25)
b. To introduce the invasion of sin in human life met by judgment from God (3:1-24)
c. The enmity between the two seeds: God's repeated judgment and ELECTION of a seed to fulfill His PROMISE (4-11)
2. To introduce the nation to its origin in PROMISE (12-50)
a. To ELECT and separate Abraham and Isaac in faith to reveal His covenantal PROMISE (12-26)
b. To ELECT and separate Jacob as the nation's founder according to His covenantal PROMISE (27-36)
c. To deliver Israel for His covenantal purposes through His chosen agent, Joseph (37-50)
C. THE BOOK OF GENESIS IS A BOOK OF ORIGINS OF BEGINNINGS
1. The origin of the universe
2. The origin of order and complexity
3. The origin of the solar system
4. The origin of the atmosphere and hydrosphere
5. The origin of life
6. The origin of man
7. The origin of marriage
8. The origin of evil for man
9. The orion of man's redemption prophesied
10. The origin of language
11. The origin of government
12. The origin of culture
13. The origin of nations
14. The origin of man's worship
15. The origin of the chosen people
D. THE RELATIONSHIP OF GENESIS WITH REVELATION (Dr. Henry Morris in his commentary expresses it this way (pp.33-34):
PROBATIONARY WORLD (GENESIS) ETERNAL WORLD (REVELATION)
Division of light & darkness (1:4) No night there (21:25)
Division of land and sea (1:10) No more sea (21:1)
Rule of sun and moon (1:16) No need of sun or moon (21:23)
Man in a prepared Garden (2:8-9) Man in a prepared city (21:2)
River flowing out of Eden (2:10) River flowing from God's throne (22:1)
Gold in the land (2:12) Gold in the city (21:21)
Tree of life in the midst of the garden (2:9) Tree of life throughout the city (22:2)
Bdellium and the onyx stone (2:12) All manner of precious stones (21:19)
God walking in the Garden (3:8) God dwelling with His people (21:3)
CURSED WORLD (GENESIS) ETERNAL WORLD (REVELATION)
Cursed ground (3:17) No more curse (22:3)
Daily sorrow (3:17) No more sorrow (21:4)
Thorns and thistles (3:18) No more pain (21:4)
Sweat on the face (3:19) Tears wiped away (21:4)
Eating herbs of the field (3:18) Twelve manner of fruits (22:2)
Returning to the dust (3:19) No more death (21:4)
Evil continually (6:5) Nothing that defileth (21:27)
Coats of skin (3:21) Fine linen, white and clean (19:14)
Satan opposing (3:15) Satan banished (20:10)
Kept from the tree of life (3:24) Access to the tree of life (22:14)
Banished from the Garden (3:23) Free entry to the city (22:14)
Redeemer promised (3:15) Redemption accomplished (5:9,10)
E. COMMENTS ABOUT THE BOOK
1. The author of the book was Moses (Luke 24:44..."Now He said to them, "These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." (NASB))
2. Moses probably wrote Genesis during the latter half of the 15th century BC
3. It is a book of roots for the Israelites
4. It provides the Israelites with a proper identification of the Lord their God (Exodus 3:13-14..."Then Moses said to God, "Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you.' Now they may say to me, 'What is His name?' What shall I say to them?" God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" (NASB))
5. Some have espoused that the creation account is borrowed from the Mesopotamia culture or Babylonian account of the Enuma Elish.(recently Peter Enns, Inspiration and Incarnation,[ 2005] discusses it)
a. Gunkel’s argument that the Hebrew word “deep” in Gen 1:2 was borrowed from the Babylonian goddess Tiamat has been discredited for phonologically the derivation of the Hebrew tehom from Tiamat is impossible. Therefore, connecting the biblical account of creation with the Babylonian account is discredited based on this kind of evidence (Todd S. Beall, “Contemporary Heremeneutical Approaches to Genesis 1-11,” Coming to Grips with Genesis: Biblical Authority and the Age of the Earth, eds. Terry Mortenson and Thane H. Ury, pp. 134-35; Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., The Old Testament Documents: Are they Reliable & Relevant? [Downers: IVP, 2001], 60-65).
b. The mistake of Gunkel and others is emphasizing the parallels with thebiblical account of creation without considering the immense differences in the creation accounts.
c. “Enuma Elish confuses spirit and matter (reflecting the Babylonian concept of the eternality of matter)” (Beall, 135).
d. Westermann states that the creation account in Genesis does not have struggle and conflict in it when God formed the earth which is a common feature in the Egyptian, Babylonian and other ANE creation accounts (Claus Westermann, Genesis 1-11: A Commentary, 80-81; Beall, 135)
e. “There is no creation of light (as the first act of creation), nor is there a detail creation account of vegetation, animals, birds, or fish” among the other cultural creation accounts (Beall, 136).
f. There is a contrast between the capricuousness of the gods of Enuma Elish and the purpose of the one and only God of the Bible. There are no female deities involved in creation like in other ANE creation accounts (Beall, 136).
g. There is a contrast between the Enuma Elish’s man who was created to be a servant and the biblical account of man who was created to rule the earth (Beall, 136).
h. For a good summary article on ANE creation accounts and the differences to the biblical account see Todd S. Beall, “Contemporary Hermeneutical Approaches to Genesis 1-11,” in Coming to Grips with Genesis: Biblical
Authority and the Age of the Earth, eds. Terry Mortenson and Thane H. Ury (Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2008), 131-62.
6. There are some who believe Genesis 1-11 is God’s revelation but it is figurative, more like a story or parable that conveys theological truth but it is not historical. For example, Peter Enns, Inspiration and Incarnation calls this section a “myth.” He defines a myth as “an ancient, premodern, prescientific way of addressing questions of ultimate origins and meaning in the form of stories: Who are we? Where do we come from? “ (Enns, 50). He believes it is a fundamental misunderstanding of Genesis to expect this book to tell you “whether the days were literal or figurative,
or whether the days of creation can be lined up with modern science, or whether the flood was local or universal” (Enns, 55). For a good critique of Enns’ book see Greg Beale, “Myth, History, and Inspiration: A Review Article of Inspiration and Incarnation by Peter Enns,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 49 (Apri-
Jun 2006): 286-312 or Greg Beale, The Erosion of Inerrancy in Evangelicalism: responding to New Challenges to Biblical authority (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2008). Beale demonstrated the weakness of this view.
7. John Walton placed a lot of emphasis on the ANE background on his position of creation in Genesis. He says “Nowhere in the ancient Near East did people think of creation primarily in terms of making things” (John Walton, “Creation,” Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch, eds. T.Desmond Alexander and David W. Baker [Downers: IVP, 2003], 161). Again Walton says that the origin of matter is what our society has taught us is important (indeed that matter is all there is ), but we cannot afford to be so distracted by our cultural ideas. Matter was not the concern of the author of Genesis ( Walton, “Creation,” 162). However, “there are 22 things created in Genesis 1 alone! Kaiser notes that Genesis 1-11 contains 64 geographical names, 88 personal names, 48 generic names, and 21 identifiable cultural items such as a gold, bdellium, onyx, bass, iron, harp, pipe, cities towers and so forth” ( Kaiser, The Old Testament Documents, 82; Beall, 146). These points as well as others makes this position difficult to maintain.
8. Howard Van Till takes Genesis 1 as an “artistic portrait,” as a form of “storied theology,” an “example of something written in the form of Ancient Near Eastern artistic literature. . . . It is a piece of Ancient Near Eastern primeval history literature” (Howard J. Van Till, “The Fully gifted Creation,” in Three Views on Creation and Evolution, eds. J. P. Moreland and Johln Mark Reynolds [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999), 209-11; see also Ball, “Contemporary Hermeneutical Approaches to Genesis 1-11,” 142). These ancient stories are like parables, not to be taken literally, but seriously. On the contrary, if Genesis 1 was a parable their need to be clear textual indicators that it is a parable. “Genesis 1-11 clearly does not fit into the categories of myth, legend, parable, allegory, fairy tale, typology or saga” (Kaiser, The Old Testament documents, 83). The 25 NT passage that quotes from Genesis 1-11 are taken as literal (see Beall, 146-49; Ron Minton, “Apostolic witness to Genesis and the Flood,” in Coming to Grips with Genesis: Biblical Authority and the Age of the Earth, eds. Terry Mortenson and Thane H. Ury, pp. 347-71).
9. (a) Many scholars believe that the Genesis 1 account is unlike other ANE literature and is a polemic against the ANE creation myths. If this is so why would we assume that the writer would write according to same ANE worldview? This would also fit the unique claim of the Bible, being the only authoritative Word of God (Ball, 142-43).
(b) Van Groningen correctly points out that an attempt to obtain a theological fact from a non-factually historical text is “a type of inverted allegorical exegesis. An allegorical exegesis would draw spiritual truths from historic facts, but “contemporary exegetes attempt to draw historical facts from symbolic, mythical, religious stories which have been drawn from various deeply religious pagan sources” ( G. Van Groningen, “Interpretation of Genesis,” JETS 13 (1970): 217). This is very questionable.
(c) The ANE myths have some parallels to the bibilical account and yet have been modified to fit the theology of their gods. See John N. Oswalt, The Bible Among the Myths: Unique Revelation or Just Ancient Literature? (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009) for a good biblical critique on using the concept of myth in the Bible.
10. Many scholars will treat Genesis 1-11 as figurative and Genesis 12-50 as historical. The genealogies of Genesis powerfully assert that Genesis 1-11 is historical. Genesis 11 gives the important background for Genesis 12 with the genealogy of Shem as well as connecting back to the genealogy of Gen 10, to the flood account of Gen 6-9 and the genealogy of Gen 5(Noah, Shem, Ham and Japeth). Furthermore, the genealogy of Gen 5 mentions Adam which connects it back to Gen 1-2 (Ball, 144). Two other structural indicators which help to indicate that Gen 1-11 and 12-50 should be understood in the same way: (1) Gen 12 begins with the Hebrew waw consecutive verb wayomer (“and God said”) which indicates a continuation from chapter 11 (no major break is indicated); (2) the widely agreed structure of the entire book based on the Hebrew phrase eleh toledoth (“these are the generations of . . .” or “this is the history of . . .”) which occurs 11 times (2:4; 5:1; 6:9; 10:1; 11:10; 11:27; 25:12; 25:19; 36:1,9; 37:2). “Each time this phrase occurs, it narrows the focus to something that has already been discussed” (Beall, 145). Six times this structural indicator is used in Gen 1-11 and five times in Gen 12-50. These structural indicators support that both
Gen 1-11 and 12-50 should be considered as historical.
A. THE FIRST FIVE BOOKS OF THE Old Testament
1. PENTATEUCH - comes from the Greek "pentateuchos" which means five volumed (book).
2. TORAH - comes from the Hebrew "Torah" which means Law, Teaching, or Instruction (Deuteronomy 17:11..."According to the terms of the law which they teach you, and according to the verdict which they tell you, you shall do; you shall not turn aside from the word which they declare to you, to the right or the left." (NASB)).
B. THE UNITY OF THE PENTATEUCH
1. These five books are not independent, self-contained entities, but were purposefully structured and intended as part of a larger unity.
2. Common themes found in the Pentateuch
a. Election
b. Promise
c. Deliverance
d. Covenant
e. Law
f. Land
3. From the call of Abram (Genesis12) to the death of Moses (Deuteronomy34), the focus of the Pentateuch is the movement to fulfill the original promise to Abram of Land, Seed and Blessing.
C. THE DIVERSITY OF THE PENTATEUCH
1. Its literature
a. No other Law code is like it
b. Narrative often introduces and constantly interrupts the setting forth of the Law.
2. Historical narrative
a. A story to be told
b. "These are the generations/accounts of ..."
3. Genealogies
4. Legal literature
a. Commandments
b. Case Law
c. Demonstrated a superior level of justice and mercy than found in other Law codes
5. Poetry - Usually parallelism
6. Key Verse - Deuteronomy10:12-16..."Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, {and} to keep the LORD'S commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good? "Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the highest heavens, the earth and all that is in it. "Yet on your fathers did the LORD set His affection to love them, and He chose their descendants after them, {even} you above all peoples, as {it is} this day. "So circumcise your heart, and stiffen your neck no longer." (NASB)
D. Conclusion: The Pentateuch may be accepted as true history dealing with real time/space events. But it is not just history. It is a history of REDEMPTION showing God calling out and establishing a people for His own possession. Thus God is glorified for who He is and what He has done!
II. INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS
A. THE STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK
1. The key phrase: "These are the generations of ..."
a. Introduction: The history of the cosmos 1:1 - 2:3
b. The generations of the heavens and the earth 2:4 - 4:26
c. The generations of Adam 5:1 - 6:8
d. The generations of Noah 6:9 - 9:29
e. The generations of Noah's sons 10:1 - 11:9
f. The generations of Shem 11:10-26
g. The generations of Terah 11:27 - 25:11
h. The generations of Ishmael 25:12-18
i. The generations of Isaac 25:19 - 35:29
j. The generations of Esau 36:1-43 [bis]
k. The generations of Jacob 37:1 - 50:26
2. The basic outline of the Genesis
PART I: The Primeval History of Humanity (Gen.1-11)
KEY EVENTS:
1. Creation
2. Fall
3. Flood
4. Babel
PART II: The Patriarchal History of the Hebrews (Gen.12-50)
KEY PERSONS:
1. Abraham
2. Isaac
3. Jacob
4. Joseph
3. See Chart Outline (handout)
4. The Key Verse: Genesis 3:15..."And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel." (NASB)
5. The beginning of the History of Redemption
B. THE PURPOSE OF GENESIS: To introduce the nation of Israel to its origin in ELECTION and PROMISE which unfolds God's sovereign plan of establishing His kingdom upon the earth through His program of redemption.
1. To introduce the nation to its origin in ELECTION (1-11)
a. To introduce the sovereign ordering of creation and man's dominion (1:1 - 2:25)
b. To introduce the invasion of sin in human life met by judgment from God (3:1-24)
c. The enmity between the two seeds: God's repeated judgment and ELECTION of a seed to fulfill His PROMISE (4-11)
2. To introduce the nation to its origin in PROMISE (12-50)
a. To ELECT and separate Abraham and Isaac in faith to reveal His covenantal PROMISE (12-26)
b. To ELECT and separate Jacob as the nation's founder according to His covenantal PROMISE (27-36)
c. To deliver Israel for His covenantal purposes through His chosen agent, Joseph (37-50)
C. THE BOOK OF GENESIS IS A BOOK OF ORIGINS OF BEGINNINGS
1. The origin of the universe
2. The origin of order and complexity
3. The origin of the solar system
4. The origin of the atmosphere and hydrosphere
5. The origin of life
6. The origin of man
7. The origin of marriage
8. The origin of evil for man
9. The orion of man's redemption prophesied
10. The origin of language
11. The origin of government
12. The origin of culture
13. The origin of nations
14. The origin of man's worship
15. The origin of the chosen people
D. THE RELATIONSHIP OF GENESIS WITH REVELATION (Dr. Henry Morris in his commentary expresses it this way (pp.33-34):
PROBATIONARY WORLD (GENESIS) ETERNAL WORLD (REVELATION)
Division of light & darkness (1:4) No night there (21:25)
Division of land and sea (1:10) No more sea (21:1)
Rule of sun and moon (1:16) No need of sun or moon (21:23)
Man in a prepared Garden (2:8-9) Man in a prepared city (21:2)
River flowing out of Eden (2:10) River flowing from God's throne (22:1)
Gold in the land (2:12) Gold in the city (21:21)
Tree of life in the midst of the garden (2:9) Tree of life throughout the city (22:2)
Bdellium and the onyx stone (2:12) All manner of precious stones (21:19)
God walking in the Garden (3:8) God dwelling with His people (21:3)
CURSED WORLD (GENESIS) ETERNAL WORLD (REVELATION)
Cursed ground (3:17) No more curse (22:3)
Daily sorrow (3:17) No more sorrow (21:4)
Thorns and thistles (3:18) No more pain (21:4)
Sweat on the face (3:19) Tears wiped away (21:4)
Eating herbs of the field (3:18) Twelve manner of fruits (22:2)
Returning to the dust (3:19) No more death (21:4)
Evil continually (6:5) Nothing that defileth (21:27)
Coats of skin (3:21) Fine linen, white and clean (19:14)
Satan opposing (3:15) Satan banished (20:10)
Kept from the tree of life (3:24) Access to the tree of life (22:14)
Banished from the Garden (3:23) Free entry to the city (22:14)
Redeemer promised (3:15) Redemption accomplished (5:9,10)
E. COMMENTS ABOUT THE BOOK
1. The author of the book was Moses (Luke 24:44..."Now He said to them, "These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." (NASB))
2. Moses probably wrote Genesis during the latter half of the 15th century BC
3. It is a book of roots for the Israelites
4. It provides the Israelites with a proper identification of the Lord their God (Exodus 3:13-14..."Then Moses said to God, "Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you.' Now they may say to me, 'What is His name?' What shall I say to them?" God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" (NASB))
5. Some have espoused that the creation account is borrowed from the Mesopotamia culture or Babylonian account of the Enuma Elish.(recently Peter Enns, Inspiration and Incarnation,[ 2005] discusses it)
a. Gunkel’s argument that the Hebrew word “deep” in Gen 1:2 was borrowed from the Babylonian goddess Tiamat has been discredited for phonologically the derivation of the Hebrew tehom from Tiamat is impossible. Therefore, connecting the biblical account of creation with the Babylonian account is discredited based on this kind of evidence (Todd S. Beall, “Contemporary Heremeneutical Approaches to Genesis 1-11,” Coming to Grips with Genesis: Biblical Authority and the Age of the Earth, eds. Terry Mortenson and Thane H. Ury, pp. 134-35; Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., The Old Testament Documents: Are they Reliable & Relevant? [Downers: IVP, 2001], 60-65).
b. The mistake of Gunkel and others is emphasizing the parallels with thebiblical account of creation without considering the immense differences in the creation accounts.
c. “Enuma Elish confuses spirit and matter (reflecting the Babylonian concept of the eternality of matter)” (Beall, 135).
d. Westermann states that the creation account in Genesis does not have struggle and conflict in it when God formed the earth which is a common feature in the Egyptian, Babylonian and other ANE creation accounts (Claus Westermann, Genesis 1-11: A Commentary, 80-81; Beall, 135)
e. “There is no creation of light (as the first act of creation), nor is there a detail creation account of vegetation, animals, birds, or fish” among the other cultural creation accounts (Beall, 136).
f. There is a contrast between the capricuousness of the gods of Enuma Elish and the purpose of the one and only God of the Bible. There are no female deities involved in creation like in other ANE creation accounts (Beall, 136).
g. There is a contrast between the Enuma Elish’s man who was created to be a servant and the biblical account of man who was created to rule the earth (Beall, 136).
h. For a good summary article on ANE creation accounts and the differences to the biblical account see Todd S. Beall, “Contemporary Hermeneutical Approaches to Genesis 1-11,” in Coming to Grips with Genesis: Biblical
Authority and the Age of the Earth, eds. Terry Mortenson and Thane H. Ury (Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2008), 131-62.
6. There are some who believe Genesis 1-11 is God’s revelation but it is figurative, more like a story or parable that conveys theological truth but it is not historical. For example, Peter Enns, Inspiration and Incarnation calls this section a “myth.” He defines a myth as “an ancient, premodern, prescientific way of addressing questions of ultimate origins and meaning in the form of stories: Who are we? Where do we come from? “ (Enns, 50). He believes it is a fundamental misunderstanding of Genesis to expect this book to tell you “whether the days were literal or figurative,
or whether the days of creation can be lined up with modern science, or whether the flood was local or universal” (Enns, 55). For a good critique of Enns’ book see Greg Beale, “Myth, History, and Inspiration: A Review Article of Inspiration and Incarnation by Peter Enns,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 49 (Apri-
Jun 2006): 286-312 or Greg Beale, The Erosion of Inerrancy in Evangelicalism: responding to New Challenges to Biblical authority (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2008). Beale demonstrated the weakness of this view.
7. John Walton placed a lot of emphasis on the ANE background on his position of creation in Genesis. He says “Nowhere in the ancient Near East did people think of creation primarily in terms of making things” (John Walton, “Creation,” Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch, eds. T.Desmond Alexander and David W. Baker [Downers: IVP, 2003], 161). Again Walton says that the origin of matter is what our society has taught us is important (indeed that matter is all there is ), but we cannot afford to be so distracted by our cultural ideas. Matter was not the concern of the author of Genesis ( Walton, “Creation,” 162). However, “there are 22 things created in Genesis 1 alone! Kaiser notes that Genesis 1-11 contains 64 geographical names, 88 personal names, 48 generic names, and 21 identifiable cultural items such as a gold, bdellium, onyx, bass, iron, harp, pipe, cities towers and so forth” ( Kaiser, The Old Testament Documents, 82; Beall, 146). These points as well as others makes this position difficult to maintain.
8. Howard Van Till takes Genesis 1 as an “artistic portrait,” as a form of “storied theology,” an “example of something written in the form of Ancient Near Eastern artistic literature. . . . It is a piece of Ancient Near Eastern primeval history literature” (Howard J. Van Till, “The Fully gifted Creation,” in Three Views on Creation and Evolution, eds. J. P. Moreland and Johln Mark Reynolds [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999), 209-11; see also Ball, “Contemporary Hermeneutical Approaches to Genesis 1-11,” 142). These ancient stories are like parables, not to be taken literally, but seriously. On the contrary, if Genesis 1 was a parable their need to be clear textual indicators that it is a parable. “Genesis 1-11 clearly does not fit into the categories of myth, legend, parable, allegory, fairy tale, typology or saga” (Kaiser, The Old Testament documents, 83). The 25 NT passage that quotes from Genesis 1-11 are taken as literal (see Beall, 146-49; Ron Minton, “Apostolic witness to Genesis and the Flood,” in Coming to Grips with Genesis: Biblical Authority and the Age of the Earth, eds. Terry Mortenson and Thane H. Ury, pp. 347-71).
9. (a) Many scholars believe that the Genesis 1 account is unlike other ANE literature and is a polemic against the ANE creation myths. If this is so why would we assume that the writer would write according to same ANE worldview? This would also fit the unique claim of the Bible, being the only authoritative Word of God (Ball, 142-43).
(b) Van Groningen correctly points out that an attempt to obtain a theological fact from a non-factually historical text is “a type of inverted allegorical exegesis. An allegorical exegesis would draw spiritual truths from historic facts, but “contemporary exegetes attempt to draw historical facts from symbolic, mythical, religious stories which have been drawn from various deeply religious pagan sources” ( G. Van Groningen, “Interpretation of Genesis,” JETS 13 (1970): 217). This is very questionable.
(c) The ANE myths have some parallels to the bibilical account and yet have been modified to fit the theology of their gods. See John N. Oswalt, The Bible Among the Myths: Unique Revelation or Just Ancient Literature? (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009) for a good biblical critique on using the concept of myth in the Bible.
10. Many scholars will treat Genesis 1-11 as figurative and Genesis 12-50 as historical. The genealogies of Genesis powerfully assert that Genesis 1-11 is historical. Genesis 11 gives the important background for Genesis 12 with the genealogy of Shem as well as connecting back to the genealogy of Gen 10, to the flood account of Gen 6-9 and the genealogy of Gen 5(Noah, Shem, Ham and Japeth). Furthermore, the genealogy of Gen 5 mentions Adam which connects it back to Gen 1-2 (Ball, 144). Two other structural indicators which help to indicate that Gen 1-11 and 12-50 should be understood in the same way: (1) Gen 12 begins with the Hebrew waw consecutive verb wayomer (“and God said”) which indicates a continuation from chapter 11 (no major break is indicated); (2) the widely agreed structure of the entire book based on the Hebrew phrase eleh toledoth (“these are the generations of . . .” or “this is the history of . . .”) which occurs 11 times (2:4; 5:1; 6:9; 10:1; 11:10; 11:27; 25:12; 25:19; 36:1,9; 37:2). “Each time this phrase occurs, it narrows the focus to something that has already been discussed” (Beall, 145). Six times this structural indicator is used in Gen 1-11 and five times in Gen 12-50. These structural indicators support that both
Gen 1-11 and 12-50 should be considered as historical.
Genesis 1 - 11 (the following outline was compiled by Dr. Steve P. Sullivan, Th.M., D.Min.)
I. FROM NOTHING TO SOMETHING - GENESIS 1:1 - 2:3
A. GENESIS 1:1..."In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (NASB)
1. Genesis assumes God's existence.
2. Gen.1:1 declares the message of the chapter in a summary fashion.
3. The word "create" is always seen as the activity of God. It means "to produce something new, fresh and perfect.
B. GENESIS 1:2..."The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters." (NASB)
1. This verse begins with a disjunctive in Hebrew, meaning that "now", "while or "but" is the best translation, not "and." (Gen 1:2 has 3 circumstantial clause which is relatedto 1:3)
2. The meaning of "formless and void"
a. Isaiah 34:11..."But pelican and hedgehog will possess it, And owl and raven will dwell in it; And He will stretch over it the line of desolation And the plumb line of emptiness." (NASB) - In the context of judgment where the illustration is used of builder who uses his tools not to build but dismantle a building. This judgment will be like tearing down a building.
b. Jeremiah 4:23-26..."I looked on the earth, and behold, {it was} formless and void; And to the heavens, and they had no light. I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking, And all the hills moved to and fro. I looked, and behold, there was no man, And all the birds of the heavens had fled. I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a wilderness, And all its cities were pulled down Before the LORD, before His fierce anger." (NASB) - The context is judgment and most likely the predictive cosmicjudgment at the end of the 7 yr. tribulation period. Here Jeremiah is describing the judgment as reversal of creation to a formless and void state.
c. 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." (NASB) - Here Isaiah is talking about the purpose of creation and not the state of it. In other words, it was not the intention of God to create a world uninhabitable or chaos. But it He is not saying it was never this way.
d. Some use the above verse to indicate that earth was "formless" and "void" because of the Fall of Satan.
Isaiah 14:12-14..."How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! "But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. 'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.'" (NASB)
Ezkiel 28:14-19..."You were the anointed cherub who covers, And I placed you {there.} You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked in the midst of the stones of fire. "You were blameless in your ways From the day you were created Until unrighteousness was found in you. "By the abundance of your trade You were internally filled with violence, And you sinned; Therefore I have cast you as profane From the mountain of God. And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the stones of fire. "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, That they may see you. "By the multitude of your iniquities, In the unrighteousness of your trade You profaned your sanctuaries. Therefore I have brought fire from the midst of you; It has consumed you, And I have turned you to ashes on the earth In the eyes of all who see you. "All who know you among the peoples Are appalled at you; You have become terrified And you will cease to be forever."'" (NASB)
They would use the evidence that "darkness" is also represents evil and judgment. Even with this evidence we cannot be conclusive. But even if this is the case it could not happen between Gen.1:1 and 1:2 for grammatical reasons.
C. THE FIRST DAY: LIGHT WITH THE DARK (Genesis 1:3-5..."Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day." (NASB))
1. Days 1-3 corrects the formlessness
Days 4-6 corrects the void
2. The spoken Word and light are significantly attributed to Christ in John 1:1-5..."In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." (NASB), (Hebrews 11:3..."By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible." (NASB))
D. THE SECOND DAY: SEA AND SKY (Genesis 1:6-8..."Then God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so. God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day." (NASB))
E. THE THIRD DAY: FERTILE EARTH (Genesis 1:9-13..."Then God said, "Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so. God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good. Then God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, {and} fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them"; and it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good. There was evening and there was morning, a third day." (NASB))
1. "after their kind" - used 10 times in chapter one
2. Fossil records - has not produced one evidence of transitional form.
F. THE FOURTH DAY: LIGHTS FOR DAY AND NIGHT (Genesis 1:14-19..."Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so. God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; {He made} the stars also. God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good. There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day." (NASB))
* signs are explained as seasons, days and years.
G. THE FIFTH DAY: CREATURES FOR WATER AND AIR (Genesis 1:20-23..."Then God said, "Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens." God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth." There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day." (NASB))
H. THE SIXTH DAY: CREATURES FOR THE EARTH (Genesis 1:24-31..."Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind"; and it was so. God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good. Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth." Then God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, {I have given} every green plant for food"; and it was so. God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day." (NASB))
1. Animals - made from the earth (1:24; 2:19)
2. Mankind - male and female
a. Let us - supports implicitly the doctrine of the Trinity.
* The plural Hebrew word
* Genesis 1:2..."The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters." (NASB) - Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him." (NASB)
b. Image of God - The immaterial part of man which involves at least three things:
* Rational Nature - He has the ability to reason. He has intellect, emotion and will that has the capacity to know and love God.
* Moral Nature - He has the capacity to understand right and wrong
* He has the responsibility to rule.
c. The image of God has been marred by the Fall but has not been completely lost.
* Genesis 9:6..."Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man." (NASB)
* James 3:9..."With it we bless {our} Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God..." (NASB)
* 1st Corinthians 11:7..."For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man." (NASB)
* He has lost: (1) his knowledge, love and obedience to God; (2) his moral discussions are corrupted; (3) forfeited his position as ruler
d. He did not create two men or two women, but man and woman (heterosexual not homosexual)
3. The cultural mandate (v.28)
a. Be fruitful and multiply - attack by abortion and population controls
b. Subdue the earth - We should not leave it up to the unbelievers. Christians should excel in fields of science, art, literature, law, philosophy, politics, business, computers, etc.
c. Rule - More difficult since the Fall. Man was to represent God as sovereign over the creation. So in the garden of Eden you have a perfect miniature theocratic kingdom. Then comes man's failure in Gen.3 and Satan's insistence to set-up his rule on earth. Therefore, from Gen.3 to Rev.22 God is continuously, progressively unfolding his right to rule (Hebrews 2:6-9..."But one has testified somewhere, saying, "WHAT IS MAN, THAT YOU REMEMBER HIM? OR THE SON OF MAN, THAT YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT HIM? "YOU HAVE MADE HIM FOR A LITTLE WHILE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS; YOU HAVE CROWNED HIM WITH GLORY AND HONOR, AND HAVE APPOINTED HIM OVER THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS; YOU HAVE PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET." For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him. But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, {namely,} Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone." (NASB))
d. This is not a mandate to have dominion over other men (i.e. reconstructionist, dominion theology)
I. THE SEVENTH DAY: REST (Genesis 2:1-3..."Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made." (NASB))
1. He did not rest because He was tired
2. This a proleptic picture of a future rest of the people of God (Hebrews 4)
3. Gen.2:1-3 is not a creation ordinance which binds all men in all ages to appoint one day in seven for a sabbath. In Ex.20 Moses refers to Gen.2:2 only as the reason for blessing and sanctifying the sabbath. Yet, in Deuteronomy 5:15...("You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to observe the sabbath day." (NASB)) Moses tells us the reason for institution and commanding to observe the sabbath. That reason was because God had delivered them out of Egypt and made a covenant with the nation of Israel at Sinai, and not because God established a sabbath creation ordinance binding on all men of all ages. The sabbath was a sign of the Mosaic covenant (Ex 31).
LENGTH OF TIME FOR THE DAYS OF CREATIONS
1). There are those who believe that the word "day" in Genesis one is a geologic day. It is a long period of time that stretches over thousands or millions of years.
2). Others say God created the universe in six days but there were thousands of years between each creative day.
3). Some believe the days in Genesis one refers to the revelation of God's creative activity and does not refer to the length of the day. In other words, creation took place over the ages, but it was revealed to Moses in six days. 4). The traditional view understands the word "day" as 24 hrs. therefore, God created the universe in six 24 hour days.
THE HEBREW WORD "DAY"
1). Day in opposition to night - another words it is daylight which is about half a 24 hr. day - Gen.1:5
2). A 24 hr. day - This is the majority of the way it is used (ie. Gen.1:5)
3). A period of time - Gen.2:4
WHY GENESIS ONE SHOULD BE 24 HOUR DAYS
1). Moses explains what he means by "day" in the context. After the end of each day of creation Moses says "and there was evening and there was morning" this strongly supports a 24 hr. day.
2). There is no instance in Scripture of the word "day" meaning more than 24 hrs. when it has a numeral attached to it. This is exactly what we see in each reference in Genesis one.
3). Moses parallels the 7th day of the week in Genesis one with the 24 hr. Sabbath day in Exodus 20:10-11..."... but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; {in it} you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. "For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy." (NASB) (Exodus 31:17...""It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He ceased {from labor,} and was refreshed." (NASB)). This strongly supports a 24 hr. day of creation.
II. Genesis 2:4-25..."This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made earth and heaven. Now no shrub of the field was yet in the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the LORD God had not sent rain upon the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground. But a mist used to rise from the earth and water the whole surface of the ground. Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. The LORD God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four rivers. The name of the first is Pishon; it flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. The gold of that land is good; the bdellium and the onyx stone are there. The name of the second river is Gihon; it flows around the whole land of Cush. The name of the third river is Tigris; it flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. The LORD God commanded the man, saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die." Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him." Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought {them} to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man." For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed." (NASB)
A. THE CORRECT UNDERSTANDING OF GEN.1 CREATION ACCOUNT AND GEN.2 CREATION ACCOUNT
1. Liberals - P wrote Gen.1 - 2:3
J wrote Gen.2:4ff
2. Purpose - Gen.1 - overview and facts
Gen.2 - specifics about man and his environment
3. Style - General (Gen.1) to Specific (Gen.2)
B. MORE DETAIL ABOUT MAN'S CREATION (Genesis 2:7-9..."Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. The LORD God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." (NASB))
1. Breath of life - means creature owns its being to the direct act of God - "being of life" (used of both man and animals)
2. Trees in the Garden: Tree of life, tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Probably real trees with symbolical meaning (i.e - Gen.3 Eve saw the tree)
3. Construction of the text:
a. Gen 2:5-6 are six nonsequential clauses that provide the circumstances connected with formation of man in 2:7.
b. Gen 2:7-9 is a tight sequence of five waw consecutives which give a sequence of event
c. Gen 2:10-14 - interrupts the waw consecutives which resumes in 2:15-25 with 15 waw consecutives sequences.
d. Gen 2:19 is best translated a pluperfect “Lord God had formed”.
C. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE GEOGRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF Genesis 2:10-14..."Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four rivers. The name of the first is Pishon; it flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. The gold of that land is good; the bdellium and the onyx stone are there. The name of the second river is Gihon; it flows around the whole land of Cush. The name of the third river is Tigris; it flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates." (NASB)
Demonstrates that the Garden in Eden was historical and not just a myth.
D. PROBATION OF ADAM (Genesis 2:15-17..."Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. The LORD God commanded the man, saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die." (NASB))
1. Condition of Adam before the Fall
a. without sin - relative holiness
b. Nature is not neutral but toward God
c. God gave him everything to eat with one exception
d. Work mandate - 2:15
2. Why the probation
a. To see if Adam would resist Satan and obey
b. If he did he would secure immutable holiness
c. Disobey he would die (spiritually, physically and mankind would subject to eternal death)
d. Importance of Adam's probation for mankind - Romans 5:17-19..."For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous." (NASB)
E. THE CREATION OF WOMAN AS MAN'S HELPFUL COUNTERPART (Genesis 2:18-25..."Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him." Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought {them} to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man." For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed." (NASB)
III. THE FALL AND THE CURSE - GENESIS 3:1-24
A. THE FALL INTO SIN
1. The importance of the chapter three
a. Liberals - early concept or religion but not believed
b. Neoorthodoxy - myth
c. Why it is not a myth:
* language is historical narrative and the preceding and following contexts are historical in nature
* Historical Description of the garden and location (chap.2)
* Historicity of Adam & Eve by Scripture
Luke 3:38..."...the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God." (NASB) - Jesus' genealogy to Adam
Romans 5:18-19..."So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous." (NASB) - theological argument
2nd Corinthians11 - order of creation argument
Paul uses it in his arguments for other things...1st Timothy 2:14..."And {it was} not Adam {who} was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression." (NASB); 1st Corinthians 15:20-21..."But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man {came} death, by a man also {came} the resurrection of the dead." and verse 45..."So also it is written, "The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL." The last Adam {became} a life-giving spirit." (NASB)
2. The stages in Satan's temptation to Eve
a. Satan questions the Word of God (3:1)
* Focuses on restriction and questions God's goodness
* She leaves out "all"...She adds "touch it"...Tones down consequences - lest you die
CONCLUSION: She exaggerates the restriction, toning down the goodness & judgment of God - doubt God's word
b. Satan contradicts the Word of God (3:4)
c. Satan wants you to think you could be a god (3:5)
d. lust of the flesh - saw food lust of the eyes - delightful to the eyes boastful pride of life - make you wise 1 Jn 2:16
BATTLE OF THE MIND - 2nd Corinthians 10:5..."{We are} destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and {we are} taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ..." (NASB)
e. Reversal of roles and authority (3:6) - 1st Timothy 2:13-15..."For it was Adam who was first created, {and} then Eve. And {it was} not Adam {who} was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. But {women} will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint." (NASB)
B. THE CONSEQUENCE OF FALLING (Genesis 3:7-13..."Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" He said, "I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself." And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" The man said, "The woman whom You gave {to be} with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate." Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." (NASB))
1. Shame - v.7
2. Fear and avoidance - vss.8-11
3. Passing of the buck - vss.12-13
C. THE CURSE OF THE FALL (Genesis 3:14-19..."The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you will go, And dust you will eat All the days of your life; And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel." To the woman He said, "I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you." Then to Adam He said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat from it'; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. "Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return." (NASB))
1. The Serpent
2. The Woman
3. Man and the creation - Romans 8:20-22..."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." (NASB)
D. THE CURSE OF SATAN AND THE CURE FOR THE FALL (3:15)
1. INDIVIDUAL: Enmity between you and the woman
2. COLLECTIVE: Between your seed (Satan) and her seed (the woman)
a. your seed - John 8:44..."You are of {your} father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own {nature,} for he is a liar and the father of lies." (NASB)
b. her seed - 1st John 3:8-12..."...the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; not as Cain, {who} was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous." (NASB)
3. SPECIFIC: "He (THE seed of the woman - Christ) will crush you (THE seed of the serpent - Satan) on the head (mortal wound) and you (Satan) shall bruise Him (Christ) on the heel (Christ's death on the cross).
E. ADAM'S RESPONSE IN FAITH (Genesis 3:20-21..."Now the man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all {the} living. The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them." (NASB))
1. Called the Woman, Eve - "Life, Living one" understanding from her would come the seed of promise of Gen.3:15
2. The object lesson of God in covering
F. PARADISE LOST (Genesis 3:22-24..."Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever"--therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life." (NASB))
IV. FROM CAIN TO NOAH - GENESIS 4:1 - 6:8
A. THE FAITH OF EVE IN THE BIRTH OF HER TWO SONS (Genesis 4:1-2..."Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, "I have gotten a manchild with {the help of} the LORD." Again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground." (NASB))
1. Cain - manchild with help of the Lord (faith in Gen.3:15)
2. Abel - Means "breath, vapor or vanity"
B. THE TWO SACRIFICES (Genesis 4:3-5..."So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground. Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell." (NASB))
C. CAIN'S UNREPENTANT HEART & ITS AFFECT ON HIS FAMILY TREE (4:6-24 WAY OF CAIN: Religion without righteousness. Acceptance before God by works. Going your way and not God's way. Disobedience of unbelief.
D. THE WAY OF THE PROMISED SEED (4:25 - 5:32)
1. Chapter 5 gives promise seed line
2. Shows us the spiritual line of early men
3. Illustrates the wages of sin is death
E. WHAT ABOUT THE GENEALOGIES AND AGES?
F. THE REASON FOR THE FLOOD - Genesis 6:1-8..."Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose. Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years." The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore {children} to them. Those were the mighty men who {were} of old, men of renown. Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. The LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them." But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD." (NASB)
1. Son of God
a. Godly line of Seth
b. Demon-possessed rulers producing offspring
* Sons of God normally angels -
Job 1:6..."Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them." (NASB)
Daniel 3:25..."He said, "Look! I see four men loosed {and} walking {about} in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of {the} gods!" (NASB)
* New Testament support -
1st Peter 3:19-20..."...in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits {now} in prison, who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through {the} water." (NASB)
2nd Peter 2:4-5..."For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly..." (NASB)
Jude 6..."And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day..." (NASB)
2. Wickedness of man - 6:5-8
a. Verse 5
b. The LORD was sorry
* anthropomorphic language
* God does not change in His essence or purpose, but His action changes according to man's conduct - Jer.18:7-10 (ie. thermometer)
3. God's grace - 6:8
V. NOAH AND THE FLOOD - GENESIS 6:9 - 8:22
A. THE ARK
1. Dimensions were approx. 450' long, 75' and 45' high
2. Three deck
3. It had the same storage space as 522 railroad cars. Every size animal is sheep with an est. of 35,000 - 75,000 animals - You would use approx. 313 railroad cars with 209 cars left for insects, food, space to move, etc.
B. THE FLOOD
1. covered the highest mountain
2. Duration - approx.371 days
3. Many cultures confirm a world wide flood account
4. New Testament testimony -
Matthew 24:39..."...and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be." (NASB)
Luke 17:27..."...they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all." (NASB)
2nd Peter 2:5..."...and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly..." (NASB)
2nd Peter 3:3-6..."Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with {their} mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For {ever} since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation." For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God {the} heavens existed long ago and {the} earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water." (NASB)
C. THE RESPONSE OF NOAH - Genesis 8:20-22..."Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. The LORD smelled the soothing aroma; and the LORD said to Himself, "I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man's heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done. "While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, And cold and heat, And summer and winter, And day and night Shall not cease." (NASB)
VI. NOAH TO TERAH - GENESIS 9:1 - 11:26
A. THE RULES FOR LIVING UNDER THE NOAHIC COVENANT - Genesis 9:1-7..."And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. "The fear of you and the terror of you will be on every beast of the earth and on every bird of the sky; with everything that creeps on the ground, and all the fish of the sea, into your hand they are given. "Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you, as {I gave} the green plant. "Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, {that is,} its blood. "Surely I will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will require it. And from {every} man, from every man's brother I will require the life of man. "Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man. "As for you, be fruitful and multiply; Populate the earth abundantly and multiply in it." (NASB)
1. Preservation of all - 6:18-20 ( see Gen.9:12-15)
2. The regularity of nature - 8:21-22
3. Be fruitful and multiply - 9:1,7
4. Fear & terror placed in animals - 9:2
5. Eating habits - 9:3-4
6. Capital Punishment - 9:5-6
a. Romans 13:1-7..."Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for {rulers} are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax {is due;} custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor." (NASB)
b. Acts 25:11..."If, then, I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of those things is {true} of which these men accuse me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar." (NASB)
B. HAM'S DISGRACEFUL ACT
1. Looking upon someone's nakedness was shameful and dishonoring.
2. Ham look upon his father's nakedness with a sense of satisfaction. He dishonored his father (5th commandment)
C. WHY IS CANAAN CURSE WHEN HAM WAS THE ONE WHO COMMITTED THE SIN?
1. Noah foresaw in Canaan the same evil traits that marked his father Ham.
2. This was the occasion not the cause of the curse of the future Canaanite people.
a. Gen.9:18, 22 prepares us by the phrase "father of Canaan"
b. It does not say because you did this cursed will be your offspring.
c. Future Canaanite decedents are not cursed because of their forefather's sin, but because they have the same rebellious heart.
d. The black race is not cursed of Canaan. There is no biblical support for this, nor archeological or anthropological support.
D. SHEM IS BLESSED (Genesis 9:26-27..."He also said, "Blessed be the LORD, The God of Shem; And let Canaan be his servant. "May God enlarge Japheth, And let him dwell in the tents of Shem; And let Canaan be his servant." (NASB))
E. JAPHETH IS BLESSED (9:27)
F. THE IMPORTANCE OF GENESIS 10 - TABLES OF NATIONS
1. To trace the line of Gen.3:15 - Shem 6 Eber 6 Peleg 6 ....Terah 6 Abram
2. Development of the nations so that we may see how God will bless and curse (9:25-27)
3. God directs history -
Deuteronomy 32:7-8..."Remember the days of old, Consider the years of all generations. Ask your father, and he will inform you, Your elders, and they will tell you. "When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, When He separated the sons of man, He set the boundaries of the peoples According to the number of the sons of Israel." (NASB)
Acts 17:26-27..."...and He made from one {man} every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined {their} appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us..." (NASB)
G. THE BUILDING OF THE CITY AND TOWER OF BABEL AND GOD'S REACTION - GEN.10:8-12; 11:1-9
1. Gen.11:4 compared to Gen.9:1,7
2. Gen.11:4 compared to Gen.4:26
3. Instigator of Babel is Nimrod
a. Warrior (hunter)
b. name means "to revolt" or "mighty one"
c. Kingdom set up Assyria and Babylon
A. GENESIS 1:1..."In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (NASB)
1. Genesis assumes God's existence.
2. Gen.1:1 declares the message of the chapter in a summary fashion.
3. The word "create" is always seen as the activity of God. It means "to produce something new, fresh and perfect.
B. GENESIS 1:2..."The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters." (NASB)
1. This verse begins with a disjunctive in Hebrew, meaning that "now", "while or "but" is the best translation, not "and." (Gen 1:2 has 3 circumstantial clause which is relatedto 1:3)
2. The meaning of "formless and void"
a. Isaiah 34:11..."But pelican and hedgehog will possess it, And owl and raven will dwell in it; And He will stretch over it the line of desolation And the plumb line of emptiness." (NASB) - In the context of judgment where the illustration is used of builder who uses his tools not to build but dismantle a building. This judgment will be like tearing down a building.
b. Jeremiah 4:23-26..."I looked on the earth, and behold, {it was} formless and void; And to the heavens, and they had no light. I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking, And all the hills moved to and fro. I looked, and behold, there was no man, And all the birds of the heavens had fled. I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a wilderness, And all its cities were pulled down Before the LORD, before His fierce anger." (NASB) - The context is judgment and most likely the predictive cosmicjudgment at the end of the 7 yr. tribulation period. Here Jeremiah is describing the judgment as reversal of creation to a formless and void state.
c. 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." (NASB) - Here Isaiah is talking about the purpose of creation and not the state of it. In other words, it was not the intention of God to create a world uninhabitable or chaos. But it He is not saying it was never this way.
d. Some use the above verse to indicate that earth was "formless" and "void" because of the Fall of Satan.
Isaiah 14:12-14..."How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! "But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. 'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.'" (NASB)
Ezkiel 28:14-19..."You were the anointed cherub who covers, And I placed you {there.} You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked in the midst of the stones of fire. "You were blameless in your ways From the day you were created Until unrighteousness was found in you. "By the abundance of your trade You were internally filled with violence, And you sinned; Therefore I have cast you as profane From the mountain of God. And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the stones of fire. "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, That they may see you. "By the multitude of your iniquities, In the unrighteousness of your trade You profaned your sanctuaries. Therefore I have brought fire from the midst of you; It has consumed you, And I have turned you to ashes on the earth In the eyes of all who see you. "All who know you among the peoples Are appalled at you; You have become terrified And you will cease to be forever."'" (NASB)
They would use the evidence that "darkness" is also represents evil and judgment. Even with this evidence we cannot be conclusive. But even if this is the case it could not happen between Gen.1:1 and 1:2 for grammatical reasons.
C. THE FIRST DAY: LIGHT WITH THE DARK (Genesis 1:3-5..."Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day." (NASB))
1. Days 1-3 corrects the formlessness
Days 4-6 corrects the void
2. The spoken Word and light are significantly attributed to Christ in John 1:1-5..."In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." (NASB), (Hebrews 11:3..."By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible." (NASB))
D. THE SECOND DAY: SEA AND SKY (Genesis 1:6-8..."Then God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so. God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day." (NASB))
E. THE THIRD DAY: FERTILE EARTH (Genesis 1:9-13..."Then God said, "Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so. God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good. Then God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, {and} fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them"; and it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good. There was evening and there was morning, a third day." (NASB))
1. "after their kind" - used 10 times in chapter one
2. Fossil records - has not produced one evidence of transitional form.
F. THE FOURTH DAY: LIGHTS FOR DAY AND NIGHT (Genesis 1:14-19..."Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so. God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; {He made} the stars also. God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good. There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day." (NASB))
* signs are explained as seasons, days and years.
G. THE FIFTH DAY: CREATURES FOR WATER AND AIR (Genesis 1:20-23..."Then God said, "Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens." God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth." There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day." (NASB))
H. THE SIXTH DAY: CREATURES FOR THE EARTH (Genesis 1:24-31..."Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind"; and it was so. God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good. Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth." Then God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, {I have given} every green plant for food"; and it was so. God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day." (NASB))
1. Animals - made from the earth (1:24; 2:19)
2. Mankind - male and female
a. Let us - supports implicitly the doctrine of the Trinity.
* The plural Hebrew word
* Genesis 1:2..."The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters." (NASB) - Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him." (NASB)
b. Image of God - The immaterial part of man which involves at least three things:
* Rational Nature - He has the ability to reason. He has intellect, emotion and will that has the capacity to know and love God.
* Moral Nature - He has the capacity to understand right and wrong
* He has the responsibility to rule.
c. The image of God has been marred by the Fall but has not been completely lost.
* Genesis 9:6..."Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man." (NASB)
* James 3:9..."With it we bless {our} Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God..." (NASB)
* 1st Corinthians 11:7..."For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man." (NASB)
* He has lost: (1) his knowledge, love and obedience to God; (2) his moral discussions are corrupted; (3) forfeited his position as ruler
d. He did not create two men or two women, but man and woman (heterosexual not homosexual)
3. The cultural mandate (v.28)
a. Be fruitful and multiply - attack by abortion and population controls
b. Subdue the earth - We should not leave it up to the unbelievers. Christians should excel in fields of science, art, literature, law, philosophy, politics, business, computers, etc.
c. Rule - More difficult since the Fall. Man was to represent God as sovereign over the creation. So in the garden of Eden you have a perfect miniature theocratic kingdom. Then comes man's failure in Gen.3 and Satan's insistence to set-up his rule on earth. Therefore, from Gen.3 to Rev.22 God is continuously, progressively unfolding his right to rule (Hebrews 2:6-9..."But one has testified somewhere, saying, "WHAT IS MAN, THAT YOU REMEMBER HIM? OR THE SON OF MAN, THAT YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT HIM? "YOU HAVE MADE HIM FOR A LITTLE WHILE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS; YOU HAVE CROWNED HIM WITH GLORY AND HONOR, AND HAVE APPOINTED HIM OVER THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS; YOU HAVE PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET." For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him. But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, {namely,} Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone." (NASB))
d. This is not a mandate to have dominion over other men (i.e. reconstructionist, dominion theology)
I. THE SEVENTH DAY: REST (Genesis 2:1-3..."Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made." (NASB))
1. He did not rest because He was tired
2. This a proleptic picture of a future rest of the people of God (Hebrews 4)
3. Gen.2:1-3 is not a creation ordinance which binds all men in all ages to appoint one day in seven for a sabbath. In Ex.20 Moses refers to Gen.2:2 only as the reason for blessing and sanctifying the sabbath. Yet, in Deuteronomy 5:15...("You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to observe the sabbath day." (NASB)) Moses tells us the reason for institution and commanding to observe the sabbath. That reason was because God had delivered them out of Egypt and made a covenant with the nation of Israel at Sinai, and not because God established a sabbath creation ordinance binding on all men of all ages. The sabbath was a sign of the Mosaic covenant (Ex 31).
LENGTH OF TIME FOR THE DAYS OF CREATIONS
1). There are those who believe that the word "day" in Genesis one is a geologic day. It is a long period of time that stretches over thousands or millions of years.
2). Others say God created the universe in six days but there were thousands of years between each creative day.
3). Some believe the days in Genesis one refers to the revelation of God's creative activity and does not refer to the length of the day. In other words, creation took place over the ages, but it was revealed to Moses in six days. 4). The traditional view understands the word "day" as 24 hrs. therefore, God created the universe in six 24 hour days.
THE HEBREW WORD "DAY"
1). Day in opposition to night - another words it is daylight which is about half a 24 hr. day - Gen.1:5
2). A 24 hr. day - This is the majority of the way it is used (ie. Gen.1:5)
3). A period of time - Gen.2:4
WHY GENESIS ONE SHOULD BE 24 HOUR DAYS
1). Moses explains what he means by "day" in the context. After the end of each day of creation Moses says "and there was evening and there was morning" this strongly supports a 24 hr. day.
2). There is no instance in Scripture of the word "day" meaning more than 24 hrs. when it has a numeral attached to it. This is exactly what we see in each reference in Genesis one.
3). Moses parallels the 7th day of the week in Genesis one with the 24 hr. Sabbath day in Exodus 20:10-11..."... but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; {in it} you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. "For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy." (NASB) (Exodus 31:17...""It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He ceased {from labor,} and was refreshed." (NASB)). This strongly supports a 24 hr. day of creation.
II. Genesis 2:4-25..."This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made earth and heaven. Now no shrub of the field was yet in the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the LORD God had not sent rain upon the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground. But a mist used to rise from the earth and water the whole surface of the ground. Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. The LORD God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four rivers. The name of the first is Pishon; it flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. The gold of that land is good; the bdellium and the onyx stone are there. The name of the second river is Gihon; it flows around the whole land of Cush. The name of the third river is Tigris; it flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. The LORD God commanded the man, saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die." Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him." Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought {them} to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man." For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed." (NASB)
A. THE CORRECT UNDERSTANDING OF GEN.1 CREATION ACCOUNT AND GEN.2 CREATION ACCOUNT
1. Liberals - P wrote Gen.1 - 2:3
J wrote Gen.2:4ff
2. Purpose - Gen.1 - overview and facts
Gen.2 - specifics about man and his environment
3. Style - General (Gen.1) to Specific (Gen.2)
B. MORE DETAIL ABOUT MAN'S CREATION (Genesis 2:7-9..."Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. The LORD God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." (NASB))
1. Breath of life - means creature owns its being to the direct act of God - "being of life" (used of both man and animals)
2. Trees in the Garden: Tree of life, tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Probably real trees with symbolical meaning (i.e - Gen.3 Eve saw the tree)
3. Construction of the text:
a. Gen 2:5-6 are six nonsequential clauses that provide the circumstances connected with formation of man in 2:7.
b. Gen 2:7-9 is a tight sequence of five waw consecutives which give a sequence of event
c. Gen 2:10-14 - interrupts the waw consecutives which resumes in 2:15-25 with 15 waw consecutives sequences.
d. Gen 2:19 is best translated a pluperfect “Lord God had formed”.
C. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE GEOGRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF Genesis 2:10-14..."Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four rivers. The name of the first is Pishon; it flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. The gold of that land is good; the bdellium and the onyx stone are there. The name of the second river is Gihon; it flows around the whole land of Cush. The name of the third river is Tigris; it flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates." (NASB)
Demonstrates that the Garden in Eden was historical and not just a myth.
D. PROBATION OF ADAM (Genesis 2:15-17..."Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. The LORD God commanded the man, saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die." (NASB))
1. Condition of Adam before the Fall
a. without sin - relative holiness
b. Nature is not neutral but toward God
c. God gave him everything to eat with one exception
d. Work mandate - 2:15
2. Why the probation
a. To see if Adam would resist Satan and obey
b. If he did he would secure immutable holiness
c. Disobey he would die (spiritually, physically and mankind would subject to eternal death)
d. Importance of Adam's probation for mankind - Romans 5:17-19..."For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous." (NASB)
E. THE CREATION OF WOMAN AS MAN'S HELPFUL COUNTERPART (Genesis 2:18-25..."Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him." Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought {them} to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man." For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed." (NASB)
III. THE FALL AND THE CURSE - GENESIS 3:1-24
A. THE FALL INTO SIN
1. The importance of the chapter three
a. Liberals - early concept or religion but not believed
b. Neoorthodoxy - myth
c. Why it is not a myth:
* language is historical narrative and the preceding and following contexts are historical in nature
* Historical Description of the garden and location (chap.2)
* Historicity of Adam & Eve by Scripture
Luke 3:38..."...the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God." (NASB) - Jesus' genealogy to Adam
Romans 5:18-19..."So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous." (NASB) - theological argument
2nd Corinthians11 - order of creation argument
Paul uses it in his arguments for other things...1st Timothy 2:14..."And {it was} not Adam {who} was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression." (NASB); 1st Corinthians 15:20-21..."But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man {came} death, by a man also {came} the resurrection of the dead." and verse 45..."So also it is written, "The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL." The last Adam {became} a life-giving spirit." (NASB)
2. The stages in Satan's temptation to Eve
a. Satan questions the Word of God (3:1)
* Focuses on restriction and questions God's goodness
* She leaves out "all"...She adds "touch it"...Tones down consequences - lest you die
CONCLUSION: She exaggerates the restriction, toning down the goodness & judgment of God - doubt God's word
b. Satan contradicts the Word of God (3:4)
c. Satan wants you to think you could be a god (3:5)
d. lust of the flesh - saw food lust of the eyes - delightful to the eyes boastful pride of life - make you wise 1 Jn 2:16
BATTLE OF THE MIND - 2nd Corinthians 10:5..."{We are} destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and {we are} taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ..." (NASB)
e. Reversal of roles and authority (3:6) - 1st Timothy 2:13-15..."For it was Adam who was first created, {and} then Eve. And {it was} not Adam {who} was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. But {women} will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint." (NASB)
B. THE CONSEQUENCE OF FALLING (Genesis 3:7-13..."Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" He said, "I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself." And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" The man said, "The woman whom You gave {to be} with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate." Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." (NASB))
1. Shame - v.7
2. Fear and avoidance - vss.8-11
3. Passing of the buck - vss.12-13
C. THE CURSE OF THE FALL (Genesis 3:14-19..."The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you will go, And dust you will eat All the days of your life; And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel." To the woman He said, "I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you." Then to Adam He said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat from it'; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. "Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return." (NASB))
1. The Serpent
2. The Woman
3. Man and the creation - Romans 8:20-22..."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." (NASB)
D. THE CURSE OF SATAN AND THE CURE FOR THE FALL (3:15)
1. INDIVIDUAL: Enmity between you and the woman
2. COLLECTIVE: Between your seed (Satan) and her seed (the woman)
a. your seed - John 8:44..."You are of {your} father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own {nature,} for he is a liar and the father of lies." (NASB)
b. her seed - 1st John 3:8-12..."...the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; not as Cain, {who} was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous." (NASB)
3. SPECIFIC: "He (THE seed of the woman - Christ) will crush you (THE seed of the serpent - Satan) on the head (mortal wound) and you (Satan) shall bruise Him (Christ) on the heel (Christ's death on the cross).
E. ADAM'S RESPONSE IN FAITH (Genesis 3:20-21..."Now the man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all {the} living. The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them." (NASB))
1. Called the Woman, Eve - "Life, Living one" understanding from her would come the seed of promise of Gen.3:15
2. The object lesson of God in covering
F. PARADISE LOST (Genesis 3:22-24..."Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever"--therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life." (NASB))
IV. FROM CAIN TO NOAH - GENESIS 4:1 - 6:8
A. THE FAITH OF EVE IN THE BIRTH OF HER TWO SONS (Genesis 4:1-2..."Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, "I have gotten a manchild with {the help of} the LORD." Again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground." (NASB))
1. Cain - manchild with help of the Lord (faith in Gen.3:15)
2. Abel - Means "breath, vapor or vanity"
B. THE TWO SACRIFICES (Genesis 4:3-5..."So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground. Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell." (NASB))
C. CAIN'S UNREPENTANT HEART & ITS AFFECT ON HIS FAMILY TREE (4:6-24 WAY OF CAIN: Religion without righteousness. Acceptance before God by works. Going your way and not God's way. Disobedience of unbelief.
D. THE WAY OF THE PROMISED SEED (4:25 - 5:32)
1. Chapter 5 gives promise seed line
2. Shows us the spiritual line of early men
3. Illustrates the wages of sin is death
E. WHAT ABOUT THE GENEALOGIES AND AGES?
F. THE REASON FOR THE FLOOD - Genesis 6:1-8..."Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose. Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years." The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore {children} to them. Those were the mighty men who {were} of old, men of renown. Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. The LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them." But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD." (NASB)
1. Son of God
a. Godly line of Seth
b. Demon-possessed rulers producing offspring
* Sons of God normally angels -
Job 1:6..."Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them." (NASB)
Daniel 3:25..."He said, "Look! I see four men loosed {and} walking {about} in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of {the} gods!" (NASB)
* New Testament support -
1st Peter 3:19-20..."...in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits {now} in prison, who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through {the} water." (NASB)
2nd Peter 2:4-5..."For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly..." (NASB)
Jude 6..."And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day..." (NASB)
2. Wickedness of man - 6:5-8
a. Verse 5
b. The LORD was sorry
* anthropomorphic language
* God does not change in His essence or purpose, but His action changes according to man's conduct - Jer.18:7-10 (ie. thermometer)
3. God's grace - 6:8
V. NOAH AND THE FLOOD - GENESIS 6:9 - 8:22
A. THE ARK
1. Dimensions were approx. 450' long, 75' and 45' high
2. Three deck
3. It had the same storage space as 522 railroad cars. Every size animal is sheep with an est. of 35,000 - 75,000 animals - You would use approx. 313 railroad cars with 209 cars left for insects, food, space to move, etc.
B. THE FLOOD
1. covered the highest mountain
2. Duration - approx.371 days
3. Many cultures confirm a world wide flood account
4. New Testament testimony -
Matthew 24:39..."...and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be." (NASB)
Luke 17:27..."...they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all." (NASB)
2nd Peter 2:5..."...and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly..." (NASB)
2nd Peter 3:3-6..."Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with {their} mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For {ever} since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation." For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God {the} heavens existed long ago and {the} earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water." (NASB)
C. THE RESPONSE OF NOAH - Genesis 8:20-22..."Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. The LORD smelled the soothing aroma; and the LORD said to Himself, "I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man's heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done. "While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, And cold and heat, And summer and winter, And day and night Shall not cease." (NASB)
VI. NOAH TO TERAH - GENESIS 9:1 - 11:26
A. THE RULES FOR LIVING UNDER THE NOAHIC COVENANT - Genesis 9:1-7..."And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. "The fear of you and the terror of you will be on every beast of the earth and on every bird of the sky; with everything that creeps on the ground, and all the fish of the sea, into your hand they are given. "Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you, as {I gave} the green plant. "Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, {that is,} its blood. "Surely I will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will require it. And from {every} man, from every man's brother I will require the life of man. "Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man. "As for you, be fruitful and multiply; Populate the earth abundantly and multiply in it." (NASB)
1. Preservation of all - 6:18-20 ( see Gen.9:12-15)
2. The regularity of nature - 8:21-22
3. Be fruitful and multiply - 9:1,7
4. Fear & terror placed in animals - 9:2
5. Eating habits - 9:3-4
6. Capital Punishment - 9:5-6
a. Romans 13:1-7..."Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for {rulers} are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax {is due;} custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor." (NASB)
b. Acts 25:11..."If, then, I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of those things is {true} of which these men accuse me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar." (NASB)
B. HAM'S DISGRACEFUL ACT
1. Looking upon someone's nakedness was shameful and dishonoring.
2. Ham look upon his father's nakedness with a sense of satisfaction. He dishonored his father (5th commandment)
C. WHY IS CANAAN CURSE WHEN HAM WAS THE ONE WHO COMMITTED THE SIN?
1. Noah foresaw in Canaan the same evil traits that marked his father Ham.
2. This was the occasion not the cause of the curse of the future Canaanite people.
a. Gen.9:18, 22 prepares us by the phrase "father of Canaan"
b. It does not say because you did this cursed will be your offspring.
c. Future Canaanite decedents are not cursed because of their forefather's sin, but because they have the same rebellious heart.
d. The black race is not cursed of Canaan. There is no biblical support for this, nor archeological or anthropological support.
D. SHEM IS BLESSED (Genesis 9:26-27..."He also said, "Blessed be the LORD, The God of Shem; And let Canaan be his servant. "May God enlarge Japheth, And let him dwell in the tents of Shem; And let Canaan be his servant." (NASB))
E. JAPHETH IS BLESSED (9:27)
F. THE IMPORTANCE OF GENESIS 10 - TABLES OF NATIONS
1. To trace the line of Gen.3:15 - Shem 6 Eber 6 Peleg 6 ....Terah 6 Abram
2. Development of the nations so that we may see how God will bless and curse (9:25-27)
3. God directs history -
Deuteronomy 32:7-8..."Remember the days of old, Consider the years of all generations. Ask your father, and he will inform you, Your elders, and they will tell you. "When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, When He separated the sons of man, He set the boundaries of the peoples According to the number of the sons of Israel." (NASB)
Acts 17:26-27..."...and He made from one {man} every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined {their} appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us..." (NASB)
G. THE BUILDING OF THE CITY AND TOWER OF BABEL AND GOD'S REACTION - GEN.10:8-12; 11:1-9
1. Gen.11:4 compared to Gen.9:1,7
2. Gen.11:4 compared to Gen.4:26
3. Instigator of Babel is Nimrod
a. Warrior (hunter)
b. name means "to revolt" or "mighty one"
c. Kingdom set up Assyria and Babylon
Genesis 12 - 50 (the following outline was compiled by Dr. Steve P. Sullivan, Th.M., D.Min.)
I. THE HISTORY OF ABRAHAM - GENESIS 11:27 - 25:18
ABRAHAMIC COVENANT OTHER COVENANTS
1. The promise of a national land Some call the Palestinian
(Gen.12:1,7; 13:15,17; 15:7-8,18; Covenant - It explains further
17:7-8) about the land (Duet.30:3-5; 29:1)
2. The promise of a great and The Davidic Covenant - It
numerous nation (Gen.12:1,7; promises a dynasty, a nation,
13:15,17; 15:7-8,18; 17:7-8) and a throne (2 Sam.7:11,13,16; Jer.33:20-21; 31:35-37,etc.)
3. The promise of redemption - The New Covenant - It provides
national and universal (Gen.12:3; redemption, the new ministry
22:18; Gal.3:16) of the Holy Spirit and other things (Jer.31:31-40; Heb.8, etc.)
A. THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT IS UNCONDITIONAL
1. The covenant is forever
Genesis 17:7..."I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you." (NASB)
Genesis 17:13..."A {servant} who is born in your house or who is bought with your money shall surely be circumcised; thus shall My covenant be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant." (NASB)
Genesis 17:19..."But God said, "No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him." (NASB)
2. The covenant is confirmed by an unqualified oath of God
Genesis 15:7-17..."And He said to him, "I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it." He said, "O Lord GOD, how may I know that I will possess it?" So He said to him, "Bring Me a three year old heifer, and a three year old female goat, and a three year old ram, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon." Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, and laid each half opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds. The birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away. Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, terror {and} great darkness fell upon him. {God} said to Abram, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. "But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions. "As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age. "Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete." It came about when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, {there appeared} a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces." (NASB)
3. The language of the covenant indicates that it is unconditional (i.e. "I Will" of God in Genesis 12:1-3..."Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." (NASB)).
4. The covenant is expanded and reiterated but its fulfillment is not conditioned on man
Genesis 13,15,17
Genesis 26:3-4...""Sojourn in this land and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham. "I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed..." (NASB)
Genesis 28:15..."Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." (NASB)
Genesis 32:9-12..."Jacob said, "O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O LORD, who said to me, 'Return to your country and to your relatives, and I will prosper you,' I am unworthy of all the lovingkindness and of all the faithfulness which You have shown to Your servant; for with my staff {only} I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two companies. "Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, that he will come and attack me {and} the mothers with the children. "For You said, 'I will surely prosper you and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which is too great to be numbered.'" (NASB)
5. The New Testament shows that Israel's disobedience delayed the fulfillment but did not cancel it
Acts 3:17-26..."And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also. But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. "Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until {the} period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. "Moses said, 'THE LORD GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN; TO HIM YOU SHALL GIVE HEED to everything He says to you. 'And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.' "And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and {his} successors onward, also announced these days. "It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'AND IN YOUR SEED ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED.' "For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one {of you} from your wicked ways." (NASB)
Hebrews 6:13-18..."For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, "I WILL SURELY BLESS YOU AND I WILL SURELY MULTIPLY YOU." And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise. For men swear by one greater {than themselves,} and with them an oath {given} as confirmation is an end of every dispute. In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us." (NASB)
Luke 1:54-55..."He has given help to Israel His servant, In remembrance of His mercy, As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and his descendants forever." (NASB)
PERSONAL PROMISES - Blessed physically with temporal things and with spiritual matters. He had a great name and he would be a father of a great nation. Even kings and other nations would come from him. He would be a blessing or curse to others depending on how they treated him.
NATIONAL PROMISES - The nation would be great (Genesis 12:2..."And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing..." (NASB)) and innumerable (Gen.13:16; 15:5). The land and the covenant is everlasting (Genesis 17:7-8..."I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you. "I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." (NASB))
UNIVERSAL PROMISES - "All the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Gen.12:3)
B. THE FIRST PART OF ABRAHAM'S LIFE - GENESIS 11:27 - 19:38
1. Abram's family tree - 11:27-32
a. Abram's brother Haran died and Lot, his son, lived with Abram
b. Left Ur and settled in Haran
c. Teran died in Haran.
2. Abrahamic Covenant - 12:1-3
3. Abraham's test of faith - 12:4-20
a. Half truth is a lie
b. Compromise with world
4. The decision of Abraham and Lot produced two different life-styles (13:1-18)
ABRAHAM LOT
1. Return to Bethel to Worship -13:1-4 Lot returned with Abraham
2. Abraham's decision was to minister Lot's decision was based on material gain
3. Abraham yielded his personal rights or gains to Lot ignores the principles of God's Word biblical principles **
4. Only way to do it is that we believe in the 13:12 near Sodom
sovereignty of God **
5. God reassures Abraham of His faithfulness 14:12 living in Sodom
(13:14-17) **
6. Result: He worshipped (13:18) 19:1 Leader of Sodom
19:30-38 family polluted
5. The consequences and restoration of Lot (Gen.14:1-24)
a. Lot captured
b. Abraham's restoration
c. Abraham's temptation in his restoration of Lot - Gen.17-24)--> Gaining wealth and position by the wickedness of the world
d. Why did Abraham resist temptation: Key found in the Melchizedek - King\priest; no birth, no genealogy, not death recorded, no number of days.
Hebrews 7:1-3..."For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all {the spoils,} was first of all, by the translation {of his name,} king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually." (NASB)
Hebrews 6:20..."...where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." (NASB)
ABRAHAM SUBMITTED TO GOD (Melchizedek) AND RESISTED THE EVIL (King of Sodom) - James 4:7..."Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (NASB)
6. The ratification of the Abrahamic covenant (Gen.15:1-21)
a. Justification (Gen.15:6) - Romans 4:1-9..."What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS." Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: "BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED. "BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT." Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, "FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS." (NASB)...and verses 16-18..."For this reason {it is} by faith, in order that {it may be} in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, (as it is written, "A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU") in the presence of Him whom he believed, {even} God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, "SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE." (NASB)
b. Unconditional covenant illustrated - Gen.15:17
c. Description of the land - 18-21
7. The trouble and birth of Ishmael (Gen.16:1-16)
a. Situation ethics: (1) socially accepted; (2) noble act by Sarai; (3) motivated by high motives (4) goal 6 leave an heir.
b. What is wrong: (1) not God's time; (2) Not God's way; (3) not God's method; (4) done in the strength of the flesh
c. RESULTS: (1) deterioration of the family (16:4-6); (2) perpetual hostility against Ishmael & Isaac (16:7-14); (3) A direct attack by Satan on the Messianic line (Hagar descendent of Ham) THE ENDS NEVER JUSTIFIES THE MEANS!
8. The expansion and sign of the Abrahamic covenant (Gen.17:1-27)
a. The expansion of the covenant
b. The meaning of the sign of the covenant
* Rite pictures the impurity of the heart of the race that must be removed
* Commitment to God's people & His covenant
* It was the seal of the righteousness of God
Romans 4:11..."...and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them..." (NASB)
Deuteronomy 10:16...""So circumcise your heart, and stiffen your neck no longer." (NASB)
Deuteronomy 30:6...""Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live." (NASB)
Jeremiah 4:4..."Circumcise yourselves to the LORD And remove the foreskins of your heart, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Or else My wrath will go forth like fire And burn with none to quench it, Because of the evil of your deeds." (NASB)
Jeremiah 9:25-26..."Behold, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "that I will punish all who are circumcised and yet uncircumcised-- Egypt and Judah, and Edom and the sons of Ammon, and Moab and all those inhabiting the desert who clip the hair on their temples; for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised of heart." (NASB)
* It is not just to be outward but inward
Romans 2:28-29..."For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God." (NASB)
OT COVENANT COMMUNITY NT COVENANT COMMUNITY
mixture of regenerate and unregenerate Unmixed community (Church) of people believers only
COVENANT: Seed, Land, relationship COVENANT: Forgiveness, ministry
with God nationally; no salvation of the Holy Spirit, personal
specifically stated relationship with God, etc.
ENTRY: Covenant was initially entered ENTRY: New birth (regeneration)
by physical birth or proselyte and Baptism is only for those who are
circumcision was a seal of this. really under the New Covenant
Circumcision did not make him an (Believers Baptism)
Israelite or under the covenant.
It was only a sign.
9. The confirmation of the Abrahamic Covenant & Abraham's prayer (Gen.18:1-33)
a. The promise child next spring - Abraham and Sarah are both sexually impotent
b. Who are these three men - v.13-14 called Yahweh, 19:1 says the other two are angels
c. Abraham's prayer:
* Focal pt. - the honor & character of God
* specific in prayer
* boldness - Hebrews 4:16..."Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (NASB)
* Earnestly - James 1:6-7..."But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord..." (NASB)
* Humility - Genesis 18:27..."And Abraham replied, "Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am {but} dust and ashes." and verse 30..."Then he said, "Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak; suppose thirty are found there?" And He said, "I will not do {it} if I find thirty there." (NASB)
* Persistent
10. The sin and judgment of Sodom (Gen.19:1-38)
a. The sin of Sodomy
Leviticus 18:22..."'You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination." and verse 29..."'For whoever does any of these abominations, those persons who do {so} shall be cut off from among their people." (NASB)
Leviticus 20:13..."'If {there is} a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltiness is upon them." (NASB)
1st Corinthians 6:9-10..."Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor {the} covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God." (NASB)
1st Timothy 1:10..."...and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching..." (NASB)
b. Judgment of sodomy
Romans 1:24-28..."Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper..." (NASB)
c. Effect of the sin of Sodom
* Lot lost his sons - v.12 says he had sons but they did not go out of the city
* The Sons-in-law thought he was jesting - v.14
* Lot's wife yearn for Sodom v.26
* Two daughters - committed incest (vv.32-35)
* Lot was dull spiritually & had a problem with alcohol vv.33,35
* The city was destroyed
* What kind of atmosphere are we setting for our families? (home, school, friends, entertainment, etc.)
C. THE LAST YEARS OF ABRAHAM: Abraham & Isaac (Gen.20:1 - 25:18)
1. Abraham's seemingly insignificant sin brings grave consequences (Genesis 20:1-18..."Now Abraham journeyed from there toward the land of the Negev, and settled between Kadesh and Shur; then he sojourned in Gerar. Abraham said of Sarah his wife, "She is my sister." So Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, "Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is married." Now Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, "Lord, will You slay a nation, even {though} blameless? "Did he not himself say to me, 'She is my sister'? And she herself said, 'He is my brother.' In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this." Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also kept you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. "Now therefore, restore the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore {her,} know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours." So Abimelech arose early in the morning and called all his servants and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were greatly frightened. Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, "What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done." And Abimelech said to Abraham, "What have you encountered, that you have done this thing?" Abraham said, "Because I thought, surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife. "Besides, she actually is my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife; and it came about, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said to her, 'This is the kindness which you will show to me: everywhere we go, say of me, "He is my brother." Abimelech then took sheep and oxen and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored his wife Sarah to him.
Abimelech said, "Behold, my land is before you; settle wherever you please." To Sarah he said, "Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; behold, it is your vindication before all who are with you, and before all men you are cleared." Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maids, so that they bore {children.} For the LORD had closed fast all the wombs of the household of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham's wife." (NASB)
a. Abraham tries to justify his deception - v.11 (fear of man)
b. Abraham tries to rationalize away his action - v.12 (1/2 truth = whole lie)
c. Abraham tries to excuse his action by blaming God - v.13 (passing of the blame)
d. The results of Abraham's insignificant sin:
* He endangers Sarah & the godly seed
* Influenced Abimelech to sin
* It weakened his witness to the world
2. The birth of Isaac and the expulsion of Ishmael (Gen.21:1-21)
a. Ishmael mocked Isaac
b. Abraham expels him
c. God spares him and blessing him with a great nation (v.18) Marries a wife from Egypt (v.21)
3. The preparation and testing of Abraham through offering up Isaac (21:22 - 22:1-24)
a. Test of commitment - sacrifice your son
b. Response to the test: (1) Immediate obedience to the will of God; (2) Faith in God's Word - Key to his faith Gen.21:33 (everlasting God who resurrects life - Heb.11:17-19); (3) His love which put God first
ABRAHAM & ISAAC GOD THE FATHER & SON
Isaac a burnt offering Christ the burnt offering for sin
Only son Only Son
Abraham's love for his son is the Father's love for His Son (Mt.3:17)
highest human love
Moriah - temple built where On Moriah you can see Calvary. The
thousands of sacrifices were slain sacrifices on Moriah foreshadow the
to cover sin sacrifice (once for all) done by Christ to wash away
sins.
Abraham says in v.5 we will be back - God the Father raised Christ from
resurrection power of God the dead.
Both Abraham & Isaac walked together This has a similarity to Is.53:7 -
to the sacrifice like a lamb led to the slaughter
Isaac carried the wood for sacrifice Christ carried his cross (Jn.19:17)
Isaac submitted to his father's will Christ said "Thy will be done" (Mt.26:39)
God provided a lamb for Abraham God has provided us a lamb (Jn.1:29)
The lamb was the substitute for Isaac Christ is the sinner's substitute
4. The death and Burial of Sarah (Genesis 23:1-20..."Now Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; {these were} the years of the life of Sarah. Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan; and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. Then Abraham rose from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying, "I am a stranger and a sojourner among you; give me a burial site among you that I may bury my dead out of my sight." The sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, "Hear us, my lord, you are a mighty prince among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our graves; none of us will refuse you his grave for burying your dead." So Abraham rose and bowed to the people of the land, the sons of Heth. And he spoke with them, saying, "If it is your wish {for me} to bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and approach Ephron the son of Zohar for me, that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he owns, which is at the end of his field; for the full price let him give it to me in your presence for a burial site." Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the sons of Heth; {even} of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying, "No, my lord, hear me; I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the presence of the sons of my people I give it to you; bury your dead." And Abraham bowed before the people of the land. He spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, "If you will only please listen to me; I will give the price of the field, accept {it} from me that I may bury my dead there." Then Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, "My lord, listen to me; a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between me and you? So bury your dead." Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, commercial standard. So Ephron's field, which was in Machpelah, which faced Mamre, the field and cave which was in it, and all the trees which were in the field, that were within all the confines of its border, were deeded over to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city. After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field at Machpelah facing Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. So the field and the cave that is in it, were deeded over to Abraham for a burial site by the sons of Heth." (NASB)
a. Sarah buried in Hebron in the cave of Machpelah
b. Machpelah burial: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca and Leah
5. The marriage of Isaac to Rebekah (Gen.24:1-67) SEVEN PRINCIPLES WHICH WILL HELP US TO CHOOSE A LIFE LONG PARTNER:
a. 24:3-4 - Marry only a believer (2nd Corinthians 6:14-16...Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE." (NASB)
b. 24:5-8 - Fret not, but have faith in God
c. 24:14 - "appointed" God is in sovereign control to direct us to the right mate
d. 24:14 - Evaluate the character of the person -
e. 24:12-14, 21-27,48 - Rely upon God's providential guidance as you make wise decision based upon biblical principles
f. 24:50-59 - God uses your parents to guide you
g. 24:63 - God uses prayer
6. The death of Abraham (Gen.25:1-18)
a. Abraham's second wife - Keturah
II. THE HISTORY OF ISAAC AND HIS SONS (GEN.25:19 - 36:43)
A. JACOB'S BIRTH, EARLY LIFE AND LEAVING HOME (GEN.25:19 - 29:30)
1. Two boys, two nations and one choice (25:19-34)
a. Esau - Edomite
Jacob - Israelite
b. Two different personalities
c. One stronger - Israel subdued Edomites
d. The older serve the younger
* Older had: (1) the authority; (2) double portion of inheritance (Deuteronomy 21:17..."But he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the beginning of his strength; to him belongs the right of the firstborn." (NASB)); (3) spiritual head of family
* God in history: Isaac chosen over Ishmael
David chosen over older brothers
Judah chosen over first born and others
Solomon chosen over first born
e. WHY? GOD'S DIVINE CHOICE DETERMINES MAN'S DESTINY
Divine Election - Romans 9:10-13..."And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived {twins} by one man, our father Isaac; for though {the twins} were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose according to {His} choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, it was said to her, "THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER." Just as it is written, "JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED." (NASB)
f. The birthright: (1) He was consecrated to God (Exodus 22:29..."You shall not delay {the offering from} your harvest and your vintage. The firstborn of your sons you shall give to Me." (NASB)); (2) Double portion (Deut.21:17); (3) succeed in governing of family (2nd Chronicals 21:3..."Their father gave them many gifts of silver, gold and precious things, with fortified cities in Judah, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn." (NASB)); (4) right to priest before the law; (5) right to stand in the messianic line.
g. Esau shows he is not chosen physically or spiritual by choice to give away the birthright in such a light manner.
2. Isaac and Abimelech - the error of his father (26:1-33)
a. Principle: Biblical truth is caught more then it is taught. (Abraham had done the same in Gen.12,20)
b. Conflict with the wells is used by God for Isaac to acknowledge his dependency (vs.22)
c. God's appearance with the Word - brought strength and obedience to stay in the land
d. Response to God's promises: worship, witness
3. The Scheme of Rebekah and Jacob and the sovereign will of God (26:34 - 27:46)
a. Isaac's self-will in wanting to bless Esau as first born. He was thinking more of the flesh then of God's way.
b. The scheme of Rebekah is an attempt to obtain God's biblical goal by the wrong means.
c. Isaac learned that the sovereign will of God cannot be thwarted by man's will (Dan.4:35..."All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven And {among} the inhabitants of earth; And no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, 'What have You done?'" (NASB))
d. Esau wanted the blessings of God but not the will of God. (You cannot have the blessing of God without doing the will of God).
4. Jacob learns about God's presence in his flight to Mesopotamia (28:1-22)
a. v.13 God identifies himself
b. v.14 God confirms his covenant with Jacob
c. v.15 God guarantees provision and security
d. LADDER - uninterrupted communion between heaven and earth - man's access to God is secure. Thru this line (v.14) all the nations will have access to God. Now read John 1:45-51..."Philip *found Nathanael and *said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and {also} the Prophets wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." Nathanael said to him, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Philip *said to him, "Come and see." Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and *said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!" Nathanael *said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." Nathanael answered Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel." Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these." And He *said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man." (NASB), (John 14:6...Jesus *said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." (NASB))
5. Jacob marries: Leah and Rachel (29:1-30) You sow what you reap - Galatians 6:7..."Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap." (NASB)
B. JACOB ENTERS THE SCHOOL OF DIVINE DISCIPLINE (29:31 - 31:55)
1. The children of Jacob
2. God's blessing by learning to trust God
a. Laban changed his wages 10 times
3. God brings Jacob home
a. Rachel's character comes forth - steals idols
b. Why? (1) religious reasons; (2) 1st born rights
c. Her scheme tries to thwart God's plan.
d. God protects Jacob - 31:24,29
e. Compare Gen.28:13-15,20-22
JACOB LEARNS THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD TO HIS PROMISE
C. JACOB RECONCILES WITH ESAU AND HIS LATER LIFE (32:1 - 36:43)
1. Jacob reconciles with Esau (32:1 - 33:15)
a. Jacob's prayer of trust - 32:9-12
b. conciliate the offended person - 32:20
c. Submission to God through struggles and perseverance
* Jacob wrestles with God: It is a real event used symbolically to communicate Jacob's past & present life
* JACOB - trickster, supplanter ISRAEL - persist with God
* Wrestling with God pictures Jacob's life of struggling but now submission.
* dislocate the thigh - remind him that scheming does not work (make dependent)
d. Reconciliation: ACTION - take the initiative, offer restitution, trust in God to change the heart, humble confession REACTION - forgiveness INTERACTION - evidence of reconciliation
2. The awful massacred Shechem (33:16 - 34:31)
a. Jacob has not lived up to his vow in Gen.28:20-22
b. Intermarriage would have polluted the seed
c. Jacob's sin allows his sons to commit deceit by a sacred sign and murder (Levi, Simeon)
3. The renewal of the covenant and the restoration of Jacob (35:1-29)
a. Remember the Word of God
b. Repent - put away idols
c. God protects Jacob
d. God appears to him 35:10-13
e. Jacob's response was worship
f. Rachel dies, Benjamin born, Reuben's incest, Isaac dies
4. Esau's descendance (36:1-43)
III. THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH (GEN.37:1 - 50:26)
A. JOSEPH SOLD INTO SLAVERY (37:1-36)
1. Joseph established a moral standard and conviction in the midst of persecution and pressure.
2. Jacob had not learned the tragic results of partiality
3. The providence of God in the midst of evil plans
Proverbs 16:1..."The plans of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD."...and verse 4..."The LORD has made everything for its own purpose, Even the wicked for the day of evil."...and verse 9..."The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps."...and verse 33..."The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the LORD." (NASB)
B. THE PURPOSE OF CHAPTER 38
1. Judah married a Canaanite woman - seed was about to be polluted
C. JOSEPH IN POTIPHAR'S HOUSE (Genesis 39:1-23..."Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard, bought him from the Ishmaelites, who had taken him down there. The LORD was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. Now his master saw that the LORD was with him and {how} the LORD caused all that he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal servant; and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he owned he put in his charge. It came about that from the time he made him overseer in his house and over all that he owned, the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house on account of Joseph; thus the LORD'S blessing was upon all that he owned, in the house and in the field. So he left everything he owned in Joseph's charge; and with him {there} he did not concern himself with anything except the food which he ate. ¶ Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. It came about after these events that his master's wife looked with desire at Joseph, and she said, "Lie with me." But he refused and said to his master's wife, "Behold, with me {here,} my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put all that he owns in my charge.
"There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?" As she spoke to Joseph day after day, he did not listen to her to lie beside her {or} be with her. Now it happened one day that he went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the household was there inside. She caught him by his garment, saying, "Lie with me!" And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside. When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled outside, she called to the men of her household and said to them, "See, he has brought in a Hebrew to us to make sport of us; he came in to me to lie with me, and I screamed. "When he heard that I raised my voice and screamed, he left his garment beside me and fled and went outside." So she left his garment beside her until his master came home.
Then she spoke to him with these words, "The Hebrew slave, whom you brought to us, came in to me to make sport of me; and as I raised my voice and screamed, he left his garment beside me and fled outside." Now when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke to him, saying, "This is what your slave did to me," his anger burned. So Joseph's master took him and put him into the jail, the place where the king's prisoners were confined; and he was there in the jail. But the LORD was with Joseph and extended kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer. The chief jailer committed to Joseph's charge all the prisoners who were in the jail; so that whatever was done there, he was responsible {for it.} The chief jailer did not supervise anything under Joseph's charge because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made to prosper." (NASB)
1. Victory over sexual sin is obedient to the Word of God and sometimes that means flee the scene.
2. The reward for Joseph was not jail, but God will be with him (39:2,21,23)
D. JOSEPH INTERPRETS THE DREAM OF THE BUTLER AND THE BAKER (GEN.40:1-23)
1. Trials brought maturity and humility in Joseph - Jas.1:2-4; Rom.5:2-3
2. God developed in Joseph: integrity, dependability, faithfulness, concern for others in jail, relationship with God (interp. dreams); boldness to deliver bad news, patient-endurance (cupbearer forgot)
E. JOSEPH INTERPRETS PHARAOH'S DREAM (41:1-57)
Joseph's slavery has prepared him for the temptation for power and wealth
God works things for the good - Romans 8:28..."And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to {His} purpose." (NASB)
F. THE VISITATION OF JOSEPH'S TEN BROTHERS (42:1 - 45:28)
1. Joseph was trying to discern if his brothers had a change of heart.
2. This set up reconciliation and forgiveness
G. JACOB'S FAMILY COMES TO EGYPT (45:1 - 47:31)
H. THE FIRST BORN BLESSING GOES TO JOSEPH'S SONS (48:1-22)
I. JACOB BLESSES THE REST OF HIS CHILDREN AND HIS DEATH (49:1-33)
1. Seed of the woman 6 Noah 6 Abraham 6 Isaac 6 Jacob 6 Judah (49:10)
2. Joseph acknowledge the providence of God in protecting the promises to Abraham and sovereignly working in the evil plans of men to do it - Gen.45:5-7; 50:20)
ABRAHAMIC COVENANT OTHER COVENANTS
1. The promise of a national land Some call the Palestinian
(Gen.12:1,7; 13:15,17; 15:7-8,18; Covenant - It explains further
17:7-8) about the land (Duet.30:3-5; 29:1)
2. The promise of a great and The Davidic Covenant - It
numerous nation (Gen.12:1,7; promises a dynasty, a nation,
13:15,17; 15:7-8,18; 17:7-8) and a throne (2 Sam.7:11,13,16; Jer.33:20-21; 31:35-37,etc.)
3. The promise of redemption - The New Covenant - It provides
national and universal (Gen.12:3; redemption, the new ministry
22:18; Gal.3:16) of the Holy Spirit and other things (Jer.31:31-40; Heb.8, etc.)
A. THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT IS UNCONDITIONAL
1. The covenant is forever
Genesis 17:7..."I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you." (NASB)
Genesis 17:13..."A {servant} who is born in your house or who is bought with your money shall surely be circumcised; thus shall My covenant be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant." (NASB)
Genesis 17:19..."But God said, "No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him." (NASB)
2. The covenant is confirmed by an unqualified oath of God
Genesis 15:7-17..."And He said to him, "I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it." He said, "O Lord GOD, how may I know that I will possess it?" So He said to him, "Bring Me a three year old heifer, and a three year old female goat, and a three year old ram, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon." Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, and laid each half opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds. The birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away. Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, terror {and} great darkness fell upon him. {God} said to Abram, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. "But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions. "As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age. "Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete." It came about when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, {there appeared} a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces." (NASB)
3. The language of the covenant indicates that it is unconditional (i.e. "I Will" of God in Genesis 12:1-3..."Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." (NASB)).
4. The covenant is expanded and reiterated but its fulfillment is not conditioned on man
Genesis 13,15,17
Genesis 26:3-4...""Sojourn in this land and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham. "I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed..." (NASB)
Genesis 28:15..."Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." (NASB)
Genesis 32:9-12..."Jacob said, "O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O LORD, who said to me, 'Return to your country and to your relatives, and I will prosper you,' I am unworthy of all the lovingkindness and of all the faithfulness which You have shown to Your servant; for with my staff {only} I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two companies. "Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, that he will come and attack me {and} the mothers with the children. "For You said, 'I will surely prosper you and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which is too great to be numbered.'" (NASB)
5. The New Testament shows that Israel's disobedience delayed the fulfillment but did not cancel it
Acts 3:17-26..."And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also. But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. "Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until {the} period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. "Moses said, 'THE LORD GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN; TO HIM YOU SHALL GIVE HEED to everything He says to you. 'And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.' "And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and {his} successors onward, also announced these days. "It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'AND IN YOUR SEED ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED.' "For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one {of you} from your wicked ways." (NASB)
Hebrews 6:13-18..."For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, "I WILL SURELY BLESS YOU AND I WILL SURELY MULTIPLY YOU." And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise. For men swear by one greater {than themselves,} and with them an oath {given} as confirmation is an end of every dispute. In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us." (NASB)
Luke 1:54-55..."He has given help to Israel His servant, In remembrance of His mercy, As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and his descendants forever." (NASB)
PERSONAL PROMISES - Blessed physically with temporal things and with spiritual matters. He had a great name and he would be a father of a great nation. Even kings and other nations would come from him. He would be a blessing or curse to others depending on how they treated him.
NATIONAL PROMISES - The nation would be great (Genesis 12:2..."And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing..." (NASB)) and innumerable (Gen.13:16; 15:5). The land and the covenant is everlasting (Genesis 17:7-8..."I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you. "I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." (NASB))
UNIVERSAL PROMISES - "All the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Gen.12:3)
B. THE FIRST PART OF ABRAHAM'S LIFE - GENESIS 11:27 - 19:38
1. Abram's family tree - 11:27-32
a. Abram's brother Haran died and Lot, his son, lived with Abram
b. Left Ur and settled in Haran
c. Teran died in Haran.
2. Abrahamic Covenant - 12:1-3
3. Abraham's test of faith - 12:4-20
a. Half truth is a lie
b. Compromise with world
4. The decision of Abraham and Lot produced two different life-styles (13:1-18)
ABRAHAM LOT
1. Return to Bethel to Worship -13:1-4 Lot returned with Abraham
2. Abraham's decision was to minister Lot's decision was based on material gain
3. Abraham yielded his personal rights or gains to Lot ignores the principles of God's Word biblical principles **
4. Only way to do it is that we believe in the 13:12 near Sodom
sovereignty of God **
5. God reassures Abraham of His faithfulness 14:12 living in Sodom
(13:14-17) **
6. Result: He worshipped (13:18) 19:1 Leader of Sodom
19:30-38 family polluted
5. The consequences and restoration of Lot (Gen.14:1-24)
a. Lot captured
b. Abraham's restoration
c. Abraham's temptation in his restoration of Lot - Gen.17-24)--> Gaining wealth and position by the wickedness of the world
d. Why did Abraham resist temptation: Key found in the Melchizedek - King\priest; no birth, no genealogy, not death recorded, no number of days.
Hebrews 7:1-3..."For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all {the spoils,} was first of all, by the translation {of his name,} king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually." (NASB)
Hebrews 6:20..."...where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." (NASB)
ABRAHAM SUBMITTED TO GOD (Melchizedek) AND RESISTED THE EVIL (King of Sodom) - James 4:7..."Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (NASB)
6. The ratification of the Abrahamic covenant (Gen.15:1-21)
a. Justification (Gen.15:6) - Romans 4:1-9..."What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS." Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: "BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED. "BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT." Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, "FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS." (NASB)...and verses 16-18..."For this reason {it is} by faith, in order that {it may be} in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, (as it is written, "A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU") in the presence of Him whom he believed, {even} God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, "SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE." (NASB)
b. Unconditional covenant illustrated - Gen.15:17
c. Description of the land - 18-21
7. The trouble and birth of Ishmael (Gen.16:1-16)
a. Situation ethics: (1) socially accepted; (2) noble act by Sarai; (3) motivated by high motives (4) goal 6 leave an heir.
b. What is wrong: (1) not God's time; (2) Not God's way; (3) not God's method; (4) done in the strength of the flesh
c. RESULTS: (1) deterioration of the family (16:4-6); (2) perpetual hostility against Ishmael & Isaac (16:7-14); (3) A direct attack by Satan on the Messianic line (Hagar descendent of Ham) THE ENDS NEVER JUSTIFIES THE MEANS!
8. The expansion and sign of the Abrahamic covenant (Gen.17:1-27)
a. The expansion of the covenant
b. The meaning of the sign of the covenant
* Rite pictures the impurity of the heart of the race that must be removed
* Commitment to God's people & His covenant
* It was the seal of the righteousness of God
Romans 4:11..."...and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them..." (NASB)
Deuteronomy 10:16...""So circumcise your heart, and stiffen your neck no longer." (NASB)
Deuteronomy 30:6...""Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live." (NASB)
Jeremiah 4:4..."Circumcise yourselves to the LORD And remove the foreskins of your heart, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Or else My wrath will go forth like fire And burn with none to quench it, Because of the evil of your deeds." (NASB)
Jeremiah 9:25-26..."Behold, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "that I will punish all who are circumcised and yet uncircumcised-- Egypt and Judah, and Edom and the sons of Ammon, and Moab and all those inhabiting the desert who clip the hair on their temples; for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised of heart." (NASB)
* It is not just to be outward but inward
Romans 2:28-29..."For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God." (NASB)
OT COVENANT COMMUNITY NT COVENANT COMMUNITY
mixture of regenerate and unregenerate Unmixed community (Church) of people believers only
COVENANT: Seed, Land, relationship COVENANT: Forgiveness, ministry
with God nationally; no salvation of the Holy Spirit, personal
specifically stated relationship with God, etc.
ENTRY: Covenant was initially entered ENTRY: New birth (regeneration)
by physical birth or proselyte and Baptism is only for those who are
circumcision was a seal of this. really under the New Covenant
Circumcision did not make him an (Believers Baptism)
Israelite or under the covenant.
It was only a sign.
9. The confirmation of the Abrahamic Covenant & Abraham's prayer (Gen.18:1-33)
a. The promise child next spring - Abraham and Sarah are both sexually impotent
b. Who are these three men - v.13-14 called Yahweh, 19:1 says the other two are angels
c. Abraham's prayer:
* Focal pt. - the honor & character of God
* specific in prayer
* boldness - Hebrews 4:16..."Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (NASB)
* Earnestly - James 1:6-7..."But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord..." (NASB)
* Humility - Genesis 18:27..."And Abraham replied, "Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am {but} dust and ashes." and verse 30..."Then he said, "Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak; suppose thirty are found there?" And He said, "I will not do {it} if I find thirty there." (NASB)
* Persistent
10. The sin and judgment of Sodom (Gen.19:1-38)
a. The sin of Sodomy
Leviticus 18:22..."'You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination." and verse 29..."'For whoever does any of these abominations, those persons who do {so} shall be cut off from among their people." (NASB)
Leviticus 20:13..."'If {there is} a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltiness is upon them." (NASB)
1st Corinthians 6:9-10..."Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor {the} covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God." (NASB)
1st Timothy 1:10..."...and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching..." (NASB)
b. Judgment of sodomy
Romans 1:24-28..."Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper..." (NASB)
c. Effect of the sin of Sodom
* Lot lost his sons - v.12 says he had sons but they did not go out of the city
* The Sons-in-law thought he was jesting - v.14
* Lot's wife yearn for Sodom v.26
* Two daughters - committed incest (vv.32-35)
* Lot was dull spiritually & had a problem with alcohol vv.33,35
* The city was destroyed
* What kind of atmosphere are we setting for our families? (home, school, friends, entertainment, etc.)
C. THE LAST YEARS OF ABRAHAM: Abraham & Isaac (Gen.20:1 - 25:18)
1. Abraham's seemingly insignificant sin brings grave consequences (Genesis 20:1-18..."Now Abraham journeyed from there toward the land of the Negev, and settled between Kadesh and Shur; then he sojourned in Gerar. Abraham said of Sarah his wife, "She is my sister." So Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, "Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is married." Now Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, "Lord, will You slay a nation, even {though} blameless? "Did he not himself say to me, 'She is my sister'? And she herself said, 'He is my brother.' In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this." Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also kept you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. "Now therefore, restore the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore {her,} know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours." So Abimelech arose early in the morning and called all his servants and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were greatly frightened. Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, "What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done." And Abimelech said to Abraham, "What have you encountered, that you have done this thing?" Abraham said, "Because I thought, surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife. "Besides, she actually is my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife; and it came about, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said to her, 'This is the kindness which you will show to me: everywhere we go, say of me, "He is my brother." Abimelech then took sheep and oxen and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored his wife Sarah to him.
Abimelech said, "Behold, my land is before you; settle wherever you please." To Sarah he said, "Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; behold, it is your vindication before all who are with you, and before all men you are cleared." Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maids, so that they bore {children.} For the LORD had closed fast all the wombs of the household of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham's wife." (NASB)
a. Abraham tries to justify his deception - v.11 (fear of man)
b. Abraham tries to rationalize away his action - v.12 (1/2 truth = whole lie)
c. Abraham tries to excuse his action by blaming God - v.13 (passing of the blame)
d. The results of Abraham's insignificant sin:
* He endangers Sarah & the godly seed
* Influenced Abimelech to sin
* It weakened his witness to the world
2. The birth of Isaac and the expulsion of Ishmael (Gen.21:1-21)
a. Ishmael mocked Isaac
b. Abraham expels him
c. God spares him and blessing him with a great nation (v.18) Marries a wife from Egypt (v.21)
3. The preparation and testing of Abraham through offering up Isaac (21:22 - 22:1-24)
a. Test of commitment - sacrifice your son
b. Response to the test: (1) Immediate obedience to the will of God; (2) Faith in God's Word - Key to his faith Gen.21:33 (everlasting God who resurrects life - Heb.11:17-19); (3) His love which put God first
ABRAHAM & ISAAC GOD THE FATHER & SON
Isaac a burnt offering Christ the burnt offering for sin
Only son Only Son
Abraham's love for his son is the Father's love for His Son (Mt.3:17)
highest human love
Moriah - temple built where On Moriah you can see Calvary. The
thousands of sacrifices were slain sacrifices on Moriah foreshadow the
to cover sin sacrifice (once for all) done by Christ to wash away
sins.
Abraham says in v.5 we will be back - God the Father raised Christ from
resurrection power of God the dead.
Both Abraham & Isaac walked together This has a similarity to Is.53:7 -
to the sacrifice like a lamb led to the slaughter
Isaac carried the wood for sacrifice Christ carried his cross (Jn.19:17)
Isaac submitted to his father's will Christ said "Thy will be done" (Mt.26:39)
God provided a lamb for Abraham God has provided us a lamb (Jn.1:29)
The lamb was the substitute for Isaac Christ is the sinner's substitute
4. The death and Burial of Sarah (Genesis 23:1-20..."Now Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; {these were} the years of the life of Sarah. Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan; and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. Then Abraham rose from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying, "I am a stranger and a sojourner among you; give me a burial site among you that I may bury my dead out of my sight." The sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, "Hear us, my lord, you are a mighty prince among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our graves; none of us will refuse you his grave for burying your dead." So Abraham rose and bowed to the people of the land, the sons of Heth. And he spoke with them, saying, "If it is your wish {for me} to bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and approach Ephron the son of Zohar for me, that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he owns, which is at the end of his field; for the full price let him give it to me in your presence for a burial site." Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the sons of Heth; {even} of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying, "No, my lord, hear me; I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the presence of the sons of my people I give it to you; bury your dead." And Abraham bowed before the people of the land. He spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, "If you will only please listen to me; I will give the price of the field, accept {it} from me that I may bury my dead there." Then Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, "My lord, listen to me; a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between me and you? So bury your dead." Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, commercial standard. So Ephron's field, which was in Machpelah, which faced Mamre, the field and cave which was in it, and all the trees which were in the field, that were within all the confines of its border, were deeded over to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city. After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field at Machpelah facing Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. So the field and the cave that is in it, were deeded over to Abraham for a burial site by the sons of Heth." (NASB)
a. Sarah buried in Hebron in the cave of Machpelah
b. Machpelah burial: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca and Leah
5. The marriage of Isaac to Rebekah (Gen.24:1-67) SEVEN PRINCIPLES WHICH WILL HELP US TO CHOOSE A LIFE LONG PARTNER:
a. 24:3-4 - Marry only a believer (2nd Corinthians 6:14-16...Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE." (NASB)
b. 24:5-8 - Fret not, but have faith in God
c. 24:14 - "appointed" God is in sovereign control to direct us to the right mate
d. 24:14 - Evaluate the character of the person -
e. 24:12-14, 21-27,48 - Rely upon God's providential guidance as you make wise decision based upon biblical principles
f. 24:50-59 - God uses your parents to guide you
g. 24:63 - God uses prayer
6. The death of Abraham (Gen.25:1-18)
a. Abraham's second wife - Keturah
II. THE HISTORY OF ISAAC AND HIS SONS (GEN.25:19 - 36:43)
A. JACOB'S BIRTH, EARLY LIFE AND LEAVING HOME (GEN.25:19 - 29:30)
1. Two boys, two nations and one choice (25:19-34)
a. Esau - Edomite
Jacob - Israelite
b. Two different personalities
c. One stronger - Israel subdued Edomites
d. The older serve the younger
* Older had: (1) the authority; (2) double portion of inheritance (Deuteronomy 21:17..."But he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the beginning of his strength; to him belongs the right of the firstborn." (NASB)); (3) spiritual head of family
* God in history: Isaac chosen over Ishmael
David chosen over older brothers
Judah chosen over first born and others
Solomon chosen over first born
e. WHY? GOD'S DIVINE CHOICE DETERMINES MAN'S DESTINY
Divine Election - Romans 9:10-13..."And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived {twins} by one man, our father Isaac; for though {the twins} were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose according to {His} choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, it was said to her, "THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER." Just as it is written, "JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED." (NASB)
f. The birthright: (1) He was consecrated to God (Exodus 22:29..."You shall not delay {the offering from} your harvest and your vintage. The firstborn of your sons you shall give to Me." (NASB)); (2) Double portion (Deut.21:17); (3) succeed in governing of family (2nd Chronicals 21:3..."Their father gave them many gifts of silver, gold and precious things, with fortified cities in Judah, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn." (NASB)); (4) right to priest before the law; (5) right to stand in the messianic line.
g. Esau shows he is not chosen physically or spiritual by choice to give away the birthright in such a light manner.
2. Isaac and Abimelech - the error of his father (26:1-33)
a. Principle: Biblical truth is caught more then it is taught. (Abraham had done the same in Gen.12,20)
b. Conflict with the wells is used by God for Isaac to acknowledge his dependency (vs.22)
c. God's appearance with the Word - brought strength and obedience to stay in the land
d. Response to God's promises: worship, witness
3. The Scheme of Rebekah and Jacob and the sovereign will of God (26:34 - 27:46)
a. Isaac's self-will in wanting to bless Esau as first born. He was thinking more of the flesh then of God's way.
b. The scheme of Rebekah is an attempt to obtain God's biblical goal by the wrong means.
c. Isaac learned that the sovereign will of God cannot be thwarted by man's will (Dan.4:35..."All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven And {among} the inhabitants of earth; And no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, 'What have You done?'" (NASB))
d. Esau wanted the blessings of God but not the will of God. (You cannot have the blessing of God without doing the will of God).
4. Jacob learns about God's presence in his flight to Mesopotamia (28:1-22)
a. v.13 God identifies himself
b. v.14 God confirms his covenant with Jacob
c. v.15 God guarantees provision and security
d. LADDER - uninterrupted communion between heaven and earth - man's access to God is secure. Thru this line (v.14) all the nations will have access to God. Now read John 1:45-51..."Philip *found Nathanael and *said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and {also} the Prophets wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." Nathanael said to him, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Philip *said to him, "Come and see." Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and *said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!" Nathanael *said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." Nathanael answered Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel." Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these." And He *said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man." (NASB), (John 14:6...Jesus *said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." (NASB))
5. Jacob marries: Leah and Rachel (29:1-30) You sow what you reap - Galatians 6:7..."Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap." (NASB)
B. JACOB ENTERS THE SCHOOL OF DIVINE DISCIPLINE (29:31 - 31:55)
1. The children of Jacob
2. God's blessing by learning to trust God
a. Laban changed his wages 10 times
3. God brings Jacob home
a. Rachel's character comes forth - steals idols
b. Why? (1) religious reasons; (2) 1st born rights
c. Her scheme tries to thwart God's plan.
d. God protects Jacob - 31:24,29
e. Compare Gen.28:13-15,20-22
JACOB LEARNS THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD TO HIS PROMISE
C. JACOB RECONCILES WITH ESAU AND HIS LATER LIFE (32:1 - 36:43)
1. Jacob reconciles with Esau (32:1 - 33:15)
a. Jacob's prayer of trust - 32:9-12
b. conciliate the offended person - 32:20
c. Submission to God through struggles and perseverance
* Jacob wrestles with God: It is a real event used symbolically to communicate Jacob's past & present life
* JACOB - trickster, supplanter ISRAEL - persist with God
* Wrestling with God pictures Jacob's life of struggling but now submission.
* dislocate the thigh - remind him that scheming does not work (make dependent)
d. Reconciliation: ACTION - take the initiative, offer restitution, trust in God to change the heart, humble confession REACTION - forgiveness INTERACTION - evidence of reconciliation
2. The awful massacred Shechem (33:16 - 34:31)
a. Jacob has not lived up to his vow in Gen.28:20-22
b. Intermarriage would have polluted the seed
c. Jacob's sin allows his sons to commit deceit by a sacred sign and murder (Levi, Simeon)
3. The renewal of the covenant and the restoration of Jacob (35:1-29)
a. Remember the Word of God
b. Repent - put away idols
c. God protects Jacob
d. God appears to him 35:10-13
e. Jacob's response was worship
f. Rachel dies, Benjamin born, Reuben's incest, Isaac dies
4. Esau's descendance (36:1-43)
III. THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH (GEN.37:1 - 50:26)
A. JOSEPH SOLD INTO SLAVERY (37:1-36)
1. Joseph established a moral standard and conviction in the midst of persecution and pressure.
2. Jacob had not learned the tragic results of partiality
3. The providence of God in the midst of evil plans
Proverbs 16:1..."The plans of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD."...and verse 4..."The LORD has made everything for its own purpose, Even the wicked for the day of evil."...and verse 9..."The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps."...and verse 33..."The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the LORD." (NASB)
B. THE PURPOSE OF CHAPTER 38
1. Judah married a Canaanite woman - seed was about to be polluted
C. JOSEPH IN POTIPHAR'S HOUSE (Genesis 39:1-23..."Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard, bought him from the Ishmaelites, who had taken him down there. The LORD was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. Now his master saw that the LORD was with him and {how} the LORD caused all that he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal servant; and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he owned he put in his charge. It came about that from the time he made him overseer in his house and over all that he owned, the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house on account of Joseph; thus the LORD'S blessing was upon all that he owned, in the house and in the field. So he left everything he owned in Joseph's charge; and with him {there} he did not concern himself with anything except the food which he ate. ¶ Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. It came about after these events that his master's wife looked with desire at Joseph, and she said, "Lie with me." But he refused and said to his master's wife, "Behold, with me {here,} my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put all that he owns in my charge.
"There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?" As she spoke to Joseph day after day, he did not listen to her to lie beside her {or} be with her. Now it happened one day that he went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the household was there inside. She caught him by his garment, saying, "Lie with me!" And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside. When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled outside, she called to the men of her household and said to them, "See, he has brought in a Hebrew to us to make sport of us; he came in to me to lie with me, and I screamed. "When he heard that I raised my voice and screamed, he left his garment beside me and fled and went outside." So she left his garment beside her until his master came home.
Then she spoke to him with these words, "The Hebrew slave, whom you brought to us, came in to me to make sport of me; and as I raised my voice and screamed, he left his garment beside me and fled outside." Now when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke to him, saying, "This is what your slave did to me," his anger burned. So Joseph's master took him and put him into the jail, the place where the king's prisoners were confined; and he was there in the jail. But the LORD was with Joseph and extended kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer. The chief jailer committed to Joseph's charge all the prisoners who were in the jail; so that whatever was done there, he was responsible {for it.} The chief jailer did not supervise anything under Joseph's charge because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made to prosper." (NASB)
1. Victory over sexual sin is obedient to the Word of God and sometimes that means flee the scene.
2. The reward for Joseph was not jail, but God will be with him (39:2,21,23)
D. JOSEPH INTERPRETS THE DREAM OF THE BUTLER AND THE BAKER (GEN.40:1-23)
1. Trials brought maturity and humility in Joseph - Jas.1:2-4; Rom.5:2-3
2. God developed in Joseph: integrity, dependability, faithfulness, concern for others in jail, relationship with God (interp. dreams); boldness to deliver bad news, patient-endurance (cupbearer forgot)
E. JOSEPH INTERPRETS PHARAOH'S DREAM (41:1-57)
Joseph's slavery has prepared him for the temptation for power and wealth
God works things for the good - Romans 8:28..."And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to {His} purpose." (NASB)
F. THE VISITATION OF JOSEPH'S TEN BROTHERS (42:1 - 45:28)
1. Joseph was trying to discern if his brothers had a change of heart.
2. This set up reconciliation and forgiveness
G. JACOB'S FAMILY COMES TO EGYPT (45:1 - 47:31)
H. THE FIRST BORN BLESSING GOES TO JOSEPH'S SONS (48:1-22)
I. JACOB BLESSES THE REST OF HIS CHILDREN AND HIS DEATH (49:1-33)
1. Seed of the woman 6 Noah 6 Abraham 6 Isaac 6 Jacob 6 Judah (49:10)
2. Joseph acknowledge the providence of God in protecting the promises to Abraham and sovereignly working in the evil plans of men to do it - Gen.45:5-7; 50:20)