1:27-28 God created man (male and female) in His own image. He blessed them and told them to be fruitful and increase in number. They were to fill the earth and "subdue it." God gave them authority to rule over all the animals. He didn't give this kind of authority to any other creature, only to man. Being made in the image of God seems to be related to having authority, serving as God's representative on the earth.
v. 29-31 God gave the man and woman every seed-bearing plant for food. They were vegetarians. And all the birds and animals were given green plants for their food. They too were vegetarians. God looked at what He'd made and said that it was very good. Imagine the scene, beautiful animals, birds, trees, and plants in a world where there was no bloodshed or violence. It was indeed very good.
2:1-3 God was finished creating. On the seventh day He rested, not because He was tired, but because He was finished. He blessed that day and made it holy. Before we go on, try to imagine the impact this chapter would have had on the ancient Israelites. While the pagans around them were worshiping other gods they alone worshiped the God who made everything the others worshiped. Also, this account of creation helps explain why Sabbath-keeping was a part of their covenant with God.
v. 4-7 Now Moses goes back to talking about Day 6 of creation. Man was not created yet and the vegetation had not sprouted because God hadn't brought rain. Streams came up and watered the earth. Then God formed the man from the dust and breathed into him the breath of life and "man became a living being."
v. 8-17 God planted a garden called Eden and put the man there. Eden was filled with fruit trees and in the middle of the garden were two very special ones: the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This garden was watered by a river that separated into four headwaters, the Pishon, the Gihon, the Tigris and the Euphrates. The man was placed in the garden because God wanted him to take care of it. God commanded him not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or else he would die.
v. 18-25 God said it was not good for the man to be alone so He would make a helper for him. But first the man was told to name all the animals. Naming them indicates his authority over them. But no suitable helper was found for Adam. So God caused him to sleep and took one of his ribs from which He made a woman. Then God brought her to the man. There was an intimate connection between them. Adam recognized that she was "bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh." Moses explains to the Israelites that this is why a man leaves his parents and becomes united to his wife. They become one flesh. Adam and Eve were naked and felt no shame. All was well in Eden.
3:1-7 Then along comes the "crafty" serpent who speaks to the woman and questions God's command. The woman said they must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or even touch it or they will die. The serpent said, "You will not surely die." The serpent was calling God a liar. He went on to tell her that if she ate this fruit she would be like God, knowing good and evil. The woman was tempted by the pleasing appearance of the fruit and the idea that it would make her wise. She took some, ate it, and gave some to her husband. He also ate it. Their eyes were opened. Realizing that they were naked, they sewed fig leaves together to make simple clothing.
v. 8-13 The Lord God was walking in the garden in the evening. The man and woman hid from Him. The Lord God called to the man, "Where are you?" God knew where he was. The man answered that he was afraid because he was naked so he hid from God. When asked how he knew he was naked and whether he'd eaten the forbidden fruit the man blamed it on God and the woman. He said to God, "The woman you put here with me-- she gave me some fruit from the tree and I ate it." So God asked the woman and she blamed it on the serpent who deceived her.
v. 14-15 God cursed the serpent saying that it would crawl on its belly and eat dust. God would put hostility between the serpent's offspring and the woman's. The serpent's head would be crushed (by Christ) and the serpent would strike his (Christ's) heel.
v. 16 God did not curse the woman but told her that He would greatly increase her pain in childbearing. Her desire would be for her husband and he would rule over her.
v. 17-19 God did not curse Adam but he cursed the ground because Adam listened to his wife and ate the fruit. His wife was deceived by the serpent but apparently Adam was not deceived. God cursed the ground so that it would produce thorns and thistles. Instead of tending the lush garden in Eden Adam would have to plant fields and work very hard for his food. When he dies his body will return to the ground because he was made from dust and unto dust he will return.
v. 20-21 "Adam named his wife Eve because she would become the mother of all the living." God made clothing out of animal skins for Adam and Eve. This is the first mention of any blood being shed on the earth-- right after the first sin was committed.
v. 22-24 God said the man had now become like Him in the sense that he had knowledge of good and evil. "He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." So God banished him from Eden and guarded the tree of life with cherubim and a flaming sword. Adam had to go "work the ground from which he had been taken."
That's all for this time.
-- Sandy Blank
Remember, we moved to Hutchins Hall #402 and can still Skype from there.
