Lesson 1
Genesis: the BeginningMount Sinai and the Founding of a Culture
The content of Genesis was given to Moses on Mt. SinaiIt is unknown whether or not the Israelites already had a distinct creation tradition before this time
The Effect of this Setting on the TextThe revelation given in Genesis focuses on information that will lay a foundation for the Old CovenantGenesis as a Suzerain-Vassal Treaty
It identifies who God isIt identifies who man isIt tells the history of God’s relationship with the forefathers of the Israelites
The Historical Setting
Lesson 1
Genesis: the BeginningObservations from the Structure of the Days
Every day begins with God speakingEvery day ends by being numberedGod stops naming things in the first half of the third dayOnly animated creatures are blessedMan is the only created thing which God speaks “to”Creation is earth and man centered
The Text
Lesson 1
Genesis: the BeginningObservations from The Text
Formless Void
Day Item Created Day Item Created
1 Light and Darkness 4 Sun, Moon, Stars for keeping time/seasons
2 Sea and Sky 5 Creatures for the Sea and Sky
3 Fertile Earth and Plants 6 Creatures for the Earth and Plants
The Text
Lesson 1
Genesis: the BeginningLiterary Structure of the DaysDay Repeated Phrases Day Repeated Phrases
1 A-C-D-B-E-F 4 A-C-B-D-F
2 A-B-C-E-F 5 A-B-D-G-F
3 A-C-E-D-A-C-B-D-F 6 A-C-B-D-A-B-G-*-C-D-F
A) The Divine Quotation B) The Action TakenC) The Declaration of CompletionD) The Pronounced State of GoodnessE) The Naming of the CreationF) The Numbering of the DayG) Blessing Upon Living Creatures
“And God said…”“And God made…”“And it was so.”“And God saw…it was good”“And God called…”“…evening and morning, the … day”“And God blessed them…”
Lesson 1
Genesis: the BeginningGap Theory Interpretations of Genesis 1:1-2
`#r<a'(h‘ taeîw> ~yIm:ßV'h; taeî ~yhi_l{a/ ar"äB' tyviÞarEB.
~Ah+t. ynEåP.-l[; %v,xoßw> Whboêw" ‘Whto’ ht'îy>h'
#r<a'ªh'w>`~yIM")h; ynEïP.-l[; tp,x,Þr:m.
~yhiêl{a/ x:Wråw>
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, 2 and the earth was/became formless and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering upon the face of the waters.
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, 2 and the earth was/became formless and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering upon the face of the waters.
“formless and void” see also Jeremiah 4:23 and Isaiah 34:11
The Text
Lesson 1
Genesis: the BeginningThe TextTextual Issues with the Gap Interpretation
Placing a catastrophic judgment before the creation of light requires one to assume the fall of Satan occurred before creationIt only answers one of the key objections to Scripture
The Gap theory seeks to explain Age of rock according to atomic dating methodsAstronomical distancesExtinction of dinosaurs before man
Stars are not created until the fourth dayDinosaurs clearly would have been the living creatures created on the sixth day
Lesson 1
Genesis: the BeginningFoundational UnderstandingsGod is the maker, EVERYTHING else is made
This addressed the polytheism of their dayThis did not rule out the existence of other “gods”This established that even the “gods” were made
There was no need to address atheism Seven day pattern of life is a set at the beginning
The Sabbath is not just a ‘Jewish Cultural Day”“Sabbath” in Hebrew
Means both “rest” and “seven”It has more the idea of cessation of activity then that of recuperating from strenuous work
Lesson 1
Genesis: the BeginningFoundational UnderstandingsMan bears the image of God
Amêl.c;B. ‘~d"a'h'¥-ta, ~yhiÛl{a/ ar"’b.YIw:
At=ao ar"äB' ~yhiÞl{a/ ~l,c,îB.
`~t'(ao ar"îB' hb'Þqen>W rk"ïz"
God created man in His imageGod created man in His image
God created man male and female
A=B, A=B, A=C therefore B=C
Top Related