Creation Accounts for Everything

Old Testament Survey Series in the Koinonia Adult Bible Fellowship (ABF) at Cornerstone Baptist Church

Lesson Two

Creation Accounts for Everything

1. Opening Discussion – “Getting” Unbelievers (Meaning of life and living for/against nature):
   1. How do people who do not believe in creation make sense of the world and of life?
   2. How do people who do not believe in creation deal with the beauty and cruelty of nature?
   3. How do they deal with “the problem of life”? (e.g., Job 4:12-21)
2. Starting (Startling) Point – Unique features of Genesis 1 and 2: Creation…
   1. Was and is accomplished by an eternal God: Psalm 90:2
   2. Was and is from nothing – Ex nihilo [H1254 bara’]: Jeremiah 10:16; Isaiah 44:24
   3. Was and is Personal and ongoing – John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:15-17; Hebrews 11:3
   4. Was and is subject to God’s laws – God is the Lawgiver of physical laws (Psalm 33:6-9; John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:3)
3. God is the Creater and source of time, space, energy, matter and … light (Rev, 21:23; Rev. 22:5)
4. Genesis Accounts for Everything (i.e., heaven and earth: Genesis 14:19; Genesis 14:22; Jeremiah 23:24; 2 Kings 19:15; 2 Chronicles 2:12; Psalms 115:15, 121:2, 124:8, 134:3, 146:6; Isaiah 37:16)
5. Genesis 1: The Vertical (God’s-eye, majestic) viewpoint [H430 ‘elohiym] of the “what” of creation
   1. The mysteries of light, energy, matter and mass.
   2. God’s majesty, omniscience, creativity, love, orderliness and timeliness
      1. Mapping our lives to God’s rhythm of work and rest (Exodus 20:11; Exodus 34:21)
   3. Heaven + earth = everything (entire cosmos): the majesty of Who God is.
6. Genesis 2: The Horizontal (Human story-of-redemption perspective) viewpoint of the “why” of creation
   1. [H3068 Yehovah H430 ‘elohiym ] links the idea of the pre-garden Creator-God with the post-Garden story of covenant and redemption.
   2. Genesis 1:3 Light before the Genesis 1:16 Sun?
      1. “The fact that Genesis talks about light existing before the appearance of the sun, moon, and stars seem rather to be evidence of divine authorship of the Bible. It was inconceivable to pagan thinking that life could exist without the sun and its light. Hence pagan religions worshiped the sun as the source of light and heat . . . The Bible is unique in stating that the sun is of secondary importance.” (Donald Chittick, The Controversy, Portland, Oregon: Multnomah Press, 1984, p. 151)
   3. Genesis 1:11-12 Plants before Genesis 2:5 shrubs [H7880 siyach] and cultivated crops [H6212 `eseb] of the field?
      1. Desert vegetation after a rain (Gen 2:5; Gen 21:15; Job 30:4l; Job 30:7)
   4. Animals on the fifth day (Genesis 1:20-25) or sixth day (Genesis 2:19)?
      1. Pluperfect “had” formed [H3335 yatsar], and now presented [H935 bow’].
7. Eve and the (very long?) sixth day? “A little help??!!”
   1. 1. God’s orderly presentation of animals and Adam’s job of naming kinds (Genesis 6:20).
      2. Tension for Adam: the LORD’s first observation of what is not good (and the LORD’s problem-solving gift).
8. Q & A and Closing Discussion about “wasted space”
   1. 1. The countryside? Deserts? The cosmos? You?
      2. Compare: Psalm 19:1
9. Conclusion
10. Closing Prayer: Psalm 119:105-112