Hey everybody!  Hope you all are having a great week so far.  I was thinking a little about what we shared on Monday night about the creation of the universe and the illustration that Pat shared with us (for those of you who weren't there, it involved a table, some coins and a Dr. Pepper bottle. O_o  Ask about it next week...) and I thought I would post this short article titled "The Triune Universe: Time, Space and Matter" from the Institute for Creation Research.  It's a quick read, and it was this line that stuck out to me regarding our conversation....

Any effort to determine the cause of the universe is purely hypothetical. No human was there to observe the processes, so any attempt to understand events of pre-history (especially original events) must, therefore, be based on "belief systems," or presuppositions.

Check out the whole article here!  Here's a video from Creation Week on Origins.  Hope you guys enjoy these extras.

Love you guys!  Have a great weekend!

Eric

Notes on Gen 1:1

The sad reality is we probably don’t give enough study to the book of Genesis, and it arguably contains much of our basic understanding of whom God is and his heart of love for us as his children.  I'm convinced the opening chapters of Genesis are not optional.  They establish the vital foundation for everything we believe as Christians.  Sadly, it is a foundation that is being systematically undermined by the very institutions that should be most vigorously defending it.  More and more Christian educational institutions, apologists, and theologians are abandoning faith in the literal truth of Genesis 1-3.  All the more reason we begin this much-needed study of the book of Genesis.  So, let’s start by summarizing the book and noting some unique and interesting facts about the book itself.

TITLE:

• First off, the English title of Genesis comes from the Greek translation meaning “origins”; whereas, the Hebrew title is derived from the Bible’s very first word, translated “in the beginning.”  
• Genesis serves to introduce the Pentateuch (these are the first 5 books of the OT) and the entire Bible. 
• The influence of Genesis in Scripture is demonstrated by its being quoted over 35 times in the NT and hundreds of allusions appearing in both Testaments. The story line of salvation which begins in Gen. 3 is not completed until Rev. 21, 22 where the eternal kingdom of redeemed believers is gloriously pictured.  

AUTHOR & DATE:

• While the author does not identify himself in Genesis, and the fact that Genesis ends almost 3 centuries before Moses was born, both the OT and the NT ascribe the authorship to Moses.
• Chronologically speaking, Genesis was written after the Exodus (ca. 1445 B.C.), but before Moses’ death (ca. 1405 B.C.).  
• While it is difficult to pinpoint precisely the historical moment for which this book was written, Israel first heard Genesis sometime prior to crossing the Jordan River and entering the Promised Land (ca. 1405 B.C.).

BACKGROUND & SETTING:

• The initial setting for Genesis is eternity past.  God then, by divine Word, spoke all creation into existence, furnished it, and finally breathed life into a lump of dirt which He fashioned in His image to become Adam.
• Genesis has 3 distinct, sequential geographical settings: 1) Mesopotamia (chaps. 1–11); 2) the Promised Land (chaps. 12–36); and 3) Egypt (chaps. 37–50). The time frames of these 3 segments are: 1) Creation to ca. 2090 B.C.; 2) 2090–1897 B.C.; and 3) 1897–1804 B.C.
• An interesting note; the first three chapters of Genesis cover over a third of the Bible’s history.  That’s a lot of time packed into three chapters of the Bible. 

HISTORICAL & THEOLOGICAL THEMES:

• In Genesis, God has revealed Himself and a worldview to Israel which contrasted, at times sharply, with the worldview of Israel’s neighbors.
• Moses makes no attempt to defend the existence of God or to present a systematic discussion of His person and works.  Rather, Israel’s God distinguishes Himself clearly from the alleged gods of Israel’s neighbors.
• Also, theological foundations are revealed which include God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, mankind, sin & redemption, covenants (promise), Satan & angels, kingdom, revelation, Israel as a chosen people, judgment, and blessing.
• Genesis can be easily divided into two main sections.  
• The first part, Genesis 1–11 (primeval history), reveals the origins of the universe (i.e., the beginnings of time and space) and many of the firsts in human experience, such as marriage, family, the Fall, sin, redemption, judgment, and nations. 
• The second part, Genesis 12–50 (patriarchal history) God begins to personally deal with man and with His chosen people.  God explains to Israel how they came into existence as a family whose ancestry could be traced to Eber (hence the “Hebrews”; Gen. 10:24, 25) and even more remotely to Shem, the son of Noah (hence the “Semites”; Gen. 10:21). God’s people came to understand not only their ancestry and family history, but also the origins of their institutions, customs, languages, and different cultures, especially basic human experiences such as sin and death. 
• One final theme of both theological and historical significance which sets Genesis apart from other books of Scripture, is that the first book of Scripture corresponds closely with the final book. 
• In the book of Revelation, the paradise which was lost in Genesis will be regained. The apostle John clearly presented the events recorded in his book as future resolutions to the problems which began as a result of the curse in Gen. 3.  His focus is upon the effects of the Fall in the undoing of creation and the manner in which God rids His creation of the curse effect.  
• In John’s own words, “And there shall be no more curse” (Rev. 22:3). 
• Not surprisingly, in the final chapter of God’s Word, believers will find themselves back in the Garden of Eden, which is the eternal paradise of God, eating from the tree of life (Rev. 22:1–14).  At that time, they will partake, wearing robes washed in the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 22:14).

With this quick background, we will begin our study with the first two verses of God’s Word, in which is packed the essential truth of God’s creation of all that has life.  

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.  The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

• In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
• There are two purposes for this statement
• Identify God as Creator
• Explain the origin of the world
• This does not imply that nothing existed before this, but rather shows the beginning of time as we understand it

• In the beginning
• It’s the Hebrew word “BERESHIT” (Ba-ray-shith)
• Better translated “In the FIRST”
• This word does not denote a specific period of time, but rather, it stands for the starting point of God’s creation
• The root is “ROSH” meaning head, summit or chief
• It is used in compound words such Rosh Hashanah (head of the year), Rosh Chodesh (head of the month), Rosh Pinah (head of the corner, cornerstone).  The shoresh appears in words such as rishon (first), reshit (beginning), and bereshit (in the beginning)

• God
• God (Elohim) is eternal, existing before the universe, and is omnipotent, having created the universe. Therefore, nothing is impossible with God, and He alone gives meaning to everything. 
• No attempt is made in this verse to prove God; it was recorded in the beginning when no one doubted God.
• ELOHIM is used 32 times in Genesis 1
• It is plural in form
• Many other words could have been used
• El = One True God (el would have meant god – little “g”)
• El Echad = The One God (Mal 2:10)
• El Elyon = God Most High (Gen 14:18-20)
• El Emet = The God of Truth (Psalm 31:5)
• El Hanne’eman = The Faithful God (Deut 7:9)
• El Roi = God Who Sees (Gen 16:13-14)
• El Shaddai = God Almighty or the All Sufficient One (Gen 17:2-3)
• El Tsaddik = The Righteous God (Isa 45:21)
• YHWH = God’s Holy Covenant name (Ex 3:13-14)
• God is letting us know, from the very first line of His Word, that there is a plurality to His nature
• Father, Son and Holy Spirit are all present in Genesis 1:1-2

That's right!  We only made it through four verses tonight, (Don't judge us!!) but it was a great time together.  I think we all got a lot out of it tonight and I hope these notes help fill you in on what we covered tonight.  

Here's a "challenge" for us as we go about this week: 

1. Get a copy of the Bible with no commentary in it.  One of the greatest opportunities this gives us is to fully rely on the revelation God gives us in our quiet time with Him.  Sure, these Biblical scholars give us great insight into the Word of God, but nothing will compare to the insight that God gives us in our own hearts and minds as we study the Word!
2. Read Genesis, Chapter 1 this week and journal about what God is revealing to you each day.  These are not only beneficial to our personal study, but they will likely be of great benefit to our meeting times as well.

(Thanks for the great challenge Debbie!!!)

That's all for now.  Have a great week ladies and gentlemen!

How Important is Genesis? (John MacArthur)

This was posted by John MacArthur on Grace to You back in August of 2009.  It speaks aptly to the importance of why we should study and seek to understand Genesis.  I hope you find joy in reading this.


John MacArthur
I'm convinced the opening chapters of Genesis are not optional. They establish the vital foundation for everything we believe as Christians.
Sadly, it is a foundation that is being systematically undermined by the very institutions that should be most vigorously defending it. More and more Christian educational institutions, apologists, and theologians are abandoning faith in the literal truth of Genesis 1-3.

I recall reading a survey a few years ago which revealed that in one of America's leading evangelical accrediting associations, whose membership boasted scores of evangelical Bible colleges and universities, only five or six college-level schools remain solidly opposed to the old-earth view of creation. The rest are open to a reinterpretation of Genesis 1-3 that accommodates evolutionary theories.

Scores of well-known Bible teachers and apologists see the whole question as moot, and some even aggressively argue that a literal approach to Genesis is detrimental to the credibility of Christianity. They have given up the battle--or worse, joined the attack against biblical creationism.

I'm thankful for those who are still faithfully resisting the trend--organizations like Answers in Genesis, the Creation Research Society, and the Institute for Creation Research. These organizations and others like them involve many expert scientists who challenge the presuppositions of evolutionists on technical and scientific grounds. They clearly demonstrate that scientific proficiency is not incompatible with faith in the literal truth of Scripture--and that the battle for the beginning is ultimately a battle between two mutually exclusive faiths--faith in Scripture versus faith in anti-theistic hypotheses. It is not really a battle between science and the Bible.

As Christians, we believe the Bible is truth revealed to us by God, who is the true Creator of the universe. That belief is the basic foundation of all genuine Christianity. It is utterly incompatible with the speculative presuppositions of the naturalists.

In Scripture the Creator Himself has revealed to us everything essential for life and godliness. And it starts with an account of creation. If the biblical creation account is in any degree unreliable, the rest of Scripture stands on a shaky foundation.

But the foundation is not shaky. The more I understand what God has revealed to us about our origin, the more I see clearly that the foundation stands firm. I agree with those who say it is time for the people of God to take a fresh look at the biblical account of creation. But I disagree with those who think that calls for any degree of capitulation to the transient theories of naturalism. Only an honest look at Scripture, with sound principles of hermeneutics, will yield the right understanding of the creation and fall of our race.

The Bible gives a clear and cogent account of the beginnings of the cosmos and humanity. There is absolutely no reason for an intelligent mind to balk at accepting it as a literal account of the origin of our universe.  Although the biblical account clashes at many points with naturalistic and evolutionary hypotheses, it is not in conflict with a single scientific fact. Indeed, all the geological, astronomical, and scientific data can be easily reconciled with the biblical account. The conflict is not between science and Scripture, but between the biblicist's confident faith and the naturalist's willful skepticism.

To many, having been indoctrinated in schools where the line between hypothesis and fact is systematically and deliberately being blurred, that may sound naive or unsophisticated, but it is nonetheless a fact. Again, science has never disproved one word of Scripture, and it never will. On the other hand, evolutionary theory has always been in conflict with Scripture and always will be. But the notion that the universe evolved through a series of natural processes remains an unproven and untestable hypothesis, and therefore it is not "science." There is no proof whatsoever that the universe evolved naturally. Evolution is a mere theory--and a questionable, constantly-changing one at that. Ultimately, if accepted at all, it must be taken by sheer faith.

How much better to base our faith on the sure foundation of God's Word! There is no ground of knowledge equal to or superior to Scripture. Unlike scientific theory, it is eternally unchanging. Unlike the opinions of man, its truth is revealed by the Creator Himself! It is not, as many suppose, at odds with science. True science has always affirmed the teaching of Scripture. Archaeology, for instance, has demonstrated the truthfulness of the biblical record time and time again. Wherever Scripture's record of history may be examined and either proved or disproved by archaeological evidence or reliable independent documentary evidence, the biblical record has always been verified. There is no valid reason whatsoever to doubt or distrust the biblical record of creation, and there is certainly no need to adjust the biblical account to try to make it fit the latest fads in evolutionary theory.

Again, a biblical understanding of the creation and fall of humanity establishes the necessary foundation for the Christian world-view. Everything Scripture teaches about sin and redemption assumes the literal truth of the first three chapters of Genesis. If we wobble to any degree on the truth of this passage, we undermine the very foundations of our faith.

If Genesis 1-3 doesn't tell us the truth, why should we believe anything else in the Bible? Without a right understanding of our origin, we have no way to understand anything about our spiritual existence. We cannot know our purpose, and we cannot be certain of our destiny. After all, if God is not the Creator, then maybe He's not the Redeemer either. If we cannot believe the opening chapters of Scripture, how can we be certain of anything the Bible says?

To those who will inevitably complain that such a view is credulous and unsophisticated, my reply is that it is certainly superior to the irrational notion that an ordered and incomprehensibly complex universe sprung by accident from nothingness and emerged by chance into the marvel that it is.

Scripture offers the only accurate explanations that can be found anywhere about how our race began, where our moral sense originated, why we cannot seem to do what our own consciences tells us is right, and how we can be redeemed from this hopeless situation.

Scripture is not merely the best of several possible explanations. It is the Word of God.

© 2013 Grace to You. All rights reserved.

Hey everybody!  Welcome to the resource site for our group!  My prayer for this site is that it becomes a resource center for us to post and comment on additional aids for our study through the book of Genesis, as well as a place where we can share insight and revelation as God's Word is revealed to us.  I pray that it becomes part of the heart beat of our study and is a benefit to what we do!

The name of this page comes from Acts 2:42.

And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

This is my prayer.  That as we meet with one another and study the Word, we become like the disciples we find in the time of the early church.  That we begin living Acts 2:42 in our daily lives, not just with each other, but with the entire body of Christ!  Love you guys and I am looking forward to our time together in this study!

Eric