GENESIS Beginning Introduction to Genesis Writing of the

GENESIS Beginning

Introduction to Genesis • Writing of the Book of Genesis − The name Genesis = Beginning − Comes from the Greek. − Can also mean origin, birth, and generation − Hebrew from first word "in the beginning. " − Written by Moses − Date written: 1490 BC to 1420 BC.

Introduction to Genesis • Content of the Book of Genesis − There is no ancient near eastern document comparable to Genesis. − Book has two unequal parts. − Primeval History (Age): Creation -- fall -corruption of humanity -- flood -- saving of Noah's family -- tower of Babel (Gen. 1 -11) − Patriarchal History (Age): Abraham and his descendants toward fulfilling God's promise (Gen. 12 -Ex. 2: 25) − Mosaical History (Age): Moses call, prophetic ministry, delivery from Egypt &

PENTATEUCH CHART DATE AGE PERIOD IMPORTANT PEOPLE & EVENTS SCRIPTURES unknown Primeval Antediluvian The creation of the world Adam and Eve's fall Cain and Abel Noah and the flood Gen. 1: 1 - 9: 29 Postdiluvian Tower of Babel Gen. 10: 1 -11: 9 Patriarchal Abraham Isaac Jacob Joseph Gen. 11: 1050: 26 Egyptian Jacob moves to Egypt Joseph dies Israelites pressed into slavery Gen. 46: 1 -Ex. 2: 25 Wandering Moses called to deliver Israel Plagues on Egypt Exodus Law given at Mt. Sinai Tabernacle erected Rebellion at Kadesh-barnea Wandering in the wilderness Moses's speech to the people Moses's death Joshua becomes the leader of Israel Ex. 3: 1 -Deut. 34: 12 unknown 2166 -1876 Patriarchal 1876 -1446 -1406 Mosaical

Introduction to Genesis • Outline of the Book of Genesis − Creation − Fall (Adam and Eve) − Noah & the Flood − Babel − Abraham 12: 1 -25: 18 − Isaac 27: 46 − Jacob 36: 43 − Joseph 50: 26 Genesis 1 -2 Genesis 3 Genesis 4 -10 Genesis 11 Genesis 25: 19 Genesis 28: 1 Genesis 37: 1 -

Introduction to Genesis • Purpose of the Book of Genesis − To reveal who God is and his saving work through Israel to bless all peoples.

Introduction to Genesis • Important teachings in Genesis − God keeps his promises − All nations will be blessed through Abraham (Gen. 18: 18) − Genesis records the actions of a personal God who acts in history for the good of people − God is Creator of the world and Sovereign − God's ways are perfect − Humanity is God's unique creation − God punishes sin − God calls for people to have faith − God shows patience and grace − God is self-revealed – commanding, conversing,

Introduction to Genesis • Reason Moses wrote Genesis − Written for the Israelites to teach them about the one God that created and rules everything as opposed to the God's around them and differentiate God from the gods − Distinguish the one God from other religions that had many gods that ruled over various aspects of the world, e. g. rain, crops, sun, moon, love. (How is the world seen to day; e. g. stars rule, science and random chance? ) • God's were capricious, unreliable, and threatening. God's were to be appeased by sacrifice to solicit their kindness to people.

Introduction to Genesis • Reason Moses wrote Genesis − Reveal a personal God at work, not a world that was the outcome of battle between the gods, Marduk and Tiamat, which were always in a struggle for power and thus gave rise the chaos and problems on earth (Tiamat losses and split in half) -Mesopotamian creation myth – Enuma Elish: • No mention of the creation of woman. • Very few similarities with Biblical account. • The creation account shows God to be the only God who created everything good and rules over an orderly creation. • God does not live in strife with other gods. • God is seen as initiating communication with his creation and providing for it. Humanity is to respond to God's action

Introduction to Genesis • Genesis and Humanities place − Humanity's makeup - image of God; relationship; caregiver; labor − Humanity's calling - follow their creator − Humanity's fall - losing sight of God − Humanity's problem - sin and suffering − Humanity's need - redemption from sin and suffering − Humanity's answer - Jesus Christ

Introduction to Genesis • Why did God create humanity? − He was lonely − Needed humanity − Need to be worshiped − Glorify God − God relational nature

Survey of Genesis Primeval History YHWH - God

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Days of Creation (1: 1 -2: 3) − Prologue (1: 1 -2) • God is the subject of first sentence of the Bible. • Creation is God's action. • Until God created nothing existed (matter has no self-existence) • Created but not yet formed or arranged. • Earth was formless and void (formless = chaos) • Deep means the ocean literally • God's Spirit was moving (working) • Spirit of God in O. T. is creative and sustaining

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Implications of the Doctrine of Creation − Everything has value as God's creation − God created and continues to work in the world − Scientific investigation is appropriate as creation assumes an orderliness created by intelligence − Only God is self-sufficient or eternal − Everything derives its existence from God − God's creation is of value to him and thus

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History – Earliest History • Days of creation and order of creation FORM FULLNESS Day Light & Day Lights for the Day 1 4 & Night Day Sea & Sky Day Creatures for the 2 5 Waters & Air Day Fertile Earth Day Land Creatures 3 6 Animals &

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • First Day (3 -5) − Light created and separated from darkness − How can there be light before the sun was created? • Other sources of light (i. e. ultraviolet light, electromagnetic) − Day - evening and morning one day seems to set the limit. • Day (yom) usually means a normal day or part of the daylight portion • Yom is used "in the time of the judges" for an indefinite time period and in Gen. 2: 4 for more

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Second Day (4 -8) − Expanse (firmament) = space or may refer to the atmosphere − Water above was a vast watery vapor (no rain in those days Gen. 2: 5), water canopy like greenhouse • Uniform temperature all over the world • Longer lives because of filtering of ultraviolet radiation, etc.

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Third Day (9 -13) − Dry land vegetation − Different after the flood

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Fourth Day (14 -19) − Lights created in the expanse − Signs for the seasons − Two great lights, greater rules the day, lesser rules the night

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Fifth Day (20 -23) − Creatures of the water − Creatures of the sky − Produce after their own kind − Sea monsters (tannin), sometimes translated dragon, a large sea animal (dinosaur? )

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Sixth Day (24 -31) − Land animals after their own kind. − Creation of man (squirrel article) • Man made in God's image contrary to animals, man's uniqueness • Man will rule over the animals • Male and female created in His image (1: 27) • Be fruitful and multiply (also after the flood Gen. 9: 1) • Subdue the earth • Given all things on the face of the earth − God saw that all he made was very good.

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Seventh Day (2: 1 -3) − Everything completed. − God rested; God's creating work was at an end − God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it (set it a part)

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Genesis and Humanities Place before God − Humanity’s makeup – image of God, relational (vertical and horizontal), labor, caretakers, rulers − Humanity’s calling – follow their Creator − Humanity’s fall – not following God − Humanity’s problem – sin and wrong relationships − Humanity’s need – redemption to right relationships

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Creation and Science − Christian theology does not propose to tell us how the universe came into being; it tells us the source of creation − Science - True science is defined as: The systematic analysis of presently observed processes and their phenomena. − Two areas where science and theology conflict • The origin and age of the universe • The development of creation

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Creation and Science − Which would you prefer, intelligent design or accident? − Which makes more sense, a organized universe by accident or intelligence? − We generally do not look at complex machines around us and assume the accidently came together but that someone designed them and created them Kalam Cosmological Argument By William Lane Craig

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Age of the Creation − Archbishop James Ussher dated the age of earth at 4004 B. C. • Based his calculations on the genealogies in the Bible • Genealogies don't always have every generation • “Son of” can just mean descendent of − Geology dates the earth at 5 to 6 billion years in age and universe at 8 to 12 (Hubble created a stir when said 2 billion) • Various methods used in dating • Radioactive material − Given probable gaps in the genealogies a longer

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Radioactive material like Uranium 238 - lead or Potassium – argon − Carbon 14 dating of organic material is limited to 50, 000 years but suffers from some of the same assumptions as others • Three Assumptions − Process of radioactive decay must have always operated at the same rate at which it functions today − Process takes place in a closed system meaning nothing could disturb or change the process (experiments show things can change similar processes)

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Age of the Creation − Attempts to reconcile these two views • The gap theory - holds that the original creation took place billions of years ago (mentioned in Gen. 1: 1) and then re-formed a few thousand years ago (Gen. 1: 2 ff). − Great age is from the first creation. − A great catastrophe occurred possibly due to Satan. − Creation stayed in ruin for a long time before God reestablished his creation recording in Gen. 1: 2 ff.

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Age of the Creation − Attempts to reconcile these two views • The flood theory - holds that the earth is just a few thousand years old but due to the flood at the time of Noah and the changes that occurred in the geological structures the earth appears older to geologists. − Huge waves cause great stress on the earth − Greater pressure from the amount of water − Life forms and mud deposit in different stratas

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Age of the Creation − Attempts to reconcile these two views • The ideal-time theory - holds that God created the world in six days but made it pre -aged or full grown so it is as if it were billions of years old. − Example of trees with rings indicating their "ideal age. " − Creation began at some point in the life-cycle. − The word "yom" is a literal 24 hour day and always mean day when used with a number.

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Age of the Creation − Attempts to reconcile these two views • The age-day theory - holds that the each day stands for and epoch or long period of time. − The word "yom" usually stand for a 24 hour period but can stand for and indeterminate period of time. − Scriptures: Ex 20: 11 says created in six days.

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Age of the Creation − Attempts to reconcile these two views • The literary-framework theory - holds that the biblical account is a literary device to give a picture of the God as originator of the world but not to be taken scientifically. − First three days are places - second three days fill the places − Light & Day - Sun, moon, stars − Sea & sky - Creatures of the water and sky − Fertile earth - Creatures of the land

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Creation or Evolution − Creation - holds that God created every species. • Some animals have become extinct due to changes in the earths environment or other factors • Animals develop within species • Creative act was in the six days of creation

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Creation or Evolution − Evolution - holds that all forms of life have developed from non-living substance to the first living material by a gradual process of selection, mutations, spontaneous variations which caused new types to come into existence. • Survival of the fittest due to better adapted to their environment • Developed from a lower to a higher forms − Problems with evolution • Lack of intermediate stages in geological records

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Attempt to Reconcile Creation & Evolution − Theistic evolution - God created directly the beginning of the evolutionary process and continues to work in the natural evolutionary process • May have been some modifying of living creatures in the process like giving humans a spiritual nature. • Try to fit the evolutionary process to scripture.

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Attempt to Reconcile Creation & Evolution − Progressive creationism - holds that God created over a long period of time each species (kind - min) and other evolved from those first broad group • Science notes gaps between kinds • Intra-kind development vs. Inter-kind development

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Doctrine (Teaching) of Creation − God created the entire universe out of nothing; it was originally very good; and he created it to glorify himself through his relationship with His creation.

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Objections to theistic evolution: − Scripture teaches that creation was purposeful not random or chance − Scripture pictures God’s creative work as bringing an immediate response • “And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kind. ” And after three hundred eightyseven million four hundred ninety-two thousand eight hundred seventy-one attempts, God finally made a mouse that worked. ” (Grudem 277)

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Objections to theistic evolution: − Scripture points to God creating animals and plants to reproduce after their kind − God played a active role in creating. − Special creation of Adam and Eve breaks with evolutionary thought − There are many scientific problems with theory of evolution

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Since Charles Darwin first published his Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection in 1859 – Problems persist: − No change from one species to another - fly is still a fly − Fossil records is still one of the biggest problem • Stasis. Most species exhibit no directional change during their tenure on earth. • Sudden appearance. In any local area, a species does not arise gradually by steady transformation

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Since Charles Darwin first published his Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection in 1859 – Problems persist: − Difficulty of explaining how life could have begun by chance. • Even the simplest living organism capable of independent life (the prokaryote bacterial cell) has not been able to be constructed in our best laboratories. “That a living organism emerged by chance from a pre-biotic soup is about as likely as that ‘a tornado sweeping through a junkyard might assemble a Boeing 747 from the materials therein. ’

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Since Charles Darwin first published his Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection in 1859 – Problems persist: − Kofahl and Segraves reported a study by evolutionary scientists that calculated the probability of the chance formation of the smallest likely living organism is 10 to 340, 000.

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Since Charles Darwin first published his Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection in 1859 – Problems persist: − Non-Christian writer, Michael Denton, Evolution: A Theory in Crises notes that since the time of Darwin notes, Neither the two fundamental axioms of Darwin’s macroevolutionary theory – the concept of the continuity of nature, that is the idea of a functional continuum of all life forms linking all species together and ultimately leading back to a primeval cell, and the belief that all the adaptive design of life has resulted from a blind random process – have not been validated by one single empirical discovery or scientific advance since 1859.

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Evolution of Humanity - Proof & Problems?

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Evolution of Humanity - Proof & Problems? Leakey discovered Kenyapithecus africanus – plaster cast of incisor and canine teeth and bits of the upper and lower jaw Zinjanthropus (fossil man) – nearly complete skull but primitive tool found in the same strata, they should not appear until later Ashley Montagu (anthropologist), Australopithecus are apelike and not of the line the leads to man. Korn and Smith in their book Human Evolution note Australopithecus was evolving toward being man but never crossed to become human.

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Evolution of Humanity - Proof & Problems? Pithecanthropines family – Java Man Dr. Du Bois set out to find the missing link between apes and humans and found the “Java man” as the bones were discovered in north central Java. Found apelike tooth, other teeth about 10 feet away, brain pan and a femur (thighbone). Declared the brain pan too small to be a man but too large for an ape. In 1896 Du Boise got the opinion of 19 authorities – 5 thought it was an ape, 7 thought human and 7 a missing link. Du Bois put the bone in a box and buried it under his dining room floor. Later admitted to finding other bones in the same strata that were unquestionably of modern humans.

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Evolution of Humanity - Proof & Problems? Pithecanthropines family – Peking Man In the 1930 s Dr. Black original found a molar tooth from which he decided he had found new genus and species. Later, more bone fragments and an almost complete skull were found but their whereabouts is unknown and cannot be studied today. Supposed reconstruction of the Peking Man

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Evolution of Humanity – Proof & Problems? Nebraska Man – single tooth but actually from a wild pig Piltdown Man – mandible and portions of a skull - complete hoax Orce Man – skull fragments later found to belong to 6 month old monkey Rodesian Man – actual bones of a modern man Heidelberg Man – large jaw bone with several teeth, jaw bone is large but teeth within modern human norms

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Adam and Eve in the Garden (2: 4 -25) − Amplification on the creation related to humanity place in the created order (2: 4 -7) • Earth watered by mist not by rain • Formation of Adam and breath of life (physical life)

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Adam and Eve in the Garden (2: 4 -25) − Planting of the garden east of Eden (2: 8 -14) • Tree of life • Tree of knowledge of good and evil − Location of garden by rivers • • Gihon Tigris Euphrates Pishon (see BAR, The River Runs Dry, p. 52 f)

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Possible location of the Garden (2: 425) (see BAR, The River Runs Dry, p. 52 f)

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Possible location of the Garden (2: 425) See article: http: //www. pauljwagner. com /images/pishon. pdf (see BAR, The River Runs Dry, p. 52 f)

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Adam and Eve in the Garden (2: 4 -25) − Man's place in the garden; God provides (2: 15 -17) • Man is to cultivate and care for the garden (labor a part of life) • God gives his will for His creation. Man free to eat of everything but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. − Humanity has freedom of choice to choose for God or against − God - Yahweh means "He who is" or Eternal − Yahweh is the covenant name for God (old version translated Jehovah)

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Adam and Eve in the Garden (2: 4 -25) − Unique characteristics of humanity • • • Image of God (1: 26) Self-conscience - freedom to choose Position – rules over creation (1: 26) Spiritual and physical being Relational (2: 14) − Death will result if one eats of the tree. • Physical death • Sin enters the world • Spiritual death or separation

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Adam and Eve in the Garden (2: 4 -25) − Creation of woman elaborated (2: 18 -23) • Man was not complete without woman • Helper is not a negative term • Man named all the animals but none were suitable for him − A woman was created from Adam's side • rib not a good translation • from side: neither from his head suggesting superiority or from his feet suggesting inferiority

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Adam and Eve in the Garden (2: 4 -25) − Goodness in relationships (2: 24 -25) − Man and woman were created to be united and complement each other • Marriage was instituted • Jesus based his teaching on marriage on this passage (Matt. 19: 3 -9; Mark 10: 2 -12) − There was an innocence before the fall. They did not know sin. They had only known good up to this time

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Sin Enters the World - The Fall (3: 1 -24) − Temptation of the serpent (3: 1 -7) • God said “you” plural are not to eat • The serpent used by Satan • The serpent as the devil and Satan (Revelation 12: 9; 20: 2) • Thrown down to earth and his angels − Satan lies to Eve to get her to disobey • Enticement is to be like God • She will not die − Disobedience brings loss of innocence • Realization of their nakedness indicated they had

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Sin Enters the World - The Fall (3: 1 -24) − Why the seriousness of sin? − Results of eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (3: 8 -24) • • • Adam and Eve change their relationship with God Hide themselves from His presence They were afraid because of disobedience Adam blames the woman Eve blames the serpent

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Sin Enters the World - The Fall (3: 1 -24) − God's response to their disobedience • Serpent cursed • More than all cattle and every beast of the field. • On his belly he will go. Was it upright before?

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Sin Enters the World - The Fall (3: 1 -24) − First prophecy in the O. T. Ultimate defeat of Satan prophesied (3: 15) • To Eve − Multiply pain in childbirth − Husband will rule over her (not dominate in a sinful way) • To Adam − Ground cursed from which he will work for food. − There will be thorns and thistles making the growing of food more difficult.

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Sin Enters the World - The Fall (3: 1 -24) − God continues to provide for humanity • Adam (person or man) called his wife Eve (life or living) because she was the "mother of all living. " • God provides the with clothes of animal skins − God removes Adam and Eve from the garden • Removed so they cannot continue to live forever by eating of the tree of life • Entrance to the garden guarded by cherubim • Cherubim = heavenly creatures

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Sin Enters the World - The Fall (3: 1 -24) − Origin of Satan • Lucifer (day-star) had fallen from heaven because of a desire to usurp the throne of God (Isa. 14: 12 -15). This passage is specifically speaking of the king of Babylon though we may assume the malevolent spirit of Satan was at work and being described here to some degree. • Ezekiel 28: 11 -19 - the king of Tyre whom Satan worked through is spoken of in the garden, as created, and "blameless" until "unrighteousness was found" in him and he was corrupted in his wisdom by his splendor.

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Cain and Able (4: 1 -24) − Cain kills Able (4: 1 -8) • First time sacrifices are mentioned • Able gives a better sacrifice • Cain is jealous so kills Able − Sin continues to be a problem • Gen. 4: 7 - do well, master sin − Cain's punishment (4: 9 -15) • No care for his brother (the problem of the world). • Punishment is to be a wander or nomad no longer a cultivator. • Protected from vengeance by a sign or mark.

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Cain and Able (4: 1 -24) − Cain's descendants in the land of Nod (4: 1624) • Violence continues in Cain's linage - Lemech • His line died in the flood − Seth in the place of Able (4: 25 -26) • Offspring in place of Able • This line followed after the Lord (Gen. 4: 26)

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • The Generations of Adam to Noah (5: 1 -32) − Adam through Seth leads to Noah − Two important figures prominent in the Bible • Enoch - walked with God an example of faithfulness (see Heb. 11: 5) • Noah - righteous before God, delivered from the flood

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Noah (6: 1 -10: 32) − The Evil of People (6: 1 -12) • Population increased and evil was the norm for the day − Sons of God took daughters of men. Offspring became mighty men of old • Some think angels intermarried with humans (see Lk. 20: 34 -36 which indicates angels don't marry) − Probably means God's followers intermarried with non-followers • Nephilim • Tribe of Canaanites who were large in size (see

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Noah (6: 1 -10: 32) − Building of the ark (6: 14 -16) • Gopher wood • Length 300 cubit (18") by 50 cubits (450' by 75') with three decks • Window around the top 1 cubit from roof • Very stable dimensions, would have to be turned almost vertical to tip over − Ark remains? • Over the years there have been people who have noted possible boar remains on Mt. Ararat in Turkey

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Noah (6: 1 -10: 32) − The rain and the flood (7: 6 -8: 19) • Noah was 600 years old when the flood came (enter ark 2/17/600). (7: 11) • Rained 40 days and 40 nights. • Fountains of the deep opened up. • Water covered the whole earth. − Length of time in ark 2/17/600 to 2/27/601 is one year and ten days (8: 13 -14) − Be fruitful and multiply occurs here and at creation when there were few people on the earth

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Noah (6: 1 -10: 32) − God's Covenant with Noah (8: 20 - 9: 19) • Noah's sacrifice • God's covenant with Noah • Sign of the bow that God would not destroy earth by flood again • Animals would fear people − Cursing of Canaan the son of Ham and Noah’s death (9: 20 -29) • What does it mean looked upon his fathers nakedness? • He told with delight or delighted in his father's

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • Noah (6: 1 -10: 32) − Generations of Noah's Sons (10: 1 - 10: 32) • Japheth - coastlands • Ham - Canaanites • Shem - hill country to the east (line of Abraham)

Survey of Genesis: Primeval History • The Tower of Babel (11: 1 -26) − The Tower (11: 1 -9) • Babel - confuse • People able to do great things (pride) • Different languages given • Scattered abroad − The Generations of Shem to Abram (11: 1026) • Traces from Shem to Abram