The word Genesis means "beginning," so let's start in the beginning where it all began with God. We who believe the Bible accept that fact. God does not say how old the earth is, but God does tell us how it all began. The earth was said to be "without form, and void" or empty (Genesis 1:2).

"In the beginning GOD created the heavens and earth.

"Darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the SPIRIT OF GOD

moved upon the face of the waters" (Genesis 1:1-2).

 

What happened in the next few days is hard to imagine. As we look at the Creation let US never forget the great power of God's spoken word, for when God speaks, it will surely come to pass. "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light . . .

"God called the light DAY, and the darkness he called NIGHT. And the evening and the morning were the 1st day" (Genesis 1:1-2).

Was a day the same length as it is today? We have no reason to think otherwise. It was a period of light and darkness just as we have today. We believe other words in the Bible mean the same thing - if a "tree" was a tree, then a "day" was a day. Remember, the B i b l e is God's message to us and he wanted us to be able to read, study, and obey his words. The Creator, God, is able to communicate to his creations, you and me.

On the second day the heavens were made by God. Dry land appeared the third day as God gathered the waters together forming seas. God spoke and grass grew, and the fruit tree "whose seed is in itself." (Genesis 1:11) If we grow a tree today it is from a seed, but in the beginning God created trees full-grown and mountains with age.

The fourth day God put the Seasons in motion, setting lights in the firmament of the heaven, for signs, seasons, days and years and to give light upon the earth (Genesis 1:14).

"GOD made two great lights, the greater light to rule the day. and the lesser light to rule the night He made the stars also" (Genesis 1:16).

The fifth day God created "great whales" and "every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly" and "every winged fowl" (Genesis 1:21).

God made the "cattle" and "creeping things" and "beasts of the earth" (Genesis 1:24). Something else came to our Creator's mind, a being of his likeness, male and female. Notice the first man and woman were created full-grown (with age). Eve was made from Adam's rib as he slept (Genesis 2:22).

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him male

and female" (Genesis 1:27)

"And the Lord God formed man out of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul" (Genesis 2:7).

 

When God had finished all the heavens and the earth and all the host of them, he rested (Genesis 2:1-2).

"Consider the WONDROUS WORKS of GOD" (Job 37:14).

This is the way GOD said he did the creation and we believe him. The "creations" themselves testify to their creator as a supreme being. The orderly fashion of the universe claims the hands of a mighty and knowledgeable God. So that only "the fool hath said in his heart, there is no God" (Psalms 14:1).

"The HEAVENS declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his HAND YWORK" (Psalms 19:l).

God placed Adam and Eve in a beautiful garden called Eden. His blessings were upon them as he told them to "be fruitful and multiply" on the earth and to "have dominion" over his creations (Genesis 1:28). Woman's role was one of helpmate and companion for man, as God saw that it was not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18). God meant for it to be a good life for them, for God loves us.

"And the Lord God commanded the main saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat...

"But of the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil thou SHALT NOT EAT of it. for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou SHALT SURELY DIE " (Genesis 2:16-17).

 

The home was God's idea and can be a haven of peace when we obey God. Then amidst all the beauty and happiness in Eden, discontent struck at the heart of Eve. Satan is a homewrecker and he was able to get Eve to think about the one thing she couldn't have and forget all the good things God gave her. She distrusted God's judgement and decided she knew best (self-will) and that God was holding out on her. Satan's "tricks" still work today. Satan said, "Ye shall not surely die," calling God a liar (Genesis 3:4).

"The woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the E-Y-E-S, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and DID EAT, and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat" (Genesis 3:6).

Thus we have the 1ST SIN, with Eve leading Adam into sin also. Our bad example can lead those we love away from God. Christians are warned of Satan's tricks, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, which are not of the Father (I John 2:16). Our human nature to sin is still present with us. All who reach the age of maturity will sin and be lost, thus needing salvation.

"Wherefore, as by one man, (Adam), SIN entered into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that ALL HAVE SINNED " (Romans 5:12).

Adam and Eve's sins brought not only spiritual death, thus a need for forgiveness, but also physical death. In time they did die as you and I shall some day. As punishment, the woman was given the pain of childbearing and her husband would rule over her. Man would now labor among thorns and thistles for his food and both were driven from the garden (Genesis 3:16-23). Through Jesus Christ mankind can be "counted righteous" with God again (Romans 5:17-19). The first reference to Jesus, called the "Seed of the Woman," is seen in Genesis 3:15. Jesus dealt Satan a strong blow at the cross.

"And I will put enmity between thee and the womar4 and between thy Seed and HER SEED, it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel" (Genesis 3:15).

 

Adam and Eve began a family, giving birth to Cain and, soon after, Abel his brother (Genesis 4:1-2). The "sin nature" still being present, Cain became angry and killed his brother (Genesis 4:8). God punished Cain; envy and jealousy were the sins of Cain's heart because God was pleased with Abel's offering to God. They must be put out of our hearts before they lead to water sins. Generations were born and no doubt married among themselves, since Eve was the "mother of all living" (Genesis 3:20).

God saw the "wickedness of man was great" and was sorry he had made man. Noah was a "just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God" (Genesis 6:5-9). God sent a flood over the whole earth and only 8 people were saved (Genesis 7:13) - Noah and his wife, their 3 sons and their wives. God told Noah to build an ark following the instructions God gave him exactly. The ark was 300 cubits long (450') 50 cubits wide (75') and 3 stories high (Genesis 6:15).

"Thus did NOAH; according to ALL that GOD commanded hin4 so did he" (Genesis 6:22).

All who entered the ark were saved. It began to rain, and did so for 40 days and nights; the earth was covered (I Peter 3:20-21). Water was on the earth 150 days and God caused it to begin going down, (Genesis 7:24) the ark coming to rest on Mt. Ararat. The people were in the ark one year and ten days. A rainbow was placed in the sky as a sign that God would never again destroy the earth with water (Genesis 9:13-15). After the flood, the people attempted to build a tower that would reach to heaven, to glorify themselves. God was displeased and confounded their languages scattering the people into all parts of the world (Genesis 11:7-9).

Generations pass and God calls a man named Abraham to be the first patriarch (father) of the Hebrew nation. God spoke through these heads of families. This age existed until the giving of the law at Mt. Sinai. The Hebrew nation, (Jews) was later referred to as the "Israelites," after a man whose name was changed from Jacob to Israel by God. Jacob was another Patriarch, and it was through this Israelite nation our Saviour was born. The Old Testament relates the struggles of the Hebrews (Israelites) and the idol-worshiping nations they lived among.

The first written law was given to this Hebrew nation at Mt. Sinai through a man named Mom. It included the 10 commandments and other laws and ordinances recorded in the Old Testament. When the Israelites failed to keep God's laws, God sent prophets among them to warn them to repent; such men as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos and others. Other books of the Old Testament are words of wisdom, such as the book of Solomon and Proverbs, and are still wise to live by today because it is God's wisdom. All the writings inspire us today as we see God's power and guidance in the lives of men and women. We also see God's wrath toward those who disobeyed him, but not without much longsuffering from God.

The Old Testament points us to the Kingdom (the Church) that God would set up in the "Last Days" which would never end. We read about Christ's church in the New Testament. The Hebrew writer explains that God "hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son" (Hebrews 1:1-2). The words of Jesus are recorded in the New Testament and we are now living in the "last days." Christ brought Christians a New Covenant. "He taketh away the first (covenant) that he may establish the second (covenant)" (Hebrews 10:9). The Old Covenant was given through Moses and ruled the Hebrew nation. It was kept by Christ throughout his life until his death on the cross (Colossians 2:14).

In our next lesson we will begin our study of the "Patriarchal Age."

1. In the GENESIS account of the CREATION, the B I B L E tells us in the beginning the earth was said to be "____________ ____________ and void" (empty). (Genesis 1:2)

2. The first woman, Eve, was made from Adam's _________________.(Genesis 2:22)

3. In the book of Job we are reminded to "Consider the ____________ ___________of God" (Job 37:14)

4. The BIBLE tells us that only the "______________hath said in his heart, there is NO GOD." (Psalms 14:1)

5. God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, their first home. They were allowed to eat of all the trees except the tree of the ______________of ____________and Evil." (Genesis 2:17)

6. Three ways Satan tricks us are through the Lust of the ___________, the Lust of the _____________, and the Pride of Life." (I John 2:16)

7. What scripture in the book of Romans, referred to in our lesson, tells us that "ALL have sinned?"___________.

8. The two sons of Adam and Eve were named ___________and___________ (Genesis 4:1-2)

9. When the wickedness of mankind was great, God brought a flood upon the earth. Only_________ people were saved as Noah did all that God commanded him to do in building the ark. (Genesis 7:13)

10. Christians live under a new covenant, "He taketh away the First (covenant) that he may establish the Second (covenant). Name the Scripture.____________________

NAME__________________________ LESSON RECEIVED____________________

ADDRESS_______________________ LESSON RETURNED____________________

________________________________ GRADED BY____________ GRADE________

I will promptly grade your answers and mail you the results.

Or, write for the free Bible course to be mailed to your home.
I will promptly grade them and mail you the other lessons.

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