Creation, Commission and Corruption Realize, Rescue and Recovery

The Worldwide Status of Bible Translation: (International Bible Society and Wycliff) There are currently 7,099 living languages in the world The complete Bible has been translated into 670 languages Approximately 2,000 languages still need a Bible translation project to begin

Realize: There is darkness called rebellion, a separation from God who is light Rescue: There is a divine intervention or infusion that has power over the darkness Recovery: Personal transformation--to restore how we have been created in the image of God

Quotes from Jesus referring back to the Old Testament “It has been said but now I say” “From the foundation or creation of the world”

Genesis 1:2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.

Deuteronomy 5:8 (NIV) 8 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.

Genesis chapter one is not “wrong” Genesis chapter one is not a scientific description of the world. The author opens up our minds to how great our God really is. He is beyond our understanding.

“In the beginning” >> “beginning” Hebrew “re'shiyth” >> an ambiguous period

Genesis 1:2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters

The Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the deep Spirit is the Hebrew >> “Ruach”: which refers to Breath

Genesis 1:27 (NIV) So God created mankind in his own image,     in the image of God he created them;     male and female he created them.

Genesis 2:7 (NIV) Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Breathed >> “Ruach” of God

Multiply my likeness on the earth Genesis 1:28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Multiply my likeness on the earth

So far the story in Genesis is about Who are we? Created Where are we? In a beautiful world What are we? Rulers >>Commissioned to multiply and to rule over the creation

Genesis 2:16,17 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but of you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

What went wrong?

Blood needs to be shed to remove Sin Their choice to sin corrupted the plan God had for them. What is the solution? Blood needs to be shed to remove Sin

Cain kills Abel – murder-- 4:8 Lamech – kills people > 2 wives- 4:19-24

Humans increased on the earth – multiplying themselves, wickedness was great, thoughts of evil all the time, Rising injustice and wickedness-- 6:5-6, 11-12

The judgment and cleansing of God The flood, a brand new beginning with Noah and his family—Chapters 6-8

Noah plants a vineyard and gets drunk — 9:20

Hebrews 11:7 (NIV) 7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith. God is a God of rescue and recovery!!

Tower of Babel –making a name for themselves—11:3-4

11:7-8: The Lord, Godhead, trinity came down…Let us go down to confuse the people and to scatter the people over the face of the whole earth.

Realize -- the Rebellion/Sin; The last story was the Tower of Babel Rescue -- Initiated by God: God comes down Recovery – God takes the family line of Shem, Noah’s son and reveals the plan of rescue and recovery

Genesis 3:15. 15 And I will put enmity     between you and the woman,     and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head,     and you will strike his heel.”