Exposition of Genesis 1-11 Creation – Part II Gen 1:24 – 2:3

“Of course, theological liberals have long espoused theistic evolution. They have never been reluctant to deny the literal truth of Scripture on any issue. The new trend has also influenced some evangelicals who contend that it is possible to harmonize Genesis 1 – 3 with the theories of modern naturalism without doing any violence to any essential doctrine of Christianity. They affirm evangelical statements of faith. They teach in evangelical institutions. They insist they believe the Bible is inerrant and authoritative. But they are willing to reinterpret Genesis to accommodate evolutionary theory. They express shock and surprise that anyone would question their approach to Scripture. And they sometimes employ the same sort of ridicule and intimidation religious liberals and atheistic skeptics have always leveled against believers: ‘You don’t seriously think the universe is less than a billion years old, do you?’” (Battle for the Beginning, p. 17). From Battle for the Beginning

“Much depends, therefore, on a right understanding of these early chapters of Genesis. These chapters are too often mishandled by people whose real aim is not to understand what the text actually teaches, but to adjust it to fit a scientific theory. The approach is all wrong. Since creation cannot be observed or replicated in a laboratory, science is not a trustworthy place to seek answers about the origin and fall of humanity. Ultimately, the only reliable source or truth about our origin is what has been revealed by the Creator himself. This means the biblical text should be our starting point” (Battle for the Beginning, p. 29).

Forming and Filling – Gen 1:3-23 Days 1 – 3: Forming by Separation –Day 1: light from darkness –Day 2: waters below from waters above –Day 3: dry land from seas; vegetation “And God saw that it was good” (Gen 1:12). Days 4 – 6: Filling for Habitation –Day 4: lights in the expanse for signs, seasons, days, and years –Day 5: water creatures and birds –Day 6: land creatures and man

Day 6 – Land Animals and Man Gen 1:24-30

Day 6 – Land Animals (Gen 1:24-25) Terms for Land Animals: –Cattle – “livestock”; not just cows, but living creatures which man can domesticate and tame. –Creeping Things – smaller creatures which creep about or slither on the ground, e.g. insects, lizards, snakes, etc. –Beasts of the Earth – four-legged creatures that are not fully tamed by man, e.g. lions, tigers, elephants, etc. All were to reproduce “after their kind” – another direct contradiction to evolutionary theory that is easily verifiable!

Day 6 – Creation of Man (Gen 1:26-30) Made in God’s image ( ~l,c,), according to His likeness ( tWmD >). –Two Hebrew synonyms, probably best taken as an emphatic expression: “in the very image of God.” –Man is a personal, spiritual, eternal (one-way) being with moral responsibility. –Separates man from all other creatures. Made to rule as God’s regent over the rest of His creation (Psa 8). –May use the other creatures for his own welfare, but not kill and eat them...not at this point in time. –Inculcates a principle of respect for life, even in the animals (v. 30). Made male and female – two, but united as mankind. –Gen 2 will flesh this out in more detail.

Day 6 – Creation of Man (Gen 1:26-30) Blessed by God and commanded to: –Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth A command which was carried out by Adam and Noah and his sons...continues to be carried out by mankind today. –Subdue the earth Includes the elements, minerals, plant life, etc; these are to be used by man for his own benefit. Implies work...even before the fall. –Rule over every other living creature As the crown of God’s creation and the only one made in His image, man serves as God’s regent over His creation.

Day 6 – Creation of Man (Gen 1:26-30) Man’s initial diet –Every plant yielding seed –Every tree which has fruit yielding seed The animals’ initial diet –Every green plant These initial diets will eventually change...when? –And they will change back...when?

An Appropriate Conclusion Gen 1:31 – 2:3 Six times in the account God saw that His creation was good; in 1:31, hNEhi (“behold”), lK' (“all”) and daom. (“with abundance”) are added for appropriate emphasis...perfect harmony in the parts and in the whole! “All their hosts” here refers to the sun, moon, and stars. –Nothing mentioned here explicitly in the creation account about angels; cf. Job 38:4-7. After finishing His work in six days, God abstained from His creative work on the seventh day. –He sanctified (set apart) this day, establishing a pattern for man to follow (Exod 20:8-10). –“which God created to make” uses the Hebrew verbs ar'B' and hf'[', “implying the making of things that never existed before” (Cassuto, p. 70)...the same way the account began!

Creation Part III Gen 2:4-25