Genesis 1 - 2:3
Surprise! It's still August (barely) and here I am posting again! Well, the explaination is that my friend and I have begun exchanging Bible study notes via email, so I figure, as long as I'm online, why not post my notes here too? This will be a greatly different format than I usually post in, as these are my raw, unedited, self-audienced notes (directly from my notebook), as opposed to my previous writings which were more thought out and streamlined for better communication. None the less, I think these are interesting (of course I wrote them ;-D) and may be of use to others in their studies, so I am posting them here. They are meant to be read with your Bible open before you, as the verses are not directly quoted. (I use an NIV Bible.) That said, here they are:
Genesis 1 - 2:3 (The first 7 days)
1:1 God created heaven & earth.
1:2 God, the Holy Spirit, was OVER the waters.
1:3 God merely SPOKE light into existance. WOW! Powerful words!
1:4 - 1:5 God separated darkness from light & created time. He specifically says that light is good. He took the time to designate the names, "day" and "night".
1:6 - 1:8 God created the sky intentionally. Time continues in the form of days. He named the expanse "sky".
1:9 -1:10 Not only did God intentionally create the land and the seas, He also named them.
1:11 -1:13 God seems like the ultimate artist, commanding a paint brush with His mere words. Yet His creation - His art- is not only beautiful, but practical as well. Unlike most artists, He does not merely name the finished whole product, but takes the time to individually name each aspect of it.
1:14 -1:19 God has already created time and now He is creating a way of measuring it. He is also creating the use of lighting the earth. For what purpose has He done this? Whom is He lighting the earth for? Who does He expect to count the days, years, and seasons?
1:20 - 1:25 There seems to be 3 categories of creatures whom God creates in these verses: sea creatures, birds, and land creatures. The land creatures are then further categorized as: livestock, wild animals, and creatures that move along the ground. If God took the time to bring distinction to each of these categories, surely they must each have their own unique purpose.
1:22 For the first time, (as recorded in scripture) God blesses something. He blesses the creatures of the sea and winged birds. His blessing appears to be in the form of a command: "Be fruitful and increase in number...." Curiously, God does not give (recorded in Scripture) this same blessing/command to the creatures of the land.
1:26 God creates man and explains the creation's (man's) purpose: to rule over the earth, fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the livestock, & over the creatures that move along the ground. (Funny that the specific category of "wild animals" is absent. Wonder if this is a translation issue? or is the list simply implicative of "all creatures"? or were "wild animals" intentionally left out?) God also describes man as being made in His own image - man is created to look like God... in some way. ***Note that God says "our image" when referring to Himself. This would support the idea that God is a plural entity. (The trinity.)
1:27 God creates male AND female in His image. He gives them each a distinction (denotes they are different) by giving them different names (male and female) but unites them in equality by giving them the same image (His own).
1:28 God gives His (second recorded by Scripture) blessing/commandment: "Be fruitful and increase in number ...." but this time He adds, "subdue it [the earth]". This would indicate that (as noted in verse 26 & as reiterated in this verse) man is different/ set apart from the animals, not only by the bearing of God's image, but also by his purpose/role here on earth. In being set as ruler over God's creation (under God of course), and in being given God's own image, it would seem that man (male & female) is unique in its position / value to God. Man is special to God.
1:29 - 1:30 God makes a gift of His vegetation. He gives it to "everything that has the breath of life in it" for food. ***Note that there is no mention of either man or animals eating meat. There is no mention of death.
1:31 God not only says all that He made is "good", He says that it is "very good".
2:1 -2:3 Even God rests. Perhaps He was pausing to enjoy the fruits of His labor (so to speak). Perhaps we, too, need to remember to take time to be still and enjoy what God has done.
Genesis 1 - 2:3 (The first 7 days)
1:1 God created heaven & earth.
1:2 God, the Holy Spirit, was OVER the waters.
1:3 God merely SPOKE light into existance. WOW! Powerful words!
1:4 - 1:5 God separated darkness from light & created time. He specifically says that light is good. He took the time to designate the names, "day" and "night".
1:6 - 1:8 God created the sky intentionally. Time continues in the form of days. He named the expanse "sky".
1:9 -1:10 Not only did God intentionally create the land and the seas, He also named them.
1:11 -1:13 God seems like the ultimate artist, commanding a paint brush with His mere words. Yet His creation - His art- is not only beautiful, but practical as well. Unlike most artists, He does not merely name the finished whole product, but takes the time to individually name each aspect of it.
1:14 -1:19 God has already created time and now He is creating a way of measuring it. He is also creating the use of lighting the earth. For what purpose has He done this? Whom is He lighting the earth for? Who does He expect to count the days, years, and seasons?
1:20 - 1:25 There seems to be 3 categories of creatures whom God creates in these verses: sea creatures, birds, and land creatures. The land creatures are then further categorized as: livestock, wild animals, and creatures that move along the ground. If God took the time to bring distinction to each of these categories, surely they must each have their own unique purpose.
1:22 For the first time, (as recorded in scripture) God blesses something. He blesses the creatures of the sea and winged birds. His blessing appears to be in the form of a command: "Be fruitful and increase in number...." Curiously, God does not give (recorded in Scripture) this same blessing/command to the creatures of the land.
1:26 God creates man and explains the creation's (man's) purpose: to rule over the earth, fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the livestock, & over the creatures that move along the ground. (Funny that the specific category of "wild animals" is absent. Wonder if this is a translation issue? or is the list simply implicative of "all creatures"? or were "wild animals" intentionally left out?) God also describes man as being made in His own image - man is created to look like God... in some way. ***Note that God says "our image" when referring to Himself. This would support the idea that God is a plural entity. (The trinity.)
1:27 God creates male AND female in His image. He gives them each a distinction (denotes they are different) by giving them different names (male and female) but unites them in equality by giving them the same image (His own).
1:28 God gives His (second recorded by Scripture) blessing/commandment: "Be fruitful and increase in number ...." but this time He adds, "subdue it [the earth]". This would indicate that (as noted in verse 26 & as reiterated in this verse) man is different/ set apart from the animals, not only by the bearing of God's image, but also by his purpose/role here on earth. In being set as ruler over God's creation (under God of course), and in being given God's own image, it would seem that man (male & female) is unique in its position / value to God. Man is special to God.
1:29 - 1:30 God makes a gift of His vegetation. He gives it to "everything that has the breath of life in it" for food. ***Note that there is no mention of either man or animals eating meat. There is no mention of death.
1:31 God not only says all that He made is "good", He says that it is "very good".
2:1 -2:3 Even God rests. Perhaps He was pausing to enjoy the fruits of His labor (so to speak). Perhaps we, too, need to remember to take time to be still and enjoy what God has done.
