I. From Creation to the Flood

(Genesis 1-8)

Creation of the Universe (Genesis 1:1 - 2:4)

    1:1/ God created the universe (there is a clear difference between Creator/creation).  "Creation" is the first major doctrine of the Bible - God is the eternal creator of matter and the designer of the universe (Revelation 4:11).  Everyone assumes and starts their thinking with something "eternal" and self-existing - either God or matter.

    1:2/ As with chaotic human lives, it is God's "hovering Spirit" that brings order out of chaos

    1:26-28/ Mankind (male & female) was created in God's spiritual image (2Cor.4:4) and told to multiply & responsibly manage the earth and the other life-forms.  Who "rules" over mankind?

    1:29,30/ originally man was to be vegetarian

    1:31/ God's material creation (universe, matter, people) was created "very good" and does not have any inherent "evil" in its physical makeup (Genesis 1:31), which is still true (see: 1Timothy 4:4).  Moral "evil" is rooted in the free-will decisions of creatures, not in the nature of physical matter.

Probation in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:5-25)

    2:5-7/ Adam was created in an undesignated location, perhaps so that no could say that their racial/national heritage is "superior because it is where man originated."  Adam, as well as Eve, were both made from common material (dirt & a rib) and both share in God's spiritual image (Genesis 1:27), so there is no Biblical basis for claims of "gender supremacy."  As with the "inspiration" of the Apostles (John 20:22) and Scripture (2Timothy 3:16), Adam's physical "life" came by "divine inspiration" - God "breathed it into" him (Biogenesis - life comes from life).

    2:8,9/ Notice that there were "two trees in the middle of the Garden"

    2:11,12/ Notice that "gold" and other things are "good," but were not "in-Garden" essentials

    2:15/ Man was given light work in Eden (we weren't designed to just "sit around")

    2:16,17/ the "good life" has many freedoms, but is still found within God-given limits

    2:18-25/ "It is not good for the man to be alone" is probably aimed more at curbing individualism than responding to loneliness, which Adam shows no signs of until after naming all the animals and discovering that something is missing (2:18).  Woman is not man's "inferior," but a specially-designed and very strong "helper"/partner!

Rebellion in the Garden (Genesis 3)

    3:1-6/ Satan offered "the Big Lie" (no death, potential God-hood, self-realization).  Eve was deceived (2Corinthians 11:3; 1Timothy 2:14) and "twisted Scripture."  In comparison with Genesis 2:9-17, we find that Eve (1) lost her perspective on all of the freedoms allowed (she left out "freely"), forgot about the "tree of life" and the issue surrounding the forbidden tree, made God's restrictions more extensive (adding "don't touch it"), and saw accountability, judgment, and death as less certain.  Adam, who knew better as he had heard these things first-hand, simply stood there and then silently followed her lead into sin.  This sounds a lot like what we experience!

    3:7-13/ What does sin bring?  Their eyes were "opened," but to heightened "god-hood) as promised!  Instead, they now experience shame, which follows self-centered rebellion and causes us look at others differently, make ridiculous attempts to cover/hide our sins, sense a separation from God, and demonstrate our separation from other people!  "Sin" often causes us to blame others when our own actions don't turn out right.

    3:14-19/ The is section is one of the most important sections in the Bible, for it contains the plot-plan for the rest of the Bible and the foundations for some questionable issues.

    v. 14,17/ a curse is placed on the Serpent (because God is in control) and a curse is placed on the ground (notice that humans were not "cursed" or changed in their constitution, which those who refer to this event as "The Fall" and "original sin" assert).

    v. 15/ this is the first promise of a coming Savior, born of woman, and from this promise flows the rest of the Bible story.  The plot and a simple outline of the Bible could be summarized as:

        [1] "Someone is coming" (Genesis - Malachi)

        [2] "the Someone is Jesus" (John 1:45; 20:30,31; the Gospels)

        [3] "Jesus is Coming Again" (Acts - Revelation)

Life outside Eden will involve a struggle, but hope is tied to the promised "seed of woman" that will come to defeat the Serpent. (Concerning Satan's fate: Genesis 3:14,15; compare with John 12:31; 16:11; 2Corinthians 4:3,4; Hebrews 2:14,15; 1John 3:8)

    vv. 16-19/ The results of sin: increased pain bringing children into the world, marriage becomes a power-struggle, light gardening becomes "sweat-of-the-brow" hard labor, and then death.  At the heart of family troubles, troubles in the workplace, and death is the problem of sin.  Happy and rewarding marriages result from employing Godly covenant attitude  "submission" and self-sacrifice for the partner's welfare (Ephesians 5:21 - 6:4).  Adam's problem was listening to his wife where God had already spoken.

    3:20-21/ Adam "named" his wife according to her "life-giving" importance (1Timothy 2:15) and God provided a "covering" for their sin/shame- "skins" mean dead animals/sacrifice, which teaches that God will allow the innocent to provide a covering for the shame of the guilty.

    3:22-24/ God controls the access to eternal life

Human Civilization Begins (Genesis 4:1 - 6:6)

    Adam and Eve's sons began two lines of humanity: Cain's offspring focus on this world only while Seth's descendants show some concern for spiritual things!  Eve began by thinking herself the central character and God as her "helper" (4:1 "I have made . . ."), but after life had humbled her a bit, she recognized God as the central figure in reality (4:25 - "God has appointed me . . .").

    4:1-15/ Cain's "offering" compared with Abel's "firstlings/fat portions" (Hebrews 11:4) hints at Cain's spiritual problem, which clearly comes to the surface and finds expression in his family and social relationships - bad attitude, uncontrolled anger, and refusal to accept responsibility for his own actions.  God tried to "set him straight" (4:7) - right behavior/attitudes are linked as are wrong behavior/attitudes.  Our own failures and guilt, if wrongly expressed toward others, allow sin to find the opportunity to "master us" and hurt others (see: Ephesians 4:26,27).  The often missed principle: good deeds precede and cause good feelings!

    4:16,17/ Cain "departed from God" (compare with Jonah 1:3) to pursue worldly ambition and building an "earthly city" (or fortified enclosure), but the faithful seek a heavenly land/city (Hebrews 11:10,13-16).

    4:18,19/ Lamech departed from God's model and had "two wives" (cf. 2:18-25)

    4:20/ Jabal was the first nomadic herdsmen

    4:21/ Jubal was the first musician

    4:22/ Tubal-Cain was the first metal-worker

    4:23,24/ Lamech adopted the "might makes right" policy long before Machiavelli

    4:25-5:32/ Seth replaced Abel and initiated a line of men who, occasionally, sought the Lord.  Seth, Enoch (5:22-24), and Noah were men of great faith, while others did little more than continue the lineage physically.

    6:1-6/ worldly men, left to themselves, tend to get worse (2Timothy 3:13)

Sin brings deliverance & judgment (Genesis 6:7 - 8:22)

    6:7/ God, as creator of all things, has both the freedom and right to destroy that which does not fulfill His purposes.  Noah condemned his generation by his example and obedience (Hebrews 11:7), as he testified to God amidst those who refused to "know God."

    6:8 - 8:22/ God knows the righteous and provides a way of escape for them (6:8,9; see: 1Thessalonians 5:9).  As Noah and his family believed God and accepted the graciously provided "escape-route," so a gracious "salvation vehicle" has been provided for our age in Christ and we are to similarly obey God's instructions in faith (1Peter 3:20-22).  The sinful world passed away in a great, year-long flood, but Noah and his family stepped out onto a "clean, new earth" much like the righteous will do after the return of Christ (Matthew 24:37-39; 2Peter 3:3-13; Revelation 21:1-22:6).  Here we learn that God looks at the heart, mind, and deeds of each individual (see: 1Samuel 16:7; Romans 2:5-16) and is NOT swayed by what the human "majority" does.

    *The Messianic lineage is narrowed: from the seed of Eve/woman (Genesis 3:15,20), to Seth's line (Genesis 4:25,26) through Noah (Genesis 5-9)

Unless otherwise noted, all material produced by Charles E. McCoy

All Scripture citations/quotations from the New American Standard Bible

To send a question to Chuck: chuck@severnchristian.org