GENESIS LESSON 5
Genesis 1:19 "And the evening and the morning were the fourth
day." This somehow was left off of lesson four last week. This was the
conclusion of the creation of the sun and moon as fixtures that we
might see the light in.
Genesis 1:20 "And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly
the moving creature that hath life, and fowl [that] may fly above the
earth in the open firmament of heaven."
God had now provided the habitation for the fish and the
atmosphere and dry land for the fowl, so the logical step would be to
populate the oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, and all bodies of waters
with fish and all sea life. The dry land had appeared and God had
populated the air above and the ground below with fowl.
You see, God was doing all of this in preparation for his greatest
creation (man). He needed to prepare food for the man before the
creation of man. this whole creative act was God building a home for
mankind.
We are told in St. John chapter 14, that Jesus is in heaven now
preparing our eternal home. St. John 14:1 "Let not your heart be
troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me." John 14:2 "In my
Father's house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I would have
told you. I go to prepare a place for you." John 14:3 "And if I go and
prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto
myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also."
You see God's plan from the beginning was to build man a home. In
Genesis 1:21, we see what God put in the water and air for man's use.
"And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth,
which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every
winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good."
Just the vastness of the thousands of varieties of fish and birds
of all kinds is mind boggling .... To think that God in a moment of
time (no matter how long) could figure out, all the varieties, and
have each one have a useful job to do in God's scheme of things is
just beyond comprehension. God is not only love, but the greatest
planner. You see, He figured out the needs of each one and fulfilled
it here on day five.
Genesis 1:22 "And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and
multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in
the earth."
Genesis 1:23 "And the evening and the morning were the
fifth day."
Genesis 1:24 "And God said, Let the earth bring forth the
living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast
of the earth after his kind: and it was so."
Genesis 1:25 "And God made the beast of the earth after his kind,
and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth
after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good."
You see, as I said before, God was preparing this planet for His
greatest creation, mankind. All through these Scriptures, please take
note that God said, "everything after its own kind". We should not cross
breed animals, fish, fowl, etc. I believe God made everything exactly
the way He wanted it; each to fulfill a specific purpose. When we
cross breed, it is as if we think we can do a better job than God.
Also take note that everything God created was good.
Verse 26 is the reason all the things were created. NOTICE the
plurality of the Creator as well.
Genesis 1:26 "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after
our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and
over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth,
and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."
Genesis 1:27 "So God created man in his [own] image, in the image
of God created he him; male and female created he them."
The image and likeness of God is SPIRIT. God is SPIRIT. We are a
spirit. We are housed in a body and possess a soul. If God is Spirit
as the Word says He is, then the image and likeness of us are spirit as
well. As we read in verse 27, both man and woman are spirit.
We will find as we continue this study, that woman is just as
responsible for the care and nurture of her spirit as man is. This is
directly opposite of what some religions teach today. We are
individual spirits, but our flesh is one with our spouse.
Between verse 25 and verse 26 there is a separation. If you will
notice after verse 25, God closed that creation with His statement,
"And God said that it was good". Man has a preeminence that no other
creation has. Mankind, male and female, are made in the image of God.
God created all the rest for mankind to rule over.
Man, unlike all of the other creations was created with a mind
and will. Even to the point that God allows man's will to choose God
or Satan. Man alone was created with power to make decisions. Man
alone was made to commune or fellowship with God.
God is Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth. He made man ruler of the
earth.
Because of man's fallen state from his magnificent beginning
(image of God), God the word, Jesus, took on a body and redeemed
mankind and restored them to their original state of standing with
God. The Bible says that when we get to heaven, we will recognize
Jesus because we will be like Him. We will be restored to the image and
likeness of God. We will not be God. We will be a shadow or image of
the real thing. Our spirit will be in accord with His Spirit. We will
be His servants or subordinates.
You see God gave mankind dominion over this earth. Mankind,
through an act of his will, turned this dominion over to Satan, as we
will see in a later lesson.
You know our whole country is under a president, then smaller
areas or states are under dominion of a governor, and then even
smaller areas under a mayor. However, the mayor is under the governor
on important matters; and all are under the president on the most
important matters.
You see, God is over all. We are His subordinates. Even though we
shall rule and reign with Him, we will not be His equal.
Genesis 1:28 "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be
fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and
have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air,
and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."
In this verse we see that mankind did not have to take dominion.
The dominion was given to him by God.
So many people associate sex of any kind (even the marriage bed)
as the sin that caused the fall of man. This verse above proves this
is not so. Mankind was commanded of God to be fruitful and multiply
long before the sin in the garden of Eden. The sin in the garden was
disobedience to God.
So many of the people who believe that the earth was populated
before Genesis chapter 1 verse 2, use the word replenish in the
scripture above to validate that belief. They say replenish means to
populate it again. I would not argue the point either way, but you can
take note of the word.
Genesis 1:29 "And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb
bearing seed, which [is] upon the face of all the earth, and every
tree, in the which [is] the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it
shall be for meat."
God provided the means for mankind's needs from the very
beginning. Everything that God created here on the earth was directly
or indirectly for the use of man. Even the food for the animals would
ultimately be of use to man as we read in verse 30.
Genesis 1:30 "And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl
of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein
[there is] life, [I have given] every green herb for meat: and it was
so." Genesis 1:31 "And God saw every thing that he had made, and,
behold, [it was] very good. And the evening and the morning were the
sixth day."
There are several things the spirit must understand in the
Scripture above. The number six means man. the verse reiterates again
that God made all of it, and that every thing was good. It also
establishes the six days of work that we will see all through the
Bible. The six hours Jesus hung on the cross. Six years of work for
the land, and the next year it is to rest. The six 1000 year-day of
work for mankind and then the (millennium) 1000 year-day reign of
Jesus on the earth. The six hours Jesus was on the cross show
that His work was completed. He even said, It is finished.
In the next lesson we will begin in chapter 2 of Genesis.
Notes
Genesis 5 Questions
1. Why did God create the heavens, the earth, the seas, and populate
them?
2. What does the fourteenth chapter of John tell us that Jesus is
doing now, in heaven?
3. What was God's plan from the beginning?
4. What did God tell the fowl and fish to do after He blessed them?
5. What was created on day five?
6. Which was made first man or beast?
7. Why?
8. What particular thing should we note in the creation of animals?
9. When we cross breed what are we saying?
10. What one word in verse 26 indicates plural?
11. What things was man to have dominion over? Name five.
12. The image and likeness of God is what?
13. Why?
14. Are women a spirit, or just men?
15. What is directly opposite of what some religions teach about women
today?
16. What separates mankind from all other creations?
17. Who was made with power to choose?
18. What was the magnificent beginning of man?
19. Who took on a body and redeemed mankind?
20. Is the teaching that man will become a god correct?
21. What will mankind actually be to God?
22. Who is over all?
23. Did mankind have to take dominion?
24. Was a sex act the sin in the garden?
25. What was?
26. What word do many use to prove there was another habitation on the
earth?
27. Everything made was directly or indirectly for what?
28. What did God say about everything that He had created?
29. How many hours did Jesus hang on the cross?
30. What did this indicate?
Notes
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