“In the beginning”

1. “In the beginning” Night 1 – The Divine Plan

2. Seedbed of the Bible Challenge: • EVERYTHING in the Bible comes out of Genesis 1-3 • ALL Doctrines and Principles found in the Bible originate from Genesis 1-3 THM: We must value, understand and interpret correctly!

3. “In the beginning God”

4. A God of Purpose THM: God is in control. TRUST Him! Rom 8v28-31

5. Genesis Breakup • Prologue • Chapter 1v1 • General Account • Chapter 1v2-2v3 • Overview of entire work • Specific Account • Chapter 2v4-2v25 • Focus on Man & Woman

6. Structure of Creation And the Earth was without FORM and EMPTY v3-5 1. Realm of Light 4. Creation of Light to Rule v14 -19 FILLING 2. Realm of Sky & Sea 5. Creation of Birds & Sea creatures v6-8 v20 -23 FORMING v9 -13 3. Realm of Land, Plants v24 -31 6. Creation of Animals. Man! 7. Heavens and Earth Finished. God Rested

7. Divine Hierarchy “And God SAID…” Divine Word • Isa 55v8-11 • “I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return (empty), That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.” (Isa 45v23) “Thy will be done on Earth, as it is in Heaven”

8. Power of 7 Number of Perfection! • First sentence of Gen 1 made up of 7 words* • Second sentence made up of 14 words • Word “God” occurs 35 times • Word “earth” occurs 21 times in Gen 1* • Word “heaven” occurs 21 times in Gen 1* • “And it was so” occurs 7 times • “God saw that it was good” occurs 7 times • Account of 7th day has 35 words • Verb “bara” (“create”) used 7 times (*Masoretic Text, same Hebrew words)

9. Interpreting Genesis How does God work? Interpreting Genesis? Kingdom (1000 yrs)? Heb 4v1-10 = “God did rest the 7th day from all His work” • Barak – 10,000 men • Gideon – 300 men • Jesus – 3 days • God – 7 days HOW God works is based on WHY! PLAN precedes the EVENT! A REVELATION of LITERAL events – PRINCIPLES behind FACTS!

10. Elpis Israel • Let the reader peruse the history of creation as a revelation to himself as the inhabitant of the earth. It informs him of the order in which things narrated would have developed themselves to his view, had he been placed on a rock, the spectator of the events detailed. (Bro Thomas)

11. Literal Contradictions? Day 1 – Light created. Day 4 – Sun. Contradiction? • “Made” (v16) – means to appoint, place in arrangement for seasons and pattern. • Light and Sun symbol of Christ. • 1 Pet 1v20, 2 Tim 1v9-10 • Christ’s light proceeded his actual birth! “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was” (John 17v5)

12. Order in Creation • “God saw that it was Good…very Good” • Occurs 7 times • “After its kind” • God designated boundaries in all living things • Stg: “species”…more scientifically an “Order” • “Whose seed is in itself” • Built in reproductive mechanism • Blueprint for adaption & variety

13. “The evening…” “…and the morning” God’s Promise “Darkness on earth” “Let there be Light” THM: “For now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light”(Rom 13v11-12)

14. God is Light “Let there be Light…” “And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign forever and ever”(Rev 22v5)

15. Divine Pattern

16. Divine Purpose • God had a focus – a special creation… Days 1-6 World & all in it Day 7 God’s Rest Day 6 Man for for “Image and Likeness” Isa 45v18 “I formed it to be INHABITED” – Heb“A place to dwell”. God dwells in us when we reflect& manifest Him. THM: Render to God the things that are God’s!

17. Divine Focus

18. Framed the Ages

19. Christ & the Ecclesia

20. Next Class… • Night 2 – The Divine Allegory • Night 3 – Divine Salvation