Chapter 3 marks a dramatic shifting point for the entire book of Genesis, and even throughout the Scriptures. Before this time, everything that had been made was good, and there was harmony between the Creator and His people, and between the created people. Unfortunately, it did not remain that way.
Adam and Eve had everything they needed in the garden. Notice in the previous chapter, they could have eaten from any tree in the entire garden, except for 1. Furthermore, they were “naked and unashamed.” The implication with this is one of innocence, and of full disclosure. They had nothing to hide from each other, and they had nothing to hide from their God.
Then along came the serpent, and tempted Eve. His strategy is one that is still employed regularly today: make that which is forbidden seem preferred. Notice Eve’s response: She was prepared to initially resist the serpent’s advances, as she sated her desire to completely stay away from the tree which God forbade. However, as the tempter spoke to her, that which she initially refused suddenly became “desirable.” She then took it, ate, gave it to her husband, and they enjoyed a moment of indulgence in something that someone had convinced them they could not live without.
Imagine a gift that you might give to someone whom you love the most. Think of this as a very special gift, something into which you put a great deal of time and effort. You would probably feel an excited anticipation to give this gift to this person, as you wait for the opportunity to arrive. Finally, you get to present it to that person, and watch eagerly as they open it…
…and immediately say, “Well, this is alright, but it’s not really good enough for me.” You would be devastated! All the energy you devoted to this person you love is returned with apathetic ingratitude.
Imagine how God felt when Adam and Eve treated His tremendous gift to them with such apathy. You have an idea of the heartbreak involved, right? Now, imagine how our own sin affects Him. Take some time to consider how it breaks the Father’s heart when we choose short-term pleasure over the immeasurable gifts he gives us. Think about how it grieves the Father’s heart when we take for granted that He sent His Son to be sacrificed for us, only to watch us treat it as if it did not matter to us.
It is only in this context that we truly see the extraordinary compassion that God has for those whom He calls His people. After noticing that the humans were no longer comfortable with complete openness and nakedness, after listening to their pathetic excuses and observing them pass the blame, God still comes up with a plan to save them, to draw people of faith toward Himself. We see this plan played out throughout Scripture, and we see it especially in Genesis.
Considering this story, we are compelled to come to a more genuine appreciation for what Jesus did for us: “For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation” (Romans 5:6-11, italics added).
Helpless. Ungodly. Sinners. Enemies. And God responds in love, taking the ultimate step to reconcile people to Himself while they are still in rebellion! Our minds cannot fully comprehend the immense measure of His love. However, as we consider God’s response to His people’s rebellion in Genesis, let us take time to reflect on such love, and what it speaks about the heart of the Father.
3.26.2010
3.08.2010
Genesis 2: The Image of Yahweh
At the end of chapter 1, we are introduced to the concept of being made “in the image of God” (1:27). But what does it mean? Are we to infer that God has 2 arms, 2 legs and a head? Is it a reflection of the fact that we have the capacity toward thinking, imagining, and creative power? Is it similar to when we look at a baby and wonder whose eyes she has, or which of his parents had the same colored hair?
All of the above are legitimate guesses as to what this “image of God” means, and there certainly exists possibility that all could be simultaneously true. To gain an even greater appreciation for its meaning, as well as how it affects us as humans, we turn to chapter 2.
Every culture at the time had a story about how humans were created. In most of them, however, the process really did not lend humans a sense of dignity. In those stories, humans were often the by-products of some act of fornication or backstabbing by the gods toward one another. Their entire existence was completely incidental. Furthermore, in several cases, other nations considered the ultimate purpose of humanity to be servitude toward the gods, and this life was nothing more than frustrating sequence of toils dedicated to keep some deity happy.
Now, with this understanding, consider the posture God takes in Genesis 2:7. Earlier in the creation accounts, he drew things into being by his mere words. However, check out what he does here: “Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” Can you picture what God is doing? He stoops to the ground, reaches his hands into the dirt, and takes time to sculpt a human being into the desired shape. Then, in an embrace, he puts the creature’s mouth to his own, and breathes his own life-giving breath into him.
Can you see the contrast with the other stories? What an incredible act of intimacy, that the God of the universe, who could just as easily take care of it via words alone, would give life to His people with the act of an embrace! And, unlike in the other stories, God made His people on purpose. It speaks volumes to the incredible value that God places on each one of them. This is what the image of God is. For a human to be made in the image of God immediately grants each person a sense of this purpose and value dictated by Yahweh.
The biggest problem with evolution is not in its account of the timing, whether the universe took millions of years or seven days. That is not really a crucial issue. The real problem with the theory of natural selection is this: It treats human existence as an accident. The inevitable conclusion is that humans, much as in other ancient creation accounts, have no purpose, no clearly defined reason for existing. Human life is not valuable in this mindset.
What if, on the other hand, we lived our lives with the mindset that every human being was made intentionally, with a clear sense of purpose for existing? Imagine, if we lived with an awareness of this truth, how we would view every human interaction throughout the day! If we treated every other person, including those close to us and those who make us angry, as if God Himself had breathed life into him, and as if God had given her a reason for existing, imagine how it would change us! Imagine how, then, it would affect each person in whom we came into contact!
For some of you, imaging how living with a sense of purpose would change your own self-image. If you woke up every morning with the mentality that you were created by a God who desires closeness with His people, and that this God intentionally put you on this earth, what would it do for you? How would you see yourself, as well as your sense of life events?
It is clear, then, that every human being has infinite worth, and deserves to be treated as such. Let us live with this awareness:
You were created on purpose, by a loving, embracing God, who longs for closeness with you.
You have a reason for existing.
You are not an accident.
You are made in the image of YAHWEH.
All of the above are legitimate guesses as to what this “image of God” means, and there certainly exists possibility that all could be simultaneously true. To gain an even greater appreciation for its meaning, as well as how it affects us as humans, we turn to chapter 2.
Every culture at the time had a story about how humans were created. In most of them, however, the process really did not lend humans a sense of dignity. In those stories, humans were often the by-products of some act of fornication or backstabbing by the gods toward one another. Their entire existence was completely incidental. Furthermore, in several cases, other nations considered the ultimate purpose of humanity to be servitude toward the gods, and this life was nothing more than frustrating sequence of toils dedicated to keep some deity happy.
Now, with this understanding, consider the posture God takes in Genesis 2:7. Earlier in the creation accounts, he drew things into being by his mere words. However, check out what he does here: “Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” Can you picture what God is doing? He stoops to the ground, reaches his hands into the dirt, and takes time to sculpt a human being into the desired shape. Then, in an embrace, he puts the creature’s mouth to his own, and breathes his own life-giving breath into him.
Can you see the contrast with the other stories? What an incredible act of intimacy, that the God of the universe, who could just as easily take care of it via words alone, would give life to His people with the act of an embrace! And, unlike in the other stories, God made His people on purpose. It speaks volumes to the incredible value that God places on each one of them. This is what the image of God is. For a human to be made in the image of God immediately grants each person a sense of this purpose and value dictated by Yahweh.
The biggest problem with evolution is not in its account of the timing, whether the universe took millions of years or seven days. That is not really a crucial issue. The real problem with the theory of natural selection is this: It treats human existence as an accident. The inevitable conclusion is that humans, much as in other ancient creation accounts, have no purpose, no clearly defined reason for existing. Human life is not valuable in this mindset.
What if, on the other hand, we lived our lives with the mindset that every human being was made intentionally, with a clear sense of purpose for existing? Imagine, if we lived with an awareness of this truth, how we would view every human interaction throughout the day! If we treated every other person, including those close to us and those who make us angry, as if God Himself had breathed life into him, and as if God had given her a reason for existing, imagine how it would change us! Imagine how, then, it would affect each person in whom we came into contact!
For some of you, imaging how living with a sense of purpose would change your own self-image. If you woke up every morning with the mentality that you were created by a God who desires closeness with His people, and that this God intentionally put you on this earth, what would it do for you? How would you see yourself, as well as your sense of life events?
It is clear, then, that every human being has infinite worth, and deserves to be treated as such. Let us live with this awareness:
You were created on purpose, by a loving, embracing God, who longs for closeness with you.
You have a reason for existing.
You are not an accident.
You are made in the image of YAHWEH.
2.06.2010
Genesis 1: The Beginning of Beginnings
Genesis 1 details the creation of the universe. Many of us are intimately familiar with the fact that “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” The following observations take a look into the various dynamics of said creation, and help us better appreciate the utter greatness of God.
There has been a big deal made, especially in recent years, to describe the age of the universe, as well as precisely how the universe came into being. Unfortunately, science and faith have often been at odds regarding the answers to these inquiries. What we will see in Genesis 1, though is this: The Bible does not speak as much to questions of when and how, but rather of Who and why. These questions are where we spent our focus in this week’s discussion.
In the Ancient times, every nation had its own god, and every nation with a god had its account of how the world came into being. In addition, several of these nations had more than one god, and each god controlled a particular entity within the universe. For example, the sun god would control the sun, the storm god the storms, etc.
Furthermore, other creation stories of the Ancient world involved work from pre-existing material. In order to make everything, there had to be some sort of raw material to begin with. And, because of the fact that each of the gods was in charge of his own domain, there would frequently be strife between the gods. In several of the stories, different elements are created because of some fight or deviant action among the supposed gods.
Contrast this with our God as described in Genesis. Notice how He creates: He does not use anything to begin. He speaks, and it happens. His jurisdiction involves every single element of creation, not just one particular aspect thereof. He created everything…out of NOTHING. And, when He saw what he had done, He evaluated it: “It is good.”
Several things come to mind when we consider what Genesis 1 teaches us about God. First, God is completely powerful. He is big enough. There is no aspect of the universe that is outside of His control. He is over everything—the sun, the plants, the waters, the animals—EVERYTHING.
Think about this: In the other religions of the time, there was this calculated, frivolous attempt to manipulate circumstances into one’s favor. If I wanted it to rain, I would pray to the rain god. However, I would then eventually need the sun to shine, and I would then pray to the sun god, and offer sacrifices to the sun god to appease him because he might be mad that I prayed to the rain god and…
It seems all a big waste of time and nervous energy, right? The thing is, several of us in the room admitted to doing this same thing. Though we know that God is big enough, and that He is over everything, we sometimes feel like we are the ones with the control, that we call the shots, and how God ought to respond is up to us. Or, in other situations, we proceed as if it is our responsibility to make something happen.
God is big enough. He can handle it! If He took nothing and made everything, He will most certainly handle each of our current situations in the best possible manner. We need not be afraid to trust Him to know what He is doing, or to think that we can somehow take matters into our own hands and make something good happen (Several of us admitted to doing this, and with unfavorable results). God is big enough. We can trust Him.
Second, when God saw what He had made, He called it “good.” There were no accidents, no mistakes, no unintended effects. He intended to make everything He did, and He blessed it by calling it good. Perhaps the bigger issue with creation/evolution debate is not the age or process of the universe, but rather whether it was intentional or merely accidental.
What would this do for us if we were to live everyday with this perspective, that what God made is good? What if we took time to notice the world around us, and to remind ourselves that this was no accident? How would we treat the people around us? How might we be inclined to respond when things do not go our way? What would it be like to be drawn into a mindset of worship by noticing the beauty of every sunrise, or the fact that each snowflake is unique, or even the order and purpose of the seasons? What God made is GOOD, and He did not put anything here by accident.
So the message of Genesis 1, more than telling us how many days it took God to make everything (and we discussed the science of how a “day” could be interpreted differently if one were on the outside of the time-space continuum), is actually about Who God is, and why He made everything. He is good, and He wanted to reflect His goodness in what He made. This God who is absolutely good is also absolutely powerful; there is nothing outside of His domain. This is the God who is worthy of our praise, of our admiration, and of our trust.
This is where we begin. Next time, we will discuss 1:27 through the end of chapter 2, discovering how this good God interacts with His people. Within this chapter we will see perhaps the biggest trouble with the theory of natural selection. After that, in chapter 3, we will see how it all falls apart, and things God intends to be good get messed up.
Stay tuned!!
There has been a big deal made, especially in recent years, to describe the age of the universe, as well as precisely how the universe came into being. Unfortunately, science and faith have often been at odds regarding the answers to these inquiries. What we will see in Genesis 1, though is this: The Bible does not speak as much to questions of when and how, but rather of Who and why. These questions are where we spent our focus in this week’s discussion.
In the Ancient times, every nation had its own god, and every nation with a god had its account of how the world came into being. In addition, several of these nations had more than one god, and each god controlled a particular entity within the universe. For example, the sun god would control the sun, the storm god the storms, etc.
Furthermore, other creation stories of the Ancient world involved work from pre-existing material. In order to make everything, there had to be some sort of raw material to begin with. And, because of the fact that each of the gods was in charge of his own domain, there would frequently be strife between the gods. In several of the stories, different elements are created because of some fight or deviant action among the supposed gods.
Contrast this with our God as described in Genesis. Notice how He creates: He does not use anything to begin. He speaks, and it happens. His jurisdiction involves every single element of creation, not just one particular aspect thereof. He created everything…out of NOTHING. And, when He saw what he had done, He evaluated it: “It is good.”
Several things come to mind when we consider what Genesis 1 teaches us about God. First, God is completely powerful. He is big enough. There is no aspect of the universe that is outside of His control. He is over everything—the sun, the plants, the waters, the animals—EVERYTHING.
Think about this: In the other religions of the time, there was this calculated, frivolous attempt to manipulate circumstances into one’s favor. If I wanted it to rain, I would pray to the rain god. However, I would then eventually need the sun to shine, and I would then pray to the sun god, and offer sacrifices to the sun god to appease him because he might be mad that I prayed to the rain god and…
It seems all a big waste of time and nervous energy, right? The thing is, several of us in the room admitted to doing this same thing. Though we know that God is big enough, and that He is over everything, we sometimes feel like we are the ones with the control, that we call the shots, and how God ought to respond is up to us. Or, in other situations, we proceed as if it is our responsibility to make something happen.
God is big enough. He can handle it! If He took nothing and made everything, He will most certainly handle each of our current situations in the best possible manner. We need not be afraid to trust Him to know what He is doing, or to think that we can somehow take matters into our own hands and make something good happen (Several of us admitted to doing this, and with unfavorable results). God is big enough. We can trust Him.
Second, when God saw what He had made, He called it “good.” There were no accidents, no mistakes, no unintended effects. He intended to make everything He did, and He blessed it by calling it good. Perhaps the bigger issue with creation/evolution debate is not the age or process of the universe, but rather whether it was intentional or merely accidental.
What would this do for us if we were to live everyday with this perspective, that what God made is good? What if we took time to notice the world around us, and to remind ourselves that this was no accident? How would we treat the people around us? How might we be inclined to respond when things do not go our way? What would it be like to be drawn into a mindset of worship by noticing the beauty of every sunrise, or the fact that each snowflake is unique, or even the order and purpose of the seasons? What God made is GOOD, and He did not put anything here by accident.
So the message of Genesis 1, more than telling us how many days it took God to make everything (and we discussed the science of how a “day” could be interpreted differently if one were on the outside of the time-space continuum), is actually about Who God is, and why He made everything. He is good, and He wanted to reflect His goodness in what He made. This God who is absolutely good is also absolutely powerful; there is nothing outside of His domain. This is the God who is worthy of our praise, of our admiration, and of our trust.
This is where we begin. Next time, we will discuss 1:27 through the end of chapter 2, discovering how this good God interacts with His people. Within this chapter we will see perhaps the biggest trouble with the theory of natural selection. After that, in chapter 3, we will see how it all falls apart, and things God intends to be good get messed up.
Stay tuned!!
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