1:1The simple statement that God created the heavens and the earth is one of the most challenging concepts confronting the modern mind. The vast galaxy we live in is spinning at the incredible speed of 490,000 miles an hour. But even at this breakneck
Life Application Study BibleGenesisChapter 1
Genesis 1
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 4, 5, 6, 7
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1Genesis 1
A. THE STORY OF CREATION (1:1—2:4)
We sometimes wonder how our world came to be. But here we find the answer. God created the earth and everything in it, and made humans like himself. Although we may not understand the complexity of just how he did it, it is clear that God did create ail life. This shows not only God’s authority over humanity, but his deep love for all people. The Account of Creation
1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.* 2The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. 3Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.” And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day. 6Then God said, “Let there be a space between the waters, to separate the waters of the heavens from the waters of the earth.” 7And that is what happened. God made this space to separate the waters of the earth from the waters of the heavens. 8God called the space “sky.” And evening passed and morning came, marking the second day. 9Then God said, “Let the waters beneath the sky flow together into one place, so dry ground may appear.” And that is what happened. 10God called the dry ground “land” and the waters “seas.” And God saw that it was good. 11Then God said, “Let the land sprout with vegetation—every sort of seed-bearing plant, and trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. These seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came.” And that is what happened. 12The land produced vegetation—all sorts of seed-bearing plants, and trees with seed-bearing fruit. Their seeds produced plants and trees of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. 13And evening passed and morning came, marking the third day. 14Then God said, “Let great lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them mark off the seasons, days, and years. 15Let these lights in the sky shine down on the earth.” And that is what happened. 16God made two great lights, the sun and the moon—the larger one to govern the day, and the smaller one to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17God set these lights in the sky to light the earth, 18to govern the day and night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19And evening passed and morning came, marking the fourth day. 20Then God said, “Let the waters swarm with fish and other life. Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind.” 21So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that scurries and swarms in the water, and every sort of bird—each producing offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. 22Then God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply. Let the fish fill the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.” 23And evening passed and morning came, marking the fifth day. 24Then God said, “Let the earth produce every sort of animal, each producing offspring of the same kind—livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and wild animals.” And that is what happened. 25God made all sorts of wild animals, livestock, and small animals, each able to produce offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. 26Then God said, “Let us make human beings* in our image, to be like ourselves. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”
27So God created human beings* in his own image.In the image of God he created them;male and female he created them.
28Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” 29Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. 30And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.” And that is what happened. 31Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.
Textual footnotes
- 1:1 Or In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth,. and the earth,...
- 1:26 Or man; Hebrew reads adam.
- 1:27 Or the man; Hebrew reads ha-adam.
Life Application Notes 11 notes
1:2The statement “the earth was formless and empty” provides the setting for the creation narrative that follows. During the second and third days of creation, God gave form to the universe; during the next three days, God filled the earth with living beings. The “darkness” was dispelled on the first day, when God created light.
1:2The image of the Spirit of God hovering over the earth’s surface is similar to a mother bird caring for and protecting its young (see Deuteronomy 32:11, 12; Isaiah 31:5). God’s Spirit was actively involved in the creation of the world (see Job 33:4; Psalm 104:30). God’s care and protection are still active.
1:3-2:7How long did it take God to create the world? There are two basic views about the days of creation: (1} Each day was a literal 24-hour period; (2) each day represents an indefinite period of time (even millions of years). The Bible does not say how long these time periods were. The real question, however, is not how long God took, but how he did it. God created the earth in an orderly fashion (he did not make plants before light), and he created men and women as unique beings capable of communication with him. No other part of creation can claim that remarkable privilege. It is not important how long it took God to create the world, whether a few days or a few billion years, but that he created it just the way he wanted it.
1:6The “space between the waters” was a separation between the sea and the mists of the skies.
1:25God saw that his work was good. People sometimes feel guilty for having a good time or for feeling good about an accomplishment. This need not be so. Just as God felt good about his work, we can be pleased with ours. However, we should not feel good about our work if God would not be pleased with it. What are you doing that pleases both you and God?
1:26Why does God use the plural form, “Let us make human beings in ourimage’? One view says this is a reference to the Trinity—God the Father, Jesus Christ his Son, and the Holy Spirit—all of whom are God. Another view is that the plural wording is used to denote majesty. Kings traditionally use the plural form in speaking of themselves. From Job 33:4 and Psalm 104:30, we do know that God’s Spirit was present in the Creation. From Colossians 1:16 we know that Christ, God’s Son, was at work in the Creation.
1:26In what ways are we made in God's image? God obviously did not create us exactly like himself because God has no physical body. Instead, we are reflections of God’s glory. Some feel that our reason, creativity, speech, or self-determination is the image of God. More likely, it is our entire self that reflects the image of God. We will never be totally like God because he is our supreme Creator, But we do have the ability to reflect his character in our love, patience, forgiveness, kindness, and faithfulness. Knowing that we are made in God’s image and thus share many of his characteristics provides a solid basis for self-worth. Human worth is not based on possessions, achievements, physical attractiveness, or public acclaim. instead, it is based on being made in God's image. Because we bear God's image, we can feel positive about ourselves. Criticizing or downgrading ourselves is criticizing what God has made and the abilities he has given us. Knowing that you are a person of worth helps you love God, know him personaily, and make a valuable contribution to those around you.
1:27God made both man and woman in his image. Neither man nor woman is made more in the image of God than the other. From the beginning the Bible places both man and woman at the pinnacle of God's creation. Neither sex is exalted, and neither is depreciated.
1:28To “reign over" something is to have absolute authority and control over it. God has ultimate rule over the earth, and he exercises his authority with loving care. When God delegated some of his authority to the human race, he expected us to take responsibility for the environment and the other creatures that share our planet. We must not be careless and wasteful as we fulfill this charge. God was careful how he made this earth. We must not be careless about how we take care of it.
1:31God saw that all he had created was excellent in every way. You are part of God's creation, and he is pleased with how he made you. If at times you feel worthless or of little value, remember that God made you for a good reason. You are valuable to him.
Charts, profiles & sidebars from the printed pages
Study feature · page 4
GENESIS
KEY PLACES IN
of Canaan. Caspian Along the way, they settled we in the village - ~~ “I of Haran fora —; while (11:31). 5 Shechem God urged Abram to feave Haran and go to a place where oO he would become te the father of op? > MOUNTAINS =~ : OF ARARAT. © SYRIA LEBAN ON: Mediterranean Sea a great nation (12:1, 2). So Shechom Abram, Lot, and Sarai traveled to the land of ‘. Canaan and be I settled near .. xy a city called Persian Shechem (12:6). ARABIA Nee 6 Hebron 9 50 190M, A Abraham moved OS tox. Ma on to Hebron where he put down his deepest roots (13:18). a ie: jJerusalem.-- ‘ ; fiepron rsheba “Chaldeans Teg é Modern names and boundaries are shown in gray. God created the universe and the earth. Then he made man and Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all lived and were buried here. woman, giving them a home in a beautiful garden. Unfortunately, 7 Beersheba The well at Beersheba was a source of conflict Adam and Eve disobeyed God and were banished from the between Abraham and King Abimelech and later became a sign garden (3:23). of the oath that they swore there (21:31). Years later, as!saac was moving from place to place, God appeared to him here and 1 Mountains of Ararat Adam and Eve's sin brought sin into the passed on to him the covenant he had made with his father, human race. Years later, sin had run rampant and God decided Abraham (26:23-25). to destroy the earth with a great flood. But Noah, his family. 8 Bethel After deceiving his brother, Jacob left Beersheba and and two of each animal were safe in the boat. When the floods fled to Haran. Along the way, God revealed himself to Jacob receded, the boat rested on the mountains of Ararat (8:4). in a dream and passed on the covenant he had made with Abra- 2 Babel People never learn. Again sin abounded, and the pride ham and Isaac (28:10-22). Jacob lived in Haran, worked for of the people led them to build a huge tower as a monument Laban, and married Leah and Rachel (29:15-30). After a tense to their own greatness —obviously they had no thought of meeting with his brother, Esau, Jacob returned to Bethel (35:1). God. As punishment, God scattered the people by giving them 9 Egypt Jacob had 12 sons, including Joseph, Jacob’s favorite. different languages (11:8, 9). Joseph’s 10 older brothers grew jealous, until one day the 3 Urofthe Chaldeans Abram, a descendant of Shem and father brothers sold him to Ishmaelite traders going to Egypt. Evenof the Hebrew nation, was born in this great city (11:27, 28). tually, Joseph rose from Egyptian slave to Pharaoh’s “right-hand 4 Haran Terah, Abram, Lot, and Sarai teft Ur and, following the man,” saving Egypt from famine. His entire family moved from fertile crescent of the Euphrates River, headed toward the land Canaan to Egypt and settled there (46:3-7).
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. Or When God began to create the heavens
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BEGINNINGS
Origin of the universe
The Bible does not discuss the subject of evolution. Rather, its worldview assumes God created the world. The biblical view of creation is not in conflict with science; rather, it is in conflict with any worldview that starts without a creator. Equally committed and sincere Christians have struggled with the subject of beginnings and come to differing conclusions. This, of course, is to be expected because the evidence is very old and, due to the ravages of the ages, quite fragmented. Students of the Bible and of science should avoid polarizations and black/white thinking. Students of the Bible must be careful not to make the Bible say what it doesn’t say, and students of science must not make science say what it doesn’t say. The most important aspect of the continuing discussion is not the process of creation, but the origin of creation. The world is not a product of blind chance and probability; God created it. The Bible not only tells us that the world was created by God; more important, it tells us who this God is. It reveals God’s personality, his character, and his plan for his creation. It also reveals God’s deepest desire: to relate to and fellowship with the people he created. God took the ultimate step toward fellowship with us through his historic visit to this planet in the person of his Son Jesus Christ. We can know in a very personal way this God who created the universe. The heavens and the earth are here. We are here. God created all that we see and experience. The book of Genesis begins, “God created the heavens and the earth.”
speed, our galaxy still needs 200 million years to make one rotation. And there are over one billion other galaxies just like ours in the universe. Some scientists say that the number of stars in creation is equal to all the grains of all the sands on all the beaches of the world. Yet this complex sea of spinning stars functions with remarkable order and efficiency. To say that the universe “just happened” or “evolved” requires more faith than to believe that God is behind these amazing statistics. God truly did create a wonderful universe. God did not need to create the universe; he chose to create it. Why? God is love, and love is best expressed toward something or someone else—so God created the world and people as an expression of his love. We should avoid reducing God’s Creation to merely scientific terms. Remember that God created the universe because he loves us. 1:1ff The creation story teaches us much about God and ourselves. First, we learn about God: (1) He is creative; (2) as the Creator, he is distinct from his creation; (3) he is eternal and in control of the world. We also learn about ourselves: (1) Since God chose to create us, we are valuable in his eyes; (2) we are more important than the animais. (See 1:28 for more on our role in the created order.) 1:1ff Just how did God create the earth? This is still a subject of great debate. Some say that with a sudden explosion, the universe appeared. Others say God started the process and the universe evolved over billions of years. Almost every ancient religion has its own story to explain how the earth came to be. And almost every scientist has an opinion on the origin of the universe. But only the Bible shows one supreme God creating the earth out of his great love and giving all people a special place in it. We will never know all the answers to how God created the earth, but the Bible tells us that God did create it. That fact alone gives worth and dignity to all people.
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DAYS OF CREATION
First Day.............. Light (so there was light and darkness)
Second Day........... Sky and water (waters separated)
Third Day............. Land and seas (waters gathered); vegetation
Fourth Day............ Sun, moon, and stars (to govern the day and the night and to mark seasons, days and years)
Fifth Day...........00. Fish and birds (to fill the waters and the sky)
Sixth Day..........0.. Animals (to fill the earth) Man and woman (to care for the earth and to commune with God) Seventh Day God rested and declared all he had made to be very good
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WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT MARRIAGE
Genesis 2:18-24.... Marriage is God’s idea
Genesis 24:58-60... Commitment is essential to a successful marriage Genesis 29:10, 11.. Romance is important
Jeremiah 7:34..... Marriage holds times of great joy
Malachi 2:14, 15.... Marriage creates the best environment for raising children Matthew 5:32 Unfaithfulness breaks the bond of trust, the foundation of all relationships
Matthew 19:6...... Marriage is permanent
Romans 7:2,3..... Ideally, only death should dissolve marriage Ephesians 5:21-33.. Marriage is based on the principled practice of love, not on feelings Ephesians 5:23-32.. Marriage is a living symbol of Christ and the church
Hebrews 13:4...... Marriage is good and honorable