Coachlight Bible Study – The Book of Genesis – Chapter 1:1-2

The Creation of the Universe

The Bible is the most important book ever written.  Undoubtedly, even those who do not believe in the Bible’s inspiration by God would have to admit that the Bible has had more influence on history than any other book written, ever.  The Bible is actually a compilation of many books by many different human authors, and the book of Genesis is the foundation of them all.

The book of Genesis has been attacked, probably from the beginning, but especially in these latter decades.  From the so-called higher-criticism began in the sixteenth century by the philosopher Spinoza, along with the spread of Deism in the 1790’s, the age of Dialecticism by Espinoza of the eighteenth century along with Darwinian evolution and Humanistic Psychology of the twentieth century, and most lately, the De-Vinci Code of the twenty-first century, all these false teachings has caused virtually all liberal teachers to theorize that Genesis and for that matter, the whole Pentateuch, was not compiled and written by Moses, but was rather compiled unknowns after the exile in Babylon.

Although this conspiracy theory does not square with history, and goes against the teaching in the rest of the Bible, especially the New Testament, and especially by Christ, the false teachers of today will equate the book of Genesis with mere fables and myths.

The book of Genesis however concerns the origin of all things, and therefore the meaning of all things, and this would otherwise not be able to be known by man.  Our belief concerning our origin, will determine our belief concerning God’s purpose and our destiny.  What purpose and destiny does a believer in evolution have?

The book of Genesis also points out God’s purpose in inspiring the book in the first place.  This is most misunderstood today with many people’s concept of God as being some kind of evil ogre, spelled out with a statement something like, “How could a loving God permit such evil things happen to innocent children?”

The Book of Genesis – Bereshith - Origins
Reference	1:1	3:1	6:1	10:1	12:1	25:19	27:1	37:1
Plan	Creation	Fall	Flood	Nations	Abraham	Isaac	Jacob	Joseph
Purpose	To give God’s people the foundation for the rest of God’s Word, and to state God’s purpose, while stating the origin of the universe, life, man, marriage, evil, language, culture, religion, nations, government, and God’s chosen people.
Division	Four Events				Four People
Topic	Human Race				Hebrew Race
	Historical				Biographical
Location	Fertile Crescent				Canaan			Egypt
Time	c. 4004–2090 BC – c. 2000 Years				2090-1897 BC – 193 Years			1897 -1804 BC- 93 Years

I. The Book of Genesis is the Origin of Everything

A. The origin of the universe

1. No other book accounts for the creation of the space-mass-time continuum

2. Genesis 1:1 is unique in all literature, science, and philosophy

3. Every other cosmogony begins with some form of eternal matter or energy

a. Whether it comes from a scientific model

b. Whether it comes from an ancient religion

4. Only the book of Genesis accounts for the origin of matter, space, and time.

B. The origin of order and complexity

1. Science and observation teaches –

Orderly and complex things tend naturally to decay into disorder and simplicity.

2. Order and complexity never arise spontaneously.

3. They are always generated by a prior cause.

4. The Eternal Programmer and His programmed purposes only in Genesis

C. The origin of the solar system

1. Genesis teaches that the planets, earth, and stars were all created by God

2. Natural man attempts to devise naturalistic theories of origins.

D. The origin of the atmosphere and hydrosphere

1. The earth is equipped with what is necessary for life

a. It is equipped with a a great body of liquid water

b. It is equipped with a blanket of a oxygen-nitrogen gaseous mixture

2. As yet, no other heavenly body has these two needed for life

E. The origin of life

1. The teaching of Genesis is the only rational explanation of origins

2. All observation goes against natural causes

a. The marvels of the reproductive process

b. The almost infinite complexity programmed into genetic systems

c. The laws of Thermodynamics and Probability

F. The origin of man

1. Man is the most highly organized and complex entity in the universe.

2. Man’s imaginary evolution process is only an illusion.

G. The origin of marriage

1. He ordained a monogamous, patriarchal, social culture of marriage and home.

2. The perversions of polygamy, infanticide, matriarchy, promiscuity, divorce, abortion, homosexuality, and others, developed later.

H. The origin of evil

1. Cause and effect reasoning for the origin of goodness, truth, beauty, love, etc.

2. Moral and physical evils are only a temporary intrusion into God’s perfect world

a. Allowing for human freedom and responsibility

c. Allowing God to be both Creator and Redeemer.

I. The origin of language

1. There is a gulf between the chattering of animals and the intelligent, abstract, and symbolic communication of man in the evolutionary theory.

2. Only Genesis accounts for both the origin of language

a. Language in particular

b. The origin of national languages

J. The origin of government

K. The origin of culture

Such things as urbanization, metallurgy, music, agriculture, animal husbandry, writing, education, navigation, textiles, and ceramics are in Genesis.

L. The origin of nations

Only the book of Genesis gives an adequate answer to how different nations and races developed out of one.

M. The origin of religion

N. The origin of the chosen people

1. Who can explain the Israelites – They contributed immensely to the world’s art, music, science, finance, etc., yet

2. Are despised by great numbers of people

II. The Book of Genesis is the Foundation of History

A. The Book of Genesis mentioned in the Old Testament

1. Adam is mentioned by name in:

a. Deuteronomy

b. Job

c. I Chronicles

2. Noah is mentioned in:

a. I Chronicles

b. Isaiah

c. Ezekiel

3. Abraham is mentioned by name in 15 books of the OT and 11 of the New

4. Jacob is mentioned in 20 in the OT, and 11 of the New

B. The Book of Genesis mentioned in the New Testament

1. There are 165 passages in Genesis that are either directly quoted or clearly quoted in the New Testament.

2. Many are alluded to more than once, which makes at least 200.

3. Chart of References to Genesis in the New Testament:

Number	Genesis Reference	Topic	NT Reference
01.	1:1	God in the beginning	John 1:1
02.	1:1	Beginning of the world	II Timothy 1:9
03.	1:1	Beginning of the world	Titus 1:2
04.	1:1	Creation of the universe	Hebrews 11: 3
05.	1:1	Earth and heaven in the beginning	Hebrews 1:10
06.	1:3-5	Light out of darkness	II Corinthians 4:6
07.	1:5-7	Earth out of water and in water	II Peter 3:4-5
08.	1:11	Every seed his own body	I Corinthians 15:38-39
09.	1:11-12	Earth bringing forth herbs	Hebrews 6:7
10.	1:26-27	Made male and female	Mark 10:6-7
11.	1:26-27	Made In Image of God	Colossians 3:10
12.	1:27	In the image of God	I Corinthians 11:7
13.	1:29-31	All creatures good	I Timothy 4:4
14.	1:31	All things made by God	Acts 17:24
15.	2:1	All that in them is	Acts 14:15
16.	2:1	All things created in heaven and earth	Revelation 10:6
17.	2:1	First heaven and first earth	Revelation 21:1
18.	2:1-3	All things created	Colossians 1:16
Number	Genesis Reference	Topic	NT Reference
19.	2:1	Works finished	Hebrews 4:3
20.	2:2	Created all things	Hebrews 4:4
21.	2:3	Ceased from His works	Hebrews 4:10
22.	2:3	Created all things	Ephesians 3:9
23.	2:3	World made by Him	John 1:10
24.	2:3	Created all things	Revelation 4:11
25.	2:4	Creation which God created	Mark 13:19
26.	2:4	He that made heaven and earth	Revelation14:7
27.	2:4-6	Things that were made	Romans 1:20
28.	2:7	Adam a living soul	I Corinthians 15:45
29.	2:7	Man formed	I Timothy 2:13
30.	2:9	Tree of life in paradise	Revelation 2:7
31.	2:9	Fruit of tree of life	Revelation 22:14
32.	2:17	Death by sin	Romans 5:12
33.	2:18	Woman for the man	I Corinthians 11:9
34.	2:22	Woman of the man	I Corinthians 11:8
35.	2:23	Bone of his bone	Ephesians 5:30
36.	2:24	Leave father and mother	Ephesians 5:31
37.	2:24	One flesh	I Corinthians 6:16
38.	2:24	Cleave to his wife	Matthew 19:5
39.	2:24	One flesh	Mark 10:8
40.	3:1	That old serpent	Revelation 20:2
41.	3:1	Subtlety of serpent	II Corinthians 11:3
42.	3:4	Father of lies	John 8:44
43.	3:6	Woman deceived	I Timothy 2:14
44.	3:13	Serpent beguiled Eve	II Corinthians 11:3
45.	3:14	Devil sinneth from the beginning	I John 3:8
46.	3:15	Made of a woman	Galatians 4:4
47.	3:15	Satan bruised underfoot	Romans 16:20
48.	3:15	Enmity with the woman	Revelation
49.	3:15	That old serpent	Revelation 12:9
50.	3:15	Treading on serpents	Luke 10:19
51.	3:16	Saved in child-bearing	I Timothy 2:15
52.	3:16	Woman under obedience	I Corinthians 14:34
53.	3:16	Sorrow in travail	John 16:20
54.	3:16	Man the head of the woman	I Corinthians 11:3
55.	3:17	No more curse	Revelation 22:3
56.	3:18	Thorns and briers	Hebrews 6:8
57.	3:18-19	Bondage of corruption	Romans 8:21-22
58.	3:18-19	No more death, sorrow, pain	Revelation 21:4
59.	3:19	Work for your own bread	II Thessalonians 3:12
60.	3:19	By man came death	I Corinthians 15:21
61.	3:20	Mother of us all	Galatians 4:26
62.	3:22	Fruit of tree of life	Revelation 22:2
63.	3:23	Man from the earth	I Corinthians 15:47
64.	4:3-5	Abel a more excellent sacrifice	Hebrews 11:4
65.	4:4	Righteous Abel	Matthew 23:35
66.	4:8	Cain slew his brother	I John 3:12
67.	4:10	Blood of Abel	Hebrews 12:24
68.	4:11	Blood of Abel	Luke 11:51
69.	4:16	The way of Cain	Jude 11
70.	4:26	Prophets since the world began	Luke 1:70
Number	Genesis Reference	Topic	NT Reference
71.	5:1	Book of the generations	Matthew 1:1
72.	5:1	Similitude of God	James 3:9
73.	5:2	Created male and female	Matthew 19:4
74.	5:2	Beginning of Creation of God	Revelation 3:14
75.	5:4	Death reigned from Adam	Romans 5:14-19
76.	5:5	In Adam all die	I Corinthians 15:22
77.	5:3-6	Adam  to Enos	Luke 3:38
78.	5:12-21	Cainan to Methuselah	Luke 3:37
79.	5:18	Enoch, seventh from Adam	Jude 14
80.	5:24	Enoch translated	Hebrews 11:5
81.	5:28-32	Lamech to Shem	Luke 3:36
82.	5:29	Subjected to curse in hope	Romans 8:20
83.	6:2	Angels that sinned	II Peter 2:4
84.	6:3	Spirit striving with flesh	Galatians 5:17
85.	6:4	Angels left their habitation	Jude 6
86.	6:4	Marrying wives	Luke 17:27
87.	6:5	Days of Noah	Matthew 24:37
88.	6:12-13	The days of Noah	Luke 17:26
89.	6:13	God spared not old world	II Peter 2:5
90.	6:14-16	Ark preparing	I Peter 3:20
91.	7:1	Saving of his house	Hebrews 11:7
92.	7:13-16	Noah entered the ark	Matthew 4:38
93.	7:17-18	The flood came	Matthew 4:39
94.	7:19-20	Overflowed with water	II Peter 3:6
95.	8:21	Sweet savour	Philippians 4:18
96.	8:22	Fruitful seasons	Acts 14:17
97.	9:2	All things subjected to man	Hebrews 2:7-8
98.	9:3	Everything meat for you	I Timothy 4:3
99.	9:4	Blood not to be eaten	Acts 15:20
100.	9:6	Life for life	Matthew 26:52
101.	10:8-11	Babylon, the mother of abominations	Revelation 17:5
102.	10:32	All nations on face of earth	Acts 17:26
103.	11:4-5	The great city	Revelation 17:18
104.	11:10-13	Shem to Cainan	Luke 3:36
105.	11:14-20	Salah to Serug	Luke 3:35
106.	11:22-26	Nahor to Abraham	Luke 3:34
107.	11:31	Abraham dwelt in Haran	Acts 7:4
108.	21:1	Abraham to leave his kindred	Acts 7:3
109.	12:3	All families of the earth to be blessed	Acts 3:25
110.	12:3	All nations blessed	Galatians 3:8
111.	12:4	Abraham went out	Hebrews 11:8
112.	45:5	From Haran to Canaan	Acts 7:4
113.	12:7	Unborn seed given land	Acts 7:5
114.	13:15	Promise to the seed	Galatians 3:8
115.	14:18	Melchizedek  met Abraham	Hebrews 7:1
116.	14:19	Abraham blessed of Melchizedek	Hebrews 7:6-7
117.	14:20	Tithes to Melchizedek	Hebrews 7:4-5
118.	15:5	So shall thy seed be	Romans 4:18
119.	15:5	Seed as the stars	Hebrews 11:12
120.	15:6	Faith counted for righteousness	Romans 4:3, 5, 9, 22
121.	15:6	Abraham believed God	Galatians 3:6
122.	15:6	Imputed righteousness	James 2:23
Number	Genesis Reference	Topic	NT Reference
123.	15:13	Afflicted 400 years	Acts 7:6
124.	15:14	Nation to be judged	Acts 7:7
125.	15:16	Iniquity to be filled up	I Thessalonians 2:16
126.	16:1	No children	Acts 7:5
127.	16:15	A son by Hagar	Galatians 4:22
128.	17:5	Father of many nations	Romans 4:17
129.	17:7	With Abram’s seed forever	Luke 1:55
130.	17:8	Oath sworn to Abraham	Luke1:73
131.	17:10	Circumcision of the fathers	John 7:22
132.	17:11	Sign of circumcision	Romans 4:11
133.	17:13	Covenant of circumcision	Acts 7:8
134.	17:17	Abraham and Sarah past age	Romans 4:19
135.	18:2	Angels unawares	Hebrews 13:2
136.	18:10,14	Sarah to bear at appointed time	Romans 9:9
137.	18:12	Sarah called Abraham “lord”	I Peter 3:6
138.	18:20	Sin of Sodom and Gomorrah	Matthew 10:15
139.	19:1-3	Entertaining Angels	Hebrews 13:2
140.	19:5	Going after strange flesh	Jude 7
141.	19:9	Lot dwelling among wicked	II Peter 2:7-8
142.	19:24	Fire and brimstone from heaven	Luke 17:29
143.	19:25	Judgment on Sodom	Luke 10:12
144.	19:26	Lot’s wife	Luke17:32
145.	21:1	Promise fulfilled	Galatians4:23
146.	21:2	Sarah conceived seed	Hebrews 11:11
147.	21:3	Abraham begat Isaac	Matthew 1:2
148.	21:4	Isaac the son of Abraham	Luke 3:34
149.	21:9	Son of promise persecuted	Galatians 4:29
150.	21:10	Bondwoman cast out	Galatians 4:30
151.	21:12	Isaac the seed of promise	Galatians 4:28
152.	21:13	Seed of Abraham	Romans 9:7
153.	21:13	Isaac the seed called	Hebrews 11:18
154.	21:14	Hagar in the wilderness	Galatians 4:24-25
155.	22:1-3	Abraham offered up Isaac	Hebrews 11:17
156.	22:5	Accounting God could raise him up	Hebrews 11:19
157.	22:9	Isaac on the alter	James 2:21
158.	22:16	God swearing by Himself	Hebrews 6:13
159.	22:17	Blessing and multiplying	Hebrews 6:14
160.	22:17	As the sand and stars	Hebrews 11:12
161.	22:18	Heir of all nations of earth	Romans 4:13
162.	23:4	Stranger and sojourner	Hebrews 11:9
163.	23:16-20	Sepulcher bought	Acts 7:16
164.	25:21	Rebekah conceived	Romans 9:10
165.	25:23	Elder to serve the younger	Romans 9:12
166.	25 :25-26	Jacob and Esau	Romans 9:13
167.	25:33	Birthright despised	Hebrews 12:16
168.	26:3	Blessing of Abraham	Galatians 3:14
169.	26:4-5	Covenant confirmed	Galatians 3:17
170.	27:27-29, 39-40	Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau	Hebrews 11:20
171.	27:34, 38	No place of repentance	Hebrews 12:17
172.	28:12	Angels descending	John 1:51
173.	28:15	Never leave thee	Hebrews 13:5
174.	29:35	Judah, son of Jacob	Luke 3:33
Number	Genesis Reference	Topic	NT Reference
175.	30:13	Called blessed	Luke1:48
176.	30:23	Reproach taken away	Luke 1:25
177.	31:42	God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob	Matthew 22:32
178.	32:12	Seed as the sand	Hebrews 11:12
179.	33:19	Jacob’s parcel of ground	John 4:5
180.	35:16-17	Rachel weeping	Matthew 2:18
181.	37:28	Joseph sold into Egypt	Acts 7:9
182.	38:29	Judah begat Pharez	Matthew 1:3
183.	39:2, 23	The Lord with Joseph	Acts 7:9
184.	41:41-44	Joseph exalted	Acts 7:10
185.	41:54	Dearth in Egypt	Acts 7:11
186.	42:1-2	Corn in Egypt	Acts 7:12
187.	42:5	Famine in Canaan	Acts 7:11
188.	42:13	Twelve brethren	Acts 7:8
189.	45:1-4	Joseph revealed to his brethren	Acts 7:13
190.	45:9-11	Joseph sending for Jacob	Acts 7:14
191.	46:5-6	Jacob going to Egypt	Acts 7:15
192.	46:26-27	Seventy-five souls	Acts 7:14
193.	47:9	Strangers and pilgrims	Hebrews 11:13
194.	47:31	Leaning on top of staff	Hebrews 11:21
195.	48:13-20	Jacob blessed sons of Joseph	Hebrews 11:21
196.	49:9-10	Lion of the tribe of Judah	Revelation 5:5
197.	49:10	Lord sprang from Judah	Hebrews 7:14
198.	49:11	Washed garments in blood	Revelation 7:14
199.	49:29-30	Jacob buried in Canaan	Acts 7:16
200.	50:24-26	Death of Joseph	Hebrews 11:22

III. The Author of Genesis

A. The Book of Genesis was written by inspiration of the Holy Spirit

II Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

II Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

B. Liberal scholars deny that Moses was the author

C. Moses was the Holy Man of God who compiled Genesis by Inspiration of God

D. Christ Himself stated that Moses was the author of the Pentateuch:

Luke 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

Luke 24:44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

IV. The Interpretation of Genesis

A. Liberal teachers use an allegorical approach to make it nothing but fables

B. The writers of the New Testament and Christ Himself accepted Genesis as literal history.

C. Some may think because of Galatians 4:24, that allegorical interpretation is allowed:

Galatians 4:24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.

1. But Paul was not, and never did use allegorical interpretation

2. Paul merely used an allegorical illustration.

C. We will always use the literal method of interpretation – Which means we strive for the original meaning of the author.

D. The Bible, however, and especially the book of Genesis, because it was actually written by God has typical meanings explained in the New Testament.

1. The first Adam is a type of the Second Adam – Romans 5:12-19; I Corinthians 15:21-22, 45-47.

2. Eve is a type of the Church – Ephesians 5:29-33

3. Abraham & Isaac are a type of the Father giving up His only begotten Son – Hebrews 11:17-19.

4. There are many others

V. The Anticipation or prophecy  – Probationary & Cursed World

Probationary World (Genesis)	Eternal World (Revelation)
Division of light and darkness – (1:4)	No night there – (21:25)
Division of land and sea – (1:10)	No more sea – (21:1)
Rule of the sun and the moon – (1:16)	No Need of sun or moon – (21:23)
Man in a prepared Garden – (2:8-9)	Man in a prepared city – 21:2
River flowing out of Eden – (2:10)	River flowing from God’s Throne – (22:1)
Gold in the land – (2:12)	Gold in the city  - (21:21)
Tree of life in the midst of the garden – (2:9)	Tree of life throughout the city – (22:2)
Bdellium and the onyx stone – (2:12)	All manner of precious stones – 21:19)
God walking in the Garden – (3:8)	God dwelling with His people – (21:3)

Cursed World (Genesis)	Eternal world (Revelation)
Cursed ground – (3:17)	No more curse – (22:3)
Daily sorrow – (3:17)	No more sorrow – (21:4)
Thorns and thistles – (3:18)	No more pain – (21:4)
Sweat on the face – (3:19)	Tears wiped away – (21:4)
Eating herbs of the field – (3:18)	Twelve manner of fruits – (22:2)
Returning to the dust – (3:19)	No more death – (21:4)
Evil continually – (6:5)	Nothing that defileth – (21:27)
Coats of skins – (3:21)	Fine linen, white and clean – (19:14)
Satan opposing – (3:15)	Satan banished – (20:10)
Kept from the tree of life – 3:24)	Access to the tree of life – (22:14)
Banished from the garden – (3:23)	Free entry to the city – (22:14)
Redeemer promised (3:15)	Redemption accomplished – (5:9-10)

VI. The Creation of the Universe

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

A. The first verse of the Bible is the foundation of the foundation of Genesis

1. If a person really believes Genesis 1:1 – It will not be difficult to believe anything else recorded in the Bible

2. If God created all things – then

a. He controls all things

b. He can do all things

B. This one verse refutes all of man’s philosophies:

1. Atheism – The universe was created by God

2. Pantheism – God is transcendent to His creation

3. Polytheism – One God created all things

4. Materialism – Matter had a beginning

5. Dualism – God was alone when He created

6. Humanism – God, not man is the ultimate reality

7. Evolutionism – God created all things

C. We will look at each word

1. God – 0430 Myhla ‘elohiym el-o-heem’ - plural of 0433; TWOT-93c; n m p

God 2346, god 244, judge 5, GOD 1, goddess 2, great 2, mighty 2, angels 1, exceeding 1, God-ward + 04136 1, godly 1; 2606

1) (plural) - 1a) rulers, judges - 1b) divine ones - 1c) angels

1d) gods - 2) (plural intensive-singular meaning) - 2a) god, goddess

2b) godlike one - 2c) works or special possessions of God

2d) the (true) God - 2e) God

a. A Uni-plural name – Stresses God’s Majesty and omnipotence

b. It can be used referring to the gods of the heathen – (Psalm 96:5)

c. Its use here is clearly singular

d. God is One – but more than One

2. Created – 01254 arb bara’ baw-raw’ - a primitive root; TWOT-278; v

create 42, creator 3, choose 2, make 2, cut down 2, dispatch 1, done 1, make fat 1; 54

1) to create, shape, form

1a) (Qal) to shape, fashion, create (always with God as subject)

1a1) of heaven and earth - 1a2) of individual man - 1a3) of new conditions and circumstances - 1a4) of transformations - 1b) (Niphal) to be created

1b1) of heaven and earth - 1b2) of birth - 1b3) of something new

1b4) of miracles - 1c) (Piel) - 1c1) to cut down - 1c2) to cut out

2) to be fat - 2a) (Hiphil) to make yourselves fat

a. Used only for the work of God – Only God can create out of nothing

Hebrews 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

b. There were other words to be used if the meaning was “formed” or “made” – like yatzer and asah

3. Heaven (Space)- 08064 Mymv shamayim shaw-mah’-yim dual of an unused singular  hmv shameh shaw-meh’ - from an unused root meaning to be lofty; n m

heaven 398, air 21, astrologers + 01895 1; 420

1) heaven, heavens, sky - 1a) visible heavens, sky - 1a1) as abode of the stars

1a2) as the visible universe, the sky, atmosphere, etc - 1b) Heaven (as the abode of God)

a. Like Elohim it is a plural noun – can be heaven or heavens

b. It can be related to our term space

c. It can be either outer space or inner space, or atmospheric space

4. Earth – (Matter) 0776 Ura ‘erets eh’-rets - from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; TWOT-167; n f

land 1543, earth 712, country 140, ground 98, world 4, way 3, common 1, field 1, nations 1, wilderness + 04057 1; 2504

1) land, earth - 1a) earth - 1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)

1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven) - 1a3) earth (inhabitants)

1b) land - 1b1) country, territory - 1b2) district, region

1b3) tribal territory - 1b4) piece of ground - 1b5) land of Canaan, Israel

1b6) inhabitants of land - 1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world

1b8) city (- state) - 1c) ground, surface of the earth - 1c1) ground

1c2) soil - 1d) (in phrases) - 1d1) people of the land

1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance)

1d3) level or plain country - 1d4) land of the living - 1d5) end(s) of the earth

1e) (almost wholly late in usage) - 1e1) lands, countries - 1e1a) often in contrast to Canaan

a. The term ‘earth’ refers to the component of matter in the universe

b. At creation there were no other planets, stars, or other heavenly bodies

c. Often translated “ground” or “land”

1. Land of Canaan – Genesis 12:5

2. The Earth material in general – Genesis 1:11

5. In The Beginning (Time)- 07225 tyvar bare’shiyth bar-ray-sheeth’ - from the same as 07218; TWOT-2097e; n f

beginning 18, firstfruits 11, first 9, chief 8, misc 5; 51

1) first, beginning, best, chief  - 1a) beginning - 1b) first

1c) chief - 1d) choice part

a. Besides the creation of space and matter, We here also have the beginning of time

b. The Universe is actually a continuum of space, matter and time

1. No one part can have a meaningful existence without the other two.

2. The term matter is said to include energy, and must function in both time and space.

3. The concept of time is meaningful only in events in time, which also require space and matter.

4. The universe is not part matter, part space, and part time – It is all space, all matter, and all time.

c. Remember the word Elohim, suggests that God is both One and yet more than One.

1.  A Trinity or Tri-Unity is different than a triad

2. Like the universe, God is not part Father, part Son, and part Holy Ghost – He is all Father, all Son, and all Holy Ghost

VII. The Gap Theory – Supposed Gap between Genesis 1:1-1:2

A. First revived by Thomas Chalmers – Late 19^th Century

1. Purpose - Try to harmonize Biblical chronology with the theories of the geological ages accepted and needed in scientific circles

2. This, then was taught in the Scoffield and Dakes Bibles

3. Then taught in Bible seminaries and colleges – then Christian schools

4. The deadly teaching of evolution spread throughout our media, etc.

B. The Belief of the geological age theory is based on uniformity – The earth processes have remained the same and continued throughout the ages until now

C. The Gap Theory – the pre-adamic world was destroyed and then recreated in Genesis 1:2 – A huge gap between the two verses

1. Also called ‘the ruin and reconstruction theory’

2. Also called the pre-adamic cataclysm theory

3. Will not square with uniformity – So no evolutionary scientist would back it

4. So, the compromise leads to no good

D. The Gap Theorist accepts the geologic ages along with the fossil record that identifies the supposed ages.

1. What are fossils? – They are dead things

2. Fossils speak clearly of a world with death, disease, and suffering.

3. The Bible teaches that death first came only when Adam brought sin into the world.

Romans 5:12  Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

I Corinthians 15:21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

E. Notice that every verse in chapter one has a conjunction ‘and’ in front of it tying all the verses in sequence and chronology – Hebrew waw – No Gap

F. Sound Biblical Interpretation rejects the Gap Theory

VIII. The Second Verse – Creation of the Universe

Genesis 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

A. waw – Conjunction that links the two verses chronologically and sequentially.

B. was - 01961 hyh hayah haw-yaw - a primitive root [compare 01933]; v

was, come to pass, came, has been, were happened, become, pertained, better for thee; 75

1. The Gap theorists proclaim that the word should be translated ‘became’

2. If Moses meant that, a better word could have been used – haphak – “to change state”

3. The context and the word used rejects this thought.

C. Without form and void - 08414 wht tohuw to’-hoo - from an unused root meaning to lie waste; n m

vain 4, vanity 4, confusion 3, without form 2, wilderness 2, nought 2, nothing 1, empty place 1, waste 1; 20

1) formlessness, confusion, unreality, emptiness - 1a) formlessness (of primeval earth) - 1a1) nothingness, empty space - 1b) that which is empty or unreal (of idols) (fig) - 1c) wasteland, wilderness (of solitary places) - 1d) place of chaos

1e) vanity

0922 whb bohuw bo’-hoo - from an unused root (meaning to be empty); n m

void 2, emptiness 1; 3

1) emptiness, void, waste

1. The Gap theorists proclaim that the word should be translated ‘ruined and desolate’

2. Look at Isaiah 45:18 – Also uses the word tohuw (in vain), but a different word for uninhabited:

Isaiah 45: 18 For thus saith the LORD  that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain <08414>, he formed  it to be inhabited <03427> (8800): I am the LORD; and there is none else.

3. God created a tri-universe of time, space, and matter

a. As yet no stars or planets

b. Only the basis of the space, mass, time continuum

D. Darkness upon the face of the deep - 02822 Kvx choshek kho-shek’ - n m

darkness 70, dark 7, obscurity 2, night 1; 80

1) darkness, obscurity - 1a) darkness - 1b) secret place

06440 Mynp paniym paw-neem’ pl. (but always as sing.) of an unused noun  hnp paneh paw-neh’ n m

before 1137, face 390, presence 76, because 67, sight 40, countenance 30, from 27, person 21, upon 20, of 20, ...me 18, against 17, ...him 16, open 13, for 13, toward 9, misc 195; 2109

08415 Mwht tehowm teh-home’ from 01949; TWOT-2495a; n f/m

deep 20, depth 15, deep places 1; 36

1) deep, depths, deep places, abyss, the deep, sea - 1a) deep (of subterranean waters) - 1b) deep, sea, abysses (of sea) -1c) primeval ocean, deep

1d) deep, depth (of river) -1e) abyss, the grave

1. The universe was not yet formed or energized

2. Evolutionist make fun of Genesis saying that God couldn’t have created in the dark:

Isaiah 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

3. face – paniym - means in the presence

4. The deep – tehowm- means water

5. The Bible refers to this formlessness:

Proverbs 8:24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.

Proverbs 8:25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:

Proverbs 8:26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world.

Proverbs 8:27 When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: {a compass: or, a circle}

Isaiah 40: 22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

Job 22:14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven.

6. The fact that a compass had to be set shows the formlessness of cretion at this point.

7. The Universe was created, but it  was still dark, no motion, no form, no light

E. The Spirit of God moved – Energized the creation

07307 xwr ruwach roo’-akh - from 07306; n f

Spirit or spirit 232, wind 92, breath 27, side 6, mind 5, blast 4, vain 2, air 1, anger 1, cool 1, courage 1, misc 6; 378

1) wind, breath, mind, spirit

07363 Pxr rachaph raw-khaf’ - a primitive root;; v

shake 1, move 1, flutter 1; 3

1. Some theologians speak of this action as a hen flutters over her chicks

2. The Spirit of God ‘moved’ or put energy in the unformed water mess.

3. Energy can not create itself – It took the programming of the Holy Ghost

4. There was another moving of the Holy Ghost in Scripture:

II Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.