Coachlight Bible Study – Genesis 1:28 – 2:4 – Lesson IV

God’s Mindset As He Pronounces His Creation Very Good

 

Verse 4 of chapter two marks the end of the first section of the Book of Genesis, entitled the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created.   Now we can begin to understand the layout of the book of Genesis.

So far, God has completely prepared the earth for man, and created man in God’s image and likeness.  From the use of “swarms” and “abundantly” in the creation account of the animals, it appears that God had created more than one pair of each of the animals.  On the other hand, however,  it is abundantly clear, especially in Genesis chapter two, that God created only one man and one woman.  Now God blesses man, and gave them their basic instructions and commission.  What was on God’s mind at this time?

 

Genesis 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish <04390> the earth, and subdue <03533> it: and have dominion <07287> over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. {moveth: Heb. creepeth}

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.

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

Genesis 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

Genesis 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

Genesis 2:3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. {created…: Heb. created to make}

Genesis 2:4 These are the generations <08435> of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,

 

I. The End of the first Generation – Toledah - In Genesis

A. We Find 11 toledah or generation sections in Genesis

1. Genesis 2:4 – “Generations of the heavens and of the earth”

2. Genesis 5:1 – “This is the book of the generations of Adam”

3. Genesis 6:9 – “These are the generations of Noah”

4. Genesis 10:1 – “Now these are the generations of the of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth”

5. Genesis 11:10 – “These are the generations of Shem”

6. Genesis 11:27 – “Now these are the generations of Terah”

7. Genesis 25:12 – “Now these are the generations of Ishmael”

8. Genesis 25:19 – “And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son”

9. Genesis 36:1 – “Now these are the generations of Esau, who is Edom

10. Genesis 36:9 – “And these are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in Mount Sair

11. Genesis 37:2 – “And these are the generations of Jacob”

B. Above, Probably The Original Documents That Were Compiled By Moses

C. These Can Be Condensed

1. The passages assigned to Ishmael can be put together with those of Isaac

2. The passages assigned to Esaul can be put together with those of Jacob

D. Nine Main Subdivisions of Genesis

1. Genesis 1:1 – 2:4 - “The Generations of the heavens and the earth”

2. Genesis 2:4b – 5:1 – “The book of the generations of Adam”

3. Genesis 5:1b – 6:9 = “The generations of Noah”

4. Genesis 6:9b – 10:1 – “The generations of the sons of Noah”

5. Genesis 10:1b – 11:10 – “The generations of Shem”

6. Genesis 11:10b – 11:27 – “The Generations of Terah”

7. Genesis 11:27b – 25:19 – “The Generations of Isaac”

8. Genesis 25:19b – 37:12 – “The generations of Jacob”

9. Genesis 37:2b – Exodus 1:1 – “The generations of the sons of Jacob”

E. Each Book Originally Written by Eyewitnesses

1. The use of the word Elohim for God in chapter 1

a. Notice no human name attached to this one

b. God only eyewitness

2. Chapter two it is not God, but Lord God - Jehovah Elohim - Adam

F. Liberal’s teach - man had not evolved enough to have written Genesis early

1. Archeology has uncovered writing much earlier – Like Abraham’s time

2. Notice the use of the word ‘book” in Adam’s toledath – (The 2nd)

II. The First Command – “Be fruitful & Multiply & Fill the Earth

A. Old English word replentish, male, actually means fill – not refill

 

04390 alm male’ maw-lay’ or  alm mala’ (#Es 7:5) maw-law’ - a primitive root; v

 

fill 107, full 48, fulfil 28, consecrate 15, accomplish 7, replenish 7, wholly 6, set 6, expired 3, fully 2, gather 2, overflow 2, satisfy 2, misc 14; 249 1) to fill, be full 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be full 1a1a) fulness, abundance (participle) 1a1b) to be full, be accomplished, be ended 1a2) to consecrate, fill the hand 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be filled, be armed, be satisfied 1b2) to be accomplished, be ended 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to fill 1c2) to satisfy 1c3) to fulfil, accomplish, complete 1c4) to confirm 1d) (Pual) to be filled 1e) (Hithpael) to mass themselves against

 

B. The word male is used 240 Times in the Old Testament

1. Each time it is translated replenish it can also mean fill

2. below is a list of the times used in Genesis

a. each time can mean fill

b. Look at verse 22

3. Certainly not a proof for Gap Theory

 

C. Male used 15 times in Genesis

Genesis 1:22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill <04390> the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.

Genesis 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish <04390> 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.

Genesis 6:11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled <04390> with violence.

Genesis 6:13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with <04390> violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

Genesis 9:1 And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish <04390> the earth.

Genesis 21:19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled <04390> the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.

Genesis 24:16 And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled <04390> her pitcher, and came up.

Genesis 25:24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled <04390>, behold, there were twins in her womb.

Genesis 26:15 For all the wells which his father’s servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled <04390> them with earth.

Genesis 29:21 And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled <04390>, that I may go in unto her.

Genesis 29:27  Fulfil <04390> her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.

Genesis 29:28  And Jacob did so, and fulfilled <04390> her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.

Genesis 42:25 Then Joseph commanded to fill <04390> their sacks with corn, and to restore every man’s money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them.

Genesis 44:1  And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill <04390> the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man’s money in his sack’s mouth. {the steward…: Heb. him that was over his house}

Genesis 50:3 And forty days were fulfilled <04390> for him; for so are fulfilled <04390> the days of those which are embalmed: and the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days. {mourned: Heb. wept}

 

D. It is Clear that God’s Command was in the framework of Monogamy

1. Genesis 2 states the singular:

Genesis 2:18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

 

2. God made one man and one woman to fill the earth – Called it Very Good

III. The 2nd Command – “..Subdue it; and have dominion…”

 

03533 vbk kabash kaw-bash’ - a primitive root; TWOT-951; v

subdue 8, bring into subjection 3, bring into bondage 2, keep under 1, force 1, ; 15

1) to subject, subdue, force, keep under, bring into bondage 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to bring into bondage, make subservient 1a2) to subdue, force, violate 1a3) to subdue, dominate, tread down 1b) (Niphal) to be subdued 1c) (Piel) to subdue

 

07287 hdr radah raw-daw’ - a primitive root; TWOT-2121,2122; v

AV-rule 13, dominion 9, take 2, prevaileth 1, reign 1, ruler 1; 27

1) to rule, have dominion, dominate, tread down -1a) (Qal) to have dominion, rule, subjugate 1b) (Hiphil) to cause to dominate 2) to scrape out 2a) (Qal) to scrape, scrape out

 

A. Subdue, kabash & Dominion, Radah are military terms

B. Actually means “Conquer & Rule”

C. Authorized both Science & Technology

1. 1st means an intense study of God’s Creation – Science

2. 2nd means implementing this knowledge for the good of mankind -Technology

D. This Actually Made Man God’s Stewart Over The Created World

E. Remember God Pronounced It All Very Good

 

IV. God’s Provision – A Look At How God Thinks

A. God Met Man’s Most Essential Need – Renewable Energy Source

1. God had provided man with a marvelous digestive system

2. God had provided fruits & herbs all over the earth in the biosphere

B. This Food Supply Could Not Be Exhausted

1. Food was available everywhere on earth

2. Everywhere man went on earth there would be food – no deserts, etc.

C. Neither Man Nor Beast Was To Eat Meat

1. Verse 29 – Herbs and fruit for man to eat

2. Verse 30 – Herbs and fruit for animals to eat

3. As far as man is concerned this was changed at the flood – Genesis 9:3

4. Predatory animals came only after the curse

D. God Knew Man Would Fail At God’s Commission

 

Revelation 13: Revelation 13:8  And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

 

E. This Animal Behavior Will Return During The Kingdom For The Redeemed

 

Isaiah 11:1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

Isaiah 11:2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;

Isaiah 11:3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: {quick…: Heb. scent or, smell}

Isaiah 11:4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. {reprove: or, argue}

Isaiah 11:5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

Isaiah 11:6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

Isaiah 11:7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

Isaiah 11:8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.

 

V. What Was In God’s Mind As He Gave The 2nd Command

 

A. Let’s look at Psalm 8:

 

1. Psalm 8 Expounds on this very same subject

 

Psalm 8:1 <<To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David.>> O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.

Psalm 8:2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. {ordained: Heb. founded}

Psalm 8:3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;

Psalm 8:4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

Psalm 8:5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

Psalm 8:6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:

Psalm 8:7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; {All…: Heb. Flocks and oxen all of them}

Psalm 8:8 The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.

Psalm 8:9 O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

 

 

2. Hebrews 2 tells us we do not see this yet

 

Hebrews 2:6 But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?

Hebrews 2:7 Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:

Hebrews 2:8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.

 

3. Was God’s Mindset Only In Anticipation of the Fall?

a. Man has failed in his stewardship

1. Man has not always used the earth for good

2. Man has denied God

3. Man has abused his stewardship

b. This Old Commission Has Never Been Taken Away – Still Obligated

 

4. Let’s Look At The Way God Thinks And Does Things – Back To Hebrews 2

 

Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. {for the: or, by the}

Hebrews 2:10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

Hebrews 2:11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

Hebrews 2:12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.

Hebrews 2:13 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.

Hebrews 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

Hebrews 2:15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Hebrews 2:16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. {took not…: Gr. taketh not hold of angels, but of the seed of Abraham he taketh hold}

Hebrews 2:17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

Hebrews 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

 

 

VI. God Pronounced His Completed Creation Very Good

A. God’s Pronouncement Was Made Before He Rested – All in Harmony

B. This One Verse Refutes Any Theory To Do With Geological Ages

1. There was nothing in all of creation that could be bad

2. There was no struggle for existence

3. There was no disease

4. No pollution

5. No physical calamities – (Floods. Earthquakes, etc.)

6. No disorder

7. No sin

8. No death – Romans 5:12 backs this up

 

C. When God Rested, He Had Finished All His Work

 

Hebrews 4:3  For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

Hebrews 4:4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.

 

1. The processes of the universe during the creation were “innovation & integration” – or “creating & making”

2. The present processes of the universe are “conservation & disintegration” – The two laws of thermodynamics

3. No one can find out about the creation period by studying the present

4. God’s revelation is the only way to find out about origins

 

D. When God Rests A New Age Dawns

1. Though God Rested, He soon had another work – Redemption

 

John 4:34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

 

2. God’s work of redemption was finished also

 

John 17:4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

 

3. God then rested again in Joseph’s tomb on the Sabbath until

a. The first day of the week

b. And a new age