January 1, 2017 – Genesis 1-3 – In the Beginning

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Genesis 1-3. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read His Word.

What Does This Passage Say?

• Genesis 1 gives us the creation story. It tells us how God, who has always existed, created everything we know, from the stars in the sky to the fish in the sea, in six days.
• Genesis 2 starts with God finishing His work of creation and on the seventh day resting. Chapter 2 then goes on to give an intimate detail of the creation of mankind. This passage is a retelling of chapter 1, this time focusing on the creation account of man. God created the first man, named Adam, from the dust of the earth and placed him in a garden created just for him. One of the first tasks God gave mankind was to name all the animals. The animals came to Adam, both male and female. But none came to him like himself, so God put the man to sleep and formed woman out of the man. This chapter ends with the man and the woman joined in one flesh marriage relationship, naked, with no shame.
•  Genesis 3 established the conflict for the entire Bible. Satan is given reign on the earth and appears to the woman. Through deceitful language he is able to convince the woman to eat the forbidden fruit, which she gives to her husband. For the first time, man has sinned. This sin has made man feel shameful. The chapter ends with God establishing the discipline for man’s sin.

 What is This Passage Teaching?

• Genesis 1-3 introduces us to the characters and the conflict of the Bible. The characters are God, the creator, mankind (Adam and Eve), and Satan the protagonist. The conflict of the story is man’s sin, causing a separation from God. Because of sin, God and mankind can no longer walk together in the cool of the garden.
•  In addition to this main teaching point, we learn a few things about God and mankind.

1. God is a creator … He created everything on this earth.
2. Mankind is created in the image of God. That means in many ways we are created like Him. Just like He creates, we can create. Now we cannot create from nothing like God does, but we can take the raw materials that He has created and turn them into objects.
3. In God’s design for life, there is no shame, there is no guilt, because there is no sin. Sin ruined all of that.
4. God is torn and heartbroken over man’s sin.

• In Chapter 2 we see God’s design for marriage … “a man will leave his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become on flesh.” Genesis 2:24 NIV. God designed marriage, and sexual relationships, to be both for life and between one man and one woman. Anything outside of that is beyond God’s design and is essentially sin.

How Can I Apply this Passage to my Life?

• How often do you look at your life and wonder … “How in the world can the God who created the universe love me? How can God have a desire to be a part of my life?” The answer to that question is remember that God created you … and He created you in His image. He loves you. No matter who you are, no matter what you have done, God loves you and cares deeply for you.