studies in the book of Genesis_01_00.ppt

Introduction
© John Stevenson, 2015

Dr. John T. Stevenson
• Family Life
• Academic Life

• Family Life
• Academic Life
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• Family Life
• Academic Life
• Professional Life
• Spiritual Life
• Ministry Life

http://JohnStevenson.net
JohnStevenson@Bellsouth.net

Group Introductions
Group Introductions
• Your name
• Your home church
• Where are you in your educational
process?
• What classes have you already
taken in the area of the Old or New
Testament?

Torah
Torah
Hebrew: “Law,
Instruction”
Pentateuch
Pentateuch
Greek: “Five-Part
Book”

Numbers
Numbers
Relates the wilderness
wanderings
Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy
Gives the Law to a new
generation with special
emphasis to those entering the
land
Genesis
Genesis
Traces the origins of God’s
people from creation to Egypt
Exodus
Exodus
Relates God’s deliverance of
Israel from Egypt and
establishing His covenant
Leviticus
Leviticus Sets forth the Laws of worship

Documentary Hypothesis
Jehovah Elohim
Jean Astruc: Moses utilized two different
source documents
Wilhelm de Wette: Deuteronomy penned by
alternate author
Deuteronomy

Jehovah Elohim
Herman Hulfeld: E-1 E-2
Deuteronomy
Julius Wellhausen: J – Jehovah
E – Elohim
D – Deuteronomy
P – Priestly

Mosaic Authorship of Genesis
Mosaic Authorship of Genesis
• Moses was qualified to write the
Moses was qualified to write the
book of Genesis.
book of Genesis.
• The Style of Genesis reflects an
The Style of Genesis reflects an
Egyptian influence.
Egyptian influence.
• The unity of the book of Genesis
The unity of the book of Genesis
reflects a single author.
reflects a single author.

The Pentateuch was not
The Pentateuch was not
written as modern books are.
written as modern books are.
It is a collection and
It is a collection and
arrangement of ancient
arrangement of ancient
written sources, many of
written sources, many of
which appear to have been
which appear to have been
fragmentary and already old
fragmentary and already old
by the time of Moses.
by the time of Moses.
Indeed, Moses may have had
Indeed, Moses may have had
to translate some of them into
to translate some of them into
Hebrew. (John Sailhamer,
Hebrew. (John Sailhamer,
The Meaning of the
The Meaning of the
Pentateuch
Pentateuch, Pg 28).
, Pg 28).

Title for the Book
Title for the Book
• The Hebrew Title: tyviareB.
(BeReshyth); “In the Beginning”
• Greek Title:  - “Beginnings”

“THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF...”
Formula Contents Location
In the beginning God... Creation 1:1 - 2:3
1. This is the account of the
heaven and the earth
Creation 2:4 - 4:26
2. This is the written account of
Adam's Line
Genealogy: Seth to Noah 5:1 - 6:8
3. This is the account of Noah Flood & Covenant 6:9 - 9:29
4. This is the account of Shem,
Ham & Japheth
Table of Nations & Babel 10:1 - 11:9
5. This is the account of Shem Genealogy: Shem to Abraham 11:10-26
6. This is the account of Terah Story of Abraham 11:27 - 25:11
7. This is the account of
Abraham's son Ishmael
Genealogy of Ishmael 25:12-18
8. This is the account of
Abraham's son Isaac
Transition of blessing from
Isaac to Jacob
25:19 - 35:29
9. This is the account of Esau Genealogy of Esau 36:1-43
10. This is the account of Jacob Joseph & Israel in Egypt 37:1 - 50:26

“
“These are the generations…”
These are the generations…”
• Hebrew:
Hebrew: tAdl.At hL,ae
tAdl.At hL,ae -
- Elleh toledoth
Elleh toledoth
• Ten sets
Ten sets
• History of account follows:
History of account follows: “These
“These
are the things that followed…”
are the things that followed…”
Adam
Abraham
Israel
Genesis 2:4 – 11:26 Genesis 11:27 – 50:26
5 Toledoth from
Adam to Abraham
5 Toledoth from
Abraham to Israel

Genesis 1-11
Events Predominant
– Creation
– Fall
– Flood
– Tower of Babel
Genesis 12-50
People Predominant
– Abraham
– Isaac
– Jacob
– Joseph
Race as a whole Family of Abraham
Over 2000 years 250 years

Genesis Revelation
Creation of the heavens and
earth.
A new heaven and a new earth.
The Tree of Life in the Garden. The Tree of Life in the New
Jerusalem.
A river runs through the
Garden.
A river runs through the New
Jerusalem.
The first marriage: Adam and
Eve.
The last marriage: The last Adam
to the church.
The beginning of the career of
Satan.
The end of Satan’s career: The
Lake of Fire.
Death enters. Death is destroyed.
Man lost privileges because of
sin.
Man regains privileges because of
Christ’s payment for sin.
Beginning of sorrow, pain and
death.
Christ wipes away all tears.
The first murder. No more death.
The beginning of Babylon. Babylon destroyed.

Beginning & Ending
Beginning & Ending
• Genesis begins with God:
Genesis begins with God: “In the
“In the
beginning God created…”
beginning God created…”
• Genesis ends with a corpse:
Genesis ends with a corpse: “…in
“…in
a coffin in Egypt”
a coffin in Egypt”

Babylonian Creation Account
• Enuma Elish
Enuma Elish
• Seven Tablets
Seven Tablets
• Apsu & Tiamat
Apsu & Tiamat
exist as primal
exist as primal
gods
gods
When the sky above was not named,
When the sky above was not named,
And the earth beneath did not yet bear a
And the earth beneath did not yet bear a
name,
name,

• Enuma Elish
Enuma Elish
• Seven Tablets
Seven Tablets
• Apsu & Tiamat
Apsu & Tiamat
exist as primal
exist as primal
gods
gods
And the primeval Apsû, who begat them,
And the primeval Apsû, who begat them,
And chaos, Tiamat, the mother of them
And chaos, Tiamat, the mother of them
both,
both,

• Enuma Elish
Enuma Elish
• Seven Tablets
Seven Tablets
• Apsu & Tiamat
Apsu & Tiamat
exist as primal
exist as primal
gods
gods
Their waters were mingled together,
Their waters were mingled together,
And no field was formed, no marsh was
And no field was formed, no marsh was
to be seen;
to be seen;

• Enuma Elish
Enuma Elish
• Seven Tablets
Seven Tablets
• Apsu & Tiamat
Apsu & Tiamat
exist as primal
exist as primal
gods
gods
When of the gods none had been called
When of the gods none had been called
into being.
into being.

• Chaos erupts
Chaos erupts
with creation of
with creation of
other gods
other gods
• Aspu killed &
Aspu killed &
Tiamat takes
Tiamat takes
Kingu as new
Kingu as new
husband
husband
• Marduk fights Tiamat and uses her corpse
Marduk fights Tiamat and uses her corpse
to fashion earth and sky
to fashion earth and sky

• Marduk kills
Marduk kills
Kingu and
Kingu and
creates man
creates man
from his blood
from his blood
• Sabbatu is
Sabbatu is
established as
established as
observance
observance
(Refers to full moon that appears once a
month)

Ennuma Elish
When in the height
heaven was not named,
And the earth beneath did
not yet bear a name,
And the primeval Apsu,
who begat them,
And chaos, Tiamut, the
mother of them both
Their waters were
mingled together…
Genesis Account
In the beginning God
created the heavens
and the earth.
And the earth was
without form and void,
and darkness was
upon the face of the
deep, and the Spirit of
God was moving on
the face of the
waters…

Ennuma Elish
Tiamat engulfs world
in a primal chaos.
Genesis Account
The world was
unformed and unfilled.
Light comes from the
gods.
God brings light into
existence.
Marduk makes the
stars of the zodiac and
ordains the year.
God sets sun and
moon for signs,
seasons, days, and
years.
Marduk makes man
from the blood of
Kingu.
God creates man in
His own image and
likeness.

Ennuma Elish Genesis Account
Marduk commands the
horns to determine six
days, the seventh day
to divide the crown,
and the fourteenth day
to be the Sabbatu
(when the moon is full)
God creates in six
days and rests on the
seventh day which He
appoints as a Sabbath

Moses is giving to us a refutation of the
Moses is giving to us a refutation of the
accepted mythos that was held in antiquity
accepted mythos that was held in antiquity
as he goes point by point to show that God
as he goes point by point to show that God
is the true Creator of heaven and earth.
is the true Creator of heaven and earth.
Ennuma Elish
Ennuma Elish Genesis Account
Genesis Account

Genesis 1:1
Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the
heavens and the earth.
When God began to create heaven
When God began to create heaven
and Earth (Jewish Publication
and Earth (Jewish Publication
Society, 3
Society, 3rd
rd
edition)
edition)
In the beginning was the Word, and
In the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was with God, and the Word
the Word was with God, and the Word
was God (John 1:1).
was God (John 1:1).

Genesis 1:1
Genesis 1:1
Elohim
• Teaches the existence of God.
• Teaches the existence of One God.
• Teaches the pre-existence of God.
• Teaches the personhood of God.

Genesis 1:1
Genesis 1:1
bara
• An initial act of creation.
• A summary statement of the entire
chapter.

Genesis 1:1
Genesis 1:1
shamayim
aretz

Theories of Creation
• Supernatural versus Evolutionary.
• A Superficial Appearance of History.
• The Gap Theory.

Genesis 1:2
Genesis 1:2
And the earth was formless and
void, and darkness was over the surface
of the deep, and the Spirit of God was
moving over the surface of the waters.
6 Days of
6 Days of
Re-creation
Re-creation
Original
Original
Creation
Creation
Formless
Formless
& Void
& Void

The verb hayeta in
Genesis 1:2 can be
translated “became” so
that we could read that
“the earth became
without form and void.”
The normal rendering
of hayeta is “was” and
indicates a state of
being.
Support Objections
Tohu wabohu
(“formless and void”)
are a destruction
which took place after
God’s original creation
(Jer. 4:23, Isa. 34:11).
Tohu wabohu
(“formless and void”)
can just as easily
describe an
unconstructed state.

Isaiah 45:18 says that
God did not create the
earth void (tohu) while
Genesis 1:2 says that
the earth was now
void. It is reasoned
that the earth must
have come to be in
this manner after its
original creation.
Isaiah 45:18 simply
tells us that God’s
intention for the earth
in its completed form
was that it would not
be tohu, but rather that
it might be inhabited.
The prophet is simply
stating the purpose of
creation.
Support Objections

The darkness which
characterized the
formless and void
condition is indicative
of evil.
Darkness does not
always indicate evil.
Both light and
darkness existed upon
the finished earth and
it was still said to be
good.
Support Objections

• The Gap Theory.
• The Day/Age Theory.

The word “day” is
sometimes used in the
Scriptures to describe
a period of time longer
than a 24 hour period
(“the day of the Lord”).
The word “day” does
not normally refer to
an extended period of
time when it appears
with a modifier (1st
day, 2nd day, etc).
Support Objections
2 Peter 3:8 states that
with the Lord one day
is as a thousand
years.
These days are clearly
defined in Genesis 1:5
when God calls the
light day and the
darkness night.

The sun and the moon
are not created until
the 4th day. This
indicates that the
previous days are not
literal.
The very purpose of
the sun was to rule
over the day while the
moon was to rule over
the night.
Support Objections

• The Gap Theory.
• The Non-Sequential Theory / Framework
Theory.

Unformed Unfilled
Day 1: Light Day 4: Light-bearers
(sun, moon, stars)
Day 2: Water & sky
divided
Day 5: Fish & birds to
fill water & sky
Day 3: Dry land &
vegetation
Day 6: Land animals
& man
Day 7: Sabbath Rest

I personally take the view that Genesis 1
and 2 relate to each other the way Judges 4
and 5 and Exodus 14 and 15 do. In each
couplet one chapter describes a historical
event and the other is a song or poem about
the theological meaning of the event.

When reading Judges 4 it is obvious that it is
When reading Judges 4 it is obvious that it is
a sober recounting of what happened in the
a sober recounting of what happened in the
battle, but when we read Judges 5,
battle, but when we read Judges 5,
Deborah’s Song about the battle, the
Deborah’s Song about the battle, the
language is poetic and metaphorical.
language is poetic and metaphorical.

When Deborah sings that the stars in the
When Deborah sings that the stars in the
heavens came down to fight for the
heavens came down to fight for the
Israelites, we understand that she means
Israelites, we understand that she means
that metaphorically.
that metaphorically.

I think Genesis 1 has the earmarks of poetry
I think Genesis 1 has the earmarks of poetry
and is therefore a “song” about the wonder
and is therefore a “song” about the wonder
and meaning of God’s creation. Genesis 2
and meaning of God’s creation. Genesis 2
is an account of how it happened
is an account of how it happened
(
(The Reason for God
The Reason for God, pg 93-94).
, pg 93-94).

• The Gap Theory.
• The Non-Sequential Theory / Framework
Theory.
• The Literal Interpretation.

…general revelation in
creation, as well as the
special revelation of
Scripture, is also the
voice of God. We live in
a “universe,” and all
truth speaks with one
voice (2001:77).

Genesis 1:2
Genesis 1:2
Tohu wa-bohu
Tohu wa-bohu
• Unformed and unfilled.
Unformed and unfilled.
• Topsy-turvy.
Topsy-turvy.
• Desolate and deserted.
Desolate and deserted.

Genesis 1:2
Genesis 1:2
And darkness was over the face of the
And darkness was over the face of the
deep,
deep,
And the Spirit of God was moving over
And the Spirit of God was moving over
the face of the waters.
the face of the waters.

When the Most High gave the nations
When the Most High gave the nations
their inheritance,
their inheritance,
When He separated the sons of man,
When He separated the sons of man,
He set the boundaries of the peoples
He set the boundaries of the peoples
According to the number of the sons of
According to the number of the sons of
Israel.
Israel.
9
9 For the LORD’S portion is His people;
For the LORD’S portion is His people;
Jacob is the allotment of His inheritance.
Jacob is the allotment of His inheritance.
(Deuteronomy 32:8-9).
(Deuteronomy 32:8-9).

He found him in a
He found him in a
desert land,
desert land,
And in the howling
And in the howling
waste of a wilderness;
waste of a wilderness;
He encircled him, He
He encircled him, He
cared for him,
cared for him,
He guarded him as the
He guarded him as the
pupil of His eye.
pupil of His eye.
(Deuteronomy 32:10).
(Deuteronomy 32:10).

Like an eagle that stirs up its
nest,
nest,
That hovers over its young,
He spread His wings and
caught them,
caught them,
He carried them on His
pinions.
pinions.
12
12 The LORD alone guided
The LORD alone guided
him,
him,
And there was no foreign god
with him. (Deuteronomy
with him. (Deuteronomy
32:11-12).
32:11-12).

Genesis 1:2
Genesis 1:2 Deuteronomy 32
Deuteronomy 32
And the earth
And the earth
was waste and
was waste and
void, and
void, and
darkness was
darkness was
over the surface
over the surface
of the deep, and
of the deep, and
the Spirit of God
the Spirit of God
was moving
was moving
over the surface
over the surface
of the waters.
of the waters.
He found him in a desert
He found him in a desert
land,
land,
And in the howling waste of a
And in the howling waste of a
wilderness;
wilderness;
He encircled him, He cared
He encircled him, He cared
for him,
for him,
He guarded him as the pupil
He guarded him as the pupil
of His eye.
of His eye.

Genesis 1:2
Genesis 1:2 Deuteronomy 32
Deuteronomy 32
And the earth
And the earth
was waste and
was waste and
void, and
void, and
darkness was
darkness was
over the surface
over the surface
of the deep, and
of the deep, and
the Spirit of God
the Spirit of God
was moving
was moving
over the surface
over the surface
of the waters.
of the waters.
nest,
nest,
caught them,
caught them,
pinions.
pinions.
12
12 The LORD alone guided
The LORD alone guided
him,
him,
with him.
with him.

What God did with the world
What God did with the world
at creation, He does with the
at creation, He does with the
Israelites in the wilderness
Israelites in the wilderness
Spirit

Spirit
What is God’s Spirit doing in
What is God’s Spirit doing in
your life?
your life?

“
“The wind blows where it wishes and you
The wind blows where it wishes and you
hear the sound of it, but do not know
hear the sound of it, but do not know
where it comes from and where it is
where it comes from and where it is
going; so is everyone who is born of the
going; so is everyone who is born of the
Spirit.” (John 3:8).
Spirit.” (John 3:8).

studies in the book of Genesis_01_00.ppt

studies in the book of Genesis_01_00.ppt

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