Genesis: a 12-week study

Week 3: Humanity’s Purpose and Failure (Genesis 2:4–3:24)

Definitions

Sin – Any violation of or failure to adhere to the commands of God, or the desire to do so.

Grace – Unmerited favor, especially the free gift of salvation that God gives to believers through faith in Jesus Christ.

Judgment – Any evaluation of something or someone, especially moral evaluation. The Bible also speaks of a final day of judgment when Christ returns, when all those who have refused to repent will be judged and punished (Rev. 20:12–15).

Cherubim – Angelic guardians of the holy places. Cherubim is already plural. The singular is “cherub”.

Structure

Genesis 1:1-2:3 is stated in a brief poetic way. It’s like the “establishment shot” of a video, setting the location for what happens next.

Genesis 2 zooms in for a “close up” to the “garden-sanctuary” of God. It’s a “flashback” with complementary details supplied. Eden is more than a garden; it is the temple of God’s living presence. In it, God places the first two people to have a living relationship with the one true God.

Genesis 3 reveals how sin brings judgment and how grace brings the hope of redemption. It is a reminder that out of every tragedy, God takes the broken pieces and plans for a future triumph!

Book of Genesis: echoes of the title

The Greek phrase for “book of-genesis” occurs twice in the Greek Old Testament of the early church and once in the NT.

Genesis = origins / beginnings / “generations” Genesis 2:4 This is the book of the “genesis” of

heaven and earth… Genesis 5:1 This is the book of the “genesis” of

humanity…Adam… Matthew 1:1 The book of the “genesis” of Jesus

Christ… Matthew calls attention to creation and to Adam by

the way he refers to Jesus. (Jesus is God. Jesus the “second Adam”: someone who can begin again.)

The generations (“genesis”) of…

This is the first of 11 headings which give structure to the book of Genesis. Heavens &

Earth Adam Noah Sons of Noah Shem Terah

Ishmael Isaac Esau/Edom (wives) Esau/Edomites

(sons) Jacob

Mirror image style (“chiastic”) Chiastic: is a style of writing that produces a mirror

image of words or ideas. An occurrence of this style is called a “chiasm” (Greek,

or “chiasmus” from Latin). Whatever is in the center of the chiasm has some emphasis. A B C C’ B’ A’

Chiasms occur in both the Old and New Testaments. Genesis 2:4 These are the generations of the

heavens (A) and the earth (B) when they were created (C), in the day that the LORD God made(C’) the earth (B’) and the heavens (A’).

The chiastic style draws attention to the first time that the covenant name of the LORD (YHWH) is used with God (Elohim). Here “LORD” is singular and “God” is plural, another foreshadowing of the Trinity.

God’s personal/covenant name: יהוה YHWH / YHVH / JHVH / Tetragrammaton Ancient Hebrew was written only in consonants, without any written vowels. Later, vowel points were added below.

Hebrew vowels were added by the Masoretes (500-950 AD). So now we have ancient consonants with newer vowels of the Masoretes, known as the “Masoretic Text” (Old Testament).

Ancient Jews considered God’s personal name so holy that it wasn’t pronounced out loud, to avoid using the Lord’s name in vain, from their understanding of the 10 commandments. They said “Lord” or “God” instead.

When someone saw YHWH in the text and said the word “Lord” (Adonai) instead. So, the vowels for Adonai were put beneath YHWH to remind people to say Adonai when reading aloud.

At one point, the true pronunciation of “The Name” was only said in the temple once each year by the high priest on the Day of Atonement. After the destruction of the temple in AD 70, he pronunciation was “lost”.

Jesus is our atonement AND He is God! Jesus is the temple that was raised!

LORD, Jehovah, Yahweh, Jesus

When the Hebrew Scriptures were translated into Ancient Greek (3rd Century BC), the Greek word for “Lord” was used for YHWH, following the traditional Adonai.

English Bibles continued using Lord to translate YHWH. In English, this is often shown by placing LORD in all small caps.

In the 16th Century, the consonants for YHWH/JHVH were combined with the vowels for Adonai to create the new word “Jehovah” artificially.

Based on transliterations to other early languages, today most Bible scholars have concluded that YHWH was most likely pronounced “Yahweh”.

The use of “LORD” (Kyrios) in the Old Testament to identify God also links to the use of for “Lord” (Kyrios) in the New Testament to identify Jesus Christ.

When Jesus says, “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58, using the Gk. found in Ex. 3:14), the Pharisees show by their desire to stone him that Jesus claimed to be the God who had revealed himself to Moses.

God’s Blessing on Humanity(Genesis 2:4-9)

V. 7 God formed man (“adam”)…from the ground (“adamah”)

The picture is a potter and the clay. V. 7 God…breathed…breath of life, and the

man became a living creature (“nephesh”). God has so much life! He breathes, we live! V. 8 God planted…garden…Eden… Adam received a “paradise” (Greek) garden in

a land of his own! Food grew by itself! Two trees are noted: (1) life, (2) good & evil.

Garden of Eden: sanctuary/temple(Genesis 2:10-14)

Eden is not a man-made temple but a God-made temple.

Rivers and trees are part of other sanctuaries (temple river & trees, Ezekiel 47:1-12, throne river & tree of life, Revelation 22:1-2)

Eden presents the park-like garden as part of a divine sanctuary.

The materials mentioned (gold, onyx, etc.) are later used in making the tabernacle and temple.

Humans are shown as a ruling royal class (kings and queens of creation) in chapter 1. This is complemented in chapter 2 by showing humans as priests in God’s garden temple.

Keeping up the Garden/Temple(Genesis 2:15-17)

“work” denotes preparing and tending “keep” adds to the same idea “Work” is given before Adam sinned. Work didn’t

come as a result of sin, nor is it something to be avoided.

Later, the same two verbs (work and keep) are used together to describe the what the priests and Levites do in the tabernacle. (The Hebrew for “work” also used for “minister/serve”. Hebrew for “keep” also used for “guard”.)

We shouldn’t think “I’m cursed so I have to work” We should think “I’m blessed that I am able to

work and my work WILL bear fruit.” Work isn’t a “secular” thing. Work is a SACRED

thing.

God provides help for the calling(Genesis 2:18-25)

v. 18 “not good…man…alone” contrasts with the “good” of creation

v. 18 Alternate translation: “I will make for him a helper corresponding to (or, ‘matching’) him.” This explains Paul’s reference in 1 Corinthians 11:9 “Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.” Man and woman are designed to complement each other, not to compete with each other and not to clone each other.

The Hebrew for “helper” is one who supplies strength in the area that is lacked in “the helped.”

v. 20 Adam naming the animals demonstrates his authority (dominion) over all other creatures.

v. 23 “This at last is bone of my bonesand flesh of my flesh;she shall be called Woman (‘ishshah’),because she was taken out of Man (‘ish’).”

Biblical Marriage as Covenant Elsewhere (Gen 29:14) being of the same bone and flesh

refers to a blood relative. Here, the wife is called that. Marriage is designed to be the closest of all human

relationships. God made only one woman for the man, not many

women for him and not a man for him. v. 24 “a man shall leave his father and his mother and

hold fast to his wife” Marriage creates a new relationship that overrides

even duty to one’s parents. In ancient Israel, sons lived near their parents and inherited their father’s land. The son “left” the parents in the sense of putting his wife’s welfare ahead of his parents.

“Hold fast” refers to being faithful to a covenant. (Deut 10:20) Marriage is a covenant. In Eph 5:25-32, Paul bases his teaching on marriage on this text in Genesis.

God intended sex for marriage only

v. 24 “and they shall become one flesh” The marriage of man & woman creates a new

union, consummated by sexual intercourse. In Matt 19:4-5, Jesus appeals to Genesis 2:24 (one

flesh) and Genesis 1:27 (male & female) in His teaching on marriage.

Sex is preserved for the marriage union only; neither partner should share this special gift with anyone outside the marriage, neither before the marriage nor after the marriage.

Oxytocin – powerful bonding hormone. Engaging in extra marital relationships erodes the ability to bond permanently with one partner.

Marriage as a picture of Christ and the Church

God’s design is for one man and one woman in one marriage until death do they part, not until divorce do they part. God intended for this special relationship to be permanent.

Marriage relationship demonstrates the closeness of Christ’s relationship to His Church.

Eph 2:22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

2 Co 11:2 For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you (believers) to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

Mal 2:16 “For I hate divorce,” says the LORD...(God wants us to have healthy relationships.)

Innocence & Evil

v. 25 “naked and…not ashamed” innocent delight (pure, childlike) “Naked” may also anticipate the entrance

of the “crafty” serpent, as these two words have a similar sound in Hebrew (arummin & arum).

As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that an evil power is using the serpent. It’s not “just a snake.” (Isa 27:1; Rev 12:9)

Evil entered the world at some point after everything was created to be “very good”.

Evil is Temporary. Evil is Defeated. Evil will be Destroyed.

Nothing in the Bible suggests the eternal existence of evil. The Fall of Satan happened BEFORE the Fall of Adam. (Isa 14:12-15 “fallen from heaven”, Ezek 28:11-19 “filled with violence…I cast you as a profane thing”)

Satan is defeated by Christ’s work on the cross (Heb 2:14-15) and will later be destroyed (Rev 20:7-10)

Take note: The lake of fire was created for Satan and his fallen angels, not for people. Only humans (not fallen angels) have the option to accept Christ and to avoid Hell.

How did Satan change God’s word?(Genesis 3:1-5)

We don’t know much about the serpent or his true nature at first; he simply appears.

The serpent deliberately misquotes God saying, Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?

The question sounds innocent at first, but it’s setup as a trap.

The serpent avoids using God’s personal name YHWH/LORD.

How does Satan sow seeds of doubt about God’s character? (Gen 3:1-5)

Satan suggests that God was hiding something good from them, as he does with all temptations. Sin isn’t good; it’s self-destructive.

“You will not surely die.” “knowing good and evil” The serpent speaks half-truths. Like a clever politician, he promised much and delivered little.

Eve also misquotes the command by adding “neither shall you touch it.” (Satan’s seed bore fruit.) We don’t need to add human extensions to God’s commands.

Adam & Eve are already made in the image of God. They don’t need anything in order to be “like God”. Being like God, they are supposed to have dominion over the beast of the field, but now a beast of the field took dominion over them.

This wasn’t just disobedience, it was distrust of God. Instead of obeying the creator, they obeyed a creature.

Commandments, sin, & consequences(Genesis 3:7-13)

Breakdown of relationship with God: Innocence turns to shame. Fear! Hide! “Where are you?” (God knows.) “Have you eaten of the tree…?” (God knows.)

Breakdown of relationship with people: Innocence turns to blame. Adam: “She gave me fruit of the tree…” Eve: “The serpent deceived me…”

God confronted Adam, as head of the wife. Instead of accepting responsibility as leader of the new family, Adam blames his wife.

God confronted Eve, as having dominion over the beasts of the field. Instead of accepting responsibility, Eve blames the serpent.

God doesn’t even ask the serpent. Only Adam & Eve, made in the image of God, have the privilege of discourse with God concerning their own sin. Even in our sin, we can still talk to God.

Commandments & Consequences

SerpentEveAdam

Adam Eve Serpent

Adam Eve Serpent

COMMANDMENT

JUDGMENT

SIN

Punishment & Calling Connections,Judgment & Mercy (Gen 3:14-19)

Serpent: The “more crafty” (arum) becomes “more cursed” (arur). (belly, dust) (enmity/hostility: bruise heel, bruise head) Dominion over beasts turns hostile.

Eve: The call to “be fruitful and multiply” now includes a curse to “multiply” her pain when she “bears fruit” of children. Procreation turns painful.

Adam: The call to collect food from vegetation now includes a curse of thorns, thistles, and increased labor.

God didn’t take away dominion, procreation, or vegetation. That’s mercy in judgment. The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. (Rom. 11:29)

God’s judgment anticipates the final day of judgment in Christ (John 5:22). Because of Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross, judgment is tempered with mercy for those who know Jesus.

God’s Grace, Christ’s Sacrifice(Genesis 3:20-21)

God’s Grace: Adam & Eve are still able to “be fruitful & multiply”. “Eve” means “life-giver”.

Christ’s Sacrifice: God made garments of skin for Adam & Eve to cover their nakedness.

Where did the skins come from? A dead animal. This indicates that God made the first animal sacrifice. It foreshadows the sacrificial system as a covering for sin, and Christ as the lamb of God.

What happened to the animal meat? Just as the temple priests would later eat the meat of the sacrifices, did Adam & Eve eat it as the priests of God’s garden temple? (It’s just a thought.)

Death

Adam & Eve died spiritually right away and were in need of a savior.

Adam & Eve were clothed by God with animal skins, indicating that death had entered the world.

Adam & Eve were immediately exiled from the garden of Eden and cut off from their life with God. We don’t read about God walking among them after that.

Adam & Eve could no longer eat from the tree of life, so they eventually died physically as well.

Adam & Eve went from immortal to mortal. The resurrection reverses that: the mortal puts on immortality.

Proto-Euangelium: First Gospel Genesis 3:15

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.

Viewed as an “early gospel” foretelling grace to come.

Satan can only “bruise the heel” of Adam & Eve’s offspring, which he does to Christ on the Cross.

Adam & Eve’s offspring, Jesus Christ, will “bruise the head” of Satan at the resurrection. The death that Satan brought into the world at The Fall of Adam & Eve is now conquered for all believers in Christ’s resurrection!

First Adam, Second Adam: Jesus Adam failed in his confrontation with the serpent

(Satan). Jesus succeeded on the Cross! Adam took what seemed “good for food” in the

temptation. Jesus refused knowing that man shall not live by food (“bread”) alone but by God’s word.

Adam took what was a “delight to the eyes”. Jesus refused the “kingdoms of this world”.

Adam took what might “make one wise”. Jesus was the wisdom of God, accepting the Cross.

First Adam, Second Adam: Jesus (2)

Luke 3:38 …Adam, the son of God. Mark 1:1 …Jesus Christ, the son of God. Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin came into

the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—

Romans 5:17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

First Adam, Second Adam: Jesus (3)

1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

1 Co 15:45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being (‘soul’)”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

1 Co 15:47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven.

Adam received life. Christ gives life!

“Spirit”, “Soul”, and “Body”

1 Co 15:44–46. 44 It is sown a natural (“soulish”) body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural (“soulish”) body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being (“soul”)”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural (“soulish”), and then the spiritual.

spirit = life-giver (also: breathing, blowing) soul = life, living, alive, that which is alive, person body = body of a human, animal, or plant, or a

collective group of people

Natural Body & Spiritual Body

Are we 3 parts (body, soul, spirit)? 2 parts? 1?

How can a “body” be both “natural/soulish” and “spiritual”?

Natural body: body as we have it now Spiritual body: glorified body after

resurrection English often uses soul/spirit synonymously. French often uses mind/spirit synonymously. Older English used to use “soul” to refer to

life. Ex: 100 souls were lost when the ship sank.

Nature of Humanity

person ≠ body + soul + spirit Luke 10:27 …love the Lord your God with all your heart…soul…strength…

mind… (4 parts???) We don’t take Matthew 22:37 to imply 4 parts. In 1 Thessalonians 5:23 soul and spirit are synonyms used for emphasis In Hebrews 4:12 soul, spirit, joints, marrow are synonyms for inner being

soul ≠ mind + will + emotions Even some animals demonstrate that. Do they have an eternal soul? No. A spirit also has insight, will, & emotions. (provoked Acts 17:16, troubled

John 13:21) soul ≠ mind

Mark 10:45 Son of Man came to give his life (“soul”) (i.e., not his mind) soul ≈ spirit

Everything that the soul is said to do, the spirit is also said to do. Everything that the spirit is said to do, the soul is also said to do.

person = soul/life = body + spirit James 2:26 body apart from the spirit is dead (no mention “soul”)

Trichotomy & Greek Philosophy Louis Berkhof on the origin of the idea that a

person is 3-parts (trichotomy): The tripartite conception of man originated in

Greek philosophy, which conceived of the relation of the body and the spirit of man to each other after the analogy of the mutual relation between the material universe and God. It was though that, just as the latter could enter into communion with each other only by means of a third substance or an intermediate being, so the former could enter into mutual vital relationships only by means of a third or intermediate element, namely, the soul.

Final Thoughts

Regardless of how you conceptualize the nature of humanity, the overwhelming emphasis of Scripture is to worship and to serve our God with ALL that you are and with ALL that you have!

The Old Testament and New Testament are speaking to each other. Learn to listen to their conversation!

THIS WEEK

Week 3 Humanity’s Purpose and Failure Genesis 2:4–3:24