Adam and Eve Day 3

To be completely honest I have really been struggling with writing this lesson. There are so many things we could address in Genesis 2, but in light of our theme (God, us and our relationship) the most obvious would be marriage. The problem is I don't want to talk about marriage today. Don't get me wrong, I've been married for 14 years and God has overwhelmingly blessed me in my husband. I am a big fan of marriage, but have you ever read through a passage and just felt that there was something else there, something you were missing, something that was just a little bit bigger then what you could see?
Today we are going to talk about marriage but not about a man and a woman, we're going to talk about Christ and the Church.
If we believe that God is all knowing, which Scripture proves to be true, then it wouldn't be much of a stretch to believe that even before He created Adam and Eve He knew what was going to happen. Perhaps if He knew what was coming, He actually planned for it, and placed tiny hints of His great Redemption in place even before there was the need.
Paul tells us in Romans 5:14 that Adam "was a pattern of the One to come. In 1 Corinthians 15:45-49, Paul refers to Adam as the "first Adam" and Jesus as the "last Adam." He's not saying they are the same, but that Adam was a pattern, a type of Christ. Adam's story gives us hints and insight into Jesus' story. Paul is also saying that what began with Adam was finished with Christ. (I don't want to give too much away, but the pattern becomes more clear in light of the Fall, which we'll be looking at next week.)
Luke 3:23-38 is one of two genealogies of Christ. Matthew traces Jesus' lineage only as far as Abraham*; Luke, however goes all the way back to Adam and then one step further.
"the son of Adam, the son of God." Luke 3:38b
Who did Luke say was Adam's father? God! Just as Pinocchio was the son of Geppetto, so Adam was the son of God. It wasn't about biology, Luke is not implying that Adam was divine, it was about relationship, God created and cared for Adam, he was His son (This is really the equivalent to the New Testament idea of being adopted into God's family**). Jesus is the true Son of God (to say biological doesn't quite fit).
"In the beginning was the Word [Jesus], and the Word was with God and the Word was God." John 1:1
"And the Holy Spirit descended on him in the bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: 'You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." Luke 3:22
While Adam was created as a pattern for Jesus, Eve may be a pattern for the Church.
We will not be making any doctrine out of what we are going to look at but I believe that the Holy Spirit never misses a detail in Scripture. When specific details are given (or left out) I think the Holy Spirit planned it that way and when patterns seem to appear, I believe it's on purpose.
"So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping , he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man." Genesis 2:21 & 22
When God created all the plants, fish, birds and animals He made them each according to their own kind. God then tells the creatures to be fruitful and multiply, clearly He had made boys and girls of every kind right away. Yet when it came to Adam, He did not make Eve immediately. He instead showed Adam that there was no one suitable for him and then in a separate act God created Eve and presented her to Adam, as his bride. In the first wedding God presented his son with a bride, in the last wedding once again God will prepare a bride for His Son.
"Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints)" Revelation 19:7 & 8
Paul's model for a strong and healthy marriage in Ephesians 5 is actually Christ and the Church.
"Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church- for we are members of his body. 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' This is a profound mystery- but I am talking about Christ and the church." Ephesians 5:24-32
When God presented Adam with his bride, He was hinting that marriage was a symbol of what was yet to come. Christ would leave His Father to claim His bride. He would sacrifice His very life so that she could be His perfect wife, and He has loved and cared for her throughout the ages (Again next week when we talk about the Fall this will become even more evident).
The last hint we have that Eve may be a symbol of the Church is where she came from.
If you have a Bible that adds notes you might find a little mark next to the word rib in Genesis 21 &22. The note at the bottom of the page might read "part of the man's side"*** The Hebrew word does not explicitly mean rib, it simply means side. Eve was taken from Adam's side. God put Adam into a deep supernatural sleep, and took from his side to create his bride.
Thousands of years later, our Savior would hang, lifeless on a cross, and a wound in His side would give birth to His bride.
"But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water." John 20: 33 &34
With the out pouring of blood and water (Christian sacraments) salvation was made available for all people. Within a very short period of time, a ragtag group of believers would grow to become a changing force in the world, the Church.
In God's infinite power and knowledge, is it so far fetched that He planned it all from the beginning? Is it crazy that He may have not only prepared a pattern for the Redeemer before one was needed, but that He might also hint at a bride long before there was a Bridegroom? I don't know for sure, but what I do know is that believing that nothing in all of Creation has ever been outside of His hands gives me peace, and reminds me how AWESOME my God is. Sometimes the Bible isn't about doctrine, or do's and don'ts, sometimes it about showing God for who He is. Showing us His glory and reminding us that He alone knows the end from the beginning.
"Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand and I will do all that I please." Isaiah 46:9 & 10

* Matthew 1:1-17
** Romans 8:23, 9:4, Ephesians 1:5
*** Life Application Study Bible NIV. Wheaton, Il. Tyndale House Publishers. (Note j at the bottom of pg. 9)

Adam and Eve Day 2

Mankind is God's crowning jewel over all of His creation. We are the goal. God desires a more intimate relationship with us than He does with the plants or the animals. Not that God doesn't care for all of Creation, He simply cares most for us. Every detail of Genesis chapter 2 points to the unique relationship God desires to have with men and women.

"This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created. When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens-and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and not plant of the the field and yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground, but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground-the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being." Genesis 2:4-7

You may have noticed that beginning in verse 4 through the rest of the the chapter God bears a new name, LORD God (depending on what translation you are using it might read Lord God instead of LORD God). I'm afraid I must (again) complain that most English translations do an injustice to the text by using the generic words God, Lord and LORD in place of the Hebrew name, so much can be gleaned from knowing God's many names. In the Creation Day 2 lesson we discussed Elohim, which is most often translated God in the Old Testament, and it's implications of power and creativity, as well as its peculiar plural tense, now we are introduced to the LORD God, Yahweh Elohim.

Yahweh (or Jehovah) is the personal name of God and is considered the most sacred. It is the name God declares to Moses on Mount Sinai in Exodus 3:14, it represented His special relationship with Israel. Jewish tradition holds the name is such high regard that it is never pronounced in fear of blaspheming. Yahweh means: Self existent, the One who will always be, I AM THAT I AM. It comes from the root word Hayah which means: to be, to exist, having being, to breathe. It is used exclusively for the God of the Bible, and refers to His covenant relationship with Israel. All of the other names for God in Scripture describe Him in terms of His works, only Yahweh describes who He is, the Self-existent One.

There is a bit of discussion among scholars about whether Adam and Eve knew God as Yahweh or if Moses referenced the sacred name here to emphasize the intimate nature of God's relationship with Adam and Eve. Personally I find the debate to miss the point, clearly the Holy Spirit inspired the use of Yahweh in the text demonstrating that God's covenant with humanity began with Adam and Eve.

What is even more revealing than the use of Yahweh in Genesis 2, is that it is combined with Elohim. Though both names are by far the most commonly used for God in the Old Testament, this compound name appears only in Genesis chapters 2 & 3 and once more in Exodus 9:30. The clear implication is that Elohim, the Creator God, is one and the same as Yahweh the Self-existent One, who enters into Covenant with His people. By using Yahweh Elohim, the Creator God is revealing a unique, personal relationship with Adam and Eve, as well as making a clear connection between them and His covenant. When Adam shows up in Luke's genealogy of Christ (Luke 3:38), God confirms that His covenant actually began with Adam and Eve. In Romans 5, Paul connects Adam and Jesus through the Covenant, Adam (essentially) created the sin problem, Jesus was God's promised solution. (We will talk a bit more about the covenant ties between Adam and Christ in future lessons.)

Our uniqueness, however is not limited to how God reveals Himself to us, but also in how He created us. He made us to be different from the animals, He made us to have a relationship with Him.

"Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.' So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." Genesis 1:26 & 27

God created us to be like Him. The Hebrew word for image, is tzelem, it implies the nature or essence of something. This is different from the Hebrew word for body, to'ar, which is the physical form. The word for likeness is damut, and it implies similar to, but not identical in shape or pattern.**

Scholars have spent eons seeking out the specifics of what about us is patterned after God. Is it our intellect, our creativity, our emotions, our spirit, our triune nature (body, mind and spirit)? What I would like to focus on is that His image sets us apart from the rest of Creation. He did not mark the plants or the fish with His likeness, even the awesome lion or the majestic eagle. They bear their own image, we alone bear God's, and we alone were given His breath.

"The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." Genesis 2:7

When I read this verse I immediately picture a sculptor. After carving out the shape of the man with His bare hands, God bends low (I picture the sculpture laying down), takes a deep cleansing breath and exhales into the face of His creation. It feels so personal, so intimate. Can you imagine waking up to the face of God? Still feeling the warmth of His sweet breath on your skin? Maybe, like a good father, God reached out and helped Adam to his feet and held him as he took his first steps.

I know we've talked a lot today about the meaning of words and how the Holy Spirit's word choices have impact on the text, but just for a moment let's step out of academia and imagine Adam's first moments alive, with lungs filled with God's breath. It's only one verse but the imagery is beautiful and intimate, God took special care to create Adam and would soon take great joy is bringing to him his suitable helper, Eve.

God's breath brought life into Adam. Jesus came to restore life, to offer once again the full and abundant life God had breathed into Adam in the beginning.

I'd like to close with one last thought: our uniqueness comes from God. Genesis 2: 7 & 19 make it clear that both mankind and the animals were made from the dust of the earth. There is nothing special about our chemical make up, it is our identity in Christ, image bearers of the LORD, His breath in our lives that sets us apart.

"From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. 'For in Him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said , 'We are his offspring.'" Acts 17:26-28

* Smith, Stelman ; Cornwall, Judson: The Exhaustive Dictionary of Bible Names. North Brunswick, NJ : Bridge-Logos, 1998. pg. 84

**Rich, Tracey. Human Nature. 1996-2001. http://www.jewfaq.org/human.htm (accessed April 13, 2010)

Adam & Eve Day 1

You will need your Bible today

This week we are going to talk about Adam and Eve. Chances are you have at least heard their story once or twice, but my prayer this week is that we might see something new and fresh in the familiar.
Please read Genesis 2:4-25; bear in mind that we are looking for what God reveals about Himself, about us and about our relationship with Him.
Genesis chapter 2 has often been referred to as the second creation account. For some, the differences between the Genesis 1 and 2 accounts, have become a major stumbling block, yet when we look at God's purpose in the two separate narratives the differences seem to melt away. (I will reiterate here that Genesis is not meant to be a how-to handbook for creation.)
Genesis chapter 1 is the opening of this Love Letter. It introduces the Author (Elohim) and sets the stage (the World). The Creator God is the God of the whole world, everything that exists belongs to, and has it's meaning in Him. In chapter 2 God narrows His focus to mankind, who are His purpose for creating all things.
"For this is what the LORD says- he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; He did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited." Isaiah 45:18
Man and woman were to be the crowning jewel, the pinnacle of God's creation. Therefore the focus of chapter 2 is God's creation culminating in Adam and Eve. Every day of creation God looked over what He had made and declared it good, but it wasn't until God created man and woman that God declared His creation complete and "very good".
God wasted no time on the specifics of creation, until it came to man. He spoke and there was light, He spoke again and separated water. For 5 days creation was spoken into being without detail or further description. On the sixth day all the animals are merely spoken into being as well, but then God makes man and the formula changes.
God set man apart from Creation. His Love Letter is to mankind, not the trees or the flowers, the birds, fish or animals. His Word is for us, the crowning jewel, the reason for His creation. Genesis chapter 2 is God's introduction to His beloved. This week we will bask in the joy of being God's beloved, before there was any thing that separated us from His precious Love.

Creation Day 3

Spring is by far my favorite time of year. It absolutely amazes me how in one week my yard can go from dead, brown and depressing to lush and green. Everything just comes to life. Suddenly the world is painted in bright colors as the azaleas, wisteria, tulips and countless other flowers and trees begin to bloom, and blue jays, robins, and cardinals, become ever more present. Spring is beautiful! Every year it is a fresh miracle to me, and an intense reminder that Creation speaks volumes about it's Creator!

Unfortunately, too often when we study Creation in Scripture we focus on the controversy. I have looked at countless books and commentaries on Genesis and the vast majority focus almost exclusively on how God created the world. Even among Christians there is much debate over the how. Did God really create in 6 literal days or did He use evolution to bring forth life? Were the days actual 24 hours or could they have been ages? Maybe there were ages between the days? There is so much debate over the how that sometimes we seem to miss the miracle, majesty and beauty of God and His creation. It's almost like looking at Leonardo Davinci's Mona Lisa and only seeing the brush strokes, you completely miss the masterpiece.

I told you in the beginning that I would not get into the debate about Creation and evolution. I acknowledge that the debate exists, and I certainly have my own opinions, but that is not what is truly important to me, nor is it the point of this study. God's creation is amazing! Everything that He created hints at it's Creator. Genesis chapter 1 was never meant to be the handbook on how to create life, it is the introduction to the Creator. Today we are going to take the spotlight off the brushstrokes and take a closer look at what Creation tells us about out Creator.


Paul made it clear to the Romans that God's character is visible in His creation.

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities- His eternal power and divine nature- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans 1:20





Nature declares many of God's attributes. Just look around at you can see that God has a great imagination, He loves variety, and beauty. Science shows us that God uses the smallest of things, the atom (I know string theory has smaller elements but you get the point), as the building blocks for all things and it's more complex then the most complex thing man has ever made. God's wisdom is way beyond ours! Nature shows God to also be omnipotent, omniscient, deliberate, and orderly these three attributes are what we will dig into today.

Our God is omnipotent (all powerful). As we talked about previously, God's creative name, Elohim, conotes eternal power, but it's not just His name that implies this, Creation itself declares it.

"Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm." Psalm 33:8, 9

"Praise the LORD from the heavens, praise him in the heights above. Praise him, all his angels, praise him all his heavenly hosts. Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars. Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. Let them praise the name of the LORD, for he commanded and they were created." Psalm 148 1-5 (emphasis added)

"You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things and by your will they were created and have their being." Revelation 4:11

God spoke the entire universe into existence! He didn't lift a finger, He didn't strive, He merely spoke and it was done. The power of the ocean, the majesty of the mountains, even the intensity of a storm are nothing compared to the power of God.

Our God is also omniscient (all knowing). Every scientific discovery of our time God knew from the beginning. When Jesus walked the earth He knew the exact temperature of the sun and that the Earth revolved around it. He knew the answer to the most complex math equation, and how the human body functioned. God knows everything including our thoughts and feelings, even the ones we can't put a name to.

"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give an account." Hebrews 4:13

This is His creation, there is no nook or cranny that is not known to Him. There is no reason to hide from our Creator (even though we sometimes want to) because no one knows us better or cares more for us then our God.

God was deliberate about His creation. He set natural laws in place to govern the weather, the oceans, even animals. He create a world that we could live in and He planned from the beginning a way for us to have a relationship with Him.

"For this is what the LORD says- he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited- he says: "I am the LORD, and there is no other."" Isaiah 45:18

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.'" Matthew 25:34

God created a planet that was meant to support life, your life. Had the Earth been any closer to the sun it would get too hot, further away and we'd freeze. Our atmosphere blocks out the most harmful of UV rays but lets in just the right amount of heat to sustain life. The Earth is perfectly tilted to encourage crop growth in almost all areas. If the Earth's axis was purely vertical, there would be no seasons and temperatures wouldn't fluctuate. If the tilt was greater, the temperatures would be much more extreme; either way most of the Earth would not be able to produce food to support life. * He planned it all just for us.

God is a God of order. He created in a way that built upwards from chaos to order, laying the foundation to support life before creating life.

"Dominion and awe belong to God; he establishes order in the heights of heaven." Job 25:2

"For God is not a God of disorder but of peace." 1 Corinthians 15:33

What is interesting is that only God can bring order from chaos. The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics is called entropy. The basic idea is that everything decays, that nature left to itself will go from order to chaos to death.** We see this at work in nature as well. The minute you stop mowing your lawn things begin to get wild. Weeds sprout up, vines take over, given over time your beautiful manicured yard will become an overgrown jungle. That's entropy. Life naturally gets worse, not better. God on the other hand took the chaos of Genesis 1:2 and created order.

Take a minute to skim back through Genesis 1:3-31. Notice how God built upward, taking the earth from chaos to order.


God is awesome. His creation shows Him to be awesome. In fact Jesus told the Pharisees that if people didn't recognize the majesty of God then nature itself would cry out praises to the Creator.***

Genesis 1:1-31 is really just the introduction to how awesome God is. It gives us an idea of who God is and why He chose to create. His creation was not about showing off, receiving praise (though He is more then worthy) or because He was bored. God created the universe for us because He wants to love us, to have a relationship with us. He wanted us to be able to recognize Him and want to love Him too. Creation is just the beginning of God's goodness, the introduction to His love letter.

Thank you for joining me this week.

* Gardner, Paul. The New Creationism. Darlington, England. Evangelical Press. 2009. pg. 52-55
** Walter, Jeremy L. "Chapter One" in In Six Day, edited by John F. Ashton. Green Forest, AR. Master Books. 2000. pg. 14
*** Luke 19:40

Creation Day 2

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters." Genesis 1:1, 2.


I love the Word of God, and it's verses like these that remind me that the Bible is not a book written by men but a love letter written by the hand of God. These two verses that open the entire Scripture are so full of beautiful imagery, mystery, and theology (the study of God)* that I'm pretty sure you could spend a lifetime studying just them. The plain text alone begs a few questions (the beginning of what? Time? Matter? Life? Does a beginning imply an end? How long was the earth formless?), but even the word choices have rich meaning and give a glimpse of our awesome God.

Since it is impossible to fit a lifetime of study into 10 minutes, we're going to focus on 2 important things that God reveals about Himself. First we will see what God reveals about His divine nature in these verses, then we will explore why this is the perfect way for God to begin His love letter.

Genesis is the book of beginnings. It opens the sacred text, offers insight into the beginning of existence, and begins the epic story of God's relationship with mankind. As with any writing the opening statement sets the tone for the whole, and indicates (at least in part) what is most important. The Bible begins with a clear declaration, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." The Hebrew name for God in Genesis 1:1 sets the God of the Bible apart from the pagan gods of other ancient peoples. While in most ancient creation stories the world is created through murder and intrigue among the many gods and yet also forms the boundary in which gods function, Genesis 1:1 declares one universal God that is outside of and not limited by His creation.**

There are many different names for God used in the Bible. The Jews believe that names are more than mere titles or means to address one another;
"The name conveys the nature and essence of the thing named. It represents the history and reputation of the being named."***
The Old Testament in particular uses dozens of different Hebrew words, alone or in combination, as names for God that give insight into God's character and nature. Unfortunately, most modern Bible translations replace the distinct names with more generic ones such as God, Lord, or LORD (there is a huge distinction between Lord and LORD but we'll address that in a later study). In the opening line to Genesis (and the Bible at large) God chose a very specific name for Himself, Elohim.

Elohim is one of the most common names for God in the Old Testament. It implies, "fullness of might; absolute, unqualified, unlimited energy.**** It is often used in the Bible to emphasize God's universal nature and creative power. He is God over all creation and everything that exists was created by Him. Creation did not take any effort of strength, His strength is limitless, it was merely an act of His will.

Sometimes we fall into the habit of thinking of the God of the Bible as the Jewish God, or the Christian God, as though His power and influence is limited only to those that believe in Him, however from the very beginning God declares that He is the God, the only God, His power is unlimited and unequaled. God may have chosen to reveal Himself through Israel, and He relates to those that love Him in a more intimate way, but the name Elohim reminds us that He is universally God, He has no limits.

There is another aspect to the name Elohim that is a bit controversial but bears mentioning. In every dictionary or Bible aid that you could look at Elohim is said to be a plural word (like we) that is used as a singular (like I). Though every reference I looked at agreed that the tense is peculiar the debate surrounds the implications. The question is does the nature of the word imply a triune God (the Trinity), or is that reading too much into a single word. There are valid arguments on both sides and I certainly don't want to imply that I in any way know more than an expert (I am barely capable of diagramming a sentence in English let alone in an ancient foreign language), but I find it intriguing that God would chose such a peculiar word, so we'll quickly explore the possibility.

Throughout the Bible God reveals Himself in three characters, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Each has a distinct nature and function yet they are all fully God (there is no way that I can quickly explain the nature of the Trinity, it is one of the great mysteries of our God, so I will pray that you are at least familiar with the doctrine). Though the Trinity is never explicitly stated, each aspect and its role in the divine nature is woven throughout the entire Bible. In the first two verses of Genesis alone we see clearly both the Father,who created, and the Holy Spirit, who hovered over creation, present. The Gospel of John reveals that Jesus was also present and involved in creation.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that had been made." John 1:1-3

We believe (as Christians) in one God who has three parts, not three separate gods. As complex and mysterious as this is, Scripture tells us that it is true. By using a plural name for God in a singular tense it is possible that God was hinting at this Truth of His triune nature from the very beginning.

The name Elohim gives us a glimpse of who our God is from the very beginning, all powerful, creative, and universal, it also gives us a hint as to why God chose to create the universe.

As I mentioned earlier, God did not exert His power to create the world. His power has no limit and the creative act required no more effort from God then if you or I were to draw a picture or read a sentence. It was more an act of will then of strength. God chose to create and then He spoke creation into being.

The fact that God chose to create life is significant. In most ancient religions mankind specifically was created either out of necessity or as a toy. Some pagan gods needed the praise and sacrifice of humanity to give them strength, others desired little more than a fun pastime, toys to pit against each other, or amuse them with their little lives. Scientific theory doesn't even give human life that much meaning. The big bang theory and evolution imply that life was a cosmic accident, there is no meaning.

But in Elohim we have meaning, we have purpose. You were no accident, you were created. You are not here to appease or amuse but to be loved. God wanted a creation He could have a relationship with. A people that He could love and pour Himself out to. You are a manifestation of God's love.

God began His letter to mankind with a simple yet powerful declaration, He created all of it. From the plain text to the definitions of each word God lets us know that He alone is God, and every detail belongs to Him.

Hebrews 11:6 tell us that, "without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him."

* http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/theology
** Arnold, Bill T. Encountering the Book of Genesis. Grand Rapid,MI. Baker Books. 1998. p. 49-51
*** http://www.jewfaq.org/name.htm
**** Cornwall, Judson & Smith Stelman. The Exhaustive Dictionary of Bible Names. North Brunswick, NJ. Bridge-Logos Publishers. 1998. p.82

Creation

You will need your Bible.

You might be thinking that I am crazy to start out with Creation (and you may be right), however I have no intention of getting into all the arguments and controversies about Creation vs. science. There are tons of books and websites wholly dedicated to Creationism and evolution, but that's not what we are going to study here. Remember our goal is to fall in love with the Creator, so we will stick with what Scripture does say and focus not so much on the how but the Who?

Before we get started on our reading for this week I'd like to talk just a little about God's purpose for the Bible. If God had wanted to write a manual on how He created the universe He certainly could have, but He chose not to. Instead He focused only on the things that reveal either something about Himself, or about our relationship with Him, the things that are vital for us to understand so we can have a relationship with Him. It's not the complete history of the universe, it's a love letter from the Creator to His creation. How do I know it's a love letter, well the Bible tells me so.

Let's take a quick look at what the Bible reveals about itself.
Jesus says in John 10:30, "I and the Father are one," and in John 14:18 after declaring Himself the only way to the Father, says that if you have seen Him than you have seen the Father. (There are tons of other scriptures that back up that Jesus and God are one, but I love to use Jesus' own words).
Now lets jump to 1 John 4:8, "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." It's not that God loves, but that He is LOVE. He is the description, the epitome of perfect love! How awesome is that.
So we know that God is love, and that God and Jesus are one, so it would be a safe assumption to say that Jesus is love too. So how does this apply to Scripture? Let's look at John 1:1 & 14. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God." "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us."
Jesus is the Word made flesh. What word? God's Word! Our Bible is the Word of God, Jesus was the Word with flesh on, so if God is love, and Jesus is love than it's reasonable to say that God's Word is love too. It may not always feel like a loving word from a loving Father but it is and that's the lens we will look though to view Creation.

Please read Genesis 1:1-31.

Keep in mind that God wrote this love letter for you.