Rightly Dividing Genesis 3.

 

 

Lesson 3

THE CREATION OF MAN

Genesis 1:14 31

Memory Verse: Genesis 1:26

We must remember that the Lord Jesus Christ was active in the creation. See John 1:1-4,14; Col. 1:15-17; Heb. 1:1-3.

I. LIGHTS IN THE FIRMAMENT OF THE HEAVEN. 4th DAY. v. 14-19 This is not the beginning of light. See 1:3. A. The Purpose Of The Two Great Lights.

1. To divide the day from the night. v. 14 2. For signs, seasons, days, and for years. v. 14. These heavenly bodies are to guide and to be navigational aids to man. Also it divides the seasons Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring. They are not for astrology, the signs of the zodiac and for fortune telling. 3. To give light and heat upon the earth. Life as we know it, could not exist without the sun.

B. The Spiritual Lesson Of The Two Great Lights. 1. The sun is typical of the Lord Jesus Christ. Matt. 4:16; John 1:1-10. This will certainly be true at His Second Coming, when He shall appear as the Sun of Righteousness. Malachi 4:1-3; Rev. 21:23 2. The moon is typical of the Church.

a. It is a lesser light. v. 16 b. It’s light is borrowed from the sun. John 9:5; Matt. 5:14-16; Eph. 5:8; Rev. 1:12,13,20 c. It rules in the night of darkness. This world is in spiritual darkness during the Church age!

II. THE CREATION OF LIVING THINGS. 5th & 6th DAYS. v. 20-25

Up until the 5th day, God has been preparing the earth for the living things and man. Now on the 5th day He begins the creation of living things.

A. 5th Day: Fish, Birds, And Whales Created. v. 20-23

1. Creation of fish and ocean life. v. 20 2. Creation of birds that fly in the sky. v. 20 3. Creation of whales. v. 21 4. Each was to bring forth after its kind. v. 21. While there is variety within each species or kind, nevertheless there is no evolution here. One kind does not produce another kind.

B. 6th Day Creation Of Cattle, Beasts And Creeping Things. v. 24-25

1. The cattle created. v. 24 2. The beasts created. v. 24 3. The creeping things created. v. 24. This means reptiles as well as insects that crawl and leap. See Lev.11:20-23.

III. THE CREATION OF MAN. LAST PART OF THE 6th DAY. v. 26-31

A. His Creation Different Than All Others. v. 26-27

1. Man made in the image of the triune God. Image does not necessarily mean a physical likeness, and in this case it does not. Here is where the difference was made, and it forever separates man from the animal world.

a. Man a spiritual being. John 4:24; Heb. 12:9; Zech. 12:1; Prov. 20:27; Eccl. 12:7. b. Man has knowledge and can reason. Gen. 2:19-20; Col. 3:10.

c. Uprightness and holiness. Eccl. 7:29; Eph. 4:24. Sin caused man to fall from this condition. In fact, sin has changed to some extent, all of these. d. Man has a conscience. Rom. 2:15. e. Free will. Man now has a will, but it is not free. f. Worship and communion with God. g. Dignity of presence. Gen. 9:2; I Cor. 11:7. h. Immortality of soul. Gen. 3:22. i. Capacity for marriage. j. Labor apart from struggle for existence. Gen. 2:15. k. Power of speech.

2. These things are not true of any animal. 3. The physical similarity between man and some animals can best be explained on the basis of having a common designer and creator, much more so than by the theory of evolution. Also, there may be a similarity between creatures that share a common environment. I Cor. 15:39-41 4. Though sin has marred man’s image, it can be restored through redemption and then will be completely restored through the resurrection. I Cor. 15:42-49 B. The Dominion Of Man. v. 28-31 1. Man, the climax of creation. 2. Man to rule over–but sin! 3. God’s preparation for man.

STUDY QUESTIONS

1. Name the two great lights and their purpose. 2. What is the difference between astronomy and astrology? 3. What or who is the sun typical of, and how? 4. Who or what is the moon typical of, and how? 5. What day did God begin to create living things? 6. What did God create on the 6th day? 7. Man was created in the of God. 8. How can we explain some of the physical similarities between man and animals, in the light of the claims of evolution? 9. Name some of the things man received from God through creation that is not true of animals? 10. Was man created with a free will? What is the condition of his will today ?