Thursday, February 10, 2011

Genesis

According to Audioenglish.net, genesis means "coming into being".

Dictionary.com gives a few definitions: an origin, creation, or beginning.


This is the creation story:  Genesis 1

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  --> This means that God existed before the earth, and heavens, before everything (all matter).

2 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. --> God can be in the form of a spirit (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), and spirit is eternal, therefore, He has always existed.

Over the course of 6 days, God created:

3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.  
--> Day 1 -  light.  notice how all God had to do, was speak, and He created something? This is different from creation myths. All creation myths say that the "gods" made things through the way humans would make something - using tools, and physical things. This is what makes God even more awesome in power.

6 And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” 7 So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the vault “sky.” 
--> Day 2 - sky. Note: "Ant it was so." See, what God wanted, "was so". Everything happens according to God's will.

9 And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” 11 Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds.
--> Day 3 - God created land, and seas. God also created plants.

14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness.
--> Day 4 - sun, moon, and stars.

20 And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.”
--> Day 5 - sea creatures, birds

24 And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds.
--> Day 6 - land creatures: note, every different kind of creature was created "according to their kinds". meaning, God gave them different features so they could survive.

 26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

--> Also on Day 6 - God made humans. Note: verse 26: God is giving humans status over animals, making us "ruler over all the creatures".

 27 So God created mankind in his own image,
   in the image of God he created them;


--> The very fact that "God created mankind in his own image" is very important. This means that God made us separate from animals, meaning we are not just really evolved monkeys or animals. We were designed like this for God's purpose, and with His specific intentions.

  male and female he created them.
--> God made males and females equal beings, equally created in His image. Although we may have strengths and weaknesses in different categories, we still have equal roles in God's plan. Everyone is worth just as much to God.

28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
    29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.


--> God prepared everything on the earth first, He prepared everything that the humans would need. Then He created us last, so that everything we would need, would already be there. This is an example of how God watches over us, and takes care of us. He provided humankind with everything we would need.

31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
--> Verse 31 - God made everything VERY GOOD. This means that humans were made good. Contrary to modern society*, we were created good - not "neutral and affected by our surroundings and how we're brought up". From the very beginning, God made us to be people who were good. 


*As time passed, people came up with ideas of how humans were born in a neutral state of mind - not knowing good or bad. They believed that children were affected by their parents, and peers. The way the children are brought up will determine if the child is good or bad. Although this seems to make logical sense, that people are just influenced by others, and as children we do not know anything so we just go along with it.
 But that is not true. We are born knowing what is good and what is bad. Can't you feel it when you do something wrong? or when you're contemplating to do something wrong?

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