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PLAIN TRUTH IN PLAIN ENGLISH
This Bible study (in red) is selected from the mini Bible commentaries of former missionary Fred Morris. Includes a devotional thought or challenging question for those who wish to learn more or think about God's eternal truth. It is based on the NIRV Bible text (Copyright 1998 International Bible Society). The live Bible references (in blue) link to the BibleGateway website http://www.biblegateway.com/ – used with grateful thanks. This plain truth of God is written in plain English, which is easy to read, easy to understand and easy to translate. These Manna bible studies are easy to read online using mobile devices
The word of Almighty God came again to Abraham. ‘Do not be afraid, Abraham. I am your shield’ (Genesis 15:1) Evil Canaanites lived all around Abraham and he may have been frightened of them. He may also have been afraid that the troubles he had in war would come back again. Many people hear the voice of God through praying, through preachers or through reading the Bible, but they do not always overcome their fears by trusting and obeying Him. God said that Abraham was good and right because of his faith. Abraham had no goodness and righteousness of his own. His faith alone made him good and right with God (15:6). The prophet Habakkuk and the apostle Paul repeated this truth (Romans 1:17). But Abraham sometimes doubted (Genesis 15:2-3). This is why God reminded him of His promises (15:4-7). Grow in faith as you seek guidance from God about your fears and doubts!
Read the full Bible commentary on the book of Genesis at publication titlesFormat 3.
Also, see below for news of a new format for Bible students.
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SELF-TEACH BIBLE LESSONS FOR STUDENTS
MANNA ON-LINE SELF-TEACH BIBLE COMMENTARY
Genesis Part 1: Chapters 1 to 11
LESSON 3
First read Genesis chapter 1
GOD'S WORK OF CREATION
Genesis is at the beginning of the Bible. It tells us about the beginning of everything and of life itself. It tells us about the origins and purpose of life. In Genesis we read, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth;" (Genesis 1:1). The universe was empty and dark. Then God’s Holy Spirit moved over it (v.2). No people! No morning! No evening! No sunrise! No sunset! No days and weeks and months!
At first the world had no shape (v.2). It was empty and God's Spirit moved over the waters. Then God put the land in one place and the waters of the seas in another. He set up time. God made the days and weeks, with evenings and mornings. God created the trees and animals, then He created Adam, the first man on the earth.
The Hebrew word 'create'; is a very special word. It belongs to God alone and to His work. Only the Living God could create the heavens and the earth out of nothing. Men can only make things out of what God has already created.
This word 'create'; is used three times in the first part of Genesis. In verse 1, God created the heavens and the earth: that means ‘everything’. In verse 21, God created animals. In verse 27, God created man.
THE SIX DAYS OF CREATION
God said everything that He made was good. We see this in the world around us. God gave us His holy writings which tell how He created t earth and all the things in it. This is written in Genesis Chapter 1 so you can read it for yourself. We must thank God for the Bible which tells us what happened ‘in the beginning’. If we did not have the Bible, we would not know where this wonderful earth came from. Or why we live here. In the Bible, God tells us about the origins and purpose of life. Men have written many things about how they think this earth was made, but they are only ideas. No-one can prove that their ideas are right. God did not tell us everything about how He created the heavens and the earth, but He told us everything we need to know. It is in the Bible. The creation took place because God wanted it. He spoke the words to do it and He said it was good. He loved what He had made.
GOD'S WORDS OF CREATION
God spoke at creation. His words are powerful and they are true. His words create life. The Bible tells us clearly about things that happened long ago. The Bible is God’s word to us. He will help us to understand what it says when we read it. God said, ‘Let there be light’ and there was light (1:3). There could not be life on the earth without light and heat and God wanted to create life. He separated the light from the darkness. He called the light ‘day’, the darkness He called ‘night’. The light also provides heat. When the light appeared God said that it was ‘good’. Everything God does is good. Then God pushed the waters back and made the land (v.9). Some of the waters were in the seas and some above in the sky (v. 6- 7). At this time it did not rain. No water fell from the sky. A mist kept the ground wet and covered the earth (2:5,6
BIRDS, FISH AND ANIMALS
Then God said, ‘Let the waters be filled with living things and let the birds fly in the sky above.’ (1:20) This happened very quickly. God spoke and there were fish in the sea and smaller things for them to eat. God was not happy to make just one or two kinds. He made hundreds of different kinds of fish and birds. God covered the land with many kinds of grasses and plants. Then God created the animals and the insects to eat the plants. God created many different kinds of animals — both male and female — including pigs, chickens, horses, monkeys and camels. There were also very many insects and creatures that crawled on the ground. Each type has babies that have a built-in design to make the same type of fish, bird, insect or animal. God made sure that each type produced the same type each year, year after year. He used a new set of DNA ‘words’ from His book of life for each type. At last all of God’s creation was in place. The earth, seas, trees, fruits, plants, insects, birds, fish and animals. Then God made the first people.
WHY GOD MADE MANKIND
On the fifth day, God finished making all these wonderful things, but ‘there was no man to work the ground’ (2:5). God made man to take care of God’s creation (1:28). Caretakers watch over other people’s property. We should obey God and care for His world He has created. Genesis 1 tells us why God made mankind:
To be like God (v.26,27)
To rule over God's creation (v.26).
To have children and populate the earth and bring it under control (v.28).
To live by eating the good things that grow on the earth (v.29).
To give us His love and for us to worship Him.
Additional study material
STUDY GUIDE LESSON 3
The Creation of the World
At the beginning there was darkness, waters and God’s Spirit. The Bible account agrees with what scientists say happened next:
a) light (heat).
b) Then water 'below'; and water 'above'; with air and sky in between.
c) Then seas, land and green vegetation.
d) Then sun, moon and stars.
e) Then fish and birds.
f) Then animals and other living creatures and man and woman.
The Earth was different before Noah's Flood (Genesis 7) from what it is now:
• water was held in the sky above the earth (Genesis 1:7).
• no rain fell on the ground (Genesis 2:6) — the mist gave water.
• people lived much longer (Genesis 5:5-32) — no severe weather.
• there were giant people (Genesis 6:4) and giant creatures.
• no rainbows occurred because there was no rain or storms until the Flood (Genesis 9:13).
• There were no very hot or very cold days; no desert or ice.
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God created all life
God was pleased with the heavens and the earth that He had created. They were just as He had thought of them and planned them. He ‘saw that His creation was good’. So He said, ‘Let the land grow grass, herbs and trees with fruit with its own seed in it’. Yes, He created the first plants with its own seed already in it. He placed life in every tiny seed. Only God can create life. Each seed has its own design built in to make more of the same plant. In this way, God made sure that each plant would produce the same type each year, year after year, without change. (Man tries to change what God has done by chemicals, by ‘selection’, by ‘cross-breeding’ and by ‘changes to the gene cells’.)
Even seeds that people leave in a dry place for hundreds of years will grow into the same type of plant. Scientists tell us that every seed has its own ‘words of life’ in it. They call it DNA. In this way God gave His ‘words of life’ to every plant and to every creature. Each one was different — each kind had its own DNA words. The DNA words spoken by God control what grows — nothing is allowed to grow into another kind. God spoke the words of creation and each plant and creature was made. And everything was good and perfect.
Life is precious because God gave it. All life comes from Him. He created certain kinds of life in the trees and the plants, other kinds of life in the fish, and still other kinds of life in the animals. God created ‘everything after its own kind’. So the seeds always grow baby plants that are like the parent plants. God said that it must be so. In this way, every kind makes its own kind. This is a part of God’s order and control in creation through DNA.
Animals and people must have air to breathe, so God created plants first to help to make the air that we need. We must care for the plants and the trees. They give us our food and the oxygen in the air. God created the sun to give the hours of light. He allowed darkness, but only for some of the time. The cold nights make mist and dew to water the plants whilst they are making the air supply for creatures to breath. The sun gives light and heat to the earth. Plants use this light and heat to grow. The sun keeps the earth warm so that we do not get cold and die. God also made the seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. He made and named the stars and put them in their places. They always stay in the paths God gave them. This is another part of the order God put into His creation.
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Evolution or Creation?
The Bible says that the first man and woman were the special creation of God. They were like their Creator and were very different from the animals and other creatures on Earth.
Today, many believe that people came from apes or monkeys, but this is not true according to the Bible or according to the ancient bones (fossils) we find in the ground. Charles Darwin thought that through natural selection (the survival of the fittest creatures) one type of creature could improve or evolve into another type over time. This is called the theory of evolution. However, none of the links between the types or species have been found or proved. Darwin’s ‘missing links’ are still missing! Christians believe that dogs have always been dogs and apes have always been apes and men have always been men. They have never been linked together. All dog varieties are still dogs. Varieties of apes are apes. Varieties of people are people. God made sure that each creature could not change into another type – their seeds or eggs are always the same type, but with many different varieties.
Darwin did not know about this 150 years ago but today scientists have proved that the DNA in each creature does not permit change from one type of creature to another type. The DNA code has built-in words of each type and produces only its own kind of seed (see Genesis 1:12).
If you believe in Darwin’s evolution, then you have no purpose in life, no reason for living, and no hope after death.
If you believe in God’s creation, then you have a special purpose in life, a reason for living, and hope of life after death.
Row of stooping 'apes'; drawn to try to explain evolution.
This shows the wrong ideas of Charles Darwin drawn by Richard Leakey. The series of stooping ‘ape-men’ never existed but are often shown in school text books. In more recent years, Dr Leakey admitted that the fossils prove that apes have always been apes and men have always been men. (Source: Victor Pearce and Henry Morris.)
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Multiple Choice questions
Answers are given at the end of the book
Choose the correct answer a, b or c.
1. In the beginning, God —
a) made all things well;
b) made good and evil;
c) made us very different to Himself.
2. God —
a) is just spirit and we are just body;
b) is a person and spirit and so are we;
c) does not have feelings as we do.
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Talk About questions
1. What has God created for His pleasure?
2. What has God created for our pleasure?
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Advanced discussion questions
Does the Bible disagree with Science?
Personal meditation
What has the Holy Spirit taught you about the power, perfection and purpose of God in Genesis chapter 1?
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