Natural World: When God Was Desolate And Without Form
Genesis
BIBL 105
Michael Jones
Liberty University
Natural world- When God created the universe in the beginning it was desolate and without form. The purpose for all things flow from who God is and central, to who God is, to all his purposes and to all creation, is triune nature. God spoke into existence the natural world. In Genesis one it informs us of how God brought every natural into existence. God forms the land and divides the waters with it. On the earth God then created all different kinds of plants that produced grain and fruits. Those who trust in the Lord are said to be like a thriving tree that never fails to bear fruit, even in the times of drought (GNT 1532). God commanded that earth produce all kinds of animals …show more content…
domestic and wild and he was pleased.
Human identity- God created man in his likeness and his image.
That’s powerful in itself. I think we’ve lost sight of that meaning. God placed on earth to be rulers over all other things besides each other and to be fruitful and multiply. There is no form of hierarchy over the other when it comes to man and woman Human identity came about when Adam and Eve bit the apple and they a hard time dealing with the sin they had committed and so I think it made them evaluate themselves and their identity. I believe this is where they started coming into the place of identifying their roles and we begin to see our traits as humans. Morality came into picture. The men and women were created to be equal but with each sex there seemed to be a role or identity. In the beginning when God made Adam and Eve, he gave him the role of the protector and ruler of all …show more content…
animals.
Human Relationship- In the beginning God created Adam and all the animals. When God made eve I think that God automatically knew that this is what he was missing and felt an automatic bond with eve. We were made for relationships: for the intimate union of man and woman; for sacrificial, caring love in families; for the rich stimulation of friendships (GNT, 24). Adam instantly felt that Eve was a part of him. This may have been because of the whole rib thing. Genesis 1:27 states, “So God created human beings, making them to be like himself. He created them male and female.” Genesis also shows us how human relationship can go wrong even with family members as we saw how Cain killed Abel out of jealousy in Genesis 4. Further reading shows evidence of a bond between family when you begin reading of Noah and his family. Genesis 6 tells us about Noah’s three sons and how they had no faults. Noah’s sons you sense more of a brotherly bond and love for one another. Genesis shows how our human relationship relates to our relationships with God. We were made for relationships; for the intimate relationship is God’s highest priority and greatest desire. It should be ours as well God did not create us just to do things for him, but to love and honor him as children to their father (GNT, 23). In the end it all boils down to the intimate relationship that God wants us to have with him.
Civilization- Civilization begins to create itself in Genesis 4 with the beginning of Cain’s life after he killed his brother Abel.
During Cain’s flee from the wrath of God he made his settlement in the land of Nod (also called Wandering). And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he built a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch (Genesis 16). The name of the city means to initiate so this means to me the initiating of a new civilization other than that of the Garden of Eden. Cain was cursed and because of his being cursed they were no longer subject to the pleasures of the Garden of Eden and therefore had to work hard in the new land. The hard work and labor of building a new city such things like agriculture and ingenuity was developed which in return started the beginning of civilization as we know it. The next spoken generation comes to form in Genesis 11:9 in the city of Babel where the Tower of Babel is formed. Babel, or Babylon, will develop into a civilization and empire that will become paradigmatic for the godless oppressive power against God and against God’s people. As time passed the continuation of civilization would
develop through Sodom, Gomorah, Abraham and eventually the cities of Egypt. The Israelites would eventually come to their own civilization in the land the God promised Abraham. God’s purpose for humanity involves having fellowship with Him and one another. This requires a community that is conducive for cultivating fellowship with God and with fellow humans.
Works Cited
Society, A. B. (2002). GNT Starting Point Study Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
http://www.spiritualmanna.info/civilization
http://ourreasonforhope.blogspot.com/2012/08/beginning-of-civilization.html
BIBL 105
Michael Jones
Liberty University
Natural world- When God created the universe in the beginning it was desolate and without form. The purpose for all things flow from who God is and central, to who God is, to all his purposes and to all creation, is triune nature. God spoke into existence the natural world. In Genesis one it informs us of how God brought every natural into existence. God forms the land and divides the waters with it. On the earth God then created all different kinds of plants that produced grain and fruits. Those who trust in the Lord are said to be like a thriving tree that never fails to bear fruit, even in the times of drought (GNT 1532). God commanded that earth produce all kinds of animals …show more content…
domestic and wild and he was pleased.
Human identity- God created man in his likeness and his image.
That’s powerful in itself. I think we’ve lost sight of that meaning. God placed on earth to be rulers over all other things besides each other and to be fruitful and multiply. There is no form of hierarchy over the other when it comes to man and woman Human identity came about when Adam and Eve bit the apple and they a hard time dealing with the sin they had committed and so I think it made them evaluate themselves and their identity. I believe this is where they started coming into the place of identifying their roles and we begin to see our traits as humans. Morality came into picture. The men and women were created to be equal but with each sex there seemed to be a role or identity. In the beginning when God made Adam and Eve, he gave him the role of the protector and ruler of all …show more content…
animals.
Human Relationship- In the beginning God created Adam and all the animals. When God made eve I think that God automatically knew that this is what he was missing and felt an automatic bond with eve. We were made for relationships: for the intimate union of man and woman; for sacrificial, caring love in families; for the rich stimulation of friendships (GNT, 24). Adam instantly felt that Eve was a part of him. This may have been because of the whole rib thing. Genesis 1:27 states, “So God created human beings, making them to be like himself. He created them male and female.” Genesis also shows us how human relationship can go wrong even with family members as we saw how Cain killed Abel out of jealousy in Genesis 4. Further reading shows evidence of a bond between family when you begin reading of Noah and his family. Genesis 6 tells us about Noah’s three sons and how they had no faults. Noah’s sons you sense more of a brotherly bond and love for one another. Genesis shows how our human relationship relates to our relationships with God. We were made for relationships; for the intimate relationship is God’s highest priority and greatest desire. It should be ours as well God did not create us just to do things for him, but to love and honor him as children to their father (GNT, 23). In the end it all boils down to the intimate relationship that God wants us to have with him.
Civilization- Civilization begins to create itself in Genesis 4 with the beginning of Cain’s life after he killed his brother Abel.
During Cain’s flee from the wrath of God he made his settlement in the land of Nod (also called Wandering). And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he built a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch (Genesis 16). The name of the city means to initiate so this means to me the initiating of a new civilization other than that of the Garden of Eden. Cain was cursed and because of his being cursed they were no longer subject to the pleasures of the Garden of Eden and therefore had to work hard in the new land. The hard work and labor of building a new city such things like agriculture and ingenuity was developed which in return started the beginning of civilization as we know it. The next spoken generation comes to form in Genesis 11:9 in the city of Babel where the Tower of Babel is formed. Babel, or Babylon, will develop into a civilization and empire that will become paradigmatic for the godless oppressive power against God and against God’s people. As time passed the continuation of civilization would
develop through Sodom, Gomorah, Abraham and eventually the cities of Egypt. The Israelites would eventually come to their own civilization in the land the God promised Abraham. God’s purpose for humanity involves having fellowship with Him and one another. This requires a community that is conducive for cultivating fellowship with God and with fellow humans.
Works Cited
Society, A. B. (2002). GNT Starting Point Study Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
http://www.spiritualmanna.info/civilization
http://ourreasonforhope.blogspot.com/2012/08/beginning-of-civilization.html