Genesis #2
Genesis
What does this say about God….Theme
God has used evidence to demonstrate trust…especially the way he treats enemies.
Most difficult stories are a record…are most convincing.
Why did God comes down to earth in fire, smoke, thunder at Sinai (father or son?) and the people shuddered and said all God said we will do, but it didn’t work…remember 1 John? No fear in love…fear has to do with punishment… Moses stood among the people and said there is no need to be afraid. God’s glory as a fire….
Why the 10 commandments when the law of love cannot be commanded?
Why so much use of Law…Exodus, Lev, Num, Deut…? We were made in freedom…
John 16:26 Let me tell you plain…In the light of this statement….why in Exodus does he give the priesthood and mediation? Read all versions?
What did he say plain? I will not pray the Father for you…Why? The Father loves you himself! 1 Cor 10:4 Christ gave that system…and then said we don’t need it. Contradiction? What is the meaning?
The people requested someone in between….NOTE. Note how God talked to Moses (Num) as a friend.
10 Plaques? Compare to the last plaques…Was not to punish but to reveal something. 1st born…some were good people….Who hardened Pharoah’s heart? All mean the same thing.
What about Abraham?
Creation to Joseph is dead in his coffin…when did they go into captivity….when did they come out? Dates? 4000 to 1800 bc…Creation…sin…salvation announced…flood…tower…(scared of God…not that they believed)…decline in length of life…Sarah was 90 when Pharoah wanted her…Abraham was 100 when he had the baby. Did people mature later…no…captivity in Egypt…Joseph…
Create the original setting…Creation week…who was watching? Man was just a visitor. Man’s seventh day was Thursday. Was the Lord’s day that He gave to man. We have to read the record…who watched? Go to Revelation 12. The angels had already divided…Satan cast out…was he God’s enemy before creation? It would appear that loyal and disloyal angels (Sons of God) were watching…God took six days….could have done it in a thought…they had heard Satan’s changes…exacting,, vengeful, severe, arbitrary, selfish in his creative power…Is this slow creation an answer?
Is 14:12-14 Ez 28: 2….I will be like the most high…Lucifer wanted to be worshipped…Matt 4:8…(Light bearer) now he is bearer of lies. Phosphorus…morning star…Jesus’s name. All same word…Cephas..Peter…rock. Satan means the adversary. Wilderness temptation exposed Satan. A created being asking his creator to worship him….? Rev 13:4…achieved his goal of total worship except for the few who remain loyal to Jesus. 2 Cor 11:14 Masquer as an angel of light…John 8:44…angel of lies… Who is telling the truth?
Job 1, 2 Zec 3 Rev 12:10….covering angel fallen…Job 38 4…8 1 Cor 4:9 Spectacle to angels…theatre to the universe….platform…universe watching. Eph and Col Christ died to make peace in the universe….Setting for Creation week…What was Satan doing after he was cast out? How could he hold the loyalty of the fallen angels? He cannot create life but manipulate….Chaos…moon is raw…emptiness and wasteness…mars…Jupiter….no text but it makes you wonder. Chaos to cosmos (order and beauty) Cosmetic…word derived. We wake up in the morning in chaos and then work our way to cosmos…do our cosmetics make us look more orderly? Ha Ha
Chaos day one…let there be light…second…third…etc…unhurried drama unfolded his plan for our world. God is gracious…He took his time…some things became clear as the beauty unfolded. Then he created us man…free to love or trust him or spit in his face….Jesus didn’t hit back when he was spit upon. Then he allowed Satan to approach Adam and Eve…but only at the tree (protection). He suggested they don’t go near it….
PP showed the angels warned them of our history….they wandered…did Eve sin before she was tempted? Did Adam sin by letting her go?
Why did God make us male and female? Angels sexless? Jesus said we’ll be like the angels…it is different. Human beings are of a distinct order. One of Satan’s charges was God would not share his creative power (he was not included in the creation of the world)…man creates others in their own image. Why did the animals have that ability too? How Godlike? “lower than the angels really means lower then God”. Psalms…little gods? Jesus quotes it too…We’re creatures but God treats us as his friends. Sabbath does remind us of our creaturness….lest we get to high. God shared his creative power with us…We are not worms such as I.
Friday evening celebration answered questions…God rested….not because He was tired…like rest his case (lawyer). 1st Sabbath celebrated what God said about himself. Next week, God told us to remember Sabbath and what it represents. Throughout the Bible he added more meaning to it. Arbitrary? No…that would support the devil’s charges. Full of meaning that is the basis of our love and trust and how he values our freedom and let him treat us with dignity and respect.
God had lied about death? Creation week didn’t answer that…Crucifixsion week did. Most meaningful of all our observations…
Details…issues raised…Adam and Eve disobed and God didn’t like that? He just expelled them? How do we understand what happened? Adam and Eve were confronted with the Great Controversy and chose the wrong side…Adam’s decision….Eve was deceived (Paul comments…Eve was deceived…Adam knew better) What should have Adam had done…if Eve must die I will die with her…how could you fault him? Should he have just said too bad…God will give me another wife. Could they have stayed together had Adam stayed loyal? Eve would have had to stay out and not eat of the other tree of life. Adam cast his lot with Eve. Did Adam think God would forgive them? Would forgiveness take care of them…he understood the legal understanding of salvation. He didn’t understand that sin is something that happens in people it changes us and we need to be healed. Forgiveness doesn’t heal.
Dying thou shalt die meant dying thou shall definitely die….
Cast out and put under discipline…EGW’s quote about work. Plan of Salvation is not designed to get you out of legal trouble. Adam even misunderstood this. Nicodemous was not told that he needed forgiveness…he needed a new heart and right spirit.
Angels didn’t understand this until Jesus died…that death was what God warned them of in the garden. God was patient to wait and hold consequences…1st death was not the skins…Jesus created the breakfast on the beach…the lamb was first death. Rock? No tools made yet of steel…Adam probably said it made him sick. God wanted him to remember this…that it was an innocent party. People came and watched this and lost the sickness from it’s awfulness. They watched like butcher shops…They missed the whole point. It was supposed to upset them.
Angels wondered if this was the death….Abel’s death…no…
Moses said show me your glory…God said no one could see him and live…Moses did see him and his face shown so much he had to hide it from the people. Moses came down with God’s character…wore a veil. Glory that surround God is real…Jesus veiled his glory so his presence would not destroy those he came to save. When God veiled himself it got cold…he clothed Adam/Eve. Merciful veiling changes our planet more than the flood. Scientist cannot explain everything with flood. Our earth was bathed in the life giving glory of God…when man is out of harmony with God the glory is destructive. God unveils his glory at the end….some are consumed…some are restored.
Next death…flood…(many murders before)…angels wondered if that was it? Satan’s loved this and used this to justify himself….Sodom and Gomorah…don’t obey me I’ll drown or burn or if you turn back, I’ll turn you into a pillar of salt. Interpret these. Abraham take your son….is that it? Closer because it is representative….death of nature? Consequences…None answered the question. That is why Jesus needed to die.
People became afraid of God…turns people into rebels…tortured and killed God. God did not ask us to prove the truthfulness of His word…He proved it. Did he burn or torture Jesus? Eternal punishment? Penalty for sin is torture as long as you deserve…If Jesus bore our sins than he would have to suffer a long time…He died quickly…He rose soon.
Calvary needs to be read in Genesis…When Jesus died and rose on Sunday, the angels said it was clear…He was holy and just and good. What does he do to his enemies? That answers more…than what he does to his friends.
How does the death of Christ prove God is just? Prophets deal with it…
Most important thing in the Bible…sin results in death ….how is God involved with it? Sin and I’ll kill you? Claims to be a God of love and freedom but if you don’t cooperate I’ll kill you? Cannot have freedom that way. Did not clear this up by flood or fire. Jesus died and gave him up and he died. Use 39 books to demonstrate this.
EGW says some live longer….if God is executing than God is torturing…does this do them any good? Who gets message…ones that remain…Love me or I’ll do the same to you? End of trust…start of fear. No deaths in the OT clear this up. God does not mercifully kill those slowly. God breathed into man the breath of life…nefish…person even the blood in his veins…dropped word soul…Rabbi who translated the Torah…whole person/blood in veins. Mortality of soul…fire destroys quickly. Does God supernaturally keep them alive? How is he involved? Watch Jesus? He was made to be sin…
- Sin results in death
- God lets go…only
- Worshiping God in fear leads to rebellion (cross)
More millions of people have been turned against God than the doctrine of eternal torment. It doesn’t make sense…
Why did God expel them on the first offence? Would we do that as parents? Angels kept them out…Before sin, they could live in God’s glory…after sin, they would be susceptible to the destructiveness of God’s glory. 1000 years go by and Adam sees the consequences of his actions….Chasten/discipline/instruct not punish. Whom God loves…Expulsion was to teach…
When they sinned…God came to look and asked where they were? Can we hide? God is sometimes described as a human being…God repented he made man…flood…go down and see what the sons of man are doing…tower…did he not know? Heb says God knows all. Abraham…Sodom and Gomorah…I’ve come to see if the reports are correct? I’ll put my bow in the clouds to remind me….forgetful? PP…God would not forget…paints pictures we can understand…meets us where we are. God is described as repenting of the evil he had planned…God’s wrath…explained in Romans…giving up. Take all evidence and explain.
God even comes in human form…tired, hungry…he is still God. Skillful teacher and speaks our language…risking being misunderstood…God is willing to do it to reach us.
Moses didn’t know God well? Exodus explains…There is no need to be afraid…when God says I’m sick and tired of these people…Moses said as I know you you could not do it….absolutely right…who else knows me that way? Abraham? Conversation over Sodom and Gomorah…should have Abraham said God says it I believe it…who am I to question you? Should not the God of all do what is right? Real faith does question! God did not scold him for his impudence…no He loved it. If only all knew him so well.
There were not even five…God saved Lot and two daughters…they go him drunk and slept with him to have children..they became the enemies of the children of Abraham. Hagar’s child became the PLO. Does God love the PLO? God took care of them…what does that say about God? Finnish the whole story to the end…did he win Moabites? Ruth who became the grandmother of Christ? Rahab? Heb 11…Incredible how generous God is…more than us.
When he says there is no way to let someone in Heaven, he can be trusted.
Abraham’s sacrifice? What does this say about God? Setting…God’s friend…breech of trust ast times? Yes…he lied and said Sarah was his sister (half true) but showed he didn’t trust God to take care of him. Does God like to be proud of us? Job…knew God well. 1st two chapters prove it. PP accuser of brethren accused Abraham and God of regarding Abraham as a friend…God let him be tested…He tests Abraham to prove his loyalty. Miraculously he gave Isaac…that made no sense to Abraham…he thought about it and worked it through…asking questions on the way. Did not tell Sarah…too much for her…didn’t tell Isaac…could have resisted Abraham…three nights and days asking God why…Sodom/Gom…wouldn’t do what is not right…puzzled. Hebrews said he thought it through…resurrect, substitute…became willing but needed a sign…God gave him the light on the mountain. Evidence was what he knew about God. To counsil he asked if anyone else had other questions about Abraham….None!
We can overcome and be trusted as we go through our trials…maybe we are in tests to prove our loyalty too.
Time after time…same questions…different illustrations…can God be trusted? If you only had Genesis could we love and trust God? One who sees sparrows fall sees all babys drown? Will all be lost? No…what about child who asked to be taken to the boat? Father didn’t…were all who got on the boat good? God knows our future decisions…he knew he only needed a small boat. He treats us as we had not sinned…if we choose to be lost, he treats us with dignity…Jesus washed Judas’ dirty feet…and gave the impression that he went to give an offering to the poor…He could have exposed him.
What does God do to his children who do not obey? Look out? Go to other 65…God teaches us through emergency measures until He personally shows us at the crucifixition ….
Why was God disappointed in Cain’s sacrifice? What would you rather have…fruits/vegs or a dead lamb? Does it explain why he brought the wrong thing? As we go book by book we find the answer. One has to read on and on and the answer is not always in the exact context. Heb 2 has the meaning of sacrifice….everytime they offered a sacrifice, it was a reminded of sin. It is to remind us of the death he warned about in Eden and Christ demonstrated it painfully. The fruits/veg did not show this. Sin results in death…that was the issue.
Burning bush story….Remove your shoes…reminding Moses to be more reverent?