Creation of the World

Genesis 1:1-2:3 (NET)

Exegesis:

The process of careful, analytical study of biblical passages undertaken in order to produce useful interpretations of those passages.

The goal of exegesis is to know neither less nor more than the information actually contained in the passage.

Exegesis, in other words, places no premium on speculation or inventiveness; novelty in interpretation is not prized.

Douglas Stuart, “Exegesis,” ed. David Noel Freedman, The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 682.

Luke 24:44-45 (NET)

44 Then He said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled.”

45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the scriptures,

Understand -

1. LN 32.5 understand, realize to the point of insight (Mk 4:12; Ac 13:27 v.r.; Mk 4:9 v.r. NA26);

2. LN 32.26 be intelligent, capacity to understand (Ro 3:11)

James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).

Pericope =

From the Greek word meaning “section,” a particular portion of Scripture to be read as a lesson.

Brett Scott Provance, Pocket Dictionary of Liturgy & Worship, The IVP Pocket Reference Series (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2009), 101.

BOOK OF GENESIS FACTS:

THE TITLE - Genesis

- THE TITLE “GENESIS” comes from the Greek translation of the Old Testament (called the Septuagint), which uses the Greek word geneseōs [1078, 1161] to render the key Hebrew word in the book, toledoth [8435, 9352] (“generations” in KJV; “account” in NLT).

- The Hebrew title of the book is the first word of the book, bere’shith [871.2/7225, 928/8040] (in the beginning).

Allen Ross and John N. Oswalt, Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: Genesis, Exodus, vol. 1 (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2008), 3.

AUTHOR - Moses

- The books of the Pentateuch(Genesis—Deuteronomy)give evidence of unity through their common plot, theme (divine promises), central figure (Moses), and literary interconnections.

- Jewish and Christian traditions attribute the Pentateuch to Moses, whose life paralleled the events of Exodus–Deuteronomy (cp. 2 Ch 23:18; Lk 16:29, 31; Acts 28:23).

- Passages in Exodus–Deuteronomy testify that Moses authored diverse materials (Ex 17:14; 24:4–8; Nm 33:2; Dt 31:9, 22).

- Although we cannot be certain about the contents of the “book of the law [of Moses]” (Jos 1:7–8; 8:31; 23:6; 2 Kg 14:6), its association with Moses established a “psychology of canonicity” that set the pattern of divinely authoritative writings (Nm 12:6–8; Dt 18:15; 34:10).

Kirk Lowery, “The Chronology of the Kings of Israel and Judah,” in The Apologetics Study Bible: Real Questions, Straight Answers, Stronger Faith, ed. Ted Cabal et al. (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2007), 1.

- For those who accept that there was a Moses who received the law at Sinai, there is no one better qualified to have written this book:

*Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians (Acts 7:22) so his literary skills would have enabled him to collect and edit Israel’s traditions and records and to compose this theological treatise.

*His communion with God at Sinai and throughout his life would have given him the spiritual illumination and understanding that was needed to guide him into all truth—what we call inspiration.

*And the historical circumstances of the Israelites’ bondage in Egypt, along with the task of delivering them and establishing a new nation in accordance with the promises made to the ancestors, provided a strong motivation to write this book: to establish the theological and historical foundation for the Exodus and the covenant at Sinai (Moberly 1992; Sailhamer 1992).

Allen Ross and John N. Oswalt, Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: Genesis, Exodus, vol. 1 (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2008), 4.

MOSES (מֹשֶׁה, mosheh; Μωϋσῆς, Mōusēs). Name means “[is] born” [Egyptian] or “he who is drawn [from water].”

Brother of Aaron the High Priest and Miriam.

Leader of the Hebrew people in the 13th century bc.

Moses, a Hebrew by birth, spends the first 80 years of his life living in Pharaoh’s house and herding sheep in the land of Midian.

Moses was born during the 400 years when the Hebrews were slaves in Egypt (Gen 15:13; Exod 12:40–42).

His biological parents, Amram and Jochebed, are from the tribe of Levi (Exod 2:1; 6:16–20; 7:7; Num 26:59; 1 Chr 6:3; 23:12–14).

DATE WRITTEN:

Even among those who accept the historicity of Moses and grant that at least the essence of the law came from him, there is disagreement over the date of the writing.

The traditional view, which takes the dates and details of Scripture at face value, would place Moses in the fifteenth century BC, the Exodus at 1446 BC, and the giving of the law shortly after that (see the details in Merrill 1987:57–79).

Those who accept a late date for Moses and the Exodus would place the giving of the law, and with it the writing of Genesis, somewhere in the thirteenth century BC.

This date is preferred by many because it seems to harmonize better with the archaeological data of the conquest and settlement.

Allen Ross and John N. Oswalt, Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: Genesis, Exodus, vol. 1 (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2008), 10.

Moreover, the reference to Rameses in Exodus 1:11 has been used (at least in the popular presentations) as a clue to the identity of the pharaoh of the Exodus.

Those who hold to the earlier date in the fifteenth century reason that biblical passages such as 1 Kings 6:1 and Judges 11:26, if taken for what they say, point to an early date.

Allen Ross and John N. Oswalt, Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: Genesis, Exodus, vol. 1 (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2008), 10.

SUMMARY OF BOOK:

- Genesis is the book of beginnings, the beginning of mankind and his universe, the beginning of sin in the world and its catastrophic effects on the race, and the beginning of God’s plan to restore blessing to the world through his chosen people.

Allen Ross and John N. Oswalt, Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: Genesis, Exodus, vol. 1 (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2008), 3.

Genesis Chapter 1

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

2 Now the earth was without shape and empty, and darkness was over the surface of the watery deep, but the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the water.

3 God said, “Let there be light.” And there was light!

4 God saw that the light was good, so God separated the light from the darkness.

5 God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.” There was evening, and there was morning, marking the first day.

6 God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters and let it separate water from water.”

7 So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. It was so.

8 God called the expanse “sky.” There was evening, and there was morning, a second day.

9 God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place and let dry ground appear.” It was so.

10 God called the dry ground “land” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” God saw that it was good.

11 God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: plants yielding seeds and trees on the land bearing fruit with seed in it, according to their kinds.” It was so.

12 The land produced vegetation—plants yielding seeds according to their kinds, and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. God saw that it was good.

13 There was evening, and there was morning, a third day.

14 God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them be signs to indicate seasons and days and years,

15 and let them serve as lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth.” It was so.

16 God made two great lights—the greater light to rule over the day and the lesser light to rule over the night. He made the stars also.

17 God placed the lights in the expanse of the sky to shine on the earth,

18 to preside over the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good.

19 There was evening, and there was morning, a fourth day.

20 God said, “Let the water swarm with swarms of living creatures and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.”

21 God created the great sea creatures and every living and moving thing with which the water swarmed, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. God saw that it was good.

22 God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.”

23 There was evening, and there was morning, a fifth day.

24 God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: cattle, creeping things, and wild animals, each according to its kind.” It was so.

25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the cattle according to their kinds, and all the creatures that creep along the ground according to their kinds. God saw that it was good.

26 Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness, so they may rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move on the earth.”

27 God created humankind in his own image,

in the image of God he created them,

male and female he created them.

28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply! Fill the earth and subdue it! Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that moves on the ground.”

29 Then God said, “I now give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the entire earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.

30 And to all the animals of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has living breath in it—I give every green plant for food.” It was so.

31 God saw all that he had made—and it was very good! There was evening, and there was morning, the sixth day.

Chapter 2

1 The heavens and the earth were completed with everything that was in them.

2 By the seventh day God finished the work that he had been doing, and he ceased on the seventh day all the work that he had been doing.

3 God blessed the seventh day and made it holy because on it he ceased all the work that he had been doing in creation.