The Fall

Big Picture Series Session 2: “The Fall”

The Origins and Extent of Sin (Gen 3:1-6:8)

2 WEEKS AGO—TALKED ABOUT ORIGINAL CREATION

(Q) What was it like? —Good,, climaxing w/ “VERY GOOD” (1:31).

Foundational Elements of Christian Worldview:

GOD = CREATOR

CREATION = ORIGINALLY GOOD...

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WE ALL KNOW— “VERY GOOD” == QUITE DIFFERENT FROM PRESENT...

-->> JUST NOTE WAITING LIST @ HOSPITAL!

(T) TODAY WE’LL BE CONNECTING the DOTS...

THE “F” in the C.F.R.R FRAMEWORK

FAMILIAR to MOST of US,, BUT STILL VERY IMPORTANT...

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Text: Genesis 3:1-24

Text1 (V1)

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”

SERPENT = CRAFTY— SHOWS UP in 1ST ACTIONS...

**NOTE HOW SERPENT REFERENCES GOD

NOT as COVENANTAL “LORD-GOD” YAHWEH ELOHIM

BUT DISTANT- CREATOR GOD… MERELY ELOHIM

CAUSING SOME INITIAL SEPARATION

(Q) What’s the serpent do?

QUESTIONS GOD’S WORD/CAUSES THEM to DOUBT

TWISTING GOD’S WORD!

(T) WHAT’S GOD ACTUALLY SAY: LOOK @ PREVIOUS CHAPTER

Turn back & Read Genesis 2:15-17 ESV 15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

SERPENT SAID???: CAN’T EAT FROM ANY TREE

GOD SAID???: THEY CAN EAT FROM EVERY TREE EXCEPT 1...

SERPENT PAINTS GOD as SOMEONE WHO ISN’T GENEROUS....RESTRICTIVE OVERLORD...

TACTIC HASN’T CHANGED...

MANY PEOPLE STRUGGLE WITH CHRISTIANITY BEING a LIST of THINGS YOU “CAN’T DO”

PAINTING GOD POORLY...

THERE’S GREAT FREEDOM & JOY in CHRISTIANITY… EVEN THOUGH SOME THINGS ARE OFF LIMITS.

DON’T EVER GET CAUGHT UP in the CAN’TS...

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SERPENT ESSENTIALLY HAS THEM QUESTION:

GOD’S WORD

GOD’S GOODNESS

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Text2 (v2-3)

2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”

AGAIN CHANGING GOD’S WORD...

DID GOD SAY “DON’T TOUCH”.....NOT THAT WE KNOW OF...

Gorden Wenham writes, “The creator’s generosity is not being given its full due, and he is being painted as a little harsh and repressive, forbidding the tree even to be touched.”[1]

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Text3 (v4-5)

4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

SERPENT DENIES GOD’S WORD & CONSEQUENCES GOD GAVE...

EATING FROM TREE = GOOD

YOU’LL BE LIKE GOD

EYES WILL BE OPENED,, KNOWING GOOD & EVIL..

WITHOUT PROPENSITY to SIN,, THERE’D BE NO NEED to KNOW GOOD & EVIL…JUST OBEY GOD’S INSTRUCTIONS!

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Text4 (v6-7)

6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

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(Q) What did the woman notice about the fruit?

o IT WAS GOOD!

THE PROBLEM WASN’T the TREE…THE PROBLEM WAS GOD HAD DECREED IT WAS OFF LIMITS...

· Derek Kidner explains, “It is shown to us as forbidden. It is idle to ask what it might mean in itself; this was Eve’s error. As it stood, prohibited, it presented the alternative to discipleship: to be self-made, wresting one’s knowledge, satisfactions and values from the created world in defiance of the Creator (cf. 3:6).”[2]

FORBIDDEN BECAUSE GOD SAID SO...

PARENTS: HOW OFTEN DID YOU USE, “BECAUSE I SAID SO.”

IN POSITION of AUTHORITY,, YOU MAKE the RULES...

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GOD SAID SO.

IF GOD SAID “DON’T CUT the GRASS on TUESDAYS”…THEN YOU DON’T CUT GRASS on TUESDAYS...

HE’S the CREATOR

WE’RE the CREATURE

—>>HE MAKES the RULES

HE ISN’T RUNNING a DEMOCRACY...

HE is OMNISCIENT & GOOD… HE KNOWS WHAT’S BEST,, AND WE MUST TRUST in HIM...

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WITH DISOBEDIENCE—SIN ENTERED the WORLD

SIN = BROADLY DEFINED.... ANYTHING CONTRARY to GOD’S WILL…

“MISSING the MARK” FALLING SHORT of GOD’S STANDARD…DEPARTURE FROM GOD’S STANDARDS of UPRIGHTNESS..

D.A. Carson puts it nicely when he writes, “But sin is nothing other than doing what God forbids. . .or failing to do what he commands, and thus is in the first instance an affront to him, a ghastly declaration of independence by a dependent creature against his creator” (The Gagging of God, p. 220).

EATING WHAT GOD SAID WAS OFF LIMITS = TEXTBOOK DEFINITION of DISOBEDIENCE....

&& IT WAS the ONLY THING EXPLICITLY FORBIDDEN!

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IRONY: THEY EAT & EYES WERE OPENED...

SERPENT ADVERTISED THIS as GOOD THING…THEY’D BE LIKE GOD...

TRUTHFULLY—THEY DISCOVERED THEY WERE NAKED...

NATURE of DECEIT— IT’S OFTEN PARTIALLY TRUE...

SIN is DECEITFUL (HEB. 3:13)...

GOING THROUGH 2 SAMUEL…YOU CAN SEE DAVID’S AFFAIR WASN’T ALL it CHALKED UP TO BE....

IN HUMILIATION,, THEY COVER THEMSELVES & HIDE...

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Text5 (v8-13)

8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

IMAGINE: GOD WALKING in GARDEN...

CREATOR GOING on a STROLL to BE W/ HIS CREATURES...

CREATION in PERFECT HARMONY...

**NOTE WHEN SIN ENTERS...

MANKIND DIDN’T GO LOOKING FOR GOD

GOD CAME LOOKING FOR MAN

&& IT’S NEVER CHANGED...

GOD SEEKING

MAN HIDING BEHIND FIG LEAVES—MANMADE RELIGIOUS EFFORTS to BE RIGHT W/ GOD...

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GOD ASKS QUESTIONS:

(Q) WHAT is the CHARACTER of THEIR RESPONSES?

BLAMING!

MAN’S MENTION of WOMAN

& WOMAN’S MENTION of SERPENT

BOTH EMPHASIZED in HEBREW

· It was the woman.

· It was the serpent.

&& ADAM POINTS OUT,, IT WAS the WOMAN,, GOD GAVE to HIM!...

EVEN GOD is PARTIALLY to BLAME!

CHURCH,, TRUE REPENTANCE TAKES RESPONSIBILITY…IT DOESN’T SHIFT BLAME...

REF: KING SAUL

(T) WHAT are THE RESULTS??

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Text6 (v14-19)

14 The Lord God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this,

cursed are you above all livestock

and above all beasts of the field;

on your belly you shall go,

and dust you shall eat

all the days of your life.

15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,

and between your offspring and her offspring;

he shall bruise your head,

and you shall bruise his heel.”

16 To the woman he said,

“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;

in pain you shall bring forth children.

Your desire shall be contrary to your husband,

but he shall rule over you.”

17 And to Adam he said,

“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife

and have eaten of the tree

of which I commanded you,

‘You shall not eat of it,’

cursed is the ground because of you;

in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;

18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;

and you shall eat the plants of the field.

19 By the sweat of your face

you shall eat bread,

till you return to the ground,

for out of it you were taken;

for you are dust,

and to dust you shall return.”

CREATION THAT WAS ONCE GOOD = NOW CURSED...

SERPENT on BELLY

PAIN in CHILDBIRTH

MAN WORKING W/ TOIL

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GEN. 3:15 = the PROTOEUANGELION.... FIRST OCCURRENCE of the GOSPEL...

Genesis 3:15 (ESV)

15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

Hebrews 2:14 (ESV)

14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,

Revelation 20:10 (ESV)

10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

JESUS CHRIST = the PROMISED OFFSPRING/SEED

OBVIOUSLY THEY DIDN’T KNOW ALL THIS @ THE TIME…BUT GOD DID...

O.T. AMONGST OTHER THINGS = TRACING the “SEED” “OFFSPRING” UNTIL WE REACH CHRIST,, the SERPENT-CRUSHER

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Text7 (v20-24).

20 The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. 21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. [3]

GARMENTS of SKINS—IMPLIES a SACRIFICE?

MAN = NOW SEPARATE FROM GOD...

ONCE ENJOYED PERFECT FELLOWSHIP in GARDEN…BUT NOW CAST OUT....

TURN & READ: Isaiah 59:1-2 ESV “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear” (emphasis added).

EXPELLED from the GARDEN & GOD’S PRESENCE… DEATH WAS SURE to COME...

THE FALL BROUGHT SIN INTO the WORLD...

· Romans 5:12-14 ESV “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.”

PAUL MAKES it CLEAR--- ADAM’S TRANSGRESSION HAD UNIVERSAL IMPLICATIONS...

NOW ALL MANKIND = BORN INTO SIN...

SIN = MORE than ACTION…IT’S a CONDITION! AFFECTING ALL of US...

o D.A. Carson helpfully writes, “ This sinfulness has so deeply warped our personalities that, although none of us is as evil as we might be, no part of our personality is unaffected. Our choices, our judgments, our reasoning, our hopes, our affections—all are warped by this corrosive rebellion” (D.A. Carson, The Gagging of God, p. 133, emphasis added).

NO ONE = BORN RIGHTEOUS…THAT’S WHY WE MUST BE BORN-AGAIN!

***WE HAVE to GET the FALL RIGHT in CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW....

IF WE DON’T ACKNOWLEDGE SIN & the DEPRAVITY of MAN,, WE CAN’T GET the GOSPEL RIGHT...

JESUS DIDN’T COME to MAKE US BETTER VERSIONS of OURSELVES…

TO BE ICING on CAKE of GOOD LIFE...

HE DIDN’T COME JUST to HELP US....

HE CAME to REDEEM LOST & HOPELESS SINNERS...

IF WE DON’T PROPERLY DIAGNOSE the PROBLEM..WE CAN’T PROPERLY KNOW the SOLUTION...

MY TESTIMONY W/ GLUTEN

THOUGHT it WAS SUGAR...

TESTED FOR DISEASES

TRIED MEDICATION

NEEDED GLUTEN OUT of MY LIFE...

WE CAN’T KNOW JESUS as OUR SIN-BEARING SUBSTITUTE IF WE DON’T FIRST REALIZE OUR SIN & THEREBY OUR NEED!

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Cosmic implications of the fall—

· Romans 8:18-23 ESV “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.”

THE CREATION THAT WAS ORIGINALLY GOOD = NOW in TRAVAIL LIKE CHILDBIRTH AWAITING the NEW CREATION!!

BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW:

GOD CREATED EVERYTHING GOOD

MANKIND’S REBELLION AGAINST GOD = the SOURCE of EVIL & SUFFERING

(T) SIN HAS ENTERED the PICTURE…WE’RE GOING to CONTINUE on & SEE IT’S EXTENT & EFFECTS...

LOOK @ CH. 4...

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Text: Gen. 4:1-8 (larger context of Cain & Abel)

· Genesis 4:1-8 ESV Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.” 2 And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. 3 In the course of time Cain brought to the Lordan offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 6 The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”

8 Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.

SIN GROWING.... && NOW PERSONIFIED —VS. 7

GORDON WENHAM: “Here then sin is personified as a demon crouching like a wild beast on Cain’s doorstep.”[4]

SIN = NOW a FORCE in the WORLD...

PAUL in ROMANS 6— POINTS OUT MANKIND APART FROM CHRIST = ENSLAVED to SIN...

SIN AS FORCE DESIRES to HAVE YOU...

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THE ONCE PERFECT WORLD = NOW MARRED BY SIN & NOW BY MURDER....

THE 1ST PERSON BORN is a MURDERER...

2ND PERSON BORN is a VICTIM...

Gen. 5—CONNECTS DOTS BETWEEN ADAM & NOAH...

GOD PRESERVES the SEED/OFFSPRING OF the WOMAN...

Genesis 5:5 (ESV)

5 Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died.

***THIS SHOULDN’T HAVE HAPPENED APART FROM the FALL...

SERPENT SAID ADAM WOULDN’T DIE,, BUT EVENTUALLY HE DID...

—> SIN’S CONSEQUENCES AREN’T ALWAYS IMMEDIATE…BUT THEY’RE SURE...

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Closing WE’LL SEE the EXTENT of the FALL.., read Genesis 6:1-8

Text2: Genesis 6:1-8

When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. 3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” 4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.

5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. 7 So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

GENESIS 3— ORIGINS of SIN.... NOW in GENESIS 6,, WE SEE the EXTENT of SIN...

—PLAGUING ALL of HUMANKIND!!—

MULTIPLICATION of MAN = MULTIPLICATION of EVIL...

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GORDAN WENHAM: 1ST PORTION: APPEARS SOME FORM of ANGEL/DEMON INTERACTION W/ WOMEN…

RESULTING in NEPHILIM/GIANTS...

POSSIBLY in ATTEMPT for IMMORTALITY…

WHY GOD LIMITED YEARS to 120 YEARS...

WE CAN’T BE 100% SURE....BUT WHAT MATTERS MOST is WE SEE THINGS = OUT of CONTROL…

THERE WAS SOME SORT of IMMORAL SEXUAL ACTIVITY....

DON’T WANT to BE DISTRACTED BY SECONDARY THINGS..

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(Q) DO YOU NOTICE WHAT GOD DOES in V5?

DEREK KIDNER POINTS OUT NICELY:

Genesis 6:5 (ESV)

5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Genesis 1:31 (ESV)

31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

WHAT GOD ONCE SAW as VERY GOOD = NOW FILLED W/ WICKEDNESS....

EVERY THOUGHT of MAN’S HEART = ONLY EVIL CONTINUALLY! WOW!

MADE GOD SAD THAT HE’D MADE MANKIND...

HE DIDN’T “REGRET” AS IF HE’D DONE WRONG…BUT WAS SORRY FOR the PRESENT SITUATION...

HORRIBLE EXAMPLE:

SPOUSE CHEATS on OTHER SPOUSE...

NOT-GUILTY SPOUSE MIGHT THINK “I REGRET MARRYING YOU”

YOU’VE BROKEN MY HEART...

THEY DIDN’T DO ANYTHING WRONG,,

BUT WERE SO GRIEVED IT BROUGHT ABOUT REGRET...

GOD’S REMORSE = SIMILAR...

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ALL HOPE ISN’T LOST....

(V8) BUT NOAH FOUND GRACE in the EYES of the LORD....

WHEN EVERYTHING is BAD— GOD STILL HAS a PLAN!

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STOP HERE FOR TONIGHT...

NEXT TIME WE’LL SEE GOD BEGINNING HIS WORK of REDEMPTION W/ COVENANTS....

AFTER the GOODNESS of CREATION = TARNISHED BY the FALL,,

THE REST of SCRIPTURE is SHOWING US WHAT GOD IS DOING to FIX IT!!

o Creation

o Fall

o Redemption

o Recreation

WE LONG for THE GARDEN of EDEN.... A GOOD PLACE W/ FELLOWSHIP W/ GOD...

REMEMBER,, WE’RE MOVING TOWARDS a NEW CREATION

WHERE RIGHTEOUSNESS,, NOT EVIL DWELLS

& GOD WILL DWELL W/ US FOR ALL ETERNITY

BECAUSE of the WORK of the 2ND ADAM!!

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Takeaways:

1. GOD’S CREATION = VERY GOOD UNTIL MANKIND’S DISOBEDIENCE MESSED IT UP....

2. WE’LL NEVER FULLY COMPREHEND the DEPTHS & EXTENT of the FALL....

IT’S AFFECTED US

IT’S AFFECTED ALL of the COSMOS...

ANIMALS DIDN’T EAT EACH OTHER in the GARDEN

3. WAGES of SIN = DEATH....

NOT IMMEDIATE,, BUT SURE...

SPIRITUAL DEATH = SEPARATION FROM GOD...

GEN.5:5,, DETAILS HOW ADAM DID DIE...

4. GOOD NEWS: DESPITE HUMAN SINFULNESS.....GOD HAS a PLAN of REDEMPTION!!

GEN. 3:15...

NOAH FOUND GRACE

&& WE CAN FIND GRACE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST....

APART FROM CHRIST WE’RE UTTERLY WITHOUT HOPE...

IF WE DON’T PROPERLY DIAGNOSE the PROBLEM,, WE’LL NEVER APPRECIATE the SOLUTION

KNOWING WHAT JESUS RESCUED US FROM MUST MAKE US ETERNALLY GRATEFUL!!

\[1]Wenham, G. J. (1987). Genesis 1–15(Vol. 1, p. 73). Word, Incorporated. [2]Kidner, D. (1967). Genesis: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 1, p. 68). InterVarsity Press. [3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Ge 3:1–24). (2016). Crossway Bibles. [4]Wenham, G. J. (1987). Genesis 1–15(Vol. 1, p. 106). Word, Incorporated.