Beginner Bible Study Lesson 2

LESSON TWO

IF GOD EXISTS, WHY IS THE WORLD IN THIS CONDITION?

Review briefly some of the things you learned about the God of the Bible from the first study.

Genesis 1:31 says that everything God created was "very good," but our world today doesn't fit that description.  What happened to the "good" world?  If God knows everything and cares, why doesn't he stop the evil rampant in the world, such as wars and crime?  Has he become powerless to control what he made?  Let's see how the Bible explains this problem.

I.  THE GOOD WORLD --

This chapter describes that "very good" world.  As you read Genesis 2:4-25, notice the things which are good about it.

1.    a.     If you were painting a picture of Eden as described in verses Gen 2:8-15, what would you include?

       b.    What made Eden a good place in which to live?

(Note:  The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers still use the same names and are located in the country of Iraq)

2.    a.     What do you notice about the two humans and the way they spend their time?

       b.    What did their responsibilities include? (see also Gen 1:26-28)

       c.     Do you think life was boring for them?  Why?

       d.     From what you see in verses Gen 1:20-25, how would you describe the relationship the first couple had with one another?

3.    a.     In today's world most people seem to have no relationship with this God who made man.  Many do not even recognize his existence.  In this passage what kind of relationship do you see between God and the people he made?

       b.    How did man come to live in this beautiful spot? (Gen 1:15)

       c.     How did he find satisfying work to do?  (Gen 1:19)

       d.    How did he find just exactly the right wife? (Gen 1:20-22)

        e.    Although God put Adam in the garden and brought the animals to him, what did he expect him to do? (Gen 1:19. Also Gen 1:26-28)

This shows that although God influenced and cared for his creation, it was not like "fate."  He made man similar to himself with minds and wills, and he expected them to use them.  They, not God, were to "rule" the living creatures and "subdue" the earth.  When Adam named the animals, God was even interested to see what names he would choose (Gen 1:19).

4.     a.    Notice that something is added to God's name in Gen 2.  What is he called in Gen 2:4 and following?

This actual Hebrew name that is used here is “Yahweh” (sometimes translated as Jehovah.)  The Jewish people always substituted the word “LORD” for Yahweh, in order to show respect for God’s name.  The name Yahweh comes from the words “I AM.” (Exodus 3:13-14.)  This name is the one God used to describe himself.  The Chinese translation of Exodus 3:13-14 gives us insight into the real meaning of this name - “I am self-existing and forever existing.”

       b.     What differences between God and man does this name emphasize?

5.    a.     God gives a command in Genesis 2:16 and 17.  Why does God have the right to give this command to Adam?

       b.    What is the positive part of God's command in Gen 2:16-17?  the negative part?

       c.     What will be the result of disobedience?  

       d.    When will death happen?

        e.    Review the things that the Lord has given to Adam and Eve and the relationship he had with them.  Also review what kind of respect they should show to the one who has given them these things.  In light of all this, do you think the command God gave would be easy to obey?  Why?

Sometimes we tend to react negatively to being commanded.  However, in the ideal situation in Eden, with all their needs completely supplied, this command should not have been difficult to obey.

II.  WHERE THE TROUBLE BEGAN  --

Read this section, remembering the command just seen in chapter 2.

1.    a.     What do you learn about the serpent who now appears on the scene?

       b.    Compare this with Revelation 12:9 to see who the serpent actually was.

2.     Though Adam and Eve were in ideal circumstances and had no need of the forbidden fruit, they disobeyed God and ate it.  Let's look for the reasons why they did.

       a.     When Satan began his tempting, did he quote God accurately? Compare Gen 3:1 with Gen 2:16-17.

        b.    Which part of God’s command does Satan focus on--the positive or the negative?  What impression of God would Satan's misquote give?

       c.     How does the woman's answer in verses 2-3 compare with what God had said?

       d.     How is the meaning of the words "you will surely die" (Gen 2:17) different from "or you will die" (Gen 3:3)? (Also read the Chinese translation, if possible.)  Which of these phrases is more definite and specific?

3.    a.     At first Satan had twisted God's words.  What does he next claim about what God had said?

       b.    According to him, what are God's motives for the command not to eat that fruit?

        c.    The woman decided to eat the forbidden fruit.  What does this reveal about her attitude toward God and his word?           

       d.     Next the man ate the fruit.  What does this reveal about his attitude toward God and his word?

This deliberate disobeying of the Lord God's command shows that they did not consider him absolute Lord, which led to their believing Satan's words instead of God's.  The result of those two things was their disobedience, the act of eating the forbidden fruit.

As you read this passage, look for the results of the man and woman's disobedience.

1

4.    a.     What was the first thing  that happened after Adam and Eve ate the fruit?

       b.    What do you think it means that their "eyes were opened"?

       c.     Notice in Gen 2:25 that they already knew they were naked.  What has changed?

5.    What happened to their relationship with God? (Gen 2:8-10)

6.    a.     Whom did Adam blame for what happened?  In addition to Eve, whom else did he blame?

       b.    Whom did Eve blame?

       c.     Did they feel responsible for disobeying God?

       d.    What happened to their ability to see themselves honestly? (Gen 2:11-13)

7.    How do you think Adam's words in Gen 2:12 might affect his relationship with Eve?

8.    a.     Whom and what did God judge in verses Gen 2:14-19?

       b.    What judgments were given to each?

9.    In Gen 2:23-24, what was the final judgment?

10.   a.    Terrible things happened as a result of their disobedience, but God had said, "When you eat of it you shall surely die."  Did they die as soon as they ate it?

       b.    What, then, do you think God meant?

In our experience, death causes a separation between us and whatever dies.  The death of a person completely removes that one from our physical realm of life.  However, "God is spirit" (John 4:24), so he does not have a physical body, and we human beings who were created like him in many respects have a spiritual dimension also.  When God told man that death would result if he disobeyed, it meant he would become completely separated from God, cut off from any relationship with God.  That is exactly what happened.  Man became dead toward God.  Physical death, which came later (v.19), is only a part of the total death which resulted from the disobedience.

11.   a.    After they disobeyed God,  Adam said it was God's and Eve's  fault. Eve said it was the serpent's fault. Whose fault do you think it actually was?  Why?

       b.    What are some examples of the way we make the same sort of excuses about circumstances              in our lives?

III - HOW THE TROUBLE SPREAD --

Read this to see how the world had become by the first century A.D.

2

1.     We of the 20th century usually think of ourselves as a highly advanced civilization.   In this list of sins can you find any that we have stopped committing?

This passage explains why the world has come to that awful state.  As you read it, look for the reason God is angry with man.

2.    a.     According to verse 19, what has been made clear to mankind?

       b.    Verse 20 tells more specifically what can be known about God.  What are those things?

       c.     Through what means are those things about God made known?

It is noteworthy that in the history of the world, almost all societies, even those which have been completely isolated from other communities, have had a concept of a god or of spiritual beings.

3.     a.    Even though confronted with this evidence, according to verse 21 how have people/societies reacted?

        b.   How does this reaction compare with that of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3?

4.     a.    Verses 21-22 say that man's thinking became futile and his heart darkened and foolish.  As a result, in what three foolish ways does he now act? (Gen 1:23, Gen 1:25, Gen 1:28)

        b.    What practices in our world today are like what is spoken of in Gen 1:23?  in verse Gen 1:25?

        c.    How is the first part of verse Gen 1:28, "they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God" similar to what you see in our modern world?

5.     a.    Immediately following each explanation of what man has done toward God are the words "therefore" (v.24), "because of this" (Gen 1:26), and "since" (Gen 1:28). Then in each instance the same verb is used to describe what God did because of man's rejection of him.  What is the verb?             

       b.     To what does God "give them over"?

       c.     How would the meaning be different if the words were "caused them to..." instead of "gave them over to..."?  Since it is "gave them over," who is responsible for all the sins mentioned?

It was as if God "took his foot off the brake" and let man do as he wanted.  The things listed in verses 29-32 are natural consequences of their "darkened hearts" (Gen.1:21) and "depraved minds" (Gen 1:28).

6.     We often blame God for the state of the world by thinking such things as, "If God exists, why doesn't he stop wars, famines, etc.?"  But whose fault is it, after all, that our world has become like it is?  Satan's?  God's?  Or ours?

Adam and Eve's downfall started with not recognizing God as Lord, and as a result of that, not believing what he said.  The Bible calls that sin.  It is still man's basic sin, the one that leads to all the others.

IV - SUMMARY

God made man "in his own image" (i.e., similar to himself), one facet of which is having a free will, or the capacity and liberty to make choices, to decide what to do.  But with free will comes responsibility, and therefore we must experience the results of our choices.  (E.g., freedom to drink poison, but not to decide the result of it.)  We can choose not to recognize or obey God, but we cannot escape the results which follow that choice.  Cutting ourselves off from God, the source of life, results in death and all that leads up to it.  Simply stated, the world is in this condition because man, who chose to rebel against God, is experiencing the results of his choices.

But let's look again at Genesis 3.   In spite of what Adam and Eve had done, God seemed to care about them very much.  Though man had turned away from God, God wanted to restore their relationship.  Three things in the story of Adam and Eve especially reveal God's love:

1.    Verses 8-10:   What did God do here that is similar to what we saw him do in Psalm 139?

2.     a.    Verse 21:   Why do you think God would make them clothes of skins when they already had made fig leaf garments?

       b.    Where would God get the skins?

       c.     What would happen to the animals?

       d.    What had God said would be the result of sinning? (Gen 2:17)

This was the first substitutionary sacrifice.  The death of an innocent substitute "covered" the effects of their sin. Notice that it was God's solution for the effects of sin, not man's.

3.    a.     Verse Gen 2:15:   This first prophecy about the savior whom God is going to provide to rescue man is saying that in the future there will be a confrontation between a descendant of the woman and Satan.  According to this prophecy, which one will win?

       b.    How do you think Adam and Eve felt as they heard these words spoken to the serpent?

To close now, spend a short time in silent prayer.  If you would like to tell God you are sorry for those most basic of sins -- not making him Lord in your life, not believing him or obeying -- and that you need his forgiveness, remember that he is listening, and he is merciful.

It is suggested that you read Luke's Gospel before the next time, looking for the "offspring" of the woman, whom God promised to send.