Genesis 1-3

Genesis chapter one repeatedly makes a singular statement about God’s absolute power, “…and it was so.” This is the way it happened, God is absolute just because He said it. This is a reason to be happy and thankful to God for what great goodness we find in Him is absolute. What God promises never fails, as well as His undying love towards us. It is absolute certainty for every man. This however does not give Bible teachers opportunity to make God’s word say what they think it should say and still retain its absolute certainly. Let us be careful to not mishandle God’s word if we can help it.

A second phrase of interest that gets repeated is “after his kind”. Perhaps one purpose of this phrase is to deny the for macro-evolutionist in our modern time opportunity who seek make God’s word less certain. Romans 1 explains why men ultimately seek to do this, but what our phrase here is saying is that cattle started as cattle and if millions of years were allowed to expire, cattle would still be cattle. The same goes for every kind of its own. This doesn’t mean changes can’t occur within their kinds. Bacteria for instance can change into another sort of bacteria, but the outcome is still bacteria. Cats may have “evolved” or changed over the years, but even with all their changes, they are still cats. The word evolution should not intimidate a Christian who believes in a literal 6 day creation, but what the bible does stand in opposition to is what Darwinians call macro-evolution (the eventual change from kind to another kind). I do not pretend to be a skilled scientist in saying these things, but I am simply trying to explain what I think the Bible means by saying, “after his own kind”. The apparent natural changes we see in species does not cross those bounds.

The appearance of aged earth and universe would have been apparent to Adam on the first day of his life, seeing large grown trees with fruits already developed or perhaps a tall mountain range with the same ancient magnificence we behold today. God’s glory and most certainly His wisdom is declared by the creation. I do not expect finite men ever to unlock all of the universes mysteries. Such a feat would require the omnipotent knowledge that God possess. The small amount of intelligence and ability we have to understand what we know about the physical universe is yet another testament of God in itself. 1:27 says we were created in His own image, this most certainly includes the power of reasoning and the ability to know God. The way God made man (2:7) sets us apart from the rest of creation and the animals. Mankind possesses a soul giving to us by God’s “breath”. This may be a figurative meaning for a special kind of inspiration, or it could mean the literal breath of Jesus Christ (John 1:3,14) bring to mind the kind breath He breathed on His disciples, but in either case it was a divine act of God set apart from the way He created everything else. We are marked with His image and ownership, no wonder Satan hates us so, being constant reminders of God upon every human he encounters. But to God we are the only creature made in His image, specially made to know Him and live in relation to Him.

Everything finished by God’s work was “very good” (1:31). Death was not known, and animals lived peaceably living off of the fruit of the land only and not from flesh of other animals(1:30). In chapter 2, more detail is given concerning the sixth day and man’s creation. The context shows us in v19 Adam viewed the animals, and possibly even knew they were made from the dust like himself. Adam gave names to what he saw, all the while seeing that none of these animals could compares with himself, “but for Adam there was not a help meet for him.” (2:20) Supposing this is God’s intention for Adam to come to realize none of the animals is a proper match for him, took Adam and made Eve from his rib. Just like Adam’s creation was set apart from the other animals, Eve’s creation also was special, for she was the only one created from the created. This gives us an application that Eve is equal to man in on the creation scale. They were the same flesh and the same bones. (2:23) They were partners together in life and set apart from everything else.

Assuming chapter follows a chronological pattern of some sort, Eve would have appeared on the scene only after God had commanded Adam to not eat of tree of knowledge of good and evil. It was therefore Adam’s responsibility to be responsible for Eve and making sure she knew what God had said. It’s apparent from Eve’s conversation with Satan that either Adam did not accurately pass on what God said or that Eve of her own accord changed what God said. (2:17 cf 3:3) In either case, the lie from Satan emboldened the covetousness in Eve’s heart was enough for her to act against God and defy the one and only condition God had placed on man. It wasn’t a simple case of eating or not eating fruit, it was a challenge against God. The challenge was based on the lie that in some way God is hiding something good from men, that we ought to have, and by eating the “forbidden” fruit one lays hold of it. (3:4). Perhaps Eve only saw what was seductive about Satan’s lie:
1. “the woman saw that the tree was good for food”
2. “It was pleasant to the eyes”
3. “Tree to be desired to make one wise”
Eve convinced herself of all good reasons of why she should have it without considering what possessing the “knowledge of good and evil” might mean. Without considering the consequences and choosing not to trust God， she chose to break God’s command. Adam however was not deceived (1 Tim 2:14), for Adam was surely with her while this all took place and stood by doing nothing. Verse 6 clearly points out that he was “with her”. Adam ate in agreement with Eve, though they have both ate for different reasons, they both agreed to defy God. They didn’t become like God, they didn’t discover any sweet thing God was hiding from them, they had discovered the consequence and knowledge of sin, they became sinners.

God appears as usual in a manner that Adam was used to. What a thing Adam had done in throwing away fellowship with God! How many of Adams children renewed by grace of the Holy Spirit wish they too can see God and speak with Him face to face! This time would mean judgment and separation from their Creator. Death enters the world first by the need to cover their newly discovered nakedness. (3:21) This will not be the first time something innocent will have to die for guilty man…
God gives mankind hope of redemption instead of instant death for defying God’s law. He gives a prophecy, a word, that mankind in order to be saved will have to once again trust in the word of God. (3:15)