At the end of Gen. 4, two lines of descendants are in view – one evil, one good, both from Adam. Observing Cain’s line (the evil one), it is clear that the promised seed of Gen. 3:15 who would reverse the curse would not come from him. Instead, the author highlights the fact that Cain’s sons were wicked; one of whom was the first polygamist (Lamech) and followed in the murderous example of his father.

The other line that is mentioned in Gen. 4 is that of Seth. Unlike Cain and his family, who settled “out from the presence of the Lord” (4:16) and lived rebelliously, it was the men of Seth’s line who “began to call upon the name of the Lord” (4:26).

In chapter five, greater attention is given to Seth’s godly line, the recounting of which offers reminders of the way life should be and glimmers of the hope of redemption. Brief accounts of ten descendants of Seth are given, each of which follow a general pattern: length of life before children, names of children, length of life after children, mention of having other sons and daughters, and the total of years lived.

Something that stands out about all of these individuals is the long length of their lives (e.g., Adam was nine hundred and thirty years old when he died.); a detail that would have reminded the audience of Moses (the author) that long life, indeed eternal life, was what God had intended for mankind. Another reminder of the way things were supposed to be is seen in the life of Enoch, a man who “walked with God” and did not die. This was something that all of Adam’s seed would have experienced had he and Eve not sinned.

Adam and Eve’s sin had messed up everything, and it was in response to this and with the hope of redemption that Lamech (not to be confused with Cain’s son) said of his son Noah, “This one will give us rest from our work and from the toil of our hands arising from the ground which the Lord has cursed” (5:29). These words mark a transition in the Genesis story and in the broader story of God’s redemptive purposes. The focus of chapters six through eleven will now be on Noah, a descendant in the godly line of Seth, “a righteous man, blameless in his time” (6:9), but a man who was clearly not the promised seed.

The line of Seth proved to be a much better lot than that of Cain. Men from his line called on the name of the Lord, some are said to have walked with God, yet all are said to have died having not granted rest from the effects of sin. The Lord was narrowing in on those through whom the promise of redemption would come, but the line was not narrow enough yet.

Audio from this week’s lesson: Genesis 5.

~DGG

This week, as we continue our study in Gn. 4 and 5, we consider the meta-narrative provided by Genesis 1-3, the way this narrative plays out in the story of Cain and Abel, and the beginning of the genealogies of two lines of people.

A meta-narrative is an overarching story that explains all of our individual narratives. In Genesis 1-3, we have been looking at the story that explains all of our stories. Some of our greatest questions find their answer here. Who is man? What is his problem? What is the solution to that problem? This answer to these questions forms the creation, fall, redemption paradigm that unfolds throughout scripture. As we move into chapter 4, fallen man looks for the promised one who would crush the serpent’s head, 3:15.

The language of Gn. 4:1, “With the help of the Lord, I have brought forth a man,” suggests that Eve considered Cain to be the promised offspring. The narrative tells us that Cain worked the soil while Abel kept flocks. When they both bring an offering to the Lord, Abel is accepted, but Cain is rejected. Some have said that this was because Cain did not bring an animal sacrifice. However, it is more likely that Cain held back his offering. We read, “… Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil ….But Abel brought fat portions …”. When Cain saw that his offering was rejected, he was angry. The first murder, a brother killing a brother, follows because of his rage. When God comes to judge Cain, one can see parallels with the account of God looking for Adam and Eve in the garden. Cain lies to the Lord, and the Lord places an even harsher curse on him: the land will not produce even if he works it hard, and Cain will be a wanderer. All hopes of Cain being the promised offspring are quickly dashed. That promise will be fulfilled elsewhere.

As the narrative moves forward, two genealogies unfold. Cain’s family history begins the formation of an anti-God line. Cain has a son, Enoch, and he names a city after him. This is the first mention of a city, imagery which is used throughout the Bible to signify man’s rebellion against God. We learn of Cain’s descendant, Lamech, who takes two wives and boldly murders a young man, which he even boasts about. Within little space, things are looking very dismal. However, there is another genealogy. Adam had another son, Seth, and Seth had a son, Enosh. And we read that at that time men began to call on the name of the Lord. This line will lead to Noah and beyond. So we see that hope will come from a particular son, a particular family, a particular nation, and eventually a particular person: Jesus Christ.

The idea that there are two lines of people must be kept in mind today. Even though it is a very unpopular idea, there are only two camps that every person fits into. Each person is either a child of God or anti-God. For one, there is hope, for the other, a curse. We are compelled to confront everyone with this truth because we are all anti-God without grace. This is the meta-narrative that explains who we are, what our problem is, and what the solution is.

Audio from this week’s lesson: Genesis 4.

~TWM

In verse 7 and following, the consequences of Adam and Eve’s sin are made known. It is evident that the rest they once enjoyed in the garden has been profoundly compromised. Instead of finding themselves freely enjoying the presence of God, they now find themselves fearing him, hiding from him as he approaches (v.8), shirking their responsibility for their actions, and shifting the blame to one another (v. 12) and to the serpent (v. 13). They now find themselves standing with the serpent on the receiving end of God’s judgment, instead of with God on the receiving end of his blessing.

To the serpent, God sends him to his belly and to the eating of dust for the rest of his days (v . 14). Enmity is placed between him and the woman, and between their respective offspring (v. 14). Notably, however, in this curse of the serpent there lies a glimmer of hope for humanity. God declares that the power of the serpent is temporary and that his doom is sure, as he awaits the crushing of his head by the heel of the woman’s seed (v. 15).

God then turns his judgment toward the man and the woman. To the woman, he increases her pain in child bearing (v. 16) and informs her that her “desire” will now be for her husband (v.16). There has been much debate surrounding the implications of the word “desire” and its use within this text; however, from the context it seems clear that the term is employed with a negative sense, possibly denoting that she will now somehow harbor an improper desire to usurp the authority of her husband and will attempt to assume his role as leader (cf. 4:7). Furthermore, there now exists within the original authority structure a tendency within the man to rule harshly over the woman, setting the stage for a constant struggle between the man and the woman within the marriage union: as she seeks to rule over him, he will carry out his authority over her ruthlessly. To the man, God provides two reasons for his judgment against him: he listened to the voice of his wife (v. 17a) and disobeyed the commandment of God (v. 17b). As a result, man will be forced to toil and labor over the thorns and thistles of the now cursed ground (v. 17-18). He will only eat by the product of his labor and the sweat of his brow, only to be relieved when he returns to the ground from which he was created (v.19).

Despite this clear judgment of God, hope for humanity still remains. The human race will not end with the death of Adam and Eve (v. 20) and God will remain the source of their provision (v. 21). All would seem to be lost, however, in their banishment from the garden of Eden (v.23), as Cherubim and a flaming sword now stand in the way of their access to the tree of life, a clear symbol of their now broken communion and fellowship with God (v. 24). Nevertheless, as the biblical storyline of the Old Testament progresses, God will continue to provide in a limited fashion a way back to the rest that humanity once enjoyed in Eden. This, then, sets the stage for the coming of Jesus Christ who will provide a way back in an unlimited fashion. Even with his arrival, however, the consummation of all things awaits its full realization to be effected at his second coming. This age to come, the book of Revelation describes, will be a time when we will once again see the tree of life and enjoy perfect communion with God anew.

Sin and suffering remind us that there is something to be awaited, that creation groans together with us in anticipation of its restoration, and as we reside in this fallen world, let us find our assurance not in those things which are merely momentary and fleeting, but in the One who is eternal, who will one day usher in his kingdom, and who presently awaits all his enemies to be relegated to their final destination: his footstool (Heb 1:13).

Audio from this week’s lesson: Genesis 3:7-24.

~TDG

Genesis 2 ends with man and woman “naked and not ashamed.” By the middle of chapter three, however, they were hiding themselves among the trees, attempting to escape the presence of God. What happened in the course of these eight verses that caused the shift from no shame to shame is one of the most significant events in the storyline of the Bible. It is here that history moved from Creation to Fall.

This cosmic shift is, for the Christian, the explanation for the existence of evil. It is an historic account that makes sense of the world as we experience it. Man, as moral creature made in the image of God, has rebelled against his Creator, plunging himself and the rest of God’s creation over which he was to have dominion into a state of shame and curse. The one given the charge to “rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (1:28) was instead ruled over by another creature – the serpent.

As Adam’s descendants, we not only inherit the guilt of his moral failure (Rom. 5:12-14), we also find ourselves committing shameful acts similar to his. We too align ourselves with the serpent and forfeit our responsibility to take dominion over the earth.

All of us are those who do not practice what we would like to do, but do the very things we hate (Rom. 7:15). What is needed is a man who has not inherited the guilt of Adam and who can succeed where Adam failed. In Christ alone this is accomplished! “For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous” (Rom. 5:19).

One day men and women will again seek to hide themselves from the presence of the Lord. When the day of judgment comes, they will say “to the mountains and to the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb’” (Rev. 6:16). May we not be found among those ashamed in their fig leaves on that day, but may we be found among those “standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes” (7:9).

Audio from the lesson can be found here.

~DGG

Though chapters 1 & 2 take up a relatively small portion of the total book of Genesis, these chapters contain much information that is important for Christian reflection. Therefore, this week we pause to consider three themes in Genesis 1 & 2 before moving on to Genesis 3.

First, the seventh day is truly unique among the days of creation. We read in Gn. 2:1-3 that God had finished his work and that he “blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creation that he had done.” When we read that God rested, we should not imagine God taking a sigh of relief after working hard all week. Even though he rested, he still upheld all that he had made in the previous six days. Instead the idea of rest should be seen in relational terms. Now that God had finished his work of creation, he would enter into full relationship with his creation, especially man. Man likewise would enjoy a relationship with God. Missing is the phrase that accompanies the other six days, ‘and there was evening and there was morning’. This makes an important theological point: this day of relational rest was to be perpetual. Adam and Eve were to enjoy a covenantal relationship with God as they expanded the borders of the garden over the earth. However, this relational rest was lost, as we will learn next week in Genesis 3.

Closely connected to the seventh day is the Biblical theme of rest, especially Sabbath rest. The fourth commandment to ‘remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy’ harkens back to this creation account. The Sabbath was a day of rest set aside for God (Ex. 20:8-11). The theme of rest is also associated with the entrance into the Promised Land. This is seen especially in the book of Joshua. As the theme of rest unfolds throughout the Bible, the author of Hebrews teaches that the people of Israel gained a rest that was not complete. The rest in the land and the Sabbath day were types pointing to the final rest found in Jesus Christ. Therefore, today to obey the Sabbath we must believe in Jesus Christ and put our full trust in Him for salvation (Heb. 3 &4). As Christians we already enjoy the rest in Christ that will be fully realized in the new heavens and the new earth (Rev. 21-22).

Second, we learn basic truths about the created order that form our worldview such as the norms for marriage, family, and human sexuality. In a culture that constantly goes against these norms, we must ground our views solidly in scripture. Research that proves that these norms are good for society and arguments from observing our world are important, but ultimately our convictions must rest on the words recorded here in Genesis 2:20-24 and elsewhere in the scripture. We know that homosexuality, adultery, and other forms of sexual deviance are ‘deviant’ because scripture gives us the norms.

Also, a look at later scripture reveals that much more is going on here than just the norms for human marriage. In Ephesians 5 scripture reveals that human marriage is actually a picture of the relationship between Christ and the church. Therefore, when we honor the norms given for marriage we are also honoring Christ and His church.

Finally, another worldview forming theme for reflection is the sanctity of human life. This year, on January 22, marks the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Since then our culture has spiraled further down in its regard for human life. As those who believe the Bible is the word of God, we realize that every life is valuable because every human life is made in the image of God. This should influence how we view many things in the world. As Christians we should honor the value of every human life in the way we vote, spend our money, and not least, in the way we treat people in our daily living.

Audio from this week’s lesson: Important Themes in Genesis 1-2.

~TWM

Nearly all worldview clashes can be directly traced back to the issue to origins. For this reason, only a return to the very beginnings of humanity will bring to the fore the divinely intended purpose for our marriages in the face of an anti-Christian culture that has effectively robbed the term of its meaning.

The idea that both man and woman simultaneously share the image of God has previously been established in the opening chapter of Genesis (1:27). It is at this point in the creation narrative that Genesis 2 breaks-in and highlights the significance of the distinction in sexualities and the established order of the relationship between the two. Isolation is clearly not the purpose for which man has been created; rather, he is called to carry out the divine mandate in community and fellowship with another human being, one that Genesis 2 depicts is like him, but not like him, one who bears the image of God together with him, but complements the purpose of humanity in a way that he alone could not achieve on his own (2:18). The text carefully establishes the woman as being of the same essence of the man, and thus, does not relegate her existence to a manner of insignificance (2:21). However, there is a clear order that is to exist within the relationship as they carry out their purpose of ruling over creation. Man will do so as her leader, she will do so as his follower, and both will do so in submission to God. Only within God’s intended order do their differences align in a complementarity that prevents them from existing in antithesis. This leadership-followership structure is carefully articulated throughout the chapter: woman is “taken out of man” (2:24), named by man (2:24), and created for the purpose of being his “helper” (2:18).

The text is not clear as to when this first marriage actually takes place. Whether it was from the onset of woman’s creation or man’s acceptance of her in v. 23, it is clear from the text that present in these two first human beings exists the first marriage: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (2:24). They become a new unit within the community; more so, they now share the closest relationship possible amongst two human beings, closer than a father and a son or a mother and a daughter.

As the biblical storyline unfolds, this theme of marriage begins to be picked up as a way of describing God’s relationship to his people (Jer 2:2-3; Isa 62:5). For this reason, the New Testament very naturally appeals to this institution as a means of describing the relationship that exists between Christ and his church. (Eph 5:30-35, Rev 19:7-9). Marriage’s purpose, then, from the vantage point of all of Scripture, is to reflect this heavenly reality. It is not merely marriage that is displayed in the Gospel; but rather, it is the Gospel which is to be on display in our marriages. Just as the first man and woman were members of the same body after their union, so it is with Christ and his bride, the church.

Let us, therefore, appeal to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus as we interact with each other within our marriages, remembering we reflect the reality that exists between Christ and his bride, namely that he “gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish” (Eph 5:26-27).

Audio from this week’s lesson: Genesis 2:4-25.

~TDG

This week as we continue our study of Genesis 1 and 2, we pause to consider what it means to be created in the image of God. In our culture, image really can be everything to many people. A family name, the brands they buy, or the places they go are just some of the things that people use to project the image they desire. As we turn to Genesis 1:26-28, the light of God’s word dispels the shadowy images that we give ourselves and it reveals our true image. We are created in God’s image; we are created for the purpose of ruling over creation.

We see that we are created for the purpose of ruling in several ways. First, a correct understanding of what it means to be created in God’s image requires an understanding of who God is revealed to be in Genesis 1:1-2:3. God brings creation out of nothing and sustains it by the power of His word. He separates and wisely orders the elements of his creation exercising dominion over what He has made. When God makes man in His image, He sets him over creation to exercise dominion. Second, Genesis 1:26-28 says that God creates man for the purpose of ruling and subduing creation. God creates mankind as male and female, and through their union they are to fill the earth and subdue it. Third, in Genesis 2, God places man in the Garden. Man is to work in the garden and expand its borders. Also, he exercises dominion over creation by naming the creatures that God brings to him.

Though Adam was created in God’s image, we soon learn that this does not mean that he could not fall from the place God had given him. In Genesis 3, Adam fails to exercise dominion over creation, and the serpent, one of the creeping things that Adam should rule over, tempts Eve. When Adam and Eve sin against God, man’s true image is marred. The tragedy of the fall and the curse that it brings permeates everything from this point in scripture, but that is not all. There is also a blessing and a promise in the midst of the tragedy. There will be one who will restore order to creation, one who will be the true image of God.

As the genealogies of the Old Testament unfold, a hopeful thought remains in the background, “Is this the one who will crush the serpents head, and restore order to creation.” Thankfully, we live in a time when mankind’s hopes have been met, because in Matthew 1 the genealogy closes with these words, “of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.” Jesus is the last Adam and the one who was promised. He came to restore order, setting man free from the bondage of sin in order to restore man to his place as the true image of God. In short, He makes us human again. Because humans were created to be God’s vice-regents on earth, they are to be enslaved by nothing. Yet apart from Christ, man is in bondage to sin. Jesus makes us truly human again in that he frees us from our bondage to sin and enables us to obey.

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, let us consider that he perfectly imaged God and set us free from sin and the shifting images that we desire to project for ourselves so that we can be who we really are meant to be. We are sons and daughters of God, created in His image to rule over creation for the glory of God.

“Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” ~ 1 John 3:2 ESV

Audio from this week’s lesson: Genesis - Created in the Image of God

- TWM

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Moses begins the first book of Scripture with an account of creation that stresses the awesome nature and creative activity of the covenant God who delivered Israel from the hand of Pharaoh. In the introduction of this “first creation account” (1:1-2:3), God is presented as the One who is “in the beginning” (v. 1a), who creates “the heavens and the earth” (v. 1b), and who brings order and form to a creation that is originally “formless and void” (v. 2). The remainder of the account, 1:3-2:3, stresses the same aspects of God – His awesome nature and creative work – by describing in detail the day by day activities in which the eternal and self-existent God fashioned and ordered a “good” universe.

The interpersonal dynamics of the awesome God who creates is hinted at in this passage. First of all, God is the one responsible for the creating. Second, God’s Spirit seems to be the active force by which the formless earth is ordered (v. 2). And third, the means by which this creative activity is carried out is the divine word; a point that may be seen in the tenfold repetition of the phrase, “And God said” (1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26, 28, and 29). It is not until one comes to the New Testament, however, that one discovers the full significance of the role of the word in creation. Here we learn that the word by which heaven and earth were formed was no mere utterance with volume and pitch, but a person with DNA and a blood type. This is the Word who was “in the beginning … with God” (John 1:1), through whom “all things came into being” (v. 3). The second person of the Trinity is the creator, sustainer, and redeemer of the cosmos.

Moses and Israel were to derive hope from recognizing that the covenant God of Israel was not only the Redeemer who brings His people out of Egypt, but also the Creator who is responsible for the existence of the heavens, the earth, and all they contain. In the same way, we who are in Christ are to recognize Him as not only the Savior of our souls, but also as the One who was there in the beginning when all things were made, and who will be their in the end when all things are made new (Rev. 21:5). The Word made flesh is our only hope. He was responsible for the first creation, and He is and will be responsible for the New Creation.

Audio from this week’s lesson: Genesis 1:1-2:3

Text for this coming Sunday: Genesis 1:24-31

~DGG

Similar to the way in which each individual instrument in an orchestra contributes to the overall sound of a symphony, each book of the canon of Scripture has its role in orchestrating the biblical storyline. The book of Genesis plays an especially significant role, as it establishes the God of Israel as the creator of all that exists and the one who has set into motion history. This new series on the book of Genesis, introduced in class on Sunday, will expose us to some of the most foundational elements of the Christian Worldview and allow us to see the glorious beginnings of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus.

As Moses begins his account of God’s dealing with Israel, he begins with creation, and in doing so, establishes the God who delivered them out of the hand of Pharaoh as God alone. The very one who redeemed them was none other than one who spoke into existence the heavens and the earth. This assertion would have been in total opposition to the worldview of the day, as it boldly affirmed that the God of Israel is God alone, and any tendency toward service of another god should be considered absurd. It is for this reason that the book of Genesis often finds itself on the receiving end of attack, for if creation can be proven a myth, so too may the audacity of believing that all human beings everywhere are accountable to a Creator. On the other hand, if indeed God has created, then he alone is creation’s rightful owner, ruler and judge, and all are accountable to him.

The debate surrounding Creation and Evolution is often framed as a debate against faith and reason. The assertion is that science is an unbiased, impartial interpreter of the data, while the bias of religion prevents such impartiality. However, as we consider the creation account in Genesis, it is essential that we remember that those who hold to a completely impersonal view of the origin of the universe do so from the vantage point of a worldview that denies the existence of God. The debate is not fundamentally a debate against reason and faith, but against opposing worldviews, essentially, opposing “religions.” Therefore, when we hold to the biblical creation account, we should do so without reservation, remembering that we are aligning ourselves with the worldview Moses was seeking to instill in Israel, that he who has delivered us is he who has spoken into being the cosmos.

Audio from this week’s lesson: Introduction to Genesis

Text for this coming Sunday: Genesis 1

~TDG

The Bible is a book about a Word.

When the Apostle John decided to begin his account of Jesus’ life and ministry, he started with these words; “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” Pointing us to Genesis chapter 1, where God spoke the world into existence with a word, John identified Jesus Christ as that Word who made the world. The author of Hebrews opened his letter in much the same way, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.” Not only is Jesus is the Word who made the world, he is also God’s final Word to the world - the subject and goal of everything else God says and does.

This past Sunday Dr. Wellum began a six month exposition of the book of Genesis. Toward the formation of a thoroughly Christian worldview, Dr. Wellum will lead us in seeing the meaning of this book to its original hearers and its significance in relationship to the rest of Scripture and God’s plan to unite all things in Christ. From Adam to Noah and from Abraham to Joseph, we will better understand the themes that compose the fabric of redemptive history: God’s people, God’s place and God’s promise.

In addition, each Wednesday one of our own members will post a mid-week exposition of the text from the previous Sunday based on Dr. Wellum’s exposition. In this mid-week post we will reexamine the treasures explored together at the beginning of the week. For our series through the book of Genesis, Tory Giddens, Grant Gaines and Wade Mathis are on board for the preparation of this weekly Wednesday feast which we will call, “The Wednesday Word,” in honor of the word its goal is to explain and the Word its aim is to exalt. In addition, they will link to audio from the past Sunday and provide the text for reading in preparation for next weeks lesson.

As we look back to the beginning of redemptive history, may our eyes be opened to comprehend the riches that are ours in Christ.

~TWH