Torah - part 1 In the Beginning

Matthew 22 37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

Nehemiah 8 10 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Genesis 1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

Genesis 1 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. 6 And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” 7 So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.

Genesis 1 9 And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed- bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

Genesis 1 9 And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed- bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

Genesis 1 14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.

Genesis 1 20 And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” 23 And there was evening, and there was morning— the fifth day.

Genesis 1 24 And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

Day 5 – Birds/Sea Creatures Habitat Inhabitants Day 1 – Day/Night Day 4 – Sun/Moon, Stars Day 2 – Sky/Water Day 5 – Birds/Sea Creatures Day 3 – Dry Land Ecosystem Day 6 – Land Animals/Man

1   When the heavens above did not exist, 2   And earth beneath had not come into being — 3   There was Apsû, the first in order, their begetter, 4   And demiurge Tia-mat, who gave birth to them all; 5   They had mingled their waters together 6   Before meadow-land had coalesced and reed-bed was to be found — 7   When not one of the gods had been formed 8   Or had come into being, when no destinies had been decreed, 9   The gods were created within them: --Enuma Elish Tablet I

--Enuma Elish Tablet VI 1   When Marduk heard the gods' speech 2   He conceived a desire to accomplish clever things. 3   He opened his mouth addressing Ea, 4   He counsels that which he had pondered in his heart, 5   "I will bring together blood to form bone, 6   I will bring into being Lullû, whose name shall be 'man'. 7   I will create Lullû—man 8   On whom the toil of the gods will be laid that they may rest. --Enuma Elish Tablet VI

Genesis 1 26 Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” 27 So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them 28 Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”

117   Marduk opened his mouth to speak 118   And addressed the gods his fathers, 119   "Above the Apsû, the emerald (?) abode, 120   Opposite Ešarra, which I built for you, 121   Beneath the celestial parts, whose floor I made firm, 122   I will build a house to be my luxurious abode. 123   Within it I will establish its shrine, 124   I will found my chamber and establish my kingship. 125   When you come up from the Apsû to make a decision 126   This will be your resting place before the assembly. 127   When you descend from heaven to make a decision 128   This will be your resting place before the assembly. 129   I shall call its name 'Babylon', "The Homes of the Great Gods", --Enuma Elish Tablet V

Genesis 1 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Genesis 1 26 Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” 27 So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them 28 Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”

Psalm 8 1 O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!     Your glory is higher than the heavens. 2 You have taught children and infants     to tell of your strength, silencing your enemies     and all who oppose you.

Psalm 8 3 When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—     the moon and the stars you set in place— 4 what are mere mortals that you should think about them,     human beings that you should care for them? 5 Yet you made them only a little lower than God     and crowned them with glory and honor. 6 You gave them charge of everything you made,     putting all things under their authority— 7 the flocks and the herds     and all the wild animals, 8 the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea,     and everything that swims the ocean currents. 9 O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!