Only the beginning, only just the start… Creation Creation of man The Fall The Flood The Tower of Babel Genesis 1-11 The story of the lives of four men Genesis 12-50

The purpose of the Bible To explain God’s attempt to establish His kingdom on earth.

Genesis – the Purpose To explain Israel’s beginning and purpose in the establishment of God’s rule on earth.

Genesis – The Structure Genesis is divided by markers in different sections, each highlighted by a certain Hebrew word.

Genesis – The Structure This word can be translated with the phrase, “What became of…”

Genesis – The Structure – 2:4-4:26 We have looked at “What ever became of the heavens and the earth?” and “What ever became of Adam?”

Genesis – The Structure – 5:1-6:8 We have seen that, in spite of sin, mankind made progress and prospered…

Genesis – The Structure – 5:1-6:8 …and died. As sin spreads, so does the curse of death.

Genesis – The Structure – 6:9-8:22 We now begin the fourth major section of Genesis; “What ever became of Noah?”

Genesis – The Outline I.Early Events (1:1-11:26) A. Creation of the Heavens and the Earth (1:1-2:3) B. What became of the heavens and the earth (2:4-4:26) C. What became of Adam (5:1-6:8) D. What became of Noah (6:9-9:29) 1. The judgment of mankind by the flood (6:9-8:22) 2. The covenant to Noah about life and nature (9:1-17) 3. The shamelessness of Ham, the curse upon Canaan (9:18-29)

Genesis – The Structure – 6:9-8:22 As judgment is about to fall, the words of 6:8 are significant: “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the L ORD.”

A New World…again – Gen. 9:1 With this new beginning, the command again is to “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth”

A New World…again – Gen. 9:2-4 Like before, man is given dominion over animals.

A New World…again – Gen. 9:2-4 Like before, food is given with one restriction.

A New World…again – Gen. 9:2-4 Apparently, prior to the Flood, since man was not a predator, animals had no fear of man.

A New World…again – Gen. 9:2-4 This may explain man’s pre-Flood interaction with some animals, like dinosaurs.

A New World…again – Gen. 9:2-4 The restriction in eating food is used to emphasize to Noah, and the Israelites, that God is Lord over life.

A New World…again – Gen. 9:5-7 It’s possible that, due to the Flood, people might come to believe that God felt life was cheap.

A New World…again – Gen. 9:5-7 People might think taking life was unimportant.

A New World…again – Gen. 9:5-7 Nothing could be further from the truth.

A New World…again – Gen. 9:5-7 The institution of capital punishment is used to underscore the importance of taking life frivolously, without cause or authority.

A New World…again – Gen. 9:5-7 In Romans 13:4, for example, God gives government the authority to take life to maintain order and fight evil.

A New World…again – Gen. 9:5-7 Far from devaluing life, capital punishment shows the value of life.

A New World…again – Gen. 9:5-7 The basis of, and reason for, the law was that humans are made in the image of God and therefore have worth.

A New World…again – Gen. 9:5-7 We are not simply another form of animal.

A New World…again – Gen. 9:5-7 This is why opposing abortion and being in favor of capital punishment is not a contradiction.

A New World…again – Gen. 9:5-7 This is a Pre-Law command and universal.

A New World…again – Gen. 9:8-16 In the universal Rainbow Covenant, God “puts away” the battle bow by hanging it in the clouds.

A New World…again – Gen. 9:8-17 Judgment has now ended.

A New World…again – Gen. 9:8-17 The rainbow “reminds” God and us that peace has been made after the judgment on sin.

A New World…again – Gen. 9:8-17 It should also serve to remind us that, while God will never again flood the earth, He does not take sin lightly…nor should we.

A New World…again – Gen. 9:8-17 Before the final peace, judgment will again fall. Zech. 14:1-3; Rev. 19 Common grace is at work until then.

The Curse of Canaan – Gen. 9:18-28 Ham’s sin seems to have been to mock and act as though he triumphed over his father.

The Curse of Canaan – Gen. 9:18-28 This light treatment of morality by Ham is a precursor of the kind of behavior of his descendants.

The Curse of Canaan – Gen. 9:18-28 This predisposition leads Noah to predict the dominance of Shem and Japheth over Ham’s descendants.

The Curse of Canaan – Gen. 9:18-28 Historically, the behavior of the Canaanites was in the same pattern of their father, Ham, and led to their judgment and domination.

The Curse of Canaan – Gen. 9:18-28 Israelites coming out of Egypt knew with certainty they would be victorious.

The Curse of Canaan – Gen. 9:18-28 The faithfulness of God to His promises extends to this day and beyond.

The Curse of Canaan – Gen. 9:18-28 And so, after the Flood, sin again begins its march of dominance over humanity.

After the Flood God reaffirms… the place of man in the world… His provision for us… the value of human life… His mercy toward us… and the seriousness and consequences of sin.

After the Flood In seeking to establish His Kingdom, God has tried… Perfect man, perfect woman, perfect situation Conscience Now, a new beginning, as human government seems to move to center stage.