1. Introduction © John Stevenson, 2009 The Book of Beginnings

2. Dr. John T. Stevenson Family Life Academic Life

3. Family Life Academic Life Professional Life Dr. John T. Stevenson

4. Family Life Academic Life Professional Life Spiritual Life Ministry Life Dr. John T. Stevenson

5. http://JohnStevenson.net JohnStevenson@Bellsouth.net

6. Group Introductions Your name Your home church Where are you in your educational process? What classes have you already taken in the area of the Old or New Testament?

7. Torah Hebrew: “Law, Instruction” Pentateuch Greek: “Five-Part Book”

8. Numbers Relates the wilderness wanderings Deuteronomy Gives the Law to a new generation with special emphasis to those entering the land Genesis Traces the origins of God’s people from creation to Egypt Exodus Relates God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt and establishing His covenant Leviticus Sets forth the Laws of worship

9. Documentary Hypothesis JehovahElohim Jean Astruc: Moses utilized two different source documents Wilhelm de Wette: Deuteronomy penned by alternate author Deuteronomy

10. Documentary Hypothesis JehovahElohim Herman Hulfeld: E-1E-2 Deuteronomy Julius Wellhausen: J– JehovahE– Elohim D – DeuteronomyP– Priestly

11. Mosaic Authorship of Genesis Moses was qualified to write the book of Genesis.Moses was qualified to write the book of Genesis. The Style of Genesis reflects an Egyptian influence.The Style of Genesis reflects an Egyptian influence. The unity of the book of Genesis reflects a single author.The unity of the book of Genesis reflects a single author.

12. Title for the Book The Hebrew Title: tyviareB. (BeReshyth); “In the Beginning” Greek Title:  - “Beginnings”

14. “These are the generations…” Hebrew: tAdl.At hL,ae - Elleh toledoth Ten sets History of account follows: “These are the things that followed…” Adam Abraham Israel Genesis 2:4 – 11:26Genesis 11:27 – 50:26 5 Toledoth from Adam to Abraham 5 Toledoth from Abraham to Israel

15. Genesis 1-11 Events Predominant – Creation – Fall – Flood – Tower of Babel Genesis 12-50 People Predominant – Abraham – Isaac – Jacob – Joseph Race as a wholeFamily of Abraham Over 2000 years250 years

17. Beginning & Ending Genesis begins with God: “In the beginning God created…” Genesis ends with a corpse: “…in a coffin in Egypt”

18. Babylonian Creation Account Enuma Elish Seven Tablets World begins in chaos Marduk fights Tiamat Heavens and earth created from her body

19. Ennuma Elish Tiamat engulfs world in a primal chaos. Genesis Account The world was unformed and unfilled. Light comes from the gods. God brings light into existence. Marduk makes the stars of the zodiac and ordains the year. God sets sun and moon for signs, seasons, days, and years. Marduk makes man from the blood of Kingu. God creates man in His own image and likeness.

20. Moses is giving to us a refutation of the accepted mythos that was held in antiquity as he goes point by point to show that God is the true Creator of heaven and earth. Ennuma ElishGenesis Account

21. Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Elohim Teaches the existence of God. Teaches the existence of One God. Teaches the pre-existence of God. Teaches the personhood of God.

22. Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. bara An initial act of creation. A summary statement of the entire chapter.

23. Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. shamayim aretz

24. Theories of Creation Supernatural versus Evolutionary. A Superficial Appearance of History. The Gap Theory.

25. Genesis 1:2 And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. 6 Days of Re-creation Original Creation Formless & Void

26. The verb hayeta in Genesis 1:2 can be translated “became” so that we could read that “the earth became without form and void.” The normal rendering of hayeta is “was” and indicates a state of being. SupportObjections Tohu wabohu (“formless and void”) are a destruction which took place after God’s original creation (Jer. 4:23, Isa. 34:11). Tohu wabohu (“formless and void”) can just as easily describe an unconstructed state.

27. Isaiah 45:18 says that God did not create the earth void (tohu) while Genesis 1:2 says that the earth was now void. It is reasoned that the earth must have come to be in this manner after its original creation. Isaiah 45:18 simply tells us that God’s intention for the earth in its completed form was that it would not be tohu, but rather that it might be inhabited. The prophet is simply stating the purpose of creation. SupportObjections

28. The darkness which characterized the formless and void condition is indicative of evil. Darkness does not always indicate evil. Both light and darkness existed upon the finished earth and it was still said to be good. SupportObjections

29. Theories of Creation Supernatural versus Evolutionary. A Superficial Appearance of History. The Gap Theory. The Day/Age Theory.

30. The word “day” is sometimes used in the Scriptures to describe a period of time longer than a 24 hour period (“the day of the Lord”). The word “day” does not normally refer to an extended period of time when it appears with a modifier (1st day, 2nd day, etc). SupportObjections 2 Peter 3:8 states that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years. These days are clearly defined in Genesis 1:5 when God calls the light day and the darkness night.

31. The sun and the moon are not created until the 4th day. This indicates that the previous days are not literal. The very purpose of the sun was to rule over the day while the moon was to rule over the night. SupportObjections

32. Theories of Creation Supernatural versus Evolutionary. A Superficial Appearance of History. The Gap Theory. The Day/Age Theory. The Non-Sequential Theory / Framework Theory.

33. I personally take the view that Genesis 1 and 2 relate to each other the way Judges 4 and 5 and Exodus 14 and 15 do. In each couplet one chapter describes a historical event and the other is a song or poem about the theological meaning of the event.

34. When reading Judges 4 it is obvious that it is a sober recounting of what happened in the battle, but when we read Judges 5, Deborah’s Song about the battle, the language is poetic and metaphorical.

35. When Deborah sings that the stars in the heavens came down to fight for the Israelites, we understand that she means that metaphorically.

36. I think Genesis 1 has the earmarks of poetry and is therefore a “song” about the wonder and meaning of God’s creation. Genesis 2 is an account of how it happened (The Reason for God, pg 93-94).

37. Theories of Creation Supernatural versus Evolutionary. A Superficial Appearance of History. The Gap Theory. The Day/Age Theory. The Non-Sequential Theory / Framework Theory. The Literal Interpretation.

38. …general revelation in creation, as well as the special revelation of Scripture, is also the voice of God. We live in a “universe,” and all truth speaks with one voice (2001:77).

39. Genesis 1:2 And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Formless and Void. Darkness over the Surface of the Deep. The Spirit of God was moving over the Surface of the Waters.