Today’s passage: Genesis 1:14-2:3
Helpful thoughts:
- Israel had seen the worship of the sun and moon. But, the sun and moon are simply creations of God. God is the maker of every object in the universe. He is the maker of days, months, years and seasons. He alone is to be worshiped!
- Mankind is the only life on earth made in the image of God. We are set apart from the rest of creation.
- Being made in His image results in our privilege and responsibility to be representations of God to the world and to have dominion over the earth. To rule it under God’s authority.
- We have fallen short. We do not perfectly represent God. But Jesus does. By God’s grace, we are new creations in Christ and we are being conformed into His likeness (Colossians 1:18, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 8:29).
- God created the universe in six days and on the seventh day, He rested. From the beginning, God set up the concept of the week (seven days) including a day of rest.
Questions to consider:
- How is it possible that we would be made in the image of God (God being singular) and yet, God said, “Let us make man in our image?” Having already read about the Spirit of God in Genesis 1, what doctrine of God is being evidenced here? (Hint: “Three-in-one”)
- If God created mankind as male and female and if that distinction was given along with the command to be fruitful and multiply, what does that tell us about the nature and definition of gender?
- What are some foundational issues that change the way we see the world that have already been covered in Genesis 1? If you choose to reject Genesis 1, how will your worldview, morality, sense of purpose, etc. change?