I hope that many will take up the challenge to read Genesis with me this week. Genesis is the book of beginnings. The first four words of the Bible may be the most important. “In the beginning God…” God is eternal and independent, meaning that he has a perfectly glorious existence apart from any other reality. He pre-exists. Now, think on this for about ten minutes then stop, because your brain will explode if you go any longer. Why is this so hard to comprehend? Because we are creatures, not creators. We have been created in a world designed for us, within a framework of space and time. God, by his authority, ordered the world in this special way. So, anything outside of that order, namely himself, is quite difficult for us to wrap our minds around.
As you read Genesis, recognizing who God is, look for ways in which God reveals his character to his special creation. You will see a God of love, mercy, and compassion. You will see a God who is passionate about his holiness. You will see a sovereign God who can create from nothing and justly judge his creation. You will see a God who is sovereign over history. Read Genesis looking for God.
Second, as you read, try to see the consequence of humanity’s response to God. In Genesis we already experience the beautiful tension between God’s sovereignty and human responsibility. Quite simply, God holds us accountable for how we respond to him. He held Adam and Eve to account. He held Cain to account. He held the world to account in the days of Noah. He held Sodom and Gomorrah to account. But in the midst of all this accountability, there were those who exercised faith and obedience. Abel exercised faith, Noah exercised faith and built and ark when he had never seen rain, Abraham exercised faith, when he believed God would raise Isaac after he sacrificed him (read Hebrews). Joseph exercised faith and obedience time and time again, and late in his life demonstrated that he understood God was working in every circumstance.
Look for these themes and enjoy.
Tad, great message on Sunday.
It just so happens that we are studying the “how” of creation in my Gen. Bio. class these last couple of weeks and a student asked me a great question. He said, “If Adam and Eve, (and all the animals for that matter) were created PERFECT, and there was no death before the Fall, then why did God provide food?”
I guess for people you could say, for the pleasure of eating, but this wouldn’t carry any weight at all for the animals, because the only reason that they eat is for sustenance. But if there was no death then there would have been no reason for them to eat and no life or death reason for Adam and Eve to eat either. So why provide food?
By: Tim Wakefield on November 12, 2007
at 4:33 pm
That is an interesting question…but to give a definite answer to the question we have to make assumptions that are based on how we understand God’s Word.
1) Progressive creationists, as I understand the position, assume that there was death before the fall. There would have to be in order for millions of years to progress and for species to evolve. With this line of reasoning, food is naturally only a means for survival. Why would any animal eat if he didn’t have too? But, I would say this is still an assumption.
As a traditional creationist, I assume that God created the universe in six days. I say this is an assumption, because I believe in this by faith and my understanding of the text. The Progressive Creationist also believes in the Creator and his Creation by faith and his reading of the text. So both are on the same footing here. My point is that I assume that in the perfect environment, animals and people eat because God designed their bodies for food.
God said all of his creation was very good and that Adam and Eve were able to eat of every tree in the Garden…the forbidden fruit also become desireable for Eve for both food and wisdom.
Maybe God designed us to eat and enjoy eating because that is how he designed our bodies…it is interesting tha part of the curse is that man will have to struggle for food.
On the animal scenario, my dog loves all kinds of food, even when he isn’t hungry.
Very interesting question.
By: Tad Thompson on November 12, 2007
at 4:52 pm
If I may interject a thought here on your blog.
I couldn’t read this interchange without thinking of 1Cor. 1o:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Apparently even in the the eating of food we opportunity to bring glory to God. I don’t claim to know all the dimensions of what the Apostle Paul meant in this verse, but certainly in context it had to do with attitude, specifically with thankfullness. It does seem that our need for food makes us dependent on a benevolent, good God. In this the goodness of God is in constant display. I think this would have been true even before the fall.
Just a few thoughts. Certainly the expressed “it is good” of all of creation, is that it’s goodness is in that it reveals and displays the glory of God’s nature and His character.
By: Phil Miller on January 5, 2008
at 11:57 am