Journaling: Genesis 1-3; Matthew 10-11
Genesis 1 = The days of creation
- The universe (heaven and earth) are NOT eternal but rather created by God (Who is eternal) out of nothing (ex-nihilo) (v1, Ps 90:2, Heb 11:3 – not believing the above is a sign of unfaithfulness).
- The creation and propagation of life was through the power of God’s Word (vv3, 6, 9, 11, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28. The same is true today – Rom 12:3, Mat 7:24 – 27, Psa 1, 2Co 5:17 w/ Gal 3:2/Rom 1:16/2 Co 3:3-6).
- God created everything from the beginning according to its “kind”/species VERSUS all things possessing a common ancestor and evolving into different species over time (vv11-12, 21, 24-25).
- God created everything in six literal days NOT billions of years (vv 5,8,13,19,23,31 – “evening and morning”, the 1st– 6th day = 24 hours not billions of years. Used 23x outside Gen 1 and always in reference to a 24 hour day. Additionally: 1) Anytime a day is numbered [410x outside of Gen 1], it refers to a 24 hour day, 2) Jesus and Moses believed in 6 literal days of creation – Mar 10:1-8; Luke 11:50-51; Ex 20:8-11, 31:16-17, 3) Moses based Israel’s weekly calendar on the 7 days of Gen 1. If they are not literal 24-hour periods of time then they fail as a means of setting precedent for our weekly calendar).
- God created carnivores before the Fall which means there was animal death before the Fall (v24 – “beasts [Heb.“chayah”] = flesh eating animals – Gen 37:33; Lev 26:6; 1Sa 17:46; Job 37:8, Psa 79:2; Isa 43:20; Eze 14:15; 32:4, 33:27, 34:8, 25, 39:4, 17; Hos 13:8; Exe 23:29, 2Sa 21:10; Jer 12:9; Psa 104:20; Job 38:39).
- God created man to be His image-bearer (active reflector of His glory) through: 1) the exercise of morality – “likeness” = Like God, man is a moral creature, 2) the use of his mind – “likeness” = Like God, man is able to ask “why” (Pro 25:2), 3) the fulfillment of his mandate – “have dominion” = Like God, man was to function as a king, justly and wisely exercising his lordship over the rest of the creatures. Using our morality, minds and fulfilling our mandate is how we reflect God’s glory (vv26-28; Image establishes obligation = Mat 22:17-22).
- God created man as an omnivore BEFORE the fall (v28 – “subdue [Heb. “kabash”] = capture, bring into bondage for destruction; “have dominion” over…the animals = hunt/farm them for the purpose of food [and also] “every plant yielding seed” – v29, Gen 9:2-3 = Repeat of the previous mandate, NOT expansion).
- God created everything righteous (v31; Ecc 7:29)
- To deny your gender (male/female) is to deny God’s sovereignty and image (v27)
- Male and female are properly known as “man” (v28)
Genesis 2 = Second creation account with focus on the creation of man and woman
- God “finished” creating on the 6th day – something both Laws of Thermodynamics confirm: 1) Conservation = no new energy in the universe, 2) Entropy = energy moves from useful to useless. Entropy as undirected energy also denies evolution – e.g. mutation – loss of information in cells (vv1-2).
- From the beginning, God has mandated a day to focus NOT on creation, but the Creator (v3 -“holy” = uncreated/set apart from creation – hence the reason “creation-labor” = labor to cultivate creation was to cease ; Isa 58:13-14; Lev 23:3 w/7-8,21,25; Heb 4:1-11 – “another day” = Sunday – Heb 10:25; Neh 8:1-8).
- Man was to be a cultivator (of crops – “field” food) – NOT a hunter-gatherer, as the means to his prosperity (or key to feeding himself in larger populations) (vv5-15 – “work” = cultivate/develop/farm).
- Man’s MISSION was to: 1) cultivate/develop and care for God’s paradise (Eden) garden until it covered the planet (v15 – “work”= cultivate/develop/farm/cause to expand). 2) guard God’s Law (v15 – “keep” = guard) as the key to maintaining his life eternally (v9,17 = eating of the “tree of life” required NOT violating God’s law – i.e. NOT eating of the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” – a symbol of who possessed the authority to determine good and evil – hence the reason, Gen 3:22; In this light consider Deu 8:3; Mat 4:4) AND preserving his current enjoyable (paradise) existence (Gen 3:17-19, Rom 8:20-21). Man’s mission was how he (also) reflected God’s glory to the rest of His Creation (Gen 1:31, Rom 8:19-21).
- Man’s kingship over the other creatures is demonstrated by his role as the one giving them their names (v19 = Some or most of the names man gave to the animals were according to their function indicating also the existence of carnivores before the Fall – e.g. Hebrew names for: eagle = “one who lacerates”, hawk = “bird of prey”).
- God’s threat of death to man is neutralized (becoming insensible/inconceivable/un-daunting/no-real-threat) unless it already existed – and had been observed, among God’s other creatures (v17).
- God’s creation of the woman was: 1) for the purpose of helping man accomplish his mandate (righteous rule) and mission (righteous renovation) (v18 – “alone” = solo in his mission/mandate), 2) in response to man NOT finding such a suitable helper among the animals. Animals do not possess the ability to be co-regents in rule/renovation. IOW: there will never be – nor ever was, a “Planet Of The Apes” (v18b, 20), 3) from the DNA of man – she is made in his image as the reflection of his glory (vv21-23). Hence (1 Co 11:7-9). Feminism is therefore a denial of a woman’s glorious purpose, making her a gross perversion rather than a beautiful creation (1 Peter 3:1-6).
- Men are therefore to view women as: 1) God’s precious gift and helper in ruling over God’s creation (v18, 1 Peter 3:7), 2) someone to be protected nourished since she represents/reflects his glory – in the same way man reflects God’s glory. IOW: our glory as men is seen in how we treat our women (v23 – “bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh”). Hence (Eph 5:25-31).
- Being joined to a woman in marriage is therefore a valid reason for a man and woman to now give their loyalties to each other over their parents since it is loyalty to one’s own flesh – they are “one” or the same “flesh” (v24; Eph 5:29).
- The sexual intimacy (and nakedness) necessary to make them “one flesh” is NOT shameful when it exists in as the consummation of a marriage covenant (v25).
Genesis 3: The Fall of Mankind Into Sin
- Satan employs three methods to entice the man and the woman to an attitude of entitlement and eating of the forbidden tree: 1) he implies that God is unreasonable/unjust (v1-2), 2) he insists that God is untrustworthy (vv3-4), 3) he infers that God is uncaring (v5).
- The weakness of women is their tendency to let feelings determine fact; the weakness of men is their tendency to let their wives lead (6) (17- “you listened to the voice of your wife”).
- Sin makes us: 1) less likely to be transparent (“naked”) before God/others or seek fellowship/deep relationships w/Him/them. IOW: it makes us ashamed and so we attempt to cover up our true selves (vv7-11), 2) act like the victim – wanting to “pass the buck” of responsibility to someone else (vv12-13).
- The righteous offspring of the woman will HATE the wicked offspring of Satan and desire their destruction (vv14-15) (to be fulfilled through the righteous offspring of Christ – 2 Th 1:5-9; see also Pro 28:4). Hence (Deu 7:16 – “eye shall not pity”).
- The woman was cursed with pain in her labor (providing offspring), – yet promised to still desire her husband as her lover and leader VERSUS be single and a feminazi (16).
- The man was cursed with pain in his labor (providing for his family), – yet promised to still desire to cultivate and conquer VERSUS be lazy (vv17-18).
- The Fall (or sin) of the man and the woman meant they were now mortal – unable to continue eating from the “tree of life” (or immortality). In this way they died/began to “die” on “the day” they sinned (2:18, vv19,22-24).
- After God’s punishment (justice), He again shows mercy in re-establishing His (marriage) covenant with Adam/Eve (vv 20-21; Eze 16:8; Hos 6:7).
Matthew 10: Jesus’ Shepherds and Witnesses
- Jesus gives His (or God’s) authority to those He appoints as His shepherds/pastors (v1) (Joh 20:21-23; for “shepherd” see Mat 9:36).
- The primary focus of Jesus’ shepherds is the covenant community – NOT those outside (vv5-6).
- Those worthy of receiving God’s Abundant Life blessings will faithfully submit to God’s gospel AND financially support Jesus’ shepherds/pastors (v7 w/ Mat 4:17,23 w/1Co 9:14) (vv7-15).
- Pagans will have it better in Hell than those who chose NOT to listen to Jesus’ shepherds/pastors in the covenant community (v15). Hence (Heb 13:17).
- We are NOT to waste time attempting to evangelize/minister to people who don’t want to listen (v14).
- Wolves eat shepherds as well as sheep (vv15-18) (As it relates to sheep see Act 20:29-30).
- Spirit empowered witnessing is often the opportunity Jesus brings thru persecution (so don’t shrink back! – Heb. 10:36-39) (e.g. Act 7) (vv18-20).
- If we are being faithful witnesses for – and devoted disciples to Jesus, then we will be hated and persecuted by lots of people – most especially those who claim to be Christians and our family (vv21-25, 34-39).
- Speaking boldly and demonstrating supreme loyalty to Jesus before these people (false Christians and family) is how we witness and lose/give our lives for Jesus (vv26-33, 38-39).
- A person cannot be a true Christian and reject Jesus’ shepherds and witnesses (vv40-42).
Matthew 11:
- Doubts are shored up by facts NOT feelings (vv1-5).
- If the actions of attitude of Jesus offends us (stands against our personal convictions as to what is proper/right), then we are not living like disciples (learners) or submitting to Jesus as Lord AND will not be blessed (even saved) unless we repent and change (v6).
- The result of crafting God’s kingdom or gospel according to our terms/comforts is missing the real Jesus and His mightiest messengers (vv7-18).
- If you want to discover who a person really is, then look at their deeds – NOT what they say (v19; Pro 20:11).
- The more we have seen/heard, the more we wb responsible for on Judgment Day (vv20-21).
- The people Jesus welcomes (and God wills) to come and receive salvation are only the teachable and those truly laboring to live faithful lives to God Law (vv25-30 w/13).
- Jesus (and His NC application of the Law) secures lasting justification and (as a result) a lighter burden for the people of God (vv28-30; Act 15:10; Heb 10:1-18). Hence (Gal 3:1-7).