Bible Study - Essentials (2) - The Purpose of Humanity - Genesis 1:1-5, 26-31 - March 14, 2021

Bible Study – Essentials (2) – The Purpose of Humanity – March 14, 2021

This is lesson (2) in our series entitled, “The Purpose of Humanity.”

Our focus scripture is Genesis 1:1-5 and 26-31.

GOD created us to serve and honor HIM.

The word “Genesis” means beginning. It does not mean the beginning of GOD, THE FATHER, THE SON or THE HOLY SPIRIT. It means the beginning of earth and the beginning of life upon earth, which includes humanity.

Let’s explore!  

Let’s read Genesis 1:1-5:

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.^[a]

Notice, heaven is plural and earth is singular. We know that the earth is wrapped with an atmosphere that is vital to all life upon earth. Our sky is considered a heaven for us and animal life to be able to exist. Then there is the second heaven where the stars, planets and outer space exists. Then there is a third heaven where GOD is.

GOD wanted all of mankind not to be ignorant of how HE created all things. So, HE gave instructions to Moses to pass onto all mankind. As we read and study the scripture, may the Holy Spirit open our minds to reveal truth. GOD does not want us to be ignorant of our physical beginning.

² Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. 

I love the statement “hovering over.” GOD created something from nothing by speaking. GOD created everything HE needed to accomplish HIS goal.

³ Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. ⁴ God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness.

 ⁵ God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” There was an evening, and there was a morning: one day.

There was day and night which is defined as one day. Was it a 24-hour day or some other time period? It was a 24-hour day. I know many will say all sorts of time periods. I know, I used to think that it could have been some longer time period but GOD did it. When the Bible refers to “day”, it means a 24-hour day. Keep in mind GOD is GOD. The evolutionists want to make it fit their timeline. NO! GOD did it in 24 hours. 

Keep in mind that what GOD did on day one was necessary to support what HE did on day 2 and day 3, etc. Also, consider there is an abundance of light and as we read on, GOD was right-sizing the light.

⁶ Then God said, “Let there be an expanse between the waters, separating water from water.” ⁷ So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above the expanse. And it was so. ⁸ God called the expanse “sky.”^[b] Evening came and then morning: the second day.

⁹ Then God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. ¹⁰ God called the dry land “earth,” and the gathering of the water he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good. ¹¹ Then God said, “Let the earth produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds.” And it was so. ¹² The earth produced vegetation: seed-bearing plants according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. ¹³ Evening came and then morning: the third day.

Earth now has vegetation which holds the soil together by developing root systems and producing sustainable nourishment for what comes next. Light and water are good to promote vegetation growth.

¹⁴ Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night. They will serve as signs for seasons^[c] and for days and years. ¹⁵ They will be lights in the expanse of the sky to provide light on the earth.” And it was so. ¹⁶ God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule over the day and the lesser light to rule over the night—as well as the stars. ¹⁷ God placed them in the expanse of the sky to provide light on the earth, ¹⁸ to rule the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. ¹⁹ Evening came and then morning: the fourth day.

²⁰ Then God said, “Let the water swarm with^[d] living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.” ²¹ So God created the large sea-creatures and every living creature that moves and swarms in the water, according to their kinds. He also created every winged creature according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. ²² God blessed them: “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the waters of the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.” ²³ Evening came and then morning: the fifth day.

Animal life began in the ocean, confirmed by a US Navy study. Birds scatter seeds and help scatter seeds, vegetation and pollinate.

²⁴ Then God said, “Let the earth produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that crawl, and the wildlife of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. ²⁵ So God made the wildlife of the earth according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that crawl on the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

An abundant, sustainable food supply was established for the animals GOD created before HE created Adam.

Guess what that means to mankind over the eons of earth time? It means fuel for our homes, transportation, medicines, pitch, tar used for many purposes and the list goes on. Now everything is in place to sustain mankind.

²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make man^[e] in^[f] our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl^[g] on the earth.”

Notice the use of the word “US.” Who is “US?” It is GOD, The Father, GOD THE SON and GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT. In John 1:1-5:

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. ⁴ In him was life,^[a] and that life was the light of men. ⁵ That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome^[b] it.

WHO is The WORD? JESUS!

Let’s go back to Genesis 1:27-31:

²⁷ So God created man
in his own image;
he created him in the image of God;
he created them male and female.

²⁸ God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.” ²⁹ God also said, “Look, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the surface of the entire earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. This will be food for you, ³⁰ for all the wildlife of the earth, for every bird of the sky, and for every creature that crawls on the earth—everything having the breath of life in it—I have given^[h] every green plant for food.” And it was so. ³¹ God saw all that he had made, and it was very good indeed. Evening came and then morning: the sixth day.

GOD was very pleased, delighted and proud of HIS creation.

The Garden of Eden was the perfect place without sin until Adam and Eve disobeyed GOD and that is when sin came into the world. That is why JESUS had to give HIS sinless life upon the cross, by shedding of HIS blood to redeem mankind from eternal death.

Our first lesson, in this series, was leading up to the crucifixion of JESUS and this lesson is on the beginning of mankind upon earth. We have experienced GOD’S workmanship upon earth but the best is yet to come. JESUS said it best in John 14:1-7:

“Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe^[a] in God; believe also in me. ² In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? ³ If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also. ⁴ You know the way to where I am going.”^[b]

⁵ “Lord,” Thomas said, “we don’t know where you’re going. How can we know the way?”

⁶ Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you know me, you will also know^[c] my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

May the Holy Spirit enlighten those who do not know JESUS as their Savior to the truth that is only through faith in JESUS. Just as GOD prepared the earth for us to dwell, HE has prepared an eternal place for all who place their faith in JESUS to dwell.

In 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 -  ⁹ But as it is written,

What no eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no human heart has conceived—
God has prepared these things for those who love him.^[c]

¹⁰ Now God has revealed these things to us by the Spirit, since the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 

What GOD has prepared for all who place their faith in JESUS is beyond our wildest imagination. If you think earth is great, you have not seen anything yet.

Do not miss out! Place your life into the hands of GOD through faith in JESUS.

EASTER is coming!!! EASTER is GOD’S redemptive plan for all mankind as fulfilled in the physical death of JESUS by the shedding of HIS sinless blood, physical burial of JESUS and the physical resurrection of JESUS from the dead. This is proof that JESUS conquered sin and its consequence, eternal death but it takes faith in JESUS to restore in each of us the eternal life that Adam and Eve lost when they sinned.

Blessings!!!