Phil Benedict

Tahlequah, Oklahoma

United Indian Mission

Greeley, Colorado

These guides are designed to help you to study, to learn, to understand, and to live what God teaches us in his Word, the Bible. God gave us the Bible to teach us how to know and to walk with Him. We can enjoy God’s blessings forever, rather than experiencing his judgement. His Word is eternally true. Take time to carefully read and think about the Scriptures used in this guide. Meditate on them and the truths they teach. Learn to love God and his Word. Regularly ask God for a right understanding of Scriptural truths and then make them part of you. Absorb them. If you go over the material too quickly without much thought, it will have little or no lasting impact on your life. Commit yourself to making Biblical truths the foundation of your life and to putting them into practice every day of your life.

This is the first of a series of eight lessons about God. While we will never fully understand God, it is important that we correctly understand basic truths that God has given us about Himself in his Word, the Bible. A right understanding of God and a commitment to serve Him are the foundations of a lifelong productive and satisfying walk with God. Right understanding and acceptance also leads to knowing that we will spend an eternity with God, enjoying Him forever.

If our understanding of God is incorrect, it can lead to many kinds of problems. Basic questions like "Who am I?", "Why am I here?", "What is my purpose?", or "How can I know and walk with God?", will never be correctly answered. Fruitless service, frustration, fear, anger, guilt, and even an eternity separated from God can all result from not correctly understanding God.

Does your understanding of God come from solid Biblical truth or is it from somewhere else?

Is your understanding of God sufficient for a lifetime of growth and productive service to Him?

Genesis 1-3 records God’s creation of the earth, the entire universe, and all life including men and women. Chapter three covers man’s fall into sin and rebellion. These three chapters are the foundation of the rest of Scripture. If any part of these chapters are false, then the rest of the Bible cannot be trusted, and our faith in God is built on a very shaky foundation.

Human science vehemently denies the accuracy of Genesis 1-3. To them, the Biblical record of creation is foolishness. They have convinced most people that it is not true and they passionately teach their theories. The attacks and scorn of critics have even caused many Christians to doubt or question the accuracy of these chapters. Satan would love to have us believe that these chapters are unreliable.

The next lesson in this series will deal with some of the attacks on these chapters.

Take some time and carefully read and think about the following Scriptures.

"Every word of God is flawless". This statement is true of all Scripture, including Genesis 1-3. The Bible, which is our record of God’s Word, is true and accurate exactly as written. In Genesis 1-3, nothing needs to be added, nothing needs to be taken out, nothing needs to be rearranged, and nothing needs to be modified. It is true as written and totally accurate!!!

Genesis 1-2 clearly teaches that the universe, the earth, and all life including mankind are all direct creations of God. He created it out of nothing. There was no preexisting eternal matter, and there was no "big bang" which caused the universe.

God is God. He has all power, He is all knowing, and He has all knowledge and wisdom. God’s power and wisdom is far beyond human understanding or human science.

It is a huge mistake to try to manipulate God’s revealed Word of Truth so that it will conform to current, ever changing, human scientific understanding.

Do you believe Genesis 1-3 is true as written?

Do these chapters need to be understood in such a way as to conform to human understanding?

Who do you think is biggest—God or human science?

Who should we believe when God and human science disagree?

Why do you think human science so harshly denies the truthfulness of Genesis 1-3?

When God created the earth and the universe, He chose to do it in steps. He could have created everything in its final form in a split second if He had chosen. These steps of creation are revealed to us in Genesis 1. The steps all fit into a literal one week period of time. The steps are revealed in the order of their occurrence in seven literal twenty-four hour days.

What did God create in the very first verse in the Bible, Genesis 1:1?

Carefully read Hebrews 11:3. What is the foundation of our belief in creation?

Hebrews 11:3 states that the universe was formed at God’s command and that the visible creation was not made out of preexisting visible material.

Genesis 1:1-2 is an opening summary of what follows. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." The rest of chapter 1 gives more details as to how God created the heavens and the earth. The reference to the "heavens" in verse one is not a reference to heaven where God lives, but rather to the atmosphere that surrounds the earth and the universe beyond the earth. All that exists, except for God Himself, was created by God.

From Genesis 1:2, what was the earth like?

Formless and void does not mean that there was "chaos" as some teach. The earth was formless (no mountains, continents, etc.) and void (empty–no inhabitants). There was no light and it was apparently covered with water. It was not yet inhabitable for man, but that does not mean that there was chaos at the end of this first step of creation. God does not create chaos. The Spirit of God was present, watching over His creation.

In Genesis 1:3-5, the first creative day is revealed.

From verse 3, what did God create?

In verse 3 it states that God said, "Let there be light". What happened after God spoke those words?

How long did it take God to create light?

In verse 4, how is the light described?

From verse 5, what was the light called? What was the darkness called?

From verse 5, the day included both an _____________and a_______________.

In Genesis 1:5, the reference to an evening and a morning indicate that the cycle of twenty-four hour days as we know them was begun. In the Bible, the words "evening" or "morning" are used well over 300 times. In every case, without exception, they mean a normal evening or morning, part of a literal twenty-four hour day.

In eternity past, time, if it existed at all, was not measured in twenty-four hour days. Now with the beginning of twenty-four hour days, time that can be used and understood by humans comes into being. Nature itself, plants, animals, and people, are all tuned to living in a cycle of twenty-four hour days.

Reread Hebrews 11:3. Here it states that the universe came into being at God’s_____________.

This truth sets a pattern for the rest of the creative days. God spoke (commanded--

Hebrews 11:3) and what He spoke immediately came to be.

What does verse 4 say about the Word of the Lord?

From verse 6, how were the heavens made?

From verse 9, what happened when God spoke?

Notice that God created light before He created the sun, moon, and the stars. This may seem odd to us and we wonder what was the source of this light. We are not told. It is simply stated that the light came into existence because God commanded it to be. God is light and He is the source of light. It is not a problem for God to create light.

Read Isaiah 45:6-7. What does it say is the source of light and darkness?

Now read Revelation 22:5. What will be the source of light throughout eternity?

From what you have learned, what is the relationship between God and light?

Since God is light, what can we expect heaven to be like?

Since God is light, what might we expect Satan to be associated with?

Genesis 1:6-8 reveals the second creative day.

What was created on day two?

The expanse (firmament) that was created is also called the______________.

The sky (heaven), our atmosphere, was created on day two. This includes the very air we breathe and all of the gasses, such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen, which are needed to sustain human, animal, and plant life. That mixture had to be precise or else we, as humans, could not exist.

After day two, there is water on the surface of the earth and water in our atmosphere. Water is necessary for our survival. Even the amount of water in our atmosphere is important, and God set in motion the laws which regulate it.

It should be noted that the atmosphere is clearly defined as a direct creation of God. This hardly teaches that the earth’s habitable atmosphere was formed over billions of years after a

"big bang", and that all that exists is a product of pure random chance.

Read Psalm 104:1-2. Here, in poetic language, on the second day of creation God is described as "stretching forth the heavens like a ___________________".

What kind of a response should this bring in us? (verse 1)

From Genesis 1:8, day two also included both an _____________and a _______________.

How important is the atmosphere to human life?

How dependent are we on what God has created for us?

Genesis 1:9-13 reveals the third creative day.

What was created on day three? (from verses 9-10)

What else was created? (from verse 11)

What did God call the dry land?_______ What did He call the gathered waters? __________

Of all the days of creation, this day brought about the most visible changes. The day began with the earth covered with water and ended with continents, mountains, rivers, lakes, oceans, etc., and the land was also covered with fully developed lush green plants. It was a tropical paradise. The vegetation, the grass, bushes, and trees were fully grown and ready to reproduce. All these changes were brought about by a creative act of God. What a God we have!!!

How do you react when you take time to see what God has created?

What does the beauty of what God has created say about God?

In Psalm 104:5-9, in poetic language, the first part of day three is described. It adds fascinating light on this part of creation.

From Genesis 1:13, day three also included both an _____________and a_______________.

A phrase like "according to its kind" is used ten times in Genesis one. Plants, animals, birds, and fish all produce offspring that are like its parents. There may be differences in things such as color and size, but the offspring is still the same kind of plant or animal as its parents. This is an extremely important concept. A pear seed produces a pear tree, not a peach tree. Cats produce cats, not dogs. Evolution would have us believe that with great amounts of time, a cat will eventually become a dog. We recognize that by selective breeding, new kinds of dogs or cats can be developed, and that sometimes natural causes will effect changes within a given species of plants or animals. However, the changes in dogs may bring about a new breed of dog, but not a new kind of cat. Cats produce cats and dogs produce dogs. The two don’t mix. There are no "dats" or "cogs".

Explain the phrase, "each according to its kind".

What did God create on the fourth day?

From verses 17-18, what was the purpose of the sun, moon and the stars?

Men have always had a fascination with the solar system. Many who go out at night and view the stars are filled with awe and wonder. Yet what we see is only a tiny part of the whole. The universe is vast and complex beyond our ability to grasp. There seems to be no end to it. We regularly read of new discoveries that cause new wonder. The sun, moon and stars are a tremendous sign of the greatness of our God.

In verse 14, God states that the sun, moon and stars are for signs, seasons, days and years. We understand their role in setting the seasons, days and years. With the creation of the sun, the moon, and the stars, the seasons and rotations and cycles in the solar system were established. We set our watches and our calendars in accordance with these cycles. However, what God meant when He said they were for "signs" is not as clear. Various Bible translations translate this phrase a little differently. It may well be that God intended the sun, the moon, and stars to be signs of his greatness and fill us with awe and wonder at the greatness of God. Verses in Psalm 8 and other Scriptures certainly express that awe.

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? Psalm 8:3-4

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! Psalm 8:9

The heavens proclaim his righteousness and all the peoples see his glory. Psalm 97:6

God expected us to look at what He has created and come to realize what power He must have and to realize that He is divine, far beyond humanity. Men who see what He has made but still reject Him will be without excuse when they stand before Him in judgment. (Romans 1:18-20)

It should be noted that astrology is a pagan occultic practice. God has forbidden all forms of fortune telling. Christians should have nothing to do with signs of the Zodiac, horoscopes, etc.. Deuteronomy 18:9-13

From verse 19, day four also included both an _____________and a_______________.

As you view the heavens, the sun, the moon, and the stars, how does it influence your thoughts about God?

According to verse 20, what two things did God create on the fifth day?

How many living creatures did God create in the waters?

The simplicity of statements in verse 20 does not seem to do justice to what was created. Life in the oceans, lakes, and rivers is incredibly complex and diverse. There is single celled life, amazing living sponges, and huge whales. There is every shape, color, and size imaginable. There are unbelievable varieties of ways of doing things, such as self defense and methods of getting food. Amazing new discoveries are regularly being made. It all reveals the tremendous intelligence, power, and ability of our designer, creator, God.

Birds also reflect the character and intelligence of their creator. Anyone who has put out a bird feeder and watches as birds come to feed, cannot help but be amazed at the variety and beauty of what God has created. God is an incredible God!!!

Remember that according to this verse, the fish and the birds all reproduce after their own kind. The fish did not eventually become birds.

From verse 23, day five also included both an _____________and a_______________.

Is there anything in this part of creation that gives you an appreciation of your creator God?

In your mind, does nature show evidence of an intelligent designer and creator, or does it support the belief that all nature happened by pure chance?

How many times is a phrase like "according to their kind" used in these two verses?

Since this phrase is used that many times, what do you think God wants us to know for sure?

When God created the earth, it was a paradise where there was peace and harmony in nature. Sin had not yet entered and the curse on man and the earth had not yet been given. There was no death. Animals were vegetarian; they did not kill and eat each other. Sickness, disease, starvation and hunger did not exist.

From verse 31, day six also included both an _____________and a_______________.

Drawing on your knowledge of creation, what can we conclude about a God who can create a universe?

Is God big enough for you?

Do you think our big God is interested in the details of your life?

Why are people "without excuse" (Romans 1:20) as a result of what is seen in nature?

Note: The creation of man, which is covered in lesson 4, also occurred on the sixth day.

From Genesis 2:2, what did God do on the seventh day?

God did not need to rest because He was worn out from hard work. He rested to set a pattern for us. Leviticus 23:3 confirms that we are to rest and assemble together on the seventh day. The seventh day is holy, or set apart for God. God recognizes that we are human and we have limitations. He built into our way of life a weekly day of rest.

Anything that is not maintained will deteriorate and eventually stop functioning.

For example, think about a house that is not maintained.

What happens to the paint?

What happens to the roof?

What happens to the lights?

What happens to the yard?

If left to itself, does the house improve or does it deteriorate? Why?

Will a car that is not maintained continue to function smoothly? Why?

Our universe is far more complex than a house or a car. If the universe were left to itself, would it deteriorate or become more complex?

If one is rationally honest, he would conclude that there is an intelligent, powerful being who keeps all of the universe operating in precise order and its complex laws of nature functioning in an orderly manner.

What would happen to the universe if no one kept it functioning as it now functions?

In Colossians 1:16, who is identified as the Creator?

According to Colossians 1:17, who holds everything together?

The Bible does not try to "prove" the existence of God. The God of the Bible has always existed.

Many have doubted the existence of God, or they doubt the Biblical teachings about God. Some say they want scientific proof of the existence of God. This is impossible since God cannot be reduced to the level of human experimentation.

While you cannot prove the existence of God, there are very strong reasons to believe in the existence of an intelligent Creator-God.

For example, take off your watch and look at it for a moment.

Do the hands or the readout follow a pattern?

Does it have order?

Was it designed by someone?

Was it made by someone?

Was it a product of chance?

Were all of the gears, electronic chips, and other parts of the watch formed and arranged in the proper order by forces of nature such as heat, cold, wind, pressure, gravity, etc.?

What would you conclude about the origin of that watch?

Now look at a part of nature, a leaf, a blade of grass, a flower, or even your own hand.

Is there a pattern?

Does it have order?

Was it designed by someone?

Is it a product of chance?

Is it more logical to believe that it is the product of an intelligent designer or of random chance?

What do you believe about the origin of the universe and of man?

Most people, if they are honest with themselves, will conclude that in nature there is clear reason to believe that there is an intelligent designer and craftsman who created the earth and man. The Bible clearly identifies that creator as God.

It is very important to understand that both God the Father and God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, are identified as the Creator. John 1:1-3, Colossians 1:15-16, and Hebrews 1:2 all clearly identify Jesus as the Creator.

It is also clear throughout the book of John and also I John that you cannot accept or worship God the Father as the Creator and deny or reject Jesus. In fact, any belief or teaching that claims to follow or to worship God but denies Jesus, does not worship the true Creator God revealed to us in the Bible. Anyone who denies Jesus also denies God and is bound for a Godless eternal punishment, even though they claim to know and worship God. This is a clear teaching of the Bible and is a very serious issue. There are many who think they are following God when, according to the Bible, they do not know Him nor have they ever known Him.

There are many who exalt creation but reject the Creator. Instead of worshiping God the Creator, they worship nature, which God has created. Many are falling into this trap. Those who follow "New Age" kinds of thinking are guilty of this. There are also many others.

Magazines such as the "National Geographic" have fascinating articles on the wonders of creation, but they repeatedly and explicitly deny the Creator. Public television also has many nature programs that are fascinating, but they too deny the Creator.

Read Romans 1:16-32, paying particular attention to verses 21-25. There is severe judgement by God on those who reject Him and worship nature. This practice brings punishment and eternal judgment, separated from God in hell.

From Psalm 8

© Copyrighted

All Rights Reserved

October, 2002