Session 3: Genesis 2:15-3:23

Session 3: Genesis 2:15-3:23

Summarize:

• God places man in the garden and instructs him to care for the garden(15)
• God warns man not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil otherwise he will die(17)
• God provides companionship for man by creating woman(21-24)

Genesis 3

• The serpent sows seeds of doubt about God's trustworthiness(1-5)
• Man and woman takes and eats of the fruit because they think it will satisfy their needs in a way God cannot(6)
• Man and woman’s disobedience to God causes them to hide themselves in shame resulting in separation from God and each other.(7-10)
• Man and woman don’t confess their sin to God and avoid taking ownership of their sin(11-13)
• God pronounces the consequences for the sin of man and woman.(14-19)
• God covers the shame of mankind by shedding the blood of an innocent animal. (20-21)
• God casts mankind out of the garden to keep them from eating of the tree of life and being forever out of fellowship with Him(22-24)

Analyze:

1. Who does God issue his commands and warnings to?(2:16-17)

1. What does God tell man he can do?  What does God warn man about?

Read 1 John 5:3, Pr 19:16, Deut 6:24

2. What does this teach us about the nature of God’s commands?
3. What does this teach us about the importance of knowing God’s Word?
4. What does this teach us about the importance of discipleship?

2. What does God say about man in vs 18?

1. If man had fellowship with God what makes the statement in vs 18 so profound?
2. What does this tell you about the importance of community within the kingdom of God?

3. In vs 18 the original language uses the term helper as in a teammate and counterpart for woman, how does this shape your understanding of the marital relationship and how a husband and wife are to relate to each other?

Read Colossians 1:15-17, Matt 6:25-34, Luke 12:22-34, Jn 1:3-5, 1 Pet 5:7

1. God has provided man with life, a nice place to live, food, water, purpose, and relationships.  Everything man needs to live has been provided and sustained by God.  Does man have any reason to doubt or mistrust God ? How does this shape your understanding of what God has given to you? How does this shape any fear, doubt or mistrust you have for God?

4. What is the serpent attacking with the first question he asks the woman?(3:1)

1. What type of influences in your life cause you to question the authority and wisdom of God?
2. What is different about what what woman says and what God commands Adam in the previous chapter?
3. In Genesis 2 the tree of the knowledge of life is in the center of God’s garden, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is in the center of woman’s garden, what does this tell you about how taking our eyes off of God’s priorities affect our spiritual life?
4. How is woman’s misquoting or “getting the gist” of God’s command shape your view of scripture memory and bible study?(Jn 14:21, Ps 37:31, 119:9-11, 105)

5. What is the serpent attacking with what he says in vs 4-5?

1. What causes you to doubt God’s goodness? His veracity?

Read 1 Sam 15:22

2. Christians are often told to be like God, however there are some things we may seek in the name of God that may harm us.  Have you fallen victim to the trap of “becoming like God/Christ” while sinning?

6. What three desires did woman seek to satisfy with the fruit in vs 6?(What 3 observations does woman make about the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?)

1. Which of these three categories of discontent/temptation do you struggle with the most? (1 Jn 2:15-17)

• Lust of the eyes: pursuing something I see that I want and think I need
• Lust of the flesh: pursuing something I want to consume or experience
• Pride of life: pursuing something that I feel I deserve or am entitled to and satisfies my ego

2. Which of these temptations did man fall prey to?

Read James 4:1-10

bi. Just a few verses before this temptation God has provided man with everything including companionship with woman.  But fear of losing what Adam perceived he had and his desire to preserve it led him to sin. In what ways do you find yourself acting as Adam?

7. How does man’s state in Gen 3:7-13 compare to Gen 2:24? How is the relationship between man and woman changed because of sin? How does sin change man’s relationship with God?
8. What are the consequences for man and woman not trusting God?(16-19)

1. Even though Adam and Eve show contempt and ingratitude toward God how does God respond to their sin? (vs 21-24)
2. Vs 21 is the first record of a living creature dying what was the reason why the animal was killed?
3. How does the shedding of innocent blood to cover the guilt and shame(nakedness) of man affect your understanding of the sacrifice of Christ?

9. Is God vindictive in sending mankind out of the garden or protective? (vs 22-24)

1. If God always intended for man to eat of the tree of life why would He keep them from eating the fruit after man sinned?

Contextualize:

1. God is the trustworthy provider and sustainer of life, He gives all good things.
2. Sin is distrust of God that causes us to pursue our desires apart from God.
3. The consequence of rebellion against God is destruction

Actualize:

Commit to confessing your distrust of God everyday this week by writing them down and ask God to supply you with the confidence to wait on Him to provide.

Session 2: Genesis 1:26-2:25

Session 2: Genesis 1:26-2:25

Summarize:

• God creates mankind in His image and likeness(26-27)
• God bestows responsibility and authority to mankind(28)

Genesis 2

• God forms and breathes life into man(7)
• God prepared a place for man to live(8)
• God places the tree of life at the center of His garden(9)
• God appoints man to care for the garden(15)
• God gives man permission to eat from every tree in the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil(16-17)
• God declares that it is not good for man to be alone(18)
• God creates a helper that will be man's complement(18-22)
• God forms woman out of man's rib(22)
• God institutes/creates marriage(24)
• Man and Woman had no shame and were naked(25)

Analyze:

Read Ephesians 2:10, Ps 139:13-14, Jer 1:5

1. What does it mean to be made in the image and likeness of God?

1. Does being made in the likeness of God bear any relevance to our worldview and values? (i.e. sanctity of life, purpose in life)

2. How does the responsibility/authority God gives man relate to being made in God’s image?
3. What is different about the way God created man versus all the other living creatures?(7)(Isa 64:8)

1. How does the description of how God created man influence your understanding of God’s relationship to man?

4. Why is it important to know that the tree of life was in the middle of God’s garden?(midst means middle, heart of)(9)

1. What is the main priority of God’s garden according to the structure of the text?
2. What does this tell you about how man fits into God’s plan?

5. What does God provide man by placing him in the garden?(8-9) (a place to live, food, water)

Read Matthew 6:24-34 and Philippians 4:19

1. How do these passages relate to God’s provision for Adam?  How do they relate to how God provides for you?

6. What does God say to man in vs 16?

1. What is the positive command?
2. What is the negative command? What reason does God give to man for not eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?
3. What reasons has God given man to not trust Him?
4. Did God give permission for man to eat from the tree of life?  What does this tell you about God’s original intention and purpose for man?

7. What does God provide for man in addition to what He’s already given in vs 22?

1. If man had fellowship with God then what is the significance of God saying, “it is not good for man to be alone?”

Read Ephesians 4:1-8, 11-13

2. How does the realization that God created us to be social creatures reshape your understanding of the necessity of the Church, the body of believers?  How does this knowledge affect how you will engage with your Church?
3. Different parts of the body connotate different symbolism and meaning.  For instance a foot connotates submission and servitude. A hand conveys strength and servant. What is the significance of woman being formed out of the rib of Adam? What is communicated about the relational position of man to woman? (20-21)
4. What is the purpose of vs 24 in commenting on what happens between man and woman?  

Read Jn 17:20-24, Eph 5:22-33

5. What does it mean to become one flesh? Is this simply a statement about the act of sex? What does becoming one flesh tell you about the level of intimacy between a husband and wife? How does this affect emotional investment between you and someone of the opposite sex you aren’t married to?
6. How does your understanding of godly marriage help you to understand unity within the body of Christ?

8. What does Genesis 2:25 say about the state of mankind’s relationship with God and each other?

Read Philippians 3:18-21

1. What is the relationship between obedience, sin, and shame?

Contextualize:

1. God has a special relationship with man because man is made in His image and likeness.
2. Man is totally dependent on God for his existence and completely trusts God.
3. Obedience to God results in perfect fellowship with God and man.

Actualize:

I will memorize Acts 24:16 and pray everyday that God would help me to live out the verse.

Session 1: Genesis 1:1-2:2

Session 1: Genesis 1:1-2:2

Summarize:

• Before everything God was(1)
• Everything that exists was created by God(1-2)
• God is a Spirit, not bound by matter, space or time(1-2)
• God created light and separated it from darkness naming it day and night on the first day(3-5)
• Second day God created the sky and separated the water in the atmosphere from water on earth (6-8)
• God created dry land then vegetation on the third day(9-13)
• God creates the sun, moon and measurement for time on the fourth day(14-19)
• God creates living things in the waters and in the air on the fifth day(20-23)
• God creates land animals and man on the sixth day(24-31)
• God creates man in His image and bestows His authority to man(28-30)
• God calls everything He creates good
• God commands the creatures He creates to be fruitful and multiply(22,28)
• God rests on the seventh day and sanctifies the seventh day

Analyze:

1. According to the text what comes before God?(1)

1. Why is it important to know that there was nothing before God and that God has always been?
2. What is significant about the text telling us that the “Spirit of God” was hovering over the surface of the waters?

2. How did God create the heavens and the earth?(3-19)

1. What do we learn about God when we look at the order in which He created?
2. What does God call light and dark?(5)
3. What is significant about God creating and instituting night and day?
4. What is different about what God creates in vs 4-5 and 14-19?
5. What was the impact of what God created on the fourth day?
6. How does knowing that God is the one that created the measurement of time affect your understanding of how God fits into time?

3. What does the text say about what God thinks about what He has created?

1. What is significant about knowing that what God creates is good?

4. What command does God give to the living creatures he makes?(22, 28)
5. What does the text say about the seeds that were produced by the plants that grew?(12)

1. What does it say about how God created the animals of the earth, air, and water?(21-22, 24-25)
2. What is the significance of knowing that all created things were created after “their own kind” and that God commanded each “kind” to be fruitful and multiply?
3. How does knowing this, "each kind made after its own and producing their own kind," relevant to today?

6. What commands does God give to mankind that are specific to him?(28-30)

1. What is the connection between being man made in the image of God and the responsibility/authority God gives man?
2. What did God give to man for food?(29)
3. Why is it important to know what God gave to man for food?
4. What does God give all the living creatures for food?(30)
5. What is the significance of knowing that all living creatures were originally given plants for food?

7. What does God say about his work on the 6th day?(31)
8. What does God do on the seventh day?(2:2)

1. What is the significance of God choosing to rest on the seventh day?
2. How does God choosing to rest after completing His work bear any relevance to modern man?

Contextualize:

1. God is the Creator and Master over all things.
2. God created man to glorify Him
3. God endows man with His authority and gives him responsibility to care for God’s creation

Actualize:

I will commit to thanking God for all He’s created and ask Him to help me understand the responsibility of caring for what God has created everyday this week.