Old Testament Background

Evangelical Free Church of Walnut

sunesis institute_

Lesson 1

Genesis: the BeginningMount Sinai and the Founding of a Culture

The content of Genesis was given to Moses on Mt. SinaiIt is unknown whether or not the Israelites already had a distinct creation tradition before this time

The Effect of this Setting on the TextThe revelation given in Genesis focuses on information that will lay a foundation for the Old CovenantGenesis as a Suzerain-Vassal Treaty

It identifies who God isIt identifies who man isIt tells the history of God’s relationship with the forefathers of the Israelites

The Historical Setting

Lesson 1

Genesis: the BeginningObservations from the Structure of the Days

Every day begins with God speakingEvery day ends by being numberedGod stops naming things in the first half of the third dayOnly animated creatures are blessedMan is the only created thing which God speaks “to”Creation is earth and man centered

The Text

Lesson 1

Genesis: the BeginningObservations from The Text

Formless Void

Day Item Created Day Item Created

1 Light and Darkness 4 Sun, Moon, Stars for keeping time/seasons

2 Sea and Sky 5 Creatures for the Sea and Sky

3 Fertile Earth and Plants 6 Creatures for the Earth and Plants

The Text

Lesson 1

Genesis: the BeginningLiterary Structure of the DaysDay Repeated Phrases Day Repeated Phrases

1 A-C-D-B-E-F 4 A-C-B-D-F

2 A-B-C-E-F 5 A-B-D-G-F

3 A-C-E-D-A-C-B-D-F 6 A-C-B-D-A-B-G-*-C-D-F

A) The Divine Quotation B) The Action TakenC) The Declaration of CompletionD) The Pronounced State of GoodnessE) The Naming of the CreationF) The Numbering of the DayG) Blessing Upon Living Creatures

“And God said…”“And God made…”“And it was so.”“And God saw…it was good”“And God called…”“…evening and morning, the … day”“And God blessed them…”

Lesson 1

Genesis: the BeginningGap Theory Interpretations of Genesis 1:1-2

`#r<a'(h‘ taeîw> ~yIm:ßV'h; taeî ~yhi_l{a/ ar"äB' tyviÞarEB.

~Ah+t. ynEåP.-l[; %v,xoßw> Whboêw" ‘Whto’ ht'îy>h'

#r<a'ªh'w>`~yIM")h; ynEïP.-l[; tp,x,Þr:m.

~yhiêl{a/ x:Wråw>

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, 2 and the earth was/became formless and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering upon the face of the waters.

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, 2 and the earth was/became formless and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering upon the face of the waters.

“formless and void” see also Jeremiah 4:23 and Isaiah 34:11

The Text

Lesson 1

Genesis: the BeginningThe TextTextual Issues with the Gap Interpretation

Placing a catastrophic judgment before the creation of light requires one to assume the fall of Satan occurred before creationIt only answers one of the key objections to Scripture

The Gap theory seeks to explain Age of rock according to atomic dating methodsAstronomical distancesExtinction of dinosaurs before man

Stars are not created until the fourth dayDinosaurs clearly would have been the living creatures created on the sixth day

Lesson 1

Genesis: the BeginningFoundational UnderstandingsGod is the maker, EVERYTHING else is made

This addressed the polytheism of their dayThis did not rule out the existence of other “gods”This established that even the “gods” were made

There was no need to address atheism Seven day pattern of life is a set at the beginning

The Sabbath is not just a ‘Jewish Cultural Day”“Sabbath” in Hebrew

Means both “rest” and “seven”It has more the idea of cessation of activity then that of recuperating from strenuous work

Lesson 1

Genesis: the BeginningFoundational UnderstandingsMan bears the image of God

Amêl.c;B. ‘~d"a'h'¥-ta, ~yhiÛl{a/ ar"’b.YIw:

At=ao ar"äB' ~yhiÞl{a/ ~l,c,îB.

`~t'(ao ar"îB' hb'Þqen>W rk"ïz"

God created man in His imageGod created man in His image

God created man male and female

A=B, A=B, A=C therefore B=C