Creator God-Elohim

 

I love the book of Genesis. There is so much to learn. I hope you enjoy reading the lesson.

Genesis 2:4-25

At first read through one might get the impression that this accounting of the beginning might be a contradiction to chapter one but, we know that the Bible never contradicts itself. So what is this all about? Upon further study we learn that this is not a contradiction but an enhancement.

We start off in verse 5 for with the account of or generations of the heavens and earth. It is a record of creation which includes a deeper look at God's greatest creation-man himself.

In vs. 5 we see a new name for God. The LORD God. LORD is written in all capital letters making a distinction between LORD and Lord. We learned last week that the word God here is Elohim meaning ruler. This is a common name for God the Creator but now we are adding LORD which in Hebrew is Yahweh or YHWH the written name of LORD. Here we see God which is Elhohim the creator God now being called a personal God. It would read Yahweh Elohim the personal one and only true creator God.

Ex. 3:14&15. “God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “say this to the people of Israel, I am has sent me to you,” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel, “The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.” This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.”

ESV study notes for vs. 14 says I AM WHO I AM. In response to Moses' question (“What is “your” name? vs.13) God reveals his name to be “Yahweh” (corresponding to the four Hebrew consonants YHWH). The three occurrences of “I AM” in v. 14 all represent forms of the Hebrew verb that means “to be”, an d in each case are related to the divine name Yahweh “THE LORD”. The divine name Yahweh has suggested to scholars a range of likely nuances meaning: (1) that God is self-existent and therefore not dependent on anything else for his own existence; (2) that God is the creator and sustainer of all that exists; (3) that God is immutable in his being and character and thus is not in the process of becoming something different from what he is (e.g., the same yesterday and today and forever,”, Heb. 13:8) and (4) that God is eternal in his existence. While each of these points is true of God, the main focus in this passage is on the Lord's promise to be with Moses and his people and of his help for them to fulfill their calling. In each of these cases, the personal name of God as revealed to Moses expresses something essential about the attributes and character of God.”

He is my personal & only true creator God. Is He yours? God has wanted to be a personal God from the beginning. He doesn't want to be just the big man upstairs or the tyrant who only wants us to obey the rules. He wants a relationship with us. To me He is not just the God of my fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Issac, the God of Jacob. He is MY God.

We also see here in vs. 5 that no bush of the field, nor plants have sprung up because the LORD God had not caused it to rain and there was no man to till or work the ground. Streams or a mist came up out of the ground to water the land. This lets us know tht God was caring for His creation before man was created. This is talking about what He created on the third day. Look up Gen. 1:9-13. What did God create on the Third day? ____________________________________

How many days pass before man was created? ________________________

Then God forms man from the dust. Can you imagine Him for a minute on His knees fashioning, shaping and forming man much like a potter forms clay to make a pot? Is. 29:16 I know we don't know if God has knees but I imagine it because we do know He has hands and we are created in His image. We see here again a very personal God creating His prized creation for His glory. Is.43:1,21. After He forms man He then leans over him and breathes the breath of life in him into his nostrils. The Spirit of God is breathed into man to give him life. Job27:3, Job 33:4. Adam comes to live a living being. 1Cor. 15:45 the first man.

Then the LORD God plants a garden in Eden. We don't know the location but it is in the East. Most scholars believe that it might have been located in southern Mesopotamia which is now modern day Iraq. It is the LORD'S garden (Is. 51:3) and God makes all kinds of trees pleasing to the eye and good for food. He puts in the middle of the garden the tree of Life (Rev. 2:7, Prov. 3:18) and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. A river flows out of Eden to water the garden and then it divides into 4 rivers.

• Pishon which means increase. It winds through the entire land of Havilah which means circle. A place where there is gold, very good gold, onyx and aromatic resin. (Gen. 25:18, 1Sam. 15:7 ) Havilah is also the name of one of the sons of Cush which is a son of Ham which is a son of Noah. (Gen. 10:7) This might be different names but it is possible that it was named after Havilah because they named cities after people. The location of this river today is unknown.

• Gihon which means burting forth. It winds through the entire land of Cush which is Ethiopia. The exact location today is unknown. 

• Tigris which means rapid and is also called Hiddelkiel. It runs along the east of Asshur which is Assyria. Dan. 10:4 
• Euphraties which means fruitfulness. It is the largest and longest river of Western Asia. Ex. 23:31, Rev. 9:14, 1Ki. 4:21,24. 

God takes Adam and places him in the garden to keep it and work it. God did not create work after man had sinned but before. The Hebrew word work which is Avad means to work, to labor, to serve. It is the same word used in Gen. 3:23 which is after the fall of man. So it is good for man to work. That is one thing God created him to do. Notice that this is before woman was created. I think God knew man would need something to do. To have a goal and a focus, to feel useful.

God commanded Adam not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil or he would surely die. This is more than a physical death because we will see in Gen.3 that when Adam eats it he doesn't die instantly. This is also a spiritual death because God knew that sin would separate Him from His people. (Rom. 6:23) This is a consequence of disobedience which we will learn about next week.

God says it is not good for man to be alone. So God wants to make a helper fit for him. (Prov. 31:11, 1Cor. 11:9, 1Tim. 2:13) So out of the ground he forms the beasts and birds and He brings them to Adam and Adam names them which shows his authority or dominion over them. But God did not like Adam having no mate of his own so he puts him into a deep sleep and makes a mate from his rib. (1Cor. 11:8, 12, 1Tim. 2:13) Here we see the first surgery ever performed and it was done by the Great Physician. God's name is Jehovah-rapha ~ the God who heals. (Ps. 107:18:21, Ps. 147:3, Is. 53:3, Is. 19:22, 1Peter 2:24-25) Do we believe that God can still heal and perform a miraculous surgery?

God creates woman and brings her to Adam which shows marriage (Heb. 13:4). Adam names her woman because she was taken out of man. In Hebrew the word for woman and wife is the same word, Isha or Ishsha and the word for man and husband are the same, Ish. Naming her shows his headship over woman but the two are one flesh (Eph. 5:31) Man leaving his father and mother for his wife means that they make a family of their own and he no longer lives for the mother and father but for the wife. This does not mean we shouldn't still honor our parents but put our husbands and wives first. Remember ladies, we were created to be the husbands help meet, a help as his counterpart. We are one flesh and created equal in the sense that we are God's children but we are under our husbands authority so therefore we are to submit to his authority. (Eph. 5:22). Honor, respect and love your husbands ladies and it will go well with you.

Next weeks homework is Genesis chapter 3. God bless all of you. I am praying for you. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to leave a comment.