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Creation: God-“breathed” • Psalm 33:6,9 – “By the breath of His mouth the heavens were made... He spoke, and it was done ...” • Ps. 148:5 – “He commanded and they were created” (context vs.1-4: heavens, sun, moon, stars) • Heb. 11:3 – “The worlds were framed by the word of God...” (“…we understand this by faith”) • Literal of Ps. 104:30 – “You send forth Your breath, they are created” (context: vs. 1-29 all of His works)
Why Marriage? • Man & Woman: – As singles great diversity • As indiv. image/likeness of God – In marriage potential for great unity • Unity in diversity • Reflects the Trinity • Marriage was created in the image and likeness of the Trinity
Importance of names • Gen. 2:19 – “Whatever Adam called each creature, that was its name...” • Gn. 2:23 – “She shall be called woman” – God honors names – Because God honors names, our names have value – Our names represent who we are • When we name our children, God & everyone else calls them by what we name them (with some exceptions) • Names can build up or destroy
• Which way -- God’s way? or “I will do what I want!” • Cain’s offering rejected
Why Did God Reject Cain’s offering? • • • • • • •
NOT that it was a grain offering (Lev. 2) Gn. 4:3 – No moral comment on his off. Gn. 4:4 – Abel brought the firstborn Heb. 11:4 – Abel: faith, righteous, more excellent offering than Cain I Jn 3:12 – Cain: evil works, wicked Jude 11 – Don’t be like Cain – evil Gn. 4:5-6 – Cain was angry
Adam & Eve & Cain • They all sinned • None of them showed evidence of any repentance... – Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed serpt. – Nothing is said about Adam & Eve’s response after being ordered to leave the garden – Cain’s response: only sadness about his punishment
Gen. 5 Genealogy • 687 65 Methuselah 969 • 874 187 Lamech (“destrctn”) 777 ** Adam alive until 930; Lamech 8th genr. • 1056 182 Noah 950 • 1558 502 Shem (etc.) 600 • 1656 FLOOD Noah – 600, Shem – 98 • Methu. 182(L) + 187(N) + 600(F) = 969 • M - “the year of my death, IT will come” • Who named M? Posb. his dad – Enoch!
Gen. 5 & 11 Genealogy Noah lived 350 years after the flood Shem lived over 500 years after flood Abraham is born 292 years after flood, Isaac 392 years after, Jacob 452 yrs aft. • Noah lives until Abraham is almost 60 years old (10 generations after him) • Shem lives until Jacob is about 50 years old (12 generations after him) • Adam Methuselah Shem Jacob • • •
• Nimrod & Tower of Babel – Beginning of centralization – Expression of vast pride • God maintains control of history – Confuses language – Works for liberty – Opposes tyranny • Herodotus, 450 BC: Babel debris 10+ miles long & 200+ feet high; formed Babylon wall