BIBLE STUDY GUIDE
TEXT AND QUESTIONS FOR STUDY





"When I look at 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, and the son of man that you care for him?" (Psalm 8:3-4)?



Genesis 1:6-2:3 Text


6 And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. 8 And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day. 9 And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. 11 And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day. 14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. 16And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. 17 And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day. 20 And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” 21 So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day. 24 And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. 25 And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.



The Seventh Day, God Rests

CHAPTER 2
1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.




Genesis 1:6-2:3 Questions


Please note. By reading the meditation associated with this text you will find many answers to the questions. However, the most important thing to do is to remain on the text, meditate on it until you can formulate your own answers. When interacting with the text we are interacting with the ultimate author of the text, the Holy Spirit.

If you wish to discuss these questions and interact with others then please join our online Bible group. If you wish to discuss these on a one-to-one basis then please contact us.




Verses 6-25

  1. Is there a pattern in these verses?

  2. What do you notice by way of repetition? Make a list of those words that are repeated.

  3. Do you get the impression that God is interested and actively involved in his creation or do you see him as distant and indifferent?

  4. Can you make a list of what is created day by day?

  5. What is the focus on in these verses? Do you think Genesis is giving us a scientific account of creation? Why or why not?

  6. How would you describe the relationship God has with his creation? What, in these verses, helps us to understand this?

  7. God calls or names elements of creation. What does this tell us about the relationship between God and his creation?              

  8.  Do the verses John 1:1-5, Colossians 1:15-18, and Hebrews 1:1-3 add anything to our understanding of the creation story?  




    9. Verse 26



  9.  What does the word 'dominion' mean?

  10.  How do most people exercise 'dominion'?

  11.  How should a Christian exercise dominion or authority over creation?

  12.   Is the way a Christian exercises power over creation dependent in any way on his relationship with God?

  13. How does God relate to his creation? How does he exercise dominion over it and over us? 

  14. What happens to the relationship between man and creation when he rejects a relationship with God?




    15. Verse 27


  15. In whose likeness did God create mankind? What does this mean?

  16. What is the nature of God? Does he have a physical body like ours? (see John 4:24)

  17. So in what way do we resemble God?

  18. What is man's role in the created world?



    19. Verse 28


  19. Why do you think that handing over creation to the dominion of man was mentioned both before his creation in the likeness of God and immediately after? Do you think being in the image of God would reflect the attitude of God for his creation?

  20. What distinguishes God's relation to man compared to his relation with the other inanimate elements of creation? Is the fact that God speaks to man an indication of a special relationship?

  21. His word creates elements of nature but God's word is a means for establishing a relationship with man. Is this significant in any way?

  22. What is the blessing of God? Why does God bless man but not the other parts of creation?

  23. What was God's first commandment to man? Is this commandment a restriction on man? Is it in man's interests? Can the same be said of all of God's commandments?



    Verses 29-30


  24. In this verse what does God make man aware of when he says 'behold'? (v. 29)

  25. What is the most frequently used word in these two verses?

  26. What need of man is God catering for in these two verses?

  27. What characterises God's relationship to man from these two verses?

  28. What should characterise man's attitude to God? What should man realise?

  29. Man receives everything from God. Can man be independent of God? Can he be self-sufficient?

  30. What virtue should these two verses encourage in man?




    31. Verse 31



  31. What was God's judgement on what he created? Is everything perfect?

  32. Why did God not create a perfect universe?

  33. On the basis of the command to subdue the earth and on the fact that everything is good but not perfect does man have a similar role to God in the creation of the world? Should he collaborate with God in perfecting the world? How can he do this?

  34. Before there was no order in the universe. What does this verse introduce?




    35. Verse 2:1-3


  35. Why is the seventh day important?

  36. What did God do when his creative word was finished?

  37. What day is the seventh in the Old Testament? What, then, is the first day of the week?

  38. What important lesson does God provide us with by refraining from all work on the seventh day?

  39. What is the importance of rest? Physical rest? Spiritual rest?


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Genesis 1:6-2:3 Meditation Part 1


Genesis 2:7-9, 2:15-25 Bible Study Text and Questions  >  >  >   




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