Genesis 1-3: Adam and Eve

 

1.Was the world created in 6 literal days or were the days here measured as 1000 years some believe is suggested in Psalm 90:4 and 2 Peter 3:8?
a) Many believe these scriptures mean we cannot know the answer to this question. To me Psalm 90:4 is very clear in its meaning. When Moses says a thousand years is like yesterday, he is stating that God remembers the days of creation as clearly as we remember yesterday. In 2 Peter 3:8, Peter is stating that God remembers all His promises, no matter how long ago they were made. Neither changes the meaning of the days listed in the story of creation. So, yes, the world was created in 6 literal days.
2. What or where is the firmament described in day two of creation?
a) Genesis 1:6-7, Genesis 1:14, and Genesis 1:17 describe the firmament as being the heavens, where God placed the sun, moon and stars, so we can be sure that it is either the universe or the galaxy.
b) Genesis 1:20 shows that birds fly across the face of the firmament of the heavens, which again would signify the firmament would be the universe or galaxy.
3. In Genesis 1:8 is this referring to heaven where God is? It is capitalized as if it were the name of a place.
a) No. The word heaven is capitalized in 1:8 solely because this is when the heavens were named. The words day and night are also capitalized in Genesis 1:5, as are Earth and Seas in Genesis 1:10.
4. Was man created carnivorous?
a) No. Man, bird and beast were all created herbivores according to Genesis 1:29:30. Permission to eat meat is not clearly stated by God until after the flood in Genesis 9:3.
b) Some believe Abel sacrifices a sheep to the Lord means they must have eaten meat. There is no evidence stating before the flood that sacrifices to the Lord were later eaten as mentioned in other books of the bible.
5. What day were Adam and Eve created? Were they created in the garden of Eden?
a) Adam was created on the sixth day. Adam was created in Eden but not the garden (Gen. 2: 15). Eve was created an undetermined amount of time later in the garden of Eden (Gen.2:22) after Adam gave names to all the animals. It was also long enough for God to decide Adam needed a mate (Gen. 2:20-33).
6. Who voiced the first lie in Eden?
a) Eve told the first lie in Eden. When the serpent asked Eve if God indeed said, “you shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”, Eve replied, “We may not eat the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’” In reality, God commanded Adam that he may not eat of it in Genesis 2:16. He said nothing about touching it.
b) The serpent was guilty of temptation and a lie by omission. I say only a lie by omission because if he added the words ‘if you touch it’, his statement “you will not surely die” would be true. The serpent was also guilty of trying to make God seem selfish and trying to hide something from Adam an Eve. In truth He was trying to keep the knowledge of good and evil from them so that wasn’t really a lie either. This is a perfect example how Satan can and does use partial and manipulated truths to blind and confuse us.
7. In Genesis 3, Satan is referred to as a serpent. Did serpents walk upright?
a) The Bible doesn’t answer this directly, but it shows that the serpent either walked or flew. Genesis 3:14 shows that part of the curse God placed on the serpent was that from then on it would have to slither on its belly instead of walking.
8) Did God create man to fail?
a) No, God did not create us to fail. He created us with free will because He wanted to be a just god. He didn’t want anyone to love Him because they had to. If He didn’t create a situation from the beginning of time where man had to choose good or evil, how would there be free choice? From the very beginning we have had choices to make. God has never forced us to choose one way or the other. He did clear the playing field during the flood, yes. But He gave us new choices after that and clearly made a covenant with us.
9,.What do verses Genesis 3:8-13 teach us?
a) God created us all pure, naked and unashamed. Through sin we grow soiled and ashamed. We try to hide from the Lord but He always sees the true us. The good and the bad.
b) We have to take responsibility for our own actions. No matter how cleverly we try to hide it or blame it on others, the Lord sees through it.

A question to ponder:
Why do we assume the fruit Adam and Eve ate was an apple? There is no evidence in the bible to suggest it was. Some say it is more likely they ate grapes off of a grape tree. Think about this:
Jesus is sometimes called the Second Adam. If Adam fell by the fruit grapes, wouldn’t it make sense that we would also be saved by the grape?

The person who tries to lead others to sin (or teaches the Bible falsely) is judged harsher than the one he taught.
Unbeknownst to me before doing this blog, there are actually many lessons to learn in the story of Adam and Eve. I am sure I missed some, so please share your questions and I will see if I can find answers, or maybe someone else can.

God bless!