Scattering the Nations

                              
                                              Sunday School Lesson
                                     
Lesson: Genesis 11:1-9                                                                                                 
Golden Text: “So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city” (Genesis 11:8). 

I.  INTRODUCTION.  The principle of scattering holds a prominent place in the pages of Scripture.  In the New Testament, the young followers of Jesus Christ were scattered because of persecution (see Acts 8:1-4).  In this week’s lesson, God scattered the descendents of Noah, because they were committed to dwelling in one place instead of replenishing the whole earth (see Genesis 9:1).  In both cases, God used the principle of scattering to fulfill His will.

II. MANKIND SETTLING DOWN (Genesis 11:1-4).  Background for the Lesson: Genesis chapter 10 gives a detailed record of the descendents of Noah’s sons through whom the world would be repopulated after the Flood.  Verses 1-5 detail Japheth’s family, with a conclusion given in verse 5 that “By these (Japheth’s descendents) were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.”  Verses 6-20 detail Ham’s family, concluding with “These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues (languages), in their countries, and in their nations (See Genesis 10:20).  The record of Shem’s family is found in Genesis 10:21-31, and is summarized with “These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations” (see Genesis 10:31).  Then the entire record is concluded with the statement that “by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood” (see Genesis 10:31).  In other words chapter 10 chronologically should come after Genesis 11:9.  Men were not divided by tongues and nations until after the events of our lesson.  Therefore Genesis chapter 10 gives the earliest division of men after the confusion of tongues, and before the division of the earth into continents and islands which took place in the days of Peleg (see Genesis 10:25).  Based on the information given in chapter 10 (which should come after Genesis 9:1-11), we can conclude that after God confounded or confused the language of the immediate descendents of Noah’s sons, Japheth’s descendents settled in the north, west and east of Europe and in Asia; Ham’s descendents settled in Africa; and Shem’s descendents settled in countries surrounding Palestine. 

A. Dwelling in Shinar (Genesis 11:1-2). 
1. (vs. 1). Our lesson begins with “And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.”  Since we are told in Genesis 10:25 that the earth (meaning the descendents of Noah’s sons) was divided in the days of Peleg, at this point in our lesson it had been at about 100 years since the Flood (see Genesis 10:18-19).  The phrase “whole earth” refers to the people who survived the Flood as well as their descendents.  They all spoke the same language.  We don’t know what human language was spoken before and after the Flood. The view shared by many is that it was a Semitic language, maybe even Hebrew since the names of men and places in the period before Babel have meanings only in Hebrew and similar Semitic languages. 
2. (vs. 2).   This verse says “And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.”  In defiance of God’s command given first to Adam and Eve and then to Noah and his sons to “be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth” (see Genesis 1:27-28; 9:1), there was a movement to consolidate the human race in one central location.  Note: All of Noah’s descendents were still in the area of Ararat where the Ark finally rested after the flood waters subsided (see Genesis 8:4).  They made up the human race at that time.  There were no humans anywhere else on earth until God confounded their language and scattered them throughout the earth.  From this area of Ararat, the human race travelled eastward until they came to “a plain in the land of Shinar” which was in Southern Mesopotamia in what is known as the Fertile Crescent.  It was near the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers where many believe was the location of the Garden of Eden since the land was so fertile.  “The land of Shinar” eventually became the region of ancient Babylonia.  Upon finding this “plain” the people stopped travelling and “dwelt there.”   The Hebrew words for “dwelt there” mean “to sit down” indicating that the human race settled “in the land of Shinar” having no intentions of going any further.  Their decision to remain there and build a great civilization indicated that these people had decided that they were not going to fulfill God’s command to multiply and fill the earth.
B. Planning a tower (Genesis 11:3-4).
1. (vs. 3).  With the people now settled in the plains of Shinar, Moses goes on to write “And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.”  Noah’s descendents were determined to build a city and a tower (see verse 4), so here we are told how they planned to do it.  They said “Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly.  The words “Go to” can mean “come on.”  They decided to make bricks for the building project.  They would “burn them thoroughly” meaning that they would bake the bricks in a kiln.  Sometimes the process of making bricks involved baking them in the sun, but burning them in a kiln would make the bricks stronger and longer-lasting.  Stones would normally be used for a project like this, but in the area of Shinar stones were not readily available so they made bricks.  The “slime” they used instead of “morter” refers to bitumen or asphalt that can still be found in that area (now Iraq) bubbling out of the ground.  The “slime” used in those days was so strong that even today it’s almost impossible to separate things found cemented with it.
2. (vs. 4).  In this verse we are told “And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.”   With the bricks, Noah’s descendents were determined to build both a “city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven.”  The reason they wanted to build this city and tower was to “make us a name” or make a name for themselves.  They believed that the city and tower would unite them, and prevent them from being “scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.”  They deliberately decided to rebel against God’s command to replenish the earth with people.  Of course this would include scattering all over the earth.  Note: If the tower had any practical purpose besides bringing glory to the builders, it is not stated in Scripture.  It’s obvious however, that the tower was not built to honor and glorify God.  The building of the tower and the city was an act of rebellion against the true God. We see in this plan that mankind’s basic sinful nature had not changed even though God, through the Flood had devastated the earth, and destroyed all life with the exception of Noah, his family and the animals aboard the ark.  We also see in this incident disobedience at work.  God’s direct command to replenish the earth was disobeyed and man’s desire to stay together with one name and in one place was evidence that they didn’t honor the direct will of God.  They probably believed the covenant that God made with Noah not to destroy the earth by water again, but they neglected to realize that our all powerful God has other means of judgment at His disposal.  No matter what we may choose to do, we cannot change God’s direct will.  As far as God was concerned, mankind was going to replenish the earth one way or another, but His will would be done. 
III. GOD DISRUPTS MANKIND (Genesis 11:5-9)
A.  God’s observation (Genesis 11:5-6). 
1. (vs. 5).  Now that the people’s thoughts had turned to preserving and promoting themselves, Moses writes “And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.”  The phrase “the Lord came down to see” does not mean that God wasn’t aware of what was going on and had to investigate.  Of course, God doesn’t have to investigate to know what’s going on in His universe.  God was well aware of what the people were doing, but for our benefit the text describes Him as coming down from heaven to earth to have a look.  This is an anthropomorphic statement, one that uses human terminology to describe what God does.  The words “children of men” is a reference to the descendents of Noah’s sons who now lived in the land of Shinar (see verse 2) and made up the human race.  
2. (vs. 6).  After stating that God came down to see what the people were doing, Moses now writes “And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.”  The Lord saw that the people were still together as “one” and they all shared “one language” causing them to do the opposite of what He had commanded them to do.  God knew that what they were doing in building a tower and a city had great potential for more evil.  The phrase “and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do” simply means that since they were united by “one language,” mankind could accomplish anything they set out to do, and nothing could restrain or hold them back from completing whatever they wanted to do.  Note: Judging by God’s response to this effort, this was an attempt by the people to elevate themselves, perhaps like Satan’s declaration that “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High” (see Isaiah 14:14).
B. God’s decision (Genesis 11:7).  Now, the Lord had a conference with Himself so to speak.  God said “Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.”  Just as the people talked among themselves and had decided what they were going to do, so the Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost decided “let us go down.”  The words “let us” are the same words God spoke in Genesis 1:26 when He said “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.”  This was a reference to the Trinity just as it is in this verse.  The phrase “let us go down” is another anthropomorphic statement applying human language to what God does.  God is everywhere and didn’t have to leave heaven to come down to earth.  Briefly stated, the Lord’s plan was to “confound their language.”  Confusing their language would make it impossible for the people to understand one another and also destroy their efforts to defy the Lord.  We can imagine how bewildered these individuals were as they tried to find someone else with whom they could communicate.  As they found others who they could understand, no doubt the forming of separate groups took place naturally. 
C. God’s action (Genesis 11:8-9). 
1. (vs. 8).  This verse says “So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.”  The immediate result of God confusing the people’s language was that “the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth.”  In doing this, the Lord made sure that His commandment given after the Flood to replenish the earth would be fulfilled. Once the human race began to scatter, the city and its tower were no longer needed, so they “left off to build the city” meaning that they halted the construction.  Since the people couldn’t effectively communicate to each other, it became obvious to them that this project would be a complete disaster, so they stopped.  Note: With the confusing of the languages, various groups developed who spoke the same language, thus also developing different cultures.  These separate and unique groups of people who now spoke different languages traveled together and settled in other parts of the world.  This was the beginning of the fulfillment of God’s command for man to replenish the earth.
2. (vs. 9).  Our final verse says “Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.”   The word “Therefore” connects what God did when He confounded human language to the name given to the city they attempted to build.  It was called “Babel” which means confusion.  The city later became Babylon.  Again we are told that the Lord scattered the human race “abroad upon the face of all the earth.”  Thus the beginning of nations was not the result of chance.  Nations came about as the result of God’s intervention.  Note: The original intent of the builders was to construct something that would make a name for themselves.  Instead, the name given to this city commemorated God and what He did when He confounded their language. What took place at Babel is a lesson for all of us, and a warning against deciding to live our lives contrary to God’s will.  We can’t win when we fight against the clear commands of God; it’s always a losing battle, whether during our lifetime, or in the time of coming judgment in the future.

               

IV. Conclusion.  Fallen man is inclined toward evil.  This week’s lesson documented man’s rebellion at Shinar and his scattering from Babel.  We have seen that disobedience to God’s expressed will leads to moral decline and more overt forms of rebellion.  God simply would not tolerate the disobedience and rebellion He saw in the human race after the Flood.  He will not tolerate disobedience today either.  He didn’t allow the sinfulness of mankind to reach the levels it had reached prior to the Flood.  Instead, He stepped in and put an end to the direction they were going.  Whenever God stops us like that, we should be thankful.
                                                                                                              
    



                                              

An Everlasting Covenant

                                                                  Sunday School Lesson                                         

Lesson: Genesis 9:8-17
                                                                                                 
Golden Text: “And I will establish my covenant with you, neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth” (Genesis 9:11).

 INTRODUCTION.  God created the whole world and people to inhabit it.  When Adam and Eve chose to sin so much changed.  Man’s sin caused a major divide between God and humanity.  Because of sin’s downward spiral, God decided it was time to start over again.  He knew there was one man, Noah, who “found grace in the eyes of the Lord” because he was a righteous man (see Genesis 6:8-9); so God spared Noah and his family from the devastation of the punishment---the Flood.  After Noah, his family, and the animals left the ark, the world they saw was fresh and new.  God made a covenant with Noah.  A covenant is a pledge, a binding agreement.

II. A COVENANT ESTABLISHED (Genesis 9:8-11).  Background for the Lesson: After man and woman were evicted from the Garden of Eden, they began to replenish the earth as God had commanded by giving birth to Cain and Abel and Seth (see Genesis chapter 4).  Chapter five gives us the genealogy of Adam down to Noah, the son of Lamech.  We are then told that Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham and Japhet.  Chapter six records that soon men began to multiply on the face of the earth (see Genesis 6:1).  Before long, society degenerated to the point that “every intent” of the thoughts of man’s heart “was continually evil” (see Genesis 6:5).  Instead of living responsibly as persons created in the image and likeness of God, people existed as beasts (sound familiar?).  The situation was hopeless, causing God, like a parent whose children have gone bad, to mourn for them.  The Lord was sorry that He had created man and was grieved in his heart (see Genesis 6:6).  He would now destroy everything He had created except for Noah and His family (see Genesis 6:7).  God then tells Noah that He is going to destroy man “with the earth” (see Genesis 6:13) and directs him to build an ark for his family and two of every kind of animal because He would bring a flood upon the earth, and Noah obeyed (see Genesis 6:14-22).  Chapters 7 and 8 give the details of the Flood.  After the Flood waters receded, God gave guidelines for Noah and his family just as He had done with Adam.  They were to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth with people.  Noah was also given dominion over the animal world and the freedom to eat meat instead of just vegetation.  However, man was restricted from eating meat that still contained blood (see Genesis 9:1-5).  God also instituted capital punishment, giving men the authority through human government to take life in cases of murder (see Genesis 9:6).  We must remember that these instructions God gave to Noah were for all mankind, not just Jews, because Noah was not a Jew.  The Jewish nation had not been established at this time.      

A. The covenant was with Noah and his descendents (Genesis 9:8-9). 
1. (vs. 8).  This verse simply says “And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying.”  God spoke directly to Noah and his three sons, Shem Ham and Japhet (see Genesis 5:32).  Only they and their wives along with Noah and his wife were preserved during the flood.  It was through these eight people that the earth would be repopulated.  What God was about to say was intended for all of their descendants.
2. (vs. 9).  Having the attention of Noah and his sons, God said “And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you.”  God would make a “covenant” with Noah, his sons and “your seed after you” which is a reference to all of their descendents including you and I.  Note:  Again, we must not forget that everyone who has inhabited the earth since Noah and his family are the descendents or “seed” of this family.  Noah and his family were simply human beings: they were not Jews or any other race of people.  A “covenant” is a formal agreement, or contract between two parties in which certain obligations are specified.This covenant in our lesson is known as the Noahic Covenant, and it is an unconditional covenant.In other words, the obligations specified in it are dependent upon God and Him alone.Noah had no specified obligations in the covenant. Note: In the Scriptures there are two types of covenants, conditional and unconditional.  In a conditional covenant both parties have obligations within the covenant.  For instance, the Mosaic Covenant is a conditional covenant.  God’s fulfillment of all the promises of the Mosaic Covenant is conditioned upon Israel’s obedience as implied by the words “…if ye will obey…then ye shall be…” (see Exodus 19:5-8).   Basically, in a conditional covenant, God says “If you will…then I will…”  If the second party fails to keep their part of the covenant, God does not have to keep His part.  But in an unconditional covenant, only God is responsible for keeping the covenant.  For instance, the Abrahamic Covenant is an unconditional covenant.  In it God declares simply, “I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee…and I will bless them that bless you and curse them that curse you…” (see Genesis 12:2-).  Keeping the covenant is dependent on God alone.  Abraham was not required to do anything.         
B. The covenant was with all living creatures (Genesis 9:10).  Not only was the covenant with Noah and his descendents, God said that it was also “with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth.”  Every creature that came out of the ark would be under this covenant or agreement.  While animals don’t have eternal souls as people do, they are God’s creatures and He is concerned about them (see Matthew 6:25-26).
C. The covenant has a specific promise (see Genesis 9:11).  In this verse, God continues to say “And I will establish my covenant with you, neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.”  God now confirms the central feature of His covenant that makes it unconditional---“neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.”  In other words, God declared that never again would the earth or all the life upon it be destroyed by a flood.  He didn’t promise that there would not be any more floods, but rather that a universal flood would never again cut off “all flesh” and devastate the entire earth.  The Flood in Noah’s time was a onetime event.  Note: This does not mean that God will never destroy the earth again; however, the next time it will be done with fire instead of water.  It should be noted that God’s covenant did not rule out any future judgments.The phrase“While the earth remaineth” (see Genesis 8:22) implies that this earth was not intended to be eternal.  The Day of the Lord is coming and it will be severe with the earth being destroyed not by water, but by fire (see II Peter 3:10-12).  Some scholars maintain that even though the flood in Noah’s day was severe, it was a local flood; meaning that it only occurred in a small area of the earth. But what God promised raises serious problems for that belief.  If “earth” in this verse merely means land in a certain area, God would have broken His promise many times, because large land areas have often been devastated by floods.  In addition, “all flesh” (both human and non-human) would have had to have lived only on a small portion of the earth, for they all were destroyed (see Genesis 7:21-23). 
III. A COVENANT EXPLAINED (Genesis 9:12-17)
A.  The sign of the rainbow (Genesis 9:12-13). 
1. (vs. 12).  This verse tells us “And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations.”  As a guarantee that He would fulfill this covenant that He made with Noah and his sons, God gave a “token” or sign, that would be a reminder to earth dwellers of God’s faithfulness to His covenant.  This “token” or sign was intended for “every living creature” that was with Noah and his sons and even “for perpetual generations” meaning generations to come.   
2. (vs. 13).  God continued to say “I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.”  The sign that God would be faithful to keep His covenant “between me (Him) and the earth” would be the “bow in the cloud.”  This of course refers to the “rainbow.”  God told Noah that the “bow” or rainbow would be a visual reminder of His promise to never flood the whole world again.  Note: Whether rainbows first appeared at this time or were merely given a new significance is a matter of debate.  It is possible that God took an already familiar phenomenon to mankind and gave it a higher purpose.  On the other hand, it’s possible that the atmospheric conditions were permanently changed after the Flood, and that rainbows became visible for the first time.  For example, Scripture tells us that no rain fell at the beginning of creation and makes not mention that any fell at any time before the Flood.  In fact, prior to the Flood, the earth was watered not by rain, but by a heavy mist (see Genesis 2:5-6). The rainbow is a bonus for us after a rainstorm.  We don’t always see it, for we are not always in the proper position or conditions may not be just right.  A rainbow is caused by the reflection and retraction of the sun’s rays as they hit falling rain, mist or watery spray.  Since no rain had fallen before the Flood (see Genesis 2:5), no rainbow was needed.  Now, after a rain, when clouds clear away, light refraction shows the marvelous rainbow.  Noah and his family may have been afraid that if rain began to fall again, another opening of “the windows of heaven” (see Genesis 7:11) was coming and another huge flood was on the way.  Seeing the rainbow would remove those fears.   
B. The creation of the rainbow (Genesis 9:14-15). 
1. (vs. 14).  In this verse, God went on to say “And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud.”  God further stated that whenever He brought a cloud over the earth after a rain, the “bow shall be seen in the cloud.”
2. (vs. 15).  The Lord continued to say “And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.”  God put the rainbow in the sky as a reminder to mankind of His promise.  But He also stated that the rainbow would be a reminder to Him as well of His covenant between Him, man and every living creature.  Again, the Lord restated His covenant that “the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.”  In other words, when the rainbow appears in the sky, it would remind Him of His promise not to destroy the earth by water again.  If a tremendous rainstorm occurred again, this could cause great fear in man, so it was important for him to be assured that the earth would not be destroyed by water again.  Note: The question may arise as to why God would need to be reminded of His covenant promise since He knows everything.  The writer, Moses is here speaking of God using an anthropomorphism, or a human quality to describe God.  In order to help the reader better understand God, the writer uses language that would cause the reader to better relate to God.   
C. The reminder of the rainbow (Genesis 9:16-17). 
1. (vs. 16).  The keeping of this covenant promise was so important to God that He repeated it again saying “And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.”  Once again the Lord reassured Noah and his sons that the rainbow was a reminder to Him as well as to them, and that it included “every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.”  However, this time God referred to the covenant as the “everlasting covenant.”  As stated earlier, this is an unconditional covenant (see commentary on verse 9) for all living creatures and it has no ending time.  It was unconditional because Noah had no conditions to meet in keeping the covenant; it was all God’s responsibility. 
2. (vs. 17).  Our final verse says “And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.”  Here God once again reassures Noah that the rainbow is the “token” or sign that He will not destroy the earth by water again and that the covenant was between God and all flesh that will ever inhabit the earth, including animals.    
                   
IV. Conclusion.  Every time we see a rainbow in the sky, we should be reminded that it is a sign that God will never again send a universal flood to devastate the earth and destroy mankind.  The rainbow is therefore a reminder to mankind of God’s marvelous grace.  It behooves every believer to personalize the significance of the rainbow.  Upon seeing one, we should also think of God’s love, mercy, and grace in giving us salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ.
v

Knowledge of Good and Evil

                                                            Sunday School Lesson
                                            
Lesson: Genesis 3:8-17, 22-23;
                                                                                                 
Golden Text: “And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken” (Genesis 3:22-23).

INTRODUCTION.  One of the hardest lessons to learn is to admit when we are wrong or that we are to blame.  The old blame game has been around for a long time.  In fact, it started with Adam and Eve, and many of us are guilty of playing it as well.  The Scripture for this week’s lesson tells us about the first pair of humans and how they started the blame game.  As we study this text we will see how that went.  Their behavior is the heart of the lesson.  

 

II. EXPOSING THE SIN (Genesis 3:8-13).  Background for the Lesson:  Moses is the author of the Book of Genesis and in the background for our lesson, he writes that after creating man, God placed him in the Garden of Eden to “dress it and keep it” (see Genesis 2:15).  God then told Adam that he was free to eat from any tree in the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. If he did, he would surely die (see Genesis 2:16-17).  Commenting that it wasn’t good for man to be alone, God took one of his ribs during a deep sleep and made woman and brought her to Adam, thus officiating the first marriage (see Genesis 2:18-24).  Chapter 2 ends with the statement that both Adam and Eve were naked and not ashamed which emphasized their innocence.  The serpent is introduced in Genesis 3:1 and he proceeds to entice Eve to eat of the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  Eve then gave it to Adam and he also ate of the fruit.  As soon as Adam ate, we are told that their eyes were opened and they realized that they were naked and sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves (see Genesis 3:1-7).  This is where our lesson begins.

A. God calls to Adam (Genesis 3:8-9). 

1. (vs. 8).  After making aprons to cover themselves this verse says “And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.”  All of a sudden their shame from being naked quickly turned into fear when the guilty couple “heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden.”  The word “voice” here more likely means “sound.”  The Lord is pictured here as walking around in the garden.  This may be figurative language to describe His presence or an indication of a theophany---an appearance of God in human or angelic form (see Genesis 16:7-13; 18:1-33; Judges 6:12-16).  Note:  A theophany is any direct, visual manifestation of the presence of God.  The key word is visual, since God reveals His presence and power throughout the Bible in a variety of ways.  But even in a theophany a person does not actually see God Himself because this is impossible according to Exodus 33:20; I Timothy 6:16 and I John 4:12.  Theophanies are most prominent in the Old Testament where God’s presence is manifested in the “Angel of the Lord.”  Whenever, this Angel appears He makes promises that only God can make.  He never speaks for God, but always says “I will…” speaking as God Himself.  The way God’s presence in the garden is introduced implies that walking in the garden was something God did regularly.  It’s noteworthy that Adam and Eve immediately recognized God’s presence probably because of past experiences with Him.  The phrase “in the cool of the day” refers to the time of the day when breezes would normally come up which was probably the evening.  Prior to this, Adam and Eve had enjoyed their encounter with their Maker; now however, they “hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.”  Sin had made the difference!

2. (vs. 9).  Here Moses writes “And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?”  The phrase “the Lord God called unto Adam” is an anthropomorphic (meaning giving God human qualities) way of describing God as calling out to Adam as if He couldn’t find him.  God called out to Adam asking “Where art thou?” not because He didn’t know where he was, but because He wanted Adam to think about what he was doing.  Of course God knew very well exactly where they were.  The question “Where art thou?” is always God’s invitation to sinners to take stock of their lives.  God loved Adam and Eve just as he loves us today.  He is not willing that any one of us should perish, yet many run and try to hide.

B. God’s question for Adam (Genesis 3:10-11).

1. (vs. 10).  Realizing that he was busted, so to speak, Adam answered God’s question.  He said, “I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.”  Adam gave the weak explanation that he hid in fear because he was naked.  This reason seemed logical in Adam’s now sinful mind.  Prior to his disobedience, Adam’s nakedness had not been a problem during his meetings with God, but it was a weak excuse now.  The truth is, his nakedness had never been a problem until guilt and shame entered his life as a result of sin.

2. (vs. 11).  God then asked Adam “Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?”  Adam had been without clothes since the beginning, and until now he considered that condition to be normal.  So God asked “Who told thee that thou wast naked?  God was really asking Adam who had put the idea that nakedness was abnormal into his mind.  Of course no one had told Adam this.  The idea of being ashamed of his nakedness came from within Adam himself as a result of his disobedience, and his new sinful nature.  God questioned Adam further, “Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?”   God knew that the only possible explanation for Adam’s fear and shame was directly connected to his eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  The intent of God’s question was to drive Adam to admit his guilt.  But unfortunately, that would not be the case.  God wants people to acknowledge their sinful condition and confess their sins.  Then He is more than willing to forgive them, cleanse them, and give them another chance (see I John 1:9). 

C. God’s question for Eve (Genesis 3:12-13).  

1. (vs. 12).  In response to God’s question, Moses writes “And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.”  At this point another characteristic of the sinful heart arises---an attempt to transfer blame from oneself to someone else.  Adam told God that “The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.”  Adam admitted that he had eaten the fruit, but he refused to take full responsibility for the deed he knew was wrong.  For some reason the hardest words in the English language seem to be “I was wrong.  Will you please forgive me?”  Undoubtedly this was hard for Adam to say in whatever language he spoke, because he immediately pointed the finger at Eve instead of accepting responsibility for his actions.  When Adam said “The woman whom thou gavest to be with me” he was blaming God as well.  The implication was that if God had not given him this woman, he might not have disobeyed.  Earlier Adam had been delighted with the partner God had given him (see Genesis 2:23), but now that they had become partners in sin, there was no more talk of “bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh.”  Instead he implied that God’s creation of woman was flawed.  In his sinful condition, Adam forgot about all the benefits of God’s gift of woman, and it also revealed that he lacked love for both God and Eve.

2. (vs. 13).  God now probed the accusation Adam had made against his wife.  This verse says “And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.”   When God asked Eve “What is this that thou hast done?” He was giving Eve a chance to confess and seek His forgiveness.  Eve, like her husband attempted to shift some of the blame from herself.  She said “The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.”  Again like Adam she admitted that she had eaten the fruit, but she refused to carry the full responsibility for doing so.  She blamed the serpent that had “beguiled” or deceived her.Note: There is a joke among people to say “The devil made me do it” when faced with a wrongdoing.In Eve’s case that’s exactly what she said when she blamed the serpent.  Satan had used the serpent to tempt Eve.The truth is that no one made anyone sin in this whole account.  And in the overall scheme of things, no one can make anyone sin; it’s a choice.The devil has no power over the believer to make him or her sin (see I John 4:4), however he can influence one to sin (see Acts 10:38) but it still remains a choice.

III. PUNISHING THE SIN (Genesis 3:14-17, 22-23)

A.  A curse on the serpent (Genesis 3:14-15).  

1. (vs. 14).  Now it was time for the Lord to issue His judgment.  He began with the serpent.  Moses wrote “And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life.”God’s judgment affected all the animal life, but the serpent was “cursed.”The curse included crawling “upon thy belly” which implies that the serpent originally was an upright creature.The serpent was also cursed to eat dust, or crawl with his mouth close to the ground, all the days of his life. 

2. (vs. 15).  Still speaking to the serpent, the Lord went on to say “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”  In pronouncing this curse on the serpent, God was actually talking to Satan, stating “I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed.”  The phrase “enmity” comes from a root word that means “enemy.”  Eve’s offspring would begin with Cain and continue throughout all humanity.  Satan’s offspring include the demons who followed him in his rebellion as well as people who reject God and make Satan their “father” (see John 8:44).  Ultimately Eve’s seed would be Jesus and Satan shall “bruise his heel.”  This took place at Calvary when Christ was crucified.  At that time Satan was only able to bruised Christ’s heel.  Satan and his seed will continue to be the enemies of God’s people and God Himself, until Christ returns to “bruise thy (Satan’s) head” defeating him and casting him into the lake of fire (see Revelation 20:10).  Christ’s final victory over Satan would be just like a fatal blow to one’s head.

B. New difficulties for Eve (Genesis 3:16).  In this verse, Moses writes that God turned to Eve and said “I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.”  Eve’s punishment for her involvement in sin would be great pain and sorrow during childbirth or the labor process.  Childbearing for the woman would not be the joyful event it could have been had they not sinned.  The phrase “and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee” seems to mean that the woman would crave her husband’s attention while he exercised authority over her.  Because of sin and the curse, the man and the woman will face authority struggles with each other in their relationship.  Sin has turned the peaceful God ordained roles into distasteful struggles of self-wills.

C. Toil and pain for Adam (Genesis 3:17).  Now God turns to Adam “And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life.”  Since Adam had deliberately disobeyed the command God gave to him personally, the Lord said “cursed is the ground for thy sake.”  Because of Adam, the earth itself would be cursed for “Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field” (see Genesis 3:18).  Because of Adam’s sin, the earth would produce thorns and thistles which it didn’t produce before the Fall.  God also said that “in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life.”  In other words, getting food had once been an effortless delight, now it would be a toilsome and painful process as long as Adam lived (see Genesis 3:19).  Of course the curse continues unto this day.

D. Drastic change of environment (Genesis 3:22-23).

1. (vs. 22).  After passing judgment on Adam and Eve and the serpent, Moses writes “And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever.”  The phrase “the man is become as one of us” means that God spoke to the Son and the Holy Ghost stating that since man had eaten of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, he had become like them.  God never wanted His precious creation to have an intimate knowledge of evil, sin, pain, or death.  Notice that God said “The man is become as one of us, to know good and evil.” Before Adam and Eve’s sin, only our omniscient Lord knew what evil was, but He didn’t partake of it.  God wanted Adam and Eve to only know goodness, righteousness, and peace. When they sinned, evil became an inseparable part of the human experience.  Since Adam and Eve were not able to resist the temptation to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they could not be trusted to remain in the presence of the tree of life.  If they ate of the tree of life as sinners they would live forever, but separated from God forever.  Living forever in a state of sin means forever trying to hide from God, and that’s not living.  Note: While these words from Genesis present a rather painful picture of the origin of human sin, we should be encouraged by the goodness of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Without Christ, mankind does not only know about evil, mankind is enslaved to it. However, trusting in Christ as Saviour, and being born again provides fallen man with freedom. Through Christ we are liberated from the bondage of evil and have the power to obey God. What a beautiful message of deliverance!

2. (vs. 23).  In our final verse Moses wrote “Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.”  Since Adam and Eve could not be trusted to remain in the garden without eating of the tree of life, God put them out of the Garden of Eden so there would be no possibility of them eating of that tree and living forever as sinners separated from God.  Once expelled from Eden, Adam would fulfill the curse placed upon him to “till the ground from whence he was taken.”  Note: If we think that being thrown out of the Garden of Eden was harsh treatment, then we are missing the presence of God’s grace and mercy.  If Adam and Eve were allowed to stay in the garden in a sinful state they would live forever, separated from God with no way to get back to Him.  This would be the same as eternal death.  But by putting them out, God was giving them a chance to be reconciled to Him which would be fulfilled in Jesus Christ.  Genesis chapter 3 ends with verse 24 which is not part of our printed text.  In that verse, we have the first mention of angels.  Cherubim were set in place to guard the tree of life which will appear once again in the New Jerusalem (see Revelation 22:1-2). 

                                       

IV. Conclusion.  We often blame others for leading us into sins in order to remove our guilt.  Not until we confess our sins and recognize our own responsibility for them will we find God’s forgiveness and joy in life.  Do you remember your most serious encounter with sin?  Sin is rebellion against God and it produces devastating results.  It may seem attractive at first, but sin brings bitterness in the end.  Solomon spoke the truth when he said “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death (see Proverbs 16:25).
                                                       

Created Male and Female

                                                                   Sunday School Lesson                               

Lesson: Genesis 2:18-25;                                                                                                 
Golden Text: “And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him” (Genesis 2:18). 

INTRODUCTION.  In these modern times we live in, the natural and normal relationship between man and woman has been distorted by society.  The normal sexual relationship has been perverted in the minds of many to something sinful and discouraging to the sincere Christian.  We can only recover the right viewpoint by learning how God established the human relationship at the time of Creation.  When God created mankind as male and female, He also established their relationship.  This was not only the right relationship; it was also the most rewarding and fulfilling of all possible relationships.  Although it has been perverted by sin, it is still God’s pattern for mankind. 
II. ADAM BY HIMSELF (Genesis 2:18-20).  Background for the Lesson: In Genesis chapter 1we have the steps by which God created the heavens and earth and prepared the earth for mankind (see Genesis 1:1-25).  When everything was ready, God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (see Genesis 1:26).  Before creating man, God took counsel with the words “Let us.”  Some have concluded that by using the plural “us” God was consulting with angelic beings.  This is highly unlikely, because angels don’t have the power to create; they are created beings themselves.  Instead, the use of the word “us” refers to the Trinity, for all three persons of the Godhead were present at the creation (see Job 33:4; Psalms 104:30; Colossians 1:13-16).Genesis 1:27-28 are summary statements that are expanded on in chapter 2 from which comes our lesson text.  However, in Genesis 1:27 Moses writes that “in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”  The reference to humans as “male and female” signifies that neither sex is complete without the other.  Life resides in the male and female, and only through their physical union can life be reproduced.  God’s plan for human life therefore, leaves no room for homosexual relationships (see Romans 1:26-27).  In verses 28-30 God commands the created couple to “be fruitful and multiply,” and also gave them dominion over the created order.  In chapter 2:1-3, Moses writes that after God finished the creation, He rested on the seventh day and sanctified it.  Verses 4-6 tell us that the garden was watered by a “mist from the earth.”  Verses 7-17 give details for the formation of man from the “dust of the ground, the presence of both the “tree of life” and the “tree of knowledge of good and evil,” and God’s direction to Adam that he could eat from any tree in the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  If he ate of that tree he would “surely die.”    
A. Adam’s need (Genesis 2:18).  Our lesson text begins with “And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.”  Throughout the creation process God had declared everything He made to be good (see Genesis 1:10, 12, 18, 21, 31).  But now God says that “It is not good that the man should be alone.”  In other words God declared that man’s solitary existence was “not good.”Note: This statement does not contradict the statement in Genesis 1:31 that the entire creation God made was “very good.”   Chapter 2 simply expands on how God created humanity.  The creation of woman occurred on the sixth day which was before God’s observation that everything was “very good.”  Man’s solitary existence or being alone was considered “not good” because God had created him for physical, social, and spiritual union with another.  His life would be incomplete without that union.  In addition, man could not be fruitful and multiply by himself.  Knowing Adam’s need, the Lord also declared, “I will make him an help meet for him.”  The word “meet” means corresponding to, or a counterpart, and here it seems to mean someone suitable, fitting, or like Adam.  God was saying that He would make man a helper who was like him.  Woman is man’s counterpart.  She is agreeable to him physically, mentally, and spiritually.  God didn’t make someone of lesser quality to be with Adam.  He made someone comparable to him.  God knew Adam needed someone equal and compatible.  Note: In God’s plan, the woman was absolutely necessary.  While many cultures today devalue women and treat them as owned property or worse, in God’s eyes they have always been valuable and loved and deserving of respect from the opposite sex.  Man needs her and she is in every way his equal.
B. Adam’s decision (Genesis 2:19).  This verse says “And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.”  Moses writes that after God made animals and birds out of the ground, He “brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them.”  Notice that God didn’t command Adam to name them; He merely observed what he would call them.  The very act of naming God’s creation shows that Adam was an intelligent being.  By naming the animals, Adam was asserting his authority over them.  He was exercising dominion over creation just as God had commanded him to do (see Genesis1:26).  Then we are told that “whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.”  This implies that Adam no doubt, watched the animals closely noting their habits and then gave them names to reflect the nature.
C. Adam’s solitude (see Genesis 2:20).  In this verse, Moses makes a summary statement of Adam’s act of naming the animals.  He wrote “And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.”  This summary lets us know that Adam successfully completed the job that God had given him.  There were three categories of animals that Adam named: (1) “all cattle” which in Hebrew refers to large four-footed animals and are considered to be animals that can be tamed or used to assist people in field work (2) “fowl of the air” of course refers to flying animals and (3) “beast of the field” which identifies those animals that live in the wild and are not generally tamable.  In the last phrase of this verse, Moses comments on the fact that “but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.”  Adam observed the animals as being male and female no doubt causing him to realize that he had no companionship.  He was the only created being that was truly alone.  This experience probably served to emphasize the vacuum in Adam’s life and to increase his appreciation for his mate when God finally gave him one.
III. ADAM WITH A COMPANION (Genesis 2:21-25)
A.  God’s work (Genesis 2:21-22). 
1.(vs. 21).  Here Moses writes “And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof.”  In preparation for what God would do next, He “caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept.”  This was not ordinary sleep.  It was a supernatural induced unconsciousness.  Indeed God used this sleep for an anesthetic purpose in order to keep Adam unconscious while He “took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof.”   The word “rib” can mean “side” but here it surely refers to a “rib” since God is said to have taken “one of” them (see Genesis 2:21).  While Adam “slept” God took one of his ribs and then closed him up again.
2. (vs. 22).  This verse says “And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.”  Using the rib that He had taken from Adam, God “made he a woman.”  Eve was a direct creation of God, but unlike man, she was made of tissue from a living being.  She was not made a separate being from the earth in the way Adam was, nor was she made from any other existing beings.  Eve was made directly from Adam, indicating intimacy and oneness.  The Hebrew word translated “made” means “built.”  It implies that God used some effort in fashioning the rib into a woman.  The fact that God exerted His power to do this testifies to how important He considered the finished product to be.  Note: The dignity of womanhood was established not only by the fact that God made her from the man but also by the part of man from which she was formed.  She was not formed from his head (indicating superiority) nor was she formed from his foot (indicating inferiority), but she was formed from his side, signifying equality.  She would be Adam’s perfect companion.  The order of the creation, first man and then woman, has significance as well.  If God had wanted to, He could have shaped them both at the same time from the earth.  The significance of the order in which man and woman were created, according to the Apostle Paul, was God’s way of establishing an order of authority in the family and ultimately in the church (see I Corinthians 11:3, 8-9; Ephesians 5:22-24; I timothy 2:12-13).  This order does not deny woman’s equality with man any more than the order of the Trinity negates Christ’s equality with the Father (see I Corinthians 11:3).  In both cases, there is subordination, but this does not mean inferiority (see John 5:18; 10:30; Philippians 2:6).  After God formed Eve, He “brought her unto the man.”In doing this, God placed His enthusiastic approval and blessing on the union of husband and wife.Marriage of man and woman is not a human invention, it was willed by God, and He officiated at the first wedding. Note: Adam and Eve were to be the basic unit of mankind, one man and one woman for life.This is the natural and normal course of life for human beings.  Romans 1:18-32 details what can happen when mankind rebels against God, especially regarding relationships.  God cannot bless sin in any form.  He will not bless relationships that go against His clearly expressed will.
B. God’s will (Genesis 2:23-24). 
1. (vs. 23).  After God brought the woman to the man, Moses writes “And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”  When Adam saw the woman, he saw someone just like him, yet different.  He then said “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh.”  She was like him and compatible with him because she was formed from his own body.  Adam called his partner “Woman because she was taken out of Man.”  This statement contains a play on the words for “man” and “woman.”  We don’t know what words Adam actually used because we don’t know what the original language was like.  However, in writing this statement in Hebrew, Moses used the words “ish” which means man and “ishah” which means woman.  The similarity of the words can be seen in both Hebrew and English.  It seems clear that whatever words Adam used, he called his mate by a name that signified her likeness to him.  This was appropriate “because she was taken out of Man.”
2. (vs. 24).  This verse draws a conclusion with the words “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”  This statement was not made by Adam because any reference to leaving father and mother was totally foreign to him since he did not yet know what “father” and “mother” meant.  This statement was parenthetical, added by Moses to explain marriage practices to Israelites of a later generation.  The word “Therefore” indicates that what happened in the previous verse led to the conclusion stated in this verse.  In other words, the relationship that a man and woman are to have in their marriage is based on this first union between Adam and Eve, which was a union established by God.  As a result, “a man (shall) leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife.”  In other words, in marriage, a man leaves his father and mother to seek the intimacy of an even stronger relationship, one established by God when He formed woman from and for the man.  Note: The idea of leaving one’s father and mother does not negate the biblical command that a man should honor his parents; it means that while he continues to honor them, his first priority will now be to his wife.  The concept of cleaving carries the thought of clinging and adhering to someone.  A man is to stick to his wife above all others, including his parents.  Husbands and wives are considered to be one flesh, meaning that they are so completely joined together that they make up one totally united whole.  Children are a great blessing from the Lord, but a parent should never put a child ahead of his or her spouse, as long as both parents are involved in caring for the children and operate as a unit.  One of the greatest sources of security for any child is knowing that their father and mother love each other dearly and that nothing will ever separate them.  In the marriage union the man and the woman “shall be one flesh.”  This means that in sexual union and personal identification, they are fulfilling the purpose for which they were created.  Moses stressed this monogamous relationship for Israel at a time in which polygamy had become common.  Jesus used the same statement to stress another point, that when God established the “one flesh” relationship through marriage, He established a permanent relationship.  Divorce is dissolution of the marriage.  God said in Malachi 2:16 that He hates divorce.  In His eyes, the putting away of one’s spouse is an indication of unfaithfulness to marriage vows. Therefore, man or woman should never break the bond God created in Eden.  God never advocates divorce; it arises out of the hardened hearts (see Matthew 19:3-8).  However, if a person is in an abusive relationship and the abuser refuses to seek help, guided by wisdom the one being abused has the right to determine whether they will remain in the relationship or end it.
C. Man’s innocence (Genesis 2:25).  Our final verse says “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.”  Moses added one more detail to show the perfection of the union God had formed.  He wrote that “And they were both naked… and were not ashamed.”  In their perfect environment “the man and his wife” didn’t need any clothing for warmth; but more importantly, they felt no shame in their naked condition.  There was no reason for shame.  Earth’s first couple faced no anxiety regarding their nakedness.  Shame arises from guilt and since Adam and Eve had done no wrong, they experienced no shame.  Only when sin robbed them of their innocence did they seek clothing to cover up their newly discovered inadequacies (see Genesis 3:7).  Note: Hebrews 13:4 says that “marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.”  Nakedness before one’s mate is not embarrassing within the bonds of marriage, but should be embarrassing in any other type of relationship.  Noah’s son Ham saw him naked and as a result Ham’s son Canaan was cursed (see Genesis 9:22-27).  Under the Mosaic Law, which came later, God gave Israel a more clearly defined policy about looking on unclothed people (see Leviticus 18:6-30).One can surely imagine that in nakedness Adam and Eve stood staring at each other in total amazement.  It can be said that the two of them were literally “made for each other.”
                                   
IV. Conclusion.  Before the Fall, Adam and Eve were innocent and there was no shame in their relationship.  They complemented each other completely.  In Adam and Eve, the high standard for marriage had been established once and for all.  God had created them both, and they now had become one flesh and were to cleave to each other.  All that time they were both naked and unashamed.  Marriage was God’s idea.  Through a monogamous, heterosexual relationship God planned the procreation of children.  The family, based on their creation foundation, was God’s plan for a human race that would obey His commands and glorify Him.
                                                                                                              
   

God Created All

                            

                                                            Sunday School Lesson                                            

Lesson: Psalms 104:5-9, 24-30                                                                                          

Golden Text: “O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches” (Psalms 104:24).

INTRODUCTION.  As Christians, our commitment to the authority of God’s Word and to His authority in the universe is often being questioned and opposed by the world.  The theory of evolution claims that everything we see in the world came from nothing for no particular reason.  But based on the Bible, Christians believe that God created the world and mankind out of nothing for the purpose of displaying His grace, His mercy, and all of His magnificent attributes.  This week’s lesson builds on this theme and leads the psalmist to enter into praise and worship.

II. WHAT GOD DID (Psalms 104:5-9).  The Lesson Background: The author of Psalms 104 is unknown, but many scholars attribute it to David especially since it begins the same way as Psalms 103 which was a psalm of David.  The theme of Psalms 104 is appreciating God through His creation. He not only creates, but He also maintains His creation.  This psalm is also a poetic summary of God’s creation of the world as found in Genesis chapter 1.  After calling on his soul to bless or praise the Lord, because He is very great and full of honor and majesty, the psalmist in verses 2-4 speaks of God’s creation of the heavens and the angels.    

A. The initial creation (Psalms 104:5-6). 

1. (vs. 5).  In this first verse of our printed text, the psalmist continues His praise to God saying “Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.” It’s quite possible that the writer had Moses’ words in mind, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (see Genesis 1:1).  When Job struggled with the problems that God allowed Him to go through, God questioned him about the foundations of the earth.  God asked Job, “Where was thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?” (see Job 38:4).  But how should we understand the promise that the earth “should not be removed for ever”?  No doubt the psalmist meant that the earth will serve the purpose for which God intended for it before it is destroyed.  The destruction of the earth will come to pass (see II Peter 3:10-11), but not before the Creator’s purpose for it has been fulfilled.  At that time God will create a new heaven and earth (see Revelation 21:1).  

2. (vs. 6).  Still speaking of the earth, the psalmist here says “Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains.”  When the earth was created it was covered with water (see Genesis 1:2).  The term “deep” refers to the water that covered the earth. Land didn’t appear until the third day of creation.  Even though there were mountains, they were not visible because “the waters stood above the mountains” thus covering them until God determined to uncover them.

B. The movement of the water (Psalms 104:7-8).

1. (vs. 7).  Now referring to the waters that covered the earth, the psalmist says here that “At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away.”  In other words, God commanded the waters to withdraw and “they fled.”  This was done so that the dry land could appear (see Genesis 1:9-10).  The vivid language in this verse draws attention to God’s authority and power.  Large bodies of water are powerful, but God could “rebuke” them and “they fled.” Likewise, the thundering noise of the surf is nothing when compared to the“voice of thy (God’s) thunder” which when heard, the waters were quick to obey God’s command and “hasted away” or quickly withdrew to reveal the land.  Note: The words in this verse are truly convicting because they remind us of how slow we are to obey God.  The inanimate creation quickly responded to God’s command.  Shouldn’t we be as responsive to His written Word, the Bible?  When we are obedient to His Word we will experience great joy and happiness.  But the farther we stray from following the Bible the more miserable we will be.  Our desire should be to always see how close we can stay to God’s Word instead of trying to see how far away from it we can go and get away with it.  Trust me, it won’t be very far!

2. (vs. 8).  Still referring to the waters, the psalmist writes “They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them.”  This simply means that the waters, during the creation and in obedience to God’s command, flowed up over the mountains, then went down into the valleys, and came to their appointed places, where God set a limit against any further movement.

C. The water containment (Psalms 104:9).  Continuing to speak about the waters during creation, the psalmist said “Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.”  This verse gives us another reason to praise God for it tells of His might in restraining the power of the oceans.  The phrase “Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over”means that God has set limits, or borders that the oceans cannot go beyond.In the last part of this verse the psalmist stated that God set the boundaries for the waters or seas so “that they turn not again to cover the earth.”  Some Bible scholars believe that this verse refers to the Noahic Flood, focusing on the fact that the waters will “not again…cover the earth.”  However, this interpretation does not fit the whole structure of this psalm dealing with the original creation. It’s quite possible that the psalmist was thinking of both the creation and the Flood, but as we have noted, psalm 104 is a poetic commentary on Genesis chapter 1.Since this psalm is about God’s power during the creation, it is best to understand verse 9 in light of the Creation.  At that time water covered the earth until God commanded it to fall into its appointed places forming the seas. God gave these seas boundaries and they will never be allowed to go beyond those boundaries to cover the earth again.   

III. WHAT GOD CONTINUES TO DO (Psalms 104:24-30).  Verses 10-23 which are not part of our printed text, speak of God’s provision for animals (see verses 10-14, 16-18, 21) as well as for man (see verses 15, 23).  The moon and sun, both created on the fourth day are mentioned in verses 19-20, 22.   

A.What God has done in the earth (Psalms 104:24).  Now in this verse the psalmist says “O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.”  The psalmistthought about the multitude and variety of the creation causing him to say “OLord, how manifold are thy works! The word “manifold” speaks of many kinds; numerous and varied.  In His wisdom, God created a multitude of creatures, giving us plenty of varieties to enjoy.

B. What God has done in the sea (Psalms 104:25-26).

1. (vs. 25).  As an example of God’s works in the seas, the psalmist wrote “So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.”  The “great and wide sea”may be a reference to the Mediterranean Sea, but could include all the seas that the psalmist was familiar with.  The seas are full of creatures both large and small.  There are many varieties of creatures in the seas.  There have been estimates of more than 24,500 species of fish in the oceans.  Of course we will never know just how many species there are, but they vary from very small to extremely large.

2. (vs. 26).  In the seas, the psalmist said that “There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.”  Ships sail on the large seas which are occupied by “that leviathan, whom thou (God) hast made to play therein.” The word “leviathan” means “the twisted one.”  We don’t know exactly what the “leviathan” was but in the context of the creation, it was probably a very large sea animal, either a whale or a crocodile that enjoys the seas God has placed it in. 

C. What God has done in providing food (Psalms 104:27-28).

1. (vs. 27).  Speaking of the animals that inhabit the seas, the psalmist wrote that “These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season.” Every created thing is dependent on God for sustenance.  The phrase thou mayest give them their meat in due season” simply means that God gives every creature exactly what it needs when it is needed.

2. (vs. 28).  Continuing his thought on God’s provision, the psalmist writes “That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.”   As a provider for His creatures, the psalmist describes the Lord as opening His hand to provide for them.  The creatures in turn gather what God gives them and they eat and “are filled with good.” Note: God shows the same kind of care and concern for His people (see Psalms 103:2-5; Matthew 6:25-26).  We are to so trust Him for our needs that we don’t worry about them at all.  Philippians 4:6 tells us not to be anxious or worried about anything.

D. What God has done in superintending life (Psalms 104:29-30).

1. (vs. 29).  In this verse, the psalmist speaks of all creatures particularly of the animal world when he says “Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.”  For sure, humans become“troubled” and worried when they believe that God has turned away from them.  Truth is, He never turns away from us, but our sins turn us away from Him causing Him to hide his face.   God also controls every breath.  The psalmist said that “thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.”  The psalmist was speaking within the context of the animal world, but this is also true of every human being.  Birth, life and death are universally under the complete control of our sovereign God.  The very life of all creatures, both animal and human is dependent on God and He can take away a creature’s breath at which point it dies and returns to dust (see Job 34:14-15; Ecclesiastes 12:7).

2. (vs. 30).  In the final verse of our text the psalmist writes “Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.”  The word translated“spirit” here refers to wind or breath. The Holy Spirit is described as a “rushing, mighty wind” (see Acts 2:2). The psalmist was keenly aware that God sends His Spirit and animals, including humans are created.  At creation God breathed the breath of life into the nostrils of man and man became a living soul (see Genesis 2:7).  He continually renews the “face (or look) of the earth.”  In other words, every new person or animal continues to replenish and repopulate the earth.

                           

IV. Conclusion.  We will never understand from this side of heaven how God created matter and the physical universe.  Nor will we ever understand how God created and put in place forces such as magnetism, light, and gravity that keep our planet positioned in outer space.  But it would take a much larger leap of faith to believe that the world and all it contains created itself for no reason out of nothing.  One thing is for sure, everything that we see was created out of nothing as God spoke it all into existence.  If the truth be told, it takes much less faith to believe that an all powerful, intelligent God with great and gracious purposes in mind created everything we see than it does to believe that everything came into existence by a big bang.  God will use everything that He has created for His purposes until His magnificent plan of redemption is completed.