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.