Chronological Life Application Study Bible Sampler - Book - Page 9
BEGINNINGS
undated–2100 BC
GOD’S CHOSEN FAMILY
2100–1800 BC
BIRTH OF ISRAEL
1800–1406 BC
POSSESSING THE LAND
1406–1050 BC
UNITED MONARCHY
1050–930 BC
SPLINTERED NATION
930–586 BC
A. The Beginning of Creation
We sometimes wonder how our world came to be. But here we find the answer. God created the earth
and everything in it, and made humans like himself. Although we may not understand the complexity
of just how he did it, it is clear that God did create all life. This shows not only God’s authority over
humanity, but his deep love for all creation.
The Account of Creation
he separated the light from the darkness. 5God
called the light “day” and the darkness “night.”
And evening passed and morning came,
marking the first day.
GENESIS 1:1–2:4a
In the beginning God created the heavens and the
earth.* 2The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God
was hovering over the surface of the waters.
3
Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was
light. 4And God saw that the light was good. Then
6
Then God said, “Let there be a space between the
waters, to separate the waters of the heavens
from the waters of the earth.” 7And that is what
happened. God made this space to separate
Gn 1:1 Or In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, . . . Or When God began to create the heavens and the earth, . . .
Gen 1:1 The simple statement “God created
the heavens and the earth” is one of the
most challenging concepts confronting the
modern mind. The vast galaxy we live in is
spinning at the incredible speed of 490,000
miles per hour. But even at this breakneck
speed, our galaxy still needs 200 million
years to make one rotation. And there are
over one billion other galaxies just like ours
in the universe.
Some scientists say that the number of
stars in creation is equal to all the grains of
sand on all the beaches of the world. Yet this
complex sea of spinning stars functions with
remarkable order and efficiency. To say that
the universe “just happened” or “evolved”
requires more faith than to believe that God
is behind these amazing statistics. God truly
did create a wonderful universe.
God did not need to create the universe;
he chose to create it. Why? God is love, and
love is best expressed toward something or
someone else—so God created the world
and people as an expression of his love.
We should avoid reducing God’s creation to
merely scientific terms. Remember that God
created the universe because of love.
Gen 1:1ff The creation story teaches us much
about God and ourselves. First, we learn about
God: (1) He is creative; ( 2) as the Creator, he
is distinct from his creation; ( 3) he is eternal
and in control of the world. We also learn
about ourselves: (1) Since God chose to create
us, we are valuable in his eyes; ( 2) we are
more important than the animals. (See Gen
1:28 for more on our role in the created order.)
Gen 1:1ff Just how did God create the
earth? This is still a subject of great debate.
Some say that with a sudden explosion, the
universe appeared. Others say God started
the process and then the universe evolved
over billions of years. Almost every ancient
religion has its own story to explain how the
earth came to be. And almost every scientist
has an opinion on the origin of the universe.
But only the Bible shows one supreme God
creating the earth out of his great love and
giving all people a special place in it. We
may never know exactly how God created
ORIGIN OF THE UNIVERSE
The Bible does not discuss the subject of evolution, but its worldview assumes
God created the world. The biblical view of creation is not in conflict with science;
rather, it is in conflict with any worldview that starts without a creator.
Equally committed and sincere Christians have struggled with the subject of
beginnings and come to differing conclusions. This is to be expected because
the evidence is very old and quite fragmented, due to the ravages of the ages.
Polarizations and black-and-white thinking should be avoided. Students of the
Bible must be careful not to make the Bible say what it doesn’t say, and students
of science must not make science say what it doesn’t say.
The most important aspect of the continuing discussion is not the process of
creation, but the origin of creation. The world is not a product of blind chance
and probability; God created it.
The Bible not only tells us that the world was created by God, but more
importantly, it tells us who this God is. It reveals God’s personality, his character,
and his plan for his creation. It also reveals God’s deepest desire—to relate to
and fellowship with the people he created. God took the ultimate step toward
fellowship with us through his historic visit to this planet in the person of his Son,
Jesus Christ. We can know in a very personal way this God who created
the universe.
The book of Genesis begins with “God created the heavens and the earth.”
The heavens and the earth are here. We are here. God created all that we see
and experience. Here we begin the most exciting and fulfilling journey imaginable.
the earth, but the Bible tells us that God did
create it. That fact alone gives worth and
dignity to all people.
Gen 1:2 Who created God? To ask that
question is to assume there was another
creator before God. At some time, however,
we are forced to stop asking that question
and realize that there has to be something
that has always existed. God is that infinite
Being who has always been and who was
created by no one. This is difficult to understand because finite minds cannot comprehend the infinite. For example, we can try to
think of the highest number, but we can’t do
it. Likewise, we must not limit the infinite God
by our finite understanding.
Gen 1:2 The statement “the earth was
formless and empty” provides the setting for
the creation narrative that follows. During
the second and third days of creation, God
gave form to the universe; during days four
through six, God filled the earth with living
beings. The “darkness” was dispelled on the
first day, when God created light.
Gen 1:2 The image of the Spirit of God
hovering over the surface of the water
is similar to a mother bird caring for and
protecting its young ( see Deut 32:11-12;
Isa 31:5). God’s Spirit was actively involved
in the creation of the world ( see Job 33:4;
Ps 104:30). God’s care and protection are
still active.
Gen 1:3–2:7 How long did it take God to
create the world? There are two basic views
about the days of creation: (1) Each day
was a literal 24-hour period; ( 2) each day
represents an indefinite period of time ( even
millions of years).
EXILE
586–538 BC
RETURN & DIASPORA
538–6 BC
Then God said, “Let the waters beneath the sky
flow together into one place, so dry ground may
appear.” And that is what happened. 10God called
the dry ground “land” and the waters “seas.” And
God saw that it was good. 11Then God said, “Let
the land sprout with vegetation—every sort of
seed-bearing plant, and trees that grow seedbearing fruit. These seeds will then produce the
kinds of plants and trees from which they came.”
And that is what happened. 12The land produced
vegetation—all sorts of seed-bearing plants,
and trees with seed-bearing fruit. Their seeds
produced plants and trees of the same kind.
And God saw that it was good.
13And evening passed and morning came,
marking the third day.
14
Then God said, “Let lights appear in the sky to
separate the day from the night. Let them be
signs to mark the seasons, days, and years. 15Let
these lights in the sky shine down on the earth.”
And that is what happened. 16God made two great
lights—the larger one to govern the day, and the
The Bible does not say how long these
days were. The real question, however, is
not how long God took, but how he did it.
God created the earth in an orderly fashion
(he did not make plants before light), and he
created men and women as unique beings
capable of communication with him. No other
part of creation can claim that remarkable
THE CHURCH
AD 30–present
smaller one to govern the night. He also made
the stars. 17God set these lights in the sky to light
the earth, 18to govern the day and night, and to
separate the light from the darkness. And God
saw that it was good.
19And evening passed and morning came,
marking the fourth day.
the waters of the earth from the waters of the
heavens. 8God called the space “sky.”
And evening passed and morning came,
marking the second day.
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JESUS CHRIST
6 BC–AD 30
20
Then God said, “Let the waters swarm with fish
and other life. Let the skies be filled with birds of
every kind.” 21So God created great sea creatures
and every living thing that scurries and swarms in
the water, and every sort of bird—each producing
offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it
was good. 22Then God blessed them, saying, “Be
fruitful and multiply. Let the fish fill the seas,
and let the birds multiply on the earth.”
23And evening passed and morning came,
marking the fifth day.
24
Then God said, “Let the earth produce every sort
of animal, each producing offspring of the same
kind—livestock, small animals that scurry along
the ground, and wild animals.” And that is what
happened. 25God made all sorts of wild animals,
livestock, and small animals, each able to produce
offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it
was good.
privilege. It is not important how long it took
God to create the world, whether a few days
or a few billion years, but that he created it
just the way he wanted it.
Gen 1:6 The “space between the waters”
was a separation between the sea and the
mists of the skies.
Gen 1:25 God saw that his work was good.
People sometimes feel guilty for feeling good
about an accomplishment. This need not be
so. Just as God felt good about his work,
we can be pleased with our work when it is
well-done. However, we should not feel good
about our work if God would not be pleased
with it. What are you doing that pleases both
you and God?
Animals
Animals are mentioned throughout the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Animals figured into many important biblical events, including
the Creation, the fall of man, the Flood, the ten plagues in Egypt, and the life of Jesus Christ. The people of both the Old and New Testaments lived close to the land and were well acquainted with various animals, which explains why the Scripture writers and Jesus
himself frequently used animals as object lessons.
Present-day biologists classify animals based on internal and external structures, but in the creation account animals are classified
by habitat. Thus, Genesis 1 speaks of water and air animals (Gen 1:20-21); cattle or domesticated animals—that is, animals that live
with humans (Gen 1:24); animals that scurry along the ground (Gen 1:24); and wild animals (Gen 1:24). When God made animals,
they became living souls (having nephesh—the Hebrew word translated “life” in Gen 1:20, 30). The same word is used in Genesis 2:7
to describe the human being God made; that is, the man became a living soul (nephesh). Both animals and humans are nephesh—
that is, they are living souls. Human beings are different from animals in the sense that we have “spirit” (ruach) and we bear the
image of God (Gen 1:27).
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