AGENDA – AND GOD SAW THAT IT WAS GOOD

OPENING PRAYER - Heavenly Father, we thank you for this opportunity to read and study Your Word. Please guide our thoughts and open our hearts to understand the truths You want to reveal. In Jesus' name, Amen.
READ THE SCRIPTURE ALOUD – “CREATION - In the beginning when God created the …..
POINT OF INTEREST - On the sixth day of creation, things are described as "very good." What makes this day different? A “good” and a “very good” on the 6th day. Good for the animals, very good for the humans. All of God’s work is done right, time for a nap!
READ THE SCRIPTURE ALOUD – “GARDEN OF EDEN - In the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens…. 
YOU ARE HERE - The serpent changes the words of God just a bit. Look back at the previous page to see exactly what God says about the tree. How do the serpent's words compare With what God says to the man? What might this say to us about listening carefully to God? God says don’t eat or you will die; serpent says you will not die; you will just become like God. Temptation or sin is very powerful – when we try to rationalize our behavior, sin wins.
YOU ARE HERE - When God asks the man and the woman about their behavior, the first thing they do is try to shift responsibility by blaming others. Does this resonate with your life? When we sin, and we know when we do, our natural reaction is to think it is not my fault.
QUESTIONS FOR THE JOURNEY
1.	The Bible tells the story of creation in two different ways. What might this tell us about the nature of creation? What might it tell us about the Bible? 
Genesis 1 (The Cosmic, Priestly Account)
Structure: A highly structured, seven-day creation account that moves from formless matter to a complete and ordered cosmos. 
Focus: God's power and the deliberate arrangement of the universe. 
Order of creation: Light, sky, land, plants, celestial bodies, sea and flying creatures, land animals, and finally, humanity (male and female). 
Humanity: Created last, in God's image, and created as male and female together. 
Genesis 2 (The Narrative, Yahwistic Account)
Structure: A more intimate and narrative story that focuses on the creation of a single human and the Garden of Eden. 
Focus: God's direct and personal relationship with humanity. 
Order of creation: A single man (Adam), then plants, then animals, and finally a woman from Adam's rib. 
Humanity: Adam is created first, and animals are created to be his companions before God creates Eve from one of his ribs.
2. According to Genesis 2, the human is put in the garden with a purpose: to till it and keep it. What does this suggest about the relationship between humans and the earth? We are to care for the earth that God created. What does this passage suggest about the relationship between humans and animals? We are responsible for their well-being.
3. Before God sends the people out of the garden, he makes clothes for them. How does this act of tenderness relate to the punishment immediately preceding? God is a forgiving and a loving God. What might we learn about God from this action? Nothing can separate us from God’s love.
4. Sin is often defined as "separation from God." Although the word sin doesn't appear in the Bible until later, Adam and Eve's actions in this story are traditionally seen as the entrance of sin into the world. What does this story reveal about the nature and impact of sin? “Genesis tells us that God created everything that is, and it was good. We were created out of love and for the purpose of loving one another and returning God’s love. The Creator is God the Father. Over time the power of sin and selfishness created a gap between the Creator and the created. The only way to bridge the gap was for God to become one with his creation, and Jesus Christ, the Son of God came into the world as a much more personal self-revelation. So, although sin tried to end the life of God’s very personal message of forgiveness and love, it remains as alive and real and powerful as ever in what we call God’s Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit within each one of us is what transforms us into the Church, the Body of Christ.” David Bane.
5. In this chapter, we hear the Bible's story of how the world began. How might this story complement and enhance scientific explanations for the origin of the universe? While science explains how the universe came to be through natural processes, the biblical narrative offers a deeper perspective on the why—addressing questions of meaning, purpose, and humanity's place within creation. A common approach to harmonizing these two perspectives is to understand the Genesis creation account through the lens of its original theological purpose, rather than treating it as a modern scientific or historical text. 
Theological message, not scientific details: The core message of the biblical story is that God is the sole Creator, bringing order from chaos and life from emptiness. It does not aim to provide a process-oriented or geological history of the Earth, which were not concerns for the ancient Hebrew authors. 
A polemic against paganism: The creation narrative was written to counter the polytheistic myths of neighboring ancient Near Eastern cultures. By asserting one God as the Creator, it declares that the sun, moon, and stars are not deities but created objects, demystifying and desacralizing nature. Literary genre and symbolism: 
The first chapter of Genesis is written in a poetic, structured style, suggesting it was not meant as a literal report. The six-day structure, for example, conveys a sense of divine order and completion, culminating in the Sabbath rest, rather than providing a 144-hour timeline for the universe's formation.
NEXT STEPS 
• We have another account of creation in the Bible: It's in the Gospel of John. Read John 1 in the Bible. What connections do you see between John 1 and Genesis 1? John 1 and Genesis 1 are connected through the theme of creation through God's Word. Genesis describes God speaking the universe into existence, while John identifies Jesus as the "Word" who was present "in the beginning" and was the agent of that creation. John builds on Genesis by revealing that this Word, Jesus, is both the Creator and the one who later "took on flesh and dwelt among us" to redeem the creation.
Shared creation theme - "In the beginning": Both texts begin with this phrase. Genesis states that "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1), while John states, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1).
God's Word as Creator: Genesis shows God creating through divine speech (e.g., "God said, 'Let there be light'"). John reveals that the eternal "Word" (Jesus) is the agent through whom all things were made.
• Look at the two stories in this chapter about the creation of humans and pay careful attention to the words used. What does each story tell us about what humans are like? What is their relationship to God? What is their relationship to one another? The connection to redemption - From divine Word to human form: Genesis sets the stage for creation, but it is John's Gospel that explains how that creation became broken through human sin. John then presents Jesus as the Word who not only created but also came to Earth to redeem it.
The Word takes on flesh: John explains that the Word, who existed with God from the beginning and was the instrument of creation, "became flesh and made his dwelling among us" (John 1:14). This is presented as the next step in God's plan to renew and redeem his creation.  
CLOSING PRAYER - Lord, thank you for this time of study and for Your Word. As we leave, please help us to carry the truths we've learned into our daily lives and to live out Your teachings. May we continue to grow in faith and reflect Your love to others. Amen.