The text for this lesson is Genesis 1:1–2:3.
Key Point
- God made the world in six days by the power of His Word. All creation is God’s blessing to us.
- Law: God requires that I believe that He is the only true God, the Creator and Sustainer of the world.
- Gospel: God gives me faith to believe that He created the earth and heavens, and He continues to provide me with all that I need to sustain this body and life, including forgiveness for my sins, through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Discussion Points
- “I just can’t believe that God could create the world in six twenty-four-hour days! How could that be possible? The Genesis story simply couldn’t be true.” How would you respond to a friend who said that?
- Compare Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1–4. Was “the Word” in existence at the time of creation? Who is “the Word” that John refers to (see John 1:14)? In Genesis 1:3, we learn that God said, “Let there be light,” and there was. Who spoke those words? Read John 8:12. What kind of light was given through Him (see John 1:4)?
- In Genesis 2:2–3, we learn that God rested from His work, setting apart the seventh day of the week as a Sabbath, a day of rest. Read John 5:17–18. In what ways does God continue to work in the creation to this very day? How could Jesus violate the Sabbath requirements without breaking God’s Law?
- In Genesis 1:29–30, God gives seed-bearing plants and fruit to humans to eat, and He gives every green plant to the animals to eat. What clearly was not to be eaten? Why not? When did God give permission for mankind to change their diet? See Genesis 9:3.
- Moses tells us five times that what God made was “good.” In Genesis 1:31, the whole creation is described as “very good.” What must life in the unspoiled creation have been like? Read Revelation 21:1–5. When will Christians be restored to the “very good” life?
- The Hebrew word used in Genesis for “create” is used only when referring to God. It means “to make out of nothing.” What is the difference between mankind’s creativity and God’s? Read Romans 4:17. How does God express His creativity to us?
- Luther says in the Small Catechism that God “richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life.” How, then, do we account for the times in our lives when it doesn’t feel like we have everything that we need? Read Matthew 6:8.
