Genesis 1-3: Study Guide

Introduction to Genesis

• Topic of Genesis: Just as the word 'genesis' means 'origins', the Book of Genesis explores the origins of many important groups including creation, humanity, the beginning nations, and Israel. The focus upon these groups is how their relationships with God were originally.
• Setting for Genesis 1: The Book of Genesis begins with a story about how the world was created. Note that most ancient cultures had creation myths, yet Genesis 1 differs from other creation myths in some important ways. For example, in some creation myths a god might have been formed out of the earth, whereas in Genesis it is the earth that is being formed and shaped by God.

Study Preparations

• Timer: Assign a timer who will focus the group on spending 15 minutes in each chapter
• Prayer: Open in prayer and invite God to provide understanding into Genesis 1-3

Genesis 1

Read: Choose a reader to read Genesis 1:1-2:3.

Discussion

1. First Impressions: What stood out to you in the reading of Genesis 1?
2. Repetition: Did you notice any ideas that were repeated over and over? Which of these ideas seemed most interesting or significant?
3. Progression: Do you think it makes any difference what order God chose for creating each of His creations? For example, could God have created plants on Day 5 rather than on Day 3?

Transition: The leader ties Genesis 1 into the full picture of Genesis, and transitions the group into Genesis 2. Suggested themes and foreshadows include:

• The orderliness & completeness of God's creation ('good' vs. 'very good')
• God's glory, diversity, and creativity (expressed within His creation)
• Humanity bears the image of God
• God's interest in His creation ("God saw..." "God blessed...")
• The goodness of creation

Genesis 2

Read: Choose a reader to read Genesis 2:4-2:25.

Discussion

1. Landscape of Creation: Within this creation narrative, what interesting or significant observations do you make about the layout of the land?
2. Man & Woman: What interesting or important observations do you make about the relationship between man and woman?
1. Did the man have any important responsibilities? Did the woman?
2. What degree of intimacy is there between the man and the woman? Between man and the animals?
3. Naked & Unashamed: The chapter ends with the statement, "and the man and his wife were both naked and unashamed."
1. Reaction: What is your reaction to how this chapter ends?
2. Use of Language: Genesis 2:25 could have used a positive statement like "the man and his wife were pure", but instead chose to use the double-negative statement: "the man and his wife were unashamed." Do you think this is coincidental, or is it foreshadowing something?

Transition: The leader ties Genesis 2 into the full picture of Genesis, and transitions the group into Genesis 3. Suggested themes and foreshadows include:

• The fruitfulness & richness of creation's original landscape
• Man's work responsibility (as a gardener) and woman's unique suitability as his helper
• God's generosity (man free to eat almost everything)
• Human responsibility (God's first commandment)
• Nakedness: Is it shameful?
• How do we know good vs. evil?

Genesis 3

Read: Choose a reader to read Genesis 3.

Discussion

1. First Impressions: What is your first impression of the serpent in the garden? Why do you think that he is described as cunning?
2. Making Critical Decisions: Based upon the dialogues and the narrative comments, how do the woman and the man seem to go about making critical decisions?
1. What considerations seem important to the woman?
2. What considerations seem important to the man?
3. Recall that at the moment the serpent is tempting the man and the woman, they do not yet have the knowledge of good and evil. How would they go about making "the right decision" to resist the serpent's temptations (or is it even possible)?
3. The Curses: Which of God's curses or punishments did you find the most disturbing?
4. Nakedness & Shame: Did you notice how much attention was given to Adam & Eve's nakedness? What stood out to you the most as to how their nakedness was handled?

Transition: The leader ties Genesis 3 into the full picture of Genesis, and helps the group anticipate what may be coming in the next study. Suggested themes and foreshadows include:

• Human Temptation & Deception
• Human Shame & Avoidance of Responsibility
• God's cursing of His creation
• God's provision of clothing (Fig leaves vs. skins)
• Banishment from paradise
• Human potential for godhood vs. God's infliction of human limitations

Closing

Looking Forward: Genesis 3 depicts the grave events of human disobedience & God's curse. How might these events shape what is coming in the rest of the Book of Genesis?

1. Rivalry Curse: God curses the woman and the serpent to become rivals (v. 15). Do you think that this curse will reemerge within the Book of Genesis?
2. Banishment: Once Adam & Eve were banished from the Garden, do you think there is any coming back? Will the idea of paradise reemerge within the Book of Genesis?
3. Nakedness & Shame: Do you think that human nakedness will reemerge as an issue within the Book of Genesis?
4. Tree of Life: Recall God's concern that man might become "like Him" by eating from the tree of life, leading God to post an angel with a flaming sword to guard the tree. Will humanity relent from their efforts to become like God, or will this desire continue to lead to conflict between God and man within the Book of Genesis?