Bible Study

"Noah, however, found favor in the sight of the LORD.  These are the family records of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among his contemporaries; Noah walked with God. And Noah fathered three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.  Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with wickedness. God saw how corrupt the earth was, for every creature had corrupted its way on the earth. Then God said to Noah, "I have decided to put an end to every creature, for the earth is filled with wickedness because of them; therefore I am going to destroy them along with the earth.  "Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it with pitch inside and outside. This is how you are to make it: The ark will be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. You are to make a roof, finishing the sides of the ark to within 18 inches of the roof. You are to put a door in the side of the ark. Make it with lower, middle, and upper decks.  "...

"When the LORD saw that man's wickedness was widespread on the earth and that every scheme his mind thought of was nothing but evil all the time, the LORD [consoled Himself for having made] man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. Then the LORD said, "I will wipe off from the face of the earth mankind, whom I created, together with the animals, creatures that crawl, and birds of the sky -- for I [console myself for the wicked that has come from having] made them."  [Gen 6:5-7 HCSB] *Most translations say that the LORD was sorry He had ever made humans (or regretted it), but the English translation is clunky. I looked up the original Hebrew word and it most often means "to console oneself." I chose to input this translation because it seems more in line with God's character (from my understanding). Observations: Who did what?  Humans had thoughts that were nothing but evil all the time.  The Lord saw man's wickedness.  The Lord co...

"Methuselah was 187 years old when he fathered Lamech. Methuselah lived 782 years after the birth of Lamech, and he fathered other sons and daughters. So Methuselah's life lasted 969 years; then he died.  Lamech was 182 years old when he fathered a son. And he named him Noah, saying, "This one will bring us relief from the agonizing labor of our hands, caused by the ground the LORD has cursed." Lamech lived 595 years after Noah's birth, and he fathered other sons and daughters. So Lamech's life lasted 777 years; then he died.  Noah was 500 years old, and he fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth. When mankind began to multiply on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of mankind were beautiful, and they took any they chose as wives for themselves. And the LORD said, "My Spirit will not remain with mankind forever, because they are corrupt. Their days will be 120 years." The Nephilim were on the earth both in tho...

"Enosh was 90 years old when he fathered Kenan. Enosh lived 815 years after the birth of Kenan, and he fathered other sons and daughters. So Enosh's life lasted 905 years; then he died.  Kenan was 70 years old when he fathered Mahalalel. Kenan lived 840 years after the birth of Mahalalel, and he fathered other sons and daughters. So Kenan's life lasted 910 years; then he died.  Mahalalel was 65 years old when he fathered Jared. Mahalalel lived 830 years after the birth of Jared, and he fathered other sons and daughters. So Mahalalel's life lasted 895 years; then he died.  Jared was 162 years old when he fathered Enoch. Jared lived 800 years after the birth of Enoch, and he fathered other sons and daughters. So Jared's life lasted 962 years; then he died.  Enoch was 65 years old when he fathered Methuselah. And after the birth of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and fathered other sons and daughters. So Enoch's life lasted 365 years. Enoch walked with...

"These are the family records of the descendants of Adam. On the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God; He created them male and female. When they were created, He blessed them and called them man.  Adam was 130 years old when he fathered a son in his likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth. Adam lived 800 years after the birth of Seth, and he fathered other sons and daughters. So Adam's life lasted 930 years; then he died.  Seth was 105 years old when he fathered Enosh. Seth lived 807 years after the birth of Enosh, and he fathered other sons and daughters. So Seth's life lasted 912 years; then he died." [Gen 5:1-8 HCSB] Observations: Who did what?  God made man in his likeness; He created them male and female.  God blessed male and female and called them man.  Adam had a son in his likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth when he was 130 years old.  Adam lived to be 930 years old.  Adam f...

"Cain was intimate with his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. Then Cain became the builder of a city, and he named the city Enoch after his son. Irad was born to Enoch, Irad fathered Mehujael, Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech. Lamech took two wives for himself, one named Adah and the other named Zillah. Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of the nomadic herdsmen. His brother was named Jubal; he was the father of all who play the lyre and the flute. Zillah bore Tubal-cain, who made all kinds of bronze and iron tools. Tubal-cain's sister was Naamah.  Lamech said to his wives: Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; wives of Lamech, pay attention to my words. For I killed a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me.  If Cain is to be avenged seven times over, then for Lamech it will be seventy-seven times!  Adam was intimate with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, for she said, "God has given me another ch...

"Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you furious? And why do you look despondent? If you do what is right, won't you be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it."  Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.  Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel? " "I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's guardian? "  Then He said, "What have you done? Your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground! So now you are cursed, alienated, from the ground that opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood you have shed. If you work the ground, it will never again give you its yield. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth."  But Cain answered the LORD, "My punishment is too great to bear! Since You a...

"Adam was intimate with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. She said, "I have had a male child with the LORD's help." Then she also gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel became a shepherd of flocks, but Cain worked the ground. In the course of time Cain presented some of the land's produce as an offering to the LORD. And Abel also presented an offering -- some of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions. The LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, but He did not have regard for Cain and his offering. Cain was furious, and he looked despondent." [Gen 4:1-5 HCSB] Observations Who did what?  Adam and Eve conceived children.  Eve gave birth to two sons.  Eve considered God her helper in the birthing process.  Cain became a farmer.  Abel became a shepherd.  Cain presented produce from the land as an offering to God Abel presented some of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions as an offering to God. ...

"Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and they hid themselves from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. So the LORD God called out to the man and said to him, "Where are you? "  And he said, "I heard You in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid."  Then He asked, "Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from? "  Then the man replied, "The woman You gave to be with me -- she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate."  So the LORD God asked the woman, "What is this you have done? " And the woman said, "It was the serpent. He deceived me, and I ate."  Then the LORD God said to the serpent: Because you have done this, you are cursed more than any livestock and more than any wild animal. You will move on your belly and eat dust all the days of your life.  I will put host...

"Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You can't eat from any tree in the garden'? "  The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit from the trees in the garden. But about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, 'You must not eat it or touch it, or you will die.' "  "No! You will not die," the serpent said to the woman. "In fact, God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." Then the woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themse...

"The LORD God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it. And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die." Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper as his complement." So the LORD God formed out of the ground every wild animal and every bird of the sky, and brought each to the man to see what he would call it. And whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all the livestock, to the birds of the sky, and to every wild animal; but for the man no helper was found as his complement. So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to come over the man, and he slept. God took one of his ribs and closed the flesh at that place. Then the LORD God made the rib He had taken from the man into a woman an...

[Gen 2:4-14 HCSB] "These are the records of the heavens and the earth, concerning their creation at the time that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens. No shrub of the field had yet grown on the land, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the LORD God had not made it rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground. But water would come out of the ground and water the entire surface of the land. Then the LORD God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.  The LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there He placed the man He had formed. The LORD God caused to grow out of the ground every tree pleasing in appearance and good for food, including the tree of life in the middle of the garden, as well as the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  A river went out from Eden to water the garden. From there it divided and became the source of four rivers. ...

"So the heavens and the earth and everything in them were completed. By the seventh day God completed His work that He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work that He had done. God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, for on it He rested from His work of creation." Genesis 2: 1-3 Observations: What choices did God make?  God chose to rest God chose to declare the day of resting "holy"  God chose to bless a day What choices could God have made?  God could have chosen not to rest.  God could have chosen to do some more creating.  God could have chosen to say "in your face, Satan, let me see you create something this great!" God could have chosen to just rest and not bless the seventh day or declare it holy.  God could have chosen to further define exactly what activities he means by "rest"  God could have chosen not to call his creation work "work." He could have called it "play," ...

"Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth."  So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female.  God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth." God also said, "Look, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the surface of the entire earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. This food will be for you, for all the wildlife of the earth, for every bird of the sky, and for every creature that crawls on the earth -- everything having the breath of life in it. I have given every green plant for food." And it was so. God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. Evening came and then mornin...

Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night. They will serve as signs for festivals [ or for the appointed times] and for days and years. They will be lights in the expanse of the sky to provide light on the earth." And it was so. God made the two great lights -- the greater light to have dominion over the day and the lesser light to have dominion over the night -- as well as the stars. God placed them in the expanse of the sky to provide light on the earth, to dominate the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. Evening came and then morning: the fourth day.  Then God said, "Let the water swarm with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." So God created the large sea-creatures and every living creature that moves and swarms in the water, according to their kinds. He also created every winged bird according to its kind. And ...