THE PENTATEUCH, GENESIS

AND THE CREATION

Readings for Session 3, From Creation to Captivity

After reading this material, you should be able to:

• State the different theories regarding the authorship of the Pentateuch
and defend the “Moses and Company” view
• Recite the four major events and four major characters of Genesis
• Defend the position that creationism and evolutionism are both matters
of faith
• Give eight arguments significantly impacting the credibility of evolution
• Explain the attractiveness of the young-earth creationist view to a Bible-
believer
• Compare and contrast the young-earth, day-age, and ruin-restoration
views

Read the material below and the handout that we will review in class.
Memorise Genesis 1:1-3 in NKJV.

THE PENTATEUCH

The first five books of the Bible, primarily books of history, are known as the
Torah, The Pentateuch (pentad means “five”), or The Books of the Law.
They cover human history from the Creation (before 4,000 B.C.) to the final
preparations to enter Canaan in about 1405 B.C. – a time span of over 2500
years. The time-span includes the worldwide flood, the beginning of ethnic
groups (nations), the start of the nation of Israel, their bondage in Egypt,
the Exodus, the giving of the Law, and the wilderness wanderings.
Geographically, the books move from Mesopotamia to Ararat to
Mesopotamia to Canaan to Egypt to Sinai to Moab.

The Books of the Torah form the foundation for the rest of the Old
Testament, and even the New Testament. No writing that conflicted with
the Torah ever made it into the canon of Scripture. To master these books
of “The Law” is to find success, God’s blessings, and the answers to virtually
all of life’s issues (Joshua 1:8, Psalm 119).
From Creation To Captivity, Session 3 – CMI Student Reading 2

English Name Meaning Hebrew Name Meaning Time Covered

Genesis Beginnings or origins Bereshith In the beginning +4000-1804 BC (2196
yrs)
Exodus Going out, departure Shemoth Names 1876-1445 BC (431 yrs)
Leviticus Book of the Levites Wayyigra And He called 1445 BC (1 month)
Numbers Numbering or counting Bemidbar In the wilderness 1445-1405 BC (40 yrs)
Deuteronomy Second giving of the Law Devarim Words 1405 BC (2 months)

The years before Christ are designated as either B.C. (Before Christ) or B.C.E. (Before the
Common Era). Remember, in the years B.C., we count the years backward. For instance,
524 B.C. is followed by 523 B.C.

WHO WROTE THE PENTATEUCH?

Moses
The first five books of the Bible were written by Moses – that is the short
answer. Moses was born in about 1525 BC, lived 40 years in Egypt, 40 years
in Midian, and a final 40 years in the Sinai wilderness, dying at 120 years old
in 1405 BC, just as Israel entered Canaan. Strictly speaking, the Torah is
anonymous, since it is never stated that Moses was its exclusive author. But
Jewish and Christian traditions are unanimous in holding Moses as the
author. God told Moses to record events (Exodus 17:14), and laws (Exodus
24:4), etc. Later writings (Joshua 1:7-8, 2 Chronicles 25:4, and Nehemiah
13:1) all refer to the “Books of the Law” as being from Moses. Jesus
referenced Moses when He quoted from the Torah.

Moses & Company

But who wrote Deuteronomy 34, which includes events after his death?
Genesis 11:31 uses “Ur of the Chaldeans” and the name “Chaldea” was not
used until Solomon’s time, 400 year after Moses. Would Moses call himself
the world’s most humble man in Numbers 12:3? For this reason, many
scholars say that the “essential authorship” was Moses’ – that he oversaw
their writing and that some editorial changes were made later.

The JEDP Theory

Liberal theologians embracing higher criticism have theorized that Moses
wrote none of the Torah, and that the books were put together during the
time of Solomon using four sources: The Jehovistic source (J) where God’s
covenant relationship with man is stressed, the Elohistic source (E) where
God’s transcendence and morals are stressed, the Deuteronomic source (D)
where law and retribution are emphasized, and the Priestly source (P) in
which rituals, worship, the priesthood and genealogies are stressed.
Conservatives reject this theory as being contrary to written Scripture as
well as two millennia of written Jewish and Christian history.

Revelation, Ancient Writings, Oral Tradition, & Journals

The content of the Pentateuch that Moses penned under the inspiration of
the Holy Spirit was likely based on four different sources.
1. For the book of Genesis, Moses had:
• “Hind-sight revelation” from Jehovah was given regarding the early
earth. Moses spent weeks alone with God on Mt. Sinai.
From Creation To Captivity, Session 3 – CMI Student Reading 3

• Access to other written “sources” such as the “Book of Adam”

(Genesis 5:1), the “Book of the Wars of the Lord” (Numbers 21:14) and the
“Book of the Covenant” (Ex. 24:7). These books are lost in antiquity (unless
Indiana Jones can find them). The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of mankind’s
earliest surviving writings from Babylonia; if you read it, you’ll notice quickly
that it’s the story of Noah and the Flood.
• Oral traditions. Much of the story of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and
Joseph was from oral tradition, but take special note that Hebrew oral
tradition is not like modern “family stories” – it was a careful discipline of
memorization and recitation used all the way up until Jesus’ time.
2. From Exodus to Deuteronomy, Moses’ writings were obviously based
on Moses’ personal experiences.

THE BOOK OF GENESIS

The Structure of Genesis

Now, let’s set aside the other books of the Pentateuch and look at Genesis
all by itself. The book covers 1/3 of human history! It begins with the
creation in @ +4000 BC and ending with the death of Joseph in Egypt in
1804 BC. Genesis is a pie that has been divided up many ways over the
years. The simplest way to understand it may be to divide it into two parts
at Genesis 12. To get a good grasp of Genesis, memorize the list under the
two divisions below.

GENESIS 1-11 GENESIS 12-50

The Beginning of The Beginning of
Mankind Israel
Time moving quickly Time moving slowly
(+2000 yrs) (300 yrs)
One World One Family
The Primeval Era The Patriarchal Era

FOUR KEY EVENTS FOUR KEY PEOPLE

Creation Abraham
Fall Isaac
Flood Jacob
Babel Joseph

Note: One can argue that Genesis has a third division in that Joseph’s life is
given extended treatment (Genesis 37, 39-50) as time again slows down.
This includes the story of how Israel came to live in Goshen, Egypt and sets
the reader up for Exodus.

It seems that Moses had some divisions in mind when he wrote Genesis. He
would say that the book is divided into 11 sections based on the “toledoth”
divisions. Toledoth is the Hebrew phrase translated, “these are the
generations of…” The phrase appears 11 times in Genesis and is followed
by a person’s name (Adam, Noah, Shem, Terah, Ishmael, Isaac, etc.); the
section ends with the death of that person (see for instance 5:1, 6:9, 10:1,
From Creation To Captivity, Session 3 – CMI Student Reading 4

11:10, 11:27, etc.). Thus, Genesis would have a prologue (1:1-2:3) followed
by ten episodes.

The Date Genesis Was Written

Archaeology does not provide specific dates for us much earlier than about
1,000 BC, but Israel’s history and genealogies are reliable ladders that we
can climb back into the Patriarchal Era. As we said before, Moses was likely
born in 1525 BC, and he lived 120 years (Deuteronomy 34:7). His life was
divided into three sets of 40 years.

It seems likely that Moses compiled the basic knowledge for Genesis during
the first 40 years of his life (before 1485 BC). It was during this period that
he came to faith in God and desired to deliver His people (Exodus 2:11,
Hebrews 11:24). He would have been well educated and could have
carefully studied the history of his people and God’s promises to Abraham.
However, in light of his use of “Jehovah” beginning in Genesis 2, a name he
didn’t know until his first meeting with the I AM on Mt. Sinai, he must have
penned the scriptures after age 80, or in about 1445 BC.

The Recipients of Genesis

Genesis was an instant treasure to the Hebrew slaves coming out of Egypt.
What could be more encouraging than to know that the God of creation had
specifically chosen your people-group as His own to make them into a great
nation, give them great blessing, and promise them a massive amount of
land! This pillar of cloud and fire they were following was the Creator, the
only true God!

BIBLICAL CREATIONISM

A Matter Of Faith
The Genesis account of the creation was written
by Moses based upon God’s revelation to him.
Was anyone around to see the creation? No.
Therefore, ANY view of the origin of the world
MUST be taken by faith – whether creationist or
evolutionist. We must rely upon God’s
revelation to Moses and accept by faith that “the
worlds were framed by the word of God”
believing that He created matter ex nihilo, out of nothing (Hebrews 11:3).

True Bible teaching and true science does not conflict; biblical theories and
scientific theories often do conflict. Many believe that “evolution is science,
and creationism is faith.” Not so. ANY belief about the origin of the world is
a matter of faith. Why? What are the elements of the scientific method?
From Creation To Captivity, Session 3 – CMI Student Reading 5

• Observation and description (no one was there to observe)

• Formulation of hypothesis
• Prediction verified by repetition (you "Now we see how the astronomical
evidence leads to what is essentially
can’t repeat the creation) a biblical view of the origin of the
• Verification through experimentation world. The details differ, but the
Most people put their faith in the view for essential elements in the
astronomical and biblical accounts
which they see the most evidence; what of Genesis are the same: the chain
people don’t know is that there is substantial of events leading to man
evidence favoring creationism and against commenced suddenly and sharply
at a definite moment in time, in a
evolution. Since the scientific community flash of light and energy. This is an
embraced evolution 140 years ago, schools exceedingly strange development,
in the cultural West slowly accepted “the unexpected by all but the
theologians. They have always
faith” of scientists (who must know!) rather believed the Bible. But we
than the faith of the Judeo-Christian scientists did not expect to find
community. Now, evolution is facing evidence for an abrupt beginning
because we have had until recently
significant abandonment in the scientific such extraordinary success in
community. tracing the chain of cause and effect
backward in time.... At this moment
it seems as though science will
Problems with Faith in Evolution never be able to raise the curtain on
• Evolutionary theory cannot explain the the mystery of creation. For the
origin of matter. scientist who has lived by his faith
in the power of reason, the story
• Evolutionary theory has come up with
no viable scientific basis for the “spontaneous generation” of life.
• Evolutionary theory has been undercut by DNA research showing that
even one-celled organisms have more programming than a new computer -
overwhelming evidence of intelligent design!
• Science’s Second Law of Thermodynamics holds that all things move
from order to disorder, from structure to chaos. Evolution says the opposite
must be true billions of time over.
• Evolution gives no explanation for why our solar system exists the
way it does, and why our planet is unlike all
others. "As we look at the main groups of
• Evolution gives no explanation for the fossil flora, we find that they are all
fact that all laws of nature in the universe at once and quite suddenly there, in
full bloom in all their manifold
(gravity, centrifuge, molecular cohesion, forms. Any change is entirely
etc.) are in perfect balance for life on earth; lacking. This all stands as a crass
contradiction to the evolution theory
any slight shift would end all life. . . . All my investigations have led to
• Geneticists have established that all incredible conclusions on account of
of mankind came from one set of parents; which the theory of evolution ought
in evolutionary theory, there would have to to be entirely abandoned . . . it is a
serious obstruction to biological
be thousands of sets.
• Although dinosaurs and other animals, plants, and insects are extinct,
the fossil record shows that they appeared suddenly and died out suddenly.
The fossil record gives no evidence of “missing links” between the various
life groups.
• Real mutations happen too quickly (reptiles changing sex, skin tones
mutating with exposure to sun, etc.).
• Evolutionary theory is rigidly uniformitarian, saying that all things
happen at the same rate, without cataclysmic events. Thus, they can’t
From Creation To Captivity, Session 3 – CMI Student Reading 6

explain a pine tree growing through 2 million years of rock or a frozen

dinosaur with fresh greens in its mouth.
• Science and mathematics have become disciplines that are anti-
supernatural. Things like “God” and “miracles” and “angels” can’t be tested
repeatedly and “just mess everything up.” Therefore, they are excluded
from a naturalist system.

THE CREATION – GENESIS 1:1-2:3

In The Beginning – Genesis 1:1
The Bible begins with a pre-existent and personal
God who created all things by speaking them into
existence. It is interesting that the existence of
God is presupposed. This is either because Moses
was writing to people who already believed in God,
or because he was appealing to mankind’s
“incurable theism” – we intuitively believe in God.

The Hebrew word for God here is “Elohim,”

meaning the Strong One. It is not actually a name
of God, but is a descriptive term of deity. Moses uses only Elohim in chapter
1; in Genesis 2:4, he introduces the name “Jehovah,” which in the English
versions is translated as either LORD or GOD in all capital letters.

“Elohim” is actually a plural and in some places, according to the context, is

translated “gods.” Many Christians believe this is the first indication of the
trinity. We know from Psalm 33:6, Colossians 1:16 and Psalm 104:30 that all
three persons of the Godhead were involved in the Creation. However,
anyone well versed in Hebrew will tell you that if elohim is used when
referring to one being, it is meant to be a superlative rather than a plural –
“a really, really powerful, totally over-the-top God-type being.”

Genesis 1:1is important because it contradicts six popular philosophies:

1. Atheism—God does exist
2. Pantheism—God is distinct from His creation
3. Polytheism—"Created" is singular in the text.
4. Radical materialism (matter is eternal)—Matter had a supernatural
origin (emphasis on origin).
5. Naturalism (evolutionism)—Creation took place when someone outside
nature intervened (emphasis on process)
6. Fatalism—A personal God freely chose to create

The Date of Creation – Genesis 1:2-3

Only God knows the date of creation, and He didn’t tell us what that date
was. Coming up with your own personal view is a matter of deciding how
literally you interpret the Scripture; the main motivation for moving away
from a literal interpretation is to accommodate the theory of evolution. In
the last 140 years, the Judeo-Christian community began to split the
Scripture, trusting it for religious things, but not for science or history.
Archaeology has now overwhelmingly substantiated the accuracy of biblical
From Creation To Captivity, Session 3 – CMI Student Reading 7

history, but believers and churches are still drifting toward evolutionary
theory.

While the Bible’s teaching is directly contrary to the evolution of mankind,

many Christian scholars differ on the age of the earth, and what happened
before mankind was created.

The “Young Earth” Creationist View:

Biblical Evidence For A Young Earth CREATION SCIENCE WEBSITES
• Genesis 1 states that God created the
heavens and the earth, and took six days to bring Answers In Genesis
www.answersingenesis.org/
form and function to it. This assumes that the
Creation Research Society
general creation and first state of Genesis 1:1-2 www.creationresearch.org
took place on the first day.
Institute for Creation Research
• Genesis 1 repeatedly states (in vv. 5, 8, www.icr.org
13, etc.) that “mornings and evenings” made up - - - -
the days, a phrase only used of 24-hour periods in "Evidence from the fossils now
points overwhelmingly away from
Hebrew writings. the classical Darwinism which
• Although the word “day” can be used most Americans learned in high
school. ...The missing link between
of an age (“back in my day”), when a number is man and the apes...is merely the
placed in front of “day” in any Hebrew literature most glamorous of a whole
hierarchy of phantom creatures. In
(such as 1st day, 2nd day), it means a literal 24- the fossil record missing links are
hour period. the rule ... The more scientists
have searched for the transitional
• If plants were created on the 3rd day, forms between species, the more
how could they survive “an age” without they have been frustrated."
-Newsweek, 3 Nov. ‘96
photosynthesis until the sun was created on the
4th day?
• The language used in the passage is literal, not metaphorical or
allegorical.
• The rivers and lands of the Garden of Eden were known places,
not just allegorical.
• The Sabbath day of rest is based on a literal 24-hour day
(Exodus 20:11).
• The people (Adam and Eve) were literal people who, according
to Jesus’ statement in Mark 10:6, were made in “the beginning” (not after
50 billion years).
• God created things with “mature age.” Adam and Eve, and the
plants and animals, were created as mature beings with age. Rocks, planets
and stars were likely made in the same aged condition.
• Romans 5 states that death came through Adam’s sin. If the
days were ages, and there was no sin or death until Adam, then no
dinosaurs would have died natural deaths for millions of years, thus over-
populating the earth and destroying all vegetation.
• The Bible specifically records the number of years during which
key people lived, and when their children were born (such as in the
genealogies of Genesis 5 and 10). If we add up all the years of these
generations, we come up with Adam being created around 4,000 B.C. That
said, there are gaps in the genealogies and differences in accounting for
time that could easily push the number past 10,000 B.C. (which was a very
poor movie).
From Creation To Captivity, Session 3 – CMI Student Reading 8

Scientific Evidence For A Young Earth

• The biblical account can accommodate prehistoric life
(dinosaurs) if one understands cataclysmic events (such as Noah’s Flood),
rather than assuming uniformitarian aging.
• Some conservative theologians say man was created between
5000 - 8000 B.C. based on stratification geology.
• The Carbon 14 dating method is accurate only for materials less
than 2000 years old, and therefore cannot be relied upon for older dating.
Animal bones less than 20 years old, when dried and treated with acidic
chemicals, have been carbon dated at over 12,000 years old.
• Anthropologists date the oldest civilizations (Sumerian,
Egyptian, etc.) from 3000 BC. The primeval or prehistoric earth (from which
no writings survive) therefore existed before 3000 BC. If this date is
accurate, and marks civilization’s development following the Flood, then
Babel could have occurred around 3200 BC, the Flood around 3600 BC and
the Creation around 5500 BC.
• Creation scientists cannot prove the age of the earth using
scientific methods; they don’t try. But they can disprove the “billions”
theory. There is scientific evidence that the earth is not extremely old:
o The cores of the earth & moon would be cold after billions
of years, and they are not.
o Salt from land continually pours into the ocean. The
oceans are not salty enough for a billion year age.
o Helium from rocks escapes into the atmosphere. The
atmosphere has only 1/2000 of the helium it should for a billion year old
earth.
o The moon is moving away from the earth now at ½ inch
per year. It would be long gone if the earth were a billion years old.

The “Old Earth” Creationist Views

The Ruin-Restoration (Gap) Theory
• The Idea: Some Bible scholars hold to the view (with many
variations) that there is an indefinite span of time, a silent gap, between
Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. The gap could
involve millions of years and
encompass the geologic ages.
• The Basis: The verb
“was” (1:2) can also be translated
“became.” The phrase “without
form and void” is used only one
other time in the OT of when a city
had been destroyed and left in
rubble. Isaiah 45:18 says that God
did not create the earth in “vain” (as
an empty, chaotic wasteland – same
word as “void” used in Genesis 1:2).
• Theory 1: An indefinite
amount of time after the creation,
From Creation To Captivity, Session 3 – CMI Student Reading 9

the most powerful angel, Lucifer (now Satan) rebelled against God, was cast
out of the Lord’s presence, and came down with his demons to destroy the
first earth that had prehistoric plants and animals. God then restored the
earth from chaos in six literal days.
• Theory 2: The earth was Lucifer’s domain to begin with, and
when he rebelled, he also led a pre-Adamic race in rebellion against God.
God destroyed the earth with a worldwide flood followed by an ice age. This
would account for “prehistoric man” and fossils left after the cataclysm.
God then restored the earth in a literal six- day re-creation in 1:3-31.
• History: Professor Thomas Constable writes: This is a very old
theory that certain early Jewish writers and some church fathers held.
Thomas Chalmers propelled it into prominence in 1814. Chalmers' purpose
was to harmonize Scripture with Scripture, not Scripture with science
(Darwin's Origin of Species first appeared in 1859, but Chalmers published
his theory in 1814). Franz Delitzsch supported it in 1899. G. H. Pember's
book Earth's Ancient Ages (1907) gave further impetus to this view. Many
Christian geologists favored the view because they saw in it "an easy
explanation for the fossil strata." Harry Rimmer supported it, as did Arthur
W. Pink. L. S. Chafer held to the theory, but did not emphasize it.

The Day-Age (Progressive Creation) Theory

• The Idea: Progressive creationists
believe that the creation process took thousands of
years. This view gives primacy to the text of
Scripture and interprets it more literally than theistic
evolution does. Day-Age holds that God created the
universe in several acts of creation separated from
one another by time periods of indefinite duration.
The “days” of Genesis 1 were really ages. The
process of evolution was at work within these eras
and accounts for the development of phyla, species,
etc. Obviously, this view arose after Darwin (1860s) to accommodate
scientific data. It is an accommodation to science, is not literal enough, and
gives us a God who is too small.
• The Basis:
o The Hebrew word yom can represent an age or period to time
– see Genesis 2:4.
o There could be no literal evening and morning without the
sun and moon on the fourth day. Thus, a “day” is a period of time.
o Since God does not dwell in time, a day is as a thousand
years (Psalm 90:2-4, 3 Peter 3:8).
o On the sixth day, God planted the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:8-
14), made plants grow in it, created Adam, gave him instructions about the
garden, brought animals to him, Adam named all the animals and birds, felt
lonely, was put to sleep and later awoke to find Eve – all in one day?

Theistic Evolution
• The Idea: This view attempts to harmonize Scripture with
scientific theories of evolution. It is bolstered by the recent publication of
From Creation To Captivity, Session 3 – CMI Student Reading 10

Intelligent Design books and websites. This view fails to explain specific
statements in the text of Scripture; it ignores and accommodates the text to
scientific theory. The major problem with this view is that it is not
completely true to either science or Scripture but is inconsistent.
• Theory: Simply put, God started the creation with the Big Bang,
then ordered and directed the evolutionary process. The text of Genesis 1
and 2 is allegorical. God, via Moses, told a simple story to explain the
creation to simple, agriculturally minded Hebrews.

The Six Days – Genesis 1:4-25

We believe you should hold to a “young earth” creationist view with no
secret gap of time. The first day of creation includes Genesis 1:1-2, and God
created the earth in six literal 24-hour periods. Below is a chart reflecting
what things were made on what days. Hebrews 11:3 says that God made
everything ex nihilo, or out of nothing.

Day Item What Was Created?

First Day Heavens, watery earth and light (so
vv. 1-5 there was light and darkness)

Second Sky (firmament or atmosphere) was

Day vv. 6- created, separating water vapor above
8 from waters beneath

Third Day Land and seas (waters gathered –

vv. 9-13 includes lakes, seas and oceans);
vegetation on land

Fourth Sun, Moon and Stars (to govern day

Day and night and be markers for signs,
vv. 14-19 seasons, days and years)

Fifth Day Fish and Birds (to fill the waters and
vv. 20-23 sky)

Sixth Day Animals (to fill the earth); Man and

vv. 24— Woman (to care for and have
2:3 dominion over the earth and to
commune with God)

Apparent Age
Note in v. 11 that since God created plants with seeds in them the original
creation evidently had the appearance of age. He created trees with rings
and Adam an adult. Why did Moses mention only shrubs and trees that bear
seeds and fruits? These are the ones that provide food for man. He created
others, of course, but Moses was stressing God's care for man.
From Creation To Captivity, Session 3 – CMI Student Reading 11

The Sun, Moon and Stars

Day four is interesting to note. On days 1-3, God
names the objects that He creates (vv 5, 8, 10). In
biblical thought, the act of giving a name means
the exercise of a sovereign right (see 2 Kings
24:17 and Daniel 1:17). On days 5-6 the creatures
are blessed by sovereign decree (vv 22, 28) but
not named (he leaves that to Adam).

However, there is an exception on Day 4, the only

day on which no naming or divine blessing is
added. Moses used the terms “greater light” and “lesser lights” to describe
the sun and moon. He probably did so because these Hebrew words, which
are very similar in other Semitic languages, were the names of pagan gods.
He wanted the Israelites to appreciate the fact that their God had created
the entities their pagan neighbors worshipped as gods!

Creation of Sea Creatures, Birds & Animals

God created “sea monsters” as well as other life in the sea (sea creatures
had become gods in many cultures by 2000 BC). One type of life did not
evolve from another type. Moses uses the word “kind” which is not an exact
biological term, but indicates that God did not create merely one bird, one
cat, one dog, and so on, from which all others developed; he created many
kinds within the species. Natural biologists tell us, based on the fossil
record, that over 85% of earth’s animals are now extinct. All of our wildlife
today is only 15% of what Elohim originally created!

Mankind – The Highlight Of God’s Creation

The Bible is very clear that Adam and Eve were literal people, not merely
designations for the first erect progenitors of the human race.
• Quoting from Genesis 2, Jesus said that God made man – male and
female (see Matthew 19:4-6).
• In Romans 5:12, 15, 18-19, Paul says that the one man, Adam,
brought sin, condemnation and death upon the human race, and that
another man, Jesus Christ, brought us the gift of forgiveness and life. In
fact, Jesus is called “the Last Adam” in 1 Corinthians 15:45 (see also vv. 21-
22, 45-49).
• The genealogies start from Adam and move in a continuous history. If
he was not an actual person, at what point in the genealogy do we move
from fact to fiction?

Adam and Eve were created “in the image of God.” What does that mean?
1. We are not highly evolved animals;
we were created separately and
specially, one at a time.
2. Some feel that being made in
God’s image means that man’s three
parts (soul, body and spirit) correspond
with the three persons of the trinity
From Creation To Captivity, Session 3 – CMI Student Reading 12

(Father-mind, Son-body, and Spirit-spirit). This view has some problems and
is not likely what God had in mind.
3. Mankind is made in God’s image since, far different from the rest of
the mammal kingdom, we are:
• Intelligent (calculating sums, distances, speeds, quantities, etc.)
• Rational (reasoning, deducing, theorizing, evaluating, etc.)
• Creative (inventive, imaginative, artistic, etc.)
• Complexly Communicative (of ideas in movements, languages,
codes, nuances, etc.)
• Dominant (sovereign over all other creatures)

The First Commands – Multiply & Take Dominion

From the first commands of God given before sin came to the earth, we can
start to understand the purpose of human life. Genesis 1:28 records that
God commanded mankind to be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and
subdue it, and take dominion over all other living things. Verse 29 suggests
that man was originally a vegetarian. After the Flood, God told man that he
could eat animals (9:3). The animals were evidently also herbivorous at first
(v. 30).

So, every time humans train a dog, pave a road, build a dock, dig a well, or
fly an airplane, we are glorifying God and reflecting His image because we
are taking dominion over the earth (even though we are sinful and under
the curse).
From Creation To Captivity, Session 3 – CMI Student Reading 13

Even God Takes A Rest

God never lacks strength, but in Genesis 2:1-3, God finished His creative
work and on the seventh day He rested. Why? We can see throughout
Scripture that He rested as a pattern for us and for the land – we all need
periodic rest.

Genesis 2:3 states that He sanctified this seventh day. To sanctify means to
be set apart as special, distinctive or different – separated in kind, not in
place. God sanctified the seventh day as a day of rest. The word “Shabbat”
or Sabbath means rest. It is a creation principle never retracted by God.

Numerology is an interesting study through the Scripture – how certain

numbers stand for certain things. For instance 4, 40 and 400 are almost
always the number of testing – Israel in captivity in Egypt for 400 years,
God’s silence with Israel between the testaments for 400 years, Moses in
Midian for 40 years, Jesus in the Wilderness for 40 days.

Three is the number of completeness; seven is the number of God’s

perfection, and six is the number of man (the beast false prophet and
antichrist are a complete trinity of rebellion (hence 666). Man has six days
in which to labor, and then he is to rest for one day, making a perfect week
in God’s estimation. Some prophecy buffs work long and hard to determine
the date of creation on the understanding that man will have 6,000 to
govern himself unsuccessfully followed by a “Sabbath” millennium in which
Christ will reign, making a total of 7,000 years of human history, start to
finish. This is an interesting THEORY.