Questions and Answers about the book of Genesis

Genesis

The important of the power of 1st mention.

Genesis 1: The creation

Q: What was the sequence of the creation?
A: The following was the sequence
Day 1
- Created Heaven and Earth (the earth was (a) formless, no form, no shape and (b) it was empty, (c) darkness, (d) deep water that covered the sky and the earth)
- Created Light (Separated light from darkness). The light address the item (c) darkness.
- Created Day and Night (light called day, darkness called night. But the night is total darkness)
Day 2
- Created Sky (the Space separated the water of heaven and water of the earth). The sky address the item (d) deep water
Day 3
- Created Land and Sea (water of the earth flow into one place so that there will be land and sea)
- Created Trees and plants (Greenery - Vegetable plants and fruit trees on land)
Day 4
- Created Sun and Stars (repeated Day 1 about light, and about day and night (let light appears in the sky to separate day and night)). God made 2 great light out of the light. The greater light govern the day (Sun light), the smaller light govern the night (Stars light)
Day 5
- Created Fishes and Birds (God blessed them and commanded them to be fruitful and multiply)
Day 6
- Created Animals and Human Beings (Adam and Eve) (God commanded the animals and human beings to be fruitful and multiply)
After Day 6, it addressed the problems of item (a) without form, item (b) empty. Now the earths has shape and it is well populated with many things.
Day 7
- God rested

Q: Did God created all the fishes, birds and animals in pairs of male and female?
A: No specific mention of male and female in Genesis 1, during the creation. But in Gen 7:2-3, before the flood, God did ask Noah to bring in the animals, both male and female. From here, we deduced that God had made both male and female.

Q: Were Adam and Eve vegetarian? Did God meant to make the animals or livestock as food for human and for animals?
A: In Gen 1:29, God had made the plants and fruit bearing trees for human beings for food.
In Gen 1:30, God had made all the green plants for all the wild animals and birds for food. No mentioned that Adam and Eve ate animals. But after the fall on human, Abel was a shepherd, he offered the first born to God. From here, we will deduced that animal was made for food after the fall.

Q: Did God create the Sun, Moon and Stars?
A: In Gen 1:14-18, there is no specific mentioned that God created the Sun. But it implied that God created the sun. The stars was mentioned, but not the moon.

Q: Did God create insect?
A: Insects creation was not mentioned in the creation in Gen 1. However, there are 52 bible verses mentioned there are insect.
https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Insects
Why God create Mosquitoes? And also crokroach
https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/1405-why-did-god-make-mosquitoes

Q: Was the creation spoken into being or hand-made into being?
A: God spoke, then follow by hand making them. Example: God said, "Let us make man in our own image", then He or They took the dust of the earth and formed man and breath life into him. Gen 2:19, then God formed animals and birds from the dust to make Adam an helper and let Adam named them.

Q: Was there one God or more than one God?
A: It was clearly written in the bible in Genesis, "Let Us", how can it be a singular God. It is only consistent to a plural God from the OT and NT that there is God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. That made up the Trinity,

Q: What is Trinity?
A: Trinity has never mentioned in the OT or NT. It was because of the "Let Us" that we deduce that there is a Trinity. Trinity means there are 3 distinct personality, with different function. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, but they formed up the God head. They are all God. God the Father played the role of a Judge. God the Son played the role of a Savor. God the Holy Spirit played the role Who live in us and guide us into all truth.

Q: Did God create everything on earth, anything that existed on earth are God's creation?
A: God created the nature and all the first things. He created the first human beings. He created all the first tress, animals, fishes, birds and etc, the rest of the things are populated by the creations of the world. That's why during Noah's flood, God retain the male and female of all His creation in the ark. Only Adam and Eve were created into being. The rest of the man-kind were born into being.

Q: God commanded Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply in Gen 1:28, why didn't Adam and Eve thing of sexual relation and conceived, but only done so after the fall of man?
A: God knew that no human being should be born of human being without sin. Adam and Eve were not born, they are created without sin. Any other human being will be born of Adam. No human being will be born sinless except Jesus who was born of the Spirit, spotless and sinless.

Q: Did God create fishes, birds and animals both male and female?
A: It was not specifically mentioned in Gen 1, but we assumed that God did when God commanded them to be fruitful and multiply. Obviously, it takes a female and male in order to be fruitful and multiply.


Genesis 2: The Creation of Man and Woman

Q: Why God create animals to be Adam's helper (means partner or wife)?
A: Being an omnipotent, all knowing God, why God expect a helper from among the animals, fishes and birds? I have no answer to this. Here we see another free choice, but thank God, Adam didn't choose any of them. Only when God could not find him an helper among the animals, fishes and birds, then God caused Adam into a deep sleep, then made a woman out from his rib.

Q: If God had created fishes, birds and animals in pairs of male and female, why would God present all the fishes, birds and animals for Adam to choose as helpers when they are already in pairs?
A: I have no answer now. KIV.


Genesis 3: Fall of Man (a more detail of the creation of Day 3, Day 5 and especially Day 6)

Q: Did satan possess the serpent or the serpent was satan?
A: Serpent was made during creation. Serpent was not satan. It was satan who possessed the serpent, may be due to the nature of the serpent which is shrewdest or craftiest animal, that's why satan chosen the serpent to be possessed. Or satan appeared to be like serpent.

Q: Why God allow satan to be in the garden of Eden?
A: God has given all His creation the free choice, to do, to move, to live the way we want to and have our being, including satan (who is also God's creation). But one thing we must know, we can choose what we want to do, but we cannot choose the consequence. If we choose to play with fire, we know the consequence is "burnt". When we got burnt, we cannot blame God why not stopping us playing with fire having the full knowledge that we will get burnt. If God were to stopped our choice, then that will not be any free will. God's way of discipline is to allow us to go through the consequence so that we can be mature. Trials was not set up by God. Trials was a consequence of our wrong choice. But God reverse what is bad for us into good in the sense that He helped us to go through them. By having gone through them, we become more mature and character being shaped and transformed.

Q: What was the first strategy satan used on man-kind?
A: 1st Deceit, then lie, then follow by creating a lustful desires. "Did God say you must not eat of any tree?", then follow by lie, "You will not surely die" when God already said "You will surely die". Satan mixed Lie or deception or cast doubt with the truth and with motivation. God obviously said that "You will surely or certainly die". But the serpent said, "You will not surely or not certainly die" then the serpent spoke some truth, "For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Satan always mixed both lie and truth together and go with motivation. The motivation was good for food and gaining wisdom. This is in consistent with how satan trying to tempt or deceive Jesus during the temptation of Jesus. The satan will use the scripture, the truth, the lie and the motivation. "Just as the scripture had written, He will send His angel to charge over you" (The truth and the scripture). "If You are the Son of God" (Cast doubt by deception). "I will give you the kingdom of the world and it's splendor" (The motivation).

Q: Did Adam and Eve eat from the fruit from the Tree of Life?
A: Yes. God commanded them to free eat from any tree except the tree of the good and evil. Tree of life mentioned in other part of the bible. Rev 2:7, Rev 22:2,14,19. Prov 3:18, 11:30, 13:12, 15:4

Q: Why Adam and Eve ate from the tree of life still will surely die?
A: Before the fall, whether they ate from the tree of life or not, they will forever live because there is no sickness, no death before the fall. Or we can also speculate that, as human being, they will die, but it's the tree of life that they ate from made them live forever. The tree of life is like medication, so long they eat from it, they will not die. Hence, after the fall, God had to banish them from Eden in order to have the surety that they will no longer eating from the tree of life to live forever, because God had already pronounced judgement on them that they would surely die.

Q: Why God created the tree of the knowledge of good and evil only to command Adam not to eat?
A: The greatest creation God had for man is the creation of Free Will or Free Choice. God told Adam that he can freely eat of any trees in the garden except the tree of good and evil. God doesn't want man to be like puppet or robot, the greatest blessings that God had given man is the gift of choices.

Q: God is a God who knows good and evil. How does a good God knows evil?
A: God knows evil doesn't mean He will do evil things. He has to know what the evil one is doing, but God will not practice evil things. Not only that, by knowing what is good and evil, God can even turn what satan intend to have evil on us, God turn the evil things of us into good things.

Q: Why God didn't want human being to have the knowledge of good and evil (wisdom)?
A: God said, "They would be like us, knowing good and evil". Serpent said, "You will be like God, knowing good and evil." In my humble opinion, God really hope that we will not choose to have the knowledge of good and evil. Good and evil come together. We can't choose to have knowledge of good without having knowledge of evil. We have no problem handling the knowledge of good. But God knew that we do have problem handling the knowledge of evil. When we have the knowledge of evil, we do not know how to handle, we will definitely handle the knowledge of evil in a way that we will surely die. So, it is better for us not to touch the knowledge of good and evil. Having the knowledge of good and evil is not wisdom. Knowing how to handle the knowledge of good and evil is wisdom. For example, in the medical book, the doctors know the evil side of disease, but have little or no solution to cure them. After knowing an incurable disease in the body, the patient will try or the human way to cure it. But without having the knowledge, just live normally, God can cure the disease even without us knowing that we had them in the first place. God knew that when man have the knowledge of good and evil, they would have a bigger tendency to see evil more than good. When the eyes of Adam and Eve was opened, they didn't appreciate the perfect make of God's hand upon their body, instead of appreciating the beauty of one another's body, instead of appreciating many good of God's creation and the nature, they first thing was their mind was corrupted with Shame. They saw evil more than they saw good and they couldn't handle the evil part. The evil part had corrupted their innocent. Without the knowledge of good and evil is innocent. God want us to be innocent. With the knowledge of good and evil, the result is mental and visual corruption.

Q: Why God has concerns with human being having the knowledge of good and evil?
A: The problem is, when man's eyes are opened, man choose to see evil first rather than see good. In the closing of Gen 2, God already given the reason that man and his wife will be naked and they will not feel ashamed. But in Gen 3, when Adam and Eve sinned, instead of seeing good, the good of God's creation and appreciating each other bodies, they felt ashamed. They saw evil instead of good when they have the knowledge of good and evil. Until today, especially in our health, it's better for us to choose to be innocent to the health condition of our body rather than doing so many check up, by knowing the good and evil of our body greater awareness), we will choose to be fearful and started doing many things. Those things that we do, may not be good for our body. Medication may seems good, but it has also many side effect. Let God do a better job when we are unaware and have greater peace with ourselves.
- Because God want mankind to have only the knowledge of good, but zero knowledge of evil. Obviously Adam and Eve knew what was good because all that was created, God said they were very good. Obviously their eyes were opened. Eve SAW that the fruit was GOOD. Eve eyes are opened to see and she has the knowledge of good. They were enjoying the good that God has created for them, they have zero knowledge of evil.
- Because man has problem handling evil. After eating the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, their eyes (evil eyes) were opened. All the while, their eyes were opened, but now their evil eyes were opened. They started to see evil and have the knowledge of evil.
- Because man will use their knowledge of evil to interpret the things of good as evil. All that God given to mankind were good, in fact, they were very good, this was how God claimed it. But mankind interpret as evil. For example, seeing the body of each other was good and they should have felt no shame, but when their evil eyes were opened, the first thing they saw was their naked body and they felt shame.
- The result of having the knowledge of evil. Gen 6:5 The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time

Q: What was the first knowledge of evil?
A: Shame, then Fear, then Hide. Adam and Eve saw that their body were naked, they felt shame and used fig leaves to cover themselves. Already God had declared that man and woman were naked but they felt no shame. Then their fear God and they hid from God.

Q: Is the death a spiritual death or physical death?
A: If was both spiritual death as well as physical death. Spiritual death happened immediately. Fellowship with God was broken. But physical death happened later. It can be said physical death also happened immediately in the sense that from then on, there is physical death already.

Q: What is spiritual death?
A: Spiritual death means fellowship with God was broken. But not relationship. God created man, we belong to God. There is a relationship with God. That's why whether we are sinners or saved, God still watch over us.

Q: Did God restored fellowship with Adam and Eve after they sin?
A: Yes, through the killing of animal and shedding of blood. Adam and Eve had already sewed fig leaves to cover themselves, but God has to kill animal in order to have true redemption, then use the skin of animal to cover them.

Q: Did Animals and Trees created before or after human?
A: In Genesis 1, Trees were created plants and trees on 3rd day, created fishes and birds on 5th day and created animals and human beings on 6th day.
In Gen 2:5, God had not created plants and trees because God had not sent rain and no one cultivate the land. Gen 2:7, God created man. Gen 2:8 then God planted a garden in Eden. Then God created man and placed the man in Eden. Gen 2:9 then God made all sorts of trees grow up from the ground. After God created human, then he created animals, hope to be helper to Adam. Is there a contradiction here? The only way to explain away this contradiction is that God had created plants and fruit bearing trees on earth. But God made a separate one for Adam. God made the Garden of Eden for Adam to cultivate the land. But that still cannot explain the sequence between Man and Animals. The only way to explain and make consistent the bible is God was not limited by time and sequence of event.
Trees were created after Adam because God said "There is no one cultivate the land". God created Adam, then He created the garden of Eden, then He put Adam in the garden to cultivate the land. Then God want to find a helper suitable for Adam, only then God created all kinds of animals and brought to Adam and let Adam decide whether are they suitable to be Adam's helper while Adam looked at them and at the same time naming them. When God want to create helper for Adam, the work helper means wife. It was funny that God created all kinds of animals to be Adam's wife. Only when there was no suitable, God made Adam into deep sleep, then He took from Adam a rib and made a helper from Adam. Now Adam awaken and he said "This is bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh, I shall name her Woman", then Adam finally found a suitable helper, the woman became Adam's helper or wife.

Q: What does it mean that Adam's and Eve's eyes were opened?
A: Does that mean that all the while, their eyes were closed? Obviously not. Eve saw that the fruit was good and delicious and fitting for having knowledge of good and evil and will be like God. The Amplified bible interpreted as having greater awareness. Again, what is the problem of having knowledge of good and evil or having greater awareness? Isn't this are good things? Eyes opened can also be mean that they no longer see things with eyes of innocent. They were as innocent as having child-likeness. Just like children, they can be running around naked with having a corrupted mind and feeling ashamed.

Q: Is God insecure of human being knowing good and evil when God said they will be like God knowing good and evil?
A: No. God is very secured.

Q: Does having the knowledge of good and evil equal to having wisdom?
A: No. Wisdom is the ability to handle the knowledge and come out with awesome solution. Wisdom is seeing what many people cannot see. Solomon has the wisdom of solving the problem of 2 woman contesting for a son.

Q: What was the first commandment given by God to man?
A: Do not eat from the tree of of the knowledge of good and evil

Q: What was the first sin ever committed?
A: The sin of disobedient. Not killing or lie or any other things.

Q: What were God first judgement?
A: To the serpent, Crawl on your belly, eat dust, enmity between serpent and woman, between serpent offspring and woman offspring, hers will crush serpent head and serpent's will strike his heel. To the woman, increase birth pain, controlling spirit over the husband, but the husband will rule over her. To the man, the ground was cursed, through painful labor will eat the food until man return to the dust, from dust man come, to dust man return.

Q: What was the first knowledge of good and evil?
A: The knowledge of SHAME. Before the fall, human being were naked, but there is no shame. After the fall, Adam and Eve realized they are naked, there felt shame and took fig leave to cover themselves and they hid from God of their nakedness.

Q: What does first reaction by man and by God when the fellowship with God was broken or the effect of how a fellowship was broken?
A: Adam and Eve hid from God. They fear God, they don't that to face God. And God first fellowship with man-kind was broken through His anger. God's first reaction was anger and then followed by pronouncing judgement. Shame, fear, hide, Anger and judgement.

Q: When was the first killing started?
A: Not started from Cain when he killed his brother Abel. Killing was started when God killed the first animal and have the skin as covering for Adam and Eve. Before the fall, there was no killing of animals to eat or for redemption.

Q: Adam and Eve sewed fig leaves to cover themselves, isn't this good enough, why God has to kill animal and took the skin to cover Adam and Eve?
A: Whenever there is sin, there must be skinned, there must be blood and death sacrifice.

Q: Did Adam and Eve confess their sin and repent?
A: Adam did confessed that he ate of the tree of good and evil. but he blame Eve. Eve did confessed that she ate and blame the serpent that she was being deceived into eating. But God was the one questioned them into confession. Not by their own will. But God did not even question the serpent into confession because God knew that satan will not confess anyway. But was there true repentance? This is everyone guess.

Q: Why Adam's sin also affected the peace in the animal world?
A: https://www.blueletterbible.org/faq/don_stewart/don_stewart_711.cfm


Genesis 4 Cain and Abel

Q: Was Cain and Abel twin?
A: Gen 4:1-2 (ESV) Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten[a] a man with the help of the Lord.” 2 And again, she bore his brother Abel.
No: "And Again" seems to suggest that they are not twin.
Yes: Notice that there is only one conception, but two births. The Hebrew word for "again" is asaph, meaning to add something, in this case the birthing of Abel was added to the birthing of Cain. Cain and Abel were twins.

Q: Were there any other being when God created Adam and Eve?
A: God created Adam, then They created Eve. Eve gave birth to Cain, then Abel. But Cain killed Abel, then God banish Cain. But Cain complained to God and said this is too much for me to bear and if ANYONE saw me, will kill me.

Q: Why God accepted Abel and his gift but rejected Cain and his gift?
A; There are many opinion to this.
- The attitude of the giver: The giver, Cain, has a wrong opinion of God. He didn't have faith in God, he is rebellious against God. The giver, Abel, has a right opinion of God. He have faith in God. In Heb 11:4, by faith, Abel offer a more excellent gift.
- The type of gift: Crop gift vs Animal gift. Gift without the sacrifice of blood vs gift with sacrifice of blood. Offering often associate with redemption in the OT. In my opinion, it was not the type of gift is because in the later part of OT, God did accept grain offering and animal offering.
- The quality of the gift: In my opinion, it was the quality of the gift and the attitude of the offerer. It was offered by faith by Abel. The offering was the choice type, first born of the flock and the fat portion. However, Cain took some (anyhow that some from anywhere, not the choice crops and not the first harvest of the crops), therefore, signaling that he didn't care because he didn't have a good opinion of God and the offering was not offered in faith. The bible said anything is done without faith is sin. That's why God said to Cain, Sin was crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.
But some opinion was saying that it was the type of gift. Cain's gift was without blood. Offering must involved blood. In Young's translation, it wrote "Sin offering was crouching at the door" of Cain. Cain could have seized the opportunity to grab hold of the sin offering, which involved blood and offered to God.
Cain and Abel were mentioned in Heb 11:4, 1 John 3:12, Jude 11

Q: Who was the ANYONE Cain was referring to?
A: It's obviously there were other beings. Whether human beings or angels or fallen angels, there is not mentioned in the bible. 2 Peter 3:8 "With the Lord a day is like a thousand years". There could be a lengthy time lapsed that Adam and Eve could have many other descendants who did not know about Cain. Later on, the bible also said that Cain and his wife gave birth to a son. How is there a wife if there is no other human beings?