GENESIS FACTS
The churches of Christ Greet You (Romans
16:16)
Let’s begin our
time together
in this study with an interesting story:
Years and years ago, the Maori people of New
Zealand would
gather around the fire and tell stories or myths about Maui. This
character was
a practical joker. He played tricks, and the stories say that he had
learned
great magic. The myth of how Maui tamed the Sun is set in the land of
Hawaiki -
the legendary home of the Maori.
"In Hawaiki," so the story goes, "the boys played with spears to
learn to become fierce warriors. The girls would weave fine mats and
baskets.
The mothers would plant the gardens and supervise the children. The
fathers
would fish and hunt and build beautiful canoes. But every day the Sun
would
race across the sky. No sooner would a father mend his spear, than
darkness
would fall. No sooner would the boys choose a big tree to use for a
swing, than
night would creep over the mountains. No sooner would a mother prepare
the
ground for her sweet potato plants, than the Sun would set.”
"Hine, Maui's mother, complained to Maui: ‘The children are
crying.
They are not sleepy when night comes. There is no time to do our work.
Maui, you
must do something!’”
"Maui grinned, because he had a plan. He carefully prepared a strong,
magic rope. Then he climbed to the highest peak on the island and
waited. The
next morning, Maui swung the rope nearer and nearer to the rising Sun.
The rope
lashed out and snaked around the Sun. Maui jerked on the rope with all
his
might. The Sun gasped and glared angrily at Maui, because he had never
been
treated this way before.
'Let me go,' the Sun wailed. He twisted and
turned but
Maui did not loosen his grip on the magic rope.
'You must slow down because my people cannot
work or
play before it is night again,' Maui cried. So the Sun agreed to slow
down. Now
the children could play to their hearts' content, and the men and women
could
finish their chores, thanks to Maui."
Isn't that an amazing story! It tells us how the Maori explained their
world.
Some people say that the Bible's "story" of Creation is no different.
But let us look closely at what the first chapter of Genesis has to say
about the
Sun and our days:
* God separated the light from the darkness; He
called
the light "daytime," and the darkness "nighttime."
Together, the first evening and the first morning became the first day
(verse
3-5).
*God created light-givers in the heavens,
including two
great lights: the greater light, or Sun, for the daytime, and the
lesser light,
or Moon, for the nighttime (verses 14-19).
Do you notice any difference? In Genesis, God makes the world the
way it
is; there is no heroic man or magic rope. Among all the creation
stories,
Genesis is very special because it gives a plain and simple description
of how
the Universe came to be. But still, is Genesis just another story or
myth that
uses God instead of heroes and magic? No, because it is the truth.
Jesus said:
"you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free" (John
8:32). By telling His people about the Creation, Moses made sure they
knew who
God was, and how and why He created the world the way He
did. Moses
wanted to make sure that they worshipped God, and not a man, or the
Sun, or an
idol made from stone or wood. In other words, he wanted them to worship
the
Creator, and not the things He created (read Romans 1:25). By telling
his
people the truth about the Creation, Moses freed them from worshipping
false
gods and the things of the world.
Thanks to the Book of Genesis, we know that if God could plan and make
the
whole Universe, then we know that He is powerful enough to answer
prayers, and
give us a home in heaven forever (2 Timothy 1:12). And, thanks to the
rest of
the Bible, we know that the Lord loves us, we know how to show our love
to Him
through worship, and we know how to get to heaven.
A Few Facts from
the
Wonderful Book of GENESIS:
God planted a
garden in Eden.
A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden. The river divided into
four
rivers: Pishon – flowed around land of Havilah; Gihon – flowed around
Cush;
Tigris – flowed east of Assyria; Euphrates.
Kept Sheep. Worked Ground. Descendants led to Christ.
Killed by his brother Cain. Became a fugitive and wanderer. Enosh>Kenan>Mahalalel>
Settled in Nod, east of
Enoch>Irad>Mehujael>Methushael >Lamech>NOAH
>LAMECH
Lamech - Killed a
man. Took
two
wives:
(Adah) (Zillah)
Jabal (father of those who dwell in tents. Tubal-Cain (Forger of all instruments
and have livestock) >Jubal (father of of bronze and iron) > Naamah (sister)
those who play Lyre and Pipe)
Noah
Noah was 600 when
the flood
came on earth (2nd month 17th day). It rained 40
days and
nights. Water rose to 15 cubits above mountains and prevailed 150 days
(5
months). The ark rested on Mt. Ararat on the 17th day of the
7th
month. The waters receded and the tops of the mountains were seen
on the
1st day of the 10th month. The waters were dried
off the
earth in Noah’s 601st year on the 1st day of the 1st
month (Noah then removed the ark’s cover). On the 27th day
of the 2nd
month the earth had dried out (Noah and the animals left the ark).
Person Age Son Born Age Die Comments
|
ADAM |
130 |
930 |
|
|
SETH |
105 |
912 |
|
|
ENOSH |
90 |
905 |
Man began calling on God. |
|
KENAN |
70 |
910 |
|
|
MAHALALEL |
65 |
895 |
|
|
JARED |
162 |
962 |
|
|
ENOCH |
65 |
365 |
Walked with God. God took him. |
|
METHUSELAH |
187 |
969 |
|
|
LAMECH |
182 |
777 |
|
|
NOAH |
500 |
950 |
|
Ham
Shem
Japheth
Father of
Cush>Egypt>Put>Canaan Descendants led to Christ. Elder brother. Gomer>Magog>Madai>
Elam>Asshur>ARPACHSHAD> Javan>Tubal>Meshech>
Lud>ARAM Tiras
CUSH ARAM
Seba>Havilah>Sabtah> Uz>Hul>Gether>Mash GOMER
RAAMAH>Sabteca>NIMROD Ashkenaz>Riphath>
ARPACHSHAD Togarmah
Raamah Shelah
Sheba>Dedan JAVAN
Shelah Elishah>Tarshish>Kittim>
Nimrod Eber Dodanim
The first mighty hunter. The
beginning of his kingdom was Eber
Babel, Erech, Accad, and Peleg (earth divided in his days)>JOKTAN
Calneh in the
went into
Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, Almodad>Sheleph>Hazarmaveth>
and Resen (the great city). Jerah>Hadoram>Uzal>Diklah>
Obal>Abimael>Sheba>Ophir>Havilah>
EGYPT Jobab
Ludim>Anamim>Lehabim>
Naphtuhim>Pathrusim>
CASLUHIM>Caphtorim
Casluhim
The Philistines
CANAAN
The territory of
the
Canaanites extended from Sidon to Gaza (in the direction of Gerar) and
to Lasha
(in the direction of Sodom and Gomorrah and Admah and Zeboiim).
The whole earth was
one
language (Noah’s descendants), and the people lived in a plain in the
land of
Shinar. They decided to build a city and a tower with its top in the
heavens.
The Lord was not pleased with the people. He confused their language
and the
people stopped building the city (Babel). The Lord dispersed the people
to all
parts of the earth.
Person
Age Son
Born
Age
Died
Comments
|
NOAH |
500 |
950 |
|
|
SHEM |
100 |
600 |
|
|
ARPACHSHAD |
35 |
438 |
Born two
years after flood |
|
SHELAH |
30 |
433 |
|
|
EBER |
34 |
464 |
|
|
PELEG |
30 |
239 |
|
|
REU |
32 |
239 |
|
|
SERUG |
30 |
230 |
|
|
NAHOR |
29 |
148 |
|
|
TERAH |
70 |
205 |
Left Ur of
the Chaldeans and died in Haran |
Married his sister Sarai (Terah’s daughter Married his aunt (Haran’s
by another woman). daughter Milcah).
Uz>Buz>KEMUEL>Chesed>
Had promised son by Sarai – ISAAC Hazo>Pildash>Jidlaph>BETHUEL
Had son by Egyptian slave Hagar – ISHMAEL KEMUEL
Aram
Married Keturah
Zimran>JOKSHAN>Medan>MIDIAN> BETHUEL
Ishbak>Shuah Laban>Rebekah (sister)
JOKSHAN
Sheba>DEDAN
Married Reumah (cuncubine)
Dedan Tebah>Gaham>Tahash>Maacah
Asshurim>Letushim>Leummim
MIDIAN
Ephar>Epher>Hanoch>Abida>Eldaah