1. hobbies and interests
2. reading

THE BIBLE : THE BIG PICTURE
YOUTH EDITION - SAMPLE CHAPTERS
THE BIBLE : THE BIG PICTURE
YOUTH EDITION
Biblical Turning Points is excited to
announce the release of the second
edition of ‘The Bible: The Big Picture’
for youth. This course aims to address
the issue of Biblical illiteracy in
students, empowering and inspiring
them to read the Bible and engage
with its message.
The second edition will be available for
digital download and print delivery for
the 2014 school year.
Why is this course needed?
In an age when students are saturated
by competing messages in music,
cinema and literature, this course is
designed for teachers who believe that
the message of the Bible is the best
story we have to tell.
Our challenge is to tell it well!
To complement the second edition, our
website will soon include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
New teacher notes for each
chapter.
Assessment resources and ideas
for classroom activities.
A homework reading schedule.
PowerPoint presentations
including discussion questions
about the reading for each chapter.
An updated overview of the Bible’s
story to walk students through at
the start of the course.
We invite you to explore this resource
and see how it could be used in your
setting to engage young people in the
Bible’s story. This sample includes the
first three chapters of the new edition.
GGOD
GO
OD CREATES THE UNIVERSE
AADAM
AD
DA AND EVE
IN RESPONSE
IN
R
TO SIN,
AND MEN
AND
AN
M AND WOMEN IN HIS IMAGE
REBEL
RREB
RE
EBEL
EB
BEEL AGAINST GOD
GGOD
GO
OD FLOODS
OD
F
THE WORLD
We won’t leave you on your own
As a teacher or ministry leader taking
on this challenge, be reassured - you
are not on your own! Biblical Turning
Points wants to support you as you
teach this course.
David Tolputt - State Director
Scripture Union Victoria
Endorsements
From day one we want students to see
that the Bible tells one grand story; a
story which invites them to come and
take their place in it. From the outset
we want to bury any notion that the
Bible is a collection of random religious
stories or that its message is boring.
By God’s grace this course is already
having a huge impact in the lives of
many teenagers around the country.
This updated second edition is for
teachers who share our vision of
empowering and inspiring young
people to read their Bibles and be
transformed by its message.
Scripture Union started over a hundred
years ago with helping children to read
the Bible. It is in our DNA! We were
looking for a great tool to help this
generation read the Bible, and without
doubt, ‘Biblical Turning Points - The
Bible: The Big Picture’ is one of the best
tools I have come across. The school
edition has been written from genuine
classroom experience, incorporates
innovative teaching process, and will
make the Bible’s story come to life for
students and teachers.
Our National research is showing that
young people are not engaging with
the Bible, even if they are attending
church. As we survey the landscape
of resources that are shaped to tackle
this challenge we have found one that
we are willing to put our name to and
to allocate our time to assist in its
development. Biblical Turning Points
‘The Bible: The Big Picture’, is a journey
through the Bible that is both thorough
& interactive. We are excited to play
our part in re-shaping Edition 2 of this
amazing resource and believe that it
is ideal for youth ministry leaders &
Biblical Studies teachers to journey
their young people to love God’s Word.
We have a whole generation of young
people who have grown up without a
firm grasp of the Biblical narrative and
the story of salvation. ‘The Bible: The
Big Picture’ is a much-needed guide
into Biblical literacy, and, in its new,
contemporary and full colour format,
this book invites engagement and
exploration. Christian Schools Australia
is pleased to endorse this book as an
extremely useful text for teachers of
Bible Studies in secondary schools to
aid in the central task of teaching the
Bible to transform lives.
Jeanette Woods - State Executive Officer
Vic/Tas - Christian Schools Australia
Mark Owen - Head of National Mission
Portfolios - Bible Society Australia
3
THE EDITORIAL AND DEVELOPMENT TEAM
FAQS
‘THE BIBLE: THE BIG PICTURE’ YOUTH EDITION
HOW CAN I GET THIS COURSE UP AND RUNNING AT MY SCHOOL?
Biblical Turning Points
Andrew Bawden
Angela Sawyer
Biblical Turning Points is an Australianbased ministry in partnership with
Scripture Union and The Bible Society
Australia. The name is based on the
framework behind ‘The Bible: The Big
Picture’ course, which breaks down
the detailed message of the 66 books
of the Bible into major events that
participants can easily grasp.
Author, Biblical Turning Points
Bible Engagement Worker
Victorian Council of Christian
Education
Our Vision
We are dedicated to seeing God’s story
transform people’s lives today.
We are passionate about empowering
people to read the Bible and committed
to addressing Biblical illiteracy by
running courses that blow the Bible
wide open.
We believe the Bible contains the true
and life-changing story of what God
has done in history to redeem this
world and we are motivated to see this
message told well.
The need
In schools and communities around
the world there is an urgent need to reengage people with God’s Word. Many
people attend church their whole lives,
but never read the basic stories of the
Bible and join the dots. Many people
outside the church community would
struggle to articulate even a basic
understanding of the Bible’s story.
As followers of Jesus we have the
greatest and most important story the
world has ever known. This course
has been designed to help you share
that story well - to inspire, empower,
challenge and transform the lives of
your students.
Ultimately, our hope is that your
students will meet with God as they
read his Word.
4
THE BIBLE: THE BIG PICTURE
Andrew is the Head of Biblical Studies
at Waverley Christian College in
Melbourne. He is a gifted teacher
whose passion and acknowledged
educational skill have come together
in the development of the Biblical
Turning Points resources. He
completed his Bachelor of Theology
at the Presbyterian Theological
College (Melbourne) in 2003, before
undertaking his Graduate Diploma of
Education in 2004.
After completing his Bachelor of
Theology he was motivated to address
the growing Biblical illiteracy in our
culture and share his passion for the
Bible’s message. ‘The Bible: The Big
Picture’ began as an idea on a youth
camp and is now run in churches and
schools around the country.
Angela is a Bible Engagement specialist
with a passion for seeing individuals
and communities empowered to
understand and relevantly apply the
Bible to life.
With a background in education and
pastoral ministry, Angela has been
able to combine these fields in her
role at the VCCE. Angela is particularly
interested in innovative approaches to
the study of the Bible, and the lesserheard voices within the narratives.
Adrian Blenkinsop
Angela’s knowledge of the Bible and the
historical background to the unfolding
narrative of Scripture has added new
depth to this resource. Teachers will
also benefit from her creativity in the
teacher notes coming out later this
year.
State Manager SA. Children, Youth &
Education, Bible Society Australia
Aaron Harvey
Creative Design
A passion to see young people
encounter God and grow as his faithful
disciples has seen Adrian work as a
high school Chaplain, Youth Pastor,
Youth Ministry consultant, public
speaker, seminar presenter, as well as
working with at-risk youth.
Currently Adrian works with Bible
Society Australia in youth ministry,
and spends his time developing Bible
engagement resources, speaking at
youth events, schools and camps,
drinking fine coffee and listening to U2.
Adrian has a unique ability to provoke
discussion around and engagement
with the Bible’s story. This, along with
his illustrations and contributions to
the text of the second edition, have
significantly enhanced this resource.
© Copyright 2013 Biblical Turning Points
Aaron is a Graphic Designer with a
passion for creativity who thrives on
the combination of technology and
art. He works at Youth Dimension
as the Creative Media Director for
‘Bulls+Arrows’, a youth website
provoking discussion about culture,
life and God through films, music and
conversation.
Aaron has been a long time contributor
to the development of this course and
his work on this new edition has been
outstanding.
1
How much will the book
cost?
Biblical Turning Points is pleased to be
able to offer this second edition in full
colour for $25 for print copies and $20
for eBook copies.
3 Can I get a copy of the
first edition to get a feel
for the entire course?
Absolutely! You can purchase the first
edition through our website or with our
order form.
We encourage schools to order
directly from us to secure these prices.
However, we will happily supply
through booklisters and educational
suppliers if that is your preference.
While the second edition is a
substantial improvement, the first
edition will give you a good idea of the
content covered.
We are also pleased to announce a
reduction in postage costs for direct
orders.
Our hope is that the first three sample
chapters in this document will give you
a clear indication of the quality and
direction of the new edition.
All orders over $150 will attract free
postage. Orders under $150 will be
shipped at a flat rate of $10. Express
Post is also available at standard rates.
Shipping is from Melbourne.
2
When will the new
edition be ready for use
in schools?
The book will be ready for delivery to
schools for the start of the 2014 school
year.
Please remember that what you are
viewing in this booklet are ‘page proofs’.
There may be small changes made to
the first three chapters before the final
print run.
Feedback is welcomed!
Schools are able to nominate a
preferred delivery week and we will
endeavour to ship accordingly. We will
happily supply additional ‘proof pages’
near the end of Term 4 to assist schools
in their planning.
If you would like a copy of the proof
pages sent to you please email us at:
[email protected]
4
Are there teacher notes?
Yes. We will be releasing teacher notes
for each chapter of the book later in
Term 4.
These notes will include suggested
activities, assessment tasks, and
resources you can use to help you bring
the content to life in the classroom.
If you would like us to notify you when
these are posted on our website, please
email us at:
[email protected]
5
What additional
resources will you be
posting on your website
for use with this edition?
1. Teacher notes. See above.
2. Assessment Handbook: One of the
challenges in teaching this course can
be knowing how to assess it!
3. Bible overview assignment: We want
to encourage our youth to learn to
tell the Bible’s story. One of the most
successful assessment items that
has been used with this course is an
assignment where students have to
find a creative way of telling the Bible’s
story.
4. Suggested video clips from relevant
sites that can be used with each
chapter.
5. Turning Points cards. The Turning
Points on pp.8-13 will also be available
to print for students to use in class.
6
Why is there so much
information in the book?
We don’t expect teachers to read
through every single page with
students in class!
This book has been written in a way
that:
a) enables it to stand alone if needed.
b) provides teachers with structure and
a clear framework to approach each
chapter.
c) uses headings and Bible references
in a way that enables teachers to be
able to summarise material where
relevant.
We want the book to be a substantial
and comprehensive retelling of the
Bible’s story.
We also encourage teachers to use
a variety of strategies to bring the
content to life. Our intention is to assist
with that through our website.
5
TIPS FOR TEACHERS
HOW DO I GET THE MOST OUT OF THIS COURSE?
1
Use our website to find inspiration for
class activities and share your own ideas
with other teachers
The resources on the website are for your benefit and
support. Files are free to download and use. We hope that the
notes for each chapter assist your planning and teaching.
While the book is the backbone of the course, we know that
an inspirational semester of study needs much more than
just a good book.
3
Ensure that each student has their own
copy of the course book
2
Use the Reading Plan as students’
homework task
The course is designed around a Bible reading plan to
ensure that students come to class having read the relevant
passages before the teacher starts the lesson.
It is important to take time at the start of each lesson to talk
about the reading and allow your students to ask questions.
The aim is not to shame students who haven’t prepared, but
to demonstrate the importance of reading the Bible.
What if students don’t do the reading?
Experience has shown that, if students think the reading is
optional, they won’t do it. The challenge is to find the balance
between enforcing the set reading and causing students
to hate reading the Bible. It can be helpful to ask students
who fall behind to meet up with you at recess or lunch so
that you can read together. It normally takes only one or two
meetings to get them reading regularly. It is also important to
communicate the course reading requirements to parents.
Lesson activities: suit yourself
It is important that students own their own copy of ’The Bible:
The Big Picture’. They should be able to write in it, highlight
what is relevant to them and be encouraged to keep it after
the course is completed.
There are a number of activities that can be tackled in
different ways. Some activities can be run as individual
exercises, group activities or class presentations. The book
has been designed to give you flexibility.
As you plan your assessment, it’s a good idea to include the
work students have done in their books as part of their overall
assessment. You could include a general workbook mark or
select a number of the activities for assessment.
Choose which parts of the material in each chapter you want
to use.
Keep a lookout for the new teacher notes and activities that
will be posted in late 2013.
www.biblicalturningpoints.com.au
5
4
No topic should be off limits, as long as
students are respectful!
It won’t take long before a student asks about circumcision or
you hear teenage boys giggling in the back row as they read
Song of Songs! When provocative topics come up, talk about
them with your students. Don’t avoid them.
Let students know from the start that nothing in the Bible
is off limits. This is the course where they can ask their BIG
questions about God, the Bible etc., without any fear of
being inappropriate or being laughed at for not knowing
something. When the course is presented well, there will be
times when students are confronted by what they read and
challenged about the way they see the world. From the start,
create an environment where all questions are welcome. Of
course, you can tell your students why you might disagree
with a particular viewpoint.
The Bible contains some extremely graphic accounts of
human depravity and the day-to-day realities of the human
body. We want students to encounter all facets of the Bible as
they undertake their study.
You don’t need to have answers to all their questions. Be
honest and tell your students when you are not sure of
something - and then get back to them.
You can email questions to us if you get stuck at:
[email protected]
Most teachers will not use all the information each week.
Each chapter can stand alone. As you read through the tips
for each week, you’ll see we suggest showing a DVD or an
internet clip or looking for a completely different way to
engage students with the focus of that chapter.
6
Keep assessment objective
Assessment in Christian Studies classes can be challenging.
It is highly likely that some students in your class have never
read the Bible before, or come from families that are not
Christian.
For this reason, our strong recommendation is that all
assessment activities remain objective. Focus on the
student’s knowledge of the Biblical story, not their response
to it.
Students should be able to passionately engage with the
Bible’s story throughout the course of a semester - perhaps
even take great exception to the entire book - and still get a
good result because they have learnt the Bible’s story.
This does not mean that students shouldn’t be encouraged
to engage with the claims of the Bible. The course finishes by
looking at what the Bible says about the future and salvation.
These topics are not swept under the carpet. We want
students to feel they can be honest and not pretend they
believe something they do not!
7
Mark your journey through the Bible with
celebrations of milestones achieved
As with all courses you teach, you will find that students
can develop ‘topic drift’ as the term progresses. Plan small
celebrations to mark your journey through the Bible.
Encourage students to bring some food to share and spend
time talking about what you have learnt so far.
8
Use the visual aid to help students grasp
the Bible’s storyline
The visual aid is designed to help students understand the
single story that is told through the 66 books of the Bible in a
quick, interesting and succinct way.
When used throughout the course to reinforce where the
class is up to in the story, the visual aid is a powerful and
effective tool for building a scaffold on which students can
build their understanding of the Bible.
It allows the teacher to visually demonstrate in a matter
of moments what would take many hours to explain. We
recommend that each student receive a copy of the small
fold-out visual aid for their own reference.
The visual aid is also available in large format. While using a
large visual aid is not essential, it adds a dynamic element to
class discussion about the Bible’s story and helps teachers
answer students questions about how the events of the Bible
connect together.
The large visual aid can be ordered through our website. We
are also happy to speak with you about alternative printing
options if you know of a cheaper way of producing them for
your classroom.
Assignments need to be carefully worded so that students are
encouraged to think at a deep level about the implications
of particular parts of the Biblical story and not feel that their
‘faith response’ is being graded.
To assist with this, an assessment book will be released later
this year. This will provide a number of different scenarios
and assessment tasks you can use when planning your
course.
6
THE BIBLE: THE BIG PICTURE
© Copyright 2013 Biblical Turning Points
7
TIPS FOR TEACHERS
CONTENTS
HOW DO I GET THE MOST OUT OF THIS COURSE?
WHAT DO WE COVER IN THIS COURSE?
9
Feel free to add to the course content
There may be parts of the Bible’s storyline that you want
to focus on in more detail than is covered in the book. For
example, you may want to share a Passover meal in your
class to demonstrate how Jesus Christ was the ultimate
fulfilment of that event and celebration, or you may want to
incorporate a geography exercise and ask students to map
out the missionary journeys of Paul.
We welcome teachers adding to the course, especially with
creative and engaging exercises that help students see the
significance and relevance of their study. As we have made
many activities freely available on the website, we would love
you to email us your ideas so we can share them with other
teachers.
10
Adapt the course to suit different timeframes and different age groups
The course has been designed to fit into a semester of study
when there are 3-4 lessons a week or over a year when there
are fewer.
Run the course over a timeframe that works best for you. Just
be aware that studying one course for a year does come with
a high risk of ‘topic drift’, so you will need to carefully plan to
keep students engaged.
Some schools run the course for three terms and then get
the students to put their own creative overview of the Bible
together as the culmination of the course.
The course has been run in schools with a number of
different age groups. Our experience is that junior students
in Year 7 often ask more complex questions than senior
students. Think about your students’ age group and tailor the
course to their particular stage of development.
For example, with a senior class you may like to incorporate
an apologetic edge. This would not only challenge students
to learn the storyline of the Bible, but to grapple with it and
respond to common objections. With a junior class, focus
on the narrative side of the course, as students in early
secondary are very open to this.
If you would like advice about tailoring the course to a
particular age group in your school, please contact us. We’re
happy to help!
Copyright information
Printed in Melbourne, Australia.
ISBN 978-0-9807877-6-4
8
The contents of this book are a sample of the new
Youth Edition of ‘The Bible: The Big Picture’.
No part of this sample is to be reproduced or used
in class without the express permission of Biblical
Turning Points.
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW
INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright ©
1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society.
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights
reserved. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:
© Copyright 2013 Biblical Turning Points
The author wishes to acknowledge that
much of the material in this book has been
influenced by teachers, lecturers and
ministers whose commitment to tell the most
amazing story ever told has inspired him to
put this course together.
Author:
Andrew Bawden
Contributing Editors:
Adrian Blenkinsop
Angela Sawyer
THE BIBLE: THE BIG PICTURE
© Copyright 2013 Biblical Turning Points
CHAPTER
TITLE
THEME
PAGE
1
THE BIG PICTURE
How well do you know the Bible’s story?
8
2
IN THE BEGINNING
Creation
18
3
REBELLION IN THE RANKS
The Fall
34
4
A NATION IS BORN
Abraham and the Patriarchs
5
REDEEMED FROM SLAVERY
The Road to Egypt, Moses,
the Passover and Exodus
6
LAYING DOWN THE LAW
God’s covenant with Israel
7
THE GOD WHO
DWELLS AMONG US
The Tabernacle
and Sacrificial System
8
THE PROMISED LAND
Joshua and Judges
9
A BINDING RESOLUTION
Kingship and David
10
GREAT EXPECTATIONS
FROM THE RUBBLE
The exile and dawning
of Israel’s Messiah
11
THE KING HAS COME
The life of Jesus Christ
12
THE GREAT UNVEILING
The death and resurrection
of Jesus Christ
13
EMPOWERED TO SERVE
The ascension of Jesus and the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit
14
TAKING IT TO THE NATIONS
The spreading Church
15
THE RETURN OF THE KING
Jesus’ second coming
16
BACK WHERE WE BELONG
The New Creation
9
10
THE BIBLE: THE BIG PICTURE
© Copyright 2013 Biblical Turning Points
11
12
THE BIBLE: THE BIG PICTURE
© Copyright 2013 Biblical Turning Points
13
14
THE BIBLE: THE BIG PICTURE
© Copyright 2013 Biblical Turning Points
15
ONE EPIC STORY
TURNING POINTS
66 BOOKS, APPROXIMATELY 40 AUTHORS AND WRITTEN OVER 1500 YEARS
SIGNIFICANT EVENTS THAT SHAPE THE BIBLE’S STORY
Take some time to read through the events of the
Bible on the previous pages
1. What stood out to you as you looked through the events and pictures?
2. Which events in the Bible’s story do you already know well?
The Bible’s story
is ultimately about
Jesus
The theme verse for this course comes
from the final chapter in the Gospel
of Luke.
After Jesus finished his public
ministry, died and rose again, he told
his disciples that the entire story of
the Bible was ultimately about him.
LUKE 24:44-45
3. Are there any events you have never heard about before?
“’This is what I told you while I
was still with you: Everything must
be fulfilled that is written about
me in the Law of Moses, the
Prophets and the Psalms.’”
Then he opened their minds
so they could understand the
Scriptures.
This course looks at how God’s work
in history is all about Jesus and the
salvation that has come through him.
Discuss in groups of 2-3
1. Church surveys have shown that many people who attend church don’t read the
Bible regularly or know its story well. Why do you think that is?
The Bible is the most amazing story
ever told but unless you see the big
picture, you are in danger of thinking
the Bible is a series of random and
disconnected events. A bit like
watching a movie out of sequence!
If we never see the story of the Bible
in sequence, its wonder, impact and
message are lost.
To understand the Bible, it’s best to
begin with these important events.
This course shows the big picture by
explaining why each major event is
important in the Bible’s storyline.
The Bible tells one epic story, all the
way from the creation of the universe,
to Abraham, to King David, to Jesus, to
the New Creation.
We will call each key event a ‘Turning
Point’ as each marks a significant
development in the Bible’s story.
Some of the key
turning points
in the Bible are
covenants
In the Bible the word ‘covenant’ means
a promise, agreement or relationship
that God gives or enters into.
A great example of this is Creation.
2. Are there any questions that you have about the Bible that you hope will be
answered in this course?
When you read the first two chapters
of the Bible you quickly see that God’s
creation of the world and humans is
covenantal. God doesn’t just drop Adam
and Eve in Eden without any guidance
about how to live.
Adam and Eve are blessed by God to fill
the earth, rule over it and eat the food
that comes from it. But there are limits
to their freedom and warnings about
what will happen if they disobey.
16
THE BIBLE: THE BIG PICTURE
© Copyright 2013 Biblical Turning Points
When Adam and Eve disobey, God’s
warnings become reality.
Other covenants that will be explored in
this course include:
God’s Covenant with Noah
God’s Covenant with Abraham
God’s Covenant with Israel at Mt Sinai
God’s Covenant with David
The New Covenant made through the
death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
God always initiates any covenant he
enters into in the Bible.
As you read, take note of how the
covenants are made and what they
include.
Your challenge in
this course
The first few pages in this chapter show
key events to help you see the story of
the Bible. This course focuses on these
Turning Points in the Bible’s story.
Once you understand how these major
events fit together, you are well on
the way to understanding the Bible’s
story. We won’t cover all the events in
detail, but will focus on the stories that
show how God brought salvation to our
broken world.
You will be relieved to know that you
don’t need to memorise every piece of
information you encounter along the
way.
Your challenge is to focus on getting
the overall story of the Bible clear
in your mind. Look at how the major
events fit together and consider how
this historical story finds meaning
and fulfilment in the life, death and
resurrection of Jesus.
Take up the challenge to explore the
most amazing story ever told!
INTRODUCTION
17
NAVIGATING YOUR WAY AROUND THE BIBLE
BOOKS OF THE BIBLE
HOW DO YOU FIND WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR?
39 OLD TESTAMENT AND 27 NEW TESTAMENT BOOKS
Long after the original books of
the Bible were written, Christians
realised it would be easier to find Bible
passages if the books were broken
down into chapters and verses.
Which
translation
should I read?
For example, a reference to a particular
part of the Gospel of John might be:
‘John 3:16’.
The Bible was originally written in
ancient Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.
Relax! We won’t use any of those
languages in this course!
If you follow the reference to the Gospel
of John - the third chapter and the 16th
verse of that chapter - you will find:
JOHN 3:16
For God so loved the world that
he gave his one and only Son, that
whoever believes in him shall not
perish but have eternal life.
If there is a reference to a book of the
Bible that you can’t find, simply look it
up in the index at the front of your Bible
or go to www.biblegateway.com and
type in the reference to view the verse.
Today, many different translations of
the Bible are available. Try walking
into the Bible section of a Christian
bookshop and see how overwhelming
the choice can be.
Biblical Turning Points uses the New
International Version (NIV) translation
and all quotations in this book are from
the NIV.
If you have an NIV Bible it would
be helpful to bring it along to the
sessions so we all read from the same
translation. If you don’t, or would prefer
to keep using a different translation,
that’s fine.
Look up the following passages
and make a few notes about what they are saying
Interesting facts
about the Bible
THE BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
(WRITTEN BEFORE JESUS CAME TO EARTH)
The Bible contains 66 books, divided
into the Old and New Testaments.
There are 39 books in the Old
Testament.
01. Genesis
BOOKS OF LAW
(THE TORAH)
41. Mark
42. Luke
43. John
The Bible was written by
approximately 40 different authors.
07. Judges
The Bible was written over a period
of approximately 1,500 years.
09. 1 Samuel
Moses made the largest contribution
to the Old Testament. He wrote the
first five books of the Bible.
11. 1 Kings
45. Romans
12. 2 Kings
46. 1 Corinthians
13. 1 Chronicles
47. 2 Corinthians
14. 2 Chronicles
48. Galatians
06. Joshua
08. Ruth
BOOKS OF HISTORY
15. Ezra
16. Nehemiah
The Bible was written in three
languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and
Ancient Greek.
The first English translation of the
Bible was made in 1382 A.D. by John
Wycliffe.
17. Esther
18. Job
BOOKS OF WISDOM /
POETRY
The Bible was first printed in the
1450’s. It was the first book ever
printed.
The shortest verse in the Bible is
John 11:35.
The only book in the Bible that does
not mention the word ‘God’ is the
book of Esther.
19. Psalms
20. Proverbs
PAUL’S LETTERS
TO DIFFERENT
CHURCHES AND
PEOPLE
44. Acts
51. Colossians
52. 1 Thessalonians
53. 2 Thessalonians
56. Titus
57. Philemon
24. Jeremiah
26. Ezekiel
50. Philippians
55. 2 Timothy
23. Isaiah
25. Lamentations
49. Ephesians
54. 1 Timothy
21. Ecclesiastes
22. Song of Songs
The longest book in the Bible is the
book of Psalms.
The longest verse in the Bible is
Esther 8:9.
LUKE’S ACCOUNT OF
THE EARLY CHURCH
10. 2 Samuel
The Apostle Paul made the largest
contribution to the New Testament,
with 13 of his books included.
The shortest chapter in the Bible is
Psalm 117.
Isaiah 53:5
04. Numbers
THE GOSPELS / LIFE
OF JESUS
05. Deuteronomy
UNKNOWN AUTHOR
58. Hebrews
27. Daniel
28. Hosea
The longest chapter in the Bible is
Psalm 119.
2 John 5:24
02. Exodus
03. Leviticus
40. Matthew
There are 27 books in the New
Testament.
The shortest book in the Bible is 2
John.
Judges 3:21-22
THE BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
(WRITTEN AFTER THE LIFE OF JESUS)
29. Joel
OLD TESTAMENT
PROPHETS
30. Amos
31. Obadiah
32. Jonah
33. Micah
JAMES’ LETTER
PETER’S LETTERS
36. Zephaniah
60. 1 Peter
61. 2 Peter
62. 1 John
JOHN’S LETTERS
63. 2 John
64. 3 John
34. Nahum
35. Habakkuk
59. James
JUDE’S LETTER
65. Jude
37. Haggai
38. Zechariah
JOHN’S PROPHECY
66. Revelation
39. Malachi
18
THE BIBLE: THE BIG PICTURE
© Copyright 2013 Biblical Turning Points
INTRODUCTION
19
20
THE BIBLE: THE BIG PICTURE
© Copyright 2013 Biblical Turning Points
21
THE OPENING SCENE
GENESIS 1 & 2
IF YOU SKIP OVER GENESIS 1 & 2 YOU MISS A LOT!
HOW SHOULD I READ THESE CHAPTERS?
In the
beginning...
Movie Time
There was no time to lose. The
cinema
lights had
lights
juststarted
startedto
todim.
dim
Suddenly
in the cinema
I realised...I
when I suddenly
hadn’t
bought
realisedan
it...I
ice-cream!
hadn’t bought
Watching
an
aice-cream.
movie without
Watching
an ice-cream
a movie
would
without
bean
like
ice-cream
watchingwould
TV be
without
like watching
the remote
TV without
in my the
hand,
or
remote
goingintomy
Maccas
hand,and
or going
not to
having
Maccasfries.
and not having fries.
Those first few scenes in a movie and
the first chapter of a book set the
scene for the rest of the story. You’re
introduced to the key characters, the
setting, the location. Without that
foundation it’s hard to understand and
make sense of the rest.
I walked as quickly as I could to
the candy bar. I grabbed an icecream and turned to find a long
queue of people. I had to work
hard to be patient, knowing the
movie had started.
By the time I made it back to my
seat, the opening few scenes
had come and gone. Those
vital few minutes where you
meet the main characters, see
the location and get a sense
of what’s to follow: action,
suspense, romance, horror, scifi or fantasy.
I’d missed it. I spent the next 15
minutes trying to figure it out.
Who was who? What was going
on?
The word ‘genesis’ means beginning,
origin or creation. The first two
chapters of Genesis are like the
opening scenes in a movie. They give
us an understanding of the origin and
meaning of all things. Here we are
introduced to the main characters:
God and humanity; and to the stage on
which this drama will unfold.
In Genesis 1 & 2 we also discover
what it means to be human. We have
a privileged place on this planet as
the only created beings to bear God’s
image. This gives incredible purpose,
dignity and wonder to the life of every
human being.
If you skip over these chapters you
might find yourself scratching your
head later in the story.
Answer the following
questions after
you have read this
section
1. Which movie has the best opening
you have ever seen?
Creation is the Bible’s first Turning
Point. It’s the foundation for the
unfolding story of God’s restoration
of the world. In Genesis 1 & 2 we see
that the human race lives in a universe
designed and created by God.
Nothing is accidental: it’s intricate,
it’s planned and it’s a masterpiece. We
learn that we belong to God, we are like
him and we are accountable to him.
If I hadn’t missed the start it
might have all made sense.
2. Can you think of a movie that
would have been ruined if you
missed the opening few scenes?
Look for the
main message
1
Although the language is simple and
clear, some people find that the first
two chapters of Genesis raise more
questions than they answer.
Recognise
that in Genesis 1
& 2 we have two
perspectives on
the one event
2
Genesis wasn’t written to counter
arguments from Stephen Hawking or to
challenge Darwin’s Theory of Evolution.
Its message - that God’s creation of the
universe was purposeful, supernatural
and deliberate - is significantly different
from creation myths written about the
same time and from many claims of our
own culture.
To get the most out of Genesis 1 & 2 we
need to recognise that they give two
different perspectives of God’s creation
of the universe.
In the ancient world, where civilisations
like the Egyptians and Mesopotamians
had their own creation accounts,
Genesis 1 & 2 proclaimed a radical
message. God is a ‘person’ who lovingly
creates, who later rescues his Creation
and who acts in history.
Genesis 2 offers a close-up view which
reflects the complexities and intricacies
of life on planet Earth.
Wherever you fall on the spectrum of
belief about the age of the earth or the
interpretation of the days of creation,
this chapter encourages you to read
Genesis 1-2 and consider the claim that
this world came into being because God
wanted it to.
The Bible’s opening event challenges
our view of the world we live in. It states
that God exists and that our life has
purpose. We are not here by chance, we
are not cosmic accidents and, as God’s
creatures, we are responsible to him for
the way we live the life he has given us.
Genesis 1 views the creation of the
world from the wide-angled perspective
of God as he speaks Creation into
existence.
This chapter challenges you to take a
close look at these two perspectives,
put them together and consider what
they say about God, ourselves and the
world.
Keep in mind
that the Bible
speaks about
creation in other
passages
3
The Bible’s teaching about Creation
goes way beyond the first two chapters
in the Bible. If you start to dig around
in the other 65 books, you will soon
find that there is an incredible amount
of information about Creation found
elsewhere in this story.
Throughout this chapter you will see a
number of passages other than Genesis
1 & 2. As you read them, think about
what they add to our understanding of
God and his work of creation.
22
THE BIBLE: THE BIG PICTURE
© Copyright 2013 Biblical Turning Points
Two examples
to get you started
In the book of Job, in the middle of
a discussion about why bad things
sometimes happen to good people,
God speaks to Job at length about
his work in Creation. Here is just a
snapshot of what he says.
JOB 38:4-11
“Where were you when I laid
the earth’s foundation? Tell me,
if you understand. Who marked
off its dimensions? Surely you
know! Who stretched a measuring
line across it? On what were
its footings set, or who laid its
cornerstone—while the morning
stars sang together
and all the angels shouted for joy?
“Who shut up the sea behind
doors when it burst forth from the
womb, when I made the clouds
its garment and wrapped it in
thick darkness, when I fixed limits
for it and set its doors and bars in
place, when I said, ‘This far you
may come and no farther; here is
where your proud waves halt’?
In the book of Jeremiah, when the
nation of Israel was being sent away
from Jerusalem because they refused
to honour God, God reminded them
who made this wonderful world and is
responsible for it.
JEREMIAH 27:4-5
Give them a message for their
masters and say, ‘This is what the
Lord Almighty, the God of Israel,
says: “Tell this to your masters:
With my great power and
outstretched arm I made the earth
and its people and the animals
that are on it, and I give it to
anyone I please”.
Keep your eyes open...
There’s more to come!
CREATION
23
GENESIS 1
A WIDE-ANGLE VIEW OF CREATION
Genesis 1 is like a zoomed-out, Google
Earth view of the world - big and longdistance. It’s a highly structured piece
of writing which views the creation of
the world from God’s perspective. It’s
as if you are standing beside God as he
speaks the universe into existence. The
rhythm of the chapter helps to make
this clear.
God makes statements at the beginning
and end of each day. You are left with
the distinct impression that God knows
what he is doing.
The high point in Genesis 1 is the
creation of men and women in God’s
image. Just in case you missed the
point that human beings are more
important than the animals, ‘created’
is mentioned three times in the verse
where God makes Adam and Eve
(Genesis 1:27).
God takes the starring role in Genesis
1. All that occurs in the universe flows
from his intentional actions. The
opening of the Bible could not present a
more awesome view of God.
Read through Genesis 1
Highlight/Underline in different colours the following
phrases:
1. ‘And God said’
2. ‘Let there be/Let the’,
3. ‘God saw - was good’
4. ‘There was evening and there was morning’
5. ‘The ? Day’
Genesis 1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was
formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of
God was hovering over the waters.
Day 1
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the
light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the
light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and
there was morning—the first day.
Day 2
6 And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from
water.” 7 So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from
the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the vault “sky.” And there was
evening, and there was morning—the second day.
Day 3
9 And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let
dry ground appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground “land,” and the
gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.
11 Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and
trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.”
And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according
to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And
God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning—
the third day.
24
THE BIBLE: THE BIG PICTURE
© Copyright 2013 Biblical Turning Points
Making something
out of nothing
I’m not the world’s greatest
handyman, but my father-in-law
comes close so, when I needed a
chook shed, I called on his services.
He’s one of those people who is really
practical and can build anything.
Together we mapped out the structure
of the shed, then bought the wire,
timber and iron.
It was time to put it together. He
grabbed a seat and settled back to
watch. It wasn’t long before he sprang
to his feet. ‘Do you want this chook
shed built this century?’ He grabbed
a shovel, showed me how to dig the
holes and marked out where to cut the
iron for the roof. Starting to drill holes
in the timber frame for the door, he
explained what he was doing and why.
My chook shed is the envy of all chook
sheds. It is so structurally sound that
it will withstand the fiercest cyclone
and be standing long after the chooks
have laid their last egg.
When I look at that impressive
chook shed today I’m reminded of
my father-in-law’s unique ability to
create something where there was
‘nothing’ - with an eye for detail and a
willingness to get his hands dirty.
Look out for God ‘getting his hands
dirty’ when we look at Genesis 2.
Day 4
14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day
from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and
years, 15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.”
And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day
and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set
them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and
the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.
19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.
Answer the following
questions after you
have completed the
activity
1. Why do you think there is so
much repetition & structure in the
chapter?
Day 5
20 And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly
above the earth across the vault of the sky.” 21 So God created the great
creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that
moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according
to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, “Be
fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds
increase on the earth.” 23 And there was evening, and there was morning—the
fifth day.
Day 6
24 And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their
kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild
animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. 25 God made the wild
animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all
the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw
that it was good.
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that
they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock
and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the
ground.”
27 So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill
the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky
and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole
earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.
30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the
creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in
it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.
31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening,
and there was morning—the sixth day.
2. Can you see any relationship
between day 1 & 4, 2 & 5, 3 & 6?
3. If this was the only information
you had in the Bible, what would
your view of God be?
Genesis 2
Day 7
Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.
2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the
seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day
and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he
had done.
CREATION
25
GENESIS 2
GOD AND HUMANS IN CREATION
In Genesis 2 we move from a wideangle view of Creation to a zoomed-in,
close-up view - a view which reflects
the complexities and intricacies of life
on this wonderful planet.
The second chapter of the Bible
immediately removes the possibility of
seeing God as a far-off being who does
not enter into our personal experience.
The God who speaks the world into
existence in Genesis 1, reaches into
Adam’s ribcage and creates Eve. The
God who makes a universe that is so
large we are only now beginning to
grasp its size, walks and talks with his
image bearers in Eden.
The God who speaks the world into
existence in Genesis 1 is actively
involved in the world he has made.
This change in focus is immediately
obvious in the long, winding account
which begins at verse 4.
The structured and grand style of
Genesis 1 has changed. We are invited
to see creation from a completely
different perspective.
Read through Genesis 2
1. Highlight any new information about Creation that is
included in this chapter
2. Highlight any new information about God
3. As you read through chapter 2 underline or circle
words or phrases which help paint a picture for you of
God being active, and ‘getting his hands dirty’
4. When you have finished compare and discuss your
findings with the person next to you
Genesis 2
4 This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created,
when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.
5 Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung
up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to
work the ground, 6 but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole
surface of the ground. 7 Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the
ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a
living being.
8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put
the man he had formed. 9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the
ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of
the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated
into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through
the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good;
aromatic resin and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the
Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river
is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the
Euphrates.
26
THE BIBLE: THE BIG PICTURE
© Copyright 2013 Biblical Turning Points
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it
and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to
eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a
helper suitable for him.”
Answer the following
questions after you
have completed the
activity
1. Where does this chapter provide
a ‘close-up’ view of what God did
when he created the world?
19 Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all
the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name
them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20
So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild
animals.
But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 So the Lord God caused the
man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the
man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made
a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the
man.
2. Can you find any new information
about what it means to be human
in this chapter?
23 The man said,
“This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
for she was taken out of man.”
24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and
they become one flesh.
25 Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
What happens
when we put the
two chapters
together?
The opening scenes of the Bible have
been played.
Viewed together, Genesis 1 & 2 offer
two different perspectives on the
wonder of what God has done in
creating the universe.
We see that the world is orderly, made
with purpose, and beautiful. It is also a
living breathing planet with humans to
rule over it and live in it.
In Genesis 1 we see that God is over
and above creation. The structure of the
chapter shows that God knows exactly
what he is doing.
In Genesis 2 we see God actively
involved in the world, getting his hands
dirty as he makes Adam and Eve. It is a
more intimate view of God interacting
with the world he has made.
These different views are reflected
throughout the Bible. At times we will
see God’s power and might displayed
as the Creator of this universe. In other
moments we will see him intimately
engaged with his creatures here on
Earth - even to the point of sending his
son Jesus Christ to come and live in the
world as one of us!
More on that later!
CREATION
27
WORLDVIEW
HOW DOES GENESIS 1 & 2 SHAPE OUR VIEW OF GOD & THE WORLD?
God is the
main focus of
the Bible and the
source of all life
1
GENESIS 1:1
In the beginning God created the
heavens and the earth.
Star Wars Episode 4 (‘A New Hope’),
begins with those well-known opening
lines scrolling across the screen - ‘Once
upon a time in a galaxy far, far away.’
These ten words set the scene for the
rest of the story.
The opening ten words of the Bible tell
us that it was God who created time
- God who created space and matter.
There is no further explanation - just a
simple statement. God existed before
the universe was called into being. He is
outside time and space.
This is our first introduction to the
mysterious, personal source of all
life: the eternal, uncreated God. This
God, who himself has no beginning
and no end, simply has to speak a
word of command to bring into being
everything else that exists.
Creation reveals God’s
Glory
Created objects are reflections of
their makers. A wonderful piece of
architecture or a painting reflects its
maker. A child’s painting reflects the
mind and age of the one who painted it.
How much more is this true of the
universe God has brought into
existence!
Answer the
following questions
after you have read
through this section
1. What does Psalm 19:1-4 say about
the glory of God and the world he
has made?
2. In Romans 1:20, what three things
about God’s being and character
does Paul say are revealed in
creation?
We also see that creation is an act
of God’s choice. It is a product of his
personal will, not something random or
accidental. There are no surprises here!
If you doubt that this story is about God,
consider that he is mentioned around
40 times in the first two chapters of
Genesis. Later we will learn more about
him. He is revealed in every page of
Scripture.
3. In Revelation 4:11, what do the
angels in heaven praise God for?
Other relevant Bible passages on this
topic: Jeremiah 27:4-5; Nehemiah 9:6;
Psalm 33:6; Acts 17:25, 28; Hebrews
11:3; Revelation 4:11
28
THE BIBLE: THE BIG PICTURE
© Copyright 2013 Biblical Turning Points
God made the
universe through
Jesus
The opening chapters of the Bible
hint at what will be spelt out later in
Scripture: that the one God is three
persons - Father, Son and Spirit.
In the New Testament, the Bible’s
teaching about creation is taken to
a new level. We learn that God made
the entire universe through his Son,
Jesus Christ, who was with God in the
beginning.
COLOSSIANS 1:15-17
The Son [Jesus] is the image of
the invisible God, the firstborn
over all creation. For in him all
things were created: things in
heaven and on earth, visible and
invisible, whether thrones or
powers or rulers or authorities; all
things have been created through
him and for him. He is before all
things, and in him all things hold
together.
Why do you think the Bible waits
until the New Testament to reveal
Jesus’ role in Creation?
God is a
personal God who
communicates
with us
2
So what is God like?
God has chosen a number of different
ways to reveal himself in the Bible.
Here are just a few - stories, poems,
prophecies and parables. They all help
us learn more about who God is, what
God is like, what he has done and how
he acts in the world today.
The words and images of Genesis 1 & 2
also shape our understanding of what
God is like.
They show that God is a personal
being - not some sort of mystical ‘force’.
This personal God creates. In fact he
gets deeply involved with his creation,
rescuing and judging his human
creatures.
The personal nature of God is made
clear in the repeated words ‘God said’.
The most dramatic example is when
God, having created humankind,
blesses them and speaks to them
directly saying: ‘be fruitful and increase
in number; fill the earth and subdue it’
(Gen 1:28). God’s relationship with his
human creation is personal. He gives
them a particular task, inviting them to
participate in it with him. They are to fill
and order the world he has given them
for their home.
The God whose image we bear speaks.
He loves to make himself known
to those he has created. The Bible
constantly claims to record the words of
God as he interacts with his creatures
throughout history.
Complete the
following activity
Be on the lookout
As you learn more about God in this
journey through the Bible’s story, be
on the lookout for more examples of
God speaking.
The author of the book of Hebrews,
writing after Jesus had come and
returned to heaven, said something
interesting about how God speaks to
us in the Bible.
HEBREWS 1:1-2
In the past God spoke to our
ancestors through the prophets at
many times and in various ways,
but in these last days he has
spoken to us by his Son, whom
he appointed heir of all things, and
through whom also he made the
universe.
In Genesis 3 God is described as
‘walking’ in the Garden.
Write down 3 different words (or
short phrases) that this image
brings to mind about God’s
relationship with his creation (Adam
and Eve, and the animals)?
1:
2:
It helps us to understand why
John began his Gospel in the New
Testament the way he did.
JOHN 1:1-4
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God. 2 He was
with God in the beginning.
3:
CREATION
29
WORLDVIEW
HOW DOES GENESIS 1 & 2 SHAPE OUR VIEW OF GOD & THE WORLD?
God made
humans in his
likeness
God made
humans as
relational beings
3
4
GENESIS 1:26-27
Then God said, “Let us make mankind
in our image, in our likeness, so that
they may rule over the fish in the
sea and the birds in the sky, over the
livestock and all the wild animals, and
over all the creatures that move along
the ground.” So God created mankind
in his own image, in the image of God
he created him; male and female he
created them.
Genesis 1 & 2 challenge us to know
ourselves and our relationship to our
Maker. They teach a simple but very
complex concept. Humans are made in
God’s image. We are like him!
This ‘image of God’ covers the
aspects of human nature which are
not shared by animals. Things like
a moral conscience, the ability to
think abstractly, an understanding of
beauty and emotion, and above all, the
capacity to worship and love God.
This passage does not say that first of
all God created men in his image, then
he created women in man’s image. Both
male and female are created in God’s
image - both reflect what God is like.
This passage says that men and women
are equal and important before God.
Genesis 1 tells us that God made us
to be like him. Men and women hold
a special place in the universe that
no other creature shares. Our special
role is to take care of the non-human
parts of Creation. God did not place the
chimpanzee or wallaby above all other
creatures, giving them responsibility
for the earth. God placed us in that
position.
30
THE BIBLE: THE BIG PICTURE
GENESIS 2:22-25
Then the LORD God made a woman
from the rib he had taken out of the
man, and he brought her to the man.
The man said,
“This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,‘
for she was taken out of man.”
That is why a man leaves his father
and mother and is united to his wife,
and they become one flesh. Adam and
his wife were both naked, and they felt
no shame.
The Creation account confirms
something most people intuitively
know: human beings weren’t created to
live in isolation.
The symbolism of the woman being
made from the rib (or side) of the man
is really important. The woman isn’t
made from his head – which would have
signified superiority to him, or his feet
– which would have signified inferiority.
Rather she is made from his side –
signifying equality and companionship.
Eve is created from Adam’s side to work
alongside him in carrying out God’s
commission to ‘fill the earth’ and to
‘subdue’ it (look after it).
Discussions about marriage can be
confusing and contentious. However,
God originally created marriage to be
an intimate bond between a man and
a woman. They were to leave their
parents and form a new family unit.
Their lives were to be joined together
and this was to be expressed through
sex, where the two ‘become one’.
Marriage today, with all its problems
and controversies, was designed to be a
good and healthy thing. Even in Jesus’
© Copyright 2013 Biblical Turning Points
time divorce, polygamy and other issues
challenged the institution of marriage.
However, in Matthew 19:8 Jesus says,
‘from the beginning it was not so’.
Genesis 2 introduces us to the truth
that God loves sex - he created sex. The
Bible has some pretty explicit stories
and poems about sex (check out Song
of Songs in the OT). Genesis tells us
God’s original intention for sex – it
is meant to be something men and
women enjoy within the safety and
confines of a marriage relationship.
Discuss the
following questions
1. Where do you see opportunities in
our world to reach out to people who
are isolated and alone?
2. Do you think our society values
marriage?
3. Of all the things Genesis 1 & 2
could talk about, why do you think
Adam and Eve’s relationship to each
other and God is given so much
space?
Work and rest
are important
parts of life
5
Work
GENESIS 2:15
The LORD God took the man and put
him in the Garden of Eden to work it
and take care of it.
From the beginning, human beings
were created to be engaged in fruitful
activity. A strong work ethic appears in
the opening chapters of the Bible and
runs right through the Old and New
Testaments.
COLOSSIANS 3:23
Whatever you do, work at it with all
your heart, as working for the Lord,
not for human masters,
In the Garden of Eden God created work
as something necessary for our good.
He instructs Adam to ‘take care of it’, to
make sure this garden is looked after.
Before the Fall there were no annoying
weeds, but this fertile and luxurious
garden still needed care.
This garden would have been more
like a National Park than a backyard.
It would have been large, full of rivers,
trees and animals. Adam and Eve are
the first farmers and Conservation
Officers in history!
Rest
GENESIS 2:2-3
4. Look up Psalm 8. What does King
David say about our place in the
created order in the context of
God’s glory?
By the seventh day God had finished
the work he had been doing; so on the
seventh day he rested from all his work.
Then God blessed the seventh day and
made it holy, because on it he rested
from all the work of creating that he
had done.
The wonderful balance in Genesis 1 & 2
includes God showing that his plan for
life is not simply work, work and more
work. God models what taking ‘time
out’ means. He takes time to stop and
reflect on all he has done.
The way God carried out the creation
of the world models a pattern of life for
us. Throughout the history of Israel and
the church, such rest or Sabbath has
been practised with varying degrees of
strictness and a variety of human rules.
The first six days of the Creation week
were work, but on the seventh day God
rested and enjoyed what he had made.
The Bible encourages you to do the
same!
God has
made humanity
responsible for
the earth
6
GENESIS 1:28
GENESIS 1:29
Then God said, “I give you every seedbearing plant on the face of the whole
earth and every tree that has fruit with
seed in it. They will be yours for food.”
It is not uncommon for Christians to
pray before they eat a meal, giving
thanks to God for what he has provided.
This prayer acknowledges that God has
not only given us life, but has provided
for our needs.
If we link this with the responsibility
God has given us to be stewards of the
earth and the later teaching of the Bible
about caring for the poor, we should
be challenged to care for the needs of
others on a local and global scale.
Answer the following
questions after you
have read through
the content on this
page
1. What kind of work do you think you
will be doing in the future?
God blessed them and said to them,
“Be fruitful and increase in number;
fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over
the fish in the sea and the birds in the
sky and over every living creature that
moves on the ground.”
The opening chapters of the Bible tell
us that God has given humans the
responsibility of being stewards of the
earth, its resources and inhabitants.
God’s command in this verse has been
blamed for all the destruction humans
have caused on the earth. However,
subduing the earth is not meant to have
a negative outcome.
2. Can you see any way in which
the Bible verses on this page are
relevant to your choice?
Far from being a licence to destroy the
planet at will, God’s mandate to the
human race is to steward what he has
made.
CREATION
31
WORLDVIEW
THE TWO TREES OF EDEN
HOW DOES GENESIS 1 & 2 SHAPE OUR VIEW OF GOD & THE WORLD?
THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL & THE TREE OF LIFE
We are
accountable to
God for how we
live
7
GENESIS 2:17
“…but you must not eat from the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil, for
when you eat from it you will certainly
die.”
Part of coming to terms with who
God is and who we are is the issue of
accountability. Genesis 1 & 2 clearly
establish that people are accountable
to God. From the very start, we see that
how we live matters.
God made it absolutely clear that he is
the one who sets the parameters of our
freedom on earth.
We enjoy a great deal of autonomy we have the freedom to choose - but
we can never escape the fact that it is
God’s air we breathe. We are part of his
Creation.
If God is who the Bible claims him to be,
he is worthy of our love, adoration and
devotion.
God’s
creation was
perfect
8
GENESIS 1:31A
God saw all that he had made, and it
was very good.
GENESIS 2:25
Adam and his wife were both naked,
and they felt no shame.
To us, the term ‘good’ might seem a
weak way to describe all that God
had created. We might use words
like ‘awesome’, or ‘unbelievable’ - or
‘absolutely-incredibly-mind-blowinglybrilliant!’
The early chapters of Genesis paint a
picture of just how perfect creation
was. The repetition of the word ‘good’
is a reminder that the whole creation
comes from God and that, in its initial
state, it reflected his design and plan.
There is such amazing diversity too:
light and darkness, land and sea, rivers
and minerals, plants, birds and fish,
human beings – male and female.
Everything is in perfect harmony. It’s
like a world-renowned orchestra, with
every instrument perfectly in tune and
perfectly in time, following the same
conductor.
Discuss the following questions
1. Do you think you are accountable to God?
Adam and Eve have this magnificent
garden all to themselves with no other
humans around. They are free to walk
around stark naked. They are totally
innocent - they don’t even know they
are naked. There is no sin and no guilt
– yet.
In this idyllic existence only one rule is
given to Adam and Eve. Just one rule...
surely that’s not too much to ask!
The rule is simple. Do not eat the fruit
from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good
and Evil. That’s the only thing they can’t
do.
This picture of God’s perfect Creation
shows us how things were and how
they should be - and sets up what’s
coming next.
Part of being human is the freedom
to choose. The apparent paradox of
God being sovereign (having ultimate
control over all things), while giving his
creation free will (power to make their
own choices), has been written about
by many authors.
The Tree of the
Knowledge of
Good and Evil
What does temptation look like for
Adam and Eve in this perfect place?
The answer is a mysterious ‘tree’. Adam
and Eve are given a choice. They can
obey God – and not eat the fruit from
this one tree - or they can defy God and
eat the fruit. If they choose to NOT eat
the fruit they will continue to live within
God’s Law and enjoy their idyllic life. If
they choose TO eat it, they are actually
choosing to be autonomous – or set
apart from God.
GENESIS 2:17
“...but you must not eat from the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil, for
when you eat from it you will certainly
die.”
God withheld only one thing from Adam
and Eve - and it was in the centre of
the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve
were told that, if they disobeyed God’s
command not to eat of the Tree of the
Knowledge of Good and Evil, they would
die. Later we learn that this death will
be both spiritual and physical.
There is no reason to believe this tree
was special, except for the fact that
God chose it to be the one thing he
would withhold from Adam and Eve.
God could have made a river of the
knowledge of good and evil and said,
‘You must not swim in it or you will
surely die’.
Would they resent his control and
disobey his instruction on such an
insignificant thing as not eating from
one tree in a huge national park?
In the next chapter we will see that
Adam and Eve do eat and everything
changes.
The effects of the Fall (eating the fruit)
will be huge. Their perfect world will
be shattered. The deeply intimate
relationship Adam and Eve enjoy with
God will be lost. They will suddenly
feel shame and embarrassment. They
will be scared of God. They will have to
leave the amazing Garden of Eden and
suffer punishments unique to them.
Death enters their world, both
spiritually – in their changed
relationship with God; and physically –
in the mortal bodies they now have.
The Tree of Life
GENESIS 3:22
And the LORD God said, “The
man has now become like one of us,
knowing good and evil. He must not be
allowed to reach out his hand and take
also from the tree of life and eat, and
live forever.”
The Tree of Life showed that God is the
One who sustains the life of Adam and
Eve and all of Creation.
Its symbolism still speaks today,
particularly in a time when many
believe that God has nothing to do with
our existence on earth.
When Adam and Eve rebelled against
God, they were sent away from the Tree
of Life because the consequence of
their rebellion was death.
The Tree of Life is only mentioned one
more time in the Bible. In the closing
chapters, in the book of Revelation, we
learn that the Tree of Life returns in the
future - in the New Creation.
REVELATION 22:1-3
Then the angel showed me the river of
the water of life, as clear as crystal,
flowing from the throne of God and
of the Lamb down the middle of the
great street of the city. On each side of
the river stood the tree of life, bearing
twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit
every month. And the leaves of the
tree are for the healing of the nations.
No longer will there be any curse. The
throne of God and of the Lamb will
be in the city, and his servants will
serve him.
If they eat the fruit of this tree they are
rejecting God’s love for them.
2. Does this belief influence your behaviour? If so, how?
32
THE BIBLE: THE BIG PICTURE
© Copyright 2013 Biblical Turning Points
It was the simplest test imaginable.
Would Adam and Eve ‘trust and obey’
because they loved the one who had
shown such love for them; or would
they doubt God’s goodness?
CREATION
33
THAT ONE BIG QUESTION
JOURNAL
IF GOD KNOWS EVERYTHING WHY DID HE PUT THE TREE IN EDEN?
SPACE FOR YOU TO TAKE NOTES & REFLECT ABOUT THIS TURNING POINT
All these people running
around willy-nilly, having their
own opinions and making
up their own minds! It’s
hideously chaotic and totally
unacceptable!
DR MINDBENDER OF G.I. JOE’S
ACTION CARD QUOTES
There is one big question that is often
asked as people study Genesis 1 & 2.
Many people who experience terrible
pain, loss or evil in this life often
wonder why an all-powerful God, who
knows the future, would put a test into
creation he knew Adam and Eve would
fail.
If God knew the consequences that
would follow, why couldn’t God have
made the world without the possibility
of evil and rebellion against him?
We are not
robots
The choice is
ours
Without freedom, what would be lost?
Later in the Bible’s story, Joshua made
this point clearly to the people of Israel:
If you skip over Genesis 1&2
you miss a lot.
JOSHUA 24:15
Genesis 1&2 are not the
only Bible passages that
speak about God’s creation.
A satisfying answer to this question
only comes when we consider what
would be lost if Adam and Eve - if all
people - did not have the ability to make
the choice to obey God.
If Adam and Eve had no opportunity
to disobey God, their obedience would
mean nothing. It would merely be the
robotic response of creatures who can
do nothing else.
The tree in the garden is a symbol of
the real and tangible freedom God gives
us. We have the freedom and ability as
human beings to choose to obey and
worship God - or to disobey and reject
him.
The tree was also a symbol of God’s
place over the created order and
humanity’s place within it.
Stop and discuss
this question
before reading on
If God knew the consequences
that would follow, why couldn’t
God have made the world without
the possibility of evil and rebellion
against him?
Every time Adam and Eve walked past
that tree, they were reminded that God
was their Maker and that they were
accountable to him.
Every time they chose not to eat of the
tree they honoured God and exercised
their freedom to put him first. Their
actions meant something because they
had the freedom to choose.
But if serving the LORD seems
undesirable to you, then choose for
yourselves this day whom you will
serve, whether the gods your ancestors
served beyond the Euphrates, or the
gods of the Amorites, in whose land
you are living. But as for me and my
household, we will serve the LORD.”
The living God created us with the
ability to choose whether we will
honour and worship him. We were
created by God with the potential for
choosing rebellion. In the next chapter
we will see how our first parents chose
to exercise that freedom.
The world might have been free of
pain if God had made us without the
potential for rebellion, but it would
have diminished the most significant
relationship of all. We would have lost
the choice to honour and serve God.
In human relationships we understand
the importance of choice. It’s much
more important that our worship and
love for our Maker actually means
something!
The main points
from this chapter
Genesis 1 is like a wideangle, Google Maps view of
the world.
In Genesis 2 we move from a
wide-angle view of Creation
to a zoomed-in, close-up
view.
In Genesis 1&2 we learn
that:
God is the main focus of
the Bible and the source of
all life.
God is a personal God who
communicates with us.
God made humans in his
likeness.
God made humans as
relational beings.
Work and rest are important
parts of life.
God has made humanity
responsible for the earth.
We are accountable to God
for the way in which we live.
God’s creation was perfect.
If Adam and Eve had no
opportunity to disobey God,
their obedience would mean
nothing.
The living God created us
with the ability to choose
whether we will honour and
worship him.
34
THE BIBLE: THE BIG PICTURE
© Copyright 2013 Biblical Turning Points
CREATION
35
36
THE BIBLE: THE BIG PICTURE
© Copyright 2013 Biblical Turning Points
37
HOW DIFFERENT
ARE THESE PICTURES FROM GENESIS 1 & 2?
What is
the problem?
We have police for communities,
prisons for criminals, bombs for war
and weapons for attacking each other.
We have fines for speeding, doctors
for the sick, rehab centres for the
drug-addicted, alarms on buildings,
locks on doors, insurance for losses,
aid agencies for the poor and debt
collectors for unpaid bills.
There are lonely people, poor people,
unhappy people, hurt and cheated
people. There are a plethora of
unproductive and self-centred human
activities, and no shortage of people
willing to carry them out. There is the
constant threat of war and invasion in
many areas of the world, and corrupt
governments who oppress and rob
the people they are meant to protect
and serve. Our world is filled with
adulterers, murderers, liars, swindlers,
aggressors and self-centred and
arrogant people.
Why are people so selfish? Is it a lack of
genuine love? Perhaps it’s because of
corrupt governments. Could it be a lack
of education in parts of the world or do
we simply need more spirituality in our
lives?
Throughout the Bible - from Genesis
to Revelation - we are shown that at
the heart of all human problems is our
rebellion against the one and only God
who is our Maker and whose image we
bear.
In this chapter we will see that all our
problems stem from one reality: the
human race has rebelled against God
and the just judgement of God has been
brought down upon us. Things are no
longer as they were in God’s perfect
Creation.
Choose 2 images that impact you the most
Circle them and write your responses to the following
questions
1. What do you imagine might be the story behind the images you chose?
Image 1:
Image 2:
2. Do you relate in any way to the pictures or the people in them?
Image 1:
Image 2:
3. If you could fix a situation in one of these pictures, what would that involve?
Image 1:
Image 2:
4. Which image seems really ‘remote’ to you (something you haven’t experienced
in your life and probably never will)?
We have fallen.
38
THE BIBLE: THE BIG PICTURE
© Copyright 2013 Biblical Turning Points
THE FALL
39
WHAT’S THE PROBLEM WITH EVERYONE?
WHAT HAPPENED?
A KEY EVENT FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE BIBLE
THE PATH OF SEDUCTION AND REBELLION
The moment you have a self at all, there is a possibility of putting yourself
first - wanting to be the centre - wanting to be God, in fact. That was the
sin of Satan: and that was the sin he taught the human race. Some people
think the fall of man had something to do with sex, but that is a mistake...
what Satan put into the heads of our remote ancestors was the idea that
they ‘could be like God’ - could set up on their own as if they had created
themselves - be their own masters - invent some sort of happiness for
themselves outside God, apart from God. And out of that hopeless attempt
has come... the long terrible story of man trying to find something other
than God which will make him happy.
C.S. LEWIS (AUTHOR OF THE NARNIA BOOKS), MERE CHRISTIANITY
What is The ‘Fall’?
When we talk about the ‘Fall’ we refer
to the event where Adam and Eve
(and, by association, the entire human
race) fell from their perfect position
before God. This happened when they
accepted Satan’s argument about God’s
command not to eat of one particular
tree, and ignored God’s warning about
impending death.
In this apparently ‘simple’ act, they
actually rebel against the One who had
given them life - the One whose favour
and blessing they enjoy - the One to
whom they are accountable.
Why is the Fall
important?
How can one seemingly ‘small’ event be
the trigger for so many other events?
If you take a few minutes to look at how
the Fall unfolds and how it impacts
the human race, you will start to
understand exactly what has moved
God to work throughout history to save
his Creation.
Let’s begin by taking a closer look at the
event itself.
Don’t focus
on him
Satan’s questioning of Eve was a direct
attack on God’s spoken word, and on
Adam and Eve’s responsibility to obey it
and live by it.
Genesis 3 can be frustrating, because
Satan suddenly turns up with little to
no explanation about who he is, how
he got there and why God allowed him
to be there.
God had given them so much, he had
blessed them in so many ways, but
Satan drew Eve’s attention to the one
thing God had forbidden Adam and Eve
to do.
This passage however is not about
Satan. Later in the Bible we learn
more about his history, but the real
focus in Genesis 3 is Adam and Eve’s
rebellion against God.
In part, he was right! In the last chapter
we saw that Adam and Eve lived in
God’s perfect Creation and were free
from any sense of shame before God.
This incredible existence was bound up
with their obedience to God and their
willingness to obey God’s command not
to eat the one thing he withheld from
them in Creation: the fruit of the Tree of
the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
In Genesis 3, we learn that Adam
and Eve choose not to obey this clear
command from God.
40
THE BIBLE: THE BIG PICTURE
© Copyright 2013 Biblical Turning Points
A slippery
question
1
GENESIS 3:1B
He said to the woman, “Did God
really say, ‘You must not eat from any
tree in the garden’?”
This question was not difficult to
answer. No, God had not said that. In
fact, God’s command was extremely
positive and open. God told Adam and
Eve they could eat from all of the trees
with one exception.
The observant reader quickly sees the
cunning scheme. By focusing on the
negative, Satan is luring Eve to question
God’s judgement - as if she, or he, has
any right to do that.
The motivation behind that first sin has
become the underlying force behind
them all. At the heart of all sin, at the
centre of every act of rebellion, is the
thought that we have the right to stand
in judgement of God and disagree with
what he requires of us.
An exaggerated
response
2
GENESIS 3:2-3A
Look up the following passages and
compare what they say about Satan.
Job 1:6-12
Luke 10:18
Acts 5:3
2 Corinthians 11:14
Ephesians 6:11-16
1 Peter 5:8
1 John 3:8
Revelation 12
Revelation 20:10
If you want to know more, hop onto
biblegateway.com and do a search
for all the passages in the Bible
with the word ‘Satan’ or ‘Devil’ in
them.
The woman said to the serpent, “We
may eat fruit from the trees in the
garden, but God did say, ‘You must not
eat fruit from the tree that is in the
middle of the garden.’ “
If this was the only thing Eve said, she
would have done well. Why didn’t she
stop there?
She goes on...
If you look back at Genesis 2:17, you’ll
see that God did not say that. God only
said they could not eat from it.
Eve has already exaggerated God’s
command. She has begun to slip. Her
feet are moving from underneath her
and the serpent gives her one final
push.
3
A bold attack
GENESIS 3:4-5
“You will not certainly die,” the serpent
said to the woman. “For God knows
that when you eat from it your eyes
will be opened, and you will be like
God, knowing good and evil.”
Like a fisherman who feels the fish
nibbling at his bait, the serpent now
boldly strikes. Yet he is incredibly
smooth and subtle in the way he
presents his argument.
The Creator’s honesty is called into
question. Not only is God’s warning
about death dismissed as rubbish, God
is presented as having ulterior motives
for keeping the first humans away from
this special tree.
Who knows better, God or the serpent?
Who is able to speak with authority
about why this world was made in the
way it was? Who should they listen to?
The arrogance of the serpent is beyond
comprehension.
The same debate echoes through the
ages. Does God, in his dealings with the
world he has made, have the right to
draw lines in the sand – to lay down the
rules? Put more simply, does he know
best or do we?
Rebellion
without much
thought of the
consequences
4
And so begins humanity’s fall into
rebellion.
GENESIS 3:6-7
When the woman saw that the fruit
of the tree was good for food and
pleasing to the eye, and also desirable
for gaining wisdom, she took some
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 realized they were
naked; so they sewed fig leaves together
and made coverings for themselves.
You may have already asked. Where is
Adam? Why doesn’t he intervene? Why
don’t we hear him speak? Just in case
you missed it in the text, he is there
with Eve!
Is Adam’s behaviour worse than Eve’s?
Eve is the one who, after putting up
some defence against the seduction,
gives in and eats what is pleasing to her
eyes and tasty to her lips.
Adam doesn’t even need
encouragement. He is with Eve the
entire time, he knows what is going
on and willingly rebels without any
objection to what he has heard and
seen.
GENESIS 3:3B
“ ‘...and you must not touch it, or you
will die.’ “
THE FALL
41
FALLOUT
WHAT WERE THE CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR REBELLION?
Great
disappointment
and shame
1
Where do we see it today?
GENESIS 3:7
Then the eyes of both of them were
opened, and they realised they were
naked; so they sewed fig leaves together
and made coverings for themselves.
Before the Fall, the writer points out
that Adam and Eve were both naked
and felt no shame. Their nakedness
showed they had no problem with full
disclosure; they were emotionally and
spiritually perfect. They have nothing to
hide - no thought or action to regret or
conceal.
The movie ‘Meet the Parents’, released
in 2000, contains a scene where Greg
(Ben Stiller) stumbles across the
Polygraph machine owned by his soonto-be father in law Jack (Robert De
Niro). It’s a very uncomfortable scene,
where Greg (wanting to impress) agrees
to do a Polygraph (lie detector) test,
with Jack asking the questions.
Answer the following
questions after you
have read through
the content on this
page
1. Would you ever allow yourself to do
a lie detector test? Why, or why not?
How quickly that has changed!
Instead of being like God, as the
serpent predicted, Adam and Eve are
overwhelmed with an immediate and
deep sense of shame. The Bible tells us
that their eyes were opened and they
realised they were naked.
2. What questions would most people
hate to be asked?
The shame they experience is personal
and, more significantly, reflects their
new standing before God.
The glorious picture of life in Eden is
damaged. How far Adam and Eve have
fallen. We begin to see the results in
their behaviour and mindset.
What if other people knew our ‘secrets’
- the things we don’t want other people
to know about us - the things we have
done. It’s easy to cover our physical
nakedness, but the real cover-up is
hiding our heart, mind and will.
3. Why don’t we want people to know
certain things about us?
4. How does this help you understand
the way Adam and Eve responded
the moment they rebelled against
God?
Their
relationship with
God is broken
2
GENESIS 3:8
Then the man and his wife heard the
sound of the LORD God as he was
walking in the garden in the cool of
the day, and they hid from the LORD
God among the trees of the garden.
You have one hour!
I had given my two young
children clear instructions. ‘You
can play on the Wii for one hour
– and I’m setting the timer.
When you hear the timer go
off, it’s time to stop playing and
turn it all off. OK?’ I asked. ‘Sure
dad’ they replied together.
An hour and a half later I
walked into the room to see
if they had obeyed my clear
instructions. On hearing me
come into the room, they both
jumped up from the couch and
stood in front of the TV, trying
in vain to convince me that they
had obeyed and turned it all off.
Unfortunately for them, I could
still see most of the TV and it
was clear they hadn’t obeyed
me. They were busted!
God appears in the garden and, for the
first time, Adam and Eve hide from him.
Once their relationship with God is
broken, their first reaction is to hide
when God wants to meet with them.
They now fear God and do not want to
come before him. It’s a sad picture. The
first humans, beings of such beauty and
privilege, now hide behind a tree from
the Almighty Maker of the universe,
struggling to cover their naked bodies.
42
THE BIBLE: THE BIG PICTURE
© Copyright 2013 Biblical Turning Points
We tend to romanticise encounters
with God, however people in the Bible
who have such encounters tend to fall
on their faces, overwhelmed by God’s
presence and glory.
Later in the Bible, we read how fallen
sinners will be invited to come before
God’s throne with confidence through
the saving work of his Son Jesus.
But right now in the Genesis story, all
we see is a broken relationship.
Where do we see it today?
The Bible makes it clear that guilt
separates us from God - and from
human relationships.
In groups of 2 or 3
discuss the following
questions about
hiding from God
Read the following
passage about Jesus
the Great High Priest
and answer the
questions
HEBREWS 4:14-16
14 Let us, then, hold firmly to
the faith we profess. For we have
a great High Priest who has gone
into the very presence of God—
Jesus, the Son of God. 15 Our
High Priest is not one who cannot
feel sympathy for our weaknesses.
On the contrary, we have a High
Priest who was tempted in every
way that we are, but did not sin.
16 Let us have confidence, then,
and approach God’s throne, where
there is grace. There we will receive
mercy and find grace to help us
just when we need it.
1. Summarise this passage into one
short Facebook status update.
1. Describe a time when you
damaged a friendship and you didn’t
want to be around that person. Can
you explain why you felt that way?
2. Describe a time when you, or
someone you know, did something
bad and then hid or ran away
from the situation to avoid the
consequences.
3. Why do you think we find it so
hard to face up to the consequences
of our actions?
2. If you had to re-write verse
16 using words and phrases a
non-Christian young person could
understand, what would you write?
3. What does this passage say to
people today who are running away
from God because of what they
have done?
4. In what ways do you see people
hiding from God today?
THE FALL
43
FALLOUT
WHAT WERE THE CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR REBELLION?
They
refuse to take
responsibility
3
Create in me
a clean heart
GENESIS 3:12-13
The man said, “The woman you put
here with me—she gave me some fruit
from the tree, and I ate it.”
Then the LORD God said to the
woman, “What is this you have
done?” The woman said, “The serpent
deceived me, and I ate.”
God wins the game of hide and seek.
The first humans are called to account.
Once again we see God’s nature in his
gentle approach as he asks how they
became aware of their nakedness.
As this was the first offence any human
had ever committed we might expect
that, rather than shirking responsibility
for their actions, they would confess
what they had done. But in their newly
fallen state, both Adam and Eve fail to
be honest with God.
Neither is willing to accept the
seriousness of what they have done and
admit it to God.
This problem will affect all of their
offspring.
44
THE BIBLE: THE BIG PICTURE
There’s a common trait that most Bible
characters share: their tendency to
disobey God. Only a few are willing to
confess their sin to God.
One of the best-known people in the
Bible is King David. He loved God
deeply, but messed up big time. Yet,
even though his sin was blatant, he
was genuinely repentant before God
when confronted with his sin. He
wrote these words after one such
time:
PSALM 51:1-2
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity and
cleanse me from my sin. For I
know my transgressions, and my
sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I
sinned and done what is evil in
your sight; so you are right in your
verdict and justified when you
judge.
Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother
conceived me.
Yet you desired faithfulness even
in the womb; you taught me
wisdom in that secret place.
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I
will be clean; wash me, and I will
be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness; let
the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins and
blot out all my iniquity.
Create in me a pure heart, O
God, and renew a steadfast spirit
within me.
Do not cast me from your
presence or take your Holy Spirit
from me.
Restore to me the joy of your
salvation and grant me a willing
spirit, to sustain me.
© Copyright 2013 Biblical Turning Points
Where do we see it today?
In small groups,
discuss the following
scenarios. Have you
experienced them?
How you would
respond?
1. A friend purposely uploads an
embarrassing picture of someone
from your school onto their Facebook
page, and then shares it with their
friends...
2. You’re in a car reversing out of a
shopping centre car park. Your car
accidently scratches the car next
to you.
3. Your lunch is knocked out of your
hands and falls on the ground
leaving a huge mess.
4. You see a classmate bullying
another student at school.
Continue discussing
these questions
1. Do people find it hard or easy to
own up to God? Explain your answer.
God’s
judgment comes
upon them
4
GENESIS 3:16-19
To the woman he said,
“I will make your pains in childbearing
very severe; with painful labour you
will give birth to children.
Your desire will be for your husband,
and he will rule over you.”
To Adam he said,
“Because you listened to your wife
and ate from the tree about which I
commanded you, ‘You must not eat of
it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of
you; through painful toil you will eat
food from it all the days of your life.
It will produce thorns and thistles for
you, and you will eat the plants of the
field.
By the sweat of your brow
you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
and to dust you will return.”
Here we learn in detail about the results
of this first rebellion.
What would it say about God if he did
nothing?
The issue at stake is not so much
the eating of a piece of fruit, but the
rebellion in their hearts.
The human race learns that rebellion
against God carries consequences,
most significantly, death.
Questions for
reflection and class
discussion
1. If you were to re-write the
passage in a modern context, what
would you change?
Every relationship - between people,
between humanity and the earth, and
between God and his creatures, has
changed.
Ironically, what Satan promised held
some truth. Now, Adam and Eve do
know more than they did before.
Where do we see it today?
Genesis records that, despite being
made in the likeness of God, humanity
is now a race under judgement. The
death that God brings upon Adam and
Eve is both physical and spiritual.
2. How would your understanding
of God be different if he had
done nothing after Adam and Eve
rebelled?
Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the
Garden of Eden symbolises the problem
of the ages, which only God can solve.
Every human from here on will die.
No person will enjoy the freedom and
shameless existence that our first
parents once did.
3. If we like to see ‘bad people’ being
brought to justice for breaking the
law, why do you think that we often
struggle with the thought of being
held accountable to God?
2. When have you seen people
shirking their responsibility?
3. What famous people or situations
come to mind?
4. Are there different ‘levels’ of
shirking responsibility (i.e. are some
actions worse than others?)?
5. What do you find hard to take
responsibility for (e.g. cleaning your
room, doing homework etc.)?
THE FALL
45
THE CURSE OF DEATH AND EXPULSION FROM EDEN
WE ARE NOT THE PEOPLE WE SHOULD BE!
REBELLION AGAINST GOD HAS CONSEQUENCES
ADAM AND EVE’S REBELLION IMPACTS US ALL.
Genesis shows us the severe
consequence for the human race that
followed the ‘Fall’.
At the end of my street
Despite being made in the likeness of
God, humanity is now under judgement.
Death enters the human race, and
Adam and Eve are separated from God.
At the end of my street there
is a children’s playground
surrounded by huge trees.
It’s a great place to go – even
for an adult. It backs onto a
creek, and there are always
colourful and noisy birds in
the trees. We get kangaroos,
koalas and many other animals
wandering around there.
GENESIS 3:22-24
Last winter I went there with
my children one Saturday
morning. We were shocked to
see that one of those huge trees
had been blown over by a storm
during the night. We scrambled
over, amazed that such a
massive tree could have been
‘felled’ by a storm. As we looked
at its exposed roots, we saw
the reason. It had been eaten
away by white ants (termites).
This huge tree had been slowly
destroyed from the ‘inside’. It
looked healthy on the outside,
but was rotten at its core. Sin is
like those white ants. Without
‘intervention’ it will destroy
everything.
And the Lord God said, “The man has
now become like one of us, knowing
good and evil. He must not be allowed
to reach out his hand and take also
from the tree of life and eat, and live
forever.” So the Lord God banished him
from the Garden of Eden to work the
ground from which he had been taken.
After he drove the man out, he placed
on the east side of the Garden of Eden
cherubim and a flaming sword flashing
back and forth to guard the way to the
tree of life.
When God forcibly removes Adam and
Eve from Eden, we learn something
more about God’s character. As rebels,
it is no longer appropriate for them
to have unhindered access into his
presence. The relationship is broken
and, in their new state, God is unwilling
to dwell with them as he once did.
A radical change
occurs in the
Bible’s story
Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the
Garden of Eden is a problem only God
can solve. It is one ‘bookend’ of the
Biblical story. The other bookend is
Revelation, where we read about a new
place where God will once again live
with his people, as he did prior to the
Fall.
But now, we stay with the tragedy of
these events. Where will it all lead?
© Copyright 2013 Biblical Turning Points
I can calculate the motion of
heavenly bodies but not the
madness of people.
ISAAC NEWTON
In the New Testament, Paul makes it
clear that Adam and Eve’s rebellion
impacts us all.
ROMANS 5:19A
Adam and Eve’s son, Cain, kills their
other son, Abel. God floods the earth
because of the spread of sin and
rebellion. Noah gets so drunk he
ends up naked on the floor of his tent.
Abraham sleeps with his wife’s servant
and Jacob steals his brother’s birthright
by deception. Joseph’s brothers sell him
into slavery. Moses doubts God’s ability
to speak through him. The Israelites
grumble against God right after he
rescues them from slavery. They make
an idol in the shape of a golden calf and
worship it. The list goes on and on.
Genesis 3 raises an obvious question.
How is Adam and Eve’s sin passed on
to us?
This continual cycle finally comes to a
point where the very people Jesus came
to save, reject and kill him.
THE BIBLE: THE BIG PICTURE
ALBERT EINSTEIN.
Here are some of the ways in which this
attitude of ‘rebellion against God’ – or
sin – impacted history after the fall:
Throughout God’s relationship with
Israel - the nation through which he
chose to bring salvation to the world there is constant and defiant rebellion
against him, and deliberate failure to
keep his commandments.
46
Two things are infinite; the
universe and human stupidity;
and I’m not sure about the
universe.
‘...through the disobedience of the one
man the many were made sinners…’
It makes sense. They are the first
human beings. They are the parents of
the entire human race. Would it make
sense for sin and shame to enter into
their lives without it affecting their own
children and their children’s children?
Of course not.
In his letter to the Romans Paul makes
it clear that, in God’s economy, Adam
was the representative of the entire
human race. When he sinned, we
sinned. When he rebelled, we rebelled.
When the consequences of Adam’s
actions came upon him, they come
upon us.
Or, as an earlier chapter of Romans
says:
ROMANS 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God
Read Romans 1:1832 and discuss in
small groups
1. How are the things listed in these
verses the result of God’s perfect
Creation being corrupted?
Hang on...that
doesn’t seem fair!
One person makes a bad decision a
long time ago and we still suffer the
consequences of that today?
Here’s something that might help if
you’re struggling with this concept. If
a leader of a nation declares war on
another, the people they lead are at
war, even if they don’t agree with the
decision. The leader of a nation is the
representative of their people. Their
decisions affect everyone they lead.
From the Bible’s viewpoint, the
consequences that came upon Adam
and Eve have come upon us all.
Sin, evil, rebellion - or whatever name
you give to human beings acting
outside the will of their Maker - is a
problem that no one can escape.
2. Why do you think many people
choose to believe that everyone is
born good? How does this thinking
explain the wrong things we all do?
3. In the passage from Romans
1, what is the one ‘key’ line
or comment that you think
summarises the issue of sin?
Explain why.
The question we need to ask in our
journey through the Bible is: What is
God’s solution?
4. Is Paul saying that sin is
accidental or deliberate? Explain
your response.
ROMANS 5:19
For just as through the disobedience
of the one man the many were made
sinners, so also through the obedience
of the one man the many will be
made righteous.
THE FALL
47
THE STORY DOESN’T END HERE
JOURNAL
GOD GIVES ADAM AND EVE HOPE
SPACE FOR YOU TO TAKE NOTES & REFLECT ABOUT THIS TURNING POINT
Things are in a mess! Paradise is lost.
Humanity is under the curse of death.
Life is not what it was.
Hope is given through an
act of grace
But, there is good news!
Despite their rebellion against God
and their expulsion from Eden, God
graciously makes clothes for Adam and
Eve.
The rest of the Bible shows us God’s
solution - a solution available to all who
will acknowledge their need and accept
it. We get a hint of that solution as God
curses the serpent.
GENESIS 3:14-15
So the LORD God said to the
serpent,
“Because you have done this,
cursed are you above all the livestock
and all wild animals!
You will crawl on your belly
and you will eat dust
all the days of your life.
And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel.”
Immediately after the tragedy of the
Fall, we are introduced to the theme
of redemption that will be unpacked
through the rest of the Bible.
The Bible’s story does not end with the
expulsion of humanity from Eden, nor
does God’s relationship with humanity
end in judgement.
The main points
from this chapter
At the heart of all human
problems is our rebellion
against God.
It is the act of a parent who cares for
their children.
Genesis 3 is not about
Satan. Don’t get frustrated
about what it doesn’t say!
God’s work of
redemption
The question Satan asked
was not difficult to answer.
God’s command about
what they could eat was
extremely positive.
We have explored how rebellion
against God is serious and that sin has
consequences. Now we’ll look at this
same God working to redeem the lost.
As we continue to study the Bible, we
will pursue the course of action God
took to undo the rebellion that occurred
in Eden.
We will learn that God himself, in the
person of Jesus Christ, was willing and
is willing to stand in our place and deal
with the consequences of our guilt and
rebellion.
When God cursed the serpent for his
role in the fall of Adam and Eve, he said
there would be hostility between the
offspring of Eve and the serpent.
Most significantly, there will come a
time when Eve’s offspring will crush the
head of the serpent. This looks forward
to when Jesus (Eve’s offspring) defeats
death (the serpent or satan) when he
rises from the dead.
Adam was with Eve during
the temptation.
Instead of being like
God as the serpent
predicted, Adam and Eve
are overwhelmed with an
immediate and deep sense
of shame.
Once their relationship with
God is broken, their first
reaction is to hide when
God wants to meet with them.
In their newly fallen state,
both Adam and Eve fail to
be honest with God.
Neither Adam nor Eve
are willing to accept the
seriousness of what they
have done and admit it to
God.
Adam and Eve’s expulsion
from the Garden of Eden
symbolises the problem of
the ages, which only God
can solve.
In the New Testament, Paul
makes it clear that Adam and
Eve’s rebellion impacts us
all.
The rest of the Bible shows
us God’s solution - available
to all who will acknowledge
their need and accept it.
48
THE BIBLE: THE BIG PICTURE
© Copyright 2013 Biblical Turning Points
THE FALL
49