Unit 1 – Beginnings – The Creation of the World
Lesson 1 – Before the Beginning: How the World Was Made – Genesis 1:1-25
For the Teacher’s Preparation
1. Aim – To lead the people to an understanding of God made the world in six days
2. Explanation of the Aim: - The Bible always assumes that God has always been. Everything else has had a beginning except the Almighty Creator. Everything God created is good and to be used for His purposes.
3. Study the Scriptures: God’s creation is a demonstration of His great power, wisdom and orderliness. The Lord made everything according to His perfect timing. When we study how God created the world in six days we get a glimpse of His marvelous character. Everyone is to give glory to the Creator for His creation instead of worshipping man made idols. Those who glorify, serve and love the Creator will be blessed, but those who neglect Him will suffer harm.
4. Prepare to Teach
a. In the INTRODUCTION ask the people to share what are some of the things that God has created. Ask them to explain why God created human beings.
b. The Bible story explains how God created the world in six days by the power of His spoken word. The MEANING FOR OUR LIVES helps the people see how we owe our obedience, love and gratitude to God for every good thing He has created.
c. For the RESPONSE be ready to sing, “My God is so great, so strong and so mighty there’s nothing my God cannot do. The mountains are His, the valleys are His, the skies are His handiwork too. My God is so great, so strong and so mighty there’s nothing my God cannot do… for you!”
Introduction
You believe the fact that God created the world, but you have a question. Did God create the devil? Of course we know that God created everything that is good. The devil is a fallen angel who rebelled against God out of sinful pride. Satan chose to disobey God and was forced out of heaven along with one-third of other rebellious angels. “Everything created by God is good and nothing is to be rejected if it received with gratitude.” Discuss why God’s creation is a reflection of His power, wisdom and love.
Bible Story
1. We learn in Genesis 1:1-25 that the world is a great house created by God out of nothing. The earth was without form and empty until God spoke and the world came into being. Without the Lord there is nothing but confusion and emptiness. Until God works one can count on the fact that things will lack purpose.
The Almighty Creator made the world and everything in it with great exactness, balance and orchestrated harmony. Everything in the world is designed by God to give Him glory, obedience and love. The Creator made the world as a demonstration of His almighty power. God’s power is over all things. From Him and to Him and through Him are all things. (Rom. 11:31-33)
When we consider His creation we should worship Him with all our heart, soul, strength and mind.
2. There are aspects of God’s creation that we may not understand. Some of the secrets are being discovered everyday as we uncover the awesome wisdom of the Creator. However, some of the secrets of the universe will never be uncovered because God wants us remember that we are limited in our knowledge, but His knowledge is infinite.
Everything that we know and even the things that we do not understand should cause us to give praise to the Creator.
3. The Hebrew noun Elohim (Many as those One) is used for God in Gen. 1 to refer to the fact that the plurality of the Godhead, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, participated in the creation of the world. This refers to the intensification rather than number and has been called the plural of His majesty. The verb (create) is singular. This is a normal use in the Old Testament that refers to the one True God.
“Create” is only used when referring to the Almighty God and never of any human activity.
4. God separated light from darkness to form the days and the nights by His perfect sense of timing. God always knows the end from the beginning and His scheduling is always right on time. Nothing is impossible for God because He created and He has the right to do whatever He wants with His creation.
5. People who do not believe in God are fools according to the Bible. All people have a God inspired conscience that tells them the creation had to be made by the Almighty creator. (Roman 1:20)
The creation attests to the sovereign power of God to rule over everything that He made. The owner has the right to do whatever He wants with His creation (Human beings, the earth, the skies and everything that He created). People who do not give their total allegiance and surrender their wills to the Creator are going to have to face the wrath, judgment and punishment of God.
6. The Creator whom we serve is worthy of all of our devotion, resources and time. Only when people yield themselves completely to the Creator God are they going to find total happiness, fulfillment and satisfaction. God is not dependent on our services, but He justly requires them and deserves all of our obedience and trust. Failure to give the Creator our complete allegiance will end in total failure.
7. God is not only the author of life but He is the fountain of life, salvation and blessings. Every good thing comes from our Creator God. Without Him we can do nothing of significance. He gives fruitfulness without adding any sorrow.
Rely on the Creator for every good gift because He is always faithful and will never disappoint those who put their trust in Him. Those who trust in people or themselves will eventually be disappointed, defeated and disillusioned.
Quiz:
1. How did God create the world?
2. What are some of the reasons that God made the world?
3. Why can we be assured that everything created by God is good and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thankfulness?
4. What will happen to people who do not believe in God and trust Him for the forgiveness of their sins through Jesus Christ?
5. What does it mean that God is the author of life as well as our fountain of blessings?
The Meaning for Our Lives
Memory Verse – In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.” (Gen. 1:1)
Ask the people to explain some of the proper responses we should have toward our Almighty Creator. Discuss how God is able to work all things together for God through His sovereign power even when we do not understand at the time what is happening to us.
Response
Sing the song, “My God is so great, so strong and so mighty. There’s nothing my God cannot do.
Prayer: Praise and thank God for being our Creator.
At Home: Encourage the people to ask their parents to have a time every morning when the family can gather for praise of the Creator God thanking Him for all their blessings.
