For a full description of the (Y3) reading plan, see the “About” page.
- What attributes of God’s character does this passage reveal?
- How does the passage point to Jesus?
- How should the truth of this passage change me?
- How do the events of today’s reading help you better understand the grand narrative of Scripture?
Gen. 1
Two things from this chapter. First, the Bible tells us that God reveals Himself in His creation. That thought came to mind as I was reading about the two great lights. “God made the two great lights – the greater light to rule over the day and the lesser light to rule over the night” (Gen. 1:16). It goes on to say these lights, “rule the day and the night and separate light from darkness.” (Gen. 1:18a). I couldn’t help but think of Jesus and Satan with this. Satan is the lesser light who rules over the darkness. Jesus, on the other hand, is the Son, who rules the day and those who live in the light. So even on day four of creation, we see the separation of light and dark, setting up our choice for life or death.
The second thought comes from the repeated statement, “according to their kinds.” God said this about everything He created. Everything that breathes or has seeds reproduces, “according to their kind.” But when God created man, He said instead, “according to our likeness.” That tells me we are so much more than simply God’s creation. We are His offspring.
Gen. 2
God created woman differently than any other living being, male or female. He made her as a part of man while everything else, including man, He formed out of the ground. I’m not exactly sure what to think about that, but it seems important. It does give me the sense of intimacy, confirmed by God’s statement about a man and wife becoming one flesh. And since God made man and woman according to God’s likeness, I believe this must tell me something about God as well.
When God made woman He said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper corresponding to him.” (Gen. 2:18). The CSB uses that word, “corresponding”. Others say, “suitable”, “fit”, “help meet” and “companion”. Essentially, God made woman from man in his likeness. So maybe all of this represents that God created humans from Himself, in His likeness, so that He could have intimate relationship with us. We are not just God’s offspring, we are His companions.
Gen. 3
Okay, I’m curious. God put two trees in the center of the Garden of Eden. He put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and also the tree of life. However, He never instructed them not to eat of the Tree of Life. Yet after they ate from the forbidden tree, God sent them out of the Garden so that they couldn’t eat from the Tree of Life and live forever. Since its fruit was not forbidden, you would think they had already eaten from the tree of life. So did it not cause them to live forever until after they ate the other fruit? Or perhaps the fruit from that tree was unappealing so they didn’t need to be told not to eat it since they would naturally not choose to anyway.
I don’t have the answers to that, but the question itself adds to what I already know about the human condition. Those two trees represent the foundational choice each one of us faces. There is life and there is death. There is nothing else. The hard truth is that humans are naturally drawn to death and destruction, not to goodness and life. Right from the very beginning we needed God. But He knew, and He separated light from darkness before we ever made our choice.