Why Genesis?

Benham Brothers

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Why Genesis?

Who wrote the book and why it was written

January 6, 2019 • Benham Brothers

NEW BEGINNINGS - a message of encouragement from God to His kids (the Jews and Jesus) about the new phase of life in which they were about to embark

* God to the Israelites:
* The Israelites were about to enter the Promised Land.
* What message would God have for them?
* God downloaded five books into Moses, one of them went back to the beginning - Genesis.
* The Jews needed this book to create a solid foundation for their new life.
* Many scholars believe that the Israelites fled Egypt around 1450-1440 BC.
* They also believe Moses wrote Genesis around 1400 BC.
* KEY - Whatever God forms He fills.
* But there’s an order to how He does it:
* Illumination - Separation - Habitation.
* He did this with all of creation - the earth first and then mankind.
* Gen 1:1-2 - He created the heavens and the earth.
* But the earth was FORMLESS - God needed to FORM it.
* The earth was VOID - He needed to FILL it.
* The Six Days of Creation are all about Him forming and filling.
* 1) ILLUMINATION: Gen 1:3
* 2) SEPARATION: Gen 1:4-9
* * light from darkness
* * waters below from waters above
* * land from water
* Illumination and separation prepared the way for habitation.
* 3) HABITATION:
* vs 10-31 - Vegetation, Animals, Humans.

Day 1 - Heavens and the earth (nothing but water) - He lit it up and split it up!
Day 2 - Sky - He separated the waters above and below
Day 3 - Land - He separated the water from the dirt - vegetation was a part of this
Day 4 - Stars - Gen 1:14-18 - Before habitation he had to create government so people could keep things separate.
Day 5 - Fish
Day 6 - Animals & Man

* EXAMPLE - ADAM: God did with Adam what He did with the earth.
* vs 2:19-20 - ILLUMINATION - no helper was “found” - he was looking.
* vs 2:21 - SEPARATION - feminine was removed from masculine.
* vs 2:22-25 - HABITATION - and they lived happily ever after.

* FLOOD - when God brought the flood He set the earth back to its original form (full of water) - He removed Separation. (Genesis 7:21)

* APPLICATION: Illumination - Separation - Habitation
* 1) Walk in the light. Spend time with God in prayer and the Word.
* 2) Stay separate from the world. “Be holy for I am holy.”
* 3) When we walk in the light and remain separate we live in God and He lives in us.

More from Building a Spiritual Foundation

Matthew 16:17-19 (2/4/16)

February 4, 2016 • Benham Brothers

• The disciples were expecting Christ to establish a new kingdom. • But He let them in on His plan - it was to build a church. • They knew what "ekklesia" meant: • 1) an assembly of Greek citizens that governed a city or district. • 2) the congregation of Israel when gathered for religious activity. • He didn't stop there - He let them in on the entire role of the church: • WHO - anyone who made the same claim as Peter. • WHERE - the "gates" represented power and authority - City Hall. • Gates of Hell represented the places where Satan exercised power and authority. • WHAT - keys represent access to authority. • The church would get access to God's authority. • The church could bind what was free (evil), and free what was bound (good). • CHURCH - "a religious governing body made up of Christians who exercise God's ruling authority on the earth." • This means there will always be a fight.

Mark 16:15-18 (3/15/18)

March 15, 2018 • Benham Brothers

* Christ’s last words on earth were a commission for believers to be Kingdom Advancers in this world. * vs 16 - it starts with belief. To believe is to “commit.” * vs 17-18 - Just as Moses had signs that accompanied him as well as the apostles in Acts, so will we as believers. * Signs represent to the outside what is true on the inside (like a skin disease). * Signs make the invisible visible. * Here are the signs that will accompany believers to show the POWER that’s inside them: * 1) We WILL cast out demons - this is a matter of AUTHORITY (the “right to use power”). * The power of God in us will overcome the power of Satan in others. * 2) We WILL speak in new tongues - this is a matter of CLARITY. * A believer will talk differently - it will be in a way others can understand. * We can also speak in prayer tongues if we’re open to the Spirit’s leading. * 3) We WILL pick up serpents with our hands - this is a matter of BRAVERY. * We won’t walk in fear - what others fear won’t affect us (there’s no mention of snake bite). * 4) IF we drink poison, it won’t affect us - this is a matter of IMMUNITY. * The things that are meant to harm us won’t because of the power inside us. * ** Persecution - when others want to harm us it won’t. * ** Purity - the stuff of the world won’t affect us on the inside (like a hose that’s on inside a mud hole). * 5) We WILL lay our hands on the sick and they will recover - this is about COMMUNITY. * Believers will be conduits through which God brings healing to others. * We not only have the power to do it but also the desire.

What Is Eternal Life

June 16, 2016 • Benham Brothers

• We all know John 3:16. • Jesus then defines what “eternal life” means - to “know” God. • Matthew 7:23 - “Depart from Me, I never ’knew’ you.” • To know someone is to have intimate knowledge, like me with my wife. • I met her and have committed myself fully to her and she to me - we have a relationship. • The foundation of me knowing her is commitment. • The word “believe” in John 3:16 means to “commit.” • The rich young ruler wanted to live forever - that was his definition of eternal life. • Luke 14:33 - those who aren’t willing to commit can’t know God. • So here’s the question - do you KNOW God? • If you do you have eternal life now.