WEBVTT 00:00:01.120 --> 00:00:04.240 Welcome to the program Study in the Chapel. 00:00:04.559 --> 00:00:07.599 God's Word is supreme at Chapel Ministries. 00:00:07.839 --> 00:00:12.400 We consider it absolutely essential to a proper relationship with God. 00:00:12.800 --> 00:00:17.760 We study it, we love it, we rely on it every minute of every day. 00:00:18.000 --> 00:00:22.800 The following program is an edited recording of the regular Bible studies we hold. 00:00:23.120 --> 00:00:33.920 And we decided to share these with you in the hope that you too will be able to find inspiration, encouragement, and ultimately salvation through discovering Christ in Scripture. 00:00:34.399 --> 00:00:37.600 Our intention is to travel all the way through the Bible. 00:00:37.759 --> 00:00:42.719 It will be a challenging journey, but one that will undoubtedly bring you to a decision. 00:00:43.039 --> 00:00:48.240 Through this study, you will be faced with either believing or rejecting what God has said to us. 00:00:48.479 --> 00:00:54.399 It is our intention to provide you with enough knowledge to make an informed decision about God and his word. 00:00:54.960 --> 00:01:04.879 We strongly encourage you to listen intently and diligently, because though at the moment you may not realize it, these things are truly a matter of life and death. 00:01:05.120 --> 00:01:09.359 In fact, these are matters of eternal life and eternal death. 00:01:09.680 --> 00:01:11.599 Never treat what God has said lightly. 00:01:11.760 --> 00:01:14.400 There's truly nothing more important to you. 00:01:14.640 --> 00:01:19.120 Now join us as we seek God's will through his inspired word. 00:01:19.760 --> 00:01:24.239 Alright, so we are back in the book of Genesis. 00:01:24.400 --> 00:01:25.680 We've been here for a few months. 00:01:25.840 --> 00:01:31.840 We were just talking about how long it's taken us to just to get to the first few verses of chapter two. 00:01:32.159 --> 00:01:33.599 And I'm doing it purposely. 00:01:34.079 --> 00:01:39.040 We have to take our time going through these things, I think, because we've been gypped. 00:01:39.120 --> 00:01:43.920 We've been cheated in our normal religious education, if you want to call it that. 00:01:44.079 --> 00:01:49.040 As far as I know, whenever I was in church, I never heard anything about the book of Genesis. 00:01:49.280 --> 00:01:51.680 We finished the letter to the Ephesians. 00:01:51.760 --> 00:01:55.280 I may have heard maybe 5% of that when I was in church. 00:01:55.359 --> 00:01:56.879 And these things we need to know. 00:01:57.120 --> 00:01:59.599 God gave us this book for a reason. 00:01:59.840 --> 00:02:04.239 All right, tonight I'm going to do something that we don't normally do. 00:02:04.400 --> 00:02:09.599 I'm going to read ahead because there is a lot to talk about here. 00:02:10.639 --> 00:02:18.960 I'll have uh specific comments about each verse a little later, probably starting next week, but for now, let's just read. 00:02:19.039 --> 00:02:21.520 We'll start again at verse four. 00:02:21.680 --> 00:02:27.039 We've covered verse four a few times, but we're going to start at verse four and read all the way down. 00:02:27.199 --> 00:02:31.439 Hopefully, you have your Bible open to Genesis chapter two. 00:02:31.840 --> 00:02:33.759 If you don't, you can look at the screen. 00:02:33.919 --> 00:02:36.879 Catherine takes a lot of time to put up all of our notes. 00:02:36.960 --> 00:02:41.840 So if you want to follow along on the screen, she has the King James Version. 00:02:41.919 --> 00:02:43.599 That's my preferred version. 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:50.639 It's okay if you read some other version, English standard, NIV, doesn't matter to me as long as you have a Bible with you. 00:02:50.719 --> 00:02:51.759 Here we go. 00:02:52.879 --> 00:02:55.039 By the way, this isn't going to take very long. 00:02:55.280 --> 00:03:03.199 It looks like a lot on the screen, but it isn't really going to take that long because there's really not a whole lot in this chapter as far as words are concerned. 00:03:03.360 --> 00:03:03.759 Here we go. 00:03:03.919 --> 00:03:05.439 There's a lot of content though. 00:03:05.680 --> 00:03:06.960 These are the generations. 00:03:07.039 --> 00:03:08.319 We're starting at verse 4. 00:03:08.479 --> 00:03:17.599 These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens. 00:03:17.759 --> 00:03:20.960 Pay attention to how many times they used the word Lord God. 00:03:21.120 --> 00:03:23.599 As you remember, that's Jehovah Elohim. 00:03:23.680 --> 00:03:25.520 There's something special in that name. 00:03:25.759 --> 00:03:38.639 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew, for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. 00:03:38.800 --> 00:03:43.680 But there went up a mist from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground. 00:03:43.840 --> 00:03:55.360 And the Lord God, Jehovah Elohim, formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into him into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. 00:03:55.599 --> 00:03:56.479 Verse 8. 00:03:56.719 --> 00:04:01.120 And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden. 00:04:01.280 --> 00:04:05.919 Now the root of the original word means soft or pleasure. 00:04:06.080 --> 00:04:07.039 And get this. 00:04:30.240 --> 00:04:34.800 It also means to use something jubilantly to the full. 00:04:34.879 --> 00:04:38.639 That's what the complete word study dictionary says. 00:04:38.879 --> 00:04:45.279 That is the name God gave to the home he prepared for mankind. 00:04:45.439 --> 00:04:48.959 Now remember, names are important to God. 00:04:49.360 --> 00:04:55.199 The name he gives to something characterizes what's being named. 00:04:55.360 --> 00:05:02.000 And the name he gave to the place he was going to put mankind in is Eden. 00:05:02.480 --> 00:05:12.879 And that name invokes the image of a life of pleasantness, a life of joy, a life of jubilant living. 00:05:13.040 --> 00:05:14.800 I love that word jubilant. 00:05:15.199 --> 00:05:17.120 That's what that word means. 00:05:17.360 --> 00:05:18.480 Listen to me. 00:05:18.800 --> 00:05:24.879 God all along intended that our lives would be pleasurable. 00:05:25.199 --> 00:05:32.800 We were never meant, we were never supposed to be in a wilderness struggling for survival. 00:05:32.959 --> 00:05:34.560 Why do you tell us these things, John? 00:05:34.720 --> 00:05:36.879 Are you trying to make us feel bad? 00:05:37.120 --> 00:05:42.240 I'm trying to get you to see what sin has done to mankind. 00:05:42.800 --> 00:05:52.160 Originally, mankind was supposed to live in a place that was called jubilant living, a pleasure place. 00:05:53.360 --> 00:05:57.519 He didn't design us for the wilderness that we now live in. 00:05:57.680 --> 00:06:00.800 Why do you think life is so miserable for all of us? 00:06:01.120 --> 00:06:04.240 Because we were never meant to be out here. 00:06:04.560 --> 00:06:11.920 And that is why he's trying so intently to get us back to where we belong. 00:06:12.319 --> 00:06:14.160 We don't belong here. 00:06:14.800 --> 00:06:20.800 A true child of God is never comfortable outside the garden. 00:06:22.160 --> 00:06:29.680 And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there he put the man whom he had formed. 00:06:29.920 --> 00:06:43.120 And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. 00:06:43.279 --> 00:06:44.000 Verse 10. 00:06:44.240 --> 00:06:52.560 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from thence it was parted and became into four heads. 00:06:52.720 --> 00:07:01.920 The name of the first is Pishon or Pisan, that is which compasseth the whole land of Havila, where there is gold. 00:07:02.079 --> 00:07:04.399 And the gold of that land is good. 00:07:04.800 --> 00:07:07.759 There is Bedelium and the onyx stone. 00:07:08.000 --> 00:07:10.959 And the name of the second river is Gihon. 00:07:11.120 --> 00:07:15.279 The same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. 00:07:15.439 --> 00:07:16.560 Verse 14. 00:07:17.279 --> 00:07:26.079 And the third name, and the name of the third river is Hedekal, that is, which goeth east toward the east of Assyria. 00:07:26.160 --> 00:07:28.800 And the fourth river is Euphrates. 00:07:29.279 --> 00:07:32.160 I don't know about you, but I only caught one of those. 00:07:32.319 --> 00:07:33.680 We'll talk about those later. 00:07:33.920 --> 00:07:34.879 Verse 15. 00:07:35.120 --> 00:07:41.360 And the Lord God took the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 00:07:41.519 --> 00:07:54.000 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it. 00:07:54.240 --> 00:07:58.639 For in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die. 00:07:58.879 --> 00:08:03.360 And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone. 00:08:03.600 --> 00:08:06.399 I will make him and help meat for him. 00:08:06.639 --> 00:08:15.759 And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every fowl of the air and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them. 00:08:15.920 --> 00:08:18.000 Remember what we said before? 00:08:18.319 --> 00:08:21.519 Those in authority are allowed to name. 00:08:21.759 --> 00:08:25.839 God brought the animals to Adam so that he could name them. 00:08:26.160 --> 00:08:29.839 That tells us Adam was in charge. 00:08:30.720 --> 00:08:36.159 And whatsoever Adam called every living being, that was the name thereof. 00:08:36.320 --> 00:08:42.960 And Adam gave names to all cattle and to the fowl of the air and to every beast of the field. 00:08:43.200 --> 00:08:46.559 But for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. 00:08:46.720 --> 00:08:53.039 And the Lord caused, and the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept. 00:08:53.200 --> 00:08:57.919 And he took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh instead thereof. 00:08:58.080 --> 00:09:05.279 And the rib which the Lord God had taken from a man made he a woman and brought her unto the man. 00:09:05.440 --> 00:09:10.080 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, flesh of my flesh. 00:09:10.240 --> 00:09:14.480 She shall be called woman because she was taken out of man. 00:09:14.799 --> 00:09:22.320 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh. 00:09:22.480 --> 00:09:27.679 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. 00:09:29.120 --> 00:09:37.440 Now, let me start out by saying what I've said more than a few times since we started this part of the Bible. 00:09:37.759 --> 00:09:42.399 I believe everything the book of Genesis says. 00:09:47.120 --> 00:09:49.679 To me, it's all truth. 00:09:50.720 --> 00:09:51.759 Wait, what? 00:09:52.320 --> 00:09:53.200 You couldn't. 00:09:53.360 --> 00:09:55.840 It's nothing but a bunch of nonsense. 00:09:56.159 --> 00:10:04.799 John, you're an educated, modern man with a well, I guess it appears to be only slightly below average intelligence. 00:10:05.120 --> 00:10:10.559 Surely you can't look at this drivel and give it the least bit of credibility. 00:10:12.480 --> 00:10:14.240 But you see, I do. 00:10:14.720 --> 00:10:19.360 And by the way, that is a real conversation I've had with people. 00:10:19.840 --> 00:10:22.159 People have said those things to me. 00:10:22.320 --> 00:10:25.360 They have said, you can't possibly believe the Bible. 00:10:25.519 --> 00:10:26.159 I know you. 00:10:26.240 --> 00:10:28.960 You went to college, you have college degrees. 00:10:29.200 --> 00:10:32.559 You can't possibly believe that stuff in the Bible. 00:10:33.840 --> 00:10:34.799 But I do. 00:10:35.519 --> 00:10:37.039 Let me state it again. 00:10:37.279 --> 00:10:40.720 I believe everything in the book of Genesis. 00:10:40.960 --> 00:10:44.639 In fact, I believe everything in the Bible. 00:10:44.960 --> 00:10:47.600 Now I didn't say I understood it all. 00:10:48.080 --> 00:10:54.000 I likewise didn't say it was easy to believe at times, but what's new? 00:10:54.320 --> 00:10:58.240 My wife says she loves me, and I don't understand that. 00:10:58.639 --> 00:11:05.120 And I certainly find it hard to believe someone as wonderful as she is is my wife. 00:11:05.679 --> 00:11:06.960 But I trust her. 00:11:08.879 --> 00:11:25.679 You know, we seem to willingly give lots of people the benefit of the doubt when they say something that seems too incredible, but God gets no such consideration from most modern human beings. 00:11:25.919 --> 00:11:30.639 In fact, it seems to have become a matter of conditioning. 00:11:31.279 --> 00:11:39.840 The way the world treats any sort of religious thought is with, well, I guess I wouldn't say disdain so much. 00:11:40.159 --> 00:11:44.080 Maybe contempt is a bit softer and a little more accurate. 00:11:44.240 --> 00:11:57.120 I've told you before, in my experience, most modern Christian or modern critics of all things spiritual are usually polite with their opposition. 00:11:57.200 --> 00:11:58.480 I'll give them that. 00:11:58.799 --> 00:12:05.759 Normally you don't find outright vitriol of any sort toward religion. 00:12:06.080 --> 00:12:09.360 That of course does exist, but it's rare. 00:12:09.679 --> 00:12:19.360 Nonetheless, the critics will make believers feel well embarrassed for their position on the unseen. 00:12:20.559 --> 00:12:28.240 You will be treated like an outsider if you declare that you believe in God and in what he says. 00:12:28.639 --> 00:12:35.919 And with the rise of the scourge of groupthink in our society, that can have real impact. 00:12:36.480 --> 00:12:41.519 The desire to fit in is very strong in the 21st century. 00:12:41.840 --> 00:12:47.200 Descent from the accepted norm is met with great criticism. 00:12:47.840 --> 00:12:59.519 A lack of willingness, listen to me, a lack of willingness to embrace the popular narrative, whatever that may be, is your ticket to Shunsville. 00:13:01.679 --> 00:13:14.240 And right now, saying you believe in the Bible and saying you believe in God and you accept Jesus as your savior will only get you in society jail. 00:13:14.559 --> 00:13:22.399 In fact, you'll likely be labeled a racist or a colonist or a bigot or just hateful. 00:13:23.039 --> 00:13:25.919 I mean, isn't that incredible? 00:13:26.240 --> 00:13:30.960 Bible-believing Christians are often accused of hating people. 00:13:32.720 --> 00:13:36.879 The Christian ethic is now considered odious. 00:13:39.840 --> 00:13:41.919 Now, why am I bringing this up? 00:13:43.519 --> 00:14:02.159 Well, because I'm fairly certain that for at least a couple of you, I have no one in mind, but probably a couple of you, that when I was reading those verses from Genesis 2, it aroused a bit of internalized automatic skepticism. 00:14:02.480 --> 00:14:20.399 You heard me mention how God watered the whole earth with the mist to make the seeds grow, and that made you perhaps subconsciously, perhaps not, roll your eyes in disapproval of my simplistic ignorance. 00:14:20.639 --> 00:14:22.639 He wanted to pat me on the head. 00:14:22.879 --> 00:14:25.360 Say, you poor, poor thing. 00:14:26.240 --> 00:14:38.480 You may have heard me read about the Garden of Eden, and in the back of your mind, you switched off your fact analysis and switched on your fairy tale defense mechanism. 00:14:38.639 --> 00:14:48.080 And I'm almost positive that some of you even recoiled when I read that section that describes how Eve was made. 00:14:51.039 --> 00:15:00.320 Though nothing was visible to me, I believe probably one of one or two of you did a private little disapproving head shake. 00:15:00.799 --> 00:15:02.399 If not only mentally. 00:15:04.639 --> 00:15:15.759 What we just read is not a popular portion of scripture in modern society, and I hate to tell you, it's not all that popular in church either. 00:15:16.080 --> 00:15:25.360 Almost this entire book is disregarded as myth because it does not seem to jibe with our modern sensibilities. 00:15:25.440 --> 00:15:29.440 And the book of Genesis is probably the biggest offender. 00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:43.200 Now, most will listen politely, but in the end, they'll give it no further thought because, well, they outright reject what's being said. 00:15:45.679 --> 00:15:49.120 Well, let me make my personal declaration again. 00:15:49.360 --> 00:15:50.559 I believe God. 00:15:50.720 --> 00:15:55.200 He's never lied to me, and he's never been proven wrong. 00:15:55.600 --> 00:16:06.720 Listen, I know there are more than a few statements in this small section that seem to go against several prevailing scientific positions. 00:16:06.960 --> 00:16:12.399 And there are a few other things that go against our current cultural mindset. 00:16:13.600 --> 00:16:19.039 Nonetheless, I choose to believe God and ignore the world. 00:16:20.240 --> 00:16:21.519 But come on, John. 00:16:21.679 --> 00:16:30.639 I mean, is it actually possible that you don't have even a little trepidation about some of that stuff? 00:16:32.960 --> 00:16:38.399 Listen, being a Christian does not require living doubt free. 00:16:38.639 --> 00:16:47.279 In fact, being a Christian largely means going on with God despite nagging doubts. 00:16:47.919 --> 00:16:59.120 I mean, the biggest example that I can think of is the fact that almost daily I doubt that God could love a sinner like me. 00:16:59.759 --> 00:17:02.879 But I take him at his word when he says he does. 00:17:04.079 --> 00:17:09.759 Believe me, the devil is going to assail you with doubts every chance he gets. 00:17:10.400 --> 00:17:16.799 I bring this up in the book of Genesis because this is where we lose most people. 00:17:17.200 --> 00:17:19.680 This is where we lose the world. 00:17:21.359 --> 00:17:26.640 They may believe the next 65 books, but they're not going to believe Genesis. 00:17:29.119 --> 00:17:31.599 That's why I keep bringing this up. 00:17:32.559 --> 00:17:34.720 Because I want you to understand. 00:17:35.359 --> 00:17:40.079 The guy you're listening to believes every single word, and you should too. 00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:45.839 The devil is going to try to get you to not believe. 00:17:45.920 --> 00:17:49.200 He's going to try to convince you this isn't what God said. 00:17:49.279 --> 00:17:55.920 And we're going to find out in the next chapter that he's been doing that as long as mankind has existed. 00:17:56.160 --> 00:18:09.839 But the mark of Christianity, the thing that separates us from all other human beings is our faith, our willingness to believe despite not knowing. 00:18:11.519 --> 00:18:17.519 So with those general comments, let's go on to some specifics. 00:18:18.799 --> 00:18:25.599 Now, this is not going to be easy, but it will be fascinating and uplifting if you hang in there. 00:18:26.079 --> 00:18:27.279 Back to verse 4. 00:18:27.440 --> 00:18:35.200 These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created in the day that God made the earth and the heavens. 00:18:35.599 --> 00:18:37.119 I think we covered that enough. 00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:38.240 Verse 5. 00:18:38.559 --> 00:18:52.240 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew, for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. 00:18:52.400 --> 00:18:54.160 Now, just a quick reminder. 00:18:54.880 --> 00:19:01.680 This entire section is in part a summary of what God has already done. 00:19:01.759 --> 00:19:05.599 So don't get confused and think, wait, didn't we already cover creation? 00:19:05.839 --> 00:19:06.319 We did. 00:19:06.480 --> 00:19:08.160 This is just a summary. 00:19:08.240 --> 00:19:09.519 This is a wrap-up. 00:19:10.079 --> 00:19:19.680 Here the author of the book of Genesis, as you remember, the person who wrote this book and the next four books was none other than Moses. 00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:24.000 Though people continue to argue against that, I believe it was Moses. 00:19:24.799 --> 00:19:34.000 Chapter two, at least this part of it, is Moses retelling with a little more detail what happened at creation. 00:19:34.079 --> 00:19:37.519 And this, by the way, is very common in the Old Testament. 00:19:37.759 --> 00:19:43.759 Many of the authors of these ancient books do the same thing, and we're glad for it. 00:19:44.000 --> 00:19:48.400 They say something and then go back and fill in the details. 00:19:48.559 --> 00:19:52.400 You're going to find that out as we go through all these old books. 00:19:52.640 --> 00:19:54.400 That's what's happening here. 00:19:54.640 --> 00:19:56.880 But with one important difference. 00:19:57.359 --> 00:20:06.400 Here, God is having Moses key in on the preparation and the activation of the creation of mankind. 00:20:06.559 --> 00:20:14.720 He sort of just kind of quickly glances over all the other stuff he's made, and then he's going to key in on the stuff he's done for man. 00:20:14.880 --> 00:20:17.839 Should give you an idea of what we've been saying all along. 00:20:18.160 --> 00:20:21.759 This creation was meant for mankind. 00:20:23.759 --> 00:20:30.400 The Bible has the very important backdrop of the relationship God has with us humans. 00:20:30.480 --> 00:20:32.240 It's the theme throughout. 00:20:32.480 --> 00:20:35.359 And that starts to emerge right here. 00:20:35.599 --> 00:20:41.279 Truly, chapter two of Genesis is one of the most important sections of the entire Bible. 00:20:41.440 --> 00:20:42.720 John, you say that all the time. 00:20:42.799 --> 00:20:43.839 It's true, I do. 00:20:44.160 --> 00:20:45.440 Back to verse 5. 00:20:45.680 --> 00:20:58.880 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew, for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. 00:20:59.200 --> 00:21:05.440 Here is one of the clues we've been given as to the purpose of this creation. 00:21:06.240 --> 00:21:15.920 At the outset, listen to me, God put all manner of vegetation in the earth that would be useful to mankind. 00:21:16.240 --> 00:21:23.359 This verse reads as if God placed in a vault of sorts, a place of storage. 00:21:24.160 --> 00:21:35.039 The earth was created by God and in part used as a cabinet to store the things human beings were going to need to grow and thrive. 00:21:35.279 --> 00:21:40.400 It was all there just sitting waiting for mankind's arrival. 00:21:43.279 --> 00:21:51.279 Our daughter Samantha is grown and lives with her husband a good bit away from us. 00:21:52.000 --> 00:21:56.319 Every once in a while, they'll let us know that they want to come for a visit. 00:21:56.400 --> 00:21:58.319 And we say, Of course, come on. 00:21:58.559 --> 00:21:59.680 She'll tell us what day. 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:01.599 They expect to arrive. 00:22:01.680 --> 00:22:11.039 And then Catherine goes about making sure that they'll have the things that they're going to need to make their visit enjoyable. 00:22:11.200 --> 00:22:16.160 Maybe I'll even ask Carter, hey, Carter, can you help me put up the fence and back? 00:22:16.319 --> 00:22:18.640 Okay, sure, I'll help you out when I get there. 00:22:18.960 --> 00:22:23.279 So Catherine will make sure there are fresh towels in the linen closet. 00:22:23.440 --> 00:22:27.200 She'll be sure there's creamy peanut butter in the cupboard. 00:22:27.359 --> 00:22:29.039 Catherine and I like crunchy. 00:22:29.279 --> 00:22:30.880 Sam won't touch the stuff. 00:22:31.119 --> 00:22:34.480 Little things like that are done all through the house. 00:22:34.720 --> 00:22:38.000 New soap in the bathrooms, clean sheets on the bed. 00:22:38.160 --> 00:22:39.200 What's your point? 00:22:40.319 --> 00:22:44.640 Since we know she's coming, we prepare. 00:22:45.599 --> 00:22:53.119 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew. 00:22:53.359 --> 00:23:00.000 For the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. 00:23:00.240 --> 00:23:04.880 The creation described thus far, I've said it a million times already. 00:23:05.119 --> 00:23:09.920 The creation so far looks like it's purposeful. 00:23:10.240 --> 00:23:14.000 And right here, God lets us in on the secret. 00:23:14.319 --> 00:23:16.640 This was not a mistake. 00:23:16.799 --> 00:23:19.359 This was not just a random act of God. 00:23:19.599 --> 00:23:26.880 God wasn't just bored, he did something purposely, and this is part of the clue. 00:23:27.200 --> 00:23:37.359 He stored away before he came, before mankind came, God stored away what he would need when he got here. 00:23:38.319 --> 00:23:48.480 He was going to need plants for medicinal and other purposes, housing, clothing, all the things we use plants for. 00:23:48.799 --> 00:23:54.000 Man's going to need fuel, he's going to need food, he's going to require shelter. 00:23:54.240 --> 00:23:55.680 God knew all of that. 00:23:55.839 --> 00:24:01.359 I mean, after all, mankind is the work of his own hands and mind. 00:24:02.160 --> 00:24:16.880 And so at the creation, and this is what this verse is telling us, at the creation, God stored away seeds and herbs and vegetables in anticipation of the arrival of man. 00:24:17.359 --> 00:24:24.079 When Sam gets here, we don't want to be running around trying to find the stuff she is going to need. 00:24:24.559 --> 00:24:34.400 So we put them in special designated places that we can get to when we have to break out what she's needing when she needs it. 00:24:34.720 --> 00:24:36.799 It's just good planning. 00:24:37.279 --> 00:24:54.400 When you're responsible, listen to me, when you're responsible for someone, when you love someone, you should think ahead, especially if you're going to need something specific from your guest when they arrive. 00:24:54.720 --> 00:24:58.319 When Carter gets here, I have all the tools laid out. 00:24:58.480 --> 00:25:00.480 I have the shovels we're going to need. 00:25:00.559 --> 00:25:06.880 I have the cement, the rocks, everything is sitting there waiting because I'm anticipating his coming. 00:25:07.039 --> 00:25:08.559 I'm prepared. 00:25:10.240 --> 00:25:23.119 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. 00:25:24.880 --> 00:25:37.680 Now, if I make the mistake of pulling out one of those towels to dry my flowing locks before say, honey, you don't have to laugh that hard before Sam gets here. 00:25:38.000 --> 00:25:39.519 Catherine stops me. 00:25:39.759 --> 00:25:43.119 Hey, don't bring out the provisions until they're needed. 00:25:43.440 --> 00:25:53.440 God saw no sense in having plants grow and trees grow and vegetables grow until the person for whom they were prepared arrives. 00:25:53.680 --> 00:25:54.880 Why would he? 00:25:56.400 --> 00:25:58.079 That's all this is telling us. 00:25:58.240 --> 00:26:08.640 All the plants and the herbs, by the way, the original word for plants and herbs, the original word infers vegetation used for sustenance. 00:26:08.799 --> 00:26:13.680 I'm telling you, God's ideal for us is to be vegan. 00:26:15.200 --> 00:26:17.920 That's what we're designed for. 00:26:18.000 --> 00:26:21.200 And that's not why Catherine and I switched to being vegans. 00:26:21.519 --> 00:26:24.160 It just happens to be healthier. 00:26:24.319 --> 00:26:29.119 Now I know it's healthier because that's what God created it for, anyways. 00:26:29.279 --> 00:26:31.440 Well, I saw you eating chicken at Christmas time. 00:26:31.519 --> 00:26:32.720 I did eat chicken once in a while. 00:26:32.799 --> 00:26:33.519 I'll eat chicken. 00:26:33.599 --> 00:26:34.400 It's good. 00:26:34.720 --> 00:26:37.119 Catherine makes a mean fried chicken. 00:26:37.440 --> 00:26:39.599 Everyone that knows that says amen. 00:26:39.839 --> 00:26:45.359 According to the Bible record, by the way, no one ate meat until after the flood. 00:26:45.519 --> 00:26:46.720 Check for yourself. 00:26:47.039 --> 00:26:51.039 No record of anyone eating any meat until after the flood. 00:26:51.359 --> 00:26:53.440 Discussion for another day. 00:26:53.759 --> 00:27:01.039 All the plants and herbs were in their seed form, just waiting for God to create the consumers thereof. 00:27:01.359 --> 00:27:05.599 His plan was to leave it that way until the time was right. 00:27:05.920 --> 00:27:08.160 So no need for rain. 00:27:08.480 --> 00:27:26.000 But as the dawn of man approached, God took his creative plan to the next level, and every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew, for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. 00:27:26.240 --> 00:27:33.440 But there went up a mist from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground. 00:27:35.359 --> 00:27:43.200 You know, you cannot go more than one or two verses in this book without something remarkable poking through. 00:27:43.279 --> 00:27:45.359 That's why it's taking us so long. 00:27:45.920 --> 00:27:52.480 But there went up a mist from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground. 00:27:52.799 --> 00:27:58.640 At precisely the right time, God did something extraordinary. 00:27:59.359 --> 00:28:16.079 He caused a vapor cloud to rise up, and from it water flowed, fresh water, water necessary for the production of the types of fruits and vegetables and seeds man was going to need. 00:28:16.480 --> 00:28:28.319 That kind of water followed the rising up of this, what the King James calls a mist, a water flowed from this mist. 00:28:28.480 --> 00:28:31.759 Now, this is what I mean about Bible scholars. 00:28:32.559 --> 00:28:39.759 For reasons unclear to me, some don't want to accept scripture on face value. 00:28:39.920 --> 00:28:43.279 Believe it or not, this verse bothers some people. 00:28:43.839 --> 00:28:49.519 Some want to say that the word shouldn't be mist, but instead it should read streams. 00:28:50.960 --> 00:28:51.599 Why? 00:28:52.319 --> 00:28:53.680 Again, I don't know. 00:28:54.240 --> 00:28:57.279 The original word doesn't mean streams. 00:28:57.759 --> 00:29:00.319 It's used one other time in the Bible. 00:29:00.400 --> 00:29:02.319 It's found in the book of Job. 00:29:02.480 --> 00:29:05.200 Do you want to know what it's translated to there? 00:29:05.519 --> 00:29:06.240 Vapor. 00:29:07.039 --> 00:29:10.000 Vapors and mists are the same thing. 00:29:10.240 --> 00:29:13.039 Vapors and mists are not streams. 00:29:14.319 --> 00:29:23.599 But for some reason, that doesn't stop some from wanting to squeeze in here an interpretation that uses the word streams. 00:29:23.680 --> 00:29:24.720 It baffles me. 00:29:25.920 --> 00:29:36.160 The only thing I can come up with is that they think that scientifically it's not possible to water the entire earth with a mist. 00:29:36.480 --> 00:29:39.279 Human intellect says, no way that can happen. 00:29:39.440 --> 00:29:41.200 It has to mean something else. 00:29:43.200 --> 00:30:01.039 So to avoid the possibility of being criticized by scientists, large numbers of biblical scholars spend energy and time and resources and stretch the truth to make the scoffers less scoffy, I guess. 00:30:01.839 --> 00:30:09.440 So many theologians try desperately to make the Bible fit mainstream sensibility. 00:30:09.599 --> 00:30:17.759 So many preachers try to get you to accept that those that wrote the Bible just weren't smart enough to use the right words. 00:30:18.400 --> 00:30:23.759 Moses must not have known that mists can't water the whole earth. 00:30:23.920 --> 00:30:25.920 He should have said streams. 00:30:26.160 --> 00:30:28.160 He must have meant streams. 00:30:28.480 --> 00:30:30.960 But he was just too dumb to realize it. 00:30:31.279 --> 00:30:35.200 If he was smart like us, he would have written streams. 00:30:37.119 --> 00:30:44.079 You know, it seems as if Bible expositors are well embarrassed by the Genesis account. 00:30:44.880 --> 00:30:48.880 Of course, they don't want to completely reject the Bible. 00:30:49.039 --> 00:30:52.079 That wouldn't sit well with their soul. 00:30:52.720 --> 00:31:04.000 But so much of what's contained here, especially in these first few chapters, but really throughout Genesis, makes them uncomfortable. 00:31:04.240 --> 00:31:10.400 They think they have to apologize for God's lack of scientific understanding. 00:31:10.640 --> 00:31:19.680 They appear to judge God as just some old senile fuddy-duddy who's babbling about things in a nonsensical way. 00:31:20.240 --> 00:31:30.240 God seems to be making a fool of himself, and they figured they'd better step in and come to his rescue, you know, save his dignity or something. 00:31:31.359 --> 00:31:32.400 Screw that. 00:31:32.799 --> 00:31:35.039 God said a mist watered the earth. 00:31:35.200 --> 00:31:36.400 You know what that means? 00:31:36.640 --> 00:31:39.119 It means a mist watered the earth. 00:31:39.359 --> 00:31:40.480 Leave it alone. 00:31:40.640 --> 00:31:43.039 Let the Bible speak for itself. 00:31:43.599 --> 00:31:49.039 Yes, study it, verify it, make sure the translation is correct. 00:31:49.279 --> 00:31:54.559 But once you've done that, let the Bible be the word of God. 00:31:58.400 --> 00:32:02.799 I'm gonna stay on this soapbox through the rest of this Bible study. 00:32:03.599 --> 00:32:05.039 Yes, I went to college. 00:32:05.119 --> 00:32:06.799 I have a master's degree. 00:32:07.519 --> 00:32:09.839 That doesn't change anything. 00:32:10.960 --> 00:32:15.680 If nothing, my education taught me how much I don't know. 00:32:18.400 --> 00:32:20.720 God's word is true. 00:32:21.039 --> 00:32:28.559 It doesn't, the truth of it doesn't depend on me verifying it. 00:32:31.440 --> 00:32:32.880 Take it for what it says. 00:32:33.039 --> 00:32:34.400 That's what we're here for. 00:32:34.559 --> 00:32:36.160 That's why we're doing this. 00:32:36.319 --> 00:32:47.279 To get you to have confidence in the one who made the universe, that he is smart enough, strong enough, and God enough to make sure his word is true. 00:32:47.440 --> 00:32:49.039 I guess that's enough for now. 00:32:49.200 --> 00:32:52.799 We'll start tackling verse 7 next time. 00:32:52.960 --> 00:32:53.759 See you then. 00:32:56.720 --> 00:32:58.960 We hope this study has blessed you. 00:32:59.200 --> 00:33:09.119 God's word is a great treasure, and it's our belief that a thorough, purposeful study of it will bring all of God's children to an understanding of his eternal plan of redemption. 00:33:09.680 --> 00:33:12.880 It is our prayer that this will be so for all of our listeners. 00:33:13.039 --> 00:33:14.960 Please join us again soon. 00:33:15.200 --> 00:33:19.680 New content is being added all the time, so make sure you check back often. 00:33:20.160 --> 00:33:30.880 For more information on Chapel Ministries, including our YouTube channel and podcasts, please visit www.chapelontheweb.com. 00:33:31.359 --> 00:33:38.640 And if God has laid it upon your heart to share materially with us, we encourage you to follow the links to our secure giving page. 00:33:38.880 --> 00:33:47.519 Please note, Chapel Ministries is not an IRS registered nonprofit 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