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To Study:
Genesis 1:1-31; 2:1-7.
To Read in class: Genesis 1:26-31; 2:1-7.
Memory Texts:
Younger: Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heaven and the
earth.”
Older: Hebrews 11:3 “Through faith we understand that the worlds were
framed by the
word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do
appear.”
OBJECTIVES: To teach that:
1. Evolution is erroneous as shown by the truth found in the Bible.
2. God is the Creator of EVERYTHING.
3. The days of creation were 24-hour periods.
4. In order to prepare the earth as a place for man to live, God followed a
sequential plan of His own.
5. Man was created as a social, moral, and spiritual being, and is responsible
for his behaviour before his Creator.
SCENE 1. VISUAL AIDS: Prepare numbered circles that correspond to each day of
creation. Each numbered circle contains figures associated with the creatorial
activities carried out that day. It is recommended that each creative event is
taught in the order found in the Bible.
DEVELOPMENT: INTRODUCTION.
 -
Before the creation of the universe, God existed. He had no beginning nor will
He have an end.
- At some point in a past Eternity, God created the heavens and the earth.
- God created the world “ex nihilo”, that is, from nothing.
Cns. Man cannot create ‘ex nihilo’. He can only make something out of material
already in existence.
Exm. A furniture maker uses wood to make a table; a builder uses cement, sand,
and water to make lay a foundation; a seamstress uses thread, woven materials,
and buttons to make a garment.
- Creation was perfect, the same as everything else God does.
- At some point, the earth became without form and void, the result of divine
judgment.
- The Holy Spirit moved over the face of the waters.
Cns. The Holy Spirit's presence was to protect God's property, the world, from
the evil forces that had produced the chaos.
Cmt. This chaotic condition was the result of Satan's fall and his subsequent
loss of stewardship over the earth.
Inf. Since the purpose of the lesson is to teach creation, we have left teaching
about the fall of Satan until a later lesson.
- God did not permit the earth to remain without form and void. He began to work
to make it habitable for man. God was going to place man on earth and give him
the responsibility to care for it.
DAY ONE. VISUAL AIDS:
Circle A: A totally white circle with black words saying "original creation".
Circle B: A totally black circle with the white words saying "creation in
chaos".
Circle 1: A Circle half black and half white, to show the initial divine act of
introducing light in the midst of the darkness. It was an act of separation.
 Note: See explanation at
the end of the lesson regarding the use of these circles.
- God commanded light to appear.
- This light did not emanate from the sun. It was a brilliance or brightness of
uncreated light showing God's presence in the work of creation.
Apl. When God works in the heart of a person, He enters as light, dispelling the
darkness. Darkness is a product of Satan's work.
- God, Who dwells in light, made a separation between the light and the
darkness.
Cmt. God continues working on this principle today. He seeks to separate sinners
from the works of darkness by bringing them into His marvelous light (Romans
13:12 Ephesians 5:11).
Lsn. The trend today is to mix, combine or confuse everything. God has
established differences in all things created so that they do not lose their
distinctiveness.
Exm. Unisex fashions, long hair on men, and the practice in society of confusing
the roles of men and woman is an evidence of man’s rebellion against what God
has established.
Sug. Throughout this lesson, the teacher should seek to show that God
established His authority at the beginning by what He DID and by what he SAID.
It is no different from what God requires of us today, to recognize what He DOES
in the world and obey what He SAYS in His Word.
Principal Point: God desires the separation of light from darkness (Isaiah 5:20;
2 Corinthians 6:14).
DAY TWO. VISUAL AIDS:
Circle 2: The upper half shows the sky with clouds. The lower half shows the
sea.
 - God continued to separate the
elements, each one to fulfill a purpose in His overall plan.
- On this occasion the waters of the earth were separated from those above the
earth. Those above were now seen as clouds, and fall as rain and snow.
Principal Point: Water is an essential element for life on earth. God’s
intentions are to put life on earth and to sustain it there.
DAY THREE. VISUAL AIDS:
Circle 3: Scene of countryside with growth of trees and plants, combined with
flowers, fruit trees and abundant vegetation.
 - God
separated the dry land from the water that covered it, bringing the continents
into view.
- In addition, on the third day God spoke and the earth began to produce grass,
trees and all kinds of plants.
- There was now a type of life on earth, plant life; but it was life without a
conscience.
- The divine assessment: "And God saw that it was good."
- As the activities of each of the first five days were completed, God
pronounced His evaluation of what was done: GOOD.
- On the sixth day after putting Adam and Eve on the earth, he added a
superlative: it was VERY GOOD.
Prc. All that God does bears the stamp of His divine nature, it is without a
flaw.
Cns. This work of God has left its evidence in the deepest layers of the earth
where fossils are found.
Cmt. This fact has been used as a basis for the theory of evolution. It is
claimed that from simple life forms, other more complex forms have developed.
Cns. The Bible teaches that God made things in a prescribed order. He first
provided food and the
necessary conditions before animal life came into being.
Principal Point: God was preparing the earth so that when he created man,
everything would be ready to maintain his human life, and man would be able to
serve God.
 DAY
FOUR. VISUAL AIDS:
Days 4, 5, 6, and 7. Figures that indicant divine activities on each
different day.
- Day 4. The two lights.
- Day 5. Animal life.
- Day 6. Human life.
- Day 7. God rests.
Ilu. Young people dump garbage in a clear area leaving it dirty as occurred when
sin entered the
human race and left it unclean.
Circle 4: Divided in two, one half with a shining sun, and the other side
with the moon, accompanied by the stars.
 - God created two lights in the
firmament of the heavens. Both were different. The greater was the sun, the
lesser, the moon.
- Their functions were varied. They were:
1. To separate day and night.
2. To mark the seasons of the year.
3. To establish the cycle of days and years.
4. To illuminate the earth.
5. The sun would have the major role, to “rule” the day.
6. The moon would “rule” at night, reflecting the light of the sun.
7. They were accompanied by stars to shine over the earth.
Exm. The stars serve the ships at sea. Since the movements of the stars are
regular and their placement fixed in the observable firmament, they have served
those who navigate on the oceans of the world. From old, seamen have been able
to locate themselves on the ocean by the stars and steer their ships to their
desired ports.
- The physical world is now complete. All that is lacking are the animals and an
intelligent being capable of communicating with God, in order to enjoy
fellowship (companionship) with Him.
Principal Point: God established the sun and the moon as two sources of power
from outside the world itself. These heavenly bodies exercise their control over
the earth, in obedience to God. They are outside of man’s control.
DAY FIVE. VISUAL AIDS:
Circle 5: Fish in the water, birds in the air.
 - God
put creatures that could fly in the air, and placed an abundant quantity of
creatures to swim in the sea.
- God created not only the salt water of the sea, but also the sweet water found
in streams and rivers.
- This was the beginning of animal life, and God blessed it so that it would be
fruitful and multiply.
Cns. Besides the food value of the fowl and the fish, these creatures also serve
as scavengers, consumers of waste material produced by life on earth.
- Once again, God saw that it was GOOD.
Principal Point: God’s wisdom is seen as He progressively brings into being all
that will be necessary to have the world in optimum condition for His crowning
act of creation, that is, the introduction of human life.
DAY SIX. VISUAL AIDS:
Circle 6: Man viewing animals resting or grazing in a verdant setting. Add
additional figures showing the variety of creatures placed by God on earth.
Composition: Using three circles of different colors, one large, another
slightly smaller, and a third one smaller still, place the smallest on top of
the second circle, and both on top of the largest. Write the word “Body” on the
larger circle; “Soul” on the middle sized circle; and “Spirit” on the smaller
circle. Together they represent man in his tri-partite existence.
 - God
made all kinds of land animals, each “after his kind”, and saw that this was
also GOOD.
- With everything now in order, the Triune God took counsel with Himself, and
there was a formal decision in the Godhead to create a human being, the highest
expression of intelligence in His creation of the world.
Cmt. The plural form of the verb "let us" is evidence of the Tri-Unity of the
Godhead. This is an important truth and needs stressing.
- Man was formed from the dust of the earth, as a potter forms a vessel from
clay.
- God breathed into man’s nostrils the breath of life and man became a living
soul, made in the image and likeness of God.
Cmt. Man was made in the image of God in that he is a tripartite being; body,
soul, and spirit.
- Man was also made in the likeness of God in that he is a spiritual, moral, and
social being.
- Man's body puts him in touch with the surrounding world. He hears, sees, and
touches, etc.
- The soul of man is the seat of his emotions, of his desires and feelings of
affection. (Psalm.42:1-6). Man’s soul puts him in touch with himself.
- The spirit is that part of man which perceives things in the spiritual realm
and permits him to relate to the spirit world. It enables him to be
God-conscious (1 Corinthians 2:11).
- Animals do not possess this capability.
Lsn. Because God breathed into man the breath of life and made him different
from the rest of creation, he is endowed with privileges for which he is held
accountable.
Cns. Man is held responsible for what he does with his body, soul, and spirit.
There are no "human rights" that allow him to do as he pleases. Life has been
given to him as a gift.
Cmt. With drug abuse, alcohol addiction, cigarette smoking, tattooing of the
body, and other destructive practices being engaged in, Sunday School students
should be made aware that their body is not their own.
Apl. God desires to be glorified through a sanctified use of the human body (1
Corinthians 6:20).
- Man and woman were created and were told to multiply and populate the earth.
- “God BLESSED them” (Genesis 1:22) means he spoke well concerning Adam and Eve,
as He gave them the responsibility to have a family and fill the earth.
Cns. The instruction to procreate was given when man was in innocence.
- Adam and Eve were created as adults, and never had an infancy, childhood, or
adolescence.
Prf. Since they were adults, they were at once told to have a family.
- Adam and Eve were not placed on earth to have a perpetual vacation, but were
given dominion over the earth, the air and its waters, with tasks to perform.
NOTE: Lesson 2 will deal with the entrance of sin into the world and the need
for a new "creation" through the miracle of the new birth.
Principal Point: God created man to be “lord” over the earth, as His
representative. He made man with the capability of enjoying fellowship with His
Creator within the context of a loving relationship. Man was also made to bring
glory to God.
DAY SEVEN: VISUAL AID:
Circle 7: A globe showing the complete world with continents and seas in
place. In a corner of the board, a figure of boys throwing garbage around, to
give the idea of a clean environment being despoiled as happened to the
beautiful creation which God had made when sin entered to destroy its beauty.
 -
Seeing that everything He had made was VERY GOOD, God rested.
- It would be wicked for someone to destroy or contaminate such a beautiful
creation. When selfish interests replaced love for God, the human race fell
under condemnation.
Sug. Have the students imagine a clean front room and the result if someone
tossed garbage on the floor and furniture. Not only would it destroy the beauty
of the room but also incur the wrath of the homemaker.
Sug. Try to obtain two identical pictures of the same scene, as from a calendar,
showing a peaceful countryside. Then take a felt pen and in front of the
students put a couple of black
markings on one of the pictures. The reaction of the students will be one of
horror, and help them to see how ugly sin is in God's sight.
Cmt. Sin is ugly and destructive.
- Sin entered the world and destroyed the perfection of the divine work.
- Sin ended God's rest. Since then, God has been working so that lost souls
might be recovered. See John 4:34; 5:17; 17:4.
- New birth is a new creation, through which estranged man is brought into a
living relationship with God.
 Apl.
God always works to bring man into the light. He shines into the darkened heart
through the light of the gospel and calls sinners to pass from darkness to His
wonderful light, from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His dear Son.
NOTE: The purpose of this lesson is to establish that the world is the
product of God’s creatorial power. We are aware of different creation models
being taught. These include the “young-earth model”, and also the model where
there is reference to a “gap” between Gen. 1:1 and 1:2. It is left to the
teacher to determine which model to prefer. It is not within the scope of this
outline to show argumentation for one or the other model. The purpose in this
lesson is to show that the origin of the world as we know it today was divine.
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