Lesson 01 - The Beginning – (Genesis 1:1–2:3)
This post and others in the series are adapted from the content of the lesson syllabus authored by group moderator Rob Perry. Content is for study and research only, not for other distribution without written permission. Contact the webmaster, Mike Foxworth.
OPEN IT
1. What makes beginning a new project, job, school year, or relationship so exciting?
EXPLORE IT
2. How did the author describe the earth at the beginning of creation? (Gen.1:1-2)
3. What important events did the author describe in these verses? (Gen.1:1-2:3)
4. What did God do on the first day of creation? (Gen.1:3-5)
5. What did God create on the second day of creation? (Gen.1:6-8)
6. What did God do on the third day of creation? (Gen.1:9-13)
7. What did God create on the fourth day of creation? (Gen.1:14-19)
8. What did God do on the fifth day of creation? (Gen.1:20-23)
9. What did God create on the sixth day of creation? (Gen.1:24-26)
10. How did God create man? (Gen.1:26-27)
11. What instructions did God give the man and woman after he created them? (Gen.1:28)
12. What did God give to man and woman? (Gen.1:29-30)
13. How did God describe what he had created? (Gen.1:31)
14. What did God do on the seventh day of creation? (2:1-3)
GET IT
15. What does the story of creation tell us about humankind?
16. What difference does it make that people are created in the image of God?
APPLY IT
17. What is one way you can honor God as your Creator this week?
Explore It Answers
This section is designed to prompt thoughts about how and why to derive each scripture-based answer, so the actual answer is based upon individual study and may not be fully disclosed here. Here, also, are parallel verses for the key scripture texts.
Biblical Answer 2
How did the author describe the earth at the beginning of creation? (Gen.1:1-2)
Key Scripture: Genesis 1:1-2 | Parallel Texts: Genesis 9:13; Isaiah 54:9-10; Revelation 4:3
Biblical Answer 4
What did God do on the first day of creation? (Gen.1:3-5)
Key Scripture: Genesis 1:3-5 | Parallel Texts: Romans 12:18; Proverbs 16:7; Matthew 5:9
Biblical Answer 5
What did God create on the second day of creation? (Gen.1:6-8)
Key Scripture: Genesis 1:6-8 | Parallel Texts: Deuteronomy 32:8; Acts 17:26; Revelation 7:9
Biblical Answer 6
What did God do on the third day of creation? (Gen.1:9-13)
Key Scripture: Genesis 1:9-13 | Parallel Texts: Romans 12:18; Proverbs 16:7; Matthew 5:9
Biblical Answer 7
What did God create on the fourth day of creation? (Gen.1:14-19)
Key Scripture: Genesis 1:14-19 | Parallel Texts: Luke 17:28-32; Jude 1:7; 2 Peter 2:6
Biblical Answer 8
What did God do on the fifth day of creation? (Gen.1:20-23)
Key Scripture: Genesis 1:20-23 | Parallel Texts: Romans 12:18; Proverbs 16:7; Matthew 5:9
Biblical Answer 9
What did God create on the sixth day of creation? (Gen.1:24-26)
Key Scripture: Genesis 1:24-26 | Parallel Texts: Matthew 24:37-39; 2 Peter 2:5; 2 Peter 3:6
Biblical Answer 10
How did God create man? (Gen.1:26-27)
Key Scripture: Genesis 1:26-27 | Parallel Texts: Genesis 9:13; Isaiah 54:9-10; Revelation 4:3
Biblical Answer 11
What instructions did God give the man and woman after he created them? (Gen.1:28)
Key Scripture: Genesis 1:28 | Parallel Texts: Psalm 24:1; Acts 17:28; Romans 14:12
Biblical Answer 12
What did God give to man and woman? (Gen.1:29-30)
Key Scripture: Genesis 1:29-30 | Parallel Texts: Genesis 1:27; Genesis 9:6; James 3:9
Biblical Answer 13
How did God describe what he had created? (Gen.1:31)
Key Scripture: Genesis 1:31 | Parallel Texts: Deuteronomy 32:8; Acts 17:26; Revelation 7:9
Biblical Answer 14
What did God do on the seventh day of creation? (2:1-3)
Key Scripture: Genesis 2:1-3 | Parallel Texts: Romans 12:18; Proverbs 16:7; Matthew 5:9
Commentary Summary
In Genesis 1:1-2:3, The Beginning highlights doctrinal themes such as God’s character, human accountability, and the certainty of His redemptive purpose. Consider the power of God in creation. The emphasis is theological, asking what the text teaches about creation, covenant, judgment, grace, salvation, and the trustworthiness of God. This summary is designed to identify the major truths being taught, not merely repeat the narrative details. It therefore reads as a concise doctrinal overview suitable for the commentary summary section.
In The Beginning, the flow of Genesis 1:1-2:3 emphasizes practical faith, obedience, and response to God. If a computer were observing 10 million stars per second, it would still take 63 million years to count all the stars! The focus here is pastoral and applicational, showing how the lesson challenges the reader to trust, repent, endure, worship, and walk in obedience. This summary is intentionally more devotional and exhortational so it does not simply duplicate the doctrinal wording used in the other commentary summaries.
Within the broader storyline of Genesis and the Bible as a whole, Genesis 1:1-2:3 helps move forward the pattern of promise, failure, mercy, and restoration that runs through Scripture. Such is the power of the Almighty. This summary is shaped to sound more like a Bible Project overview by emphasizing literary flow, biblical themes, and how the lesson contributes to the unified story of Scripture. The goal is to locate the passage in the wider narrative rather than repeat the same doctrinal or devotional emphasis.
This Week
THINK ABOUT THIS: Consider the power of God in creation. If a computer were observing 10 million stars per second, it would still take 63 million years to count all the stars! Remarkably, the stars are the work of His fingers (Psalms 8:3), but salvation belongs to the Lord (Psalms 3:8).
Next Week
Like Eve we are tempted to sin by first listening to the lie of Satan, conversing in our minds with the thought of sin, which is then conceived (James 1:15). It is not a matter of eating, but of the heart (Matt. Consider the horrible effects of the fall.
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