GENESIS

GENESIS 1

Below is a dialogue between members during prayer meeting. The names mentioned are fictitious and do not particularize any person either living or dead.

Bilat : “After last Sunday morning service, one of our church members commented we are no longer under the Old Covenant (referring to era of the Old Testament ) but under the New Covenant (referring to era of the New Testament ). As such, it is not really relevant for Christians to read the Old Testament...the New Testament is sufficient because Christianity is all about Christ’s redemptive mission.”

Uziat : “ I’ve also heard someone made similar remarks sometime ago .....How do we make our church members understand the importance of membaca Perjanjian Lama (Old Testament) selaras dengan Perjanjian Baru (New Testament).....”

Eliat : “If any Christian or any particular church denomination say that is so, the teaching is incomplete and not right. Because the Bible is made up of two main books: The Old and New Testament. To understand and appreciate God’s creation and plan in proper contexts and perspectives, we must read both ....Tampa Perjanjian Lama maka Perjanjian Baru tidak  wujud......”

Manat: “ I agree with Eliat..... For me, I’m inclined to look at the issue between the two books in its shortest summary or form. The Old Testament is about JESUS CONCEALED and the New Testament is about JESUS REVEALED...”

Ideat : “ We can discuss, argue and debate the matter endlessly... not even until the cow come home ... What is imperative for us now is to start reading and meditating on the first chapter of the first book in the Old testament which is Genesis..... Let me try to explain the importance of Genesis. You’re free to agree ... disagree ... All can chip-in ...after all we’re just ordinary believers without any theological training..."

Uziat : “We pray to ask God’s Holy Spirit to come as our Helper ...Remember God’s promise in Jeremiah 33:3 – God said: ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you ....’ Let’s call upon Him as we sing ‘Come Holy Spirit ...’ prayerfully.’

Manat : “Let me just say something before Ideat begins to share  ... To me the OT can be likened to the beginning part of a movie, and the NT is the last part and end of the movie ... Just to see the last and ending part of the movie doesn’t put the Bible in context and right perspective...”

Ideat: “Manat is right ... ‘Genesis’ means ‘beginnings’ or ‘origins’. Genesis introduces God. I think that it is quite helpful to explain ‘Genesis’ in terms its purposes below.

 (a) Genesis unfolds the records of beginning of the world, of human history, of family (Abraham as father of multitude of nations), of civilization......

(b) Genesis is an account or a story of God’s purpose and plan for His creation.

(c) Genesis sets the stage for the entire Bible until Revelation.

(d) Genesis reveals the person and nature of God - Creator, Sustainer, Judge and Redeemer.

(e) Genesis reveals the value of dignity of human beings - made in the image of God (Gen.1:26) - saved by His grace (Eph.2:8-10), used by God in the world (Gen.1:28-29).

(f) Genesis tells the tragedy and consequences of sin.  The Fall - Adam & Eve, Separation from God, and Judgement.

(h) Genesis speaks about God’s promise and assurance of salvation (through faith) – Covenant (Abraham & believers), Forgiveness, and the promised Yeshua al-Messiah (Jesus the Christ).

(i) Genesis proves God’s faithfulness using ordinary people of faith to do great things

     (Isaac, Jacob, Joseph ...)

We’ll understand better about God, as we read Genesis which has 50 chapters. To start with we read Chapter 1 – God’s story of the great Creation."

Ideat: “Can any one of us identify any particular verse or verses out of the 31 verses, which stand-out according to our respective understandings....”

Bilat: “I see verse 26 as the most outstanding ....which says: ‘Then God said: Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping things that creeps on the earth.’ In other words, God creates human beings as masters and rulers of planet earth.”

Uziat: “What makes the verse most outstanding .....?”

Manat: “The verse speaks of two things (i) we (human beings) are created in the image of God, and (ii) we are given authority to rule over living creatures..It is a reason why God created man last on the sixth day....”

Eliat: “What is really meant by ‘created in God’s image’? Is it the physical image of God? What about someone who is born with physical infirmity or deformity- is he/she not created the image of God? In this, I see God has no physical image. So it follows that man’s likeness of God is not physical in the first instance – but spiritual. Why did God make the second part of man in the physical body or form using His hands?" 

Uziat: “I agree with Eliat.. I see the logic why God gave Adam (hence all mankind) the physical body. Because it takes the physical body to rule the physical world ....When we read onward in Chapter 2, verse 7 says: The Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breath into his nostril the breath of life  (to live in the physical world), and so man became living physical being (on earth).’ .... God-given breath of life (= life to live in the physical world) is given in through our nostrils.

The very minute we stop breathing (or the last in-and-out breath) through the nostrils, that is when the physical body cease to live and start decaying into dust (Gen.3:19...Till you return to the ground. Because from it you are taken: For your are dust, And to dust you shall return”). That is a reason to believe that the spirits or souls of the departed leave the physical bodies to return to God-created spiritual worlds.....heaven or hell depending on the lives ones live while on planet earth.”

Bilat: “It is getting very interesting... first we’re spiritual beings (the spiritual images of God) before we become physical or human beings to inhabit and rule the physical world.....To live in this world – ‘Man shall not live on by bread alone (=food for our physical bodies available from the physical world), but on every word that proceed out from mouth of God’ (=God-breatged words as spiritual food for the spiritual part of our beings -available from written and readable in the Bible.)’ -Matthew4:4".

Manat: “From the discussion so far, we can answer three emerging questions: (i) Who am I ? I’m God-created spiritual human being; (ii) Why am I here (spiiritually and physically in planet earth)? Because of God’s spiritual and physical plan and purposes for human-kinds to inhabit and rule planet earth; and (iii) Where am I going? The physical body is going to die and decay but the spiritual part is going to one of God-created spiritual worlds – Which one? Heeeee...’

Eliat: ‘For believers in Jesus Christ ... no worry lah...there is hope of eternity with God for Jesus said: ’I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one come to the Father (God), but through Me.’(John 14:6). Jesus also assures believers saying; ‘I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies.’ (John 11:25). God sets eternity in the heart of man. This we can read in Ecclesiastes 3:11-22)”

Ideat: “I think we’ve more than enough to chew for the time being.  When we meet again we’ll discuss further...particularly on the order of God’s creation and part of God’s genetic engineering....Read Genesis and be encouraged!”