NIV Life Application Study Bible

Life Application Study Bible-NIV with CDROM\ \ By Zondervan Publishing \ Zondervan Publishing Company\ Copyright © 2005 Zondervan Publishing\ All right reserved.\ ISBN: 9780310934042 \ \ \ Chapter One\ VITAL STATISTICS \ PURPOSE:\ To record God's creation of the world and his desire to have a people set apart to worship him\ AUTHOR: Moses\ ORIGINAL AUDIENCE: The people of Israel\ DATE WRITTEN: 1450-1410 B.C.\ WHERE WRITTEN: In the wilderness during Israel's wanderings, somewhere in the Sinai peninsula\ SETTING: The region presently known as the Middle East\ KEY VERSES: "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them" (1:27). "'I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you'" (12:2, 3).\ KEY PEOPLE: Adam, Eve, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, Joseph\ BEGIN ... start ... commence ... open.... There's something refreshing and optimistic about these words, whether they refer to the dawn of a new day, the birth of a child, the prelude of a symphony, or the first miles of a family vacation. Free of problems and full of promise, beginnings stir hope andimaginative visions of the future. Genesis means "beginnings" or "origin," and it unfolds the record of the beginning of the world, of human history, of family, of civilization, of salvation. It is the story of God's purpose and plan for his creation. As the book of beginnings, Genesis sets the stage for the entire Bible. It reveals the person and nature of God (Creator, Sustainer, Judge, Redeemer); the value and dignity of human beings (made in God's image, saved by grace, used by God in the world); the tragedy and consequences of sin (the fall, separation from God, judgment); and the promise and assurance of salvation (covenant, forgiveness, promised Messiah).\ God. That's where Genesis begins. All at once we see him creating the world in a majestic display of power and purpose, culminating with a man and woman made like himself (1:26, 27). But before long, sin entered the world, and Satan was unmasked. Bathed in innocence, creation was shattered by the fall (the willful disobedience of Adam and Eve). Fellowship with God was broken, and evil began weaving its destructive web. In rapid succession, we read how Adam and Eve were expelled from the beautiful garden, their first son turned murderer, and evil bred evil until God finally destroyed everyone on earth except a small family led by Noah, the only godly person left.\ As we come to Abraham on the plains of Canaan, we discover the beginning of God's covenant people and the broad strokes of his salvation plan: Salvation comes by faith, Abraham's descendants will be God's people, and the Savior of the world will come through this chosen nation. The stories of Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph that follow are more than interesting biographies. They emphasize the promises of God and the proof that he is faithful. The people we meet in Genesis are simple, ordinary people, yet through them, God did great things. These are vivid pictures of how God can and does use all kinds of people to accomplish his good purposes-even people like you.\ Read Genesis and be encouraged. There is hope! No matter how dark the world situation seems, God has a plan. No matter how insignificant or useless you feel, God loves you and wants to use you in his plan. No matter how sinful and separated from God you are, his salvation is available. Read Genesis ... and hope!\ THE BLUEPRINT\ A. THE STORY OF CREATION (1:1-2:3)\ God created the sky, seas, and land. He created the plants, animals, fish, and birds. But he created human beings in his own image. At times, others may treat us disrespectfully. But we can be certain of our dignity and worth because we have been created in the image of God.\ B. THE STORY OF ADAM (2:4-5:32) 1. Adam and Eve 2. Cain and Abel 3. Adam's descendants\ When Adam and Eve were created by God, they were without sin. But they became sinful when they disobeyed God and ate some fruit from the tree. Through Adam and Eve we learn about the destructive power of sin and its bitter consequences.\ C. THE STORY OF NOAH (6:1-11:32) 1. The flood 2. Repopulating the earth 3. The tower of Babel\ Noah was spared from destruction of the flood because he obeyed God and built the ark. Just as God protected Noah and his family, he still protects those who are faithful to him today.\ D. THE STORY OF ABRAHAM (12:1-25:18) 1. God promises a nation to Abram 2. Abram and Lot 3. God promises a son to Abram 4. Sodom and Gomorrah 5. Birth and near sacrifice of Isaac 6. Isaac and Rebekah 7. Abraham dies\ Abraham was asked to leave his country, wander in Canaan, wait years for a son, and then sacrifice him as a burnt offering. Through these periods of sharp testing, Abraham remained faithful to God. His example teaches us what it means to live a life of faith.\ E. THE STORY OF ISAAC (25:19-28:9) 1. Jacob and Esau 2. Isaac and Abimelech 3. Jacob gets Isaac's blessing\ Isaac did not demand his own way. He did not resist when he was about to be sacrificed, and he gladly accepted a wife chosen for him by others. Like Isaac, we must learn to put God's will ahead of our own.\ F. THE STORY OF JACOB (28:10-36:43) 1. Jacob starts a family 2. Jacob returns home\ Jacob did not give up easily. He faithfully served Laban for over 14 years. Later, he wrestled with God. Although Jacob made many mistakes, his hard work teaches us about living a life of service for our Lord.\ G. THE STORY OF JOSEPH (37:1-50:26) 1. Joseph is sold into slavery 2. Judah and Tamar 3. Joseph is thrown into prison 4. Joseph is placed in charge of Egypt 5. Joseph and his brothers meet in Egypt 6. Jacob's family moves to Egypt 7. Jacob and Joseph die in Egypt\ Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers and unjustly thrown into prison by his master. Through the life of Joseph, we learn that suffering, no matter how unfair, can develop strong character in us.\ MEGATHEMES\ THEME EXPLANATION IMPORTANCE\ Beginnings Genesis explains the beginning Genesis teaches us that the of many important realities: the earth is well made and good. People universe, the earth, people, sin, are special to God and unique. and God's plan of salvation. God creates and sustains all life.\ Disobedience People are always facing great Genesis explains why people are evil: choices. Disobedience occurs when They choose to do wrong. Even great heroes people choose not to follow failed God and disobeyed. God's plan of living.\ Sin Sin ruins people's lives. It Living God's way makes life happens when we disobey God. productive and fulfilling.\ Promises God makes promises to help God kept his promises then, and he and protect people. This kind keeps them now. He promises to love us, of promise is called a "covenant." Accept us, forgive us.\ Obedience The opposite of sin is obedience. The only way to enjoy the benefits of God's Obeying God restores our promises is to obey him. relationship to him.\ Prosperity Prosperity is deeper than mere When people obey God, they find peace material wealth. True prosperity with him, with others, and with themselves. and fulfillment come as a result of obeying God.\ Israel God started the nation of Israel God is looking for people today to in order to have a dedicated people follow him. We are to proclaim God's who would (1) keep his ways alive truth and love to all nations, not just in the world, (2) proclaim to our own. We must faithful to carry out the world what he is really like, the mission God has given us. and (3) prepare the world for the birth of Christ.\ KEY PLACES IN GENESIS\ God created the universe and the earth. Then he made man and woman, giving them a home in a beautiful garden. Unfortunately, Adam and Eve disobeyed God and were banished from the garden (3:23).\ 1 Mountains of Ararat Adam and Eve's sin brought sin into the human race. Years later, sin had run rampant and God decided to destroy the earth with a great flood. But Noah, his family, and two of each animal were safe in the ark. When the floods receded, the ark rested on the mountains of Ararat (8:4).\ 2 Babel People never learn. Again sin abounded, and the pride of the people led them to build a huge tower as a monument to their own greatness -obviously they had no thought of God. As punishment, God scattered the people by giving them different languages (11:8, 9).\ 3 Ur of the Chaldeans Abram, a descendant of Shem and father of the Hebrew nation, was born in this great city (11:28).\ 4 Haran Terah, Abram, Lot, and Sarai left Ur and, following the fertile crescent of the Euphrates River, headed toward the land of Canaan. Along the way, they settled in the village of Haran for a while (11:31).\ 5 Shechem God urged Abram to leave Haran and go to a place where he would become the father of a great nation (12:1, 2). So Abram, Lot, and Sarai traveled to the land of Canaan and settled near a city called Shechem (12:6).\ 6 Hebron Abraham moved on to Hebron where he put down his deepest roots (13:18). Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all lived and were buried here.\ 7 Beersheba The well at Beersheba was a source of conflict between Abraham and King Abimelech and later became a sign of the oath that they swore there (21:31). Years later, as Isaac was moving from place to place, God appeared to him here and passed on to him the covenant he had made with his father, Abraham (26:23-25).\ 8 Bethel After deceiving his brother, Jacob left Beersheba and fled to Haran. Along the way, God revealed himself to Jacob in a dream and passed on the covenant he had made with Abraham and Isaac (28:10-22). Jacob lived in Haran, worked for Laban, and married Leah and Rachel (29:15-30). After a tense meeting with his brother, Esau, Jacob returned to Bethel (35:1).\ 9 Egypt Jacob had 12 sons, including Joseph, Jacob's favorite. Joseph's 10 older brothers grew jealous, until one day the brothers sold him to Midianite merchants going to Egypt. Eventually, Joseph rose from Egyptian slave to Pharaoh's "right-hand man," saving Egypt from famine. His entire family moved from Canaan to Egypt and settled there (46:3-7).\ A. THE STORY OF CREATION (1:1-2:3)\ We sometimes wonder how our world came to be. But here we find the answer. God created the earth and everything in it, and made humans like himself. Although we may not understand the complexity of just how he did it, it is clear that God did create all life. This shows not only God's authority over humanity, but his deep love for all people.\ The Beginning\ 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.\ 3 And God said, Let there be light, and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light day, and the darkness he called night. And there was evening, and there was morning the first day.\ 6 And God said, Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water. 7 So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the expanse sky. And there was evening, and there was morning the second day.\ 9 And God said, Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear. And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground land, and the gathered waters he called seas. And God saw that it was good.\ 11 Then God said, Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds. And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning the third day.\ 14 And God said, Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth. And it was so. 16 God made two great lights the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning the fourth day.\ 20 And God said, Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky. 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth. 23 And there was evening, and there was morning the fifth day.\ 24 And God said, Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind. And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.\ 26 Then God said, Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.\ \ \ \ Continues...\ \ \ \ Excerpted from Life Application Study Bible-NIV with CDROM by Zondervan Publishing Copyright © 2005 by Zondervan Publishing. Excerpted by permission.\ All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.\ Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site. \ \