“24 The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. 25 nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things.” Acts 17:24
Objective Of The Lesson
The study of the self-existence of God brings tremendous implications. In correctly understanding the immense nature of God we see a clearer picture of the insignificance of man. Understanding the self-sufficiency of God drives us to humility before Him.
Teacher Exhortation
Be faithful in teaching all of God’s attributes.
I will be including many reference verses for each lesson on the attributes of God. It is not necessary that you go over all of them. Use only as many verses as time will allow you to cover.
This attribute might present certain challenges. Your youngest children might have a hard time understanding this attribute. If so, let them know that it is ok. No man can completely understand God in His entirety. This only helps to show how vast God is.
Introduction
There is no subject more humbling than the study of God’s self-existence (aseity).
Our children grow up in a culture that values the glorification and praise for man.
In studying this attribute we will learn the correct and Biblical perspective that we should hold of man.
God Is Self-Existent
Self-existent means that God is not dependent on anyone or anything outside of Himself for His very existence and continual existence.
He is self-sufficient.
Unlike human beings, God does not have a time or place of origin.
God existed before the foundation of the world.
He is eternal.
“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.” Micah 5:2
“Before the mountains were born Or You gave birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” Psalm 90:2
“You are My witnesses,” declares the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen, So that you may know and believe Me And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me.” Isaiah 43:10
God is the uncreated Creator.
He is the ONLY being who is truly self-existent.
We are ENTIRELY dependent on Him.
God is the source of our very existence.
Our physical life, spiritual life, and eternal life.
“For in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.” Acts 17:28
Our next breath is in God’s hand.
Every beat of our heart.
Every blink of an eye.
Every time one of our cells divides.
Our very existence… they all come from God.
Our very salvation has God as its source.
“And these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.” Romans 8:30
Notice the repetition of the word HE.
The action is all done by God.
We play no role. We are passive.
“So that no man may boast before God. 30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption.” 1 Corinthians 1:29-30
“8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
Because God is completely self-existent, He is not dependent upon anything outside Himself.
There is nothing that God needs from us.
In Psalm 50 God rebukes the Israelites for their sinful attitude in their sacrifices.
He makes it very clear that He has no need for their sacrifices.
Even IF, and I want to stress IF, God had a need, He would still not depend on us because everything in existence already belongs to Him.
“9 I won’t accept bulls from your house or goats from your corrals 10 because every forest animal already belongs to me, as do the cattle on a thousand hills. 11 I know every mountain bird; even the insects in the fields are mine. 12 Even if I were hungry, I wouldn’t tell you because the whole world and everything in it already belong to me. 13 Do I eat bulls’ meat? Do I drink goats’ blood?” Psalm 50:9-13
God is not dependent upon anything or anyone outside Himself.
(Constantly repeat this phrase so that the idea of self-existence can begin to engrave itself in the minds of your kids.)
He doesn’t need anything that we can give Him as we can see in Acts 17:24-25.
“24 The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.
God does not dwell in temples made with hands.
God cannot be contained in shrines and temples.
“25 nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things.”
God is not served by human hands.
God does not require anything that men can offer Him.
God does not need anything, as though He needed anything.
God is not dependent on anything He has created.
Before creation, the Trinity existed eternally without anything or anyone else in the universe.
The three persons of the Trinity enjoyed perfect satisfaction, fellowship, and delight in one another.
God did not create our universe because He was lonely.
God did not lack anything when He was alone, and He was not under any constraint or obligation to bring anything else into existence.
God’s act of creation therefore displays His love, majesty and His glory.
“For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.” Romans 11:36
“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.” Colossians 1:16
“everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” Psalm 43:7
“God was under no constraint, no obligation, no necessity to create. That He chose to do so was purely a sovereign act on His part caused by nothing outside of Himself, determined by nothing but His own mere good pleasure.” —A.W. Pink
He is the living God and source of life.
Our eternal life comes from Him, but He is self existent life.
“For with You is the fountain of life…” Psalm 36:9a
“For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself.” John 5:26
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies.” John 11:25
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” John 14:6
“for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.” Acts 17:28
“who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.” 1 Timothy 6:16
Application
Every attribute of God should elicit a response.
What should be our response to knowing that God is self-existent?
Humility
Gratitude
Humility
God is self-dependent.
God does not need the creation He has made, either in whole or any part.
That includes human beings.
God did not create our universe because He was lonely or because of necessity, but for His own glory.
“Everyone who is called by My name, And whom I have created for My glory, Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.” Isaiah 43:7
God has created us and He did it for a purpose, for His glory.
This should drive man to humility before God.
We should not glorify in ourselves because we are unworthy of it.
Gratitude
God is self-sufficient, but we depend on Him for EVERYTHING.
Every good and perfect gift is from God and Him alone.
“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” James 1:17
Every spiritual gift, all the wisdom we possess, every ability we have, every possession we claim and our very existence is from God.
We owe Him for all that we have and enjoy.
This should lead us to thank Him for all that we have.
Review
Go over the main point of the lesson: Self-existent means that God is not dependent on anyone or anything outside of Himself for His very existence and continual existence.
Review Questions
What does it mean that Gos is self-existent?
Does God have an origin?
How dependent are we on God?
What does He give us?
What does God need from us?
Are we to humble ourselves before God or glorify in ourselves?
Are you truly grateful for all that you have?
Are you going to continue to complain about what you don’t have?
Imagine if God asked you to pay for everything that He gives you for free? Would you be able to pay Him?
Take some time to memorize the memory verse at the end of the lesson.
“There is no one holy like the Lord, Indeed, there is no one besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God.” 1 Samuel 2:2
Objective Of The Lesson
The study of this attribute has been slightly neglected by the modern church in favor of His love and grace. This should not be the case. A proper study of the holiness of God will help your kids understand how and why God wants them to live righteous lives.
Teacher Exhortation
Be faithful in teaching all of God’s attributes.
I will be including many reference verses for each lesson on the attributes of God. It is not necessary that you go over all of them. Use only as many verses as time will allow you to cover.
The holiness of God presents a perfect opportunity to present the gospel message.
Introduction
Holy is not something that God decides to be or do.
It is His very nature. God IS holy.
God would have to stop being God in order to be unholy.
God Is Holy
The entirety of who God is and what He does is holy.
Although often neglected, no other attribute is so frequently declared and explained in the Bible than His holiness.
God’s holiness is emphasized in the Bible.
It is the only attribute that is mentioned multiple times in a single verse.
“And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” Isaiah 6:3
“And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.” Revelation 4:8
God is called holy throughout Scripture.
The following verses demonstrate that all that God is and all that He does is holy.
“Do not profane my holy name, for I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites…” Leviticus 22:32
“Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises.” Psalm 22:3
“He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever— holy and awesome is his name.” Psalm 111:9
“For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place…” Isaiah 57:15
“My holy name I will make known in the midst of My people Israel; and I will not let My holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel.” Ezekiel 39:7
“What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are— the Holy One of God!” Mark 1:24
A study of the holiness of God covers two specific points:
God is separate from all creation.
God is completely morally pure.
God Is Separate From All Creation
God has an exalted status.
He is far above His creation.
God is infinitely set apart and greater than His creation.
There is no comparison between the holiness of God and that of any other being or thing.
We are simply not at His level.
The following verses demonstrate that no one compares to God’s holiness.
“There is no one holy like the Lord, Indeed, there is no one besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God.” 1 Samuel 2:2
“Who among the gods is like you, Lord? Who is like you— majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?” Exodus 15:11
“Your way, O God, is holy; What god is great like our God?” Psalm 77:13
“To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.” Isaiah 40:25
“Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy…” Revelation 15:4
God is completely separated from sin.
He has no relationship with sin.
“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21
God Is Completely Morally Pure
God is completely without sin.
He takes pleasure in all that is true, pure and upright.
God cannot sin, take pleasure in sin, tolerate sin or have fellowship with sin.
“The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does.” Psalm 145:17
“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” 1 John 1:5
“So listen to me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God to do evil, from the Almighty to do wrong.” Job 34:10
“I myself will set my face against him and will cut him off from his people; for by sacrificing his children to Molek, he has defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name.” Leviticus 20:3
“For the Lord your God moves about in your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you. Your camp must be holy, so that he will not see among you anything indecent and turn away from you.” Deuteronomy 23:14
“Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing…” Habakkuk 1:13
“And nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” Revelation 21:27
“For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; No evil dwells with You.” Psalm 5:4
“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” Isaiah 59:2
Application
Every attribute of God should elicit a response.
What should be our response to knowing that God is holy?
Awe And Worship
Fear And Reverence
Reflection By His Children
Awe And Worship
The following verses demonstrate that as the only holy being in existance God deserves to be worshiped and praised.
“Sing the praises of the Lord, you His faithful people; praise His holy name.” Psalm 30:4
“Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous, and praise His holy name.” Psalm 97:12
“Let them praise your great and awesome name— He is holy. Exalt the Lord our God and worship at His footstool; Holy is He. Exalt the Lord our God And worship at His holy hill, For holy is the Lord our God. ” Psalm 99:3, 5, 9
Fear And Reverence
The following verses demonstrate that as the only holy being God deserves to be revered.
“Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.” Revelation 15:4
“Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth.” Psalm 96:9
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10
“The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread.” Isaiah 8:13
Reflection By His Children
God calls His children to live as He is. We are to reflect His nature.
He is holy and He commands His children to be holy.
“44 I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves along the ground. 45 I am the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.” Leviticus 11:44-45
“Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.” Leviticus 19:2
“So that you may remember to do all My commandments and be holy to your God.” Numbers 15:40
“for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:16
“Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him…” Ephesians 1:4
“But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7
“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:48
“…Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.” 2 Timothy 2:19
Review
Go over both principles that were covered about the holiness of God.
God is separate from all creation.
God is completely morally pure.
Review Questions
Can anyone compare to God? Is anyone at His level?
Does God sin?
Does God take pleasure in sin?
Does God tolerate sin?
If God is holy, what should be our response? Should we be holy like God is holy?
Take some time to memorize the memory verse at the end of the lesson.
“By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous…” Hebrews 11:4a
Objective Of The Lesson
Your kids will see the effects of sin, death and suffering, playing out in the world through the danger of allowing anger to lead them into sin. They will also learn that God alone sets the rules for how we can come before His presence.
Introduction
The context of this chapter suggests that God had explained to Adam and his family how to enter His presence with proper sacrifice. God Himself made the first animal sacrifice in the Garden of Eden, setting the example for Adam’s family of what was required; the life of an innocent animal.
“Adam and Eve had a son. Then Eve said, “I’ll name him Cain because I got him with the help of the Lord.” Later she had another son and named him Abel.” Genesis 4:1-2a
Adam and Eve had children. Now it is possible that they had more children, but this narrative focuses on their two firstborn sons.
They named their firstborn Cain, meaning “possession”, because she got him with the help of the Lord.
Children are blessings. They are given to us by God. And as we saw in the previous lesson, we are all made by God in His image and likeness.
They called their second son Abel, meaning “weakness or grief”. This was a reminder of the misery that she had brought her children into.
“Abel became a sheep farmer, but Cain farmed the land. One day, Cain gave part of his harvest to the Lord, and Abel also gave an offering to the Lord. He killed the first-born lamb from one of his sheep and gave the Lord the best parts of it. The Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering, but not with Cain and his offering.” Genesis 4:2b-5a
Both sons had responsibilities. Abel became a sheepherder. Cain was a farmer; the two oldest professions.
One day both men brought an offering to God. Cain brought what he had grown, “an offering… of the fruit of the ground.” At first glance, this seems like a legitimate act of worship on Cain’s part. It would seem only natural for Cain to bring an offering of the fruit of the ground, but as we will see Cain evidently knew better.
There was a great distinction between Cain and Abel’s sacrifices.
Cain did not bring the sacrifice that the Lord required. He brought the sacrifice that he felt was adequate. He wanted to have his own way. Cain knew what God wanted, but he ignored God’s command and brought what he wanted instead. He was about to learn that he didn’t get to set the rules.
Abel on the other hand was obedient and generous.
He brought the sacrifice that was required by God, a sheep from his flock (Hebrews 9:22), but not just any sheep. Abel brought the first-born lamb from his flock. He prepared it and gave the best parts to the Lord. This suggests an attitude of generosity on Abel’s part.
Abel also had a correct attitude. Hebrews 11 tells us that Abel brought his offering in faith. Because of his faith Abel was accounted as righteous by God (Hebrews 11:4-8).
Because of this God accepted Abel’s offering, but He rejected Cain’s offering.
God’s acceptance of Abel was based on his offering, not on anything that he had said or done. God’s rejection of Cain was also based on his offering, not on some preference for one brother over the other.
“This made Cain so angry that he could not hide his feelings.” Genesis 4:5b
Cain became angry that God had rejected his offering. He couldn’t believe that God had accepted his brothers offering and not his own.
He was not just angry, he was furious. The verse says that he could not hide his anger, “he could not hide his feelings.” It was clearly visible on his face.
“Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.” Genesis 4:6-7
God lovingly exhorts Cain. He called his attention to the underlying problem in his attitude, his stubbornness. Cain wanted to decide for himself what offering was acceptable.
God made it clear that his offering would have been accepted if Cain would have been obedient, “If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up?”
God goes from exhorting Cain to warning Him. He warned Cain about the destructive power of anger. He needed to master his emotions (Ephesians 4:26).
“Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go for a walk.” And when they were out in a field, Cain killed him.” Genesis 4:8
Cain completely ignored Gods warning. He gave into his anger and into sin.
Cain convinced His brother to go with Him on a walk to the fields, the whole time knowing his evil intentions. There in the fields he murdered his brother. He literally slayed his brother. Cain had no regard for the life of his brother.
Cain killed his brother because he hated Abel (1 John 3:12). Abel’s righteous life only helped to show the depravity and rebellion in Cain’s life.
Before Cain murdered Abel no human had ever died or been killed, but Cain knew how animals were killed for sacrifice. He extinguished Abel’s life in the same way.
“Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” Genesis 4:9
“Where is Abel your brother?” God knew the answer to this question. He asked Cain because He wanted to give him the opportunity to confess his sin and start to do right after doing wrong.
But does Cain repent of his sins, no.
His famous response is filled with audacity and rebellion. He was being a little smart mouth. Even making an impertinent reference to his brother’s profession.
In his response to God, Cain revealed whom he truly served.
“Then the Lord said: Why have you done this terrible thing? You killed your own brother, and his blood flowed onto the ground. Now his blood is calling out for me to punish you. And so, I’ll put you under a curse. Because you killed Abel and made his blood run out on the ground, you will never be able to farm the land again. If you try to farm the land, it won’t produce anything for you. From now on, you’ll be without a home, and you’ll spend the rest of your life wandering from place to place.” Genesis 4:10-12
Cain was foolish in believing that he could hide his sin from God. As we have seen before God knows everything and He sees everything. In this case He had seen Cain murder his brother.
The blood of Abel spoke, metaphorically of course, and it spoke of judgment. The blood of Jesus also speaks, but of better things, of grace and of sin having been forgiven (Hebrews 12:24).
Just like his parents had been punished for their disobedience, he would now be punished for his sin.
Ask your kids what was Adam’s punishment. The ground would be cursed because of him. He would have to labor to feed himself and his family.
The curse placed on Cain would make it impossible for him to farm again. Even if he tried nothing would grow. He would also have to wander all the days of his life. He would never have a home.
“This punishment is too hard!” Cain said. “You’re making me leave my home and live far from you. I will have to wander about without a home, and just anyone could kill me.” Genesis 4:13-14
Cain never sought forgiveness for his sin.
He was not sorry that he had killed his brother. Instead he whines over the punishment that God placed over him.
Cain was worried about someone taking revenge for Abel’s murder.
“No!” the Lord answered. “Anyone who kills you will be punished seven times worse than I am punishing you.” So the Lord put a mark on Cain to warn everyone not to kill him. But Cain had to go far from the Lord and live in the Land of Wandering, which is east of Eden.” Genesis 4:15-16
Even though God had just cursed Cain, He still had mercy on him. God placed on Cain a mark of protection. What the mark was or where it was on his body we don’t know. This mark would act both as a sign of God’s protection and a reminder of his lifelong shame and guilt.
Cain ultimately had to leave the presence of God. He was forced to move far away from the Garden of Eden. .
“Adam and his wife had another son. They named him Seth, because they said, “God has given us a son to take the place of Abel, who was killed by his brother Cain.” Genesis 4:25
Ask your kids what was promised to Eve in the garden. What was prophesied?
Abel is dead and Cain has been banished. How would God keep His promise? Does God keep His promises? God always keeps His promises!
God gave Adam and Eve another son. They called him Seth, meaning “appointed”. He replaced Abel and was the one to whom the promise of a deliverer from the seed of the woman would be passed (Genesis 3:15).
A Better Sacrifice
As we’ve already stated, the difference between Cain and Abel was not in their personalities or talents but in the sacrifice which each brought.
Able found favor in God’s eyes for the simple reason that his sacrifice was acceptable to God. He brought a suitable offering for his sin, and God accepted that offering.
By his faith-filled obedience Abel became an example for us today; we must be like him, acting in faith that God’s final sacrifice shall indeed save us from our sins.
In today’s world, it is important that people understand this basic concept of the Gospel. There are not “many paths” to God-there is only one way, and that is through the blood of Christ. There are no exceptions (John 14:6).
Review Questions
What were the names of Adam and Eve’s children?
What were their jobs?
Whose offering was accepted? Whose was rejected?
Why was Abel’s offering accepted?
What did God warn Cain about?
Did Cain listen to God’s warning? What did he do instead?
Did Cain repent from his sins? What was he sorry about?
How did God punish Cain? How was He merciful with Cain?
How was God going to keep His promise to Eve?
Are there many ways to get to God?
Who is the only acceptable sacrifice?
Take some time to memorize the memory verse at the end of the lesson.
“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.” Romans 5:12
Objective Of The Lesson
We will look at the narrative of when Adam and Eve sinned against God and the consequences of their sin. Your kids will also have an understanding of what sin is and how it affects them.
Teacher Exhortation
This lesson covers the bad news of the consequences of the fall. Take the opportunity at the end of the lesson to present the Gospel to your kids.
The Clear And Simple Command
Quickly go over the command that God had given to Adam. Recall that this command was clear and easy to understand.
“16 The Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” Genesis 2:16-17
Adam would have no excuse for disobeying God’s command!
The Fall Of Man
“Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” Genesis 3:1-2
The Bible presents us with man made in the image and likeness of God working in the Garden of Eden. And who happens to slither by, a serpent or snake,
This wasn’t any simple serpent, this was the devil himself in the form of a snake. (Revelation 12:9; 2 Corinthians 11:3)
The Bible describes the serpent as more crafty than any beast of the field, meaning cunning or deceitful.
And who does he talk to? He talks to Eve. Although at this point she was sinless, she was still temptable.
He asks her “indeed, has God said, you shall not eat from any tree of the garden?” Ask your kids if this is what God truly said.
The devil was twisting God’s words. The very first thing that the devil does in his temptation of Eve was to question the word of God. He wanted Eve to doubt God’s word.
The devil is not a truthful person. The Bible describes him as the father of lies. (John 8:44) He cannot be trusted.
The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” Genesis 3:3
“The woman said.” Here we see the first problem. Eve continued her conversation with the devil even though she knew he was wrong and was twisting God’s words.
She answered the devil, but her answer was differed to what God actually said in three ways.
First, she misquotes God. ‘From the fruit of the trees of the garden, we may eat…” God had said that they could FREELY eat of every tree. She left out God’s generosity.
Secondly, she added to what God had said. “You shall not eat from it or touch it…” God never forbid them from touching the fruit.
Thirdly, she left out the urgency in Gods warning. “…or you will die.”God had said that they would SURELY die.
When we ignore the fact that there are consequences to our actions we can get ourselves into a lot of trouble.
“The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.” Genesis 3:4-6
“You surely will not die!” First, the devil twisted God’s words. Now he is directly calling God a liar. He tells Eve that they will not die if they eat the fruit.
“In the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Adam and Eve already knew the good. They were sinless and were in fellowship with God. The sad thing is that because of her desire to be like God her eyes would be open, but they would be open to the evil. She and Adam would come to understand evil by looking at their own fallen nature.
“When the woman saw…” When the devil openly calls God a liar what does Eve do? Does she walk away saying that God is good and does not lie? No, she starts justifying the temptation. She starts rationalizing the temptation to disobey God’s command.
She went through every step in justifying the temptation (1 John 2:16).
The Lust Of The Flesh– she saw that it was good for food.
The Lust Of The Eyes– she saw that it was a delight to the eyes.
The Pride Of Life– she saw that the tree was desirable to make one wise.
Eve, in the end, was deceived into eating the forbidden fruit. (2 Corinthians 11:3) But she ate the fruit out of her own free will and so did Adam.
“She took from its fruit and ate, and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.” Neither Eve nor Adam was forced to eat it. They were both guilty of their own disobedience, but as we will see neither one of them will take responsibility for their actions.
“Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.” Genesis 3:7
Their eyes were open and they could see their sin. Adam and Eve did gain knowledge from their sin, but it turned out to be knowledge of evil. shame and death.
“They knew that they were naked.” Adam and Eve were now filled with shame as they realized that they were naked. Before they were not ashamed, they had nothing to be ashamed about. (Genesis 2:25) Once they ate from the fruit their conscience instantly attacked them.
“They sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.” Now they made clothes for themselves out of fig leaves. Their plan was not well thought out because fig leaves are prickly and are not an ideal material to make clothes out of. But they were not thinking about this in their rush to cover themselves.
They were not only covering their nakedness, but they were attempting to cover their shame. And as we read in the Bible, nothing good comes out of trying to hide our sin. The Bible tells us that we need to confess our sin, not hide it. (2 Samuel 12:13; Psalm 32:5; Proverbs 28:13)
And even if we try to hide it, it is no use, because God sees everything. Nothing is hidden from Him.
“They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.” Genesis 3:8
“They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden.” In the middle of covering their shame, they heard God coming.
“The man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord.” Adam and Eve tried to hide themselves from God amongst the trees. This is foolish because there is nowhere that we can go to get away from God. Physically we can’t hide from God (Jeremiah 23:24; Psalm 139:7-12). We can’t even hide our sin from His knowledge (Jeremiah 16:17; Hebrews 4:13).
God is everywhere and God sees everything. God had already known that Adam and Eve would disobey Him.
By hiding themselves from God, they clearly showed that the special fellowship with God that they had before the fall was now gone. Their relationship with God was now broken. This is precisely what our sin does between us and God as well.
Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Genesis 3:9-13
“Where are you?“- God knew where they were. He is starting to guide them into confessing their sin.
“I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” In reality, they were afraid because they knew that they had done wrong and disobeyed God. Adam was focusing on the effect, not on the problem.
“Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” God asks them if they had eaten from the tree from which He commanded them not to eat. Did God truly not know? As we have already seen God knows everything and sees everything. God already knew that they had sinned.
God is presenting Adam and Eve with an opportunity to confess and repent of their sins. But as we see in these verses neither one of them will repent. Neither one of them wants to take responsibility.
Instead of taking responsibility for their own sin, they each blame someone else.
“The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.” Who does Adam blame? He blames Eve, but not just Eve. He ultimately blames God as well. He said, “the woman whom YOU gave me.” Adam had the audacity of blaming God for his sin.
“The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Who does Eve blame? She blamed the serpent. Now it is true that the serpent deceived her, but she still had no excuse. She ate the fruit of her own free will, knowing full well that she was disobeying God.
Ask your kids if either Adam or Eve had a legitimate excuse. Neither Adam or Eve had an excuse. They each sinned and were each responsible for their own actions.
“The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you will go, And dust you will eat All the days of your life; And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.” Genesis 3:14-15
Here we find the consequences of the serpent’s involvement in the fall of man.
First God punishes the instrument that the devil used, the physical serpent.
God curses the serpent and punishes it by forcing it to crawl on his belly all the days of his life. This tells us that snakes might have had legs before the fall. How many and where they were located we will never know.
“…dust you will eat All the days of your life…” This would be a sign of degradation and humility.
“…I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed….” There is a natural aversion between mankind and serpents. They are avoided and feared.
The important thing to keep in mind is that these were the punishments for helping to cause the fall of man.
Second God punishes the spiritual serpent, the devil himself.
“He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.” This is the first prophecy concerning Christ in the Bible. God is promising to send the Savior. The devil will bite His heel and he did so. Christ was brutally tortured and nailed to the cross. But Christ would bruise the devils head. Christ would physically die, but He would come back to life and in this way, He would destroy the work that the devil accomplished in the Garden of Eden (1 John 3:8).
“To the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you.” Genesis 3:16
God was not only going to punish the serpent. He was also going to punish Adam and Eve. Here we find the consequences for Eve’s disobedience.
“I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children.” First, her pains would be increased not only in giving birth but in raising children.God’s original plan for childbirth and child rearing had been free of pain and sorrow. Now mothers would struggle through pain, not only in giving birth, but also suffer heartache in the raising of their children.
“Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you.” Secondly, Eve would struggle against the established roles set by God for husbands and wives. God had ordained from the time of creation that man and woman should live together in harmony and cooperation, each perfectly content and satisfied with his role or her role. But now, sin had corrupted that relationship, and the women would strive to take control. Before the fall Eve gladly submitted herself to her husband, but now, their would be strife.
“Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. “Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:17-19
Here we find the consequences for Adams sin.
“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife.” Both Adam and Eve turned their backs to God and disobeyed His commandment. Eve listened to the voice of the serpent and Adam to the voice of his wife.
“Cursed is the ground because of you… both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you.” For his disobedience, the ground would be cursed. Thorns and thistles would grow. Every kind of plague and infestation appeared. Adam’s sin had an effect on all of creation.
“In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life… by the sweat of your face You will eat bread,” Adam would also have to work the ground in order to feed himself and his family. Not only would he have to work, but it would be hard work. Before the fall Adam worked in the garden, but it was enjoyable. Now it would be tedious and laborious.
“Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.” Finally, we have the consequence that affects all humans, men, and women. They would no longer be immortal and would one day die. They would return to the dust of the ground from which they were made.
When Adam and Eve ate the fruit God’s warning took effect. God warned them that they would surely die. At the moment they ate the fruit they did not die physically, eventually, they would, but they instantly died spiritually. No longer would they have perfect fellowship with God on earth and now they would need a Savior.
“Now the man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all the living. The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.” Genesis 3:20-21
“The man called his wife’s name Eve.” Up to this point Even had no name. Adam names his wife Eve, meaning life because she would be the mother of all the human race.
“The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.” In order for Adam and Eve to be clothed, a sacrifice had to be made. An animal had to die. (Hebrews 9:22) Adam and Eve were clothed in a garment that was purchased with the life of another. A reminder to them of their need of a Savior who would one day destroy the work that the devil accomplished in the garden.
“So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.” Genesis 3:24
Before the fall Adam and Eve had intimate fellowship with God. He would spend time with them in the beautiful paradise that He had made for them. Now God was throwing them out. God is holy and does not take pleasure in sin and cannot have fellowship with it.
To prevent them from entering the garden He placed a flaming sword and a cherubim to guard access to the Garden of Eden.
They would no longer be allowed to enter into the paradise that God lovingly prepared for them. Wanting to have it all they sinned and ended up losing everything.
Sin
As we saw in Genesis 3, Adam and Eve sinned against God.
Ask your kids what sin is.
The Bible itself gives us a clear definition of what sin is. Sin is breaking Gods law.
“Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.” 1 John 3:4
Sin is incompatible with God and His law. Sin is being in open rebellion and disobedience against Him.It is a disregard for the law of God, which is a disregard for God Himself. It is living as if God’s law didn’t exist or as if we won’t have to one day give an account for our actions.
How did Adam and Eve sin against God? God had given them a very clear and easy to understand commandment, but they both chose to openly rebel against Him and disobey His commandment. They both willfully chose to eat the fruit.
The Effects Of Sin
This first sin introduced evil, suffering and death to the world. This contaminated all human beings because we are all descendants of Adam.
“Adam sinned, and that sin brought death into the world. Now everyone has sinned, and so everyone must die.”Romans 5:12
“I have sinned and done wrong since the day I was born.” Psalm 51:5
As a result, every person who has ever lived with the exception of Jesus Christ, is a sinner by nature and by choice.
“All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.” Romans 3:23
There are many consequences of human sin, but we’ll talk about two: Physical Death and Spiritual Death
Physical Death
Adam and Eve did not instantly physically die, but the process of decay started immediately.
Some people think that because things like illness, suffering, and death exist, this must mean that there is no God. But the Bible has a very good explanation for the origin of death. Before Adam sinned there was no death. Death is a result of the sin of man. Everyone who has ever lived has sinned and is worthy of death.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23
Spiritual Death
Unlike physical death, the moment Adam and Eve sinned, they immediately died spiritually. Their relationship with God was broken. Their sin separated them from Him.
Spiritual death is the death of eternal punishment in hell that separates us from God for all eternity. Instead of spending eternity in heaven we deserve to be forever separated from God in hell.
“But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.” Isaiah 59:2
“These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” 2 Thessalonians 1:9
The Hope For Man
Take this opportunity to end the lesson with the Gospel presentation.
Remind them that after passing judgment God promised to send the Savior. God kept His promise through the death of His Son.
Review Questions
What animal came to talk to Eve? Who was in possession of it?
What did the snake first say to Eve? What was he doing?
What was Eve’s response/her answer? What did she add and leave out?
What was the devils response to what Eve said? What was he calling God?
Did Eve end the conversation with the devil? What did she start to do with the sin?
When both Adam and Eve ate from the apple what happened to them?
What did Adam and Eve do when they heard God coming? Was it a smart thing to do?
Who did Adam blame for his sin? Who did Eve blame?
What was the consequence to the physical snake?
What was the consequence to the spiritual snake, the devil?
What was the consequences of Eve’s sin?
What was the consequences of Adam’s sin?
What is sin?
Who has sinned?
What are the affects of sin?
DId GOd keep His promise of sending a Savior?
Take some time to memorize the memory verse at the end of the lesson.
“Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7
Objective Of The Lesson
Your kids will learn who and how Adam and Eve were created. They will also understand that God created us as well.
“Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7
Previously every time God created something new He spoke it into existence; “then God said”. Here the Bible shows us that God formedman.
God took His time when He made Adam. The language in this verse expresses an intimate level of involvement on God’s part. He formed Him in the same way that a potter forms his creation out of clay. This is completely different than everything God had previously made, which He had simply spoken into existence.
And what did God use to make the man? He used the dust from the ground.
When the Bible talks about dust it means something of low value. God wisely mentions what He used to make us so that we would not exalt ourselves.
This is the only thing that we have in common with the rest of creation. We were created by God from the same material. God did not evolve man from a lower form of life, such as an animal.
Adam was a physical figure made of dust, but he was given life by God. God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. Not just physical life, since the animals have this as well, but also a spiritual life. Man is made of two parts: a physical- the boday and an immaterial- the soul/spirit.
Make this an emphasize to your kids. Unlike animals, we also have a spirit/soul.
God gave Adam his life just like God gives us life.
“The Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. Out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” Genesis 2:8-9
God planted a garden towards the east in a region named Eden. That is why the garden is called the Garden of Eden. The Garden of Eden was to be a paradise for the man where he could be in fellowship with God and under Gods watch.
The creation of the garden was a demonstration of God’s loving-kindness towards man, for the world was already a suitable paradise for Adam and Eve. God went above and beyond, creating a special area for His most loved creation. The Garden of Eden was truly a beautiful place.
“The Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food.” God placed every tree that is edible and beautiful to look at throughout the garden.
In the middle of the garden, God placed the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They will come into play in the next chapter.
The tree of the knowledge of good and evil did not have any magical properties capable of giving Adam and Even all-encompassing knowledge if eaten. By eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil they would gain a deadly and irreversible knowledge of evil by experiencing evil itself through their disobedience.
“Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four rivers. The name of the first is Pishon; it flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. The gold of that land is good; the bdellium and the onyx stone are there. The name of the second river is Gihon; it flows around the whole land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is Tigris; it flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.” Genesis 2:10-14
These verses give us an idea of where the garden of Eden was located, somewhere near Mesopotamia. If you wish you can go over the verses with your kids. It can help to show them a map of the region.
Many archaeologists and scholars have spent their entire life trying to find the Garden of Eden. They look for any trace that might remain, but our focus shouldn’t be on finding it.
We no longer have a need for a temporary paradise here on earth. The Bible is clear. We need to have our eyes focused on the things above (Colossians 3:2; Matthew 6:33).
“Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. The Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” Genesis 2:15-17
“The Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden.” God put Adam into the most spectacular paradise the world has ever seen, but God put Adam there to work, to cultivate it and keep it. Many people have the false idea that Adam spent all of his days lying around eating and sleeping before the fall, but this wasn’t the case.
Adam would work the garden, but the work would not be hard. It would be enjoyable. Remember that the fall and its consequences had not yet taken place.
This time of work would also serve as a reminder to Adam that God is not only the Creator but also the Sustainer. Adam would work the land, but God is the one who makes it grow. (Hebrews 1:3)
God gave Adam a clear commandment. “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat.” Ask your kids to repeat it out loud.
Adam could eat from every tree of the garden, when he wanted and however much he wanted, except from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This was a very simple and clear commandment from God.
Ask your kids if they understand the commandment.
Adam clearly understood the commandment. He was not confused at all on any part of the commandment.
Gods commandment came with a warning if Adam disobeyed. “For in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” Ask your kids what the consequence would be if Adam disobeyed.
God didn’t simply say that Adam would die if he disobeyed. God said that he would surely die. There is an urgency in God’s warning. God is letting Adam know that He is not playing around. If Adam disobeyed, God is letting him know that he will surely, certainly, no games, I’m not playing around, You Will Die!
Ask your kids the following question: If Adam disobeys God does he have an excuse? The answer is no. Adam knew what would happen to him if he disobeyed God.
It is also important to note that Eve had not yet been created by God. This means that the responsibility for obeying this commandment was given to Adam alone. It would be his responsibility, as the spiritual head in his marriage, to teach this command to his wife. This is why God held Adam responsible when both Adam and Eve sinned. (Romans 5:12) This is not to say that Eve held no responsibility when she eventually disobeyed the command. We are all responsible for our own sin.
“Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him.” Genesis 2:18-20
“It is not good for the man to be alone.” Adam had no companion; he was incomplete. He had no suitable helper.
God never intended for man to be alone.
This verse shows us that none of the animals that existed were suitable helpers for Adam. Man and animals are not at an equal level.
Remind your kids that God gave man authority over all of the animals. God gave Adam the job and privilege of naming all of the animals.
“So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. “This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.” For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.” Genesis 2:21-24
God caused Adam to go to sleep. This way Adam would not feel any pain or discomfort when God “operated” on him.
God created Eve from one of Adam’s ribs. God used Adam’s own body to create Eve.
In verse 24 we see that marriage was established by God Himself.
It is important, considering the culture we live in, that we make sure that our kids understand the following three things:
Marriage was created by God, not man.
Marriage is sacred, it is not a joke and it is not to be taken lightly.
Marriage is between one man and one woman.
It is to be a monogamous union.
It cannot be altered by any man.
“Be joined to his wife.” This phrase emphasizes a sense of permanence.
“One flesh.” This points to the wonderful result of the union between husband and wife and a fulfillment of the command to multiply and fill the earth.
This has always beenGod’ss designed plan for marriage.
“And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.” Genesis 2:25
Adam and Eve knew they were physically naked before the fall. Why were they not ashamed to be naked? Because they had not sinned; they were innocent. They had nothing to be ashamed of; nothing to hide.
Ask your kids what we all feel when we sin.
We all feel, to some extent, shame. Why? Because we know we did wrong. Our conscience accuses us. (Romans 2:14-15)
Did God Create Us?
God created Adam and Eve. Did He create us?
The answer is yes. God created each one of us.
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you…” Jeremiah 1:5a
“13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:13-16
God didn’t create us in an assembly line.
Each of us is unique, made differently and in the exact way in which God wanted us to physically be. This is important for our kids to understand.
We live in a culture were each and every day there is more emphasis on physical “beauty”. If we have a biblical perspective we will realize that God made us physically the way we are and nothing that God does is wrong.
Let your kids know that instead of worrying about how tall they are or how fast they are, that they should instead be grateful to God for being “fearfully and wonderfully made.”
Review Questions
How did God create Adam?
How was Eve created?
What command did God give Adam and Eve?
What would happen if they disobeyed?
Did God create us?
Take some time to memorize the memory verse at the end of the lesson.
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1
Objective Of The Lesson
Your kids will learn who created everything and for what purpose.
“If we want to understand creation, if we want to understand origins, if we want to understand how the universe came into existence and everything that is in it, we have to look at theology, not science. And the source of theology is the Word of God in which God speaks. The Bible is not theory, the Bible is fact. The Bible is reality. The Bible is the truth no matter what subject it addresses, but particularly with regard to origins since no one was here when God created. We have only His eyewitness account. And when the Bible speaks with regard to creation, or when it speaks with regard to origins, it speaks truth, it speaks factually.” Pastor John MacArthur
Teacher Exhortation
Teach the story of creation with conviction and do not be intimidated by the ideas and opinions of the world. Remember these are only fleeting thoughts. (1 John 2:17)
It is important that we establish a firm foundation of Biblical truth in the minds of our children and this begins with the story of Creation.
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1
This verse is not only our memory verse, but it serves as a summary of creation itself.
Break down the verse, part by part so your kids can understand it.
In The Beginning– In the beginning of our time and space. Before creation, there existed nothing, but God. God– God existed before the creation of our time and universe. He doesn’t have a beginning or an end. He is eternal. Created– God created or made everything out of nothing. He did this with the power of His words; “Then God said…” He spoke everything into existence. The Heavens And The Earth– Everything that we see. Everything that is in the universe.
Ask your kids to say the Bible verse in their own words.
Example: In the beginning of our time, God who is eternal, created everything that we see with the power of His words.
This will help them understand this crucial verse.
“The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.” Genesis 1:2
This verse describes the earth in a bleak way: formless, void and dark.
The earth was uninhabitable; incomplete. Things could not grow or live on it in the way that it was. But God was going to change that. He was going to prepare it.
In the second half of the verse, we are presented with the second person of the Trinity. You do not have to give your kids a crash course on the Trinity, but it would be nice to show them that all three persons of theTrinityy had a part in the story of creation. (Genesis 1:1; Genesis 1:2; Colossians 1:15-17)
“Then God said, “Let there be light” and there was light. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.” Genesis 1:3-5
On the first day of creation God separated the light from the darkness. He called the light day and the darkness night.
All He had to do was speak it and it came into existence. Remind your kids that He created everything by merely speaking them into existence. (Psalm 148:5)
Ask your kids what would happen if we said “let there be light” in a dark room. Nothing would happen. But God is so powerful that His very words can create.
On the very first day of creation, God separated the light from the darkness. (2 Corinthians 4:6) God showed that He is sovereign over creation by naming the light and darkness.
And what did God think about the light? God saw that the light was good. Everything that God does is good. And all of this happened on the first day of creation (One literal 24 hour day.)
“Then God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so. God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.” Genesis 1:6-8
The earth was completely covered in water so on the second day of creation God separated the waters.
The expanse is the sky or atmosphere.
The waters which were below the expanse– This is the water that was stored within the earth. God would later release them during the great flood. (Genesis 7:11)
The waters which were above the expanse- This was more than likely a canopy of water around the earth that acted like a greenhouse.
And it was so… Everything happened in the exact way that God wanted it to happen. Creation itself obeys God.
And all of this happened on the second day of creation. (A second literal 24 hour day.)
“Then God said, “Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them”; and it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good.” Genesis 1:9-13
The planet is now ready to sustain life, so on Day 3 God calls life into existence.
God did two things on the third day of creation.
First He caused the dry land to appear from the waters. “Let the dry land appear…” THen He gathered the waters together. (Job 38:4-11)
God called the dry land earth and called the waters seas. Again, this demonstrates the sovereignty of the Lord.
The second thing that God created was all kinds of plants: trees, grasses, bushes.
God made them according to their kind. “After their kind with seed in them…” Moses repeats this phrase repeatedly throughout the Creation account.
Ask your kids what would happen if they planted an orange seed. Would an apple tree grow? No, God gave His creation order and purpose.
This verse alone contradicts the false teaching of evolution.
Then God again saw that everything that He created was good. And all this happened on the third day of creation. (A third literal 24 hour day.)
“Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good. There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.” Genesis 1:14-19
On the fourth day of creation God created the sun, the moon and the stars. “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night…” The sun. moon and stars are not deities to be worshipped but were created by the one, true living God.
He created the sun to govern the day and he created the moon to govern the night. (At this point you could explain the important role that both the sun and the moon play in every day life.)
God gave these lights in the sky a purpose. “…let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth.” God not only provided light for the earth, but He provided a way for us to keep time and mark the seasons.
Everything that God made on each day of creation, He made complete and fully functioning. There is no need for evolution!
For the fourth time God saw that what He made was good and everything happened as He said. And all of this happened on the fourth day of creation. (A fourth literal 24 hour day.)
“Then God said, “Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens.” God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.” Genesis 1:20-23
On the fifth day of creation God created the first living creatures. He filled the skies with all kinds of birds and the seas with all kinds of marine animals, including sea dwelling dinosaurs. (Job 40:15-41:1)
God waited until the fifth day to create the first living creatures because before this He was preparing the earth.
God not only saw that all these creatures swimming in the water and flying in the sky were good; he blessed them as well. He told them to multiply on the earth.
Moses here repeats the key phrase “after their kind.” Every fish and bird was made by God fully developed and would produce offspring like itself. Again, no need for evolution.
All of this happened on the fifth day of creation. (A fifth literal 24 hour day.)
“Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind”; and it was so. God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good.” Genesis 1:24-25
On the sixth day of creation God created every animal that walks, slithers or crawls on the earth.
He made them after their own kind. A repeat of this key phrase. If a chicken lays an egg, what do we expect to hatch, a baby chick.
God again saw that they were good.
“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 thing that creeps on the earth.” God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” Genesis 1:26-27
On the sixth day of creation God also made the first humans. One male and one female.
“Let us make… in Our image“- clear proof of our Triune God. Every person of the Trinity played a part in creation.
God made us special unlike the other animals. God made both animals and humans, but we were made differently. We were made in the image and likeness of God.
This does not mean that we are God or little gods. It also doesn’t mean that God looks like us. The Bible tells us that God is spirit, He doesn’t have a physical body or physical features.
This means that we have some, not all of Gods characteristics or attributes. We can think and reason, show emotions and as this passage shows us we can demonstrate authority. God gave us authority over all of the animals. This shows that we are above the rest of creation. We are not animals.
“Male and female He created them“- Both males and females are made in the image of God, share in the dominion of creation and have the same spiritual value before God. (Galatians 3:28) But we were designed physically different by God. God is the one who established human genders and so society does not have the right to change them.
“God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food”; and it was so. God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.” Genesis 1:28-31
God blessed the first humans. He commanded them to multiply and fill the now completed earth.
The earth was truly different then it had originally been. At first it was dark and void; uninhabitable. Now it was full of light and life. It had dry land covered with all kinds of plants. The seas and skies were full of wonderful creatures.
God gave all the best of His creation to us.
God looked at all of His creation and saw that it was very good. And all of this happened on the sixth day of creation.
(A sixth literal 24 hour day.)
“Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” Genesis 2:1-3
On the seventh day of creation the earth was complete and finished.
God rested on the seventh day, not because He was tired. God is all-powerful, He never gets tired. He rested because He was pleased and satisfied with His creation. He had made it exactly like He wanted it. Remember that God had looked and saw that everything that He had created was very good.
In resting on the seventh day, God was also modeling the pattern for man’s work week.
Why Did God Create Everything?
God is the one who created everything out of nothing by merely speaking them into creation. The question then becomes why? Why did God make everything?
God did not create everything because He wanted to make us happy.
God did not create everything because He wanted to make all our dreams come true.
God did not create everything because we are so special that he needed a relationship with us.
These ideas make man the center of creation, but God is the center of creation. He is the Creator. The whole Bible is centered around God. He is the main character of the Bible and creation is no exception.
God created everything to bring Him glory and for His glory.
“For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.” Colossians 1:16
God created the material and spiritual universe for His pleasure and glory.
“For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.” Romans 11:36
God is the source, the Sustainer and the rightful owner of everything that exists and for this He is worthy to be praised.
“Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.” Revelation 4:11
God is worthy of receiving all glory and praise because it is because of Him that all things exist.
Review
Ask your kids who created everything. Make sure they give the full answer: God created everything for His glory.
Go over every day of creation and ask the kids to be as descriptive as possible.
Take some time to memorize the memory verse at the end of the lesson.
“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” Numbers 23:19
Objective Of The Lesson
God is a faithful God. He always keeps and remembers His promises. We want our kids to understand this truth. God always keeps His promises He can be completely trusted.
Introduction
How do you know if you can trust someone to keep their promise?
The character of the person making the promise lets you know whether you can trust them to keep their promise. If the person is a notorious liar then you know that you cannot trust him. If he is generally an honest person then you can trust him to keep his promise.
Is God someone who can be trusted to keep His promises?
If we want to find out if God can be trusted to keep His promises, we can look at His character and His attributes.
God Is Truthful
Not only is God exactly as He reveals Himself to be, but things are exactly as He says they are.
God only acts and speaks within the realm of the truth:
His knowledge is perfect and so He is never mistaken.
His character is holy and righteous; He cannot lie or distort the truth.
Truth is defined by God’s very nature. God not only speaks truth; He is truth.
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
God’s words are utterly reliable and dependable.
God does not mislead people or lead them down the path of falsehood.
“May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar.” Romans 3:4
“God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent…” Numbers 23:19a
“Also the Glory of Israel will not lie…” 1 Samuel 15:29a
Do people always keep their promises? No, not always. Sometimes people cannot keep their promise, they choose to break their promise or they forget to keep their promise.
Does this happen to God?
Would God Break A Promise Because Something Happens That He Didn’t Know Was Going To Happen?
Example: Your mom promises to take you to the zoo, but it starts to rain so she can no longer take you.
There are no surprises for God. Nothing happens without His say so.
“I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done.” Isaiah 46:9
“Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit.” Psalm 147:5
Would God Break A Promise Because He Changed His Mind?
Example: Your brother tells you that he will let you borrow his bicycle, but he decides not to.
God does not change His mind. He is the same “yesterday, today and tomorrow”.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8
“God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” Numbers 23:19
Would God Break A Promise Because He Isn’t Strong Enough To Keep It?
Example: A friend tells you he’ll help you climb a wall, but he’s too weak to lift you up.
God is all-powerful. Nothing is to hard for Him to do.
“Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?” Jeremiah 32:27
“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” Job 42:2
“All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven And among the inhabitants of earth; And no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, ‘What have You done?” Daniel 4:35
Would God Break A Promise Because He Forgot?
Example: A friend promises to call you back but he has so much work he forgets?
God never forgets His promises.
“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion for the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.” Isaiah 49:1, 6, 15
“God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” Hebrews 13:5
Would God Break A Promise Because He Lied?
Example: Your sister tells you that she will take you to the store if you clean her room, but she knows she will not take you.
God never lies.
“God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” Numbers 23:19
“God cannot tell lies! And so his promises and vows are two things that can never be changed. We have run to God for safety. Now his promises should greatly encourage us to take hold of the hope that is right in front of us.” Hebrews 6:18
God’s Attributes
Go over the following list of the attributes of God that show that He can keep His promises:
God is almighty (He is all-powerful)
God is sovereign (He has the right and wisdom, and power to do everything He pleases)
God is self sufficient (He doesn’t need anything from anybody)
God is attentive (He knows what is happening and acts appropriately)
God is faithful (He always does what He says He is going to do)
God is omnipresent (God is everywhere all the time)
God is love.
God is good.
God is unchanging (God never changes)
God is omniscient (God knows everything)
God is righteous (He is right in everything He thinks and does)
God is patient
And there are many more…
Can God be trusted to keep His promises?
Yes, God always keeps His promises.
Nothing prevents God from keeping His promises. He is all-powerful. He knows everything. He never forgets and He never lies. Since God always keeps His promises, He can be completely trusted.
Not only that, God calls His children to reflect His character.
Review Questions
How does God character show us that He will always keep a promise?
Would God break a promise because something happens that He didn’t know was going to happen?
Would God break a promise because He changed His mind?
Would God break a promise because He isn’t strong enough to keep it?
Would God break a promise because He forgot?
Would God break a promise because He lied?
Can God be trusted to keep His promises?
Take some time to memorize the memory verse at the end of the lesson.
Activities
Attributes Poster- Make a giant poster illustrating and describing Gods attributes. His attributes help us to understand that God is more than capable of keeping His promises.
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Crafting The Word Of God 
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