We have finished reading through the book of Mark to get to know Jesus. These next 4 days will help you to see what the rest of the Bible is about. There are things to read and questions to think about to help you understand what the Bible teaches about the world, about you and why Jesus came to help you.
The Beginning
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light”…God made all sorts of wild animals, livestock, and small animals, each able to produce offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1.1-3 &25)
– What does this first verse in the Bible tell us about how long God has been around?
– How did God create things?
– What is God’s opinion about the things He makes?
Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like ourselves. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1.26-27)
– Humans are not just another animal we are different. What does the Bible say about us that shows we are different?
Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day. (Genesis 1.31)
– What does God think about everything He has made?
The LORD God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. But the LORD God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden, except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die”. (Genesis 2.15-17)
– What did God tell Adam not to do?
– What did God say would happen if he did it?
The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the LORD God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. ”It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’” “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.” The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the LORD God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the LORD God among the trees. Then the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?”, He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.” Who told you that you were naked?” the LORD God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?” The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” Then the LORD God asked the woman, “What have you done?”, “The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.” (Genesis 3.1-13)
– What did Adam and Eve do wrong?
– Why do you think they did it?
The devil’s plan today is to twist God’s words and to try and persuade us not to believe what God says. The purity and innocence of Adam and Eve was lost and instead fear, blame, death etc. entered the world! God then told them what would happen because they had done the wrong thing.
Then the LORD God said to the serpent,”Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live. And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel. (Genesis 3.14-15)
– Who do you think God was promising would come to the earth and strike the devil’s head?
Because Adam and Eve disobeyed God it made a barrier between them and Him, and they and their children began to do evil in the world.
Prayer suggestions:
- Ask God to help you understand how big and powerful He is
- Ask God to help you know when you do things that He doesn’t like
- Thank God that He loves us so much that He decided to rescue us