Genesis 1 - Genesis 5...

1.
Nothing. Something. Kinda kicks the whole "matter cannot be creator or destroyed" thing to the curb. Think about it: it all happened with a declaration by God. Top that.

Say what you want about how creation happened (and lots of people have), but look at the words. Evening. Morning. Day one. Evening. Morning. Day two. Evening. Morning. Day three. You get the idea.

So God created every species of plant and animal and mankind has been trying to wipe them out in their sin ever since the fall. If God can create them, do you really think man has the power to destroy them? If God set into place this elaborate ecosystem, do you really think a few billion people can mess it up in such a way that it is no longer habitable. I think we over-estimate ourselves. Just a thought; feel free to disagree.

Ever read "The Chronicles of Narnia"? C.S. Lewis paints a cool picture of things being called into being. Imagine if we were there to watch. I lose my breath at a good sunset; I'm not sure I could handle the awesomeness.

I see "plenty" in creation. The water "teemed" with creatures. Everything was to be "fruitful" and "increase." Sin really messed all that up.

That God made man to "rule over" all this sure feeds my manly ego complex. I'm guessing his idea of ruling is different than mine. For God, "ruling" means "taking care of."

Very good.

2.
Rest: a pattern God set for us. We are created for work and rest, just as much as the pattern for a day is day and night.

The breath of life comes from God. Hebrew language note: wind/breath/spirit = all the same word. Pneuma (like pneumonia).

Is it so bad for a woman to be a "helper suitable for man"? I think women resent it sometimes because men don't do things worthy of being helped. Sin: when you read the Bible, you become aware of it a lot. But you also learn a lot of cool things about God's response to it. I'll give you a hint: He doesn't just get mad (Hebrew way of describing when God gets angry: His "nostrils flare" - these are things I think you should know). Keep reading; you'll see.

If I ever open up a BBQ place, I'm naming it "Adam's Rib."

3.
If you're a literature fan, here's the setup. God is the protagonist, and in chapter 3 the antagonist enters: the serpent. Every good antagonist has aliases. The Serpent: a.k.a Satan, a.k.a. Lucifer, a.k.a. The Prince of This World, a.k.a. The Father of Lies, a.k.a the Devil, a.k.a. The Accuser, a.k.a. Beelzebub, a.k.a. The Undertaker. Oops, I'm slipping into wrestling and/or monster-truck names. Same difference. The worse the antagonist, the more aliases. Satan has a lot. Excuse my language, but this guy can go to hell. Oh, wait.

There's the pride thing. We want to play God, and it leads us to sin. It's cause we're not God. Write that down: "I'm not God." I wonder if the world would be a better place if we all tattooed that on our foreheads. You know, just a subtle reminder.

The curse of sin for man: hard work. For woman: painful childbirth and domineering husbands. I can't speak from experience, but I think the woman got the short end of that stick.

Still, a blessing: Eve is mother of all the living. Baby Jesus is one the way. I love Christmas, don't you?

4.
Adam and Eve slept together, but Eve gave God the credit for giving life. Life is a gift from God. Write that down. Maybe that would be a better tattoo and reminder to have.

Cain and Abel: case study in "just enough" vs. "giving from the heart." It's not about the size or cost of the offering, it's about where our hearts are. Mine's in the wrong place a lot of times; then again, God's still working on me.

Yes, Cain, you are your brother's keeper (and you definitely shouldn't kill him). If you're keeping score, that's two accounts of man sinning and two accounts of them trying to shift the blame elsewhere. Some things don't change. Try something new: If God knows you sinned and you know you sinned, just confess your sin. See what happens (hint: it will also cause a lot less problems in the long run).

When we get to the New Testament and read Jesus' geneologies, you'll see that Jesus descended from a lot of imperfect people: murderers, prostitutes, etc. Cain is one of them.

"Men began to call on the name of the Lord." This is a good thing.

5.
People used to live a long time. Are these non-literal numbers? No reason to think otherwise. Just remember: God can number our days and years as many or as few as He wants; He made us, after all.

If you're Methusaleh, how many birthday presents do you have to buy over the course of a year? And if you live to 969, at what age do you retire? 650, maybe? Oh, wait, the word "retire" as we know it is not in the Bible. I bet the guy died with a rake in his hand.

Five chapters. Actually kind of interesting, right? Let's see how long we can keep this going.