Three Issues In Genesis Chapter 2 by Dr. Thomas Chung 27th Jan 2013

There are basically 3 major issues in Genesis Chapter 2 :
1) Sabbath rest – this has never been resolved like whether we should keep it or not.
2) Marriage – marriage between a man and a woman. This issue is very important as marriages are breaking down everywhere.
3) Man’s responsibilities over the environments.

Sabbath Rest Why did God rest? We rest when we are tired. But God is never tired. There are two meaning to “rest”, a) we rest when tired b) “rest” can also mean “completed”. As God completed creating heaven and earth He rested. Completed His work, there was nothing else to do. God what He created was “Good”. There are 3 kinds of rest: 1. Ceasing from what He has done. 2. God ordered the Jews to rest one day per week, that was the Sabbath day. 3. The Christian Sabbath. Hebrew 4:1-12 God wanted the people to understand that rest was important and He wanted the people to rest a day in a week. Vs. 7 God formed man, shaping man into man and woman. This can be said to be His highest artistic skills. He breathed into man. Why did He breathed onto the nose of man? It was like the “kiss of life”. Breathing into the nose signified a) that it was personal b) He was intimate with man. This were given to man so that he can have intimacy with God. In John 20:22 Jesus breathed onto the disciples so that they received the Holy Spirit. Jesus imparted Pentecost and regeneration to them so that man became spiritual being. Man created in the image of God. There are two meaning a) image – pictorial word, picture of God. b) likeness- spiritual make-up of man. Man is spiritual he is able to relate to God. God Himself is a family, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.  

Marriage
Vs. 18. Man is created for relationship and fellowship with God and with each others. The climax is that he can give and receive love. God also created gender, male and female. Man and woman are complimentary and they do not oppose each other. Like man created to have more muscles than woman. Although we are created man and woman, in God we are one. Galatians 3:26. Every woman has worth in the eye of God. When man and woman married they are “one in the fresh”, Vs.24. The spiritual aspect of marriage is a wife is a woman, and a husband a man. This is permanent. The Bible affirmed marriage, it says when a man and woman got married, they “cleaved” to each other.  

The Environments
Vs. 8, man was placed in the garden after God created the earth. He was to take charge of the vegetations and animals. He was supposed to be responsible for the environments. God also created farming Vs.15. God said man can eat everything in the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God placed boundaries on human. These boundaries are for our good. Like so many things in life boundaries helped us to stay safe within each boundary otherwise we will suffer. Vs. 25 man and his wife were naked and they felt no shame. This means man can be innocent but not naïve.

How Vital Is Spiritual Unity? By Dr. Thomas Chung dated 20.1.13

Introduction

Last week in Genesis chapter 1 we studied how God created the natural laws. What goes up must come down. We also examined the spiritual laws God created. Behind the natural laws are spiritual laws. God is light there is no darkness in Him. We live in a dark world. Jesus came, so the church can give light to the world. When we talked about Jesus we bring light to the world.

This week we look at unity verses disunity. Spiritual unity verses spiritual disarray.

 In Matthew 12:25 Jesus said every kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. In FBC we may have three different language groups, but we are spiritually united in Christ. The languages divided us, but we are united in spirit. Blessings come through spiritual unity.

Psalm 133:1-3 have only three verses but they speak volumes in spiritual unity. This Psalm was most probably written by King David. King David knew that if he did not unite the tribes the nation of Israel will not be united. King David was from the tribe of Judah and King Saul from tribe of Benjamin. When King David came to power, the people of Benjamin thought King David will kill them all, however, God gave the Spirit to King David and allowed the tribe of Benjamin to support King David.

 What God thought of spiritual unity? He said “how good”, “how pleasant” . “Good” can refer to outward beauty whereas “pleasant” refers to inward beauty. Inner beauty refers to the thoughts, the heart, and attitudes. Outward beauty refers to behaviors. If your heart is right your behavior will also be right. The Bible talks about both these beauties. We are not only to do what is right but have to be seen to be right!

Verse 2, the anointing of Aaron from the head to the beard to the collar of his robe which was an outward poring of oil and this also symbolized the inner Holiness of God. Also symbolizes God anointing a person.

The oil is symbolic a) The Holy Spirit b) burning from God C) the oil reduce friction. Forgiveness is also like oil that can reduce the fliction between two persons. Pride is like two rough surfaces roughing against each other. When tough surface roughs against each other this causes burns. When we pour oil of forgiveness there is no friction. Someone said, “forgive perhaps, but not forget!”. Forgiving is not easy, but God can help us to forgive. Forgiveness is part of Christian maturity and spiritual growth. Jesus said, “Father forgive them for they do not know what they were doing”. Spiritual unity from the leadership flows down from the eldership down to the congregations.

1st parabolic – oil anointing the head

2nd parabolic – dew on Mt. Hermon

Both talk about the importance of spiritual unity.

What is the meaning of “dew” in the Bible? Each time the Bibles talks about dews they referred to a) blessing of God b) revival. Isaiah 26:19 whenever there is spiritual unity, God will let dew fall.

Spiritual unity like faith a) faith in God b) faith we exercise.

There are two folds aspects here. 1) God gave faith 2) it is man’s responsibilities. In spiritual unity, God pours out the unity, but man must work at it. Where there is spiritual unity there is blessing.  

Conclusion

Ephesians 4:1-3 Unity and maturing in the body of Christ 1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Genesis Chapter 1 by Dr. Thomas Chung

Sunday 13^th Jan 2013

It was probably Moses who wrote the Book of Genesis.  This Book showed that God gave responsibility to mankind. 

The Bible divides heavens into 3 parts:

1.       First heaven is up to the clouds.

2.       Second heaven is up to the stars.

3.       Third heaven the Almighty habitation of the throne of God.

Man has gone to the first and second heavens, but no one can reach the third heaven.  The Book of Revelation showed that in the throne of God there is no evil.  God is the beginning.  We have a beginning and we will see the end.  God is the first and the last.  Jesus is also in Genesis chapter 1 & 2.  Jesus was there and He will be there at the end.  Revelation 1:8 Jesus said He is the Alpha and Omega.  His second coming will mark the end.  Jesus said He is with the church at the end of the world.  He will come in the clouds, and mark the end.  Matt 28:20 He will be with us at the end of the world. 

The Trinity in Genesis

a)       God the Father in Creation

b)       God the Son in redemption and salvation

c)       God the Holy Spirit in regeneration

a)      God Created heaven and earth, Vs 1 & Vs 2

b)       God the Son in redemption and salvation.  Jesus is the second Adam, He imparts life to all believers.  God the Son in salvation, He came to die for us.  God created everything including sciences.  The Bible says fools say there is no God. 

God created 7 natural laws:

1.      Astronomy – day and night.  Vs 3 – Vs 5.  Note it is no astrology like what it has been practice to determine the fate of individual according to the movements of the stars.  Christians do not believe in this.

2.      Meterology – the weather Vs 14 God created the seasons too.

3.      Geography – Vs 9 God created dry land and seas.

4.      Botany – Vs 11- 12

5.      Zoology – Vs 21 – 25

6.      Humanity – Vs 26 – 27

7.      Population – Vs 28 – 31 be fruitful increase in numbers and filled the earth.

Spiritual Laws of light and darkness

Light and darkness created by God.  There are the hearts of Jesus’ Gospel.  Here we are referring to spiritual light and darkness.  Eph 5:11, talks about fruitlessness of darkness.  Jesus said out body can be full of darkness.  People like darkness, John 3:19.  This is because man’s deeds are evil.  John 8:12 Jesus said He is the light and who ever follows Him will not see darkness.  Revelation 16:10,  plugging into darkness of evil people.  Jesus is the light John 1:9.  The light Jesus spoke about is not the direct light of the sun, but the reflection of moon light.  When we follow Jesus and walk in His ways.  We “reflect” His ways as we obey Him.  Jesus brought us out of darkness Colossians 1:13.  Let our light shine Matt 5:14, 16.  We are to walk in the light and have fellowship with one another 1 John 1:7.