B (2:41)

What is that?

A (2:42)

Yeah, what is it? Because, oh, obviously this is something really important. So. So. All right, so open up your journals. We're going to be in this January 12th through 18th. Genesis 1 and 2. Open up your scriptures. You're going to be in Genesis 1. And you also want to have Moses 2 and 3, those are really similar. And Abraham 4 and 5, they're telling the same story. And so you might want to have them all open, available. Read one when you study and then read another when you study. See if you get some new insights in the second one that you read would be a good way to do this. But this is the beginning. This is Genesis. Oh. P.S. we have two things that you wanna also have ready for this week. Number one, it's our first timeline piece. So we created this timeline of the Old Testament that you can download for free at don'tmissthis study.com or it's on the app. It's in your newsletter also. If you already have the newsletter and you download the timeline board and then also the pieces and this. It's so helpful to see and have like an overview of what's going on. When you know the storyline, then it's easier to find principles in it. And it just makes you feel smarter too, to know the entire thing. But our first one is this week, and it's a picture of the earth. It represents the creation. So you're gonna put that on the spot, just reaching for this board that says January 12th on your board. So they're marked at the beginning. The date that's on these circles on your timeline board are the. That's the beginning day of the week study. So put that guy right up top and you're. You can already see how exciting the whole thing's gonna be when.

B (4:26)

Oh, it's so cute.

A (4:28)

I really. I love it. I. And there. The number of times that I'll draw out a timeline for classes and just help them understand. Like if you under. What you're understanding when you see the story is you're. You're understanding the Covenant story. The Old Testament is a covenant story. And so the pieces that we're highlighting in there, the events that we're highlighting are all help you tell that covenant story. So it's great. So put that on there. And then we also have a tippin for the week, and it's Gonna tell you about the days of Creation, but we'll get into that. So you wanna slide this into Genesis 1, or you could put it in Moses 2 if you wanna put it there. Or Abraham 4. Fine.

B (5:10)

You have some options.

A (5:10)

You have options. So the way you start something feels really important. Maybe that's why there's a lot of pressure at New Year's, right? Because, oh, it's the beginning of the year. I have to, like. I don't know, like, I want to have a good start. People talk about winning the day, win the morning, right? Just make sure you make your bed in the morning. We've talked about that before, because grace.

B (5:34)

Don'T bring it up.

A (5:34)

Grace doesn't do that. But something in the beginning of the day, right, to kind of get you going, put you on the first five minutes, kind of. Kind of principle. You always put your strongest batter first in a lineup. You. You want your best song if you're. If you're a concert singer.

B (5:58)

But you're right. But you are right, right?

A (6:00)

You are right first. Everyone loves right at the beginning. How you start is really important. And I feel like you want to come out strong. And I feel like Genesis 1 does. Particularly. One of the ways we want you to read this is, what are you learning about God in this story? And we mentioned this the other week, but if you open up Genesis 1, the very first lines of Genesis 1 are, in the beginning, God. And it keeps going. God created the heavens and the earth. But I like to stop there, that in the beginning, God. And I like that it starts like that and puts God at the beginning of the story. It helps us realize before we jump into the days of creation and the story of Adam and Eve, this is not a how the earth was created story. And this is not a when the earth was created story. That's not the intention of it. This is a who story. In the beginning, God. And it's talking about who created it and why he created it. That is how we want to read the story of Genesis. And I just like that. It's like in the beginning, God. It just makes you feel like before I ever came onto the scene, before I ever started a new job, before I ever started a new family, before I ever started at a new school, in the beginning, God was there. He's Alpha and Omega, both the beginning and the end. It's a way of teaching. I feel like that he. There's intention in this. There's purpose in this. There wasn't all people in the earth. And God stepped In to say, like, okay, what do I do with all of this? But he was first. He's been there, planning with purpose from the very beginning. And there's something that makes me feel, I don't know, you know, when someone's, like, planned something real, like planned a vacation out really well for you, and you just feel, like, comfortable to enjoy it because you're like, somebody has control.

B (7:59)

Somebody thought this through.

A (8:01)

Yeah. And they thought they've planned it out. And I like that. In the very beginning, it starts with that idea of in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Now, did you want to say anything?

B (8:14)

Well, no, I think you covered it really well. And I think that that's something that's really special to me, is realizing that from the very beginning of this book, that is what is the most important is him. This is his story.

A (8:25)

Yes. It's his book.

B (8:27)

It's his story. He's the main character. From the very beginning. This was not an instruction manual. This wasn't a textbook. This was not. This is a story. And we can use it for instruction. We can use it to learn. We can use it for guidance. But what I love the very most is this is a story. And we are learning about God, right?

A (8:45)

Yeah. And then really quickly, when you talk about a. Whose story? Adam and Eve. We come into the story as his children. Chapter one. Right. So in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Now you have this tip in that's going to say about all the days of creation. And one of the things, if you turn in your journal to this page that has the boxes in it, the Digging Deeper page has all the boxes of the days of creation. Because one awesome way to study the days of creation is to think to yourself as you study, what does this teach me about the heart and character of God? What kind of God is he?

B (9:22)

If this is his book, then every single thing that's talked about in this book should lead back to him.

A (9:27)

Yeah. And some of his first lessons. These are some of my very, very first things I'm starting strong that I want you to know. For example, it says in day one, it starts in verse two, and it says, and the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. Now, I really like this paraphrase translation. It's called the Message. So we're looking at this other translation of the Bible, if you can buy that on, like, Amazon or something, but you can also download this app called the Bible app. And all of the translations are in there. So if you're a phone studier, that might be a great app to have. That's a free app. But this is how it starts. In the message translation, earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. And God's spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss. That's the way that's translated. God moving upon the face of the earth. The Hebrew words in there are brooding like a bird does prepar preparing a home for its babies. You know, we talk about that nesting idea that new moms know really well. So you see that there's already an intention in him with the words that are chosen to create a home is. Is sort of the. The feeling that's. That's happened here. But I like those words in the message translation where it says, it was emptiness, it was nothingness, it was an inky blackness. And then the next verse is. And God spoke and said, let there be light. And there was light. And I love thinking that, what if my future looks empty? Or what if my marriage feels like a great nothingness right now? Or what if. What if. I don't know. I look at my life and it just feels like an inky blackness. I love knowing here that all God has to do is speak the word light, and there will be light if there is darkness anywhere in your story right now. God wants us to know from the beginning that when you bring him into the story, there will always be light. So those are kind of some of the notes I wrote into day one. This line I wrote. He can speak light into any situation, and that's a lesson that I'm learning about him on day one. Okay, so we're gonna go through each of the days like that. And, man, we wish you were here so you could tell us some of the things that you're learning, too.

B (12:09)

Oh, that was kind of cute.

A (12:10)

I know, right? Cause you're like, oh, I want to know what everybody says.

B (12:13)

We wish you were here. Day two is an interesting day. It's the day that God looks at all the waters, and he separates that, and he's going to create the sky in heaven. But to do that, the first thing he needs to do is to hold back the water. And in ancient days, water was really comm. Like, it was chaos. They couldn't control it. No. They didn't have a meteorologist, okay. To tell them the weather. So when a storm came, they had no idea there was no control over water. And then all of a sudden on day two, the very, very beginning, we have a God that stepped into that, into the chaos, into the water, into the uncontrollable and said, I can take control of this. I am in charge of this. I'm more powerful than things that seem insane and chaotic and crazy. And I think to me, lesson, lesson number two from day number two is that God is stronger than chaos. God is in control of chaotic situations. God can do what no one else can do. And how beautiful is that? Before anything else to remember, God is stronger. God is stronger than water. God is stronger than chaos. God is stronger than everyone else. All combined, trying to like, form against him. God is stronger than anything that you will ever face. And that is a lesson for me from day two.

A (13:34)

One, here's just a little bit of Bible nerdiness if you want. In the New Testament, when they're out on the water on the boat, the disciples and Jesus, and there's chaos in the water, there's storm and everything. And Jesus, Jesus hushes it and brings peace to it. And also when Jesus walks on the stormy water and subdues it, that is sort of that same lesson that Grace was teaching is that's why those disciples were so wowed by that particular miracle, because he was like, he has power over the waters. Not just H2O. He has power over every chaotic situation. 1:22, Section 122. 7. If fierce winds become thy enemies, a billowing surge, compile against, compile, conspire against you and everything. All the elements come to hedge up in your way. He says, hold on thy way. Their bounds are set and cannot pass. Your days are known and your years are not numbered. Less fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever. That's 122 verses 7 and 9. That's what I was thinking when you were, when you were teaching that lesson. Day three is my favorite day of creation. Sorry to every other day remember the way they were counting times. Sunday would have been day one, Monday day two, and day three is Tuesday. And this is a unique day in the stories of creation because it mentions that it is good twice. We'll come back to this idea, but every after every day the Lord is going to call what happened there good. But day three gets two goods. It's told that it's good twice. So this is known by a lot of Jewish people and a lot of Hebrew studying people as the day of double blessings. So first off, that's what I wrote in my box that God is a God of double blessings, that you can expect blessings every single day. And in addition to that, you can expect double blessings every single day. And now when Tuesday comes on your calendar, you're going to be double happy, number one, because Monday is over and you're that much closer to Friday. But also because it is. Is the day of double blessings. And then one other thing that I thought was really cool in this is the way he describes making all. This is the day he makes all the trees and everything. I lost my day where it is. Oh, 12. This is verse 11 and 12. Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit upon her kind. And the earth brought forth grass, and the herb yielding seed after his kind. And then it just. It keeps talking about this idea of us of seeds. And in the next chapter, we're going to read in Genesis 2 that all the plants start to grow, which seems to infer that on this day of creation that he planted seeds. And I. There's something about that, that God understands that all good things start small, that he's not expecting us to. To be full oak trees today. But everything starts small, and things grow slowly, and things develop a day at a time sometimes, and usually imperceptibly. I don't know if I said that word right, but that is the way God sees every situation. That everything begins small. And that's okay.

B (17:05)

And it's so cute that, like, I.

A (17:07)

Just love he planted seeds.

B (17:08)

Yes. And it's like, almost like he's like, let me give you something to look forward to.

A (17:12)

Yeah. Again. Oh, oh, keep going with that. I didn't want to interrupt that. I was just gonna say again, remember, this is not a howl story, but it's giving us picture images that help us see the personality of God. Yeah. And it's almost darling, in the most divine way, to imagine him just planting seeds. Now go more into what you were gonna say, because that's such a cool thought, and people want to write that in their box.

B (17:39)

Well, I just think that it's really sweet that I think that's one of the most thrilling experiences of life. It's my favorite part of existing as a human, is that there's things to look forward to. Is that, like, everything doesn't happen all at once. It's not all, like, all done. And right when it's, like, completed, there's still more growth. And I love that we have a God that looks and says, oh, I'm gonna do something that's good today. But you can expect that it will only get better. And that is like, a lesson to me that I wanna hold onto forever. Because how beautiful that he's like, oh, this is gonna be good. And I'm gonna call it good. I'm gonna call it good twice. Like, I feel really good about this. But also, just so you know, it will get better.

A (18:19)

That's so cool.

B (18:20)

Yeah. Day number. What even are we for?

A (18:23)

4.

B (18:24)

Day number four is the sun, the moon, and the stars. And with that, there's so many things also, we. David kind of said this, but, like, I just want to, like, resay it just in case you're a teacher and you're stressed about teaching the Old Testament, first of all, you should be excited. It's okay. We're gonna help you get excited. If you're not and you're saying, I'm not excited at all, it's okay. No need to worry. We're gonna. It's gonna be okay. But also, this is, like. This is what I'll do for my seminary class. This is the lesson that I will teach, is saying, like, at the very beginning, the story of creation is not a how to guide. This is not how the Earth was created. You learn that consequentially. But that's not, like, the only lesson here.

A (19:02)

I was gonna say. And people who have a hard time with Genesis 1 and 2 and saying, like, that doesn't make sense. It doesn't, like, line up with science like that. It would be a day. And there was, you know, a lot of time would have been needed. Oh, I know. It's the way it was written is a style called imagistic. And it's not trying to. It's not be a science.

B (19:21)

It's your science textbook.

A (19:22)

Yeah. I believe that science and faith line up perfectly, you know, but this is not a science book. So it's going to be written, you know, God is a gardener in this one, and he was brooding like a mother bird, you know, it's not. It's written as a. It's storytelling.

B (19:38)

Yes. And you might have to help your classes. But the coolest lesson that I could ever imagine teaching from the story of the creation is having them go through and say, what do I learn about the character of God from each day of creation? And that as long as you set it up right, which David did really well, is how you should go through this. And you might have already thought that that was true, but I just, like, needed to, like, resay that, because I think that's the coolest lesson ever. Like I think it changes the way you see creation. But when you do that for day number four, you learn a lot. Because not only did he just create the sun, the moon and the stars, but also with that came days and years and seasons. And I immediately, when I hear that, think of just like that title, he's the beginning and he's the end. And what I love about what you learn about God from day four is that he is in control of endings and he is in control of beginnings. And that life on earth promises not just one new beginning, not just day four starting everything, but rather he's promising over and over and over again throughout the entirety of your life on a 24 hour basis, on a 30 month, 30 day month, on a 12 month calendar, I will promise you over and over and over again there will be endings and there will be beginnings. That's something you can count on, that's something you can believe in, that's something you can have hope in, that on the bad days they will end and a new day will start. And on the years that you say, I can't do this anymore, the new year will start and give you courage. But also the seasons of your life you're going through will end and new ones will begin. And that's something that you can believe in. And I also love. This is one of my favorite lines of all of the creation is number 16, verse number 16. And it's so sweet to me that it just said, and God made two great lights. Because instantly when we think about like, oh, what gives us light? Our first instinct is the sun. And we're like, oh yeah, the sun. That's why we have it, so we can have light. And the daytime is beautiful and we're so happy. But I love that we believe in a God that gave us a night light. And he said, oh, don't worry.

A (21:42)

Oh my gosh, that's the best. It's the best line I've ever heard anyone say about Genesis 1. It's.

B (21:51)

Cause it's. It's so cute.

A (21:52)

God gave us a night light. That's so.

B (21:57)

That is so sweet to me that he says, I will give you one that's big. I will let you turn the whole light switch on every single day. You can count on a greater light. But just so you know, when things get dark and when things get scary and when you feel like all light is gone, I will give you a lesser one, and I will give you stars so that in all of the darkness and you can remember that you are not alone in this. You don't need to be scared because light's still present.

A (22:24)

Oh, my gosh. And I'm just thinking about that song. Lights will guide you home.

B (22:29)

Oh, but light, Is that what you're thinking? No.

A (22:33)

Light. Cold play Coldplay. That's a hymn. I don't know. The hymn book's not done, so there's still a chance that that can be added in. But that song that lights will. What's the name of that song? Grace is. It likes you. Oh, it's called Fix you. And I. I think that's actually really. This should be. Yeah, I. You know, I'm gonna submit it. I don't know. I submitted a lot.

B (22:56)

I don't know how you.

A (22:56)

I actually submitted a lot during the submission process, but can I just read you the lyrics? Because I was at this Christmas party of a friend of mine, and she brought into that Christmas party a. A group of these men and women who are part of something called the Other side Academy. And the Other side Academy was set up by somebody who. People who were incarcerated get out of prison or jail, and their lives kind of fall apart because they maybe have just their past habits or past addictions or everything's new or different. And some generous, kind Christian soul started this academy to help people get on their feet again and get back into, like, their lives to live fruitful, happy, successful lives. And she brought them to the Christmas party to sing. They were the choir. They. There's a choir at the Other side Academy that people can join. And they came and they sang. And the first song that they sang was this one. And I just want you to hear these lyrics. When you think about that day of creation when you try your best but you don't succeed when you get what you want but not what you need when you feel so tired but you can't sleep Stuck in reverse and the tears come streaming down your face when you lose something you can't replace when you love someone but it goes to waste could it be worse? Then the chorus says Lights will guide you home and ignite your bones and I will try to fix you and I. There's something too that teaches us about God that the porch light's always on There always will be light and those lights will guide you home in ancient days they use the sun during the day and they use the stars at night to navigate to guide them home and this is the God that we're learning about and have this discussion somewhere, Please, what it means to you to say God is A God of signs, seasons, days and years. There's something you were talking about in the beginning, I thought that was really profound, that like the idea of the greater light in the day means, oh, the sun's coming up tomorrow. And when you're in a season of winter, that's okay. Spring is coming and winter is actually necessary for spring and for summer. And so he's a God of seasons. So great.

B (25:24)

And I think rhythms. That's something that was so interesting to me.

A (25:28)

Yeah.

B (25:28)

As like, I've just been thinking of that and like patterns that when you read through creation, the creation follows a very clear pattern. And it must be the way God works because he realized throughout, not maybe he didn't realize, he probably knew all along. I'm not trying to like demolish that or whatever, but it almost seems that by the time he gets to day four, he realizes he starts creation and he starts the same way and he ends the same way every single day. And he says and he starts and he's like, here's a new day and I'm gonna end and it was good. And then the next. And then it's gonna end and then the next day and then it's gonna end. And what I think is so interesting is like when you start like using this as imagery for God's character, He must have fallen in love with the way those rhythms went and the way those patterns went. And he said this shouldn't just be a seven day pattern. I want this to be the way you live your life is to realize that there are rhythms and there are patterns to like feed into and to experience and to begin and to end. And that you can live in his patterns and his rhyth.

A (26:33)

That's so fantastic. Okay, day five, it starts in verse 20 and it says and God said, let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life. And I highlighted the word abundantly in that verse 20 because. And I wrote that into my box that God creates abundantly. And I just like that this is talking about the sky and it's also talking about the water. And this is gonna kind of sneak into day six also, which is where we get. Where is it every living creature after his kind cattle and creeping thing. And I just love that God is also a God of variety. We see this in the other days of creation too. But I think these two days in particular show. Oh, that God is a God of abundance and that he's. And he loves variety. He doesn't want everybody to be the same. And he doesn't want everything to be the same because, like, just look at the creation around you, right? He said, you know, like, to the birds, he's like, okay, you guys will fly. And to the, you know, dolphins, he's like, you guys will do flips. And to the kangaroo, you guys will bounce, and. And we'll put a little backpack in your tummy, and you can carry your kids around. And the tigers, everyone's going to love you because you got those cool stripes, you know, and it just gave this, you know, this abundance. There's so much creation all around you. Everything that you see had its beginning with God, and all of it was good and beautiful to him. He is a God of variety, and I love knowing that. It means you fit in. You fit into the plan. Whether you swim or fly or bounce or you're a creeping thing. No one wants to be that last guy, right? But you fit in. He's a. He created all of it, and I think that's beautiful.

B (28:29)

Day number six is the animals and the humans. And I feel like animals. I feel like you covered. Like, that is, like, the variety, the exciting, the uniqueness. It's so sweet to me.

A (28:40)

I love it.

B (28:41)

Someone today asked me what my favorite animal was, and I was like, we should ask that more. Like, I'm grown. And someone asked me, and I was.

A (28:48)

Like, what did you say back? I just have.

B (28:50)

I said, well. I said the. They said, well, give me a second. I want to think of a great answer. Yeah, I can't commit too early. I really want to think that through.

A (28:58)

Do you remember that boy I met in India? There was an orphanage I was at in India, and this little boy came and sat right next to me, just scooted right up next to me. And he was like, hello, sir. And I was like, hi. And he was like, what is your favorite bird? I was like, I. I don't think I've ever thought of that before. And I said, eagle, probably because I'm American. That was so cliche.

B (29:21)

He's like, oh, of course you said eagle.

A (29:23)

But he was like, mine is a sparrow. And I just. And I just loved every part of that. I've never. But isn't that great that in that variety, everyone has different favorites and everyone has different likes, and everyone has things that they're drawn to that other people might not be, and just. It's just. Love it. What'd you say? I have to know.

B (29:46)

Elephant.

A (29:47)

I was about to say the same. I'm really into an elephant right now.

B (29:50)

No, same and same. I was really loving that idea.

A (29:54)

Isn't that so wild? Creative.

B (29:56)

Oh, but yes, also, it's really creative that God made that.

A (30:00)

You just look at all the animals next to each other. We're so used to giraffes.

B (30:05)

Well, when she asked me that question, that's what I started thinking is I was like, why are we acting like these animals are, like, normal? We should have favorite animals. This is crazy.

A (30:15)

And they should cause awe because all of creation can and does. And I think, you know, we see that in the Book of Mormon with Alma and his conversation with Korihor, where he just says, you know, if you've never read that chapter, Korihor is having a hard time believing in God. And Alma comes in, and he says, look at the creation. Everything in creation is assigned to you that God is moving and working, and he's among us. That's actually a tip that I've, like, followed through on several times in my life where I feel like I'm like, man, is this all really true? And then I'll just look out the window at trees that grew from seeds, and I'm just like, oh, yeah. And my heart goes back into wonder again, and it goes back into amazement. It goes back into awe. And I think there's something about creation that does that for us, which is.

B (31:11)

Cool to think that this is the beginning of the story. And it almost feels like a whisper that it's like, if you don't know where to begin, look around.

A (31:19)

Yes.

B (31:20)

Like, let's start with this.

A (31:21)

Yes. I've heard that someone once wrote and said, there are two accounts of creation. One is written in the Bible, and the other one is written in the stars. And God starts with wonder, and he starts with awe. And he starts with these first lessons, and I think they're so important.

B (31:41)

So good day. Number six is the animals. Of course, we were loving the animals, and then the humans. And we hear this line all the time. And God said, let us make man in our image after our likeness. And what I started thinking about is, like, there's so many ways and so many lessons that you can learn from that. But what I was thinking about today is that from day six is we have heavenly parents who said, I want you to have every good thing, even all of the good that we have. And I think sometimes, like, we forget that that's really true about our heavenly parents. That's true about a good parent on Earth, is that you have two good parents. They're gonna say to their kids, we want you to have every good thing. That we've ever experienced. We will do anything we can in our life to make sure that you can experience everything that we have experienced. And even better than that, and today I just used that little line as like a promise from our heavenly parents to us is that I feel like they looked at us and said, we're gonna make you in our image. God's gonna make us in his image. So that maybe, just maybe, it's a constant reminder that he's saying, I want you to have every good thing that I've ever experienced, and I want you to become like me. And I want you to experience and everything you possibly can on earth, Every good thing that they have ever experienced, everything they ever created. They want us to live in that. They want us to inherit that. And it's so interesting to me because later Satan comes and it's almost as if he uses that desire. He's sneaky. It tells us that in scripture that he's really subtle and cunning and he's smart. And it's so interesting to me that he uses that against Adam and Eve, that he's going to look at them and say, this is how you become like God, if you like. This is the key to become like God and all knowing. And I just think it's so beautiful to realize about our heavenly parents is that they don't just want us to have like, good lives. They're looking and saying, we want you to have everything that we've ever had. And we're gonna start that on day six.

A (33:44)

Yeah. In fact, there is a really great lesson in here too, that this picture that you get in Genesis 1 is actually sort of like the end, end game, the end hope of our heavenly parents. Like we almost get in Genesis 1 a picture of the puzzle box. Right. Right now we live where the pieces are scattered and God's putting them back together. But Genesis 1 starts and says, this is the picture that I intended is for this. Because some of the words that are used right here are to have them rule and reign over the earth. That's royal language. And so the picture is like, I want you to live as a king and a queen over this beautiful kingdom that's been gifted to you. And that's what I'm hoping for. Next lesson we're going to see that the puzzle gets broken. Right. It's the fall. And then the rest of the story is God putting it back together. But it starts with, this is what I'm hoping for you. This is my in intention for you. And I love that you said that I want the very, very best for you. Because that is what he's proven so far in the story is day one gifts, Day two gifts, Day three gifts, Day four, gifts, Day five gifts. He has spent all the first days of creation giving gifts of grace to Adam and Eve. Like he is a generous. And it was all for them. It was all for them. This is a story of grace. It's a story of, I want you to know how abundantly I love you and how much, how abundantly I'm going to give to you. And like you said, this is what I want for you in the end, is to. Is to become this. The story of creation is I can take something that looks like emptiness and inky blackness and I can turn it into this paradise place to a king and a queen ruling over this beautiful place of variety and multiplicity. Like, he was like, that's what I can do. That's. That's what I am able to do. And I think this is actually one of the reasons that if you're a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and attend temple endowment sessions, there is a story of creation told at the beginning. I think in part to remind us of these lessons of. He is that first I'm like, God is a generous gift giver. He is a God of grace, gives us things we do not deserve. That is the first lesson we learn. And then we're invited to enter into covenant relationship with him. But first we learn who he is before we're ever invited, right? It's like, let me show you who I am. And then it's like, now will you trust me? Will you let me guide your life and mold it to what I want it to one day be? So great, so good. Oh, I also wanted to say one other thing about that image bearer. So image. An image in the ancient times would have been. They would have read that word as a statue, right? You had like, you know, you watch Hercules and he goes to the temple of Zeus and there's. Or, you know, that would be an image of Zeus or like the Lincoln Memorial. You would see Abraham Lincoln sitting there and you're like, you know, and if you took your kids and you said about the statue, you know, who is that? They would say Abraham Lincoln. And it's not really Abraham Lincoln, right? It's not the real life guy with the hat. It's an image of him. But it reminds us of him and it reminds us of what he stood for. And as you were talking about Adam and Eve, it made me think. We talked earlier about, there's all these signs of the goodness of God all around us, and I think the very best one is other people. Other people, I think, show us the heart and character of God better than anything else does. I think you could list the people that you. Knowing them has been your evidence that there is a God in heaven. And I think that's what it means to live as an image bearer.

B (37:43)

I might have shared this on here before. I don't remember, but I'll say it really fast. I have no memory. So sorry if you've already heard it. My bad.

A (37:51)

People love reruns.

B (37:53)

And I work as a seminary teacher, and so every single day I get to talk to kids about who God is and who Jesus Christ is and how he can change them. And I had a friend, and she worked in a residential treatment center, and she wasn't allowed to talk with that. And she was. We were kind of laughing one day, driving in the car, and we were like, we have, like, kind of similar jobs, but deeply different jobs. Like, we both, like, spend time, like, talking to teenagers every single day. And I get to tell them about Jesus. And she was kind of saying, like, it's really hard for me because I know what Jesus could do for them. I know what God could do for them, but he's a stranger to them. And we just sat in the car for a second, and then so clearly the Spirit just said to me, oh, one day those kids will meet God and he will be familiar to them because they knew you. And I think that there are some people in our life that we are like, oh, I just wish so bad that they could know the God that I know. I wish that he could be a friend to them. And I think that that verse, verse number 26, God said, Let man be made in our image, is evidence that people will get to know God because of who you are. You are his image on the earth.

A (39:05)

So beautiful. And then as verse 28, he says to them, be fruitful, multiply and replenish the earth. Now, normally we associate that with have babies, you know, is the translation. But I do love thinking about that word in all contexts that he says to them, I want you to multiply and to replenish things. I want you to make things better, help things grow. That's what you would do as my image bearer. Take risks and be brave and. And be kind and do good. Come up with ideas in your own circles that you live in and just multiply and replenish you Know, replenish the people who are under your care, who you meet in the elevators, in the grocery stores and who sit next to you in algebra class. Like multiply people's lives and replenish people's hearts. And I love that idea, idea of just being a co creator with God in this earth and doing and help, help birth the good that he's hoping to do in this world.

B (40:15)

And there's just something about that word good because that is the core of chapter one. I think that word is carried throughout the entire chapter. It's our word of the week too, for your little poster, which is the sweetest word to me in all of this entire chapter. And if you have a family and you do your comfort, follow me. Based on these posters. Just so you know, I'm so sorry. For the rest of the year, this is about to be your best lesson. So just sit your kids down and just know that it started really good.

A (40:42)

We said that last year. We said that last week. Hopefully it's just every week, you guys.

B (40:48)

So we're lying.

A (40:48)

But these are great because they really are so good. One good lesson. Yes, one good lesson per week. If you just like on Sunday or something.

B (40:56)

I would honestly say like even really easy to teach. It's like the best, quickest, easiest takeaway. But what I have been loving so much is that the creation was not a one day thing. Obviously, like, that's the textbook. Okay? We like, you put the tip in and it says seven days, like you've got it. It's not a one day thing. It was day after day after day after day. But what I love is that usually for me, when I'm doing a project, especially a project that has a lot of steps, I'm not willing to look at it and say that it's good until I've finished the project and I'm like halfway through and someone's like, oh, that's looking like. And I'm like, yeah, it's not looking good. But yeah, I'm not done yet. I'm not done yet. Just trust me, I'm not done yet. It's gonna get better. Like, I just like make all of these excuses for like, once it's done, it's gonna be good. Once it's complete, once it's finished, it's going to be good. And that just isn't the way God works. And the creation is evidence of that. Because what happens is after day, day one, he whispers, it's good today. That was good. Just day one. Oh, it's not finished yet. Oh, it's just the very beginning. Oh, there's not even, like, animals yet. No, no, no, no, no, no. Day one is good, and day two is good. Day three is double good. Wait a minute. But there's not even people on the earth. Like, the project is not even done. You're not even close. This was. This looks like a fail so far. No, no, no. This is good. This is good right now. Day after day after day. It is not complete, but it is good. It's not finished, but it is good. And what I've been obsessed with this time studying is the fact that it actually says that word good seven times in chapter one and seven in Scripture represents the word complete. And I have been loving the fact that the earth wasn't completely good, it wasn't fully good all at once. It took day after day after day after day to make the goodness complete. And that doesn't lessen any of the goodness along the way. But the goodness along the way, the process, the days, the steps that it took, are the reason it is fully good. It wasn't done in one day. That's the beauty. That's why it's good. And I think that if God could look at each of his kids, he would say the same thing after one day, he would look and he'd say, oh, you are so good. And after day two, he would look at you and say, you are so good. And we might whisper back, no, no, no, I'm not finished yet. I have not become the person you've wanted me to become. And he would say, I know. And you are good. You are already good. On day one, you are already good. On day three, you are already good. On day five, you are good. From the very beginning, you are good. And the full goodness that we get to experience is because there was good along the way.

A (43:57)

And I think that's what. That's a lesson I would want to remember when I see this. This card sitting up and reading chapter one. Just those two principles can be true at the same time, right? That you. There is more good to come, but you are good right now. Both. Both of those are true. That's so beautiful. There's a question in the journal, the personal reflection questions. I just want to read it where it just says, how would embracing the principle of gradual progression alleviate the pressure to become complete today? What would it encourage you to do? It's just one of the reflection questions that are in here, that if you don't have your journal yet, I wanted you just. You Know to see. And don't you love this promise of covenant Israel? In here I will see the good in you. That's the promise of Genesis 1. I'm gonna see the good in you. Now, in this page, where we're writing in all the boxes, there's one more box. Day seven, the Sabbath that the Lord creates, right at the end of Genesis, at the beginning of Genesis chapter two. And where he talks about this day that he. It will be a day of rest in verse two, a day that he made for rest in verse two, right. He didn't just stop, and then all of a sudden it was the next day. He intended it to be a gift of rest. And in three, a day that was sanctified. And I just want us to take that day seven as not a commandment, but as a gift. He's like, I also built into the seasons and the days, a day of rest. Now, this is interesting because ancient people, when they hear the. When we hear the word rest, we think nap, which great. But rest is where that word would have given the image of God sitting on his throne, that this is the place where God rests. It's where he rules and reigns in complete control from. And so when you're invited into a day of rest, you're actually invited to spend a day in the presence of God, go into the throne room for a day, be rejuvenated, remember who he is, remember who you are, and then go out and face the weak after you've been filled up with the grace of his presence.

B (46:17)

And even just that image of rest, meaning God on His throne, how powerful to realize that's what real rest is, is realizing there is someone in control.

A (46:28)

Who'S good, who is good.

B (46:30)

He's made that evident over chapter one, and by chapter two, he says, you can trust that you can rest in the fact that I will reign over you.

A (46:39)

Yeah, I will be in charge. Remember days one through six, right. On every Sabbath rest day, Remember and experience that tune. Your heart and your eyes and your ears to see it more abundantly on that day.

B (46:55)

Well, and I just love in chapter two, verse number three, the word God uses when he talks about the seventh day. He blesses the seventh day and he sanctifies it. And immediately I started thinking about those two words, blessed and sanctified and blessed me. I just, like, immediately thought, like, when you ask someone for their blessing and they're like, yes. And it's not usually just even like a yes. It's like, yes, please. Like, that is exactly what I'm hoping for and then sanctified, just like meaning set apart. And I love a God who looks at creation, who looks at us, and he says, listen, I am actually hoping. And I just want you to know that not only is it acceptable to rest, but it's my blessing to you. I say, yes. Can I rest? Oh, yes, please, please rest. Take a minute. And not only that, but all of a sudden, when he sets it apart, it almost to me, like, when he sanctifies that day, it's almost as if he's like, I want you to make time for this. You can and you should pause. Rest in that. Experience it. And I think sometimes we live in this world that we're like, no, no, no, I'm. I'm in too much of a hurry. I don't have time for that. I'm too stressed. Or even when you get that idea, that image of God on the throne that you say, no. Like, I actually don't know if I can trust that. I don't know if I can just let him have everything. And I love that promise from God that he says, no, no, no, this is my blessing. This is. I am blessing this for you and I'm sanctifying it. I am not only saying the rest is acceptable, but I'm also setting it apart for you. I want you to experience this.

A (48:31)

Yeah. Oh, it's so, so good. And I just keep thinking what a great gift it is. I keep having in my mind the just Sunday dinner, you know, as that place to sit around a table and be reminded that you're loved, that things are going to be okay, that things are good. We do that in the sacrament rooms, too. We sit around the table and we remember his gifts of grace and that he oversees everything. And he's right there. And it just is. It's a beautiful, beautiful day. Now, there's one last thing that we want to talk about here, because in your journal you'll see it says what was good, what was very good. And then it says, what was not good? And it'll take you to Genesis 2:18. And it says in 18, it's not good that man should be alone. People are not meant to do life by themselves, is what he says. And so he says, I will make a help meet for him. And then he says, and out of the ground, the Lord, you know, formed, you know, all the animals and all these things. But then it says, he takes a ribbon from the side of man and he makes this woman is what he calls her. But there's two things that I think are really important in this section of scripture. One is verse 21, and it says, and the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept, and that is when he created Eve. And I think it's important. There is on the top of the Sistine Chapel, a painting of the creation. And one of the panels up there is the creation of Eve. And it shows Adam asleep next to this tree. And I love looking at it because the one right before is the creation of Adam. And I love that second panel because it's just a reminder that you've got this moment with God by herself, that there was this one on one creation for Adam and there was a one on one creation for Eve. And I think there's something really beautiful about them having. And then, then he brings them together. First your, your relationship was with me, and now I'm. You're going to take that and add it into this new relationship that, that you're forming. And, and the other part I like about that, it. Now it sounds terrible in verse 18 because it says, I will make in the King James Version, right? I will make a help meet for him, a helper for him, which is a terrible. If I were, I would never want to give a sermon in the history of my life and say, then he made him a helper. You know, that just doesn't sound like a super, you know, compliment, right? Yeah, exactly. It doesn't sound like super complimentary. But the Hebrew of that word is a really beautiful word. And the word is Ezer is what the word is. And the ezer is a word that is. It's the necessary kind of strength or help that one cannot do for themselves. It's not just, you know, a, hey, will you pick that off the ground for me? And be. And be a help. It's a necessary kind of help, the kind that if I did not have this, I would not be able to do. And the text implies that they are to be Ezers to each other. But he uses Eve as a model of, I want you to be the necessary help, the strength in this, that you would not be able to do it if you were not there. It's the kind of word image that it's. It's the kind of help you cry out for when you're drowning or when you have nothing left or when you need a desperate rescue. And he says, I will provide an ezer for you. That word is used 21 times in the Old Testament, and 16 of those times are when it's describing God. Psalms 33, 20, Psalm 70, verse 5 or 2 versions of that. And I love that the word he's going to use to describe Eve in a society and a time where women probably were and most definitely were seen as lesser and is just the helper. But the word he uses to describe her is the same word that he uses to describe his help. You will be the image of the necessary strength and help of God in this world. And I think that is beautiful. He says the image of God in chapter one is the both of you together. Then there's just this particular emphasis in chapter two about Eve being Ezer, that exalted position that he gives to her, which I think is just. Is beautiful. You're just. Again, it's awesome to like, set up this. This is who he is. This is what he does. And then now for the rest of the book. Do you want to trust him? Will you follow a God like that? A God that. That's good. And Grace, this poster has been sitting here and I've just been reading it, but every one of these posters has a Hebrew definition at the bottom.

B (54:09)

I read it last week. I just remembered.

A (54:11)

This is awesome.

B (54:12)

I looked back and saw it and it was.

A (54:13)

So make sure you read this because the word good in Hebrew means good in the widest sense. Now remember this. When we remember that God sees the good in you, he sees good in the widest sense. Something beautiful, something best, something better, something bountiful, something in favor, something that makes him glad. And that's the. That's the lesson. That is how he wanted to lead out in his book. So, okay, we'll see you next week. If you want to follow along in everything we're doing, you can find us on Instagram at Don't miss this study, at this week's Grace and at MrDave Butler.

B (54:52)

And if you want to subscribe to the app or get our weekly newsletter, all of the information can be found at don'tmissthisstudy.com See you next week.