What are the most vital teachings in the creation account?

[Jack K]

Please allow me to pick the Puritan Board's collective brain. Due to changing issues in Western culture, I have decided I ought to reconsider what key points I make when I teach the creation account to children. I have a Bible camp gig next week that will include teaching Genesis 1 & 2 to a group of 5-through-8-year-olds. I'm struggling to decide what essentials must be emphasized, since there's so much that could be said. So...

What points/applications from the Bible's creation account are most important when teaching children today?

To be extra helpful, also tell me: Why are these points/applications essential to the larger Bible narrative and the good news of Jesus Christ?

 

[JTB.SDG]

Jack,

As you probably know, fellow author David Murray has a chapter on this in his Jesus On Every Page. I'm sure you've got it but just to make sure. (But I don't think there's any new applications with regard to cultural issues.)

 

[Von]

Just from a personal point of view...
I believed in evolutionary theory for a long time, but the thing that was an incontrovertible fact was DEATH.
Death came into the world in Genesis 3.
That is, according to me, the biggest issue in which millions of years of evolution directly contradicts the Scripture. We can talk about the word "day" for a long time and point people to the Hebrew word, etc, but all of those children will be confronted or are already confronted by evolutionary theory that is built on millions and millions of corpses in the name of progress.

I'll leave the application in the very capable hands of Paul (Romans 5).

 

[Josh Williamson]

God only speaks the truth; you can trust His Word, despite what the world may say. I would then stress the importance of authority, and who do we believe.

God as creator. We are made with purpose and value; we did not randomly evolve. Kids today are bombarded with the teaching that they are cosmic accidents.

The world was "very good" before the fall. That means there was no death, disease or suffering. Sin causes all of those things.

Adam and Eve were real people, who really did sin. This sets up perfectly for the message of the Last Adam.

You may find some helpful resources for children at: https://answersingenesis.org/kids/

 

[Cymro]

Give a clear view of sin and the the fall in a creation that was perfect, and then the consequence. Otherwise they will never see the need of John 3:16.

 

[Timotheos]

Not sure where this fits in with kids, but the polemical element in Gen 1 concerning the uniqueness not only of the God of Israel but also as opposed to the way he created in comparison with all the other surrounding myths of creation. Our God is holy and in competition with none other (compared to the Baal myths of creation). He simply speaks the world into existence as opposed to using raw materials from the remains of murdered deities. This is reading Gen 1 in similar ways to the 10 plagues. It also demonstrates God's control over the chaos of the seas (Yamm) rather than having to subdue the chaos. A polemical perspective speaks to the holiness and sovereignty of the God of Scripture.

 

[earl40]

The most vital is "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" linked to "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him".

 

[Dachaser]

Please allow me to pick the Puritan Board's collective brain. Due to changing issues in Western culture, I have decided I ought to reconsider what key points I make when I teach the creation account to children. I have a Bible camp gig next week that will include teaching Genesis 1 & 2 to a group of 5-through-8-year-olds. I'm struggling to decide what essentials must be emphasized, since there's so much that could be said. So...

What points/applications from the Bible's creation account are most important when teaching children today?

To be extra helpful, also tell me: Why are these points/applications essential to the larger Bible narrative and the good news of Jesus Christ?

My main take aways from Genesis would be :
God created the entire Universe
He made all life forms after their own kind. so no evolutionary process
Mankind is a direct and special creation of God
Fall of Man real historical event
Jesus is coming as the promised Messiah

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

What points/applications from the Bible's creation account are most important when teaching children today?

Jack,

The WSC has 16 references to Genesis that you might examine and determine their usefulness for a younger group:

Spoiler

Q. 9. What is the work of creation?
A. The work of creation is, God’s making all things of nothing, by the word of his power, in the space of six days, and all very good. Gen. 1; Heb. 11:3.

Q. 10. How did God create man?
A. God created man male and female, after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures. Gen. 1:26-28;Col. 3:10; Eph. 4:24.

Q. 12. What special act of providence did God exercise toward man in the estate wherein he was created?
A. When God had created man, he entered into a covenant of life with him, upon condition of perfect obedience; forbidding him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon the pain of death. Gal. 3:12; Gen. 2:17.

Q. 13. Did our first parents continue in the estate wherein they were created?
A. Our first parents, being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the estate wherein they were created, by sinning against God. Gen. 3:6-8, 13;Eccl. 7:29.

Q. 15. What was the sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created?
A. The sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created, was their eating the forbidden fruit. Gen. 3:6, 12.

Q. 16. Did all mankind fall in Adam’s first transgression?
A. The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself, but for his posterity; all mankind, descending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him in his first transgression. Gen. 2:16-17; Rom. 5:12; 1 Cor. 15:21-22.

Q. 19. What is the misery of that estate whereinto man fell?
A. All mankind, by their fall, lost communion with God, are under his wrath and curse, and so made liable to all miseries in this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell for ever. Gen. 3:8, 10, 24; Eph. 2:2-3; Gal. 3:10; Lam. 3:39; Rom. 6:23; Matt. 25:41, 46.

Q. 59. Which day of the seven hath God appointed to be the weekly Sabbath?
A. From the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, God appointed the seventh day of the week to be the weekly Sabbath; and the first day of the week, ever since, to continue to the end of the world, which is the Christian Sabbath. Gen. 2:2-3; 1 Cor. 16:1-2; Acts 20:7.

Q. 69. What is forbidden in the sixth commandment?
A. The sixth commandment forbiddeth the taking away of our own life, or the life of our neighbor unjustly, or whatsoever tendeth thereunto. Acts 16:28; Gen. 9:6.

Q. 74. What is required in the eighth commandment?
A. The eighth commandment requireth the lawful procuring and furthering the wealth and outward estate of ourselves and others. Gen. 30:30; 1 Tim. 5:8; Lev. 25:35; Deut. 22:1-5; Ex. 23:4-5; Gen. 47:14, 20.

Q. 82. Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God?
A. No mere man since the fall is able in this life perfectly to keep the com- mandments of God, but doth daily break them in thought, word, and deed.Eccl. 7:20; 1 John 1:8, 10; Gal. 5:17; Gen. 6:5; Gen. 8:21; Rom. 3:9-21; Jas. 3:2-13.

Q. 92. What is a Sacrament?
A. A Sacrament is a holy ordinance instituted by Christ; wherein, by sensible signs, Christ and the benefits of the new covenant are represented, sealed, and applied to believers. Gen. 17:7, 10; Ex. 12; 1 Cor. 11:23, 26.

Q. 95. To whom is Baptism to be administered?
A. Baptism is not to be administered to any that are out of the visible Church, till they profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to him; but the infants of such as are members of the visible Church are to be baptized. Acts 8:36-37; Acts 2:38-39; Gen. 17:10 with Col. 2:11-12; 1 Cor. 7:14.

Q. 104. What do we pray for in the fourth petition?
A. In the fourth petition, which is, “Give us this day our daily bread,” we pray, that of God’s free gift we may receive a competent portion of the good things of this life, and enjoy his blessing with them. Matt. 6:11; Prov. 30:8-9; Gen. 28:20; 1 Tim. 4:4-5.

Similarly, the WLC has 73 references to Genesis that could be examined to tease out important items for your class. I have attached an MS Word version with proof texts that are easily searched.

The same could be done with the WCF, too. The point being that if the church divines thought some aspects of Genesis were important enough to use as proof texts, that is a good place to start mining for some content for your classes.

I have attached my efforts to place all WCF proof texts in-line in the WCF for easier searching. I use this doc with bible software (Logos, SwordSearcher, etc.) that automatically provides Scripture pop up links. I cannot guarantee I have accurately transcribed the proof texts being used, so if you (or anyone else) find an error please let me know. It has been a labor of mine off and on for some time.

 

[arapahoepark]

At the very minimum:
Creation ex nihlio
It was Very Good
Man and woman both as the image of God.

 

[Jack K]

Thank you to all. Keep it coming, please.

As background, for the past 15 years or so I have typically emphasized:
*God's dominion as the Creator-King who speaks and it is done.
*"Let there be light." God spreads his glory and designs that we live in the light, seeing and sharing in that glory.
*Man created in the image of God, male and female.
*It was good.
*God's kingly care seen in the things created and the garden provided.

I also tend to mention, but not emphasize as fully:
*Creator/creature distinction.
*The six days, and many kinds of things created.
*Sabbath.
*Everything begins with God, who has no beginning.
*Man made from the dirt, and woman from the rib of man.
*God the giver of life to man, who became a living creature.

And I might mention but hardly emphasize at all:
*Man's dominion over the earth.
*Marriage.
*No shame.
*Be fruitful and multiply.
*Separations: light from darkness, day from night, waters above from those below, waters gathered.
*Man given work in the garden.

All of this is before I even get to chapter 3 and the Fall, which introduces a long list of other key points to make—but I'm not looking to revise those at this time.

For now, I am particularly thinking that when teaching chapters 1 and 2 I should give more attention to the Creator/creature distinction: how good it is that we are children of the Creator rather than self-made! Who we are comes not from anything we make for ourselves or think we discover inside ourselves, but rather from our loving Father and what he has made us to be, and ultimately from the new creation we are in Christ.

But I don't want to be hasty. While I revise my lessons, I might as well be thorough and consider other big themes too. So please keep the list coming, critique what I have so far, etc.

 

[Jack K]

Jack,

As you probably know, fellow author David Murray has a chapter on this in his Jesus On Every Page. I'm sure you've got it but just to make sure. (But I don't think there's any new applications with regard to cultural issues.)

Yes, I think it's one of the strongest chapters in that book, but I had not thought to look back at it as part of this exercise. Thanks.

 

[Dachaser]

Thank you to all. Keep it coming, please.

As background, for the past 15 years or so I have typically emphasized:
*God's dominion as the Creator-King who speaks and it is done.
*"Let there be light." God spreads his glory and designs that we live in the light, seeing and sharing in that glory.
*Man created in the image of God, male and female.
*It was good.
*God's kingly care seen in the things created and the garden provided.

I also tend to mention, but not emphasize as fully:
*Creator/creature distinction.
*The six days, and many kinds of things created.
*Sabbath.
*Everything begins with God, who has no beginning.
*Man made from the dirt, and woman from the rib of man.
*God the giver of life to man, who became a living creature.

And I might mention but hardly emphasize at all:
*Man's dominion over the earth.
*Marriage.
*No shame.
*Be fruitful and multiply.
*Separations: light from darkness, day from night, waters above from those below, waters gathered.
*Man given work in the garden.

All of this is before I even get to chapter 3 and the Fall, which introduces a long list of other key points to make—but I'm not looking to revise those at this time.

For now, I am particularly thinking that when teaching chapters 1 and 2 I should give more attention to the Creator/creature distinction: how good it is that we are children of the Creator rather than self-made! Who we are comes not from anything we make for ourselves or think we discover inside ourselves, but rather from our loving Father and what he has made us to be, and ultimately from the new creation we are in Christ.

But I don't want to be hasty. While I revise my lessons, I might as well be thorough and consider other big themes too. So please keep the list coming, critique what I have so far, etc.

The main point of the first 2 chapters in Genesis could very well be God saw that Humans are His crowning creation, as in Creatures bearing His own image.

 

[De Jager]

Here are a few thoughts that I jotted down on lunch break.

1. Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God.

God has always existed.

2. Genesis 1:26 Let 'us' make man in 'our' image

God is triune.

3. Genesis 1:3 Then God said, "let there be light"

God has creative power, he creates ex nihilo.

4. Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

The world and all that we see has been designed and formed by God; it is not an accident. God wanted to create, and he did.

5. Genesis 1:4 And God saw the light, that it was good;

God's creation was well put-together; it was without blemish.

6. Genesis 1:26 Let us make man in our image

God created mankind consciously and deliberately. Furthermore, mankind is created in God's image; we have a unique place amongst all the living beings.

7. Genesis 1:28 Then God blessed them

God sets apart mankind for a particular task. He sanctifies them.

8. Genesis 1:27, 5:1 Male and female he created them

The gender of a person is determined by God. Furthermore, he created humans in their current form.

9. Genesis 1:28 Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it

God sovereignly appoints a particular set of tasks for humanity; among which are procreation and tending the creation.

10. Genesis 1:31 So the evening and the morning were the sixth day

God created all things necessary for the sustaining of his creation in six days.

11. Genesis 2:3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it

The seventh day is a particularly holy day wherein we can admire God and his creation.



These are just preliminary and there are hundreds of more, including of course the intrusion of sin into the world.

 

[Jack K]

Then God blessed them

Thanks. In the past, I've read right past that line... I've gone straight from "created male and female" to "be fruitful and multiply."

 

[sc_q_jayce]

Two thoughts...

1) It would be interesting to highlight how Jesus speaks about the Creation account and then to ask your youth if how they look at creation matches what Jesus says. Do they agree with Mark 10:6 or Matthew 19:4? That man was made in the beginning, male and female?

2) I had written a mini-catechism on Genesis so here's some stuff on that:

Q: Who was in the beginning?
A: In the beginning before creation, there was God.

Q: What did God create?
A: God created all things by His very Word, from the heavens and the earth to all creatures and plants. Finally, God created us in His own image, setting us apart from the rest of creation.

Q: Why did God rest on the seventh day?
A: Having worked six days, God rested on the seventh day first, so that we would know God alone is sovereign with no equal contending for His throne and second, to set an example, calling us to enter into His rest.

Q: Why did God call his creation “very good?”
A: All of creation in its goodness reflects different aspects of God’s character so that in them we might behold the glory of God.

Q: What is the calling of mankind?
A: The calling of mankind is to be fruitful and multiply, filling the earth and ruling it as faithful representatives of God.​

 

[Jack K]

ask your youth if how they look at creation matches what Jesus says. Do they agree with Mark 10:6 or Matthew 19:4? That man was made in the beginning, male and female?

The kids I'm teaching are young, and at this point most have given no thought to the idea that they might not be the sex their body tells them they are. But they will be hit with those ideas before long.

I'm not sure the truth that God created two sexes, male and female, fully addresses the issue, though. This is one reason I am considering more emphasis on the Creator/creature distinction. Kids are being taught that they must decide for themselves who they will be, or who they feel themselves to be—and not just in terms of gender, although that is a hot-button issue right now. I want them to know they are not self-creations but God's creation, which is better by far. In the culture, it is not just godly concepts about sex and gender that are under attack, but more fundamentally it is the whole idea of a Creator who gets to say who you are and what will bring you joy.

 

[Krak3n]

The kids I'm teaching are young, and at this point most have given no thought to the idea that they might not be the sex their body tells them they are. But they will be hit with those ideas before long.

I'm 32 years old and I still haven't pondered that idea!

 

[sc_q_jayce]

The kids I'm teaching are young, and at this point most have given no thought to the idea that they might not be the sex their body tells them they are. But they will be hit with those ideas before long.

I'm not sure the truth that God created two sexes, male and female, fully addresses the issue, though. This is one reason I am considering more emphasis on the Creator/creature distinction. Kids are being taught that they must decide for themselves who they will be, or who they feel themselves to be—and not just in terms of gender, although that is a hot-button issue right now. I want them to know they are not self-creations but God's creation, which is better by far. In the culture, it is not just godly concepts about sex and gender that are under attack, but more fundamentally it is the whole idea of a Creator who gets to say who you are and what will bring you joy.

Hey Jack,

I apologize, that was not my intention at all! What I meant was looking at the passage which says that "In the beginning of the creation God made them..." Tying the creation to a specific act by God and that Jesus testifies to the accuracy of this account. I was by no means intending to add the whole other can of worms to it...

Although I should mention that teaching our youth group here I've learned that our middle schools already have LGBTQ clubs and they're already asking questions about it as early as sixth grade, so maybe in a few years it won't be too soon, sadly, to bring it up.

 

[Jack K]

Hey Jack,

I apologize, that was not my intention at all! What I meant was looking at the passage which says that "In the beginning of the creation God made them..." Tying the creation to a specific act by God and that Jesus testifies to the accuracy of this account. I was by no means intending to add the whole other can of worms to it...

Although I should mention that teaching our youth group here I've learned that our middle schools already have LGBTQ clubs and they're already asking questions about it as early as sixth grade, so maybe in a few years it won't be too soon, sadly, to bring it up.

That's a good word. I was focused on the "male and female" part of those passages, but it's good to be reminded that behind all of Jesus' teaching is the simple truth that we are created by God. Thanks.

I don't believe the "other can of worms" is something we can wait until sixth grade anymore before we teach about it. But simply establishing that Christians think very differently than the surrounding culture when it comes to all manner of things, because we start with the truth that God creates us, is a good way to come at it. Or at least, I'm trying to determine if it is.