More Details from the Sixth Day of Creation

2/23 Reading Portions: Exodus 6; Luke 9; Job 23; 1 Corinthians 10

Online Bible Audio/Readings Links (ESV)

2/23 Reading Portions: Exodus 6; Luke 9; Job 23; 1 Corinthians 10

Genesis 2:4

These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.

GENERATIONS

I mentioned way back in Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2 that Hebrew Scripture, makes use of recapitulation as a literary device. Recapitulation is common today in books and other written material. It means “summary” or “to summarize.” In American literature, rhetoric, and teaching and instruction, it is often a short sentence or paragraph at the end of a topic to summarize what has been written, said, or taught. Biblical recapitulation is often a summary or a summarizing sentence placed at the beginning of a story, sermon, or narrative, then details are provided to express, explain, or expand the singular thought.

Our verse today prepares us for the details of the summary or recapitulation of the sixth day of creation given in Genesis 1:24-31. Today’s verse is a heading, for what is to follow, or another recapitulation, if you will. And the details that will be provided are about mankind in general, and Adam and Eve in particular. We know this by the first two words in Hebrew: תוֹלְדוֹת אֵלֶּה (ĀL-leh tōl-DŌT),

Of the 39 times the Hebrew root תֹּלְדָה (to-l’-DAH) is used in the Old Testament—which means “generation” or “birth,” it refers to family history. It is about mankind, as mentioned earlier. But more than that, it is about Jesus Messiah. From Genesis 2:5 until Genesis 2:25, our triune God provides us details of the sixth day of creation. From Genesis 3:1 until Genesis 3:24, our triune God will provide us details of the seventh day, when He rested from His creative work. “But Brother Jon,” someone might ask, “let’s say I buy that as historical fact. But how does Jesus fit into those two chapters?” My answer, as we’ll see in the next few weeks to come, is this: our triune God makes the eternal and blessed point that, apart from the Lord Jesus Messiah’s gospel truth—His incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension into heaven, and His coming again to consummate all things, man created in sinless perfection (Gen 2:7), placed in the perfect garden environment (Gen 2:8), supplied with unlimited provision for food with only one exception (Gen 2:16-17), and gifted with the perfect, appropriate helper (Gen 2:22), all that man can succeed in doing is being deceived by God’s enemy, dishonor God by his disobedience to God, and bring about death to himself and to others. Remember it this way: perfect 3D man, apart from Christ, will 4D his way to hell.

The promise of the Lord Jesus Christ to save the world was not our sovereign, triune God’s knee-jerk reaction to mankind’s sin; but was His plan all along before the beginning. Hallelujah! What a Savior!