LESSON 2 - CREATION

In Lesson 1 we learned about the way the world was in the beginning. We are now going to learn about Creation, when Yahweh made everything, Genesis 1:1.

It is Yahweh who made the world and everything in it, and nothing can live, breathe or grow without Him. Yahweh spent five days making the earth a place where animals could live. It took mighty power and awesome force to do this.

The Spirit of Elohim had been hovering over the water as the earth was formless, empty and dark. On the first day of Creation, Yahweh created light, Genesis 1:3. Yahweh just had to speak and it was done! Can you imagine that?!?!?

And Elohim saw the light, and Elohim divided the light from the darkness. And Elohim called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day, Genesis 1:4-5.

On the second day, Elohim said there should be an expanse between the waters on the earth and the waters above. He called the waters above "sky." There was evening and morning, the second day, Genesis 1:8.

So the third day Elohim commanded, “Let the water under the sky come together in one place so that the land will appear.” Elohim molded the Earth’s surface so that some of it was high and some of it was low. The great layer of water covering the earth drained into the low areas, causing various shapes of waters. Large areas of dry land were left above the waters forming what Elohim called earth. The waters Elohim called seas, Genesis 1:9-10. Then Elohim caused every kind of tree, bush, flower and grass to grow out of the ground. In the same day the earth began to grow green with plants of all kinds from the ground, Genesis 1:11-13. As the plants and trees grew, some produced fruit and some produced grain. As the plants matured, they dropped seeds. In time, these seeds grew into new trees and plants. This way we would always have living and growing plants.

On the fourth day Elohim said "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth. And it was so," Genesis 1:14-15. He made these lights to mark days! He made these lights to mark seasons!

Elohim made two great lights; the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. Elohim set them in the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And Elohim saw it was good, Genesis 1:16-18.

On the fifth day Elohim commanded the waters to be filled with many kinds of living beings, from giant sea monsters like big whales down to tiny little fish which can hardly be seen. Elohim caused the air to be filled with winged creatures of every kind. There were big birds like falcons and eagles and tiny ones like bats, butterflies, moths, flying insects and thousands more.

Elohim gave all these creatures life so that they, too, could grow and have families. That is why they are still with us today. It is Yahweh who created the world and His awesome powers which keep it growing and living every day.

Elohim was almost ready to bring man into being. But before creating man on the sixth day, there were special land creatures to be created on the earth. There were large, small, wild and tame creatures. There were creatures such as snakes, horses, bears, cows, sheep, goats, dogs and cats, rabbits, hamsters, mice, worms, insects and almost every kind of thing that walks, creeps or crawls, Genesis 1:24-25.

Every creature was perfectly formed and wonderfully made. Now, Elohim was ready to perform the most important, and perhaps challenging, task of all. Elohim said, Let us make man in our image. And man was to rule over all the fish of the sea and the birds of the air; even over the livestock. Man was to rule over all the creatures that move along the ground. And Elohim created man in His own image; male and female and instructed them to be fruitful and increase in number to fill the earth, Genesis 1:26-28. The first man was made out of the dust of the ground. Elohim breathed into man's nostrils to cause the man to breathe air and the man became alive! He became the first living person, Genesis 2:7.

Elohim named this first human being “Adam” because he was made of the red earth of that place. The name “Adam” means “red.” He was the first living mortal man on this planet, 1 Corinthians 15:45. The Creator had already prepared a beautiful garden for Adam to live and work in and take care of. This garden was called the Garden of Eden. It was in a land on the other side of the world from North America. Elohim had created all the kinds of beings, male and female so that life could go on.

Elohim knew that Adam would be very lonely if he were the only human being. So Elohim caused a deep sleep to come over Adam, and when Adam was asleep Elohim took one of Adam’s ribs and used it to create a woman. She was given to Adam for a helper and a companion. Adam called her “woman,” which means "taken out of man," Genesis 2:23-24. Adam did give her a name. He named his wife, Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living, Genesis 3:20.

Elohim saw everything that he had made and He was very pleased, and there was evening and morning, the sixth day, Genesis 1:31.

By the seventh day Elohim had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all his work. And Elohim blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because He rested from all the work of creating that he had done, Genesis 2:2-3. He called the seventh day the “Sabbath,” Exodus 16:23,25. He set that twenty-four hour period apart as His special day. Yahweh made a law that man should always observe that same day every week by resting and assembling together for worship. He made that day a dedicated time and commanded all people to always keep it set apart. The first six days were for man to work and play, but the last day of the week, the Sabbath, Yahweh kept for Himself, Exodus 20:8-11. If Elohim didn’t give us a time to rest and a time to worship Him, we wouldn’t do it. Yahweh knew this and that is why he made it a commandment for us to keep the Sabbath Day.

Yahweh made a beautiful garden called Eden for Adam and Eve to live in. The garden was planted with trees that were beautiful to look at and good for food. And there was a river watering the garden which flowed from Eden and from Eden it branched off into four rivers, Genesis 2:1-10. There may have been many fine, friendly animals of all kinds and sizes and birds of bright colors flying from tree to tree. Their songs probably filled the air with soothing music that made the people feel peaceful and happy.

Elohim told Adam and Eve to have children and grandchildren and replenish the earth; to have power over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heaven and over every living thing that moves upon the earth, Genesis 1:28. Even way back then, Yahweh gave instructions to man as soon as he was made. He told man that every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it was theirs for food, Genesis 1:29. Of course, as time goes on, we'll see that Yahweh gave man all kinds of things to eat (and also told man of some things he should NOT eat as well).

Adam and Eve more than likely truly enjoyed living in the garden because there weren’t any weeds or thorns and the weather was just right. They didn’t even have to wear clothes to keep warm. In their leisure time they enjoyed walking in the garden together. We know that Yahweh walked in the garden, too, and that He probably talked with them, Genesis 3:8.

There were lots of important things that Yahweh wanted to teach Adam and Eve. On the Sabbath Day, they probably rested and talked with Yahweh and learned from Him. He may have told them about His Special Days and perhaps what it means to love one another and how to have a happy family.

Adam and Eve probably had many questions, just like we do. Back then, they could ask Yahweh and He would answer them. We have His word, in the form of the Bible, to go to for the answers. You have your parents to ask and to help you learn how to find Yahweh's answers to some of your questions.

We should spend time every day with Yahweh and we have an entire twenty-four hours to spend with Him each week, the Sabbath Day!

LESSON 2 - ACTIVITIES

Here are some questions to see how much you learned from the Lesson you just completed. You can print out this page to write your answers and do any activities that follow. Make sure you have an adult or a big brother or sister check your work! You may even get a "star" on it!

Questions

1. What did Elohim create on the sixth day?
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2. What did Elohim create on the seventh day?
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3. What are some things we should do on the seventh day?
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4. What was the name of the garden?
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5. Who was the first man?
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6. Who was the first woman?
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7. What was the man made from?
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8. What was the woman made from?
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9. Why was the woman named "Eve"?
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10. What was Adam's first job?
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COLORING

Are we EVER too old to color? Absolutely not!
Go ahead and print this out to color.

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Memory Verse

And Yahweh blessed the
seventh day and made it holy,
because on it He rested from all
the work of creating that He had done.
Genesis 2:3

HalleluYAH!