Matthew Chapter 1 and Genesis Chapter 1

[Pathways Of Grace]

I think it would be great to compare the Gospel of Matthew and the book of Genesis as they represent two beginnings. One where man is not fallen and has a direct relationship with God, and the other where man HAS fallen and is given the principles to get back his direct relationship with God.

It ocurred to me that the whole thrust of our discipleship in Christ is to get back to the beginning where He doesn't have to be the mediation between us and God, but that until we do HE is the bridge that restores our kinship, with Him and with God the Father.

So in essence we find in Genesis what we lost in the beginning, and in Matthew we find out how to restore it. With God there is always a way.

So let's start with Chapter 1 of each book and discuss, dissect it and share what they are speaking to our spirits.

[Pathways Of Grace]

Yep, begats there in Matthew..... it's not too bad! lol! But no begats in Genesis though the concept exists: God creates everything and so you can say He 'begat' those creations. Both emphasize creation, God's then Man's. It is interesting to note that God's begetting is 'all inclusive' and man's is most definitely linear. In other words God creates all at once whatever He decided to create that 'day' whereas man must PRO-create in a linear (time, maturing, systematic) way one (or two or more for multiple births) at a time....

Curious as to thoughts on that whole concept. Anybody?

[Pathways Of Grace]

This is interesting:

pro·cre·ate (prō'krē-āt') Pronunciation Key
v. pro·cre·at·ed, pro·cre·at·ing, pro·cre·ates
v. tr.

To beget and conceive (offspring).
To produce or create; originate.

v. intr.
To beget and conceive offspring; reproduce.
[Latin prōcreāre, prōcreāt- : prō-, forward; see pro-1 + creāre, to create; see ker-2 in Indo-European roots.]

And even more enlightening is this:

pro·cre·ate (prkr-t)
v. pro·cre·at·ed, pro·cre·at·ing, pro·cre·ates

To beget and conceive offspring; to reproduce.
To produce or create; originate.

When I was talking about procreation I though I would see what the definition was/is. I think the most telling is that we RE-produce or produce that which is already there. God on the other hand creats (non PRO attached) and produces (no RE involved) becaues He doesn't have to start from scratch. He creates NEW things, not recreating what He already has created. So we see that we mimic God in that we create as well, but we are limited to doing over what has been done before — God has no such limitations.

Plus the first definition states that we forward create (time constrained and only can exist in the future). God is not restricted by time. His creations stand eternally. Any comments?

[Shaina]

We can only create after our own kind... multiply ourselves.

[Pathways Of Grace]

Well in the sense of children. But we also create 'things' like buildings, cars, computers, etc. Still our creations are finite and made from the materials God provides, no matter how refined we make them. It reminds me of an old joke about the scientists who said they didn't need God to make a man as science had gotten so far along that they could do it themselves. So they challenged God to a contest as to who could make a man faster and better. God said ok, and picked up a hand of dirt to start, so did the scientists. God looked over and said "get your own dirt!"

The point being we do reflect our creator through our creations but what we must use are the foundations HE has already put into place. Even in child-bearing the spirit comes from God, the building blocks of the body (tissue, blood, et al) comes from the mother's body, which came from her mother's body etc. right on down to Eve (again God's creation). So we find that we really DO live, move and have our being in HIM!

Blessings,

Jonathan (Admin)

P. S. This really is a side issue (though interesting) and I guess who should really start with Chapter 1 of both books — ol!)

[Pathways Of Grace]

Perhaps in another thread but not this one.