TLDR: A guide for having a family discipleship time on Genesis 2 based on the ACT Bible Study Method.
Act 1: God Creates
Scene 2: Adam and Eve Obey
Genesis 2:1–25
Analyze the Passage
Step 1: Introduce the Passage
Genesis was written by Moses sometime between 1445–1405 BC to help the Israelites leaving Egypt understand their history with God. It’s one of the five books of the Law that Moses wrote, which we also call the Torah, or the Pentateuch, which means “five books.”
Today’s true story that finishes and then retells the last one. In Genesis 1, we had a bird’s-eye view of creation; in Genesis 2, we will zoom to see more details of God creating people, his most special creation. It is in Act 1 of the Bible’s big story, God Creates.
Step 2: Read the Passage
Step 3: Summarize the Passage
After God made everything, he rested on the seventh day (vv. 1–3).
In retelling how God made people, we see that God breathed life into the first man, Adam (vv. 4–7)
God made a garden, or orchard, in Eden with trees with perfect food on them. In this garden, he placed two special trees: the tree of life and the three of the knowledge of good and evil. The garden was watered by several rivers (vv. 8–14).
God gave Adam one thing he could not do: eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He warned Adam that if he did, he would die (vv. 15–17).
After saying everything in creation was “good,” God said one thing was not good: Adam being alone without another human. So God placed all the animals before Adam so he could name them, but Adam did not find a companion—a friend like him. So God caused him to sleep and made the first woman, Eve, from him. When Adam woke up and saw the woman, he was grateful and they became husband and wife (vv. 18–25).
Step 4: Interrogate the Passage
Questions you and your family ask might include:
- Why did God rest on the seventh day?
- What does it mean that God blessed the seventh day and made it holy?
- Why did God breathe life into Adam?
- Why did God put the two special trees in the garden?
- Why would Adam die if he ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?
- Why did God think it was not good for Adam to be alone?
- Why did God have Adam name all the animals?
- Why did God make Eve from part of Adam?
- What did Adam mean by what he said when he saw Eve?
Step 5: Wonder about the Passage
Wonder statements you and your family make might include:
- I wonder what the garden of Eden looked like.
- I wonder what types of vegetables and fruits were in the garden.
- I wonder what Adam did at first?
- I wonder why Adam named the animals like he did.
- I wonder if Adam’s side hurt when he woke up.
- I wonder what Adam thought when he saw Eve.
Connect the Passage to Christ
Step 6: Find the World in Front of Text
While we don’t know how much time passes in Genesis 2 before Genesis 3 happens, it is a time marked by perfect obedience to God. At least for this time, everything God made was working like it was supposed to. Adam and then Adam and Eve did what God told them to do and experienced a perfect life in a perfect world with a perfect God.
Step 7: Find the World of Jesus of the Text
Obedience is a mark of living like Jesus. He was obedient to the Father in everything he did. It wasn’t always easy, but Jesus did it anyway. The greatest reward of Jesus’ obedience is that it led to our salvation from sin.
Translate It to Your Context
Step 8: Connect the World of Jesus of the Text to Your World
How can you obey God this week, in big ways and small ways, so that people might see Jesus in you? Think about all the places you will be this week and what you will do. How can you obey God and people he has placed in authority with joy?
NEXT: Act 2: People Disobey; Scene 1: Adam and Eve Disobey (Genesis 3:1–24)
Learn more about this family discipleship method here.
brian dembowczyk 