Chapter One
VITAL STATISTICS
PURPOSE:
To record God's creation of the
world and his desire to have a
people set apart to worship him
AUTHOR:
Moses
ORIGINAL AUDIENCE:
The people of Israel
DATE WRITTEN:
1450-1410 B.C.
WHERE WRITTEN:
In the wilderness during Israel's
wanderings, somewhere in the
Sinai peninsula
SETTING:
The region presently known as the
Middle East
KEY VERSES:
"So God created man in his own
image, in the image of God he
created him; male and female he
created them" (1:27). "'I will make
you into a great nation and I will
bless you; I will make your name
great, and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth will be
blessed through you'" (12:2, 3).
KEY PEOPLE:
Adam, Eve, Noah, Abraham, Sarah,
Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, Joseph
BEGIN . start . commence . open
There's something refreshing and optimistic
about these words, whether they refer to the
dawn of a new day, the birth of a child, the
prelude of a symphony, or the first miles of a
family vacation. Free of problems and full of
promise, beginnings stir hope and imaginative
visions of the future. Genesis means "beginnings"
or "origin," and it unfolds the record
of the beginning of the world, of human history,
of family, of civilization, of salvation. It is the story of God's purpose
and plan for his creation. As the book of beginnings, Genesis sets the
stage for the entire Bible. It reveals the person and nature of God (Creator,
Sustainer, Judge, Redeemer); the value and dignity of human beings
(made in God's image, saved by grace, used by God in the world); the
tragedy and consequences of sin (the fall, separation from God, judgment);
and the promise and assurance of salvation (covenant, forgiveness,
promised Messiah).
God. That's where Genesis begins. All at once we see him creating the
world in a majestic display of power and purpose, culminating with a man
and woman made like himself (1:26, 27). But before long, sin entered the
world, and Satan was unmasked. Bathed in innocence, creation was
shattered by the fall (the willful disobedience of Adam and Eve). Fellowship
with God was broken, and evil began weaving its destructive web. In
rapid succession, we read how Adam and Eve were expelled from the
beautiful garden, their first son turned murderer, and evil bred evil until
God finally destroyed everyone on earth except a small family led by
Noah, the only godly person left.
As we come to Abraham on the plains of Canaan, we discover the beginning
of God's covenant people and the broad strokes of his salvation
plan: Salvation comes by faith, Abraham's descendants will be God's
people, and the Savior of the world will come through this chosen nation.
The stories of Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph that follow are more than interesting
biographies. They emphasize the promises of God and the proof
that he is faithful. The people we meet in Genesis are simple, ordinary
people, yet through them, God did great things. These are vivid pictures
of how God can and does use all kinds of people to accomplish his good
purposes-even people like you.
Read Genesis and be encouraged. There is hope! No matter how dark
the world situation seems, God has a plan. No matter how insignificant
or useless you feel, God loves you and wants to use you in his plan. No
matter how sinful and separated from God you are, his salvation is available.
Read Genesis . and hope!
THE BLUEPRINT
A. THE STORY OF CREATION (1:1-2:3)
God created the sky, seas, and land. He created the plants, animals, fish,
and birds. But he created human beings in his own image. At times,
others may treat us disrespectfully. But we can be certain of our dignity
and worth because we have been created in the image of God.
B. THE STORY OF ADAM (2:4-5:32)
1. Adam and Eve
2. Cain and Abel
3. Adam's descendants
When Adam and Eve were created by God, they were without sin. But
they became sinful when they disobeyed God and ate some fruit from
the tree. Through Adam and Eve we learn about the destructive power
of sin and its bitter consequences.
C. THE STORY OF NOAH (6:1-11:32)
1. The flood
2. Repopulating the earth
3. The tower of Babel
Noah was spared from destruction of the flood because he obeyed
God and built the ark. Just as God protected Noah and his family, he still
protects those who are faithful to him today.
D. THE STORY OF ABRAHAM (12:1-25:18)
1. God promises a nation to Abram
2. Abram and Lot
3. God promises a son to Abram
4. Sodom and Gomorrah
5. Birth and near sacrifice of Isaac
6. Isaac and Rebekah
7. Abraham dies
Abraham was asked to leave his country, wander in Canaan, wait years
for a son, and then sacrifice him as a burnt offering. Through these
periods of sharp testing, Abraham remained faithful to God. His example
teaches us what it means to live a life of faith.
E. THE STORY OF ISAAC (25:19-28:9)
1. Jacob and Esau
2. Isaac and Abimelech
3. Jacob gets Isaac's blessing
Isaac did not demand his own way. He did not resist when he was about
to be sacrificed, and he gladly accepted a wife chosen for him by others.
Like Isaac, we must learn to put God's will ahead of our own.
F. THE STORY OF JACOB (28:10-36:43)
1. Jacob starts a family
2. Jacob returns home
Jacob did not give up easily. He faithfully served Laban for over 14 years.
Later, he wrestled with God. Although Jacob made many mistakes, his
hard work teaches us about living a life of service for our Lord.
G. THE STORY OF JOSEPH (37:1-50:26)
1. Joseph is sold into slavery
2. Judah and Tamar
3. Joseph is thrown into prison
4. Joseph is placed in charge of Egypt
5. Joseph and his brothers meet in Egypt
6. Jacob's family moves to Egypt
7. Jacob and Joseph die in Egypt
Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers and unjustly thrown into
prison by his master. Through the life of Joseph, we learn that suffering,
no matter how unfair, can develop strong character in us.
MEGATHEMES
THEME EXPLANATION IMPORTANCE
Beginnings Genesis explains the beginning Genesis teaches us that the
of many important realities: the earth is well made and good. People
universe, the earth, people, sin, are special to God and unique.
and God's plan of salvation. God creates and sustains all life.
Disobedience People are always facing great Genesis explains why people are evil:
choices. Disobedience occurs when They choose to do wrong. Even great heroes
people choose not to follow failed God and disobeyed.
God's plan of living.
Sin Sin ruins people's lives. It Living God's way makes life
happens when we disobey God. productive and fulfilling.
Promises God makes promises to help God kept his promises then, and he
and protect people. This kind keeps them now. He promises to love us,
of promise is called a "covenant." Accept us, forgive us.
Obedience The opposite of sin is obedience. The only way to enjoy the benefits of God's
Obeying God restores our promises is to obey him.
relationship to him.
Prosperity Prosperity is deeper than mere When people obey God, they find peace
material wealth. True prosperity with him, with others, and with themselves.
and fulfillment come as a result
of obeying God.
Israel God started the nation of Israel God is looking for people today to
in order to have a dedicated people follow him. We are to proclaim God's
who would (1) keep his ways alive truth and love to all nations, not just
in the world, (2) proclaim to our own. We must faithful to carry out
the world what he is really like, the mission God has given us.
and (3) prepare the world for the
birth of Christ.
KEY PLACES IN GENESIS
God created the universe and the earth. Then he made man and
woman, giving them a home in a beautiful garden. Unfortunately,
Adam and Eve disobeyed God and were banished from the
garden (3:23).
1 Mountains of Ararat Adam and Eve's sin brought sin into the
human race. Years later, sin had run rampant and God decided
to destroy the earth with a great flood. But Noah, his family,
and two of each animal were safe in the ark. When the floods
receded, the ark rested on the mountains of Ararat (8:4).
2 Babel People never learn. Again sin abounded, and the pride
of the people led them to build a huge tower as a monument
to their own greatness -obviously they had no thought of
God. As punishment, God scattered the people by giving them
different languages (11:8, 9).
3 Ur of the Chaldeans Abram, a descendant of Shem and father
of the Hebrew nation, was born in this great city (11:28).
4 Haran Terah, Abram, Lot, and Sarai left Ur and, following the
fertile crescent of the Euphrates River, headed toward the land
of Canaan.
Along the way,
they settled
in the village
of Haran for a
while (11:31).
5 Shechem
God urged
Abram to leave
Haran and go
to a place where
he would become
the father of
a great nation
(12:1, 2). So
Abram, Lot, and
Sarai traveled
to the land of
Canaan and
settled near
a city called
Shechem (12:6).
6 Hebron
Abraham moved
on to Hebron
where he put
down his deepest
roots (13:18).
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all lived and were buried here.
7 Beersheba The well at Beersheba was a source of conflict
between Abraham and King Abimelech and later became a sign
of the oath that they swore there (21:31). Years later, as Isaac
was moving from place to place, God appeared to him here and
passed on to him the covenant he had made with his father,
Abraham (26:23-25).
8 Bethel After deceiving his brother, Jacob left Beersheba and
fled to Haran. Along the way, God revealed himself to Jacob
in a dream and passed on the covenant he had made with Abraham
and Isaac (28:10-22). Jacob lived in Haran, worked for
Laban, and married Leah and Rachel (29:15-30). After a tense
meeting with his brother, Esau, Jacob returned to Bethel (35:1).
9 Egypt Jacob had 12 sons, including Joseph, Jacob's favorite.
Joseph's 10 older brothers grew jealous, until one day the
brothers sold him to Midianite merchants going to Egypt.
Eventually, Joseph rose from Egyptian slave to Pharaoh's
"right-hand man," saving Egypt from famine. His entire family
moved from Canaan to Egypt and settled there (46:3-7).
A. THE STORY OF CREATION (1:1-2:3)
We sometimes wonder how our world came to be. But here we find the answer. God created
the earth and everything in it, and made humans like himself. Although we may not understand
the complexity of just how he did it, it is clear that God did create all life. This shows
not only God's authority over humanity, but his deep love for all people.
The Beginning
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth
was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the
Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
3 And God said, Let there be light, and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was
good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light day,
and the darkness he called night. And there was evening, and there was morning
the first day.
6 And God said, Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water.
7 So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from
the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the expanse sky. And there was
evening, and there was morning the second day.
9 And God said, Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry
ground appear. And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground land, and the gathered
waters he called seas. And God saw that it was good.
11 Then God said, Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and
trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.
And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to
their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And
God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning the
third day.
14 And God 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, 15 and let
them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth. And it was so.
16 God made two great lights the greater light to govern the day and the lesser
light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the expanse
of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate
light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening,
and there was morning the fourth day.
20 And God said, Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the
earth across the expanse of the sky. 21 So God created the great creatures of the
sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to
their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was
good. 22 God blessed them and said, Be fruitful and increase in number and fill
the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth. 23 And there was
evening, and there was morning the fifth day.
24 And God said, Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock,
creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its
kind. And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the
livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the
ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
26 Then God said, Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them
rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the
earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.
Continues.
