The Old Testament Survey small group just completed a two-week survey of the book of Genesis, the first book in the Bible. Given that three of the world’s major religions — Judaism, Christianity, and Islam — trace their origins to the traditions found in Genesis, it is worthy of reflection.
Many of the stories contained in the book of Genesis are familiar to Christians who grew up attending Sunday School. Some of the Bible’s most famous characters are featured in the 50 chapters that comprise the book, including Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. The belief that all humans were created equal by virtue of their creation in the “image of God” stems from Genesis. The events of the book also have inspired many great works of art, literature and architecture.Â
But first and foremost, Genesis is about our almighty God. He is revealed as the Creator of the universe and the one who pursues a covenant relationship with His people.Â
In the Jewish tradition, the Hebrew name for Genesis (Bereshith) comes from its opening words, “in the beginning” (Gen. 1:1). In the Greek, the word “genesis” means “origin” or “beginning.” The authorship of Genesis is generally ascribed to Moses by Jews and Christians, although the book contains some information that both pre-dates and post-dates Moses (e.g., Moses was not there for creation; Gen. 36 lists rulers who lived beyond Moses’ time). Many biblical scholars therefore consider Genesis through Deuteronomy (aka. the Pentateuch or Torah) to be a collection of traditions passed down in oral and written form by a variety of people (including Moses) over a number of centuries.
Genesis consists of two basic segments. Chapters 1-11 recount the period of history from Creation to the great Flood and scattering of the nations (circa 2000 B.C.), and Chapters 12-50 cover the period from approximately 2000 B.C. to 1800 B.C. The general structure of the book is outlined below:
I. Beginnings (Genesis 1-11)
(A) Creation - God created universe, of which humankind is the pinnacle (Gen. 1-2)
(B) Fall of Man (due to sin) and its impact on work, relationships, etc. (Gen. 3-5)
(C) Flood - sin multiples and God destroys humanity, saving only righteous Noah and his family (Gen. 6-10)
(D) Nations - because of human rebellion in constructing the Tower of Babel, God fragments culture/language and scatters people over the face of the earth (Gen. 11)
II. Covenant (Patriarchs) (Genesis 12-50)
(A) Abraham (Gen. 12-25:8) - God made His covenant with Abraham, a covenant which is central to all of Scripture. God promised Abraham: (1) great land (Gen. 15:18), (2) a great nation of his descendants (Gen. 15:5; Gen. 13:16); and (3) great blessing (Gen. 12:2). God Himself initiated this covenant with Abraham; it wasn’t Abraham’s idea. God remains faithful to this covenant today, a covenant which has been extended through the giving of the Law (Old Covenant) and the gift of Jesus Christ (New Covenant).
(B) Isaac (Gen. 21-22, 24-26) - God established His covenant with Isaac as the spiritual link through Abraham
(c) Jacob (Gen. 26:21-37:36) - God transforms Jacob from a deceitful man to His servant, changes his name to Israel (from whom come the Twelve Tribes of Israel)
(d) Joseph (Gen. 37-50) - Jacob’s son, suffers and becomes a slave in Egypt, only to experience a God-appointed rise to rulership in Egypt and move the Israelites into that nation
The book of Genesis is abundant with stories of faith and struggle, righteousness and deceit. It is the story of humanity searching for its reason to exist. It seeks to answer some of life’s biggest questions — where did we come from? Why are we here? Is there a God? Why do we die? Why is there evil in the world? Why can’t we all just get along?Â
Perhaps the most important lesson to take from Genesis is to discover that God created all humans to have a loving relationship with Him.  Despite our sinful choices, we are made in the image of God (Gen. 1:27). Through the powerful, life-giving blood of His Son Jesus Christ, God has extended His covenant promises to us. We do not stand condemned for our sins but have been justified by faith and can spend eternity with Him.
One of my favorite Pastor Markisms is “when you suffer a setback, don’t take a step back; God is already preparing your comeback.” Humankind was created and failed by sinning. However, God did not wipe His hands of human beings but sanctified (set aside) a people to be called His own, first the Israelites (through the Abrahamic covenant and the Law) and then the world (through the blood of Jesus). As men and women created in His image, how much do we value our relationship with God? Are we spending time worshipping and listening to Him?
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