Book of Beginnings

Genesis tells us the beginning of everything except God. Another thing to notice is that it tells only of beginnings. There is no finality here. It gives us at least 2000 years of record. It is not entirely history; it is a spiritual interpretation of history.

In chapter 1 we have the account of creation in outline and in chapter 2 part of the same in detail. The detail concerns the creation of humanity, for the Bible is the history of the redemption of humanity. God created people in his own image to have fellowship with himself. 

Adam and Eve were created in a state of innocence but with the power of choice. They were tested under the most favourable circumstances. They were endowed with clear minds and pure hearts, with the ability to do right. God gave them his own presence and fellowship (Genesis 3:8). But they yielded to the temptation and failed the test. Sin entered the world. Satan still influences people to disobey God. Adam and Eve were separated from God, the ground was cursed and sorrow filled their hearts. 

In mercy, God promised one who would redeem us from sin (Genesis 3:15). The offspring of the woman (Jesus) would come to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8).

Immediately after the fall, people began to offer sacrifices which were ordered by God unto him. These were for the purpose of keeping before people the fact of their fall and of the coming sacrifice of Jesus. 

Two of Adam’s sons. Cain and Abel, brought their sacrifices unto the Lord (Genesis 4:3, 4). Abel’s offering was accepted while Cain’s was rejected. Any sacrifice brought to the Lord must be done so with proper motivation and through faith and obedience. Cain became angry with his brother Abel and in his wrath killed him. 

Long before God gave the law to Moses (Exodus 20), we find several very definite ordinances given in the book of Genesis. At the very beginning God instituted the Sabbath (Genesis 2:1-3) and marriage (Genesis 2:24). The law of the tithe was also observed (Genesis 14:20). 

The account of the flood (Genesis 5-9) in Bible is very plain and straightforward. Evil had grown rampant. It threatened to destroy everything that was good. Only one righteous man remained, Noah. God sent the flood to restore good upon the earth. God was going to separate the righteous from the wicked. He was taking the first step toward a chosen nation. Noah had warned them for 120 years while he was building the ark. Noah was saved from the flood by the Ark (example of Christ, our Ark of safety). When he came out, the first thing he did was to erect an alter and worship God (Genesis 8:20).

After the flood the world was given a new start. But instead of spreading out and reopening the earth as God had commanded, they built the great tower of Babel in defiance of God (Genesis 10-11). They thought they could reach heaven by their own effort. God sent a confusion of tongues and scattered them. 

In spite of the wickedness of the human heart, God wanted to show his grace. He wanted a chosen people to whom he might entrust the Holy Scriptures, to be his witness to the other nations and through whom the promised Messiah could come. He called a man named Abram (Genesis 12-38) to leave his home in idolatrous Ur of the Chaldees to go to an unknown land where God would make him the father of a mighty nation (Genesis 12:1-3; Hebrews 11:8-19). This begins the history of God’s chosen people, Israel. Abraham was called “God’s friend” (James 2:23). God made a covenant with him that he should be the father of a great nation and that through him the nations of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:1-3). 

 

Through Isaac, Abraham’s son, the promises of God were passed down to Jacob, who, despite his many faults, valued God’s covenant blessing. His name was changed to Israel, a prince with God (Genesis 32:28). This is the name by which God’s chosen people were called – Israelites. His twelve sons became the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel (Genesis 49). 

Joseph is one of the outstanding noble characters of the Old Testament (Genesis 39-50). It was through Joseph that Jacob’s (Israel) family was transplanted into Egypt. He was sold as a slave at seventeen. At thirty he became prime minister in Egypt and ten years later his father, Jacob (Israel), entered Egypt. 

God knew it was necessary that the Israelites leave Canaan until they had developed national strength so they would take possession of the land of Canaan. God wanted to safeguard them against mingling and intermarrying with the idolatrous peoples then in the land. The book of Genesis ends with the dying words of Jacob (Israel). We see the promise to Judah of a descendant who is to be the coming ruler. Christ is called the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5).

In the first book of Bible itself God called his chosen people whom he blessed and prospered. The chosen people were called Israel. Even the only tribe (Israel) in the history who survived were attacked 52 times, captures and recaptured 44 times, besieged 23 times and destroyed twice; God restored it to be one of the most powerful nations in the world today. This blessings and prosperity is given to us through Christ Jesus, when we accept him as our personal saviour and leave the evil world and follow him. I pray that the spirit of God will help you to understand the mystery about the new Israel who are the followers of Christ Jesus, and help you also to be a genuine follower of Jesus.