INTRODUCTION
Genesis may well be considered the most important book ever written. Here we have the foundation of the whole Bible and the seedbed of Bible doctrine. Genesis alone gives us the record of creation, human origins and the fall of man. This book lays the foundation for all Bible prophecy. When men reject the authority of Genesis they lose the basis of all spiritual truth. They literally do not know where they came from or where they are going.I. THE TITLE.
The word Genesis means origin. Genesis is of course the book of origins. In Genesis we have the origin of the universe, our solar system, life, man, sin, marriage, language, industry, government, religion and the nation of Israel.Note the following generations:
1. Generations of the universe -- Genesis 2:4.2. Generations of Adam -- Genesis 5:1.
3. Generations of Noah -- Genesis 6:9.
4. Generations of Noah's sons -- Genesis 10:1.
5. Generations of Shem -- Genesis 11: 10.
6. Generations of Terah -- Genesis 11 :27.
7. Generations of Ishmael -- Genesis 25:12.
8. Generations of Isaac -- Genesis 25:19.
9. Generations of Esau -- Genesis 36:1 & 9.
10. Generations of Jacob -- Genesis 37:2.
II. THE AUTHOR.
Moses was the author of the first five books of the Bible. These are called the Pentateuch. The Jews commonly referred to the Old Testament authors as "Moses and the prophets" [Luke 24:27 and 44].III. THE SEEDBED OF BIBLE DOCTRINE.
Every Bible doctrine has its foundation in the book of Genesis. The book is alluded to over two hundred times in the New Testament. Without Genesis the Bible would be impossib Ie to understand.In some respects the Bible is structured like a complex novel:
A. Like the first chapter of a novel Genesis opens the story and gives all the necesssary backgground information.
B. Exodus through Jude expands upon the details and tells the story.
C. The book of Revelation, as with the final chapter of a novel, consummates the story and ties up all the loose ends. (It has often been noted that in many respects the book of the Revelation ends with a new beginning. Genesis begins with the creation of the heavens and the earth, while the book of the Revelation ends with a new heaven and a new earth).
IV. GENESIS AS A REVELATION.
Three things may be said of Genesis as a revelation from God:A. It is a great revelation - Genesis reveals what man could never learn on his own [Job 38: 1-6]. Genesis is the only history book of creation and of the first twenty-five hundred years of human existence.
B. It is part of a progressive revelation - The rest of Scripture must complete what Genesis begins. Genesis gives the first promise of redemption, yet ends with sin seemingly the victor [Genesis 50:26].
Example: Genesis 3:15 - In this first gospel promise we have the seeds of the whole redemption story. The rest of the Bible is really an exposition of this one verse.C. It is a revelation of salvation history - Notice that Genesis gives only two chapters to the history of the universe. There are only nine chapters on the history of the nations. The book is constantly narrowing in scope. Thirty-nine chapters deal with the story of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The book ends with the sons of Jacob in Egypt. These men were the "Fathers" of the tribes of Israel. In Egypt they become a great nation. Obviously the book of Genesis is leading us to the person of Christ. It is not a mere history of mankind, but of God's saving plan in history.
CONCLUSION: May our study of Genesis help us to realize afresh the unity of the Bible. The sixty-six books of Scripture make up one book and the theme of it all is Jesus Christ [John 5:39].
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Go to Genesis 1:1-2