First book of the Bible, providing a universal setting for God’s revelation and introducing basic biblical teachings. Genesis moves in two parts: (1) universal creation, rebellion, punishment, and restoration; (2) God’s choice of a particular family through whom He promises to bless the nations.
Contents
The first eleven chapters of Genesis provide the universal setting for Israel’s story. Taking up themes and motifs prominent in the literature of their neighbors, the inspired writer showed how only one God participated in creation of the whole world and in directing the fortunes of all its nations. The focus narrows from creation of the universe to creation of the first family (1:1-2:25). Trust in a wily serpent rather than in God brings sin into the world and shows God’s judgment on sin. Thus human life is lived out in the suffering, pain, and frustration of the world we know (ch. 3). In that world God continues to condemn sin, bless faithfulness, and yet show grace to sinners (4:1-15). From the human perspective, great cultural achievements appear, but so does overwhelming human pride (4:16-24). Thus humans multiply their race as God commanded; they also look for a better life than that of pain and toil (4:25-5:32). Help comes, but only after further punishment. Through the flood, God eliminates all humanity except the family of Noah, then makes a covenant with that family never again to bring such punishment (6:1-9:17), but human sin continues on the individual and the societal levels, bringing necessary divine punishment of the nations at the tower of Babel (9:18-11:9). God thus establishes a plan to redeem and bless the humanity that persists in sin. He calls one man of faith-Abraham-and leads him to a new beginning in a new land. He gives His promises of land, nation, fame, and a mission of blessing for the nations. This works itself out in blessing nations that help Abraham and punishing those who do not. It climaxes in God’s covenant with Abraham in which Abraham shows faithfulness in the sign of circumcision and God renews His promises.
New generations led by Isaac and Jacob find God continuing to lead them, to call them to be His people, and to renew His promises to them. Human trickery and deception personified in Jacob do not alter God’s determination to carry out His redemptive plan. Even when crafty Jacob appears to meet his match while returning to Abraham’s homeland, God leads him back to the Promised Land and back to safety. Reconciliation with his brother Esau is followed by deception on the part of his sons. They sell favored brother Joseph into slavery in Egypt. There God mysteriously works even in a prison cell to raise Joseph to power, demonstrating His authority over the highest political authority of the world. Finally, the family is reunited in Egypt and look forward to God’s deliverance so they can return to the land of promise.
Thus is established the heritage of God’s people in the triad of patriarchal fathers-Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God’s promises and revelation to them became the foundation of Israel’s religious experience and hope.
Critical Problems
Critical scholars have raised many questions as they have sought reverently to study and understand the Book of Genesis. Comparison with other creation and flood stories, especially those coming from Sumeria, Babylon, and Assyria, have shown striking similarities to the biblical narrative. Why does the biblical account follow the same basic outline of other creation and flood narratives? Has one copied the other? Does God inspire a writer to react to other literature and write the authentic version? What role does oral tradition play in one nation learning of the literature of another nation? The least that can be said is that Israel’s creation and flood narratives present a consistent picture of a sovereign God concerned with and in control of all nations. It shows a realistic picture of humanity in their great strengths and weaknesses. It has proven itself true through the centuries and millennia, whereas the other stories have become relics of a past civilization, recovered only by the accident of the archaeologists’ spadework.
Genesis has given rise to theories of the origin and compilation of the book and of the Pentateuch or first five books of the Bible. Do use of later names such as land of the Philistines (Gen. 21:32), closely resembling, almost duplicate stories (12:10-20; 20:1-18; 26:1-11), the use of different names for God (Yahweh in ch. 15; Elohim in ch. 17), the use of different facts (man made with woman in 1:27 but man made, then the animals, then woman in ch. 2) point to different authors of parts of the book, sources used by an author, or literary and theological techniques used to deliver the divine message?
In the 1960s many scholars thought they had reached agreement on the answers. The 1980s opened the questions anew with widely differing theories. The theories each try to explain how God produced and provided this book. The constant fact is that Genesis is both a classic piece of literature and the word of God inspired to teach His people about Him, His plan of redemption, and the nature of the world and people He created.
Teachings
A brief article can merely list a few of the important teachings of Genesis. Human reflection upon the book from the point of its origin onward has not completely understood its theological richness and its call to covenant faithfulness and hope. God is Creator and Redeemer. He provided the best of all possible worlds for the best of all possible creatures, humanity created in His image. Human sin, inspired by a tempting part of the creation, brought divine judgment, resulting in the world of pain, labor, and frustration we now experience.
God is Judge and Savior. He takes human sin seriously but works constantly to form permanent relationships with people of grace. He calls people to follow and serve Him, promising them blessings suited for their needs and His purposes. God’s judgment is limited by His covenant promises. God’s salvation is limited only by human refusal to trust and believe. People of faith are not perfect. They deceive and connive, but they leave themselves open to God’s leadership and become instruments of His plan.
God is universal sovereign and individual God. He created and directs the nations, blessing and cursing according to His purposes. He reveals Himself to, calls, enters into covenant with, and promises to bless individual people. Such work with individuals is part of His plan to bless nations.
Trent C. Butler
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