Genesis Introduction
Introduction
Genesis and the other ‘books of Moses’ (Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) introduce the continuous story of Israel running through the first quarter of the Bible. Genesis is traditionally attributed to Moses, the one who led the people of Israel out of Egypt.
Genesis explains how one nation comes to have a special role in God’s plan for all of humanity. Early on, the order and harmony of God’s good creation are overwhelmed by the destructive consequences of human rebellion and pride. The violence, injustice and suffering that follow lead God to condemn and restrain human wickedness through the judgment of the great flood. God then makes a covenant with Abraham and his descendants, providing an ongoing framework for the story. The family of Abraham – Israel – will be God’s chosen means to bring the nations back to himself. Genesis closes with Abraham’s descendants having grown into a league of large tribes, but they are not in the land God has promised them. So the story leads naturally into the books that follow.
The book is divided into twelve parts by eleven repetitions of the phrase this is the account of. Each section is about the life and family of the person named. These are woven together to document the story of human history and the beginning of God’s plan to restore humanity and their place in his world through Israel.
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The Holy Bible, New International Version® (Anglicised), NIV®
Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.
Genesis About this book
About this book
The name “Genesis” comes from a Greek word meaning “beginning”. And this is a book of beginnings, because it talks about the beginning of the universe, the beginning of the human race, and the beginning of the people of Israel.
The first part of Genesis (1—11) tells about creation and the human race up to the time of Abraham. Everything God created was good, but the first two human beings, Adam and Eve, disobeyed him and brought evil into the world. People became so sinful that God decided to send a flood to kill everyone except a man named Noah and his family. They worshipped God, and so God told them to build a large boat to save themselves and a few of each kind of animals and birds. After the flood people again spread out over the earth, and most of them stopped worshipping God.
The rest of the book of Genesis (12—50) contains the story of Abram and his family. God chose them to be the beginning of his own special people. God also changed Abram's name to Abraham, and the name of Abram's wife Sarai to Sarah. Abraham and his wife Sarah had no children, but God promised that they would have a child and that their descendants would some day have their own land and be a blessing for all nations.
Abraham and Sarah moved to Canaan, the land that God had promised to give their descendants. Abraham and Sarah had a son, Isaac, when they were very old. Isaac later had two sons, Jacob and Esau. As the book concludes, Jacob's twelve sons and their families are living in Egypt. One of these brothers, Joseph, had become the governor of Egypt. But Joseph knew that God would some day keep his promise to his people:
Before Joseph died, he told his brothers, “I won't live much longer. But God will take care of you and lead you out of Egypt to the land he promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
(50.24)
A quick look at this book
1. The story of creation (1.1—2.25)
2. The first sin and the first murder (3.1—4.16)
3. Descendants of Adam before the flood (4.17—5.32)
4. Noah and the flood (6.1—9.28)
5. The descendants of Noah and the tower of Babel (10.1—11.32)
6. The Lord chooses Abram (12.1-20)
7. Abram and Lot (13.1—14.24)
8. The Lord's promises to Abram (15.1-21)
9. Abram, Hagar, and Ishmael (16.1-16)
10. God changes Abram's name to Abraham and promises him a son (17.1—18.15)
11. Abraham, Lot, Sodom, and Gomorrah (18.16—19.38)
12. Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac (20.1—23.20)
13. Rebekah, a wife for Isaac (24.1-67)
14. The death of Abraham (25.1-18)
15. Isaac and his family (25.19—28.9)
16. Jacob and his family (28.10—35.29)
17. Esau and his family (36.1-43)
18. Joseph is sold by his brothers as a slave (37.1-36)
19. Judah and Tamar (38.1-30)
20. Joseph in Egypt (39.1—41.57)
21. Joseph and his brothers (42.1—45.28)
22. Jacob and his family go to Egypt (46.1—47.31)
23. Jacob blesses his family and dies (48.1—50.14)
24. Joseph dies (50.15-26)
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