Genesis Introduction
Introduction
Genesis is the first book of the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy), the first section of the Jewish and the Christian Scriptures. Its title in English, “Genesis,” comes from the Greek of Gn 2:4, literally, “the book of the generation (genesis) of the heavens and earth.” Its title in the Jewish Scriptures is the opening Hebrew word, Bereshit, “in the beginning.”
The book has two major sections—the creation and expansion of the human race (2:4–11:9), and the story of Abraham and his descendants (11:10–50:26). The first section deals with God and the nations, and the second deals with God and a particular nation, Israel. The opening creation account (1:1–2:3) lifts up two themes that play major roles in each section—the divine command to the first couple (standing for the whole race) to produce offspring and to possess land (1:28). In the first section, progeny and land appear in the form of births and genealogies (chaps. 2–9) and allotment of land (chaps. 10–11), and in the second, progeny and land appear in the form of promises of descendants and land to the ancestors. Another indication of editing is the formulaic introduction, “this is the story; these are the descendants” (Hebrew tōledôt), which occurs five times in Section I (2:4; 5:1; 6:9; 10:1; 10:31) and five times in Section II (11:10; 25:12, 19; 36:1 [v. 9 is an addition]; 37:2).
The Composition of the Book. For the literary sources of Genesis, see Introduction to the Pentateuch. As far as the sources of Genesis are concerned, contemporary readers can reasonably assume that ancient traditions (J and E) were edited in the sixth or fifth century B.C. for a Jewish audience that had suffered the effects of the exile and was now largely living outside of Palestine. The editor highlighted themes of vital concern to this audience: God intends that every nation have posterity and land; the ancestors of Israel are models for their descendants who also live in hope rather than in full possession of what has been promised; the ancient covenant with God is eternal, remaining valid even when the human party has been unfaithful. By highlighting such concerns, the editor addressed the worries of exiled Israel and indeed of contemporary Jews and Christians.
Genesis 1–11. The seven-day creation account in Gn 1:1–2:3 tells of a God whose mere word creates a beautiful universe in which human beings are an integral and important part. Though Gn 2:4–3:24 is often regarded as “the second creation story,” the text suggests that the whole of 2:4–11:9 tells one story. The plot of Gn 2–11 (creation, the flood, renewed creation) has been borrowed from creation-flood stories attested in Mesopotamian literature of the second and early first millennia. In the Mesopotamian creation-flood stories, the gods created the human race as slaves whose task it was to manage the universe for them—giving them food, clothing, and honor in temple ceremonies. In an unforeseen development, however, the human race grew so numerous and noisy that the gods could not sleep. Deeply angered, the gods decided to destroy the race by a universal flood. One man and his family, however, secretly warned of the flood by his patron god, built a boat and survived. Soon regretting their impetuous decision, the gods created a revised version of humankind. The new race was created mortal so they would never again grow numerous and bother the gods. The authors of Genesis adapted the creation-flood story in accord with their views of God and humanity. For example, they attributed the fault to human sin rather than to divine miscalculation (6:5–7) and had God reaffirm without change the original creation (9:1–7). In the biblical version God is just, powerful, and not needy.
How should modern readers interpret the creation-flood story in Gn 2–11? The stories are neither history nor myth. “Myth” is an unsuitable term, for it has several different meanings and connotes untruth in popular English. “History” is equally misleading, for it suggests that the events actually took place. The best term is creation-flood story. Ancient Near Eastern thinkers did not have our methods of exploring serious questions. Instead, they used narratives for issues that we would call philosophical and theological. They added and subtracted narrative details and varied the plot as they sought meaning in the ancient stories. Their stories reveal a privileged time, when divine decisions were made that determined the future of the human race. The origin of something was thought to explain its present meaning, e.g., how God acts with justice and generosity, why human beings are rebellious, the nature of sexual attraction and marriage, why there are many peoples and languages. Though the stories may initially strike us as primitive and naive, they are in fact told with skill, compression, and subtlety. They provide profound answers to perennial questions about God and human beings.
Genesis 11–50. One Jewish tradition suggests that God, having been rebuffed in the attempt to forge a relationship with the nations, decided to concentrate on one nation in the hope that it would eventually bring in all the nations. The migration of Abraham’s family (11:26–31) is part of the general movement of the human race to take possession of their lands (see 10:32–11:9). Abraham, however, must come into possession of his land in a manner different from the nations, for he will not immediately possess it nor will he have descendants in the manner of the nations, for he is old and his wife is childless (12:1–9). Abraham and Sarah have to live with their God in trust and obedience until at last Isaac is born to them and they manage to buy a sliver of the land (the burial cave at Machpelah, chap. 23). Abraham’s humanity and faith offer a wonderful example to the exilic generation.
The historicity of the ancestral stories has been much discussed. Scholars have traditionally dated them sometime in the first half of the second millennium, though a few regard them as late (sixth or fifth century B.C.) and purely fictional. There is unfortunately no direct extra-biblical evidence confirming (or disproving) the stories. The ancestral stories have affinities, however, to late second-millennium stories of childless ancestors, and their proper names fit linguistic patterns attested in the second millennium. Given the lack of decisive evidence, it is reasonable to accept the Bible’s own chronology that the patriarchs were the ancestors of Israel and that they lived well before the exodus that is generally dated in the thirteenth century.
Gn 25:19–35:43 are about Jacob and his twelve sons. The stories are united by a geographical frame: Jacob lives in Canaan until his theft of the right of the firstborn from his brother Esau forces him to flee to Paddan-Aram (alternately Aram-Naharaim). There his uncle Laban tricks him as he earlier tricked his brother. But Jacob is blessed with wealth and sons. He returns to Canaan to receive the final blessing, land, and on the way is reconciled with his brother Esau. As the sons have reached the number of twelve, the patriarch can be given the name Israel (32:28; 35:10). The blessings given to Abraham are reaffirmed to Isaac and to Jacob.
The last cycle of ancestor stories is about Jacob’s son Joseph (37:1–50:26, though in chaps. 48–49 the focus swings back to Jacob). The Joseph stories are sophisticated in theme, deftly plotted, and show keen interest in the psychology of the characters. Jacob’s favoring of Joseph, the son of his beloved wife Rachel, provokes his brothers to kill him. Joseph escapes death through the intercession of Reuben, the eldest, and of Judah, but is sold into slavery in Egypt. In the immediately following chap. 38, Judah undergoes experiences similar to Joseph’s. Joseph, endowed by God with wisdom, becomes second only to Pharaoh in Egypt. From that powerful position, he encounters his unsuspecting brothers who have come to Egypt because of the famine, and tests them to see if they have repented. Joseph learns that they have given up their hatred because of their love for Israel, their father. Judah, who seems to have inherited the mantle of the failed oldest brother Reuben, expresses the brothers’ new and profound appreciation of their father and Joseph (chap. 44). At the end of Genesis, the entire family of Jacob/Israel is in Egypt, which prepares for the events in the Book of Exodus.
Genesis in Later Biblical Books. The historical and prophetic books constantly refer to the covenant with the ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Hos 10 sees the traits of Jacob in the behavior of the Israel of his own day. Is 51:2 cites Abraham and Sarah as a model for his dispirited community, for though only a couple, they became a great nation. Jn 1, “In the beginning was the word,” alludes to Gn 1:1 (and Prv 8:22) to show that Jesus is creating a new world. St. Paul interprets Jesus as the New Adam in Rom 5:14 and 1 Cor 15:22, 24, whose obedience brings life just as the Old Adam’s disobedience brought death. In Rom 4, Paul cites Abraham as someone who was righteous in God’s eyes centuries before the Law was given at Sinai.
Outline of Genesis
Preamble. The Creation of the World (1:1–2:3)
I. The Story of the Nations (2:4–11:26)
A. The Creation of the Man and the Woman, Their Offspring, and the Spread of Civilization (2:4–4:26)
B. The Pre-flood Generations (5:1–6:8)
C. The Flood and the Renewed Blessing (6:9–9:29)
D. The Populating of the World and the Prideful City (10:1–11:9)
E. The Genealogy from Shem to Terah (11:10–26)
II. The Story of the Ancestors of Israel (11:27–50:26)
A. The Story of Abraham and Sarah (11:27–25:18)
B. The Story of Isaac and Jacob (25:19–36:43)
C. The Story of Joseph (37:1–50:26)
PREAMBLE. THE CREATION OF THE WORLD
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Genesis Genesis
Genesis
Introduction
At a Glance
Author: Moses the seer-prophet
Audience: Originally Israel, but this theological history speaks to everyone
Date: Sometime between 1520 and 1400 BC
Type of Literature: Theological history
Major Themes: Cosmic origins, God’s blessing, the people of God, faith, and redemptive history
Outline: There are ten sections in the book of Genesis after its prologue, and each one begins with the Hebrew word for “Generation,” or “The Family History”:
Prologue — 1:1–2:3
Generations of Heaven and Earth — 2:4–4:26
Generations of Adam — 5:1–6:8
Generations of Noah — 6:9–9:29
Generations of Noah’s Sons — 10:1–11:9
Generations of Shem — 11:10–26
Generations of Terah — 11:27–25:11
Generations of Ishmael — 25:12–18
Generations of Isaac — 25:19–35:29
Generations of Esau — 36:1–37:1
Generations of Jacob — 37:2–50:26
About Genesis
Genesis is God’s autobiography. The seal of perfection is stamped upon everything written in his Word. The combined skill of all the greatest literary minds could never design a composition that equals the splendor of the first chapter of Genesis. It stands in a class all by itself.
We see God at the very beginning as powerful, purposeful, wise, and full of glory. Speaking the word of creation from his eternal dwelling place of light, he created everything from nothing (Heb. 11:3). Creation takes us into the mystery of worship—we have no answers to our curiosity; we can only worship. Man was made by God not simply to analyze God as a scientist, astronomer, or philosopher. First and foremost, man was created to be a worshiper (John 4:24). We will never be able to take the mystery out of creation, for a God who is incomprehensible in his greatness accomplished it.
The purpose of creation is to display the glory of God. We are able to see in the created order of our universe the awesome wonder of the Maker of the heavens. The universe is God’s advertisement—the display of his glory (Ps. 19:1). The earth is not “mother earth”; it is his footstool, and heaven is his throne. All of creation is for his pleasure.
But it is not the earth or the cosmos that is God’s highest order; it is man and woman made after his image—creations in the likeness of God. God has created mankind to become a container for his glory. He longs to have the worship of those who love him, freely and with all their hearts!
Purpose
The purpose of Genesis is to give the origin of all things, both the cosmic order of the universe and the covenant relationship of God’s people—demonstrating that God is the Creator and Originator of redemption. Not only do we find the beginning of the heavens and the earth, but we also see that Genesis provides the origin of nations, with God’s choice of the Hebrews as the people through whom the Redeemer will come to the world.
Many have noted that Genesis is the “seed-plot” of the whole Bible, since every truth can be traced back to its source in this first book of God’s Word. Genesis is the foundation upon which all revelation rests. It is quoted over sixty times in the New Testament. One of the over-arching themes of Genesis is God’s blessing. We see the word “blessing” or “bless” eighty-eight times in this first book of the Bible. Does that not tell us that our Father God wants to bless us? If God blesses the fish and birds, how much more will he bless his beloved sons and daughters?
The primary way in which the Creator blessed created humanity was by bringing order to this disordered relationship. Through covenant, Yahweh lovingly sought after his beloved by choosing a people to be his very own, to steward and showcase his redemptive heart toward the world—a theme begun in Genesis and traced throughout the rest of the Hebrew Scriptures.
Author and Audience
The book of Genesis is set within the larger collection of books known as the Pentateuch. Moses is traditionally attributed as the author of the first five books of the Bible, called the Torah or “the law of Moses” (Luke 24:27, 44; Acts 28:23) and the “Book of Moses” (Mark 12:26). Moses was a seer and a prophet who wrote his inspired account of creation and the days of the patriarchs for God’s people between their leaving Egypt and reaching the promised land. Only God could have brought this level of revelation to Moses in order to offer revelation-insight into the formation and continuation of Israel’s covenant relationship with Yahweh.
Major Themes
Origin of God’s Creation. The first word of Genesis in Hebrew is beresheet and means “first,” “chief,” or “firstfruits.” While the New Testament takes us into the new creation life of Christ until all things are made new, Genesis gives us the firstfruits of God’s creation—from the heavens and the earth to the land and the seas; from stars, planets, and plants to birds, sea creatures, and land animals; and finally God’s crowning creative achievement, man and woman.
Many have noted how Gen. 1 is poetic in nature, showcasing the progress of creation from the lower to the higher, from the darker to the brighter, from the evening to the morning, from vessels to forms. Note that the Hebrew word for day is yom and can be translated in English into over fifty different words, such as “a twenty-four-hour day,” “today,” “time,” “forever,” “continually,” “age,” “life,” “season,” “perpetually,” or “a period of time.” The Hebraic mindset does not necessarily view yom as a twenty-four-hour period. The Scriptures speak frequently of the day of the Lord, which points to a time period of God’s divine activity, not a day with a sunrise and sunset. Both Moses and Peter spoke of a thousand years being like one day.
The opening chapters of Genesis make it clear who created the heavens and the earth and everything in it: the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—Yahweh. Not only that, we also see the origin of the God-man relationship: Eden, a bliss-filled paradise became the home of Adam and Eve. Eden’s very name reveals God’s nature of love and grace. Humanity was created to experience the pleasure of being loved by God and relating to his heart. However, all is not as it was intended. For we witness in this first book of the Bible the origins of sin and all of the ensuing fallout.
Because Adam and Eve ate what was forbidden, pain entered the world: there is conflict in the home; the man produces food to eat through painful toil and the woman endures painful childbirth; all creation now labors with painful contractions; and we seek to make a name for ourselves through self-worship. Yet all is not lost! From the very beginning, God had a plan to rescue humanity and put this world back together, promising the famous Head-crusher of Gen. 3:15. This is the Protoevangelium, God’s first announcement of a Savior, and presents a preview of Jesus Christ who would be wounded by the snake/sin on his heel but bring a death-blow to Satan by the power of his cross and resurrection—eventually restoring God’s creation to the way he intended it to be.
Blessed to Be a Blessing. Blessing is perhaps the most important theological “glue” that holds Genesis together and connects it to the rest of the Hebrew Scriptures. In Gen. 1, God blesses humans (1:22, 28), and then they lose that blessing (ch. 3). God returns to this theme again in Gen. 12, where he seeks to restore this blessing to humanity once more through choosing a couple, Abraham and Sarah, and their zera—their seed, their offspring, their “nation.” And this blessing is manifested in several lives, like Abraham’s and Joseph’s.
But what is this blessing? What does it mean to be “blessed” by Yahweh? A working definition is to “empower for abundant living in every sphere of life.” This abundant-life empowerment flows from a vibrant relationship with God. When God blesses you, your life will soar into his abundance! This blessed, abundant life includes being fruitful (reproduction) and multiplying (increasing in number) (1:25); equal empowerment for both men and women to live on this planet (1:28); an infusion of power and favor to succeed in life (5:1–2); a relationship with the God of the universe (17:6); prosperity, abundance, and success (39:2). And yet, Yahweh’s blessing was never an end in and of itself. We were always meant to leverage our abundant life for the sake of the world—we truly are blessed to be a blessing!
One of the clearest pictures Genesis offers of not only the meaning of blessing, but also the means of God’s blessing through his people, is Joseph’s story. Chapter 39 reveals “Yahweh’s presence was with Joseph and he became successful while living in the house of his Egyptian master” (39:2). The implication is that Joseph excelled in everything, which carried over into Potiphar’s household as well. And of course this blessing eventually flowed to Egypt and the surrounding nations when he assumed the role of second-in-command over Egypt. God blessed Joseph and in turn blessed the nations through him, opening the door for others to be fed. Joseph knew that God was in control and that he had been raised up by God to wear a yoke—the yoke of serving the will of God and nothing else, resulting in blessing over his life, the lives of his family, and the lives of the nations. As you read through Genesis, be sure to note every time you find the words “bless” and “blessing.”
Origin of God’s People. Coinciding with this renewed desire for God-empowered abundant living through an intimate, vibrant relationship with the Lord is his calling of a people to himself. One Old Testament scholar suggests this calling in Gen. 12 is a sort of second creation account, in which God’s holy people are “created” through an act of grace, inviting Abram, who became Abraham, into a loving covenant relationship in order to birth a nation. Abram means “exalted father.” Abraham means “father of a multitude.” A generational transfer is in the heart of God and is here revealed to Abraham. Yahweh confirmed this covenant relationship not only between him and Abraham but also with all of his descendants throughout their generations.
Later in the New Testament, we see that this nation of descendants extends not only to Abraham’s physical offspring, Israel and the Jewish people, but also to his spiritual “seed,” the church. As the apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians: “Our reconciling ‘Peace’ is Jesus! He has made Jew and non-Jew one in Christ. By dying as our sacrifice, he has broken down every wall of prejudice that separated us” (Eph. 2:14). He continues in Galatians: “And since you’ve been united to Jesus the Messiah, you are now Abraham’s ‘child’ and inherit all the promises of the kingdom realm!” (Gal. 3:29). Non-Jewish believers are to be grateful for the Jewish roots of our faith. Our Messiah is Jewish and the Scriptures we read were given to the beloved Jewish people. We feast on the new-covenant riches, promises, and blessings that have been handed down to us through the “olive tree” of Judaism—the roots of which extend all the way back to Genesis!
Faith in God’s Promises. Nearly half of the names listed in the famous Hall of Faith chapter in the book of Hebrews (ch. 11) are drawn from the book of Genesis. Abel had his heart set on the coming Sacrifice, confessed his sin, and brought the first and best of his flock as a sacrifice in faith, and God was pleased. Enoch was a man who walked in faith and was translated from earth to heaven without dying (apotheosis). Noah was moved with faith and acted on the revelation given to him. Leaving all that is familiar would display an incredible act of faith on Abraham’s part, not to mention believing that barren Sarah would bear him a son that would multiply to descendants as numerous as the stars! Prompted by faith and contrary to his natural inclination, Isaac acted by faith in imparting his blessing to Jacob instead of Esau. In faith, Jacob asked to be buried near the spot where the Messiah would be crucified, knowing the fulfillment of the promise would be in Canaan, not Egypt. And Joseph’s faith in God and the fulfillment of his dreams kept him faithfully waiting for his day of promotion, believing and trusting in God’s perfect plans. We learn from these forebears of our faith that God really can be trusted, for he makes good on his promises!
Perhaps the greatest of all of these heroes of faith is Abraham, whom the apostle Paul offered as an example in explaining our own justification. Quoting Gen. 15:6, he wrote, “Because Abraham believed God’s words, his faith transferred God’s righteousness into his account” (Rom. 4:3). Abraham trusted every single word that Yahweh had spoken over his life. Paul goes on, extolling the virtues of Abraham’s example, especially in offering up his son Isaac: “Against all odds, when it looked hopeless, Abraham believed the promise and expected God to fulfill it. . . . He never stopped believing God’s promise, for he was made strong in his faith to father a child. And because he was mighty in faith and convinced that God had all the power needed to fulfill his promises, Abraham glorified God!” (Rom. 4:18, 20–21). Oh that we would follow in the footsteps of Abraham, truly the father of faith!
History of God’s Redemption. From the beginning, the Lord God wanted nothing more than to plant himself in the dust of Adam and become life within him. Both a tree planted in a garden and God planted in man are the pictures we see in Gen. 2. As the tree was to receive nourishment from the soil, so Adam was to draw life and sustenance from his Maker, as one “planted” by the Lord. Obviously, things didn’t turn out that way—and yet God didn’t give up on his beloved! Genesis launches Yahweh’s redemptive history.
The first question God asks in the Bible appears after our ancestors first sinned: “Adam, where are you?” (3:9). The question clearly shows that we belong to God, and that he longs for each of us to examine our own lives, be honest with him, and come out of hiding. It also launched God’s redemptive movement to rescue us and restore our world—beginning with Yahweh-God making garments from animal skins to clothe Adam and Eve. Father God did what any good father would do when a child fails. He wrapped his love around them and did not degrade them. Moved by love, he clothed them to cover their shame. For God to use blood-stained animal skins as royal robes to clothe his beloved meant that animals had to be sacrificed to provide their covering. These themes continue throughout the book of Genesis, foreshadowing God’s ultimate redemption in Jesus.
Noah’s ark is a beautiful picture of Christ: it was made from sturdy wood (the humanity of Christ, Isa. 53:2; Dan. 9:26) and is sealed with tar (blood atonement); it was a place of salvation and preservation (Jesus our Savior); humanity is invited into this ark to find a place of security from judgment, and so we are hidden in Christ (Col. 3:3). When Abraham sacrifices his only son, there is a hint that one day God would require a human sacrifice to take away the sin of the world. On Yahweh’s mountain, Moriah, where Abraham offered up Isaac, we see clearly the vision of God placing our sins upon his Son. Solomon’s Temple was later built on Moriah (2 Chron. 3:1), where Israel offered sacrifices of atonement for their sins. The book ends with the death of Jacob, who longed to be buried in the cave of Machpelah purchased by Abraham from the Hittites in Gen. 23. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were all buried near the ancient site of Jerusalem, where, many centuries later, Jesus would be crucified, buried, and raised from the dead.
Many have noted how Jesus Christ is seen in Genesis in different pictures:
The Creator (Gen. 1:1; Col. 1:16)
The Beginning (Rev. 1:8)
The Light (Gen. 1:3, 16; John 8:12)
The Tree of Life (Gen. 2:9; John 15:1–5)
The Seed of the Woman (Gen. 3:15; Matt. 1:23)
The Clothing for Adam and Eve (Gen. 2:21; Rom. 13:11–14)
The Fire-Sword (Gen. 3:24; Heb. 4:12)
The Sacrifice of Isaac (Gen. 22; John 3:16)
The Heavenly Stairway (Gen. 28:12; John 1:51; 1 Tim. 2:5)
The Anointed Stone (Gen. 28:18–19; Acts 10:38; 1 Peter 2:1–5)
The Midnight Wrestling Man (Gen. 32:24–32; Gal. 5:17)
The Savior, Joseph (Gen. 37–50; Matt. 3:17)
Genesis
Firstfruits
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