Chapter 9 of 1163

GENESIS

Genesis is a book of beginnings: creation (chap. 1); human history, including marriage (chap. 2); sin and death (chap. 3); the promise of the Redeemer (3:15); human civilization (4:16ff.); Babylon (chap. 11); and the Jewish nation (chap. 12). Things that start in Genesis are carried through the Bible narrative and are fulfilled in the book of Revelation.

It is a book of begetting, describing the family tree from Adam to the founding of the nation of Israel. Ten different genealogies are recorded in Genesis. The account focuses on six persons and their families: Adam (chaps. 1–5); Noah (chaps. 6–10); Abraham (chaps. 11:1–25:18); Isaac (chaps. 25:19–27:46); Jacob (chaps. 28–36); and Joseph (chaps. 37–50). These genealogies may be boring to us, but they are important for tracing the Redeemer’s ancestry.

It is a book of believing. Noah believed God and built an ark. Abraham believed God and left home for the Promised Land. Abraham and Sarah believed God, and He gave them a son. God gave His promises and then acted on behalf of those who trusted Him, just as He does today. (See Heb. 11:1–22.)

It is a book of becoming. God patiently worked with His people to make them what He wanted them to be. They failed Him often, but God did not give up on them. He is still the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and He can accomplish in your life all that He has planned for you.

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