Genesis
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(origin)
Genesis is a very brief overview of the origin of the world. It begins with creation and ends with Joseph’s reign in Egypt. This single book spans more than 2,000 years of human history.
The first five books of the Bible are sometimes called the Torah, the Law, or the Pentateuch.
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy were written by Moses during the 40 years that he and the Israelites spent wandering in the wilderness. Moses wrote these books for his people and their descendants so they would know God and always remember the covenant He had made with them on Mount Sinai.
Watch this short video for an overview of the book of Genesis.
Major Characters and Events
Creation
The ancient Israelites were heavily influenced by Egyptian mythology. The Egyptians believed that many gods and goddesses played a role in creating and sustaining life on earth. Moses’ description of creation explained that Israel’s God (the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) created all things without the help of any pagan gods. Israel’s God is greater than all of Egypt’s gods.
Adam
God created Adam in His own image.
God also created Adam’s wife, Eve.
The Garden of Eden
The first home of Adam and Eve was a garden planted by God.
The Tree of Life
This was a particular tree in the Garden of Eden. If Adam ate the fruit of this tree he would live forever.
There was another tree called the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God said that if Adam ate the fruit of that tree, he would certainly die.
The Fall
The serpent claimed that God was lying to Adam and Eve when God said they would die after eating from the Tree of Knowledge. When they ate the forbidden fruit Adam and Eve showed that they didn’t believe what God had said. They sided with the lying serpent instead of with God, who was telling them the truth. This damaged their relationship with God. He made them leave the Garden of Eden, but continued to help them.
Noah
Adam’s descendants were numerous and extremely evil. God decided to destroy all of them in a great flood.
But Noah was righteous in the sight of God. He and his family survived.
The Ark
God told Noah to build an ark to save his family and the animals from the flood that would soon come upon the earth.
The Flood
Rain fell for 40 days and 40 nights. All the people and animals who were not in the ark drowned. Noah and those who were with him on the ark were saved.
The Rainbow
After the flood, God placed a rainbow in the sky as a sign to Noah and the animals that He would never again bring such a great flood upon the earth.
Abraham
The father of many nations, Abraham obeyed God and left his father’s land to go to the land of Canaan. He wandered in that land as a nomad for the rest of his life.
The Promise
God promised Abraham a son in his old age. Abraham believed God and his faith was counted as righteousness. God also promised to give Abraham the land of Canaan as his inheritance.
Isaac
Isaac was the son of Abraham and his wife, Sarah.
The promise God made to Abraham was passed down to Isaac. He became the father of twin boys, Esau and Jacob.
Jacob
Jacob was a grandson of Abraham. He received the blessing and inheritance of the firstborn son by deceiving his father, Isaac. That’s how the promise God made to Abraham was passed down to Jacob instead of to his older twin brother, Esau.
Israel
God changed Jacob’s name to Israel. Jacob’s descendants were called Israelites.
The Twelve Tribes of Israel
Jacob had twelve sons. The descendants of Jacob’s sons were called the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
Joseph
Joseph was one of Jacob’s twelve sons.
He was sold by his jealous brothers and taken to Egypt, where he rose to become the Pharaoh’s right-hand man.
Seven Years of Famine
During Egypt’s seven years of good crops, Joseph stored the extra grain. He then sold that grain during the seven years of famine, saving countless lives and making Pharaoh very wealthy.
The Israelites Moved to Egypt
During the great famine, Joseph forgave his brothers and moved his entire family to Egypt.
The Twelve Tribes did not return to Canaan after the famine. They remained in Egypt for the next 400 years.
GENESIS
GENESIS
Old Testament Narratives
Old Testament Narratives
This is only the beginning…
Genesis lays a solid foundation for the other 65 books of the Bible. The LORD is the central figure throughout the story as He instructs, guides, and protects individuals in a very personal way.
The book begins with a brief description of how the physical world came to be. Then it speaks of the first sin, the great flood, and the promise God made to Abraham that was passed down to Isaac and Jacob. Later, Jacob’s name was changed to Israel. He had twelve sons who became known as the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Jacob’s son Joseph was sold by his jealous brothers and became the rule of Egypt. During a great famine, all of Israel’s sons relocated to Egypt where they were called Hebrews. They became slaves of the Egyptians and remained there for the next 400 years.
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