Back to Books of the Bible
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Genesis is the first book of the Bible and is our introduction to the Creator and his creation. The most well known Bible stories are from this book: e.g., Creation, Noah and the Ark, the story of Abraham, and the story of Joseph. Genesis is one of the most important books of the Bible—it contains two major origin stories, as well as, the first prophecy of Jesus. The original Hebrew name for the book is Bereshit, which means “In the beginning.”[7]
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Genesis 1-3 tell us about the creation of man and how sin entered the world through our disobedience. Genesis 3-6 describes the decline of mankind into so much sinfulness that God brings about the flood (which is detailed from Genesis 6-9). Genesis 10-12 explains how the Earth was repopulated by Noah and his sons after the flood; it also explains why each nation has a different language. From Genesis 12 to the end we are told how the Hebrews came to be, starting with Abram (Abraham). We learn about the origin of the 12 tribes of Israel as well as how they came to be in Egypt. Yet, the most important thing we can take away from Genesis is who God is: the Creator. Genesis is not only a book that tells us how man was introduced to God, it also introduces us to God.
The main theme of Genesis is beginnings. The original Hebrew name for the book, Bereshit, actually means “in the beginning.” We usually associate “beginning” with creation when talking about Genesis, but this book actually gives us many more beginnings:
marriage
sacrifice
sin
the nation of Israel
the nations (almost every nation is accounted for in the Table of Nations)
languages
covenants
rivalries between nations
Genealogies are a big part of Genesis; these genealogies establish both a time line and a history for different nations. Often the arguments between two men in Genesis foreshadow large conflicts that exist between whole nations later in the text.
There are also some interesting Spiritual themes in this book. From establishing covenants to the allegory that exists in the fall of Genesis 3, there is much to inform us about our walk with YHWH. It makes sense that the beginning has many stories through which we can be introduced to the spiritual lessons God needs us to know.
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