Old Testament Survey – Genesis
Genesis: Means the Beginning or Generation
The word Generation occurs in each of the 10 sections of the book of Genesis. (These are the generations of ?)
The story of God’s dream for a family and a people begin in the book and it tells the story of the plan and love and commitment of God to bring his dream for a people to past. From the creation through the life of Joseph you see the loyalty of God to work with men by design to bring about a holy line of faithful men to set up the linage for his own son to come and redeem the seed of the women prophesied about in chapter 3.
The Book of Genesis is divided into three Major sections
The history of Creation (1:1 – 2:3)
Human Life before Abraham (2:4-11:26)
(Garden, Fall, Cain & Abel, Seth, Noah, Babel)
Beginning of Israel Nation (1:27-50:26)
(Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph)
The Creation Story –
God Elohim Creates The Heavens and Earth & Man
Gen 1:1 – 2:4, God Elohim – Gods plural, Mighty God of Transcendent power. This speaks of the Godhead as a team creating the heavens and the earth.
Men always encounter God Elohim before they ever meet Jehovah or (Yahweh).
Gen 2:4, The Lord God ( Jehovah ) the self-existent one came down to make man. He shows himself not just as the God of all power and might but the lord of love and compassion who comes down in person to create his finest creation. He reveals himself as the caretaker and means for redemption when they fell.
The story of gods plan to have a house and family (a people) through redemption, begins almost immediately in the garden.
Eve gets deceived by the serpent and denies Christ by eating from the tree of Knowledge of good and evil. The tree of life was Christ and she and Adam chose to eat from the tree of Pride and intellect. In this act Holy Creation dies and men gets thrown out of the garden. They denied the image they where made in which was after the heart of Christ. So they denied Christ himself. Gods people was separated from him. God begins Redemption right off after the fall of man. God comes looking for man and he has hidden himself (the fruit of Sin).
God rebukes the serpent, curses man and the ground with death, and prophecies the first prophecy of man’s redemption in Gen 3:15. Tells the women of her future seed that would bruise the head of the Devil which was afore shadowing of Jesus.
God Kills animals to cover the lives of Adam and eve for there sin. This was the second fore shadowing of the redemptive plan of Christ. Man’s sin would be covered at the price of blood
Rom 8:20-23
20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
KJV
2. Life Before Abraham – 2000 years covered - Gen 1-11
1. Adam & Eve and the fall of man
2. Cain & Abel (first two sons of Adam & Eve) Gen. 4
Abel was a shepherd and Cain was a farmer. Abel was the first worshiper of God after sin and offered the first Lamb sacrifice to God telling of the redemption plan of God. Abel offered Sacrifices that cost him only labor. This is a picture
God would not except worship from Cain out of works
Received Abel’s offering of blood telling of Gods Grace and provision factor alone
Cain killed Abel and became the first murderer, Abel became God’s 1st Martyr
Cain’s linage was only recorded in the bible for 6 generations that his line was remembered no more. (The fruit of his life) out of 6 generations
Cain – Murderer – Lamech murderer (first polygamist to marry more than one wife, first to demand a blood revenge) out of 6 generations not one person is recorded to have walked with God.
3. Seth (3rd son of Adam & Eve) Gen. 5
Seth was born when Adam was 130 years old. Chosen to carry the line of God
10 generations of Seth’s family is named through out the bible.
His family was the founders of a worship life walking with God
His linage lead to Enoch, and finally on to Noah.
4. Noah and the flood (Genesis 6-8 )
Noah lived where all creation had grown to hate God except him and his family alone. God repented that he makes man and wants to destroy them and decides to create again through Noah and his sons.
Noah at 600 years old builds an ark. It took Noah 120 years to build the ark
Ark – 75’ wide, 45’ high, 450’ long. It was three stories high and could accommodate about 43000 tons of weight. The present day cruise lines can only hold about 25000 tons.
Rain floods the whole earth. God limits the days of men to 120 years.
The ark is a picture of Christ himself. That all who remain holy are shut up in him and the alone are saved.
Gen 9-10
Noah receives the first covenant promise from God in the rainbow not to destroy men by a flood again
Noah’s family and his three sons and their families begin life all over again.
Sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, Japheth. (Ham is cursed, Shem is Christ line) Japheth- becomes the European countries
5. Tower of Babel – Gen 11
Languages and cities and races begin out of Noah’s sons. As they increase the join together in Shinar to build a capitol city and a tower to reach heaven.
God comes down and distorts the languages and scatters the peoples all over the face of the earth (so races are born).
This is Genesis 1 –11, 2000 years of mans history from approx 4004 –2100BC
3. Age of the Patriarch’s (8 generations after Noah) 2100BC – 1689BC about 315 years
From this point on in the bible, the focus turns from the events of the whole world (Human Race) and goes to the History of the development of a civilization. God begins to unfold in detail the plans of redemption 21 centuries before Christ.
1. Abraham – Gen 12 – 25
Abraham – God appears to Abram at age 75 and tells him to separate himself from the land of UR and his family.
Leaves for a land he knows not of- looking for a city who’s builder and maker is God.
Abraham 1st test famine and goes to Egypt out of the council of god, but god gives Abraham pharaohs stuff
Abram settles in the land of Hebron in the Promised Land and was the first to be called a Hebrew.
Abraham leaves lot for over crowdedness. And god reveals to Abraham his future possession of land
Fights king to recover Lot and recognized by King of Salem and Sodom
God cuts a covenant with Abraham and tells him of the bondage of his seed in Egypt for 400 years but that they would come out a mighty nation
Abraham gets impatient with God after waiting 10 years in Canaan since God told him he would have a son. Fruit of the flesh
At 99 God visits Abraham about Isaac and gets his name changed to Abraham.
Has Isaac 24 years after the original word of promise Isaac is born
Forced to sacrifice Isaac on the alter (God shows himself as Jehovah Jireh the lord our provider.)
Abraham had 4 major test in his life and walk with God
Leave home land
Leave all family (lot)
Ishmael
Sacrifice of Isaac
2. Isaac (Son of Abraham)
Isaac at 40 yrs old gets a wife named Rebecca
Rebecca is barren for 19 years, Isaac intercedes and god remembers her she has twin sons (Jacob & Esau)
Runs to Egypt just like Abraham in a famine and king Abimelech blesses him.
Blesses with Patriarchal blessing Jacob instead of Esau by the design of God
3. Jacob – Son of Isaac
Robs brother of birthright and steals his blessing then flees for his life.
Heads towards family’s house in Haran. On Journey he sleeps at a place called Bethel and has a vision from God. Now Bethel means the house of God. He gets saved at bethel and covenants with god to follow him
Works 7years for Laban for Rachel and gets Leah first than works 7 more years to get Rachel.
Rachel is Barren but later has Joseph and Benjamin
Leah and concubine has 12 sons which become the twelve tribes of Israel.
Wrestles with God on the way to meet brother and his named is changed to Israel. He came to the end of himself and the surplanter is changed into a prince - Redemption was done. The nature change was announced.
4. Joseph (Son of Jacob) Gen 37
Has a dream from God about his future at 17
Brothers sale him into slavery into Egypt
Rules Potiphar’s house and gets thrown into prison
In prison for 14 years
Gives the baker and cupbearer prophecy – says remember me ( stating self confidence)
Two years later gets out before Pharaoh. Interprets dreams get positioned over Egypt
Saves Egypt from famine and Jacob’s family comes to buy food
Moves family to Goshen and provides for them. He is used by God to preserve the nation of God’s people.