"In the beginning God...." --Genesis
1:1a
Suggested Reading: Genesis 1:1-5
It makes good sense to begin a new year
with Genesis, the first book of the Bible. The Greek word genesis means
origin or beginning. This term is appropriate because Genesis traces history from
the very beginning of time. All great biblical themes begin here. The truths
about God, the world, man's creation in God's image, the Sabbath, marriage, the
devices of Satan, man's fall into sin, judgment, election, salvation,
justification by faith, Christ and His priesthood, prayer, God's covenant
people, and blessing and cursing are all grounded in Genesis. Man's complete
ruin in sin and God's perfect remedy in Christ are strikingly presented.
Meditate
on this amazing book packed with ancient truth that is still relevant today. Can
you think of other major truths that Genesis shows us?
The
structure of Genesis clearly shows it is a book of origins. Genesis includes
eleven distinct sections, each starting with the word beginning or generations.
The opening words of each section are usually something like "These are the
generations" or "The book of the generations." These sections include the
history of creation (1:1-2:3), heaven and earth (2:4-4:26), Adam (5:1-6:8),
Noah (6:9-9:29), Noah's sons (10:1-11:9), Shem (11:10-26), Terah and Abraham
(11:27-25:11), Ishmael (25:12-18), Isaac and his sons (25:19-35:29), Esau
(36:1-37:1), and Jacob and Joseph (37:2-50:26).
Genesis
takes us through various stages of history to trace God's design of redemption through the line of His chosen people. Chapters
1-11 provide us with a wide-angle view of the history of mankind, while chapters
12-50 offer a telescopic view of the history of God's chosen people in Abraham
and his family.
Without Genesis, the Bible would be
seriously impoverished, for Genesis
covers at least one-third of human history. Ultimately, it is God's story--His-story. In Genesis we find special
revelation in three-dimensional color and in profound doctrinal, practical, and
experiential truth, all directing us to Jesus Christ, the Savior of sinners.
On
New Year's Day, thank God for His Word, and particularly for the book of
Genesis. Let us look forward to studying it together.