Today we begin our review of the Bible by looking at the Book of Genesis
(the first book of the Bible). So then . . .
First - who wrote Genesis and when?
It is attributed to Moses and was written during the time the Israelites were 'wandering in the desert, preparing to enter the Promised Land' which is estimated to around the 1420 BC time frame.
Second - what is it all about?
It addresses what we know as the 'Creation story' and it covers the stories of Adam and Eve, of Cain and Abel, of Noah and the Flood, of Abram and the start of the Jewish nation, and it ends with the story of Joseph - which tells of how the Israelites got to Egypt. In all of this, we learn what God wanted for us and sadly, of the struggles of our early ancestors as they stumbled significantly in their relationship with God.
Third - why should we know this information?
Leading up to that time, all the history of the world and the start of the Jewish faith was primarily shared as oral history. These teachings were passed down from generation to generation. Now that the Israelites were traveling to the Promised Land, God wanted Moses to write down - what they call the written Torah or some know it by the Greek name - Pentateuch. Yes, there will be more shared later on the other four books that Moses wrote.
As for 'The Book of Genesis', Pastor David Jeremiah teaches us . . .
From it we learn that God is sovereign,
He loves us but our sins must be resolved.
But is there more? As you can see by the summary points shared above, we all most likely have a pretty good awareness to the prominent stories shared from Genesis. But what of the things that most may not know - what we may miss? For example, did you know that Genesis 3:15 is also known as the Protevangelium?
It is God telling the serpent (Satan) . . .
"And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." (Genesis 3:15)
Protevangelium is a compound word of two Greek words, protos meaning "first" and evangelion meaning "good news" or "gospel". Thus the protevanglium in Genesis 3:15 is commonly referred to as the first mention of the good news of salvation in the Bible.
Where then (with those few words shared) does it leave us?
At a minimum, we all should have an awareness framework to the first book of the Bible. But there is so much more. As Christians, each of us must remember that we are not called to have an awareness, but to pursue a growing relationship with God - who has shared so much with us and wants us to learn who we are, why we are here and what we should be doing.
We encourage everyone to pursue the following. 1) Have you read the Book of Genesis? If not, why not start when you can? 2) Do you have a favorite Bible verse or story from Genesis? If yes, can you share why you enjoy it? And 3) Do you have at least one Bible verse memorized? If not, how about this one below?
(the first book of the Bible). So then . . .
First - who wrote Genesis and when?
It is attributed to Moses and was written during the time the Israelites were 'wandering in the desert, preparing to enter the Promised Land' which is estimated to around the 1420 BC time frame.
Second - what is it all about?
It addresses what we know as the 'Creation story' and it covers the stories of Adam and Eve, of Cain and Abel, of Noah and the Flood, of Abram and the start of the Jewish nation, and it ends with the story of Joseph - which tells of how the Israelites got to Egypt. In all of this, we learn what God wanted for us and sadly, of the struggles of our early ancestors as they stumbled significantly in their relationship with God.
Third - why should we know this information?
Leading up to that time, all the history of the world and the start of the Jewish faith was primarily shared as oral history. These teachings were passed down from generation to generation. Now that the Israelites were traveling to the Promised Land, God wanted Moses to write down - what they call the written Torah or some know it by the Greek name - Pentateuch. Yes, there will be more shared later on the other four books that Moses wrote.
As for 'The Book of Genesis', Pastor David Jeremiah teaches us . . .
From it we learn that God is sovereign,
He loves us but our sins must be resolved.
But is there more? As you can see by the summary points shared above, we all most likely have a pretty good awareness to the prominent stories shared from Genesis. But what of the things that most may not know - what we may miss? For example, did you know that Genesis 3:15 is also known as the Protevangelium?
It is God telling the serpent (Satan) . . .
"And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." (Genesis 3:15)
Protevangelium is a compound word of two Greek words, protos meaning "first" and evangelion meaning "good news" or "gospel". Thus the protevanglium in Genesis 3:15 is commonly referred to as the first mention of the good news of salvation in the Bible.
Where then (with those few words shared) does it leave us?
At a minimum, we all should have an awareness framework to the first book of the Bible. But there is so much more. As Christians, each of us must remember that we are not called to have an awareness, but to pursue a growing relationship with God - who has shared so much with us and wants us to learn who we are, why we are here and what we should be doing.
We encourage everyone to pursue the following. 1) Have you read the Book of Genesis? If not, why not start when you can? 2) Do you have a favorite Bible verse or story from Genesis? If yes, can you share why you enjoy it? And 3) Do you have at least one Bible verse memorized? If not, how about this one below?
This first video provides a brief insight into the first half of the Book of Genesis: Understand the Book of Genesis • Part 1 | This first video provides a brief insight into the second half of the Book of Genesis: Understand the Book of Genesis • Part 2 |
Now I know the two above 8 minute videos may be a bit longer then you may want but these 16 minutes are a great way to get a good summary of all that this first book of the Bible contains (and remember, these videos and what I shared above - are only a summary of some of the key aspects of the information from the Book of Genesis - so please, when you can, go and read the entire first book of the Bible to gain all of the insights that God wants us to know)..