A Lamp Unto My Feet Bible Study Website
Return TO SYLLABUS
GENESIS
LESSON #01
INTRODUCTION Genesis
v THE BIG PICTURE:
THE BOOK OF GENESIS IS A LONG BOOK, AND AVERY IMPORTANT ONE. IT LAYS THE FOUNDATION FOR THE REST OF THE BIBLE.
§ THE BOOK CAN BE DIVIDED BYSUBJECT MATTER INTO TWO PARTS. EACH HALF HAS 5 SECTIONS, INTRODUCED BY THE PHRASE,”THIS IS THE ACCOUNT OF”.
· PART #1: CHAPTERS 1-11 FROM CREATION TO ABRAHAM:
¨ THIS PART DEALS WITH THE BIG PICTURE IN AVERY GENERAL WAY CONCERNING PRIMEVAL HISTORY. THE SUBJECTS COVERED ARE:
Ø CREATION
Ø SIN
Ø NATIONS AND GOVERNMENT
¨ THE FIVE SECTIONS IN PART 1:
Ø GEN 2:4, 5:1, 6:9, 10:1, 11:10 THIS IS THE ACCOUNT OF
¨ THE TIME PERIOD IN PART 1:
Ø THIS PART COVERS A TIME PERIOD OF ABOUT 2,000YEARS.
§ BECAUSE THIS PART COVERSSUCH A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, WE ARE NOT TOLD EVERY DETAIL AND EVERY EVENT. GOD ONLY TELLSUS WHAT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO KNOW ABOUT THESE 2,000 YEARS.
· PART #2: CHAPTERS 12-50 FROM ABRAHAM TO JOSEPH:
¨ THIS PART DEALS WITH PERSONALITIES OF THEFAITH CONCERNING PATRIARCHAL HISTORY:
Ø ABRAHAM
Ø ISAAC
Ø JACOB
Ø JOSEPH
¨ THE FIVE SECTIONS IN PART #2:
Ø GEN 11:27, 25:12, 25:19, 36:1, (REPEATED FOREMPHASIS IN 36:9), 37:2 THIS IS THEACCOUNT OF
¨ THE TIME PERIOD IN PART #2:
Ø THIS PART COVERS A TIME PERIOD OF ABOUT 350YEARS.
§ BECAUSE THIS LARGER PART OFTHE BOOK COVERS A SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME, GOD IS TELLING US THAT THESE PERSONALRELATIONSHIPS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE BIGGER ISSUES COVERED IN THE FIRST PART OF THEBOOK.
§ IT IS NOT THAT THE FIRSTPART OF THE BOOK IS NOT IMPORTANT, BUT THAT THE FIRST PART SERVES AS A BACKGROUND FOR THESECOND PART OF THE BOOK.
v THE NAME OFTHE BOOK:
Ø IN HEBREW, THE NAME OF THE BOOK (BERESITpronounced “brayshéet”) MEANS = IN THE BEGINNING.
§ IT WAS A PRACTICE TO NAME ABOOK AFTER THE FIRST WORDS IN THE BOOK.
§ IT IS A GOOD TITLE FOR THEBOOK BECAUSE IT IS A BOOK OF BEGINNINGS.
· GENESIS IS THE BEGINNING OF:
¨ THE PHYSICAL UNIVERSE
¨ MAN
¨ HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS: MALE/FEMALE, FAMILY
¨ SIN AND ITS CONSEQUENCES
¨ NATIONS: JEW AND GENTILE
¨ MAN’S RELATIONSHIP TO GOD
¨ FAITH
Ø THE FIRST LETTER OF THE HEBREW ALPHABET IS aleph. THIS LETTER IS CALLED BY THE JEWS THEMASTER LETTER.
§ THE LETTER SYMBOLIZES THEONE GOD, ETERNAL AND OMNIPOTENT.
· READ REV 1:8
· READ REV 21:6
v THE PURPOSEOF THE BOOK:
Ø GENESIS GIVES THE BASIS OF GOD’S PLAN FORMAN.
§ IN A WAY, IT’S THEINSTRUCTION MANUAL FOR MAN.
· IT GIVES US A REVELATION OF WHOGOD IS AND HOW HE WORKS IN THE LIVES OF PEOPLE.
¨ WHEN WE FIRST COME TO GOD, WE DON’T REALLYKNOW WHO GOD IS AND WHAT HE EXPECTS OF US.
Ø THE SAME WAS TRUE FOR MAN IN THE BEGINNING.
¨ GRADUALLY GOD REVEALED HIMSELF TO MAN, ANDMAN LEARNED WHO GOD WAS AND WHAT HE EXPECTED. GOD DOES THE SAME WITH US GRADUALLY OVER THEYEARS OF OUR LIVES THROUGH EXPERIENCES AND THROUGH HIS WORD.
Ø GENESIS GIVES US A HISTORICAL BASE FOR THEREST OF THE BIBLE.
§ IT GIVES US A HISTORICALBASE FOR FAITH.
v THE AUTHOROF THE BOOK:
Ø THEOLOGIANS HAVE QUESTIONED THE AUTHORSHIP OFGENESIS FROM TIME TO TIME.
Ø HOWEVER, MOST AUTHORITIES AGREE THAT IT WASMOSES.
§ THE GREATEST VERIFICATIONOF THE AUTHORSHIP IS THAT JESUS SAID IT WAS MOSES.
· READ JOH 5:45-47
v THE DATE FORTHE BOOK:
Ø THE BOOK OF JOB IS THOUGHT TO BE THE OLDESTBOOK OF THE BIBLE.
Ø GENESIS IS THOUGHT TO BE THE SECOND OLDESTBOOK IN THE BIBLE.
§ MOSES LIVED ABOUT 1471-1451BC (120 YEARS)
§ MOSES PROBABLY WROTE THEFIRST 5 BOOKS OF THE BIBLE LATE IN HIS LIFE.
v THE THEMEFOR THE BOOK:
Ø FAITH AND REDEMPTION THROUGH KNOWING GOD.
§ IN THE BOOK OF GENESIS WELEARN THAT GOD IS THE CREATOR, THE REDEEMER, THE PROTECTOR AND SUSTAINER OF LIFE, AND THESOVEREIGN GOD.
§ IN THE BOOK OF GENESIS GODREVEALS HIMSELF TO MEN IN THE OLD TESTAMENT THROUGH 2 PRIMARY METHODS:
· A REVELATION OF THE NAMES OF GODTHAT TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT GODS CHARACTER.
· A REVELATION OF GOD BY HISCOVENANTS WITH MAN THAT TELL US ABOUT THE PLAN OF GOD.
§ IN THE BOOK OF GENESIS GODREVEALS HIMSELF TO NEW TESTAMENT MAN THROUGH TYPES AND PREFIGURES THAT POINT TO CHRIST.
· A TYPE IS AN OBJECTTHAT GOD INTENDED SHOULD REPRESENT CHRIST IN HIS CHARACTER OR HIS MINISTRY.
· A PREFIGURE IS APERSON THAT GOD INTENDED SHOULD REPRESENT CHRIST BY HIS CHARACTER OR HIS ACTIONS.
v THE OUTLINEOF THE BOOK:
Ø PART 1
§ CREATION (1-2)
§ THE FALL (3-4)
§ THE FLOOD (5-9)
§ THE TOWER OF BABEL (10-11)
Ø PART 2
§ ABRAHAM AND THE DEVELOPMENTOF FAITH (12-23)
§ ISAAC, THE BELOVED SON(24-26)
§ JACOB, THE CHASTENEDDECEIVER (27-36)
§ JOSEPH, FROM SUFFERING TOGLORY (37-50)
v THEPRINCIPAL SOURCES FOR OUR STUDY:
Ø CHRONOLOGY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT BY FLOYD NOLEN JONES (THE SOURCE FOR ALL THEDATES)
Ø GENESIS: THROUGH THE BIBLE COMMENTARYSERIES BY J. VERNON McGEE
Ø ON THE EVE OF ADAM BY J. R. CHURCH
Ø THE BOOK OF GENESIS BY RONALDYOUNGBLOOD
Ø THE BOOK OF GENESIS BY CHARLES F.PFEIFFER
Ø SCIENCE AND CREATION BY MORRIS,BROADMAN, AND KOONTZ
Ø THE CREATOR AND THE COSMOS BY HUGHROSS, PhD
Ø THE CREATOR BEYOND TIME AND SPACE BYMARK EASTMAN AND CHUCK MISSLER
Ø DISCOVERIES SINCE 1859 WHICH INVALIDATETHE EVOLUTION THEORY BY WALTER F. LAMMERTS
Ø SCIENCE AND SCRIPTURE BY THE CREATION SCIENCE RESEARCH CENTER
Ø EVOLUTION; A RADIO MESSAGE BY JOHNJESS
Ø CREATION, ACCIDENT OR DESIGN? BYHAROLD G. COFFIN
Ø EVOLUTION BY KENNETH TAYLOR
Ø EVIDENCE OF A WORLD-WIDE FLOOD BYKELLY L. SEGRAVES
Ø NOAH’S ARK: FACT OR FABLE? BY VIOLETM. CUMMINGS
Ø NOAH’S ARK: I TOUCHED IT BY FERNANDONAVARRA
Ø GOD DIVIDED THE NATIONS BY NOAH W.HUTCHINGS
Ø LORD I WANT TO KNOW YOU BY KAY ARTHUR
Ø AGES AND DISPENSATIONS BY WILLARD C.PEIRCE
Ø GLEANINGS FROM GENESIS BY ARTHUR W.PINK
Ø PHARAOHS AND KINGS: A BIBLICAL QUESTBY DAVID M. ROHL
Ø VARIOUS MISC. NOTES
v HOMEWORK
v INTRODUCTIONTO GENESIS 1
v THIS IS ASELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FOR CORRECTION
v CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS (A-F). FOR EACHSTATEMENT WRITE:
Ø -1- HOW DOES BELIEF IN THAT STATEMENT AFFECTONE’S FAITH IN GOD?
Ø -2- WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES IN A CHRISTIANLIFE BECAUSE OF THAT BELIEF?
§ (-A-) THIS WORLD CAME INTO BEING BY EITHER SOME COSMIC,NUCLEAR, OR CHEMICAL ACCIDENT WITHOUT THE INVOLVEMENT OF AN ALL POWERFUL GOD.
§ (-B-) MAN IS AN ADVANCED ANIMAL BROUGHT ABOUT BY CHANCEDESCENDED FROM OTHER ANIMALS.
§ (-C-) ACCORDING TO EVOLUTIONARY PROCESSES, LIFE ISACCIDENTAL AND HAPHAZARD.
§ (-D-) HUMAN LIFE DEVELOPED THROUGHTIME WITH MANY BLIND GENETIC ALLEYS, MISFITS, AND EXTINCTIONS ALWAYS STRUGGLING FOREXISTENCE OF THE MOST FIT.
§ (-E-) THE INDIVIDUAL HUMAN IS ONLYAS IMPORTANT AS THE GENETIC SOCIETY (GENE POOL) FROM WHICH HE COMES.
§ (-F-) THE BEGINNING OF THISUNIVERSE WAS NOT A SUPERNATURAL, MIRACULOUS EVENT.
v MEMORY VERSE: PSALM 33:6
