GENESIS
INTRODUCTION
i.

Foundation
Essential to understand the rest of the Bible
 The
Bible is made up of many different books, but it
has one main plot and Genesis “initiates the plot of
the whole” (Longman).

Bible ends much like it begins: compare Gen 12 with Rev 21-22
INTRODUCTION
ii.
1.
Structure of Genesis
Genesis’ own structure: Toledoth
11
sections of Gen introduced by “these are
the generations” or “this is the account of”
followed by a personal name.
The
person isn’t necessarily the main character
See list in notes
The point?
INTRODUCTION
Structure of Genesis
i.
3-fold structure based on content and
style
2.
a.
b.
Universal History (Gen 1-11)
Patriarchal History (Gen 12-50)
a.
b.
c.
Abraham (Gen 12-25)
Jacob (Gen 25-36)
The Joseph Story (Gen 37-50
INTRODUCTION
iii.
Purpose of Genesis
To show that Israel’s God is the sovereign
Creator whose purpose to establish his
covenant rule will not be hindered by the
sinfulness of humanity (Richard Belcher)
GENESIS 1-3 CREATION AND FALL
i.
The Creator is King
1.
Kingship and Creation in Gen 1
Kingship and creation in later Psalms
Psalm 95:3-6
For the LORD is the great God,
the great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth,
and the mountain peaks belong to him.
5 The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.
6 Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;
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GENESIS 1-3 CREATION AND FALL
i.
The Creator is King
2.
God exercises his Kingship in the act of calling and
naming

5x = God names/calls creation (vv 5 [2 times], 8, 10 [2
times])
“The act of giving a name meant, above all, the exercise of a
sovereign right. … Thus the naming of this and all
subsequent creative works once more expresses
graphically God’s claim of lordship over the creatures”
(Von Rad).
GENESIS 1-3 CREATION AND FALL
i.
The Creator is King
3.
YHWH’s Kingship contrasted with other creation accounts
•
Babylonian Myth of Creation, Ennuma Elish.
•
Canaanite Myth of Creation.
•
conflict. These myths and others view creation as the result of some
sort of conflict or struggle among gods
•
Genesis. In contrast, the Genesis account denies that YHWH is one of
many gods who through a war earned his seat on the throne; rather, he is
the eternal sovereign creator who speaks the creation into existence.
•
Creation of “heavenly bodies” (sun, moon, stars)
GENESIS 1-3 CREATION AND FALL
ii.
Gen 1:28 creation of Humanity
1.
Image of God and ANE view of humanity
•
Epic of Atrahasis. Mankind was created to do the undesirable work
of the lesser gods.
“bear the yoke, the task of Enlil (powerful gods). Let man
assume the drudgery of the gods (Atrahasis)
•
Enuma Elish (“when on high”).
“ I shall compact blood, I shall cause bones to be, I shall
make stand a human being, let ‘Man’ be its name. I shall
create humankind, They shall bear the gods’ burden that
those may rest” (Enuma Elish)
GENESIS 1-3 CREATION AND FALL
ii.
Gen 1:28 creation of Humanity

Image of God: What does it mean to be in “God’s image?”
1.
Mankind has an exalted status
1.
Mankind is made for “relationship”
a.
2.
Gen 1:27— “…in the image of God he created mankind, male and
female God created them”
Mankind is made to “rule”
a.
b.
Gen 1:26—“Let us make man in our image, according to Our
likeness; and let them rule…
Cf. Ps. 8:6; 115:16
God Rules
thru
Man
over
creation
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GENESIS 1-3 CREATION AND FALL
1
Gen 2: God’s relationship with humanity
Expands on Gen 1:26-28: God’s rule over creation
through mankind
i.
•
Not a different creation story
God’s relationship with mankind
i.
i.
Names of God: Gen 1 Elohim; Gen 2 Yahweh
GENESIS 1-3 CREATION AND FALL
Transcendent
Immanent
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GENESIS 1-3 CREATION AND FALL
i.
Names of God: Gen 1 Elohim; Gen 2 Yahweh
Genesis 2 highlights Yahweh’s intimate relationship
with humanity
 “formed him from the dust” (2:7)
 “breathed into his nostrils” (2:7)
 Saw that man needed a helper, so he provided one
(2:18)
 Entrusted to man the naming of the animals, and
waits in anticipation to “see what he would name
them” (2:19)
 Cf.
God “calling” and “naming” of Gen 1. Adam’s ongoing
work of creation.
GENESIS 1-3 CREATION AND FALL
ii. Garden of Eden is a Sanctuary

The Point: Eden, the place where God and man perfectly
enjoy each other’s presence, is the prototype for later
sanctuaries, where God and man are able to meet.

Revelation: The new heavens and new earth are described
as a “new Eden” where there is a “tree of life” (Rev 22:2), a
river (Rev 22:1), and where there will “no longer be any
curse” (Rev 22:3).
GENESIS 1-3 CREATION AND FALL
2. Gen 3 The Fall
1. What does the snake attack?
Did God really say?
You won’t really die!
The snake attacks
the validity and power
of the GOD’S
SPOKEN WORD
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GENESIS 1-3 CREATION AND FALL
2. Gen 3 The Fall
a. What does the snake attack?
b. What’s wrong with “being like God, knowing good
and evil?” (Gen 3:5)
•
•
‘knowing’ in the sense of determining.
By going against God’s command, Adam and Eve
are essentially asserting their own moral autonomy.
17
GENESIS 1-3 CREATION AND FALL
c. The results of the Fall
God
Adam
Eve
18
GENESIS 1-3 CREATION AND FALL
d. Promise of Judgment AND salvation
Key text: Genesis 3:15
i.
“And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman
And between your seed and her seed;
He shall bruise you on the head
And you shall bruise him on the heel.“
“protoeuangelion”


“first gospel” (foreshadow of the gospel)
Gen 3:15– “I will put enmity between thee and the woman
Satan
Eve
And between thy seed (plural !) and her seed (plural !)
Seed
Seed
Seed
Seed
Seed
Seed
He shall crush thy head, you will bruise his heel”
Satan
Seed
20
Gen 3:15 – “I will put enmity between thee and the woman
Satan
Eve
And between thy seed (plural !) and her seed (plural !)
Seed
Seed
Seed
Seed
Seed
Seed
He shall crush thy head, you will bruise his heel”
Satan
Seed
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
GENESIS 1-3 CREATION AND FALL
d. The Promise of Judgment and Salvation
i.
Key text: Genesis 3:15
ii.
Gen 3:19-21 and the promise of life



3:19 Adam will return to the ground (death)
3:20 Adam…names his wife??
3:21 God kills some animals???
What in the world is going on here??


3:19 News of Adam’s death (punishment)
3:20 Expression of faith in God’s promise

“the mother of all living” (i.e. she will bear a seed)

3:21 Covering of sin with death of innocent substitute

The first salvation experience !
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GENESIS 4-11 THE PROMISE OF REDEMPTION
UNFOLDS
a.
Gen 4 Cain and Abel
i.
What’s Eve thinking in 4:1
Maybe this is the promised seed?
i.
What is the main point of the story?
1. Moral?
 Be nice to your siblings?
2. Theological
 The outworking of the promise (3:15)
 “enmity between seeds”
GEN 4: CAIN AND ABLE
iii. Why did God reject Cain’s sacrifice
1. It wasn’t a blood sacrifice?
•
problem: many sacrifices later in the Bible (Lev 1-7) are not
blood/animal sacrifices.
Not offered in faith?
2.
•
problem: maybe, but nothing in the text indicates Cain’s lack
of faith.
Not his best offering (i.e. it’s a heart issue)
3.
•
support: the only indicator in the text that contrasts Abel
and Cain is that Able offered his “firstborn” while Cain’s
offering is not qualified in any way.
iv. Genealogy: Cain – Lamech (4:16-24)
v. A new “Seed” – Seth (4:25-26)
a.
Gen 5: Genealogy
i.
What’s the main point?
And between thy seed ………….. and her seed
Seed
Cain
Seth
Abel
Seed
Seed
Seed
Lamech
Seed
Seed
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iv. Genealogy: Cain – Lamech (4:16-24)
v. A new “Seed” – Seth (4:25-26)
a.
Gen 5: Genealogy
i.
What’s the main point?
i.
Enoch = 7th generation (5:21-24)
i.
Noah … the snake killer?(5:29)
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And between thy seed and her seed
Seed
Cain
Seth
Abel
Seed
Seed
Seed
Enoch
Lamech
Seed
Noah
Seed
He shall crush thy head, you will bruise his heel
Satan
Seed
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B. NOAH AND THE FLOOD
i.
Gen 6:1-4 Who are the “sons of God” and
“daughters of men?”
1.
2.
3.
“sons of God” = kings?
“sons of God” = “seed of Seth”?
“sons of God” = angelic/demonic beings
a.
b.
c.
d.
Job 38 – “sons of God” = angelic beings
2 Pet 2
Jude
1 Pet 3
B. NOAH AND THE FLOOD
ii. The Biblical Flood and ANE Flood Accounts
1.
2.
3.
Introduction
Gilgamesh Epic
Similarities
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
4.
size and shape of the boat
carried family and animals
landed on a mountain
release of birds to find dry ground
offer of sacrifice after flood ended
Differences
B. NOAH AND THE FLOOD
ii. The Biblical Flood and ANE Flood Accounts
1.
2.
3.
4.
Introduction
Gilgamesh Epic
Similarities
Differences
i.
Bible: flood takes place within the framework of morality;
ii.
Bible: God is in complete control, ordaining the beginning
and end of the flood.
iii.
Bible: God saves Noah out of his grace and his
commitment to keep his word (ala Gen. 3:15). God
desires a relationship with humanity
5.
Theological point
iii. God’s covenant with Noah (Gen 6:18-19; 8:17-9:17)
1. Reaffirm God’s redemptive goal for both creation and
mankind.
1. Affirmed God’s value on life and the seriousness of sin.
1. The sin/fall of Noah (Gen 9).
•
Gen 9:1-17. Reflects Gen 1-2.
1. “Be fruitful and multiply (Gen 8:17; 9:1, 7)
2. Fall of Adam (Gen 3); fall of Noah (9:20-21)
3. Sin of offspring (Cain and Ham).
4. Nakedness (3:9-10)
41
TAIL!
42
Noah
Ham
Shem
Japheth
Canaan
43
C. GEN 10: TABLE OF NATIONS
d. Gen 11 The Tower of Babel
 What’s
wrong with building a tower?
Not build a tower to reach into heaven (i.e. climb into
heaven)!
 Cf. NLT “…into the sky…”

 They
are looking for significance in themselves (“let us make a
name for ourselves”).

11:4 “‘Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a
tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous
and keep us from being scattered all over the world’”
(NLT).
 Babel
becomes a picture of people getting together, trying to
establish culture and civilization, though without God.
What is the artist saying about “Babel” or “Babylon”?
46
iv. Gen 11 The Tower of Babel
iii. RAY OF HOPE with Abram
Genealogy (11:10-32)

Abraham is the new solution to the problem of
sin. The promise to Abraham is God’s new
means through which Creation will be set
right.
And between thy seed and her seed
Seed
Cain
Seth
Abel
Seed
Lamech
Enoch
Canaan
Seed
Shem
Noah
Abraham
48
4 Murder
of Abel
5
Genealogies
6
Weird
giants &
bad
people
6-8Noah
almighty &
the ark
9
Noah
gets
drunk
curses
wrong
guy
10
Genealogies
11 First
skyscraper
project
goes bad.
49