The Book of Beginnings
© John Stevenson, 2009
Title for the Book
• The Hebrew Title: BeReshyth; “In the
Beginning”
• Greek Title: Genesis - “Beginnings”
“These are the generations…”
• Hebrew: Elleh toledoth
• Ten sets
• History of account follows: “These
are the things that followed…”
Adam
Abraham
Adam
Genesis 2:4 – 11:26
Genesis 11:27 – 50:26
5 Toledoth from
Adam to Abraham
5 Toledoth from
Abraham to Israel
Genesis 1 - 11
Genesis 12 - 50
Events Predominant
• Creation
• Fall into sin
• Flood
• Tower of Babel
Persons Predominant
• Abraham
• Isaac
• Jacob
• Joseph
The human race as a
whole
The family of
Abraham
Over 2000 years
Around 250 years
Beginning & Ending
• Genesis begins with God: “In the
beginning God created…”
• Genesis ends with a corpse: “…in
a coffin in Egypt”
Unformed
Unfilled
Day 1: Light
Day 4: Light-bearers
(sun, moon, stars)
Day 2: Water & sky
divided
Day 5: Fish & birds to
fill water & sky
Day 3: Dry land &
vegetation
Day 6: Land animals
& man
Day 7: Sabbath Rest
Genesis 1:26-27
The God said, “Let Us make man
in Our image, according to Our
likeness; and let them rule over the fish
of the sea and over the birds of the sky
and over the cattle and over all the
earth, and over every creeping thing
that creeps on the earth.”
And God created man in His own
image, in the image of God He created
him; male and female He created
them. (Genesis 1:26-27).
Genesis 1:26-27
God blessed them; and God said
to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill
the earth, and subdue it; and rule over
the fish of the sea and over the birds of
the sky and over every living thing that
moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:28).
– In the Image of God
– Federal Headship
– Stewardship and a basis for Ecology
Genesis 1
Genesis 2
The heavens and the
Creation of the man
earth are created in six and woman (no time
days.
element mentioned).
Panorama of creation Detailed focus on one
as a whole
aspect of creation
Centers on God
creating the heavens
and the earth
Centers on man as the
crowning act of God’s
creation
Creation complete: Heavens & earth created;
God finished His work (1-3)
Man created: Formed from dust (4-9)
Trees & Rivers in garden given names (9-14)
Man assigned task of guarding & keeping the
garden (15)
Forbidden fruit (16-17)
Man in need of a helper: not good to be alone
(18)
Animals in garden are given names (19-20)
Woman created: Formed from rib (21-24)
Creation complete: Man & woman naked &
unashamed in presence of God (25)
Seed of the Serpent
Cain
Seed of the Woman
Abel & Seth
Enoch
Lamech
Noah
Ham
Shem
Canaan
Abraham
Judgment
Way of Salvation
Adam & Eve cast out
of the garden.
Redemption promised
through the seed of
the woman.
Cain banished for
murdering his brother.
God marks Cain so
none will take
vengeance.
Flood brought upon
Eight souls saved in
the earth.
the ark.
Languages confused
Abraham to be a
and nations dispersed. blessing to the nations.
The First Three Patriarchs
• Each is given a series of promises
– A Seed
– A Land
– A Blessing
– A Blessing to the nations
• Each lives as an alien in the land
• Each has a barren wife who gives birth
• Each deals with rivalry among his sons
Haran

Ur
Genesis 15 &
The Covenant Ceremony
“To Cut a Covenant”
The Isaac Narrative
• His name: “Laughter”
• The offering of Isaac: “Take now
your son, your only son, whom you
love, Isaac, and go to the land of
Moriah; and offer him there as a
burnt offering on one of the
mountains of which I will tell you.”
(Genesis 22:2).
The Jacob Narrative
• His name: “Heelgrabber”
• The Birthright.
• The Blessing.
• Jacob’s Ladder.
• Sojourn in Haran.
 Haran
The Jacob Narrative
•
•
•
•
•
•
His name: “Heel-grabber”
The Birthright.
The Blessing.
Jacob’s Ladder.
Sojourn in Haran.
The Esau Incident
The Joseph Story
• A problem of favoritism
• Deception with garments and
a goat
• Departure from the land
• Egypt in the days of Joseph
• Joseph’s Imprisonment
• Joseph’s Exaltation
• Israel’s Entrance into Egypt
A Pattern of Israel’s
Purpose
• Altars & Worship
• A Sense of Purpose
• Unity
• Racial & Religious Purity
Seed of the Serpent
Seed of the Woman
Abraham
Ishmael
Isaac
Esau
Jacob
Whose Seed
are You?