Genesis is the “book of origins.” It constitutes that part of the Bible which is commonly called the introductory book of the Old Testament. The name Genesis is derived directly from the Greek translation of the Hebrew word bereshith , meaning “in the beginning”.
The book of Genesis starts with a brief statement about the pre-Adamic world and goes on to cover the first 2,000 years and more of man’s history, from the creation of Adam and Eve to the settlement of the children of Israel in Egypt. The highlights of the first eleven chapters are a description of creation; God’s instruction to the first man and woman; the account of their disobedience which cut them and their progeny off from God; man’s sinful degeneration which resulted in total destruction of life save Noah and his family by a Flood; and the disbursement of the races at the tower of Babel after the flood.
Chapters 12 through 50 contain the account of Abraham’s calling and God’s promises to him due to his faithfulness; the story of Isaac and Jacob; and the account of Joseph and his family in Egypt.
Genesis can rightly be summed up in the following words: “The book of Genesis is the true and original birthplace of theology. It contains those concepts of God and man, of righteousness and judgment, of responsibility and moral government, of failure and hope, which are presupposed through the rest of the Old Testament, and which prepare the way for the mission of Christ”.
The record of Genesis is written in abbreviated form and certain questions, as a result, have been frequently asked about its content. It is our purpose to answer a number of these questions in the light of the entire Bible (Genesis to Revelation).
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