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Introduction
to the Book of Genesis
I.
Writer
It is said the first five
books of the Bible were all written by Moses
and they are called “the
Pentateuch”. This book is the first one of “the Pentateuch”.
II.
The Time and Location the Book was Written
Moses was a man living
during about 1500-1400 BC. And the things described in this book were
approximately during 4000 to 1800 BC
a total period of nearly 2300 years. How
could Moses know the history long before him? Probably
he received revelations
and inspirations from God when he was on the
III.
The Importance of This Book
1. The Book of Genesis is
the first book of the whole Bible as well as the most important book of the
Bible. Many significant topics are mentioned in this book
such as the
revelation of God Himself
the origin of the universe and all things
the
relation of God with human beings
the counsel of God’s redemption
the types
of Christ
the guidance of God
the process of the ancient saints’ being dealt
with
etc. We can say that each important biblical fact
truth
teaching and
revelation is rooted in this book
as the unformed substance of the baby chicks
has been early in the eggs.
2) There are two books in the
Bible which are especially hated by the devil
namely
the Book of Genesis and
the Book of Revelation. In the past two thousand years
the devil always tried
to destroy the credibility of these two books and overthrew its records and
accused the book of either “legend” or “superstition”. That is because the Book
of Genesis speaks of God’s judgment upon the devil (see Gen. 3:14-15) and the
Book of Revelation speaks of the execution upon it (Rev. 20:2-3
10).
IV.
General Description
This book shows us God’s
creation and the fall of man. God created all things and made the man to reign
on the earth to represent Him and manifest His glory. However
man fell and
failed all times in all cases. However
even though man was corrupted
God did
not give up His original purpose and counsel. God always stretched out His
hands to provide salvation and redemption when men fell in different stages. The
fall and failure of man had presented chances to God to manifest His grace. It
is revealed everywhere in this book that the coming Christ is the hope and
redeemer of the fallen race.
V.
Special Points
1. In the New Testament
the
Spirit has quoted the words from this book through the Lord’s servants for over
sixty times. Our Lord also quoted from this book for several times (see Matt.
19:4-6; 24:37-39; Luke 11:51; John 8:44
56; etc.).
2. The seeds of all the biblical truth are sown in
this book and then sprout and grow and bear fruit.
3. The name of this book “Genesis” is given according
to the Septuagint in Greek. There are no names of the books of the Old
Testament in Hebrew. The Jews were accustomed to name each book by its first
word. The first word of the first verse of the first chapter is “beginning”
so
the Jews call this book “Beginning”. This book concerns the beginning of the
heavens and the earth
the beginning of all things
the beginning of man
the
beginning of sin
the beginning of redemption
the beginning of religion
the
beginning of murder
the beginning of civilization
the beginning of genealogy
the beginning of the destruction of the world
the beginning of nation
the
beginning of Babylon
the beginning of God’s call
the beginning of faith and
promise
the beginning of the people of Israel and the beginning of the elect’s
coming down to Egypt.
4. Different names of God appear in this book: “God”
(Elohim
1:1)
“Jehovah” 2:4
“LORD” (“Adonai”
18:27)
“Jehovah-jireh”
(22:14)
“the Most High God” (14:20)
“the Almighty God” (17:1)
“the
everlasting God” (21:33)
etc. God revealed His many aspects to men so that we
may receive much precious light from this book.
5. Though our Lord is not once mentioned in this
book directly
the book is full of types concerning Christ: e.g. the sleeping
of Adam (2:21-22) is the type of the death of Christ on the cross. Skin (3:21)
firstlings of the flock (4:4)
the ram (22:13)
etc. are the types that the
Lord sacrificed for us. The ark (6:41) is the type that Christ is the only
salvation of human beings. Isaac is the type of Christ who obeyed unto death
(22:1-10). Melchizedek is the type of Christ who is the priest according to
another order (14:17-20). Joseph (chap. 37-50) is the type of the Lord who was
the beloved Son of the Father and was hated and rejected and sold by his
brothers and was finally exalted to become the blessing and redeemer of his
brothers and married the gentile new wife.
VI.
Key Verses
“Then God said
“Let Us
make man in Our image
according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over
the fish of the sea
over the birds of the air
and over the cattle
over all[b] the earth
and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”” (1:26)
“The tree of life was
also in the midst of the garden
and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil …Of
every tree of the garden you may freely eat
but
of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat
for in the day
that you eat of it you shall surely die” (2:9b
16-17)
“Now the LORD has said to Abram: ‘
“Abram believed in the LORD
and He accounted it to
him for righteousness” (15:6).
VII.
Key Words
“Beginning”
(1:1);
“Corrupt”
(6:11);
VIII. Outlines
of the Book
A. Histories of the ancient times (chap.1-10);
1.
Generations of the
heavens and the earth (1:1-2:3);
2.
The beginning and
fall of man (2:4-3:24);
3.
Man became under the
sin and death (4:1-6:8);
4.
The world was
condemned (6:9-8:14);
5.
Covenant and curse
(8:15-9:28);
6.
Dispersion and
election (11:1-32);
B. Histories of the fathers of the elect
(chap.12-50);
1.
Abraham’s being
called and promised (chap.12-20);
2.
Isaac and the
greater trial of his faith (chap.21-26);
3.
Jacob and the embryo
of
4.
Joseph and going to
Egypt of Jacob’s whole family (chap.37-50)
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Mary Zhou