BIBLE BOOK GUIDE
Genesis
50 chapters
In God's creation, fall, and election, the opening of redemptive history and His covenant promises are revealed.
Genesis
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Why this book was written
Genesis was written to record for Israel the origins of all things, the election of the patriarchs, and the beginning of God's promises, so the people would know that the God they worship is the unique Creator and Redeemer, that their identity comes from the Abrahamic covenant, and that they are being prepared to enter the promised land.
Structure
- 1–11Creation and Fall: The Universal Beginning
- 12–25Abraham: The Father of Promise and Faith
- 26–36Isaac and Jacob: Continuation and Election of the Promise
- 37–50Joseph: God's Providence and a Foreshadow of Redemption
Major themes
God's Creation and Sovereignty
Genesis 1-2 depicts God creating all things by the power of His word, establishing His sovereignty over everything; all things exist from Him, through Him, and to Him.
Sin and the Fall
Genesis 3 records Adam and Eve's disobedience, the entry of sin into the world, bringing shame, fear, curse, and death, revealing human depravity and the need for redemption.
Promise and Election
God promises Abraham (12:1-3), Isaac (26:3-4), and Jacob (28:13-14) descendants, land, and blessing, revealing divine election in grace and His covenant faithfulness.
Faith and Trust
Abraham believed God's word and it was credited as righteousness (15:6), demonstrating steadfast faith in the test of offering Isaac (ch. 22), becoming the father of faith.
God's Providence and Judgment
From Cain's judgment, the flood, Sodom's destruction, to Joseph's experiences (chs. 37-50), God executes righteous judgment in history while wondrously preserving His people.
God's Provision and Typology of Redemption
God clothes Adam and Eve with garments of skin (3:21), provides a substitute for Isaac (ch. 22), and Joseph preserves a remnant for his brothers (45:7)—all typologically pointing to Christ's redemption and provision.
How it points to Christ
Genesis points to Christ through seeds and types: the seed of the woman (3:15) is the first gospel promise of God's redemption plan; Abraham's offspring (22:18) points to Christ Himself; the priesthood of Melchizedek (14:18-20) typifies Christ as the eternal High Priest; Joseph, rejected by his brothers yet becoming savior (chs. 37-50), prefigures Christ despised, crucified, and resurrected as the Savior of all peoples. The end of Genesis anticipates the redemption promised in Exodus, ultimately fulfilled in Christ—the coming 'Lion of Judah' (cf. Rev 5:5) and the 'Lamb' who takes away the sin of the world.
Key verses
- 1:1All that exists begins with God's creation, laying the foundation of the biblical worldview.
- 3:15The first gospel promise that the seed of the woman will crush the serpent's head, the protoevangelium.
- 12:1–3The core of the Abrahamic covenant; all nations will be blessed through his offspring, pointing to Christ.
- 15:6A classic text on justification by faith—Abraham believed God and it was credited as righteousness.
- 22:18The typology of Isaac and the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant; all nations will be blessed through his offspring.
- 28:13–14Jacob's dream restates the Abrahamic covenant; God's promise of presence runs through patriarchal history.
- 45:5–8Joseph acknowledges God used evil to bring redemption, revealing divine providence and typology.
- 50:20You intended evil, but God intended it for good—a summary declaration of divine providence.
Films & series on Genesis
Each has a guide: scripture sources, where it departs from the Bible, discussion questions, and where to watch
Noah
Film · 2014
A man who suffers visions of an apocalyptic deluge takes measures to protect his family from the coming flood.
The Bible
Series · 2013
The story of God's creation of the Earth and the landmark events leading up to the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
In the Beginning
Series · 2000
In the Beginning is a 2-part biblical television miniseries directed by Kevin Connor. It stars Martin Landau and Jacqueline Bisset and it premiered on NBC on November 12, 2000.
Reflections on Genesis
People in this book
Questions for reflection
- ·How do I see God's glory and power in His creation? How does this affect my daily reverence for God?
- ·In facing the temptation of sin, what does Adam and Eve's failure warn me about? How can I overcome sin through Christ?
- ·What weaknesses are seen in Abraham's faith? How can I remain steadfast in trusting God while waiting for His promises?
- ·How did Joseph see God's providence in suffering? Can I trust God's 'good intentions' in my current difficulties?
- ·How do the 'seed' promises in Genesis deepen my understanding and gratitude for Christ's salvation?
Want to read Genesis start to finish? Open the reader for parallel Chinese/English text and ask anything as you go.
Start reading GenesisGenesis
Chapter 1
1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2And the earth was waste and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
4And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
5And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.
6And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
7And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
8And God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.
9And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
10And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
11And God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit-trees bearing fruit after their kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth: and it was so.
12And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after their kind: and God saw that it was good.
13And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.
14And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years:
15and let them be for lights in the firmament of heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
16And God made the two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
17And God set them in the firmament of heaven to give light upon the earth,
18and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.
19And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.
20And God said, Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
21And God created the great sea-monsters, and every living creature that moveth, wherewith the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind: and God saw that it was good.
22And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.
23And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.
24And God said, Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind, cattle, and creeping things, and beasts of the earth after their kind: and it was so.
25And God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creepeth upon the ground after its kind: and God saw that it was good.
26And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27And God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
28And God blessed them: and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
29And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for food:
30and to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the heavens, and to everything that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for food: and it was so.
31And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.