THE ABC's OF GENESIS

GENESIS 1

Pastor Rick Jackson


I. "A" IS FOR AUTHORSHIP


1. THE DOCUMENTARY HYPOTHESIS


A few years back some decided that the common thought concerning the authorship of Genesis was erroneous. These anti-God, anti-miraculous latter-day Saducees came up with what is called the documentary hypothesis, of JEDP. The thought is that all the writings that use the name "Jehovah" for God were written by one man (or school), those using "Elohim" wrote some, the priestly writings were from another group, and the Deuteronomic writings were by another and that they were all edited together much later (500 BC) to produce Genesis. Their primary reason that Moses didn't write Genesis was that there was no writing in the time of Moses!


Archaeology has proven that there was advanced writing long before Moses but rather than give up their ridiculous hypothesis they merely fell back on what had been their weaker arguments (difference in style, etc.). All can be answered by the fact that the topic was different rather than the writer. Much like the writer of TV shows will change much of his terminology when writing for a medical show as opposed to a police show.


2. MOSES


Many times in the Bible, the Pentateuch, the first 5 books of the Bible are referred to as the books of Moses or some other such derivation. The general implication being that Moses wrote all 5. The case should be settled once and for all by the Lord Jesus Himself in Lk. 24:25-32.


3. GOD [II Tm. 3:16, II Peter 1:21]


II. "B" IS FOR BREAKDOWN

1. "Genesis" means "beginning" or "origin".


The book of Genesis is the book of beginnings. The beginning of the universe, the earth, life as we know it, man, marriage, sin, death, salvation, clothing, family, language, civilization, the nations, the Jews, government... and on and on it goes. Genesis is foundational. People who have problems with accepting Genesis as part of the Word of God will eventually have problems with other parts of the Bible. The Bible stands or falls on Genesis.

2. The divisions of Genesis


Genesis is divided into two main sections. Genesis 1-11 describes God's universal dealings with mankind and cover approximatly 2000 years separate by four great events. The 4 events are Creation, the fall, the flood and Babel. Genesis 12-50, and indeed the rest of the Old Testament describes God's dealing with the man Abraham, his descendants, and the rest of the world using those descendants.

The second section of Genesis, chapters 12-50, cover roughly 300 years and deal with 4 main individuals. Abram (Abraham), Isaac, Jacob (Israel), and Joseph. Valuable lessons can be found in the studies of each man's life. I can hardly wait to get started.

3. What's not in Genesis?

What isn't in Genesis is what God was doing in eternity past before Creation. Martin Luther answered that very nicely by saying that He was in the forest cutting switches for people who ask such questions. The whole Bible doesn't even contain all that Jesus has done so why would you expect 1 book out of 66 to do so?

Jn. 21:25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

III. "C" IS FOR CHRISTOLOGY

In Genesis, the Creator becomes the promised redeemer and is shown to be the Messiah of the Jews and the Saviour of the World, the Lord Jesus Christ. History truly is His Story and this is made clear from a proper understanding of the Bible from Gn. 1:1 through Rev. 22:21. The greatest commentary on Scripture is not J. Veron McGee or John R. Rice. The greatest commentary on Scripture is Scripture!

1 Corinthians 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

Acts 17:11These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

1. Christ as Creator [Gn. 1:1, Jn. 1:1-3, Col. 1:16-17]

2. Christ as Redeemer [Gn. 3:14-15, Is. 7:14, Mt. 1:18-21]

3. Christ typified [Adam=I Co. 15:22, 45-50, the offerings, Isaac, Joseph]