Walking Thru The Bible

GENESIS

INTRODUCTION

1.	The book of Genesis is the book of origins.

2.	The scope of the book is "From Bereshith (Hebrew word beginning) to Shiloh (Genesis 1;1; 49:10)."

3.	The book revolves around three significant ideas:

a.	Generation - Genesis 1 - 2. The beginnings of things.

b.	Degeneration - Genesis 3 - 11. The story of how evil entered the human history and its early movements.

c.	Regeneration - Genesis 12 - 50. The story of God calling a man, the beginning of a nation and preparation for the coming of Christ.

4.	The book can also be remembered around the lives of six men.

a.	Adam - Genesis 1-5	d.	Isaac - Genesis 26-27

b.	Noah - Genesis 6-11	e.	Jacob - Genesis 27-36

c.	Abraham - Gen 12-25	f.	Joseph - Genesis 37-50

DISCUSSION

I.	ADAM Ch. 1-5

First: The Beginning (Genesis 1:1)

A.	This verse carries us back to the beginning of everything.

B.	It states the five fundamental facts of science.

1.	Time	- "In the beginning.."

2.	Force	- "...God..."

3.	Actions	- "...created..."

4.	Space	- "...the heavens..."

5.	Matter	- "...and the earth."

C.	It assumes the existence of God.

D.	This simple sentence denies atheism, polytheism, and it confesses the one Eternal Creator.

E.	This verse affirms that something has always existed. Something never comes from nothing.

F.	God Created

1.	There are three words used in the first two chapters regarding the beginning of things.

a.	Bara - (created)

(1)	To create something from nothing.

(2)	It is used only three times in the first chapter. 1:1, 21, 27.

b.	Asah - (to make) Form out of pre-existing material, as a man takes lumber to make a desk. Genesis 1:7, 16, 26, 31; 2:18.

c.	Yatsar - (form) Form out of pre-existing material. Genesis 2:7, 19.

G.	The days were 24 hour periods of time, not long geological ages, 1:31; cf. Exodus 20:11. Objections to long periods of time:	1. It is unnecessary; 2. Every time the term day has a definite number before it, it refers to a 24 hour period of time; 3. The "Botany" argument; 4. Adam's extreme age if every day millions of years.

Second: The Beginning of Man and Woman (Gen 1:26-27; 2:18-25

A.	Man was created in the image of God (1:26).

B.	Man given dominion over all of God's creation (1:28).

C.	Man placed in the garden of Eden with one prohibition (2:15-17).

D.	Man given a mate - the beginning of marriage (2:18-25).

Third: The Beginning of Sin (Genesis 3:1-6).

A.	The tempter was the devil (3:1).

B.	The avenue of temptation were (Genesis 3:6):

1.	Lust of eyes

2.	Lust of the flesh

3.	Pride of life

C.	The consequence: (Genesis 3:11-24)

1.	Driven from the garden.

2.	Serpent to crawl upon his belly.

3.	Woman to have pain in child bearing.

4.	Ground cursed.

5.	Man to earn his living by sweat of his face (Genesis 3:19).

Fourth: The First Prophecy of Redemption (Gen 3:15).

A.	The seed of woman was to bruise the head of the serpent.

B.	Christ was born of a virgin - the seed of woman (Matthew 1:23).

C.	Christ was made of woman when the fulness of time came (Galatians 4:4).

II.	NOAH Ch. 6-11

A.	Man became exceeding wicked on the earth (Genesis 6:5).

B.	God determined to destroy the whole human race on the earth, but Noah found grace in God's eyes (Gen. 6:8-14).

C.	Noah did all that God commanded him to do (Gen. 6:22).

III.	ABRAHAM Ch. 12-25 (Gen 12:1-3; 13:15-16; 15:5, 18; 17:5-8; 17:19; 22:17-18.

Four elements in God's marvelous promise to Abraham

A.	A nation for carrying out the promise - "I will make of thee a great nation."

B.	A land for habitation - "Unto thy seed have I given this land" (Genesis 15:18).

C.	A God to bless - "I will bless thee" (Genesis 22:17).

D.	A coming Savior for all nations - "And in thy seed shall the nations of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 22:18; Cf. Gal. 3:16)

IV.	ISAAC Ch. 26-27

A.	Genesis 26:3-5 God Repeated The Promise to Isaac, That was beginning to be fulfilled in him (Gen 26:3-5).

V.	JACOB Genesis 28-36

A.	When Jacob was ready to leave home, Isaac repeated God's promise to Abraham (Gen. 28:3-4; 13-15).

B.	God appeared to Jacob at Bethel and repeated the promise (Gen. 35:10-12).

VI.	JOSEPH Genesis 37 - 50

A.	Joseph is sold into Egypt and rises to power (Gen 37-40).

B.	After interpreting Pharaoh's dreams, Joseph is placed in a position to help his people (Genesis 41).

C.	After Joseph reveals himself to his brothers he assures them that God has used their evil deed for good (Genesis 45:5-7; 50:15-20).

D.	Jacob in blessing his sons mentions the coming of Shiloh (Genesis 49:10).

CONCLUSION:

1.	So the book of beginnings ends with the great faith that God would bring them into the land he had promised (Genesis 50:24-25).

2.	How does Genesis connect with "the glory of God and the salvation of man through Jesus Christ" ?

a.	God's revelation makes known the origin of the universe, of man and of sin.

b.	It unfolds the development of the Messianic nation.

c.	It looks into the future and foretells the coming of the "promised seed," the Savior--Shiloh.

BABEL: Confusion of Tongues - Dispersion of Nations

Genesis 11:1-9

Introduction:

1.	In Gen 10 we read of the dispersion of Noah's descendants.

2.	In Gen 11 the building of the city and tower of Babel.

a.	This incident prompted the dispersion of Gen. 10:31,32.

I.	REBELLION AGAINST GOD

1.	They built to keep united. Didn't want to scatter. Their's was a rebellious society "No, we don't want to!" They built to establish a rallying point that might serve to maintain their unity.

2.	But God had told them to replenish the earth (9:1).

3.	God won't tolerate rebellion. Sounds like today! God gives us the standard to regulate morals and ethics but men and women say, "No, we don't want them! We want to set our own standards." (Which is NO standard.)

II.	FORGETTING GOD'S PURPOSE

1.	God's purpose was that men should scatter and replenish the entire earth. His purpose was not prevented though man tried.

2.	Often we forget God's purposes and decide upon our own course of action.

3.	Consider God's purpose for the church and how men have tried to thwart that purpose.

a.	Social Gospel; Humanism; A Divided Christendom

4.	Consider God's plan for marriage and the home and how our society today is perverting and failing God's plan.

5.	God's plan for man is happiness. And He shows the way of life in which it can be achieved.

a.	Why are so many unhappy?

b.	"Getters Vs Givers" "To give is happier than to get" (Acts 20:35, Moffatt Translation).

III.	EVIL ECUMENICAL MOVEMENTS

1.	Forget what God says...let's build one big city!

2.	"Doing things the same way won't mean a thing unless we are doing it right." Illustration: A new supervisor

IV.	AN INSPECTION OF OUR WORK (vs. 5)

1.	No work can hope to escape the eye of God. Prov.15:3

2.	Every work will be judged by God (Eccl. 12:14).

3.	Rebellion will not go un-noticed.

CONCLUSION:

1.	Dispersion of nations at Babel.

2.	Nations of the world united at the cross.