GENESIS The Beginning
Purpose:
To record God’s creation of the world and his desire to have people set apart to worship Him
Author:
Moses while in the wilderness during Israel’s Wanderings. 1450-1410 BC
Timeframe:
Before Abraham, who was 700-1000 years before Moses and ends with Joseph 1800 BC
Genesis Introduced:
1. Nature of God the creator
2. Value of man (in His image)
3. The tragedy and consequences of sin
The whole story of the Bible in the first 3 chapters:
• God is of incalculable glory (Creation)
• Sin is the ultimate tragedy (Fall)
• A savior will crush the power of evil (Redemption)
Length:
50 Chapters
*Notes from Everyday Gospel by Paul David Tripp, 2024
People:
Kingdom Builders
Abraham: Founder of the Jewish nation
Isaac: Story of God’s will ahead of our own Joesph: suffering, no matter how unfair, can develop strong character in us
Jacob: His name means “deciever”
Jacob wrestled with God. His name was changed to Israel Israel means “wrestled with God”
Family brokenness
Cain and Abel: Jealousy
Isaac and Ishmael: Favoritism and Jealousy
Esau and Jacob: Favoritism
Rachel and Leah: Favoritism and Jealousy
Joesph and brothers: Favoritism and Jealousy
Kingdom Builder Wisdom:
Wealth - living God’s way makes life productive and fulfilling. True prosperity and fulfillment come as a result of obeying God. True prosperity and fulfillment comes as a result of obeying God.
Promises - Covenant: a promise. God makes covenants with his people throughout the Bible. He makes promises to help and protect his people. God keeps his promises. He promises to love us, accept us, forgive us.
Sin vs. Obedience - Sin ruins life. It happens when we disobey God. When people obey God, they find peace with him, with others and with themselves.
Hope - Remnant—Noah was spared because he obeyed. He preserved a remnant of God’s creatures.
Faith insights - Genesis does not answer questions about how, exactly the universe was created. Instead, it answers who created it. God protects those who are faithful. God keeps his promises. He promises to love us, accept us, forgive us. When people obey God, they find peace
Genesis 1:1 - Creator
Key Words
Genesis 1:26 (NLT) - Overseer
Genesis 1:27 – Human Worth
Genesis 2:3 - Rest
Genesis 2:7 - Work
Genesis 2:10 - Flow
Genesis 2:15 - Work
Genesis 2:16-17 - Knowledge
Genesis 2:19 - Work
Genesis 2:25 - Shame
Genesis 3:1-2 – Temptation
Genesis 5:1 - Human Worth
Genesis 6:5 - Wickedness
Genesis 6:8,22 - Favor
Genesis 6:9 – Relationship
Genesis 9:4-5 - Lifeblood
Genesis 11:4 – Idols
Genesis 12:1 – Calling/Faith
Genesis 12:3 - Blessing
Genesis 15:1 - Promises
Genesis 17:3-4 – Many Nations
Genesis 17:7 - Covenant
Genesis 18:15 - Lies
Genesis 27:28 - Blessing
Genesis 27:35 - Deceit
Genesis 28:15 – Promise
Genesis 33:10 – Forgiveness
Genesis 37:8 – Jealousy
Genesis 39:2-4 - Favor
Genesis 45:7 - Remnant
Genesis 49:1 - Blessings
Genesis 50:20 – Everything
Key Word Scripture Verse Insight
Genesis 1:1 Creator
Overseer Genesis 1:26 NLT
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
Genesis 1:27 Human Worth
“They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry the ground.”
God is the maker of it all. This is the wisest starting point for any owner, faith leader or advisor.
Rest Genesis 2:3
“So, God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him, male and female He created them.”
God delegated to us authority over all creation.
We are to be faithful to the tasks assigned to us (1 Corinthians 4:2).
“And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work
Human worth is not based on possessions, achievements, physical attractiveness or public acclaim. Instead, it is based on being in God’s image. God loves us all, just the same. Bosses, capitalists, kings and queens are not better than their employees, they are just more accountable.
If God himself rested from his work, we should not be surprised that we also need rest.
Key Word Scripture Verse Insight
of creating that he had done.” That God blesses the seventh day means that he set it apart for holy use.
Work
Genesis 2:7 Flow
“Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”
God is happy in his work, and we are made in his image. No wonder there is nothing more humanizing than good work, and no wonder God rewards it.
Genesis 2:10
“A river watering the garden flowed from Eden”
The only way to become the person God made you to be is to live with the Spirit of God flowing through you like a living water.
Work
Genesis 2:15
“The Lord God took the man (Adam) and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”
God created us to be meaningmakers. Adam was given a purposeful assignment: care for the Garden.
Key Word Scripture Verse Insight
Knowledge Genesis 2:6-17 “And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat it you will surely die.’”
God gave Adam choice between two trees: a tree of life or a tree of knowledge of good and evil. The first was eternal life and the second was life with imperfect choices, including pain from disobedience.
Work Genesis 2:19 “Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.”
God with his hands in the dust creates paradise for human beings in which work itself is one of the good things.
Shame Genesis 2:25 “Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.”
Sin causes us to feel shame and hide. Before the fall, there was no shame. We put up barriers and block God and others out, communication breaks down.
Key Word Scripture Verse Insight
Temptation Genesis 3:1-2
“Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden.”
God gave Adam choice, and thus the possibility of choosing wrong.
Disguised as a shrewd serpent, Satan came to tempt Eve. Satan’s plan works to deceive us through doubt, discouragement, diversion, defeat.
Human Worth Genesis 5:1
“This is the written account of the descendants of Adam. When God created human beings, he made them to be like himself.”
The descent from Adam to Moses…there is no room for prejudice.
All humans are related…each person is a valuable and unique creation of God.
Wickedness Genesis 6:5
“The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was.”
Sometimes, God displays the emotions of a person.
Key Word Scripture Verse Insight
Favor
Genesis 6:8,22
Relationship
Lifeblood
Genesis 6:9 “8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
An illustration of the FavorObedience connection.
22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him.”
“Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.”
Noah consistently followed God’s will and enjoyed a close relationship with Him.
Genesis 9:4-5
“But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being.”
Idols Genesis 11:4 “Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the
Lifeblood and Accountability God will require each person to account for his or her actions.
The tower was a monument to the people themselves rather than God. Worshipping their
Key Word Scripture Verse Insight
heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”
The tower was a monument to the people themselves rather than God. Worshipping their success and power rather than God’s.
12:1
“The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.”
The call to faithfully pursue a vision or call God makes to us.
“I will make you into a great nation, And I will bless you; I will make your name great, And you will be a blessing.”
God’s great covenant to Abram....telling him that he would found a great nation.
This is the Mission Statement of the Bible.
Abraham’s story: how to live a life of faith.
Key Word Scripture Verse Insight
Blessing Promises
Genesis 12:3
“All peoples on earth will be blessed through you (Abraham)”
Genesis 15:1
“Do not be afraid Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”
The privilege of leadership has with it the responsibility to fulfill God’s intent that His leaders effect blessing upon the people under their charge.
Many Nations
Genesis 17:3-4
“Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations.”
Wealth: living God’s way makes life productive and fulfilling. True prosperity and fulfillment come as a result of obeying God.
Abram to Abraham covenant of circumcision “Sign of the covenant” or the circumcision of all males Cutting off and separating Altars symbolized communion with God and commemorated notable encounters with him. Reminding man that God is at the center of our life. The Eternal Word (Logos) who came to the world for our salvation.
Key Word Scripture Verse Insight
Covenant
Lies Genesis 17:7 Genesis 18:15
“I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.”
God’s generational promise to Abraham.
Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.”
We all lie. The tragedy and consequences of sin.
Abraham lied about his wife. Sarah lied about laughing.
No matter how much we love God, certain temptations are especially difficult to resist. We are most likely to sin when we are desperate for what we feel we must have.
Deceit Genesis 27:35 “Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.”
Jacob stories play out even more dramatically. From birth, Jacob lives up to the meaning
Key Word Scripture Verse Insight
of the name “deceiver.” He cheats his brother Esau out of his inheritance and blessing by deceiving his old, blind father and then taking off.
Talk about a dysfunctional family.
Blessing Genesis 27:28 “May God give you heaven’s dew and earth’s richness— an abundance of grain and new wine.”
Isaac’s blessing to Jacob. Although Jacob had been given the birthright by his brother, Esau, earlier, he still needed his father’s blessing to make it binding.
Promise Genesis 28:15 “I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done that of which I have spoken to you.”
Jacob’s dream (Jacob had to choose to act on this promise to Abraham).
Key Word Scripture Verse Insight
Forgiveness
Genesis 33:10
Jealousy
Genesis 37:8
“‘For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably.’
Jacob had said to Esau upon their reconciliation.”
Evil cannot stand forgiveness.
Favor
Genesis 39:2-4 (NKJV)
“His brothers said to him, ‘Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?’ And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said.”
Joseph provoked jealousy. Rather than acknowledging his talents came from God, he bragged to his brothers. They hated him for this.
“The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority.”
Favor is how the assignment gets accomplished.
God’s favor always comes with purpose beyond us. Favor of God is given to bring His Kingdom to the world.
The higher level of His favor can only be placed in a vessel that has been tested and proven worthy to contain it.
Key Word Scripture Verse Insight
Remnant Genesis 45:7 “But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.” When others intend toward you, remember they are only tools of God. (See 50:20 below)
Blessings Genesis 49:1 “Then Jacob called for his sons and said: “Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.” Extremely important poem. Jacob predicts that Judah will become a tribe of Israel’s royal leaders that one day a king will come who will command the obedience of the nations and fulfill God’s promise to restore the garden blessing to all the world. Jacob blessed each son and, based on how each had lived, he made a prediction about each one’s future.
Everything Genesis 50:20 “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good” The Lord was with Joseph’s final words that summarizes a big theme of our relationship with God. God uses everything: evil, disappointments, game changing losses.
Memory Card
Memory Card
Memory Card
Memory Card
Memory Card
