Thank you for participating in this study of Genesis. What an incredible book! Today, I have provided a Genesis Refresh for you to use as a resource and review. It serves as a recap of the book. Tomorrow, we will continue our journey in the Old Testament by studying Job, followed by Isaiah. After that, we’ll move to the New Testament to delve into the Gospel of John, Romans, and Revelation. Also, I’ve written a few personal reflections as we close out Genesis.

First, the Bible is an endless source of living water. I studied Genesis at length during my years in seminary, have read it more times than I can count, and taught a twenty-five-week expositional series through Genesis at our church. Yet this time, it felt like my first encounter with the book! God’s presence was more vivid, the people more real, and the overall narrative fit together as a testament to divine inspiration. And you know what is mind-boggling? If I start reading Genesis tomorrow, I’ll feel the same way again.

Second, I have gained a deeper conviction that understanding Genesis is essential to our perspective on all of Scripture. Genesis introduces us to an eternal God, powerful enough to speak the world into existence yet intimately involved in our lives. When sin entered humanity, he promised to send his Son to deliver us for eternity. He chose a people through whom his Son would come, working through both sunlight and shadows to weave his story into their lives. Grasping God’s initial narrative helps me understand the rest of his story and the significance of his presence in my life.

Finally, I want to express my gratitude for your encouraging words. Many have shared that they are gaining a better understanding of Genesis or that “today’s devotional was exactly what I needed to hear,” which motivates me to continue this labor of love. I am thankful for the team involved in this process: I handle the writing while my wife Lori takes care of the editing (these devotionals can be quite messy until she works her magic). Jenn Booth works with images and videos. Mark James ensures they reach your inbox by 4:00 am. Lara Craine does the graphic design, and Greg DeVore and Joe Melaragno address all your questions. We thank God for the opportunity to work together as we study and learn more about our amazing God.

Take a look at the Genesis Refresh below and then let’s “reset” to embark on a journey through Job, where we will focus on God’s purposes in our suffering. But more than addressing pain and suffering, Job tells a story about faith. We’ll keep the study engaging as we explore a pertinent narrative about how God uses our circumstances to reveal who he is and why we can depend on him in every situation.

GENESIS REFRESH

OUTLINE

God’s Work in Creation (1-2)

God’s Work with Humanity (3-11)

• • Adam (3-5)
  • Noah (6-10)
  • Nations (11)

God’s Work with His Covenant People (12-50)

• • Abraham (12-25)
  • Isaac (25-26)
  • Jacob (27-36)
  • Joseph (37-50)

The outline above provides a straightforward overview of Genesis. Some biblical scholars prefer to use the following “Literary Outline.”  In this summary, each section starts with the Hebrew word toledot, which is usually translated as “generations.” “These are the generations…” or, in one case, “This is the book of the generations…” (Gen. 5:1) are the opening lines.

LITERARY OUTLINE
Creation: 1:1-2:3

1. These are the generations of the heavens and the earth (2:4-4:26)
2. This is the book of the generations of Adam (5:1-6:8)
3. These are the generations of Noah (6:9-9:29)
4. These are the generations of Shem, Ham, and Japheth (10:1-11:9)
5. These are the generations of Shem (11:10-26)
6. These are the generations of Terah (11:27-25:11)
7. These are the generations of Ishmael (25:12-18)
8. These are the generations of Isaac (25:19-35:29)
9. These are the generations of Esau (36:1-8; 36:9-43)
10. These are the generations of Jacob (37:2—50:26)

GEOGRAPHY OF GENESIS
The book of Genesis takes place primarily in an area known as the “Fertile Crescent.” The Fertile Crescent is a crescent-shaped region that extends from Ur (where God called Abraham) north to Paddan-aram (the stories of Rebecca, Jacob, Leah, and Rachel), west to modern-day Syria and Turkey, then south through Canaan (Lebanon and Israel). It is often called “the cradle of civilization.” I encourage you to check it out on a map.

TWO THREADS
Two threads run throughout Genesis: the powerful Person of God and the personal interaction of God. God’s power is displayed in creation, the resetting of creation by a global flood, his communication through dreams, the promise of Jesus, and his deliverance of Israel from famine are just a few examples. The personal work of God is evident as he breathes life into humanity, interacts with Adam and Eve before and after their rebellion, and by his intimate presence guiding and directing the lives of the many men and women whose stories are detailed.

NAMES OF GOD IN GENESIS[1]
Below are ten names for God used in Genesis. These names describe God’s character and his actions.

Elohim (Gen. 1:1; et. al.)
El is the singular name for God, and Elohim is the plural form that supercharges the name. Elohim is called a “plural of intensity” or a “plural of majesty.” The word Elohim, used over 2,500 times in the Bible, describes God as the all-powerful, Sovereign over all things. His absolute power is demonstrated in his actions. Elohim created the heavens and the earth.

Yahweh (Gen. 2:8; et al.)
Yahweh is the name of God that highlights his personal relationship with humanity. This name represents the God who breathes life into man, establishes his covenant with his people, and always fulfills his promises. Yahweh appears more than 6,800 times in the Old Testament and is translated as “LORD” in all capital letters. Yahweh is found in every Old Testament book except Esther, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon. It is a solemn and sacred name that could only be spoken out loud by the priests in the Jerusalem temple. The name was no longer verbalized after the temple’s destruction in AD 70. Instead, when Yahweh appeared in Scripture, readers used the name Adonai.

El Elyon (Gen. 14:18-20)
El Elyon means “Highest” or “Exalted One.” This name reflects God’s sovereignty and supremacy. He sovereignly protects and delivers his people and is supreme over all the false gods of which we are tempted to worship. In the New Testament, Jesus is called the “Son of the Most High.” The Holy Spirit is referred to as “the power of the Most High.” And true believers are “servants of the Most High.”

Adon (Gen. 15:1-5)
Adon means “Lord” or “Master.” It describes God as the One to whom I surrender my life. God is my Master; I am his servant. He holds authority over my life. I relinquish my desires and dreams and submit my life to him.

El Roi (Gen. 16:13)
Because Sarah could not have children, she decided to give her Egyptian maidservant, Hagar, to her husband, Abraham, to be his wife. Abraham complied. It was a bad idea followed by a bad decision. When Hagar became pregnant, Sarah despised Hagar even more and blamed Abraham for the situation. Sarah mistreated her maidservant so severely that Hagar ran for her life. God found Hagar near a spring in the desert and told her to return to Sarah. Hagar called God El Roi, which means “God who sees me.” With amazement and gratitude, Hagar said, “I have seen him who looks after me.”

El Shaddai (Gen. 17:1)
This name for God is most often translated as “God Almighty.” It conveys a sense of power, meaning “All-Sufficient One” or “the God of the Mountains.” El Shaddai’s power isn’t constrained by nature or norms. No problem is too great for El Shaddai to handle. God Almighty operates in situations that seem impossible. When we believe something can’t happen, God’s power is demonstrated when it does occur. El Shaddai will always fulfill his promises.

Judge of all the Earth (Gen. 18:25)
The Hebrew word for “Judge” is shophet. It describes God as the ultimate authority and decision-maker. As the Judge of the entire earth, God is the only One who can measure the motivations and intentions of our hearts.[2] God’s judgment does not fluctuate with cultural values or norms. It is based on his character and nature. God’s justice is always rooted in righteousness (Ps. 94:15). As the Judge of all the earth, God will neither cut corners nor ignore sin. The consequence for our sin is death—spiritual and eternal separation from God forever. However, the Judge is also merciful. Without compromising his righteousness, he provided our acquittal. God sent his sinless Son to pay the penalty for sin and to be judged on our behalf. Jesus bore our sins in his body on the cross (1 Pet. 2:24). Our final judgment will not depend on what we have done, but on what Jesus has accomplished for us (Rev. 21:27).

El Olam (Gen. 21:33)
El Olam describes God as the “Everlasting God.” He has no beginning or end. There was never a time when he was not, and there will never be a time when he is not. This attribute of God is challenging for the human mind to comprehend. We think in terms of time—minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years. While God operates within time, he also transcends it. To El Olam, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like a day (Ps. 90:4, 2 Pet. 3:8).

Yahweh Yireh or Jehovah Jireh (Gen. 22:13-14)
Yahweh Yireh means “the LORD will provide.” This was the name Abraham declared when the angel stopped him from sacrificing his son, Isaac. A grateful Abraham looked up and saw God’s intended offering: a ram caught in a thicket. The patriarch named the place Yahweh Yireh, “the LORD will provide.”

El Elohe Israel (Gen. 33:18-20)
This name means “The Mighty God of Israel.” Before reuniting with Esau, Jacob had a wrestling match with God. That night, God changed Jacob’s name to Israel, which means “God fights” or “he fights with God.” Perhaps God intended both meanings to be applied. After experiencing God’s protection in his face-to-face with Esau, Jacob built an altar to God and called it El Elohe Israel, “The Mighty God of Israel.”

FOUR COVENANTS
While there are numerous promises made to the people of Genesis, and some commentators may list these as covenants, there seem to be four primary covenants: the Edenic, Adamic, Noahic, and Abrahamic.

Edenic Covenant
God promised Adam life and blessing as long as he remained obedient. The heart of the covenant was the prohibition regarding the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden (Gen. 2:16-17). This is sometimes called the “Covenant of Works.” The prophet Hosea refers to God’s promise to Adam as a covenant (Hosea 6:7).[3]

Adamic Covenant
The Adamic Covenant resulted from Adam and Eve’s sin (Gen. 3:14-19). The serpent was cursed (Gen. 3:14). There would be hostility between Satan, Eve, and Eve’s offspring (Gen. 3:15). The woman would experience pain in childbirth and conflict with her husband (Gen. 3:16). The man would have to work the ground to eat and provide for his family (Gen. 3:17-19). Finally, death was introduced (Gen. 3:19).

These curses were severe. However, there was a redeeming promise that God would send One to crush Satan’s head. Genesis 3:15 is called the protoevangelium—the first proclamation of the gospel. Also, God’s mercy and grace were demonstrated when he used animal skins to clothe Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:21). Sin deserved death, but God provided a sacrificial substitute.

Noahic Covenant
The covenant with Noah came after the flood destroyed the world (Gen. 9:8-17). First, the covenant was made with Noah, his children, and every living creature (Gen. 9:8-10). Second, God unconditionally promised never again to destroy the earth with a flood (Gen. 9:11). Third, God sealed the promise with the sign of a rainbow (Gen. 9:12-17).[4]

Abrahamic Covenant
God’s promise to Abraham is first given in Genesis 12:1-3, repeated in Genesis 13:14-17, and ratified as a unilateral agreement in Genesis 15. The sign of the covenant was circumcision (Gen. 17:1-14). God repeated the Abrahamic Covenant to Isaac (Gen. 26:4-5), then Jacob (Gen. 28:10-16, 35:9-15). The covenant promised that Israel would be a great nation and that they would bless the earth. The One who would crush Satan’s head (Gen. 3:15) came through this nation, and ultimately, all the people of the world are blessed by Jesus now and through eternity.[5]

PEOPLE AND EVENTS OF GENESIS

Creation (Gen. 1): The eternal God created the heavens and earth in six days with humanity, his crowning creation, possessing God’s communicable attributes.

Adam and Eve (Gen. 2-3): The first man and woman. Their rebellion in the garden ushered sin into the world.

The Fall (Gen. 3): Adam and Eve lived in a perfect, sinless environment. God gave them free will to choose between good and evil. In response to Satan’s temptation and their desires, they rebelled against God. This sin has infected us all. Paul says, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned (Rom. 5:12). The Doctrine of Original Sin describes the “result of the first sin—the corruption of the human race. Original sin refers to the fallen condition in which we are born.”[6]

Protoevangelium (Gen. 3:15): This word comes from two Greek words: Proto, meaning “first,” and evangelion, meaning “good news.” This is the first mention of the gospel in the Bible. In Genesis 3:15, God tells Satan that there will be animosity between him and Eve’s offspring. One will come and crush Satan’s head, while Satan will bruise his heel. The One who finally crushed Satan’s head is Jesus (Heb. 2:14-15). His mission was to destroy Satan’s work (1 John 3:8).[7] Bible scholar Walter Keiser writes that this passage “gave our first parents a glimpse, even if only an obscure one, of the person and mission of the one who was going to be the central figure in the unfolding drama of the redemption of the world.”[8]

Cain and Abel (Gen. 4): Adam and Eve’s first sons. When God accepted Abel’s offering but rejected Cain’s, his anger led to the murder of his brother.

Noah (Gen. 5-10): Noah was righteous and blameless. He was a man who walked with God. Noah was commissioned by God to build an ark to save himself, his family, and animals from a universal flood.

The Tower of Babel (Gen. 11): People with one language, settled in Shinar. When they attempted to build a city and make a name for themselves, God confused their language, causing them to disperse.

Abraham (Gen. 12-25): God called Abraham from Ur and led him to the land of promise. God revealed to Abraham that he would become a great nation and that he would bless all the earth. Abraham and Sarah miraculously had a son, Isaac, in their old age. Isaac would carry on the promise. Previously, Abraham had a son named Ishmael by Sarah’s servant, Hagar. After Sarah died, Abraham married Keturah and had six more sons.

Isaac (Gen. 24-26): Abraham sent his servant to secure a wife for Isaac in Paddan-aram, where Abraham’s relatives lived. Through God’s sovereign orchestration, his servant invited Rebekah to be Isaac’s wife. The couple had two sons, Esau and Jacob.

Jacob (Gen. 27-36). Rebekah favored Jacob, and Isaac favored the firstborn, Esau. This partiality fueled much tension in the family. Jacob convinced Esau to trade his birthright for a meal, and later, Rebekah and Jacob deceived Isaac into giving Jacob the firstborn’s blessing. Esau, enraged by the betrayal, threatened to kill Jacob, forcing him to run for his life to his mother’s family in Paddan-aram. On the way there, God appeared to Jacob in a dream and promised to fulfill his promises through him. Twenty years later, God reappeared to Jacob on his return to Canaan. Jacob fathered twelve sons by his wives, Leah and Rachel, and their maidservants.

Joseph (Gen. 37-50). Jacob’s obvious favoritism for Joseph led to his older brothers selling him into slavery. After being falsely accused and imprisoned, Joseph’s interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream promoted him to second in command. This position eventually saved his family from starvation. Jacob and his family moved to Egypt, multiplied, and grew into a powerful nation.

GENESIS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
To comprehend the Bible, you must have an appreciation of Genesis. The following article will help you understand how Genesis is used in the New Testament.
See https://creation.com/en-us/articles/genesis-new-testament

[1] If you would like to check out the names of God in Scripture, see my devotional series Names of God. https://www.ronmoore.org/category/daily-devotion/names-of-god/
[2] Ann Spangler, The Names of God (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2004), 101.
[3] For further study see: https://www.gotquestions.org/Edenic-covenant.html
[4] For further study see https://www.gotquestions.org/Noahic-covenant.html
[5] For further study see https://www.gotquestions.org/Abrahamic-covenant.html
[6] R. C. Sproul, Essential Truths of the Christian Faith (Wheaton, ILL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1992), 145.
[7] For further study see https://www.gotquestions.org/protoevangelium.html
[8] Walter C. Keiser, Jr., The Messiah in the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995), 37.