A view of Genesis from God's Perspective

A. (Genesis 1-2): Creation

• God spoke creation into existence.

• Garden of Eden was shalom (peace ) and perfection, at rest with God and creation.

• Human life is to be cherished because mankind is created in the image of God.

• Genesis 1:31, And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very

good ...

B. (Genesis 3): The Fall

• Shalom was broken by human choice, resulting in death. Genesis 3:7, Then the

eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed

fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. Genesis 3:21, And the LORD

God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

• Satan encouraged Eve to doubt God’s word by distorting God’s Word, then, to

disobey God’s Word.

• Protoeveangelium - God’s first promise of restoration and God’s grace,

Genesis 3:15, I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your

offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.

• Charles Cochrane, The bruising of the head suggests that the serpent’s wound will

be fatal; the bruising of the heel is a warning that even the victor will not come

away unscathed.

• Adam and Eve were judged, not cursed. Satan and the ground were cursed.

C. (Genesis 4-11): Consequences: Death and Life

• Death - Cain and Abell (Genesis 4:1-26)

Genesis 4:8-9, ... Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the

LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I

my brother’s keeper?

• Life - The Genealogy from Adam to Noah (Genesis 5:1-32)

Genesis 5:24, Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.

• Death - Worldwide sin (Genesis 6:1-22)

Genesis 6:5-8, The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth,

and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

6 And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him

to his heart. 7 So the LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the

face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens,

for I am sorry that I have made them.

• Life - God’s covenant with Noah (Genesis 9-10)

Genesis 9:8-13, Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 “Behold, I

establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, 10 and with every

living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the

earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth.

11 I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the

waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and

you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have

set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and

the earth.

• Rebellion -The Tower of Babel (Genesis 11)

Genesis 11:4, ... Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the

heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face

of the whole earth.

D. (Genesis 12-50): God’s dealing with His chosen people

1. Key words: Promise, Covenant, Loving Kindness

a. Promise

• The Hebrew word dabar means to speak. When God speaks, it is a

promise, guaranteed.

• Promise is foundational to the book of Genesis. It is how God deals

with mankind.

• Genesis 15:1, 4, After these things the word of the LORD came to

Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall

be very great.” 4 And behold, the word of the LORD came to him: “This

man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.”

• Genesis 21:1, The LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did

to Sarah as he had promised.

 b. Covenant

• The Hebrew word berit is parallel or equivalent to dabar. Again, it

emphasizes a pact between two parties. It can be unconditional

(Abrahamic, Genesis 12:1-3) or conditional (Mosaic, Exodus 19-24). Our

focus will be on the unconditional promises of God.

• Genesis 17:4-7, Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the

father of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called

Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father

of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will

make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. 7 And I will

establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you

throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to

you and to your offspring after you.

• Mark Yarbrough, God’s grace and plan for redemption are intricately

woven into the covenants (or promises) he made with His people.

c. Loving kindness

• The Hebrew word hesed is how God relates to His creatures by favor,

goodness, especially in keeping the covenants with Abraham, Moses

and Israel.

• It is loyal love that is steadfast based on a prior relationship, covenant.

• Psalm 89:28, My steadfast love I will keep for him forever, and my

covenant will stand firm for him.

• Psalm 98:3, He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to

the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of

our God.

2. Abram: Covenant - Faith and Failure (Genesis 12-20)

• Faith - Counted as righteousness

Genesis 15:5-10a, 17-18, And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness 7 And he said to him, “I am the LORD who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.” 8 But he said, “O Lord GOD, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” 9 He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other ... 17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, 19 the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.”

• God’s unconditional covenant with Abraham was demonstrated by the

smoking fire pot and flaming torch passing through the sacrifice.

• God obligated Himself to keep His promise to Abraham who was an

observer.

• Failure: A faulty plan - Ishmael

Genesis 16:1-2, Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. 2 And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.

• There is grace yet there are consequences for wavering faith - Ishmael.

• Donald Grey Barnhouse, No perfect feet walk the path of faith (except Jesus).

• God is faithful to His promises despite our disobedience.

3. Isaac: Provision promised (Genesis 21-26)

• Faith: A sacrificial lamb

Genesis 22:1-2, 7, After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.”

• Failure: Genesis 26:6-7, So Isaac settled in Gerar. 7 When the men of the place

asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” for he feared to say, “My

wife,” thinking, “lest the men of the place should kill me because of Rebekah,”

because she was attractive in appearance.

• The location of Abraham’s test of faith is what became known as Calvary. God

provided the lamb!

• Mark Yarbrough, Every presentation of every person in Scripture has flaws except

Jesus because they are tainted by sin as we are.

 • God’s promise is greater than our mistakes.

4. Jacob: Deception yet promise (Genesis 27-36)

• Faith: Wrestling with God

Genesis 32:22-28, The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female

servants, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had. 24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.”

• Thomas Constable, Note that God took the initiative in wrestling with Jacob,

not vice versa. God was bringing Jacob to the end of himself. He was leading him to a settled conviction that God was superior to him, and that he must submit to God’s leadership in his life ...

• Derek Kidner, The great encounter with God came when Jacob knew himself to

be exposed to a situation wholly beyond him.

• Thomas Constable, God gave him a new name that indicated his new

relationship to God. “Israel” means “God’s Warrior” ... When Jacob behaved like the “old Jacob,” Moses referred to him as “Jacob,” but when he behaved like the new “Israel” (“God’s Warrior”), Moses referred to him as “Israel.”

• Failure: Personal protection

Genesis 33:1-3, And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was

coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two female servants. 2 And he put the servants with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last of all. 3 He himself went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

• Israel became Jacob again by problem solving instead of resting in God’s

promise.

• He separated his family into groups, expecting Esau to attack him, of course,

Rachel was in the back and Leah in the front.

• When God makes a promise, there is provision.

5. Joseph: God is in control (Genesis 37-50)

• Trust: Despite the circumstances

Genesis 45:5, 7, And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because

you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life ... And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors.

• Mark Bailey, God’s timing is perfect - wait for it in dependent faith.

• Mark Yarbrough, Remember God is with you and He is faithful to promise.

SUMMARY

• The Book of Genesis is the story of God and how He deals with His creation.

• God’s unconditional promises are not based on our faithfulness but on His unchanging

character.

• God’s loving kindness for His children is an expression of His faithfulness to His

promises.

The Greatest Miracle, Ever!

The Garden of Gethsemane, at the base of the Mount of Olives, was a familiar place for Jesus and His disciples. It was a place of rest, solitude, fellowship and prayer. Also, it was a time of intense agony for our Savior. It was a time when He urged His disciples to pray diligently but they slept soundly.

Jesus prayed by Himself, a short distance away from His disciples, requesting that His heavenly Father remove the cup, the symbol of His sufferings to come. I. Howard Marshall, He does not seek to disobey the will of God, but longs that God's will might be different. Have you had similar prayers? There is nothing wrong with the request as long as we choose to submit to the will of our Heavenly Father.

Some have asked why Jesus, fully God and fully man, would be so distraught at the prospect of death. It is said that Jesus prayed so intensely that His sweat became like great drops of blood. Warren Wiersbe states ... there is a rare physical phenomenon known as hematidrosis, in which, under great emotional stress, the tiny blood vessels rupture in the sweat glands and produce a mixture of blood and sweat. Jesus knew He would die and rise again. Again, why was He so upset?

The questions warrants an answer which is not tied to the physical trauma but the spiritual. Consider 2 Corinthians 5:21, For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Jesus’ agony was a result of the thought of becoming sin, the Sinless one, covered with your sins and mine. God does not allow sin in His presence. For the only time, past, present and future, Jesus was to be separated from His Father because He chose to submit His will for our good.

It is interesting to note that God sent an angel to minister to Jesus. The cup was not taken away from Jesus but He made the choice to submit. I can affirm the statement from Darrell Bock, God does not always spare us trials, but He provides strength to face them. How about you? Can you give a hearty amen to the words of George Morrison, Every life has its Gethsemane, and every Gethsemane has its angel.

I encourage you to consider the words of William Barclay, There is no scene like this in all history. This was the very hinge and turning point in Jesus’ life. He could have turned back even yet. He could have refused the cross. The salvation of the world hung in the balance as the Son of God literally sweated it out in Gethsemane; and he won. Yes, Jesus won, and all who place faith in Jesus Christ alone.

This is the greatest miracle, ever! The sinless one became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God. Jesus chose not to turn away from the cross. It is frightful to think of where we would be if he chose not to take our sins upon Himself.

As a Christian, not every situation or circumstance is painless. Submit to the will of God in advance, expect God’s comforting angel and rest in God’s grace.

I encourage you to examine The Miracles of Jesus series under the Topical Studies tab.

Knowing Jesus from the Gospel of John

Do you want a clear understanding of who Jesus is? I encourage you to follow my study under the Books of the Bible tab. This Gospel is not a travelogue of the life of Jesus but a study of what He wants us to know so we can respond appropriately.

About 93% of the material in John’s Gospel does not appear in the other Gospels. Note the following quotes: Darrell Bock, ... [the other Gospels] viewing Jesus from earth up, and John viewing Jesus from heaven down; William Barclay, Its [John’s Gospel] aim is, not to give us what Jesus said like a newspaper report, but to give us what Jesus meant. It appears that John is not as concerned with just the details of what Jesus did but what are the readers going to do with what Jesus did.

John knew that Who Jesus is determines what Jesus can do for you and me. One of the unique themes of John’s Gospel details Who Jesus is, The I am passages:

• I am the Bread of Life (6:35)

• I am the Light of the world (8:12)

• I am the Gate for the sheep (10:7; cf. v. 9)

• I am the Good Shepherd (10:11, 14)

• I am the Resurrection and the Life (11:25)

• I am the Way and the Truth and the Life (14:6).

Let’s invest in eternity as we understand and respond by faith to the message in the Gospel of John. Warren Wiersbe, ... there is one major theme that runs throughout John's Gospel: Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and if you commit yourself to Him, He will give you eternal life (John 20:31).

That’s worthy of a new year: coming to faith in Jesus alone and growing in Him as we conform to His image.