WHEN WE READ THE BOOK OF GENESIS

                Genesis means “beginnings”. It records the beginning of the heavens and the earth, of light, of the firmament, of plant life, of fish and sea creatures, of animals, of man, of woman, of marriage, of the home, of sin and of death. Also many others things that began are recorded in this book. Genesis is a history of early man and God’s dealing with him from Adam to the death of Joseph. When we read it closely these are the conclusions.

                1. The heaven and earth are very young.  The days of Genesis 1 consisted of morning and evening which were 12 hours each and so there were 24 hours in every day of the first week. The six days of creation and the Sabbath made the first week of time. (See Exodus 20:14). Starting with Adam it was 1656 years to the time of the flood. From the flood to Abraham was 427 years and from Abraham to the exodus from Egypt was 430 years. From Exodus to Saul were 396 years and the period of the kingdom lasted 508 years. From the end of the kingdom to Jesus Christ was 587 years. This made the earth 4004 years old at the birth of Christ. We have had 2005 years since then so the earth would be 6009 years old now. Some seem to think that there may be some generations missing in the list of the Old Testament but putting in a few more here and there would still show the earth to be less than 10,000 years old.  Jesus corroborated that Genesis 1 is correct when he said that in the beginning God made male and female (Mat. 19:4).  The earth is truly very young and any one who tries to make it billions of years old is wrong.

                2. God ordained that one man and one woman be joined in marriage and become one flesh. God said the first marriage ceremony (Genesis 2:24). Anyone calling any other thing marriage is wrong. God made the first home and the terms “pleasant” and “beautiful” describe it (Genesis 2). We should seek to make our homes pleasant and beautiful both physically and spiritually.

                3. The dignity of man is shown in Genesis. Man is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26. The Woman is of the man (Genesis 2:23) and so she is also in the image of God. In this one point all human kind are equal. Respect for human life is commanded in many places in the Bible. We are told that God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11). Man did not descend from an animal. Any cast system or anyone feeling they are better than others is of the DEVIL. There is no super human race.

                4. Sin is disobeying the commands of God. In Genesis 2:17 they were told not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. When they ate of it they sinned, and suffered the consequences, (many of which we also suffer today) (Genesis 3:14-19). When Cain substituted something else in the place of the sacrifice God commanded sin also was at his door (Genesis 4:7).  It is not a light thing to disobey or try to change the commands of God.

                5. God will not always strive with man. The antediluvian people were so wicked that every imagination of their hearts was evil continually. (Genesis 6:5). Yet God gave them 120 years and Christ in spirit, through Noah, preached to them, calling on them to repent and be saved from the coming flood. (Genesis 6:3; 2 Peter 2:5; I Peter 3:18-20). God has never punished anyone without giving them ample warning and ample time to repent.

                5. God decreed the death penalty on murderers (Genesis 9:6).  His reason is that man is made in the image of God. We are to respect the image of God in man. Man’s life is precious and peaceable people should be able to live out their lives and accomplish whatever good purposes they can. God judges the person who will fully takes the life of another person out of hate, wrath, or revenge and decrees that “by man shall his blood be shed.”  Any earthly judge who does not give this penalty and any government that does not provide for this penalty is evil and doing the work of the devil.

            6. Abraham was chosen, given certain promises, and certain commands, so Christ could be born  into this world, to bring salvation to man.  (Genesis 12:1-3). It took 1823 years to work this out. In Matthew 1:1-17 e have the lineage of Joseph the husband of Mary of whom Christ was born. This lineage takes him back to Abraham. Christ was prophesied as the seed of woman to bruise the head of the serpent (Satan) (Genesis 3:15; Galatians 3:16).

                7. In Joseph we see the providence of God in Action.  Everything that happened to Joseph worked together for his good, and for the good of Israel’s families. It seemed bad when he was sold by his jealous brothers (Genesis 37:28), but how else could he get to Egypt where God wanted his people to grow into a great nation. He was sold to Potiphar the captain of the guard of Pharaoh (Genesis 37:36). There it was said “the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man” (Genesis 38:2). It seemed evil when he was lied about and falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife but how else could he have obtained a reputation for dream interpretation. In prison he interpreted the dreams of the Baker and Butler which came to pass just as he said. (Genesis 40). He pleaded for the Butler to remember him to Pharaoh but Genesis 40:23 stated “Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgot him.”  It was two years later when Pharaoh dreamed of 7 lean cattle eating 7 fat cattle and 7 lean ears of grain devouring 7 fat ears of grain. The Butler suddenly remembers him and Joseph is brought in to give the interpretation. This was how God worked out for the people of Israel to come to the land of Goshen in Egypt. Joseph was made governor of Egypt and he commissioned the gathering of 20% of the grain during the years of plenty so they would have grain in the seven years of famine. Yes, even a famine worked for the good of the people of Israel because the brothers of Joseph came to buy grain to Egypt. At first Joseph treated them roughly and threatened them but later he revealed himself. He came to understand “And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save you live by a great deliverance” (Genesis 45:7). God is fulfilling his promise to Abraham that a great nation would be made of his seed. Joseph negotiates the transfer of Jacob and his family to the land of Goshen in Egypt. It is here that they could grow into a great nation separated from the Egyptians who considered shepherds and cattle men as unclean. God is even using the superstitions and idolatry of the people to carry out his plans for Israel. After the death of Jacob Joseph told his brethren, “But as for you, ye thought evil against me: but God meant it unto good, and to bring it to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.”  (Genesis 50:20).         –C.D.

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