Intro to Genesis

Intro to Genesis - the basics:

Who: Genesis tells the story of early human beings and the forefathers of the Israelites, who are the focus of most of the rest of the Bible. It gives us an introduction to Humanity, Israel, and to God. Although no one knows for sure, traditionally it is believed that Moses wrote all of the Torah, the first 5 books of the Bible.

What: Genesis is a book of beginnings - the beginning of the earth and humanity, the beginning of human sin, the beginning of the nation of Israel, and the beginning of God's plan to fix the problem of sin. There is much debate as to whether the stories in Genesis should be taken literally or figuratively. I won't go into that too much here, however, because the main points that the stories in Genesis make and the application for our daily lives are the same either way.

When: The stories in Genesis were passed down by oral tradition for many generations and finally written down probably around the time of Moses, while Israel wandered 40 years in the wilderness (see Numbers chapter 14). The dates that the actual events took place are hard to determine. The people who wrote these stories down were more concerned with glorifying God and telling a story than with scientific data.

Where: The stories in Genesis take place in the near and middle east - Parts of modern-day Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Egypt, etc.

Why: Genesis was written for 2 primary reasons. The first is to document actual events that occurred. The second is to contradict many pagan beliefs that were common among early civilizations. Genesis makes it clear that there is only One God who is sovereign over everything. Many other cultures believed in multiple Gods who were more like humans in their personality and their powers.

How: The stories of Genesis were passed down by oral tradition. Many scholars also believe that God told Moses what to write when he was on Mount Sinai (See Exodus chapter 19).