The Book of Genesis Lecture Notes

Introduction and Overview

• Chapters 1-11: Set up the basic storyline of the Bible.
  • God creates all things and humans in His image.
  • Humans choose sin and rebellion.
  • The world falls into violence and death.
  • Culminates in the rebellion and scattering at Babylon.
• Key Question: What will God do to rescue and redeem His world?

God's Promise to Abraham (Ch. 12)

• Genealogy: Focus shifts to the family of Abraham.
• God's Call: Abraham is called to leave his home for Canaan.
• Promises to Abraham:
  • Make a great nation.
  • Make his name great.
  • Bless him.
  • That all families of the earth will be blessed through him.
• Significance:
  • Contrast to the failure at Babylon.
  • Echoes original blessing to humanity.
  • Key to understanding the rest of the biblical story.

Abraham’s Family: Repeated Failures and God’s Faithfulness

• Key Themes:
  • Repeated failures of each generation.
  • God’s faithfulness and commitment to His promise.

Abraham’s Stories

• Failures:
  • Lies about his wife twice, causing problems.
  • Sarah’s plan with the servant girl Hagar.
• God’s Faithfulness:
  • Formalizes promise with a covenant (Ch. 15 & 17).
  • Symbol of the covenant: circumcision.
  • Abraham eventually has many descendants.

Jacob’s Stories

• Jacob (meaning 'deceiver'):
  • Cheats Esau out of inheritance and blessing.
  • Deceived by his uncle Laban.
  • Returns humbled and renamed Israel.
• Joseph’s Stories:
  • Favorite son, causing jealousy among brothers.
  • Sold into slavery, ends up in Egypt.
  • Elevated to second in command, saves Egypt and his family during famine.
  • Key Quote: “You planned this for evil but God planned it for good, to save many lives.”

Key Takeaways and Themes

• Human Failure vs. God’s Faithfulness:
  • Humans act selfishly and do evil.
  • God remains faithful and determined to bless.
• Promise of a Future Redeemer:
  • Genesis 3: Promise of a wounded victor to crush the snake and defeat evil.
  • Connected to the line of Abraham and Judah.
  • Poem in Ch. 49: Jacob predicts Judah’s royal lineage and a future king.

Conclusion

• End of Genesis: Family remains in Egypt with future hopes and promises hanging.
• Forces the reader to continue to see the fulfillment of God’s promises.