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Place: Mount Sinai Date: 1688 BC Author: Moses, the servant of God and leader of Israelites Genesis is the first book of the Pentateuch (first five books of the Bible). These five books are also known as "The Law". The Jews call them "The Torah". In the original Hebrew language, these five books are found in a single book with five sections. The first part of the Law is Genesis. The final chapter of Deuteronomy was written by Joshua and added to the Law (Josh. 24:26).
Purpose:
Genesis is the origin and cause of everything. This is the origin and basis for any important doctrine or revelation. From the moment man fell in sin, the seed for salvation through Jesus Christ originates here according to the redemptive plan of God. The roots to the truths of the Bible can be found here. We know the aim and theme of the Bible in Genesis. We should analyze Genesis in order to have a proper understanding of the Bible and to know its true meaning. Genesis gives the basis of creation of the world by God.
Theme:
Genesis declares about the first world and also of the original creation of the heaven and the earth (Gen. 1:1). Then it declares the history of renewal of the heaven and earth, creation of man and his fall, and the event wherein sin entered Adam in Eden. Whether it is the early world or the present one, the Bible proves that the heaven and the earth and all the creatures therein have been created by the only Creator, God. From the first world, millions of years had passed by. The world was created not according to the theory of evolution, but by the single Creator. After man fell in sin and 2391 years after the later world was created, Moses came into the picture.
Statistics:
Chapters: 50
Verses: 1533
Words: 38267 (1385 words of history) Questions: 148
Prophesies: 56 (123 verses contain prophesy and 23 verses of concise prophesies)
Smallest chapter: 16
Biggest chapter: 24
16th chapter contains 16 verses and 32nd chapter contains 32 verses.
Five chapters have 34 verses each. Four chapters have 22, 24 and 32 verses in each.
Commands: 106
Promises: 71
Predictions: 326
There are 95 messages from the Lord.
16 proofs of Mosaic authorship of Genesis:
1. God Himself commanded Moses to write down (Ex. 17:14, 34:27)
2. Moses obeyed God's command and wrote (Ex. 24:4-7; Num - Deut)
3. Moses called this the Book of Covenant (Exodus. 24:7); Also he called this book "This Law" and "The Book of Law" (Deut. 28:58,61, 29:20-27, 30:10, 31:24-26)
4. A king should take and keep a copy of this Book of Law written by Moses and read it (Deut. 17:18-20)
5. God instructed Joshua to abide by the Law of Moses and to write it down (Josh. 1:5-8, 8:30-35)
6. Joshua had already accepted that the Law came into force because of Moses. Following the death of Moses, Joshua wrote down an account of his death and added it to the Law (Deut. 34; Josh. 24:26)
7. Joshua commanded the Israelites to follow the Law of Moses (Josh. 23:6)
8. Kings had accepted this:-
a. David (I Chr. 16:40)
b. David commanded Solomon (I King. 2:3-4)
c. It was found and obeyed by Josiah and Israel (II King 22:8, 23:1-24; II Chr)
d. Jehoshaphat commanded to teach this Book of Law to all Israelites (II Chr. 17:9)
e. Amaziah obeyed it (II Chr. 25:4).
f. Joash obeyed it (II Chr. 24:18)
g. Hezekiah obeyed it (II Chr. 30:1-18)
9. Prophets have quoted from it (Isa. 8:20; Dan; Mal)
10. Ezra and Nehemiah called them the Law of Moses (Ezra 3:2, 6:18, 7:6,10,14,21,25; Neh. 1:7-9, 8:8,14,18, 10:28-29, 13:1)
11. Jesus Christ had accepted it (Ex.; Mark 7:10, 12:36; Luke 24:27,44; John 1:17, 5:46, 7:19,23).
12. The apostles called it the Law of Moses (Acts 13:39, 15:1,5,21, 28:23)
13. For about 3500 years, the Jews believe that the Pentateuch was written by Moses.
14. Many Biblical scholars and historians admit that the Pentateuch was written by Moses.
15. Even religious leaders like Mohammed admit that the Pentateuch was written by Moses
16. Moses himself had declared to have authored it (Exodus. 24:4; Num - Deut.).
Gen. 1:1: It is written in the Bible that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Yes, God created a perfect universe in the beginning. It appeared that the heaven, earth, sun, moon and the stars were all created to their perfection. That was a consummate act of God (Job 38th chapter; Ps. 8:3, 19:1-6; Prov; John 1:3,10; Acts 17:24; Col; Heb. 1:1-12, 11:3; Rev. 4:11). If God made something, it would be certainly perfect with no blemish whatsoever. He had made everything correctly (eccl.3:11; Isa. 45:18). As to the question of whether it was the earth or the heaven which was created first, we see in Job 38:4-7 that the morning stars rejoiced when the earth was created. Therefore we infer that the heaven was created first.
Gen. 1:2: "The earth was without form and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters". From this we infer that the former world was destroyed due to some kind of curse. That curse had destroyed the former world by deluge and darkness.
Gen. 1:3-25: All that which were mentioned in these verses to have been made were not the first creation but only what were renewed afresh. Gen. 1:26-31 The creation of man was new. It is written in Gen. 1:2, that the earth was without form and void. And it was only in Gen. 1:9-10 that we read of the incident in which the water that covered the earth receded and dry land appeared. Therefore we understand that in Gen. 1:2, the earth was covered with water and the spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters (Ps. 104:5-9; II Pet. 3:5-6). Six thousand years have passed since those which were mentioned in Gen. 1:3-31 were created. However the interval between Gen. 1:1 and Gen. 1:3 could be many millions of years.
The heaven and earth were created in perfect form in the first world. But we did not know the time of their creation. The grass, herbs, trees, birds, beasts, aquatic animals, sun , moon and the stars were all created in the first world. There were also towns and cities. That world was filled with angels. God had appointed an angel named Lucifer to rule over that world. He was also known by the name "son of the morning" (Isa. 14:12). He became haughty over his wisdom and power. We read in Gen. 14:12-14, "How art thou fallen from heaven, "O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High"(KJV). Therefore he fell. Punishment came upon the world which existed then and that world was destroyed (Isa. 14:12-14; Jer; Ezek. 28:11-26; Luke 10:25). Gen. 1:3: In this verse we read, "Let there be light". There was light in the earlier world and there were sun, moon and the stars too. Therefore there were grass, herbs, birds and beasts. But as Lucifer fell, he was stripped of his powers. He was thrown down along with his followers. The world existing then was destroyed by flood. The sun and the moon became dark (lost the light). God had removed the light. Because of floods and the absence of sun light, the flora and fauna perished. The earth was without form and empty. The earth was covered with water. The earlier world (Heb. 11:3) which came into being by the word of God was destroyed (Jer. 4:23-26; II Pet. 3:5-6). The world existing today was once destroyed by floods in the days of Noah which is the second deluge. In the Bible, only Lucifer is referred to as Satan, serpent, old serpent and the devil (Rev. 12:9, 20:2). Gen. 3:1-2: There was no day then. God has told, "Indeed before the day was, I am He" (Isa. 43:13).
The contrasts between the flood which occurred in Lucifer's days and that which occurred in Noah's days:
Lucifer's days
1. The earth was formless (Gen. 1:2; Jer. 4:23)
2. The earth was empty (Gen. 1:2)
3. Darkness covered the earth (Gen. 1:2; Jer. 4:23)
4.There was no light over the earth but only darkness (Gen. 1:2)
5. No days (Gen. 1:2)
6. All vegetation destroyed (Gen. 2:5; Jer. 4:23-26)
7. The water did not abate (Gen. 1:1-9)
8. The water gathered together in a single day (Gen. 1:9-10)
9. God rebuked water (Gen. 1:1-10; Ps. 104:7)
10. Immediately water collected together(Ps. 104:7)
11. He set a bound for water (Ps. 104:9)
12. All fish were destroyed (Ps. 1:2,20-23; Jer.)
13. Fowls perished (Jer. 4:23-26)
14. No animals were left (Jer. 1:24-25, 2:19)
15. There was no man left (Jer. 4:23-26)
16. There was no social system (Jer. 4:23-26)
17. No ark made to save life (Jer. 4:23-26; I Pet)
18. Cause for the fall of satan: Isa. 14:12-14; Jer. 4:26-233; Ezek.)
19. Result: For the second time, God had to create fish, birds, aquatic creatures, beasts, man and social life (Gen. 1:3-27)
Noah's days
1. There were trees, shrubs and plants (Gen. 8:11)
2. The earth was not empty (Gen. 6:17-22, 8:16)
3. There was seed time and harvest, cold and heat and water and summer and day and night (Gen. 8:6-22)
4. There was light (Gen. 8:6-22)
5. There were days (Gen. 8)
6. Vegetation was left(Gen. 8:11-12)
7. Water continued to decrease (Gen .8:1-14)
8. It took many days for the water to dry up (Gen. 8:1-14)
9. God did not rebuke water (Gen. 8:1-14)
10. Water began to recede gradually (Gen. 8:1-14)
11. Bounds already set for water (Gen. 1:6-10, 8:2-4)
12. Fish were not destroyed (Gen. 6:17)
13. Fowls were preserved (Gen. 6:20, 8:17)
14. Beasts were preserved (Gen. 6:20, 8:17)
15. There were eight persons (Gen. 6:18)
16. There was social system left (II Pet. 2:5)
17. An ark was made to save lives (Gen. 6:16-22; I Pet. 3:20)
18. Cause of the ruin of man: The evil heart of man, mixed race (Gen. 6:1-13)
19. Result: It was not necessary to create afresh. Those which were already existing were allowed to grow and multiply(Gen. 8:16-17, 9:1-7)
The incidents stated from Gen. 1:3 onwards are not the first creation. They were accounts of new creation and of things which were set in order. The first world was destroyed by deluge by the curse of God. There was only darkness as God had removed light. All creatures perished.
In Gen. 1:3, God said, "Let there be light" and there was light (Gen. 1:3). God saw that the light was good and He separated the light from the darkness. God called the light "day" and the darkness He called "night". And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. An evening and a morning means, there is no night without evening and there is no daytime without morning. A night and a daytime makes up a day. When God separated the night from day, saying "Let there be light", it became one day.
The four divine works of the Lord on the first day:
1. God said : "Let there be light" and immediately there was light and day (Gen. 1:3)
2. God saw: God saw that the light was good
3. God separated: God separated the light from the darkness (Gen. 1:4)
4. God called: God named and called the light "day" and the darkness "night"
All these works of God were completed on the first day. The sun, moon, stars, earth, water , darkness, light were all existing earlier to that. We understand that the works of the first six days involve setting in order these things. "They willfully forget that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being floated with water" (II Pet. 3:5-6).
The four divine works of the Lord on the second day:
1. God said: "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters" (Gen. 1:6)
2. God made: He made the firmament (Gen. 1:7)
3. God divided: God made the firmament and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament (Gen. 1:7)
4. God called: God called the firmament "sky"
The five divine works of the Lord on the third day:
1. God said: "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place and let the dry land appear" (Gen. 1:9).
2. God called: God called the dry land Earth and the waters, He called the Seas (Gen. 1:10)
3. God saw: God saw that the dry land and the sea were good.
4. God said: Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after its kind. And it happened so.
5. God saw: God saw that the vegetation brought forth by the earth was good (Gen. 1:12)
The four divine works of the Lord on the fourth day:
1. God said: "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens"(Gen. 1:14)
2. God made: God made two great lights - the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night (Gen. 1:16)
3. God set them in order: God set the sun, moon and the stars in their former places and activated them (Gen. 1:17; Jer. 4:23-26; II Pet.)
4. God saw: God saw that it was good (Gen. 1:18)
The five divine works of the Lord on the fifth day:
1. God said: "Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens (Gen. 1:20)
2. God created: God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind (Gen. 1:21)
3. God saw: God saw that it was good
4. God blessed: God blessed them so that the great sea creatures and every living thing and moving thing with which the water teams may increase in number and fills the water in the seas and the birds may increase on the earth.
5. God said: "Let birds multiply on the earth" (Gen. 1:22)
The nine divine works of the Lord on the sixth day:
1. God said: "Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind". There were different kinds among the beasts (Gen. 1:24)
2. God made: God made out of the ground, the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind and everything that crept on the earth according to its kind (Gen. 1:24, 2:19)
3. God saw: God saw that it was good (Gen. 1:25)
4. God said: "Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth" (Gen. 1:26)
5. God created man (Gen. 1:27, 2:7,21-22, 5:1-2, 9:6)
6. God blessed man (Gen. 1:28)
7. God said: God's divine command: "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth" (Gen. 1:28)
8. God said: God said that He had given man every herb that yielded seed which was on the face of the earth and every tree whose fruit yielded seed as food. He gave the birds and beasts every green herb for food" (Gen. 1:29-30)
9. God saw: God saw everything that He had made and indeed they were very good.
God completed all His works within six days. Beginning with the word "Let there be light" in Gen. 1:3, God completed His second creation in six days of 24 hours period each. God set in order everything as they were in Lucifer's days before the days of Adam. Now God saw everything and it was very good. Thus the heavens and the earth and all the host of them were finished (Gen. 1:31-2:1). "All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made" (John 1:3).
1. Those which were existing earlier:-
Many things which we see from Gen. 1:3 onwards formed a part of God's first creation. It was only an account of setting right what was already created but subsequently destroyed and restored to their former state with a few new creations. We understand that the light, heaven, water, earth, darkness etc. were already in existence. God commanded into activity the former world which was useless having lost the light because of its destruction. In His grace, God commanded the sun to give light again. They were in existence in the former world but ruined by God's wrath (Jer. 4:23-26,28).
2.Those which were separated by God(Gen. 1:4-7)
i. Darkness and light (Gen. 1:4) God separated the light from the darkness. We read in Gen. 1:14-18 that God created the sun, moon and the stars to differentiate between night and day.
ii. Water (Gen. 1:2): In Gen. 1:7, it is written that God made the firmament and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament. God did not create the water but only divided it (Ps. 104:6-9; Jer. 4:23-27); II Pet. 3:5-8)
iii. Heaven and the clouds:
Already in existence (Gen. 1:8).
Heaven : Isa. 40:22, 44:24; Jer. 10:12, 51:15.
Clouds: Job. 26:8-9; Ps. 77:17; Prov. 8:28. This heaven was one among many heavens. He again set them in order.
4. Already in existence (Gen. 1:1; Job. 38:4-7; Ps. 104:5; Prov. 8:22-31; Ecclesiastes. 1:4).
That earth was covered with water as a result of the floods. As we see in Gen. 1:9-10, on the third day, God commanded that the waters be gathered together into one place and let the dry land appear. God called the dry land the earth. See Ps. 104:6-9
5.Sun and the stars (Gen. 1:14-18)
The account of sun and the moon which were simply revolving without light were made to give out light. Otherwise it could not be said, that the evening and the morning were the first day, second day, third day etc.
"No one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end" (Ecclesiastes. 3:11).
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