Putting Genesis in Perspective

Reading the New Testament without reading the Old Testament is like reading the seventh Harry Potter book without reading the first six: it's a good story, but you miss a lot! Genesis in particular is basic or foundational to the rest of the Bible. Genesis (which means beginnings) is the first book of the five books that make up the Jewish Torah or Law. Genesis is critical to Bible reading and study because it purports to give the origins of the topics (such as creation, life on earth, human sin, and redemption) that make up the ongoing narrative of the Bible throughout its entirety. Underlying Genesis are the working and plans of God. God, of course, permeates the Bible as a whole.

The Genesis Controversy. Genesis, especially its first 11 chapters, has been a lightning rod attracting controversy throughout the centuries. Many consider Genesis 1-11 to be myth, simply stories to "explain" the existence of everything, but not to be taken literally. Others see the chapters as fact, explaining literally how everything came into existence and how the world got to be the way it is as a result of human sin. Many claim that the book of Genesis contains nothing factual. Much of the creation versus evolution debate hinges on whether or not Genesis is a factual account of the universe's origin.

The Consequences of What You Believe about Genesis. What you believe about Genesis will determine what you believe about the nature of human beings (are they special or just animals, the result of a long process of evolution?) What you believe about God (real or the product of human imagination) will determine what you believe about morality and history: Is there such a thing as sin? Are there absolutes that are always true? Is human history heading toward a purposeful conclusion or is everything simply randomness that didn't have to occur but accidentally did?

A Brief Overview of Genesis. Genesis begins the human race with one man, Adam, and moves to a world filled with sinful people who lead God to regret that people had ever been created in the first place. God starts over with Noah, his family, and an ark that carries a small number of humans and animals, making possible a new beginning of the human race.

God eventually brings the focus on one man, Abraham, who is the founder of Israel, a race set aside to be God's special or Chosen People. Through Abraham and his extended family comes the seed that will redeem (or save) humanity from its sinful condition. The process begins with Abraham and culminates, in the New Testament, in Jesus Christ, who is of the family of Abraham.

Summarizing Genesis. A simple way to summarize Genesis is with the words: Creation, Fall, Flood, and the Beginning of the Redemption of Humanity.

J. Sidlow Baxter, in his book, Explore the Book (see details below), shows how the beginnings in Genesis are completed or reversed in Revelation, the final book of the Bible:

In Genesis, creation takes place -- In Revelation, a new creation takes place
In Genesis, paradise is lost -- In Revelation, paradise-heaven-is regained
In Genesis, human sin leads to loss -- In Revelation, divine grace leads to gain
In Genesis, Someone is promised who will defeat Satan--In Revelation, Christ defeats Satan
In Genesis, God puts a curse on creation-- In Revelation, the curse is removed
In Genesis, people are barred from the Tree of Life-- In Revelation, access is given to the Tree of Life
In Genesis, death and sorrow begin -- In Revelation, death and sorrow end
In Genesis, sin enters the Garden of Eden-- In Revelation, no sin shall enter Heaven
In Genesis, the serpent (Satan) triumphs-- In Revelation, the Lamb (Christ) triumphs

How Will You See Genesis? How you handle the book of Genesis will be up to you, but as you read and study, keep in mind what you know of yourself and the world around you and the people around you, and ask: "Which makes more sense-taking Genesis literally or taking it as stories with no basis in fact?"

Keep in mind, however, that at some point in the past, archaeologists began to find names and ruins that were found in Genesis and, so, it was no longer possible to completely dismiss the book of Genesis as "fairy tales" as some would have us believe. Whatever else there may be in the book of Genesis, there is fact. The question we all must answer is: "How much of Genesis is fact?

Source:

J. Sidlow Baxter, Explore the Book (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1960), 26.