Bible Overview and Genesis 1-10

BIBLE OVERVIEW

D. Scott Meadows

The Bible consists of the OT (39 books) and NT (27 books) totaling 66 books of 1189 chapters. Memorize the names of the books of the Bible in order. Categorizing them can help.

Pentateuch (5): Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

Historic (12): Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther

Poetic (5): Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon

Major Prophets (5): Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel

Minor Prophets (12): Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi

Gospels (4): Matthew, Mark, Luke, John

Historic (1): Acts

Pauline Epistles (14): Romans, 1-2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1-2 Thessalonians, 1-2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews

General Epistles (7): James, 1-2 Peter, 1-2-3 John, Jude

Prophecy (1): Revelation

Read the whole Bible in one year by 3 chapters per day, except Sunday, read 5. God authored Scripture; men wrote it (2 Tim 3.16; 2 Pet 1.20, 21). The whole Bible tells one great story of God’s glory through judgment and salvation; it all points to Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord whom we confess as Christians (Luke 24.27, 44; Rom 10.9; Acts 8.36, 37). The spiritually-blind cannot see Christ in the OT (2 Cor 4.3, 4). It is written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ and be saved (John 20.30, 31), that you might grow as a Christian (1 Pet 2.2) and become like Christ (1 John 3.2).

GENESIS OVERVIEW

First written in Hebrew like nearly all the OT, “Genesis” means “origin” and is a fitting book title. Almost entirely narrative, it is a swiftly moving story about man’s relationship to God in, approximately, our first 2000 years, judging by the biblical evidence.

Genesis is factual history, so regarded by Jesus and the biblical writers (e.g., Matt 19.4; Luke 3.34-38; Rom 5.14). Not even the earliest chapters are myth or legend. Genesis 1-11 present history from creation until the days of Abraham. Genesis 12-50 traces the story of Abraham and his descendants, especially Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob (a.k.a. Israel) and Esau, and Jacob’s 12 sons, focusing on Joseph. “The twelve tribes of Israel” are Jacob’s descendants. Genesis ends with the holy family living in Goshen, the best part of the land of Egypt.

CHAPTER OVERVIEW

1. CREATION WEEK. General statement (1, 2). First day, light (3-5). Second day, atmosphere (6-8). Third day, land with vegetation and seas (9-13). Fourth day, sun, moon and stars with astronomical periods (14-19). Fifth day, sea and air creatures (20-23). Sixth day, land animals and man (24-31).

2. CREATION OF MAN. The Sabbath instituted (1-3). Conditions before Eden (4-7). Eden described (8, 9). Four rivers (10-14). Man’s duty (15-17). The first woman (18-23). The first married couple (24-31).

3. FALL OF MAN. The serpent’s temptation (1-5). Our apostasy (6, 7). The Lord’s inquiries (8-13). The Lord’s judgment upon the serpent (14, 15), the woman (16), and the man (17-19). Eve named; God provides coats of skins (20, 21). Adam and Eve banished from Eden (22-24).

4. CAIN AND ABEL. Births, occupations (1, 2), and offerings (3-7). Cain murders Abel and is judged (8-15). Cain’s descendants (16-24). Seth’s birth and heritage (25, 26).

5. FIRST OBITUARIES. Pattern of years lived, prominent son, “and he died” (8x). Adam (1-5), Seth (6-8), Enos (9-11), Cainan (12-14), Mahalaleel (15-17), Jared (18-20), Enoch (21-24), Methuselah (25-27), and Lamech (28-31). Noah’s age and sons (32). Enoch was translated to heaven without death (Heb 11.5). Methuselah lived the longest (969 years).

6. NOAH’S ARK. Great wickedness (1, 2) and warning (3, 4). God’s resolve to destroy (5-7). Noah in God’s grace (8-13). Ark instructions (14-22).

7. NOAH’S FLOOD. Entering the ark (1-9). Flood begins (10-16). First period of flooding (17-24).

8. NOAH’S DELIVERANCE. Second period of flooding (1-14). Off the ark (15-19). Grateful worship (20-22).

9. NOAH’S NEW BEGINNING. Mandates for Noah and his sons (1-7). God’s promise never to destroy the world again by a flood (8-17). Character of Noah and his sons (18-29).

10. NOAH’S DESCENDANTS. Introduction (1). Japheth (2-5), Ham (6-20), and Shem (21-31). Conclusion (32).

MAJOR DOCTRINES

1. God as Creator of All Besides Himself. The Creator/creature distinction is absolute and critically important in theology. God is Being itself, eternal, unchangeable, absolute, infinite. All else has a beginning and a becoming and remains ever creaturely. Scripture proclaims God as the ground of all existence. Atheism is a wicked absurdity. By faith, we know of creation ex nihilo (from nothing, Heb 11.3). God revealed in creation is above all gods and is God over all people and nations, not just Israel (Psa 96.4, 5; 100.3; Matt 18.18-20). Even pagans, aware of God even without Scripture, are inexcusable for not worshipping Him (Rom 1.18-20).

2. Man as Apostate. Mankind, originally upright (Eccl 7.29), fell from God, our state of true blessedness, into sin and misery by unbelief and rebellion against Him. All Adam’s posterity, Christ only excepted, are born in sin, corrupted, and under a curse, as the Genesis narrative illustrates. Even Noah’s flood did not purge the world of sin and prevalent misery.

3. God as Judge and Savior. God pronounces and executes sweeping judgment on the serpent, Adam and Eve and their descendants, Cain, the pre-flood civilization, and Ham. God pronounces salvation upon Adam and Eve and some of their descendants in Genesis 3.15, as well as to Noah and some of his descendants.

4. God’s Gracious Election of Some, not All, to His Special Favor. Genesis highlights that some enjoy His special favor (e.g., Adam and Eve, Abel, Seth, Noah, Shem, Japheth). Others are not shown mercy and die in their sins under judgment (Cain, the pre-flood civilization, and presumably Ham). God’s sovereign grace makes the difference among the fallen sons of Adam (Exod 33.19; 1 Cor 4.7), accounting for “the children of God” and “the children of the devil” (1 John 3.10).

MAJOR PASSAGES

1. Genesis 1.1. This majestic text is foundational to the entire Bible and all our thinking. It begins “God-centered” theology, the only true theology. God’s being and works are absolutely comprehensive. The rest of Scripture amounts to an elaboration of these two things. This verse is easy to memorize and extremely important for meditation.

2. Genesis 1.3. This introduction of God’s powerful, creative Word illustrates His absolute sovereignty. Paul sees this as an illustration of salvation. God creates spiritual light in a darkened soul by His sovereign decree (2 Cor 4.6).

3. Genesis 1.26, 27. Only man among God’s creatures is made in His image (imago Dei). Its significance includes the original righteousness of man which was forfeited. This image remains but is horribly marred (Gen 9.6) and is being restored through Christ in our salvation (Col 3.10; Eph 4.23, 24; Rom 8.29; 2 Cor 3.18).

4. Genesis 2.7. Man is essentially two parts, body and soul. The body is not merely a house for the soul, but a component of the man. This understanding is called dichotomy.

5. Genesis 2.24. God instituted marriage to be this way: one man for one woman for life (cf. Matt 19.5).

6. Genesis 3.6. Here is an historical illustration of sin’s perennial threefold appeal (1 John 2.16).

7. Genesis 3.15. Known as the protoevangelium (first gospel), this obscure prophecy and promise of Jesus Christ and His victory over Satan on behalf of God’s elect becomes clearer with progressive revelation in Scripture (e.g., Rom 16.20). Faith in this promised Seed of the woman is the way sinners are saved. This salvation is foreshadowed in Seth from Eve, Gen 4.25; fulfilled in Jesus from Mary, Gal 4.4).

8. Genesis 6.5. Man’s depravity is universal and pervasive excepting God’s gracious redemption (Rom 3.10; 5.12).

9. Genesis 9.6. God instituted capital punishment for murder universally and irrevocably (cf. Rom 13.4). Ω

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