The Word - Genesis

Overview
Genesis is the first book of the Bible, and serves as an introduction for the whole book.  Genesis is the foundation on which the whole story is built.

Genesis is the first book of five called the Pentateuch, and is said to be authored by Moses inspired by the Holy Spirit.  Scholars dispute Moses authorship, as the text itself is duplicitous at times and more likely is a compilation of several sources into one common text.  As such it's authorship must be listed as anonymous.  This article explains the more likely compilation of text: JEPD Theory

"Genesis is essentially folk literature.  The work of bards or professional singers of tales who during the Wilderness Wandering and in the period of the Judges first gave literary shape to the memories and experiences and the hopes and fears of the newly born nation.  The work of these "singers of tales" was entirely oral and has disappeared.  These folk tales were not written down in any form until much later.  The vast bulk of Genesis consists of stories which still carry about them the marks of having been composed to entertain and to instruct ordinary folks.  They were never meant to be addressed to sophisticatd modern people like ourselves who have lost the taste for simple story-telling", and we have to remember this when reading much of the OT.

In Chapters 1-11 we get the history of mankind, to include the origin of man, the Garden of Eden, the Flood, and Scattering of nations.

Chapters 12-50 give us the history of the Hebrew people.  And an accounting of the Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph.


Chapter 1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Day 1: God created light and separated it from the darkness, and it was good.

Day 2: God separated the water from the water and created the expanse, and He called it heaven (we call it sky) and it was good.

Day 3: God called the waters under heaven to gather in one place, so that dry land appeared, He called it Earth and it was good. Also on day 3 God produced vegetation and trees, and God saw that it was good.

Day 4: has God adding lights to the heavens to mark our seasons, days, and years.  Two great lights He made for us, a greater light during the day (sun) and a lesser light at night (moon) he also created the stars.

Day 5: God added creatures to swim in the waters and birds to fly in the skies.  He saw that this was good.

Day 6: God makes beasts for the earth, and livestock and creeping things.  And in V26 "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." And so He did.  Male and female He created them. God commanded them to reproduce and to rule over the earth and subdue it.

Every plant yielding seed which is on the face of all the earth and every tree which is fruit yielding seed, it shall be food for you.  For all the beasts, birds and creeping things they have every green plant for food.

"God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good." V31a


Chapter 2

Begins with God resting on the 7th day.  After creation is over.

Then we have a 2nd account of the creation of man.  This time it says on the day that the Lord made earth and the heavens, before the plants, before the rain He created Adam.  Then He brought to earth the plants and animals, and Adam named them.  The Tree of Life and The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.  He created the garden, and a river flowed from Eden to water it.  Then He created Eve to be a helper to Adam.  They were naked, and NOT ashamed.