Meeting God in Genesis
- jacarroll71
- Jan 12, 2014
- 2 min read
Genesis, the first book of the Bible, lays the foundation for all that is to follow. These foundations include:
1. The actions and attributes of God. He is self-existent, that is, He existed eternally before the beginning and was not created nor is He dependent on any thing or any one for His being. He is sovereign, creating things merely by speaking them into existence. He is wise and gracious, making all that is necessary for life that is good. He reveals His will to Man, giving limits to man’s choices and warning of consequences should the limits be exceeded. He oversees the affairs of men and nations, making apparently insignificant decisions and events work out for His great and good purposes.
2. God’s salvation of Man. The need for salvation is shown (Genesis 3 and subsequent examples of the consequences of the Fall into sin and death). The promise of salvation is revealed (Genesis 3:15 the offspring of the woman would crush the serpent’s head). The means of salvation is designated (Genesis 12, 15, 17 God makes a covenant with Abraham to bless all the families of the earth through him, pointing to the Messiah, Jesus Christ, the Savior to come).
3. Examples of obedient faith and disobedient rebellion. Genesis zooms in on the personal lives of several characters showing why believing God results in blessing (Noah, Abraham, Joseph) while disobeying Him results in disaster (Adam & Eve, Cain, Esau). We are both encouraged and admonished by these examples.
Here in Genesis, we get essential information to understand why mankind is in the mess we are in but also reassurance that God is still in control of our destiny and in Him we have a sure hope of deliverance and eternal life to come.
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