About the Book

The title "Genesis," comes from the Greek translation of the Old Testament called the Septuagint. In the Septuagint the title of the book was "Origins." However the original title of Genesis from the Hebrew text was "In the Beginning." The Hebrew title was taken from the text of the first verse of Genesis. Both titles have the same meaning, which is the beginning of all things. Genesis discusses the beginning of creation. It tells us how the earth and everything on it was created by God. It also shows us the beginning of God's plan of redemption for mankind as well as the beginning of the nation of Israel and the Jewish people. Genesis is the first of the five original books of the Hebrew Bible called the "Torah" which means the "Law of God." Christians refer to the first five books of the Bible as the "Pentateuch" or the "Five Books of Moses."

Genesis answers the questions of where did everything start and where did everything come from? The short answer of course is God. Genesis shows us the beginnings of everything, including the universe, humanity, marriage, the family, sin, the nations, of all languages and the beginning of the story of salvation and of the nation of Israel. Moreover, nothing concludes with Genesis. Genesis begins the pathway of human history, which is not closed until the book of Revelation. Everything came from and was created by God. Genesis walks us through creation, starting at a high level with the creation of the universe, then narrowing down as it takes us through the creation of the earth, then all of nature and finally humanity. Moreover, Genesis also shows us the beginnings of the nation of Israel as God calls a man named Abraham, along with his descendants through his son Isaac, and Isaac's son Jacob. We see the beginnings as God sets Israel aside to carry out a unique destiny on the earth. One that will lead to the coming of the Messiah, whom we know today as Christ Jesus our Lord and through whom, God's plan of redemption will be carried out and finally reach its culmination at the end of the age.

Genesis is the beginning of God's story as well as His special revelation to mankind, regarding His plan of redemption and His interactions with humanity as it relates to salvation history. Genesis is not only the beginning of that story, but it's also real history, laying the foundation of God's sovereignty and His work through the persons of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, as well as the nation of Israel. Genesis shows us how God created all things good before the fall and how He relinquished the earth to humanity as a free gift, while still binding Himself to all of creation. Genesis also shows us the fall of humanity, and how that ushered a state of disharmony and death into the world. And finally Genesis gives us glimpses of the Trinity as well as God's plan of salvation and the redemption of all of creation under the lordship of Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father.

Genesis can be summed up in five events and in the lives of five people. The events are the creation, the fall, the flood, the scattering or beginning of nations and the separation of the people God chose, whose descendants would become the nation of Israel. The five people include Adam, Abraham, Issac, Jacob and Joseph. And it's through the lives of these people that the story of God's plan of redemption unfolds.