Genesis – the book of beginnings! What a treasure! There is so much hidden in these pages, yet they are too often skimmed through, overlooked, ignored, or even scoffed at in our “sophisticated” world. But stop and think what we would be missing without the book of Genesis.
In Genesis, God gives us valuable information about Himself, ourselves, and our world, that we would have no other way of knowing for sure. In the pages of Genesis, we read about the creation of the universe and all physical reality. We discover the origin of our planet; sun, moon and stars; plants, and living creatures. And we also discover the origin of the human race and the very first marriage.
Reading further, we encounter the origin of sin and its devastating consequences. We read about the first children, the first sibling rivalry, the first murder. We see how sin infected the whole human race, and how it spread until violence filled the earth and God cleansed the world in a watery judgment. We read about the repopulation of the earth, the dispersion of people groups, and the origin of languages and cultures. And on and on it goes – giving us an anchor in space and time.
Through it all, we meet people just like ourselves – and learn about or God who is just and holy, powerful and awesome, but at the same time merciful, faithful, loving, and kind. Even in Genesis, we see Him working – moving – setting in motion His great plan of salvation.
Genesis – what a treasure! What gems it contains! Over the following series of articles, we hope to share some of these gems with you – and maybe you have some to share with us. In preparation, we would encourage you to read through the book of Genesis – or at least the first 11 chapters – over the next couple of weeks. Then come along with us as we dig for Gems from Genesis! Don’t forget your pick-axe, shovel, and shaker screen!
Originally published in the January/February 2007 issue of Think & Believe newsletter. Please call our office or email us at [email protected] for additional resources on these subjects.
