Genesis: A 12-Week Study (Knowing the Bible) - Softcover

Kim, Mitchell M.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1433535017 ISBN 13: 9781433535017

Publisher: Crossway, 2013

Synopsis

"A tremendous resource for those wanting to study and teach the Bible with an understanding of how the gospel is woven throughout Scripture." ―Bryan Chapell, Pastor, Grace Presbyterian Church

The Knowing the Bible series is a resource designed to help Bible readers better understand and apply God’s Word.

These 12-week studies lead participants through books of the Bible and are made up of four basic components: (1) reflection questions help readers engage the text at a deeper level; (2) “Gospel Glimpses” highlight the gospel of grace throughout the book; (3) “Whole-Bible Connections” show how any given passage connects to the Bible’s overarching story of redemption, culminating in Christ; and (4) “Theological Soundings” identify how historic orthodox doctrines are taught or reinforced throughout Scripture.

With contributions from an array of influential pastors and church leaders, these gospel-centered studies will help Christians see and cherish the message of God’s grace on every page of the Bible.

The book of Genesis is foundational to the whole Bible, and to every human life. Genesis tells us who God is, who we are, how things went wrong, and the plan that God has put in place to return the earth to the way it was meant to be.

This guide helps us see how the storyline of Genesis foreshadows and connects to the good news about Jesus, and offers penetrating exegetical insights for those of us seeking to better understand God’s plan to bring blessing to all nations.

About this title

About the Authors

Mitchell M. Kim (PhD, Wheaton College) serves as the senior pastor of Living Water Alliance Church in Wheaton, Illinois. He previously served as a professor at Wheaton College. In 2010, he was a participant in the Lausanne Congress for World Evangelization. He and his wife, Eunsil, have three children and live in Naperville, Illinois.

J. I. Packer (1926–2020) served as the Board of Governors’ Professor of Theology at Regent College. He authored numerous books, including the classic bestseller Knowing God. Packer also served as general editor for the English Standard Version Bible and as theological editor for the ESV Study Bible.

Dane C. Ortlund (PhD, Wheaton College) serves as senior pastor of Naperville Presbyterian Church in Naperville, Illinois. He is the author of Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers and Deeper: Real Change for Real Sinners. Dane and his wife, Stacey, have five children.

Lane T. Dennis (PhD, Northwestern University) is the former president and CEO of Crossway. Before joining Crossway in 1974, he served as a pastor in campus ministry at the University of Michigan (Sault Ste. Marie) and as the managing director of Verlag Grosse Freude in Switzerland. He is the author and/or editor of three books, including the Gold Medallion-award-winning book Letters of Francis A. Schaeffer, and he is the former chairman of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. Dennis serves as the chairman of the ESV (English Standard Version) Bible Translation Oversight Committee and as the executive editor of the ESV Study Bible. Lane and his wife, Ebeth, live in Wheaton, Illinois.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Knowing the Bible: Genesis

A 12-Week Study

By Mitchell M. Kim

Good News Publishers

Copyright © 2013 Crossway
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-4335-3501-7

Contents

Series Preface: J. I. Packer and Lane T. Dennis, 
Week 1: Overview, 
Week 2: Creation (1:1–2:3), 
Week 3: Humanity's Purpose and Failure (2:4–3:24), 
Week 4: The Downward Spiral of Sin (4:1–11:26), 
Week 5: Abraham and the Nations (11:27–16:16), 
Week 6: Promises Fulfilled (17:1–22:24), 
Week 7: Passing the Promises from Abraham to Isaac (23:1–26:33), 
Week 8: Lessons from Deception (26:34—31:55), 
Week 9: From Jacob to Israel (32:1–35:29), 
Week 10: Joseph's Slavery, God's Promises (36:1–41:57), 
Week 11: Joseph's Reconciliation (42:1–47:31), 
Week 12: Death and Blessing (48:1–50:26), 

CHAPTER 1

WEEK 1: OVERVIEW

Getting Acquainted

In Genesis, God's purposes for the heavens and earth, distorted by sin spreading through all the earth, are focused in one man: Abraham. Through him and his family God would bring blessing to all nations.

Despite God's good purposes for creation, sin enters and fills the earth (the primeval history1; chs. 1 — 11), and so God moves his plan forward to bless the nations through the offspring of Abraham (the patriarchal history2; chs. 12 — 50). Genesis is foundational to the whole Bible, and to every human life. Genesis tells us who God is, who we are, how things went wrong, and the plan that God has put in place to return the earth to the way it was meant to be.

Placing It in the Larger Story

Many readers miss the forest of God's larger purposes when immersed in the trees of each individual story. In creation, God creates humanity in his own image as his representatives to fill and rule the earth on his behalf (Gen. 1:26 — 28). Even after Adam and Eve sin and are punished, the promise is given that the offspring of the woman will defeat the serpent and restore the earth (Gen. 3:15). This promise is traced throughout the book in its genealogies,3 which provide the backbone of the entire book. Key divisions are traced by "These are the generations of," tracing out the stories of key figures, starting with "the heavens and the earth" (2:4 — 4:26), and going on to Adam (5:1 — 6:8), Noah (6:9 — 9:29), the sons of Noah (10:1 — 11:19), Shem (11:10 — 26), Terah (11:27 — 25:11), Ishmael (25:12 — 18), Isaac (25:19 — 35:29), Esau (36:1 — 37:1), and Jacob (37:2 — 50:26). The line of God's blessing is emphasized (e.g., Adam, Noah, Terah, Isaac, Jacob), while the stories of other lines receive less attention (e.g., Ishmael, Esau). The individual stories of Abraham, Jacob and Joseph are illustrations of how the promise of Genesis 3:15 begins to be fulfilled.

God desires to bless the nations through a future king. Adam is portrayed in the image of God, a phrase probably signifying a royal representative of God. Abraham would become a "great nation" (Gen. 12:2), and "kings shall come from you" (Gen. 17:6). God's original command to "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth" (Gen. 1:28) is fulfilled in microcosm4 as "Israel settled in the land of Egypt ... and were fruitful and multiplied greatly" (Gen. 47:27; cf. 1:28).

Israel fails, however, in its calling to be a "kingdom of priests" (Ex. 19:6). This priesthood is ultimately fulfilled through the church in Jesus Christ as a "royal priesthood" of all nations (1 Pet. 2:9). Through this priesthood, God's purposes for creation as detailed in Genesis 1 — 2 are finally accomplished, as is seen in Revelation 21 — 22.

Key Verse

"And God blessed them. And God said to them, `Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth." (Gen. 1:28)

Date and Historical Background

With the other books of the Pentateuch (Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy), Genesis has been ascribed to Moses. Although Mosaic authorship has been questioned by some, numerous parallels with other ancient Near Eastern literature in the second millennium BC confirm the plausibility of the traditional view.

Outline

I. Primeval History (1:1 — 11:26)

A. God's creation and the ordering of heaven and earth (1:1 — 2:3)

B. Humanity and sin in the world (2:4 — 3:24)

C. The downward spiral of sin in the world (4:1 — 11:26)

II. Patriarchal History (11:27 — 50:26)

A. Abraham and the covenant (11:27 — 16:16)

B. Abraham and obedience (17:1 — 22:24)

C. From Abraham to Isaac (23:1 — 26:33)

D. Jacob: consequences of deception (26:34 — 31:55)

E. Jacob: reconciliation with Esau (32:1 — 35:29)

F. Joseph: dreams and affliction (36:1 — 41:57)

G. Joseph: reconciliation with brothers (42:1 — 47:31)

H. Blessing of Jacob (48:1 — 50:26)

As You Get Started

Besides the individual stories in Genesis, how do you see the themes and trajectories laid out in this book developed in the rest of the Bible? In your view, how does Genesis play a foundational role for the entire Bible? ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________

The entire book of Genesis is framed by genealogies. What important role might be played by these otherwise boring lists of names in tracing out the many promises that we find in this book? ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________

What perplexes you about this book? What questions do you hope to see answered by this study of Genesis? ________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________

As You Finish This Unit ...

Come before God with humility in prayer and ask for the Spirit who inspired Scripture to illuminate your mind to understand Genesis in all its riches. Ask him to strengthen and deepen your understanding of God's foundational purposes for creation and the glory of his purposes in redemption. Pray that God might soften your heart to hear the still small voice of God's Spirit. Take some time to go back over this study and reflect on what the Lord might be teaching you, especially noting areas and questions that you would like to explore further through this study.

Definitions

Primeval history — The earliest history of the Bible from the creation of the world (Genesis 1) to the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11).

Patriarchal history — A history of the patriarchs (fathers) of the Old Testament, primarily Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Genealogy — The study of the lineage of families; genealogies are particularly important in Genesis as it traces the preservation of the offspring of the woman who will ultimately defeat the offspring of the serpent.

Macrocosm/microcosm — Macrocosm is the big picture, while microcosm is a more specific picture that nevertheless represents the big picture. The macrocosm of Genesis 1 — 11 focuses on the whole earth, while the microcosm of Genesis 12 — 50 focuses on one family, the line of Abraham.

CHAPTER 2

WEEK 2: CREATION

Genesis 1:1–2:3

The Place of the Passage

"Where do we come from?" Children's questions can be both simple and profound, and our answer to this question affects the way we view the entire world. The answer is given in this opening section of Genesis. The primeval history of Genesis 1–11 provides a wide-lens, macrocosmic picture of God's purposes for the world. This is followed by the narrow-lens, microcosmic drama in Genesis 12–50 of God's promises passed down through the generations of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Martin Luther reminds us that these opening chapters are "certainly the foundation of the whole of Scripture." Genesis 1 begins "In the beginning, God," reminding us that it all starts with God, and thus Genesis sets the stage for everything that follows.

The Big Picture

God creates the heavens and the earth and places humanity at earth's pinnacle with a commission to populate the earth as his image-bearers.

Reflection and Discussion

Read through the entire text for this study, Genesis 1:1–2:3. Then interact with the following questions and record your notes on them concerning this section of Genesis. (For further background, see the ESV Study Bible, pages 49–53; also available online at www.esvbible.org.) ________________________________________________________________

Repeated words or phrases indicate their importance. What words and phrases are repeated throughout Genesis 1:1–2:3? Take time to reflect on each of these repeated phrases and their significance. ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________

Although "the earth was without form and void" (Gen. 1:2), God forms the earth (days 1–3) and then fills it (days 4–6). Place the days of creation on the following chart.

One repeated phrase is, "And there was evening, and there was morning, the ______ day" (Gen. 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31). What does this rhythm and balance of God's orderly creation communicate? ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________

Another repeated phrase is "And God said" (Gen. 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26, 29). This word which God speaks creates. The creative power of God's word is stressed throughout Scripture (e.g., Isa. 55:10–11; John 1:3; Rom 4:17). How does the creative power of God's word strengthen our resolve to meditate on the written Word of God in our own lives? ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________

Another refrain throughout this passage is that, "God saw that it was good" (Gen. 1:10, 12, 18, 21, 25), culminating in God seeing "everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good" (Gen. 1:31). Some idolize creation as God, while others despise creation as evil. But these are two equally wrong extremes. What suggestions for a proper relationship between humanity and creation are provided in Genesis 1? ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________

Chapter 1 climaxes with the creation of humanity (Gen. 1:26–31). Note the ways in which this final creative act of God is different from the previous creative acts of God. How is the distinctiveness of humanity emphasized in 1:26–31? ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________

What is the distinctive purpose for humanity in God's creation? ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________

The climax of the week of creation is God's Sabbath rest on the seventh day (Gen. 2:3). Similarly, the seventh speech for the building of the tabernacle climaxes with instructions on the Sabbath (Ex. 31:12–17). God's Sabbath rest hints at the purpose of creation, since divine rest is associated with temple building in other ancient Near Eastern accounts, as well as elsewhere in the Old Testament. Similarly, just as "And God said" frames his seven days of creation, so "And Yahweh said" frames the seven speeches for the creation of the tabernacle1 (Ex. 25:1; 30:11, 17, 22, 34; 31:1, 12). The psalmist explicitly compares the building of the sanctuary2 to the creation of the heavens and earth (Ps. 78:69). In light of all this, how should an understanding of the heavens and earth as a divine sanctuary affect our understanding of the purpose of the cosmos? ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________

Read through the following three sections on Gospel Glimpses, Whole-Bible Connections, and Theological Soundings. Then take time to reflect on the Personal Implications these sections may have for your walk with the Lord.

Gospel Glimpses

THE POWER OF GOD'S WORD. We clearly and unequivocally see the power of God's Word in this passage. God creates by the power of his Word (cf. John 1:1–3). This same Word "became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). The Word active in creation is revealed as a Person who becomes flesh and blood in redemption to come and save.

REST. When God finished his work, "he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done" (Gen. 2:2). He did not rest because he was tired, but to enjoy the world that he had worked to create. In Christ, this rest is fulfilled, so that "there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God" (Heb. 4:9). Jesus offers the key to enter that rest, since he invites us, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28). In creation, the pattern was work then rest. In the gospel, the pattern is rest then work (1 Cor. 15:9–10; Phil. 2:12–13).

Whole-Bible Connections

IMAGE OF GOD. Humanity is created in the image of God, and this image is expressed in the use of God-given rational and relational power and also in ruling and subduing the creation. This image of God is passed down the generations through the line of Seth (Genesis 5). However, this image was distorted by the fall and is not seen in fully reconstituted form until the coming of Jesus Christ, the ultimate "image of God" (2 Cor. 4:4; Col. 1:15). Those who believe in Christ are being recreated and transformed into that image (2 Cor. 3:18), and this process of transformation will be made complete when we rise again (1 Cor. 15:49). Presently, we know that "all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose," a purpose which is "to be conformed to the image of his Son" (Rom. 8:28–29).

SUBDUING THE BEASTS. While Adam was to subdue the beasts, he was himself subdued by a beast, the serpent. The failure of the first Adam looks forward to the coming of a Second Adam, the Son of Man, who would, like Adam, subdue the beasts of the earth (Ps. 8:4–8; Dan. 7:13–14). Jesus is this Son of Man (Matt. 9:6; 25:31; 28:18), who subdued the wild beasts after his temptation in the wilderness (Mark 1:13). By the authority of this Son of Man over all heaven and earth, we are to make all nations disciples to him (Matt. 28:18–20). We should not be subject to the deception of the serpent like the first Adam but move forward with confidence since "the God of peace will soon crush Satan4 under [our] feet" (Rom. 16:20).

BE FRUITFUL, MULTIPLY, AND FILL THE EARTH. God called Adam to "be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth" (Gen. 1:28) with his descendants as images and representatives of God. This call is passed down to Noah (Gen. 9:1, 7), Abraham (12:2–3; 22:17), Isaac (26:4), and Jacob (28:3–4). While it begins to be fulfilled in a small way in Egypt (Ex. 1:7), this call looks forward after the exile to a more global fulfillment (Jer. 23:3). This call is transformed by the coming of Jesus Christ with a focus on spiritual progeny birthed by the power of the word of God. As a result, the word of God increases ("increase" = "to bear fruit"; the same Greek word is used in Gen. 1:28 in the Greek Old Testament translation used by the apostles) and multiplies in Jerusalem (Acts 6:7), Judea and Samaria (12:24) and to the end of the earth (19:20). These are the key markers of the gospel's progress in the book of Acts (1:8). In Colossians, similarly, Paul celebrates how "the word of truth, the gospel ... has come to you, as indeed in the whole world [and] is bearing fruit and increasing" (Col. 1:5–6), so that they might walk, "bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God" (v. 10). Through Christ, Christians fill the earth as images and representatives of God by the power of the gospel.

Theological Soundings

TRINITY. God the Father is the Creator (Gen. 1:1) who works with the Spirit (v. 2) by the power of his Word (v. 3) to create the heavens and the earth. All three persons of the Trinity are at work in this opening chapter of Scripture. A glimpse of the Trinity can perhaps also be seen in the plural of Genesis 1:26: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." While some see this plural referring to God speaking to his heavenly court of angels (as in, e.g., Job 1:6), humanity is not made in the image of angels, and we have no indication that angels participated in the creation of human beings. This glimpse of the Trinity is filled out with more detail through the progressive revelation of Scripture.

CREATION. God surveys his creation and calls it "good" (Gen. 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25) and "very good" (v. 31). God's good creation calls for humanity's wise stewardship (vv. 26–28). We can worship God not only by looking at his Word but also by appreciating his works demonstrated throughout all creation. "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork" (Ps. 19:1).

HUMANITY. The climax of this chapter is found in the creation of humanity. The largest number of verses is devoted to this day of creation. Only humanity is created by God in community (Gen. 1:26), in the image of God (vv. 26–27), and is given dominion over the animals (v. 28) and the fruits of the earth for food (v. 29). No wonder the psalmist celebrates, "you have made him [humanity, a collective noun] a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas" (Ps. 8:5–8).

Personal Implications

Take some time to reflect on the personal implications of Genesis 1:1–2:3 for your life today. Jot down your reflections under the three headings we have considered and on the passage as a whole:

1. Gospel Glimpses ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________

2. Whole-Bible Connections ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________

3. Theological Soundings ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________

4. Genesis 1:1–2:3 ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________

As You Finish This Unit ...

Pray that God would seal the insights that you have obtained about God's purposes in creation. May the riches of this chapter move your heart to marvel at the greatness of God in greater measure. Highlight a few areas for further reflection to come back to at a later time.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Knowing the Bible: Genesis by Mitchell M. Kim. Copyright © 2013 Crossway. Excerpted by permission of Good News Publishers.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Edition details

• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1433535017
• ISBN 13: 9781433535017
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 96
• Editor: Packer J. I.