Genesis 11 closes with man once again in a state of spiritual decline. Because of his disobedience at Babel, mankind had been dispersed. The trend was downward, but once again God stepped in. He singled out a man who lived in Ur, a city of the Chaldeans (Babylonia). If Abram (his name would later be changed to Abraham) obeyed God, he would become the father of a nation that would be known as God's own people - a nation through whom all the earth would be blessed.
Genesis 12:1-3 records God's initial call to Abraham. Here is what was said:
Now the Lord God had said to Abram: Get out of your country, from your kindred and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you.
I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those that bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
Over the years, the call of Abraham was confirmed several times. We refer to this call and its promises as the Abrahamic Covenant.
Once again, God asked a man to trust Him - to let go of all that he had and follow Him. In exchange for leaving his home, his countrymen, and most of his family, God would give him something new and far more wonderful.
Believing God, Abraham packed up his belongings and went to the place God led him. His faith was so strong, in fact, that he was referred to as "the father of all who believe.''1 He first journeyed to Haran.2 Then, when God instructed him to leave there, Abraham obeyed, even though he did not know what his destination would be.3
When he and his family arrived in Palestine, God said, "To you and your descendants I will give this land."4 The specific boundaries were spelled out when the covenant was confirmed a few years later.5 In all, the covenant was reaffirmed to Abraham four times.6
But God was not finished with Abraham, for He had promised him both a land and a seed. He and his wife Sarah were in the land, but they were getting old and they still did not have a son. By this time Abraham was 86 and Sarah 76.7 So, in her impatience, Sarah told Abraham to father a child through Hagar, her handmaid.8 Hagar conceived, but the son, Ishmael, was not the child of promise.9
God again appeared to Abraham to affirm the covenant, and He specifically stated that the aged couple (now 99 and 89 respectively) would have a son whom they were to name Isaac.10 It seemed impossible, but once again God showed Himself to be a God who keeps His word, and Isaac was born.11
Abraham's faith was tested often: in his calls to leave Ur12 and Haran,13 and in offering Lot the most desirable land in Palestine, leaving himself the dry desert region.14 But the most severe test of his faith came when he was instructed to take his son Isaac to Mount Moriah and offer him as a sacrifice.l5 Once again Abraham obeyed God - even though the death of Isaac would have made impossible God's promise of a nation through him. But Isaac was spared, a ram was offered in his place (a picture of Christ), and the covenant was reaffirmed.16
After Sarah's death,17 Abraham sent his servant back to his homeland to find a bride for Isaac. He was led to the granddaughter of Nahor, Abraham's brother. He brought back Rebekah as a bride for Isaac. When Abraham died, he was buried beside Sarah.18
Abraham was called to father a great nation - a nation singled out to be the focus of God's continuing relationship with man. For example:
* Israel would be the means and the guardian of God's continuing revelation to man.19
* Israel would be a witness for God in the midst of pagan darkness.20
* Israel would demonstrate to the nations the security that comes with obeying God.21
* Israel would be the bloodline through whom the Messiah - Savior would come.22
Yes, Abraham was a great patriarchal leader and a man of steadfast faith. The remainder of Genesis tells of the growth and preservation of his bloodline through three important men: Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph.
Seeing God Through Abraham
* In the call of Abraham, we see God's sovereign right
to single out men to do His will.
* In the birth of Isaac, we see a God who keeps His word, even though we may think it's impossible.
* In the testing of Abraham's faith, we see an Almighty God who has the right to test our faith.
Seeing Ourselves Through Abraham
* In Abraham's faith, we see that we too can place ourselves without fear into the hands of God.
* In Abraham's unquestioning obedience, we see that we too can follow God without regard to what we must leave behind.
* In Sarah's impatience, we see our own tendency to run ahead of God to accomplish His will.
Man 2: Isaac
(Gen. 25:19-26:35)
Abraham's stalwart faith and exemplary obedience are a high point in the history of man. Then came Isaac. Even though he was the child of promise, he was the least conspicuous of the four patriarchs of Genesis. He apparently traveled very little and avoided conflict. Although he lived the longest of the patriarchs, the least is said about him. We do know that he became very wealthy. When he planted crops, for example, his harvest was a hundredfold.1 The envious Philistines filled his wells with sand, but he simply moved on a little, dug more wells, and continued to prosper.2
Even so, God was still there. He was still at work through this quiet, unspectacular man, making sure that His plan for the ages would be carried out. Twice he confirmed with Isaac the covenant He had made with his father Abraham.3 He promised Isaac the land of Canaan, descendants numbering as the sands of the sea, and blessing on all nations through his offspring. Thus Isaac was an important spiritual link in the chain of redemption through the promised Messiah.
Isaac and Rebekah had twin sons, Jacob and Esau.4 When Isaac was old and nearly blind, he called Esau in to bless him,5 since he was the firstborn. But Jacob and Rebekah succeeded in deceiving Isaac into thinking that Jacob was Esau, and he stole the blessing.6
Seeing God Through Isaac
* In the prosperity of Isaac, we see a generous God who blesses His people with more than they need.
* In the quiet life of Isaac, we see a confident God who does not always accomplish His will through dynamic people.
* In the long life of Isaac, we see a faithful God who keeps on working when it appears that very little is happening.
Seeing Ourselves Through Isaac
* In Isaac's persistent digging of wells, we see our own need to keep on working through adversity.
* In Isaac's tranquil life, we see that we can be used of God without being the center of attention.
* In Isaac's prosperity, we see that rewards are not always measured in accordance to great deeds.
Man 3: Jacob
(Gen. 27:1-37:1).
The men God chose to establish the nation of Israel, through whom salvation would come, were certainly different in character. Abraham was a man of faith. Isaac was a quiet man. But then came Jacob, and what a difference! The name Jacob means "supplanter" - and Jacob certainly lived up to his name. When we first meet him, he is scheming to get his brother Esau's birthright. Finding Esau near starvation, Jacob bargained with him and offered his famished brother some lentil stew in exchange for the birthright.1 When we next see Jacob he is plotting with his mother Rebekah to deceive Isaac and steal the patriarchal blessing. Their plan succeeded, for the dim-sighted Isaac could not see that Jacob's smooth arms were covered with goatskins so that they would feel like Esau's hairy arms.2
Esau was so furious when he found out what happened that he plotted Jacob's death.3 When Rebekah heard what Esau wanted to do, she persuaded Isaac to send Jacob to Padan Aram (modern Syria) to find a wife from the daughters of her brother Laban.4
On his journey, Jacob was given a night vision of a ladder ascending to heaven with angels climbing up and down. Then God spoke to Jacob, reaffirming the covenant He had made with Abraham. God also said He would watch over him and bring him back to the Promised Land.5 Jacob named the place Bethel, which means "house of God."6
Jacob fell in love with Rachel, one of Laban's daughters, and agreed to work for Laban 7 years if he could marry her.7 But Jacob the deceiver was himself deceived and was given Leah the older daughter, instead.8 Still in love with Rachel, he agreed to work an additional 7 years to have her for his wife too.9
God blessed Jacob so that his wealth increased. The sisters were in bitter rivalry to give Jacob a son, and through them and their maids he fathered 12 boys.10 After Joseph, the 11th, was born, Jacob and his growing clan prepared to return to Canaan.12 A property dispute with Laban erupted, and once again Jacob combined trickery with a hasty flight.13
On the return journey he learned that Esau, along with 400 of his men, was waiting for him. Afraid, he sent gifts - only to learn that Esau had forgiven him and welcomed his return to Canaan.14
The night before he was to meet Esau, Jacob wrestled all night with an angel of the Lord. Although his thigh was injured, Jacob held on to the angel until he received a blessing from God. His name was changed to Israel, "he struggles with God" - a name that has described the Jews ever since. Jacob named the place Peniel, "the face of God," because he had seen God face to face and lived.15
After a brief stay in Shechem, Jacob again settled in Bethel. His last son, Benjamin, was born, but his beloved Rachel died in childbirth.16 Some years later, his son Joseph disappeared. His jealous brothers had sold him into slavery17 and deceived their father into thinking he had been killed by a wild animal.18 The final days of Jacob's turbulent life were spent in Egypt.19
Seeing God Through Jacob
* In affirming the Abrahamic Covenant with Jacob at Bethel, we see God's interest in a man on the run and His ongoing promise.
* In blessing Jacob materially in Haran, we see a God who provides for His people in strange and hostile surroundings.
* In blessing Jacob after he wrestled with the angel, we see a God who rewards those who persistently seek Him.
* In blessing Jacob with 12 sons, we see a God who made preparations for the rapid growth of His people while they were in a pleasant land.
Seeing Ourselves Through Jacob
* In Jacob's scheming, we see our own inclination to trust our wits rather than God's promises.
* In Jacob's repeated flights, we see our own fear of facing the consequences of our bad choices.
* In Jacob's wrestling match with the angel, we see reflected our own deep thirst for God's blessing.
* In Jacob's individualism, we see our own need to be ourselves in our relationship with God.
Man 4: Joseph
(Gen. 37:2-50)
In the concluding chapters of Genesis, the focus of attention is on Joseph, the "missing son" of Jacob. As his story opens, he is seen as Jacob's favorite, probably because his mother was Rachel. This was demonstrated in the multicolored coat given to him by Jacob. His brothers, born of different mothers, resented the special treatment Joseph received.2 They also resented his dreams about how he would rule over them and how they would bow down and serve him.3 So one day when Joseph came out to the fields where his brothers were working, they conspired to kill him.4 But at Judah's insistence, they settled for selling him to a passing band of Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt and sold him into slavery.5
Now, Joseph had developed a deep faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He was determined to stay true to Him. And it soon became clear that God was in control of the events of his life.
Potiphar, Joseph's Egyptian master, soon recognized his superior abilities and gave him important responsibilities.6 Potiphar's wife, however, saw his handsomeness and tried to seduce him.7 When Joseph would not give in to her advances, she kept his coat as evidence for her false charge that he had accosted her.8 As a result, Potiphar had him thrown into prison.9
In prison, God showed that He was still with Joseph by giving him the ability to interpret dreams.10 When Pharaoh had a dream his astrologers could not interpret, he was told about Joseph.11 The young Hebrew interpreted Pharaoh's dream as a prediction of 7 years of plenty followed by 7 years of famine.12 Impressed, Pharaoh appointed Joseph to a powerful position. He was put in charge of gathering, storing, and dispersing grain.13
The famine hit Palestine hard, so Jacob sent Joseph's brothers (except Benjamin) to Egypt to purchase grain.14 Joseph recognized his brothers,15 but he did not reveal his identity until they brought Benjamin down on a return trip.16 After a joyous reunion,17 he sent them back to Palestine to bring back his father Jacob.18 On the journey, God appeared to Jacob to reaffirm the covenant and to assure him that Israel would one day return to the Land of Promise.19 The little clan settled in Goshen, safe under Joseph's watchful care.
Joseph is important to the Genesis record because:
* He is a link between Israel as a family and Israel as a nation.
* He was used to save Israel from the famine.
* He is a type of Christ.
The history of Genesis ends with Abraham's family in Egypt, saved from the famine but out of the Land of Promise. It would be 400 years before the nation returned to Palestine. But that is another story.
Seeing God Through Joseph
* In revealing the future through Joseph's dreams as a boy, we see a God with the power to predict and control the events of history.
* In the imprisonment of Joseph, the protection of God is seen for those who trust Him.
* In the gift of interpreting dreams, we see the power of God to open new doors of opportunity.
* In placing Joseph in a position of prominence, we see the authority of God over nations and kings.
* In bringing Jacob's family to Egypt, we see the loving provision of God for His people.
Seeing Ourselves Through Joseph
* In Joseph's jealous brothers, we see our own envy of the gifted and privileged.
* In Joseph's resistance to temptation, we see our own potential to fight off the tempter.
* In Joseph's steadfast faith in God, we see how we should react when things go wrong.
* In Joseph's forgiveness of his brothers, we see a pattern to follow when people wrong us.
THE CREATION
l. Gen. 1:1; 2. Jer. 10:16; 3. Gen. 1:26; 4. John l:1-4; Heb. 1:10; Col. 1:16, 5. Heb. 11:3, Ps. 33:6,9; 6. 2 Pet. 3:5,7; 7. Gen. 2:7; 8. Gen. 2:18-22; 9. Gen. 2:23-25; 10. Rom. 5:12-15; 1 Cor. 15:21,22, 2 Cor. 11:3; 1 Tim. 2:13,14; 11. Gen. l:26; 9:6; 1 Cor. 11:7; Col. 3:10; James 3:9; 12. Gen. 2:15-17.
THE FALL
1. Gen. 3:1; 2. Gen. 3:1; 3. Gen. 3:4; 4. Gen. 3:5; 5. Gen. 3:5 6. Is. 14:12-15; 7. Gen. 3:7; 8. Gen. 3:8; 9. Gen. 3:12,13; 10. Gen. 3:16; 11. Gen. 3:14,15; 12. Gen. 3:19; 13. Gen.3:19; 14. Heb. 11:4; 15. Gen. 4:8; 16. Gen. 3:21; 17. Gen. 3:15; 18. Gen. 4:25,26.
THE FLOOD
1. Gen. 6:5; 2. Gen. 6:11; 3. Gen. 6:6,7; 4. Gen. 6:7; 5. Gen. 6:13; 6. Gen. 6:14; 7. Gen. 6:22; 7:5; 8. Heb. 11:7; 9. cp. Gen. 2-5,6 and Heb, 11:7; 10. Gen. 7:16; 11. Gen. 7:10; 12. Gen. 8:7-12; 13. Gen. 8:15-17; 14. Gen. 8:20; 15. Gen. 8:21; 9:11; 16. Gen. 8:22; 17. Gen. 9:8-12,16; 18. Gen. 9:12; 19. Gen. 9:12.
THE TOWER OF BABEL
1. Gen. 10:32; 2. Gen. 11:4; 3. Gen. 11:4; 4. Gen. 9:1; 5. Gen. 11:4; 6. Gen. 11:5-8; 7. Gen. 11:7; 8. Gen. 11:8.
ABRAHAM
1. Rom. 4:11; 2. Acts 7:23; Gen. 11:31,32; 3. Gen. 12:1-4; 4. Gen. 12:7; 5. Gen. 15:18-20; 6. Gen. 12:6,7; 15:15-21; 17:4-8; 18:18,19; 22:17,18; 7. Gen. 16:16; 8. Gen. 16:1-4; 9. Gen. 17:18-21; 10. Gen. 17:1-21; 11. Gen. 21:1-7; 12. Gen. 11:28-32, Acts 7:3; 13. Gen. 12:1-3; 14. Gen. 13:5-8 15. Gen. 22:1,2, 16. Gen. 22:10-18; 17. Gen. 23; 18. Gen. 25:7-11; 19. Deut. 4:5-8; Rom. 3:1-12, 20. Is. 43:9-12; 21. Deut. 33:16-29; 22. Gen. 12:3; 49:10.
ISAAC
1. Gen. 26:12; 2. Gen. 26:14-25; 3. Gen. 26:2-6, 24, 25; 4. Gen. 25:21-26; 5. Gen. 27:1-4; 6. Gen. 27:5-29.
JACOB
1. Gen. 25:29-34; 2. Gen. 27:1-29; 3. Gen. 27:41; 4. Gen. 27:42-28:5; 5. Gen. 28:10-15; 6. Gen. 28:18-22; 7. Gen. 29:18; 8. Gen. 29:21-26; 9. Gen. 29:27-30; 10. Gen. 30:27; 11. Gen. 29:31-30:24; 12. Gen. 30:25,26 ; 13. Gen. 30,31; 14. Gen. 32,33; 15. Gen. 32:22-32 16. Gen. 35:16-20; 17. Gen. 37:24-28; 18. Gen. 37:29-36; 19. Gen. 46-50.
JOSEPH
1. Gen. 37:3; 2. Gen. 37:4; 3. Gen. 37:5-11; 4. Gen. 37:18-20; 5. Gen. 37:21-28, 6. Gen. 39:1-4; 7. Gen. 39:6-10; 8. Gen. 39:11-18; 9. Gen. 39:19,20; 10. Gen. 40:1-19; 11. Gen. 41:1-14, 12. Gen. 41:14-36; 13. Gen. 41:37-57; 14. Gen. 42:1-5; 15. Gen. 42:7,8; 16. Gen. 43:1-4; 17. Gen. 45:14-24; 18. Gen. 45:13,25-28; 19. Gen. 46:1-4.
JESUS CHRIST IN GENESIS
We should not be surprised to discover that the "book of beginnings" contains, among the other "firsts," the initial revelation of what God wanted us to know about Jesus Christ. These foreshadows appear in two forms: prophecy and type.
Prophecy. The prophecies of Christ in Genesis begin at the fall and become more and more specific.
* He would be born of the seed of woman (3:15).
* He would be of the line of Seth (4:25).
* He would descend from Shem (9:27).
* He would be a descendant of Abraham (12:3).
* He would be a son of Isaac (21:12).
* He would be of Jacob, not Esau (25:23).
* He would be of the tribe of Judah (49:10).
A study of the lineage of Jesus Christ shows that these prophecies were literally fulfilled (see Matt. 1:1-18).
Type. Genesis also reveals Christ in type. A type is defined as a historical fact that illustrates a spiritual truth. These are the major types of Christ in Genesis.
* Adam. According to Romans 5:14, Adam was "a type of Him who was to come." Adam typified Christ in that they both began life sinlessly by a special act of God - Adam by creation and Jesus by the virgin birth. Adam was head of the old creation; Christ, the new creation.
* Abel. He was a type of Christ in that his blood sacrifice was acceptable to God. And both Christ and Abel died at the hands of disobedient brethren.
* Melchizedek. This "king of Salem" was a type of Christ (Heb. 7:3) in that he was a king-priest, ruling a "kingdom of peace." Salem means "peace."
* Isaac. He was a type of Christ in that he was a "child of promise" and miraculously born. (His parents were well beyond their childbearing years [Gen. 17:17].)
* Joseph. The historical facts about Joseph that illustrate truths about Christ are numerous:
1. Both were special objects of their father's love (Gen. 37:3; John 3:35; 5:20).
2. Both were hated by their brothers and rejected as rulers (Gen. 37:4; John 15:25).
3. Their brethren plotted to kill them and sold them for pieces of silver (Gen. 37:18-28; Matt. 26:1-5,14-16).
4. Both were condemned though they were innocent (Gen. 39:11-20; 2 Cor. 5:21).
5. Both were raised from humiliation to glory by God (Gen. 41:37-57; Phil. 2:5-8).
6. Both were reconciled to their brothers (Gen. 45:1-15; Rom. 11:1,15, 25, 26).
GENESIS AND YOU
How do we respond to this book of beginnings - this book that takes us back to the very roots of human existence and tells us how it all began?
The evidence for its authority and accuracy is too strong to let us take it lightly. It cannot be merely a book of Jewish legends and hero stories. Most people will agree that it corresponds with what we know about ourselves and our world.
Genesis is an honest book that speaks in straightforward terms about our sin and guilt. And in the same straightforward terms it tells us about God's salvation offered to all who trust in Him.
Yes, in unmistakable terms, the book of Genesis points forward to the coming of Jesus Christ as our sacrifice for sin, our ark of salvation from the righteous judgment of God.
Believers in Christ can rejoice in the great love of God and the redemption He gives through faith in His long-promised Son. But if you are not a believer, you must squarely face the reality of your own rebellion against God and your need for rescue.
Right now, place your trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior. The Bible says, "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive" (1 Cor. 15:22). That new life comes through faith in Jesus Christ. He alone is the ark of our salvation. The Bible records these words of the Lord Jesus: "Most assuredly, l say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life" (John 5:24).
