Genesis

This book of beginning opens with God creating the world. Mankind is the crown of God?s glory - made in His image. God places the Man and Woman, known as Adam and Eve, in charge of the Garden of Eden with clear instructions on what not to do.

Man later rebels against the counsel of God and falls into sin. From here sin spreads. Cain, Adam and Eve?s first child, commits murder and so does his offspring (see Genesis 4). By the time we get to Chapter 6 sin is rampant among the whole human race.

God destroys the world with water. Only Noah, his family and a selection of animals taken into an ark are preserved. After the flood mankind multiply in numbers and resort back to their own evil ways.

By now it is evident that without a saviour mankind cannot redeem themselves.

By Chapter 12 Genesis takes a big turn and focuses on five main characters ? Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.

Abraham is a descendant of Noah. God calls Abraham out of his father?s house and makes a covenant with him. This covenant is a promise to bless him, make him a great nation and cause his descendants to be a blessing to the whole world. The promise is renewed to Isaac and Jacob, Abraham?s child and grandchild. God promises them the land of Canaan. This is the present location of the nation of Israel today.

Joseph is the offspring of Jacob. Much loved by his father he is spoilt by the affection. His immaturity earns him the envy of his hard working brothers who sell him into slavery. God?s protecting hand sees Joseph ending up as second in command in Egypt, the most powerful Nation in the world in those days.

Along the way God had changed Jacob?s name to Israel. Israel is actually settled in the land of Canaan. However severe famine in the land is causing them great problem. Joseph invites them to come and live in Egypt.

Abraham?s descendants, now known as Israel, settle in the land of Egypt with the full blessing of Pharaoh (the ruler of Egypt) and Joseph, who is the second in command in Egypt. And so ends the book of Genesis.

Lessons
Genesis is all about the beginning.
God created the world with His spoken Word.
He gave one man a promise and produced a nation.
Here are two things we can pay heed to. The words we speak can be very powerful and the promises of God very fruitful ? when we receive them in faith.