3. STUDYING THE OLD TESTAMENT

Genesis

(i) Introduction

– First of the five books of the Pentateuch; seed plot of the entire Bible.

(ii) Title

– Hebrew calls it “in the beginning” (bereshith); Greek (LXX) is geneseos and attempts to translate the key Hebrew word in the book – toledoth (11 times throughout) – meaning “these are the generations of” – this word supplies a ready made outline of the descendants of leading characters (see 2:4; 5:1; 6:9; 10:1; 11:10; 11:27; 25:12; 25:19; 36:1; 36:9; 37:2).

(iii) Authorship

– Moses is author of Pentateuch; questioned by liberals; Scripture testifies in Acts 7:22 (no-one better qualified); Exodus 24:4; 34:27 (he did in fact act as scribe for God); Joshua 1:8 compared to 2 Kings 14:6; Ezra 6:8; Nehemiah 13:1; see also Leviticus 1:1 and Numbers 33:2; Deuteronomy 31:9, 22, 24.

(iv) Date

– possibly about 1450-1400 B.C.

(v) Purpose

– book of beginnings; doctrines in germ form; self-revelation of God.

Outline

 – Ch’s 1-11, history of the human race;

– Ch’s 1-2, creation; Ch 3 crisis; Ch’s 4-11, crumbling;

– Ch’s 12-50, history of Hebrew people;

– Ch’s 12-25, call of Abraham;

– Ch’s 26-50, characters of Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.