Genesis Exam 1 Flashcards
Three Forms of Divine Revelation
General/Natural Revelation=common among all people everywhere in all times and places.
Special/Supernatural Revelation=embodied in words. God’s supernatural communication of Himself. Bible theophanies- physical appearance of God is some visible way, miracles, direct communication from God.
Progressive Revelation= God reveals Himself progressively. In His wisdom He reveals more and more over time. One revelatory word or event builds upon another.
The Pentateuch
First five books of the Bible
Pentateuch comes from the Greek word pentateuchos meaning five-volume book.
Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy
The purpose of Genesis
To show the nature of the God is Israel- He is living, covenant keeping, Holy, Righteous, Good and Gracious
To show the nature of God’s people (Israel)
To show the destiny of God’s people- their selection, covenant with Abraham, tribal birthrights
To give Israel the historical and theological basis for being the chosen people of God.
To show the beginning of the idea of God revealing His will through making and keeping covenants.
To serve as a prologue for the book of Exodus.
What does Genesis mean?
Source or Origin
This book is essential and foundational to a proper understanding of our Christian Faith.
What are the two parts of Genesis?
The Primeval History 1-11
The Patriarchal History 12-50
The Primeval History
Genesis 1-11
The origin of the Universe
The origin of mankind
The origin of sin
The result of sin
Four most important events of The Primeval History
The creation
The fall
The flood
The dividing of the Nations/Languages
Creation
The most important questions being answered in the Creation Story is not how but WHO.
Genesis was written in a polytheistic world that believed in many false Gods, and Genesis was setting the record straight regarding creation.
We are created in the image of God
We are reflections of God’s glory=we have intellect, self-awareness, emotions, a free will, spirituality, morality, and immortality.
We have the ability to reflect God’s character=in our love, patience, forgiveness, kindness, faithfulness.
God made both man and woman in his image=neither sex is exalted, man is not divided in species, neither man nor woman are made more in the image than the other.
*much of Christian ethics (especially concerning abortion and euthanasia) comes directly from the Biblical belief that everyone is created in God’s image.
The blessing to Mankind
Genesis 1:28-30
1) populate the earth
2) authority over the material world
3) authority over all living creatures
4) plants are given for food
Theology from Genesis 1-4
Man has the capacity to serve God
Man is responsible to obey the Word of the Lord.
The institution of marriage is sanctified by God. (Earthly counterpart of the reflection of Christ and the church. Eph 5:25-32)
Value given to Mankind over creation in general
God gives special care and provision to the man and woman (the garden, work, clothes, promise to not forsake)
The Fall
The temptation Genesis 3:1-5
1 John 2:16
For everything in the world- the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life-comes not from the Father but from the world.
Extra Credit to write verse word for word.
Judgement from the Fall
Upon all serpent
Genesis 3:15
And I will put my enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.
*extra credit to write verse word for word
**the verse is known as the Proto-Evangel-the First Gospel.
Cain and Abel
Genesis 4:1-26
Cain’s reaction: He was angry. His face was downcast.
Jude 1:11
Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain.
The “way of Cain” appears to be rejecting God’s way and then becoming angry when God does not accept the way you have invented in its place.
God’s grace and judgement of the Flood
God initiated the way of Salvation (ark)
The Holy Spirit allowed Noah to warn people for 120 years while building the ark (7:3)
Even after Noah, family, and animals entered the ark there were still 7 more days before the rains came (7:4)
God sent the flood to purify and restore good upon the earth for future generations
There is not mention of the righteousness of the family members of Noah’s family yet they are also saved.
Theology from the Flood
Because God is holy he must judge sin.
God allows persecution to come in his faithful but not His wrath.
God, himself, provides the means for escaping judgement.
The Covenant of Noah
Genesis 9:1-17
1) Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the Earth. Noah now stands as the rep for the human race.
2) Fear of man in animal kingdom. Man still has authority over the animal kingdom.
3) In verse 3 the human diet is changed. Under the covenant of Eden (before the Fall) and the Covenant of Adam (after the Fall) diet was strictly veg. Vegetables and animals now became fit for food.
4) verse 4 establishes the prohibition about the diet; they were not to eat blood.
5) Capital Punishment- the purpose is the punishment of the evil doer, not to deter future crime. Based on the fact that we are made in His image.
The Tower of Babel
The sins of the tower of Babel were pride and rebellion.
Rebellion: God commanded Mankind through Noah to fill the earth. But they said in Genesis 11:4 let us build ourselves a city with a tower that reaches to the heavens… otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the Earth.
They were commanded by God to scatter but they simply didn’t want to.
7 points of Abraham’s calling
Genesis 12:1-2
1) I will make you into a great nation.
2) I will bless you.
3) I will make your name great.
4) You will be a blessing to others.
5) I will bless those who bless you.
6) Whoever curses you I will curse.
7) All peoples on earth will be blessed through you.
The Patriarchal History
Genesis 12-50
The beginning of redemptive history
God’s election of the patriarchs including:
1) The promise of land
2) The promise of a future posterity
3) The promise of a special relationship
Abram’s covenant
Genesis 15:6
Abraham believed the Lord, and he credited to him as righteousness.
Counted or credited=in the NT this word is translated as “imputed”.
Three main imputations of the Bible
Imputation of Adam’s sin upon the human race.
Imputation of the race’s sin upon Christ.
Imputation of God’s righteousness upon the believer.
Abram’s circumcision
Circumcision becomes kind of a sacrament for the children of Abraham.
The Apostle Paul puts great theological emphasis on the fact that Abrahams faith caused him to be “credited” with righteousness (Genesis 15) long before this sacrament of circumcision was added (Genesis 17)
Abraham’s testing
Genesis 22:1-24
Abraham answered, God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering my son. And the two of them went on together. (22:7-8)
This one statement is a complete summary of the Bible’s message.
Abraham called that place the Lord will provide. And to this day the is said, on the mountain of the Lord it will be provided. (22:14)
The Toldot of Isaac
Toldot=genealogy/generations
Genesis 25:19-35:29
The NT makes a point of showing God’s sovereignty through his choosing of Jacob over Esau even before they were born.
It does appear that the saga of Jacob and Esau is indeed and example of God’s sovereignty , but this does not mean that Esau had no free will for which he will be held accountable.
The Birthright
Advantages and Privileges
This baby became the object of special affection. He would legally receive a double portion of his fathers estate (in this case it would be two-thirds)
In the case of Abrahams seed, it included the great spiritual benefit of the covenant blessing.
Esau becomes the Biblical symbol of human lust
Jacob
Genesis 24-25; 27-35
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are amongst the most significant people in the Old Testament. It is important to realize this significance is not based upon their person character, but upon the character of God. They were not the perfect heroes we might have expected, instead, they were just like us, trying to please God, but often falling short.
Jacob at Haran
The sons of Leah Reuben, his first born Simeon, his second son Levi, his third son Judah his fourth son Issachar, his ninth son Zebulon, his tenth son
The sons of Rachel
Joseph his eleventh son –adding
Benjamin his twelfth son –son of my right hand
Two points of interest to note about Jacobs family
Half of Jacob’s sons were born to his wife, Leah, whom he had no intention or knowledge of marrying.
This included Levi-from which tribe all the priests would eventually come
Judah, from which the Lord Jesus would eventually come
Leah also gave Jacob his only recorded daughter, Dina
Rachel bore two last and favorite sons; Joseph and Benjamin
Joseph
Genesis 37-50
In the story of Joseph we see one who steadily and faithfully put his trust in God, even at a young age and in very difficult circumstances.
Jacobs prophecies regarding Joseph
The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor rulers staff from between his feet, until he while it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his.
Notable tribes
Judah: the kingship is given to Judah from whom came David’s line of Kings, and Jesus Christ. Judah and his tribe become the seed line.
Similarities between Joseph and Jesus
Many see Joseph as a type of Christ:
Both were sold for money (Matt 26:15)
Both taken from Egypt (Matt 2:14-15)
Both were stripped of their robes(John 19:23)
Both resisted severe temptation (Matt 4:1)
Both falsely accused (Matt 26:59,60)
Both were placed with two prisoners one was saved, the other lost (luke 23:32)
Both forgave those who wronged them (Lk 23:34)
Both 30 yrs old at the beginning of their public ministry (Lk 3:23)
Both saved their nation and the world (Matt 1:22)
The evil done to them, God turned to good (1 Corinth 2:7-8)
