The Themes of Genesis - Tony Mariot

What are the themes of the book of Genesis?

Genesis can be placed into six major contexts—Pre-creation, Creation (Genesis 1-2); The Fall of man (Genesis 3-4); Noah through the Flood (Genesis 5-10); The Tower of Babel and the introduction of languages (Genesis 11:1-9); and The Patriarchal Era (Genesis 11:10-50).

1. !
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2. What are the themes of the book of
Genesis?
Genesis can be placed into six major contexts—Pre-creation,
Creation (Genesis 1-2); The Fall of man (Genesis 3-4); Noah through
the Flood (Genesis 5-10); The Tower of Babel and the introduction of
languages (Genesis 11:1-9); and The Patriarchal Era (Genesis 11:10-50).
In each of these contexts—God, Man, Creation and World order
are considered. The book of Genesis begins by introducing God
who existed before the Creation (Genesis 1:1). Genesis does not
argue for the existence of God, rather it is written with the
fundamental presupposition that before the world was created,
God was “In the beginning God”.
Genesis also states that it was God who created the world (Genesis
1:1). The theological implication of (Genesis 1:1) is that God is self–
existing with asiety, that He is eternal, that everything exists
because He created it, and that He transcends the Creation.
The Book of Genesis is clear that it was God who created the
world and all that it comprises (Genesis 1–2). This includes the
heavens, consisting of the sun, moon, and stars, and the earth and
all that it contains, including the land, seas, vegetation, animals,
birds, and sea creatures. Genesis also is clear that God created
man, and that He created man in His own image.
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3. Genesis does not provide the details of God's act of creation, it
makes it very clear that evolution was not a part of the process,
and in particular, that man did not evolve from other creatures.
Genesis 1:24–25
24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle,
and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind,
and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it
was good.
To be more specific, humans and animals can’t reproduce, regardless of the
imagination of men.
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5. !
In Genesis God created the world by the power and authority of
His words;
“And God said, Let there be light: and there was light” (Genesis 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14,
20, 24).
God acts on the basis of His own will, sovereignty, authority,
power, knowledge, wisdom, understanding to create the world
giving it its form and function as He determined it.
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6. He is the only One who is Sovereign and Lord over the universe,
for He is the One who spoke the Creation into existence (Genesis ch.
1). There can be no higher authority than the One who speaks and
brings into existence what did not exist before except as a concept
within His own understanding.
Genesis reveals God as the One in whom life exists. Life is
inherent in God. “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground,
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living
soul” (Genesis 2:7).
Genesis reveals that God is a relational being who created man in
His own image to have a relationship with him that is unique in
all of the Creation (Genesis 1:26, 27; 3:8). Being made in Gods image
means God has given us certain of His attributes in order for us to
be able to relate to God.
The way we access these attributes is through the nature God has
given man and through the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22).
The attributes we share are these..
Love - (1 John 4:8-9, 16, Romans 8:35-39)
Joy – (Ezra 6:22, Romans 5:11)
Peace – (Romans 15:33, 1 Corinthians 14:33)
Long Suffering – (Numbers 14:18, Exodus 34:6)
Gentleness – (2 Samuels 22:33-36, 2 Corinthians 10:1)
Kindness – (Psalm 117:2)
Faithfulness – (1 Corinthians 10:13, 2 Thessalonians 3:3)
Integrity – (Matthew 5:37, James 5:12, Genesis 26:3, 1 Kings 8:20)
Merciful – (Deuteronomy 4:31, 2 Chronicles 30:9, Joel 2:13, Psalm 116:5)
Gracious – (Nehemiah 9:17, 31, Psalm 103: 8, Joel 2:13 Merciful)
Kindness – (Ruth 2:20, Psalm 31:21, Isaiah 54:8)
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7. Peace – (Isaiah 45:7, Romans 15:13, 1 Corinthians 1:3, 1 Corinthians 14:33, 2
Timothy 1:7).
Holy – (Leviticus 19:2, Joshua 24:19, Romans 21:1, 1 Peter 1:15-16)
Forgiveness – (Matthew 6:15, Daniel 9:9)
In contrast, God gives man these virtues
Anger – (Psalm 103:8, Exodus 4:14, Deuteronomy 7:4, 2 Samuel 6:7, 2
Chronicles 28:25)
Jealousy – (Exodus 20:5, Deuteronomy 4:24, 5:9, Nahum 1:2)
Vengefulness - (Nahum 1:2, Romans 12:19, Ezekiel 25:14)
And finally he gives us Eternal Life as God is an eternal being,
either way, in life or in judgment, we are eternal beings.
Even after the Fall of man, God is shown as choosing, calling, and
separating to Himself certain individuals, the seed of the woman
for reasons known only to Him (Genesis 5:22–24; 6:8, 13, 7:1; 12:1, 7,
Genesis 26:1–3, 23, 24; 28:10–22; 31:3; 32:24–30; 35:1, 9; 46:1–4).
While God is mysterious to man, it is clear from the text of
Genesis that He nevertheless wants man to know Him to the
extent man can within the limitation of the capacities He has
given man.
We see this in God’s interactions with Adam, Cain, Enoch, Noah,
and then especially with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with whom He
entered into a covenant–relationship, and through that, a unique
relationship with all of Israel.
Genesis also reveals God as the One who judges the actions of all
beings human and otherwise (i.e., the serpent) and executes
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8. judgment by pronouncing punishment upon those who violate
His commands, decrees, order of life.
This is seen in the case of Adam, Eve, and the serpent (Genesis 3:8–
19), Cain (Gen 4:9–15), all mankind in Noah’s generation (Genesis
6:5–7, 12), all mankind in the generation after the Flood (Genesis
11:5–9), and in the case of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah
(Genesis 18:20, 19:29).
God alone who establishes what is good and what is evil based on
His own inherent nature. That it is God alone who has the
authority and power to hold all beings accountable to Him.
And that it is God alone who pronounces and executes judgment
not through an army of angelic beings but through His word of
judgment. Therefore, Genesis reveals God as the Judge, the One
to whom all beings are accountable.
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