The name "Genesis" comes from the Greek translation of the Old Testament, (the Septuagint), where the first book in the Bible is called “Geneseos,” meaning "origin" or "source." This is appropriate since it's this book that tells us about the origin of the universe, man, and creation. It explains the how’s and why’s of sin entering into the human race and gives the promise of a Savior to redeem man.
Who Wrote Genesis?
Both the Old and the New Testaments ascribe the authorship of the first five books (Pentateuch) of the Bible to Moses.
Both the Old and the New Testaments ascribe the authorship of the first five books (Pentateuch) of the Bible to Moses.
Jesus and the Jewish leaders both ascribed these books to Moses:
"And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him. 3) And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you? 4) And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away. 5) And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. 6) But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. 7) For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; 8) And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh." – Mark 10:2-8
"And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him. 3) And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you? 4) And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away. 5) And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. 6) But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. 7) For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; 8) And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh." – Mark 10:2-8
"And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?" – Mark 12:26
And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. – Luke 24:27
And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. – Luke 24:44
"Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?" – John 7:19
The Apostle John: "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." – John 1:17
St. Philip: "Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph" - John 1:45
St. Paul: "And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening." – Acts 28:23
(Here are two other references to look up: Hebrews 9:19 and 10:28-29).
Genesis is a Book of God and His Relationship With Man
Genesis centers on God and His relationship with humankind in general. Ultimately Genesis shows God and His relationship with seven individuals: (1) Adam, (2) Enoch, (3) Noah, (4) Abraham, (5) Isaac, (6) Jacob, (7) Joseph.
Why Study Genesis?
Genesis is the ‘Seed plot’ of the Bible. All of the great doctrines originate here. God revealed as Creator, Covenant Maker, Almighty, Trinity, the Provider, King, Judge and the Most High. We are also given to recognize the Devil’s strategies, we need not be ignorant of his devices .
Genesis1.1-2: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2. The earth *was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
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Resources: Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance;
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” - Genesis 1:1.
In the beginning [God…Heb. -el-o-heem'] "Plural of; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:—angels, exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), (very) great, judges, mighty." --Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
In the beginning God [created…Heb. -baw-raw'] A primitive root; (absolutely) to create; (qualified) to cut down (a wood), select, feed (as formative processes):—choose, create (creator), cut down, dispatch, do, make (fat).
It's interesting that the word Elohim is plural but created is singular. This is the earliest reference to the Holy Triune God. In the act of creation we see the work of God the Father, God the Word and the God the Holy Spirit. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth... God defined"earth" as dry land (Genesis 1:10). Genesis 1:2a. “And the earth *was without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. ”
"And the earth *was without form"[Heb. - toòhuò] to'-hoo - From an unused root meaning to lie waste; a desolation (of surface), that is, desert; figuratively a worthless thing; adverbially in vain:—confusion, empty place, without form, nothing, (thing of) nought, vain, vanity, waste, wilderness.and voidHeb. - boòhuòPronounced - bo'-hoo From an unused root (meaning to be empty); a vacuity, that is, (superficially) an undistinguishable ruin:—emptiness, void."and darkness was upon the face of the deep. "[Heb. - choòshek]pronounced - kho-shek' - From the dark; hence (literally) darkness; figuratively misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness:—dark (-ness), night, obscurity.
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*Also translated “became” as a footnote in the Torah and used in the Bible 67 times as
"became.".And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. - Genesis 1:2b
[Heb. - raòchaph]raw-khaf'A primitive root; to brood:—flutter, move, shake.
[Heb. - raòchaph]raw-khaf'A primitive root; to brood:—flutter, move, shake.
The three most common Christian theories of Creation:
1. Age-Day Theory
2. Gap Theory
3. Six equal 24 hour periods of the creation week.
All three believe that God the Creator created everything; all three believe the Bible is the inerrant Word of God; All are theories.One theory, the Gap theory stands out because it accounts for certain events that the others don't.
Isaiah 45:18. “For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, (tohu) he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.”
Here God clearly said that he created it (the earth) not in vain (Heb - tohu) yet in Genesis 1:2 that's exactly the word (tohu) used to describe the Genesis 1:2 earth. What could have happened?
Also on the third day God seperated the dry land from the waters and called the dry land "earth." Genesis 1:1 states that God created the heaven and the earth (dry land). In Genesis 1:2 there was no dry land, not until day 3 of the creation week.
In the detective business that's called a clue. Something cataclysmic evidently happened on the earth between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2.
Here God clearly said that he created it (the earth) not in vain (Heb - tohu) yet in Genesis 1:2 that's exactly the word (tohu) used to describe the Genesis 1:2 earth. What could have happened?
Also on the third day God seperated the dry land from the waters and called the dry land "earth." Genesis 1:1 states that God created the heaven and the earth (dry land). In Genesis 1:2 there was no dry land, not until day 3 of the creation week.
In the detective business that's called a clue. Something cataclysmic evidently happened on the earth between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2.
Logical Speculation
Now since Satan was present in the Garden of Eden early on, it is reasonable to consider that his prior history with the angels, he being a chreub, occupied more than one literal earth week. Lucifer (Satan) was created perfect 'until the day' that iniquity was found in him (Ezekiel 28:15-17) and he was cast out of heaven, as was testifed to by the Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 10:18 below).
That would account for the total destruction that laid waste to the earth and killed off whatever pre-adamite world existed at the time. Whatever physical beings were on the earth at that time were destroyed and beyond redemption and their spirits or 'ghosts' are roaming around becoming familiar with people of Adams race - also called familiar spirits. Jesus said that these demons seek to inhabit bodies indicating that they have been disembodied. Luke 10:18 (Jesus speaking)
That would account for the total destruction that laid waste to the earth and killed off whatever pre-adamite world existed at the time. Whatever physical beings were on the earth at that time were destroyed and beyond redemption and their spirits or 'ghosts' are roaming around becoming familiar with people of Adams race - also called familiar spirits. Jesus said that these demons seek to inhabit bodies indicating that they have been disembodied. Luke 10:18 (Jesus speaking)
"And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven."
Then in v. 2 the Spirit of God came on the scene and moved on the face of the waters. With that in mind, check out these two verses:
Jeremiah 4:23 “I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.”
Psalm 104:30 Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou **renewest the face of the earth.
Consorting with a familiar spirit was one of the reasons given for King Sauls death.
* *chaòdashkhaw-dash'A primitive root; to be new; causatively to rebuild:—renew, repair.
4 comments:
I belive the Lord himself wrote the first chapter. He would have been the only one to witness the events. As for the rest of Genesis, there were probably 9 other authors. Adam probably wrote 2 through 4.
The Bible says in 2 Peter 1:21 (King James Version)
"For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."
and in 2 Timothy 3:16 it says "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness"
As I stated the first five books of the Bible were attributed to Moses. It's not necessary, nor in His stated plan for God to have written the first chapters of Genesis because the Bible says of itself that "all scripture is given by inspiration..." The Holy Ghost is the revealer of the things of God. How He revealed it to Moses I don't know. Or how He revealed it to John (John 1:1-3) I don't know. When Paul was given the revelation of heaven he didn't know if he was in the body or out of the body(2 Corinthians 12:2). The Holy Ghost is a revealer of hidden things or unknown things. Two things that God did write were the tables of the 10 Commandments and when He wrote in the dust(John 8:6). 2 Timothy 3:16 in the Amplified Bible says it this way: "Amplified Bible (AMP)
Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose, and action)," I hope this helps you.
I see your point about the first chapter. But can you give a specific example (biblical) of Moses being credited with writing Genesis? I've heard that the only New Testiment references found credit Moses with Exodus through Deuteronomy (writings of Moses-Moses taught, etc., like in Mark 12:26). I think it's possible that there may have been earlier writings passed down through the generations and even carried on the ark by Noah. It would make sense that Noah or one of his sons recorded the events of the flood. Keep in mind that Adam died only a hundred or so years prior to Noah being born, and its possible he (Noah) might have even known Enos. And Abraham was in his 50's when Noah died. Some writings could have been passed down without changing hands more then a few times.
anonymous:
The indication that Moses was the one who wrote the early chapters of Genesis you may answer yourself by answering the following three questions.
1.) Who was the only man to whom God identified Himself by the name of "I AM?"
2.) What is the difference between the word "Lord" and "LORD" in the Bible?
3.)When is the first time the word "LORD" is used in the Bible?When you answer these three questions, you should have the answer. If not - I'm still here.
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
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