"The first volume of the Bible is one of the most fascinating books for many reasons. Its position in the canon, its relationship with other volumes of the Bible, and its diversified and prominent contents combine to make Genesis the most important volume in the Bible. This book has real spiritual insights, so all the people of God throughout the ages have been concerned about this book and cast a sincere eye on it. " ~ tamms
Unique position in canon
Genesis (meaning "beginning" in Greek) is properly named, and Jews call this book bereshfth (meaning "beginning" in Hebrew). Only this inspiring scroll is truly recorded in the only immortal creative work of the creator!
Through Moses, the servant of God, the Holy Spirit traced the origins of men, women, marriage, family, crime, cities, trade, agriculture, music, worship, language and all the nations in the world. All this is recorded in the first eleven chapters of Genesis.
Since then, from chapter 12 to chapter 50, we can see that Israel, the "test tube country" of God, has been established and has become the spiritual epitome of all nations and countries in the world. The ancestors Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and his twelve sons, especially the pious Yue Se, inspired thousands of Qian Qian people, from children to Old Testament scholars.
We must thoroughly understand Genesis, otherwise we can't understand the other 65 books of the Bible. These books are based on beautiful and balanced Genesis literature.
Second, the author
We accept the lessons of ancient Jews and Christians, and believe that Genesis was written and compiled by Moses, the servant of God and the promulgator of Israeli law. All the events recorded in Genesis happened before Moses was born, so it is certain that Moses wrote Genesis by using ancient documents or oral accounts under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. For the discussion that Moses is the author, please refer to Introduction to the Five Books of Moses.
3. Date of writing
The most conservative scholars generally believe that Egypt was written about 1445 BC. Therefore, Genesis may have been written on this date and during the death of Moses 40 years later. Of course, one of the Five Classics may have been written before Exodus. Because everything recorded in Genesis happened before this great event. For details, see Introduction to the Five Classics of Moses.
Four. Background and theme
Except those who are deeply prejudiced against the Bible, Judaism or Christianity, almost everyone agrees that Genesis gives a wonderful and detailed description of ancient times, including wonderful stories, such as The Life of Yue Se.
However, what is the background of the first book of the Bible? Simply put, what is it?
Those who refuse to believe in a god with personality tend to classify Genesis as a collection of myths, adapt it from atheistic Mesopotamian mythology, "clean up" their worst polytheistic beliefs and become the Hebrew enlightenment of monotheism.
Others who are not too skeptical think that Genesis is a long story or collection of legends with historical value.
But some people think that these stories are stories that explain the origin of the universe and culture (especially causality). There is indeed a theory of cause in the Old Testament, especially in the book The Beginning of Everything (such as sin, rainbow, Hebrew nation, etc. ). But these explanations are absolutely in line with history.
Genesis is history. Like all history, it can be explained. Genesis is a history of theology and a fact described in the framework of God's plan. People say it well: "History is the story of God."
Although Genesis is the first "law" book, there are few legal elements in it. Genesis is the law (the meaning of law is indicated in Hebrew), which laid the foundation for Exodus to Deuteronomy and God's promulgation of the law through Moses. In fact, Genesis laid the foundation for the whole history of the Bible-yes, it laid the foundation for history itself.
The dual themes of blessing and curse are skillfully woven into the structure of Genesis, and in fact it is also in the whole set of God's words. Obedience increases blessings, but rebellion is contrary to common sense. The punishment of human depravity, the flood and the Babel accent are all great curses. The redeemer's promise is that after the flood, the remaining people will be saved, and Israel will be chosen as a special country to show God's grace, which is a great blessing.
If Genesis is true history, how did Moses know all the genealogies, dialogues, events and correct explanations of events in ancient times? First of all, it should be said that archaeology supports (not "proving" but confirming and explaining) the records of Genesis in many aspects, especially the records of ancestors and their customs.
/kloc-some liberal scholars in the 0 th and 9 th centuries, how to be full of virtue, thought that Moses could not be the author of the Five Classics, because writing had not been invented at that time! Now, we know that Moses has the ability to write any ancient scroll; Because he learned all the knowledge of Egypt.
There is no doubt that Moses used the records left by Yue Se. Writing boards, parchments and rice from ancient Mesopotamia were orally translated by Abraham and his descendants. This includes genealogy and main chain; "Adam's ethnic group" and other information.
Until the final analysis, there are still shortcomings. The Holy Spirit of God moved Moses to choose the right information and discard the others. God may provide Moses with information about dialogue and other things through direct revelation.
It's not a question of confidence now. Whether God can accomplish all kinds of work through his servants. Believers from ancient times to the present have proved that God is real.
Archaeology can help us reorganize the culture of our ancestors and make the biblical records clearer and more vivid. However, only the Holy Spirit can explain the truth of Genesis to our hearts and daily lives. When you study Genesis or any book in the Old Testament, you must rely on the Holy Spirit to explain the meaning of God's word to you, so that you can really benefit from the annotation. The real annotation is not an independent method, but an indicator, pointing to "The Lord says so".
summary
The beginning of the earth (1 ~ 1 1)
-Create everything (1 ~ 2)
2. Temptation and depravity (3)
3. Cain and Abel (4)
Four, Seth and his descendants (5)
Five, crime and flood everywhere (6 ~ 8)
Six, Noah after the flood (9)
Seven. List of countries
Babel (-1)
The ancestors of Israel (12o ~ 5o)
Abraham (12 1 ~ 225 18)
1. Call Abraham (12 1 ~ 9)
2. Round trip to Egypt (12 10 ~ 134)
3. Experience and Lot and Melchizedek (135 ~ 1424)
4. Abraham got the promise from his descendants (15)
5. Ishmael, the son of the body (16 ~ 17)
6. Sodom and Gomorrah (18 ~ 19)
7. Abraham and Abimelech
8. Son of the Promise-Isaac (2 1)
9. Abraham offered Isaac (22)
10. Family cemetery (23)
1 1. Take a wife for Isaac (24)
12. Descendants of Abraham (25 1 ~ 18)
Two. Isaac (25 19 ~ 2635)
1. Isaac's family (25 19 ~ 34)
2. Isaac and Abimelech (26)
Three. Jacob (erqi 1 ~ 36 43)
1. Jacob cheated Esau (erqi)
2. Jacob fled to Harlan (28th)
3. Jacob, his wife and their descendants (29 1 ~ 3O24)
4. Jacob and Laban are clever (3 O25 ~ 43)
5. Jacob returned to Canaan (Trinity)
6. Jacob and Esau made up (32 ~ 33)
7. The crime of Shejian (34)
8. Back to Bethel (35)
9. Descendants of Jacob's brother Esau (36)
Four. Yue Se (panax notoginseng 1 ~ 5 O2)
1. Yue Se was sold as a slave (37)
2. Judah and Tamar (March 8)
3. Yue Se was seduced and won (39)
4. Yue Se interprets dreams for wine managers and chefs (4 O)
5. Yue Se interprets dreams for Pharaoh (4 1)
6. Yue Se's brother is in Egypt (42 ~ 44)
7. Yue Se revealed his identity to his brothers (45)
8. Yue Se and his family (46)
9. Yue Se's family in Egypt (47)
10. Jacob blessed Yue Se's son (April 8)
1 1. Jacob predicted his sons (49)
12. Jacob and Yue Se died in Egypt (5 o)