Genesis For Amateurs: What You Need To Know: Part One

I’ve lost count of how many times I started reading Genesis, only to give up after the first chapter. It felt dry and unrelatable back then. But now, in my late 20s, I see it in a whole new light—and it might just be my favorite book in the entire Bible.

Bridging the Gaps: Rediscovering Genesis

As a child, I heard Bible stories in fragments, never fully connecting them. When I finally sat down to read Genesis, it felt like an epiphany—each story flowed seamlessly into the next, bridging gaps I didn’t even realize existed.

A Bible Left Untouched

For nearly three years, my Bible collected dust. Despite praying for the desire to read it, I often struggled to find the motivation. Even daily verse notifications from a Bible app felt like a superficial attempt to ease my guilt over neglecting God’s Word.

Starting Small: Building a New Habit

In the past month, I’ve committed to reading three to four chapters of Genesis each day, determined not to overwhelm myself. A Bible study guide I purchased on Amazon became my roadmap, offering daily reading recommendations that kept me consistent and accountable. Sticking to the schedule—even when tempted to read ahead—has been one of the most rewarding spiritual decisions of my year.

Personal Connection: Rediscovering Joseph in Genesis

Joseph’s story has been my favorite since childhood. I’ve seen countless films and cartoons about his life, but I had never actually read it in the Bible. Truthfully, I didn’t even know where in Scripture his story was located. It wasn’t until I committed to reading the Bible consistently that I realized Joseph’s journey is found in Genesis.

This revelation brought everything together—stories I had heard growing up suddenly made sense as part of a larger narrative rooted in Genesis. Reading this book as an adult gave me a fresh perspective, one I couldn’t have grasped as a child. This is my personal reflection on Genesis, now seen through new eyes.

The Beginning: Creation, Adam and Eve, and the Fall

Genesis begins with the creation of the earth, where God creates everything in six days, declaring the seventh day as holy. In Genesis 1:27, it says God created human beings in His own image, which sparked some confusion for me. If humans were created in His image, it would suggest that Adam and Eve weren’t the first humans. I plan to do further research into this theory to dive deeper into the potential implications of this creation timeline.

In Genesis 2, we learn that God forms Adam from the dust of the ground and breathes life into him. He then creates Eve from Adam’s rib, and they are placed in the Garden of Eden. However, the serpent tempts Eve to eat from the forbidden tree, and she, in turn, convinces Adam to do the same. This act leads to their shame and realization of their nakedness. They try to hide from God, but God discovers their disobedience and curses them: Adam will now toil the earth, and Eve will experience pain in childbirth while desiring to rule over her husband, though he will remain her head.

The First Murder

They have two sons, Cain and Abel. The Bible tells us of Cain, who worked the land and brought his gifts to the Lord. Yet, his offering was not accepted. Unlike Cain, his younger brother Abel found favor in the Lord’s eyes, offering the choicest portions of his firstborn lambs. Consumed by jealousy, Cain tragically lured Abel into a field and murdered him. Knowing what had transpired, the Lord cursed Cain to a life of wandering. Cain feared for his safety, believing others might seek retribution but the Lord assured him of protection. This raises an interesting point: it suggests the presence of other people beyond Adam, Eve, and their immediate offspring. The growing population is further suggested by the lineage of Adam and Eve’s third son, Seth: Seth’s son, Enosh, is notable for being the time when people first began to call upon the name of the Lord—an act implying a community of worshippers and a population beyond a single family.

Genealogy of Adam’s Descendants

The Bible lists the descendants of Adam, focusing on their births, ages, deaths, and children. It highlights one specific child in each generation, continuing through the generations. Among Adam’s descendants was Enoch, who mysteriously disappeared, with the Bible stating that the Lord took him.

Noah and the Flood

The story leads to Noah, whose time on earth saw humanity become exceedingly wicked. God spoke to Noah, revealing His plan to flood the earth and instructing Noah to build a large boat to save his family and pairs of every kind of animal and insect. Noah obeyed, gathering his wife, three sons, and their wives, along with enough food for their survival. The flood began when Noah was 600 years old, and they remained on the boat until Noah was 601. From Noah’s three sons, all the people of the earth are said to have descended.

The Tower of Babel

Genesis also recounts the story of the Tower of Babel. In this story, the people united to build a great city and a tower that reached the sky. Seeing their pride and unity, God confused their language, causing them to no longer understand each other, and scattered them across the earth.

The Call and Promise to Abraham

The Bible introduces Abraham, then known as Abram, as the son of Terah and a descendant of Shem, one of Noah’s sons. God called Abraham to leave his homeland and journey to a land that He would show him. In doing so, God promised to bless Abraham, make him the father of a great nation, and ensure that all families on earth would be blessed through him. Abraham then left with his wife, Sarah, and his nephew, Lot.

Struggles with Conceiving and the Birth of Ishmael

Despite God’s promise of descendants, Abraham and Sarah faced difficulty conceiving. They decided to take matters into their own hands, and Abraham had a child with Sarah’s servant, Hagar. Ishmael was born as a result, but although God allowed this, it was not His original plan for Abraham’s descendants. Nevertheless, God still bleed Ishmael, promising that he would be multiplied exceedingly.

Name Change and Covenant

As a sign of the covenant He established with them, God changed Abram’s name to Abraham and Sarai’s name to Sarah. At this time, God also revealed Himself as El-Shaddai, meaning “God Almighty,” and reaffirmed His promise of countless descendants, even though Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 99.

The Covenant of Circumcision

As a tangible symbol of this covenant, God instituted the practice of circumcision for every male in Abraham’s household, including Abraham himself. This act served as both a physical and spiritual mark of their dedication to God, establishing Abraham’s descendants as His chosen people.

Lot’s Escape from Sodom

Sometime later, Abraham’s nephew, Lot, was living in Sodom. The Lord informed Abraham of His intention to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah due to the pervasive wickedness there. Abraham interceded, pleading with God to spare the cities if righteous people could be found, to which God agreed. God then sent angels to Sodom. Lot offered them hospitality, but the men of the city demanded to have sexual relations with the angels. Lot even offered his virgin daughters to the mob, but they refused. The angels then instructed Lot to gather his family and flee, warning them not to look back, as the Lord was about to destroy the cities. As they fled, Lot’s wife disobeyed and looked back, instantly turning into a pillar of salt.

The Birth of Isaac and the Test

As God had promised, Sarah gave birth to a son, whom they named Isaac. Later, God tested Abraham’s faith by commanding him to offer Isaac as a burnt offering. Abraham, taking Isaac and some servants, traveled to the designated place, keeping his intentions from Sarah. Just as Abraham was about to sacrifice Isaac, an angel of the Lord intervened, preventing the sacrifice.

Sarah’s Death, Abraham’s Remarriage, and Isaac’s Marriage

Years later, Sarah passed away. Abraham remarried and had other children before his death at the age of 175. Isaac, now grown, married his cousin Rebekah, a common practice at the time.

The Birth of Esau and Jacob and Jacob’s Deception

Rebekah, initially thought to be barren, was blessed by God with twin sons, Esau and Jacob. As Isaac aged and his eyesight weakened, he intended to bless his eldest son, Esau. However, Rebekah, favoring Jacob, overheard Isaac’s plan and devised a scheme for Jacob to receive the blessing instead. Following Rebekah’s instructions, Jacob disguised himself using goatskins to mimic Esau’s hairy skin and presented a meal to his father. Isaac, despite his suspicions, was deceived by the touch of the skins and the scent of Esau’s clothes and bestowed the blessing upon Jacob.

Esau’s Reaction and Jacob’s Flight

When Esau returned and discovered the deception, both brothers were distraught. Esau pleaded for a blessing of his own, but Isaac explained that he had already given the primary blessing to Jacob. Enraged, Esau vowed to kill Jacob. Hearing of Esau’s intentions, Rebekah urged Jacob to flee to her brother, Laban, in Haran, until Esau’s anger subsided.

Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

While traveling to Laban’s home, Jacob stopped to rest and experienced a powerful dream. He saw the Lord standing at the top of a stairway, with angels ascending and descending upon it. The Lord reaffirmed the promises made to Abraham, assuring Jacob that his descendants would be as numerous as the dust of the earth and that He would be with him and protect him wherever he went. Upon awakening, Jacob recognized the Lord’s presence and named the place Bethel, meaning “House of God,” in gratitude.

Jacob’s Time with Laban and Marriages

Upon arriving at Laban’s house, Jacob agreed to work for seven years in exchange for Laban’s younger daughter, Rachel, as his wife. However, after seven years, Laban deceived Jacob, giving him his older daughter, Leah, instead, citing custom as the reason. Still desiring Rachel, Jacob agreed to work another seven years for her. Thus, Jacob married both Leah and Rachel.

The Rivalry of Leah and Rachel and the Birth of Joseph

Leah bore Jacob children, but Rachel remained childless, creating a rivalry between the sisters. In their desperation to give Jacob children, both Rachel and Leah gave their servants to Jacob as concubines, each bearing him children. Eventually, God blessed Rachel with a son, whom she named Joseph.

Jacob’s Return and Wrestling with God

After years of tension with Laban due to his growing prosperity, Jacob decided to return to his homeland. Reflecting on his journey, Jacob acknowledged the Lord’s provision, noting that he had left with only a staff but was now returning with a large family and possessions. One night, Jacob wrestled with a man who was revealed to be God Himself. In this encounter, God changed Jacob’s name to Israel, signifying his struggle with God and men and his victory.

Jacob’s Reconciliation with Esau and the Deaths of Rachel and Isaac

Despite his past conflict with Esau, Jacob sent gifts ahead to appease his brother. Upon meeting, Esau embraced Jacob, and they reconciled. Tragically, Rachel died giving birth to their second son, Benjamin. Soon after, Isaac, Jacob and Esau’s father, also passed away.

The Incident with Dinah and the Journey to Bethel

Another tragic event struck Jacob’s family when his daughter, Dinah, was violated by Shechem, the son of the local ruler. Enraged, Dinah’s brothers, Simeon and Levi, retaliated by attacking Shechem’s city and killing its male inhabitants. Fearing reprisal, Jacob and his family relocated to Bethel, the place where Jacob had previously encountered God in his dream, seeking refuge and divine guidance.

Looking Ahead: More to Explore in Genesis

My adult encounter with Genesis has been transformative, revealing a rich tapestry of God’s work throughout history. These ancient accounts continue to illuminate our faith and offer profound relevance for our lives today. This simplified overview has provided a glimpse into the key events of Genesis, offering a starting point for those new to the Bible or just beginning their exploration.

I invite you to join me for part two, as we explore Joseph’s story. A powerful testament to the transformative power of forgiveness and how God’s plan unfolds even in the darkest of time. Continue reading in part 2 [here].