Introduction to Genesis

This audio recording was originally part of a podcast series for our Genesis Journal’s Spotlights - made for DGroup Leaders. Specifically, this introductory podcast episode is the first one for the Training for an Eternal Crown Podcast. You can find all the episodes to this podcast here.

Why Genesis?

If you’ve never picked up a Bible before, and you’re looking for a place to start, why not start at the beginning? Genesis actually means “beginnings”, and there are a few reasons that this book is titled this way. Genesis’s first chapter tells the reader about the amazing work of God in making the heavens and the earth. Genesis makes the claim that the heavens (as in everything in the sky including the stars and the whole universe, the earth as in what we stand on and know day to day) was made by God. This account is believed to be written by Moses and is part of the Torah - or first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). This book is the beginning of life (human, animal, and plants), the beginning of man’s relationship with God, the beginning of work, the beginning of sin, the beginning of pain and hardship, beginning of the path to redemption, etc.

Genesis is a total of fifty chapters long. You will encounter the beginning of the universe, the earth, and man in 1:1-2:25. Then, you’ll see man’s fall into sin and the result of breaking his relationship with God in 3:1-5:32. Next, you’ll read about the story of Noah in 6:1-9:29. After “The Flood” in Noah’s day, you’ll read about the scattering of the human race from the “Tower of Babel” in 10:1-11:32. After that, you’ll learn about God through the story and life of Abraham in 12:1-25:18. Abraham had a son named Isaac that you will continue the story though in 25:19-26:35, and Isaac also had a son, Jacob, that will take the forefront of the storyline in 27:1-37:1. Finally the book concludes with the life of Joseph, Isaac’s son in 37:2-50:26.

This amazing book is so crucial in understanding Biblical and Christ-centered foundations. As a ministry, we believe that the whole Bible is written by men inspired by the Holy Spirit (1 Timothy 3:16).  Genesis is the beginning of God’s redemptive plan to save mankind from their sin, and there are so many parallels to gospel truth intertwined in its story. As you read Genesis, we hope you get clarity and gain a higher, godly perspective of the world around you. Most importantly we hope you see Jesus Christ on every page!