 Exploring
the Word of God____Unit 1: The Law |
To the next lesson in this series |
Genesis: "In the
Beginning…"
From Creation to Abraham
Chapters 1-11, continued
| THE FIRST MURDER CHAPTER 4 |
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| "And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him" (Genesis 4:8). This detail of Cain killing Abel is from Ghiberti’s The Gate of Paradise, Florence, Italy. |
Adam and Eve had two sons: Cain and Abel. In due course, each brought an offering to God. God rejected Cain’s offering but found Abel’s sacrificial offering pleasing because it was given in faith (Hebrews 11:4). It typified Christ’s work on our behalf. Cain became bitter and resentful. He ignored God’s advice (Genesis 4:7) and murdered his brother Abel. God then condemned Cain to a life of wandering and alienation (verse 12).
Verses 17-24 list some of Cain’s descendants, and show the organized beginnings of civilized life. But the sinful nature of humans continued to haunt them. Lamech, for example, boasted of a murder he had committed.
| FROM ADAM TO NOAH CHAPTER 5 |
Family trees (genealogies) similar to this one are often given in the Bible. They describe a line of descent. Some of these genealogies are selective. For example, certain names are sometimes left out to underscore a spiritual lesson. Therefore, it is not always possible to compute chronology and exact historical dates simply by adding up all the figures.
It is interesting to compare Genesis 5:1 with Matthew 1:1. In Genesis, we have "the book of the generations of Adam" (KJV), a record of the descendants of the first Adam, most of whom rejected God. "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ" (KJV), on the other hand, introduces the Gospel record of the "second Adam," Jesus Christ the redeemer. "For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive" (1 Corinthians 15:22).
In this context, Adam and Christ are pictured as heads of two contrasting governments. To whom will you give allegiance? Will you follow Adam in death, or will you accept Jesus as Lord and live?
| THE GREAT FLOOD CHAPTERS 6 – 9 |
The human race became increasingly violent and corrupt over the next few centuries, which led to God’s punishment by a flood. God told his servant Noah to build an ark in which Noah and his family, and animal and bird life would be protected from this great flood. The Bible describes Noah as a saint among sinners, the only light in his crooked and perverse generation. In a world of sin, he alone was faithful to God (Genesis 6:8-9).
| GOD’S COVENANT
WITH NOAH CHAPTERS 6:18; 8:20 - 9:17 |
Covenants are an important and recurring theme in the Bible. God established special covenants (agreements) with Noah, Abraham, Moses and David. For example, when Noah stepped out of the ark onto an earth devoid of human life, God gave him a reassuring promise, in three parts, shown below.
The series of biblical covenants culminates in the coming of Jesus Christ and the ushering in of a new and better covenant (Jeremiah 31:31; Hebrews 7:22, 8:6).
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The Rainbow Covenant |
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Genealogies provide valuable historical links. Chapter 10 gives the genealogy of Noah’s three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. Shem’s family appears last since the next major episode of the story develops around his descendants. But first, the story of Babel.
| THE TOWER OF BABEL CHAPTER 11:1-9 |
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| Based on archaeological evidence, an artist’s impression shows how the Tower of Babel may have looked, with stairways leading up from one level to the next. |
After the flood, the human race lived in the same geographic area and spoke one language (verse 1). During their wanderings eastward, the descendants of Noah came across a plain in southern Mesopotamia where they decided to settle. Their ambition was to build "a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we can make a name for ourselves" (verse 4).
Displeased by their arrogance, independence and lack of trust in their Creator, God intervened, confused their language and scattered them over all the earth (verse 8). He did this for their own good; what is contrary to God’s will is never in humanity’s best interest. The people abandoned their ungodly project, leaving the city and tower unfinished.
The city is normally identified with Babylon. Babel is a Hebrew word meaning "gate of god," which is linked with balal, meaning "to confuse" (verse 9). The story illustrates the futility of humanity’s attempt to challenge God’s supremacy.
| FROM SHEM TO
ABRAM CHAPTER 11:10–32 |
Once again we find a selective list of names. With Terah (verse 27), the list becomes more detailed. After the death of his father, Nahor, "Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot...and his daughter-in-law, Sarai...to go to Canaan" (verse 31). The stage is now set for the story of Abram, whom God later renamed Abraham. (Abram’s new name signified God’s promise to make him the "father of many nations" – see Genesis 17:5.)
To continue the commentary on Genesis, click here for the article on science.
Copyright 1994
