Let's get started! Take me to Chapter 1
Studying the Bible: The Bible is a collection of writings by men inspired by the Holy Spirit. These men themselves were not perfect by any stretch, but for this moment in time God used them to record His word for the people. Jesus spoke authoritatively from His Bible the Old Testament. The Apostle Paul and the other founders of the church treated the scripture as set apart and authoritative. The books of the New Testament are deemed to be equally authoritative, with the exception of Hebrews all of the books in the New Testament have either been written directly by the 13 Apostles (excluding Judas and adding Paul) or by someone who journeyed closely with the Apostles and Jesus (i.e.Luke and John Mark).
Today, we believe that the scriptures are the primary way that God speaks to us His people and all other ways we think we hear from Him should be tested against the way He has revealed Himself there. He has not changed and His word in the Bible is just as true for us today as it was for the people the books were originally meant for.
So, when studying the Bible it is important to remember the author, the context of the culture and the book and the purpose of the book. If we keep these things as central in our study we will be able to more easily avoid errors of taking verses out of context.
So, for this study I am going to do my best to give you the most likely backdrop to the passages we will be studying. Hopefully then you can be better informed and understand how the stories work together to present a clear message to the people then and us now. Let me also say that there are two primary things God reveals to us as we study the Bible 1) His plan of redemption in Christ. 2) His direction for us who are called by His name. In other words all of scripture reminds us who we are in Christ and how this calling will effect our lives.
Since the scriptures are not only factual tidbits, but also the way that God would communicate and commune specifically with us, it is important to have our hearts in the right place and ask for the Holy Spirit to speak to us specifically as well. You will see each lesson starts with a call to prayer. Please be sure to do that to maximize your experience.
Introduction to the Pentateuch: Genesis is the first book in the first section of the Bible called the Pentateuch. The Pentateuch are known as the first 5 books of the Bible. They have been lumped together because the style, dates when they were written and information inside the books are fairly consistent. Though there is debate among scholars about who wrote the books and when, tradition has it that Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible while they were traveling in the wilderness. He probably used a scribe who would have finished the last book in which Moses' death is described. These books were not intended to just be historical writings, but were intended to tell stories (that were true) to the people of Israel that would bring them guidance and comfort while they faced different challenges in their journey. Each book has a theme woven throughout it and though there were many purposes and ways that God spoke to the people throughout it, there is usually one overriding purpose behind each book.
Introduction to Genesis: Most people believe that this was the first book written by Moses while the people were wandering. They were going through one of their rough patches and were strongly considering returning to Egypt instead of trusting that God was going to take them to the promise land (Canaan). The people wondered if God had forgotten them, if they had gotten the plan wrong and even wondered if they should do the safe thing and return to Egypt. Moses writes this book to these kind of people, one could say a summary of the meaning of Genesis is "Leaving Egypt and Possessing Canaan was God's plan for His people."
What does Genesis mean to us today? We find ourselves in a parallel time. We too have experienced a glimpse of God's power and truth in Christ and many of us struggle on a daily basis as we recognize that we are not where God is calling us to yet either. The book reminds us of God's faithfulness to His people and His promises. And since we know the rest of the story that Moses didn't know yet (Israel did make it to the promised land and it was beautiful), it is even more powerful for us.