GENESIS

The author of Genesis is widely believed to have been Moses, although there is some evidence of later editorial updating. While the historical period during which the writing took place is not known, it was most likely the time of the Israelites' 40-year exodus in the wilderness, 1446 to 1406 BC. (See 1 Kings 6:1) The word Genesis means origin, source, generations, and genealogy. The content of the book can be broken down as follows: A. Primeval History (Genesis 1-11) 1. Creation (1-2) 2. Fall (3-4) 3. Flood (5-9) 4. Tower of Babel (10-11) B. Patriarchal History (Genesis 12-50) 1. Abraham (12-20) 2. Isaac (21-26) 3. Jacob (27-36) 4. Joseph (37-50) - "The book of Genesis is foundational to the understanding of the rest of the Bible. Its message is rich and complex, and listing its main elements gives a succinct outline of the Biblical message as a whole. It is supremely a book that speaks about relationships, highlighting those between God and his creation, between God and humankind, and between human beings. It is thoroughly monotheistic, taking for granted that there is only one God worthy of the name and opposing the ideas that there are many gods (polytheism), that there is no god at all (atheism) and that everything is divine (pantheism). It clearly teaches that the one true God is sovereign over all that exists (i.e., his entire creation)... It introduces us to the way in which God initiates and makes covenants with his chosen people, pledging his love and faithfulness to them and calling them to promise theirs to him. It establishes sacrifice as the substitution of life for life (ch. 22). It gives us the first hint of God’s provision for redemption from the forces of evil (compare 3:15 with Ro 16:17–20) and contains the oldest and most profound statement concerning the significance of faith (15:6; see note there). More than half of Heb 11—a NT list of the faithful—refers to characters in Genesis." -From Zondervan KJV Study Bible ************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** READING GUIDE: Genesis has 50 chapters; April has 30 days, and five weeks or partial weeks. To complete the book by the end of the month, we should read between one and two chapters per day or 10 chapters per "calendar week" (the first week being April 1-4 and the last week April 26-30). Please visit the blog page frequently and share any new(or old) insights or other information that might enrich the reading experience of the rest of us as we try and take in all the blessings that God provides through this month's Book!