Outline
Introduction
A. “In the beginning”
B. Creation of the heavens and the earth
C. The six days: order set upon chaos
Discussion
A. What is man?
B. Sin
__1. The fall
__2. The curse
C. Preparing for the Savior
__1. The flood and a new beginning
__2. Babel and human pride
__3. Abraham, father of the faithful
__4. Isaac, son of promise
__5. Jacob, Prince of God
__6. Joseph, instrument of Providence
__7. Judah, father of Kings and The King
Conclusion
Introduction
From in the beginning to the preparation for a Savior: this is the scope of Genesis, the first book of the Bible. The opening Hebrew word “bereshith” points back to “the beginning”, before which only the Timeless Eternal Jehovah is. In almost the closing scene of this dramatic account the future is penetrated, and the coming of the Eternal Son of God, in Whom is “rest”, is prophesied. “The scepter shall not depart from Judah . . . until Shiloh come.” With this panorama of the ages Genesis is concerned — from “in the beginning” to the preparation of the Savior.
In view of this astounding scope, the brevity, yet completeness, of the Genesis account speaks of divine guidance, or revelation. Events are selected and related, not merely for their importance to temporary history, but for their place in the unfolding of God’s Eternal purpose of redemption. This lecture will be concerned only with discovering and exemplifying the story of redemption as developed in Genesis.
“In the beginning”
With one Hebrew word the writer of Genesis reveals what the human mind intuitively senses, but can never on its own affirm or even comprehend — the universe, matter, is not eternal. It had a beginning. This the mind senses in the very nature of matter. Infinite past time simply will not fit the nature of things.
For example Sir Isaac Newton pointed out that bodies interacting upon one another tend to reach the same temperature, as, for example a gallon of hot water and a gallon of cold water in juxtaposition. Cold bodies like the moon and earth are constantly drawing heat from hot bodies like the sun. In infinite time they would reach the same temperature there must have been a starting point.
The same conclusion is reached by consideration of radioactive elements, such as uranium. As ores these elements can exist only for a certain time. Decomposition takes place at a uniform pace — one half of the total mass in a certain number of years, and one half of the remaining amount in the same number of additional years, and so on indefinitely. But if you reverse the process and reason backward, the quantity doubles ever so many years. In infinite time the quantity becomes absurd.
Dr. Robert E. D. Clark, a physicist (Creation: 10 – 11), reminds us of an interesting analogy by Dr. Ludwig Silberstein (Causality, McMillan, 1933). “He imagines a scientist being brought into a room where a pendulum bob is swinging to and fro. He sets to work to study the phenomenon. Before long, he produces equations which represent the motion and ‘explain’ the fact that, owing to friction with air, the movement is slowly dying down. So far as the present events are concerned everything is elegantly explained — it is even possible to say exactly where the pendulum bob will be at any future time.
But now let the scientist try to find out how the pendulum behaved before he entered the room. . . . He discovers that the further he goes back, the greater must have been the amplitude of the swings. At first the results are sensible but, by and by, the mathematics produces a ludicrous result. It tells us that the pendulum bob must have been swinging so violently as to be hitting the ceiling twice at each swing. Go back a little further — and the plaster ought to have come down. . . . But the plaster is still intact. . . . Only one conclusion can be drawn. Something other than the laws which now determine the swinging of the pendulum bob must once have pushed the bob. That, says Silberstein, is exactly the situation we find in the universe. Whenever we argue too far backwards in time we find that science leads to ridiculous conclusions. So something inconsistent with the laws which govern present events must have happened before a ridiculous state of affairs is reached” (1) .Therefore, a limitation must of necessity be placed upon past time.
On the other hand, the mind seems to run into a solid wall when it seeks to put a limit upon past time. Science readily acknowledges that it does not know and is incapable of discovering the absolute origin of the universe.
Dr. Asa Gray says, “A beginning is wholly beyond the ken and scope of science, which is concerned with questions about how things go on, and has nothing to say as to how they absolutely begin” (2). With this T. H. Huxley agrees: “It appears to me that the scientific investigator is wholly incompetent to say anything at all about the first origin of the material universe” (3). Nevertheless, all men, including scientists, crave an understanding of how all things began. “In other words, what science cannot discover, scientists long to know; what the human mind must ever seek after, a first cause, modern man with all his brilliant achievements in the investigation of nature, has not been able to discover” (4).
Two possible outcomes are open to the mind. One Is to refuse to consider the implications of the problem. This is the course taken by Julian Huxley: “A scientifically based philosophy enables us in the first place to cease tormenting ourselves with questions that ought not to be asked, because they cannot be answered — such as questions about the Cause or Creation or Ultimate or Reality” (5). As a scientist he demands that every question, not only may, but must be raised, except the most basic question of all.
The second possible course is to raise even this question — that concerning absolute origins — without fear of where it will lead. The consequences of such an open-minded course is inevitable. This is one of those vast fundamental problems which will lead to God, if properly solved, and which if not thoroughly searched out will leave man suspended in the air” (6). Louis Pasteur eloquently expressed the scientific conviction that these are the only possible courses: “Believe me, in the face of these problems, these eternal subjects of men’s solitary meditations, there are only two attitudes of mind: one created by faith, the belief in a solution given by divine revelation; and that of tormenting the soul by the pursuit of impossible explanations” (7).
“In the beginning God created.” Thus with one stroke of the pen Genesis lifts the reader out of the confusion of primitive polytheistic affirmations on the one hand and out of the tormenting ignorance of rationalistic denials on the other. By inspiration the concept of the whole universe appears as the creative act of God. Here is a principle that gives unity to the whole universe. Its principle science could never discover. Science can deal with secondary causes and can explain how creation operates in its normal course. “The Bible alone discloses that the universe exists because God made it and brought it into being for a definite purpose” (Unger, p. 185)
This simple information continues to satisfy equally the uncritical belief of the unlearned and the exacting demands of the belief of the highly trained. Commenting up on the Genesis account of creation, W. F. Albright, dean of the world’s archaeologists, observed that the sequence of creative phases is “so rational that modern science cannot improve on it, given the same language and the same range of ideas in which to state its conclusions. In fact, modern scientific cosmologies show such a disconcerting tendency to be short-lived that it may be seriously doubted whether science has yet caught up with the biblical story” (8).
Discussion
What is man?
If the universe and all that it contains exist because God created them, then we come face-to-face with the solemn realization that man himself stands in relationship with his Creator. This conviction is inevitable, if God created all things. When Daniel Webster was asked to tell the most profound thought he ever had, he replied that it was the contemplation of that fact that for every thought, word, and deed he must stand before God. Thus whether man’s mind contemplates the absolute beginning or the absolute ending of the universe, he finds himself face-to-face with God. He cannot escape. What is the meaning of this? In the very contemplation of it man finds himself “fighting for his life”. Why?
Again Genesis supplies the answer: “And Jehovah God formed man out of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7). “In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made He him” (Genesis 5:1).
What a conception of man — “in the likeness of God.” Here is both man’s reality and potentiality. From creation man is like God, he bears God’s image. That is to say that man, because he is a living spirit, is of the same “kind” as God, who also is Spirit (John 4:24). Therefore, because man is in reality like God, both God and man desire fellowship one with the other — God as a spiritual Father, and man as a spiritual son. “You have made us for Yourself, and our restless souls can find no rest until they rest in You.” Because of this kinship man is potentially like God in nature, or character. Peter expressed it like this: “that . . . You might become partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). Jesus said it in other words: “Be perfect, as your Father in Heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5: 48).
In reality man is like God, a living spirit. In potentiality man may become like God, “partakers of the Divine Nature”. Before God man is responsible because of what he is; but man is also free with respect to what he may become. Thus, man is both responsible under the absolute sovereignty of God and free under the absolute grace of God. Only absolute sovereignty can extend absolute grace, and thus create a relationship involving at the same time both absolute responsibility and absolute freedom. On the other hand, only absolute grace can exercise absolute sovereignty so as to leave absolute freedom while at the same time establishing absolute responsibility.
To challenge man’s responsibility is ultimately to challenge God’s sovereignty; to challenge man’s freedom is to challenge God’s grace. The presence of both responsibility and freedom is no more paradoxical in man then is the presence of both sovereignty and grace in God. Hence, obedience in man no more denies the grace of God than freedom in man denies the sovereignty of God. Truly, what a creature is man! What an ennobling challenge, is freedom! What an humbling realization, his responsibility! What a motivation and balance for each, God’s sovereignty and God’s grace!
Sin
The greatest tragedy of the ages is written across the greatest story of mankind — free moral agency under the sovereignty and grace of God. The very freedom which marked man as unique among God’s creatures became the soil from which sprang sin, the enemy of God and scourge of humanity. When Adam sinned, he was driven from Eden and separated from the “Tree of Life”. Consequently he became subject to death, as did all his descendants. Adam’s body was no more mortal after the fall than before; he was simply separated from the source of immortality. Such is the state of all men until again granted the right to the tree of life and may enter “into the city”.
This statement of the origin of sin falls far short of saying what many have “read into” it. For example, one document comments as follows: “By this saying (eating the forbidden fruit) they (our first parents) fell from their original righteousness in communion with God, and so became dead in sin, and wholly defiled in all the facilities in parts of soul and body. They being the root of all mankind, the guilt of this sin was imputed and the same death in sin and corrupted nature conveyed to all their posterity descending from them by ordinary generation. From this original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite of all good, and wholly inclined to all evil, do proceed all actual transgressions” (Presbyterian Confession of Faith).
If, as this quotation affirms, all actual transgressions proceed from this original corruption, how are we to account for Adam’s transgression before the fall? Adam’s sin was an act of free choice. Whatever his sin afterward, that too was a free choice. In the same way his descendants were left free, not subject to an inherited guilt and slavery. In Ezekiel the truth about sin is expressed as follows: “The soul that sins, it shall die: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon Him” (Ezekiel 18:20). Father and son will each bear the guilt of his own sin, not that of the other. Thus the prophet could continue his discussion by showing that the wicked might turn from his wickedness. “Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked?” (Ezekiel 18:23). Furthermore, the righteous may turn from his righteousness with the result that “in his sin that he has sinned, in them shall he died” (verse 24). Individual freedom and responsibility with respect to sin could not be more clearly stated.
Jesus’s words on this argument are conclusive. When he said, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free”, His hearers replied, “We are Abraham’s seed, and have never yet been in bondage to any man.” Jesus then explained that the bondage of which He spoke was not physical: “Everyone that commits sin is the bond-servant of sin (John 8:32-34). Bondage to sin is personal, not inherited. When sinning is committed, bondage results, not vice versa. Freedom from sin is also personal. Note Paul’s statement of this: “But thanks be to God, that, whereas you were servants of sinning, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed; and being made free from sin, you became servants of righteousness” (Romans 6:17, 18).
While guilt of sin did not pass from Adam to his descendants, it is clear that death did. The mortality of Adam, which he had even before the fall except as he had access to the tree of life, passed by generation to all men (Romans 5:12). However, in Christ this is completely overcome. “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22). What is unconditionally lost in Adam is unconditionally regained in Christ. In the resurrection every person who ever died will be brought from death. There will be no exception. But once raised to stand before the judgment of God, not one will be judged by Adam’s transgression. “For we must all be made manifest before the judgment seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).
Preparing for the Savior
Having set the scene for the eternal conflict between God and evil, the rest of Genesis reveals the first stages in the fulfillment of God’s purpose. Since man belongs to him both by creation and by spiritual likeness, God was not willing to abandon a man when sin captured him. Immediately the first intimation of redemption was given in the assurance that the “seed of woman” would bruise Satan’s head (Genesis 3:15). The fulfillment is expressed by Paul: “When the fullness of time came, God sent forth his son, born of a woman . . . that we might receive the adoption of sons” (Galatians 4: 4-5).
Even when the whole human family had become corrupted by sin, God prepared a righteous seed in Noah. When pride threatened to make man his own God and human achievement the ultimate good, God confused the tongues, making it possible to separate and to preserve a Messianic nation.
In ancient Ur of the Chaldees God’s man was born, Abram. With his father and nephew Abram moved northward to Haran, where the Lord appeared to him again and said, “Get you out of your country, and from your kindred, and from your father’s house, unto the land that I will show you: and I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and be you a blessing: and I will bless them that bless you, and him that curses you will I curse, and in you shall all the families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:1-3).
In this marvelous promise to Abraham are four elements: a nation for carrying out the promise, a land for habitation, a God to bless, and a coming savior for all nations. This promise lies behind every significant development in the rest of Genesis. Always the promise is repeated in terms of Abraham’s faith, and never on conditions obtaining in others. To reaffirm this promise, God gave to Abram the covenant of circumcision, saying, “It shall be a token of a covenant between me and you” (Genesis 17:11). Abraham’s name was changed to Abraham, and the stage was now set for the “son of promise”, Isaac.
Another reaffirmation of the promise followed Abraham’s faithful obedience in offering Isaac on the altar. The writer of Hebrews terms this an act of faith expressed in obedience (Hebrews 11:17), and James calls it works of obedience prompted by and perfecting faith (James 2:21-24). God made the event the occasion for confirming the promise in an unprecedented way: “By myself have I sworn says Jehovah because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son, that in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is upon the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 22:16-18). Thus to God’s promise is added God’s oath — two “immutable things” guaranteeing the fulfillment of God’s purpose.
In Gerar God appeared to Isaac and repeated the promise, which was beginning to be fulfilled in Isaac “because Abraham obeyed my voice” (Genesis 26:2-5). When Jacob was ready to depart from home, Isaac called his son to him and said, “God Almighty bless you . . . and give the blessing of Abraham . . . “ (Genesis 28: 3-4). To Jacob Jehovah appeared at Bethel and repeated every element of the Abrahamic promise, “For I will not leave you, until I have done that which I have spoken to you about” (Genesis 28:13-15).
The promise had now been vouchsafed to each of “the fathers,” and the writer of Hebrews wrote: “By faith [Abraham] became a sojourner in the land of promise . . . with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs together with him of the same promise” (Hebrews 11:3).
The rest of Genesis is an account of the fulfillment of the first phase of the promise — “a great nation”. Jacob’s 12 sons became heads of the 12 tribes of Israel. By a most remarkable example of Providence Joseph was sent into Egypt to prepare the way for Jacob and his family. God turned parental favoritism, brotherly jealousy, international famine, feminine deceit, unjust imprisonment, royal power, and fatherly sorrow into obtaining a safe and beautiful haven for the little band of 75 souls to multiply into a a mighty nation. Although Joseph was bitter at first, as reflected in the names of his sons, (Genesis 41:51-52), he understood that “God did send me before you to preserve life” (Genesis 45:5). He comforted his brothers, saying, “It is not you that sent me hither but God” (verse 8), and “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20). Thus a nation is born.
The “land” promise found its fulfillment in Canaan when Moses, Joshua, and others led in routing the evil nations. Joshua reminded Israel that God had fulfilled His promise to give them a good land (Joshua 23:14 and 24:13).
The “seed,” or savior, promise which was given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has its final expression in Genesis when Jacob passes it to Judah: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah . . . until Shiloh comes” (Genesis 49:10). Here is God’s assurance that through Judah would arise the world’s “Rest,” a Savior and Redeemer. Paul revealed that this was fulfilled in Christ (Galatians 3:16), Who offers peace to all nations — “whosoever will” (Matthew 11:28-30).
Paul summed up this marvelous promise and its fulfillment for all nations in these words: “For you are all the sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ. There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female; for all are one man in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ, then are you Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise” (Galatians 3:25-29).
Conclusion
Thus the scope of Genesis is from in the beginning to the preparation of a Savior. It reaches backward by revelation and makes known the origin of the universe, of man, and of sin. it unfolds the development of the Messianic nation. It looks into the future and foretells the coming of the “promised seed”, the Savior and foretells the coming of the of the Savior — Shiloh. Such a view of God’s promise from creation to the Savior fills the heart with confidence that God’s promise of the return of the Savior is equally certain as prophecy spanned the arc of time from creation to the Savior, faith spans the arc of time from the Savior to the end of time at His coming — from Shiloh to Maranatha “even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).
Footnotes
- James D. Bales, Reasons For Our Faith, Lesson III, p. 8.
- Asa Gray, Natural Science and Religion, 1880, p. 38. (This and other quotations in this section are given by Wilbur Smith in Therefore Stand chapter 7.)
- T. H. Huxley.
- Wilbur Smith, Therefore Stand, p. 275.
- Julian S. Huxley, “A Biologist Looks at Man” in Fortune, December, 1942, Vol. 26, p. 138.
- Smith, op. cit., p. 373.
- Pasteur, in L. Descours: Pasteur and His Work. Eng. tr. London, 1922, p. 206.
- H. C. Alllevran and see. E. E. Flach, “The Old Testament and Archaeology” in the Old Testament Commentary (Philadelphia 1948, p. 135).
Questions for Class Discussion
- What are the elements of the Abrahamic promise?
- Trace the fulfillment of the promise in Genesis.
- How does Genesis anticipate the whole span of pre-Christian time?
- How does Genesis build confidence in viewing the span of Christian time?