Old Testament Lecture/Assignment

LECTURES 4 and 5 GENESIS

GENERAL INTRODUCTION:

1. GENESIS means Beginning. Genesis records the beginning of the world (time) as we know it.
2. It records also the beginning of mankind, sin, salvation, and Israel.
3. The author spends more time recording the beginning of Israel.
4. Chapter 1-11 deals with everything else until the introduction of Abraham in chapter 12.
5. The origin of Israel is to bring the world back into communion with God.

AUTHORSHIP:

1. There is no authorship statement in the book. Jewish tradition reveals Moses as author.
2. Everything in Genesis is outside of Moses= lifetime. He was born after all had happened.

THERE ARE TWO MAJOR SECTIONS:

2. Period of beginnings: (chapters 1-11)
3. Period of Patriarchs (chapters 12-50) [forefathers]

PERIOD OF BEGINNINGS Read Genesis chapter 1 and record of creation

1. FIRST DAY of creation: light and darkness ordained to provide periods of day and night.
2. SECOND DAY of creation: the earth=s atmosphere
3. THIRD DAY: separated land and sea and created vegetation
4. FOURTH DAY: created sun, moon and other luminaries to determine the length of seasons, years and days of the earth.
5. FIFTH DAY: living creatures of the sky and sea
6. SIXTH DAY: land creatures and humans created
7. SEVENTH DAY: Day of rest