Do you know where the story begins?

"Creation, Kingdom, Covenant & Confusion: A Study of Genesis 1-11"

This past Sunday at All Souls we launched into a new series of sermons on the first book of the Bible - the book of Genesis.  And while I am excited to learn more about this important portion of God's Word, I must honestly admit that there is great danger here.

For some reason it seems that both the beginning of the Bible (Genesis) and the end of the Bible (Revelation) are all too often hijacked by weirdoes and kooks.  That is to say, strange speculations and odd interpretations are frequently brought to bear upon these books with the result that some Christians (and many preachers) simply avoid the very beginning and the very end of the Bible altogether….  But at what cost?  

As a Reformed and Evangelical Christian I believe that the Bible, from beginning to end, tells one story – the story of God’s redemptive activity in Christ - and it's the best story ever written!  But like every other story ever written it is crucial that readers know and understand the very beginning and the very end...  without them, they'll never understand the middle.

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Perhaps this would be a good time for you to begin studying the book of Genesis along with us.  You are always welcome to visit All Souls Church (228 Main Street Green Camp, Ohio 43322) or you can listen to the first message in the Genesis series and follow along each week on our website as we work through the beginning of the story of redemption in our series entitled “Creation, Kingdom, Covenant & Confusion.”   

For those keen to get started reading Genesis, here’s a bit of context that might help you in your reading:

Q:  Who wrote Genesis?
 A:  Moses, the great law-giver wrote the book of Genesis under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 


Q:  When Did Moses Write Genesis?
A:  No official date is given though I personally believe Moses wrote Genesis during the first 40 years of His life while still in Egypt (before 1487 BC.)  During these years Moses would have had unhindered access to the Hebrew community and their records.  From these records (both oral and written) Moses likely compiled the book of Genesis.


Q:  To whom did Moses write Genesis?
A:  The book of Genesis was written for a nation of Hebrew slaves. 

kook |ko͞ok| noun, informal "a person whose dress, behavior and/or interpretation of Scripture seems strange or eccentric."

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Q:   What is the purpose of Genesis?
A:  There are at least three basic purposes for the writing of Genesis, they are:
   1) Historical – Moses wrote to provide comfort in suffering and to inspire hope that God would deliver His             enslaved people.
      2) Doctrinal – Moses wrote to show that God is absolutely sovereign and faithful to all of His promises - particularly to those promises relating to redemption.   
       3) Christological – Ultimately Moses wrote to point his original readers (and us) to Jesus Christ, the coming Redeemer who would provide a great spiritual deliverance from the slavery of sin.  Man's Savior would be God's Son - God in the flesh - and as such He would be the final proof of God's faithfulness.

Why not take a listen to an exposition of Genesis 1:1-2:3