Take a minute to look out a window. What do you see? Is it the sunshine, or is it raining? Do you see a bird perched on a tree branch?
Now think about your life. Have you seen God move? Can you recognize when God has allowed a certain situation to happen in your life? Did it work out for the good? Has not God been faithful to you in your life?
As believers, we learn about the attributes of God in His Word. In the first book of the Pentateuch, Genesis, we can learn about them.
Genesis is the book of beginnings:
Origins of the world
Genesis 1:1-2:3
Origins of the Nations Genesis 2:4-11:9
Origins of Israel
Genesis 11:10-50-26
Bible Overview (2012)
The writings in Genesis give us foundational theology for how to view the world. When we read the book of Genesis, “The purpose is not to explain how God created creation, but to proclaim that it was Yahweh rather than one of the other creation gods of the ancient Near East. The creation text also informs its readers about the nature of God (who is both transcendent and immanent), the dignified status of both men and women in the world, and the importance of marriage, work and Sabbath.” (Longman,2012)
As believers, we know that the main character of the Bible is God. The book of Genesis helps us to see His qualities. It is also the start of the redemptive story of humanity. Genesis gives the background for the rest of the Bible.
From the beginning, we can see God’s grace. When Adam and Eve sinned, He could have just started over, but He didn’t. Instead, he chose to show grace.
So when you read or study the book of Genesis, remember it reveals to us the many facets of the character of God and His relationship to the people in the account. The character of God revealed in Genesis is still true for us as believers today.
References
Bible Overview (2012) Henderson Rose Publishing
Longman, Tremper Introducing the Old Testament: a short guide to its history and message
