Genesis 1-11: Creation, Fall, Flood, and Babel Overview

Genesis

Means 'beginnings' and comes from the Septuagint

Jewish Title (bereshith)

Means 'In the beginning' and comes from the first words of the Genesis text

Basic Outline of Genesis

Gen 1-11 - Primeval History leading to covenant; Gen 12-50 - Patriarchal History

Four major stories in Genesis 1-11

Creation, Fall, Flood, Tower of Babel

Four major stories in Genesis 12-50

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph

Prologue of Genesis

Genesis 1:1-2:3 serves as a prologue to the whole book

Toledoth

Hebrew word meaning 'generations' that divides subsections in Genesis

Purpose of Genesis

To tell how the story of the covenant began

Major Theme of Genesis

Covenant

Message of Genesis

Yahweh is the sole-creator of the world

Humans created in

God's Image

Human sin

Alienated people from God

God re-establishes relationship through

Covenant with Abraham

God preserves the covenant in spite of

Numerous obstacles

Creation is orderly

Highly structured literary composition

Creation periods

Strict temporal order separated into three periods

Days 1-3 of Creation

The creation (formation) and separation of the elements of the cosmos

Days 4-6 of Creation

The adornment (filling) of the cosmos

Enuma Elish

Babylonian account of creation (c. 1700 BC)

Similarities with ANE cultures

Act of divine speech, primordial world formless and empty, day and night precede luminous bodies

Differences with ANE cultures

Polytheism abounds; gods seen as savage and cruel; humans created as an afterthought to serve the gods

Possible Meanings of Image of God

Notingbe admae; Physical? Cultural?

Gen 1-11

Primeval History leading to covenant

Four major stories in Gen 1-11

Creation, Fall, Flood, Tower of Babel

Gen 12-50

Patriarchal History

Genesis 1:1-2:3

Serves as a prologue to the whole book

Hebrew word (toledoth)

Means 'generations of' and divides into subsections

Storyteller's intent

Provides clues to the storyteller's intent

Covenant with Abraham

God re-establishes relationship through covenant with Abraham

Obstacles to covenant

God preserves the covenant in spite of numerous obstacles

Strict temporal order

Separated into two periods

Similarities with other cultures

Divine sequences, act of speech, primordial world formless and empty

Differences with other cultures

Polytheism abounds; the gods seen as savage and cruel

Creation of man

Is followed by divine rest

English Title (genesis)

Means 'beginnings' and comes from the Septuagint.

Basic Outline

Gen 1-11 - Primeval History leading to covenant.

Four major stories in Gen 12-50

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph.

Toledoth appearances

Appears in 2:4, 5:1; 6:9; 10:1; 11:10, 27; 25:12, 19; 36:1, 9; 37:2.

God re-establishes relationship through covenant with

Abraham.

God preserves the covenant in spite of numerous

obstacles.

Creation elements

Many repeated or similar type elements.

Days 1-3

The creation (formation) and separation of the elements of the cosmos.

Days 4-6

The adornment (filling) of the cosmos.

Humans created as

An afterthought to serve the gods.

image

from the Hebrew (selem)

idol

An idol represented the one worshipped

will

As God's representatives, we are responsible for carrying out His will on earth

CREATION OF MANKIND - COVENANTAL NATURE

formed

hands-on

God 'formed' Mankind

Personal involvement

'spoken' creation

Word used for a potter making vessel

(2:7) 'from the womb' of the man

Life

Woman created from rib of man (2:21-23)

Rest of creation

breathed into existence

living soul

God Breathed 'living soul' into Mankind

Dominion

God Gave Dominion to Mankind

Steward

Man serves as Steward over creation (2:15)

goodness

God provided everything man needed to expand the goodness of God, i.e., the boundaries of the garden

The Primary Focus

is on God, not Creation

Elohim (God)

used 35 times in 35 verses

the one true God

Only Creates

Hebrew bara (create)

used only with God as subject

Creation by fiat

(command) - world spoken into being

Quality of God's Creation

Moral (given by himself)

Pinnacle

Creation said to be 'good', even 'very good'

Mankind

is the Pinnacle of Creation

Problem

The problem - man told not to eat from the 'tree of knowledge of good and evil' (2:17)

depend

Disobedience - Man was to depend on God's revelation of knowledge (3:6)

Consequence

man had more Knowledge than he could ethically and morally handle (3:7)

Mortality

'In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return' (3:19)

Aftermath

intensification of violence and rebellion against God who is good

God's judgements

correspond directly with image bearing and covenantal nature of God's relationship with mankind (3:14-19)

challenge

On the Serpent - ultimate challenge to image bearing

Protevangelium

The enmity between the offspring of the serpent and the woman that will eventually result in the death of the serpent.

Painful childbirth

A consequence of sin mentioned in Genesis.

Ground cursed

The result of man's sin, leading to eating by sweat and toil.

Sin never fulfills what it promises

A teaching from Genesis 3 highlighting the deceptive nature of sin.

Sin costs more than we want to pay

A teaching from Genesis 3 emphasizing the high price of sin.

Sin causes shame

A consequence of sin that leads to separation from God.

God seeks humanity

God's desire to restore humanity and cover their shame.

God holds humanity accountable for sin

The principle that humanity is responsible for their actions.

Sin brings judgment

The inevitable consequence of sin.

Sin hurts the sinner

The damaging effect of sin on the individual.

Humanity's sinful nature

The inherent tendency of humanity to sin, which reached a zenith before the flood.

God sends the flood

An act of judgment and grace upon humanity.

Judgment

God undoing what he had done - creation in reverse.

Grace

God preserving His image through Noah and reestablishing the covenant.

Noah

Means 'relief' or 'comfort' (5:29).

Gilgamesh Epic

A Babylonian flood account similar to Noah's, dating around 3000-2000 BC.

God decided to send a flood

The divine decision to cleanse the earth of wickedness.

Only one righteous man

Noah, also known as Utnapishtim in the Gilgamesh Epic.

Wooden ark

The vessel built by Noah to survive the flood, sealed with pitch.

Birds sent to find dry land

The method used by Noah to determine if the floodwaters had receded.

Upon leaving ark, a sacrifice was offered

Noah's act of worship after the flood.

Differences between Genesis and Gilgamesh Epic

Genesis is monotheistic while Gilgamesh Epic is polytheistic.

The Origin of Nations

Describes God's blessing and recreation after the Flood.

Tower of Babel

Humanity's attempt to build a tower to reach the heavens, reflecting their sinful nature.

God confuses humanity's language

An act of judgment in response to humanity's pride.