Connections In Genesis
We are now several weeks into our Fall Bible study on the first eleven chapters of Genesis, and I trust we are growing not only in our knowledge of the word but in our fellowship with each other. There is something special about studying the Word together. Reading the Bible is not just an individual activity, it is also a corporate activity. The gift of the Scriptures is open to all who will read, and as a church we should be reading it together. The well known Proverb “iron sharpens iron” applies not just to our behavior but also to our pursuit of knowing God in His Word. Our head and our heart instruct what we do with our hands, therefore it is vital we spend time in God’s Word and together discover the riches of it.
With this in mind, I wanted to make a few comments on how interconnected these opening chapters are with the rest of what we find in the Bible. I am sure this will not be new, but it serves as a good reminder. Genesis 2:8-14 depicts a bountiful garden, ready for Adam to take dominion over. Precious stones are there waiting to be mined (2:12). In the same way, these opening chapters contain golden truths waiting to be dug up and treasured. And the soil of these chapters is fertile, we don’t have to dig too hard before finding a gem!
Foundations
A solid foundation for our faith is laid out in a few short chapters: the absolute (and creative) power of God, who creates all things by the power of his word with unbelievable wisdom and order; the creation of mankind in the Image to commune with God and rule justly under him; and the “fall” of man into sin and disobedience, which results in separation from God and punishment for sin. There is even the protoevangelium, the first promise of a coming Redeemer who will crush the head of the serpent. All of this in only three chapters! The rest of Scripture builds on these opening scenes.
Moses, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is masterfully crafting these opening chapters and weaving in significant threads for the rest of what we see in the Bible. From the broad brushstrokes of redemption history (Creation, Fall, Redemption) to seemingly minute details found throughout. For example: Does the threefold structure of the Garden, Eden, and the outside world mean anything? What is the significance of “working and keeping” the garden? Why does the later tabernacle use so much garden imagery? Did God institute sacrifices when he first covered Adam and Eve? Why do some genealogies only mention one person per generation, while others include siblings?
To change illustrations, these opening chapters are “pregnant” with meaning. In embryonic form we see what later comes to bear in the history of the nation of Israel in the Old Testament, and finds fulfillment in Christ and the church in the New Testament. Think of the Serpent in Genesis 3. Moses' first readers would have already heard that snakes were unclean animals (Lev. 11:41-45) and would have associated them with judgment (Num. 21:6). What about the sibling rivalry between Cain and Abel? Similar rivalry affected the whole nation (Ishamel, Esau). Cain is expelled from the garden for his sin, likewise the land will spit Israel out if they do what is detestable in God’s eyes (Lev. 18:24-28). The “sons of God” in Genesis 6 (which I take as Seth’s line) intermarry with those outside their line, causing wickedness to spread. Likewise, Israel was commanded not to marry those from in or around the land because they would be turned away to other gods (Deut. 7:3).
All One Story
The interconnectedness of the Bible causes us to marvel. This intricacy is not only confined to the Bible, as if it were disconnected from history. These events actually took place. God has orchestrated it all. He is sovereign over all. And while we marvel at how God has done all this, we shouldn’t miss a most important connection: how does the person and work of Jesus tie into all this? If he doesn't, we’re left with some good examples that we can learn from. But this is not merely how we should read the stories of people like Adam, Cain, Abel, Seth, and Noah. We should understand that these stories are not one of continual triumph and success, but rather the opposite. This should lead us to yearn for someone to truly be righteous and succeed where these men failed. Lamech prophesied that Noah would provide relief (Gen. 5:29), but in the end we read Noah got drunk and was mocked by one of his children. Isn’t this the one who found favor in God’s sight and made it through global judgment? Yet, he doesn’t truly provide last relief. The one who fulfills the role of someone like Adam or Noah is Jesus. Scripture clearly states this in a passage like Romans 5:12-21. How can the terrible reign of death (see Genesis 5) which began with Adam’s sin be conquered? By the righteous act of Jesus. Who truly provides relief for God’s people? The Lord Jesus.
The major threads begun in Genesis find clear fulfillment in Jesus. I encourage you as well to study how some of those seemingly insignificant parts also point to our savior. Carefully and exegetically meditate on this. We shouldn’t twist passages to make a beeline to Jesus, but we should discover how the Bible naturally weaves these threads together. For more on this, see pastor Jacob’s previous article about reading the Old Testament.
A Fitting Conclusion
Revelation concludes what we find in the opening chapters of Genesis. Unsurprisingly, Jesus is vital to understanding how this story holds together (Revelation 1:1). We’re given a strange vision in the book of a woman and a dragon (Rev. 12). The woman is very clearly identified as Israel, and she gives birth to a male child, “one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron…” Jesus is truly the one prophesied in the protoevangelium of Genesis 3:15, the obedient Son who will crush the Serpent's head and rule over all nations!