The Book of Genesis and God’s Divine Order
“In the morning, I am blessed and in the evening, I am blessed”
The Book of Genesis is our introduction to the Bible. In it, we learn about how things began, the way God designed the world and his very first creations.
As we read through, we learn about God’s plans for man and woman and we witness the punishments that come from disobedience.
In Genesis, we also learn how God saves those he has called and chosen. How he directs his people to their promised land.
Here are a few of my favourite lessons from the Book of Genesis.
1: God Has Given Man and Woman Authority
Genesis 1:26 “Then God said, And now we will make human beings; they will be like us and resemble us. They will have power over the fish, the birds and all animals, domestic and wild, large and small. So God created human beings, making them to be like himself. He created them male and female, blessed them and said, Have many children so that your descendants will live over the earth and bring it under their control.”
Right in the beginning of the Bible, we read about how God created the earth and then he created human beings.
When he created human beings, it was not a small ordeal. He said that humans were made to resemble himself.
That means that God has created both the male and the female in his image.
Also, we learn that God has given human beings authority. The same earth and animals that he created, he said that humans will rule over this earth and our descendants will continue to inhabit the land.
One of my favourite things about reading the beginning of The Bible is knowing how much God values us so highly that he created us in his image.
If you ever doubt your worth and value, remind yourself that Your Father Almighty created you to be like himself and to have authority.
2: Disobedience leads to God’s Punishment
Genesis 3: 17–19 “Because of what you have done, the ground will be under a curse. You will have to work hard all your life to make it produce enough food for you. It will produce weeds and thorns, and you will have to eat wild plants. You will have to work hard and sweat to make the soil produce anything until you go back to the soil from which you were formed. You were made from soil, and you will become soil again.”
Adam and Eve had disobeyed God’s command that they should not eat from the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and bad. Since they did, they were punished.
As we continue to live and breathe, some of the things we face are a result of the punishment of our first parents.
in Genesis 3, verse 16: For the woman, God said “I will increase your trouble in pregnancy and your pain in giving birth. Despite this, you will still have a desire for your husband, and yet you will be subject to him.”
This is why the woman has child pains during labour, because of the punishment of her disobedience.
Also, God said that the ground would become cursed and man and woman would have to work and sweat until they produce anything.
In reading this, we know that even though God is a loving and just God, there are still consequences for every action.
When we do not do the right thing, God acts accordingly and we are punished.
Therefore, we must be wise in our actions to not fall into disobedience because if we do, there will always be consequences.
3: God Saves and Protects those Who Live Right
Genesis 7: 1–4: “The Lord said to Noah, go into the boat with your whole family; I have found that you are the only one in all the world who does what is right. Take with you seven pairs of each kind of ritually clean animal, but only one pair of each kind of unclean animal. …seven days from now, I am going to send rain that will fall for forty days and nights to destroy all the living beings that I have made.”
After God had made mankind, he had some regrets because he saw how wicked some of them were.
That is why God said that he would wipe away all the people that he created but not everyone.
God saw that Noah was good and lived in fellowship with him.
God then made himself known to Noah and told him in Genesis 6, verse 14 to “build a boat for yourself out of good timber; make rooms in it and cover it with tar inside and out.”
God then told Noah that he would send a flood to the earth and destroy everything but he will make a covenant with him.
In reading Noah’s story, we do see that there is a wrath that comes from God due to the wickedness of mankind but God is also merciful and would save those who are living according to his will.
When we learn of Noah, let’s question the way we are living our lives.
God is always watching over us and he sees the good and he sees the evil and when he judges, he protects and favours those who have been Good.
4: God Provides Divine Direction and Provision to Those He Calls
Genesis 12: 1–2, “The Lord said to Abram, leave your country and your relatives, and your father’s home, and go to a land that I am going to show you. I will give you many descendants and they will become a great nation. I will bless you and make your name famous so that you will be a blessing.”
God provides divine direction and provision to those he has called. We witness that in the story of Abraham.
At seventy-five years old, Abram started from Haram and went to the land of Canaan.
From there, there was a famine and so he moved to Egypt. God continued to provide directions to Abram as he settled in Hebron.
In Genesis 13: Verse 14, God told him “From where you are, look careful in all directions. I am going to give you and your descendants all the land that you see, and it will be yours forever.”
As Abraham continued to obey God’s words. God made many promises to him and rewarded him.
Abraham moved as God directed him to and he was blessed.
His wife Sarah bore a child in her old age and God told Abraham that he would give him many descendants as there are stars in the sky.
God was faithful to Abraham as we read that when Abraham grew to old age and he saw that God had blessed him in everything he did.
In Conclusion
The Book of Genesis is a great read in which we learn about the origin story. The creation of the earth, man and woman.
We learn about the power and authority that God has given over all people. We also learn about the importance of being in covenant with God, following his instructions and his divine direction and provision in our lives.
