Genesis starts with the familiar phrase, “At the beginning God…” This is a fitting introduction to Genesis and for the entire Bible, as God is the reason and purpose that the Bible exists.
Genesis contains stories of some of God’s followers and other notable characters whose actions are sometimes hard to understand and occasionally, shocking. Yet this is life: raw, perplexing, and occasionally appalling. Through it all, God is there – and at work.
Genesis begins with creation and it’s corruption (chapters 1 through 11) and then settles down on the life and family of Abraham, patriarch of the nation of Israel (chapters 12 through 50).
A succinct and effective overview of Genesis chapters 12 through 50 is found in Acts 7:2-16 as part of Stephen’s defense before the council.
The authorship of Genesis is attributed to Moses, who recorded the oral accounts passed on from prior generations. Genesis is one of the four most quoted books in the New Testament (the others are Isaiah, Deuteronomy, and Psalms.
A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.
