Genesis
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Genesis
The Book of Genesis takes its name from the Greek version of the Old Testament (the Septuagint), which called it Genesis, meaning beginning. This is an accurate translation of bereshit, the first word in the Hebrew book. The title is most appropriate to the book's contents, for it concerns the divine origin of all things, whether matter or energy, living or inanimate. It implies that apart from God everything can be traced back to a beginning point when God's purposes and works came into being. Bereshit indicates that God brought forth the "heavens and the earth" as the first act of creation (Gen. 1:1).
Jewish and Christian tradition has nearly unanimously attributed the authorship of Genesis to Moses (see "The Pentateuch"). Genesis is the only book of the Pentateuch that does not mention Moses' name or indicate something about its authorship. This omission may well be because the latest events of the book predate Moses by several centuries. Also biblical books seldom designate their authors. Yet the remainder of the Pentateuch builds upon Genesis, without which the constant allusions to the patriarchs and other persons and events would make no sense. The summary of the conclusion of Genesis (Gen. 46:8-27) in Exodus 1:1-7 serves as a bridge between the patriarchs and the exodus deliverance and highlights the continuity of the Pentateuch's story.
Theme. The name Genesis describes what is at least a major theme of the book—beginnings. It recounts the beginnings of the heavens and earth, of all created things within them, of God's covenant relationship with humankind, of sin, of redemption, of nations, and of God's chosen people Israel.
Beginnings, however, is not a completely satisfying summary theme because it fails to answer the fundamental historical and theological question—why? To know what God did—He created all things "in the beginning"—is important. But to know why God acted in creation and for redemption is to grasp the very essence of divine revelation.
The theme of Genesis centers around the first utterance of God to man and woman recorded in the Sacred Text, namely Genesis 1:26-28.
Here God clarifies that He created man and woman to bless them and so that they could exercise dominion on His behalf over all creation. Human disobedience threatened God's purpose for humanity in creation. God responded by calling Abraham, through whom God's blessing would ultimately triumph. Admittedly, this interpretation of the theme derives not only, if at all, from Genesis but from a total biblical theology. Because it is a matter of theology, it will be more productive to consider it later under that heading.
Literary Forms. The three major sections of Genesis are characterized by distinct literary types. The primeval events (Gen. 1-11) are cast in a poetic narrative form to aid in oral transmission. The accounts of the first three patriarchs (Gen. 12-36; 38) are reports about ancestors that were retained in family records. The Joseph narrative (Gen. 37; 39-50) is a short story containing tension and resolution. Within each of these major literary types, however, are other minor types such as genealogies (5:3-32; 11:10-32), narratives in which God appears (17-18; 32:22-30), words from God (25:23), blessings (1:28; 9:1; 27:27-29), and tribal sayings (49:3-27). Genesis presents history in every sense of the term. Genesis, however, presents history in the form of narrative that embraces a host of literary types to communicate its theological message clearly and effectively.
- God's Creation Goal (1:1-2:25)
- Sin, Its Consequences/God's Grace (3:1-11:32)
- Abraham: The Obedience of Faith (12:1-22:19)
- Isaac: The Link with God's Promises to Abraham (22:20-25:18)
- Jacob's Struggle for the Promises (25:19-36:43)
- Deliverance through Joseph (37:1-50:26)
Purpose and Theology. The purpose of Genesis was to give the nation Israel an explanation of its existence on the threshold of the conquest of Canaan (see Theme). Moses had at hand written and oral traditions about Israel's past and records concerning the other great themes of Genesis. He was, however, the first to organize these, select from them those that were appropriate to the divine redemptive purposes, and com-pose them as they stand. His task as inspired, prophetic author was to clarify to his people how and why God had brought them into being. He also wanted them to know what their mission was as a covenant, priestly nation and how their present situation fulfilled ancient promises.
Close attention to the themes that link Genesis and the remainder of the Pentateuch clarify these purposes. God had revealed to Abraham that he would be granted the land of Canaan (Gen. 12:1,5,7; 13:15), that his descendants would leave that land for a time (15:13), but that they would be delivered from the land of their oppression to return to the land of promise (15:16). This land would be theirs forever (17:8) as an arena within and from which they would be a means of blessing all nations of the earth (12:2-3; 27:29). Joseph understood this and saw in his own sojourn in Egypt the divine preservation of his people (45:7-8). God had sent him there to save them from physical and spiritual extinction (50:20). The time would come, he said, when God would remember His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and would return them to Canaan (50:24).
The link with Exodus is clear in the call of Moses to lead his people from Egypt to the land of promise (Exod. 3:6-10,16-17; 6:2-8). Their charter as a covenant nation—a "kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Exod. 19:6)—recalls God's promise to bless the nations through Abraham (Gen. 12:3; 22:18). The covenant renewal at the Plains of Moab repeats those same themes. The Lord was about to lead His people into Canaan to possess it as their inheritance (Deut. 4:1; 5:33; 7:1,12-16; 8:1-10; 9:5; 11:8-12,24-25). There they would serve Him as a redemptive agent, a catalyst around which the nations would be reconciled to God (Deut. 4:5-8; 28:10).
The theological message of Genesis, however, goes beyond the narrow concerns of Israel alone. Genesis does indeed provide Israel's reason for being, but it does more. It explains the human condition that called forth a covenant people. That is, it unfolds the great creative and redemptive purposes of God that found focus in Israel as an agency of re-creation and salvation.
God's original and eternal purposes are outlined in Genesis 1:26-28. God created man and woman as His image to bless them and so that they could exercise dominion over all creation on His behalf. The key themes of biblical theology and of Genesis are, therefore, God's blessing and human dominion under God's reign.
The fall of humankind into sin subverted God's goal of blessing and dominion. A process of redemption from that fallenness and of recovery of the original covenant mandate of God had to be effected. That took the form of the choice of Abraham through whose offspring (Israel and ultimately the Messiah) the divine creation purposes might come to pass. That man and nation, joined by eternal covenant to Yahweh, were charged with the task of serving Him as the model of a dominion people and the vehicle through which a saving relationship could be established between Him and the alienated world of nations.
Of course, Israel failed to be the servant people, a failure already anticipated in the Torah (Lev. 26:14-39; Deut. 28:15-68). God's goals cannot, however, be frustrated. So from the nation arose a remnant, a remnant finally compressed to only one descendant of Abraham—Jesus the Christ—who accomplished in His life and death the redemptive and reigning purposes of God. The church now exists as His body to serve as Israel was chosen and redeemed to serve. God's Old Testament people served as the model of the kingdom of the Lord and the agency through which His reconciling work on earth can be achieved through His New Testament people.
The theology of Genesis then is wrapped up in the kingdom purposes of God who, despite human failures, cannot be hindered in His ultimate objective of displaying His glory through His creation and dominion.
God's Creation Goal (1:1-2:25)
Primeval history describes the accounts of the creation, the fall, the flood, the tower of Babel, and the distribution of the human race. It embraces all those facets of human experience that led up to and necessitated the call of Abraham to covenant service to the Lord.
The two accounts of creation (1:1-2:3 and 2:4-25) are designed respectively to demonstrate the all-wise and all-powerful sovereignty of God (first account) and His special creation of humanity to rule for Him over all other created things (second account). Though the creation stories are fundamentally theological and not scientific, nothing in them is contradicted by modern scientific understanding. Genesis insists that all the forms of life were created "after their kind" (1:11-12,21,24-25); that is, they did not evolve across species lines. Most importantly, the man and the woman were created as "the image of God" (1:26). In other words, humanity was created to represent God on the earth and to rule over all things in His name (1:26-28). God's desire was to bless humanity and to enjoy relationship with them.
Sin's Consequences/God's Grace (3:1-11:32)
The privilege of dominion also carried responsibility and limitation. Being placed in the garden to "work it and watch over it" represented human responsibility (2:15). The tree in the midst of the garden from which humans should not eat represented those areas of dominion reserved to Yahweh alone. The man and woman, however, disobeyed God and ate of the tree. They "died" with respect to their covenant privileges (2:17) and suffered the indictment and judgment of their Sovereign. This entailed suffering and sorrow and eventual physical death. God had created man and woman to enjoy fellowship with Himself and with each other. Their disobedience alienated them from God and each other.
The pattern of sin and its consequences set in the garden is replayed throughout Genesis in the accounts of Cain, the generation of the flood, and the men of Sodom. The fall means that we humans are predisposed to sin. Though God punishes sin, sin does not thwart God's ultimate, gracious purpose for His human creation. Embedded in the curse was the gleam of a promise that the offspring of the woman would someday lead the human race to triumph.
The consequences of sin became clear in the second generation when Cain, the oldest son, killed Abel his brother. Just as his parents had been expelled from the presence of God in the garden, so now Cain was expelled from human society to undertake a nomadic life in the east. Embedded in the curse was the gleam of grace, the "mark on Cain," symbolizing God's protection.
Blessing and Curse (4:17-5:32). Cain's genealogy illustrates the tension between God's blessing and spreading sin. Through the achievements of Cain's descendants, humanity began to experience the blessing of dominion over creation. Progress in the arts and technology was, however, matched by progress in sin as illustrated in Lamech's boastful song of murder. Meanwhile, God's redemptive, creation mandate continued through another son of Adam and Eve—Seth. His genealogy led straight to Noah, to whom the original creation promises were reaffirmed (6:18; 9:1-7).
Deliverance (6:1-9:29). With the passing of time it became increasingly clear that humanity was unwilling and unable to live out the responsibilities of stewardship. Humans again violated their proper place within God's order by overstepping the limits God had placed on them. As a result of the improper intermingling of the "sons of God" (understood as either the angels or the rulers on the earth) and "the daughters of men," God again saw the need to reassert His lordship and make a fresh beginning that could give the human race another chance at obedience.
The consequence of sin was the great flood, a catastrophe so enormous that all life and institutions perished from the earth. God's grace was still active in preserving a remnant on the ark. In response to the worship of His people, God promised never again to destroy the earth so long as history ran its course. God's pledge to Noah reaffirmed the creation promises of blessing and dominion. Though differing in detail from the original statement of Genesis 1:26-28, the central mandate is identical. The new humanity springing from Noah and his sons was called on to exercise dominion over all the earth as the image of God. The sign of the permanence of that arrangement was the rainbow.
Once more, as though to underline the effects of the fall on human faithfulness, Noah fell victim to his environment. Adam had sinned by partaking of a forbidden fruit; Noah sinned by perverting the use of a permitted fruit. Both cases illustrate that unaided humans can never rise to the level of God-ordained responsibility.
When Noah learned of the abuse he had suffered at the hand of his son Ham, he cursed the offspring of Ham—the Canaanites. He blessed those of his other two sons. This set in motion the relationships among the threefold division of the human race that would forever after determine the course of history. God would enlarge Japheth (the Gentiles), but in time Japheth would find refuge in the preserving and protecting tents of Shem (Israel). The Shemites (or Semites) thus would be the channel of redemptive grace.
ARTICLE: The Flood
The cataclysmic deluge described in Genesis 6-9 as God's judgment on the earth is mentioned elsewhere in the Old Testament (Gen. 10:1,32; 11:10; Pss. 29:10; 104:6-9; Isa. 54:9) and in the New Testament (Matt. 24:38-39; Luke 17:26-27; Heb. 11:7; 1 Pet. 3:20; 2 Pet. 2:5; 3:3-7). That more verses are devoted to the flood than to the creation (Gen. 12) or the fall (Gen. 3) suggests the significance of the account.
The Old Testament Account
Because of the great wickedness of humanity (Gen. 6:5,11), God resolved to destroy all living beings (6:13) with the exception of righteous Noah and his family (6:9,18). God instructed Noah to make an ark of cypress wood (6:14; "gopher wood," KJV). He told Noah to take his family and seven [pairs] of every clean species and two of every unclean species of animals, birds, and creeping things, along with provisions for the duration of the flood (6:18-21; 7:1-3). The rains lasted forty days and nights, covered "all the high mountains under the whole heaven" (7:19), and destroyed every living creature on land (7:21-23). When Noah and his family emerged from the ark after a year and ten days, he built an altar and offered sacrifices to God (8:14-20). God blessed Noah and his family (9:1) and made a covenant that He would never again destroy the earth by flood (8:21; 9:11). God gave the rainbow as a visible sign of that covenant (9:12-17).
Date and Extent of the Flood
It is impossible to determine the exact date of the flood, since no archaeological or geological materials have been found that would enable its accurate dating. Estimates have placed it between 13,000 and 3000 b.c.
The extent of the flood has been debated. Arguments for a universal flood include: (1) the wording of Genesis 6-9, which is best interpreted as a universal flood (see 7:19-23); (2) the widespread flood traditions among many, widely scattered peoples that are best explained if all peoples are descended from Noah; (3) the unusual source of water (Gen. 7:11); (4) the length of the flood, whereas a local flood would have subsided in a few days; (5) the false assumption that all life resided in a limited geographical area; and (6) God's limitless ability to act within history.
Arguments against a universal flood have persuaded some scholars to accept a limited flood. Some arguments are:
(1) the amount of water needed to cover the highest mountain, which would be eight times as much as there is on earth; (2) the practical problems of housing and feeding so many animals for a year; (3) the destruction of all plant life submerged in salt water for over a year; (4) the view that destruction of the human race required only a flood covering the part of the earth inhabited at that time; and (5) the lack of geological evidence for a worldwide cataclysm.
While all of our questions cannot be answered, the biblical data points in the direction of a universal flood.
Theological Significance
(1) The flood demonstrates God's hatred of sin and the certainty of His judgment on it. (2) God's giving people 120 years to repent before judgment came demonstrates His patience in dealing with sin. (3) The sparing of one family demonstrates God's saving grace. (4) The flood reveals God's rule over nature and over humanity.
Blessing Reaffirmed (10:1-32). The "table of nations" demonstrates the fulfillment of God's command to be fruitful and fill the earth. The climactic position of the Shemites focuses attention on Eber for whom the Hebrews ( ibri) were named. This ancestor of Abraham anticipates the Jewish patriarchs who are the focus of the second half of Genesis.
Confusion at Babel (11:1-32). The story of the tower of Babel separates the genealogy of the descent from Noah to Eber and Peleg and the genealogy that connects Noah to Abraham. In the days of Peleg, son of Eber, the earth was "divided" (10:25). Through Abraham and the Abrahamic covenant it someday would be reunited. The Babel narrative thus illustrates the false and defiant sense of humanistic solidarity that sought to evade the creation mandate to fill the earth under God's dominion. The scattering of the nations accomplished that purpose but did not effect compliance to the will of God that made true servanthood a reality. That is why a new covenant, one with redemptive aspects, had to be implemented.
Abraham (12:1-22:19)
The story of the patriarchs is centered and grounded in the covenant to which the Lord called Abraham. The history of the human race from the fall to Abraham's own day was sufficient to show that the great kingdom purposes of God could not be achieved until humanity could be redeemed and restored to cove-nant-keeping capacity. The promise had been given that the offspring of the woman would someday prevail over anti-God forces. Now that offspring promise was to find fulfillment in one man and his descendants, chief among whom was to be the Messiah who would effect salvation and dominion.
God's Promises (12:1-9). Abraham was called from Sumerian paganism to faith in the living God. God granted him an unconditional set of prom-ises—descendants and blessing. God promised to lead him to Canaan, the earthly scene for the working out of God's promises. On Abraham's arrival in Canaan, he received God's promise of land.
CHART: Family of Abraham
Promises Threatened (12:10-20). No sooner were God's promises given than their fulfillment was "threatened." Faced with famine, Abraham deserted the promised land and placed Sarah—the link with the promise of descendants—in a potentially compromising position as a member of Pharaoh's harem.
Promises Realized (13:1-18). Abraham anticipated the history of his descendants by dwelling briefly in Canaan, sojourning in Egypt (12:10-20), and coming out with riches and honor as Israel did later in the exodus (Exod. 11:1-3; 12:35-36). Then, in his own "conquest" and occupation, Abraham divided the land between himself and Lot. The territories through which he had previously traveled as a nomad now became his in permanent habitation.
Possessing and Blessing (14:1-24). Abraham's dominion over his inheritance was not to be uncontested. The invasion and subjugation of the cities of the plain by the kings of the east represented resistance to Abraham's claim to the land. Abraham, acting on behalf of El Elyon, the Almighty God, overcame this threat. In rescuing Lot's people, Abraham was fulfilling his God-given charge to be a blessing to other nations.
Descendants and Land (15:1-21). Though he had inherited the land by promise, Abraham did not yet have the promised offspring, even after ten years in the land (see Gen. 16:3). The Lord reaffirmed His promise, enlarging it to include innumerable offspring. That host of descendants, Yahweh promised, would go to a land of sojourn, just as Abraham had done. They eventually would return with the riches to fill the land of promise.
Human Effort (16:1-16). Sarah, Abraham's wife, was past the age of childbearing. Thus she and her husband, following the custom of the time, decided that the offspring promise could find fulfillment only if they took matters into their own hands. Sarah presented her slave girl to Abraham as a surrogate mother. In due time a son, Ishmael, was born. This attempt to short-circuit the ways and means of the Lord was to no avail.
Promise of an Heir (17:1-18:15). Once more the Lord affirmed His covenant intentions. Abraham would be the father of nations, but the nations would be born of Sarah, not Hagar. As a token of His steadfast loyalty to His covenant pledge, the Lord established the rite of circumcision.
Soon the Lord appeared as the angel of the Lord, revealing to Abraham and Sarah that she would give birth to the promised offspring within the year.
Blessing Neighbors (18:16-19:22). God reminded Abraham that he was the chosen means of blessing the nations. As an illustration of what that meant, Yahweh revealed to Abraham that He was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, cities whose sinfulness was beyond remedy. Abraham was aware that this implied the death of his own nephew Lot, who lived in Sodom. Abraham exercised his ministry of mediation by pleading with the Lord to spare the righteous and thus the cities in which they lived. Though not even ten righteous ones could be found and the cities therefore were overwhelmed in judgment, Abraham's role as the one in whom the nations could find blessing is clearly seen.
Promise Threatened (20:1-18). Abraham's encounter with Abimelech of Gerar also testifies to Abraham's role as mediator. He had lied to Abimelech concerning Sarah, maintaining that she was only his sister. Abimelech took Sarah into his own harem, putting God's promise of offspring through Sarah in jeopardy. Before matters could proceed further, the Lord revealed to Abimelech that Abra ham was a prophet, one whose prayers were effective. Then the plague that Yahweh had brought upon Abimelech because of his dealings with Sarah was removed in response to Abraham's intercession. Once more Abraham's function as dispenser of blessing and cursing is evident.
ARTICLE: Covenants
A covenant is a compact or agreement made between two parties binding them mutually to some agreed upon obligations and benefits. Much of the history of salvation can be traced by noting both the presence and the contents of biblical covenants. Covenants may be either bilateral ("two-sided"), where both parties are obligated, or unilateral ("one-sided"), where only one party is bound by the agreement.
Genesis 15:9-21 offers the best illustration of the unilateral type of covenant. The verb "to make" a covenant is literally "to cut" a covenant. Thus when one made a covenant, several animals were brought, cut in half, and arranged opposite each other. The person or parties making the covenant would then walk through the aisle formed by the carcasses and say in effect, "May it happen to me as it has happened to these slain animals if I do not keep all the provisions of this covenant." (Compare Jer. 34:18-20.)
In a bilateral covenant both parties would take the oath. If one defaulted, the other was released from any further obligations. But in the case of Genesis 15:9-21, the "smoking fire pot with a blazing torch" pictures God as the only One who walked between the pieces and thus obligated Himself alone to bring all the blessings and benefits of the Abrahamic covenant. God's blessings were apart from any works of obedience on the part of Abraham or any of the patriarchs who followed him who also enjoyed the benefits of this covenant.
The Sinai covenant offers the best illustration of a bilateral covenant. The people of Israel agreed to accept the terms of relationship God offered (Exod. 19:5-6; 24:3). In their preaching, the later prophets often placed Israel on trial for failure to fulfill their covenant commitments (Jer. 11:10; Ezek. 16:59; Hos. 8:1). In times of spiritual revival, the people of Israel would reaffirm their commitment to the covenant (Deut. 5:2-3; Josh. 24; 2 Kgs. 23:3; 2 Chr. 15:12).
Scripture presents a fairly large number of covenants. Many were instituted by the one true living God. The primary divine covenants include those made with Noah (Gen. 9:9-17), Abraham (Gen. 15:18; 17:2), Moses (Exod. 19:5-6), David (2 Sam. 23:5; see 7:12-16), and the new covenant of Jeremiah 31:31-34.
The content of covenants is more important than their form. The content of all these divine covenants exhibits a unity, continuity, and building theme. The form changes since there are different "signs" of the covenant (for example, a rainbow in Noah's case, circumcision in Abraham's case), types of covenants, and "people" addressed in the covenant. If we keep our eyes on their content, we will note how the everlasting plan of God, both for our redemption and our successful living, was unfolded.
One three-part formula acts as a summation of God's covenant relationship: I shall be your God, you shall be My people, and I shall dwell in the midst of you. The repetition of elements of this formula as part of many of these covenants supplied one of their unifying themes: God would be in the midst of His people and they would be His special possession. (Compare Gen. 17:7; Exod. 6:6-7; 19:4-5.)
In spite of their structural and thematic unity, the major Old Testament covenants exhibit a diversity of focus as history progresses.
God's covenant with Noah focused on preservation. The Abrahamic covenant focused on land and descendants. The Mosaic covenant emphasized obedience to the law of God, and the Davidic covenant focused on preservation of David's dynasty. The new covenant of Jeremiah 31 focused on God's forgiveness of His people, on whose hearts He would write His law. The covenants with Abraham and David and Jeremiah's new covenant anticipated redemption through the promised Messiah.
To clarify the relationship between the old covenant (usually equated with the Mosaic covenant) and the new covenant is difficult. Paul apparently set the promise of the Abrahamic type covenants over against the law of the Mosaic type. But Paul's contrast was in no way absolute or unqualified.
Paul affirmed that the law-covenant did not annul the covenant of promise (Gal. 3:17) and that the prom-ise-covenant did not annul the covenant of law (Rom. 3:31).
At the apex of all the covenants is the new covenant found in Jeremiah 31:31-34. The phrase new covenant is found six times in the New Testament (1 Cor. 11:25; 2 Cor. 3:6; Heb. 8:8; 9:15; 12:24; and possibly in Luke 22:20). The idea is also present in Romans 11:27 and Galatians 4:21-31. Since much of the content of the new covenant repeats the previous covenants' promises, it may be best to represent this covenant as a "renewed covenant." It fulfills the promises of the older covenants, but it is better by virtue of its clearer view of Christ, its richer experience of the Holy Spirit, and the greater liberty it grants to believers.
Promise Fulfilled (21:1-21). At last Isaac, the covenant son, was born. Through Ishmael, God honored His promise that not only the Hebrews but "many nations" would call Abraham "Father" (see 25:12-18).
Obedience and Blessing (22:1-19). Within a few years the Lord tested Abraham by commanding him to offer his covenant son as a burnt offering. The intent was to teach Abraham that covenant blessing requires total covenant commitment and obedience. The narrative also stresses that covenant obedience brings fresh bestowal of covenant blessing. Abraham's willingness to surrender his son guaranteed all the more the fulfillment of God's promises to him.
Isaac (22:20-25:18; 26:1-33)
Isaac fulfilled a passive linking role quite unlike the other patriarchs, who took an active role in the outworkings of God's promises. Already Abraham had waited for Isaac's birth; Abraham stood ready to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. Following the death and burial of Sarah, Abraham made arrangements for Isaac to take a wife from among his own kinfolk of Aramea. Abraham thus worked to ensure that the promise of offspring would continue into the next generation. This done, Abraham died (25:7-8) and was buried with his wife by his sons Ishmael and Isaac. Isaac rarely occupied the center stage. In the following years Isaac, who had been the object of his father's actions, became an object in his son Jacob's struggle for the promises (27:1-40).
A rare scene focusing on Isaac pictures him as the link through whom God's promises to receive land and to be a source of blessing for the nations were fulfilled. The Lord sent Isaac to live among the Philistines of Gerar as Abraham had done. There Isaac unwillingly blessed the nations by digging wells which the Philistines appropriated to their own use. Isaac and his clan proved to be such a source of nourishment to their neighbors that Abimelech their king made a covenant with Isaac, recognizing his claim in the promised land.
Jacob (25:19-34; 27:1-36:43)
Isaac served as a passive link with God's promises to Abraham. In contrast, Isaac's younger son, Jacob, fought throughout his life for the very best that God had promised to give.
MAP: The Route of Abraham
Beginning of Struggle (25:19-26). Just as the barrenness of Sarah called for Abraham to trust God for offspring, that same deficiency in Rebekah called for earnest prayer from her husband Isaac. Faithful to His promise to Abraham, Yahweh responded and gave not one but two sons, Esau and Jacob. Jacob's grasping Esau's heel in an effort to be the firstborn introduces the major theme of the Jacob stories—Jacob's struggle for the promised blessings.
Struggle for Birthright (25:27-34). Contrary to the norms of succession and inheritance, the Lord gave to Jacob the rights of the firstborn, though on the human level Jacob manipulated his brother in order to receive them. Esau, as the older son of Isaac, should have inherited the birthright, the claim to family leadership. He forfeited that, however, in a moment of self-indulgence.
Struggle for Blessing (26:34-28:9). Esau still retained his position as heir of the covenant promises in succession to Abraham and Isaac. But when it was apparent through his marriages to Hittite women that he was unworthy of covenant privilege, his mother, Rebekah, set about to replace him with his brother Jacob.
When the day came for Isaac to designate Esau as the recipient of God's promised blessing, Jacob appeared in his place. Blind Isaac, deceived by the substitution, granted his irrevocable blessing. In the ancient world the speaking of a blessing, like the signing of a contract in our day, gave the words binding force. Jacob thus controlled both the birthright and the blessing. Though the means of their acquisition was anything but honorable, the Lord had foretold Jacob's triumph on the occasion of the birth of the twins (25:23).
Enraged by this turn of events, Esau plotted to kill his brother. Rebekah urged Jacob to flee for his life to Paddan-Aram, her homeland, so that he might also acquire a wife from among their kin.
God's Faithfulness (28:10-22). God's watchcare became apparent at Bethel, where Jacob encountered Yahweh in a dream. He revealed Himself to Jacob as the God of his fathers, the one who would continue the covenant promises through him.
Struggle Continues (29:1-31:55). Thus encouraged, Jacob went on to Haran, where he struggled with his uncle Laban for the right to marry his daughters Leah and Rachel. God's promise of many offspring began to be realized as Jacob fathered eleven sons and a daughter in his wives' struggle for children. In his struggle against scheming Uncle Laban, Jacob became prosperous beyond his wildest expectations. By stealing the household gods, Rachel joined Jacob in the struggle against Laban. With Laban intent on revenge, only God's intervention in a dream brought a peaceful end to the struggle with Jacob.
Promised Land (32:1-33:17). Finally, after twenty years Jacob returned to his homeland. On the way he learned that Esau was coming to meet him. Fearing that his own efforts to safeguard himself from Esau's revenge were inadequate, Jacob entreated the Lord to deliver him. The Lord again appeared to Jacob, this time as a human foe, and wrestled with the patriarch through the night. Impressed with his persistent struggle, the "man" blessed Jacob with a change of name ( Jacob to Israel, prince of God). The deceiver ( ya akob) had become a nobleman, one fit to rule through the authority of the sovereign God. The subsequent encounter with Esau proved to be peaceful. Indeed, Jacob saw in Esau's forgiveness a reflection of God's face.
ARTICLE: Patriarchs
The term patriarch comes from a Greek word meaning the head of a tribe or family. The term usually refers to the Israelite forefathers Abraham (Heb. 7:4), Isaac, and Jacob. It is used more loosely of Jacob's twelve sons (Acts 7:8-9) and David (Acts 2:29).
Date and Historicity
The time of the patriarchs has been estimated between 2200 and 1300 b.c. Available evidence suggests a time early in the second millennium b.c.. Some doubt the patriarchs were historical characters, seeing them as legendary figures who explain the names of the tribes of Israel. Yet no evidence has been discovered to refute the existence of the patriarchs.
Names
Many of the personal names in the patriarchal narratives appear in early second millennium b.c. texts written by other Near Eastern peoples. Texts from Ugarit and Assyria combine the name Jacob with the names of local gods (Jacob-el, Jacob-baal). The Old Testament understands Abram to mean exalted father; and Abraham, father of many (Gen. 17:5). Isaac, from the Hebrew to laugh, brought joy to his parents by his birth (Gen. 21:6). Jacob likely comes from the word grasp the heel. The patriarchs were Arameans (Deut. 26:5), Semitic peoples of northwestern Mesopotamia.
History
The patriarchal narratives are found in Genesis 12-50. Genesis 11:31 describes Abraham's migration with his family from Ur of the Chaldeans to Haran in northern Mesopotamia, where God made a covenant with him (12:1-3). The covenant promised innumerable descendants and a land known today as Israel. Abraham lived a typical seminomadic life. He dwelt in tents and moved from place to place, seeking pasture for his flocks. Even before the death of his father, Terah, Abraham journeyed with his family and possessions to Canaan, where he settled at Shechem (12:4-6). He later relocated near Bethel (12:8). During a famine, he lived for a time in Egypt (12:10-20). After returning from Egypt, he and Lot agreed to separate and settle in different areas. Lot chose the Jordan Valley near Sodom, and Abraham settled in Hebron (13:2-18).
God promised Abraham an heir when he was sev-enty-five and Sarah, his wife, was ten years younger. The child, Isaac, was born twenty-five years later (Gen. 12:2; 17:1,17,21; 21:5). Little information is given about Isaac except the choosing of his wife, Rebekah (Gen. 24), and the blessing Jacob received from him by disguising himself as Esau (Gen. 27). Jacob's twelve sons, the ancestors of the twelve tribes of Israel, were born to Jacob's wives, Leah and Rachel (Gen. 29; 30; 35:16-19). The aged Jacob's blessings on his sons singled out Judah as the one from whom a ruler would emerge (49:8-12).
Patriarchal Religion
Abraham probably was a worshiper of the Mesopotamian moon god Sin before God made a covenant with him. Joshua 24:2,14 affirms that the patriarchal ancestors worshiped pagan gods in Mesopotamia. Some argue that the patriarchs worshiped one god without denying the existence of other gods. While they became worshipers of the only living God, their descendants reverted to polytheism, worshiping the many gods of the Canaanite fertility cults (Exod. 32; Num. 25:1-3; Josh. 24:14; Ezek. 6:13; 20:8). The prophets constantly condemned the people for their worship of their neighbors' gods.
Threat of Assimilation (33:18-34:31). Jacob moved on into Canaan, coming first to Shechem, the first stopping place of his grandfather Abraham (see 12:6). Having secured property there, Jacob built an altar.
The rape of Dinah graphically illustrates the loose morals of the native Canaanites. Shechem's proposal of marriage illustrates the threat of intermarriage. The slaughter of the men of Shechem anticipates Israel's conquest of the land under Joshua.
Reaffirming the Promises (35:1-36:43). Jacob traveled on to Bethel, again in the footsteps of Abraham (see 12:8). There, as he had before, Jacob saw the Lord in a vision and received yet another promise of the divine presence and blessing. He would father nations and kings and would inherit the land of his fathers. The list of his immediate descendants attests to the onset of promise fulfillment. Even Esau, who had to settle for a secondary blessing (27:39-40), gave rise to a mighty people.
Joseph (37:1-50:26)
Israel's role as the people of promise was being jeopardized by their acceptance of the loose moral standards of the native Canaanites. The incest between Reuben and his father's ser-vant-wife (35:22) hints at that moral compromise. Judah's marriage to the Canaanite Shua and his later affair with his own daughter-in-law, Tamar, makes the danger clear. To preserve His people, Yahweh removed them from that sinful environment to Egypt, where they could mature into the covenant nation that He was preparing them to be.
This explains the Joseph story. His brothers sold him to Egypt to be rid of their brother the dreamer. God, however, used their act of hate as an opportunity to save Israel from both physical famine and spiritual extinction. The rise of Joseph to a position of authority in Egypt in fulfillment of his God-given dreams illustrates the Lord's blessing upon His people. Joseph's wisdom in administering the agricultural affairs of Egypt again fulfilled God's promise that "I will bless him who blesses you." What appeared to be a series of blunders and injustices in Joseph's early experiences proved to be God at work in unseen ways to demonstrate His sovereign, kingdom work among the nations.
No one was more aware of this than Joseph, at least in later years. After he had revealed himself to his brothers, he said, "God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance." Years later after Jacob's death, when Joseph's brothers feared his revenge, he reminded them that they had intended to harm him, "but God intended it for good to accomplish ... the saving of many lives." Human tragedy had become the occasion of divine triumph. Joseph's dying wish—to be buried in the land of promise—looks past the future tragedy of Israel's experience of slavery and anticipates God's triumph in the exodus.
Contemporary Significance. One obvious contribution of the Book of Genesis to the modern world is its explanation of the origins of things that could be understood in no other way. That is, it has scientific and historical value even if that is not its primary purpose.
More fundamentally, Genesis deals with the essence of what it means to be human beings created as the image of God. Who are we? Why are we? What are we to do? Failure to appreciate God's purpose for humanity has resulted in chaotic, purposeless thought and action. Ultimately, life without true knowledge of human nature as the image of God and human function as stewards of God's creation is life without a sense of meaning. When one lives out life in light of Genesis, life is seen as being in touch and in tune with the God of the universe. God's rule becomes a reality as human beings conform to His goals for His creation. Genesis outlines the Creator's intentions.
As sinners we are unable to realize God's purpose for our lives through our own efforts. Only God's intervention brings promise to our lives. Our salvation is God's work.
Ethical Value. The awful effect of sin is one of the striking themes of Genesis. Sin frustrated the purposes of God for the human race. Sin had to be addressed before those purposes could be realized. Genesis teaches the heinousness and seriousness of sin and its tragic repercussions.
In addition to the story of "the fall," narrative after narrative in Genesis shows people how to live victoriously in the face of anti-God elements at work in this fallen world and describes what happens when they fail to do so. Cain, through lack of faith, dishonored God and then killed his brother. Lamech, in boasting pride, revealed the absurdities of humanistic views of life. The intermingling of angelic and human societies shows the inevitable result of breaking the bonds of God-ordained positions in life. The pride of the Babel tower builders demonstrates the arrogance of people who seek to make a name for themselves rather than to honor the name of the Lord.
The models of faith and obedi-ence—Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Joseph—are instructive as well. Their commitment to righteousness and the integrity of lifestyle speak eloquently of what it means to be a kingdom citizen, faithfully at work discharging the high and holy elements of that call.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the meaning of the name Genesis relate to the contents of the book?
- Why did God create humankind?
- What does Genesis teach about the consequences of sin? Does human sin thwart God's ultimate purpose for humanity?
- What were God's goals in calling Abraham?
- What events seemed to threaten the fulfillment of God's promises to Abraham? How did God overcome these obstacles?
- What was Isaac's role in the story of Genesis?
- Why can the story of Jacob be called "the struggle for God's promises"?
- How does the story of Joseph inspire hope at times when God seems to have forgotten you?
- How did Joseph help realize God's promises
- to make Abraham a blessing to the nations?
- to make Abraham the father of a multitude?
- How do Christians participate in realizing God's promises to Abraham?
Sources for Additional Study
Butler, Trent C. "Genesis." Holman Bible Dictionary. Nashville: Holman, 1991.
Coats, George W. Genesis, with an Introduction to Narrative Literature. Forms of Old Testament Literature, vol. 1. Ed. R. Knierim and G. Tucker. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1983.
Garrett, Duane. Rethinking Genesis. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1991.
Kidner, Derek. Genesis: An Introduction and Commentary. London: Tyndale, 1967.
Kikawada, I. M., and Arthur Quinn, Before Abraham Was. Nashville: Abingdon, 1985.
Leupold, H. C. Exposition of Genesis. 2 vols. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1942.
Mathews, Kenneth A. Genesis 1-11:26. The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1996.
Ross, Allen P. Creation and Blessing. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1988.