The document discusses the structure and themes of the book of Genesis. It is divided into an introduction, beginning, middle, and end, tracing the lineage from Adam to Noah to the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. A key theme is whether the promised seed will survive and be righteous to fulfill God's covenant and receive his blessing, helping return humanity to the original creation temple.
We’re going to learn how to read the Bible as a story with a beginning, middle, and end
From Genesis chapter 3 we know that we will return to the creation sanctuary through the seed of the woman. Now, because of chapter four we experience tension, because we have seen that the survival of the seed has been at risk and the righteousness of the seed is important also for the seed to be of the kind that will help us to return. Will the seed survive? Will the seed be righteous?
Three episodes related by a movement from tension to resolution.Every Saturday morning since we we’re married 15 years ago we’ve made my aunt’s famous pancake recipe breakfast. It’s kind of a ritual in our family. Well this year on the Friday before Easter we colored eggs with our kids. On Saturday, when we went to make our pancake recipe, the one we’ve been making every Saturday for 15 years, we discovered that we forgot to set aside two eggs for our pancakes. So I said, don’t worry, I’ll go to the store and be back in 30 minutes. So as long as I was going to the story my wife gave me three other things to pick up from the store. So I went to the store and got everything but the eggs. Just as I came to the dairy aisle I met John, we chatted for a couple of minutes and for some reason I had it in my head that I had already gotten the eggs. So I checked out went home and my wife opens up the bag and with this irritated voice says, “OK Where are the eggs?”That was the first time in 15 years that we had cereal for breakfast on Saturday.
Green is the line of promise, red the line not of promiseThree dashes are linear genealogiesAsterisk denotes narratives< denotes a segmented genealogyOnce we get to Abraham, the seed of promise is denoted as being inside or outside the land of rest/blessing (Ishmael and Esau are outside the promised land, location is also associated with Shem, Ham, and Japeth, so for every seed not of promise the location is important, and more so once the land is promised to Abraham)Note that we have one תוֹלְדוֹת followed by three sets of three תוֹלְדוֹת followed by a final תוֹלְדוֹת.In the middle, the first two begin with genealogies that trace the seed, this is not necessary for the third because there is no genealogy to trace from Abraham to Isaac. The next in the sequence is the narrative portion (Noah and the flood narrative, Terah and the Abraham narrative, Isaac and the Jacob narratives). The narrative portion is the most important portion of the תוֹלְדוֹת section as seen by the fact that each section contains a narrative portion. This is the core of the section. Also, the narrative portion traces the line of promise. Each section ends with a genealogy that traces the line not of promise with the exception of the first and the last. Also the third of the three center sections ends with two Esau genealogies. This may be to fill out the pattern established by the first two.
Green is the line of promise, red the line not of promiseThree dashes are linear genealogiesAsterisk denotes narratives< denotes a segmented genealogyOnce we get to Abraham, the seed of promise is denoted as being inside or outside the land of rest/blessing (Ishmael and Esau are outside the promised land, location is also associated with Shem, Ham, and Japeth, so for every seed not of promise the location is important, and more so once the land is promised to Abraham)Note that we have one תוֹלְדוֹת followed by three sets of three תוֹלְדוֹת followed by a final תוֹלְדוֹת.In the middle, the first two begin with genealogies that trace the seed, this is not necessary for the third because there is no genealogy to trace from Abraham to Isaac. The next in the sequence is the narrative portion (Noah and the flood narrative, Terah and the Abraham narrative, Isaac and the Jacob narratives). The narrative portion is the most important portion of the תוֹלְדוֹת section as seen by the fact that each section contains a narrative portion. This is the core of the section. Also, the narrative portion traces the line of promise. Each section ends with a genealogy that traces the line not of promise with the exception of the first and the last. Also the third of the three center sections ends with two Esau genealogies. This may be to fill out the pattern established by the first two.
Green is the line of promise, red the line not of promiseThree dashes are linear genealogiesAsterisk denotes narratives< denotes a segmented genealogyOnce we get to Abraham, the seed of promise is denoted as being inside or outside the land of rest/blessing (Ishmael and Esau are outside the promised land, location is also associated with Shem, Ham, and Japeth, so for every seed not of promise the location is important, and more so once the land is promised to Abraham)
Green is the line of promise, red the line not of promiseOnce we get to Abraham, the seed of promise is denoted as being inside or outside the land of rest/blessing (Ishmael and Esau are outside the promised land, location is also associated with Shem, Ham, and Japeth, so for every seed not of promise the location is important, and more so once the land is promised to Abraham)
Green is the line of promise, red the line not of promiseOnce we get to Abraham, the seed of promise is denoted as being inside or outside the land of rest/blessing (Ishmael and Esau are outside the promised land, location is also associated with Shem, Ham, and Japeth, so for every seed not of promise the location is important, and more so once the land is promised to Abraham)
Green is the line of promise, red the line not of promiseOnce we get to Abraham, the seed of promise is denoted as being inside or outside the land of rest/blessing (Ishmael and Esau are outside the promised land, location is also associated with Shem, Ham, and Japeth, so for every seed not of promise the location is important, and more so once the land is promised to Abraham)
The goal of Genesis is to get back to the creation sanctuary (provision and protection in the presence of a Holy God)
The goal of Genesis is to get back to the creation sanctuary (provision and protection in the presence of a Holy God)
The goal of Genesis is to get back to the creation sanctuary (provision and protection in the presence of a Holy God)