"Doc Notes" Concluding suggestions on Genesis

Concluding suggestions on Genesis

Gentle readers,

It would be difficult not to continue to search the scripture in Genesis with you until we have exhausted both our wits and our patience over the rich mine field that is our first book of our Bible. But for me to do so would deprive you of much thought and study and we are told “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2Ti 2:15 KJV) Which could have been better translated this way “You, yourself be diligent to show to Christ ( Alexandrian copy reads, "to Christ") that you may be an approved worker who has nothing to be ashamed of, handling the word of (the)truth with precision. [ my translation]

It is after all gentle reader, your responsibility and yours alone to undertake the path that God places you upon. We as teachers can only point out the way we have gone and hope to impart some small help for your journey.

So with that in mind let me suggest that the book of Genesis should be also studied biographically. It is rich in human characters. Study for instance, the seven great men before-mentioned, noting the dominant feature or determining crisis in the recorded history of each-Abel the worshipper, Enoch the walker, Noah the worker, Abrham the wanderer, Isaac the watcher, Jacob the wrestler, Joseph the waiter. What character studies are Esau, Lot, Cain!- illustrating, respectively, “the lust of the flesh, and the lust pf the eyes, and the pride of life”(1 John 2:16). Nimrod, Sarah, Labon, Judah, and others well repay study.

Genesis should be specially studied spiritually. No book in the Old Testament is richer in spiritul values. Here is a life time of rewarding study in itself! It’s spiritual teachings fall into two categories (1) truths to enlighten the mind (2) lessons to regulate the life. As to the former we may mention - the presence and gracious purpose of God in human history: the presence and purpose of evil a personal devil and his names in scripture and history (Abaddon, accuser, adversary Antichrist, author of all sin, Beelzebub, chief of the demons, deceiver, destroyer, devourer, dragon, enemy of righteousness, evil one, evil spirit, fallen angel, father of all lies, father of contention, founder of murder, Great Antichrist, great dragon, liar from the beginning, Lucifer, Mammon, murderer from the beginning, old serpent, Perdition, prince of darkness. prince of devils, prince of the power of the air, prince of this world, Satan, serpent, slanderer, Son of Perdition, Son of the Morning, spoiler, tempter wicked one). The origin and progress of sin in the human race; the depravity of fallen human nature;the Divine prevision and provision; the ministry of angels; the Divine sovereignty and condescension; these being but a few of many tremendous truths.

As for lessons which abound here- to cite only one of many fruitful instances- what spiritual lessons we find in Abrham. Take for example Ch.12:4-9 (faith responding) then faith receeding (12:10-20) then faith returning (13:1-4). These lessons are important beyond expression.

Then again Genesis should be studied prophetically. The whole of subsequent revelation and history is really about the unfolding of the prophecies in the first book of Scripture. Here are the Prophecies concerning Christ, the earth, race (9:25-27), concerning Israel (13:14-17, 22:15-18) concerning other nations (17:19-20, 25:23) In the light of many wonderful fulfilments these give unanswerable evidence to the superhuman origin of the Scriptures.

Genesis should also be studied dispensationally. There has been much discussion of late as to whether one shoul embrace covenant theology or dispensational Theology. My answer is both! For you one can not have the one without considering the other. To do so is to allow yourself be be incomplete intellectually.
Covenant Theology isn’t so much a ‘theology’ in the sense of a systematic set of doctrine as it is a framework for interpreting Scripture.

Where dispensationalism sees the Scriptures unfolding in a series of (typically) seven ‘dispensations’ (a ‘dispensation’ can be defined as the particular means God uses to deal with man and creation during a given period in redemptive history), Covenant Theology looks at the Scriptures through the grid of the covenant. Covenant Theology defines two overriding covenants: the covenant of works (CW) and the covenant of grace (CG). A third covenant is sometimes mentioned; namely, the covenant of redemption (CR), which logically precedes the other two covenants. We will discuss these covenants in turn. The important thing to keep in mind is that all of the various covenants described in Scripture (e.g., the covenants made with Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and the New Covenant) are outworkings of either the covenant of works or the covenant of grace.

There are other ways of studying Genesis such as geographically, critcally, textually but we will allow to to find your own path as we continue to move forward to the next book of Exodus .

Second book of the Pentateuch, known in Hebrew as Shemot ("Names") from the second word of the opening sentence. In the Midrash it is referred to as Sefer ha-Ge'ulah ("the Book of Redemption"), because of its content; the Greek Septuagint, however, calls it Exodos, "the Departure from Egypt."

Following the Latin Vulgate, printed Hebrew Bibles divide Exodus into 40 chapters and 1,209 verses. The Babylonian cycle of readings (which is followed today by all Jewish communities) divides the book into 11 sections (sedarot), but according to the Palestinian Triennial Cycle of Second Temple times it contains 33 (or 29) sections. Traditionally, the book encompasses a period of 129 years, from the death of Joseph to the building of the Sanctuary. Jewish tradition also maintains that Exodus, like the rest of the Pentateuch, was written by Moses under Divine inspiration.

In terms of form and content, the volume is a direct continuation of the Book of Genesis, but constitutes a separate unit. Genesis describes the beginning of the Israelite people, first as individuals and later as a family; Exodus describes Israel's transformation into a nation. The Book of Genesis tells of God's assurance to the patriarchs that they will have descendants and a Promised Land, whereas Exodus demonstrates the gradual fulfillment of these promises in three stages: (1) The redemption of the Israelites from Egypt; (2) The Covenant made by God with His people; and (3) The building of the Sanctuary.

The only hint concerning the historicity of events described in te book is the mention of two Egyptian cities, Pithom and Raamses (Ex. 1:11). Raamses was the capital of Egypt under the 19th dynasty, and was built by Ramses II (Usermare Ramses, 1294-1224 BCE). It is generally assumed that Ramses II was "the Pharaoh of the Oppression" and that the Exodus from Egypt took place during the reign of his son and heir, Baenre Merneptah (1224-1204 BCE).

Among Bible critics, proponents of the documentary theory maintain that Exodus contains elements of three sources (J, E, and P) that were combined. The school of "form criticism" regards this volume as a narrative epic created to explain the festival of Passover. Chapters 1-15 constitute "the Passover legend," representing the Sitz im Leben of the book. According to this view, the sources which deal with the Giving of the Torah, the various laws (chapters 21-24), and the details of the Sanctuary (Tabernacle) are of later origin.

To be continued. . . Lessson 3 part 1 Exodus
































































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