Genesis 1-11 provides 7 crucial doctrines of the Christian faith. These doctrines are profoundly important to understanding and correctly applying the New Testament. This Genesis bracket of 1-11 is crucial to understanding the entire Bible. Consequently, without this information, the New Testament is impossible to fully understand and apply. This Genesis tour provides what you need to know about the first 11 chapters of the most important book in the Bible. That being said, below are the 7 Crucial Doctrines created in Genesis 1-11.
The Nature of God
The God of the Bible is the Supreme Creator “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.” Gen 1:1. God created, not a Big Bang followed by evolution. These things are physically impossible in accordance with operational science. Only a self-existent, all-powerful and all-knowing God can create everything from nothing. God is our Sovereign King. Gen 9:1-7 reveals that God is in complete charge of each of us as created beings. As well as the master of all living things because he created them and commanded them to fear humans.
God is also our Righteous Judge. As revealed in Gen 3:14-24 and Gen chapters 6-8, God created us, so he can righteously judge our thoughts and actions in accordance with His perfect will. God is our Merciful Savior providing the means by which we can be saved from our fallen state. God is the Covenant God because when He makes a promise to His creation, He keeps those promises. As described in Gen 1 and 2 among others.
The Nature of Man
Created in God’s Image
Genesis 1:26-27 shares that we are created in God’s image as a unique reflection of God both physically – we look like God the Son, Jesus. And we also reflect the image of God as having a spiritual component that is not present in the other creatures God created. Therefore, we are not like other created things and we are also separated out for a purpose that transcends all other created things. We are also completely reliant on God. He created us to rule over all other animals and put the fear of us in them so that we could rule over them. As a special creation of God, we are also ultimately responsible to God. God has every right to rule and judge His creation.
Created by God to Fulfill His Purpose
God’s purpose for us includes a personal relationship with the creator of everything. He also gave us rule over all the creatures that he created and also the earth that he provided. At the same time giving us a work ethic compelling us to work for what we have. And finally, to reproduce and fill the earth with our offspring that reflect the image of God. We were never called to abort our children, we were called by God to be fruitful and multiply. “And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.” Gen 9:7.
The Nature of Creation
The universe, the earth and all that exists were all created by the Word of God in the beginning. Before God created, nothing existed except God. Gen 1 and John 1:1-3. God’s sustaining power keeps everything in order in accordance with His perfect will. Gen 1 and Col. 1:15-17. Science teaches that there is a subatomic bond that holds each atom together. But they have no idea what that bond actually is. They loosely describe it as a strong nuclear force and the electromagnetic force. So, what makes up that “force” that holds subatomic particles together? I submit that without God’s sustaining power, every atom everywhere would fly apart. Everywhere we look we see evidence of God’s work and sustaining power.
The Nature of Satan
Satan is a created being, created by God as an angelic being to serve God and is therefore inferior to God. Gen 3:1. Satan is either symbolically described as a serpent or literally possessed a serpent as he tempted Eve, which makes him a liar. God said, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” This is the first prophecy in the Bible and it shows that Satan must obey God as his sovereign Lord. Satan can speak and is smart enough to tempt and trick Eve into eating the Fruit that she was forbidden to eat. Gen 3:1-5. So, he can tempt and trick us too. According to John 8:44 Jesus describes Satan as a “murderer from the beginning.” Also, throughout scripture, Satan is described as a liar, deceiver, and murderer.
The Nature of Sin
In keeping with Gen 2:17, the very root of sin is disobeying or rejecting God’s Word. In the Garden of Eden, Satan misquoted God’s Word to deceive Eve. Eve took Satan’s word as true and sinned. Then Adam ate of the forbidden fruit. Adam sinned even though God Himself told Adam that he wasn’t to eat of the fruit or Adam would die. Eve didn’t even exist yet when God spoke this command with Adam, so Adam had no excuse. Sin is also rejecting God’s authority. Several consequences resulted from that first sin.
Personal Consequences of Sin
This initial or “original” sin caused Adam and Eve to develop guilt, shame, and fear. None of these things existed until after their sin. Gen 3:8-13. That sin created strife between man and woman. Gen 3:16. Sin compelled God to cast Adam and Eve out of the garden. They had to struggle to survive as God cursed the earth. Gen 3:17-19. The first sin also caused strife between man and man, as we see in the first murder in Gen 4:1-17.
General Consequences of Sin
Sin caused immediate spiritual death. Adam and Eve and all their descendants are separated from God. It required a special act of God to redeem us and give us back that personal relationship with God. Gen 3. Furthermore, because of sin, we all will also experience physical death, just like Adam and Eve. Gen 5. We will also receive God’s Wrath for our sin. Gen 6-7. This is very unpopular today. People feel that a loving God will not punish them. Well, they’re wrong according to scripture. God is perfect and holy. Therefore, he will not tolerate sin. When we accept Christ we are forgiven, not given a license to sin.
The Need for Redemption
Undeserved Worth – GRACE
God’s grace has been present from the beginning as people looked forward in time toward the cross. The promise of the coming redeemer in Gen 3:15. The need for a sacrifice, that is demonstrated by God killing an animal to provide clothing for Adam and Eve in Gen 3:21. The covenant relationship that God initiated in Gen 6:18 and Gen 9:9-11. And lastly, the promise of deliverance that is echoed in Gen 6. God knew we would sin so he also put a plan in place to get us back into His good graces, even though we don’t deserve His grace.
The Gift of Hope
Genesis 1-11 provide the glimpses of hope that we need to carry on. The hope of Satan’s eventual defeat in Gen 3:15. The hope that sin will be forgiven and eventually abolished. The hope that God’s creation will be restored after it’s destruction as demonstrated in Gen 9:9-11. The hope that God’s people will be rescued from guilt, shame, and fear as demonstrated in Gen 3 and 4. Finally, God’s name will be lifted up and praised from all over the earth due to Gen 11 and the dispersal of people from Babel.
The Delivery of Redemption
We can see God’s provision as he saves Noah from the flood, just as we are redeemed through Christ’s shed blood. The fact that God fulfills His covenants. Hence, God has never again destroyed the earth by flood. Gen 9:9-11. Also, that the descendants of Abraham would continue always according to Gen 12:1-3. God has always kept His promises. So, since we know and understand God’s character, we can conclude that he will keep his promise to redeem us. Redemption and salvation are available for all those that accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.
Concluding Comments – Genesis 1-11 Provides 7 Crucial Doctrines
This was a very brief overview of the vast importance of Genesis 1-11.
Most of the Christian doctrines have their start in these chapters. Consequently, I could have easily expounded each section into an article of its own. So, please take this brief study and use it to further study this amazing book. In my opinion, the most important book of the Bible – Genesis.
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