Foundations

The book of Exodus is an illustration of deliverance, or salvation of God's people and the life of Moses is one great illustration of how to be a deliverer. God taught Moses humility in order to use him as a deliverer for His people. We learn from God through Moses, "It is the plan of God to use the power of God in the people of God to accomplish the purposes of God, according to the plan of God."

Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, mistreated and went through difficult circumstances, yet he never lost his faith in God. His loving response, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." Joseph teaches us about the providence of God and confirms what Romans 8:28 declares that there is no situation so bad God cannot redeem it and bring good from it.

Esau and Jacob provide insights into God's call and grace over mankind. Jacob was born grabbing; he grabbed his twin brother's birthright and deceived their father into giving him the blessing. Jacob's life is a journey of hardship and deception that led him to God's amazing grace. He was blessed not because he had grabbed, but because of God's grace and mercy. God gave Jacob a new name "Israel" because he wanted Jacob to see his true identity in grace.

Abraham, the Father of Faith, is mentioned more times in the New Testament than any other Old Testament character. Abraham teaches; "What is faith, and how to demonstrate it." Abraham is an example through a four-step process, the four alters Abraham built, as his faith matured and developed. The fourth altar was the most significant. There Abraham demonstrated his total trust in God and that God was entirely first in his life.

Reconciliation is a major theme in the Bible; reconciled to God, and reconciled to each other. Genesis 4 helps us discover causes of conflict and some solutions. Cain and Abel both brought sacrifices to God. Cain's heart toward God was not right, therefore his offering was unacceptable. Cain became angry and depressed, and killed his brother. Learn God's foolproof solution that still works for those who are angry and depressed.

What is our greatest need? What happens if we fail to meet it? God provided Adam and Eve everything they would need. They faced the same decision we all face: Are we going to live God's way or our own way? Genesis 3 is a picture of sin and how God dealt with sinners, of sin and its consequences. God pursues sinners and asks man and is still asking man the same questions today.

Genesis teaches that man was created in the image and likeness of God: spiritual, creative, thinking, feeling, and able to communicate. The image was marred when Adam and Eve sinned. The rest of Scripture deals with how to restore sinful man with a Holy God. God created first Adam and then Eve, the woman, to be a "completer" for man. Marriage, man and woman united exclusively, is God's perfect plan. As they grow closer to God, they grow closer to each other.

As believers in God's Word we should understand how the biblical story of creation and science relate to each other. Creation versus evolution; What do scientists say about creation? What do creationists say about science? On what points, if any, do the two camps agree? These questions show us three missing links in the scientific theory, gaps only the Bible can adequately fill.

To study the Bible and apply its truths to life requires work. Effective Bible study is a three-part process: observation, interpretation, and application. In other words, we ask ourselves these three questions: "What does it say?" "What does it mean?" and "What does it mean to me?" The first book of the Bible, Genesis, helps us understand our world and ourselves as we were intended to be and as we are now.

Understand how the Bible came to be and why God gave it to us. All of Scripture has four main purposes and they all point to Jesus. Those four purposes are; (1) To present Jesus Christ as the Savior and Redeemer of the world (2) To provide for us the historical context in which Jesus came (3) To lead the unbeliever into faith in Jesus and (4) To show believers how God wants us to live.