Welcome to a new series of studies on the Book of Genesis. In this season, we will study the early chapters of Genesis, which relate stories from primeval history, in preparation for studies in the patriarchal history of Abraham and his descendants in a later season. While Genesis is anonymous, Moses has traditionally been considered its author. Scholars have challenged that view in the last 150 years, however. This episode summarizes the authorship issue and suggests a mediating position that allows us to establish a historical context as the basis for our interpretation. We also touch on other introductory issues, such as the genre of Genesis and the book’s relationship to ancient near eastern literature and contemporary science. We conclude with an analysis of the first two verses of Genesis, setting the stage for a detailed study of the creation narrative in upcoming episodes.

 

00:00 Opening comments

03:34 Authorship of Genesis

13:22 Genre of Genesis

16:25 Genesis and ancient near eastern literature

20:35 Genesis and science

23:23 In the beginning…

32:30 Closing comments

 

Study questions for Genesis 1:1-2

1.      Genesis begins with “In the beginning,” not “In the beginning of….” What conclusions would you draw from this distinction?

2.      What is your first impression of God from these verses?

3.      Does it seem like God created the disordered state, then brought order out of it, or was the disordered state preexisting before God began bringing order?

4.      How does the phrase “the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters” make you feel?

5.      Why do you think that Genesis tells us that God was the creator, but does not tell us exactly how He created?

6.      How aware are you of God’s created world in your daily life?

7.      What do you hope to gain from studying the early stories of Genesis?

Episodes released every two weeks on Monday

Contact me: https://www.biblewisdomtoday.com/contact/