The voice of Excellence

Prince Handley

OLD TESTAMENT INTRODUCTION
~ PART A ~

GENESIS ["Beginnings"]

The name "Genesis" was given to the first book in the Old Testament by translators because the word rendering from Hebrew "bereshith," means literally "in the beginning," which was the first word of the Hebrew text.

EVENTS: Four (4) outstanding events:

• Creation
  
• Man’s Fall
  
• The Flood
  
• Tower of Babel
  

These four events explain the questions which people consider, such as:

    1. How did the universe begin? (Read about "Creation" in Genesis Chapter 1 and Chapter 2.)

   2. Since God is good, where do sin, suffering and death come from? (Read about "Man’s Fall" in Genesis Chapter 3. It describes how man became separated from God when the first man, Adam, obeyed the devil, Satan.) Also, study How To Win.

    3. Will God, who is good, judge the world for wickedness and sin? (Read about the "Flood" in Genesis Chapters 6, 7, and 8.)

    4. Why are there different races and languages? (Read about the "Tower of Babel" in Genesis Chapter 11.)

PATRIARCHS: Four (4) outstanding personalities:

• Abraham
  
• Isaac
  
• Jacob
  
• Joseph
  

PURPOSES: 

Genesis 12 thru Genesis 50 (Abraham to Joseph) is only 350 years. The chart above also shows you that the "Four Outstanding Events" in the Genesis Chapters 1 thru 11 cover as much time (2000 years) as the rest of the Old Testament (from Genesis 12 all the way up to the time of Christ).

PRODUCTIVITY:

God created man perfectly and placed him in a beautiful work place. But ... then, because of sin ... judgment and confusion entered. Keep sin out of your life ... then, blessing and peace will follow. You will be creative and productive!

Next, go to  Old Testament Introduction - Part B.