Genesis - Beginnings

At a Glance


Author	Moses (traditional)
Audience	Israel, preparing to enter the Promised Land
Theme	Origins - of the world, humanity, sin, and God’s redemptive plan
Key Phrase	”In the beginning…” / “These are the generations of…”
Time Span	Creation to Joseph’s death (~2000+ years)
Key Word	Toledot (generations/account) - appears 11 times

The Big Picture

Genesis answers: “Where did we come from, and why does God’s promise matter?”

The Six Movements

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ MOVEMENT 1: ORIGINS (1-3)                                   │
│ Creation → Fall → First Promise                            │
│ "In the beginning... God"                                  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
            ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ MOVEMENT 2: JUDGMENT (4-9)                                  │
│ Murder → Corruption → Flood → Covenant                     │
│ "The LORD saw the wickedness... was great"                 │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
            ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ MOVEMENT 3: SCATTERING (10-11)                              │
│ Nations → Babel → Narrowing to Abram                       │
│ "Come, let us make a name for ourselves"                   │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
            ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ MOVEMENT 4: PROMISE (12-25)                                 │
│ Call → Covenant → Test → Fulfillment                       │
│ "I will bless you... all nations blessed through you"      │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
            ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ MOVEMENT 5: WRESTLING (26-36)                               │
│ Deception → Conflict → Transformation                      │
│ "Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel"           │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
            ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ MOVEMENT 6: PROVIDENCE (37-50)                              │
│ Pit → Prison → Palace → Preservation                       │
│ "You meant evil... God meant it for good"                  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Movement 1: Origins (Ch. 1-3)

How everything began and broke

Ch	Title	One-Line Summary
1	Creation	God creates the heavens, earth, and humanity in His image
2	Eden	Man placed in garden, woman formed, marriage instituted
3	The Fall	Serpent deceives, humanity sins, curses and promise of redemption

Movement 2: Judgment (Ch. 4-9)

Sin spreads, God judges, grace preserves

Ch	Title	One-Line Summary
4	Cain & Abel	First murder, line of Cain, birth of Seth
5	Genealogy to Noah	Adam to Noah - “and he died” refrain
6	Corruption & Ark	Wickedness fills earth, Noah finds grace, ark commanded
7	The Flood	Waters rise, all flesh destroyed, ark floats
8	Waters Recede	Dove sent, earth dries, Noah worships
9	Covenant with Noah	Rainbow covenant, Noah’s shame, curse on Canaan

Movement 3: Scattering (Ch. 10-11)

From all nations to one family

Ch	Title	One-Line Summary
10	Table of Nations	70 nations descended from Shem, Ham, Japheth
11	Babel & Abram	Tower scattered, genealogy narrows to Abram

Movement 4: Promise (Ch. 12-25)

God calls one man through whom all nations will be blessed

Ch	Title	One-Line Summary
12	Call of Abram	Leave your country - land, nation, blessing promised
13	Abram & Lot Part	Lot chooses Sodom, God reaffirms promise to Abram
14	Abram Rescues Lot	Defeats kings, blessed by Melchizedek, refuses Sodom’s wealth
15	Covenant Promise	”Count the stars” - believed, credited as righteousness, covenant cut
16	Hagar & Ishmael	Sarai’s plan, Hagar flees, Ishmael born
17	Circumcision Covenant	Names changed, circumcision instituted, Isaac promised
18	Three Visitors	”Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Abraham intercedes for Sodom
19	Sodom Destroyed	Angels rescue Lot, cities destroyed, Lot’s daughters’ sin
20	Abraham & Abimelech	Sarah taken again, God protects, Abraham rebuked
21	Isaac Born	Laughter fulfilled, Ishmael sent away, treaty at Beersheba
22	Binding of Isaac	Ultimate test, “God will provide the lamb,” blessing reaffirmed
23	Sarah Dies	Abraham buys cave of Machpelah - first owned land
24	Bride for Isaac	Servant’s mission, Rebekah chosen, marriage
25	Jacob & Esau	Abraham dies, twins born, birthright sold

Movement 5: Wrestling (Ch. 26-36)

Deception, conflict, and transformation

Ch	Title	One-Line Summary
26	Isaac & Abimelech	Famine, deception about Rebekah, wells, covenant
27	Stolen Blessing	Jacob deceives Isaac, Esau’s bitter cry, Jacob flees
28	Jacob’s Ladder	Bethel vision, stairway to heaven, vow made
29	Jacob Marries	Meets Rachel, works 7 years, deceived with Leah, works 7 more
30	Jacob’s Children	Twelve sons born, flocks multiply through strategy
31	Jacob Flees Laban	Secret departure, Laban pursues, covenant at Mizpah
32	Wrestling with God	Prays for deliverance, wrestles at Peniel, becomes Israel
33	Esau Reconciled	Brothers meet, embrace, part peacefully
34	Dinah Avenged	Shechem’s crime, Simeon & Levi’s revenge
35	Return to Bethel	Purification, Rachel dies, Isaac dies
36	Esau’s Descendants	Edomite genealogy, kings before Israel

Movement 6: Providence (Ch. 37-50)

What man meant for evil, God meant for good

Ch	Title	One-Line Summary
37	Joseph Sold	Dreams, brothers’ hatred, sold to Egypt
38	Judah & Tamar	Judah’s failures, Tamar’s righteousness, Perez born
39	Potiphar’s House	Prospers, resists temptation, falsely imprisoned
40	Dreams in Prison	Cupbearer and baker, Joseph interprets, forgotten
41	Pharaoh’s Dreams	7 years plenty/famine, Joseph exalted to second in command
42	Brothers in Egypt	First visit, accused as spies, Simeon held
43	Second Journey	Benjamin goes, feast in Joseph’s house
44	The Silver Cup	Cup in Benjamin’s sack, Judah’s plea
45	Joseph Revealed	”I am Joseph!” - meant for evil, God meant for good
46	Jacob Goes to Egypt	Vision at Beersheba, 70 souls descend
47	Settling in Goshen	Family established, Jacob blesses Pharaoh
48	Blessing Ephraim & Manasseh	Jacob adopts, crosses hands, younger over older
49	Jacob Blesses Sons	Prophetic blessings on twelve tribes, Judah’s scepter
50	Jacob & Joseph Die	Burial in Canaan, Joseph’s forgiveness, “God will visit you”

Key Themes

Theme	Description
Creation & Order	God brings order from chaos, light from darkness, life from nothing
Fall & Consequences	Sin enters through disobedience, brings death, curses, separation
Covenant & Promise	God binds Himself to bless - with Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
Election & Reversal	God chooses the younger, the barren, the unlikely
Providence & Sovereignty	God works through human choices, even evil, for His purposes
Seed & Blessing	Promise of offspring who will bless all nations

The Toledot Structure

Genesis is organized by 11 “generations” (toledot) markers:

#	Text	Reference
1	”These are the generations of the heavens and earth”	2:4
2	”This is the book of the generations of Adam”	5:1
3	”These are the generations of Noah”	6:9
4	”These are the generations of the sons of Noah”	10:1
5	”These are the generations of Shem”	11:10
6	”These are the generations of Terah”	11:27
7	”These are the generations of Ishmael”	25:12
8	”These are the generations of Isaac”	25:19
9	”These are the generations of Esau”	36:1
10	”These are the generations of Esau” (Edom)	36:9
11	”These are the generations of Jacob”	37:2

Reading Progress

Chapters Completed: 8/50
[████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░] 16%

Reading Plan Ch 1: Creation