- The first is primeval history, which begins with creation in chapter one and ends in chapter 11.
- The second division falls under the category of patriarchal history and begins in chapter 12 with Abraham and continues to the book’s end in chapter 50.
Within the two divisions of primeval and patriarchal history, a narrative occurs throughout the book that is driven forward through a series of major causative events.
The first major event is the Creation account, which spans the first two chapters of the book.
The second is the causal event of the Fall of chapter 3, of which its consequences are immediately discovered in Adam and Eve and the generations that follow (Gen. 3-5).
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The third major event is the Flood where God reestablishes a new beginning through Noah and his family (Genesis 6-10).
The fourth major event is the Tower of Babel event of Mesopotamia of chapter 11.
In total, there are four major events that make up the subdivisions of primeval history.
Patriarchal History
The patriarchal division of Genesis is focused on God working through one particular family—Abraham’s and Sarah’s. At this juncture of the narrative, a formula has developed where the author divides the narrative by employing the phrase “the descendants of . . .”[1] This phrase first appears in Genesis 2:4 and it is carried throughout the entire book. It is especially significant within the family narratives concerning Abraham’s descendants. Simply put, this phrase provides the major divisions within the patriarchal family of Abraham. The first division is concerned with Abraham (Gen. 12-25), which also involves Isaac (Gen. 24-27). The second division tells the narrative of Jacob (Gen. 25-36) and the final narrative concerns the story of Joseph (Gen. 37-50). Again, it is important to note how the use of the phrase, “the descendants of . . .” provides the transition from one narrative to the next. In sum, Genesis 12-50 is divided up into four major sub-divisions involving four major characters: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.
Noted above, Genesis can be understood as a historical account; however, it is equally important to recognize that part of the materials of Genesis is biography, which is a main concern of the author. Significantly, the book begins with a broad perspective of human history that waxes and wanes, and then works its way down to one particular family—that being the family of Abraham, which takes up the majority of Genesis (12-50). Vitally, beginning with Abraham, the people of God begin to increase once again.
With God as the central figure of Genesis, the overarching theme presents itself as God desiring to be in relationship with the human beings He created. This picture of relationship emerges in the garden of Eden where God “took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it” (Genesis 2:15, NRSV). Significantly, this relationship is quite unique because it is between God (the divine being and Creator) and mortal human beings, which is to say that this is no simple relationship and certain measures must be in place in order to establish and maintain the relationship. To this, God enters into the relationship through covenants, which is a contract between two parties that involve promises, stipulations, privileges, and responsibilities—all intending to maintain the relationship.
COVENANT
The first covenant in the Scriptures in Genesis 2 where God, after placing the man in Eden to till it and keep it(purpose)—states, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die” (Gen. 2:16-17). A careful observation of these brief verses yields that this covenant was made to an individual (Adam, which extended to Eve—3:1); it contains a location (Garden of Eden); privileges (eat of every tree); a stipulation (a forbidden tree); and a consequence of disobedience (death). Again, this covenant was not simply a set of rules for no reason rather they were measures to ensure a healthy relationship of shalom (peace) between Creator and His created beings. Sadly, Adam and Eve transgressed, which had devastating consequences that are noted in Genesis 3:14-19. The ultimate penalty was that the human beings were exiled from God’s presence (Gen. 3:23), which ended in eventual death (Gen. 5:5). Further, all of humanity following this incident has experienced these consequences.
The second covenant in the Scriptures occurs after God flooded the earth and the waters subsided. This covenant is addressed to Noah, his sons and all of the descendants that follow. In short, it involves all of humanity and all of God’s creation. Specifically, the covenant states that “never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth” (Gen. 9:10). The sign of this covenant is God’s “bow in the clouds” (Gen. 9:13). Significantly, this covenant is universal and everlasting, and in this manner, it is relational because it is between God and all that He created on the earth. Ultimately, it reveals God’s care and provision for His creation.
After another pattern of human beings devolving into sin, God makes another attempt at establishing a relationship with His people, and he does so through a man named Abraham. The Abrahamic covenant is accounted for in Genesis 12:1-3 when God tells Abraham to leave his country, kindred, and father’s house to a land that God will reveal (Gen. 12:1). This is Abraham’s portion of the covenant, that is to do what God requests. If Abraham does so, God will “make you [Abraham] a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:2-3). Notably, within God’s promises, he replaces everything that Abraham left behind, “Leave your family; I promise to give you a new on. Leave your source of blessing (your father; for I promise to bless you myself. And I will make your name great.”[2] Most notably, with this covenant, God is clearly on a mission to bless all the families of the earth.
Interestingly, the covenant ritual occurs in Genesis 15 after God and Abraham establish a relationship of faithfulness and trust. Within this ritual, it is God who takes full responsibility for the consequences of breaking the covenant and not Abraham. This is evident in the ritual where God (not Abraham) passes through the pieces of animals, which was God saying to Abraham, “May I die if I do not keep my covenant with you.”[3] The sign of this Abrahamic covenant occurs in chapter 17:9-14 with circumcision. Notably, the Abrahamic covenant is reestablished with each of Abraham’s descendants who belong to the line of Isaac (not Ishmael), and to the generations that follow.
The narrative of Genesis moves forward through a series of causal events, of which problems are introduced and the responded to. The initial problem of Genesis is introduced early on in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve violated the covenant stipulation of eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 3:6). Of course, this had catastrophic consequences that spilled out into the rest of human history, and it introduces the question of how God was going to respond. Vitally, there is an immediate response accounted for in Genesis 3:14-24, but what begins to develop throughout the remainder of the book is a pattern of human sin and God responding as rescuer/redeemer.
The issue of Genesis 11:30
The Abraham narrative begins with a problem: Sarai was barren
Against the backdrop of the initial problem of sin permeating God’s creation through human beings (but not all), God’s sweeping act of redemption is initiated through the family of Abraham, of which a problem is immediately introduced in Genesis 11:30, “Now Sarai was barren; she had no child.” Of course, this does not become a problem until the reader learns that God intends to make a great nation of Abraham, which is dependent upon Sarai being able to conceive. The problem of barrenness does not just lie with Sarai, and hereto another pattern emerges later on in the story where others are barren among the line of descendants such as Rebekah (Gen. 25:21) and Rachel (Gen. 30:22). In each of these situations, God resolved their barrenness through pregnancy.
At the core of these issues regarding barrenness is the issue of God’s mission and therefore, they can be understood as obstacles to the covenant, which is especially true for Sarah who gave birth to the one of whom the covenant would extend to (Gen. 17:18-19). However, barrenness was not the only obstacle to the covenant. For example, Ishmael, who was Abraham’s son through Haggar, presents as an obstacle/problem toward establishing the covenant as well as Abraham’s tremendous love for his son Isaac who God asked for him to sacrifice in a test of his faithfulness. All of these things, and other things along the narrative of Abraham can be understood as obstacles to the covenant, all of which God responds and resolves throughout the narrative.
One last thing to note regarding the problems that emerge within Genesis is actually a major one that occurs at the end of the narrative. Genesis closes with God’s people living in a foreign land (away from the promise land), and under the rule of a pharaoh, albeit a good one. Regardless, Genesis ends with a problem that is unsettling and unresolved, which brings this discussion back to the promises that God made to Abraham earlier in Genesis 12.
God's Promises to Abraham
Recall that beginning in Genesis 12 and throughout Abraham’s life, God made specific promises to him. Specifically the promises were:
- Abraham would be a great nation (12:2)
- God would bless those who bless Abraham, and cure those who curse him (12:3)
- Promised land to his descendants (12:7; 15:7)
- Uncountable number of descendants (15:5)
- Abraham would be the ancestor of a multitude of nations (plural) (17:4)
- A child born/heir (15:4) from Sarah (17:16).
As a side, God also promised to Abraham regarding Ishamel, “I will bless him and make him fruitful and exceedingly numberous; he shall be the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation (17:20, NRSV).
Unfulfilled Promises in Genesis
It is important to note that within the framework of Genesis, only a few of the above promises were fulfilled. The most obvious promise that was fulfilled was the promise regarding an heir that would come from Sarah, namely Isaac of whom the descendants came. However, by the end of Genesis, it cannot be said that the descendants numbered the stars in the heavens of 15:5. Other promises that immediately come into fruition are the promises of blessing in conjunction with God blessing those who bless Abraham and cursing those who curse him. These promises are evident within the narrative of Abraham experiencing apparent economic success (13:2) as well as God bringing curses upon the Pharoah (12:17).
Within Genesis, Abraham purchases land to own, specifically to bury Sarah (23:16). Further, Jacob also purchased land in Canaan (33:18-19); however, this, by no means translates into receiving a promised land from God, albeit it points in that direction. The truth is that by the end of Genesis, Abraham’s descendants are in a foreign land (Egypt) under the rule of a pharaoh, which leaves several of God’s promises unfilled. There is no great nation, just a sampling of people and it is blissfully clear that all the families of the earth have yet to be blessed through Abraham. The book truly ends with a major dilemma regarding both God and the great nation that God promises through Abraham.
At this juncture, one thing is certain: While the characters of Genesis play a specific part within the narrative, God is the main character who is present throughout the whole narrative.
As with most narratives, God’s character is developed as the story of Genesis unfolds, and the reader learns about God through His interaction with the people depicted in the story.
Right from the beginning, Genesis reveals that God is initially understood as a creator God, which is evident in His creative acts in Genesis 1. In conjunction with God’s creative acts, we also learn that God is a one of order, which, again is evident with how God structures His creation. Another characteristic that is revealed early on is that God is relational, which is revealed in Eden between His relationship with Adam and Eve. Notably, God’s relational aspect is threaded throughout the remainder of the book, which is especially evident within the Abrahamic narrative where God is very conversant at certain points.
Also within the Abrahamic narrative, the reader learns that God is one who blesses and provides for. This is clearly seen in how Abraham is blessed by God as Abraham’s story unfolds and he becomes lucrative in the land. Beyond blessing, God is also understood as redeemer, which is visible in the various saving acts beginning with Adam and Eve, then toward Noah and well into the various circumstances regarding Abraham and Sarah and onto his descendants. Ultimately, one could easily show that God’s initiative in Genesis falls under God as redeemer.
Interestingly, when one reflects on the whole narrative of Genesis, one may conclude that God is faithful, and although many of the promises are yet to be fulfilled, a picture of God actively in the process of fulfilling the promises made in Genesis is certainly in view. Alongside of God’s faithfulness, it can also be said that God is a God of providence, which is to be understood in the divine sense. God’s providential hand is quite visible in the Joseph narrative where Joseph states to his brothers, “Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today.” (Gen. 50:20). Notably, this verse also reveals God as one that cares for people.
God and Relationship
This paper has shown that Genesis is not simply a book of origins rather it is an account of God and His relationship with His created beings. In Genesis, God’s character is revealed, but by no means is it fully developed, which is to say that Genesis only introduces us to the God of Scripture. Still, Genesis remains foundational to all of Scripture, so much that what transpired in Genesis has influenced all that follows. Knowingly, then, Genesis truly is the book of beginnings.
References
Gladding, Sean. The Story of God, the Story of Us: Getting Lost and Found in the Bible. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2010.
[1]. TOLEDOTH – Recurrence of the phrase “תּוֹלְדֹ֖ת (toledot/toledah) – descendants of . . .” occurring throughout: 2:4; 5:1 (Adam); 6:9 (Noah); 10:1 (Noah’s sons, Shem, Ham, Japeth); 11:27 (Terah); 25:12 (Ishmael); 25:19 (Isaac); 36:1, 9 (Esau); 37:2 (Jacob). Accordance Bible Software.
[2]. Sean Gladding, The Story of God, the Story of Us: Getting Lost and Found in the Bible, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2010), 51.
