Genesis

Genesis shows us how God began His story with people.  Genesis is not just about how thing started, but also about His grace. 

It all began in the perfectly-created world, where God has intimate relationship with His creations, including ahuman.  However, human chose to leave God shortly afterward. Despite the fact, God still gave grace and mercy to human.  At all the key moments in the story, God gave promises to His People. 

Despite human brokenness, God has been faithful and merciful to His People.  Do you want to know this God more? Let's dive into His Creation Story. 

Genesis - Part I 

Genesis said: God is the Creator. 

Out of God's goodness, He created order out of chaos, and light out of darkness.  The story tells us that even astronomical bodies like sun and moon, which many civilizations treated as deity were created by this One True God.  It demonstrated the authority of God over all creations.  

The creation of human was the climax of all creations.  Only human was made in the image of God.  God has only given human the stewardship of the whole Creation.  It is so different from other civilizations, in which human was often seen as subordinate and the slaves of deity.  In Genesis, human was seen as embodiment of God's glory, instead of tools.  This gives us an important answers to our values and purposes of existence.  

At the Fall, human's relationship was broken with God.  Although human brokenness tinted his own glory, it was not the end of the story.  After the Fall, God laid down a salvation plan for human.  This salvation plan keeps on unfolding throughout the whole Bible. 

Genesis - Part II 

The second part of Genesis (Ch. 12-Ch. 50) narrated the beginning of the Israelites. 

Chosen - the Israelites was the chosen people of God.  It started with God chose Abraham and his descendants to be the channels of God's salvation plan.  God called Abraham because "And I will make of you a great nation, ..... so that you will be a blessing. ” (Gen 12:2)  When God called the Israelites, He blessed them to bring blessings to other nations.  However, as time gone by, His People regarded being chosen more as a privilege, and forgot the real meaning of being called. 

Promise - God promised Abraham to become a big nation. At the same time, He also made covenant with the Israelites.  Although this promise was only partially realized during Abraham’s time on earth, we can see how God realized His promise throughout the whole Bible.  It showed the eternal God being trustworthy. 

Covenant - The relationship between God and His people was built on His covenant. He will be their God, and they will be His People.  The covenant is the foundation of God’s salvation plan.  God promises to be with His People, at the same time, desires their loyalty and following. 

Through Jesus, we already have this covenantal relationship with God.  He promised us that He will be our God, and we will be His People.  How then will we bless other nations?