NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible | Page 17
INTRODUCTION TO Genesis | 21
and Eve. When sin (which God’s holiness cannot tolerate) enters the human race, God punishes the
couple with expulsion from his presence and from the garden (3:23 – 24). But he also provides a way
to continue his relationship with them, and he promises that a time would come when he would
deal the serpent a mortal blow (3:15). When violence on the earth increases, God sends the judgment
of the flood (chs. 6 – 9). Although the human race seeks to advance without God, he disperses them
across the earth (11:1 – 9).
Faith
God calls one man, Abram, to come away from his home and move to a land that God will show
him. In doing so, God promises land, seed, and blessing for Abram and his offspring (12:1 – 3;
13:14 – 17). They will become instruments of blessing for everyone. As Abraham exercises faith, God
is able to work through him and to magnify the promises and blessings. God not only promises off-
spring to Abraham (ch. 15), but he brings it about when Abraham and Sarah are far beyond the age to
have children (21:1 – 5). Yet Abraham does not hold back when God demands that he sacrifice his son
Isaac (ch. 22). With his knife raised, he was ready to kill his son, but the angel of the Lord intervenes,
for now Abraham has demonstrated that he will trust God even with his most precious possession.
For this reason God extends the promise beyond the land to occupation of the cities in the land
(22:17). Abraham has trusted God and knows him to be just (18:25).
Grace
Isaac also receives the promise from God (26:3,24). God exercises his sovereignty in granting to
Isaac’s son Jacob the birthright, even though this overturns custom. Esau is the firstborn but God
favors Jacob (25:21 – 34; 27:1 – 30). He chooses to bless Jacob with the promises given to his father and
grandfather (28:13 – 15). Jacob’s time with his uncle Laban involves one trick after another in which
Laban seeks to get the better of Jacob and to profit by him (chs. 29 – 30). Nevertheless, God blesses
Jacob at every step so that Jacob gains much wealth and a large family. God protects him from the
anger of both his uncle Laban and his brother Esau. He confirms Jacob’s blessing by changing Jacob’s
name to Israel (32:28). In his later life, however, Jacob would see his own sons trick him (ch. 37) as they
sell their brother Joseph into slavery and return home to tell their father that a wild animal killed him.
While God has worked with Abraham and Isaac through direct visits and has spoken with Jacob in
dreams, he chooses to work behind the scenes with Joseph. Although God gives Joseph (a younger
son of Jacob) the ability to interpret dreams, Joseph does not enjoy direct appearances from God.
Whether resisting the temptation of Potiphar’s wife or languishing in prison, Joseph serves respon-
sibly, and God rewards him for it. Eventually, through his skill in interpreting dreams, Joseph is able
to interpret the dreams of Pharaoh, who raises Joseph to second in command over Egypt (ch. 41).
As Joseph gathers grain during the years of plenty, he is able to sell it in the famine years. He later
reveals himself to his brothers and delivers his family from famine in Canaan, but that is only part
of his work. God enables Joseph to provide grain for all of Canaan and Egypt (47:13 – 26), thereby
preserving alive both the Egyptians who would later enslave Israel and the Canaanites who would
lead Israel away from God. Joseph recognizes all of this. While his brothers meant to harm him, God
worked it out for the good of Joseph and for the saving of many lives (50:19 – 20). God took his prom-
ise to Abraham to bless the nations of the world through him (12:2 – 3) and embodies it in Joseph as
much as any of his predecessors.
Humanity
Three theological themes play important roles in the lives of major characters in Genesis: the
image of God, the spread of sin, and the covenant. These three themes relate to the doctrine of
humanity.
God creates humans in his image in 1:26 – 28. Although he commands them to reproduce like the
plants and animals, he reserves a unique role for the human race. God appoints them, as those cre-
ated in his image, to be leaders and rulers of his finished creation: God places the man in the Garden
of Eden to take care to it, i.e., to maximize its life-giving potential (2:15). God reaffirms this image
after the initial sin of Adam and Eve and the judgment of the flood (5:1; 9:6), and it becomes the basis
for the prohibition of violence against and murder of others (9:6). As human society grows, God calls
out Abram and his successors so that they reflect this image throughout the world and thereby bless
the nations around them: Abram/Abraham gives Melchizedek, the king of Salem, a tenth of all he
had with him (14:20). Late r, Abraham intercedes for Sodom and Gomorrah (18:20 – 33). Jacob enriches
Laban while working for him (30:27,30; 31:38 – 41). God uses Joseph to bless Potiphar and the prison
warden through his administrative skills (39:2 – 5,22 – 23). God provides Joseph with the opportunity
to collect grain during years of bountiful harvests and to sell it during a famine (41:48 – 49,56 – 57).
Joseph’s provision for the starving multitudes leads to the salvation of his own family, of Egypt, and of
Canaan (47:13 – 27). Joseph confesses that God accomplished the salvation of many lives (50:20). In this
manner, the blessing of God was reflected through the lives of those who bore God’s image faithfully.