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Herausgeber: Crossway
Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
Sprache: Englisch

Beschreibung

A Passage-by-Passage Commentary on Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers Designed to strengthen the global church with a widely accessible, theologically sound, and pastorally wise resource for understanding and applying the overarching storyline of the Bible, this commentary series features the full text of the ESV Bible passage by passage, with crisp and theologically rich exposition and application. Editors Iain M. Duguid, James M. Hamilton, and Jay Sklar have gathered a team of experienced pastor-theologians to provide a new generation of pastors and other teachers of the Bible around the world with a globally minded commentary series rich in biblical theology and broadly Reformed doctrine, making the message of redemption found in all of Scripture clear and available to all. Contributors to this volume include: Iain M. Duguid Jay Sklar Christine Palmer Ronald Bergey - In-Depth: Features passage-by-passage commentary on the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, taking a biblical-theological and broadly Reformed approach to interpreting and applying the text - Experienced Old Testament Scholars: Contributions by Iain M. Duguid, Jay Sklar, Christine Palmer, and Ronald Bergey - Perfect for Bible Study: Includes introductions to each book featuring an outline, key themes, author and date information, literary features, relationship to the rest of the Bible, and interpretive challenges - Practical: Characterized by sound exegesis, biblical theology, global awareness, accessible application, and pastoral usefulness

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ESV Expository Commentary

VOL. I

Genesis–Numbers

EDITORS

Iain M. DuguidJames M. Hamilton Jr.Jay Sklar

ESV

Expository

Commentary

VOL. I

Genesis–Numbers

Genesis

Iain M. Duguid

Exodus

Jay Sklar

Leviticus

Christine Palmer

Numbers

Ronald Bergey

ESV Expository Commentary, Volume 1: Genesis–Numbers

Published by Crossway 1300 Crescent Street Wheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law. Crossway® is a registered trademark in the United States of America.

Cover design: Jordan Singer

First printing 2025

Printed in Italy

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.

Scripture quotations marked AT are the author’s translation.

Scripture quotations marked JPS are from the Jewish Publication Society’s 1917 English translation of the Hebrew Bible.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations marked NJPS are from Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures: The New JPS Translation according to the Traditional Hebrew Text. Copyright © 1985 by the Jewish Publication Society. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NLT is from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL, 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NRSV are from The New Revised Standard Version. Copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Published by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.

There are also brief citations of the New American Bible (NAB) and the Revised Standard Version (RSV).

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added by the authors.

Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-4335-4628-0

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

2025-06-03 08:16:10 AM

Contents

Tables

Figures

Preface to the ESV Expository Commentary

Contributors

Abbreviations

Genesis

Iain M. Duguid

Exodus

Jay Sklar

Leviticus

Christine Palmer

Numbers

Ronald Bergey

Scripture Index

Tables

Exodus

2.1: Responding to Skepticism about Exodus’s Historicity

2.2: The Lord’s Promises and Faithfulness in Genesis and Exodus

2.3: The Lord’s Awareness and Action in Exodus 3

2.4: Parallels between First Nine Strikes

2.5: Thematic Parallels in Exodus 15–17

2.6: Three Approaches to Exodus 21:22–25

2.7: Parallelism in Exodus 22:8 and 22:11

2.8: The Lord’s Holy Times

2.9: Comparison of a Palace, Mount Sinai, and the Tabernacle: Three Zones and Who May Enter Them

2.10: The Making of the Tabernacle Components

2.11: Parallels between the Lord’s Coming Down on Sinai and the Tabernacle

2.12: Parallels between Tabernacle Account and Creation Account

Leviticus

3.1: Offenders and Offerings

3.2: Offering, Portions, and Remains

3.3: Commands and Motives in Leviticus 11:41–45

3.4: The Skin-Diseased Person and the High Priest

3.5: The Decalogue in Leviticus 19

3.6: Priestly and Animal Blemishes

3.7: Redemption Prices

Numbers

4.1: Inclusio in Numbers 1:1–46

4.2: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari in Numbers 3:21–37

4.3: Covers and Transportation for the Sacred Furnishings

4.4: Connections between Numbers 5:5–10 and Leviticus 6:1–7

4.5: New Generation Compared to Exodus Generation

4.6: Blessing Motif Introduced in Numbers 22

4.7: Main Theme throughout Numbers 23–24

Figures

Numbers

4.1: “Standard” (Hb. degel) Positions around the Tabernacle (T) Compass Points

Preface

to the ESV Expository Commentary

The Bible pulsates with life, and the Spirit conveys the electrifying power of Scripture to those who lay hold of it by faith, ingest it, and live by it. God has revealed himself in the Bible, which makes the words of Scripture sweeter than honey, more precious than gold, and more valuable than all riches. These are the words of life, and the Lord has entrusted them to his church, for the sake of the world.

He has also provided the church with teachers to explain and make clear what the Word of God means and how it applies to each generation. We pray that all serious students of God’s Word, both those who seek to teach others and those who pursue study for their own personal growth in godliness, will be served by the ESV Expository Commentary. Our goal has been to provide a clear, crisp, and Christ-centered explanation of the biblical text. All Scripture speaks of Christ (Luke 24:27), and we have sought to show how each biblical book helps us to see the “light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6).

To that end, each contributor has been asked to provide commentary that is:

exegetically sound—self-consciously submissive to the flow of thought and lines of reasoning discernible in the biblical text;biblically theological—reading the Bible as diverse yet bearing an overarching unity, narrating a single storyline of redemption culminating in Christ;globally aware—aimed as much as possible at a global audience, in line with Crossway’s mission to provide the Bible and theologically responsible resources to as many people around the world as possible;broadly reformed—standing in the historical stream of the Reformation, affirming that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, taught in Scripture alone, for God’s glory alone; holding high a big God with big grace for big sinners;doctrinally conversant—fluent in theological discourse; drawing appropriate brief connections to matters of historical or current theological importance;pastorally useful—transparently and reverently “sitting under the text”; avoiding lengthy grammatical/syntactical discussions;application-minded—building brief but consistent bridges into contemporary living in both Western and non-Western contexts (being aware of the globally diverse contexts toward which these volumes are aimed);efficient in expression—economical in its use of words; not a word-by-word analysis but a crisply moving exposition.

In terms of Bible translation, the ESV is the base translation used by the authors in their notes, but the authors were expected to consult the text in the original languages when doing their exposition and were not required to agree with every decision made by the ESV translators.

As civilizations crumble, God’s Word stands. And we stand on it. The great truths of Scripture speak across space and time, and we aim to herald them in a way that will be globally applicable.

May God bless the study of his Word, and may he smile on this attempt to expound it.

—The Publisher and Editors

Contributors

Editors

Iain M. Duguid

PhD, University of Cambridge

Professor of Old Testament, Westminster Theological Seminary

James M. Hamilton Jr.

PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Professor of Biblical Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary;

Preaching Pastor, Kenwood Baptist Church, Louisville

Jay Sklar

PhD, University of Gloucestershire

Professor of Old Testament, Covenant Theological Seminary

Authors

Iain M. Duguid

PhD, University of Cambridge

Professor of Old Testament, Westminster Theological Seminary

(Genesis)

Jay Sklar

PhD, University of Gloucestershire

Professor of Old Testament, Covenant Theological Seminary

(Exodus)

Christine Palmer

PhD, Hebrew Union College

Adjunct Professor of Old Testament, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

(Leviticus)

Ronald Bergey

PhD, Dropsie University

La Faculté Jean Calvin

(Numbers)

Abbreviations

General

Author’s Translation

circa, about, around

cf.

confer, compare, see

ch(s).

chapter(s)

ed(s).

editor(s), edited by, edition

e.g.

for example

esp.

especially

et al.

and others

etc.

and so on

fem.

feminine

ff.

and following

gram

Gk.

Greek

Hb.

Hebrew

i.e.

that is

kilogram

kilometer

lit.

literal, literally

LXX

Septuagint

masc.

masculine

mg.

marginal reading

Masoretic Text

noun

New Testament

Old Testament

pl.

plural

reigned

repr.

reprinted

rev.

revised (by)

sg.

singular

Samaritan Pentateuch

Syr.

Syriac

trans.

translator, translated by

v., vv.

verse(s)

vb.

verb

vol(s).

volumes

vs.

versus

Vulg.

Vulgate

Bibliographic

1QM

Milḥamah or War Scroll

Anchor Bible

ABD

Anchor Bible Dictionary. Edited by David Noel Freedman. 6 vols. New York: Doubleday, 1992.

ACCS

Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture

ANEP

The Ancient Near East in Pictures Relating to the Old Testament. 2nd ed. Edited by James B. Pritchard. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1994.

ANET

Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament. Edited by James B. Pritchard. 3rd ed. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1969.

ApOTC

Apollos Old Testament Commentary

AYB

Anchor Yale Bible

Biblical Archaeologist

BAR

Biblical Archaeology Review

BASOR

Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research

BBR

Bulletin for Biblical Research

BBRSup

Bulletin for Biblical Research, Supplements

BDB

Brown, Francis, S. R. Driver, and Charles A. Briggs. A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament.

BHS

Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. Edited by Karl Elliger and Wilhelm Rudolph. Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1983.

BJS

Brown Judaic Studies

Biblical Research

BSac

Bibliotheca Sacra

BSC

Bible Student’s Commentary

BST

The Bible Speaks Today

BZAW

Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft

CAD

The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, 1956–2006.

CBC

Cambridge Bible Commentary

Cairo Genizah Copy of the Damascus Document

CDCH

The Concise Dictionary of Classical Hebrew. Edited by David J. A. Clines. Sheffield, UK: Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2009.

CHALOT

A ConciseHebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the OT. Edited by William L. Holladay. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1971.

ConC

Concordia Commentary

COS

The Context of Scripture. Edited by William W. Hallo. 3 vols. Leiden: Brill, 1997–2002.

DCH

Dictionary of Classical Hebrew. Edited by David J. A. Clines. 9 vols.

Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press, 1993–2014.

DOTP

Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch. Edited by T. Desmond Alexander and David W. Baker. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2003.

EBC

Expositor’s Bible Commentary

ESVEC

ESV Expository Commentary

ExpTim

Expository Times

FAT

Forschungen zum Alten Testament

FOTL

Forms of the Old Testament Library

GKC

Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar. Edited by Emil Kautzsch. Translated by Arthur E. Cowley. 2nd ed. Oxford: Clarendon, 1910.

HALOT

The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. Ludwig Koehler, Walter Baumgartner, and Johann J. Stamm. Translated and edited under the supervision of Mervyn E. J. Richardson. 5 vols. Leiden: Brill, 1994–2000.

HBT

Horizons in Biblical Theology

Heidelberg Catechism

HCOT

Historical Commentary on the Old Testament

HSM

Harvard Semitic Monographs

IBHS

An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax. Bruce K. Waltke and Michael O’Connor. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 1990.

ICC

International Critical Commentary

IDBSup

Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible: Supplementary Volume. Edited by Keith Crim. Nashville: Abingdon, 1976.

ISBE

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Edited by Geoffrey W. Bromiley. 4 vols. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1979–1998.

ITC

International Theological Commentary

JANES

Journal of the Ancient Near Eastern Society

JAOS

Journal of the American Oriental Society

JBL

Journal of Biblical Literature

JETS

Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society

JJS

Journal of Jewish Studies

Joüon

Joüon, Paul. A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew. Translated and revised by T. Muraoka. 2 vols. Rome: Pontifical Biblical Institute, 1991.

JPSTC

The JPS Torah Commentary

JSJ

Journal for the Study of Judaism in the Persian, Hellenistic, and Roman

Periods

JSOT

Journal for the Study of the Old Testament

JSOTSup

Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement Series

LAI

Library of Ancient Israel

LHBOTS

The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies

NAC

New American Commentary

NCBC

New Century Bible Commentary

NICNT

New International Commentary on the New Testament

NICOT

New International Commentary on the Old Testament

NIDOTTE

New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis. Edited by Willem A. VanGemeren. 5 vols. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997.

NIVAC

The NIV Application Commentary

OTG

Old Testament Guides

OTL

Old Testament Library

PTW

Preaching the Word

Revue biblique

RCS

Reformation Commentary on Scripture

RRef

Larevue réformée

SJLA

Studies in Judaism in Late Antiquity

SOTSMS

Society for Old Testament Study Monograph Series

TLOT

Theological Lexicon of the Old Testament. Edited by Ernst Jenni, with assistance from Claus Westermann. Translated by Mark E. Biddle. 3 vols. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1997.

TNTC

Tyndale New Testament Commentaries

TOTC

Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries

TTC

Teach the Text Commentary

TynBul

Tyndale Bulletin

Vetus Testamentum

VTSup

Supplements to Vetus Testamentum

WBC

Word Biblical Commentary

WEC

Wycliffe Exegetical Commentary

WLC

Westminster Larger Catechism

WSC

Westminster Shorter Catechism

WTJ

Westminster Theological Journal

WUNT

Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament

ZAW

Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft

ZECOT

Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the Old Testament

ZIBBC

Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary

ZPED

Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible. Edited by Merrill C. Tenney. 5 vols. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1975.

Books of the Bible

Gen.

Genesis

Ex.

Exodus

Lev.

Leviticus

Num.

Numbers

Deut.

Deuteronomy

Josh.

Joshua

Judg.

Judges

Ruth

1 Sam.

1 Samuel

2 Sam.

2 Samuel

1 Kings

2 Kings

1 Chron.

1 Chronicles

2 Chron.

2 Chronicles

Ezra

Neh.

Nehemiah

Est.

Esther

Job

Ps., Pss.

Psalms

Prov.

Proverbs

Eccles.

Ecclesiastes

Song

Song of Solomon

Isa.

Isaiah

Jer.

Jeremiah

Lam.

Lamentations

Ezek.

Ezekiel

Dan.

Daniel

Hos.

Hosea

Joel

Amos

Obad.

Obadiah

Jonah

Mic.

Micah

Nah.

Nahum

Hab.

Habakkuk

Zeph.

Zephaniah

Hag.

Haggai

Zech.

Zechariah

Mal.

Malachi

Matt.

Matthew

Mark

Luke

John

Acts

Rom.

Romans

1 Cor.

1 Corinthians

2 Cor.

2 Corinthians

Gal.

Galatians

Eph.

Ephesians

Phil.

Philippians

Col.

Colossians

1 Thess.

1 Thessalonians

2 Thess.

2 Thessalonians

1 Tim.

1 Timothy

2 Tim.

2 Timothy

Titus

Philem.

Philemon

Heb.

Hebrews

James

1 Pet.

1 Peter

2 Pet.

2 Peter

1 John

2 John

3 John

Jude

Rev.

Revelation

Apocrypha and Other Noncanonical Sources Cited

2 Macc.

2 Maccabees

Sir.

Sirach/Ecclesiasticus

Genesis

Iain M. Duguid

"Genesis 1:1–2:3"

"Genesis 2:4–25"

"Genesis 3"

"Genesis 4"

"Genesis 5"

"Genesis 6:1–8"

"Genesis 6:9–22"

"Genesis 7"

"Genesis 8"

"Genesis 9"

"Genesis 10"

"Genesis 11:1–9"

"Genesis 11:10–32"

"Genesis 12:1–9"

"Genesis 12:10–13:4"

"Genesis 13:5–18"

"Genesis 14"

"Genesis 15"

"Genesis 16"

"Genesis 17"

"Genesis 18"

"Genesis 19"

"Genesis 20"

"Genesis 21"

"Genesis 22:1–19"

"Genesis 22:20–23:20"

"Genesis 24"

"Genesis 25:1–18"

"Genesis 25:19–34"

"Genesis 26"

"Genesis 27:1–28:9"

"Genesis 28:10–22"

"Genesis 29:1–14"

"Genesis 29:15–30"

"Genesis 29:31–30:24"

"Genesis 30:25–43"

"Genesis 31"

"Genesis 32"

"Genesis 33"

"Genesis 34"

"Genesis 35"

"Genesis 36"

"Genesis 37:1–11"

"Genesis 37:12–36"

"Genesis 38"

"Genesis 39"

"Genesis 40"

"Genesis 41"

"Genesis 42"

"Genesis 43"

"Genesis 44:1–45:15"

"Genesis 45:16–46:34"

"Genesis 47"

"Genesis 48"

"Genesis 49:1–27"

"Genesis 49:28–50:26"

Introduction to

Genesis

Overview

The book of Genesis is foundational to the whole Bible, so much so that Bible translators around the world often translate this book first before turning to the rest of Scripture. Without the book of Genesis we cannot properly understand who this God is who has taken flesh and redeemed us in the person of Jesus Christ. The book introduces us to Israel’s God, the Lord, who is the sole creator God of the whole universe (Genesis 1–3). In the beginning, before the world existed, there was God. He has made everything that exists, including time, and he reigns sovereignly over all things and all history. Genesis explains the nature of the universe, the relationship of good and evil, the place of humanity in the world, and God’s good purposes for creation. The book also shows us Israel’s place among the nations: Israel is the heir of God’s unique calling and promises, which are designed to bring blessing to the whole world (Gen. 12:1–3). Moreover, Genesis shows how these promises are slowly worked out in the lives of the patriarchs, bringing them closer to what God had promised, despite the patriarchs’ repeated sin and rebellion. These promises leave them looking forward in faith to a greater, heavenly inheritance that we share with them in Christ (Genesis 12–50).

The opening chapters of the book, Genesis 1–11, constitute the divinely authorized origin story. Everyone lives his or her life on the basis of an origin story of some kind or other. We know something of other ancient Near Eastern origin stories, such as the Enuma Elish and the Atrahasis Epic; these are so different from modern conceptions of origins that sometimes we may be tempted to think that we have no similar accounts. In reality, however, it is not possible to function without some account of the nature of reality, the nature of mankind and its place within the cosmos, and the purpose and goal of the universe (or lack thereof). A vague version of the theory of evolution serves that purpose for many people in the modern world, though in the West people are often inclined to borrow elements that lean on the Genesis account to defend particular views they wish to hold, such as opposition to racism or the supreme value of human life, for which their origin story provides no rational basis.

Of course, origin stories do not need to be true for people to build their worldviews upon them, but only true origin stories can provide solid foundations for our beliefs. The biblical claim to present the true story of the origins of the universe is uncompromising and provides a firm basis for our understanding of creation and our place within it. To the extent to which our ideas of origins deviate from those revealed in Genesis 1–11, they will be built upon sand rather than solid rock. That is not to say that Genesis 1–3 provides a full scientific portrayal of the origin of the universe; it does not. That is not its purpose. However, its portrayal of origins is truthful and accurate and undergirds its answers to life’s essential questions.

It is sometimes suggested that premodern people, including the original readers of Genesis, did not ask questions about the truthfulness of their origin stories; it was sufficient that the stories be compelling. This is, of course, nonsense. Ancient people were not stupid. The test proposed by Elijah on Mount Carmel in 1 Kings 18 is a basic scientific experiment under controlled conditions designed to determine which deity—the Lord or Baal—is actually able to do what the Baal myths claim concerning him: that, as the storm god, he could deliver fire from heaven (as well as rain). The people understand clearly the test Elijah proposes, and they recognize the significance of the Lord’s victory over Baal on that day. Clever myths are not enough; truth matters (cf. 2 Pet. 1:16).

The opening chapters of Genesis also deal with foundational questions about the origin of evil in the world. Why do we live in a world in which things fall apart, people die (often tragically), and other people commit grotesque and reprehensible acts? These questions demand answers from all of us. Genesis roots our experience of the existence of evil in the fall of Adam and Eve, recounted in Genesis 3: the universe is not an eternal dualistic balance of good and evil, as some religions teach. Neither is it simply a place where everyone starts out good and chooses for oneself the good path or an evil one. Evil is within all of us, as a result of our descent from Adam; as a result, we all die (cf. Genesis 5). Even a worldwide flood is unable to cleanse that inner evil with which we all struggle (Genesis 6–8). All nations on earth may be part of one great, big related family (Genesis 10), but it is a family that by nature is united in its commitment to seeking to live without reference to its Creator (11:1–9). From the beginning, however, God has been committed to his promise to redeem humanity through a descendant of Eve (3:15). Decline and fall cannot be the end of the story.

At the end of Genesis 11, therefore, a pivotal change comes in the storyline of Genesis, with the call of Abram to go from Mesopotamia to the land that the Lord would show him, which is soon revealed to be Canaan. In place of the fivefold curse pronounced upon sin in Genesis 3–11 we see in Genesis 12 a fivefold promise of blessing, not merely for Abram and Sarai but for the whole world (cf. Section Overview of 12:1–9). They will have abundant offspring, who will possess the land and provide a blessing for all nations. Yet initially that promise seems impossible to fulfill: it takes twenty-five years and numerous missteps before Abraham and Sarah have a single child of their own (Genesis 21). Abraham’s commitment to the promise is then tested when the Lord commands him to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, though the drama is resolved by the Lord’s affirming Abraham’s faith and by his providing a ram as a sacrifice so that Isaac’s life can be spared and the promise reconfirmed (Genesis 22).

The book of Genesis follows the next three generations of the patriarchs: Isaac, Jacob, and Jacob’s twelve sons (Genesis 23–50). In each generation the Lord sovereignly chooses the line through which the promise descends: Isaac, not Ishmael; Jacob, not Esau; all twelve of Jacob’s sons. The narrative makes clear that this is not a matter of choosing the best and leaving the rest; in particular, Jacob is not chosen because he is a better human being than Esau, a reality underlined by the fact that the Lord’s choice takes place prior to the twins’ birth, while both are still in the womb (Genesis 25).

God’s design for Jacob’s offspring is that they should become a “company of peoples” (qehal ʿammim, “worshiping community of peoples”; Gen. 28:3; 48:4). The Hebrew word qahal is often used for sacred assemblies (Deut. 4:10; 9:10; etc.), and in most of the OT it is rendered in the LXX as ekklesia.1 It is thus not too strong to say that Israel’s sons are called to be a “church of peoples,” yet the initial history of Joseph and his brothers suggests that this calling is unlikely to be realized. Joseph’s brothers are incensed by the favoritism shown to him by his father, as well as by the divinely inspired dreams that show their bowing down before Joseph, and so they conspire to kill him (Genesis 37). In the end they decide not to follow through with this plan but, in order to make some money out of Joseph, to sell him down to Egypt as a slave instead (37:25–28). Yet their evil plan is designed by God to bring about good (50:20), as God miraculously makes Joseph ruler of all Egypt alongside Pharaoh, with the God-given insight to foresee through Pharaoh’s dreams the coming of a terrible famine (Genesis 41). The result is the salvation of Jacob and his family as well as of the Egyptians, which leads to the whole family’s going down to sojourn in Egypt for a while (Genesis 46), as the Lord earlier told Abraham (cf. 15:13).

This sequence of events not only provides food for Jacob’s family amid the famine but also moves the sons of Israel into place for the next part of the Lord’s plan, which will involve their mistreatment in Egypt and ultimate exodus from there (Exodus 1–15; cf. Gen. 15:13–14). In the meantime the book of Genesis closes with the deaths of Jacob and Joseph, who each testifies in his own way to his faith in the promise of the land of Canaan, even while living outside it. Jacob makes Joseph take his body back to Canaan upon his death and bury him in the family tomb at Machpelah alongside Abraham and Isaac (Gen. 50:1–13). Joseph, on the other hand, gives instructions for his body to be embalmed and buried in a coffin so that, when the Israelites go up from Egypt, his bones can share in their exodus (50:24–26).

At the end of Genesis the stage is thus set for the book of Exodus that follows. Indeed, the whole Pentateuch (Genesis—Deuteronomy) forms a coherent narrative that unfolds the story begun in Genesis. Ultimately, of course, the story will not end until Revelation 22, when the promise of Genesis 3:15 finds its full outworking in the redemption of all those who have become children of God through the death and resurrection of the seed of the woman and second Adam, Jesus Christ.

Title and Author

In this instance the Hebrew and Greek names for the book are both fitting. The Hebrew title, bereshit (“In the beginning”), points to the function of the book as an origin story, not merely for Israel but for the entire world. Meanwhile, the Greek title, genesis, alludes both to the role of the book as an origin story and (in the plural form, geneseis) to the toledot (“family history”) formula that structures the whole book (cf. comment on 2:4–7). This is not a collection of ancient myths and legends but an origin story that tells the family history of God’s chosen people.

Traditionally, the author of Genesis has been held to be Moses, largely because the book is tightly integrated with the rest of the Pentateuch, which addresses the chosen family—now become a nation—as it is about to enter the land. That traditional ascription has been widely challenged in scholarly circles, which have often doubted that a single person could have produced such a wide-ranging and complex piece of literature as the Pentateuch, encompassing narratives, poetry, laws, and so on. It has also been questioned whether the Pentateuch could have been written at such an early period of history and whether many of the laws were relevant for the period in question. Scholars have sometimes endeavored to separate out different sources (often termed “J,” “E,” “D,” and “P”), each of which purportedly contributed to the whole at different times and with different interests.

These challenges remind us of the complexity of questions of authorship in antiquity, especially of a document as complicated (and unique) as the Pentateuch. It is unlikely that no memory of Israel’s family story or the origins of the universe existed in Israel prior to Moses, and, whereas the book of Exodus describes events contemporaneous to Moses, the events of Genesis all precede the time of Moses by hundreds of years. At the same time, Moses was himself brought up as the adopted child of an Egyptian princess (Ex. 2:1–10) and thus likely schooled in a wide range of ancient Near Eastern literature, including various origin stories.

We need not therefore suppose that everything in Genesis was composed by Moses de novo; under the inspiration of God, he would likely have been using and interacting with a wide variety of preexisting literature. The opening chapters of Genesis form a clear polemic against other ancient Near Eastern creation accounts and also provide a positive statement of the true nature of things, as we would expect. Moses likely had access to a variety of records, written and oral, concerning the early history of the Abrahamic families. The laws that Moses ordained for his people in the remainder of the Pentateuch probably drew on, as well as challenged, other ancient Near Eastern standards of justice. Yet Moses’ pen was guided throughout by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. There is a remarkable coherence to the entire Pentateuch—and within it to the book of Genesis—that would be hard to account for if it were the result of a series of mergers and edits by multiple rather clumsy hands with conflicting beliefs and interests over centuries of transmission. Many of the supposed “doublets” and “contradictions” from which these theories flow can be better accounted for by a closer study of the literary artistry of the author.

There are a few places at which minor editorial changes have been made to make the work more accessible to later generations, such as the identification of ‘Dan’ as the city where Abram pursued Lot’s kidnappers (Gen. 14:14). Dan did not acquire that name until the time of the Judges. Likewise, the final chapter of Deuteronomy, recording the death of Moses and the lack of a prophet like him since that time (Deut. 34:10–12), must also postdate the time of Moses. Such oddities are few and far between, however, and there is no reason to doubt the traditional attribution of the Pentateuch (and thus of Genesis) to Moses himself.

Date and Occasion

If the author of Genesis is in fact Moses, the time of writing would be during Israel’s wilderness wanderings, after the exodus (Exodus 14) and prior to the entry into the Promised Land under Joshua (Joshua 1–11). Depending on the date of the exodus, which is variously placed in the fifteenth or thirteenth century BC, Genesis would be dated to roughly the same time period. While there is nothing corresponding to the Pentateuch in the literature of the time, there are parallels to many of the component parts—origin stories, family sagas, laws, epic poetry, and so on. Indeed, since no people has ever existed without origin stories and laws of some kind or another, if we did not have the Pentateuch we would have to postulate the existence of many separate similar materials, whether in oral or written form. Israel’s unique constitution as a “people of the book” and the central place of Moses as lawgiver and author (e.g., Josh. 1:13; 1 Kings 2:3) are hard to account for if Moses in fact wrote little or nothing.

As a new nation, Israel had its relationship with God sealed at Mount Sinai in the form of a covenant (Exodus 19–24). However, that was far from the beginning of its interactions with this God, who had revealed himself much earlier as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Ex. 3:6). That backstory was of vital importance to Israel’s self-identity, as well as its understanding of that covenant relationship. The Sinai covenant was not an entirely new and different covenant but a further development of the covenant God had made with Abraham in Genesis 15, sealed with the sign of circumcision in Genesis 17. In addition the people of Israel needed to understand who they were as human beings in relationship to God, in relationship to other human beings, and in relationship to the world God had created. As those created in the image of God, they had rights and responsibilities (Gen. 1:26–28). In Abraham they had been called to be blessed and to be a blessing to all peoples on earth (12:1–3). And, like Abraham and Sarah, they too were called to look forward to the promised seed of the woman, who would bruise the serpent’s head and restore all creation to its destiny (3:15).

One small detail highlights the original setting of Genesis during the wilderness wanderings: the identity of Egypt as a place of tempting fruitfulness (12:10–20; 13:10). It is not coincidental that Hagar, who is repeatedly called “the Egyptian” (16:3; 21:9; 25:12), is fertile, while the wife of promise, Sarah, is barren. Nor is it coincidental that the property Lot chooses outside the Land of Promise is “like the land of Egypt” (13:10), while the Promised Land is repeatedly wracked with famine. This theme would have resonated with Israel in the wilderness, as the people were constantly tempted to look back to Egypt with longing as the place of food and fertility (Num. 11:5; 14:3). Moses repeatedly reminds his hearers that the “Egyptian option,” while outwardly looking attractive, never constitutes the pathway to blessing.2

Genre and Literary Features

The Pentateuch as a whole comprises a dizzying array of different genres and perhaps should be seen as a unique example of its own genre. So too Genesis includes an array of origin stories, historical narratives, and genealogies, as well as a smattering of laws and explanations of laws (e.g., Gen. 9:6; 32:32). Origin stories are distinct from historical narratives not because they are necessarily nonhistorical but because their focus is on providing an explanation of reality, both natural and supernatural. Thus the narratives in Genesis 1–11 have global implications that stretch forward through time in a way that the narratives in Genesis 12–50 do not.

One of the distinctive features of the biblical origin story is its profound historical rootedness, in contrast to similar ancient Near Eastern accounts, which are not directly connected to present-day history in the same way. The events described do not take place in a galaxy far, far away but in the same world we inhabit, to people to whom the first hearers were directly related. Indeed, a common function of linear genealogies is to establish a vital relationship between the first and last members of the listing,3 and that purpose certainly applies to many of the Genesis linear genealogies. Certain positions in linear genealogies may be particularly significant, especially the seventh, tenth, and twelfth generations. Segmented genealogies, on the other hand, primarily define family connections—“insiders” and “outsiders” for the purposes of particular definitions of family. For example, the table of nations in Genesis 10 defines all humanity as part of the Adamic family—a very inclusive definition in a world that included those ready to deny the full humanity of outsiders, or “barbarians.” On the other hand, the table also distinguishes within that larger family three smaller groupings that are singled out for a closer or more distant relationship with the line of promise.

The largest part of Genesis—and indeed its overall genre—is historical narrative. As Meir Sternberg has pointed out, biblical narratives have three driving impulses: history, ideology (or perhaps “theology”), and literary artistry.4 That is, these stories can be appreciated for their literary skill and beauty, but they have always been intended to convey a message to their hearers, and they are also rooted and grounded in historical events. Of these three, history is foundational: it would have mattered to an ancient audience, as it should to a modern audience, whether these events actually happened as described.5 Yet, at the same time, because these stories are important parts of God’s story, these real events convey vital lessons to readers about ourselves, our world, and our God (1 Cor. 10:11). Moreover, these stories are so vital for us to understand that they not only may be but must be recounted with great literary skill and attention to detail. To be boring or trite in speaking of such events and such a God would be a sin in its own right.6

Theology of Genesis and the Relationship to the Rest of the Bible and to Christ

Insofar as it is an origin story, the book of Genesis has a strong polemic note to it, proclaiming a different perspective on who God is, how he created the world, who humans and animals are, and the purpose for which we exist. Since it proclaims itself to be the revelation of the only true God, who made all things in heaven and on earth and for whom and by whom all things exist, it cannot stand as merely one perspective among many; either it must be accepted as true and therefore allowed to govern our worldview in all of its different dimensions, or it must be rejected as false in favor of some other origin story, ancient or modern. The book of Genesis does not explicitly cite alternative origin stories; it simply lays out its own story, but it does so in many respects in conscious disagreement with the origin stories of Israel’s neighbors, with their multiple competing gods, fundamentally chaotic worlds, and low view of humanity. In the same way, the book of Genesis does not have to mention modern humanistic worldviews in order to challenge them at the most fundamental level.

Doctrine of God and Creation

In contradiction to ancient Near Eastern worldviews, the Genesis creation account involves only one God, who goes by the generic title “God” and the covenantal name “Yahweh” (“the Lord”). The two names are (unusually for Scripture) juxtaposed as “the Lord God” in Genesis 2–3 in order to make clear that the one God who created the heavens and the earth is Israel’s God, the one who delivered them from the land of Egypt. What is more, in the Genesis account there is no conflict involved in the creation of the world. Unlike in other Near Eastern creation stories, there are no battles against the forces of chaos. Instead there is simply the serene ordering of space and time via God’s word. This God has no rivals and faces no threats to his authority. He is good, and so is the world that he creates, which he blesses and fills with the potential for life to multiply (Gen. 1:28–31).

Yet, even though the world as created in the beginning is good, it is not eternal. It has a beginning: there was a time when creation was not. What is more, it has a goal: the Sabbath pattern built into the world by God, with a day of rest at the end of the creation week, is intended to point mankind forward from the beginning to the fulfillment of creation’s purpose (2:1–4). Unlike some other ancient worldviews, creation is not an ever-repeating cycle of life; it came from somewhere and is going somewhere as well.

Doctrine of Humanity

Other ancient Near Eastern origin stories assign a low place to humanity in general, and an even lower place to women. According to an Assyrian proverb, “Man is the shadow of a god, a slave is the shadow of a man; but the king is like the (very) image of a god.”7 Kings may perhaps be related to the gods, but ordinary people are not—still less slaves and women. In contrast, the biblical account relates how all human beings—Jew and Gentile, male and female, slave and free—are created in God’s image, with an inherent dignity that comes with that status (1:26–28). Our status is not based on our functional competencies (the fact that we are reasoning, relational, and religious creatures) but is ontological: we are made in the image of God, no matter how poor, weak, or incapacitated we may be. Yet there is also an order in human relationships: even prior to the fall Eve is created to be Adam’s helper, corresponding to him and completing him (2:18–24). The original couple are not identical and interchangeable but complementary in their differences.

In the Genesis account human beings are like the animals in being created on the sixth day but unlike them in being created in the image of God, inbreathed with God’s very breath, in the language of Genesis 2:7. We are called to rule over the lower aspects of creation as God’s representatives—not harshly or in an exploitative way but by imitating the rule of our heavenly Father, whose reign is a blessing to all creation. It is significant that it is as the image of God that mankind is assigned dominion over the world (1:26).

Since we are made in the image of God, we are also crafted to be revelation receivers; we are designed for a personal relationship with God in a way that other aspects of creation are not. The sun and moon may declare God’s glory by obeying his laws (Ps. 19:1–4), but human beings are designed to glorify God and enjoy him in a unique way. For this reason God places the first humans in a sanctuary-garden, where they might enjoy his presence and glorify him through their happy obedience (cf. 3:8).

Doctrine of Sin

One of the ways in which God communicates with Adam and Eve is to give to Adam his law (2:16–17). This law is not burdensome; indeed, it begins with a command to eat freely from all the trees of the garden (save one)! Yet, when the serpent questions the intent behind this law, impugning God’s kindness and goodness, Eve breaks the law by eating the forbidden fruit and then gives some to Adam, who is with her (3:1–6). The order of creation is turned upside down, with catastrophic consequences not only for Adam and Eve but for the entire created order. Humanity now groans under a curse, affecting men and women at their deepest levels, and creation groans alongside them (Rom. 8:19–23). Far from becoming like God, as the serpent claimed (Gen. 3:5), human rebellion leads to the entry of death into the world (Rom. 5:12).

The Doctrine of Judgment and Redemption

The first doctrine that the serpent denies is God’s ability to judge rebels. God had said, “In the day that you eat of [the tree of the knowledge of good and evil] you shall surely die” (Gen. 2:17), whereas the serpent boldly claims, “You will not surely die” (3:4). But Satan, whom the serpent represents (Rev. 12:9), has been a “murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44), and God is more than capable of judging his wayward creation (Gen. 18:25). What is perhaps more surprising, however, is the Lord’s desire to redeem fallen humans. As Exodus 34:6–7 makes clear, the Lord is the judge of the guilty but also full of compassion and mercy, abounding in steadfast love (Hb. khesed) and faithfulness. His grace is revealed immediately in the garden, as the sentence of death is delayed and a promise made of an ultimate transformation of the curse of the fall upon creation through the coming of the seed of the woman (Gen. 3:15). Sin will not have ultimate dominion over humanity (Rom. 6:14). These themes of judgment and redemption are reprised at the time of the flood, when all humanity turns aside to sin except for one man—Noah, whose righteousness redeems his family in the face of a worldwide outpouring of divine wrath (Genesis 6–8). Yet Noah and his family are themselves sinners, and there is no hope for ultimate deliverance through a mere man (cf. Genesis 9). The promises of God are reiterated on this side of the flood, but the problem of sin remains as challenging as ever.

The Doctrine of Christ

That promise of blessing through the seed of the woman would not be the result of human effort, no matter how lofty. The attempt by the builders of Babel to storm heaven’s gates through their splendid tower accomplishes nothing but further judgment upon themselves (11:1–9). Hope for humanity will come only from God, and it does so in his calling of Abram and Sarai to go from Ur of the Chaldeans and sojourn in a backwater province called Canaan (11:27–12:3). Through them and their offspring God will restore blessing to all nations. Yet the faith of Abram and Sarai is deeply tested, first as they must wait for a son, and then as they almost see that son offered back to God as a sacrifice (Genesis 22). But on the mountain God instead provides a lamb as a figure showing ahead of time how he will win blessing for the world.

Through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob God gradually builds up the nucleus of what will become a great nation, Israel, which will be called to become a worshiping “company of peoples” (Gen. 28:3), a “kingdom of priests” (Ex. 19:6). Yet the sins of the patriarchs are visible to all: it is clear that God does not choose them because they are better than those whom God passes over. Eventually God will use the enslavement of Joseph by his own brothers and their selling him to slave traders in order to save their lives and protect them in a great famine. What they mean for evil, God means for good (Gen. 50:20). Yet at the end of Genesis the promises of offspring, land, and blessing are merely beginning to unfold. It is clear that, if the hope of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is only for this world, they are of all men most to be pitied (1 Cor. 15:19). But in fact their faith shines out through even their deaths and burials; by faith they look forward after death to receiving a city with foundations that God will build (Heb. 11:10).

That is where the story ends in Genesis—but only so that it can be picked up again and resolved throughout the rest of Scripture. The people who go down to Egypt as a place of protection find it transformed into a place of bondage, just as God had told Abraham (Gen. 15:13). As promised, however, God brings them out of Egypt with a mighty arm in the exodus and leads them into possession of the land of Canaan (cf. Joshua 1–12). Like post-flood humanity, post-exodus Israel continues to be as sinful as its forefathers, wracked with grumbling and unbelief (cf. the book of Numbers). The Lord provides godly leaders, yet the people rebel against them, either during the leader’s reign or after his death. It gradually became clear through the OT that Israel itself is not the answer to the world’s problems.

What is needed is the promised seed of the woman, a new Adam and new Israel who will triumph where the first Adam and first Israel fail. That promised seed of the woman is Jesus Christ, God himself taking on humanity in order to redeem his creation. The lamb that God provides to take Isaac’s place in Genesis 22 foreshadows the Lamb of God, come to take away the sin of the world (John 1:29) through his own death and resurrection. This good news is now preached not merely to Israel but to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). The God of judgment and mercy has triumphed in Christ and will one day complete the transformation of this cursed world into a “new heavens and a new earth” at Christ’s return (2 Pet. 3:13). Then we will be restored to the kind of face-to-face intimacy with God that Adam and Eve enjoyed—only better, because there will be no risk of losing it due to sin. We are even now a new creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17), God’s beloved children, upon whom the fullness of his blessing rests (Eph. 1:3–14).

Preaching from the Book of Genesis and Interpretive Challenges

Preaching from Genesis, as from any book of the Bible, should focus our eyes on the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow (Luke 24:26, 46–47). The Scriptures are never intended simply to provide historical information and moral guidance, though they certainly contain both of those. The origin stories at the beginning of Genesis are intended to counter alternative ancient and modern origin stories (including the evolutionary narrative prevalent in our own time) rather than to give a full scientific account of origins. Of course, the historical veracity of the biblical origin story matters, but it is easy to get sidetracked onto such matters to the point that the focus of the narrative itself becomes obscured. It may be better to schedule another opportunity outside a worship service to explore such apologetic issues at the appropriate depth, where people can ask their questions and receive good answers.8 Preaching a text should focus on the point of the text itself rather than addressing ancillary matters, no matter how relevant to one’s culture.

The length of the book of Genesis poses a different kind of challenge. The outline below breaks the text into approximately sixty literary units, which, if preached consecutively, would normally require fifteen to eighteen months, allowing for a few Sundays devoted to other topics. Even that pace requires moving through passages fairly quickly, often dealing with a chapter of narrative at a time, and such a series may be felt to be too long for a contemporary audience. However, it could easily be broken into four sections: Genesis 1–11 (Origins), 12–25 (Abraham), 26–36 (Isaac and Jacob), and 37–50 (Joseph).9 This would allow other series to be interspersed with Genesis for a more balanced diet over, say, a three- or four-year period. Of course, some literary units probably do not merit an entire sermon in their own right (e.g., the family history of Ishmael in 25:12–18), while other literary units stretch over as much as three chapters (e.g., Genesis 43–45) and may require more than one sermon. In general, however, sermons ought to roughly match a literary unit in order to ensure that the point of the sermon matches the point of that unit. Shorter preaching units lend themselves to taking a minor point out of context and elevating it to become the main point.

The earlier assertion that the central focus of each text in Genesis is “the sufferings of Christ and the glories that will follow” (sometimes called a “Christ-centered” or “redemptive-historical” approach to preaching) raises the question of application. To what extent may we (must we?) use the human characters of the text to derive moral lessons for our hearers? Some preachers shy away almost completely from such application, for fear of moralism.10 Yet, while teaching “life lessons” may not be the primary purpose of Scripture, the OT and NT point out that there are at least some insights that we ought to glean from those who have preceded us in our earthly pilgrimages. Isaiah 51:2 holds up Abraham and Sarah as positive models of faith for a later generation,11 while the writer to the Hebrews warns against sharing the unbelief of the wilderness generation (Heb. 3:7–19). Paul goes so far as to say, “These things took place as examples for us” (1 Cor. 10:6–11). The Scriptures are more than moral instruction, to be sure, but not less.

Indeed, this is typically how stories work. Leland Ryken puts it like this: “Heroic narrative springs from one of the most ancient and persistent impulses of literary art, namely, the desire to embody accepted norms of thought and action in the story of a protagonist whose destiny is regarded as being representative or exemplary. The true hero expresses an accepted social or moral norm.”12 Of course, the biblical account is not merely “heroic narrative”; it is part of the unfolding revelation of God’s plan of salvation, which often progresses in spite of, rather than because of, the actions of the “hero.” What is more, the correct lessons to infer from the behavior of biblical characters are not always straightforward. They text is rarely divided neatly into “heroes” and “villains,” and the narrator often sets characters’ behavior before us without overt moral comment. Sometimes, in narratives as in real life, we must interpret a character’s complex behavior in the light of the larger trajectory of his life and the narrative as a whole. Not every action is easy to interpret, and there will be times when good expositors will disagree about the interpretation of a character.

To give a concrete example, I take quite a negative view of the character of Lot in Genesis, based on his downward trajectory throughout the narrative from the moment he leaves Abraham and sets off toward Sodom (Genesis 13–19) until he ends up living a degraded life in a cave, deceived and abused by his daughters (19:30–38). Yet 2 Peter 2:7 calls him “righteous Lot,” so other commentators have taken a more positive view of his actions. To be sure, the presupposition of the text is that Lot is “righteous”; the conversation between Abraham and the Lord in Genesis 18:23–33 concerns how to deliver the righteous from the coming judgment, and Lot and his immediate family are the only ones rescued. However, “righteous” people behave in all sorts of ungodly ways in Genesis, and the message is perhaps that even very compromised and hesitant sinners may be saved by God’s grace. Often the message of a biblical narrative is not “Be like this biblical hero” but rather “Don’t be like him or her; instead, be thankful that God’s grace in Christ extends to sinners like us, who all too often fail in the same way, and strive out of gratitude for the gospel to live in a manner that is worthy of the grace you have received.”

This brings us to see how we may preach Christ from all the Scriptures, not merely from passages with an “obvious” connection, such as Genesis 3:15 or 49:8–12. In reality, every biblical passage challenges our thinking and behavior and exposes our hearts in some way or another. As sinners we do not treat those around us as made in the image of God (Genesis 1), we do not resist Satan’s siren call to trust our eyes over God’s Word (Genesis 3), we use our technology and sexuality to make a reputation for ourselves rather than to glorify God (Genesis 4), and so on. Every passage of Scripture is thus “law” in a sense, in that it convicts us of our sin and is designed to drive us to see our need of Christ as believers and unbelievers.

Moralistic preaching short-circuits that process by presenting our own righteousness as the answer to our sin, as if the Scripture simply provides us with examples of people we should either imitate or shun. Our salvation and our sanctification depend on ourselves and our effort in this schema. But the gospel points us instead to Christ’s righteousness as the answer to our sin, whether we are unbelievers who need to come to Christ for salvation or believers who need to go back to Christ in gratitude for his perfect obedience in our place. Christ-centered preaching does not place another brick in the believer’s backpack, crushing him with yet more guilt, but instead joyfully brings him back to see the perfect righteousness of Christ in his place. Its goal is thus thoroughly doxological, leaving our hearts motivated to love and praise God.13

Preaching that avoids application altogether, on the other hand, tends to act as though the law of the passage no longer has any relevance for us as believers. Yet, if the law is holy and good (Rom. 7:12), then it should still be “a lamp to [our] feet and a light to [our] path” (Ps. 119:105). God has “delivered us from the domain of darkness” (Col. 1:13) and has begun a good work in us that he will bring to “completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6). As a result, the believer should find himself asking, “How do I live a life of grateful obedience to this God who has loved me so overwhelmingly? What difference should this passage make in my life on Monday morning?” The wise preacher will help to answer those questions via skilled application.

Such application requires a proper understanding of the unfolding of redemptive history. Obedience for Abraham did not look identical to obedience for Joshua, or David, or Jesus, or Paul; the Bible does not merely give us “timeless truths.” Of course, some of God’s laws remain unchanged throughout history: you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not commit adultery; and so on (Ex. 20:1–17). These laws have traditionally been called “moral laws.” Others relate to the ceremonies and sacrifices designed to point forward specifically to the coming of Christ and are therefore no longer in operation—what are often called “ceremonial laws.” Still other OT laws are designed to provide specific application of God’s wisdom to Israel’s situation in the land of Canaan under the Sinai covenant, such as the law forbidding harvesting all the way to the edge of one’s fields, in order to make provision for the able-bodied poor (Lev. 19:9–10). These laws do not bind us directly but have a more generalized application to the different specifics of our society; these are commonly called “civil laws.”14 Any preaching from the OT must consider into which of these three categories the “law of the passage” fits. Yet any and all of these categories will in some way point us to Christ as the remedy for our sin through his suffering and death and as the provider of our righteousness through his own perfect and holy keeping of this law.

Outline

I. Prologue: The Creation of the Heavens and the Earth (1:1–2:3)

A. Introductory Summary Statement (1:1)

B. Pre-creation Situation (1:2)

C. Narrative of Creation (1:3–31)

D. Concluding Summary Statement (2:1)

E. Epilogue/Climax: Sabbath Rest (2:2–3)

II. The Family History of the Heavens and the Earth (2:4–4:26)

A. Adam and Eve in the Garden (2:4–25)

B. The Fall (3:1–24)

C. Cain and Abel (4:1–26)

III. The Family History of Adam (5:1–6:8)

A. From Adam to Noah (5:1–32)

B. The Spread of Wickedness (6:1–8)

IV. The Family History of Noah (6:9–9:29)

A. Announcement of Judgment and Salvation (6:9–22)

B. God’s Judgment Descends (7:1–24)

C. God Remembers Noah (8:1–14)

D. Celebrating Salvation (8:15–22)

E. A New Beginning (9:1–17)

F. Blessing and Curse on the Next Generation (9:18–29)

V. The Family History of Noah’s Sons (10:1–11:9)

A. The Table of Nations (10:1–32)

B. The Tower of Babylon (11:1–9)

VI. The Family History of Shem (11:10–26)

VII. The Family History of Terah (11:27–25:11)

A. Introducing Abram and Sarai (11:27–32)

B. The Call of Abram (12:1–3)

C. Abram Traverses the Land (12:4–9)

D. Abram in Egypt (12:10–13:4)

E. Abram and Lot Separate (13:5–18)

F. A Tale of Two Kings (14:1–24)

G. Abram Believed God (15:1–21)

H. Abram and Hagar (16:1–16)

I. The Lord Renews Covenant with Abra(ha)m (17:1–27)

J. The Friend of God (18:1–33)

K. The Destruction of Sodom and the Rescue of Lot (19:1–38)

L. Abraham and Abimelech (20:1–18)

M. The Birth of Isaac (21:1–7)

N. Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away (21:8–21)

O. Peace with Abimelech (21:22–34)

P. The Binding of Isaac (22:1–19)

Q. The Family of Nahor (22:20–24)

R. The Death and Burial of Sarah (23:1–20)

S. A Bride for Isaac (24:1–67)

T. The Death of Abraham (25:1–11)

VIII. The Family History of Ishmael (25:12–18)

IX. The Family History of Isaac (25:19–35:29)

A. Introducing Esau and Jacob (25:19–34)

B. Another Famine and Its Consequences (26:1–35)

C. Jacob Steals the Blessing (27:1–28:9)

D. The House of God (28:10–22)

E. The Woman at the Well (29:1–14)

F. The Deceiver Deceived (29:15–30)

G. The Battle for Love (29:31–30:24)

H. The Battle for Jacob’s Wages (30:25–43)

I. Turning for Home (31:1–55)

J. Wrestling with God (32:1–32)

K. Meeting Esau (33:1–20)

L. Trouble at Shechem (34:1–31)

M. Return to Bethel (35:1–29)

X. The Family History of Esau (36:1–43)

XI. The Family History of Jacob (37:1–50:26)

A. Joseph’s Dreams (37:1–11)

B. The Brothers Sell Joseph (37:12–36)

C. Judah and Tamar (38:1–30)

D. Joseph and Potiphar (39:1–23)

E. The Cupbearer’s and Baker’s Dreams (40:1–23)

F. A World Turned Upside Down (41:1–57)

G. Joseph’s Brothers Seek Grain (42:1–38)

H. Restoring Shalom (43:1–34)

I. Joseph Reconciles with His Brothers (44:1–45:15)

J. The Lord’s Blessing in Egypt (45:16–46:34)

K. Israel in Egypt (47:1–31)

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