Genesis (Part 1)

There's a lot going on in Genesis.

Obviously you start with the story of creation. The word "Genesis" actually means "origin". "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Check.

We are introduced to Adam and Eve, the first people to ever inhabit the earth. They disobey God and are kicked out of the Garden of Eden. Poor Adam and Eve. So that is the end of the Original Paradise. (Remember that administration?)

A & E have two sons, Cain and Able. Cain becomes a farmer, and Able becomes a shepherd. A & E had taught their children about tithing (giving 10% of their first fruits [that means their best product] to God). Able always gave God the best from his flock, but Cain did not always give the best of his harvest to God. God became displeased with Cain, and Cain became jealous and angry at Able. Finally, Cain killed Able, and ended up leaving his family.

Adam and Eve had more children, however. Now, this may seem crude, but I think the believers of ancient times must have been gettin' biz-ayyy, if you catch my drift, because the people of the earth quickly multiplied in number.

One thing I did while reading the geneology of the beginning of Genesis was make a time line. Did you know that Adam lived so long that his he didn't die until a couple generations before Noah? (somewhere around 900 years- I don't know what I did with the time line.) No wonder is says Noah was a man of God- his granfather could have told him stories about God and creation that he had heard right from Adam himself. Noah's believing must have been very strong.

So everyone knows about Noah and the Flood. One thing I read that I found interesting (well actually I learned this many years ago, but still) is that most people think automatically that Noah put 2 of each animal on board the ark, but it says that every "clean beast" and fowls of the air, he was supposed to take into the ark by sevens, not twos. (Genesis 7:2)

So Noah, his sife, his 3 sons and thier wives all survive the flood because the obeyed God. God then promised never make the whole earth to be covered by water again, and made a rainbow as a sign of this promise. Every time I see a rainbow, I remember this promise, but mostly it reminds me how much God loves us that he will provide us with a way out when there is trouble around us.