In the book of Genesis, the reader is taken through the
beginnings of life as we know it, from the first day of creation (the
heavens
and the earth) to the life of Joseph, sold into slavery by his wicked
brothers. There
are many stories with different stylistic properties in Genesis, but
all are satisfying. At the beginning of the book, God’s creations
are outlined, and the days that he made them, ending with the day of
rest. From there, the reader is taken through the
history of man, how he was made and why he was banished from the Garden
of
Eden. We follow Cain and Abel’s story,
finding out why Cain killed his brother and his punishment for the
deed. It was after this time that the story of Noah
and the Great Flood takes place, for God saw the wickedness of the
earth and
cleansed it. The Tower
of Babel was built to reach heaven,
and all the people had one language, but God shattered the Tower and scattered
the people over the world. The children of
Shem are the lineage of Abram (who would then be called Abraham), and then the
story of Abram and his journey to Egypt
is given. God’s promise of how Abraham
would be the father of multitudes despite having a barren wife is told, and
then Lot’s fate with the destruction of Sodom
and Gomorrah is revealed. The sacrifice of Isaac, the possession of the
fields of Ephron in Machpelah, Isaac’s marriage to Rebekah, and the birth of
Jacob are also within the Book of Genesis.
Through many convoluted twists and turns in his life, he fathered Joseph along with many other
children, and it was Joseph who would have the coat of many colors, slave under
masters, interpret the Pharaoh’s dreams, and be rewarded greatly by God for his
sorrows. These are the stories of the
first book of the Bible, part of the Old Testament, and are some of the most
well-known and well-loved.