Resumo de Genesis - The Bible

Genesis: A Book of Beginnings

Genesis, the book that stands at the head of the biblical canon, is
truly a book of beginnings. In the Hebrew Bible, Genesis, is rendered
"bereshith" which literally means in the beginning. The first eleven
chapters of this 50-chapter book, deal with the creation of everything
in the natural realm, including human beings.

One of the most interesting word studies in the book of Genesis focuses
on the word used for created. In the first line of the book, God
creates (barah) the heavens and the earth. The word barah means to make
from nothing. Elsewhere in Scripture, whenever a human makes something,
the word is banah, which means to build (from existing materials). Many
other word studies illuminate the text and enrich the content of
Genesis.

After Adam and Eve are expelled from the garden of Eden, they must work
the ground in order for it to bring forth its bounty. Adam toils by the
sweat of his brow and Eve must endure pain in childbirth. Throughout
the narrative many such details are included as a way of providing
answers to questions that have intrigued people down through the
centuries.

As the descendants of Adam and Eve populate the earth, the people soon
turn against the Lord who decides to destroy them in a flood.
Reminiscent of the Epic of Gilgamesh, which relates a similar flood
story, the biblical Noah is commanded to build an ark that will sustain
his immediate family and a selection of animals through a deluge that
covers even the mountain peaks. Finally, the flood waters abate and
Noah and his descendants must re-populate the earth.

The story of the tower of Babel explains the existence of different
languages on the earth. In the Genesis account, human beings have
decided to build a tower that will reach heaven. God,in order to thwart
their plan, confounds their language. Soon the people must spread out
and seek others with whom they can communicate. Because the people are
now dispersed, plans of constructing the tower are abandonned.

The next important character in the book of Genesis is Abraham. Abraham
is called from Ur of the Chaldeans to worship the Lord in a land he has
never seen. Abraham and his wife, Sarah, are obedient to God's call.
Two sons are born to Abraham: Ismael is his son by the servant, Hagar;
and Isaac is his son by Sarah. The biblical narrative follows Abraham's
lineage through Isaac.

Isaac and Rebekkah have two sons: Jacob and Esau. While Esau is the
older of the boys, he sells his birthright for a bowl of pottage. Jacob
then receives the blessing of his father, Jacob, and it is the twelve
sons of Jacob (also called Israel) who will become the patriarchs of
Israel.

When Joseph is sold into slavery by his brothers, the scene is prepared
for the sojourn of the Israelites in Egypt. Because of a severe famine,
Joseph's brothers must go into Egypt to get grain from the Egyptians.
They are unaware that Joseph has been elevated to a position of
authority under Pharoah. Joseph later reveals his identity to his
brothers and asks them to bring their father, Jacob, to Egypt to live.
They bring Jacob to Egypt where he lives the rest of his life. On his
deathbed, Jacob blesses his sons.

The Genesis narrative ends with the death of Joseph. Soon a Pharoah
will come to power who will enslave the Israelites. This sets the scene
for the exodus from Egypt, which is related in the second book of
the Bible: Exodus.

Resumos Relacionados