“There Is One and Only One True God”
Understanding Genesis
“Genesis Portrays Jesus Christ, Our Creator God”
Genesis is the seed plot of the Word of God. The title Genesis, which is Greek, means “origin,” and the first word in the Hebrew of Genesis is translated “in the beginning” – words that indicate both the scope and the limits of the book. It tells us the beginning of everything except God. Another thing to notice is that it tells only of beginnings. There is no finality here. Upon its truths all the future revelation of God to people is built up.
Satan appear to have special enmity for the book of Genesis. No wonder the adversary has bent his attacks upon it. It exposes him as the enemy of God and the deceiver of the human race; it foretells his destruction; it depicts his doom (Genesis 3).
Without Genesis our knowledge of a creating God would be pitifully limited; we would be woefully ignorant of the beginnings of our universe.
Genesis is the book of beginnings:
1. The beginning of the world (1:1-25)
2. The beginning of the human race (1:26-2:25)
3. The beginning of sin in the world (3:1-7)
4. The beginning of the promise of redemption (3:8-24)
5. The beginning of family life (4:1-15)
6. The beginning of civilization (4:16-9:29)
7. The beginning of the nations of the world (10, 11)
8. The beginning of the Hebrew people (12-50)
Adam began with God and fell through disobedience (3:1-24)
Abel began with God y the blood of sacrifice (5:4)
Noah began with God by the way of the ark (6:8, 14, 22)
Abraham began with God when he built altars (12:8)
Historical facts:
~ The Author of Genesis – the age-long Hebrew and Christian position is that Moses, guided by the Spirit of God, wrote Genesis
~ Creation – in a few simple words (“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”) we have the Bible declaration of the origin of this material universe. God created: the world of matter (1:3-19), the system of life (1:20-25) and humanity, the crown of Creation (1:26-27)
~ The Fall – Satan, the author of sin, acting through a serpent, tempted Adam and Eve to doubt God’s Word. They yielded to the temptation and failed in the best. Here sin entered the world.
~ The Flood the account of the flood in the Bible is very plain and straightforward. God sent the flood to restore good upon the earth. God was going to separate the righteous from the wicked.
~ The Call of Abraham – God wanted to show His grace. He wanted a chosen people: to whom He might entrust the Holy Scriptures; To be His witness to the other nations; Through whom the promised Messiah could come.
~ Descent into Egypt- God knew it was necessary that the Israelis leave Canaan until they had developed national strength so they would take possession of the land of Canaan. Joseph is one of the outstanding noble characters of the Old Testament.
Eight names are mentioned in Genesis that we should remember in order: God, Adam, Satan, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.
Six places are of supreme importance in connection with the history of Genesis: Eden, Ararat, Babel, Ur of the Chaldees, Cannan (Promised Land) and Egypt.
Understanding Exodus
“Exodus Portrays Jesus Christ, Our Passover Lamb”
Exodus is re-eminently the book of redemption in the Old Testament. It begins in the darkness and gloom, yet ends in glory. It commences by telling how God came down in grace to deliver an enslaved people, and ends by declaring how God came down in glory to dwell in the midst of redeemed people.
Exodus which is Greek, means “way out.” Without Genesis the book of Exodus has no meaning.
The books gives us the story of Moses, the great hero of God. “Moses spent 40 years thinking he was somebody, 40 years learning he was nobody, and 40 years discovering what God can do with a nobody” ~ (Dwight Lyman, 1832-1899, American Evangelist).
The Law
The last half of the book teaches us that the redeemed must do the will of their Redeemer, consecrating themselves of His service, and submitting to His control. Therefore, the moral law is given . followed by the ceremonial law which was in part provision for the violator of the moral.
The book of Genesis is a family history. The book of Exodus is a national history. Only 70 people went down into Egypt, but before they left Egypt the people had grown into a nation of 3,000,000.
The story told in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy shows that God did not forget the promise He had made to Abraham – “I will make of thee a great nation” (Genesis 12.2).
The family records of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob no doubt had been carried into Egypt, and there became part of Israel’s national annals. Through the long years of bondage, they clung to the promise that one day Canaan would be their home.
We will see God coming down to deliver the people form Egypt (Exodus 3:7-8). Now the individuals and families had been organized into a nation. God was going to give them laws with which to govern themselves. He was going to take them back to the land He had promised them.
In Exodus 20-24 we see the law given, broken and restored. The law demands nothing short of perfection. The psalmist says: “The law of the Lord is perfect” (Psalm 19-7; read verses 8-11). Only one Man since it was given has been able to keep it perfectly. Christ not keep the law, but He also paid the complete penalty for the broken law. Christ suffered that we might be spared (Hebrews 9:13-15; 10:1-22; 1 Peter 1:18-20).
The law did not make us sin, but it showed us that we are sinners.
Laws may be divided into two parts:
1. Laws regarding our attitude toward God
2. Laws regarding our attitude toward our fellow humans.
The Tabernacle
God gave the tabernacle as a detailed picture of the Redeemer to come, in His many offices, and as a dwelling place for His visible glory on earth. Its wonderful typology is rich in Christian truth.
The Tabernacle itself having a cloud of glory over it, taught the people that God was dwelling in their midst. The golden lamp stand (25:31-40), typifies Christ the Light of the world; the Bread of Presence (25:23-30); for Christ is the Bread of life; and the golden altar of incense (30:1-10) symbolizing Christ’s intercession for us.
Understanding Leviticus
“Leviticus Portrays Jesus Christ, Our Sacrifice for Sin”
“Get right,” say the offerings. There are five of them: burnt offering, meal offering, peace offering, sin offering and trespass offering.
“Keep right,” say the feasts. there are eight of them: Sabbath, Passover, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles, the Sabbath year and Jubilee.
Leviticus is called the Book of Atonement (Leviticus 16:30-34). God says, Be ye holy as I am holy (Leviticus 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7,26). The book of Leviticus is God’s picture book for the children of Israel to help them in their religious training. Every picture pointed forward to the work of Jesus Christ.
The title of Leviticus suggest the subject matter of the book – the Levities and the priests and their service in the Tabernacle. It is also called the book of Laws. Leviticus is a timely book for it insists on keeping the body holy as well as the soul.
One of the most important questions in life is “How may an unholy people approach a holy God?”
The Burn Offering – Leviticus 1: start with the burn offering and end with the trespass offering. The burnt offering is a type of Christ offering Himself without spot to God.
The Meal Offering – Leviticus 2: is the sacrifice of daily devotion. As the burnt offering typifies Christ in death, so the meal offering typifies Christ in life. The fine flour speaks of the character of Christ – His perfection in thought, in work, in action. Let us feed on the perfect meal offering.
The Peace Offering – Leviticus 3: Christ is our peace (Ephesians 2:14). He hath “made peace through the bold of his cross” (Colossians 1:20). This offering represents fellowship and communion with God. It is an offering of thanksgiving.
The Sin Offering – Leviticus 4 & 5: shows us Christ on the cross in the sinner’s place. In this offering we see and acknowledgment of sin. “If a soul shall sin …let him bring” (4:2-3). God holds us accountable for our sin. We are like criminals who have been tried, found guilty and sentenced to death. The only reason burnt offerings, meal offerings, or peace offerings can be made is that the blood of pardon has been shed. God has accepted the one offering of His Son, which every lesser offering typified (symbolically represented).
In non-Christian religions, worshipers bring sacrifices to their god; Christians accept the sacrifice from their God.
The Trespass Offering – Leviticus 5:14 – 6:7: Christ has even taken care of our sin against others. The blood of the trespass offering cleanses the conscience and send the trespasser back to the one he or she has wronged. The injurer is forgiven and the injured becomes and actual gainer.
This book is for a redeemed people, showing how God is to be approached and worshiped. The book of Exodus is the book of redemption, but the book of Leviticus tells how the redeemed ones can worship God.
Only through the blood of Christ can we have access to God. God demands a lowliness that Christ alone can give, for we are “partakers of his holiness” (Hebrews 12:10).
In Genesis we see humanity ruined, in Exodus – humanity redeemed, in Leviticus – humanity worshiping.
“Seven” is a significant number in Leviticus. Every seventh day was the Sabbath. Every seventh year was a Sabbatic year. Every seven times seven years was followed by a year of Jubilee. Pentecost was seven weeks after Passover. In the seventh month were the feasts of trumpets, tabernacles and atonement. Pentecost lasted seven days, Passover lasted seven days. This book, like Revelation, is built around a series of seven.
Understanding Numbers
“Numbers Portrays Jesus Christ, Our ‘Lifted-up One'”
Work in progress.
Understanding Deuteronomy
“Deuteronomy Portrays Jesus Christ, Our True Prophet”
Work in progress.
