Genesis: The Book of Beginnings

Mark D. Uzupan

Colossians 2:17

Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

Just about everything in the Old Testament can point to something relative to us in the New Testament.  The Old Testament was just simply a shadow of the New Testament and that which was yet to come.

There are truths found in the book of Genesis that are the beginnings of our salvation and our doctrine.  We think of the book of Genesis as the beginning of creation and the beginning of mankind; all that is true, but there is so much more.

We are going to look at several things upon which our doctrine is built and we will see the foundational stones of what we believe going all the way back to the book of Genesis.

1.  There was a shedding of blood and a covering because of sin.

Genesis 3:21  Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

God had to kill an animal and the blood had to be shed so Adam and Eve could have a covering because of their sin.

We find in the New Testament that Jesus Christ is a Lamb of God that takes away our sin.

John 1:29  The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

And it’s by his blood that our sins are covered and washed.

Hebrews 9:22  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

2.  We find in the book of Genesis salvation by water.

1 Peter 3:20-21  Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.  (21)  The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

Baptism is a part of our salvation because it brings us to the place of the burial of the old way and the old life to the cleansing and watching so we can walk in newness of life.

Romans 6:4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

3.  We find the in filling of the Holy Ghost type in shadowed by the breathing of the spirit.

John 20:22  And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:

Genesis 2:7  And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

And that through the spirit that which was void was made new.

Genesis 1:2  And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

2 Corinthians 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

4.  We can see the difference between holy worship and fleshly worship.

Genesis 4:3-7  And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.  (4)  And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:  (5)  But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.  (6)  And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?  (7)  If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

We don’t need to have it planned out what we think a good church service is but we need to seek the face of God and worship him in Spirit and truth.

John 4:24   God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

5.  We can see the institution of holiness exemplified through modestly.

Genesis 3:7-10  And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.  (8)  And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.  (9)  And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?  (10)  And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

1 Timothy 2:9  In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;

With this Scripture we can see the dangers of jewelry found and even in the book of Genesis of how it relates to idolatry.  As they were going to clean themselves and go to Bethel(the house of God) they took it all off.

Genesis 35:2-4  Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:  (3)  And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.  (4)  And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.

6.  In the book of Genesis we find the distinction of male and female.

Genesis 1:27  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Deuteronomy 22:5  The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.

The spiritual authority that was given to Eve to have dominion over all the earth was lost because of sin.

Genesis 1:28  And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

But now it’s regained through the woman’s uncut hair.

1 Corinthians 11:10  For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.

7.  We see grace and mercy exemplified.

Genesis 19:15  And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.

Even though Lot chose to live in the land of sin, God’s grace in God’s mercy was going to bring him out.  We have that grace and mercy available to us today.

Hebrews 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

8.  We see faith exemplified in the book of Genesis.

Genesis 15:6  And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

Abraham was saved by faith, and this fact showed that it was possible to be saved in that way, and that it was the design of God to save people in this manner.

We are saved by faith as well.

Ephesians 2:8-9  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  (9)  Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Hebrews 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

9.  We see the paying of tithe found in the book of Genesis.

Genesis 14:20  And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

10. We see how home life is ordered of God.

Genesis 3:16  Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

But it goes one step further.

Ephesians 5:22-25  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.  (23)  For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.  (24)  Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.  (25)  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

Husbands are commanded to love their wives.