Discovering Christ In Genesis
- Bible’s message – Redemption
- Jesus Portrayed, Prophesied, Presented, & Proclaimed
Gen. 1:1''In the beginning God
Creation reveals the unity, power, and personality of God.
• It denies atheism-- in the beginning God.
• It denies polytheism-- one God, not many.
• It denies pantheism-- God is before all things and apart from them.
• It denies materialism-- matter is not God.
• It denies the eternity of matter-- in the beginning God created it.
• It denies fatalism-- God, here as everywhere, acts in the freedom of His Eternal Being.
Herbert Spencer - 1882
- English philosopher, biologist, and sociologist & evolutionist
- Foundation law of science
- Five categories
- Space, Time, Matter, Motion, & Force
Gen. 1:1-2
• In the beginning -- Time
• God created the heavens -- Space
• and the earth -- Matter
• and the Spirit of God -- Force
• moved -- Motion
- Genesis opens with a picture of redemption;
- Closes with a promise of redemption
- Gen. 1:1-3 & Gen 50:24-26
- Gen. is about our need for redemption
- In Gen. God’s method of redemption
- Six main characters
- Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph
Adam
RUIN - Our sin, & need of grace.
- Type of Christ as Headship & (one to come
Romans 5:14–20 (NCV)
14 But from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, everyone had to die, even those who had not sinned by breaking a command, as Adam had. Adam was like the One who was coming in the future.
15 But God’s free gift is not like Adam’s sin. Many people died because of the sin of that one man. But the grace from God was much greater; many people received God’s gift of life by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ.
16 After Adam sinned once, he was judged guilty. But the gift of God is different. God’s free gift came after many sins, and it makes people right with God.
17 One man sinned, and so death ruled all people because of that one man. But now those people who accept God’s full grace and the great gift of being made right with him will surely have true life and rule through the one man, Jesus Christ.
18 So as one sin of Adam brought the punishment of death to all people, one good act that Christ did makes all people right with God. And that brings true life for all.
19 One man disobeyed God, and many became sinners. In the same way, one man obeyed God, and many will be made right.
20 The law came to make sin worse. But when sin grew worse, God’s grace increased.
Noah
REDMPTION - Noah built an ark of salvation
- Ark had to be made by God’s plan
- Salvation is by God’s plan through Christ
- Enter by the door - Jn 10:9
- Noah escaped God’s judgment
- Christ offers salvation- Noah entered into a new world
Abraham
- FAITH - Justified by faith
- Received by faith the promise
- Nothing on his part
Gal 3:6-8 -GOD'S WORD Translation (©1995)
Abraham serves as an example. He believed God, and that faith was regarded by God to be his approval of Abraham. 7 You must understand that people who have faith are Abraham’s descendants. 8 Scripture saw ahead of time that God would give his approval to non-Jewish people who have faith. - Faith is tested
- Has your faith been tested
Isaac
- SONSHIP - As his own dear children.
- The darling of his father
- You are on the heavenly Father’s heart.
1 John 3:1–3 (AV)
1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
Jacob
- GRACE - Jacob’s ladder from earth to heaven
- Cross brings us to heaven
- Grace keeps us and causes us to grow
- Jacob was a scoundrel, a schemer
- Thought he could live on his own, by his own wits
- Get anything he desired by his own efforts.
- He deceived almost everyone
- Ended up being deceived.
- It was grace in the end that changed him & saved him
- Christ as Lord, and forces us to surrender willingly
Malachi 3:6 (AV)
6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
Joseph
- GLORIFIED – Shows our ultimate glorification.
- A type of Christ
- Loved of his father and mistreated by his brethren
- Living through constant conflicts & trials
- Suddenly went from prison to throne
- Second person in the kingdom.
- Soon we shall reign
Genesis 50:19–21 (AV)
19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?
20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
21 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.
