Let’s Read the Bible - Genesis

In the beginning…how many times have we opened our Bibles, determined to start again and read those words? I know I’ve read those first few chapters of Genesis over and over again, but when I first started studying the Bible the rest of Genesis felt long and confusing. So this post, “Let’s Read the Bible – Genesis,” will help you get started reading Genesis.

The names, the generations, and the events felt like I was being plucked from my life here in the 21st century and put into a time machine. I didn’t understand the customs, phrases, or the people.

Maybe you have approached Genesis with lots of questions. As we read the Bible, let me remind you:

It is ok to have questions!

Just because you don’t understand something the first time you read it, doesn’t mean you need to give up. I want to encourage you to keep reading. You might have to reread the passage again or just keep going, but reading God’s word is not a spring, but a marathon.

Through the course of the rest of your life you will read God’s Word over and over again. Don’t think you have to understand everything in the first pass. So, whether you’ve never read Genesis or you have read it 100 times, I hope the following information and links will be helpful as you read the book of Genesis.

Genesis was written by Moses, who we don’t meet until Exodus 2. Moses was a learned man, able to read and write. Taught by the Egyptians from a young age, Moses learned no doubt all about the history of Egypt.

Yet we read in Genesis that Moses chose to follow, believe, and trust the God of the Hebrews, his own people.

Genesis means “beginning” and so we find the beginning of all things:

The World.
Mankind.
Sin.

Genesis answers so many questions that are fundamentally human! Where do we come from? Why are we here? What has happened to this world?

Genesis lays the foundation of the rest of the Bible. In Genesis we see God and His relationship with mankind. We see the origin of sin but also the result of sin. We see God’s hand in reaching down and initiating reconciliation through the redemption of mankind, through blood!

The Gospel is right there in Genesis. It reads like a storybook, but also continues lists of names. Don’t let those lists bog you down, read them, move on. Genesis is a great book to be introduced to who God is and His desire for a relationship with mankind.

Here are some study tips:

Study Tips for Genesis

You can either underline these things in your Bible, highlight them, or keep a notebook with the verses written down. If you use this Bible, you can write in the margins!

Make a note of all of the times God speaks to an individual. (not just men, but women too!)
Make a note of the names of God.
Record or highlight when God speaks about sacrifice.
Make a list of the main characters starting with Abraham. Who is Abraham’s family?
After reading through the entire book, make a summary of how the book starts and how it ends.

There are countless ways you could study Genesis or read it with intention. I encourage you to just start! But before you do, you can also check out these websites: