What Does Genesis Teach about God?
Genesis means “beginnings,” which serves as an appropriate title for the first book of the Pentateuch. Though this book traces the beginnings of many things, it is first and foremost the beginning of revelation about God. From beginning to end, he stands out as the main character of the book. Therefore, whoever reads Genesis discovers some fundamental truths about the nature and behavior of God.
To develop a thorough biblical theology of God from Genesis would require a book-length endeavor which this study cannot achieve. Instead, this study will provide an abridged overview of what Genesis reveals about God. To accomplish this task, it will give four action verbs that describe various characteristics of God, supported by corresponding examples. Following this, it will highlight some names mentioned in the book.
He exists.
Though Genesisfeatures many personalities and characters, it features God most of all. Notonly does it name him before it names anyone else (1:1), but it also names himmore frequently than it names anyone else, identifying him especially as Elohimand Yahweh.[i] Inthis way, God reveals his existence. Most clearly, Genesis presents God as theone and only true God, not one of many. Even so, it also indicates a pluralitywithin the Godhead on three occasions, when God refers to himself using afirst-person plural pronoun (1:26; 3:22; 11:7).[ii]
He reveals.
In particular, Genesisfrequently uses the word אמר (whichmeans “to say”) to indicate that God spoke to other persons, such as: tomankind (1:28), Adam (2:17), Eve (3:13), Satan (3:14), Cain (4:6), Noah (6:13),Noah’s sons (9:1), Abram or Abraham (12:1; 17:15), Sarah (18:15), Hagar(21:17), Abimelech (20:3), Rebekah (25:23), Isaac (26:2), and Jacob (31:3).”[iii]Most importantly, God first revealed himself by speaking everything intoexistence as his grand initial act of self-revelation, revealing himself to everyliving create that he created (1:3). As a God who reveals, he remains neithersecretive and unknown, nor silent and reclusive. Genesis unveils him as a Godwho reveals himself and is not aloof.
He creates.
Genesispresents God as the creator of all good things, including the universe atlarge, Earth in particular, plant life, animal life, and human beings (1-2).From Genesis 1:1 to 6:7, the word ברא(which means “to create”) occurs ten times. In every instance, God is thesubject and no material is given from which he created.[iv] Thismeans that God created ex nihilo, or “from nothing.” Later in the book,Melchizedek calls God the “Most High, Creator of heaven and earth” (14:19, 22).As the climactic achievement of his creative work, God created human beings(5:2). In keeping with his revelatory nature, he made them in his “image andlikeness” (1:27); as such, he intended for them “to be and act like him,”thereby revealing himself even more through them.[v] Inparticular, he gave them life, which reveals him not only as the creator of thematerial world, but the giver of life (2:7).
He judges.
As the creator ofall that is good and the giver of life, God provided human beings with clear instructions(1:28; 2:15-17). When they disobeyed his instructions (3:1-7), he issuedimmediate consequences – especially death (3:8-24). He responded in a similarway to Cain’s murder (4:8-15), humanity’s corruption and violence (6:1-7), Ham’ssin (9:22), humanity’s disobedience at Babel (11:6-9), Sodom and Gomorrah’swickedness (19:24-25), the disobedience of Lot’s wife (19:26). Genesis 18:25summarizes this quality of God, saying, “Shall not the Judge of all the earthdo right?”
He restores.
God not onlyjudges evil, but he also provides a means for good to be restored. Genesisreveals this immediately, following mankind’s first sin, promising a futureredeemer (3:15). When Cain killed Abel, God provided Eve with another son(4:25). When the Flood subsided, he restored the earth to livable conditions; healso reinstated his original intentions for mankind (9:1-11). When Hagar andIshmael languished in the wilderness, he restored their health and assured themof future blessing (21:14-21). Later on, he restored Joseph to prominence afterenslavement and imprisonment (41:39-45). Joseph underscored this characteristicof God even further when he observed how God is able to turn the evilintentions of people towards beneficial outcomes – not for one person only, butfor many (50:19-20). His father, Jacob, expressed a similar sentiment about God(49:18). God’s covenants with Noah (9:8-17) and Abraham (12:1-3; 15:1-5;17:1-14), which highlight God’s perpetual, faithful commitment to restoration.The Noahic covenant ultimately guarantees to all people that he would neveragain destroy the world with a flood (9:15). The Abrahamic covenant ultimatelyguarantees spiritual blessings to all the nations of the world throughAbraham’s descendants (12:3).
Titles and names of God
Titles andnames of Godin Genesis further reveal important insights about hisnature. He is Elohim, majestic, supreme, and distinguished from allother so-called deities; he is the one, true creator God.[vi] AsHouse observes, “Monotheism in creation means that God is limited neither innature nor by region to a particular place. God has no rivals. God has jurisdictionover all created persons and things.”[vii] Heis also Yahweh, the “master, ruler, chief,” the LORD.[viii] Combinationsof El further enrich our understanding of God. He is El Elyon,“God Most High” (14:18-19), El Shaddai, “God Almighty” (17:1; 35:11;28:3; 43:14; 48:3), El Roi, “the God who sees” (16:13), and El Olam,the “Eternal God” (21:33). A combination of Yahweh, Yahweh Yireh,presents God as “The LORD who provides” (22:14). Another title, Adonai,upholds God as “master,” and when combined with Yahweh, means “SovereignLORD” (15:2, 8). Another title reveals God as the Abhir, the “MightyOne” of Jacob, portraying him as strong and powerful (49:24; 60:16).[ix] Heis also the “Shepherd” (Raah) and the “Rock/Stone” (Eben) ofIsrael (49:24), likely implying his protective nature.[x]
What Genesis reveals about God made a lasting impact on allsubsequent Scripture, whether in the Old Testament or the New. It provides astunning introduction to his majestic, sovereign, intervening nature and lays afirm foundation for further revelation about him. Readers today should respondto him in faith, just as Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and othersin Genesis learned to do. They should rely on him for righteousness (15:6) andfollow his commands (12:1). By doing this, they will discover that despitetheir personal failures and despite the evil that surrounds them in this fallenworld, the same God who created good things out of nothing is actively andfaithfully raising good things from the bad (50:20).
[i] Robert D.Bell, The Theological Messages of the Old Testament Books (Greenville,SC: Bob Jones University Press, 2010), 22.
[ii] These pluralreferences neither specify three divine persons nor identify the Father, Son, orHoly Spirit in any distinct way, yet they exhibit a plurality within theGodhead nonetheless. Some will object to this plurality by claiming that sinceGod is one, this renders any plurality within the Godhead impossible. Thiscriticism fails to acknowledge, however, that the Hebrew word for one includesan allowance for a corresponding plurality, as when a husband and wife arecalled “one flesh” (Gen 2:24). Wolf explains that one conveys the idea of“unity while recognizing diversity within that oneness.” Herbert Wolf, “61 אֶחַד,” in TheologicalWordbook of the Old Testament, ed. R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer Jr.,and Bruce K. Waltke (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999), 30.
[iii] Bell, TheTheological Messages of the Old Testament Books, 23
[iv] Herbert Wolf, AnIntroduction to the Old Testament Pentateuch, Kindle ed. (Chicago: Moody, 1991)loc. 425.
[v] Victor H. Matthews,Mark W. Chavalas, and John H. Walton, The IVP Bible Background Commentary:Old Testament, electronic ed. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2000),1:26-27
[vi] K. A. Mathews,Genesis 1-11:26, vol. 1A, The New American Commentary (Nashville:Broadman & Holman, 1996), 127-8.
[vii] Paul R. House,Old Testament Theology, Kindle ed. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1998),60.
[viii] William DavidReyburn and Euan McG. Fry, A Handbook on Genesis, UBS Handbook Series(New York: United Bible Societies, 1998), 60. A more complete understanding ofthis personal name of God, which appears more frequently throughout the OldTestament than any other, was likely obscure until God revealed himself toMoses in the burning bush (Exo 3:14, cf. 6:3). See Wolf, An Introduction tothe Old Testament Pentateuch, loc. 497.
[ix] Wolf, loc.561.
[x] Reyburn, AHandbook on Genesis, 60.
