16 Origins from Genesis to Help You Understand the Ways of God
A must read.
The New Testament calls the Old Testament a teacher. Why? “… so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide, we might have hope."
Without faith, it is impossible to please God, but our relationship with Him has no basis without hope. The Bible reveals the character, plans, and intentions of God. So, biblical knowledge, even about how all things began, will give us hope to build and strengthen a faithful relationship with Him.
The Psalmist1 says that the words of the Lord revive the soul and make the wise simple. Paul would add that “…hope does not disappoint us….”
Understanding the ways of God, His character, and plans for our lives is a journey that spans generations. It never ends. But it begins with our knowledge of the origin of things.
Though they’re often misunderstood today, these 16 origins from Genesis will help you understand God’s character, His purposes for humanity, and the ultimate meaning of life.
16 origins in Genesis:
Origin of Life
Origin of Evil
Origin of Man
Origin of Work
Origin of Death
Origin of Culture
Origin of Nations
Origin of Conflict
Origin of Religion
Origin of Marriage
Origin of Language
Origin of Government
Origin of the Solar System
Origin of the Chosen People
Origin of Order and Complexity
Origin of Hydrosphere and Atmosphere
Origin of life
How a seemingly formless state became the ideal place for skyscrapers and habitation for great and common people goes back to God, i.e. the vibration of the Spirit of God.
The Spirit of God “hovered” amidst the void (moved). The Hebrew for "move" suggests a rapid back-and-forth that energized the void and gave it form. The movement of the Divine was necessary for all other things to follow.
Several scientists and philosophers, some atheists, have refuted Darwin’s postulation that a big bang caused everything. Casey Luskin observes that “nonreligious scientists and scholars who doubt modern Darwinian theory include former U.S. National Academy of Sciences biologist Lynn Margulis, medical professor Raymond Tallis, Rutgers cognitive scientist Jerry Fodor, New York University philosopher and legal scholar Thomas Nagel, and Princeton-trained mathematician David Berlinski—all of whom have publicly challenged neo-Darwinism and/or sympathized with [Intelligent Design].
What I find surprising is certainly not the fact that God created the universe, nor the staunch defense of evolutionary biology by new atheists—cum the four horsemen. My surprise is the proposal by some theologians (gap theory) to reconcile evolution with Genesis 1:1-2, saying, “God created the heavens and the earth, and then something happened that caused the earth to go from fully created and beautiful to ‘without form and void,” which is rather suitable for the claim that the earth is older than 10,000 years.
On the contrary, Mike Mazzalongo notes, “There are no philosophical problems with a young created earth. That an all-powerful and wise being created the universe which reflects His complexity and wisdom is logical and possible. As a matter of fact, the existence of an eternal God creating the earth can logically be demonstrated in a variety of ways (i.e. Moral argument, First Cause argument).”
The Bible says life began with God. Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity reveals time, matter, and space have a definite beginning while Herbert Spencer itemized from Genesis 1:1 the 5 scientific principles that evolution cannot explain:
Time: "In the beginning"
Force: "God"
Action: "created"
Space: "the heavens"
Matter: "the earth"
Origin of Evil
We mistakenly assume that evil began with the fall. As much as I’d like to trace these origins from Genesis, Isaiah has more details concerning the history of evil.
“How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ Nevertheless, you will be thrust down to Sheol, to the recesses of the pit.2
Satan rebelled against God before the first temptation. He wanted to be like the Most High who drove him out of heaven. Genesis 3 describes the passage of evil into the physical from the spiritual through Satan’s deception of Eve. As Paul says, “… through one man sin entered into the world….” 3
This clarification is important because it shows that while we may rebel against God’s righteous will and yield to temptation, He made us good.4 It took an external prompt, from Satan, for the first of us to consider a rebellion against God.5 It has been said that the emphasis on Satan's inability to dominate the woman and her offspring after the fall suggests it was the reason he tempted her so he could subdue her and her offspring.
Genesis also bears God’s plan to save us from evil. The first gospel (protoevangelium) comes out of Genesis 3 when God says His plan of saving humanity will come through the Seed of a woman. “He [her Seed] shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” 6 In his much-loved letter to the early church, Apostle John says, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” 7
God is compassionate towards us. He announced His salvation to us when sin plunged into the earth and His saving grace endures through His Word so that the gates of Hell cannot prevail against it.
Origin of Man
The most significant point about the creation of man in Genesis is the idea of fit or fitting. There was “no man to work the ground,” so God made Adam. But the world was too big a place, so God created the Garden of Eden and was present with him. Seeing Adam alone, God made him a helper ‘fit’ for him.
A fitting purpose, place, and partner for the man.
It suffices to say that God does everything fitting for the man to whom he gives dominion over all the good things He has made.
An intentional God made an intelligent world for an intricate relationship with humanity.
Origin of Work
Genesis contains expansive details about work that reveal God's creativity, humanity's purpose, and the development of culture. Key details about work in Genesis include:
God worked in the beginning. Jesus would allude to this later saying, “My Father worked, therefore I work.”8 This is important because it clarifies the notion that work is a consequence of sin or a burden on humanity.
God created man to work. Genesis 1:28 and 2:15 reveal God’s mandate to humanity to sustain His work. Therefore, work is not a survivalist effort but a participation in God’s creativity and cultivating work in the world.
There is dignity in work. To Tim Keller, “Work is as much a basic human need as food, beauty, rest, friendship, prayer, and sexuality; it is not simply medicine but food for our soul. Without meaningful work, we sense significant inner loss and emptiness.”
The fall made work harder, frustrating, and sometimes futile, yet it retains its essential creative, serving, and reflecting purpose.
Tim Keller also observed, “Since God rested after his creation, we must also rest after ours. This rhythm of work and rest is not only for believers; it is for everyone, as part of our created nature.” Our modern fascination with work-life balance finds its theological appeal in the Sabbath principle.
Origin of Death
Genesis tells us the following about death:
God did not create death.
Death entered the world because of Adam and Eve’s sin.
Physical death is the lowest form of death, but spiritual death is profound.
The Bible’s focus on death is not primarily scientific but theological, i.e. the basis for redemption.
God removed Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden to prevent them from eating from the Tree of Life.9
The death of animals may not be a consequence of sin. As John Lennox observed, “Plant death cannot therefore have been a consequence of the first human sin, even though plant death is death. What about the animals? Whales, for instance, are mammals, and they do not live on green vegetation. Their food is living seafood; and so, by eating, whales cause death.”
Origin of Culture
By Genesis 6, humanity has formed a strong pattern of life that God observes: “Every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.” 10 However, “God’s response to human sinfulness brings with it blessings we might not have expected.”
The following cultural elements emerge in Genesis:
Cities
Nations
Language
Agriculture
Government
Technology and arts
Marriage and family
Origin of Nations
Genesis 10 reveals that all nations descended from Noah’s three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth, after the flood. Other notable facts about the origin of nations in Genesis include:
The diversity of nations and languages originated at the Tower of Babel.
The scattering of people and the confusion of languages are divine judgments.
According to Genesis, we share a common ancestry from Adam and Eve through Noah.
Dr. William F. Albright11 observed that “The Bible is the only document that confirms the existence of these peoples and is very accurate according to archaeological findings.
Mike Mazzalongo notes that scholars agree on the unity of humanity. “The problem is how distinct nations could develop from one race and language. Only the book of Genesis explains this in an adequate fashion.”
Origin of Religion
In Genesis 4, people began to call on God. Some people call this the first prayer. The context is that as the first few humans began to populate the world, a contrast among the offspring (Cain and Abel) emerged and it is the line of Seth who would begin the living of practicing prayer.
Mike Mazzalongo notes that many world religions say there must be an ultimate truth and direction in life. “Genesis explains the origin of this characteristic of man's consciousness as well as the origin of true worship and the true God of all origins.”
Origin of Conflict
As I said about the origin of evil, Genesis does not mention the spiritual conflict that ensued in the heavens when Satan attempted to take the place of God, but the following types of conflict are notable:
The Fall
As you read through Genesis, you’re immediately enamored by the tranquil nature of all things, as they flow from the mind, observation, pronouncement, or work of God. The scenery assumes some tension from Genesis 3, where the serpent poses a creepy question and “man doubts, distorts, and defies God’s Word—reducing it to an alternative viewpoint.”
The Curse
The curse contains the first mention of childbirth, and it comes with great pain. Before that, God had made Adam and Eve out of dust and a rib. Since God had commanded them to multiply before the fall, chances are that childbearing would have ensued palatable. And why not? As for Adam, God told him to keep the garden, and was doing a good job at it. The curse just made it harder and tragic, if you add his return to dust.
Cain v. Abel
Thieves come to steal and destroy, but brothers? Genesis 4 says they come along too, just as Cain rose against Abel and killed him, and the first innocent man was murdered in cold blood.
The Seed of the Woman vs. The seed of Satan
The conflict that began with the fall now returns to a spiritual dimension, but the Seed of the woman shall prevail.
Sin Spreads
Genesis 4 reveals how the devil’s lies degenerated into wickedness. Lamech boasts of his killings, men seek many women, weapons of destruction become common, and men make art to provoke God.
Nations
The prophecy was, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.”12 Esau would eventually sell his birthright, but the Edomites would not let the Israelites have it peacefully.
Origin of Marriage
Legal or not, all distortions of marriage contradict God’s plan in Genesis. Polygamy, infanticide, adultery, pedophilia, divorce, and homosexuality are all distortions of marriage.”
What does Genesis tell us about marriage? 11 quick facts:
It can be distorted.
It is an expression of God’s image.
It is the first institution created by God.
It is a union between a man and a woman.
It establishes a unity since “they shall become one flesh.”
It is complimentary because Eve was “a helper fit for him.”
The man is the head of the woman, though her desires may be contrary.
It is how families are formed, and tribes begin. It is the foundation of society.
It is God’s response to Adam’s (man’s) loneliness because “it is not good for man to be alone.”
God orchestrated and witnessed the first marriage, but He is present now just as he was then.
Origin of Language
The Tower of Babel is remarkable, isn’t it? For as men ascend to the heavens, they assume different tongues.
Mike Mazzalongo writes,
“The gulf between the chattering of animals and the abstract, symbolic systems of man is completely unbridgeable by the evolutionary process. You can teach an animal to mimic sound [and] repeat conditioned responses, but you cannot have him give an opinion or [ask it to] tell time. Genesis accounts not only for language in general but also [for] national languages in particular.”
Origin of Government
Unlike marriage, the emergence of a structured human leadership of society is a later development to manage the degenerating impact of sin. Four forms are observable: patriarchal, tribal, national, and global.
Our leadership potential was established long before the flood when men (patriarchy) led their families.13 As the account of Abram’s (later Abraham) life shows, men received their authority from God. So there is a limited human or formal political arrangement in the beginning. In fact, it would take the wisdom of Jethro to have Moses initiate perhaps the first national assembly in history.
By Genesis 9, restraint must be established in the new world. After the flood, God said, “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.” This sets up the legitimacy of capital punishment. Moreso, the fear of man, which God imposed on animals, suggests that the earliest form of government recorded in Genesis maximized fear and terror as a deterrent, as Mike Mazzalongo notes,
“If man has the right to execute capital punishment, he also has the right and responsibility to develop laws that will help prevent and discourage the type of things that lead to the ultimate crime (robbery, rape, etc.)”
As the population of the world grew, selfish ambitions began to influence social policies. The great hunter, Nimrod, sets himself as king and his descendants would build a city to penetrate the heavens, whereas God wanted them to disperse the earth. The selfish acts of many politicians as we know it, are as old as man.
Origin of the Solar System
Scientists do not agree on the big bang even with it being a description of “effect” and not “cause” but they certainly don’t agree on the origin of the solar system. On this matter, I will defer to the apt submission of Roger Patterson, who says:
“Because the naturalistic ideas are not based on the foundation of God’s perfect Word, they fall short. Below is a table that summarizes the major differences discussed above. It is, at best, inconsistent to believe in the Bible as the inspired, infallible, sufficient Word of God and accept that the big bang and the nebular hypothesis are true. Because the two views contradict one another on many points, they cannot both be accurate without twisting, reordering, or compromising one or the other. Will you trust God’s Word or man’s reasoning when it comes to the formation of the solar system?”
Origin of the Chosen People
Let’s set aside growing antisemitism in the West for less than a minute and observe history in Genesis. Its historical record of Israel and its purpose in God’s salvation plan is accurate.
From Adam to Noah, Abraham to the twelve tribes, and from Egypt to exile, Genesis gives us a framework for studying Israel’s journey, triumphs, and struggles as they relate to God. For example, how do we understand the fulfillment of God’s promise that Jesus would crush the serpent if we can’t trace his genealogy to Adam?
No doubt, God’s choice of Jacob over Esau poses a problem to non-Christians, but we know that birthright is not enough in God’s plan, a person’s character and alignment with God’s will takes ample consideration.
As the account of Joseph’s life shows, Abraham's lineage became a "light to the Gentiles," so that God's blessings and salvation would reach all nations.
Origin of Order and Complexity
Genesis also helps us understand how order and complexity became a feature of the human experience. It reveals God’s creative intention, spiritual power, and guidance. Professor John Lennox has said, “At each stage of creation God injected a new level of information and energy into the cosmos, in order to advance creation to its next level of form and complexity.”
As one reads through Genesis even for the first time, the concept of kinship and its accompanying boundaries become apparent. The waters created have living organisms peculiar to them, just as birds find their place in the sky, while plants, animals, and man move along “according to their kinds.”
Origin of Hydrosphere and Atmosphere
Mike Mazzalongo notes that “the combination of liquid water, oxygen, and nitrogen in an atmosphere that can sustain life has only been found in its present state on the Earth. Genesis explains the how, who, and why of this unique mixture here on earth.”
He adds that the term ‘firmament’ or heaven, refers to the atmosphere, which “permitted life on earth and separated the two existing bands of water, one above and the other below the atmosphere. The waters under the firmament would be the water on and under the earth. The waters above the firmament would be a special water vapor canopy that would provide the unique environment that existed in the pre-flood world of Adam and Eve.” This water canopy dissolved on the earth like a torrent of rain for 40 days and nights.
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." - Romans 15:13
Thanks for reading.
Everything good will come.
Psalm 19:7
Isaiah 14:12-15
Romans 5:12
Genesis 1:31
Revelation 12:9
Genesis 3:15
John 5:17 (paraphrase mine)
Genesis 3:22-23
Genesis 6:5
Quoted by Mike Mazzalongo
Genesis 25:22-28
Genesis 2:24