POSTSCRIPT TO THE COMMENTARY ON GENESIS

This postscript is to review some of the astonishing foundations for faith that we find in the book of Genesis.

In the first chapter we saw a sequence of creation over long periods of time. These end with the making of the first true humans (as opposed to a million years of hominids) in the image of God.

Chapters 2 to 5 give us a vivid picture of what keeps going wrong with the human race, and yet shows us the possibility of being able to walk with God like Enoch.

We give reasons why we should picture the flood (chapter 6 to 9) as being localized in an area of south-east Turkey on the upper reaches of the Euphrates.

In chapter 10 we suggest that the identity of a nation is the language that they originally spoke. The chapter enables us to locate the three main linguistic groupings, and we suggest that Abraham and his family were originally Sumerians.

Some find it hard to believe that men and women in the image of God (1:26-27) lived much longer than we do (Chapter 11). But again and again we note that the astonishing interlocking of dates and genealogies throughout Genesis do not read like legends and myth.

The story of Abraham (Chapters 12-15) is basic to Judaism, Islam, and the Christian faith. Paul insists that it was faith that made Abraham righteous before God. And faith is not performance and good works to earn merit, but following "the example of the faith that our ancestor Abraham had" in looking to God and his astonishing promises (Romans 4:12).

Chapter 16 to 21 enable us to picture the origin of quarrel between Jews and Arabs which has dominated the Middle East for 3800 years.

The Book of Genesis also offers the only source available for Arabs to explore the promises made to them, and their tribal origins and genealogies (Chapters 19, 24-25, 36).

Throughout the book we are reminded of the importance of God’s promises, and the frailty and sinfulness of the greatest saints. We are also awed by the strange prophetic blessing of families before the death of a patriarch. The final part of the book describes how the Jewish people were welded into a nation before their enslavement in Egypt and their miraculous exodus from Egypt.

GENESIS COMMENTARY